Todd Moody wrote

> I have been lifting weights for a couple of years now, and the
> increase in muscle mass is clear.  I added about 10 lbs. of
> muscle the first year; after that I leveled off and as far as I
> can tell have not added much since then.  My training scheme is
> high-intensity, low-repetition, once a week.  A very good thing
> about this is that if I do gain fat for any reason, the added
> muscle makes it easier to get rid of it.  Still, my current
> "setpoint" appear to be about 18-19% body fat.
>
> I could undoubtedly devise a more demanding training regimen to
> add some more pounds of muscle, but I am unwilling to do so.  I
> am a philosophy professor, not a bodybuilder, and my priorities
> lies elsewhere.

I understand that most people aren't looking to become bodybuilders. If you
are happy with your current body mass profile, that's great. I agree with
the diminishing returns to which you refer. I recently went on a serious
weight training program (3 days a week, very strenuous). I gained 7 pounds
of muscle and lost 3 pounds of body fat (I started the program at 10% body
fat).

I recently moved to a small town that is far away from the nearest health
club. I do a lot of exercises using hand held weights as well as doing
calisthenics (pushups, abdominal exercises, pullups, etc.). Anyone who isn't
interested in going to a gym 3 or 4 days a week might benefit from adding a
day or two of strength calisthenics to their exercise regimen. Adding some
extra low-impact aerobic exercise will also help to keep off excess body fat
(both by burning calories and by increasing metabolism).

Joyce Vedral wrote a book called DEFINITION that details a quick, simple,
in-home strength-training regimen that takes about 20 minutes per session
and requires only hand-held weights (and a small step-aerobics-style bench
for best results). Her nutrition recommendations are not in sync with our
WOE, but her exercise plan is very practical for people without much time to
devote to exercise. (There are cardiac benefits included in her regimen as
well, because rest periods are few and short.)

For those who already walk regularly, I'd like to put in a plug for
run-walking. This form of walking exercise (brisk walking with intermittent
sprinting) can be tailored to fit your physical condition and will be more
beneficial to your cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal systems than
walking alone. I walk briskly 4 to 6 times a week. Two or 3 times a week I
add 5 to 10 sprints to these walking sessions. The sprints last 30 to 60
seconds. Depending on how my knees are feeling (I have bad knees from
long-distance running in my late teens and early 20's), I run at speeds
ranging from 75% of full speed to full speed. Adding running to my walking
keeps my stamina up more than walking alone. It also adds leg strength. For
those who are able to run comfortably and without risk of injury, adding
running to your walking regimen will help you lose body fat (if necessary).

Finally, I'd add that anyone whose daily life doesn't require a lot of
physical activity should try to add more physical activities to their daily
routine. Park further from the store, take the stairs instead of the
elevator or escalator, and carry your own groceries. Mow your lawn with a
pushmower.While grocery shopping carry a basket instead of pushing a
shopping cart. Be creative. There are many opportunities every day for most
of us to be more active than we are.

Sorry for the length of this post. I've always been an exercise freak, and
I've seen how people following NeanderThin can benefit from strength
training especially. I hope some of my suggestions, based on my 13 years of
exercise experience, will be of help to some list members.

Troy G.