Need advice on getting muscle

K

kristin12

New Member
Hi! I have been searching the net and found this forum. My birthday is in December and I will be 55 and the way things are now I will be a fat dumpy 55. I know it won't be as easy or fast as it would have been when I was younger but I really want to change the way I look. I also have to lose about 20 pounds, which I know will require diet. Where should I start? There are so many dvds...the 4 day split? I don't have a lot of time as I'm a substitute teacher. I have not been formally working out but I've been working outdoors getting our wood in most the summer so I'm not totally week. I don't want to over do but I know I'll get discouraged if I don't see some changes fairly soon. I've also considered callanetics but I think I'd like some more muscle. Any advice?
Kris
 
Hi Kris. Welcome. :)

How much are you willing to invest financially at this point? I ask only because from your post it sounds like you currently don't have weights, a step, a stability ball, etc. If you do, great! If not though, many of Cathe's DVDs involve this kind of equipment.

If you have weights, or are willing to buy some, and are interested in a Cathe weight training DVD, she has some really great ones.

Your aerobic activity (equally important) can be anything you like, from walking to running to a Cathe DVD. It really depends on what interests you AND what kind of equipment you'd need. If you love to walk, then an outdoor path and/or a treadmill is all you would need. If you'd like to try step workouts, then obviously you'd need a step.

Cathe also has circuit workouts that involve both cardio and weights.

I guess we should narrow down what seems to fit you best right now and go from there. :)
 
I would suggest watching some of the DVD clips here. If you are new to exercising routinely then I would suggest to start with some of her beginner tapes such as Basic Step/Body Fusion. You have to be patient. Changing your body will take time. And eating is over half the battle. You can exercise till the cows come home, but if you are not eating right you will not see the changes that you want to see. Now get out there and and go get 'em ;)
 
Thanks for you replies. My son has weights I can use and I picked up a step at a yard sale. I can buy the ball. Right now walking is good but I may want an alternative with winter coming.

I have looked at some clips and a neighbor loaned me some Firm tapes. I know many love these but what I like about Cathe was they seemed more straight forward...that's probably not quite the way to put it, I hope you know what I mean.
Kris
 
Cool!

Catherine's suggestion to check out the DVD clips is a great one.

My first Cathe weight tape was Pyramid Upper/Lower Body, and I still love it. That might be a good start for you.

Boot Camp/Muscle Endurance is a great one too, having both a high energy circuit workout (Boot Camp) and a weight workout (Muscle Endurance).

I'm less familiar with all of her step workouts. I only have a few, and I don't get to use them as often as I'd like. Watching the previews will probably help you figure out which ones would work best for you. She also has 2 kickbox DVDs, so be sure to check those out.

As you look through the video previews, you'll start to notice how much you really get for your money. Some DVDs have more than one workout per disc, and many include premixes, which is a shuffling of the original workout for specific emphasis. Look at the "Premixes" tab to the right of the DVD Description, and you'll see what I mean.
 
Another suggestion and the way I "found" Cathe was on FitTV. If you have access you can preview entire DVD's (minus the commercials) and even tape them if you want.

I ended up taping the entire Body Blast Series + a few others and then wanted soooo badly to see what I missed out on during the commercials that I started buying them and have been hooked ever since.

I am a past Firmie too and that did a great deal for me since I hadn't exercised for quite a while before starting up again. The Firm will help you go from a beginner state to an intermediate/advanced state and you can hop on the Cathe train after that - or mix it up too.

Best of luck - do let us know how things are "shaping up" for you ! :p
 
I don't have much to add here. Everyone else has given you great advice but the one thing I want to stress is DO NOT GIVE UP IF YOU DON'T SEE FAST RESULTS. I know that it can be discouraging if after a 1 hour work out when you feel like you want to puke your guts out you can't put on a size 2. Sometimes I feel this way after a 6 mile run. I sometimes feel like I deserve to eat as much cheese and bread as I want, but I don't because I've commited to staying fit for myself. This is a lifestyle change not a diet and requires dedication. I don't want to sound like a cheerleader or anything but you CAN do it! Don't burn yourself out. Cathe has some beginner DVD's and I would reccomend you start there. Especially if you've never done step before. Slow and steady, but you will see results. Good luck to you.
 
I agree, watching the clips is a great idea, Cathe puts so much of each video online to view that you really get a sense of whether a dvd is right for you or not.

One personal recommendation, take a look at the clips for the Supersets and Push Pull DVD, it's one DVD with 2 workouts, with MANY different premixes for variety. I've only done supersets so far and one of the premixes, this workout is a full body lighter weight/higher rep routine, and they are both under an hour. For this one in addition to the weights and step you will need a stability ball. A more advanced full body weight workout is Muscle Max.

I have read that full body workouts are a great way for beginners to start and then as you progress mix it up with heavier weight split routines.

My personal favorite for cardio is kickboxing, other than Cathe's bootcamp, it's the only cardio I do. And some of the weight workouts incorporate a cardio aspect because of their fast paced nature and how they get the heart rate up.

Have fun choosing, and keep reading and posting here, I find the boards incredibly motivating, everyone here is always very supportive and helpful, and never judgmental.
 
I just wanted to Say Welcome Kris! I think it's so awesome that you found us and just check out the clips. When I first started, I bought one of those weight kits...at walmart. They have the colored or hex weights...and it came with sets of 3, 5, 8, and 10...then I bought my 12's...then the 12's got easy and I bought 15's...now I go all the way up to 35's...and I have dumb bell handles that I can put plates on to make the weight incriments I need. And a barbell. But a barbell can weight...everything you can do with a barbell you can do with dumbbells.

Also, if you have freecycle in your area...people are sometimes looking to get rid of stuff they're not using...and crags list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top