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  #11  
Old 09-12-2022, 08:51 AM
JustBe JustBe is offline
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Ok that’s sound advice. Thank you for sharing as you did.

I was thinking of joining a gym and using a personal trainer, but then I thought I’m more motivated with equipment on hand, to get up early and do a daily workout.

I have various dumbbells plus bands. Because we have space, I was thinking about getting some of those heavy rope trainers and a balance thingy.

I’ve been doing this daily work out for about a week. But I’m trying to step it up to a more inclusive total body work out.

I’m doing three sets of ten bench (kitchen) pushups, sideways walk with firm band around knees. I mainly do this to loosen out the left hip near the top of the thigh, which has some imbalanced ligaments compared to the right. I walk up and down the passage, sideways, for about 3x 12 to 17 reps. From there I’m doing 3x10 leg extensions while laying in my back. Today I added hand weights (2kg) and did 3x 8-10 various arm workouts. From there I did some yoga which included cat cow, planks and downward dog and cobra.

I usually stretch (knees up to waist) to finish off. I’ve started stretching my arms against the wall so they are extended behind my body plus wrists and a few others. I try to walk most days to work which isn’t far. About ten mins brisk. The same at night.

I want to target waist and core, leg strengthening more so so what would you suggest to add in? Or reading this what would you add in?

Thanks gem. I’m utilising your knowledge, seeing your open to share it.

I’m going to use this space to speak openly about the highs and lows going through this. In the past I’ve been inconsistent, unless in a group, but some where in me thinks this practice from home is more beneficial in developing consistency and self discipline.


It’s funny today I could hear an inner voice, saying ‘I’m not doing enough’ so I’m thinking my body wants more and what I’m doing is good but it’s not targeting legs and waist to support toning and strengthening, reducing size (which isn’t bad but it’s enough for me to know it needs more work)
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  #12  
Old 09-12-2022, 01:56 PM
Gem Gem is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JustBe
Ok I could hear an inner voice, saying ‘I’m not doing enough’
We generally think of a program or a full body as Push, Pull, Legs. And add 'the core' which is abs, obliques + spinal erectors and quadratus lumborum which stablise the lumbar spine as well.

You current program has no pulling for the back, which is rows, face pulls and lat pull downs.

Pushups take care of pushing well enough, but you could add dumbbell overhead press.

The core is getting some work but needs something like band Pallof press and/or side planks for obliques.

For legs I think split squats and step ups are great, walking lunges are also good, and the crab walks are excellent for hip stablisers. These all also work the glutes. Calf raises are important for the lower legs and foot arch, and best to add some hamstring work like single leg romanian deadlifts - they also work the glutes and spinal stablizers along with balance and foot strength, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfr6wizR8rs (preach)

The rows and facepulls will work the rear delt of the shoulders, so you just need a lateral raise or side raises for the side delts, the front delts will get enough work from pushing and overhead pressing. Adding some weighted shrugs is always a good idea.

The biceps get some work from pulling and the triceps get some work from pushing. But it doesn't hurt to do a few hammer curls. I select hammer curls because it also works the brachioradialis in the forearm. For triceps, laying dumbell skull crushers are excellent, or any sort of tricep extension is fine. However arms get some work get work with the Push and Pull, so it's just for that bit extra.

I think I covered all the muscles, and just you tube the name of any exercise.

The other way is youtube search workouts for muscle groups and get some ideas from that. Muscle groups are legs (calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes), core (abs and obliques), chest, shoulders, back and arms. Otherwise just Push workout, Pull workout, Leg workout. Watch a few and get a few ideas.

If it's going to be daily, the a week would be like Legs, push, pull, legs, push, pull, rest. that works with a 5 day rotation as well.

If it's 4 days then Push/pull, legs, rest, push/pull, legs, rest, rest.

If 3 days then full body with rest days in between.

There's different ways of breaking things up into days of course, but this is a general way of going about it.

Full range of motion, always control the weight.

Eat protein at every meal.
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  #13  
Old 10-12-2022, 11:56 PM
JustBe JustBe is offline
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Thanks so much, that’s really good info.

I’ve ordered some of the bands you noted. I’ll YouTube as you’ve mentioned just to get correct posture and movements.

If your doing a full body workout daily for five days, are you saying a rest day without any workout? I’m sorry, I am confused by what you mean exactly.

What sort of protein are you consuming at breakfast?

I’ve been researching a bit about calcium vitamin d and vitamin k, considering there has been increasing hype about the importance of each one and the way they work together. What was concerning me mostly, was lots of doctors and naturopaths continue to promote this idea that woman (over a certain age) need supplementation of calcium and d3 but often overlook the importance of vitamin k in the mix. There are a lot of people supplementing calcium and d3 without thinking about those other important minerals and vitamins that support the whole network.

I was one of them, but I stopped taking them and began focusing on foods that are whole and support the whole interplay. One thing that did transpire from my own investigation was the important role vitamin k2 plays in getting the calcium into the bones. Woman especially during menopause are often told they need calcium and d3 but this vital vitamin has previously been overlooked ( current views have changed of course) so you would have to wonder where the calcium is being stored in the body? Calcified arteries?



I’ve always been someone that has believed diet should be the priority to get ones maximum nutrition and supplementation as a temporary support. If you can find the good source simply add that in balance to your diet. Or take a good multi vitamin that has a totality of support.

Most people know what foods support calcium intake and generally daily sun exposure supports increased vitamin d3 plus certain foods. Vitamin k2 is sourced mostly through meat, greens such as kale or spinach, natto ( is fairly high on the list for vegetarians) soft cheese and other fermented foods.
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  #14  
Old 11-12-2022, 03:54 AM
Gem Gem is offline
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Originally Posted by JustBe
...
When you work a muscle, you actually break it down, or as we say, the muscle is 'catabolised'. However, the work stimulates a chemical pathway that activates muscle growth, so even though the work itself breaks the muscle down, the muscle grows during rest periods. So, the rest period is where the magic happens, mostly while sleeping. Hence we get better results from hard training if we rest the muscle for a day or two between bouts.

Therefore a full body workout needs rest days in between, and 2 days off on the weekend allows full recovery. The problem with the full body routine is you need a lot of exercises to work all the muscles and your workout routine is pretty much limited to three days, so you don't get a whole lot of exercise volume. It still perfectly fine as you can get most of your gains doing full body 3X a week - even 2 days works wonders - and that's perfect for some people.

If we prefer to do more exercise volume or we work better with a tighter routine, or we think 1/2 an hour a day works better in our schedule than 1 hour sessions, then we can break up the muscle groups for different days.

For example, if we work legs and glutes on Monday, these muscles get rest and grow on Tuesday while we work on the upper body. That's called an upper/lower body split. This usually suits a 4 day routine: Upper, lower, rest, upper, lower, rest rest. It can also work for a 5 day routine. There are better ways to arrange a 5 day split, but alternating upper/lower works just fine.

Lastly we have a three way split. Push, pull, legs. The upper body is then split into back and front or push and pull. If you push on Monday, those muscles rest while you pull on Tuesday. Hence you have a 6 day split like legs, push, pull, legs, push, pull, rest. This also works with a 5 day rotation. There are better ways to arrange a 5 day, but it works just as well. Upper/lower is OK for a 5 day also.

So... it means you have to know how many days per week you want to train before you can choose your split. I have a 6 day routine because for me a solid everyday routine works best for me. Other people might be too busy and only have 2 times a week free, hence 2X full body. Full body is best for 3 day routines as well, but it can be tweaked a bit better. Once you select a 4 day routine you have to break up the body parts to allow for rest and recovery, so upper/lower split... and legs push pull for your 6 day split. There's different ways you can split it up, but this is the main way of thinking about it.

My breakfast is a smoothie which has half a cup of dried oats soaked overnight in 1 cup water, 1 cup mixed berries (coles frozen berries), 1/2 cup of milk and a heaped scoop whey protein powder. Blend it up and carry it out the door with me.

For a high protein breakfast you probably want something quick and easy... so lets go over the protein story first.

First of all you need to get enough calories in a day. If losing fat then you need less calories, but high protein to prevent muscle loss. So you cut fats and/or carbs and DO NOT CUT PROTEIN.

If already lean, to build muscle mass you MUST intake more calories than you burn, but not so much that you pile on a bunch of fat. You want your weight gain to be lean mass. You want to gain weight slowly, and as we get a bit older it's harder to gain muscle, so we want to gain weight even more slowly.

The total protein intake for muscle growth (or fat loss) is about 0.7g per pound of bodyweight or 1.6g per kilo, but it's probably a good idea to bump that up a bit as we age. We also want to get a minimum of about 25-30g in each protein hit because that dose is about what it takes to fully engage something called mTor, which activates muscle growth. The activation of mTor doesn't last very long, so it needs re-ups throughout the day, especially as we get a bit older and muscles start to degenerate, which is why I recommend re-ups with every meal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMrfkfJzUNU

Many foods are called high protein but are not. E.g, eggs have 6g each. Oats (uncooked) about the same as yogurt at about 10g per cup. Nuts have about 17g per 100g, but they have tons of fat and blow out the calorie intake. Cheese is very high protein, but also very high calorie. Tofu you have to check the label because protein content varies so much. Quality tofu is above 15g protein per 100g and is the best vege protein option.

Unfortunate it might be, the best protein source by a country mile is lean meat/fish with about 25g per 100g when raw, which is only about 75-80g when cooked. The protein profile in meat is also high in leucine, which is the amino acid that activates mTor.

If eating about 25-30g with every meal and getting to the daily total isn't possible with food alone, then a protein supplement is a good idea.

So to sum it up, if you weigh say 60kg, then you should ideally get about 100g protein in a day, and spread that across 3 or 4 meals. It doesn't have to be perfect, so just getting a decent protein hit with meals is fine.

If a vegetarian is into building up a bit of muscle or wishing to lose some fat, a protein supplement is a good idea, and vegans pretty much need one. Tofu is the best plant protein. Meat eaters are ok if they can get it regularly throughout the day, but it's fine to supplement with a powder once a day when needed if it's more convenient. I think most people find a supplement makes life easier, and I supplement breakfast with my awesome delicious smoothie. I also have a whole draw full of fresh veges in the fridge, and jars of dried beans, lentils, chickpeas etc - and I have some vitD and fishoil supplements.

It's much, much better to get everything from food if you can, and supplements are NOT food replacements, but some guys just take a multivitamin to make sure there's nothing missing. I don't bother all that much with supplements, but I rarely go in the sun, so D, and the fish-oil comes in handy for some essential fatty acids.

Anyway, huge wall of text so I'll end here... I'm not sure what breakfast would suit your life. But if hard to get a hit with breakfast, 4 meals a day could be an option.
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Last edited by Gem : 11-12-2022 at 05:03 AM.
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  #15  
Old 12-12-2022, 08:22 PM
JustBe JustBe is offline
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Thanks you so very much. My apologies for my late reply. I’ve read this through a few times and taken out some really good things to consider and incorporate.

The protein thing hit home in me, so I’m onto that.

I’m doing what you suggested regarding separating the body in two parts resting days for each. That’s something that allows for both, consistent workout and rest and recovery.as one.

I have a question for you. The big under side closest to the inner leg, on my right leg is rock hard and the other is not, it’s kind of like in the belly of it. It’s pulling down through the internal of the knee and just below. So the symmetry is noticeable by half cm through the knee and just below. What might cause one bigger muscle to do this? I’ll look up the muscle and let you know exactly.
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  #16  
Old 12-12-2022, 08:30 PM
JustBe JustBe is offline
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I think it might be the adductor. It feels bigger than the gracalis..

Is this a common problem for muscles to dominate in this way? I am wondering if the whole right thigh muscle group is not moving in alignment leaving this particular muscle doing an overload of sorts?
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  #17  
Old 13-12-2022, 12:44 AM
Gem Gem is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JustBe
I think it might be the aductor. It feels bigger than the gracalis..

Is this a common problem for muscles to dominate in this way? I am wondering if the whole right thigh muscle group is not moving in alignment leaving this particular muscle doing an overload of sorts?


The adductors are the group of muscles (includes gracalis) that pull the leg in toward the centre-line from the side, and it's very common that muscles in one side of the body become stronger than the other side. In personal training I have a whole phase devoted to posture and strength balance (called symmetry) so that both sides work the same, back is the same as front, and posture is correct for later on when lifting heavy things. Imbalances are usually caused by skeletal/postural issues and vice verse, as the muscles are there to move the bones, and they pull the posture into the shape it is in.

It's hard to tell exactly in your own case, but you mentioned hip stability before (adductors move the hip joint), but if it's a fairly big imbalance in size and strength of the adductors, that usually takes a long time to happen and must have a reason behind it.

You can do this exercise with a band to see if one side is stronger than the other https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq8tHYwBAOY. The stronger side will control the band better, feel easier to pull, and do a ton more reps. You can train the weaker side to be stronger with that exercise, but that aside, you'll have to take it to a physiotherapist who can look over the issue properly because it could originate anywhere from foot to hip in the skeleton, or it might just be genetic that you have more muscle on one side.

The thing is, nothing is in isolation, and hip stability really starts with the big toe, the foot arch and ankle, and in my work, and all good workers, make sure the foot is used properly or else the entire leg and hip becomes unstable. It's not that hard and calf raises and that single leg deadlift go a long way, and are very good options. You will be able to feel how the single leg romanian deadlift properly works the big toe to keep the rest of the foot steady. That's where it begins. From the ground up.

That means your personally specific program is starting to build with single leg calf raise (link), single leg romanian deadlift (I linked before) and band hip adduction (link). Plus the other things you selected, and crab walks are good for hip stablising as well, and pulling in with adduction has to balance with pushing out to the side, as crab walks do. A physio would look in more detail and give more specific exercises if there's any deeper problem to fix, as long as that's something you want.
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Last edited by Gem : 13-12-2022 at 05:26 AM.
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  #18  
Old 13-12-2022, 04:36 AM
Gem Gem is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JustBe
I am wondering if the whole right thigh muscle group is not moving in alignment leaving this particular muscle doing an overload of sorts?
And just a mention... as I earlier mentioned split squats and lunges, that works one leg at a time, which helps balance out the sides until they both feel like they work the same. Notice the big toe and how it works there as well. .... doing all this barefoot is best.

I had a look on you tube, but most are really nonsense and no one talks about the toe and foot, they don't talk about posture, keeping level and straight hips, they don't talk about breathing and core bracing, they don't explain a progression from easy to hard.

I searched and found something half decent here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la0pLPq-3A8
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  #19  
Old 13-12-2022, 06:22 PM
Lucky 1 Lucky 1 is offline
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Im wondering how older lifters here lift.

I was a competitive powerlifter in my 20's .

Now im fixing to turn 61 in a few weeks.

My concession to age is to have lowered the wieght and increased the rep range.

I still go to failure on a set....but with less wieght and more reps.

On stuff like squats.....ive decided that i don't need to be loading my spine,knees and hip joints up with 200 kilos anymore to be a fit old guy......these days i have a self induced maximum of 100 kilos (225 lbs) and do 4 sets to failure....
First set equels around 28 to 30 reps or a bit less depending on how im feeling that day.....

I lift 3 days per week...Monday, Wednesday and Friday....upper body.....lower body.....upper body...lower body....etc

I also ride my bicycle for an hour on non lifting days.....well.....not after leg day!
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  #20  
Old 15-12-2022, 02:00 AM
JustBe JustBe is offline
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Hi gem. My goodness you are a wealth of knowledge in so much. I can’t tell you how insightful it is to read through all this. I’ve let all this sink in and re reading it as I practice those foundational exercises. Thank you for the YouTube’s, too. It’s making me very aware of my posture, feet stance etc. I’m also right onto the protein awareness. I am predominately vegetarian but I’m adding in some lean meats .. I don’t do chicken but I will eat fish.

I had a question to ask you but I’ve forgotten. If it comes to me I’ll type it up later.
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