Tommorrow I start my first challenge.. Everything I know comes from what I read and the package I recieved in the mail. I guess I should have bought the book.. I could use some advice from the pros out there among us. I don't have the money to join a gym or buy some fancy equipment. I belong to the ymca which has 8 nautilus machines and treadmills and bikes and a pool.
I also own a bike and a treadmill. I took measurements this morning so that at least done. I don't own a body fat caliper and I go to my mom's to step on the scale once a week. I am still doing induction and I hope I am able to keep up with the demands. I did start pyramiding my lifts on the nautilus a week ago but unsure how this 5sets will work and since only two of the machines are for the lower body I need some advice on buying some weights tommorrow. Hey nothing like the last minute. I figure a set of 5 and a set of ten oughta do it. Well I guess thats about it and hope to have the same awesome results are have read about. I currently weigh 244 pounds and even my mother doesn't know that. I am 5'4" and I am just starting to squeeze into some size sixteen pants which I find very strange since I have read about people the same height as me weighing much less to be able to get into that size. I do have a large frame and broad shoulders so maybe that accounts for some of it but I wouldn't exactly consider myself muscular. I would much like to comfortably wear a size 14 for christmas and by next summer be wearing a size 8 but thats a long way off and my hours on the treadmill away. I did find that if the tv is on it allows for enough of a distraction that the treadmill isn't quite so boring.

Hi!

Good luck with BFL. I think you're going to have a really good time doing it!


In BFL cardio goes by pretty quickly, it's only 20 minutes. Once you get your intensity up, and those endorphins start flowing, you'll actually be surprised at how quickly the time goes by.


This site has some great exercise suggestions:
ExRx

Lots of people do really well on BFL without buying a bunch of fancy stuff. I'm sure you will, too!

Good luck!

Trilbe

check out there excercise area. They have dumbbells cheaper than most places and they have a bar and free weights (100 pounds or more) for 38 dollars or less.

We have two Walmarts in our area and at one of them I paid 38 for 100 pounds and a bar, but last night I was at the other one and found a set of 130 free weights and bar for LESS money, something like 28 or less dollars.

I prefer dumbbells of various weights because with the BFL workout you are supposed to increase the weight for each set. That means changing at least 4 times, if you are doing it right. Of course if you are just starting out, you may find that it is too difficult to change the weight at first as often as you are supposed to.

I have 5, and 8 and 15 and 20 pound dumbbells and a set that allows for making your own of any weight. I don't like to stop in the middle of a workout and be changing weights though, so it is easier to just have the premade dumbbells.

Induction is a little low in carbs to be able to work out and still have enough energy. At least it is for me. I'm trying to stick to close to induction, but you do get really really tired if you aren't careful. I wouldn't suggest trying to eat the BFL way though. I was kind of trying that at the beginning, and I wound up not really eating either Atkins OR BFL and just started putting on a lot of water weight. It is going away some now, and I do think that I am leaning down some. But I was getting pretty discouraged there for awhile, I'm sure it had a lot to do with the way I was eating. Anywwy good luck on it. Enjoy. Any questions we can answer, just ask.

You can do a pretty good lower body workout with just this sort of thing though. I workout all at home and although I have collected a lot of equipment over the years, my lower body workout is mostly done with free weights.

I do squats with dumbbells in my hands for quads, do straight legged deadlifts with dumbbells for hamstrings, I do standing calf raises using the leg of one of my other pieces of excercise equipment. It is a flat bar about 3 inches off the ground and a place where I can hold on the the machine to help with balance. A 2 by 4 would work as well if you did it near a wall where you could hold on for balance.

What you do is to put your toes on the elevated step, your heels on the floor. Lean forward a little and feel the stretch in the backs of your legs. Then transfer your weight to your toes. Then come back to the floor with your heels. Be careful with this one though. When I first started doing it I did 4 sets of 10 right off the bat, and I had trouble walking the next few days. Your heels aren't USED to being lower than your toes and that PULLS.

Once you get used to doing this with body weight alone you can start doing it holding a dumbbell in one hand to increase the intensity. You can also do it with your toes pointed in toward each other or pointed outward away from each other to stretch out a few more sides of the muscles.

Hi Chemlady

Congratulations on your decision to bo BFL I am sure you will love the workouts as much as we do. You really need to read the book, you can check it out at your local library.

You don't need a lot of fancy equipment, I too do everything at home using free weights and treadmill for my cardio.

For more tips on BFL go to www.leanandstrong.com
There are some wonderful transformations in the picture gallery that will really impress and motivate you.

I was feeling discouraged thinking that I wasn't making any progress although I started to slowly see muscle tone and loss of inches. I visited that website, browsed thru the message board and got a lot of encouragement and was told that most of the BFLers there didn't actually see a dramatic change until weeks 10-12.

According to the book, Bill Phillips says that it takes that long for your body to transform. All of the really good success stories on www.leanandstrong.com have eaten the way he has recommended and have gotten unbelievalbe results.

I have tried to really watch my carbs and not to go overboard, I do make sure that on lift days I get 50-90 grams. Cardio days I try to stay below 50 grams.

I have read and reread the book and each time I get more out of it. I am starting week 8 today and even though I don't have the same visual results as others I know I am doing good for my body.

I don't compare myself to others anymore as it was getting me down. I admire their accomplishments but I am very proud of what I am doing for myself and what I have achieved physically.
Just start out slow and have fun.

I agree with Tribe you need to visit the website she has suggested to make sure that you have proper form when lifting with free weights.

I look forward to reading your journal and following your progess.

HN