The Workout/Weight Loss Thread

[BigAl3]

Sounds like you're getting a lot out of your membership :xyxthumbs



yeah, it's just about the only reason i go. if they didn't have the pool, jacuzzi and steam room i wouldn't bother...



Yeah, proper technique is everything!



i always see people swimming incorrectly and slamming their hands into the water and creating more drag which will tire you out quicker and is unnecessary.





Lots of that is probably genetic though.

well, he is part dolphin (his kick and streamline is amazing) LOL...



another swimmer to look out for and is going to be a threat to not only phelps but others this coming olympics, is ryan lochte. IIRC, phelps own coach said he is #1 over phelps right now not too long ago...

 

[Accumulator]

BigAl3- Ya know, the *only* sports I watch, well..other the The World's Strongest Man competition, are the Olympics. I find those people simply *inspiring*.

 

[gigondaz]

As a seasoned and quite-hardcore swimmer, the only other recreation that intrigues and frightens me is Cave Diving.



I was in Florida 2yrs ago, and my brother took me to the cave diving location (Eagle---something). I stupidly expected to see a cave, but there was only a swamp, sort of a small mangrove swap/lake with lots of surrounding vegetation. Being not an outdoors person, I was afraid of snakes and gators.



They went into the water (only 2ft deep), and there was a hole about 3ft in diameter.

That was the entrance. Holy maloney!!!! Definitely not for me!! I heard you must've some kinda specialised training and equipment before venturing into such things.

 

[paco]

Weight Loss vs. Physique/Fitness are 2 different goals.



Weight Loss is a simply concept but difficult to do well. Very simple formula:



Eat Fewer Calories then YOU consume in Energy.



North American's by far and large (pun intended) consume 50% higher amounts of calories then is required. It's not sooo much what you eat but how much you eat in calories. The source of the energy consumption (food) only really dictates how fast the fuel is used or converted to fat storage and feeling of fullness. Sure the type glycemic carbs play a role but don't buy into the hype of authors etc. trying to make a buck off the latest and greatest diet trends. The twinkie diet guy just proves what is commonly known but the weight loss industry insiders.



Doesn't really matter what you eat, just eat less of it. Granted, you want to eat some nutrient dense foods (steak, veggies) vs. just carb nutrient void foods for a prolonged period of time. Look at someone like Phelphs who consumes ~4,000 carbs with is almost 2x the daily recommend amount and he's thin and very low in body fat. How can he get away with it.. simply age (still high natural levels of growth hormone) and huge energy expenditure during training. Mr. Olympia (bodybuilding) consumes over 8,000 calories and isn't fat and easily shredded.



Want to lose weight without affecting your lifestyle in any way... prepare meals as normal. Divide it into 4 sections, throw out 1/4 of it. Do that throughout the day and DON'T add any more calories to compensate throughout the day and you'll automatically slow weight gain or start to lose weight by reducing your calorie intake by 25%. After a couple of days, you won't even notice the lack of fulness once your stomach fullness sensors reset to the reduced stomach load. That includes food, snacks and soda/fruit juices/alcoholic beverages all of which contain high amounts of sugar/calories.



Still not enough.. add a brisk 30-60min walk per day to increase your energy expenditure. Get a pet dog for walk motivation and higher positive attitude.



Simply doing that will cause significant weight loss within a 6-month period. I would go as far as saying cut another 25% after month 3. So divide your plate into 3 vs. 4 and throw out 1/3rd of your intake (including sugar'ed beverages such as soda, fruit juices and alcohol). You're still taking in probably way too many calories but you're on the path to getting it in check.



Add a bit of weight training and cardio in addition to the daily 30-60min brisk walk and you'll be amazed at the difference in your appearance and you didn't have to change any food inputs!!



Take CoQ10; dose adjusted by body weight not the recommended amount on the bottle.

Take Vitamin D; at least 2,000 to 5,000 IUs.

Take a Fish Oil Supplement - 1,000mg; ideally harp seal oil vs. standard fish oils but any is better then none.

Take CLA - 3,000mg per day; 1,000 3 times per day (or more)



As for Bodybuilding.. the opposite of weight loss which is building muscle. I personally believe you need to get your diet, lifestyle and mindset adjusted before you can seriously take on weight/physical training otherwise you going to contiually face significant challenges when results don't come fast enough. It's too drastic a change for most people to take on all at once. Target the area where you can get the fast reward with minimal change to get the biggest return on your investment.



Don't forget this though, you've probably been living for 5, 10, 20 years of eating more calories then you used so it will take a couple of years of living calorie deficient to get back to under 15% bodyfat, slim and to the point where you can be eating the number of calories equivalent to your energy demand



Calories In = Calories Used



Yes, I'm an industry insider. Play a very significant role in the nutritional and bodybuilding industry.

 

[Accumulator]

paco- Yeah, most people simply take in more calories than they need.



I'd up that fishoil recommendation; 1 gram seems like almost a placebo dose to me (better than nothing though). Depending on how much EPA/DHA the given supplement provides, six to eight grams might be better (I take 11 grams/day, providing 4.4/2.2 grams of EPA/DHA and my wife takes more than that).

 

[S&S Detailing]

Update on my workout study-



I am about 2 1/2 months to the end and that $2000. I've lost a total of 23 pounds so far, after 7 1/2 months. Ran into a little issue last month, I was out running and stepped off the sidewalk, fractured my ankle pretty badly, took a chunk of bone out though rather than a crack. I had to take about 4 days off and am still on the elliptical but they are letting me do all my workouts on it.



Update on what I've seen with the weight loss, I can definitely tell my body is in better shape and I weigh 23 pounds less, its really getting hard to get my heart rate to 165 BPM, especially on the elliptical. My kilocalories/minute burned is going down, apparently a common theme because the body doesn't have as much to move, so its easier to run, elliptical, etc.



Anyways, feeling great (minus the ankle) :sosad

 

[Scottwax]

Passed 4000 miles on my bike last month, now at 4138. Good weather the next ten days, 4500 miles for the year is still in sight assuming the weather holds. Also been hitting the gym 2-3 times a week, probably be 4-5 times a week when it gets colder. Feels weird maxing out what I used to warm up with on the bench many years ago though.

 

[Accumulator]

Scottwax- It'll be interesting to see how you respond to the weight work over time. Bet you've got your fingers crossed that the weather will hold for your biking

am .. Ran into a little issue last month, I was out running and stepped off the sidewalk, fractured my ankle pretty badly, took a chunk of bone out though rather than a crack. I had to take about 4 days off and am still on the elliptical but they are letting me do all my workouts on it...

Yikes, that's some "little issue"! Hope your recovery goes well.

its really getting hard to get my heart rate to 165 BPM, especially on the elliptical.

Yeah, it can be interesting what does/doesn't really pose a demand.

 

[Scottwax]

Scottwax- It'll be interesting to see how you respond to the weight work over time. Bet you've got your fingers crossed that the weather will hold for your biking

Just got back from a 35 mile ride in 53 degree temps. Bike short, leg warmers, wool socks, toe covers (for my shoes), long sleeve under armor, short sleeve under armor over that and cycling gloves (not full finger gloves) and I was pretty comfortable. Feet got a little cold but that's it.



Slowly getting my strength back, doing more weight for reps than I was a couple months ago but still nothing like when I was lifting regularly.

 

[Accumulator]

ScottWax- Oh man, I woulda been freezing!



On the weight work, eh...we're older than we used to be too. Really heavy, low-rep stuff probably isn't the smartest thing for us to do any more anyhow. Wonder if you'll find you need more recovery time these days :think: I go as long as 7-10 days between workouts (for a given body part), it just takes me that long to recover/overcompensate.

 

[the other pc]

ScottWax- Oh man, I woulda been freezing!...

Dude, you're from Ohio. Isn't 53deg flip flops and tank tops weather for you guys?



Scott's kit sounds about right for riding. It's pretty easy to work up a sweat doing heavy cardio at 53deg. Cycling on flat or gently rolling pavement produces a wind-chill so it balances out.



For a long climb ya' might even start peeling layers.







pc.

 

[Scottwax]

ScottWax- Oh man, I woulda been freezing!



On the weight work, eh...we're older than we used to be too. Really heavy, low-rep stuff probably isn't the smartest thing for us to do any more anyhow. Wonder if you'll find you need more recovery time these days :think: I go as long as 7-10 days between workouts (for a given body part), it just takes me that long to recover/overcompensate.

I actually had salt stains (from sweating) on my long sleeve under armor. You'd be surprised at how warm you get riding at 19-20 mph on a somewhat windy day.



I'm not doing heavy weights with low reps right now, mostly use weight I can do 10 reps with. There is a fine line between being sore because you worked that body part again too soon or waited too long in between workouts. Seems that larger muscle groups take longer to recover but you also do more sets for them as well.

 

[Accumulator]

I actually had salt stains (from sweating) on my long sleeve under armor. You'd be surprised at how warm you get riding at 19-20 mph on a somewhat windy day...

Sounds like you were working nice and hard :xyxthumbs

There is a fine line between being sore because you worked that body part again too soon or waited too long in between workouts. Seems that larger muscle groups take longer to recover but you also do more sets for them as well.

I use the "sorness indicator" a little differently, as I get sore at every workout (or else it means I didn't work hard enough). I really evaluate my progress by how the next workout goes; if I don't somehow improve then something's wrong and that's how I determine how much work/recovery I need.



I gotta say that I do *fewer* sets for some large bodyparts :think: Seems like it takes more sets for little groups like forearms; I do very few work sets for quads/hams for instance (sometimes only 2-3 for quads and 1 for hams!) yet they get so sore I can barely walk.



And yeah, I hear you on the lighter weight/higher reps. My joints/back/etc. can't really deal as well as when I was younger. I did a few *heavy* weighted chins the other day and my one shoulder didn't like it ("cool it with the ego-boost crap or I'll make you regret it" ).

Dude, you're from Ohio. Isn't 53deg flip flops and tank tops weather for you guys?

Heh heh, not for this guy :grinno: Maybe it's because I have so little, uhm...insulation, but I like it hot and anything below 60 or so bugs me. This time of year is just murder on me.

 

[Scottwax]

Heh heh, not for this guy :grinno: Maybe it's because I have so little, uhm...insulation, but I like it hot and anything below 60 or so bugs me. This time of year is just murder on me.

I bet I despise cold weather more than anyone else on the planet. By cold, I mean anything under 75 or so. Sucks trying to dry cars (even with using less water with ONR) when it gets even cool outside. I hate having to put on more than shorts and a t-shirt to work in as well.

 

[Lenny]

Started my new physical fitness/weight loss program back in early July. Happy to report a drop of 34 pounds so far, with the additional improvement in strength and muscle definition. 34 more pounds to go, if this program doesn't kill me first!!!

 

[BigAl3]

Started my new physical fitness/weight loss program back in early July. Happy to report a drop of 34 pounds so far, with the additional improvement in strength and muscle definition. 34 more pounds to go, if this program doesn't kill me first!!!

congrats on the weight loss, keep it up... :up

 

[Lenny]

congrats on the weight loss, keep it up... :up

Thanks!! I will. I wish I never got fat to begin with, but now I have an incentive - I have a closet full of size 42 Athletic Cut suits, and I want to fit in them again. Even if it kills me - figure if that happens, it's less weight for the pall bearers to deal with! LOL!!



The short story on my weight loss is that at the beginning of July, our health insurance changed, and the cheapskates we're with now wouldn't pay for my Lipitor. Seems that they have a policy on name brand prescription drugs that dictates the insured first tries the cheapest generic drug in the same category, and then only if it doesn't work, then you can go on the name brand. Pissed me off to a fair-thee-well. Had to go on generic Zocor. Turns out to have saved my life. Within ten days on the generic Zocor, six years of chronic, daily, misdiagnosed pain...just disappeared. I mean joint pain, muscle pain, stomach pain, sinus trouble, you name it. Of 27 individual side effects I found listed for Lipitor, I had 17 of them. All disappeared with ten days of being off Lipitor. My energy level went up, my attitude improved - seems that NOT being in pain all the time, not being on prescription pain meds, including Darvocet, all the time, and actually getting a good nights sleep, all those things actually, strangely enough, puts a person in a good mood. Go figure!! :lol:



By mid August, my workouts became more effective, and I was able to control my food cravings - something else I was unable to do while on Lipitor. So far, 34 pounds off. Let's see now if I can make my goal of 170 by summertime!

 

[BigAl3]

Thanks!! I will. I wish I never got fat to begin with, but now I have an incentive - I have a closet full of size 42 Athletic Cut suits, and I want to fit in them again. Even if it kills me - figure if that happens, it's less weight for the pall bearers to deal with! LOL!!



The short story on my weight loss is that at the beginning of July, our health insurance changed, and the cheapskates we're with now wouldn't pay for my Lipitor. Seems that they have a policy on name brand prescription drugs that dictates the insured first tries the cheapest generic drug in the same category, and then only if it doesn't work, then you can go on the name brand. Pissed me off to a fair-thee-well. Had to go on generic Zocor. Turns out to have saved my life. Within ten days on the generic Zocor, six years of chronic, daily, misdiagnosed pain...just disappeared. I mean joint pain, muscle pain, stomach pain, sinus trouble, you name it. Of 27 individual side effects I found listed for Lipitor, I had 17 of them. All disappeared with ten days of being off Lipitor. My energy level went up, my attitude improved - seems that NOT being in pain all the time, not being on prescription pain meds, including Darvocet, all the time, and actually getting a good nights sleep, all those things actually, strangely enough, puts a person in a good mood. Go figure!! :lol:



By mid August, my workouts became more effective, and I was able to control my food cravings - something else I was unable to do while on Lipitor. So far, 34 pounds off. Let's see now if I can make my goal of 170 by summertime!

i know what you mean. i wear size 30 waist in pants (medium in t-shirt) and will not buy new clothes and will force myself to lose the weight if i have to (i weigh in between 160-170 as it fluctuates). luckily i have a fast metabolism and stay pretty active with running and swimming. i find myself swimming more often these days due to the weather and do around 20-40 laps combined with different excercizes. keep up the good work and stay strong! :high5:

 

[Accumulator]

Heh heh, yeah...I shudder to think what it'd cost to replace my wardrobe and I don't want to go there. And here I spent most of my life thinking I could *NEVER* get "too big and muscular"!



LenA- That's great news, about how much better you're doing on the Zocor!



That must be good motivation, having made it half-way to your goal. Another 34lbs. in five-six months oughta be doable, but it'll probably be a little more challenging than the first 34lbs.



BigAl3- I bet it's tricky to find decent stuff off-the-rack with that waistline of yours. You don't even see many belts in 30-32 these days.

 

[Lenny]

Heh heh, yeah...I shudder to think what it'd cost to replace my wardrobe and I don't want to go there. And here I spent most of my life thinking I could *NEVER* get "too big and muscular"!



LenA- That's great news, about how much better you're doing on the Zocor!



That must be good motivation, having made it half-way to your goal. Another 34lbs. in five-six months oughta be doable, but it'll probably be a little more challenging than the first 34lbs.



BigAl3- I bet it's tricky to find decent stuff off-the-rack with that waistline of yours. You don't even see many belts in 30-32 these days.

It's challenging, but I'm motivated. I hesitate to post my complete motivation, but let's just say that for guys, it's a classic motivator. LOL!!



BigAl3, it seems that in the last twelve years, as my weight went up, and I drifted away from my best weight, clothing for more athletically built guys became considerably harder to find. In my case, all my suits are in a "short" because I'm barely 5' 6", and it makes it even harder. Guess it's true that the majority of the population got bigger.