Hi All,

I am new to BFL, so please bear with me !!
When doing the BFL , on the last 12 reps you are supposed to switch to a different exercise for the same muscle,
I find that difficult to do in the gym especially that you are not supposed to pause between the prev 12 reps and the last 12 reps, i.e. I could be using one machine and to switch and use another machine is difficult coz may be another person is using it also I would have to readjust the machine to suit me!! or if I am doing free weights someone else could be using the higher weights that I need for my last 12 reps, so mostly I must admit I don't do the switch I just get the nearest high weights and do the same exercise for that -high point - reps. Am I doing it totally wrong ???

I would appreciate it if I could get any advice on this.

Hi Sandy, I'm a newbie to BFL too but what I do is go as quickly as possible to the next exercise/machine. I think it is important to do a different exercise as it uses the muscle a different way. It would be relatively easy to do with dumbbells I'd think but sometimes you might have to wait a bit for a machine.

Perhaps you could do your primary exercise on the machine and then dash to the dumbbells?

Amy

Thanks SiriusT , I think you are right, I would hate to waste all the very very hard work I am doing by getting the last point wrong !! I am investing too much time and effort to do that, only I am having problems remembering the exercises' names, I plan it all ok the night before but when I get to the gym I completely forget what does Flies/Kickbacks/Lateral raise/ etc etc means or how to do them!!! in the gym I don't have my computer with me to look those exercise terms up, If I had a book with pictures I would still feel silly taking it to the gym!!!
I hope I get used to those names soon :-)

If anyone has tips on how they learnt the names of the exercises without embarrassing themselves in the gym please let me know !!!

Do you bring your BFL workout logs to the gym for recording purposes? How about printing off the pages of the excercises you're doing that day and bringing them along with the log? During a rest period, look over the final 12 reps you'll be switching to so you'll know what you have to be doing.

Karen

Dear Sandy,

I just joined the forum today. Hope you're still hanging in there w. your BFL exercises.

I started BFL almost two years ago (and, my wife soon after) and have been thrilled and super impressed w. my result. It's the first strength program I've ever done where I KNOW I'm actually incresing my strength!

re. the last 12 reps, here are a few tips that greatly helped me.

First, I copied the pages of each of the four exercises he recommends for each muscle group.

For the first many, many months, I did not use Cybex or any other machines, etc. at all; instead, I rotated between those four exercises each time (doing one for the 12, 10, 8, 6, 12 and the second for the other 12).

Just as you said, it was very confusing, etc. I had never used free weights before, and I didn't know one thing from another! So, for months I would read over my sheet for the exercise I was doing (or, for the next one I wanted to do) (as you can see, I'm a slow learner!).

That all helped a lot!

For the past several months I have gotten to where I am using the Cybex for most of my exercises now (with a few exceptions). And, here's a neat thing about when the next machine I need to go to for the final 12 is tied up: because I did use the dumbells and barbells on all four of his recommended exercises, if a machine IS tied up, I make a bee line for the freeweights for that final 12.

Hope this helps.

Keep on keeping on. I think there's some elements of real genius in the design of the BFL program!

Best,

Dave P. from Minnesota

Thanks for that Dave , very nice of you to let me know about your experience. I am doing running at the moment, so BFL has taken a back seat for the last 2 weeks, but I would like to keep on doing it to tone up, I just do what I can, I am a bit worried because when I did the BFL for 4 weeks my weight loss slowed down a lot -almost came to a holt- so I was thinking may be I should continue the running for the next 4 weeks and go back to BFL once I've lost some more weight??

I found someone at my Gym who has done BFL , actually used to work for EAS, so he does give me some hints or demonestrates some exercises for me when he can.

Many thanks again.


BTW: what Cybex ???

Nearly all of the 10 upper body and 8 lower body exercises I now do are w. Cybex.

Those I'm NOT doing w. Cybex are my last 12 for: chest (dumbell flys instead), back (dumbell pull over head), triceps (dumbell pull over head), biceps (hammer), calves (seated leg lift) and abs (40-50 sit-ups).

Those are all for the last 12. All the others I'm doing w. Cybex machines that correspond to that muscle group.

re. your not losing weight -- everyone says lower wt. loss is expected because you are building more muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. Did you take your measurements? If not, I encourage you to do it now.

One great reason is: as you do BFL and may not lose wt. all that fast, by comparing measurements, you will be able to see PROGRESS as you lose inches and gain strength/fitness!

When you were doing BFL were you still doing aerobics three times a week, too? I think that's important, too.

You can do it!

Best,

Dave P. from Twin Cities, Minnesota

Dave P : yes thankfully I am taking measurements, and yes I have been losing inches by the bucket, when I compared my measurements today with someone who is 5lbs lighter than me it turned out that I have a smaller waist and hips, hence I have continued my BFL this afternoon, did my lower body..
Yes I do aerobics / cardio but I mainly do the running for the cardio, it may not fit perfectly, but I would like to keep my running which I only started a few weeks ago and a cheived so much by now.

many thanks ofo thte help.

PS: you still haven't explained what's Cybex???

One of these?

http://www.cybexintl.com/

Dear SandyDown,

Now I get it!

Cybex is a brand name of a whole slew of exercise machines -- some are cross trainers (can do many exercises for many different muscles on that one machine) and many others are each for a specific muscle group (or two).

At the Y where I go 3 times a week, they have, probably, about 20 of these machines (plus a bunch of another brand called Life Cycle, I think), and they're all in a couple of rooms where anyone can come in and use one or all of them, etc.

Your second time asking (what's Cybex???) when I finally got it reminds me of the old joke about the 4 year old asking, "Mommy, where did I come from?" and she gulps and goes into this long explanation about conception, birth etc.

Then she (4 yr old) says: Well, Mary said she was from Kansas City, and I was just wondering where I was from.

This morning I made a "mistake" after arriving at the Y: I first sat and read the paper -- for an hour!! By the time I got done I did NOT want to "do it".

Almost declared it as my weekly day off. Now, am glad that I went on w. workout, but it was tough getting started. Friday will be uppers again.

Am thrilled that you've seen success w. loss of inches and have resumed BFL. Also, please remember that there probably will be plateaus -- when you will keep exercising but won't see any visible result for a while. Those can be frustrating times. During the past 2 years of BFL I've seen several of them. And yet, overall, I am so thrilled at what I can now do physically that I could not do 2 years ago. This is the first strength program I've ever done where I have been able to really see a significant gain! (Bearing in mind that it sometimes is -- ssssslllllloooooooowwwwww!

The important thing is that it's there!

I can see the possibility 10 years from now of having significantly stronger muscles! Great!

Good luck w. your program!

Dave P. in Twin Cities, MN

Dear Dave P,

It was just a pleasure to read your post, many thanks for it.
Thanks for your good wishes too.

I have seen good results from BFL training on my thighs and Abs already, however, I can't deny that I am worried that if for any reason in the furute I was not able to do BFL, my whole body will just go into flap/sag status.

But for now I will try to do my best, thanks again for the nice post.



Sandy(in 10 yeaaaaaaaars ?? I can't wait that long mode!!!)

if you know how to do each exercise but just can't remember the name - make up your own names! you can try associations like remembering that DB FLYes are moving your arms like you are some DB who thinks he is FLYing - or make up something that does make sense to you - maybe for kickbacks write single-arm-kneel-on-bench-elbow-straightening

and write that on your gym list along with the real name.

another hint - write out your exercise routine on a card (like a 3x5) and then glue it to a magnet. carry it from station to station at the gym and stick it on each piece of equipment as you sit down - the name of the machine should match the name of the exercise, it isn't much to carry around - and you don't have to clutter the floor with it.

Hi Sandy

When I first started BFL the guy at the gym was really supportive. He went through all the exercises with me, just like a personal trainer. Then he gave me a sheet with the exercises written down by name.

But what was really great, and this is why I am writing this, he drew little cartoon figures of stick people using the equipment/dumbells. This was good as a reminder and I still have the sheet, now very grubby, somewhere. For instance, with chest flyes, the figure is lying down with arms rounded holding the dumbells, because he said I had to imagine I was hugging a big beach ball.

Unfortunately, the gym has changed management and they are no longer allowed to go through stuff like this or check body fat etc. without payment

Hope this will help you and given you some idea. Now I am used to the names of most exercises. Good luck, it sounds as if you are doing very well.

Judy