jbzero

why does the absolute value matter? If I gave you a very accurate measurement of your leanness, but it wasn't in any way correlated to a bodyfat percentage wouldn't that be a very useful tool for measuring progress? Find the parts that gain fat the fastest on you, and measure them. if they're staying the same, good, if they're shrinking, great, and if they're getting bigger then reassess. Most bodyfat percentage values are rubbish anyway. I had a kid come in the other day (ecto, very skinny) and tell me he was 3% bodyfat, I told him I disagreed. He asked me how I knew since I hadn't tested him in any way. My response is "You are far too alive for that to be true."

Creatine is the single most researched supplement on the market. It will (probably) cause you to gain weight (transient water weight) and will help you lift marginally more (probably, some people simply are not effected by it). However, It can cause cramping which is an issue particularly since you're running 12+ miles/week and you are still a relative novice it's benefits are probably not going to be noticeable for you. I would consider reducing my running volume first and foremost.

Awesome, look forward to hearing how it goes.

I agree, but it's a matter of cost:benefit ratio. For someone who is asking for advice on lifting in general, researching all of the intricacies of one specific advanced lift may require more time and bandwidth than is worth the cost. Assuming all things are equal she can radically improve her squat, press, and deadlift technique in the time it takes her to learn a very simple power hang clean. My opinion is (assuming her time and energy are limited) she should be spending more of her time learning more fundamental lifts at this moment and progress to something that advanced. Which is not to say I think you are wrong fundamentally, but simply I disagree with the application.

That is some old school (lack of schooling) Bull ploppy. They'll weigh less, but as soon as they rehydrate they'll weigh exactly the same. When I was wrestling in college guys used to overheat and pass out all the time, and these were guys who've spent their whole lives cutting weight. Putting kids in trash bags and working them out when they have no idea how their body will respond is terrible, dangerous, and dumb.

I don't mean to soggy up your cheerios, but playing fast and loose with 'paleo' is the best way to end up with the "I tried that diet and it didn't work for me syndrome." If you're going to try it, I'd recommend trying it strictly for 4 weeks, then you can add things back if you'd like, but negotiating your way around a diet never works very well. Trust me, I tried 'paleo-ish' for a while and nothing changed. I bought robb wolf's book and did 28 days strict and in 3 months lost 30 lbs without eating less (intentionally) or exercising more. Just go for it.. it's a month, what do you have to lose?

Not really. If you're physically warmer your muscles tend to be more limber, if you lived in a fairly temperate climate I'd say doesn't really matter. However since you're in florida, hot humid florida. I'd say put them in the conditioned room if all other things are equal (ceiling height, structural capacity of the floor, traction of the flooring..ect) You'll end up sweating to the point where you're slipping and sliding all over the place. It's not cool to be overhead pressing body weight and slip in your own sweat (trust me I know.. stupid un-air conditioned college weight room).

I feel that more of a warm-up is required, but that's opinion and depends on the trainee, and what you're comfortable with. You seem to have a pretty good idea, you may not need to buy an out of the box program at least until you plateau a bit. 5/3/1 is a great program if you're comfortable with the core lifts, the only problem is when you're max numbers are low the difference between 85% and 75% is going to be hard to actually put on a bar. So perhaps once you get your numbers up a bit. reps are going to be fairly personal there isn't a hard line between training modalities, and since you're in good shape and a female, I think you'll find that there'll be a weight you can do for 8, a weight you can do for 5, and then the next step will staple you. So I would start at what you can do for 5 and increase the weights till you can get >8 then increase the weight. I always start with an empty bar, and never add more than 20% of my max. with the exception being lifts where the bar is on the floor. Personally I would not attempt the clean or snatch without either a coach or a significant amount of directed research, especially if you're new to weight training. There is something in the way the sport of boxing works that creates that pedantic mindset. Most other sports the rules change more, so maybe that's it. Since you're new 1 rep in the tank for sure, and maybe 2. Once you have more under the bar time you'll be better calibrated to judge what you have left. Wow, this reply is scattershot.. I think I answered all of your questions.. please let me know if I have not.

If a record skips once you don't throw it out. (pretty sure that reference just dated me. I'm old) It's never ideal, but you still have to live and work and eat. Do the best you can and get back on track asap.

couple things, pick a plan and go with it. 4-6 weeks minimum and see how that effects you. You don't know what you don't know because you've never done anything long enough to get reliable data . Circuits training is mostly conditioning.. which is more of what you're already good at. 3x10-12 has merit for beginners (who do well on high volume) and many women (who likewise get good results with more volume) Bodyweight training doesn't really tell us much. That is sort of like saying "then I tried lifting dumbbells." are you doing sets of 1-5 very advanced movements with lots of rest? sets of 20 very easy movements chaining them in a circuit? Both? neither? Your actions should match your goals..If you're lifting to improve body composition, then you're probably looking to get leaner by increasing your lean body mass.. which means get stronger. There are some good 'out of the box' programs: Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 is very good for athletes who have limited time, but it's a pretty advanced program. Starting strength is good, but it recommends lifting more days per week than you have time for (which is not to say it wouldn't work) What were you doing when you were "Lifting heavy with less reps?" What lifts are you comfortable with? I would say something simple, and don't push too hard, or your recovery will tank. think stimulate, not annihilate. Focus on big movements and good bar speed. as an aside: Lifting should be good for your boxing. better able get out of the clinch, push your opponent around the ring, and the stronger your back is, the faster your hands will be. Too many boxing coaches believe that hand speed is a mythological gift from god that can't be improved with training.. patently untrue. I wrote a blog post about it last year.

my back hurts from just watching that.. wow.

as far as eating goes preparation prevents problems. It's easier to make a good choice for wednesday's lunch on sunday night. It's easier to say no to going out to lunch if you've brought yours. As far as training goes, you just can't allow yourself to quit before you've started. if you're working out at the gym, then just show up and change. If you're running just run the first block. If you're doing body-weight stuff at home, just do the first set. Once you break the inertia it's far easier to finish, but you have to show up. also, you live in the city, walk. if you take the subway, get off a stop early and walk.. or two.. or don't take the train at all. When I lived in Jersey (B&T4life) I would take the path to the WTC and walk to the office, then run from the office to the WTC and take the train back to jersey. It was great. You've already taken a big step. Good luck!

Wow, turkey.. I can't say I know much about the availability of quality food in turkey.. but a couple of points: on one hand you say you have abundant produce, on the other you say you lack variety.. which is it? Could it be that you're only looking at buying things you're comfortable with (I am asking) are you buying your food like the locals, or are you shopping like an american? You may just need a crash course in procuring food like a Turk. if you're going to eat beans, dried is the way to go. if you can get a slow cooker (crock pot) soak them in the crock (in the fridge) overnight, then change the water, and cook them on low for 8 hours. super easy.. takes time, but very little intervention from you, and no sodium. If you don't have a slow cooker its harder, but not much. Soak, change water, bring to a boil, cover, simmer till tender.. check on them every half hour after about 2 hours. Do not fear fat, fat is your friend. Depending on where you are in turkey there are all kinds of preserved little fish that are super tasty (sardines, anchovies.. ect) try them and see what you like. All bread and pasta is refined, just because there is some wheat germ mixed in doesn't mean it's good for you. Processed is processed, less processed is like less pregnant or less dead. As for meat, instead of looking for 'free range' or 'organic' may not exist as terms in that culture, but you may still be able to access food that is raised in that manner (in a pasture, with no hormones injected in them) find a butcher, and during a slow time talk to him about his product. Have you considered going paleo? Working 3 jobs and going to school is going to be a lot of time and stress.. this may also be taking a toll on your ability to lose fat. I don't know much about your psyche, but it seems like you're dealing with a lot of instability, so your fitness may be a bit more of a slog than someone in a stable comfortable environment. Focus on working hard in the gym, making 1-2 small changes a week, and don't stress out if the scale is a little erratic. Get in shape, and eat better, and get your degree. You can't focus on the minutiae of 5 things at once. I am legitimately jealous of some of the food I have seen from that region that I don't have access to.. Making me hungry just thinking about it. I hope that helps, keep us posted on how things are going.

And it's going to. Unfortunately you end up with diminishing returns on fat loss the leaner you get. It's just the way things are. Your smaller body requires less calories, it's in better shape (thus more efficient) and generally speaking your system is further away from what has been previously considered stasis. If you're only using bodyweight it might be time to start adding external loading. get that diet to 99% paleo, adding 1 more day of intervals.. ect. to level up your training.

Hard to say without knowing your particular makeup, but chances are it'll be easier to start with the minimalist shoe as your whole system will get used to the additional load at the same time rather than having to reduce the load once you are accustomed to running in regular shoes. The best way to know is to try, but realize that you may have to start slower than prescribed in your program. Hope that helps. Good luck!