What's your goal ?

My fitness goal is to regain my athleticism. My lungs are out of shape due to the smoking and I wish to be able to do what I did before smoking.

I have the same goal as Craven, only I'm a couple of decades older than him and (puff) I have smoked for a quarter century.
On my side, I have always made some exercise.


As to your question, smalluser, it's tough to answer for heavy gym users.

My wife works out 3 hours a day -mostly weighlifting, at a near competitive level-. She gets on an off the idea of bodybuilding. At the moment, she's lucklily off. She doesn't mind the supplements, but they are always pushing other kinds of stuff and the whole look-at-the-mirror, need-to-tone-my-muscles-even-more, want-deeper-marks stuff gets to be like an addiction-religion.
When it reaches that point, I truly dislike it.

I just aim to keep breathing.

These days I'm going for the beach look. When I was single I was muscle crazy. And I know exactly what fbaezer is talking about. It truely is addictive. I also worked out 2-3 hours a day. If you stop eating you see the difference so quickly. I was always competing with the guys. And usually my definition was better and I could lift almost as much weight as they could.

What I didn't like was the fact that my bras were not fitting anymore. Well, with all the fat gone...

I still have problems accepting my body the way it is. And I have a lot of back problems due to the fact that I worked out with too much weight.

But I still love the gym!

Used to go for muscle but for me it means heavy weights. Which means increased risk of injury. Not worth it unless you're a competitor.

The only exercise I do these days is my work. Not something I'm completely happy about.

Amen to what Urs said... and I fed her and thus put something in her bra, again!

I'm increasing my aerobic excercises.

My goal is to get back to where I was a year and a half ago, before I quit smoking, but tight and firmed up. I haven't been able to wear any of my fashions since fall of 2001 and this summer, I intend to.

My goal is to continue losing weight and fat by eating less, more of the right kinds of foods, cross training with weights and walking on the treadmill.
Problem is I keep having to change the time frame for my goals, but better late then never. I just wish late was sooner, rather then later.

fbaezer,
Wow, your wife spends three hours a day in the gym? That's dedication!
No wonder it's taking me so long to reach my goals, I only do two sets of 15 twice a week, with about 10-12 different movements.
How long has your wife been weight training, and what are her goals?

Whatever routine you follow, dlk33, to actually lose, three is the magic number. Three times a week.

dlk,
we started going to the gym in 1996, but I dropped out very soon (returned to jogging in the park, baseball, and, lately, turned to yoga). She stayed, and became serious about it around 1999.

Her first goal was to lose weight, but then she realized that her shape was getting better while actually gaining some weight (fat being replaced by muscle). She's never happy with herself, so, as her muscles became defined, she pressed more and more for "perfection" (with a drop or two of obsession, if I may add). As time passed, she also made a lot of friends in the gym: another reason to go. She also changed her (our) diet habits, a lot of slim protein, vegetables, fruit and fiber: little or no space for "unhealthy" foods (exception is when we visit her mother).

Now she has a great body (not of a physiculturist, a couple of years ago, in a meeting, I thought I saw her from the back, and it was Salma Hayek), is in an outstanding physical condition, but she often arrives exhausted from the gym, and has developed a mild form of "lookism". I admire her discipline, but I wish she wasn't so obsessed.

eoe,
I work out with the weights two days a week, but I walk on the treadmill three days a week for 30min. to an hour, on an incline.
The exercise routine isn't what's keeping the extra weight on me, it's my love of eating the wrong kinds of foods from time to time.
I have lost 37lbs., but I've hit a plateau. I have to either eat less, or exercise more in order to lose more weight. The other challenge I have is that since I've started up with the weights, I've been gaining muscle which weighs more then fat. So while my body feels and looks better, the scale isn't showing anymore weight loss.

fbaezer,
Bravo to your wife for caring so much about the way she looks, as well as her dedication to the sport of weight training. If she's been at it since 1996, I bet she looks really great. People who weight train have a certain mind set about them, which to many "normal" people is frowned upon.
Having a body full of muscle, especially for a female isn't usually considered an ok thing in our society. However, anything can be taken too far, or be done for the wrong reasons. Only you and your wife know what's really going on. If she is putting all her time and energy into bodybuilding while ignoring other important people or things in her life that can be a problem.
I hope you both can come to some compromise.

Very important not to get hooked on the scales too much. Muscle is in fact 4 times denser than fat. Muscle tissue also burns more calories. Does it even when you're sleeping. That's the reason that responsible weight training is so beneficial.

dlk33, I'll bet if you flipped your routine, weight training 3 times a week, treadmill two times a week, you'll break thru that plateau.
I found that when I was weight training, I could eat whatever I wanted. My routine was, at it's lengthiest, close to an hour long and I was up to 4 sets of each exercise, 10 reps per set, 3 days a week. I hated it but I had the thighs and butt of a fourteen year old.
Trying to get back to that. It's a whole lot harder now but, we have to try.

eoe,
What I did, was combine a three day work-out into two days. So, what's the difference if I do the same movements in two day's vs three? If my main goal is to lose body fat and weight, (weigh less) don't you think the cardio work-out is just as important if not more then doing the weights?
I'm doing 15 reps because I want to take off the fat and be more toned, rather then add muscle mass. 8-10 reps adds more muscle, less tone. I've been working on my upper body and really not much with the lower body because I have knee problems. I was told doing knee extensions wouldn't be a good idea. I won't even touch lunges. Pretty much all that's left is leg curls, which I don't bother to do since I'm not doing any of the other exercises for the lower body. That's where the walking comes in, I figure that will help keep my legs in shape.
You're invited to come work-out with me in my home gym anytime you want. (anytime we're motivated enough to get something important done, we find the time to)

Wilson,
That is easier said then done. My main goal is to get down to a certain weight. If I don't pay attention to the scale, I won't be able to meet my goal. I understand what you are saying, but can't go along with the idea.
If muscle burns more calories, then the scale should be showing a weight loss since I am working out with weights, and building more muscle.
Am I missing something?
In the past as soon as I'd see a weight gain I'd stop working out with the weights and go back to doing all cardio. This time I told myself that I would continue doing the weights regardless of what the scale said. I do like the way I look and feel when I work out with weights. I do however need to lose weight, and that's the big problem.
I'll just keep working on it, trying different things until I find the right combination. The older one get's, the harder it becomes, and I'm not getting any younger.

dlk33, what's your home gym like? Mine consists of one set of 5lb free weights and ankle weights, a 4 lb weight ball and a floor mat. I have a Total Gym but like you, knee problems and tennis elbow prevents me from using it now. It sits behind the door, mocking me.

I lift but relatively light weight, about three times a week. At my age, I find it harder to maintain my physique, and that you can add fat eating carrot sticks. I also find that lifting makes me hungry, which is truly sad.

I had to lower my weights after injuring my shoulder. Turns out I have some degeneration due to arthritis. And I'm only half dead. Some of these monster dudes in the gym look at me like I'm some sort of total wimp, but hey, at least I'm there.

eoe,
My home gym consists of an all in one weight stack machine with a full bench attached. We paid $1700 for the machine, but I believe the cost is well worth it in the long run. We have a True treadmill that cost about the same amount as the weight machine, but we've had it longer. I also have a torso machine that I don't use anymore. I do crunches laying on the floor with my legs raised up on the bench, and I do another exercise for my abs sitting on the bench. In front of the weight machine we have a wall of mirrors. We used to have bench with a leg attachment and lat pull down, along with a barbell, dumbells and metal weights from 1lb. to 25lbs.
Changing the plates took so much time, and I liked the convenience and ease of an all in one machine, not to mention the fact the machine took up less space. My husband uses both machines also, so they do get put to good use. We also have a t.v. and stereo system in the gym for a little bit of motivation and distraction.
I hope you'll get the chance to use your total gym again. Aren't there some exercises you could still do with the total gym that won't bother your knees or tennis elbow? How about if you use the lightest of weights? That can be pretty bad when there are issues with both the upper and lower body parts.
I'm considering selling the treadmill and buying an elliptical machine. This way I'll still get a good cardio work-out without the impact on my knees. I wish I could afford to buy the Precor machine I once used in the gym at our rec. center, but $3500 is a bit much.

cjhsa,
Yeah that's another thing, working out with weights does make me need to eat more also. I have been taking weight loss supplements to help with desire to eat. I'm not sure the results are worth the risk though.
My husband has the same problem you have with the shoulder. He went to a Physical Therapist, who gave him some exercises to do to help strengthen his shoulder area, and he is taking Glucosamine Sulfate, which seems to be helping. He had to stop using the weights for awhile, but he has recently starting using them again.
Don't worry about how those muscle men at the gym view you. With most of them, all the muscle is in their body with nothing in the brain or heart.