[quote]mmgalb727 wrote:
Kimba - I used to think my glutes were working OK… but after seeing MR and working on my mind/muscle connection I realized they weren’t really working at all! =-/
Good news though… I lifted on Thursday an my glutes have been kinda sore for 2 days! YAYYYY!!! They are working! They are working! Now I just have to keep at it! Today I was supposed to workout… but I have to work instead… busy busy busy!
Oh yeah… got some other good news! I had my vitamin D levels tested in December and they were 32 ng/dl which is LOWWW… I supplemented pretty heavily between the end of December and when I got my tanning bed 3-4 weeks ago. Once I got the Tanning system I stopped using the Vitamin D supplement (as it can be easy to overdose when taking Vit D orally AND tanning the skin)… so I had my levels tested again 2 weeks ago and my results came back: 87 ng/dl!!! That’s in the optimal range and I am so excited. If I understand correctly, if you are producing Vit D through the skin, your body WILL NOT produce too much Vit D, it will simply store it in the body for later. So hopefully, once my levels stay up there a while, I will start storing Vit D and won’t have to worry if I can’t tan every day or take my supps…
I have been noticing too that my skin is the best it’s ever looked and I haven’t been “sick” in while! (I had some stuffiness several weeks ago, but I mega-dosed Vit D and it went away)…
Oh yeah… I also attribute the skin to this:
(I used 10% castor oil, 90% EVOO since I am allergic to sunflower oil right now) and afterward I apply some avocado oil to moisturize. I LOVE IT! =D[/quote]
I peek in every now and then…great training effort.
Regarding the Vit D and tanning bed, can you provide some idea of the frequency and duration of tanning that got you to 87? If you have already…my apologies.
Hey giterdone! Thanks! There is not too much exciting stuff going on now b/c I am doing a training program that Mike Robertson wrote for me to correct all my weak areas… so it’s lots of little activation movements and going SUPER LIGHT on compound movements so that I can feel the correct muscles working… blah blah blah! All I know/care about is that it will help me lift heavy shit again in the future! =D
The bed I have is a 1-sided stand up bed… so when I am in front of it, only one side is getting tanned. I am using it about 5 times a week for 8-9 minutes each time (so only 4-4.5 minutes on each side, front and back) and I built up to that to make sure I NEVER BURNED! (I started with 2-3 minutes and have worked my way up to where I am now).
If you are trying to build up your levels, have them tested, and if they are below 40-50, then supplement with 5,000-8,000 IU of Vit D3 for 2 weeks, then have them tested again (and use a maintenance dose of 2,000-4,000 IUs in the meantime… this is all assuming that you are not getting sunshine). Then go from there… but 2,000-4,000 IUs is a pretty good maintenance dose any time your are not able to get regular sun exposure…
I take 5000IUs a day - which I consider a sensible dose for England. I usually get a little SAD but since taking the D, I’ve gone through winter with few problems. Of course, spring’s here and it’s starting to get sunnier, but even though I get maybe 1-2 hours outdoors (walking to and from work, and at lunchtime) a day, I still spend most of it in front of a computer. Taking D is just about the most sensible thing a person can do.
[quote]mmgalb727 wrote:
Hey giterdone! Thanks! There is not too much exciting stuff going on now b/c I am doing a training program that Mike Robertson wrote for me to correct all my weak areas… so it’s lots of little activation movements and going SUPER LIGHT on compound movements so that I can feel the correct muscles working… blah blah blah! All I know/care about is that it will help me lift heavy shit again in the future! =D
The bed I have is a 1-sided stand up bed… so when I am in front of it, only one side is getting tanned. I am using it about 5 times a week for 8-9 minutes each time (so only 4-4.5 minutes on each side, front and back) and I built up to that to make sure I NEVER BURNED! (I started with 2-3 minutes and have worked my way up to where I am now).
If you are trying to build up your levels, have them tested, and if they are below 40-50, then supplement with 5,000-8,000 IU of Vit D3 for 2 weeks, then have them tested again (and use a maintenance dose of 2,000-4,000 IUs in the meantime… this is all assuming that you are not getting sunshine). Then go from there… but 2,000-4,000 IUs is a pretty good maintenance dose any time your are not able to get regular sun exposure…
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Thanks. I’ll look into getting tested. I’m supplementing with 4000-5000 IU most days but I’m just guessing at the dosage. I think I’ll add a couple days a week of tanning bed (plus I’m looking a little pasty these days).
The Mike Robertson stuff looks cool. Even experienced, analytical lifters are often poor at self-assessment so I look forward to the results and the “lift heavy shit” phase.
And, I still think you look like Grace Kelly…with triceps
How does one test for Vitamin D? Never had that checked before. Although I just spent the weekend at the hot springs and returned home sunburned. Bad girl.
Cal - I totally agree! Many health professionals are now saying that the top of their list for supplements is Vitamin D (ABOVE FISH OIL!!!) Although now I am thinking of switching to Krill Oil as it’s benefits are more powerful than fish oil and it’s population is much more sustainable that the other fish they use for fish oil. =D
Giterdone - I will take “Grace Kelly… with triceps” any day! =D It’s so funny… I probably get told that I look like someone else at least 3-4 times a week… craziness! It’s often celebrities (which I like! =D) but it’s also, “You look like my cousin’s girlfriend/my sister-in-law/my old babysitter/my best friend from college/etc”… guess I just have one of those faces!
That’s great that you have been taking Vit D so regularly! I do have to add a disclaimer though… I got my bed off of an alternative medicine website (mercola.com) and he ensures that my bed doesn’t emit any X-Rays like lots of conventional tanning beds… it also has “red” and “blue” lights which are beneficial to the skin and help promote collagen production and what not… so definitely be careful with a conventional bed and NEVER get burned! =D
kpsnap - You test for Vitamin D through a blood test… but if I remember correctly there are a couple of different tests they can run but the only one that really matters is 25-OH Vitamin D… so if you get it tested then make sure they are testing for that exact thing.
So I lifted on Monday… it went pretty well. My glutes were a LITTLE sore yesterday… MR says I am not feeling them as much as I’d like b/c my haven’t fixed my pelvic tilt yet… but that it will come. Man is this program ever a lesson in patience???
I am super happy b/c it finally started getting sunny here! It’s 70 today and 77-80 the rest of the week… YIPPEE! SUNSHINE! Also… Keeneland opens on Friday! If you don’t know what Keeneland is… it’s our local horse racing track. It’s gorgeous and it’s super fun to get all dressed up and go there… Guys are in linen suits and girls are in fancy dresses and hats… everybody goes and tailgates and starts drinking bourbon at like 8 am… then the track opens and you can go bet on the horse races and eat yummy food. It’s so fun!
