Beyond Frustrated and need advise from Women who have been there

[caligirl85]

Hey Kmama,
I just wanna let you know that this is what Cali does for her living and she really does know her shit on this inside and out. IMO if she says it, its gospel for diet.
Sista its learning for all of us most all of the time. I really believe that here you will find the best help from anywhere on the internet if you give it time and patience.
And do it gradually as Cali said that is very important for your success.
We all do our best to help each other out and successful in this and we are glad to have you with us.
Good luck and keep up your posting. Like I said we all learn from each other all the time. There is someone else out there just like you that may stumble on to this and find just what they need.
Plus its gr8 encouragement for everybody on EF.
You go sista!

Thanks Zed! And great to see you!! I hope all is well.

It really is about learning and evolving and whole lot of trial and error. Some of the things I read really challenge what I've always believed. I've been reading a lot of recent studies on fasted vs fed cardio and the results are pretty interesting. It's like telling us the world isn't round!! Really pushes you to open your mind!

 

[caligirl85]

I really hope it will make a difference for you. Another easy add is some oatmeal in your protein shake post workout. Even 1/4 or 1/8 cup.

I'm going to start up a log again, too. You've inspired me!

I'll leave the leg extensions to Zed! He'll tell you to drop them. Right Zed??

 

[caligirl85]

Yea, uh huh. Wow. I am nubie too but scared to post now cuz I think maybe not well received here. Don't want to get chewed out for asking advice. I will try to start tread tho, see what happens. I have fat weight to lose like you and I lift weights but seems frustrated becuz I watch my diet carefully and I lost 25 lbs. over 5.5 months but now at standstill. Not sure if weights cause too much apetite. I don't feel hungrier than before I lifted weights but I DO eat more. Not sure diet I should do. I so far just cut calories. Any help would be great!

Don't be scared. There's a great group of ladies here. QT has helped me from day 1 of me coming here. She's a great mentor!

 

[zedhed]

Yep SuperQT rocks too. She will always hold a special place in my book.
Dont be afraid.
Something that you all dont see is how many times we get peeps asking and asking the same stuff over and over again. We really do try to help each of you out and as an individual. But I can tell you that when you put your time and thought into helping and helping and helping and then they dont do it anyway....sometimes we do get a little bit fustrated. We really try not to but it happens to all of us at some time or other.
So if you get yelled at from one of us just chalk it up to a bad day for that Mod/Mentor. Believe me it really is not personal.

 

[zedhed]

Thanks Cali and Zed ....
Okay, Monday I begin adding food. Yikes.
Follow what Cali tell you suga and go slow and easy, you should be just fine.

I figure if I add 1 extra chicken breast 45 minutes before my workouts, with maybe a little spinach or fiber, I can handle that for starters.

I will give an update in 30 days -- So October 23rd, expect awesome results OR someone about to go on some form of "supplement". One or the other.
I really hope you post between now and then suga!

Other question you super athletes can answer. I think I need to change my leg routine. Extensions are destroying my already destroyed knees. (I have had 3 reconstructions on the left, 4 scopes on the right and both are bone on bone. Ortho wants to schedule knee replacements, but no way, not until I can't walk!)
Yes they do that to everybody in time. Here is what you need to do.
Sneak into your gym after hours and burn that POS to the ground. Save the next person from it!
If you dont wanna do that then at least never ever even look at that POS again as long as you live cuz it will cripple you!

Here is my current routine on leg day: (ignoring the cardio I usually do BEFORE, since I will now be doing it AFTER)

Hip Sled (press 70% angle) 3- 4 sets:
15X270/360/360 high and narrow
15X270/360/360 low and narrow
15X270/360/360 high and wide
(no rest between, just change position)
Ok good.
But when you do these you need to picture a sewing machine needle in slow motion. Thats how you should be doing them. No pause at the top and no pause at the bottom. One steady continuous fluid motion till your done with the full set.

1/4 mile lunges with 25# straight bar on traps -- long stride with kick through
OH! Not good for your questionable knees chika. Drop these!

Leg Extensions: (with leg brace and patellar stabilizer on)
Either Drop set with 8-10 reps X 3 Starting weight 125 (anything higher gives too much joint pain)
OR
Drop set 50s X 2 (do as many as possible to failure, drop weight, no rest, continue until 50 reps)
You already know it....Yep Drop this shit now!!

Ok in place of the lunges and extensions do this.
Back Squats Power Lifting style 4x10
Front Squats 4x10
If you need help with these let me know.

hamstring:
Lying curl -- 4 sets 12 -15 reps - weight 120#
Seated curl -- Drop set starting at 135# 12/12/12 reps --- 2 sets
I would suggest that you drop the seated curls and Sub in SLDL.
You get way more benefit from it overall as it is a compound excersize. 4x10-12

DONE

I have some limitations in terms of the really bum knee (no ACL, no PCL). I find I can do very little weight on a squat without excruciating joint pain.

With what I have read about extensions, maybe I should replace that excersize with something else.

Thoughts?

Ok on your squats then do lighter weight with more reps.
I also have some pretty sever knee issus. Spent a year in a chair....I cant squat a lot but at least I can squat and that is a real accomplishment.

If the squats hurt at first then just do body weight squats.

Also do a very good warm up. I do this;
Stationary bide 10 min. Low tension and HR@130 BPM.
Then I do 4x12-15 body weight squats.
And then I move on to the BBL Ft and Bk Squats.
Would really love you see you log this and let us know how you porgress.
Regards suga!

 

[kittelmama]

Thanks again Cali and Zed.
I do totally get the difficulty of being a Mod. For 2 years, as a certified lactation counselor, I modified a breastfeeding board. I would answer the same question over and over. I would look for the things that were really different to make certain I wasn't overlooking something that was critical. I wasn't always spot on every day either.

One of the things that was mentioned and I have wondered about before was adrenal fatigue. I think I will be looking into that a little more as well.

Back squats / front squats / power lifting style? .... yup lost here. After college (25 years ago) I haven't touched a squat machine or smith machine, or anything in that corner of the gym

I know there is one squat machine that my previous trainers have told me to avoid like the plague unless I want to pop out both knees, don't know the names, but I can point at it.

LOL on burning down the ext machine ... my gym is 24 hours and might notice, especially since the front door guy that does the 12AM-6AM shift follows you around talking about his cats or generally babbling .... (you know you are in trouble if you are going to the gym at 2AM right?)

I thought lunges were GOOD for knees when done with proper form ..... dang it.

 

[zedhed]

Hey suga if you have good knees to begin with lunges are a good thing. But for those of us with less then stellar ones, best to avoid them.

BTW do not do squats on any type of machine. This will screw your knees, no ifs ands or buts about it. They will screw your knees.
Do you squats with the Olypmic (Big) bar.

Power Squats are where you put the bar accross your shoulder blades. Make sure you understand that. Your shoulder blades not on your neck or high up on your shoulders. This all has to do with leverages. Having the bar low down on your shoulder blades = much less shear force on your knees.
In the power squat you wanna have your feet WIDE apart. At a min wider then your shoulders are and you wanna have your feet so that your toes point out just a little bit. This allows for better patella tracking.

When you squat down you do not need to go lower then that point where the tops of your thighs are 90° to the floor. Actually the depth is a little more involved then that but that suffices for our needs.

Also when you squat do not pause at the top or at the bottom. When your doing reps it should be one fluid motion with no breaks, pauses or stops.

Here is a link to a pretty good vid for you.

Yahoo! Video Detail for Power Squat

The gr8 thing about Power Squats is that it brings much more of the focus of the weight to your glutes and hamstrings instead of your quads. Because of that hopefully you will find that they do not bother your knees at least as much as other variations do.

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Yep SuperQT rocks too. She will always hold a special place in my book.
Dont be afraid.
Something that you all dont see is how many times we get peeps asking and asking the same stuff over and over again. We really do try to help each of you out and as an individual. But I can tell you that when you put your time and thought into helping and helping and helping and then they dont do it anyway....sometimes we do get a little bit fustrated. We really try not to but it happens to all of us at some time or other.
So if you get yelled at from one of us just chalk it up to a bad day for that Mod/Mentor. Believe me it really is not personal.

Thanks Zed this is true I am not perfect.

I do appologize to kittelmama I snapped when I should have been more patient with you I am sorry.

 

[zedhed]

You have a big heart suga!
Well done.

 

[Boomie]

Hey, hey! I had a similar experience with my first post. Felt like no one really listened and gave me a generic response. I think that comes with posting on an internet forum the same questions tend to come out like word vomit I have learned that everyone is really nice esp Cali (thanks) and you can gain alot of information here.

As far as squats with lil knee impact. Goblet squats, hold a db with both hands in between your legs. Wide stance feet turned out allows you to get awesome depth with no joint pain.
Good Luck with your goals.