Muscle Loss and Age

[Jibralta]

I just watched this video about average people doing 100 push-ups per day for 30 days. I didn't plan to watch the whole video, but it was actually kind of engrossing so I did. Both participants completed the program. Each improved his push-up ability. Physically, you could see some subtle changes in their respective physiques at the end. Nothing major. And that just goes to show how much time and effort it takes to make big changes.

 

[video=youtube;TlQ8txalLYg] ]

 

My push-up program is nothing like this. I do 45 modified push-ups in three sets of 15, three days per week. Maybe one day I'll get up to 100 regular push-ups per day, but for now I'll just concentrate on building up to 45 GOOD regular push-ups.

 

In the video above, I thought it was interesting that, at about two weeks in, both participants actually stopped making progress and their push-ups even felt harder than they had been. This is like what happened to me just a few days ago. I have since moved to the 29.5" desk, which seems to be working out.

[Jibralta]

I am still trying to make heads or tails of some portions of my body scan report. Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s totally accurate. For example, I can't figure out what my bones weigh. I know it's not 7 lbs, which is what some of these numbers seem to indicate! When I get my second scan in 6-12 months, I will be sure to ask more pointed questions.

 

At any rate, my fat apparently weighs about 62 lbs. This means that I am approximately 41% fat, which is higher than I thought I would be. Honestly, when I look at myself, I don't see a lot of fat. But I do know it’s there.

 

Assuming that the skeleton is 15% of a person's weight, and assuming a healthy body weight for me is 130 lbs*, my bones weigh about 20 lbs. Let's also assume that my organs weigh 36 lbs. That would leave about 42 lbs of muscle, which I think is pretty low. Especially as compared to my fat.

 

Whatever my actual body composition, one thing is for certain: I can never be a 100 lb person. This is because 100 lbs is what my bones, organs, and muscles weigh without any fat. The minimum weight I should ever achieve is probably around 130. But I think a more reasonable weight for me would be 140 lbs. This is based on the fact that the last time I was 135, I was frightfully thin (I had mono and couldn’t hold anything down). It is also based on the fact that at 147 lbs, I am lookin' pret-ty lean.

 

According to the body composition scan, my current Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is 1472 calories per day. This means that if I stay perfectly still all day, eating 1472 calories will keep me at the same weight. It also means that if I eat 1472 and move around, I will probably lose weight. So, eating at my current RMR is a good strategy for losing weight slowly.

 

Another strategy for losing weight would be to eat at the RMR of my goal weight. I used the Harris-Benedict equation and determined that my resting metabolic weight at 140 lbs is 1380. This is only about 90 calories less than my current RMR.

 

 

________

*I am 160lbs, but am using 130 because I’m pretty sure the weight of my bones is not linked to my overweight body weight. 30% is the high end of where I should be fat-wise (ceteris paribus), which equates to 130ish lbs. Also, I think it’s an average weight for a woman of my height (5’-6”).

[dias]

I just watched this video about average people doing 100 push-ups per day for 30 days. I didn't plan to watch the whole video, but it was actually kind of engrossing so I did. Both participants completed the program. Each improved his push-up ability. Physically, you could see some subtle changes in their respective physiques at the end. Nothing major. And that just goes to show how much time and effort it takes to make big changes.

 

Well, 100 push ups for men is not a workout. How long does it take to do 100 push ups? 5 minutes tops. The guys in the video just got a pump, nothing more. As someone who made the mistake of over-training for years, I don't support going into extremes but a 5 minutes workout is not a real workout. Depending on the fitness level of the individual, a real workout with push ups is between 300 and 1000+(for the freaks) which takes about 40 minutes to an hour or more. Then you will see a real difference given that your diet is right.

 

As for the part of not making any progress this is because they needed to make the workout more difficult with time. Doing exactly the same workout for a long time will lead to stagnation.

[Jibralta]

Well, 100 push ups for men is not a workout.

 

Neither of these guys could do that many push ups when they began. They had to break it down into segments. So as they built up to 100 push-ups at a clip, it was a time of strength-building for them. I haven't re-watched the video since I posted it, so I don't know exactly how many days/weeks it took them each to get there. But as you say, the rule generally is that once you get there, you have to continue to build on that because it stops being a strength training exercise. This can be done by doing incline push-ups, placing a weight on the back, wearing a weight belt, doing archer push-ups, one-arm push-ups, etc.

 

I expect it will take me a while to get to 100 good push-ups at a clip (especially now that I am fat from vacation ). I say good push-ups because they're easier to do when poor form allows other muscle groups to compensate. I noticed from the video that the guy who learned the best form got the best results. So I am going to be careful of that. Since I have a long way to go, I think I will get a pretty good cardiovascular and aerobic workout with this program, as well as a good strength building workout.

[dias]

especially now that I am fat from vacation

That's what holidays are for. Indulgence! Did you have a good time?

[Jibralta]

Yes, but it was far too short.

[Jibralta]

Push-ups have become harder, now that I have become fatter. I started a 21-day cleanse today. I would have started last Monday, but we had two events this past weekend and I didn't want to mar the perfection of my cleanse. So I packed on five extra pounds instead.

 

My workouts these days center around push ups, planks, and posture exercises, with a short jog to the monkey bars here and there. My boyfriend is focusing on core strength. Turns out he has really weak core muscles. This is surprising because when he's not overweight, he has washboard abs. One would think they were the result of intense effort, but it turns out that some people just have nice abs for no reason.

 

I found a wonderful video about exercises for neck pain. Most of them involve staying still and relaxing. Really awesome.

 

[video=youtube;0ekV4V3LpAs] ]

[Jibralta]

I've been slacking off. I haven't even been making time for the wonderful neck exercises in the video above. Or for the posture exercises I found.

 

Last week, I was sick. At first, I tried to keep up with my push-ups. I figured I might as well get the most out of the steroids that I was taking. But I gave up on them. Just as well. Turns out I wasn't on the right kind of steroid anyway (anabolic).

 

I started the push ups and the planks again, today. I didn't do the jog. I'll probably add that back in next week.

 

Push ups are really cool. I'm still doing the pathetic inclined ones. But I'm paying very careful attention to my form, and to which muscles I'm using. There are muscles along the inside of the arm that I never knew I had. I believe these (this?) is the long head of the Triceps Braccii, and probably also the medial head.

 

This illustration is from one of Delavier's workout anatomy books:

 

]

 

This guy does such interesting work. He cuts a section through people in the strangest places. He has a workout anatomy book for women as well, but he doesn't seem to realize that women have arms....

[Jibralta]

This is the posture exercise video that I plan to use as a reference.

 

I saved some screen shots of it onto the hard drive of the computer that my boyfriend and I both use.

 

When my boyfriend saw me saving the screen shots, he said, "Can you please not store your porn on the hard drive? I am considerate enough to delete mine. I'd appreciate it if you could extend me the same courtesy"

 

 

 

[video=youtube;IeKnHtGysBc]

[Jibralta]

Having been sick these last couple of weeks, I haven't really been exercising.

 

I have been dieting. I'm not very good at it, but I am (weirdly) starting to enjoy it.

 

It's taken me a long time to come to terms with dieting. When I was younger, it really wasn't much of an issue. I could gain weight, but I had to make a concerted effort to do so. Like, I had to eat a lot of food, for an extended period of time.

 

These days, I'll gain weight if I overeat just a little. The margin of error is much smaller. I learned this about four years ago, when I ate a hamburger and gained 10lbs.

 

Since then, it's been a bit of a struggle. First, I had to come to terms with reality:

 

1. I can no longer eat whatever I want.

2. I can't out-exercise what I eat.

 

That was hard to accept. It also made me angry. But after four years of trial and error, I am finally coming to terms with it.

[Jibralta]

I should rename this thread Fat Gain and Age.

[dias]

Hahahahahaha Did you put weight?

[Jibralta]

Yes. I've been really bad lately.

 

But honestly, it doesn't take much, these days!

[dias]

Don't let some incidents of indulgence tumble you. Maybe re adjust your regimen?

[Jibralta]

I won't. My regimen has been non-existent since I've had mono, but I feel better now. I planned to start exercising again this week, but we keep sleeping in. The lack of exercise wouldn't be so bad if I was sticking to my diet. These days, it seems like I have to stick to a diet in order to NOT gain weight. But we've had a couple of busy weekends that involved food and drink with friends and family, so it really wasn't possible.

 

Oy vey. I have another very busy weekend coming up. Then the holidays. I really need to sit down and figure out a new diet. Something easy to prepare for the entire week. I seem to have some sort of reaction to chicken and poultry, so lean protein is always a challenge. I'm seriously considering Crossfit again. It's so freaking expensive, but it gives me the best results. I have to figure out how to eat for that. If I don't get enough carbohydrates, I'll devour everything in sight.

[dias]

Why is CrossFit expensive? The regular gym subscription is not the same?

 

You don't eat beef and pork?

[Jibralta]

No, it's much more than the gym. Plus, I live in an expensive area. But I will do some research and see if there's anything more reasonable nearby.

 

I do eat beef and pork, but they are generally not as lean as chicken or turkey so the portion size tends to be smaller.

 

ETA: However, recently I added 2oz of turkey to my diet per day and I've had no adverse effects. So maybe if I keep the amount of poultry limited, it'll be ok.

[dias]

I thought that Crossfit is less expensive to be honest because you just need a bar, a bench and a pull up bar. Basic stuff. Maybe if you have free space in the garage, you can buy you own equipment. It will come cheaper in the not very long term.

 

Only vegetables with lots of fibers can five you this sense of "fulfillment". My salad contains raw cabbage, raw beetroots, carrots and onions. Of course with salt, vinegar and olive oil. Try it!

[Jibralta]

I will try that salad, thanks. Beet greens, or the actual root?

 

I have no idea why Crossfit is so expensive. One reason might be that people have come to think of it as 'cool.' People will pay a lot of money to look cool. Especially Americans.

[dias]

The actual root. Chopped raw cabbage,chopped onion and use grater for the root and the carrots. Believe me it rocks. Olive oil is a must !

[Jibralta]

Now that the mono has subsided, I've been slowly starting up with the push ups again. I thought this video was interesting. Seems to explain why I stopped increasing strength. I will have to re-watch.

 

[video=youtube;AM5AjrfhlEw] ]

[MadameRed]

Muscle loss is pretty rapid after not working out for an even short period of time. I have not worked out for 2 weeks (gym was closed for annual cleaning) and I could feel my pants fitting a little loose in my thigh area. I do a lot of squats and other strength training exercise and I am now in pain this week, from not working out for the past two weeks. The pain is a result of me not using those muscles.

[Jibralta]

Muscle loss is pretty rapid after not working out for an even short period of time.

 

I have noticed this, too. I never noticed it before, but now I can definitely see that my muscles start to fade away when I don't use them. However, they do come back surprisingly fast, so all is not lost.

[Jibralta]

I went horseback riding today for the first time in five years. I can't believe it's been that long!

 

My body, however, knows exactly how long it's been! I AM SO FREAKING OUT OF SHAPE! Boy, am I gonna be in pain tomorrow and the next day. It was only a half an hour lesson, but it felt like two hours. And when I dismounted, my legs almost buckled beneath me and I had to take a couple of steps backward so that I didn't sit down in the middle of the ring! LOL. My legs were like jelly!!

 

It is intense exercise. People who don't ride don't realize this because it looks like you're just sitting there and the horse is doing all of the work. But it takes a lot of strength, balance, and most of all ENDURANCE, which I sorely need to build up. I was beat red and out of breath by the end of the lesson--which was really not a difficult one. It was just an assessment of my riding skills, as this is a brand new stable for me. Basic walk trot with a couple large circles.

 

I still have balance, though. I found it was still easy to stand up in the stirrups, post, turn, etc. When the horse tried to hurl me over his head, I lurched forward much more than I would have in the past, but I didn't fly off over his head and it was easy to recover.

 

I no longer have the strength that I once had. I knew this. But I was surprised when I couldn't hold the two-point position for more than a lap or two. It was my quadriceps that protested the most. They were BURNING. That's never been an issue before. In the past, it was my stomach muscles that needed strengthening. The first time I ever rode two-point for a solid half hour, I was unable to sit up straight after I got home!! My stomach muscles were totally exhausted and burning. But my legs were just fine.

 

If you want to get an idea of what two-point is like, it's kind of similar to Chair position in yoga, but with arms hanging down. Hold that for 30 minutes while bouncing gently at the knees, up and down, side to side, at a rate of 3 to 6 beats per second. When I stopped riding five years ago, I could do this effortlessly. Infinity laps.

 

Not the case today!

 

But other than this, I did pretty well. My new instructor was pleased. She complimented my riding and most importantly, she asked who my instructor was. I think that's the best, when they want to know where you learned!

 

So, I like the place, and I will be going back, hopefully on a weekly basis.

[Jibralta]

Three days later and my quadriceps are still screaming. It's still difficult to step up and down stairs, or lower myself onto a chair. I am really surprised. This was an activity that I did 2 - 3 times per week, at much higher intensity and longer duration, and I don't remember ever being THIS sore.

 

I'm starting to wonder if my metabolism really slowed down, after all. Now that I think of it, the 'slowdown' happened around the same time that I stopped horseback riding, when I started my current job. I gained weight for seemingly no reason, and it took A LOT of effort to lose it. After I choked down some of the initial denial and rage, I chalked it up to being 35, and focused my effort on changing my eating habits--not a bad thing. It seems crazy to me (now) that I didn't make the connection between the weight gain and the lack of horseback riding. But I'm sure I didn't appreciate how many calories I was actually burning on a weekly basis. Sitting here now with wobbly knees and smoldering quadriceps, I begin to see....