They are neighbours and so there is no excuse to not make it to a session.
Eva is in her late sixties and is getting in shape for her son's wedding.
Anna had gained weight after having two children and is now well on the way to her target size, she has lost two stone, although with the Find weight doesn't mean much! She has lost about four dress sizes and is gaining muscle mass all over her body. She is lucky that she is predisposed to build muscle easily, so she can get into shape very quickly, however this can be a little demoralising on the scales, as muscle weighs heavier than fat that means a reduction in fat and an increase in muscle will push the hands of the scales up not down.
Anna is using her 'pre baby jeans' as her measure and the button is getting closer every week...
Do you think that everyone can gain muscle? That's a bit of a stupid question, what I mean is that I do weights twice a week, ( for a few years now) and I look sort of toned ish but it dissapoints me how little muscle I actually see from all my exertions, - it's really hard work and I still look sort of flabby when I'm in my scants!
ReplyDeleteWeights are a tricky one, so many women are worried about getting huge muscles that they lift fairly low weights, and it doesn't really do anything at all (in reality unless you are pushing significantly more than your body weight you are unlikely to bulk up like a power lifter!)
DeleteGenerally I'm not a huge fan of Les Mills (it is a training methodology which is recognised worldwide) Virgin Active use primarily Les Mills trained instructors which can make classes a little boring. However if you are interested in using weight to increase muscle mass you should see if you can find a 'Body Pump' class near you. This is a Les Mills trademarked class name and should only be taught by an instructor trained in his technique. You will be surprised by how heavy the weights are and how often you change them, literally every muscle group has weight set to a different level and you will be encouraged to pump weights a lot higher than you might think possible. Being part of a group does encourage you to try heavier than you might normally, but the instructor will make sure that you stay 'safe' and don't compromise on technique.
You are right about fighting flab, only building muscle can really do this, you can spend hours doing aerobic exercise but you will not lift and shape unless you lift weight (either using your own body weight or external weights).
You know I did body pump for two years and was the only person who could never move their weights up! That class killed me, I just use free weights now in the gym, but to look at me, you'd think I've never seen the inside of a gym.
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