Six Year Checkup - Workout Discussion

[MarkU]

Had my six year checkup with my cardiologist yesterday. All is well with my heart and we ended up spending quite a bit of time talking about my triathlon training.

Even though I'm taking a sabatical from racing this year, I'm still running two to three times a week, and swimming and cycling once a week. I was floored when my doctor actually suggested that I go back to lifting weights once or twice a week. Not the heavy lifting and lifting-to-failure that I was doing prior to my AVR, but moderate weights with higher reps. Part of the reason is that, in spite of all my aerobic training, I've been unsucessful in trying to lose weight over the past year. My doc thinks that boosting my metabolism with the weights might be the key.

We both agree that I'd like to lose about twenty pounds. So I guess it's back to the gym.

Mark

 

[hensylee]

that is very interesting, Mark. We have seen you progress from surgery to where you are now. Who would have believed you came so far, but we are proud of you for your accomplishments and encouragement of members who came after you.

As we have all learned control of diet and use of exercise is key in weight loss. Go to it and good luck! Blessins........

 

[WayneGM]

Congratulations of the excellent 6 month report. Sounds like you are really doing well. Good luck with your goal to lose the 20 pounds.

 

[kodi]

Congrulations Mark. Please keep us posted on whether the weight lifting helps. I've read a number of articles where is certainly is a good way to boost the metabolism. I have a very hard time losing weight, even though I run 30-35 miles a week (and building that up), try to swim 2000 meters once or twice and have been very good at NOT riding my bike, but hope that changes soon. With that, I maintain my weight within 1 or 2 pounds. I'd like to lose 8 to 10 to get to my more ideal running weight but even with the increase in mileage, it's not happening.

 

[SumoRunner]

Lifting weights makes a big difference but you also have to be aware of what and how you eat. I have been doing weight watchers since April and I'm down 30+ pounds now. It worked well for me in the past, but only in conjunction with a good workout plan.

I see so many people, WW is mostly women of course, who think just counting calories is going to do it and they fail again and again. Even if they're successful it takes them a very long time. There is a large segment of society that view exercise as though it were going to the dentist.

In April I could not run 2 miles without stopping to walk. Now I'm doing 4 miles daily and 8 on the weekend. I'm also lifting wts a couple days a week. Not heavy stuff. I use 25 lb dumbbells for arms, do a couple stations on a universal gym, a few minutes on bench and then go out to run. While I have been able to do as much as 175 (3 rep max), I keep it much lower now, 115x10, 125x10, 135x10.

Because of these workouts I have been losing at the rate of about 2 lbs a week. Some weeks with picnics or holidays not so much, some weeks more, but I am NOT staying within their guidelines. I am forced to eat at least 15-20% more than their stated allotment and I am still losing at the prescribed 1-2 lbs per week.

 

[Soilman]

This is encouraging news. I've been a weight lifter and runner since high school. When I found out about my valve a few years ago, I dropped the poundage on my lifting considerably and upped my repetitions. I fully intend on starting back with the weights as soon as I'm given the green light after surgery, which by the way is this coming tuesday. Way to go Mark, and good luck!

 

[BillCobit]

Hi Mark

Congrats on 6 uneventful years (I think I'm right about the "uneventful"). Glad to hear you are still training, even if you've taken a year off from racing. Keep us posted on how the weight training goes.