Author Topic: Strength & Fitness 2018  (Read 77858 times)

diapasoun

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #150 on: February 14, 2018, 04:24:19 PM »
If it's not too late, I'd like to join this gauntlet.

I've been various levels of fit throughout my life, usually somewhere between "couch potato" and "intermediate." I'm  currently much closer to couch potato than to intermediate fitness right now, and I'd like to make some improvements. I am currently stiffer than a 2x4, have the endurance of a pug, and can at least successfully lift my tea mug to my mouth. ;) I miss how I felt when I was in good shape, like I could take on the world by doing a back bend.

I want to focus on three main areas: cardio, strength, and flexibility. At the moment, my only really concrete goals are to have better cardio, strength, and flexibility at the end of the year than at the beginning! My current strategy (undoubtedly to be updated) is to work towards the following:

1. Be able to touch floor flat-handed with straight legs.

2. Be able to walk 10 miles in a day without feeling sore.
3. Be able to run 30 minutes straight without feeling like death.

4. Figure out a GOOD bodyweight/at home strength training system that I can do two or three times a week.

I have a gym membership that's currently on hold; I can't stand using cardio machines at the gym (I get SO BORED) and although I really enjoy weightlifting, I wasn't going regularly enough for the cost to be worth it. I think I need to let this membership lapse and focus on doing bodyweight exercises at home, where I can just fling myself around in my pajamas, and then consider getting a membership at a (cheaper) gym later in the year if needed. We'll see about that, though.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #151 on: February 14, 2018, 04:32:07 PM »
@diapasoun

Your #1 is something I could never, ever do.

For your #4 look at getting a kettlebell. Some folks say they really benefit from some initial in person coaching on form but it’s a really versatile tool. Body weight stuff can be great too, so many programs for that out there.

Not sure what my chiro will clear me to do once I’m past the initial healing stages. I miss resistance training, though I do get a decent amount of it everyday carrying feed and water for my animals around.

diapasoun

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #152 on: February 14, 2018, 04:49:32 PM »
@diapasoun

Your #1 is something I could never, ever do.

For your #4 look at getting a kettlebell. Some folks say they really benefit from some initial in person coaching on form but it’s a really versatile tool. Body weight stuff can be great too, so many programs for that out there.

Not sure what my chiro will clear me to do once I’m past the initial healing stages. I miss resistance training, though I do get a decent amount of it everyday carrying feed and water for my animals around.

I've been able to do the flat-handed floor touch before. Right now, I'm at the "I can touch my toes mostly straight legged if I do five minutes of warmup yoga first" stage. So, I know it's possible, it'll just require some real work. Luckily it's work that I can do and that doesn't take a lot of time -- just consistency.

I've thought about kettlebells before. I think I'm going to start out with bodyweight, because I'm so weak right now that I don't want to accidentally bone myself over and get an injury. After that, though... kettlebells are a thing I will be looking at.

Forever Wednesday

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #153 on: February 15, 2018, 03:28:43 AM »
Hah, I am all in. I'm basically looking to bulk up and lose some belly fat.

SHORT TERM GOAL:

Weight: 90 Kg
Fat %:  15%

CURRENT:

Weight: ~85 Kg
Fat %: ~19%

DIET:

I'm currently experimenting with a low carb / Ketogenic. My protein intake should definitely be high enough for muscle growth (I eat 4 eggs a day and plenty of meat), but I'm not sure if I may be lacking other essential dietary components to stimulate this. I don't track calorie intake and eat when I'm hungry.

WORK OUT ROUTINE:

This is where I have the most room for improvement. I reserve Monday and Friday evenings as "gym" days, but I've skipped a handful of these due to laziness or forgetting my gym gear. So, actually showing up and putting in the hours is problem #1.

If I do turn up, I've been using strength training machines and haven't yet had the balls to ask someone how to use the free weights. I think this is key as exercising entire muscle groups via natural movements (pull-ups, squats, deadlifts, etc.) must surely stimulate more overall growth and fat burning compared to isolated movements. So problem #2 is finding someone to show me the ropes so I don't make an ass out of myself. ;)

NEXT STEPS:

1) Register at a gym that's much closer to my apartment
2) Reach out to a gym instructor that can show me the ropes

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #154 on: February 15, 2018, 09:47:31 AM »
@diapasoun and @Forever Wednesday , I've got you both added. Welcome to the gauntlet!!

diapasoun

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #155 on: February 15, 2018, 09:51:06 AM »
@diapasoun and @Forever Wednesday , I've got you both added. Welcome to the gauntlet!!

You made my goals sound so much fancier. I like this. :)

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #156 on: February 15, 2018, 10:25:37 AM »
@diapasoun and @Forever Wednesday , I've got you both added. Welcome to the gauntlet!!

You made my goals sound so much fancier. I like this. :)

Welcome!! I am a wordsmith a bit, and goals reflect that. Shit, Mirror Lust is still my favorite.

RunningintoFI

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #157 on: February 16, 2018, 11:45:44 PM »
I signed up for my solo 5k to meet my goal. It's March 17. I have never run one on my own so this will give me some sort of baseline.


Good luck Mongoose! Since you've completed a 7K you obviously have the baseline to do a 5K.  Just make sure you think positive thoughts and do your best.  :)

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #158 on: February 16, 2018, 11:50:12 PM »
Is there a benefit to building in rest days from cardio like there is with resistance training, or should I only rest if I feel like my body needs a break?

There is definitely a need to give your body a break from cardio if you are doing the same type of cardio all of the time.  Running in particular can be particularly stressful on the joints with repetition over time.  My personal philosophy is to do 2 or 3 days in a row and then add in a day off from running.  This can be a complete day off from cardio work or doing some cross training like biking or swimming. 

I have found that taking that rest day allows me to have better runs in those 2 or 3 day windows.  I get far more out of those chunks of workouts because I have had a chance to recover from a particularly onerous set of workouts.  YMMV but I recommend taking time off from the perspective of overall health and also for fitness gains. 

Jon_Snow

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #159 on: February 17, 2018, 01:30:30 PM »
Okay, a bit of an update.

I am very pleased to say that I feel that my health/fitness "reset" that I initiated at the start of the year has been a success thus far. A month of fairly intense cardio work, with some strength training mixed in has me feeling that I am well on the path of setting myself up to maintain a fairly high baseline of fitness for 2018.

Having developed a "scale fixation" in the past (during my post-FIRE 50 pound weight loss) and realizing that it's not a particularly healthy thing for me, I hesitate to focus on my weight numbers much...I much prefer to focus on how I FEEL existing within this body of mine. However, as one of my goals is reaching a BF% number, there is some usefulness in knowing what my weight is in terms of keeping track of my body composition between fat reduction and (hopefully) some modest muscle/strength gains. Good news on that score. My weight has been stable at around 187 pounds, while my BF% has slowly, but steadily been decreasing. As best as I can determine with the less than ideal suprailiac skinfold caliper method, my BF% is around 12%. This feels like a very sustainable level of "leanness" and has me questioning whether or not 10% is even worth shooting for. I'll likely just keep on as I am, mindfully attentive to diet and exercise and see if I hit that at some point...but I'm definitely not going to obsess about it. The real takeaway here is that while I have been getting leaner my weight has stayed constant...which means I have been successful in putting on some muscle mass. While I'm not interest in having MOAR MUSCLEZ!, some good, usable strength that will help me in my gardening and paddling hobbies would be a great thing. So far so good.

I am currently at our place in Baja, where my DW and I have ramped up our walking and running. There are options for me to sign up for a gym here at a reasonable price, but I'm okay to take a break from weights while I'm here...I'll resume when I head back North.

And while we were here...my DW did THIS.




Oh....might as well include a snap shot of what our Baja exercise regimen looks like....less cycling and weights, with more running and (mostly beach) walking.

« Last Edit: February 17, 2018, 01:33:37 PM by Jon_Snow »

diapasoun

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #160 on: February 18, 2018, 08:53:09 AM »
I've stuck to my running schedule the past two weeks, and have been doing some quick yoga flows at home for flexibility. I've also gotten some good walks in. I think I'll probably hit the "10 miles without soreness" goal first, which will be nice - I love walking.

Still thinking about effective home strength workouts.

2300

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #161 on: February 18, 2018, 05:05:23 PM »
I’ve been dealing with sleep issues in January (and December) and wrist issues in February.   Beat sleep issues (again) and working on wrist/elbow that was weak from previous injury, typing job, and not continuing rehab (as prehab) and slacking on warmups. 

Not getting down on myself this time though and still working out—mainly doing ring pull-ups (super easy on joints) and lower body stuff, and rehabbing wrist.  Also had nice vacation hiking around Death Valley/Alabama Hills (which are in California for some reason). 

@diapasoun you should check out:
http://antranik.org/toe-touching-routine/

https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine

Don’t skimp on the warmups...especially wrists. 

More wrist and general tendinitis stuff if anyone is interested:
https://gmb.io/wrists/

http://stevenlow.org/overcoming-tendonitis/

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #162 on: February 18, 2018, 05:35:19 PM »
Between @lhamo and @Eric222 discussing running things in a journal, and now @2300 posting some nice specific resources mean I have some work to do on the resource post. Thanks all.

oneday

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #163 on: February 19, 2018, 06:27:25 PM »
Confession time!  I did not run my 2 miles this week.  Have been packing up the condo to sell.  Last week that meant packing up all the crap in time so the painter could get to all the walls.  So all free time was devoted to that. 

Could have run on Saturday, but I visited Mom instead.  She lives 3 hours away, and I had a 24-hour window for the visit & already 6 hours are devoted to driving & 8 to sleeping.  Wanted to maximize time with her, and she does not run. 

On the plus side, we did go for a 2 mile brisk walk.  And I live on the 3rd floor with no elevator, so have been doing a lot of stair climbing to move the aforementioned crap to storage.  So at least I didn't blow off my run to sit on the couch.  So while I didn't meet my running goal, I was able to salvage the week and do some activity.  I will run next week.

Still doing pushups, though.

diapasoun

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #164 on: February 20, 2018, 09:33:51 AM »
Thanks @2300! I'm looking through these now...

I did all my cardio this last week, and some decent amounts of yoga flows -- still only just touching my toe tips at the end of a short flow, but hey, at least I'm there and not barely at the tops of my arches, like I've been before. I also got in over 10 miles of walking on Sunday, with no soreness yesterday, so I'm counting that as a preliminary success. The end goal is to do 10 miles in one go -- this time was only about 7.5 miles in one go, with the rest coming throughout the day.

I did the long walk with a friend, and I'm thinking that I need to find some way to make sure I don't get bored when I'm trying to do these long walks by myself. I don't like the idea of walking with headphones in, unfortunately, so this may just be a ~mindfulness~ exercise as well.

TX2RVA

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #165 on: February 20, 2018, 12:42:31 PM »
Last week I:

- ran 31.5 miles surpassing my goal of 25 miles for the week. 

- did 3 full body strength training sessions and 4 runs

- This week I will add a 5th running day (Wednesday) to the mix.  I haven't decided if I'm going to do a two-a-day or run before lifting.  I'm up against the clock in the mornings it would probably be best to run after work but I don't know if I trust myself to get out there.  It will be warm out so that is a plus.  I'll figure it out in the morning.

I need to test my pull-ups and dips at the gym this week. 

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #166 on: February 20, 2018, 01:07:24 PM »
I've been inconsistent with any workout not called "running" so far this month, but I am happy to say that I think the pool and I are friends again. Some long time readers know that I have a love/hate relationship with swimming, but I keep trying because all my best running times have also coincided with consistent pool time.  I also signed up for a 100 mile cycle ride in July... You know, never done an organized ride, might as well start with a century!

@diapasoun: look into a local running/walking club. My running club is super welcoming to walkers. We have long runs every weekend where you might not be doing the entire workout with others, but the route overlaps and crosses itself enough that you frequently get a nice boost from seeing others. I find that even when there is no one my pace on any given day, crossing paths with other folks to share a "good job" and a high five helps keep boredom at bay and gives me something to look forward if its a run that isn't going well.

Jon_Snow

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #167 on: February 21, 2018, 04:49:59 PM »
It's great to see everyone progressing here - I enjoy reading about the wonderful diversity in terms of goals and the different methods in terms of diet and forms of exercise used to hit these benchmarks. There are so many great resources out there for those of us on this journey....but for me it really can be boiled down to EAT WELL AND MOVE (preferably a lot). :)

I am just a few days into a slightly revised strategy. For about a month, at the start of the year, partially because of a "hair on fire" desire to lose some alarming post holiday bloat, I hit the cardio very hard. I was generally doing 1 hour of hard cardio (10% incline treadmill walking, a bit of treadmill running, and Lifefitness stationary bike @ resistance level 15) 5 days a week. On a Monday, Wednesday, Friday I would also throw in an hour of weight training. Not particularly heavy lifting, more emphasis on higher reps and careful form. I have been pleasantly surprised that there have been noticeable strength gains even though that hasn't been a priority.

What I am doing now, and will do until early April (when I head to Baja one more time) is carry on with my hour of cardio work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but on MWF strength training days I'm going to cut the cardio down to 15 or 30 minutes at a lesser intensity than I have been doing - essentially just a warm up before lifting some heavy things. :) I am going to try to slowly increase the weight I am lifting and probably lift for 1.5 hours per session. Still 2 hour gym sessions on MWF, but more time lifting than walking, running, or cycling. Not sure I have mentioned this before, but my gym is literally a block away and I can walk there in 5 minutes. I suspect that this fact has contributed greatly to my success in making this routine "stick" - for quite a few years now.

I cannot wait for the arrival of the amazing PNW Summer when I can leap into all my favourite outdoor activities and feel great in doing so.

Keep on going everyone!

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #168 on: February 22, 2018, 11:04:26 PM »
Coming in late! Starting with these, depending on how it goes I'll figure out new goals:

- Strength training 3x/week

- Body fat <= 14%

Eric222

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #169 on: February 23, 2018, 06:44:24 AM »
Goal for Sunday:  8+ (perhaps 10) mile run.  I'm up to 6 mile mid-distance runs, so we'll see how it goes.  Short run today, Saturday off. 

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #170 on: February 23, 2018, 08:37:40 AM »
@HatTrick , I've got you added. Welcome to the gauntlet.

Serendip

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #171 on: February 24, 2018, 09:11:20 AM »
Saw a physio for my 6months of hip pain (was previously diagnosed as a tendonopathy but received a 2nd opinion and have a plan for management)

Have been doing Yoga with Adriene daily for the past week and walking..no running yet and I haven't been skiing for 2 weeks (no alpine or nordic-- unusual for me at this time of year!)

Trying not to be impatient and instead trust that healing is happening...
So since my activity can't increase, I have focused on my nutrition..cutting out all refined sugars and most alcohol.

Feeling optimistic and trying to move at an appropriate speed (doing upper body focused yoga helps)


oneday

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #172 on: February 24, 2018, 09:21:53 AM »
@lemanfan @jordanread

Goal #1 complete!  Last night I did 100 wall pushups.  Tried to do an incline pushup today on the back of the sofa and I could do it!  It required a lot more effort than a wall pushup!  No surprise.

New goal is to complete the 100 pushups program again, this time with incline pushups.

Running may not happen again this weekend.  We'll see.

Eric222

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #173 on: February 25, 2018, 10:43:35 AM »
I ran 10 miles today!!!

Set record mile split:  8:51.
Set record 5k split: 29 min
Set record 10k split: 59 min.

Average pace 9:40 mi/min - which included a half mile of 'off-roading.'  My path is hooking up with a bigger, longer path - the mile connector is only approximately 50% finished.  It's Sunday, there weren't any workers...so I did some exploring. :) 

The twin cities marathon, which my brother is running is in October.  I'm seriously considering running it with him.  I feel fucking amazing. 

Half-marathon is on April 22nd - which is ~2 months.  I'm changing my goal from 'don't die' to sub 2 hrs - which is just a touch over 9 min/mi pace.

TX2RVA

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #174 on: February 25, 2018, 11:35:53 AM »
Way to go @Eric222 !!!  My half is April 21!  And I plan to run my first marathon in the fall.  You've got this!

Update for the week:

I ran 35 miles over 5 days with 10 miles on Saturday and Sunday.  I was able to average sub 9 minutes for both runs but my running partner went out way too fast for me today and the last few miles were a bit uncomfortable.

I'm currently 33 miles behind pace to hit 1200 in 2018 but I"m closing the gap and it's possible I'll be on track by the end of March. 

My VO2 max score is now in the excellent category for my age/gender (female 36-45).  Ultimately I'd like to hit excellent for males 18-25 (which may never happen but it is good to have something to strive for)

I also had 3 strength training sessions.  Not making much progress on the pullups and dips but I'm ok with it. I need to start working on the pistol squats and handstands soon -- those will take a lot of work. 

I plan to incorporate yoga starting in March... I need it. 



Eric222

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #175 on: February 25, 2018, 12:35:01 PM »
Way to go @Eric222 !!!  My half is April 21!  And I plan to run my first marathon in the fall.  You've got this!

Update for the week:

I ran 35 miles over 5 days with 10 miles on Saturday and Sunday.  I was able to average sub 9 minutes for both runs but my running partner went out way too fast for me today and the last few miles were a bit uncomfortable.

I'm currently 33 miles behind pace to hit 1200 in 2018 but I"m closing the gap and it's possible I'll be on track by the end of March. 

My VO2 max score is now in the excellent category for my age/gender (female 36-45).  Ultimately I'd like to hit excellent for males 18-25 (which may never happen but it is good to have something to strive for)

I also had 3 strength training sessions.  Not making much progress on the pullups and dips but I'm ok with it. I need to start working on the pistol squats and handstands soon -- those will take a lot of work. 

I plan to incorporate yoga starting in March... I need it.

Wow!  You're more than prepared to run your half-marathon if it was next weekend.  Think of how fast you'll be by April! 

VO2 max as calculated by a Garmin watch?  It's fun to watch that go up as the miles increase, your heart rate decreases, and in my case as you lose lots of weight. :)

Serendip

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #176 on: February 25, 2018, 12:38:05 PM »
Congrats @Eric222 & @TX2RVA

You guys have motivated me! although I can't run yet..I am setting out for a 2 hour lake loop walk :)
Did my morning yoga and just have to keep at physio exercises so I can started jogging soon. I am signed up for a half-m June 2nd and am part terrified/part excited.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #177 on: February 25, 2018, 12:59:59 PM »
Rode my new bike for the first time today, 12.7 miles. A bit nippy, about 35 with a nice stiff wind, but the sun was out so wasn’t too bad. Legs and cardio are in decent shape from my indoor training but damn are my arms way out of shape. They were super sore, also had some numbness in my hands, will have to double check with my chiro that she is okay with me biking if I’m getting numbness like that.

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #178 on: February 25, 2018, 04:53:04 PM »
I've got everyone updated. Kicking Ass!!

Personally, I'm going to be starting a 30 day challenge tomorrow. Ideally, it will get the weight down, and make other workouts easier. You know, without a gut in the way and stuff.

TX2RVA

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #179 on: February 25, 2018, 06:13:42 PM »
@Eric222 - yes I used the Garmin which is probably not at all accurate but it is nice to track. 

@HarbingerofBunnies -- I have a brand new mountain bike but I find biking so much more difficult than running.  I hope the numbness isn't anything serious.

@Serendip -- Thank you!  I hope you're better soon and can start training for your half. 

@jordanread  what does your 30-day challenge entail?


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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #180 on: February 26, 2018, 02:53:18 AM »
Checking in for accountability near the 2 month mark:

-  Running is going well, on autopilot right now @6 days per week.  I may find a local summer race to aim for, to freshen things up

-  Pushup goal is going great!  I can do 2 real pushups in good form now, aiming for 5.  Unless my shoulder craps out, my goal of 5 by the end of the year is looking easily attainable.

-  Re: my hardest goal -- the pullup.  I have not started back with the lat pulldowns yet, due to my crappy shoulder.  I have been focusing first on shoulder flexibility exercises -- wall slides, reverse pendulum movements, etc.  I start on lat pulldowns (extremely light weight) on March 1.   

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #181 on: February 26, 2018, 03:46:05 AM »
I've been going to the gym but not as often as I'd like to. I find that whenever I go to the gym I hit a sugar low (I think) so I get quite hungry afterwards. What are some of the post-gym snacks that you eat?

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #182 on: February 26, 2018, 06:06:56 AM »
I'll jump in a bit later with additional stuff. First however, @asosharp , what is your diet normally like? Do you know what your body is burning as fuel usually (i.e. fat or sugars/carbs)? That would determine what a good snack would be.

Secondly, I know now everyone here is as familiar with him as I am, but @Jon_Snow has previously talked about cabins. Now, this has nothing to do with the designs he wants, but there is a strength and resilience part to this particular one that kind of encapsulates my desire to be physically fit enough to do...well, anything.

Spoiler: show
He doesn't really build it in under 5 minutes.

Candace

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #183 on: February 26, 2018, 07:21:34 AM »
I'll jump in a bit later with additional stuff. First however, @asosharp , what is your diet normally like? Do you know what your body is burning as fuel usually (i.e. fat or sugars/carbs)? That would determine what a good snack would be.

Secondly, I know now everyone here is as familiar with him as I am, but @Jon_Snow has previously talked about cabins. Now, this has nothing to do with the designs he wants, but there is a strength and resilience part to this particular one that kind of encapsulates my desire to be physically fit enough to do...well, anything.

Spoiler: show
He doesn't really build it in under 5 minutes.

I've watched a bunch of this guy's videos and thoroughly enjoyed them. He's an inspiration, although I have no ambitions of doing what he's doing. He's definitely fit and strong, and he talks about the desire to be fit and get healthy after he and his wife had spent a number of years running a business and not necessarily being that fit during that time.

Jon_Snow

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #184 on: February 26, 2018, 08:42:47 AM »
Secondly, I know now everyone here is as familiar with him as I am, but @Jon_Snow has previously talked about cabins. Now, this has nothing to do with the designs he wants, but there is a strength and resilience part to this particular one that kind of encapsulates my desire to be physically fit enough to do...well, anything.

I really enjoyed that, not gonna lie. :)

I've been getting away from fitness goals such as "run a half marathon in 1:45", "run a 20 minute 5k" or "60 push-ups in 60 seconds" - I actually finding myself grasping for tangible "goals" I can post in this Fitness Gauntlet.  More interesting to me now is the ability to apply a strong, healthy body to "real life" applications. In 2016 I distinctly remember putting in dawn till dusk work days in my garden - wheelbarrowing soil, shovelling, constructing raised beds....and at the end of the day it felt like my body wanted to keep going....it was an amazing feeling. Last year didn't quite feel the same. I did a short, but very steep hike on Saturday and it actually felt difficult to become winded...so I know I am very close to where I want to be...though I did slip on a patch of snow and tweaked something in my left knee on the descent. :(

JR, I very much feel like I could crush out a cabin like the guy in the vid assuming I could brush up on a few skills. Not sure the local building inspector would go for it though.

Update:

Last week was the first in 2018 in which I didn't hit my 750 intensity minutes goal...a bit of travel and some inclement weather prevented me from doing some outdoor activities that I had planned on. But today is Monday, and perhaps because of less a intense week previously, I sit here sipping my morning coffee feeling very strong and full of energy and I suspect today's workout will be an epic one. I predict 200 intensity minutes today, a combo of bike cardio and back/arms weight training.

Drole

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #185 on: February 26, 2018, 09:43:40 AM »
After a bit of a bust in January (and honestly last year too), I decided diet was probably my main issue.  I can have a very liberal definition of 2T of Peanut Butter, and there's that pan of roasted chicken crusty bits right behind me right now......

So I put myself on a vegan diet for the last 4 weeks (with the exceptions I noted in an earlier post.....whey protein powder (just because that's what I have on hand) and bone broth for cooking certain things (rice, quinoa, etc).  So the first week was very veggie based, second week was veggie and dried beans, the third week I tested my body's limit on how many nuts I can consume, and the fourth was back to veggies (because yes, I had too many nuts and reacted a bit to the week before). 

Exercise-wise I cut back from January due to DH's travel schedule (i.e. gone all month, non-stop kid duties outside of school hours).  But, I have maintained a reasonable variety of workouts: swimming, lifting (strength/stabilization), yoga, running, walking, stretching....generally managing to stretch for 30 mins and do something else (cardio/strength) each day.

My weigh-in today puts me down 4# from the start of the month which is like, gigantic for me.  Now my waist measurement has actually gone up a tiny bit, but the really exciting bit is that I think (under a magnifying glass really) that there is a teeny tiny little line of definition moving into my tummy.  I can generally see a faint bit of an upper 2pk, but below that there is never anything.  But I think there is just a smeck of a 3rd bottle trying to break free.  Which would be amazing as I would so love my legs and abdomen to be more defined. 

So that said, I guess I'm sticking with this diet a little longer.  Did I mention my kids and I have also started watching the Great British Baking Show during all this?  Gah!

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #186 on: February 26, 2018, 10:43:52 AM »
@jordanread  what does your 30-day challenge entail?

Well, I've got a history of getting a lot of my calories in liquid form. This is just a way to kickstart things. I probably should have done something closer to the beginning of the year, but excuses and stuff. The first time I locked down some diet changes, I wound up losing more than 20lbs (healthily, it was almost all fat) in a month. I don't know if I've mentioned it in this year's thread, but I am a huge fan of bodyweight and functional excercises. So even though it becomes a 'better' workout carrying around those extra pounds of ...ahem... motivation, it's also a bit discouraging. I've done a version of this one before, but I'm keeping coffee this time. I'm just going to be drinking water, tea, and coffee for the next 30 days. Since the better half (okay, let's be honest...my better 38%) is also interested in locking down our diet a bit more, so that's going to shift as well. This is in no way going to wind up being empirical, since there are too many variables, but it should be good (and is necessary...I haven't logged it, but there is a real possibility I actually get most of my calories from drink).

Secondly, I know now everyone here is as familiar with him as I am, but @Jon_Snow has previously talked about cabins. Now, this has nothing to do with the designs he wants, but there is a strength and resilience part to this particular one that kind of encapsulates my desire to be physically fit enough to do...well, anything.

I really enjoyed that, not gonna lie. :)
[...]
JR, I very much feel like I could crush out a cabin like the guy in the vid assuming I could brush up on a few skills. Not sure the local building inspector would go for it though.

Huh. Totally didn't think that you would like it. :P

It's not really the style you are going for anyway. If you do though (just for fun), take a page out of the Simpson's book. It's a decorative windowsill.

Also yes, that is an obscure enough reference that I can't quickly find a good link.

I've been getting away from fitness goals such as "run a half marathon in 1:45", "run a 20 minute 5k" or "60 push-ups in 60 seconds" - I actually finding myself grasping for tangible "goals" I can post in this Fitness Gauntlet.  More interesting to me now is the ability to apply a strong, healthy body to "real life" applications. In 2016 I distinctly remember putting in dawn till dusk work days in my garden - wheelbarrowing soil, shovelling, constructing raised beds....and at the end of the day it felt like my body wanted to keep going....it was an amazing feeling. Last year didn't quite feel the same. I did a short, but very steep hike on Saturday and it actually felt difficult to become winded...so I know I am very close to where I want to be...though I did slip on a patch of snow and tweaked something in my left knee on the descent. :(

I don't recall that tangible goals were a rule? Strange. I guess you are screwed then (oooh...I'm in a mood) :P.  I wonder if @Stasher can run you into the ground on a hike?

Based on your trouble with goals, I am going to do some spitballing at the bottom of this post.

Also, knees are so stupid!! I can feel something wanting to tweak bad sometimes. I've actually thought about adding some very specific joint work to my (idealized) workout routine.

So, 'intangible' goals for JS...beyond the obvious 'Mirror Lust' one:

  • Bale hay for an entire day, and after dinner, perform 1 set/25 pullups
  • After paddling backwards around the island, perform 1 set/100 pushups
  • On a heavy gardening weekend, don't bring the vehicle to the island, and do it all by hand (time it, and beat it next time)
  • Maintain a lotus position while rebuilding SnowHenge
  • Sand the platform by hand if it needs it
  • Increase maximum free-diving depth by 3 feet.
  • Record freediving adventure, upload to YouTube, and get > 1000 views
  • Chase a seal and touch its tail (with a 15 second head start)
  • Reel in a lingcod without using the reel
  • Paddle the boat (you know, the one with the engine) around your island
  • Beat LS in a 5K foot race
  • Gain a whole bunch of weight, and lose a lot of form, so that a side-by-side comparison with you makes me look good

This is fun. Some of those are just creatively intangible, but still fun (at least for me, who won't be attempting all but 4).

Add to the list all!!

Also, I feel like this is a good time to have...'the talk'. It's not a requirement for this thread, and sometimes it's too much to ask. Don't answer the questions if it makes you feel uncomfortable, if it gets you discouraged, or you think it's detrimental. These will not be added to the goal post. You've all chosen goals. These are all great goals. Have you used these goals as a step to something else? Is there something that you are too embarrassed to admit to that you want to do, and these goals are a means to an end? How about physically challenging items on the bucket list?

I was going to wait to see how this line of questioning goes, and then post my stuff. I'm not going to though. I'm a bit excited for me, and I'm a bit excited for you all.

I chose my waist goal because I don't want to buy new pants. I like the ones I have, even if I can't fit into them. I like the way they look on me, and I like the way my better half thinks they look on me.

I feel a thrill when there is a shadow on my abs when I look in the mirror. I feel like I have worked hard enough to realize that my physical presence feels as awesome as my brain makes me out to me.

I want to have healthy enough joints that when I fly to CM*TO in September, my knees don't hurt from sitting in Economy.

I want hunger in the eyes of my SO.

Right now, but more importantly when I catch FIRE, I don't ever want to say no to an adventure because I can't physically do it.

Add to that list too!!

TX2RVA

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #187 on: February 26, 2018, 12:13:57 PM »
@jordanread -- wow!  That is quite the commitment but from reading your posts I have no doubt you'll succeed.

As for your question -- I want to run a 50K trail race in December but I'm too embarrassed to tell anyone IRL other than my coworker.  Prior to August I thought I'd always hate running but I've surprised myself.  I'm determined to become a decent runner even though I'm starting in my late 30s.



diapasoun

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #188 on: February 26, 2018, 01:55:29 PM »
Weekly check-in:

Running: Keeping to the program. No shin splints, knee aches, or swollen arches yet, so going to continue onwards. I haven't hit my cardio wall yet, so this is currently a perfectly pleasant activity. I anticipate it's going to start getting harder soon.

Flexibility: I can now start out with fingertips-on-toes instead of getting there by the end of a flow. I'm also feeling more stable in the yoga poses as I progress through the flow, and I'm having such a good time doing this before bed.

Bodyweight regimen: I'm exploring some things here. I started the Hundred Pushups regimen (lol weak af). I'm also starting to add in some of the work from the set that @2300 linked me to -- starting with the warmups and the bodyline work. I think I'll try to slowly add in more of that work as I go on, so I don't overload my schedule suddenly with extra workouts. I need to be able to maintain this.

It's really revealing how much conditioning I've lost. I've been much more active in the past and I have a lot of ground to make back up, especially in the strength department.

****

I'll bite on the goals bit!

1. Long-term health. I like to joke that I'm practicing to be an active senior. Both of my parents just hit their 60s and are not in great shape at all, and it's sobering. I want to give myself the best possible chance of being a healthy, active, life-loving 65-year-old. That involves eating better (which I've been doing); that involves keeping my joints and bones strong; it involves keeping my heart healthy; it involves good flexibility and balance; and it involves setting habits in place NOW that are healthy and compatible with many many years of a great life.

2. It's fun. I love walking with an endless passion, every bit of it. I like the burn I get from strength exercises, and the soreness afterwards. I like the physical stretching sensations of yoga, and when I'm doing it alone by myself, I love the mindspace.* And when I actually manage endorphins from running... that's great.

3. The confidence boost that I get from being fitter is really, really rewarding for me. If I'm fast and strong and I can go forever and contort myself however I need to, then obviously I can do so many more things, right?

4. My Napoleon complex: Related to the confidence boost here. I'm at the 26th percentile for height. Working on my strength makes me feel less like I'm going to be ignored for being small and female. I don't think my improved strength would actually realistically change anything, but my reptilian!brain, who lives in the "if you can't convince 'em, beat 'em the hell up" state, really likes to know I could best that jerk at work who won't stop talking over me in a feat of strength.

5. Running for safety: I've had to run for my own safety before. I feel better knowing I can physically book it out of an unsafe situation and keep booking it until I'm safe.




*It turns out I really prefer doing yoga alone instead of in a class. It completely removes the comparative parts and just lets me do and be, and I loooooove it.

oneday

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #189 on: February 26, 2018, 02:35:14 PM »
@lemanfan @jordanread

Goal #1 complete!  Last night I did 100 wall pushups.  Tried to do an incline pushup today on the back of the sofa and I could do it!  It required a lot more effort than a wall pushup!  No surprise.

New goal is to complete the 100 pushups program again, this time with incline pushups.

Running may not happen again this weekend.  We'll see.

As suspected, I didn't have time to run again.  Selling this condo is a huge project & is sucking up all the time.  I am worried I may lose some of the ability I have gained, so going to try to squeeze in a mile or two one evening this week just to keep the habit from dying.

Also backing off on pushups for a bit.  Not sure if it was doing 100 in a row or moving boxes & furniture or just plain over use from the combination of those things, but it was a little tweaky on me last night, so I think rest is called for anyway.

The things make me sad.

JR, those are great questions.  I will contemplate & post later when I get some breathing room in my schedule.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #190 on: February 26, 2018, 06:58:28 PM »
Got an evening bike ride in today. So nice to bike outdoors versus indoors. The warm weather isn’t (yet) here to stay here but gonna enjoy it while I can :)

zeli2033

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #191 on: February 27, 2018, 08:46:05 AM »
Dropping in for a quick update on my Back Squat goal of 190lbs in 2018. Today, I got a PR at 185lbs! So close to knocking that one off the list!

As for the questions posed up thread, I need to do some thinking on those and post back after some internal reflection...

lemanfan

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #192 on: February 28, 2018, 01:57:23 PM »
@lemanfan @jordanread

Goal #1 complete!  Last night I did 100 wall pushups.  Tried to do an incline pushup today on the back of the sofa and I could do it!  It required a lot more effort than a wall pushup!  No surprise.

New goal is to complete the 100 pushups program again, this time with incline pushups.

Whoho!  You rock!


e34bb098

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #193 on: February 28, 2018, 02:32:43 PM »
Looks fun, I'm in.

I've been doing StrongLifts for almost a year, with some time off due to family obligations, illness, and work travel.  Currently I'm at:

Squat: 245
Overhead Press: 100
Deadlift: 210
Bench Press: 140
Pendlay Row: 125

My numbers look weird due to how the program calculates deloads after too many missed workouts.  My deadlift should be higher than my squat, but I'm trying to be consistent and stick to the program.

I'd like to get my numbers by the end of the year to:

Squat: 335
Overhead Press: 165
Deadlift: 380
Bench Press: 255
Pendlay Row: 215

Serendip

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #194 on: February 28, 2018, 06:50:14 PM »
JAN

SKI: 12 days (mix of alpine & nordic, just a few hours usually)
WALK: 5 days (these are between 1-2 hour walks)
YOGA: 6 days (online)

FEB update: outdoor time was affected by very cold weather and a sore hip..however physio & rehab is going well and no pain for 2 days! I will start jogging in March & try to keep up my yoga spree. Feeling good..energy & strength going UP.

SKI: 6 days
WALK: 4 days
YOGA: 18 days

Kyle Schuant

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #195 on: February 28, 2018, 08:03:56 PM »
I'm a trainer by profession. Honestly, the best goal? Do 100 workouts this year.

That's it. If you do 100 workouts this year, whatever you do you won't be weaker, less fit, or fatter.

Radagast

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #196 on: March 01, 2018, 12:01:33 AM »
I added some new bottles to the pack today, so I am now carrying more than 100 lb up the hill to work every day.
Body Weight: 170
Pack Weight: 73
Carried Dumbbells: 2x15=30

Pushups are proceeding slowly, I have been too sore to complete three days per week. That is getting better, once I am past the soreness they should accelerate.

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #197 on: March 01, 2018, 04:43:37 AM »
@e34bb098 I've got you added. Welcome to the gauntlet!

Spoon

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #198 on: March 04, 2018, 04:37:50 AM »
February fitness results

I started strong, lost some motivation, read a great motivational quote (I thought about sharing it with the thread, but didn’t get around to it, and now that I have the motivation I can’t find it) and then got derailed by burning my feet on the road while pushing my car off a freeway. My results were better than Jan, but Jan was only a half month for me. Fingers crossed March is smoother sailing.

In positive news I am seeing good results in increased strength, lower body fat, better flexibility, and feel more comfortable in my body.

I have decided to measure how I am tracking vs the percentage of the year. Jan and Feb is 59 days, or just over 16% of the year.

Yoga 14/104. Approx 13%, End of Jan was at 6% and Jan takes up 8% of the year

Fasting 3/26 Approx 11%, End of Jan was at 3%

Cardio 12/78 Approx 15%, End of Jan was at 6%

Strength 2/52 Approx 3%, End of Jan was at 0%

Congratulations to everyone that is hitting their goals, and a  “YOU CAN DO IT!!” to anyone who is temporarily struggling.

Eric222

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2018
« Reply #199 on: March 04, 2018, 07:18:32 AM »
I'm terrible at stretching. I stretch a few muscles routinely, but my stretching is nowhere near comprehensive enough. 

On Thursday, our computer system at work went down, so I went for a spontaneous 4.5 mile run in the pouring rain, where I set a personal 5k record (for this recent bout of running). I tend to run like a maniac when the weather is unusual...which was great, until the end when my left soleus muscle (the part of the calf where your Achilles tendon inserts) starting hurting. 

So, I'm injured.  I did a 1.5 mile run yesterday and had to stop.  Today's long run is canceled.  :'(  I went for a massage yesterday, which helped somewhat; however, the muscle is still stiff and would hurt if I went running.  I'll go for a longer walk later today. 

The biggest problem is that I don't stretch enough. Even though I specifically stretch all of my calf muscles, there are a bunch of other muscles that I don't stretch - which get tight and then pull on other muscles, etc.  I also don't like to let anything stop me - even when I'm being careful.  My mind is never the thing that wants to stop first.  I keep forgetting I'm not 22.

For more thorough stretching, I'm going to try starting yoga - which I find terrifying for some reason.  Probably embarrassment.  I'm going to try some instructional videos at home, then maybe I'll get up the nerve to go to a class.  But if I'm going to be able to run long term (which is the goal), I need to make sure I have something I enjoy that will ensure I'm adequately stretched. 

I'd love any recommendations for how to begin doing yoga - especially in ways that will decrease how self-conscious I'll be.  Or other recommendations for how to not be an idiot that overworks himself....

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!