missfee said:

uPtoWnNY said:

For a great cardio workout, take kettlebell classes, folks. A vigorous 25-minute kettlebell workout does more for you than 40 minutes on the treadmill.

Kettlebell? Interesting.

Those classes are no joke. I'm always drenched. It's a great core workout. And it's not boring, like running/walking on a treadmill.

uPtoWnNY said:

missfee said:

Kettlebell? Interesting.

Those classes are no joke. I'm always drenched. It's a great core workout. And it's not boring, like running/walking on a treadmill.

Ive done kettlebell... KICKS ass!!

uPtoWnNY said:

missfee said:

Kettlebell? Interesting.

Those classes are no joke. I'm always drenched. It's a great core workout. And it's not boring, like running/walking on a treadmill.

My gym doesn't have them.

But there's actually a small gym nearby that's dedicated exclusively to kettle training.

Kettlebells. Hmmmmm. The LA Fitness' here in Michigan don't have offer that class. I"m going to suggest it.

tinaz said:

Ive done kettlebell... KICKS ass!!

First time I took the class, I was trying to be all macho and shit, using a heavy kettlebell. After two minutes, it was "uh-oh, I gotta go down in weight!"

CarrieMpls said:

I'll start cardio-ing at home weekdays before work and doing weights at the gym 2-3 days a week and keep my yoga class. That should do it.

Even if a program like that gave me a super body, I wouldn't think it was worth it.

retina said:

CarrieMpls said:

I'll start cardio-ing at home weekdays before work and doing weights at the gym 2-3 days a week and keep my yoga class. That should do it.

Even if a program like that gave me a super body, I wouldn't think it was worth it.

I live a completely sedentary life! I have an office job – I sit at my desk or in conference rooms about 7 hours a day. I take the stairs when I’m going 2 flights up or 3 down at work, but that’s only a couple of times a day. I try to have walking meetings when possible but that occurs about once a week.

I take the bus to work, but that’s practically door to door service.

I rode my bike to work some this past summer but with the weather here usually too cold or too hot (who wants to get to work all sweaty?) there’s not a lot of opportunity for it.

When it’s nice out I’ll walk and bike around more on my off time (I don’t even own a car!), but in the winter, what else is a girl to do?

uPtoWnNY said:

missfee said:

Kettlebell? Interesting.

Those classes are no joke. I'm always drenched. It's a great core workout. And it's not boring, like running/walking on a treadmill.

I need to see if my gym offers those classes then!

retina said:

missfee said:

Completely missed my point.

No, and I didn't miss your friends' point either. They're worried about doing a lot of weights since it might make their bodies look more manly, which is a real possibility if you don't make sure you do it in moderation. I've seen lots of women who didn't realize it had gone "too far" until it was too late. Look at Demi Moore in Striptease for example. That's not a stripper body, it's a female bodybuilder body.

That of course doesn't mean women shouldn't do weights at all, but it does mean that I understand their concern.

alas we should have done away with this stereotype YEARS ago.

women can be, and are, feminine when they are also muscular.

true, the woman below does not look like barbie. in fact she does not look like ANY of hefner's babes. and yet, she is still feminine, by definition if not by the measure of an outdated stereotype.

[img:$uid]http://legacy-cdn.smosh.com/smosh-pit/4/body-5.jpg[/img:$uid]

[Edited 2/9/12 9:33am]

I am going to join a gym this month.

For those of you who have memberships; what should I look for?

I deffinitely need showers and a place to put my make-up on afterwards!

Deadflow3r said:

For those of you who have memberships; what should I look for?

Clean locker rooms!

uPtoWnNY said:

Deadflow3r said:

For those of you who have memberships; what should I look for?

Clean locker rooms!

This is up my alley. I don't mind sweating as long as I can wash it all off afterwards. I don't want to leave the club dirty. There was a place here that doesn't have showers and that was not going to work for me.

Deadflow3r said:

I am going to join a gym this month.

For those of you who have memberships; what should I look for?

I deffinitely need showers and a place to put my make-up on afterwards!

Whatever you do, just don't choose a gym that smells like ass and underarms. All gyms DON'T smell like that.

missfee said:

Deadflow3r said:

I am going to join a gym this month.

For those of you who have memberships; what should I look for?

I deffinitely need showers and a place to put my make-up on afterwards!

Whatever you do, just don't choose a gym that smells like ass and underarms. All gyms DON'T smell like that.

Thanks.

I have always joined a gym on an impulse. This time I am hell bent on actually going month after month. I want to get much stronger then I am now.

XxAxX said:

retina said:

No, and I didn't miss your friends' point either. They're worried about doing a lot of weights since it might make their bodies look more manly, which is a real possibility if you don't make sure you do it in moderation. I've seen lots of women who didn't realize it had gone "too far" until it was too late. Look at Demi Moore in Striptease for example. That's not a stripper body, it's a female bodybuilder body.

That of course doesn't mean women shouldn't do weights at all, but it does mean that I understand their concern.

alas we should have done away with this stereotype YEARS ago.

women can be, and are, feminine when they are also muscular.

true, the woman below does not look like barbie. in fact she does not look like ANY of hefner's babes. and yet, she is still feminine, by definition if not by the measure of an outdated stereotype.

[img:$uid]http://legacy-cdn.smosh.com/smosh-pit/4/body-5.jpg[/img:$uid]

[Edited 2/9/12 9:33am]

Muscular women can be feminine, but generally don't look it when it's that extreme.

You don't have to look like Barbie or a playboy model to look feminine, but that picture doesn't scream femininity either.

Perhaps our definitions are different. And that's OK too.

Those kettle bells look like a fun way to get in free weights.

^that's my point, a woman should not have to conform to a certain 'standard' of femininity. it's a kind of shame that a woman who has developed musculature is automatically seen as not 'feminine', when by definition of her gender, she is.

'femininity' circa 1950:

[img:$uid]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2724/4378829080_d34de1b97f.jpg[/img:$uid]

Female Bodybuilding:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...dybuilding

Beginnings

Physique contests for women date back to at least the 1960s with contests like the Miss Physique and Miss Americana. However, these early "bodybuilding" contests were really not much more than bikini contests. The first U.S. Women's National Physique Championship, promoted by Henry McGhee and held in Canton, Ohio in 1978, is generally regarded as the first true female bodybuilding contest - that is, the first contest where the entrants were judged solely on muscularity (Todd, 1999).

More contests started to appear in 1979. Some of these were the following:

• The second U.S. Women's National Physique Championship, won by Kay Baxter, with Marilyn Schriner second and Cammie Lusko third.
• The first IFBB Women's World Body Building Championship, held on June 16, won by Lisa Lyon, followed by Claudia Wilbourn, Stella Martinez, Stacey Bentley, and Bette Brown.
• The Best In The World contest, held at Warminster, PA on August 18, featuring a $5,000 prize fund, with $2,500 awarded for first place. Patsy Chapman was the winner, followed by April Nicotra, Bentley, Brown, and Carla Dunlap. (Levin, 1980)
• The Robby Robinson Classic, held at the Embassy Auditorium in Los Angeles on August 25. Bentley finished first, also winning best legs and best poser, followed by Brown, Lusko, and Georgia Miller. (Roark, 2005)

Although these early events were regarded as bodybuilding contests, the women wore high-heeled shoes, and did not clench their fists while posing. Additionally, they were not allowed to use the three so-called "men's poses" — the double biceps, crab, and lat spread. The contests were generally held by promoters acting independently; the sport still lacked a governing body. That would change in 1980.

we've come a long way baby, but we got even further to go......

[Edited 2/9/12 10:02am]

Deadflow3r said:

I am going to join a gym this month.

For those of you who have memberships; what should I look for?

I deffinitely need showers and a place to put my make-up on afterwards!

I would try it out first...MOST gyms offer a "free trial period" - use it! Go during the different times that you're more likely to attend yourself. Check out the crowd, the vibe, and make sure that you aren't turned off.

Then as it's been mentioned, make sure the lockers are clean and the shower areas aren't gross.

Also, see how the trainers/staff interact with the regulars. When I joined my gym, the guy swore to me that this wasn't like other "typical" gyms where the trainers ignore the members. But once I became a member, I discovered that all he really meant was they they tried their hardest to sell you personal training sessions all the time.

:-S

Anyway...good luck.

^^^ To add to Jedi's post, ask if the gym offers a corporate discount through your job. I was able to get that when I first joined New York Sports Club in 1998.

XxAxX said:

^that's my point, a woman should not have to conform to a certain 'standard' of femininity. it's a kind of shame that a woman who has developed musculature is automatically seen as not 'feminine', when by definition of her gender, she is.

[Edited 2/9/12 9:54am]

Still I don't think femiminity is arbitrary, or self-defined.

The bodybuilder just doesn't really have a natural body. I could be wrong, but my guess is she is using steroids and her body is beyond a stage to which a woman's body normally develops.

But of course I agree a woman doesn't need long hair, big boobs, makeup, heels, or NO muscles to be feminine

[Edited 2/9/12 10:39am]

PurpleJedi said:

Deadflow3r said:

I am going to join a gym this month.

For those of you who have memberships; what should I look for?

I deffinitely need showers and a place to put my make-up on afterwards!

I would try it out first...MOST gyms offer a "free trial period" - use it! Go during the different times that you're more likely to attend yourself. Check out the crowd, the vibe, and make sure that you aren't turned off.

Then as it's been mentioned, make sure the lockers are clean and the shower areas aren't gross.

Also, see how the trainers/staff interact with the regulars. When I joined my gym, the guy swore to me that this wasn't like other "typical" gyms where the trainers ignore the members. But once I became a member, I discovered that all he really meant was they they tried their hardest to sell you personal training sessions all the time.

:-S

Anyway...good luck.

Hell yeah! When I first joined my gym, they were stressing to make sure to take advantage of the free personal training consulting, but kindly left out that all that basically is, is the personal trainer trying to figure out how much he wants to try and charge you after he/she does their physical assessment of you. Then they try to guilt trip you when you aren't interested in the service or if their PT fees are too high.

XxAxX said:

retina said:

No, and I didn't miss your friends' point either. They're worried about doing a lot of weights since it might make their bodies look more manly, which is a real possibility if you don't make sure you do it in moderation. I've seen lots of women who didn't realize it had gone "too far" until it was too late. Look at Demi Moore in Striptease for example. That's not a stripper body, it's a female bodybuilder body.

That of course doesn't mean women shouldn't do weights at all, but it does mean that I understand their concern.

alas we should have done away with this stereotype YEARS ago.

women can be, and are, feminine when they are also muscular.

true, the woman below does not look like barbie. in fact she does not look like ANY of hefner's babes. and yet, she is still feminine, by definition if not by the measure of an outdated stereotype.

[img:$uid]http://legacy-cdn.smosh.com/smosh-pit/4/body-5.jpg[/img:$uid]

[Edited 2/9/12 9:33am]

Oh give me a break. If that woman looks feminine then so does Lou Ferrigno.

retina said:

[img:$uid]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7pJwEaDiCCw/TnUHHtCO26I/AAAAAAAAAJM/hUwWLWS-fzc/s1600/bj%25C3%25B6rgen.jpg[/img:$uid]

I was looking at this thread last night and showed this picture to my son and said "member when mommy used to look like that" ( My arms weren't quite as bulky. I was tiny but REALLY defined.) He said 'Ya I remember when you had all those lines in your stomach. Now it's like a pillow.' Kids!

CarrieMpls said:

retina said:

Even if a program like that gave me a super body, I wouldn't think it was worth it.

I live a completely sedentary life! I have an office job – I sit at my desk or in conference rooms about 7 hours a day. I take the stairs when I’m going 2 flights up or 3 down at work, but that’s only a couple of times a day. I try to have walking meetings when possible but that occurs about once a week.

I take the bus to work, but that’s practically door to door service.

I rode my bike to work some this past summer but with the weather here usually too cold or too hot (who wants to get to work all sweaty?) there’s not a lot of opportunity for it.

When it’s nice out I’ll walk and bike around more on my off time (I don’t even own a car!), but in the winter, what else is a girl to do?

It sounds to me like you're much more active than most. Walking meetings? I thought they only did that on The West Wing!

I wish I was able to get up early in the morning and do exercise like you do, but my body simply isn't ready for it. I would get nauseous if I even tried it for 5 min. The ideal time for me is in mid or late afternoon, when the old choo-choo train I call my body has creaked its way out of the station.

...stupid formatting nevermind edit

[Edited 2/9/12 11:06am]

TotalANXiousNESS said:

retina said:

[img:$uid]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7pJwEaDiCCw/TnUHHtCO26I/AAAAAAAAAJM/hUwWLWS-fzc/s1600/bj%25C3%25B6rgen.jpg[/img:$uid]

I was looking at this thread last night and showed this picture to my son and said "member when mommy used to look like that" ( My arms weren't quite as bulky. I was tiny but REALLY defined.) He said 'Ya I remember when you had all those lines in your stomach. Now it's like a pillow.' Kids!

I'll take a woman with a pillow stomach over a woman with a six-pack any day of the week.

(unless the six-pack is beer)

NDRU said:

...stupid formatting nevermind edit

[Edited 2/9/12 11:06am]

[img:$uid]http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/users/uploads/10959/2511436220_985d6b2a6a.jpg[/img:$uid]

retina said:

NDRU said:

...stupid formatting nevermind edit

[Edited 2/9/12 11:06am]

[img:$uid]http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/users/uploads/10959/2511436220_985d6b2a6a.jpg[/img:$uid]

LOL you don't know how appropriate that picture is!

My comment was that in addition to the West Wing, Star Trek (next generation, at least) also has walking meetings

retina said:

TotalANXiousNESS said:

I was looking at this thread last night and showed this picture to my son and said "member when mommy used to look like that" ( My arms weren't quite as bulky. I was tiny but REALLY defined.) He said 'Ya I remember when you had all those lines in your stomach. Now it's like a pillow.' Kids!

I'll take a woman with a pillow stomach over a woman with a six-pack any day of the week.

(unless the six-pack is beer)

Yeah. There was a time when I was so obsessive about it. Once you start noticing how ripped you start getting you want more and more. I remember going on a girls nite once and all I would get was water cuz I didn't wanna fuck up my abs. My friend was like W.T.F. your no fun anymore.

I could never be like that now. I enjoy food and drink too much. Hell sometimes food is all I have to look foward to in the course of a day.

retina said:

CarrieMpls said:

I live a completely sedentary life! I have an office job – I sit at my desk or in conference rooms about 7 hours a day. I take the stairs when I’m going 2 flights up or 3 down at work, but that’s only a couple of times a day. I try to have walking meetings when possible but that occurs about once a week.

I take the bus to work, but that’s practically door to door service.

I rode my bike to work some this past summer but with the weather here usually too cold or too hot (who wants to get to work all sweaty?) there’s not a lot of opportunity for it.

When it’s nice out I’ll walk and bike around more on my off time (I don’t even own a car!), but in the winter, what else is a girl to do?

It sounds to me like you're much more active than most. Walking meetings? I thought they only did that on The West Wing!

I wish I was able to get up early in the morning and do exercise like you do, but my body simply isn't ready for it. I would get nauseous if I even tried it for 5 min. The ideal time for me is in mid or late afternoon, when the old choo-choo train I call my body has creaked its way out of the station.

Ha!

Yes, we actually have walking meetings. There is a skyway system in Minneapolis that connects buildings a level above the street, so in the cold of winter you can get around without going outside. If I’m meeting with just one or two other people and I know we don’t need to look at a laptop screen or take notes I suggest going for a walk while we chat instead.

Or you might catch someone you want to chat with as they’re leaving for a coffee run or something and you tag along to get 2 things done at once.

Thanks for saying I already sound active. I feel like a couch potato most of the time. And I haven’t started the early morning workouts yet. I’ve been thinking about it, but I’m gonna start next week – I’m resolved.

I’ll probably start with 10 minutes a day the first day and add 10 minutes each week till I’m doing 30-40. That way I can slowly get used to getting up earlier.