The Workout/Weight Loss Thread

Len_A said:
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!!
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Heh heh, copy that on the motivation ;)



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.
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Heh heh, "athletic cut" stuff never fits me because I'm apprently "too athletic" even though I'm *FAR* from some bodybuilder-type physique. Biggest hassle for me seems to be, !of all things!, finding comfortable sweatpants and such! NOT ENOUGH ROOM (for my glutes especially) and no I don't have some weird lower body build. I swear, I go through more hassles over sweats and casual pants...have to buy the latter in loose fit and too-big waist sizes and then get 'em altered (insert praise for Bill's Khakis M1 cut paints here). Why are Champion/Russell/everybody else/etc. sweatpants sized for no-butt guys these days?!? Heh heh, sorry about the rant but this drives me nuts...last time something fit I bought six pairs and I shoulda bought a dozen.
 
Len_A said:
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!!
Click to expand...



Heh heh, copy that on the motivation ;)



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.
Click to expand...



Heh heh, "athletic cut" stuff never fits me because I'm apprently "too athletic" even though I'm *FAR* from some bodybuilder-type physique. Biggest hassle for me seems to be, !of all things!, finding comfortable sweatpants and such! NOT ENOUGH ROOM (for my glutes especially) and no I don't have some weird lower body build. I swear, I go through more hassles over sweats and casual pants...have to buy the latter in loose fit and too-big waist sizes and then get 'em altered (insert praise for Bill's Khakis M1 cut here). Why are Champion/Russell/everybody else/etc. sweatpants sized for no-butt guys these days?!? Heh heh, sorry about the rant but this drives me nuts...last time something fit I bought six pairs and I shoulda bought a dozen.
 
Accumulator said:
Heh heh, copy that on the motivation ;)
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Female, and lots younger than me (& yes, I'm married. Who cares. ;))



Heh heh, "athletic cut" stuff never fits me because I'm apprently "too athletic" even though I'm *FAR* from some bodybuilder-type physique. Biggest hassle for me seems to be, !of all things!, finding comfortable sweatpants and such! NOT ENOUGH ROOM (for my glutes especially) and no I don't have some weird lower body build. I swear, I go through more hassles over sweats and casual pants...have to buy the latter in loose fit and too-big waist sizes and then get 'em altered (insert praise for Bill's Khakis M1 cut here). Why are Champion/Russell/everybody else/etc. sweatpants sized for no-butt guys these days?!? Heh heh, sorry about the rant but this drives me nuts...last time something fit I bought six pairs and I shoulda bought a dozen.
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Back in the day when I bought suits (before the advent of business casual, Athletic Cut suits came in two drops (difference between chest & waist measurements for the uninitiated) - 8" and 10". If you were tall, and had a twelve inch drop, you were SOL. It was MTM time (Made-To-Measure, also known as Custom Made). In a word -EXPENSIVE.



BUT...damn, if it didn't make quite the impression on the ladies!! :cool1:
 
Len_A said:
Back in the day when I bought suits (before the advent of business casual, Athletic Cut suits came in two drops (difference between chest & waist measurements for the uninitiated) - 8" and 10". If you were tall, and had a twelve inch drop, you were SOL...
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Yeah, back when I bought off-the-rack I couldn't get the 10" drop I needed in the lines I was buying and the alterations never really satisfied me. MTM works out a lot better for me (better choice of fabrics and detail options like "surgeon's cuffs" too), and I simply *LOVE* my shirtmaker (Moda Georgio in Phoenix). Now if I could just find casual stuff that doesn't need all the alterations that double the garmets' price.



And yeah...seems like most women do have an eye for good men's clothing that fits right. Back when I was teaching, even my students picked up on it.
 
Accumulator said:
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.
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pants i seem to do okay for the most part, it's the shirts that throw me off. it's hard to find shirts that fit "good". sometimes a medium in one brand may fit good, but then in another too baggy/long and then i have to resort to a small unless i wash the medium in very hot water and dry it on high to shrink it LOL...
 
Len_A said:
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.
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it seems the shirts these days will be either to baggy/wide, or too long. for myself, they need to make shirts in between a small and medium like maybe "smadium" LOL...
 
Yeah, cut-and-sewn shirts (think "dress shirt style") are one thing...you can go by collar size and sleeve length and then just get the sides tapered if necessary. Work shirts in S/M/L/etc. take more altering (thus more money).



But get me going on knit/"polo" style shirts!! I have Mediums from the '80s that fit me fine, and more recent Larges from the same maker that are actually *smaller* except for longer sleeves! None ever fit me right except Willis and Geiger, and they went out of business years ago :(



I too need an in-between size, Large body with Medium sleeves and length wouldn't be bad. I hate spending the money to get polos altered, and knit shirts don't always hold up well after they've been cut up and resewn, but I will say that a "tailored" polo shirt can look mighty sharp.
 
Getting back on-topic, all this talk of shirts have me wondering if anybody here works their neck :think:



I sometimes think I should, but it somehow grows a little (and looks/seems good and strong) just with what I'm doing. People actually ask me how I work it and are surprised when I say I don't.



And NO WAY am I gonna risk having to replace all my Moda Georgio shirts again; last time I made a really productive change to my regimen it cost me a fortune and many of my favorite fabrics are no longer available.



So...anybody doing bridges, or working with a headstrap, or some such?
 
Accumulator said:
Getting back on-topic, all this talk of shirts have me wondering if anybody here works their neck :think:



I sometimes think I should, but it somehow grows a little (and looks/seems good and strong) just with what I'm doing. People actually ask me how I work it and are surprised when I say I don't.



And NO WAY am I gonna risk having to replace all my Moda Georgio shirts again; last time I made a really productive change to my regimen it cost me a fortune and many of my favorite fabrics are no longer available.



So...anybody doing bridges, or working with a headstrap, or some such?
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No, I do no neck exercises at all - I want my neck size t come down some more before I even consider it.
 
Len_A said:
No, I do no neck exercises at all - I want my neck size t come down some more before I even consider it.
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Copy that, and yeah, toning things up there just by decreasing bodyfat can make a big diff in your appearance.



Actually I *do* do a little for my neck, but it's so little I wouldn't even consider it anything like excercise- I move my head around in all sorts of ways as part of my "getting out of bed and getting on with the day" routine. Wonder how I *did* get my neck bigger and more muscular :confused: It was when I was, uhm...48 I guess, and I can't figure it out.
 
Accumulator said:
Copy that, and yeah, toning things up there just by decreasing bodyfat can make a big diff in your appearance.



Actually I *do* do a little for my neck, but it's so little I wouldn't even consider it anything like excercise- I move my head around in all sorts of ways as part of my "getting out of bed and getting on with the day" routine. Wonder how I *did* get my neck bigger and more muscular :confused: It was when I was, uhm...48 I guess, and I can't figure it out.
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I'm 51, and I can't figure out how I did half the sh*t I did do!!!



My goals now are different from when I was 33. Back then, I was seriously into the bodybuilder look, size wise, and I had some decent definition. Now, I want to be slimmer and way more defined. I wouldn't mind if I dropped to a size 40 in a suit, and to hell with the 42 Short Athletic Cut suits in my closet, that I hoped to eventually fit into. A size smaller wouldn't be a bad thing at my height.
 
Len_A said:
I'm 51, and I can't figure out how I did half the sh*t I did do!!!
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I keep (and study) such meticulous records in my workout log that I usually know just what's going on, but my neck growth really took me by surprise.



Speaking of being in our 50s, One thing that's for sure is now that I'm older I leave my ego outside the weightroom and use the right weights to actually get results, and I'm a fanatic about good form.

My goals now are different from when I was 33....
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Yeah, looking back I think I had the wrong mindset and I definitely had the wrong approach. I'm certain that I spent too much time exercising in ways that were less-than-optimal results wise.



My biggest goal-change has to be the emphasis on cardio that I've really ramped up in the last decade or so. Still haven't quite figured out how to really hit it hard without overtraining and how to keep making significant progress, but I'm getting closer (the heart rate monitor has been helpful).



Now I'm not really all about being big and muscular, but rather just being in good athletic shape...and the size/etc. seems to be taking care of itself just fine.



I had some decent definition..
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I think I overdid that too. There were times when I actually had to gain bodyfat for certain activities lest I be susceptible to injuries, and now that seems just goofy for somebody living a normal life.
 
Got my new (to me) bike today. Bought it from a customer, they sold for $1500-1800 new, got it for $500, only has a couple thousand miles on it, new chain, new back tire and just tuned up.



2006 Fuji Roubaix Pro. Mix of 105/Ultegra, Alex wheels, carbon seat stays and fork, standard 53/39 crank, 54 cm frame, 18.6 pounds.



This is how I got it and rode 38 miles tonight (even though it was in the mid to upper 40s):



fuji2.jpg




I don't particularly like the tires on it, Panaracer Stradius Pros-kind of noisy. Already swapped my Bontrager R3 from my Cannondale onto the front wheel (rear tire in a Race X-Lite that is probably one hard stop away from hitting the threads) and am picking up another R3 for the rear tomorrow.



Also flipped the handlebar stem, it was set up for more upright riding, felt like a fricking sail tonight. When I got back home, I put both bikes side by side and the handlebars on my Cannondal were a good 3" lower. :noes: Flipped the stem, only have 1 small spacer underneath and that dropped the handlebars nearly as low as the Cannondale now.



fuji3.jpg




The Alex ALX-220 wheels will probaby be the first thing to get upgraded. 824/1081 grams, pretty hefty. Might go with a pair of Neuvation R28 wheels, which are 640/880 and $300 for the pair. That's a 380 gram difference, about .75 pounds or so.



The ride is a lot smoother than my Cannondale R400 Racing, handling is a bit more relaxed. Definitely feel the lower weight when I stand on it. The Fuji seat is pretty comfortable but I'll swap on my Specialized Phenom 143 to see how they compare. Index shifting ****ing rocks. :)
 
Accumulator said:
Scottwax- Nice piece of machinery you have there! Gee, bikes sure have changed since my circa-'75 Fuji Special Road Racer.
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You ought to see how wild the time trial bikes are!
 
Ought to be able to ride today, rain/drizzle yesterday, rain overnight, now partly sunny and warming up. Might have to just ride the paths along the main road instead of going into the park, I imagine it will be pretty wet from all the rain. Only 12 miles to go to break the 4500 mile mark, 24 to be 1200 miles up on last year.



No lifting for a couple weeks, tweaked my left shoulder. Still can do back/biceps but anything requiring pushing (like working shoulders or chest) is uncomfortable. Not so painful I can't do it so I am guessing it isn't anything serious but resting it would be best. Sucks because I've been making some pretty good gains lately.
 
Scottwax- Hope you're able to get those miles in, I can tell you're stoked to reach those numbers.



Any idea how you tweaked your shoulder? Like, was it something sudden or something delayed-onset?
 
That is a sexy looking bike. I picked up a mild dirt jumper framed bike to hooligan around on and get me interested in some riding to lose some weight. Geometry is all wrong, isn't great for long moderate pedaling for weight loss but it got me out there. I just joined two biggest losers contests, one with friends and one on a local forum i frequent. Tried walking/jogging but it's been little too cold out lately. I either have to join a gym or utilize the kinect with fitness game I just got. I really gotta get moving now lol.
 
Accumulator said:
Scottwax- Hope you're able to get those miles in, I can tell you're stoked to reach those numbers.



Any idea how you tweaked your shoulder? Like, was it something sudden or something delayed-onset?
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Just felt a twing when I was benching. Really hasn't gotten any worse and doesn't seem to hinder my ability to put ever increasing amounts of weight up but it won't heal (or at least not quickly) if I keep lifting.



Rode almost 36 miles tonight, so I am over my 4500 mile goal. Low 70s tomorrow and a relatively light workload. If I can get out early enough, I'm going to ride a half century. Now that I have the R3s front and back on the bike, it is a lot quieter. The Panaracer tires were almost as noisy as MTB tires. Noise usually equals drag too. Lowering the headset helped too, gets me in a more aero position in the wind.



schiddy-thanks! I really like it too. :)



Just be aware that road biking is an expensive addiction should you get into it. Even used, a good road bike is going to be $500-1000 and higher end bikes can still go for $2000+ on craigslist. You also need a helmet, pedals w/cleats, shoes to mount the cleats on, bike shorts (trust me, you NEED bike shorts!), small bike specific tool set, saddle bag, lights if you ride at night (front and rear), cycling gloves, extra tubes, etc. On the other hand, if you ride a lot, the cost per mile ends up being pretty cheap. Got 12,400 miles out of my used Cannondale my brother sold to me for $100, add in 6 pairs of back tires at $55 each, 2 front tires at $55 each, seat for $90, pedals/cleats for $120, shoes for $90, 10 tubes at $6 each, two wheel rebuilds for $260, helmet for $50 and my cost per mile has been 10 cents. Real bargain when you look at it that way. :up
 
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