The Official Health and Fitness Thread

[db54]

Thanks, I'll consider that... Now, what about this (almost) 40 year-old gut? Just more of the same over time?

Well, adding different kinds of exercises to your routine could lead to burning more calories over time, which would help with fat loss.  And exercise variation is always important. There's really no way to target specific areas when it comes to fat loss.  Working the core will help tone the muscles, which is good of course, but fat loss is all about calories in vs. calories out.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Anyone a fan of CrossFit?

I have a friend who's just become an instructor who is trying to get me into it.  I think I'd be best trying to do the exercise equivalent of crawling before I sprint though.

 

[Bender]

I usually just drink Coke Zero so it's ok - I try not to drink it too much.

Doing full body workouts for now before moving on to specific muscle groups just so I can gain some general strength everywhere before moving on. Doing 20mins on elliptical 40m on the weights.

 

[TheMightyOdin]

Why are you concerned about your weight? Adding muscle will only improve your health. You won't get big like Odin unless you start consuming whole, live chickens for breakfast and lifting for four hours a day.

Weights should definitely be a part of your fitness regime.

Just my opinion.

Congrats on the success by the way.

Big like Odin! Hey I only weigh 185 pounds. At one point I was over 315 pounds, now that was a big Odin.

I spend 9 to 10 hours a week in the gym but only 3 of those hours are spent lifting weights.

Want to trim down your midsection? Try working with a heavy bag. Punching and kicking with the proper technique will do amazing things for your core while also being a great cardio workout.

 

[Bullfrog]

Big like Odin! Hey I only weigh 185 pounds. At one point I was over 315 pounds, now that was a big Odin.

hehe. I only meant 'muscular.' I find it funny that's what you commented on, but don't refute the live chicken part. 

 

[maplesyrup]

Why are you concerned about your weight? Adding muscle will only improve your health. You won't get big like Odin unless you start consuming whole, live chickens for breakfast and lifting for four hours a day.

Weights should definitely be a part of your fitness regime.

Just my opinion.

Congrats on the success by the way.

Big like Odin! Hey I only weigh 185 pounds. At one point I was over 315 pounds, now that was a big Odin.

I spend 9 to 10 hours a week in the gym but only 3 of those hours are spent lifting weights.

Want to trim down your midsection? Try working with a heavy bag. Punching and kicking with the proper technique will do amazing things for your core while also being a great cardio workout.

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, there's no bag at the gym. I just use the cheap (free) and cheerful one at work. Besides, I wouldn't know what the proper technique is. Congrats on your success BTW!

 

[TheMightyOdin]

Big like Odin! Hey I only weigh 185 pounds. At one point I was over 315 pounds, now that was a big Odin.

hehe. I only meant 'muscular.' I find it funny that's what you commented on, but don't refute the live chicken part. 

I didn't refute that part. I eat like an animal....the feathers do get annoying.

 

[Rick C.]

I have a high school reunion in 46 days.  I weigh 342.  Yes, you read that correct.

Think I can drop upwards of 20 lbs?  5 small meals daily of lots of protein and lean carbs.  At least an hour on the treadmill daily.

Thoughts?

 

[maplesyrup]

For poops and giggles, do you think you can go 46 days with little to no sugar? I'm really interested to see what results we'd see in you case.

Also, look into surge training. 20 minutes of that can better than an hour on the treadmill.

Edit: - and that's 20 minutes every other day!     

 

[db54]

I have a high school reunion in 46 days.  I weigh 342.  Yes, you read that correct.

Think I can drop upwards of 20 lbs?  5 small meals daily of lots of protein and lean carbs.  At least an hour on the treadmill daily.

Thoughts?

A realistic goal is usually around 2 lbs. per week.  But it is possible to lose more, it just takes a lot of work and determination, which I'm sure you have. Are you on the treadmill daily right now?  One suggestion I would have is that if possible (if you have access to other options), it can be beneficial to do different things each day, or switch to something different every few days for a session or more.  But any exercise is good of course and burns calories, which is the main goal.  A reason to vary it is that your body will naturally become more efficient at performing a given exercise, like walking or jogging, and therefore burn less calories in the same amount of exercise time. Varying your exercise can help keep this from happening and help to burn more calories in the end.

 

[Rick C.]

I have a high school reunion in 46 days.  I weigh 342.  Yes, you read that correct.

Think I can drop upwards of 20 lbs?  5 small meals daily of lots of protein and lean carbs.  At least an hour on the treadmill daily.

Thoughts?

A realistic goal is usually around 2 lbs. per week.  But it is possible to lose more, it just takes a lot of work and determination, which I'm sure you have. Are you on the treadmill daily right now?  One suggestion I would have is that if possible (if you have access to other options), it can be beneficial to do different things each day, or switch to something different every few days for a session or more.  But any exercise is good of course and burns calories, which is the main goal.  A reason to vary it is that your body will naturally become more efficient at performing a given exercise, like walking or jogging, and therefore burn less calories in the same amount of exercise time. Varying your exercise can help keep this from happening and help to burn more calories in the end.

My doctor tells me that for bigger guys (340lbs), it's safe to lose 3.4 lbs weekly.

I've got a good treadmill and a great mountain bike that I can alternate workouts with.

 

[TheMightyOdin]

I have a high school reunion in 46 days.  I weigh 342.  Yes, you read that correct.

Think I can drop upwards of 20 lbs?  5 small meals daily of lots of protein and lean carbs.  At least an hour on the treadmill daily.

Thoughts?

Totally possible Rick.

Pass on the carbs for the last two meals of your day unless you will be working out later that day.

No matter what happens during this mini goal have another mini goal set up to start the moment the reunion is over. Something like 8 pounds in the next month and every month after that for the rest of the year.

You can do it.

 

[4th Liner]

My doctor tells me that for bigger guys (340lbs), it's safe to lose 3.4 lbs weekly.

I've got a good treadmill and a great mountain bike that I can alternate workouts with.

It's totally possible Rick - last year I lost 20 lbs in my first 47 days of dieting and working out and I was starting at a weigh of 216. You just have to be totally committed to sticking to the diet and exercising regularly. Even if you are hurting a bit, remember that even just walking can be a great way to burn extra calories.

 

[Bender]

So I've got a few questions here: I'm looking to switch up my full body workout routine. I'm going until failure but I don't see many gains after a few weeks. I don't even feel sore the next day, so I don't really think my muscles are being broken down much.

I was talking to the Goodlife rep and he said splits and more isolated exercises would help, so I did some digging and found this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ryan-hughes-muscle-building-program.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ultimate-8-week-hiit-for-fat-burning-program.html

On one hand we have a HST method: I definitely don't need all those calories as I'm not a tall guy (5'5") but I think the regimen is sound, lots of focus on certain days and it seems to me like it targets each area.

I also want to get started on HIITS, as it burns more in less time AFAIK as well increases anaroebic strength.

Can anyone more experience have a look over and let me know?

 

[McPwnage]

I'm starting up a diet/exercise routine again for the summer.  Last time I tried I ended up ten pounds heavier than when I started after losing fifteen.  I feel like I'm being naive in thinking I can do it.  I need to get in shape because I'm going for bronze medallion next saturday and the saturday after. 

 

[db54]

So I've got a few questions here: I'm looking to switch up my full body workout routine. I'm going until failure but I don't see many gains after a few weeks. I don't even feel sore the next day, so I don't really think my muscles are being broken down much.

I was talking to the Goodlife rep and he said splits and more isolated exercises would help, so I did some digging and found this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ryan-hughes-muscle-building-program.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ultimate-8-week-hiit-for-fat-burning-program.html

On one hand we have a HST method: I definitely don't need all those calories as I'm not a tall guy (5'5") but I think the regimen is sound, lots of focus on certain days and it seems to me like it targets each area.

I also want to get started on HIITS, as it burns more in less time AFAIK as well increases anaroebic strength.

Can anyone more experience have a look over and let me know?

What are your goals?

If you've only been doing a full body program, it would definitely be good to switch it up. Doing a split program would be beneficial, and it does allow you to isolate specific muscle groups more during an individual session.  The splits that the guy has on that website work, or you could even do it a little less specific.  And ya, the guys diet is crazy. A ton of supplements and things. It would cost a fortune to replicate that lol.

My suggestion would be to switch between a split body routine and a full body routine.  Staying with each routine for no more than about three weeks. Switching it up every few weeks will help to prevent you from plateauing and you'll constantly give your body a different stimulus.

HIIT is a great alternative to normal aerobic exercise.  Its faster and can increase both anaerobic and aerobic fitness. Have you tried it before? I've learned a lot about it but I only have a little bit of experience doing it. It a really intense workout. You can work it in along with some regular steady state aerobic exercise, or just do HIIT sessions 2 or 3 times per week.

 

[Bender]

So I've got a few questions here: I'm looking to switch up my full body workout routine. I'm going until failure but I don't see many gains after a few weeks. I don't even feel sore the next day, so I don't really think my muscles are being broken down much.

I was talking to the Goodlife rep and he said splits and more isolated exercises would help, so I did some digging and found this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ryan-hughes-muscle-building-program.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ultimate-8-week-hiit-for-fat-burning-program.html

On one hand we have a HST method: I definitely don't need all those calories as I'm not a tall guy (5'5") but I think the regimen is sound, lots of focus on certain days and it seems to me like it targets each area.

I also want to get started on HIITS, as it burns more in less time AFAIK as well increases anaroebic strength.

Can anyone more experience have a look over and let me know?

What are your goals?

If you've only been doing a full body program, it would definitely be good to switch it up. Doing a split program would be beneficial, and it does allow you to isolate specific muscle groups more during an individual session.  The splits that the guy has on that website work, or you could even do it a little less specific.  And ya, the guys diet is crazy. A ton of supplements and things. It would cost a fortune to replicate that lol.

My suggestion would be to switch between a split body routine and a full body routine.  Staying with each routine for no more than about three weeks. Switching it up every few weeks will help to prevent you from plateauing and you'll constantly give your body a different stimulus.

HIIT is a great alternative to normal aerobic exercise.  Its faster and can increase both anaerobic and aerobic fitness. Have you tried it before? I've learned a lot about it but I only have a little bit of experience doing it. It a really intense workout. You can work it in along with some regular steady state aerobic exercise, or just do HIIT sessions 2 or 3 times per week.

My goal is to lower body fat percentage and put on some muscle. Not a crazy amount but enough to look like I've got some strength to back it up. I've done hiits twice so far. 15s on 45s off for 10 minutes to start off along with 10m of decent aerobic before hand (140bps heart rate or so).

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

 

[Bender]

I think I've found something a little bit better since I'm not looking to be a professional body builder, but I am looking to gain muscle mass and strength.

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/power-muscle-burn-5-day-powerbuilding-split.html

This looks to me like there's quite a few compound exercises (which the Goodlife rep said was probably my best bet since I'm not a body builder, less on isolation) and also includes some power sets to add more muscle. One thing I'm unsure about for sure is how much I should eat though. I'm sure you can cut fat and build muscle at the same time, I think it's a myth that you can't (incorporate HIITS?), but I definitely don't want to do the whole "bulking" thing. The guys can probably move the most weight but they aren't defined at all, just big oxen looking dudes.

 

[db54]

I think I've found something a little bit better since I'm not looking to be a professional body builder, but I am looking to gain muscle mass and strength.

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/power-muscle-burn-5-day-powerbuilding-split.html

This looks to me like there's quite a few compound exercises (which the Goodlife rep said was probably my best bet since I'm not a body builder, less on isolation) and also includes some power sets to add more muscle. One thing I'm unsure about for sure is how much I should eat though. I'm sure you can cut fat and build muscle at the same time, I think it's a myth that you can't (incorporate HIITS?), but I definitely don't want to do the whole "bulking" thing. The guys can probably move the most weight but they aren't defined at all, just big oxen looking dudes.

This program looks a lot better. Its interesting.  Seems to try to put a little bit of everything into each sessions. Some strength, then hypertrophy (building mass) and some endurance. 

In terms of how much to eat, I'm not really an expert.  I wouldn't suggest going crazy with calories like the last website had. I would suggest consuming protein after each session, whether that's in the form of a shake, chocolate milk or a meal. If possible, I'd say have 15 - 20g of protein asap after working out and then another 15 - 20g about an hour afterwards. Having carbs with this protein can also be beneficial.  other than that, if it was me I'd just try to keep a balanced diet.

I'm not positive, but I wouldn't say its impossible to build muscle while losing fat. I don't think you'll build as much muscle as possible, but you should still be able to build.

 

[Bender]

Well, I've been going hard to the gym for the last few weeks and I've already noticed a difference! Not too much on the body just yet, but quite a bit on the face.

April 7, 2012 (Already working out for a week or so here)

April 29, 2012

Hopefully some body results will come soon too.


Any nutrition advice, Odin? I've been eating pretty much lean meat like Pork Chops or Chicken Breast, some veg and some brown rice for quite a lot of my meals, trying to eat 4 meals a day, usually taking a post-workout protein shake as well (40g Protein).