amysuds’s BodyBlog

So I started increasing my carbs from 100g going to 225g since last week. I know I am gaining weight already…I haven’t weighed myself though. My issues are my legs. They are growing or retaining water and I can’t fit in my jeans already.Uggg….I want my back to grow…no change there of course. I feel like I am fighting against genetics and losing this battle. I was always bottom heavy growing up and very small up top. I hope this doesn’t continue…I want my shape to even out, not become more off balanced.

I also have to deal with the issue of loose skin in my legs. I used to wear jeans size 13 and now I wear a 5. All the pregancies added major weight ups and downs with them So in order for them to look ripped like my arms kinda do…I would have to gain a ton of muscle in them . As you get older, the skin does not have the same abilities to recover. So I have to figure out how to deal with this too. I don’t want to be overly muscular….

Just wanted to thank everyone who has left me feedback on the videos. I just wanted to share a little more of me with all of you! I am showing low reps on purpose for times sake. If you choose to try any of the exercises…decide what rep range works for you! If anyone has any exercise requests, please let me know…I would be glad to help!!

With regards to the leg workout questions I have received….I will do my best to explain my method. First off……to have proper growth and evenness in the muscles…it’s crucial to work all the different fibers. I am in no way an expert here. I just learn through trial and error . I typically do one heavy workout a week. This may consist of lunges, squats, leg ext, leg press, leg curls..etc. The basic ones. I do 4-5 sets of 10 reps heavy. But, I change the workout everytime. I either change the weight, reps, sets…or the best one… SPEED!! Speed is the key to my leg development I think. Sometimes I do isometric holds after each set. Sometimes I go as fast through the reps as I can….and sometimes I go real, real slow. I always finish my routine with 3 sets of jump squats to fully exhaust all the fibers. Also this increases natural hgh and testosterone production, which I need. One other day of the week I do med weight lots of reps. Then, everyday..I do some sets of bodyweight squats..maybe 25-50 reps with different foot positions. Keep in mind, I am used to this and it takes alot for me to get sore the next day. But even a beginner can do a few sets of them here and there with no weight. But everyone is different…and it is difficult to track which exercises are giving me the most results. So i make it fun and never do the same thing twice. So..for those that have asked me..here you go..I  would recommend everyone that is reading, to progress at a slow and steady pace. Listen to YOUR body….. and never give up!!!

One of the things I love most about this site is the openness to vent your frustrations. Well I need to do it. People that know me personally somehow always seem to piss me off and tell me I am HYPER. Why? Because I run around the block? Or maybe because I shovel snow instead of paying someone to plow?  I love to stay busy…why is this an issue for so many? I choose not to lounge aroung the BBQ on the weekend…there’s always work to be done. Does that make me strange? Maybe..but there is a method behind my madness. I run up the stairs everytime I get the laundry. I run to the bus stop like a bear is chasing me every day. I spread mulch as fast as I can. Why? People here look at me and have no idea that I am doing it on purpose. It’s easier to just say..oh you need to sit and relax a bit. What, so I can get fat? No way, no how. Through tons of studying, I have learned how to fight fat all day long. Just create an oxygen debt. Period. Meaning that it all is collective and counts toward cardio. It revs up my calorie burn without running on the treadmill for an hour. So now I feel better and I’m going to beat my time at the grocery store tomorrow and be outta there in a flash!

I have this question always running through my head. I wonder how many people have been successful at gaining muscle without doing a bulk peroid.My weight seems to be stuck at 135 and although I am increasing calories somewhat, I feel I should be gaining some. Currently I am taking in 150g of protein and 120 carbs. Anyone been successful with this?

I am happy to report I gained back the weight I lost recently. It sure doesn’t take long to do that! I have been eating a ton of peanut butter by the spoonfuls. So hopefully I can just maintain this or gain some more muscle weight!

Well I have been lifting heavy..8-10 rep sets now for a few months. As my friends here know, I was definitely showing the classic signs of overtraining. First off…I lost weight and lost my appetite. This of course turns into no energy and poor performance. But I am one of those stubborn people who continues to try. Next , I feel the old heavy legs feeling. Shame on me for getting to this point! I learned all about this in my personal training course! So the answer lies in rest..which I did. I took a few days completely off. Now it’s time to change up my program. So I will be spending the next two weeks circuit style whole body work. This will include hitting all the major muscle groups with more reps and medium weight. I have progressed with much more success the past year by constantly changing my routines. This also includes adding recreational sports into it for the fun and cardio of course. The body adapts to stresses placed upon it, so I need to plan out farther and get ready to keep it cycling!!

Yes, I am an alcoholic. It’s tough for me to write this…but it is a part of who and what I am. I guess it started when I found out I was to become a grandma. I was also trying to get my tubal ligation reversed at that time. I found out it cannot be done. So I have always been a social drinker no problems..other than I would get loaded when I did drink. Somehow, this horrible disease crept up on me. First 3 beers a day , then 5, then 8 and up to 24 a day. It’s very embarrasing! I tried to stop on my own, this had been going on for over a year at this point. I was at this party and we had a bombfire, I tripped when I was drunk and fell down a hill…almost face first into this pit. My husband was crying..he didn’t know what to do. So I decided to try to switch to drinking wine. I don’t really like it, but I figured I’d drink less. Nope..I drank bottles and bottles to get my fix. Alcohol makes some people tired, it made me so HYPER..I loved it! The more I drank, the more energy I had. It was crazy. Then..I became very depressed about myself. I turned to exercise…my true passion of life for help. I was a trainwreck with a bottle of beer in the cupholder on the treadmill. My blood pressure was 175/85. I was going to drink myself dead for sure. So I checked myself into rehab and met all kinds of people like me. It amazed me how many different types of people were there. Nurses, salesmen, bodybuilders..etc, hooked on pills, drugs, booze. I never had another drink since Dec 2006. Somehow the man upstairs saved me! I have even survived a Jimmy Buffett concert sober! That was a tough one. Yet everywhere I go, I seem to come across folks just like me …drowning their sorrows in the stuff. The point of this whole story is to let everone know how I turned my addiction to a positive version. The more I do, the better I am emotionally..I cannot let myself ever fall back into depression and that nightmare again. I now know that drinking just 1 drink impairs your body’s ability to burn fat for 24 hours!! I was doing all that work in vain for so long. I hope someone out there reads this and maybe there are people suffering or know someone who is. There’s so much more to bodybuilding than the muscle rewards…it may just save your soul!!

So I am all ready to go for a lesson today! My two youngest children 5 and 6 years old are home with me. As I pack up all my gear and get ready to go……I see my little girl looking horrified at the sight of the gloves. She obviously only has ever seen boxing matches on television and has no idea that I just want to learn. But for a 5 year old little girl, the thought of her mommy with boxing gloves on and possibly getting hit is too much for my baby. I saw a look on her face today that I will never forget. So I try to explain it to her ….but the tears are now in her eyes. So the hell with boxing for now, my baby ’s feelings come before mine. There’s always another day for the lessons….just something I’d like to try. Not worth her having nightmares over…makebe she watched a little Rocky with daddy? So she just gave me this picture and told me to just do this mommy! A great drawing of her and I with a barbell over our heads!

Well I am taking this medication which is an anticonvulsant and have been gradually increasing the dose. A week ago, I go to the doc for a check on how I’m feeling and I said "TIRED!". Here I am blaming it on the meds of course..and then we discuss my diet. I don’t count calories or grams (except for protein)…and I am just too busy to keep track. So the doc says, " I believe you have low cholesterol" . The carbs I guess factor into this. But honestly, I have really been pushing my training harder than ever. And from my reading knowledge, I know that carbs are your energy, right? Yes..but if there are not enough to fuel the brain etc, the protein I take in, gets used for energy! Shame on me for not using my brain on this…maybe I can blame it on low carbs! I increased my protein intake to 150g and really ignore the carbs. I am just used to eating the same things every day. Oh , but there’s one lovely side effect from this med. It makes me crave carbs at night..YIKES! I know it messes with my hormones from reading the brochure and I think it’s the estrogen level. I hope I don’t have permanant cravings similar to the ones I get the week before my womanly friend visits all the time. I think I will go back to daily morning cardio sessions to surpress down that estrogen! The one thing I am trying to do is add the carbs in the morning and afternoon. I also know the carbs are needed to make muscle! I need to spare the incoming protein better!! The carb increase may also spark some more fat burning..as they are necessary to burn it. I am getting myself all fired up now..maybe I will go workout:)