CAG Health and Fitness Thread

Ran a 5k yesterday in 17:49 (i've been training for it) . Not too shabby for a 40 year old.

Although my diet is crap. Gonna do the meatless monday thing that has been going around twitter.
 
Have finally gotten back on the workout wagon the past couple of weeks.

Even doing more cardio after lifting consistently for once. I've found if I take my Kindle and read it goes by MUCH faster than if I just listen to music or watch the TVs in the gym. Much better than a real book since I don't have to worry about holding it open, and being able to make the font larger helps with the distance and vibrations on the treadmill/elliptical.
 
[quote name='Renzokuken']Thanks for the advice Ediddy. I definitely will be doing some squat jumps. I bought a 100lb resistance cable to maintain gains, but I'll try to make it to a gym at least once a week. The reason I'm obsessing over this is because the last time I came back from vacation, my mental focus/intensity was thrown off.

I voted for you sean. If I had your diet, I would die. I take it you're a mesomorph?[/QUOTE]

No problem, my friend. Nice choice with the resistance cable. That'll really help with the maintenance, and hell, with a hundred pounder you might even make some small gains as well. And I know how that whole return from vacation/ lack of motivation thing goes. Nothing worse than doing nothing for an extended period of time and then having to go back to the normal routine.
 
Awesome to see that people are still using this thread and making progress with their dietary and fitness plans. Keep chippin' away, everybody.
 
[quote name='Renzokuken']Best of luck to you encendido. I think 145-150 is crazy light for 5"7 especially if you're going to lift weights, so I think 180 is a good goal.

I started taking this creatine supplement called con-cret for my strength routine of 1-5 reps x 5. As advertised on the bottle, I didn't get any bloating or cramps since I've been on it for a month. The results did help me break my plateau by about 20 pounds for pushing exercises and 30 pounds for pulling.
[/QUOTE]

isn't that stuff terrible for you?
 
[quote name='encendido5']Today was the weekly weigh in and I'm down to 214.2 pounds or another 3 pounds from last week. So far, I'm winning the competition and am ahead of the next person by 2.5%.

It's crazy what you can do when you watch what you eat. I don't even feel like I'm on a crazy diet either since I eat what I want but just try not to go over my daily calorie limit.

At this rate, I should be down to my 200 pound goal I set for myself for the end of the competition.[/QUOTE]

That's awesome, I started to get back into my fitness routine the past few weeks. Doing pull ups and chin ups every few hours when I'm sitting around home really gives me a boost of energy I was missing. I'm pretty sure my pants have also gotten a bit looser.

One of the best parts of losing weight it when people see you after a long time and say how great you look. There are very few feelings as great as that and I want to start to hear folks say that about me again. We did biggest loser at my work and I won 2 years ago when I started my first fitness kick.
 
Could be a rumor but some believe it can contribute to hair loss.

Right now focusing on lagging muscles (shoulders, upper and inner chest, lats, forearms, traps, lower abs). My bi's and tris seem to be the most developed and I want my other muscle groups to catch up. That and just more chest development in general. Legs should be okay as I'm working them and doing cardio on some odd days.
 
[quote name='usickenme']Ran a 5k yesterday in 17:49 (i've been training for it) . Not too shabby for a 40 year old.

Although my diet is crap. Gonna do the meatless monday thing that has been going around twitter.[/QUOTE]

Wow, impressive! Ive been wanting to do a 5k and even did the c25k program last year, but didn't get a chance to run one. I'll see if I can find one at the end of summer.
 
Hoping to put some muscle on. Here's a bit of information:

I'm 25. I fluctuate from 170-185 pounds...usually right around 175 most of the time. I'm 5'10". Most people say I have a pretty good body. I'm thankful for it, but, I really don't do anything. I eat poorly, rarely exercise anymore...and I'm sure I'm my own biggest critic.

I want my abs back. While they haven't completely disappeared, I look back a couple years ago to college and envy my old self (with the six pack). I really want my arms and chest bigger as well. I've always look toned but not very strong.

I finally decided, since I couldn't get myself to join a gym, I was gonna order my own equipment. And, that I did.

I got this Ironmaster package, and, I'm loving it so far. Always hated those damn plastic Bowflex dumbbells. Loving these ones. No clatter, and, no plastic!

Really hoping to keep with it...especially because it was a big investment. Maybe I can keep checking in on this thread. EDIT: Scale at the doctor today said 164.5 (with everything but shoes still on). Damn, either it's way off, or, I've dropped some weight recently!
 
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Any tips for staying motivated to get in shape?

I play on a men's league inline hockey team, which I absolutely love. I also try to run a few miles a day 3 or 4 times a week and started using our weight machine a bit. However, lately I just can't stay motivated to do any exercise. Any tips to stay motivated?
 
Staying motivated is a combination of finding exercise you enjoy (or at least don't dislike!) and getting yourself on a routine.

Once it becomes part of your normal weekly routine, it's much easier to stay on track.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Staying motivated is a combination of finding exercise you enjoy (or at least don't dislike!) and getting yourself on a routine.

Once it becomes part of your normal weekly routine, it's much easier to stay on track.[/QUOTE]

You make a good point. I think that's the problem. I have my usual "route" around the house here, and if it's too hot or cold outside then I'm stuck on the treadmill. Need to find a way to switch things up.
 
[quote name='GetWhatYaGive']Any tips for staying motivated to get in shape?

I play on a men's league inline hockey team, which I absolutely love. I also try to run a few miles a day 3 or 4 times a week and started using our weight machine a bit. However, lately I just can't stay motivated to do any exercise. Any tips to stay motivated?[/QUOTE]

If you're already exercising then that means you've come to the realization that you want to incorporate exercise as a part of your life. Excellent :D

You mentioned that you love to play on the men's inline hockey team so we can start there (I'm not familiar with hockey so bear with me :D). Do you tire quickly during play? Do some guys easily take the puck away from you during play? Ask yourself what you would like to improve and set small, realistic goals (around 3 or 4).

Once you know what you want to achieve, work towards your first goal. Say, your goal is to be able to run 4 miles, non-stop within 1 month. I am fairly sure that you will feel great after reaching your first goal. The feeling of finally obtaining something you set out to do is simply great :D This should keep you motivated. Once you get through those, set another set of small goals.

On a sidenote:
This thread is pretty great. I should be more active in here instead of the deals section, it would allow me to help others in applying some of the principles I've learned these past couple of years.
 
[quote name='htown01']If you're already exercising then that means you've come to the realization that you want to incorporate exercise as a part of your life. Excellent :D

You mentioned that you love to play on the men's inline hockey team so we can start there (I'm not familiar with hockey so bear with me :D). Do you tire quickly during play? Do some guys easily take the puck away from you during play? Ask yourself what you would like to improve and set small, realistic goals (around 3 or 4).

Once you know what you want to achieve, work towards your first goal. Say, your goal is to be able to run 4 miles, non-stop within 1 month. I am fairly sure that you will feel great after reaching your first goal. The feeling of finally obtaining something you set out to do is simply great :D This should keep you motivated. Once you get through those, set another set of small goals.

On a sidenote:
This thread is pretty great. I should be more active in here instead of the deals section, it would allow me to help others in applying some of the principles I've learned these past couple of years.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the response. As far as hockey goes, I'd like to think I'm decent. I'm exhausted after the end of the game for the most part, I know I could be in better shape for it. I've been playing since I was in second grade.

The goal of shooting for more miles down the road is a great idea. I used to be in much better shape back when I was still in college. I was in good enough shape to run a 10k in about 50 minutes back then. However, now that I'm in the "real world," I often am too tired to work when I get home (although, this shouldn't be an excuse this summer since I've been off...me=teacher)

I realize too, I should probably eat better. I feel like I've cut down on snacking a bit, but could probably still eat healthier. Although, I should probably take it one step at a time.
 
Eating better should be your top priority. I'd be somewhat inclined to say that's more important than the exercise itself. It all starts with the fuel. Make sure you eat a good breakfast first thing in the morning to get your metabolism going as soon as possible. It really is the most important meal of the day. Cooked egg whites, some plain oats, and fresh fruit is always a good combo.

As far as being too tired in the evening, have you tried running first thing in the morning? Exercising in the morning usually gives me more energy for the day. It's strange because most would assume that might tire you out and make you drag ass, but that's not really the case. My most productive days are the ones that begin with a 5 mile run.
 
[quote name='GetWhatYaGive']Thanks for the response. As far as hockey goes, I'd like to think I'm decent. I'm exhausted after the end of the game for the most part, I know I could be in better shape for it. I've been playing since I was in second grade.

The goal of shooting for more miles down the road is a great idea. I used to be in much better shape back when I was still in college. I was in good enough shape to run a 10k in about 50 minutes back then. However, now that I'm in the "real world," I often am too tired to work when I get home (although, this shouldn't be an excuse this summer since I've been off...me=teacher)

I realize too, I should probably eat better. I feel like I've cut down on snacking a bit, but could probably still eat healthier. Although, I should probably take it one step at a time.[/QUOTE]

No problem :) Wow, since 2nd grade? I played baseball when I was younger but I haven't gotten back to it in many, many years. You can work on your conditioning then if you are exhausted at the end of the game.

The "real world" will do that to you. You have to stay motivated, set those small goals, find ways to get your exercise in during the day. It's not easy when you don't have the time, but you do at the moment and you should advantage of it as much as you can.

I'm glad you brought up your diet. Fitness and nutrition are closely associated, and you should be more observant of what you eat. If you plan on reaching certain fitness goals, you need to have the proper nutrition as well.

Improving your health/diet is not easy at first, but once you identify what you want to achieve/what negative behavior you can change, etc, you can start to plan out your exercise regimen and improved diet.
 
[quote name='blindinglights']Eating better should be your top priority. I'd be somewhat inclined to say that's more important than the exercise itself. It all starts with the fuel. Make sure you eat a good breakfast first thing in the morning to get your metabolism going as soon as possible. It really is the most important meal of the day. Cooked egg whites, some plain oats, and fresh fruit is always a good combo.

As far as being too tired in the evening, have you tried running first thing in the morning? Exercising in the morning usually gives me more energy for the day. It's strange because most would assume that might tire you out and make you drag ass, but that's not really the case. My most productive days are the ones that begin with a 5 mile run.[/QUOTE]

I would have to disagree. Even though exercise and nutrition are important and closely linked, I believe behavioral change is more important than those 2 components of a healthy lifestyle.

Say you start exercising and eating well for 6-8 weeks then you stop for x reason. You start to slack off, don't place much attention to what you are eating and all that negates the hard work you put into those 6-8 weeks. Identify the negative behavior, work towards finding a solution and try to eliminate it. Of course you won't eliminate it for good, we're humans, we may fall back to that same type of negative behavior we set out to eliminate.

But you are now aware of that negative behavior, and once you realize what you are doing, you will get back on track. Trust me it's not easy, I've gone through it.

Take blindinglights experience, by exercising in the morning and making sure he eats a complete breakfast, his days are more productive. He's identified what works for him, now you identify what works for you.
 
[quote name='htown01']I would have to disagree. Even though exercise and nutrition are important and closely linked, I believe behavioral change is more important than those 2 components of a healthy lifestyle.

Say you start exercising and eating well for 6-8 weeks then you stop for x reason. You start to slack off, don't place much attention to what you are eating and all that negates the hard work you put into those 6-8 weeks. Identify the negative behavior, work towards finding a solution and try to eliminate it. Of course you won't eliminate it for good, we're humans, we may fall back to that same type of negative behavior we set out to eliminate.

But you are now aware of that negative behavior, and once you realize what you are doing, you will get back on track. Trust me it's not easy, I've gone through it.

Take blindinglights experience, by exercising in the morning and making sure he eats a complete breakfast, his days are more productive. He's identified what works for him, now you identify what works for you.[/QUOTE]


Maybe it's because it's late and I am getting delirious but did you just say:

I disagree with you that A is more important than B, with my reason being that Z is more important than both of them?

Obviously changing your behaviors and motivation is important. I'd agree with you that realizing a change in negative behavior is necessary is the first step, but I'm not sure how that equates to making "nutrition is arguably more important than exercise" a bad statement?

Anywho, my point was that if you want to get the most out of exercising, you absolutely have to eat properly.

In college I could easily eat an extra large pizza by myself and still be hungry, I made wing joints that had all you can eat nights reconsider the promotion, and drank pitchers of beer like they were water... but I ran 40 miles a week and lifted weights so I didn't become a sumo wrestler. However, it gets to a point where you cannot make any more progress no matter how much exercise you add because you're taking in shitty fuel. I eventually ran 60 miles a week and had a 4 day focused weight training routine, but I didn't see any weight loss or steady strength gains from the 40 miles / 3 day routine.

After college, I went on a nutrition learning binge and revamped my diet to 6 smaller meals with the proper proportions of macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats). This combined with a less work/higher intensity weight training routine composed of just the major compound lifts and high intensity cardio 3-5 times a week for 30 minutes or less has led to me being leaner than ever and I've been making gains with my strength.

Basically, if you eat properly, you can work smarter instead of working harder. Which is why I believe nutrition is ever so slightly more important than exercise. If I had started out with the better diet, I would have never wasted so much energy on excessive exercise, which is why I'm suggesting he focus on the food he eats. It's my opinion and based on my own experience, so take it with a grain of salt if you wish. Just trying to help someone else learn from my own mistakes :)
 
There is no question that proper nutrition > exercise. You can't say behavioral change is the most important, because behavior is in every aspect of life every single second of the day ;)

Go low carb, eat "good card" (100% whole wheat, brown rice, fruits), stay away from "bad carbs" (white flour, pasta, etc.), go low sugar, watch out for HFCS, high protein (if you're lifting don't be afraid to eat 1 gram per pound that you weigh) and drink lots and lots and LOTS of water. You'll be fine.

Exercise is important, but not really for immediately burning calories. Run a mile and you burn the equivalent of what? An Oreo? Exercise is more about the long term effects. Muscle burns extra calories, you feel less stressed (meaning less appetite), more energetic, etc.

And now that we have more people, vote for me in a the gym contest I'm in, guys!!

I'm number one right now, and the contest only has 9 days left.

https://www.facebook.com/retrofitnessgym?v=app_135636729827676&app_data=cid_542
 
[quote name='seanr1221']There is no question that proper nutrition > exercise. You can't say behavioral change is the most important, because behavior is in every aspect of life every single second of the day ;)

Go low carb, eat "good card" (100% whole wheat, brown rice, fruits), stay away from "bad carbs" (white flour, pasta, etc.), go low sugar, watch out for HFCS, high protein (if you're lifting don't be afraid to eat 1 gram per pound that you weigh) and drink lots and lots and LOTS of water. You'll be fine.[/QUOTE]

Agree 100% with all of this. Exercise is important, but won't do much good without proper diet.

You're not going to lose much, if any weight, if you're eating the same diet that got you fast in the first place as it's hard to burn more than 500 calories or so in a 30-60 minute workout for most people.

To lose weight you need to be burning more calories than you consume, and it's much easier to consume fewer calories than it is to burn more calories.

Conversely, if one is thin and trying to build muscle the need to eat more calories than they burn or the lifting will do little good.

And the diet advice Sean gives is spot on. The key is to eat complex carbs rather than simple carbs, lean protein (chicken, some fish, tofu etc.) rather than fatty proteins (red meat, anytype of deep fried meat etc.) and to get enough fruits and veggies in your diet.

Amount of calories is most important, but the type of calories is crucial as well as the body stores simple carbs and fat as body fat more readily than it does complex carbs and lean proteins. So calories aren't necessarily "equal" as the body processes nutrients differently.
 
Lots of great feedback here. Thanks for the replies.

Working out in the morning is definitely something I could strive for. I do need to get in the habit of getting to bed at an earlier hour, which in turn would make getting up earlier easier.

Eating healthier is something I definitely need to work on as well. I'm a fan of vegetables, but I can count on one hand the amount of times I had a piece of fruit for a snack, which is something that needs to change.
 
[quote name='KingDox']Gotta run a 10k in late Sept, I can do a 5K in about 34 minutes on a tredmill. Anyone have advice on how to get better?[/QUOTE]


Alternate between long distance, high intensity, and high intensity intervals and you should see increases in your endurance and overall speed. For example, this is the routine I have been following that has helped me drop from 8:20 mile to a 6:50 mile time:


Monday: 6 mile run at a pace which you're comfortable speaking at.

Tuesday: Run continuously at 85~90% of your maximum pace for as long as you can. You might only do 10 minutes the first week, but try going a little longer each week. This really takes it out of you. I run until I feel like I'm going to puke, then run an extra minute or so for good measure.

Wednesday: Repeat Monday, the lower intensity will help you recover from Tuesday but the distance will work on your endurance.

Thursday: Interval training time. Basically you want to sprint as fast as you can for a set distance and then you jog for twice the time it took you to sprint and then start over. I use a quarter mile as my sprinting distance but you can adjust it for what is comfortable for you. You only want to do this for around 20-30 minutes tops.


Other tips:

- Work on your breathing. Deep breaths through the nose, exhale out your mouth. Don't take short shallow breaths. Also, the higher intensity workouts will help work on your lung capacity.

- Make sure your feet are landing properly. You want to land on the forward part of your foot so it can act as a spring and absorb the impact. This will reduce strain on your legs, knees, and back. It can be difficult to re-teach yourself to run if you're a habitual heel striker, but it can be done. I ran for 3 weeks without an iPod concentrating on my form, but it definitely paid off. No more shin splints, no more knee pain, no sore legs, nothing. Some people claim barefoot is the way to go, but I wouldn't suggest it unless you have a huge grassy yard or something since running barefoot just puts you in a position to sustain an injury to one or both of your feet.

- Make sure you're properly hydrated and eat some carbohydrates (the guys above made some good posts above on which ones to eat) an hour or more before you plan to run.
 
[quote name='GetWhatYaGive']Lots of great feedback here. Thanks for the replies.

Working out in the morning is definitely something I could strive for. I do need to get in the habit of getting to bed at an earlier hour, which in turn would make getting up earlier easier.

Eating healthier is something I definitely need to work on as well. I'm a fan of vegetables, but I can count on one hand the amount of times I had a piece of fruit for a snack, which is something that needs to change.[/QUOTE]

Someday I'll start going to the gym at 5:30/6 am. Today is just not that day ;). I like going to sleep at 12-12:30 and waking up at 7:45.

For snacks, you could always try raw almonds.
 
I started Insanity today. The fit test was pretty hard so I don't know how the actual workouts will be. My tshirt was drenched by the end of it and it was only a 25 minute workout! I also can't do anything involving push ups or tricep extensions since I tore a tendon last year and it still hasn't fully healed. We'll see how it goes.
 
Here's my conundrum. I'm a thin guy, always have been, but I'm not as lean as I'd like to be. By that I mean I have a half-inch or so of padding in the mid-section, just enough to cover the six-pack I know is lurking underneath. When I started my new job some months back, one more physically demanding then the one I was doing before, I started losing weight. I didn't have a scale to confirm, but it was obvious I was losing...somewhere. My pants wouldn't stay up and my face was looking a bit gaunt. I still had that layer of padding in the middle though.

I've since stepped up my calorie intake a bit to support my activity level, but that's obviously not going to help my mid-section. I'm assuming I need to increase my cardio intensity and/or duration. I've been following the same general routine for a few years; 20 minutes of cardio followed by about 60 minutes of weight training, two days a week. Time and weather permiting I also like to hit one of the local parks for a brisk 2-3 mile walk between workouts.

Twice in the past six months I've increased the amount of weight I'm lifting (the workout had turned into more of a maintenance routine). I've got the lean muscle I want (not trying to get huge), now I want to bring out the six-pack.

What do you guys think? 30 minutes of cardio before weight training? Or maybe a third workout of mostly or only cardio? I don't want to cut the calories because I feel like I'm just barely eating enough as it is.
 
It's honestly damn near impossible to lose that little padding around the midsection--especially after your mid-to-late 20s.

I'm much in the same boat. Always been very thin (currently 150lbs at 5'9") and struggle to put on muscle, but I have that half inch or so around the mid section that's been there since around 27.

Just nothing I've found that I can really do to get rid of any of it without cutting calories too low and ending up losing weight (i.e. muscle) elsewhere so I've just quit worrying about it.

But the best thing to try if your determined is to try to eat very clean--but around the same amount of calories. So no simple carbs, no fatty meets, no alcohol or other liquid calories etc. And do 30 minutes of cardio AFTER lifting. Never do it before (other than a 5-10 minute warm up anyway). You want to lift first, that way you exhaust a lot of your energy stores with lifting and your body has to turn to stored fat for energy sooner during cardio.
 
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[quote name='dmaul1114']It's honestly damn near impossible to lose that little padding around the midsection--especially after your mid-to-late 20s.

I'm much in the same boat. Always been very thin (currently 150lbs at 5'9") and struggle to put on muscle, but I have that half inch or so around the mid section that's been there since around 27.

Just nothing I've found that I can really do to get rid of any of it without cutting calories too low and ending up losing weight (i.e. muscle) elsewhere so I've just quit worrying about it.

But the best thing to try if your determined is to try to eat very clean--but around the same amount of calories. So no simple cars, no fatty meets, no alcohol or other liquid calories etc. And do 30 minutes of cardio AFTER lifting. Never do it before. You want to lift first, that way you exhaust a lot of your energy stores with lifting and your body has to turn to stored fat for energy sooner during cardio.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I'm no spring chicken, but at least I'm far healthier (I suspect) than most folks in their mid-30s.

I don't know why I never considered doing cardio after weight training. It certainly makes sense, depleting your glycogen stores before trying to burn the fat.
 
Eating clean (no sugar, no grains) is essential to lowering body fat but so is lifting. Lift heavy at least three times a week (and by lift, I mean squat, deadlift, press, bench) and the fat will fall off and muscle will replace it. People get so caught up in not wanting to "bulk up" that they ignore lifting heavy. Sure, if you lift all the time and eat like a madman (and drink a gallon of milk a day) you will get big, but just eat normal portions and you won't get huge.
 
Yeah, I despise when people think a little weight lifting is going to make them get huge. I was just talking to a guy like that the other day. He was lifting with me and my friend, and I said, "it doesn't look like that amount of weight is a lot of resistance, we should move it up." and he was like, "Nah, I don't want to bulk up."
 
[quote name='seanr1221']Yeah, I despise when people think a little weight lifting is going to make them get huge. I was just talking to a guy like that the other day. He was lifting with me and my friend, and I said, "it doesn't look like that amount of weight is a lot of resistance, we should move it up." and he was like, "Nah, I don't want to bulk up."[/QUOTE]

Those are the same guys that walk around with big arms and chicken legs. If what you're doing in the gym doesn't help you in life, then why do it? Which guy would you want to help you move? The guy that curls 135 and spends all his time on machines or the guy that squats 315 for 5 reps and deadlifts twice his body weight?
 
[quote name='blindinglights'] ...Advice....[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the input Lights, I'll follow what you're saying and report back how I do.
 
[quote name='n4styn4t3']Those are the same guys that walk around with big arms and chicken legs. [/QUOTE]
That reminds me of this guy back in HS. It was obvious he put a great deal of effort into his arms and comparatively little into the rest of his body. He looked ridiculous.
 
[quote name='seanr1221']Yeah, always hit cardio harder after lifting.[/QUOTE]


This is true.

Personally, I have been using George St-Pierre's RUSHFIT for about a week. (Mostly to see how it is in comparison to P90X.) It's as tough but with unique techniques. Plus, it's always amusing to see GSP himself bemoan and complain about doing an exercise. :lol:

I combine RUSHFIT with my usual strength training, and it seems to be working quite well. I'm surprised to say that RUSHFIT is actually good and effective. (I had my doubts.)
 
[quote name='Allnatural']
I don't know why I never considered doing cardio after weight training. It certainly makes sense, depleting your glycogen stores before trying to burn the fat.[/QUOTE]

Yep.

Another tip, if you do cardio on your off days you can maximize that by doing it in the morning before eating. Your glcogen stores are pretty much nill in the morning.

I don't suggest it before lifting as you need the energy to hit the weights hard. Which is another good reason to save cardio for after lifting. Not only may you burn more fat, but if you do cardio first your sapping energy before you lift and probably won't get as many reps in etc.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Another tip, if you do cardio on your off days you can maximize that by doing it in the morning before eating. Your glcogen stores are pretty much nill in the morning.[/QUOTE]


This seems to be a debate that goes both ways. Some say that since you haven't eaten all night, you're more likely to burn more fat during the cardio session. However, others say that you want to eat so your metabolism starts burning as soon as possible for the day.

I used to follow what you're saying and do cardio first thing, but I've since switched to eating before hand as I feel like I have more energy to give the workout a better effort. I think it's something you should try both ways and see which is more comfortable for you.
 
I've tried both ways--effort wise it's no different for me. I use a treadmill a lot, and an elliptical sometimes, so I just set the program and time and do it. It may be different if I was going for runs or something where you totally have to make sure your keeping up the pace etc.

But for sure everyone is different and should just gather all this type of advice and try different things and figure out what works best for them.
 
Probably been discussed before in here, but if anyone has any questions about P90X, ask away. I just finished up the first 90 days.

I had a pretty good routine for legs, arms, and chest before but this takes it to the next level. My back has never looked so ripped and the yoga is awesome as well.

I didn't really know what to think of it before but if you're bored with your workout and looking for something that will get every part of your body into good shape, go with it. The guy who created it, Tony Horton, is annoying to some but I think he's pretty funny.

And I think P90X 2 is coming out sometime soon, probably be picking that up as well.
 
P90X will kick you in the balls and take your lunch money. specifically the cardio shit i wanted to die during that. i have to admit if p90X2 drops i'll die trying. tony is 52 now and keeps klickin ball sacks with his tony one on one and tons of other shit im to fat and lazy to try. i need to workout but its hard and i lack motivation unlike kelly rowland
 
Sorry for the wall of text here. I've never noticed this thread before, so I thought I'd share a bit of my story.

I've lost 25 lbs over the last few months after my wife and I decided to finally get back into shape. I like running. I use a few time benchmarks to track how I'm improving. My mile time went from 8:14 in March to 6:40 yesterday. I'd like to see that go down to 5:30 or so, and at that point maybe I'll start focusing on 400m and 800m times as well, since those were two races I loved in high school. I'm 28, 5'10" and currently 180 lbs. I want to get down to about 170 lbs and see if I want to lose more at that point.

Getting back into running was really hard for me, which surprised me since I used to LOVE it. I've had several "I'm getting back into shape" false starts over the past 5 or so years, which was a bit demoralizing to me. When I used to easily run 2 miles in under 12 minutes, it was very hard for me to get used to taking it very slow just so I could finish 15 minutes of jogging without stopping, never mind how far I actually ran in that time. But short term goals coupled with rewards helped me get over the initial, "I suck, what's the point of this," feeling at first.

What I've discovered about myself now that I'm sticking with it is that I don't really care about the running itself. What I really love, and what motivates me to run, is The Race. I don't care about getting in shape for the sake of health, I love getting in shape so I can look at others after a race and think, "I'm faster than you. Eat me." Which is weird because I don't think I'm better than other people. I love cheering others on and watching others work hard just like I am. But during the race and for about 60 seconds afterwards you and I are enemies, and for some reason I love that.

I also love the motivation of losing. I hate seeing some guy just barely beat me when I've given my all during a race. I look forward to burying those people next time I see them, which helps me stay motivated during training.

I've run several 5ks and a 10k, and I'm thinking about starting triathlons next year. I'm thinking about doing a half marathon next year as well. As a longer term goal, I might consider a full marathon just to do it once in my life. I prefer shorter, faster races over distance. The fees for races certainly costs me a good chunk of change, but this is what motivates me to stick with exercising.

My biggest struggle is nutrition. I've been doing a lot better, but that only means I've gone from eating like shit to not eating like shit as much. Now I need to start eating healthy.

I also need to start lifting weights regularly. I never liked it in the first place, but I also sweat probably 3x more than the average person, so it takes a while to make sure I get my station wiped down at the gym, so I usually just skip that. I'm looking into getting some weights at home so I don't have that as an excuse anymore. I don't have much room, so I'm thinking of getting this bench with some dumbbells, and possibly adding this to it after a bit to help work on my legs more.

If anyone has actually finished reading this and has any suggestions for any other compact weight lifting systems I could look into, I'd appreciate it.
 
First, congrats on your progress so far. it definitely helps that your wife is supportive. Research in weight loss has shown people with social support have the best results :)

When I first started getting into fitness/lifting, I got a total gym. This was back 7 years or so I think. Stuff like that is ok to start with, but from the sounds of your running stories, you feed off that energy from people around you doing similar things. I know I do. When I see one guy pick up the 50lb dumbells to do curls, and I'm holding 45s, I want to then do 50s. It gets you pumped up, you know? Is a gym in the cards at all for weight lifting?
 
Yeah, there's just no beating a gym IMO. Both the motivation angle, and having access to all that equipment to let you do pretty much any exercise in the books.
 
i like lifting weights but i dont like gyms because theres either A) pretty boys trying to look hot for women or B) crazy muscle heads with to much testosterone. so when i was working out i just used a pull up bar.....push up bars and dumb bells. i actually have a bench with about 300 pounds of weight but its big and i dont have room for it so instead i bought this Dosho its 500 bucks but i really like it and a pretty good deal considering what you get and its pretty compact.
 
[quote name='Cry Havoc']Sorry for the wall of text here. I've never noticed this thread before, so I thought I'd share a bit of my story.

I've lost 25 lbs over the last few months after my wife and I decided to finally get back into shape. I like running. I use a few time benchmarks to track how I'm improving. My mile time went from 8:14 in March to 6:40 yesterday. I'd like to see that go down to 5:30 or so, and at that point maybe I'll start focusing on 400m and 800m times as well, since those were two races I loved in high school. I'm 28, 5'10" and currently 180 lbs. I want to get down to about 170 lbs and see if I want to lose more at that point.

Getting back into running was really hard for me, which surprised me since I used to LOVE it. I've had several "I'm getting back into shape" false starts over the past 5 or so years, which was a bit demoralizing to me. When I used to easily run 2 miles in under 12 minutes, it was very hard for me to get used to taking it very slow just so I could finish 15 minutes of jogging without stopping, never mind how far I actually ran in that time. But short term goals coupled with rewards helped me get over the initial, "I suck, what's the point of this," feeling at first.

What I've discovered about myself now that I'm sticking with it is that I don't really care about the running itself. What I really love, and what motivates me to run, is The Race. I don't care about getting in shape for the sake of health, I love getting in shape so I can look at others after a race and think, "I'm faster than you. Eat me." Which is weird because I don't think I'm better than other people. I love cheering others on and watching others work hard just like I am. But during the race and for about 60 seconds afterwards you and I are enemies, and for some reason I love that.

I also love the motivation of losing. I hate seeing some guy just barely beat me when I've given my all during a race. I look forward to burying those people next time I see them, which helps me stay motivated during training.

I've run several 5ks and a 10k, and I'm thinking about starting triathlons next year. I'm thinking about doing a half marathon next year as well. As a longer term goal, I might consider a full marathon just to do it once in my life. I prefer shorter, faster races over distance. The fees for races certainly costs me a good chunk of change, but this is what motivates me to stick with exercising.

My biggest struggle is nutrition. I've been doing a lot better, but that only means I've gone from eating like shit to not eating like shit as much. Now I need to start eating healthy.

I also need to start lifting weights regularly. I never liked it in the first place, but I also sweat probably 3x more than the average person, so it takes a while to make sure I get my station wiped down at the gym, so I usually just skip that. I'm looking into getting some weights at home so I don't have that as an excuse anymore. I don't have much room, so I'm thinking of getting this bench with some dumbbells, and possibly adding this to it after a bit to help work on my legs more.

If anyone has actually finished reading this and has any suggestions for any other compact weight lifting systems I could look into, I'd appreciate it.[/QUOTE]

If you have a Crossfit gym in your area, you should check it out. I've bee doing it for about a year and it's awesome, especially if you have a competitive spirit.
 
I weighed in again this morning and I'm down to 212.2 pounds, 2 pounds less than last week. I haven't been eating healthy lately though. I had a huge burger on Saturday, half a pizza yesterday, and Buffalo Wild Wings today. I'm still staying under the recommended calorie intake though, so hopefully the damage won't be too bad.

By the way, when you guys work out, do you eat back the calories you lost? Sometimes, my net calorie intake is 600-800 less for the day because of exercise and I don't know what to eat to make up for the deficit.
 
Any tips on burning a stomach bulge? I run 8 miles everyday and have been doing situps for 2 months now but I still have a dough gut. I replaced soda with water for lunch and dinner and drink either juice or milk for breakfast. Breakfast I mostly eat a waffle without butter or syrup, 3 strips of bacon. Lunch is a home made turkey sandwich with mustard on wheat bread. Dinners I'll eat hot dogs, sphagetti, or any stuff I have at home. I don't know if any of that helps.
 
^I'm not an expert, but you probably should have some grains and protein in the morning instead. Oatmeal, wheat english muffin, greek yogurt. that stuff.

Hot Dogs? unless they are smart dogs, not a great food source, and if it's wheat pasta, that's better, but I try to eat even wheat pasta, once, twice a month.

Your lunch is good though. Try eating grilled chicken for dinner and maybe lean red meat once in a while.
 
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