Do you go to the gym?

[angieh]

Goodness that looks both exhausting and boring at the same time! OH does his exercise bike rigged up to Wii and goes around the island - a bit less boring and not nearly as fast. He says it's exhausting enough!

[smudgley]

Originally Posted by angieh

Goodness that looks both exhausting and boring at the same time! OH does his exercise bike rigged up to Wii and goes around the island - a bit less boring and not nearly as fast. He says it's exhausting enough!

I didn't find it boring at all, most classes are done to music and a little more varied. That video is only 7 mins, the classes are 45 mins or an hour, the idea is there is resistance on the bike, so you can turn that up and then it's hard peddling, or you can sprint with the resistance easy (as in video) my friend has got really fit doing it. I'm going again with her tomorrow as it's an earlier class on a Thursday.
Exhausting - yes definately.

[EmmaG]

I go to the gym, normally 5 times a week, mixture of cardio and weights although I do weights more than cardio nowadays. Started 2 years ago when I was 34 (although 12 years ago I went to a gym for about 3 years)

Don't be frightened on lifting very heavy weights it helps to increase your metabolism when you are not doing any activity. You will not get big through it and it burns more calories that cardio. Also another plus is that it help bone density which really helps us ladies in later life. I have been lifting weights now for about 6 months and I have lost so much fat. Size 8 now in trousers and 10 in tops

I can bicep curl 12kg and do a seated row at 22kg, if anything I am getting smaller through weights than cardio.

Well done Smudgley and everybody else who are making the effort to get fitter.

[angieh]

That's really interesting about the weights Emma. I'm with you on the bone density thing ............ very important to fight osteoporosis.

[EmmaG]

It is a shame Angie that more women don't lift weights, they would find that is does really speed up their metabolism and the fear of "getting big" is just ridiculous if you think about it:-

1) we don't have the hormones to do it
2) you would have to spend 3-5 hours a day lifting extremely heavy weights and eating a lot of protein 7 days a week
3) even most men have trouble bulking up - so what chance do we have??

I am also eating a lot more than I did before 5-6 (smallish) meals a day, this also speeds up your metabolism. Eating a good mixture of protein, fat and good carbs (veg and brown rice)

I feel like I have got so much energy.

[dandysmom]

Reading that last post has encouraged to get out my weights and start again.....

[angieh]

Go easy Eileen!!!

[dandysmom]

Oh I will! Slow and easy to begin.

[EmmaG]

LOL best to try some weights and if you are not finding it slightly difficult on your last rep you need to lift the next weight up. It is very easy to increase the weight over time.

When I see some women at the gym bicep curling say 3kg they are not really doing anything for their muscles. It should be a challenge to lift them, if not you are not working the muscles.

Also you do not need to do 100's of sets of reps either. The idea of lifting weight is to increase muscle mass (and obviously lose fat) what is the use of being able to lift 3kg for 200 sets?? it doesn't increase your muscles it just makes your muscles cope better at endurance lifting which does nothing for your body and would just exhaust it.

[EmmaG]

whoops I will get of my weightling soap box !!! LOL