Right now I am at a fitness ranch, and it's pretty mindblowing. All the food is low-cal and portioned, I've been playing tennis, took yoga, breathing, stretching, and pilates classes, swam in the pool, took a hike on Sunday morning and biked yesterday morning. I went on a treadmill for an hour this morning, and I'm off in a few minutes to an exercise ball class. This afternoon I can go to a chi gong class and an afternoon brisk walk, but I may hit the tennis ball around. Oh yeah, and we have a massage every day. Today I get shiatsu. Now, I'm not a very active person, I'm mostly very sedentary, so this is a great way to get in shape and get some skills to carry over to everyday life.
The exercise thread
by Satans little helper 20 Replies latest jw friends
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Paralipomenon
I need to figure something out.
I work at a desk job and now commute 2-3 hours each day. Since I started over a year ago I've grown to ~25 over my ideal weight.
Given that there's only so many hours in a day, when I get home I want to spend time with my family. Since then I've mused the following
I can be:
1) Gainfully employed
2) A good father
3) In shape
Pick two.
I'm trying to play with my schedule at work to accommodate a workout time. I'm actually very competitive but have nobody to compete with. Anyone interested in a JWD weight loss competition thread?
Provide an initial weight and once a week post a status update and weigh in? Might be able to pick up tips or encouragement from each other. -
Nosferatu
Here's what worked for me to lose 25 lbs. I had to cut again because I started eating junk food like mad. As long as you keep the garbage carbs and sweets out of your diet, you'll keep it off. I find it really easy to lose weight following this:
DIESEL'S GUIDE TO CUTTING UP
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alright.. I've been putting this off for awhile but here it is.
The Rules:
1. Forget all the bullshyt you read in the magazines.. it's usually wrong and it'll only confuse you.
2. Cutting, like bulking, is simple mathematics.. calories below maintenance = fat loss.
2b. A GOOD CUTTING PROGRAM WILL TAKE AT LEAST 8 WEEKS, MORE IF YOU'RE FATTER. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT YOU WILL RETAIN AS MUCH MASS AS POSSIBLE AND NOT END UP LOOKING LIKE A SKINNY RUNT.
ANY OF YOU NEWBIES THAT THINK CUTTING IS EASY. WAKE THE FUKK UP. BULKING UP IS THE EASY PART.
2c. A CUTTING CYCLE SHOULD LAST NO LONGER THAN 12-16 WEEKS (if you're really fat).. ANYTHING MORE IS TOO MUCH STRESS ON THE BODY.
IT'S BETTER TO UP YOUR CALS GRADUALLY BACK UP TO MAINTENANCE FOR ABOUT A MONTH, TO REPLENISH YOUR BODY, BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANOTHER CUTTING CYCLE.
3. Cardio is overrated.
The only use for cardio for cutting purposes is to insure a negative calorie balance. However, too much cardio eats up all your muscle.
4. NEVER GO BELOW 1600 calories.
That's what cardio is for. Start at your baseline, then progressive cut 200 calories each week til you hit somewhere close to 1600. Once in that 1600 range you start to add cardio.
5. Long, steady-state cardio is bullshyt.
No cardio session should last more than 20 minutes. High intensity cardio of at least 10 but not more than 20 minutes is the key. (by intense I mean, wind sprint level effort). Start at 2 - 3 sessions per week, and continue to add as needed.
6. Low-carb diets are bullshyt, unless you are on the juice (specifically the cutting drugs) .
They leave you flat, and your workouts/strength will suffer... The carbs to avoid like the plague are the starchy carbs like pasta, white rice, and potatoes
7. Most of your carbs should come from fat free dairy, green vegetables and moderate portions of brown rice and potatoes. Only green veggie carbs after 8PM.
8. Suggested macro nutrient ratios:
Carbs: 1-1.2g / # body weight
Protein: 2g./ # body weight
Fat : as little as possible, take one tablespoon of flaxseed oil with protein and no carbs before bed.most of your daily carbs should come in the three hour window following your weight workout. (see GUIDE TO BULKING for more info)
9. Supplementation
Vitamin C, B, E, CLA, herbal fat burner, creatine, and glutamine (although optional)
10. About training: YOU TRAIN EXACTLY THE SAME AS IF YOU WERE BULKING.
I.E. CONTINUE TO LIFT HEAVY, this stimulation will keep the muscles overloaded and will retain as much mass as possible while the negative calorie balance takes off the fat. Also, it will keep the muscles hard and full..
11. higher reps while cutting is absolute garbage.
The people that advocate that are the jokers in the magazines who are all juiced, so what they do or don't do is irrelevant, the amount of drugs they are on insures success either way.
For the natural lifter, it's a one way ticket to losing big time mass....
To recap: cutting is negative calorie balance while continuing to lift heavy to keep as much of the mass you have on you.
good luck,
D -
TD
Share your tips and experiences and tell us what worked best for you, how you managed to lose the weight and whether or not you kept it off as time went on. How did you keep your motivation long term?
--Diagnosed with borderline high blood pressure six years ago --Told that if it couldn't be corrected with diet and exercise, I would have to go on medication.
Didn't want medication, so I took up running. --Hated it at first. I would get winded after half a mile and have to stop.
Eventually though you reach a point where you can maintain a brisk jogging pace (~9 minute miles) without getting winded and it becomes much more enjoyable. This took about a year for me and in the process, I lost 60 lbs.
I live in one of these "square" western cities where the major streets are laid out in perfect 1 mile increments. So in the mornings I walk to the corner and I have my choice of four different 4 mile courses to run. It only takes 30 minutes out of my day now (~7 minute miles) and the experience is almost spiritual. (Don't ask me why --probably mild oxygen deprivation)
Besides, it's fun to pass someone half your age that's huffing and puffing.
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golf2
At my age, I still do tree climbing and removal. Every morning I religiously do my 'deep' breathing exercices. I've been doing it for the past years and it works. My monthly acupuncture treatment is followed by a lengthy body massage.
Take a peak at Kevin Trudeau's latest book, "The Weight Lost Cure". www.naturalcures.com www.thewhistleblower.com
Golf -
cruzanheart
The "fun" of being 51 years old: love to run but it makes my feet hurt (plantar fascitis); stationary bike is okay with a good book propped up on it, but too long on it and my knees hurt. So I trick my aging body by doing a little running, a little biking, and a lot of stretching and weight lifting and stomach crunches. Of course, I have to be careful how I lift and what kind of crunches because of 3 bulging discs in my neck . . . I mix it up every other night and do a pretty good workout usually after the kids are in bed.
I'm trying to eat vegetarian/vegan as much as I can without stressing out and feeling deprived. Can't totally give up meat when there's filet mignon around! And the older I get, the smaller my appetite has become, so I am careful not to overeat just because the food is there, like in restaurants. I try to limit my bread intake but I take the day as a whole instead of obsessing about one meal. Most of the time it's easy to skimp on lunch when I'm at work, so I keep healthy snacks in my desk drawers, and then I feel perfectly justified eating spaghetti for dinner, with a glass of chianti. Breakfast, while trying to feed the kids and make school lunches, is usually hectic, so I will have a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter, or Special K cereal with soy milk, and once a week a breakfast burrito from the deli downstairs or a donut (or two -- I LOVE DONUTS!).
I'm trying to maintain a healthy medium. I will never be a size 6 again (10-12 these days), but I'd rather enjoy the eclair today in case I get run over by a bus tomorrow.
Nina
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Brother Apostate
My exercise schedule is as follows:
The big upside to my routine is you can eat and drink pretty much what you want.
The big drawback of my routine is how much time it takes.
Brother Apostate's no-diet, plenty of exercise routine:
Sunday- Off
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: (3 hour workout)
weightlifting, crunches, etc, as follows:
50 hyperextensions
6-10 reps of incline bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 left crunches
6-10 reps of incline bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 right crunches
6-10 reps of incline bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 crunches
6-10 reps of incline bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 alternating left-right crunches
50 rolling crunches
50 hyperextensions
6-10 reps of bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 left crunches
6-10 reps of bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 right crunches
6-10 reps of bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 crunches
6-10 reps of bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 alternating left-right crunches
50 rolling crunches
50 hyperextensions
6-10 reps of decline bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 left crunches
6-10 reps of decline bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 right crunches
6-10 reps of decline bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 crunches
6-10 reps of decline bench presses, heaviest weight I can manage
50 alternating left-right crunches
50 rolling crunches
50 hyperextensions
6-10 reps of pec dec butterflies, heaviest weight I can manage
50 left crunches
6-10 reps of pec dec butterflies, heaviest weight I can manage
50 right crunches
6-10 reps of pec dec butterflies, heaviest weight I can manage
50 crunches
6-10 reps of pec dec butterflies, heaviest weight I can manage
50 alternating left-right crunches
50 rolling crunches
50 hyperextensions
6-10 reps of reverse pulldowns, heaviest weight I can manage
50 left crunches
6-10 reps of reverse pulldowns, heaviest weight I can manage
50 right crunches
6-10 reps of reverse pulldowns, heaviest weight I can manage
50 crunches
6-10 reps of reverse pulldowns, heaviest weight I can manage
50 alternating left-right crunches
50 rolling crunches
50 hyperextensions
6-10 reps of seated rows, heaviest weight I can manage
50 left crunches
6-10 reps of seated rows, heaviest weight I can manage
50 right crunches
6-10 reps of seated rows, heaviest weight I can manage
50 crunches
6-10 reps of seated rows, heaviest weight I can manage
50 alternating left-right crunches
50 rolling crunches
50 hyperextensions
6-10 reps of reverse military press, heaviest weight I can manage
50 left crunches
6-10 reps of reverse military press, heaviest weight I can manage
50 right crunches
6-10 reps of reverse military press, heaviest weight I can manage
50 crunches
6-10 reps of reverse military press, heaviest weight I can manage
50 alternating left-right crunches
50 rolling crunches
50 hyperextensions
6-10 reps of shoulder shrug, heaviest weight I can manage
50 left crunches
6-10 reps of shoulder shrug, heaviest weight I can manage
50 right crunches
6-10 reps of shoulder shrug, heaviest weight I can manage
50 crunches
6-10 reps of shoulder shrug, heaviest weight I can manage
50 alternating left-right crunches
50 rolling crunches
Then, as many pushups as I can crank out, usually around 50
The above part of the workout takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Then, run on treadmill 11.8 miles @ 7mph (takes 1 hour, 40 minutes) (ocassionally run on track when weather is nice and I have the time to travel there)
Every third week, I make the following substitutions:
incline bench presses- substitute curls
bench presses- substitute reverse curls
decline bench presses- substitute wrist curls
pec dec butterflies- substitute reverse wrist curls
reverse pulldowns- substitute tricep dips
seated rows- substitute tricep pulldowns
reverse military press- substitute tricep curls
shoulder shrug- substitute pullovers
Tue, Thurs, Sat:
Inclement weather routine- Ride stationary lifecycle 35.65 miles @ 21.8 mph, resistance level 8, takes 99 minutes.
Nice weather routine- Ride road bicycle on favorite route 43 miles @18.7 mph average over hilly terrain, takes 2 hrs, 20 minutes. Occasionally other routes.
The above routine equates to burning approximately 8,500 calories per week from aerobics, so I don't have to really watch how much I eat or drink, within reason.
BA- I have tried the low carb diet- I lose weight quickly, but I feel crappy on it, and have no energy, so I stick with the above, which works for me. Other diets require I modify my intake of things I like, so also not for me.
PS- This year I plan to cut the running down to around six miles every other day, as I've had to stop the running altogether for many months after getting stress fractures in my feet. No more foot pain anymore, so I'm finally ready to start the running again.
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Kudra
TD- nice job! I like running myself. I am going to be training for a half marathon next semester but right now I am just doing ~10-15 mi / wk.
BA- are you kidding??? ...I think BA is BSing us!! :-O -
Brother Apostate
BA- are you kidding??? ...I think BA is BSing us!! :-O
Kudra,
Not kidding. I keep an excel spreadsheet of my workout to make sure I do it all, as I complete it.
I have my own equipment, so I don't have to drive to/from the gym.
It's a tough workout, but I can eat and drink as I like.
BA- Of course, I'm not 100+ years old.
PS- I do take a week (or month) off now and then when vacationing or if I feel I need to- I "listen" to my body.
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Princess
I love to run more than any other sport. It clears my head and like someone mentioned above, it's a spiritual thing. Hard to explain but the views, the endorphines and the ability to adapt all plays into it. I messed up my hips by running on pavement too much so I've cut way back on the running and mix things up a bit.
Sunday I either run four miles on a dirt trail across the street or I ride my spin bike.
Monday I ride my spin bike for an hour while watching either a movie, spin DVD or currently I watch The Tudors on Showtime because it forces me to stay on for an hour. I typically ride five minute intervals increasing resistance each time.
Tuesday I keep it light on the spin bike or skip it because I have a volleyball match every Tuesday evening. Tonight's a double header (six games, two hours) so I skip the daytime workout.
Wednesday I try to undo the damage from volleyball by swimming laps for an hour.
Thursday I'm back on the spin bike
Friday I'll either spin or run (trying to ease back into running)
Saturday I row at the gym for 30 minutes before 1 1/4 hours of yoga.
This is my off season workout. I'll be increasing the spinning for summer endurance rides and get out for 2+ hour rides on weekends as the weather improves. I'll also be getting in the lake to swim next month. I hate the stinky pools and love to swim across the lake and back (1 1/2 miles) three times a week or more as the weather gets warmer. This year I have a new wetsuit so I can start the lake swimming sooner. I will do my regular spin or run in the morning then meet my buddy at the lake after work for a lake swim.
Keeps me in good shape for the spring/summer triathlon season.
I've never had a weight problem, but I make sure I fuel the workouts appropriately or I really pay for it.