oceanwinds

I was a percussionist for years, so I am used to having tendonitis in my forearms and wrists, but this is the first time I've had problems in my elbow. I'm taking it easier in the gym this week and not increasing the weight like I had planned. I've never been a fan of taking medicine for every little thing. I definitely think the body is capable of healing most things itself, so I don't take the naproxen near as much as was prescribed.

Just wanted to update... I finally (after a week!) was able to get in and see my doctor. He said it was probably tendonitis. I ended up having to take a week off from the gym, anti-inflammatories 2x a day, and ice. I finally got back into the gym this week, but he wants me to do about half the weight I was lifting before (which really wasn't much to start with!) After two weeks back in the gym, if it still hurts, he wants to do x-rays and/or an MRI. Fun, fun.

Lol! I wasn't that crazy! As long as there was no snow (or ice) on the ground, I was okay. I'm stuck in Ohio for a couple more months, but I lived in Petersburg (south of Juneau) for two years.

I'm definitely barefoot more than I am wearing shoes (even in Alaska...I used to get some strange looks!) Thankfully, my last few jobs allowed me to be barefoot at work (pre-K teacher and library assistant.) I would die if I was stuck in an office and had to wear dress shoes all day!

My husband had these for his students when he was teaching at a leadership academy a few years ago. He brought one home for me to play with right before we had to move and they were so much fun. I keep thinking about getting a pair for our house, but they are just so expensive! Is there any (tried and true) websites anyone can recommend for making your own?

Trust me...I tried! I asked for thirty days and he countered with one week. I had to explain how lousy he would feel that first week, so he had to at least go longer than that. Two weeks was a compromise. I'm hoping after the first two weeks, I can get him to go longer. He's actually doing more primal than paleo. He absolutely refused to try it if he had to give up his yogurt.

Thanks...I am trying to get in with my doctor tomorrow. I wasn't sure if this was a normal weightlifting thing or if I really hurt something.

Not yet, but soon! I've convinced my husband to give it a try. We're going on vacation next week, so he won't do it then, but he has agreed to a two-week trial starting the week after. Both of our sons will be doing it, too! Today my sister was asking how I lost so much weight, so I told her a little about it. She wants me to write up a quick outline for her and then she might try it.

I can't wait to read this guide! I know women can lift just like men (so guides for men still apply to us), but there are so many issues we have that guys don't have to deal with. Everyone has posted really great ideas. The only thing I can think of that hasn't been mentioned is stretching/flexibility and recovery. I'd love to become more flexible and have been trying to stretch after every workout, but I'm really winging it. Same with recovery; I've been using a foam roller and that seems to help, but I wonder if there is more I could/should be doing. Also, nutrition after a workout (protein shakes, etc.)

I'm not sure what I did, but during the last few workouts, my right elbow has started hurting. It's not the muscles or tendons around it, it actually hurts right in the joint. It only starts hurting when it is almost straight (around a 135* angle.) I don't lift very heavy (yet!); bench press is 60lbs, bent-over rows are 45lbs, and overhead press is 40-45lbs (all 5x5.) Any ideas of what it could be? And is there anything I should be doing differently?

Thanks for all the responses everyone! I think we'll try a peanut butter and banana wrap tomorrow and see how he feels. If that works, we'll try some of the other suggestions. I'm like most of you: I can't even think about food before I workout (honestly, I can't stand the thought of food until I've been awake for a couple of hours.) My husband, however, has to have something. If he times it right, he will have about 1 - 1.5 hours between eating and working out, so something small should do the trick.

My husband is in pretty decent cardio shape (he's been running 4-5 miles most weekdays for years) and he's recently decided to start strength training. Yesterday was his first day and he got so light-headed and dizzy that he thought he was going to pass out. His trainer thinks it is because he didn't eat beforehand. He's definitely not overweight, but he is a pretty big guy: 6'5 and about 220lbs. He gets up at 5am and is usually in the gym by 6:30 or 7am. He needs something that can be made ahead of time (because he's not getting up any earlier!) and he has about a 45 minute bus ride he can eat it during. I'd love any suggestions. I can't help him because I don't ever eat before working out, so I don't know what would work best for him. Oh, and it doesn't have to be paleo (although he has agreed to try primal the week after next!) Thanks!

Thanks for the welcome!

I like making that oven-baked egg omelet, but I put mine in muffin pans. I can make a ton of them in just a little bit of time and they freeze really well! I just started drinking protein shakes. I'm trying to do 100% paleo for two weeks, but I'm just going to ignore that little bit of whey!

Hello! I've been lurking here for about a month now, so I thought it was finally time to jump in and start posting! My name is Crystal and I am married with two boys. My husband is in the Coast Guard, so we move around (a lot!) We're currently living in Ohio, but this summer we are moving back to Key West!! So excited! As for my fitness level, I am a well-read beginner! Growing up I was extremely athletic until I was about fourteen years old when I started having trouble with my hips and knees. I really had to give up on almost all rigorous physical activity. Just walking for an hour or two would have me in pain. I went to nine different doctors within a year and I received eight different diagnosis opinions...yep, no one could agree with what was wrong. I pretty much gave up on doctors and just dealt with the pain. Finally, a couple of years ago, my husband convinced me to try a doctor again. I ended up having knee surgery in 2010 which has helped a little. I'm supposed to have surgery on the other knee sometime soon and I still haven't found out what is wrong with my hips. I guess a little progress is better than nothing, right? I've always wanted to get back into sports and working out, so this year I finally jumped back in (slowly!) I went back to eating primal/paleo (I've eaten this way before) and I started going to the gym again. After a couple of months of playing around with isolation exercises, I started reading about strength competitions and compound moves, which led me here to Nerd Fitness! Last week I started a modified version of the 5x5 StrongLifts program. I am enjoying it so far. Not much cardio for right now. I do walk a lot and dance, but, eventually, I would like to get back into martial arts. Sorry this is so long! Anyway, I'm looking forward to learning from all of you and hopefully contributing to your discussions!