Thank you guys for the help!!! I actually do have resistance bands and some ankle weights. I am going to check out both those websites tomorrow. So far I've been lifting light weights, doing planks and various ab exercises and doing exercises for specific body parts. I'm going to start jogging and jumping rope starting tomorrow.

The girl with the black dress and heels is the most impressive! Keep it up Beata these are great.

http://www.simplyshredded.com/the-ul...ing-guide.html

This is for any lady. Even if you're a couch potato! Be great today.

I thought that sharing about our routines/workouts might help motivate us more (well for me it will at least lol).

I lift weights once a week. I was into it for a while and then got lazy during the WSOP and again over the holidays. Consequently, I'm not at my high point, but am hoping to get back there before too long.

My routine:

Clean and press: warm up with bar, then 15 x 60lbs for 1 set, 60 lbs x 12 2nd set. (planning to go up to 65lbs next week)

Dumbell bent over row: warm up with 20 lbs, 15 X 35lbs per arm for two sets

Close-grip bench press (supposed to hit triceps more than conventional grip, and is more difficult than standard bench press): warm up with bar, 65lbs x 20 (showed great gains here obv should have picked more weight), 70lbs x 15
Next week, am thinking of doing 75 lbs.

Hammer curls: warm up with 15lbs, 15 x 30lbs , 12 x 30 lbs

Abs: 20 on the incline situp bench set on the hardest setting, two sets of 50 sit ups.

--stretching, a few balance poses

I've never done it before, but I really want to be able to clean + press 135. I have benched 135 (with normal grip) but would like to get back there!

I would love to hear about other's lifting routines!

Nice idea Katie! That looks pretty impressive to me, but then again I've never even attempted a clean and press

Pretty frustrated with my routine right now tbh - I did P90x for three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, then started up again after NYE. The last couple of weeks I started adding back in tennis (threw out all of the p90 cardio workouts obv) and each time I end up with some kind of joint pain.

For example: Saturday, I did the leg and back routine, which basically consists of a boatload of lunges, squats, wall sits, calf raises and pullups. Only added weight to a few of the exercises and no more than 10lbs, which seems like it's pretty low, but overall it was still pretty intense. Took Sunday off to recover, then hit the tennis courts for an hour and half last night. As soon as I was done I could tell my knees were not happy, so I iced them right away but I'm taking tonight off because they're still pretty sore Has happened with my shoulder and elbow as well. They don't hurt when I just do P90, and they have never hurt in the 8 years or so I've only played tennis, but for some reason I just can't seem to do both. Maybe the volume/reps are just too much... I really like how Katie's routine is based on higher weights and lower on the total number of different exercises. Do you find you make much improvment only lifting once a week?

Also, for beata: in honor of the Australian Open, pic of one of my favorite tennis players

I do, but I think that's because I push it so hard while I'm in there (I'm really sore today lol). I also walk between an hour and 1.5 hours a day, and then play intense racquetball for 1.5 hrs to 2 hrs twice a week. While racquetball obv isn't weightlifting, there's a lot of plyo involved, and often squat like positions.

I did p-90x for about a month last year, and it got very annoying to me to watch the tapes (like knowing what soup everyone was going to call out during the pot stirrers lol). I've learned that I work out best with there is a competitive element to it. With weight-lifting I am competing against last week's (very quantifiable results), and with racquetball, I am obv trying to best my husband.

benching 135 is really impressive. i work out chest about once a week and benching is my biggest weakness.

my workouts are pretty over the top, I literally train like a man. I've started seriously lifting in the last month or so but I'm pretty happy with my numbers so far. Two weeks ago I squatted 185x1 and I'm regularly squatting 135x15. Yesterday I deadlifted 185x1 and 165x8.

If there's anything I recommend, it's deadlifting and squatting. These lifts really change your body composition.

Also, I did this routine a few days ago and it was the greatest thing ever. Also, really, really hard.

also pretty impressive:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highsc...194316479.html

piece of advice for you girls:

ignore all that zumba/bumba/timba and whatever else classes and start using gravity to shape up. start lifting weights like there's no tomorrow, start ignoring all those machines for each muscle in the body, they are ******edly useless.
Start lifting weights asap and you won't look back.

I so wish we could lift together! I love deadlifting!

Lifting is THE best thing a man or woman can do to get in shape.
But a month in serious lifting and already doing 185 squats and 185 deadlifts is really not good.
You should start lower and get it done with perfect form, then move up (stronglifts.com for how to do it with perfect form) . you do NOT need 15 reps for any exercise, just don't do it... if it feels easy, put more weight in.
Grats on the weights tho, you are stronger than more than half of the men who go to the gym ) who are doing curls and all that crap all day

i think i'm doing alright. i have a team of bodybuilders working with me making sure i'm perfecting my form.

also, i'm a pretty big girl. these numbers aren't that ridiculous... yet.

bump

Hi,

Just want to remind everyone that 2+2 has a health and fitness forum and that women are more than welcome to either participate and/or lurk.

Here's a few logs by female posters: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/85...xy-log-698918/

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/85...l-fit-1068139/

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/85...ourney-400504/

i should probably update my log.

why, to show everyone how tiny you are getting?? meh...

they're mean to me i think. oi, though. i'm happy with my progress.

bump

Are there any other fellow yogis here?

I am able to send a 2 week free online membership from myyogaonline.com to anyone. It's really good, you can choose a program that you want to focus on (beginner, weight loss, energy...) and it sends you videos, information and tips everyday or as often as you choose it to be sent. Soo many videos to choose from!

I'm still on my 2 week trial and I've done a whole program and I try to do a video daily. <3 yoga

1,2

Bumpity bump!

So, the Olympics have inspired me. I've kept up with my running (running around a 27 minute 5k atm, hoping to be sub 25 by Xmas) and have decided to learn how to swim better.

I cannot tread water, or float, and I kind of just flounder my way around. I'm not scared of water though, love water parks etc, just never been taught how to swim properly. So, my first lesson is on Aug 30th. Once I grow competent in that, I will work that into my work outs.

Furthermore, looking at ditching the Mountain Bike for a road bike. Exciting! However, dont have the spare cash at the moment...but when I do...!

Really enjoying my fis at the moment. Weather has been good for it too.

being a california kid that just sounds weird to me. Good luck and don't let your instructor con you into learning to swim by telling you that if you don't you might never get to see how the Star Wars saga ends.

Knowing how it turns out I want to go back in time and kick him in the shins for that.

On a semi-related note, the doctor yelled at me last week because of my A1C results (about 50% higher than they had been) so I've got to get back on the wagon with watching what I eat (good bye bad carbs ) and kicking the walking back up to the frequency I had last year.