CAG Health and Fitness Thread

[quote name='drktrpr1']Hey CAGs, just wanted to thank you for your help a few pages ago, the workout advice was fantastic. Doing weights/lifting first and saving my run for the end of my workout really helps because my body is fresh to work out muscles at the start, and tired and ready to burn calories/fat at the end. I've lost three pounds of weight but put on a lot of muscle, especially on my shoulders/biceps, so I've definitely burned off more fat. All it takes is 4 times a week for an hour. I can run farther and faster, and lift more than I ever could.

As far as food, I just try and eat protein after every workout (just a snack, unless it's dinnertime), and eat less of it when I do eat meals. I wasn't eating unhealthy (most of the time haha) but I was usually eating alot of food.

Anyways, I'm gonna keep up the good work but I just wanted to thank you guys alot.[/QUOTE]

Good job! Looks like you really embraced it as a lifestyle change and that's the hardest part. Keep it up and remember to switch things up every other month or so to keep your body guessing and avoid plateauing.

I always forget why I don't bother with creatine and went on it about a month ago and I noticed immediately that my face got puffy within 2-3 days. I had to throw it the hell out since I'm creeping up on 30 and it's near impossible to keep my face looking thin anymore.

I realized that I'm not going to gain a whole lot more muscle and the best route for me at this point was to switch over to a cardio program. I feel kind of hokey working out to a dvd but I've been doing the Insanity program before work all week and I gotta be honest when I say it's kicking the shit out of me (in a good way). It's basically interval training and I'm working up a sweat within minutes and what's interesting is I can hop on a bike or elliptical at the gym for a half hour and hit it hard and this is blowing that out of the water. Plus I'm finding myself sore in unusual places (kind of like how you feel the next day after you go out golfing for the first time in months again). Fingers crossed I can stick to it and I'll keep everyone updated on how effective I find it over time. At the least, it's been great getting my workout in before work so I can just come up at night and be as lazy as I need to be.
 
I bought one of those ab wheels. My upper body is sore as fuck. How many reps should I be doing? I'm still practicing proper form.
 
I dont know how to go about this but its time to ask for help .. really would like to get some advise on what to start my fitness regiment cause I havent done any form of physical fitness since my car accident that shattered my legs 8 years ago and been sedentary ever since.. I just gatta let go excuses and get in shape

A little about myself

32 years old
375 lbs+

Would like to talk to someone who was very obese then got fit .. not looking for the quick way out but scheduled pace on doing this right so any advice from the former 350 lbs club would be great

Heard of alot of programs like P90X and 10 min workout but I understand that those programs arent for the obese whom havent any form of cardio in a long time

As of now Im very ignorant on getting fit but is opened minded to learn to get back my body in fit form .. please either pm me or post your thoughts on this matter on this forum
 
I've never had any puffyness problems with creatine. I drink about 3-4L of water when I'm on it. I guess it's different for each person.

Enron: I never was an obese guy, but due to your history of the leg fracture, I would walk everyday for at least 3 weeks. Start slow. I don't want you to have complications if you go 0-100mph. As a weight bearing exercise, hopefully it'll strengthen your bones and prep them for future increase of activity. And Increase walking distance or speed daily.


I hope everybody's keeping motivated with the active lifestyle. It really gets addicting once you see the results.
 
[quote name='EnronLackey']I dont know how to go about this but its time to ask for help .. really would like to get some advise on what to start my fitness regiment cause I havent done any form of physical fitness since my car accident that shattered my legs 8 years ago and been sedentary ever since.. I just gatta let go excuses and get in shape

A little about myself

32 years old
375 lbs+
...[/QUOTE]

I would suggest the Subway's Jared thing (not necessarily the sandwich thing). Super strict diet is the number one thing you can do... vegetable heavy, calorie counting. Can't go wrong with the food pyramid, though.

For exercise, do low impact sustained exercises, like walking... A LOT. Miles and miles. Other exercise supplements like jumping jacks or using an elliptical at a low-moderate pace will also be very good.

Again, the best thing you can do would be staying to a very strict diet.
 
[quote name='EnronLackey']I dont know how to go about this but its time to ask for help .. really would like to get some advise on what to start my fitness regiment cause I havent done any form of physical fitness since my car accident that shattered my legs 8 years ago and been sedentary ever since.. I just gatta let go excuses and get in shape

A little about myself

32 years old
375 lbs+

Would like to talk to someone who was very obese then got fit .. not looking for the quick way out but scheduled pace on doing this right so any advice from the former 350 lbs club would be great

Heard of alot of programs like P90X and 10 min workout but I understand that those programs arent for the obese whom havent any form of cardio in a long time

As of now Im very ignorant on getting fit but is opened minded to learn to get back my body in fit form .. please either pm me or post your thoughts on this matter on this forum[/QUOTE]

Definitely start off with low-impact exercises. Ellipticals, if you have them, are a great way to get your heart going without hurting your knees/legs. If you don't, walking at a brisk pace for a LONG way can get you started. If you have dumbbells, definitely work out your arms by doing repetitive lifts and pull-ups. Sit ups are also a good (and cheap) way to work out. At the very least, just try and get active every day.

But the MOST important thing is diet restriction. That's what's really going to fuel your weight loss. Limit yourself to 1700-2000 (or fewer) calories a day (depending on your height), eat lots of fruit, veggies and lean protein, and substitute healthy options for unhealthy (ie: turkey burger > beef burger, pita chips > potato chips). The food pyramid is a great guide, as well.

The good thing is that you're still relatively young (32), and it'll be relatively easy for you to get active.
 
Any CAGs tried the FILA Skele-toes? I'm not a runner, so I won't consider the Vibram 5 fingers; I understand the Skeletoes are designed for walking; which would be ideal since I walk my dogs.
 
Anyone got any tips on how I can stay active? I have stitches on my right leg, right shoulder and chin because I had to get some moles removed. So for the next 2-3 weeks I can't go out and run because I might pop my stitches. Currently I'm down to 194lbs and fear being inactive will shoot me back up to 210lbs.
 
Not much you can do with stitches in all those place. Just rest up and heal and eat less calories to compensate for not being able to excercise.
 
[quote name='Kay_Faraday']I bought one of those ab wheels. My upper body is sore as fuck. How many reps should I be doing? I'm still practicing proper form.[/QUOTE]

If you are just starting with the ab wheel, gradually build yourself up. Since it engages the whole core at once, you won't need a whole lot of sets and reps to start. Start wth 3 sets of 10 every other day for a month or two, and then add either another set or a couple more reps on the days you do it. The most important thing is to listen to your body.
 
[quote name='EnronLackey']I dont know how to go about this but its time to ask for help .. really would like to get some advise on what to start my fitness regiment cause I havent done any form of physical fitness since my car accident that shattered my legs 8 years ago and been sedentary ever since.. I just gatta let go excuses and get in shape

A little about myself

32 years old
375 lbs+

Would like to talk to someone who was very obese then got fit .. not looking for the quick way out but scheduled pace on doing this right so any advice from the former 350 lbs club would be great

Heard of alot of programs like P90X and 10 min workout but I understand that those programs arent for the obese whom havent any form of cardio in a long time

As of now Im very ignorant on getting fit but is opened minded to learn to get back my body in fit form .. please either pm me or post your thoughts on this matter on this forum[/QUOTE]
I recommend complex carbs diet,light weight training and cardio.It's a great way of losing weight slowly(months at a time).Also watch this guys youtube videos.He knows what he's talking about.http://www.youtube.com/user/StandFirm#g/u
 
[quote name='Lyricsborn']Anyone got any tips on how I can stay active? I have stitches on my right leg, right shoulder and chin because I had to get some moles removed. So for the next 2-3 weeks I can't go out and run because I might pop my stitches. Currently I'm down to 194lbs and fear being inactive will shoot me back up to 210lbs.[/QUOTE]
Being inactive isn't going to raise your weight for a few weeks over eating will; just cut back on your caloric intake during this time and try and maintain a level where you keep weight on without gaining much. Not sure on how active you were before this surgery but that will also play a part in how much you may need to adjust your daily caloric maintenance levels. It would seem your worried about gaining fat from your post so just use these few weeks to run a very strict diet and perhaps drop some weight instead of gaining; although your probably going to lose muscle also during this time but that should return fairly quick once your able to work out again.
 
any of you guys trying to pack on muscle... i used to drink whey protien after work outs, saw some results.... i just tried muscle milk for the fist time today after lifting... i have to say it tastes like a freaking milk shake. it is so good. i used water too. most say water or milk.. i tend to prefer water. but anyways it tastes really good better than any whey prodoct i ever tasted. i had vanilla creme --- im a plain flavor kind of guy but they have a ton of flavors.
 
[quote name='blissskr']Being inactive isn't going to raise your weight for a few weeks over eating will; just cut back on your caloric intake during this time and try and maintain a level where you keep weight on without gaining much. Not sure on how active you were before this surgery but that will also play a part in how much you may need to adjust your daily caloric maintenance levels. It would seem your worried about gaining fat from your post so just use these few weeks to run a very strict diet and perhaps drop some weight instead of gaining; although your probably going to lose muscle also during this time but that should return fairly quick once your able to work out again.[/QUOTE]

I used to run about 5-6 days a week for about an hour a day in addition to whatever running I would do with the track team ( I do discuiss so I don't really run that much with the team) usually a warm up run for 20 minutes. Dieting seems to be the way to go right now.
 
[quote name='dkreegz515']any of you guys trying to pack on muscle... i used to drink whey protien after work outs, saw some results.... i just tried muscle milk for the fist time today after lifting... i have to say it tastes like a freaking milk shake. it is so good. i used water too. most say water or milk.. i tend to prefer water. but anyways it tastes really good better than any whey prodoct i ever tasted. i had vanilla creme --- im a plain flavor kind of guy but they have a ton of flavors.[/QUOTE]

Unless they've changed it (or have different varieties) Muscle Milk is a blend of whey and some slower digesting proteins like casein.

So it's better like at night before sleeping etc, as immediately post workout you want whey protein mixed with water (not milk at that time) as you want to get protein into your system as quickly as possible to prevent muscles from getting torn down and get your body into an anabolic state of building muscles rather than burning them.

So stick with whey protein with water immediately post work out, and slower digesting proteins (with water or milk) at times later after working out.
 
I started the P90X Lean program this afternoon. I began P90X last year, but failed to complete the first week. I was in pain, and life got in the way. I'm sure we all know how that goes!

Height: 5'9''

Weight: 175lbs

I was an athlete as a kid, and I still play pick up ice hockey when I have the time. My doctor would like me to be at a weight of 160lbs, give or take 5 pounds. I'm looking to post a regular update in this thread for motivation. I don't know if many people have attempted the P90X, but I'm looking to slim down, get cut, and just be healthy over all. Thanks everyone!
 
Sooooo
I've posted(and tried) several times I want to lose weight. My dads side has a BIG history with diabetes. Every one of his brothers/sisters has it and so does his mom and so did his dad. I couldn't sleep one night and started thinking I'm going to eventually going to get it too. I started working at Fedex last thursday(not 4 days ago,the one before that one) and man do you sweat like crazy. I am taking the opportunity to help me lose weight. I've been running/cycling around 12:30 every and damn it's only been around two weeks since I started my weight loss but I feel waaayyyy different!I have more energy in the day and can last running longer too! I've changed my eating habits too so that can explain why I have more energy. I haven't weighed how much I weight since I started but some of my old shirts are starting to fit me so I know I'm doing something right.

I guess the question I want to ask is this: What app does everyone here use to workout?I use the free runkeeper app and I like it because it tracks it on the map but if there is a better app ( I don't mind paying,I also want to keep a log of all the work I do) hopefully you guys can recommend me one!
 
When I workout after school I'm dripping in sweat but if I workout about 10mins after I wake up from a nap I barely break a sweat(same exercises, different day). Does anyone know why that is? Would that mean after school is more beneficial(burns more calories)?
 
[quote name='EDiddy0042']If you are just starting with the ab wheel, gradually build yourself up. Since it engages the whole core at once, you won't need a whole lot of sets and reps to start. Start wth 3 sets of 10 every other day for a month or two, and then add either another set or a couple more reps on the days you do it. The most important thing is to listen to your body.[/QUOTE]
Gotcha. thanks. :)

any tips on how to build up strength to do pullups? as of now I can do....0. well I can do 1 if I jump but I dont think that counts. :lol:
 
[quote name='Kay_Faraday']Gotcha. thanks. :)

any tips on how to build up strength to do pullups? as of now I can do....0. well I can do 1 if I jump but I dont think that counts. :lol:[/QUOTE]

Well, if you're using a gym then use the assisted pull up machine and gradually lower the assist weight. And/or use the lat pulldown machines with less than your body weight and build up.

But not a lot you can do without that type of equipment. Really it's hard to do good strength training without a gym membership for most people as you run into stuff like that where you really need gym equipment. Same with key exercises like squats. Most people don't have room for a squat rack. There's only so much you can do with body weight exercises and dumbbells.

One can get a fine workout and get in good shape by just doing that kind of stuff and doing cardio etc. Just can't be very serious on the strength training part of it as you just have certain bodyparts you can't really hit hard in a bodybuilding sense without gym equipment.
 
[quote name='Kay_Faraday']Gotcha. thanks. :)

any tips on how to build up strength to do pullups? as of now I can do....0. well I can do 1 if I jump but I dont think that counts. :lol:[/QUOTE]

I struggle with pullups too, the advice I was given is to keep at it and build those muscles up. I'm a little embarassed to try at the gym but it's a goal of mine to work up to eventually.

I'll never forget when I went to a concert in 03 or 04 and the Army had a pull up rack setup and I was watching these scrawny guys do 15-20 easily. Figuring I'd be good to go after having been pretty consistent with workouts for a few years at that point I gave it a go and failed miserably.. I did somewhere between 5-10. I don't think I can do any now that I'm 40lbs heavier than I was then (I'm about 220 now). I've never been strong but if I slimmed down about 15 lbs I'd look a lot like Ed Norton in American History X.

Speaking of which.. in the middle of week 4 of insanity. Still kicking my ass and leaving me sweating every day. If I took my diet one step better I'm sure I'd be down more like 10 lbs instead of the 5 I've lost so far. My core feels stronger but my knees are taking a beating from the impact of all the jumping. Next week is a recovery week before phase 2 which I understand is extremely tough but I'm sticking with it and would recommend to anyone interested.
 
im not doing p90x... but im doing ChaLEAN Extreme (beach body family). im just about to day 60... im down 8 lbs and feel great. i started at 5 foot 11 - 199 lbs.
her key to building muscle is the way i enjoy working out... heavy enough weight to fail at a certain rep... and lift very slow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzRs...58971&ef_id=jfBNW5YkaloAAI3i:20110420170519:s
i've enjoyed this work out a lot... my wedding is in july so i am excited to look leaner than i have in the past few years.
also im not sure if i will go for another 120 days or if i'll change programs just to keep stuff new.
 
I started working out around the beginning of March and hav kept a pretty consistent workout routine. Arms, chest and back, legs, reapeat, and then rest on sunday. I also have been on on cycling machine after each lift with a hill climb for about 20 mins.

I have gotten a bit stronger and seem to cover more mileage (even if it is a miniscule distance) on the bike. I pretty much want to work on my abs, I do 2 sets of 26 crunches, 2 leg raisers, and have legs straight and hold them about 2 inches off the ground for 15 seconds after my chest and back workout.

What kind of ab exercises should I do? I also don't watch what I eat, as in I eat pretty much anything. If I don't change what I eat, is it still possibly to achieve what I want?
 
I want to amend my last post and say that I called it quits on Insanity.. going into week four my knees were really starting to feel sore and strained so I backed off altogether. It's been about 10 days now and they're still sore when I stand up or go down the stairs at my apartment. Not enough to impair movement but enough to remind me that I'm not 100%. I've never trained athletically, but I've also never had knee problems in my life despite that I would run in summers in the past.

I think my next routine switch will be back to the gym but working one muscle group a day and spending more time on the elliptical.
 
i finally stopped going to crappy-four hour fitness and just ordered stuff to build my own home gym!

squat rack
bench
bumper plates + barbell
plywood + rubbermat for a homemade lifting platform

we good to go yo

i'm getting mega psyched watching olympic lifters on youtube!
 
Anyone here use strong resistance band equipment? I travel a bit for work so don't want to waste money on a gym membership I won't be able to use, and can get in time at hotel gyms on the road. I'm looking into something like the Tower 200 or Bodylastics since they apparently offer much more resistance and are compact which would be good living in a 1 room apartment.

Any opinions would be appreciated.
 
[quote name='kainzero']i finally stopped going to crappy-four hour fitness and just ordered stuff to build my own home gym!

squat rack
bench
bumper plates + barbell
plywood + rubbermat for a homemade lifting platform

we good to go yo

i'm getting mega psyched watching olympic lifters on youtube![/QUOTE]


Nice dude! I love oly lifting.
 
[quote name='kainzero']i'm also terrible at it! but it's so fun![/QUOTE]

What are your PRs?

I'm very new to it but I can snatch 135 and clean and jerk 190.
 
i'm on starting strength

the plan is to keep going with that till it doesn't work anymore

after that i'll probably either do the pendlay program or find an oly lifting club near me

right now i only have a 135x3 power clean, haha
 
dont go cheap when it comes to resistance bands... i bought some cheapos at wallyworld once... on day i was doing curls with them... and snap.. right back into my bare foot... i had a bruise like you wouldn't believe.
 
The Costco brand is surprisingly good...or so I've heard from my doctor. I'm finishing up my centrum batch in a few days and will try the Costco brand next.
 
Haven't posted here in a long time.

About 5 weeks ago I started at a new gym, Retro Fitness. It's twice as much as my old gym (I was paying 10/mo, now I pay 20) but it's across the street from me, the old gym was 30 minutes away. I was starting to get burnt out on the drive.

Still staying strong with my 5 day split. Feels good, man :)
 
That's a pretty spiffy website, particularly for those who are trying to be more conscious about what they eat. I might give that a try for a week, if only just to see how many calories I'm actually taking in and expending on a daily basis.
 
Hi,
According to me this are some tips for healthy health and fitness:
1. Nutrients are necessary for the proper functioning of mental, physical,metabolic, chemical and hormonal activities.
2.Regular exercise helps to have a fitter and healthy life.
3. Drink lot of water.
4. Quit smoking
5. Have protein for maintaining strong health.
6. Burn Fat.
 
A month ago my office started a biggest loser competition with the winner getting the $200 pot. I couldn’t believe my starting weight - I’m 5’7” and I was up to 232 pounds and size 40 pants.

I signed up for the myfitnesspal website (www.myfitnesspal.com) to track my daily calorie intake and started doing my wife’s The Firm exercise videos (don’t laugh). So far, I’ve lost 11 pounds and am hoping to get down to about 210 by the time the competition is over in September.

My ultimate goal is to get down to 180 pounds, where I was when I finished college 9 years ago. My healthy weight according to BMI charts is somewhere around 145-150 but I can't imagine being that skinny.
 
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.

I'm going a month long vacation so its gonna be a bitch maintaining my lifts.


Has anybody see this episode of King of the Hill?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbAmh7hfaBM
 
[quote name='encendido5']A month ago my office started a biggest loser competition with the winner getting the $200 pot. I couldn’t believe my starting weight - I’m 5’7” and I was up to 232 pounds and size 40 pants.

I signed up for the myfitnesspal website (www.myfitnesspal.com) to track my daily calorie intake and started doing my wife’s The Firm exercise videos (don’t laugh). So far, I’ve lost 11 pounds and am hoping to get down to about 210 by the time the competition is over in September.

My ultimate goal is to get down to 180 pounds, where I was when I finished college 9 years ago. My healthy weight according to BMI charts is somewhere around 145-150 but I can't imagine being that skinny.[/QUOTE]

Always good to have that little bit of extra motivation beyond just being healthier to push you to maintain a workout program.

As far as using the women's workout videos, do whatever you got to do. Exercise is exercise, and I think it's ridiculous that people actually distinguish workouts into "men's" and "women's". Hell, I know chicks who can squat more than a lot of the guys in the gym, and I know dudes who do nothing but yoga for their fitness routine. My friends give me hell all the time for doing pilates up at school, but that has to be some of the toughest core work I've done.

Keep up the hard work, and best of luck to you in the office comp.
 
[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.

I'm going a month long vacation so its gonna be a bitch maintaining my lifts.


Has anybody see this episode of King of the Hill?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbAmh7hfaBM[/QUOTE]

Haha! Love that episode. FEED THE PYTHONS!

It's always tough finding proper workout equipment on vacation, but with a little improv it can work. Squats and bench are easy enough to sub for if you are just looking to maintain. And actually, for the squats, I've been alternating a killer squat jump workout between my weight workouts, and it has improved my overall conditioning immensely, as well as helped with my explosive power.

Just find a spot you can jump around in and find a way you can time yourself. Do as many full depth squat jumps as you can for a minute, and then rest for a minute. Repeat 2 or 3 more times and you're done. It may not sound like much, but you will definitely feel it the next couple days, especially since you've been going with a high weight, low rep workout scheme.

Hope you can find some use out of this.
 
My diet is so much cleaner now. I pretty much cut carbs from breakfast and dinner...

Breakfast- eggs, turkey bacon

Lunch- PB or tuna sandwich, almonds, fruit

Dinner- chicken or turkey and broccoli.

Snacks- almonds, fruit, whey scoops in milk or water.

I'm thinking of throwing hardboiled eggs into my lunch mix too. Or egg salad with miracle whip.

Eating between 150-170g of protein a day
 
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?
 
Thanks for the vote!

And I don't know if I'd go as far to as to say I'm a mesomorph. I'm not hugely muscular or anything, and I've come a long way from being morbidly obese in high school (like 5'6/5'7, 220lbs), but you can see from my contest picture, I'm pretty broad chested.
 
[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.
[/QUOTE]

[quote name='EDiddy0042']Always good to have that little bit of extra motivation beyond just being healthier to push you to maintain a workout program.

As far as using the women's workout videos, do whatever you got to do. Exercise is exercise, and I think it's ridiculous that people actually distinguish workouts into "men's" and "women's". Hell, I know chicks who can squat more than a lot of the guys in the gym, and I know dudes who do nothing but yoga for their fitness routine. My friends give me hell all the time for doing pilates up at school, but that has to be some of the toughest core work I've done.

Keep up the hard work, and best of luck to you in the office comp.[/QUOTE]

Thanks guys! I have a long way to go till I hit 180, but hopefully I'll keep up with this routine. EDiddy, I'm going to try to incorporate the squat jumps here and there, thanks for the tip! It seems like it would be easy to do in the morning before jumping in the shower.

I dropped another 3 pounds since last week so I'm down to 217.2. It definitely feels good to have my size 38 pants feel loose again. According to my Wii Fit chart, this is the lowest I've been since I got it 2 years ago!

This is the video I'm using. It came with an 8" and 6" step:
http://www.amazon.com/FIRM-Body-Scu...ef=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1310387830&sr=1-1
 
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.
 
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