Author Topic: Strength & Fitness 2015  (Read 212444 times)

rocketpj

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #250 on: January 18, 2015, 11:06:51 PM »
Dragged my sorry flu recovering carcass into the gym today to get back into the swing of things after a week away.  A bit sore as I pushed a little more than I should, but it felt/feels good.  Like anybody I have to be careful if I miss a week for sickness - 1 week can easily stretch into 3 months.

I'll be riding to work tomorrow, and I think I'll take the long ride home Tuesday night (which means no bus, and a 35k ride instead of 8k).  Unless it is sleeting or something.

Credaholic

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #251 on: January 18, 2015, 11:26:04 PM »
First fail for me. I didn't get my two Friday sessions in today like I thought I could. We got back into town just in time to watch our team agonizingly and then amazingly secure their spot in the Super Bowl, and then I had to catch up with work. Oh well, a weekend away is bound to mess up my T25 schedule, and it was really only one day. I got in plenty of "weights" hauling kids around snowy sidewalks, and ran up a sledding hill pulling the two year old behind me on his Snow Racer for some cardio while we were away. I'll be back at it tomorrow, and possibly do two workouts to help make it up. I am very pleased to be seeing a big difference in calf muscle definition. I'd call that my first visual confirmation of the work I've been putting in!

Peacefulwarrior

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #252 on: January 19, 2015, 10:12:49 AM »
I'm moving forward according to plan. 5 lbs down since New Years. Starting to get some nice definition.

DSKla

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #253 on: January 19, 2015, 10:23:06 AM »
I can tell why Jacob at ERE loves the clean push press as a minimalist weight lift. That's a wonderful exercise that I'm really enjoying. Very practical as well.

His other love is kettlebells - any particularly good videos or other online primers on how to approach those?

Pavel of Dragon Door is a great KB resource. Any of his videos or articles will serve you well.

DSKla

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #254 on: January 19, 2015, 10:26:42 AM »
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I want to see a pic when you make this one! That will be seriously impressive, and take some awesome upper body strength!

If I can manage it, I will certainly take a picture and post! The balance aspect of the handstand is what will probably be the hardest. I have terrible balance and my core muscles need some work. Hopefully the regular yoga will help. That, and practice practice practice! And making an ass of myself in the class exercise room at my gym.

Best thing I've found for building the handstand line is chest-to-wall handstands. The closer your hands are to the wall, the harder they become, but the focus is on the flat body line, tight abs, posterior pelvic tilt, etc. once you have good strength and endurance, you can use Yuri Marmerstein's "heel to toe" drill, where you pull off the wall and push back onto it using the heel of your palm and your fingers as the balance points. Build a great line and some endurance before working the balance though.

DSKla

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #255 on: January 19, 2015, 10:30:38 AM »
No gym for me this week.  The flu hit our house like a damn hurricane.  Monday was an absolute mess, yesterday wasn't bad and I'm functional enough to work today (with a little help from my Tylenol friends).  However if I go to the gym it might well kill me, so I'm going to let my body rest until Friday when I ride to the day job.

Hope you feel better!


I'm feeling yesterday's workout as well, in a good way. It's not painful to move around, but I'm sure feeling those muscles.

Can I check in with you guys about my current workout routine? I'd like some input on whether I'm going about it in a smart way, if you don't mind.

Workout Goals: 1) Build muscle for increased base calorie burning; 2) Strengthen my core and increase flexibility to prevent back flare-ups.

Alternating days, 5 days a week:

A) Gym Day
--- 15 minute treadmill, working my way back up to running. Yesterday, it was 8 minutes brisk walk, 7 minutes slow run.
--- Full circuit of weights. Started with weights set during gym orientation, slowly increasing as it gets easier.
--- 15 minute rowing machine. I'm just doing it at the speed and force that feels fluid. Yesterday, it was 20-21 strokes/minutes and I was breathing heavily by the end.

B) Home Day
--- 30 minutes of pilates or yoga video.

I'm also working on the input side, with improved eating habits.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Besides the rows, are there any other workouts you are doing to focus on your spinal muscles? I didn't even know that was a thing until I started reading about bridges, but after a bit more research, well developed and regularly worked spinal muscles do an outstanding job of protecting the spine (and therefore back flare-ups). Oh, and I do know that the yoga probably helps too.

I can tell why Jacob at ERE loves the clean push press as a minimalist weight lift. That's a wonderful exercise that I'm really enjoying. Very practical as well.

His other love is kettlebells - any particularly good videos or other online primers on how to approach those?

Look for anything by Pavel Tsatsouline. He is something like a god when it comes to kettlebells.

Re: spinal muscles: anything that has you lock your spine in neutral under load will help. Those muscles' job is to preserve spinal integrity and avoid letting discs go flying out and such. My favorites include RDLs and back extensions (should be called hip extensions cause i only have people do them up to neutral, not to the point of lumbar extension), and surprisingly, pullups or body rows, because the lats play an overlooked role in spinal stabilization.


DSKla

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #256 on: January 19, 2015, 10:39:08 AM »
I've been good about the gym (I want to lose a few pounds but then to just maintain), but what I really need to figure out this year is how to handle running without injuring my knees. When I run at the gym it's only for 30 minutes, which I can handle, but when I run outside in the spring and summer I go farther, and I'm afraid that if I ramp up the distance too quickly then I'll reactivate a knee injury from last summer. I think it was overuse but never saw a specialist and am worried I'm going to keep hitting this issue! There is an orthopedic sports doctor at my doctor's office, so it would be easy for me to do a consult, just not sure there is enough information to go on for that--just a general twinging and feeling that it could easily get worse. Next year I'd like to do a half marathon--I'm not worried about the distance, but I am worried about my knees. Not sure how to address this. Going to see an orthopedist before the pain comes back? Ramping up my distance more slowly when my run length increases? For now I'm going to keep going to the gym (I use the stairmachine for 30 minutes or jog on the track for the same amount of time), but I know I need to address my knee if I want to keep at running. I never do strength training on my knees, maybe that's the missing link I need to get serious about. Cardio is easier for me to make a habit of.

Without seeing someone run it's hard to know for sure that caused it, but I see so many overuse knee injuries on runner's it's almost a joke. You're correct that you should be doing some strength training to help. At the very least, lunges and either RDLs or KB swings if you're comfortable with the movement, if not more.

As for ramping up, take a lot longer than you would think. You don't need to run every day, for starters. And not all of your runs should be long. I'd have just one long run per week (long being whatever you can handle with zero knee pain every time), and to reduce total volume, sprint another 2 days or so. Intervals with long rests, distances from 100m through 800m. Keep your total volume on sprint days at a mile (or less if you're just doing 100's and 200's). You'll find the sprinting makes you a much better distance runner, and keeps your odometer low.

I had a friend who ran ultras and he swore by just standing/walking for 8-12 hours a day. He worked retail, but he also suggests just taking a long walk through a nice part of town, stopping to eat and drink but not sitting, to build endurance without damaging an overused knee.

DSKla

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #257 on: January 19, 2015, 10:41:54 AM »
Good advice for altering set/rep count when increasing weight? I'm primarily interested in tone than pure mass, and the weights are pretty light, but my starting weight has already gone from 1 set of 10 to 3 of 10 and I forget what my physical therapist recommended when I increase the weight.

I was thinking of going back to 1/10 unless it felt easy after the first set, in which case doing 2/10, but not all the way to 3/10 for the first few times.

Thoughts?

In general:

1-5 reps for strength/power
6-12 reps for hypertrophy/joint prep
More for local muscle endurance

If you're rehabbing, imwould keep it light and start at something like 3 sets of 5 with a weight you can easily handle, and build to at least 3x10 or 5x10 before increasing load and repeating the process, but ask your PT what they want just to be sure.

DSKla

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #258 on: January 19, 2015, 11:34:33 AM »
Here's a rsource for those of you who have shoulders: http://www.idoportal.com/blog/hanging

Seriously, explore not just this post put all the posts and videos he has on hanging. This is a great start no matter your skill level or goals with regards to shoulder strength. As he mentions, if you have injuries, are overweit, or are weak in the upper body, you'll want to start with your feet on the ground, which means finding a very low bar to hang from and having them out in front of you, flat, knee stacked over ankle. I reckon some of you folks can go straight to the active and passive hangs with feet suspended, though. If you glance through all the subsequent videos and progressions, you'll see hanging work can keep you busy for a few years, and will have huge impact on your shoulder health and pulling strength.

There is a challenge to do it for 7 mins for 30 days, which is great but even just integrating however much you can daily into your life will benefit a lot of the shoulder issues I'm seeing mentioned here. Ideally spend some time at least 3x daily hanging in one form or another. This is my step one stuff for getting people to their first pullup.

Credaholic

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #259 on: January 19, 2015, 11:44:03 AM »
Credaholic - are you seeing a difference in calf muscle definition only after starting this year? Or were you lifting/doing this program previously?

I started in November and then took 3 weeks off over Christmas/New Years. I wasn't sticking to the T25 calendar perfectly, but I was working out at least 3 times a week. Now I'm starting week 3 of trying to do the calendar perfectly. I'm going to try to work in two workouts today and tomorrow to make up for missing Friday. It's amazing how posting here and just saying I'm trying to do 5 weeks perfectly makes me want to accomplish it! Even though I'm not really mad at myself for missing one day due to traveling, I want to be able to say I DID IT!

Re: spinal muscles: anything that has you lock your spine in neutral under load will help. Those muscles' job is to preserve spinal integrity and avoid letting discs go flying out and such. My favorites include RDLs and back extensions (should be called hip extensions cause i only have people do them up to neutral, not to the point of lumbar extension), and surprisingly, pullups or body rows, because the lats play an overlooked role in spinal stabilization.

Any tips on doing back extensions at home? Seems like when you do them on the floor you start at neutral and them move into lumbar extension.

Grid

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #260 on: January 19, 2015, 05:55:18 PM »
Here's a resource for those of you who have shoulders: http://www.idoportal.com/blog/hanging

I have shoulders!  Thanks, interesting read.  I like the advocacy for people having the chance to do some hanging at any time.  I like the overarching idea as well of having continuous movement throughout the day, rather than just having one section of the day reserved for that part of our nature.  It's difficult enough to make the change to a standing desk in our current culture, let alone trying to introduce some exercises sporadically throughout the day if desired.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #261 on: January 19, 2015, 06:19:01 PM »
Here's a resource for those of you who have shoulders: http://www.idoportal.com/blog/hanging

I have shoulders!  Thanks, interesting read.  I like the advocacy for people having the chance to do some hanging at any time.  I like the overarching idea as well of having continuous movement throughout the day, rather than just having one section of the day reserved for that part of our nature.  It's difficult enough to make the change to a standing desk in our current culture, let alone trying to introduce some exercises sporadically throughout the day if desired.
I thought the same thing when I read that comment.

Also, I can't let a reference to standing desks go by without mentioning the below xkcd.


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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #262 on: January 19, 2015, 06:25:23 PM »
Just wanted to update you guys about half way through the month.

Down 4 out of those 15 lbs I need to lose.

I hit a 300lb bench, 365lb squat, 415lb deadlift. Still a ways to go =D

Hit a lower body power session today!

385lb ass to grass squat (Beltless)
495lb Conventional deadlift (Beltess/Strapless, used chalk)

Also went for a 5 miles walk with my friend and his dog, even though it was COLD.

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #263 on: January 19, 2015, 06:27:40 PM »
Just wanted to update you guys about half way through the month.

Down 4 out of those 15 lbs I need to lose.

I hit a 300lb bench, 365lb squat, 415lb deadlift. Still a ways to go =D

Hit a lower body power session today!

385lb ass to grass squat (Beltless)
495lb Conventional deadlift (Beltess/Strapless, used chalk)

Also went for a 5 miles walk with my friend and his dog, even though it was COLD.

Damn! That's some pretty hard core progression. 20lbs on the squat and 80lbs on the dead lift? You are kicking ass. Be careful.

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #264 on: January 20, 2015, 01:29:23 PM »
A note on the importance of proper form.

This morning I was doing Shoulderstand Squats. I apparently got my arm position wrong during my second set. My weight rolled to the side just a bit, and found the 'funny-bone' nerve. Hitting that nerve while upside down is a really different experience that I suggest everyone try at least once. :-) The tingling shot up my arm, more to my neck than usual, and made me start giggling uncontrollably...so I fell over. It was pretty funny, but interesting that even at these easy steps the proper form is so important. Great job on everyone's progress so far! Keep up the good work.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #265 on: January 20, 2015, 02:57:39 PM »
Per DSKla's suggestion, I tried some hangs today.  I thought for sure I could hang for 2 minutes no problem with both arms.  I started hanging, then started playing around with trying the "active" hang, followed by the side-to-side swinging.  That was about 30 seconds total.  I realized I might not be able to hang around much longer (pun intended) about 50 seconds in, and my grip gave at 70 seconds.  :(.  I made it a point to hang for a total of 2 minutes.  Now the suggested time of hanging for a total of 7 minutes per day for 30 days sounds very tough.  I thought I would have no problem with 2 minutes straight (6'4", 195lb).

TL;DR:  Hanging is more difficult than you think if you haven't tried it before.

ruthiegirl

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #266 on: January 20, 2015, 03:26:01 PM »
Back after a week of solo parenting and sick kids.  Shout out to rotavirus...you are one mean son of a bitch.  Glad you are out of my house. 

Took a nice run yesterday through the hills.  It was a muddy, fun mess.  6 miles
I met a friend for a 'short' walk this morning.  We got talking and walked 5 miles while pushing strollers. 
Tomorrow, I swim. 

I think my 10 mile goal for the year is very, very doable.  Can't wait to do a 10 mile run and then set my next goal. 

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #267 on: January 20, 2015, 05:21:06 PM »
Shout out to rotavirus...you are one mean son of a bitch.  Glad you are out of my house. 

Our kids have a few plushies of different viruses and bacteria. I chuckle every time they snuggle up to them.

Glad you're done 'snuggling' with that one, though :P

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #268 on: January 21, 2015, 04:34:25 AM »
Here's a resource for those of you who have shoulders: http://www.idoportal.com/blog/hanging

I have shoulders!  Thanks, interesting read.  I like the advocacy for people having the chance to do some hanging at any time.  I like the overarching idea as well of having continuous movement throughout the day, rather than just having one section of the day reserved for that part of our nature.  It's difficult enough to make the change to a standing desk in our current culture, let alone trying to introduce some exercises sporadically throughout the day if desired.

DSKla, thank you for all your thoughtful responses.  Especially enjoyed the shoulder/ hanging link.

I'm a surgical RN & luckily my job involves (almost constant) movement.  All day I'm moving heavy OR equipment, patients, heavy instrument trays, etc.  Typically I only get to sit down for lunch...and then when I get home after a 10-12 hour day, the couch feels glorious!!

Yesterday, I had to wear a lead apron for several hours for x-ray protection.  When I got home, I hung from my pull-up bar.  The relief to decompress my spine was wonderful.   I'll def be reading further into that link you gave!

And, maybe some day, I'll actually be able to do pull-ups.  Maybe.

HappyMargo

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #269 on: January 21, 2015, 04:40:16 AM »
Per DSKla's suggestion, I tried some hangs today.  I thought for sure I could hang for 2 minutes no problem with both arms...
 
TL;DR:  Hanging is more difficult than you think if you haven't tried it before.

AGREED!  You lasted much longer than I did though, for sure. 

My grip is def my weak link, my hands gave out rather quickly.  But now I have a starting point & know how to work on progress from there!

eyePod

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #270 on: January 21, 2015, 04:51:29 AM »
I'm just trying to be active 3x per week (either volleyball or gym).

Was really surpsied that I could still hit close to my DL #s without regularly training for the past 2 years. Hit 405 on Saturday and my PR is 435. Felt very clean too. Backs been smoked since then though. Especially giving my daughter her bath last night!

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #271 on: January 21, 2015, 06:39:40 AM »
Per DSKla's suggestion, I tried some hangs today.  I thought for sure I could hang for 2 minutes no problem with both arms.  I started hanging, then started playing around with trying the "active" hang, followed by the side-to-side swinging.  That was about 30 seconds total.  I realized I might not be able to hang around much longer (pun intended) about 50 seconds in, and my grip gave at 70 seconds.  :(.  I made it a point to hang for a total of 2 minutes.  Now the suggested time of hanging for a total of 7 minutes per day for 30 days sounds very tough.  I thought I would have no problem with 2 minutes straight (6'4", 195lb).

TL;DR:  Hanging is more difficult than you think if you haven't tried it before.

Haha yea. When I first did the hanging deal I would do 1 min on 30 off.  Closer to the end of 7 mins hanging time I would be at 15s on and 15s off, purely because my grip was shot.  After a few weeks I got to the point where I could go 2 min on 30 s off and stay with that for a total of 8 hanging minutes.  It helped with some shoulder issues I was having, as well as improving my grip strength.

DSKla

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #272 on: January 21, 2015, 04:50:08 PM »


Re: spinal muscles: anything that has you lock your spine in neutral under load will help. Those muscles' job is to preserve spinal integrity and avoid letting discs go flying out and such. My favorites include RDLs and back extensions (should be called hip extensions cause i only have people do them up to neutral, not to the point of lumbar extension), and surprisingly, pullups or body rows, because the lats play an overlooked role in spinal stabilization.

Any tips on doing back extensions at home? Seems like when you do them on the floor you start at neutral and them move into lumbar extension.

These are called supermans, or arch body holds. There are mixed opinions about them. Dr. Stuart McGill, who is generally thought to be the foremost expert on the human back for performance, hates them.

But a lot of really impressive people, mostly from gymnastic backgrounds, see a lot of value and use them effectively.

My thoughts: most injuries are not the fault of the movement, but of the lack of preparation for the movement. So for most sedentary people I don't think there is a good cost/benefit ratio in this movement. However, that isn't to say it's bad. I just think you risk far less and benefit as much from only extending the hips rather than the spine, eapecially for the untrained.

But the spine is meant to move, and i believe a bridge is a fundamental human movement. So if you are interested in developing this position, I HIGHLY recommend Kit Laughlin's Mastering the Full Back Bend and Arch Body Hold. I have not seen a better zero-to-hero treatment of preparing you for the movement, and eventually, the bridge. It is stretching centered, but also fantastically and correctly cues the ABH, which is almost always done poorly.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #273 on: January 21, 2015, 04:55:54 PM »
Those of you hanging: make sure to read all of the hanging posts, I only linked to the main one.

You'll notice that doing the full time in one session is the least ideal. Best practice is to split it between 3+ sessions throughout the day. And if 7 minutes is too hard, you could shorten the total time, or my preference: hang from a lower anchor point that allows you to keep your feet flat on the ground in front of you, as if sitting in a parallel squat. You can do all but the swings in this position, and you will be able to hold longer times and have a better looking active hang, in the event that you struggle with your feet off the ground.

If you can't passive hang for a minimum of 30 seconds every time, or active hang for at least 5 reps with the three second pause at both top and bottom each rep, revert to having your feet on the floor. It won't take you long to progress back to the full hang.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #274 on: January 21, 2015, 06:33:16 PM »
I'm up to 15 on my knees push ups! I wish I could be doing the workouts that you're all posting about, but I'm too weak. Ah well!
 The less than 15g of sugar in my diet has been a breeze, while the no added sugar has been harder. Still going strong here though. I'm limited in the snacks I can eat, so I have to look up some recipes.
Yoga has been hard for me to incorporate into my routine. Working on this.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #275 on: January 21, 2015, 08:27:43 PM »
Didn't work out today. First time I've blown off a scheduled gym session for months. As much as it sounds like an excuse, I "listened" to my body...and it told me I was fatigued and a "maintenance day" was in order. Yesterday, was a tough workout day - 10 mile bike, 10k run, then my weight training muscle grouping that ALWAYS kicks my butt the hardest - my pesky weak shoulders, chest, and triceps. I just felt like I hadn't recovered enough today to maintain any workout intensity.

But I did manage to keep the diet locked in - not regretting spending $ on the tubs of protein powder...so damn convenient and quite tasty when you throw in a few pieces of frozen fruit along with skim milk and the vanilla whey protein powder - not quite as yummy as a Booster Juice (do they have those in the U.S.?) but not far off.

I think I made the correct decision today but still feel a little let down - gonna hit it HARD tomorrow.

Today my wife rode her bike to work, so I took the truck and tried to hunt down a body fat% device - was really just looking for some calipers  - but it seems like expensive (and apparently not very accurate) body composition scales are more popular these days. Didn't feel like spending $50. Looks as though the "look in the mirror" method will suffice for now. :)

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #276 on: January 22, 2015, 09:18:04 AM »
Yeah the mirror is your best bet. Even electrostatic weighing, which is the most accurate, has a +/- 3% margin of error. All other tests carry the original margin of error, since they're based on the same formula, plus a large additional margin. It's difficult to get an exact measurement, which is why I just like to tell my people, "Look in the mirror. Don't like it? Do something about it." (Except the super skinny crowd that always thinks they're fat. Then it's more of a reality check.)

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #277 on: January 22, 2015, 12:34:58 PM »
I was pondering body fat percentages today, but I think it would be too depressing to find out now. Once I'm at my rough goal weight, I'll reevaluate my plans and see what (if any) additional input I need to make some decisions about future goals.

Results To Date: -9 lbs (62 to go), -1 inch on waist, -1 pants size.

I've switched from gym weight machines to bodyweight exercises (including the spine-strengthening ones), and they're kicking my butt. In a good way. The current routine, which I look forward to each day:

M: Bodyweight + Yoga
T: Swimming Intervals (alt 1min fast/slow, 8 laps; increasing as able) + Yoga
W: Bodyweight + yoga
Th: Rowing intervals  (alt 1 min fast/slow, 15 min; increasing as able) + Yoga
F: Bodyweight + Yoga
Sa: Steady-State Run (5K walk/jog, increasing speed as able)
Su: Lazy Floaty Swim with Kids

It feels like the bodyweight moves, swimming, and rowing are all working the muscles along my spine. I can actually feel them fatigue at the end of each session. I played bass drum last night at band rehearsal and my arms got tired, but my back was fine. So that's good.

My eating plan seems to be working well. Not too hard to stick to, and it keeps me in a solid calorie deficit.

And here's a new motivation: I'm going flying to the UK in August. I'd LOVE to be comfortable crossing the Atlantic in one of those seats. Well, as comfortable as I can be. I'm tall, so true comfort is probably not an option.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #278 on: January 22, 2015, 01:11:00 PM »
Go 100% Paleo -- drop 55 pounds of pure fat  -- add 10 lbs muscle  -- sprint at least 15 days in 2015 --  waist size down to 32 --  18 inch biceps  --  BF sub 10  --  no injuries (read - don't over do the exercise)  -- improve breathing -- take my vitamin B, Ds, fish oil daily -- improve testosterone levels -- get sun every day or use light box -- 

And most importantly --  Don't backslide  --- Don't even think about backsliding --- never ever backslide!

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #279 on: January 22, 2015, 01:46:25 PM »
Bob W, speaking of waist sizes - my 50 lbs of fat loss has me from a 36 waist to my current 32.

My goal is a 30 inch waist. Feel free to add that to my goals JR...;) And I'm looking into this whole Paleo thing....though I have no complaints with my current progress.

I just realized all this talk about "looking in the mirror", body fat %...it can all come across as a bit vain. I'm really not like that - I just would prefer to be able to whip my shirt off in public without shame. In days of yore, people would sneak appreciative glances my way at the beach or pool - pathetic I know, but I'd really like to get there again. Hopefully by this Summer...


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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #280 on: January 22, 2015, 04:00:42 PM »
I caved today and bought a scale. I was 150 lbs post-pregnancy and pre-T25, and now 145 (144.8 if we're going to be really technical!) I also finally saw a budge in inches. I measured myself early November, and now I've lost half an inch in my waist, and my pants are looser. I have a workout today and two tomorrow, and then I'll be able to say I've stuck with the Alpha calendar for 3 weeks.

My overarching goals for this year are to keep working out semi regularly after completing T25 and gauge whether running after the kids and hiking in the woods keeps me fit enough to keep up with the fitness progress I've made/will make.

« Last Edit: January 22, 2015, 10:51:22 PM by Credaholic »

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #281 on: January 22, 2015, 04:39:14 PM »
I caved today and bought a scale. I was 150 lbs post-pregnancy and pre-T25, and now 145 (144.8 if we're going to be really technical!) I also finally saw a budge in inches. I measured myself early November, and now I've lost half an inch in my waist, and my pants are looser. I have a workout today and two tomorrow, and then I'll be able to say I've stuck with the Alpha calendar for 3 weeks.

That's progress!! Woohoo!

@Jon_Snow - I've added your goal
@Bob W - I've got you added. Welcome!

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #282 on: January 22, 2015, 08:00:17 PM »
Those of you who read my journal know what I think of paleo, so I'll stay out of that ;)

E_Monkey

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #283 on: January 22, 2015, 08:28:00 PM »
  • Got on track with MyFitnessPal
  • Did a weight workout twice this week
    • On Day 2 of drinking 1 gallon of water a day. Not as hard as I thought it was going to bed a weight workout twice this week

    I have some questions for all of you:

    • We'd like to get a stationary bike to use on housebound days. Which make/model do you recommend? We're looking for something like a spin bike.
    • I tend to get bored on the bike, and I know that there are free online spinning class videos, road rides, etc. What free ones do you recommend. Or, which not-free ones do you recommend?
    • My gym doesn't have the equipment to do a cable triceps pushdown. What do you recommend instead?

    Looking forward to your recommendations...

Peacefulwarrior

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #284 on: January 23, 2015, 01:34:06 AM »
  • We'd like to get a stationary bike to use on housebound days. Which make/model do you recommend? We're looking for something like a spin bike.
Looking forward to your recommendations...

My recommendation will be the Assault Airbike. You're also using your upper body and thus it feels somehow a lot more engaging than just using your lower body. It is a very good piece of equipment no matter if you're 80 years old and sedentary or a top level professionel athlete. It's very sturdy and it's pretty much a buy-it-for-life thing. As you can see it's a bit pricey from new but I'm sure you'll be able to find it, or something similar, on craigslist. It will melt the fat right off.

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #285 on: January 23, 2015, 05:44:30 AM »
  • We'd like to get a stationary bike to use on housebound days. Which make/model do you recommend? We're looking for something like a spin bike.
  • I tend to get bored on the bike, and I know that there are free online spinning class videos, road rides, etc. What free ones do you recommend. Or, which not-free ones do you recommend?
  • My gym doesn't have the equipment to do a cable triceps pushdown. What do you recommend instead?

As far as the stationary bike goes, I don't really have a recommendation, but if you have an actual bike, it might be cheaper to get a resistance trainer that will turn a regular bike into something more stationary. (I don't have any experience with them, but I've heard good things).

Tricep pullups and some of these might be helpful if you have dumbbells.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #286 on: January 23, 2015, 06:24:05 AM »
Starting to notice some extra definition in my legs from doing wall slide holds. My legs are quite fit from biking, but I'm gaining explosive power with those, but especially the clean push press.

In the clean push press, I've nearly doubled my weight in just a couple weeks. "Double" sounds impressive, but the weights aren't impressive at all :P (From 7.5 per hand 3x10 to 12.5 per hand 3x10.)

Jordanread - I think I'm ready to add a couple defined goals to my tracking.

In the wall slide hold, I want to get to the master level given by my PT, which is a continuous 2 minutes (currently at 4x20sec).

In the clean push press I'd like to get to 25 per hand (3x10). Being able to clean and push press an entire 50lb bag of gardening materials or road salt sounds pretty f'ing badass to the future farmer in me :P

Now I need to look out for some cheap kettlebells in the right weights.

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #287 on: January 23, 2015, 06:52:32 AM »
I took up running to help with my weight loss and cardiovascular health goals.

I have ran 3 times in the past 10 days

First Run - 20:00 - 1.65 Miles
Second Run - 20:02 - 2.00 Miles
Third Run 19:25 - 2.00 Miles

Managed to shave down my time quite a bit from 10:59 pace, to 10:01, down to 9:43 today.

The goal is to increase miles ran in 20:00 period.

DSKla

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #288 on: January 23, 2015, 08:29:33 AM »
  • Got on track with MyFitnessPal
  • Did a weight workout twice this week
    • On Day 2 of drinking 1 gallon of water a day. Not as hard as I thought it was going to bed a weight workout twice this week

    I have some questions for all of you:

    • We'd like to get a stationary bike to use on housebound days. Which make/model do you recommend? We're looking for something like a spin bike.
    • I tend to get bored on the bike, and I know that there are free online spinning class videos, road rides, etc. What free ones do you recommend. Or, which not-free ones do you recommend?
    • My gym doesn't have the equipment to do a cable triceps pushdown. What do you recommend instead?

    Looking forward to your recommendations...
1) i love a simple airdyne bike. No need to plug it in, the handles allow for an upper body component, and it is the nastiest torture machine ever invented. The harder you pedal and push, the faster the fan goes, and the harder it gets again. It is far and away more bang for your buck than a normal, more expensive electronic bike. Some of our favorite things to do on it only take a few minutes. One Tabata round, for example. Or set the readout to calories (don't think in terms of actual calories burned, this is just a work output metric) and see how many you can get in 1 minute. My buddy got 95 and almost died. You can get more done on an airdyne in a few minutes than a stationary bike in an hour.

2) don't know about spin videos, good luck. But a spin bike would be my second choice after an airdyne.

3) pushups. If they're too hard from the floor, do them with your hands on a bench or low wall. I prefer this elevated pushup to the knee pushup as a progression. If you can do them on the ground, great. Avoid the wide, transverse plane pushup. Instead have your hands under your shoulders, possibly with fingers turned out a bit, and track your elbows back along your ribs as you lower (more sagittal plane). This exercise can be very easy depending on the elevated surface you choose, and very scalable just by lowerring the elevation as you get stronger.[/list]

Jon_Snow

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #289 on: January 23, 2015, 09:47:36 AM »
That's awesome NICE!

I'm off to the gym (it's only 9am here and it should be pleasantly "unbusy") for my last indoor workout of the week. The rains are supposed ease on Sunday, so my wife just informed me we are doing a 13k run. Oh boy. But hey, at least it's RED WINE FRIDAY!!!

tmac

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #290 on: January 23, 2015, 09:51:40 AM »
NICE, gotta love a good surprise! Excellent! :)

Snow forecast says 5-8" of snow tomorrow morning, so I'm bumping up my steady-state run to this afternoon and will do bodyweight stuff tomorrow. I will not let the weather derail this new exercise habit. I think I'll also go get sleds for the kids, as this is the first time since we've moved here that there should be enough snow for real sledding, which they've never done before.

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #291 on: January 23, 2015, 10:12:46 AM »
Jordanread, get your pen ready!

I tried that, but the words wouldn't appear on the screen , but I figured it out, and got your stuff updated. Congrats on the weight loss!

Jordanread - I think I'm ready to add a couple defined goals to my tracking.

Got you updated!

HappyMargo

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #292 on: January 23, 2015, 12:30:50 PM »
That's awesome NICE!

I'm off to the gym (it's only 9am here and it should be pleasantly "unbusy") for my last indoor workout of the week. The rains are supposed ease on Sunday, so my wife just informed me we are doing a 13k run. Oh boy. But hey, at least it's RED WINE FRIDAY!!!

YAY for Red Wine Fridays!!

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #293 on: January 24, 2015, 05:27:37 AM »
I've kept 80 pounds off for about 5 years. Still would like to lose a bit more fat and replace it with muscle, hence my goals.

No magic advice for maintaining the weight loss other than to keep up with the habits that got you there: regular weight checks, healthy eating, exercise --> but obviously with maintenance rather than loss, you can allow yourself more calories.

The calories should still be good food, not junk. Junk makes you feel like junk! Easier said than done here in the super-abundant first world, especially if family members like having junk around, but you can do it.

horsepoor

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #294 on: January 24, 2015, 09:19:13 AM »
Back to my new goal - I told my wife of my success and new goal and she had an interesting response. She said she'd much rather I stay where I am if I don't do what I did in the past, which is have massive gain/lose cycles. Basically, she thinks 170 sounds great but she thinks that I'll hit that and the second I return home from my overseas program I'll tack on 5-10 and then slowly add more after that.

I can't say I disagree with her. Is there anyone on here who's had success losing a bunch and then keeping it off (maybe Jon_Snow)? Or perhaps someone who focused on getting to a somewhat healthier weight and just maintaining it? I'd love to hear about your experiences. I know there's a lot of science talking about how once you lose weight your body fights to get back to the higher amount you set previously, but I'm not sure if that'd be more applicable at 170 than 183.

Good job on your progress, everyone. Jon_Snow, maybe I'll turn into a badass like you when I FIRE, but that's not anytime soon.

I lost over 50 pounds a couple years ago.  I let a little bit creep back on over last summer (like 6-8#), but I'm on track now to get rid of it again.  I was carrying the extra weight for probably about 5 years in my late 20's to early 30's.  I was a thin child and was never heavy until I started working and eating out way too much.  I'm providing this information because I think it has an effect on where your "set point" might be.  For me, it's not really a thing, because I wasn't obese for decades on end.  My weight loss pretty much tracked with my effort put in on the exercise and diet fronts, but of course it gets harder at closer to goal weight, because the margins get thinner (no pun intended).

The key for keeping it off, for me, is just really embracing the mindset that there is no "on diet" and "off diet" mode.  It's just a matter of eating/exercising in proportion to achieve the size body you want, and eventually you will be/stay that size.  A 150# body simply requires less fuel than a 200# body, and it takes literally years of experimentation and monitoring, once at goal weight, to figure out what eating and exercise plan you can stick with, where you can loosen restrictions a bit, and feel satisfied with your diet and not a slave to the treadmill.  Eating loads of veggies is really key for me, allowing me to maintain weight and never go hungry or worry about counting calories.  Every time I slack off on the veggies, I gain weight.

« Last Edit: January 24, 2015, 09:39:01 AM by horsepoor »

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #295 on: January 24, 2015, 09:32:46 AM »
I've kept 80 pounds off for about 5 years. Still would like to lose a bit more fat and replace it with muscle, hence my goals.

Kudos on this! My husband lost around 70 and has kept it off for about the same amount of time; it's definitely not always easy and is something to be proud of!

For the OP: for long term maintenance I think it helps not to obsess about a specific goal weight. My husband just has a general weight range where he knows he's healthy and feels good, clothes fit etc. Then if he notices he's getting to the top of the range he takes a look at any behaviors that have changed and tries to get them back in check again, which seems to be effective so far. It's a lot easier to give up and let yourself pack on a lot if you consider yourself to have already "failed" with just a few pounds of gain. Regular exercise has been the biggest factor for him, although both of us are pretty vulnerable to the snackies when they are around so keeping mostly healthy food in the house helps too, but he doesn't count his calories or anything now that he's in maintenance mode.

lucky-girl

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #296 on: January 24, 2015, 09:33:35 AM »
My goal is to be working out on my own in the gym by the end of the year. Long term goal is a pull-up. Right now I am working with a personal trainer, and have been for the last two months. It has been so exciting to see my progress (more in terms of ability and competence than in how I look or what I weigh). I am in such a better mood these days, and though that can't be entirely attributed to the exercise- it certainly doesn't hurt!

Gyms and weights and push-ups etc. are all brand new for me. I've done yoga in the past, though not since the birth of my son. In the past my exercise was a lot of walking and sporadic biking- basically transportation. I've never had much motivation for exercise for exercise's sake before.

The walking still continues- my husband wrecked our truck last year, and we've been one car ever since. Largely as a result of inspiration found in this MMM community. So I walk the 2 miles to and from work most days now. It's always been my favorite way to get around...

Jon_Snow

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #297 on: January 24, 2015, 09:53:39 AM »
I am still running a considerable caloric deficit everyday - a combination of intensive daily cardio, and eating just enough to fuel my workouts - I never eat until I'm "stuffed". I do look forward to the day where I am in the "maintenance" phase and can "enjoy" food more - that is likely to be this Summer.

As for allowing my lost weight to creep back...I don't foresee that happening. My lifestyle in ER is just DIFFERENT than it was during my working career - and, as as I have mentioned before, I used food and booze to cope with the high stress of my job. With the permanent removal of that stress...my approach to eating and drinking is hopefully FOREVER ALTERED. And the exercise...whereas in the first month or two I had to drag my ass to the gym it is now at the point where it has become HABIT - my day doesn't feel complete without it now.

A lot of my hobbies in ER are outdoor things - hiking, long distance sea kayaking. I am signed up for a half marathon in April, and if that goes well, I'd like to do more of them. Pursuit of these activities, along with my improved eating habits should be more than enough to prevent the weight gain from occurring. I'd be very disappointed in myself if it did.

alleykat

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #298 on: January 24, 2015, 10:10:17 AM »
Since I joined a gym in the middle of December, I have been going consistently 4-5 times a week with the exception of just a couple. I am mainly walking, trying to run, for now but have started to add in a little bit of the ellipitical machine. My legs are definitely getting more toned, but I feel I haven't really lost any weight.  I guess that makes sense, since my eating hasn't changed much.  But, I am so thrilled I have kept this up.  I did a little bit too much yesterday so I will let myself rest for today. However, going forward I need to realize when I had enough for one day. I am trying to push myself a little bit.

I had to let go of a couple of things as I was trying to do too much too soon.  For example, kettle bell swings. Still on my list to do,but maybe more down the line.  I was trying to join the challenge on here but will have to wait on that.

I am getting excited about getting fit and that is a great thing. My excuses don't control me any longer.  Everytime I catch myself making an excuse, I quickly reverse it.  Altho, sometimes I don't succeed.  It helps that the gym I joined is 5 mins down the street.  Feels so great when you are done a workout. 

Peacefulwarrior

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2015
« Reply #299 on: January 24, 2015, 10:35:50 AM »
I can't say I disagree with her. Is there anyone on here who's had success losing a bunch and then keeping it off (maybe Jon_Snow)? Or perhaps someone who focused on getting to a somewhat healthier weight and just maintaining it? I'd love to hear about your experiences. I know there's a lot of science talking about how once you lose weight your body fights to get back to the higher amount you set previously, but I'm not sure if that'd be more applicable at 170 than 183.

It's simply a matter of the difference between a diet and a lifestyle change. There might also be some truth to the set point theory. If so staying leaner for longer will make it easier to stay that way over time. This article might also help you, even though it's very bodybuilder-oriented. I've worked with the author before, and he's the real deal.

 

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