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  1. #406

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    jrock645- Ah, *SO* glad the surgery worked out so well!

    You`re sure smart to EASE back into the squatting! I`m relying more and more on the Hip Belt for mine, just to quit compressing my spine so much.

    You always seem to do well when you have a Target Date, and the hitching in Spain (gee, sounds great!) in 7 months oughta be just right.

    I`ll be interested to hear what works for you when it comes to your waistline (besides eating right and burning calories). I`ve been focusing more on my Obliques and trying to bring out the, uhm...pyramidalis at the bottom below my "regular abs", trying to get a 10 pack. Hard to activate that last one without the Hip Flexors getting in the act.

  2. #407
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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Do you guys do the pre-workout drinks or whatever?

    I`m curious about those.

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    Brandt K.

  3. #408

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by 512detail View Post
    Do you guys do the pre-workout drinks or whatever?

    I`m curious about those.
    I don`t.

    If somebody perceives some benefit from them, even if it`s just psychological, then who`s to criticize? I`d watch for stuff like sugar/etc. though, excess calories are excess calories.

  4. #409

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Accumulator View Post
    I don`t...[use pre-workout drinks]...
    Although...pre-resistance training I`m usually drinking my Bfast coffee, and I typically have quite a bit. So I`m probably caffeinated during those workouts and the Bfast itself is sometimes pretty hearty (I still have my best workouts after a huge Denny`s Bfast, but seldom try to do Upper Legs with that much in my stomach; no problem doing abs though for some reason).

    Cardio is still always first thing in the morning, just have a glass of water beforehand. I`d hurl if I had anything substantial in my stomach during cardio!

  5. #410
    512detail's Avatar
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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Accumulator View Post
    Although...pre-resistance training I`m usually drinking my Bfast coffee, and I typically have quite a bit. So I`m probably caffeinated during those workouts and the Bfast itself is sometimes pretty hearty (I still have my best workouts after a huge Denny`s Bfast, but seldom try to do Upper Legs with that much in my stomach; no problem doing abs though for some reason).

    Cardio is still always first thing in the morning, just have a glass of water beforehand. I`d hurl if I had anything substantial in my stomach during cardio!
    I have all but cut out caffeine. I may have one 7oz soda per day and I dont drink coffee and seldom drink tea.

    I`m pretty much just working out for cardio benefits these days. I usually do 30 minutes on an elliptical and then some random weight training. I should probably try to develop some routine other than my random wandering around the gym post cardio.

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  6. #411

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    512Detail- Yeah, a well thought-out plan would be good. Strength training isn`t just "to build showy muscles", it`s got a lot of genuine health benefits you just can`t get from other stuff. And unfortunately, it`s very hard to get good info on the subject, way too much total BS is accepted as "what everybody knows" just because so many people want to believe it`s true.

    What`s the (specific) plan for your cardio? Like...I can see ~65% of Heart Rate Max for arterial stiffness, augmented by ~90% HRM for actual heart/etc. benefits. (Too many people spend time "working up a good sweat" without actually doing stuff that`ll *really* benefit them.)

    I`d think that the Elliptical work would cover the first part, curious what you`ll do for the "maxing out your heartrate" aspect of it. I`m still doing brief Sprint Interval Training protocols for that, over and done with in a few minutes. Studies indicate that`s all that`s required so I`m glad it works for me. I have three different workouts I do on the StairMaster, and one for the AirDyne, that I do in sequence. The longest of those lasts about 18 minutes,the shortest is only about 10.

    And yeah, in case you`re wondering, people in cardiac rehab are generally well-served by that kind of "intense" cardio.

  7. #412

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Hey all,
    I have to get back into the habit of working out. Does anyone here have a home gym like a bowflex or Soloflex ?

  8. #413

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by pgp View Post
    Hey all,
    I have to get back into the habit of working out. Does anyone here have a home gym like a bowflex or Soloflex ?
    I have both. Both of those are supposed to replace a whole roomful of equipment, and/but they simply don`t IME.

    The Bowflex oughta be better than it is; the cables bind in their pulleys and that just kills it for me. It`s OK for some stuff (when that isn`t happening), but IMO a plate-loaded Lat Pulldown Machine with auxiliary pulleys (i.e., a low pulley station on the "other side") would be *much* better. I use the latter pretty much *every* workout, but the Bowflex just sits in the corner waiting for me to throw it away (I`d lent it to my late father and got it back when he passed, neither of us found it satisfactory). I really wanted to love that thing, even replaced the pulleys a few times, never did get it fully sorted out.

    IF you get a Bowflex that doesn`t bind...and stays that way, mine was OK when new...then it might be OK, but it`s not All That IMO. IME it sure won`t replace a gym full of equipment the way some expect.

    The Soloflex is good for *some* things but it`s not All That either and many people might not like it for the handful of things I use mine for.

    I find it works *GREAT* for me for Incline Benchpresses. I can`t do regular ones but I can do them great on the Soloflex. I thought I`d do much better using dumbbells, but for some reason the Soloflex is my "Benching station", it`s just that good *for me*.

    It`s also fine for Leg extensions.

    It`s decidedly suboptimal but useable for Leg Curls, but 1) the flat bench is all wrong for those; I pile up other pads to change it so my back is OK, and 2) the progressive strength curve of the Soloflex`s bands is all wrong for those (oughta be hard at the beginning and then get lighter; Soloflex is like Nautilus and it`s one of the few things Arthur Jones got wrong).

    I do not find it satisfactory for arm/shoulder/anything else work.

    I use it for Pullups/Chins, but would probably prefer a bent/cambered bar instead of its straight one for those. It`s OK though, no worse than any other straight-bar pullup station. But you don`t need to buy a Soloflex to do chinups

    I use mine primarly as an adjustable bench with a "spine" I can grab hold of when doing ab work. That`s what I use it for most, pretty expensive for what I get out of it.

    I`d get:

    - An adjustable bench
    - A set of adjustable Dumbbells (Powerblocks are great unless you drop them as hard as I do )
    - The Lat Pulldown Machine with auxiliary pulley and some handles/bars
    - A set of elastic Resistance Bands
    - The Strength Training Anatomy series of books by Frederic Delavier (he`s wrong about Training Frequency/Volume, at least for me, but right about indispensible info on what the muscles do and how they work)

    That last one is crucial, I should`ve put it first. I genuinely believe that knowing what you`re doing is the most important thing. The vast majority of "info" out there deserves those scare-quotes.

    In the same vein, I heartily endorse the books/website of Clarence Bass. Ditto for Dick Winnett, but much of his info isn`t free.

    Some people like the Total Gym and other such devices. It didn`t appeal to me, but that`s just me.

    Learn how your muscles work. Learn how to train them effectively and ease into some kind of routine that you can/will stick with. Even just doing bodyweight movements is a whole lot better than not exercising regularly, so don`t let the lack of equipment hold you back.

    Study those books by Delavier, and the info from Bass. Really *learn* it, as opposed to "just reading it", and you`ll be so far ahead of most trainers you can`t imagine.

    I know this mile-long post wasn`t the answer you were hoping for, and I`m sure that "what does [Accumulator] know?!?" comes to mind. But I`ve been at this stuff religiously for decades and I`ve made most of the mistakes, including buying the wrong stuff and going about it all wrong by listening to "what everybody knows".
    Thanks pgp thanked for this post

  9. #414
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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by 512detail View Post
    Do you guys do the pre-workout drinks or whatever?

    I`m curious about those.

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
    I used to use them but stopped over the years.
    I find if you give your body good energy you dont really need them. Yiu may also get a similar effect having a cup of black coffee prior to your workout and itll be much cheaper

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

  10. #415

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Thanks for the long post Accumulator,
    I was thinking about home gyms, and i remember a friend had a Soloflex years ago and liked it. I remember seeing the boxflex or something like it on TV several years ago. I thought a system like these would be ok. My biggest problem is I don`t have a lot of room like a basement. I know home gyms get used a little and then collect dust. If they were ok I might snag a used one for cheap. From your experience do these "bands" dry or wear out over time ?

  11. #416

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    pgp- That bit about "used a little and then collect dust.." is *so* true for so much home exercise equipment! Maybe close to 90%; I don`t know one single person who`s stuck with a "home gym do-it-all machine" other than my own experience with the Soloflex.
    Here`s a Q: if you still know the pal who had the Soloflex, does he still use it all the time?
    With a bit of luck and thinking/planning maybe we can avoid that happening to you.

    If you can snag a used Soloflex, it might be great. I sold my v1.0 back in the late `80s when I was "gonna get real serious" and quit using "that rubber band toy" and then I had to buy a newer (and much more expensive one) because I really did *need* it, not just "want". It`s just that there are a whole lotta *very* important, maybe even crucial, exercises that it simple *isn`t any good for*. At least it`s not likely to have weird issues like that "pulley/cable binding" which plagued my Bowflex.

    The Soloflex`s rubber resistance bands do wear out given enough use (time isn`t a problem, they don`t "age" they "wear"). But it takes a *LOT* of use for that to happen, so much so I wouldn`t worry about it.

    For the same footprint/use of space...[INSERT my "get a Lat Pulldown Machine instead, and some dumbbells and Resistance Bands, and you`d make better progress..] but OK I`ll quit beating you over the head with that

    BUT you really *DO* need adjustable dumbbells. Period. No matter what. Everybody I know with PowerBlock dbs 1) said "those are too expensive!" and/but 2) also then said "these are the greatest thing!" after they begrudgingly spent the $ after all.

    Actually, I bet that if you got Devalier`s Strength Training Anatomy book(s), you`d have a very different (and better informed) view of what you oughta get. What a broken record I am But consider that I`ve read almost everything available on this subject for decades and yet I radically transformed both my approach and my results to where I`m making more progress than I`d ever thought possible, right at the age where an in-shape guy usually finds it hard to just avoid decline.

    Stuff to remember as you ponder all this Exercise business:

    -You gotta either like it, or at least find it interesting, or you won`t stick with it
    -Similarly, it can`t be some huge production or it`ll be hard to stick with even if you do like it
    -You gotta work within your situation (space, $, time, etc.)
    -Gotta work the muscles properly or you won`t get decent results, and that takes knowledge
    -Gotta avoid injury
    -Gotta have a plan...an informed plan

    Too bad most Public Libraries don`t have Devalier`s books.

  12. #417
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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Home gyms are rarely as complete as they need to be. Most of it’s not too hard to figure out. Above suggestions are good, I’d look into a dip/pull-up station. Those two exercises, done properly, train your entire upper body.

    It gets tricky at home trying to figure out how to train legs with limited space for equipment and not spending a boatload of money.

    Id avoid bowflex and total gym. I’ve had both in my life. Bowflex isn’t bad... but it’s not all that good either, especially for the price tag. I had a total gym. Really think they’re more geared toward older folks that just wanna get their bones moving. Seemed useless for actual strength training.

    Dont forget, there’s a lot you can accomplish with body weight exercises. They get military recruits in shape quick with no equipment besides bars for dips and pull-ups. And a bunch of pushups. It’s not exciting, but it can definitely work.
    2018 Acura TLX ASpec

  13. #418
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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Looks like I`ll be joining this thread as well.

    I kept up on reading the posts when it started off this year, trying to get excited about finally giving care/upkeep to my personal machine; I trailed off since despite my best intentions to get more active with my health and fitness, I never really prioritized making the time. I`ve since been getting caught up on all the back catalog I missed out on.

    I`ve got great respect for you guys and your dedication/knowledge base for your training, and for sharing here to help get/keep others motivated to take care of themselves as well.

    What`s got me finally joining the conversation here is that my body has stepped in again and made it clear I can`t just keep on ignoring it.

    Through the years, influenced I`m sure by my job (and probably a fair dose of ignorant youth) I`ve had shoulder trouble and back issues. A few years back I ended up aggravating my back bad enough that I ended up doing a multi week program at a Chiropractor/Physical Therapist to get back to normal. I know opinions vary wildly on Chiropractors, but I went that route as I got tired of going to regular doctors only to be: X-ray`d, told nothing looked wrong, then prescribed pain pills and muscle relaxants (which I could never bring myself to go get). I don`t care THAT it hurts, I want to fix WHY it hurts. The physical therapy aspect to me helps maintain the goal of Chiropractic work of putting things back where they`re supposed to be.

    About a month ago, I could tell my back was flaring up. Where it went weird this time was that one day my back felt better, but my Hip was in pain like I`ve never experienced before. Ironic how you can get used to back pain/troubles, but when your hip hurts it makes you feel... so old. (Disclaimer, I`m just a pup by most standards). This is the first time I`ve ever had pain (both back and hip) that affected my ability to sleep through the night. Went back to the Chiro/PT place and got re-examined and had new X-rays done. I get the news this afternoon and find out what the plan is.

    My main goal is just regaining my flexibility and build core strength back up to help avoid this being a repeat issue. To jrock`s comment - as of right now, I`m not planning on adding any lifting; my goal is more to do exercises using your body weight. I was into yoga for a few years, and that was hands down the best I`ve felt.

    Anywho - sorry for the boring backstory, I`m just looking forward to finding out what`s wrong and moving forward from here! I`m sure I`ll be seeking recommendations once I have a better idea where I`m at.

  14. #419

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    jrock645- Ah, you had a Bowflex too! Did your cables/pulleys bind the way mine did?

    Oneheadlite- No apologies for your backstory! Helps immensely with knowing what to suggest/omit.

    Yeah, things are *so*interconnected that issues can manifest themselves in weird pains in weird places! I`ll be interested to hear what your Doc says this afternoon.

    One suggestion- might want to hold off on just dismissing "any lifting" since once you start to lose TypeII muscle fibers it really is all downhill and the only way to work those is with fairly intense Resistance Training. Some people do fine with bodyweight exercises, at least until they get strong enough to need more resistance, so that will indeed be a good place to start.

    Doing "Core Work" will help support your spine (and keep your innards in place where they oughta be instead of gradually sinking down/out), but it`s one of those things that needs to be done properly and *SO* much of what is recommended is 100% wrong and can cause trouble.

    BUT (yeah, broken-record ) figure out what works what so you do the right stuff, avoid the wrong stuff (even if it`s popular with others ), and make progress instead of precipitating more/new problems.
    Thanks Oneheadlite thanked for this post

  15. #420

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    Re: 2018 Health and Fitness Thread

    Gotta admit I scoffed at references to "Core Work" for a long time. In part because most of what I saw people advocating was BS (some of it likely to cause real problems).

    But eh, turns out that I *was doing* Core Work, just wasn`t calling it that and wasn`t doing it the way so many do (what movements, how many reps, how many sets, frequency/recovery time, etc.).

    Yeah, I think I know what I`m talking about because what I do works for me. Dunno if that really translates into knowing what`ll work for somebody else though

 

 
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