[quote name='EDiddy0042']OK. The only reason I was so hasty to apologize is that I know some people get really sensitive about their health issues and I was just making sure that you were not offended in any way.[/QUOTE]
I lost about 20 lbs so far. My target is to lose about 30 more pounds. I've been eating heathly (although I allow myself one bad meal a week but they are never really that bad) and I go the gym 3 times a week. I also bike a lot but I'm pretty much plateaued in respect to I can climb hills easily when previously I couldn't. SO i don't really count the bike riding as exercise.
A lot of my coworkers and various people told me that I lost some weight. I'm not sure if this is my imagination or not but it seems like more women are checking me out on the streets. I'm not Brad Pitt or anything but I notice the eye moments.
Anyways, I feel great and I feel like it will be another year or so till I hit my goal.
I would like to get on a serious diet but the problem is that I hate green foods and I'm nor do I care much for fruits. I'm a red meat and potato sort of guy.
Could some one point me in a diet that meets my requirements....
[quote name='spoo']I would like to get on a serious diet but the problem is that I hate green foods and I'm nor do I care much for fruits. I'm a red meat and potato sort of guy.
Could some one point me in a diet that meets my requirements....[/QUOTE]
I was in the same boat, and not to be preachy, but you really need to get that stuff into your diet, especially if you hope to lose, and maintain, weight loss, at least in a healthy manner. I'm sure there are diets out there, but I can't imagine any that don't involve fruits and veggies can be good for you in any way.
Sucks, cause green veggies are gross. I prefer to just chop mine up and add them to a protein shake so I can throw it in the blender and drink em down quick.
Yeah, it's just a matter of finding fruits and vegetables you can stomach, eating whole grains (whole wheat bread and pasta, sweet potatoes, brown rice etc.) instead of simple carbs (white bread, white pasta, potatoes, white rice etc. etc.), and eating lower fat protein like Chicken and Fish and red meat less often.
You aren't going to lose weight on a meat and potatoes diet as that's high fat and simple carbs. They're ok everyonce in a while, but those should be your cheat meals, not your staple meal.
[quote name='Xevious']I lost about 20 lbs so far. My target is to lose about 30 more pounds. I've been eating heathly (although I allow myself one bad meal a week but they are never really that bad) and I go the gym 3 times a week. I also bike a lot but I'm pretty much plateaued in respect to I can climb hills easily when previously I couldn't. SO i don't really count the bike riding as exercise.
A lot of my coworkers and various people told me that I lost some weight. I'm not sure if this is my imagination or not but it seems like more women are checking me out on the streets. I'm not Brad Pitt or anything but I notice the eye moments.
Anyways, I feel great and I feel like it will be another year or so till I hit my goal.[/QUOTE]
Congrats on the 20, and keep striving to reach your final goal of 30 more. The bike riding is burning calories, but if the hills are easy, that just means that your body has adjusted to the workout. In other words, the biking is still good for you since you are maintaining what you've been doing, but don't expect to make any kind of huge gains in your cardiorespiratory fitness unless you add something to make it more challenging.
As for the women checking you out, that is, in my opinion, one of the top perks of being in good shape. And its a huge confidence booster too if you are naturally shy around women (like me).
[quote name='EDiddy0042']Congrats on the 20, and keep striving to reach your final goal of 30 more. The bike riding is burning calories, but if the hills are easy, that just means that your body has adjusted to the workout. In other words, the biking is still good for you since you are maintaining what you've been doing, but don't expect to make any kind of huge gains in your cardiorespiratory fitness unless you add something to make it more challenging.
As for the women checking you out, that is, in my opinion, one of the top perks of being in good shape. And its a huge confidence booster too if you are naturally shy around women (like me).[/QUOTE]
Actually there are some challenging hills where I live. Before I could barely make it up some of them but now its no big deal. Sometimes I purposely go up a steep high just for the hell of it.
At the gym I run on the treadmill so I mix up the cardio abit.
[quote name='spoo']I would like to get on a serious diet but the problem is that I hate green foods and I'm nor do I care much for fruits. I'm a red meat and potato sort of guy.
Could some one point me in a diet that meets my requirements....[/QUOTE]
I hate to say it but you are going to have to learn to love veggies just like the other poster said. Its not hard though...
I used to hate veggies; Now I can't get enough of them. I love spinach especially.
man, it is going to be hard to maintain good health now that I am in college (no car, virtually nothing close to me, on my own). All I got is my food card for my school (and there isnt anything healthy there). @_@
[quote name='refusedchaos']man, it is going to be hard to maintain good health now that I am in college (no car, virtually nothing close to me, on my own). All I got is my food card for my school (and there isnt anything healthy there). @_@[/QUOTE]
Just eat a variety of foods and keep the calorie count low. The first semester of my freshman year I didn't have any problems with gaining weight but I slacked off second semester and gained the usual 15 (which I'm still working off now that I'm in my senior year ).
[quote name='spoo']I would like to get on a serious diet but the problem is that I hate green foods and I'm nor do I care much for fruits. I'm a red meat and potato sort of guy.
Could some one point me in a diet that meets my requirements....[/QUOTE]
Your only option that I know of for a "meat and potatoes" diet is the atkins diet. However, I highly advise against this. You will most likely lose weight, and almost all will be body fat. You will look better outside, but on the inside, you will be slowly clogging your arteries w/ all the saturated fat from constantly eating red meat. Losing weight is about looking healthy outside and having your body running on all cyllinders, and to optimize performance, you need fruits and veggies. I will probably be the 5th person to post this reply, but gradually work them in, and start with basic stuff like carrots, apples, and salads with mixed greens. Then begin to get a little more "exotic" with your produce choices.
alright so i been sorta a silent reader not much of a poster of the cag fitness thread and here is my not so quick story. added spoilers to cut back on all the detail. First I am not a nutritionist or a health guru. I didn't take any special pills or buy a gym membership.
Its been exactly 1 year ago when i decided to move to Las Vegas from Chicago. In doing so I decided I probably should lose so weight. Going to Community College from highschool i put on a lot of weight.
I mean a lot of weight. I was ~225-230 as a senior in highschool. I didn't have to watch what I ate because I was always in the gym for football or the power lifting team. I was pushing near 280 after my 3-4years at community college, eating the same and not doing much.
I decided its best for me to eat differently since I was very much a 3 meal, meat and potato sorta guy. I know switching how you eat isn't easy so I started with 2 days of the week where I would be healthy. Then slowly increase that number to 6 (with one 'crap food' day a week).
I decided against eating breads and potatoes. I would eat pastas and rice but thats about it for starches. Also I wanted to slowly stop eating red meat and going for chicken. No real reason behind it besides I was spoiled on steaks/pot roast and other red meats when I was gaining weight and felt I would fall into a slump again if I went back to that eating style. Also I switched to soy milk because I heard it was good for you and decided hell might as well take a shot with it. but the big thing for me was portion control. little habits go a long way in trying to lose weight. How many peanuts did i snack on today? 2 handfuls? thats alright. not half container. I put "snacks" downstairs in the pantry away from where I relax to watch tv, movies, and game to prevent that sorta snacking. Also my meals were much smaller but always involved a veggie. Broccoli is my personal go to choice or green bean or edamame.
In Vegas we had a treadmill machine that I would walk on slowly. I mean just walking for 30 minutes had my ankles hurting. It was pretty sad how out of shape I let myself get.
For months I slowly tracked my weekly weight loss and the amount of time it took me to do 1mile and how much distance I covered on the treadmill in 30minutes. Every Saturday I would check my weight and see how well I did.
After the first month nothing really changed in the weight department but my distance for 30minutes was slowly increasing. At this time I wasn't even running on the treadmill. Just walking at 3mph-3.5mph.
I didn't do much besides run. I do 2-4 sets of as many pushups as I can and sit ups on those exercise balls. I tried to do pushups/situps ~4days a week.
pushups and situps were normally during television breaks for fun while i waited for House or Burn Notice to come back on tele.
I started to do a circuit work out of sorts which is what I been doing 1 day a week. Instead of running for steady rate, I run about 1.5mph quicker then my jog pace, as long as a can. Get off the treadmill, do pushups, situps, 30second break and repeat. Being a dork and a huge mma fan I found myself shadow boxing/muay thai around the empty house to kill time and entertain myself. It wasn't much of an exercise but I would probably waste a good 5-10minutes per day throwing my hands, knees and elbows while I wait for something to cook in the kitchen or during commercial breaks.
Well its been one year today and I dropped from 280lbs to 219lbs. Only thing I take in the morning is a One a Day Multivitamin. I jog probably 3 times a week for ~1.5-2.5 miles depending on how I feel. For the past few months I did a personal goal of running 1 mile without stopping/walking.
Something that never happened ever in my life. And last week I got my best time for a single mile down to 9:22.
Something I most definitely never achieved in highschool since I was more into "power lifting" and not much into cardio. When I started this "getting back in shape" I wanted to lose 100lbs and im still trying to reach that goal so here is to the last 39lbs
Also I want to thank you cags. I dont post here much but when I see this thread bumped up I normally try to check it and read the newest post which is a good reminder for me, set down Marvel Vs Capcom 2 or whatever game and go jog and come back to mvc2 in an hour.
[quote name='naiku']alright so i been sorta a silent reader not much of a poster of the cag fitness thread and here is my not so quick story. added spoilers to cut back on all the detail. First I am not a nutritionist or a health guru. I didn't take any special pills or buy a gym membership.
Its been exactly 1 year ago when i decided to move to Las Vegas from Chicago. In doing so I decided I probably should lose so weight. Going to Community College from highschool i put on a lot of weight.
I mean a lot of weight. I was ~225-230 as a senior in highschool. I didn't have to watch what I ate because I was always in the gym for football or the power lifting team. I was pushing near 280 after my 3-4years at community college, eating the same and not doing much.
I decided its best for me to eat differently since I was very much a 3 meal, meat and potato sorta guy. I know switching how you eat isn't easy so I started with 2 days of the week where I would be healthy. Then slowly increase that number to 6 (with one 'crap food' day a week).
I decided against eating breads and potatoes. I would eat pastas and rice but thats about it for starches. Also I wanted to slowly stop eating red meat and going for chicken. No real reason behind it besides I was spoiled on steaks/pot roast and other red meats when I was gaining weight and felt I would fall into a slump again if I went back to that eating style. Also I switched to soy milk because I heard it was good for you and decided hell might as well take a shot with it. but the big thing for me was portion control. little habits go a long way in trying to lose weight. How many peanuts did i snack on today? 2 handfuls? thats alright. not half container. I put "snacks" downstairs in the pantry away from where I relax to watch tv, movies, and game to prevent that sorta snacking. Also my meals were much smaller but always involved a veggie. Broccoli is my personal go to choice or green bean or edamame.
In Vegas we had a treadmill machine that I would walk on slowly. I mean just walking for 30 minutes had my ankles hurting. It was pretty sad how out of shape I let myself get.
For months I slowly tracked my weekly weight loss and the amount of time it took me to do 1mile and how much distance I covered on the treadmill in 30minutes. Every Saturday I would check my weight and see how well I did.
After the first month nothing really changed in the weight department but my distance for 30minutes was slowly increasing. At this time I wasn't even running on the treadmill. Just walking at 3mph-3.5mph.
I didn't do much besides run. I do 2-4 sets of as many pushups as I can and sit ups on those exercise balls. I tried to do pushups/situps ~4days a week.
pushups and situps were normally during television breaks for fun while i waited for House or Burn Notice to come back on tele.
I started to do a circuit work out of sorts which is what I been doing 1 day a week. Instead of running for steady rate, I run about 1.5mph quicker then my jog pace, as long as a can. Get off the treadmill, do pushups, situps, 30second break and repeat. Being a dork and a huge mma fan I found myself shadow boxing/muay thai around the empty house to kill time and entertain myself. It wasn't much of an exercise but I would probably waste a good 5-10minutes per day throwing my hands, knees and elbows while I wait for something to cook in the kitchen or during commercial breaks.
Well its been one year today and I dropped from 280lbs to 219lbs. Only thing I take in the morning is a One a Day Multivitamin. I jog probably 3 times a week for ~1.5-2.5 miles depending on how I feel. For the past few months I did a personal goal of running 1 mile without stopping/walking.
Something that never happened ever in my life. And last week I got my best time for a single mile down to 9:22.
Something I most definitely never achieved in highschool since I was more into "power lifting" and not much into cardio. When I started this "getting back in shape" I wanted to lose 100lbs and im still trying to reach that goal so here is to the last 39lbs
Also I want to thank you cags. I dont post here much but when I see this thread bumped up I normally try to check it and read the newest post which is a good reminder for me, set down Marvel Vs Capcom 2 or whatever game and go jog and come back to mvc2 in an hour.[/QUOTE]
Great to hear that you are well on your way to reaching your goal. Shadow boxing is a great way to get your heart pumping and relieve some stress, so in no way should you be ashamed or embarassed about doing that any time you can, and it takes no equipment.
No need to thank us- just pop in every once in a while and give us some updates. Keep up the hard work.
Nicely done, Naiku. Losing weight is a bitch. Gaining it was the fun part although I think I gained too much too fast thanks to Optimum nutrition's serious mass.
^Yeah those weight gainers are bad news. All you ever hear about is people going from too skinny to too fat from them because they increase their caloric intake too much too fast instead of slowly raising it.
Yep. Stick with Whey Protein (and maybe a casein or other slower blend for nighttime) and get your calories from clean food--lean meats, lots of fruits and veggies, complex carbs (whole grains).
Well, I hurt my shoulder, chest, and bicep muscles on my right side pretty bad one day lifting not a lot of weight. Only now, some 10 months after hurting it, does it feel normal. Normal as in, normal when I'm not trying to do a pushup or lift weights. (still hurts and I don't see it getting better in those situations.) I can still play hockey though with no pain.
Around Super Bowl while trying on shirts to wear to a wine-tasting, I was disgusted with myself. Most didn't fit, and I just looked huge. See for yourself, this picture was taken that same day:
So, I decided enough was enough. It was a week before the Super Bowl, and I decided that would be my last hurrah, and I would do what my girl always said helped her shed a ton of weight before we met... Weight Watchers.
I know what you are saying, a guy, WW?? terrible. I was always turned off to that. But I decided I needed to try something else, lifting when I could and treadmills and hockey just weren't compensating for whatever crap I was eating.
Needless to say, it only took about 5 months from me to go from 213 to 184. I have kind of stalled there but I haven't been as strict as I was/still want to be. Here's the results
The point of my story? If you are having some trouble with the diet aspect, try WW. They have an online program and you can honestly still eat whatever you want up to a point. You just really get to find out the REAL bad things you never thought of before.
Eh, I wouldn't bash weight gainers. They do their job well and it really helped me break my plateau. Howstern, you're right about the weight part because the number one negative point of using that product is getting fat. And that happens real quick.; I went from 145 to 163 in a month and a half.
I can't deny that it did give me some gains. Actually, even now that I dropped down to 152, I still maintained the volume of my lifts even after coming off Serious Mass. So the product does work. But the cutting weight part is something I don't want to go through again. It was hell.
That's why weight gainers get bashed. It's not worth it to put on a little muscle a little faster when you have to lose all that fat.
Use protein shakes and eat a TON of calories--but clean calories from lean meats, fruits and veggies and complex carbs/whole grains and you can put on muscle and minimize any fat gain.
I want to get more into detail later, but basically I was wondering what are some cheap food options you guys would recommend that are healthy? I've improved my eating a lot, but still struggle to find things that are healthy and reasonably priced.
Lean meat: By bags of frozen, boneless chicken breasts. Look for Salmon and other fish on sale. Can Tuna.
Fruits and Veggies: Try Trader Joes or a Korean (like H-Mart) or another Asian super market. These tend to be a bit cheaper on produce than chain grocery stores.
Complex Carbs/Whole Grains--by wheat bread instead of white (make sure it says whole wheat flower, nothing bleached or enriched). Brown rice instead of white. Sweet Potatoes/yams are good as well.
None of that should be to expensive. And bluntly eating health is important and cut backs should be made in other areas to free up money for healthy food. Buy less games, dvds, cds, eat out less, etc. etc.
[quote name='Ultimate Matt X']I want to get more into detail later, but basically I was wondering what are some cheap food options you guys would recommend that are healthy? I've improved my eating a lot, but still struggle to find things that are healthy and reasonably priced.[/QUOTE]
Canned tuna is probably the cheapest yet most efficient source of protein you can get from food. Oatmeal is a definite must for anyone, regardless of whether they are a bodybuilder, marathon runner or just trying to eat healthier. Rolled or steel-cut oats are a bit more expensive than the instant type, but have a higher impact on lowering cholesterol (don't let this stop you from buying instant, though. Personally, I go with the instant because it is cheaper and a helluva lot quicker.)
For meats and produce, find a local farmer's market and befriend someone at a meat stand and someone at a produce stand. They will give you the best cuts/fruits and veggies and will often give you a discount if you by a higher quantity and/or shop there frequently.
[quote name='dmaul1114']Yeah, for instant oatmeal just make sure you're not getting the flavored kind with a shit ton of sugar in it.
Flavor it yourself with raisins, cinnamon, a little brown sugar, etc. if you can stomach it plain.[/QUOTE]
Haha yeah my room mate always makes oatmeal with so much sugar it coats the bowl and won't even come out in the dish washer. I've been buying the giant sized containers of just plain oats and eating them with milk but yes it is pretty damn boring.
And for other healthy foods that nobody mentioned, I like to add different types of beans to a lot of meals (beans and rice, burritos, etc) with salsa/vegetables/canned salmon or tuna to make everything less dull. Canned chili is also good for you and reasonably priced. Frozen mixed vegetables are another favorite of mine since they are cheap, as good for you as fresh vegetables, and so damn convenient. Eggs and milk are both dirt cheap and great for you. The only other thing I can think of is to switch to different types of meat (very lean beef, turkey hot dogs which have maybe a third the fat of beef, boca burgers although I think they are somewhat expensive).
Here is a question for those who have had some sort of surgery and need to work out.
My gf will be having major foot surgery next week and for about 6 weeks she cannot put any weight on it. She is afraid she is going to gain weight from lack of movement and exercises. Is there anything she can do to work out without putting weight /strain on her foot?
Perhaps riding a stationary bike depending on what part of the foot the surgery is on. I've never had any surgery before so I'm not sure what to recommend. HowStern's advice seems practical, so try that I guess.
Yeah I'm not really sure haha. I've never had to have surgery myself either luckily so I'm not sure what would be too much foot pressure and what wouldn't lol
I figure with upper body targeted exercises she'll still stay in shap and will maybe even be spinning ITDEFX over her head by the time her foot is all healed
, I bought some grape-flavored creatine but I didn't realize it has 34 g of sugar... per scoop. I'm on a loading phase and I need 4 scoops to get my 20g of creatine, at the cost of ~150g of sugar. O_O
Creatine has to be taken with sugar to be absorbed properly. Many people mix it with Kool Aid or Grape Juice etc.
Also, the loading phase is a waste. Studies have shown that after a month you have the same amount of creatine in your system regardless of whether you did the loading phase or not. Maybe you get some short term benefit, but long term it's a waste and many say just a gimmick to get people to use more so they have to buy the second tub sooner.
[quote name='dmaul1114']Creatine has to be taken with sugar to be absorbed properly. Many people mix it with Kool Aid or Grape Juice etc.
Also, the loading phase is a waste. Studies have shown that after a month you have the same amount of creatine in your system regardless of whether you did the loading phase or not. Maybe you get some short term benefit, but long term it's a waste and many say just a gimmick to get people to use more so they have to buy the second tub sooner.[/QUOTE]
Hm, okay. Should I just stick with 10 g a day for a couple weeks?
[quote name='HowStern']Yeah I'm not really sure haha. I've never had to have surgery myself either luckily so I'm not sure what would be too much foot pressure and what wouldn't lol
I figure with upper body targeted exercises she'll still stay in shap and will maybe even be spinning ITDEFX over her head by the time her foot is all healed [/QUOTE]
LOL I will suggest a few things. Certainly she cannot do 5 miles or the tread mill.
[quote name='Moxio']Hm, okay. Should I just stick with 10 g a day for a couple weeks?[/QUOTE]
The only way to find out is to try it. When it comes to supplements, you can't take someone else's experience with the product and assume you will have the same experience. Everyone's body is different and will react differently to different supplements, so give the 20g a try and see what it does for you. If you don't feel or notice anything, drop it to 10.
I can't give you advice on creatine either way as I've never taken it and am pretty firmly against it.
Yep exactly like dmaul said. Loading phase = not necessary. And if I remember right the group that didn't do the loading phase only took 5g daily. In the morning on non-workout days and post-workout on workout days. And just dmaul said after 30 days your bodys creatine levels will be the same as if you did the loading phase.
edit:Yea this forum seems to echo the 5g a day/no loading
I've never tried it myself but may soon. You can get a 30 day supply of ON creatine for $5 so I figure why not try it once I guess. :shrugs: I'll probably only do it that one month cycle. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of long term use studies.
So, only a little over 3 months left in 2009- how has everyone been doing with their goals? At the beginning of the year my goals for the end were:
Bench Press 275
Squat 350
Deadlift 485
Run a mile in under 5 minutes
(The lifting numbers are all one-rep maxes, not repetition)
So it is now September, and I can bench 240, Squat 325 and Deadlift 445 (the mile kinda went out the window when I realized that for how big I am, 5 minutes would require too much running training to get up to that, so I settled for a 5:40 mile.) I'm interested to hear how everyone else has been doing with their goals.
My goals are to lose weight (from ~200 lbs to a goal weight of around 170) and I guess just get in better shape overall.
What I've accomplished:
-My endurance has gone way up. When I started exercising a month or two before summer I could only burn around 220 calories in half an hour on a stationary bike. Recently I did 314. I'm also finding it easier to breath through just my nose when walking up hills etc.
-My diet is much improved over what I ate before summer. I went from Mac and Cheese and frozen pizzas to frozen vegetables and whole wheat grains.
What I'm still working on:
-Losing weight: I'm still roughly the same weight I was 3 months ago but I'm guessing my body fat % has dropped a bit (and I'm keeping track of that now). To fix this I'm going to try to eat out less and drink less (or at least try to stick to stupid light beer and maybe get used to gin and tonics instead of rum and cokes). I actually just rejected an offer to go to Chipotle so instead of a 1000+ calorie burrito I'll be eating under 500 calories of rice/beans/vegetables/milk.
-Gaining strength: I've gotten slightly stronger over summer (despite sleeping 12 hours some days... thank god college is back to get me up in the morning) but I haven't nearly reached my goals. I'm trying to follow the plan dmaul made for me and I'm sure with a solid diet I'll see results soon. I've been skipping a bunch of days due to soreness (hell for 3-4 days I had to walk with an old man hunch because the top of my legs were too sore) but soon I'll be used to it and try to go nearly every day.
Anyways I'm shooting for 180 lbs by Christmas. If I can actually get closer to 170 than that all the better.
Anyone have a favorite set of training gloves for a heavy bag?
I wanna work on my striking. I would prefer a pair of "grappling" gloves that allow my finger to be free since last pair of boxing gloves I used I didn't like that much. I was just gonna pick up a random pair that fit at dicks sporting goods. Any input on good brands or types to avoid are greatly appreciated.
DrFoo- great to hear the positive results. When you are first starting on a weight training program, it is completely normal to feel extremely sore for 2-3 days after the workout, and still have the muscles be tight after 4-5 days, so you are doing everything correctly. When it comes to eating, cutting out restaurant eating as much as possible helps in HUGE amounts, as everyone always underestimates how many calories are in a single meal. Keep working hard at it.
naiku- I have just started taking up boxing, not to compete or anything, but for a good cardio workout and for general combative skills (never know when you might need 'em.) Anyway, if you are looking for fingerless gloves, my best recommendation would probably be to go with a pair of MMA gloves that you can find at Dick's. I don't know how well padded those are, so you may also have to get a roll of hand wrap or a pair of those easy-use gel wrap gloves.
Thanks for the encouragement EDiddy. It sounds like you're doing a great job with your goals.
On another health related note I now have the flu. My temperature is hovering around 100 degrees and I have the standard sore throat/cough. If this is all the swine flu has to offer I'm extremely disappointed. Luckily(?) I got a very solid workout in yesterday. My forearms are sore from dead lifts and squats have made it very painful to stand up and sit down... but it is a good pain.
[quote name='EDiddy0042']So, only a little over 3 months left in 2009- how has everyone been doing with their goals? [/QUOTE]
My goal for the year was to just be able to run again. I had a bad back injury in Dec 08 where I couldn't even walk for a while. I'm able to run now again, but my stride is messed up. My endurance is gone, but I don't care. No other weight goals for me except to gain more range of motion.
Weight wise, I've dropped about 6 pounds, going from 176 to 171, but I've toned up in general.
Overall it's been a good year for recovery so far.
[quote name='DrFoo']Thanks for the encouragement EDiddy. It sounds like you're doing a great job with your goals.
On another health related note I now have the flu. My temperature is hovering around 100 degrees and I have the standard sore throat/cough. If this is all the swine flu has to offer I'm extremely disappointed. Luckily(?) I got a very solid workout in yesterday. My forearms are sore from dead lifts and squats have made it very painful to stand up and sit down... but it is a good pain.[/QUOTE]
Just rest up.
I had a cold/flu all last week. Sounds about the same, just sore throught ,stuffy nose, cough, mild fever (99.7 was highest I got). I'm mostly better now, just a bit of nagging cough left.
I think it was just a cold rather than flu though. The couple times I didn't get a flu shot in recent years and got a seasonal flu it was much worse than this one.
As of today I still stand at about 160lbs give or take and I'm guessing 10-12% body fat. My current goal is to add some more muscle maybe get to the 180s see how it goes if I'm satisfied or want to go up a bit higher. In the process I expect to get a little leaner but the main focus is building more muscle mass and then getting shredded to about 6%.
I think I'm doing something right but I want to gain the weight more quickly. I purchased some protein bars at work because I'm too lazy to buy chicken and cook it all the time. I haven't used any supplements so far and I have been growing so I can only assume by increasing my protein intake even by about 20g more I'll grow even quicker. I'm not really bulking up, just doing smaller gains. I wonder if anyone else has been doing the same?
[quote name='naiku']Anyone have a favorite set of training gloves for a heavy bag?
I wanna work on my striking. I would prefer a pair of "grappling" gloves that allow my finger to be free since last pair of boxing gloves I used I didn't like that much. I was just gonna pick up a random pair that fit at dicks sporting goods. Any input on good brands or types to avoid are greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
I have these. They're good for the bag and leave your fingers open. I had some UFC ones but they weren't padded enough for the bag and destroyed my knuckles. These have more padding in the glove and do the trick.
, I bought some grape-flavored creatine but I didn't realize it has 34 g of sugar... per scoop. I'm on a loading phase and I need 4 scoops to get my 20g of creatine, at the cost of ~150g of sugar. O_O
