The Workout/Weight Loss Thread

[pgp]

Thanks, I am trying to use low(er) fat substitutes, like 1% milk, low fat yogurt etc. I notice many articles state ratios like 40/40/20. c/p/f My carbs were above 50%, if I remember correctly. I have been working out 3x a week for a several months and have not lost any weight or inches. I will up the cardio and look at my diet.

[Accumulator]

Heh heh, looking at it today, that was one mighty long-winded response I posted yesterday, even for me

Thanks, I am trying to use low(er) fat substitutes, like 1% milk, low fat yogurt etc.

I use skim milk, but then I only drink it mixed with protein/meal replacement powders (just don`t like the taste of milk). While I can enjoy some yogurts, I always think of them as pretty much a desert masquerading as something healthy.

I notice many articles state ratios like 40/40/20. c/p/f My carbs were above 50%, if I remember correctly.

You could probably find the exact right ratio *for you* (and IMO everybody`s different), but I bet it`d be one mighty big PIA, both to figure out and to stick to. I bet that the exact ratio is no more important than the quality of the c/p/f, but again, I think you gotta be reasonable or there`s no way to make it a "rest of your life" regimen.

I have been working out 3x a week for a several months and have not lost any weight or inches. I will up the cardio and look at my diet.

If something doesn`t work after a few weeks I`d re-evaluate. Maybe you`re not losing weight because you`re adding muscle while losing fat.



I consider weight work to be ~95% about getting stronger/more muscular, *NOT* about getting leaner, not even where my abs are concerned. FOR ME, effective resistance training is *INEFFICIENT* with regard to burning calories...just a different kind of exertion altogether.



IMO most people simply don`t exercise with sufficient intensity, especially with cardio. Fix that, and quit ingesting empty calories, and you should see some good progress.

[Scottwax]

Dropped 5 pounds since the start of the year. Having a friend die at 34 from cardiac arrest kind of wakes you up. No more junk food in the house. No more burgers, no more fried fish. Rode 70 miles last week, might be able to get 100+ this week if the weather forecast holds.

[RaskyR1]

Been back in the gym 4-5 days a week since the 1st of the year lifting and cardio. Been eating better too. I actually went and played hockey for the first time in 18 years last week too! My legs were SOOOO sore after that!

[Accumulator]

Scottwax- Yeah, I bet your friend`s passing *was* a real wakeup call! Those five pounds went quickly, huh?



A few of my friends are seriously into the biking and when you guys like doing that, well you *LIKE* it, huh? I, OTOH, want my cardio over with, so I just hit it quick and hard (max heart rate well over my "age-related max" during the tough intervals) first thing in the morning.



RaskyR1- Heh heh, doing something unfamiliar like the hockey really gets to ya, huh?!?



How do you mix your weight work and cardio? I`d probably have to do mine differently if I were going to a gym for it :think:

[RaskyR1]

Scottwax- Yeah, I bet your friend`s passing *was* a real wakeup call! Those five pounds went quickly, huh?



A few of my friends are seriously into the biking and when you guys like doing that, well you *LIKE* it, huh? I, OTOH, want my cardio over with, so I just hit it quick and hard (max heart rate well over my "age-related max" during the tough intervals) first thing in the morning.



RaskyR1- Heh heh, doing something unfamiliar like the hockey really gets to ya, huh?!?



How do you mix your weight work and cardio? I`d probably have to do mine differently if I were going to a gym for it :think:

LOL! Yeah, feels great to be back at it though! Found muscles I forgot I had!



I`m not in bad shape at all, just a little more flab around the gut than I`d like from sitting at a desk 40hrs a week and eating junk.



My current workout it set up as follows...though some times it gets messed up when things come up. My knees are shot so I don`t really do much running. hockey is taking place of my cardio right now.



M: Chest/Tri

T: Core work out and cardio (30+min on Elliptical or Arc trainer)

W: Shoulders

T: Legs and cardio (30+min on elliptical or Arc trainer)

F: Back/biceps

S:Cardio or off day

S Off





It`s amazing how much more motivation you have when you work out and how much it lifts your morale too! :2thumbs:

[Accumulator]

RaskyR1- Oh yeah, working out is great for more than just your body :xyxthumbs



Hey, lucky you, having access to an elliptical! I just love those but the ceiling in my cardio room isn`t quite high enough



When you do your Thurs. workout, do you do the cardio first or your legs? I too do cardio on leg day, but I do the cardio first, then have bfast (and post here ) and then do my legs. By the time I finish doing my leg work there`s no way I could do cardio, I can barely make it up the stairs! In fact, I work my grip for a while until my lower body is ready to function again.



I also have to cut a few minutes off my StairMaster work on leg day or it`s all just too much.



I wonder how strictly you`ll want to stick to your current schedule once you`re really back in the groove :think: I find, for instance, that I need longer to recover between leg workouts and I`m not even close to a Mon/Tues/etc. schedule any more.

[RaskyR1]

RaskyR1- Oh yeah, working out is great for more than just your body :xyxthumbs



Hey, lucky you, having access to an elliptical! I just love those but the ceiling in my cardio room isn`t quite high enough



When you do your Thurs. workout, do you do the cardio first or your legs? I too do cardio on leg day, but I do the cardio first, then have bfast (and post here ) and then do my legs. By the time I finish doing my leg work there`s no way I could do cardio, I can barely make it up the stairs! In fact, I work my grip for a while until my lower body is ready to function again.



I also have to cut a few minutes off my StairMaster work on leg day or it`s all just too much.



I wonder how strictly you`ll want to stick to your current schedule once you`re really back in the groove :think: I find, for instance, that I need longer to recover between leg workouts and I`m not even close to a Mon/Tues/etc. schedule any more.

On leg day I`ll do a 5 min warm up on one of the bikes, lift, and then do about 30 min of light cardio. I don`t get to crazy with the weight when doing my legs as my knees are pretty shot. I`ll switch up the machines each week but it`s usually something like the this...



-Machine leg press (3 different machines to choose from)

-Calf raises (3 different machines to choose from)

-Leg curl

-Squats

-Dumbbell Lunges



I know what you mean about the jelly legs when you are all done. My cardio is pretty light after and it`s more to just loosen up I guess. Not really sure how long resting between muscle groups is really ideal, seems everyone you talk to has a different opinion. From what I`ve seen listed the most 7-10 days seems ideal. I like to only give it 7 days between as I find anymore than that and I`m pretty sore the next day if I wait much longer than that. I don`t mind being a little sore afterward, but not like you are after first getting back into it.



I do take lots of protein and BSN CellMass for recovery too.





I`d actually like to be able to have a nice home gym in the future. I do like having all the equipment at the Gold`s gym but when it`s below zero outside the last thing I want to do is drive to the gym. Plus it cuts out all the time needed just to go there.

[RaskyR1]

Anyone using some of the iPhone apps for working out?



I downloaded GymBuddy, iWorkout, and iFitness. Haven`t used them too much yet but they are pretty neat. They show you different workouts you might not have seen before and help you log your progress too. :2thumbs:

[Accumulator]

On leg day I`ll do a 5 min warm up on one of the bikes, lift, and then do about 30 min of light cardio...I know what you mean about the jelly legs when you are all done. My cardio is pretty light after and it`s more to just loosen up I guess.

OK, roger that. The light cardio probably helps your legs recover quicker. I often take the dogs out for an hour or so of hiking after I lift and I guess that`s kinda similar.

I don`t get to crazy with the weight when doing my legs as my knees are pretty shot...

Yeah, I have to watch that too. Gotta use proper form too, I can`t afford to get sloppy.



I found that by really developing my hamstrings and my vastus medialis I was able to almost completely solve my knee issues! This was after they`d been so bad I had to quit driving a clutch and my Dr. was talking about knee replacement when I was still quite young. Now they just don`t bother me.

I`ll switch up the machines each week but it`s usually something like the this...



-Machine leg press (3 different machines to choose from)

-Calf raises (3 different machines to choose from)

-Leg curl

-Squats

-Dumbbell Lunges

That`s a good assortment of movements. Glad you`re doing different calf stuff, I do my calf raises both straight-leg standing and bent-leg sitting (the latter are challenging at home with just freeweights).



I also started working the *front* of my lower legs last year, something I`d never done before. I use a gizmo called the Dynamic Axial Resistance Device and it seems to have *really* helped with shin-splints when I run.

Not really sure how long resting between muscle groups is really ideal, seems everyone you talk to has a different opinion. From what I`ve seen listed the most 7-10 days seems ideal. I like to only give it 7 days between as I find anymore than that and I`m pretty sore the next day if I wait much longer than that. I don`t mind being a little sore afterward, but not like you are after first getting back into it.

I think you have to find what`s right *for you*; nobody else can really tell you what`s right.



I`ve figured out what works for me by tracking my progress (or lack thereof) over time; by studying my training log. If I`m not making some kind of progress then I change something. I tend to overtrain, and it was a big challenge, and surprise, to find that I generally need *TEN* days between heavy leg workouts for the best results



On the soreness, I try to get very sore from each workout. In my case, that works out to be a good indicator of whether I did things intensely enough. How fast the soreness dissipates seems to be mainly a matter of how well I`m managing my recovery processes.



It`s kinda funny, but I can`t really overdo my workouts as long as I stop as soon as my performance drops off. It`s not like I can do a zillion sets because after three-five of *any* movement I`m shot, have to drop the weight so much that I know it`s time to quit.

..I`d actually like to be able to have a nice home gym in the future. I do like having all the equipment at the Gold`s gym but when it`s below zero outside the last thing I want to do is drive to the gym. Plus it cuts out all the time needed just to go there.

Yeah, being able to do all my exercise at home makes all the difference for me; I just have to do it that way for a lot of reasons. But just look at all the variety you have at your disposal! Ellipticals, different leg press/calf raise machines/etc. I have to go "low-tech/high-concept" to get by with what I have at home.



Speaking of low-tech...

Anyone using some of the iPhone apps for working out?

iPhone? Apps? Heh heh, my friends call me "urban Amish" because I`m barely up to speed with my bare-bones cell!

[RaskyR1]

OK, roger that. The light cardio probably helps your legs recover quicker. I often take the dogs out for an hour or so of hiking after I lift and I guess that`s kinda similar.







Yeah, I have to watch that too. Gotta use proper form too, I can`t afford to get sloppy.



I found that by really developing my hamstrings and my vastus medialis I was able to almost completely solve my knee issues! This was after they`d been so bad I had to quit driving a clutch and my Dr. was talking about knee replacement when I was still quite young. Now they just don`t bother me.





That`s a good assortment of movements. Glad you`re doing different calf stuff, I do my calf raises both straight-leg standing and bent-leg sitting (the latter are challenging at home with just freeweights).



I also started working the *front* of my lower legs last year, something I`d never done before. I use a gizmo called the Dynamic Axial Resistance Device and it seems to have *really* helped with shin-splints when I run.







I think you have to find what`s right *for you*; nobody else can really tell you what`s right.



I`ve figured out what works for me by tracking my progress (or lack thereof) over time; by studying my training log. If I`m not making some kind of progress then I change something. I tend to overtrain, and it was a big challenge, and surprise, to find that I generally need *TEN* days between heavy leg workouts for the best results



On the soreness, I try to get very sore from each workout. In my case, that works out to be a good indicator of whether I did things intensely enough. How fast the soreness dissipates seems to be mainly a matter of how well I`m managing my recovery processes.



It`s kinda funny, but I can`t really overdo my workouts as long as I stop as soon as my performance drops off. It`s not like I can do a zillion sets because after three-five of *any* movement I`m shot, have to drop the weight so much that I know it`s time to quit.







Yeah, being able to do all my exercise at home makes all the difference for me; I just have to do it that way for a lot of reasons. But just look at all the variety you have at your disposal! Ellipticals, different leg press/calf raise machines/etc. I have to go "low-tech/high-concept" to get by with what I have at home.



Speaking of low-tech...







iPhone? Apps? Heh heh, my friends call me "urban Amish" because I`m barely up to speed with my bare-bones cell!

LOL! Time to upgrade!



It works out great for me because I have my music, phone, and I can log my sets while I rest in a matter of seconds all with one small device. It tracks everything for you and shows graphs of your progress. :2thumbs:







I think I may have to try and give it more time between muscle groups and see if that helps. I do seem to be struggling on increasing my weights...especially with biceps.





Cheers,

Rasky

[pgp]

I am doing cardio before and after my workouts. Trying to do a little more each time. Doing 15 and 15 now. it`s easier to break it up this way for me. I was at 137-141 HR the other day, should I go higher if my max is 170?

[Accumulator]

I am doing cardio before and after my workouts. Trying to do a little more each time. Doing 15 and 15 now. it`s easier to break it up this way for me.

As I`m always saying, what`s right for me might be 100% wrong for somebody else. But my pals who have "professional trainers" (scare-quotes intentional ) get such crappy advice that I don`t mind tossing out my $0.02, just don`t want to give anybody a heart attack though



If I were to do my cardio right before the weights, I wouldn`t have the energy to do the weights properly. And doing the weights might leave me too pooped for effective cardio. I always recuperate a little bit (and have a post-workout meal-replacement drink) before I take the dogs out.



I dunno...it`s tough to say what I`d do in your situation :think: I think I`d look into adding some "not at the gym" cardio/conditioning work to do in-between your weight workouts. Something like "pyramids" (AKA "ladders") of Burpees. Something that`d get your heart rate up there, allow you to recover, and then get it up there/recover again. And do this in a short period of time.

I was at 137-141 HR the other day, should I go higher if my max is 170?

I hesitate to recommend you spike your heartrate higher than that. If 170 is your theoretical age-related max (it`s mine too, we must both be around 50), then a whole lotta experts would say you`re maxing out just right. The idea being that you get it up there, then back off so it drops down lower than that, then you get it up there again...and repeat this (i.e., do interval training) to train your body to be able to handle exertion without, uhm...blowing a gasket and also train it to recover from that exertion.



FWIW, I got mine up to 178 this morning on the StairMaster and kept it there for a few minutes. I keep it up around at least 150 during the "easy" intervals too. But that`s just me and I`ve been doing that forever, so it *seems* OK and I can sure tell that I got a cardiovascular workout.



That was several hours ago, and I`ll be working legs this afternoon. No way I coulda done them right after the StairMaster though.

[pgp]

The past month or so there were a few snow storms here, so I went to the gym much less frequently. I was back at it yesterday; I did a light whole body w/o. I am going back again today.

[pgp]

The past month or so there were a few snow storms here, so I went to the gym much less frequently. I was back at it yesterday; I did a light whole body w/o. I am going back again today.