Keep your wrists straight and palms down as well.

Also you want to keep your elbows tight against your side, this will prevent any "body english" and help to keep your arms with the right angle. Your elbow joint should be 90 degrees at the top of the push.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercise...iceps-pushdown - it might be awkward holding the long bar close, why I mentioned interchangeable holds.

The fact there are *two* crunch "assist" devices in that picture sort of explains why the bench press wouldn't be used much. Gotta get that six pack and spot reduce fat in the belly!

I your attitude and approach to this endeavor.

If you have any trouble with how a specifc exercise should be done take a look at bodybuilding.com
Under supersite, exercises. You can select the specific muscle you are working and the have boat loads of routines for each muscle with a video demonstrating how it should be done. These videos have helped me immensely.

Thanks! Oh and MrM27 thanks for the link I'll take a look.

All these comments have been very helpful I should get to the others tomorrow.

I had a gym session Monday, and again today. I managed to do the pull-downs and tricep exercise. I also did my walk/run today (just over an hour).

Thats a great description for the triceps pushdown thanks. I have managed to do this. There is in fact another machine around the other side that is perfect for this. As long as it has the right end connected to it. I can't do much weight at all but that gives me plenty of scope for improvement.

The strange thing is that just about everyone working out in there is spending a lot of their time using dumbells and such like. So in that corner there is often somebody posturing in front of the mirror with dumb bells.

They do have the following, with a full rack of dumb bells:



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My lack of knowledge means I am not expressing myself clearly. I mean a proper barbell, over a bench. This is a bad picture but you might be able to make it out:



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The barbell machine I'm talking about - I'll need to take a picture, I can't describe it.

I think I see a Smith machine in the mirror of this pic:



This machine is generally frowned upon by the H&F regs.

Yes that is what it is exactly! Thanks.

Week 11 Weigh-in November 17th 2012

Start weight: 228 pounds
Last week: 214 pounds
Current weight: 212.5 pounds

Weight loss this week: 1.5 pounds
Total weight loss: 15.5 pounds

Cardio

I'm a bit behind with my exercise logging. Last Wednesday I did my walk/run. The short/medium term goal with my walk is to run all but a steep section through the woods/steep section down. On Friday I did day 3 of the 'Couch to 5k' program. Doing this program I follow the timing rather than distance as that is much easier to calculate. I figure I could do one of these programs to help me towards turning the walk into a run. Also it would just be nice to be able to run 5k. Now its getting dark I have less chance to do the hill. The couch to 5k program:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Day 3 was too easy. I did feel it a little at the end of the last 3 minute run, but I wasn't sweating at the end of the session. When I do my run/walk, I'm dripping with sweat at the end. In theory I could have considered having a rest day on Saturday, but my body and mind both wanted to exercise. I did my normal walk/run route, but set off following Day 4 of the couch to 5k program. I surprised myself in what I can do (albeit at a very slow pace). Its the first time for a couple of decades I have run 5 minutes straight (away from a treadmill at least, I may have done it there I'm not sure). Didn't think I would be able to do it but managed, even with the last section being up hill, a section I had considered unrunnable for now (but not the very steep section). As usual I ran the downward section on the road (took about 8 minutes). For the first time I ran the whole of the last section, albeit very slowly.

Basically following the program for that day encouraged me to push through barriers. I didn't think I could run 5 minutes on the flat, I didn't think I could run up that section of the hill (I got a Pavlovian response at the bottom of it to stop but pushed through) and I didn't think I'd be able to run the whole last section. Its very slow at the moment but its progress. On days I can go up the hill I'll loosely base things on the program. When its dark and I can't do the hill I'll follow the program exactly. I don't know how well this mix and matching will work but I decided at the start of this that I would experiment with things and not worry about getting it wrong first time, so I'll do that here. I also did a proper 5 minute brisk walk as warm-up, and some dynamic stretching.

Weights

I did weights Wednesday, Friday and again today, Sunday. I think I have logged these properly. Where I have got the amount wrong it will be embarrassingly wrong - like I might have mixed up 5 kg and 10 kg plates so be out be a factor of 2 or something. Hopefully not. I should right it down when I am there onetime, until I have a handle on it.

I am doing the Lyle thing to decide when to progress. So you do 8-12. Once you can do 12 without the last two being a massive effort, you go up to doing 8 repititions at the next weight. The next task is to get from 8 to 12. Rinse and repeat.

I am doing three sets of each activity, with a minute or so between sets. I don't know if this is optimal or not. Lyle is flexible on it.

seated calf raise 12 x 30 kg
seated row 8 x 40 kg
biceps curl 12 x10 kg
leg press 12 x 10 kg
shoulder press 8 x 50 kg
triceps pushdown 8 x 10 kg
lateral pulldown 12 x 35 kg
Bench press 12 x 33 kg

I also did an exercise where you are sat as if in a gynecological chair and then push your legs together. There isn't much scope for progress on that though, I can already perform the motion with the full stack of weights. I also tried a pull up (lol).

Nice!

Hip adductor (squeezing together) and abductor (pushing apart). I'm sure theres a reason to isolate these muscles, but off the top of my head the only thing I can think of is if you are in a heavy foot work sport that has lateral movement speed and precision being important. Maybe theres something else about being a female that makes it important?


And don't laugh at yourself trying a pullup. The weight loss plus strength will get you there. Do negatives instead.

Maybe its just me but the abductor is ridiculous. I work legs all the time and did abductor once a couple of weeks ago. It's had me sore for days. I can understand why people do it.

Regarding pull ups they definitely do come in time. When that time comes you will love doing them.

I was wondering about this, I always thought not all carbs are created equal. EG from fruit and veg carbs would be 'better' than from white bread and white rice carbs. I heard the phrase 'complex carbs' thrown around.

yes basically my understanding is similar to what is written here http://howtothinkthin.com/instincts2.htm

Those differences are slight yet are the focus of so many people. Get your macros in order and don't worry too much about the source if weight loss is the primary concern. Glycemic loads, etc. is really just quibbling about the margins. Eat at a caloric deficit. Increase protein intake. Lose weight. It's that easy and you don't ever have to worry about whether or not a carb is complex or simple, just that it has 4 calories per gram.

right fair enough. btw does increase in protien actually help with weight loss?

Satiety for the most part. Thermic effect for the rest. So you feel fuller, longer, and quite an appreciable amount of protein calories are expended in digestion of that food, while fats and carbs by comparison have very little thermic effect.

Thanks for the encouragement and information on the abductor exercise. To be honest I am treating it more like a good stretch, although it does work the muscle a little. I won't bother logging it.

I think its worth remembering that some things we associate with carbs can have a useful bit of protein. When I started logging I was surprised how much protein there is in wholemeal bread, and also in oats.

The other thing people talk about is GI. The idea is that low GI foods keep you full longer, whereas high GI foods create a quick energy spike followed by a downer.

Weightwatchers seem to be quite big on GI these days. However they seem to concede that the approach is unproven:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/a...d=20951&sc=805

I had forgotten about the thermic effect. Perhaps I should be putting more effort into getting my protein intake up to my lean body mass. Certainly I intend to do this if I start to struggle with the weight loss.

One of the problems is finding high protein foods to eat. Take snacks, for example. I generally have bread available, and breakfast cereal. Also bananas. I have tried having peanuts, but they are very high in fat. Somebody mentioned cottage cheese somewhere which I could definitely snack on with some salad.

I'd be interested to hear of any ideas people have for high protein snacks.

yes cottage cheese is a god send for protien snack imo.

greek yougart already mentioned too although im not that keen.

normally my go to is boiled eggs or just some kinda meat by itself lol.

I like the Greek yoghurt! I just need to remember to keep buying it. I have been having it as desert with fruit, I never thought of it as a snack.

Boiled egg, for example with salad, might well work for me. I tend to use eggs a lot already in meals. If I don't have it for breakfast it often ends up as lunch. If possible I'd like something different for the sake of variety.

Beef jerky and smoked salmon or smoked albacore.