Completely Depressed & Frustrated...HELP!

[smoothdancer]

Yea Brenda, sounds like you have a hot outfit there... Does that not feel awesome?

 

My new outfit is a bright red, I hae been advised based on my skin colors this is one of the best colors for me. One of the gowns I wore this week-end was borrowed, not enough time to have all the gowns altered. Here is me in red......

 

Oh and OMG.... Ya know I just could not stand it, jumped on the scale and I did not gain any weight... I have no idea how that is possible but boy am I happy!

[Chigirlcruzin]

Congrats Brenda! It feels great, doesn't it?

 

And Smooth, WOW! You must have burned up the dance floor in that dress:D

[happysinglemom]

Smooth - that color looks gorgeous! I have always been partial to reds and pinks...can't wait to see your hot new outfit! :D And enjoy those Latin dances...I love them, but man are they a workout! (And I manage only a few simple moves! :o ) Congrats on the scale victory - I know the feeling!!

 

M - glad you are feeling better...hoofing it can be a nice change - as long as it isn't raining! I don't think it's ever gonna stop, here. I am SO over it, and I had needed to get the grass cut this weekend too...but it isn't going to happen, darn it.:mad: I can't imagine having a fella off in the service, I am sure that it IS hard. It takes a lot of love and comittment, on both sides. Good for you on making that work, sounds like he is a doll!

 

Brenda, does the elliptical stress the ankle? Hard question for me - don't think I've had an ankle injury so not sure. By the way, you can get some cardio benefits from circuit training, you just have to keep the pace high. I wear a heart rate monitor, and I see my heart rate popping on certain machines!!

[Brenda33]

Smooth....You look gorgeous!!

 

I don't have an eliptical and there is nothing like that at Curves. So it has to be something at home. So far today I did the bike for 30 minutes.....still want to get in the abs and some weights.

[happysinglemom]

Smooth....You look gorgeous!!

 

I don't have an eliptical and there is nothing like that at Curves. So it has to be something at home. So far today I did the bike for 30 minutes.....still want to get in the abs and some weights.

 

They don't have elliptical machines at Curves? Gosh I can't imagine that...I'd be lost without one. How about a rowing machine? Those can provide a killer workout. Do you have access to a pool?

[smoothdancer]

I am very curious too... What does Curves use for Cardio??? Bikes, treadmills??? Do Tell.

 

For me I put a lot of stress on my knees dancing and I won't go on a treadmill. I use a crosstrainer however every day with no stress on my knees or ankles but also from dancing I have very strong ankles. I have never noticed any stress put on either my knees or ankles... Not that it matters since Curves doesnt have this piece of equipment.

 

My gym is now offering Zumba classes. Has anyone done these classes?

[happysinglemom]

I've heard of Zumba, but it's not offered in either of my gyms. Mas Flow is fairly new class - I've seen them doing it a few times, looks like it might be similar to the Zumba. Anyhoo...the Zumba looks pretty neat - I love just about anything to do with Latin music! :D

[Chigirlcruzin]

One of the two Bally's I go to offers Zumba, but they charge $10 per class, so I don't do it. I can understand them charging when additional equipment is required, but not when you have 40 people in a class where the only expense is the instructor. They did offer a free trial class, and it was fun, but not very hard. I had to add in a lot to get my heart rate up.

[smoothdancer]

I go to Ballys too. I was standing outside the glass room watching this demo and I asked another lady also watching what she thought. Boy did she give me an earfull about the $10.00 dollar charge! Many of the ballys in our area use to have pools and they were taken out and more exercise rooms added... She was pretty unhappy about that, where I never used the pools or sauna's.

[Brenda33]

Good morning....

 

OK, to try to explain Curves. There is a giant circle in the room. This circle consists of hydraulic machines for all the parts of your body. In between each machine is a plain "box". You start out by running in place (or whatever else to get your heart rate pumping), then after 30 seconds the music says "change stations now"....then you do the first machine. You pump as hard as you possibly can ....the faster and harder you do it, the more your body is working. Then after 30 seconds its to the next box, then machine, and so on. You continue doing this circle as much as you want. They "say" to do 3 times around....that's all you need. I try to push for 6. They tell me I am the only one that does that.....but I am fine with it....I don't mind pushing myself. Some others do 4 times. In any case, my heart rate is always off the charts.....so the cardio is definitely there. But there are no other choices for cardio like any specific machines. So for me, I have a bike at home, but that's it. If Spring ever comes I plan to ride my "real bike" outside too. Regarding a swimming pool, I have one.....but can't exactly use it now! :eek: LOL I look forward to jumping around, etc. with my son. I know I burn alot of calories there....but that won't be at least til Memorial Day. My ankle is still hurting on the left foot. The other one is healing nicely. Hopefully this week off of Curves will heal it completely and I will be able to get back there and push it again.

[happysinglemom]

I go to Gold's the most, but I still hit Bally's about once a week or so. We still have a pool, though I've never used it. I don't know if the classes there cost extra, but I know they started latin dance classes a few months ago, and those do cost extra (8-10$ I think) but they bring in a special Ballroom dance instructor so I guess I can see that. I certainly would not pay extra for a regular fitness class. That's what the membership fee is for. I've been wondering if Bally's is going to make it. We have lots of new equipment, and they have signs up about the "new and improved" Bally's. Two of my biggest complaints with that place is that the locker room facilities are not cleaned often enough, and the music they place makes me feel like I just walked into a hip-hop joint. I made complaints several times at the front desk but it always fell on deaf ears. Well, they've changed the music finally, and it does seem like they are trying to keep the locker room cleaner...I guess we'll see if they pull themselves out of the hole.

[Chigirlcruzin]

then you do the first machine. You pump as hard as you possibly can ....the faster and harder you do it, the more your body is working. Then after 30 seconds its to the next box, then machine, and so on. You continue doing this circle as much as you want. They "say" to do 3 times around....that's all you need. I try to push for 6. They tell me I am the only one that does that.....but I am fine with it....I don't mind pushing myself. Some others do 4 times. In any case, my heart rate is always off the charts.....so the cardio is definitely there. But there are no other choices for cardio like any specific machines. So for me, I have a bike at home, but that's it.

 

A couple comments here. I bolded the ones that concern me. When doing weight/resistance training, faster/harder is not how you want to do it. You need to go slow and exhaust that muscle you're working. Now, maybe the machines at Curves aren't the same as ones I've always done, but in general, faster/harder is not the way to go (cardio is a different story, within reason).

 

The second bold comment...do you literally mean your heart rate is not on the heart rate charts? If so, that's not good. At that point, you're anaerobic and you're not burning fat -you're burning muscle. It's ok to do this for a few seconds, but to continue that through a workout is not healthy. Then again, I could be taking your comment too literally.

 

A bike or swimming is probably your best bet for a bum ankle. Maybe a yoga or pilates DVD?

 

I did 3 hours of spinning yesterday. My butt hurt, but I was fine. I went to the gym this morning instead of after work because I'm going out tonight, and when I got on the elliptical, wow, were my legs tight. They were fine once I got into it, but the first few steps...ow!

[smoothdancer]

I followed everything you said Chi except for your comment about anaerobic.

I dont understand. Do you think you can explain this in a little more detail for me?

[Chigirlcruzin]

When you go anaerobic, oxygen is not the main energy source - you are breathless when you're anaerobic. In the absence of oxygen, the body uses glucose. After 30 seconds, glucose use is inefficient, which can be harmful to muscles.

[happysinglemom]

I've never heard that anaerobic is "burning muscle"...but here is a more complete, though lengthy :o explanation. I found this on Sparkspeople - I'm not always fond of the simplistic and not-always-accurate info on that site, but this is written to be more easily understood than many other sites.

 

Definition

Anaerobic means “without air" or "without oxygen." Anaerobic exercise is a short lasting, high intensity activity, where the demand for oxygen from the exercise exceeds the oxygen supply. Anaerobic exercise relies on energy sources that are stored in the muscles and, unlike aerobic exercise, is not dependent on oxygen from (breathing) the air.

 

 

Examples

Heavy weight-lifting, sprints (running, biking, etc.), jumping rope, hill climbing, intervals, isometrics (in which one part of the body is used to resist the movement of another part) or any rapid burst of hard exercise.

 

 

Benefits

Anaerobic exercise uses muscles at high intensity and a high rate of work for a short period of time. Benefits include:

 

• Development of stronger muscles
  
• Improved max VO 2 (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardio respiratory system
  
• Greater capacity to withstand the buildup of waste substances such as lactic acid and increased ability to remove them from the body. This means your endurance and ability to fight fatigue will improve.

Overall, anaerobic exercise burns fewer calories than does aerobic exercise and may be somewhat less beneficial for cardiovascular fitness. However, it is better at building strength and muscle mass and still benefits the heart and lungs. In the long run, increased muscle mass helps a person become leaner and lose weight, because muscle uses large amounts of calories.

 

 

How it Works

As you begin to work out vigorously, there is a temporary shortage of oxygen being delivered to the working muscles. A popular term related to anaerobic energy production is lactic acid. Lactic acid is a by-product of producing energy anaerobically. When lactic acid accumulates at high levels in the blood, it causes muscular fatigue. This is why anaerobic exercises cannot last long. With training, the body becomes better equipped to handle lactic acid. Several efficient changes occur in the body during training that result in decreased production of lactic acid and increased removal of it from the bloodstream.

 

The body produces “buffers” that delay the onset of fatigue during anaerobic exercise. Studies have shown that with anaerobic training, the muscle’s buffering capacity is increased by 12% to 50%. With this increased buffering capacity, more lactic acid can accumulate during high intensity exercise without causing fatigue.

 

 

Cautions

• If you are new to exercise, do not immediately start with high intensity activity. Beginners should start at about 50% intensity and increase from there.
  
• Anaerobic exercise is not recommended if you are pregnant.
  
• Do a 5-10 minute warm up before starting any anaerobic exercise, and a 5-10 minute cool down after your workout session.

[Chigirlcruzin]

I've never heard that anaerobic is "burning muscle"...but here is a more complete, though lengthy :o explanation.

 

LOL, burning muscle was bad terminology:o

 

Thanks for the more complete explanation.

[happysinglemom]

LOL, burning muscle was bad terminology

Thanks for the more complete explanation.

 

Frankly I had forgotten how closely the two were linked, I forget more than I learn I think!! :-)

 

By the way, I didn't realize the machines at Curves were the hydraulic ones. I'm familiar with them, but I never much cared for them, and we don't have them anymore at either Bally's or Gold's. This is not to say that they are not useful, just that they are only useful to a point - and if you are someone that really takes to working out (like our Brenda, I think!!), you will eventually grow out of these machines.

[Chigirlcruzin]

Frankly I had forgotten how closely the two were linked, I forget more than I learn I think!! :-)

 

By the way, I didn't realize the machines at Curves were the hydraulic ones. I'm familiar with them, but I never much cared for them, and we don't have them anymore at either Bally's or Gold's. This is not to say that they are not useful, just that they are only useful to a point - and if you are someone that really takes to working out (like our Brenda, I think!!), you will eventually grow out of these machines.

 

I think when Brenda first started looking at Curves, we advised her not to sign a long contract for this reason - at a point where you "get" working out, you're going to outgrow it. I think with this injury, Brenda is now seeing the advantages to joining a more traditional gym - there'd be ellipticals, an indoor pool, group exercise classes, etc. Even my 60 year old mom that tells me I work out too much outgrew Curves. Now, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with Curves; I think it provides a needed venue for many. But just as the machines are useful to a point, by extension, Curves is only beneficial to a point.

 

I'm not familiar with hydraulic machines. Are these machines vs the ones I'm used to at Bally's the reason for the whole faster/harder thing?

[Gathina]

Curves was Brenda's "starting point", to get her groove back. I agree it may be time for a change. I belong to LA Fitness, we have a pool and all sorts of classes. Another option for Brenda might be to check her Parks and Recreation Dept. in our cities here, we have terrific offerings, sometimes it's a flat fee, like 50.00 for 6 weeks of unlimited yoga and the classes are several times a week. At least in our cities they have good programs. There's also another walking program where they give you a pedometer and you win prizes along the way when you reach certain milestones. Things like that might be good to sorta switch up the routine. It doesn't HAVE to be the same thing everyday. As long as it's some sort of movement.

 

Recently I saw an entire family out one evening bike riding..everyone, including the kids, was VERY overweight. I thought that was really cool. One of the parents took charge and probably made the entire family do it, including the dad!

[Brenda33]

The reason for faster and harder is because they are hydraulic machines. When you go slowly you do not build up as much resistance and it is much easier.

 

I simply don't think I am ready for a regular gym. I wouldn't know what to do....I would walk around aimlessly and probably leave after only 1/2 an hour. See the reason I like Curves is it is structured and every 30 seconds I am doing something different. I get impatient staying on one machine too long. This is another reason I hate doing the bike at home....I keep watching the clock hating the movements that my body is doing and how my butt is hurting, etc. I just want it done.....at Curves when there is a machine I hate I know I only have to do it for a short period and then switch to the next. Awhile ago I tried Jazzercise. I didn't see the benefits that I do with Curves.....although I thought it a little fun....a little.....lets not get crazy....it is exercise....and to me, just NOT fun. Anyhow, I didn't like the fact that classes were at a specific time and you had to adjust your schedule around them....I like going when I want to.

 

Unfortunately, yes, much of the time (not all...as I get tired), but much of the time, by heart rate is just off the chart at Curves.....so I guess this is not a good thing all the time...... BUT, now that I can't run as hard I'm sure that will change. I am going to probably have to do different things on the boxes for awhile.....its Tuesday and my ankles are still giving me trouble.

 

I can't wait for pool season!!! What's up with how cold it is this year? Its crazy! We were at baseball practice last night and I felt icicles forming on my face! LOL.....

[smoothdancer]

Brenda,

Only you can decide what gym works for you and we all know you have seen good results where you are.

 

But when you join a gym they just dont let you go. Usually it is a personal trainer that meets with you, discusses your goals and then designs a work out plan for you, walking you through and giving you instruction on each machine. This is included in your membership fee. You can at any time, which I have done, ask for help with a machine and they are more than willing to help.

 

I understand how you feel. The first time I walked in a gym I too had no idea what to do and was a tad nervous. But I will say that the trainers made me quite comfortable before they let me go off on my own.

 

Happy, that was a great explanation. Thanks!

[NailLady]

Here is a Curves workout ~ http://www.curves.com/circuit_demo/

 

I too think you would do better at a regular gym and though it might take some time you would get the hang of it. :) With some guidance, instruction, and a plan you could truly benefit from it.

[Gathina]

Brenda, when you say "off the chart"..are you talking that you are way above your target range for the "heart healthy" or "endurance" categorys?? I'm still not sure I understand.

 

Smooth's comment is well taken. You usually take some intro with a trainer. Maybe one day you could try a "free week" membership for the heck of it just as an experiment. You might like it, you might not.

 

I dont think any of us likes exercise. But it has to happen for health sake. When it's warm try biking everywhere the way I do, when it's feasible.

 

The reason for faster and harder is because they are hydraulic machines. When you go slowly you do not build up as much resistance and it is much easier.

 

I simply don't think I am ready for a regular gym. I wouldn't know what to do....I would walk around aimlessly and probably leave after only 1/2 an hour. See the reason I like Curves is it is structured and every 30 seconds I am doing something different. I get impatient staying on one machine too long. This is another reason I hate doing the bike at home....I keep watching the clock hating the movements that my body is doing and how my butt is hurting, etc. I just want it done.....at Curves when there is a machine I hate I know I only have to do it for a short period and then switch to the next. Awhile ago I tried Jazzercise. I didn't see the benefits that I do with Curves.....although I thought it a little fun....a little.....lets not get crazy....it is exercise....and to me, just NOT fun. Anyhow, I didn't like the fact that classes were at a specific time and you had to adjust your schedule around them....I like going when I want to.

 

Unfortunately, yes, much of the time (not all...as I get tired), but much of the time, by heart rate is just off the chart at Curves.....so I guess this is not a good thing all the time...... BUT, now that I can't run as hard I'm sure that will change. I am going to probably have to do different things on the boxes for awhile.....its Tuesday and my ankles are still giving me trouble.

 

I can't wait for pool season!!! What's up with how cold it is this year? Its crazy! We were at baseball practice last night and I felt icicles forming on my face! LOL.....

[happysinglemom]

Brenda,

Only you can decide what gym works for you and we all know you have seen good results where you are.

 

But when you join a gym they just dont let you go.

 

I completely agree. Brenda, if you feel that Curves works best for you, then by all means keep at it. But after a certain point, further fitness gains won't be possible with those machines. You might check out a couple of the local gyms, just to see what they offer though. Most (both that I go to) offer some type of "circuit training", which is a group of machines arranged in a logical order that train the most basic muscle groups, and you can use them similarly, quickly, one after the other. But you can change the weight, therefore you can progressively increase your body's strength. Not to mention the cardio options that are available are far superior to what you have now. Not making any changes may well result in boredom and falling off the fitness wagon all together. Just something to think about. :o

[Chigirlcruzin]

I completely agree. Brenda, if you feel that Curves works best for you, then by all means keep at it. But after a certain point, further fitness gains won't be possible with those machines. You might check out a couple of the local gyms, just to see what they offer though. Most (both that I go to) offer some type of "circuit training", which is a group of machines arranged in a logical order that train the most basic muscle groups, and you can use them similarly, quickly, one after the other. But you can change the weight, therefore you can progressively increase your body's strength. Not to mention the cardio options that are available are far superior to what you have now. Not making any changes may well result in boredom and falling off the fitness wagon all together. Just something to think about. :o

 

I second this. As long as this is working for you, keep doing it. But as you can see, your options are limited when you have some type of injury. Agree with the boredom thing too - I never do the same thing 2 days in a row.