Fitness - Diet - on POTN

[Carzee]

Great topics really. Anyone care to tell how they keep fit?

I am unfit at the moment and need some inspiration and was thinking maybe others here are in the same boat, anywhere in the world.

I need to speed walk/run, which is what I like to do. 12 months ago I was about 14pds lighter and much fitter... so I'm gonna lose it again...:D

[berrylish]

I recently started going to the gym. And right now im tring to watch what I eat. It's so difficult since I LOVE to eat. It's like a form of entertainment for me. I'd even eat if I was full hehe. Anyways, yeah, I go to the gym...do some jogging, lift some weights. The only thing keeping me going is my ipod! Without music I don't think I'd be able to get myself to exercise. Oh yeah, I also need the right environment. A place where many people are doing the same thing.

I used to do wushu (chinese martial arts) for 2 hours a day, everyday because it was something I enjoyed. But I haven't done it in about a year because of some things that have happened. I've thought about taking it up again but its so expensive now.

[Carzee]

Gym workout circuits can be entertaining too. Sometimes there's a few laughs. And I agree with the mp3 earphones too. My reluctance toward gyms is because I'm solitary, and I like to go places. I used to walk 10-15km. I used to hike in the hills. I have another 6 monthly fitness test coming up in August. The last wasn't a struggle - I just want to do it easier.

You mentioned eating - I have a lot of favourites and they are everywhere it seems, especially chocolate. I am driving a lot and get the road food too much. When I can I cook cheeze & tomato omemlettes a lot for breakfast. And I often eat homemade burgers for dinner. I gotta kick sugar and get back to basics.

[cmM]

you need to buy a 500mm f/4.0 lens and shoot handheld all the time.... that should work :-P;)

[lostdoggy]

I recently Rupture my petella Tendon and I'm speed walking on the Key Board.

[thomascanty]

A few years ago I started hiking. I do about four miles every day in Griffith Park after work and on my days off climb a few local mountains. I dropped from 235 to 165 pounds doing this in about six months. I've gained some of that back now, but I'm still in pretty good shape. Much better than I used to be, anyway. :D

[Carzee]

Wish I could go walking every morning. I got to get back into it, often the excuse isthat I leave home early, like 3 or 4am early, and the other mornings I want to sleep in.. hiking is a bit of a luxury for me nowadays. Any pics?

[thomascanty]

Any pics?

Are you asking me? If so, the link to my hiking pics is in my signature.

[Moppie]

I goto work :D

[skade]

Fitness is a big part of my life. Im a gym junkie. I love doing weights, and fairly big weights too. I also do pump classes a few times a week and a few step classes. At one stage I was doing 12 hours a week at the gym, but now its only about 6. I do the egg whites for breakfast, protein shakes, am a vegetarian (eat fish tho) , eat majorly healthy etc etc. But it has just become a way of life now. With my last pregnancy (6 years ago) I was borderline diabetes, and my grandmother is about to die from diabetes, so I really need to look after myself now! If I have a day when I dont feel like working out to hard, I just go and walk on the treadmill at the gym for 30 min.

[Curtis N]

The thrice weekly hike through the Wal*Mart parking lot to the photo center at the far end of the "SuperStore" - gotta be at least a mile, round trip.

That does it for me!

[roanjohn]

YIKES!!! I try to go to the gym..........but I get lazy too!!! I take cardio classes i.e. spinning/kickboxing etc..........I feel that I am more motivated during classes. I am not overweight so I do "some" weights...............but nothing heavy............just enough. I now realize that I have to kinda suck in my tummy a bit..........NOT GOOD!!! I think I should cut back on the Rice.............I love rice!!! I really don't know how I will survive without rice...........I did some heavy hiking last summer.........but I usually eat like a pig afterwards.........so there goes that :-(

Ro1

[Noni]

I don't like the gym. Well, honestly, I don't like working out at all.

So, to get the 40ish pounds off that I want, I got a strider/semi elliptical thingy which is in the living room. I am up to 6 miles in an hour, 5 days a week. Between that and watching what and when I eat (if I can pick it, harvest it, or shoot it, I can eat it. No processed stuff), I am hoping that the 40ish pounds will go away, never to return.

So far, so good. Clothes are looser, and during the fire drill at my office last week, 7 flights of stairs were absolutely no issue in terms of speed or stamina. Pretty good for a classic couch potato.

If I ever get to the weight I want, I'll post before/after shots.

Best-
Noni

[nat869]

I need to get in better shape also. It can be distressing to stand next to my wife, who is ripped and an amazing athlete. According to her, as fitness is her life's focus, diet is the number one thing you can do to help yourself. Eat in moderation and do lots of cardio. Build muscle in the gym with weights and your body will naturally burn more fat, even while resting. Cycling, running, etc are great ways to get long cardio workouts in.

[cfcRebel]

I used to do wushu 6 hrs a week, just to get myself flexible and fit but the impact of jumping and landing is too big for my knees and shins. So I do taichi now. Surprisingly I lose weight faster doing taichi than wushu. :shock: Now i need to gain some weight back to look more healthy. :P

[Claire]

Eh, I bike to work when the weather permits it. I go for walks with my mom and I try to force myself to jog when the weather's good. And that's an emphasis on the "force" part. lol My legs are stronger nowadays though thanks to jogging and I can go on for longer. I used to have very weak legs and I'm more a short distance runner than long distance.

[Tom W]

A little treadmill, a little weight training, a little hiking, and a lot of yardwork.

[KevC]

I've researched this topic to it's death. I know many people may not believe me, but I assure you this is good advice.

The most important thing to fitness is diet. Get that straightened out and everything will fall into place. Eat *small* meals often. Strive for 5-6 meals a day. I know this may be difficult in our busy lifestyle, but do try. This keeps your metabolism up and running. Make sure you get enough protein, and not too much carbs. Avoid things like white bread, switch to whole wheat. Eat things like chicken and tuna, avoid potatoes. This is not to say do not eat potatoes ever, just don't eat it every meal, every day.

Cut all junk food out of your life. Does this seem hard? I guess, but I haven't touched chips or whatever in the longest time. Another thing, pop. (or Soda as they call it in the States). This is one of the evilist things on the planet. Stop drinking it! It takes out more water than it puts in, not to mention caffinee among all the other vicious chemicals.

Hydrate. Water is extremely important. Buy one of those "indestructible" nalgene bottles and fill it with water. Keep drinking it. Don't stop drinking it :) (Ok, some people may take this way overboard... you can OVERHYDRATE, but that is like drinking more than 10L a day. try to aim for at least 4L)

Green tea does wonders. Drink that. Cottage Cheese before bed. It releases protein at a slow rate so your metabolism stays up all night while you rest.

I need to run to class now, in my next post I will talk about exercise. Stay tuned :)

[berrylish]

oooooo I've always wondered why bodybuilders always ate cottage cheese. Been following your eating plan for a week now. I miss my soda and carne asada nachos :cry:

[Carzee]

Well, I weighed in at 198lbs neat this morning, which is what I've been around since before Christmas. I am 6.00003ft tall. I want to be 185lbs and able to run 2.4km in 12mins. Thats 6 laps of the athletics oval.... but this weekend I'm on a 2 day First Aid course, so I'll just watch what I eat and drink. F Aid could be very motivational..

[tim]

Become a wedding photographer - you're running around for 12 hours, and you don't have time to eat.

[skade]

Well said KevC ! 5-6 small meals a day is the way to go... it's how I got my body back after having babies, and I still eat like that now. Water is an amazing thing! The more I drink the better my brain works! Seriously, Im not kidding!! If I feel sluggish or "brain dead" as I call it, I know its because I havent had enough water. If I get a headache, I say "Its because I havent had enough water today". My fiance says "how the hell do you know things like that" lol. I just know my body and how it works, and if Im dehydrated the first thing that happens is a headache.

[Carzee]

Hi Sandi, I should drink more water, I have a heap of bottles I could put in the van. I drink too much coffee at the moment.

Incidentally, have you got your Manfrotto prize yet? I was in Wollongong yesterday for work and just made it before closing time at Madsens. Its a national advertiser for Man... and I checked out the 718blk. AU$240. It has a neat little quick release head, neat leg clips and a nice dual action pan lever. Worked very nicely. But I really liked the Man..190 for the same money, but it needs another AU$240 for, say, a 322 head. Must've had 300 tripods in stock there, Man.. & Velbon, right up to TV broadcast stuff!

[Bruce Hamilton]

Anyone care to tell how they keep fit?

Twelve ounce curls. :p

[skade]

$240!!!! They told me it was $275!! Lol oh well, Im still looking forward to it arriving. They said it could take up to 2 weeks for it to arrive, so Im still waiting. Actually Im still waiting to see the magazine! It came out on 27th May, but over here in Perth it takes up to a week longer to get onto the shelf, so the newsagencies have said 1st or 2nd of June they should have it. So hopefully I will get to see it in the next day or so.

[RockOne]

Sandi,
I've seen the magazine, so it does exist :-).

[skade]

Thanks for that info RockOne. My fiance keeps telling me they have gone bust and im never going to see it or recieve the tripod lmao

[Viking Joe]

KevC is on the money. I'm currently out of shape. I've had a couple of injuries that have prevented me from working out and the lingering effects of losing focus. Getting back to the gym for the first time is goint to be hard for me. The last time I was there I was 178 lbs. at 6% body fat. Let's just say I'm nowhere near that now. The same people that I used to help motivate and give advice to are gonna look at me and laugh. That won't bother me as I don't take myself too seriously but it will be like starting over. Very scary. Kind of like opening up to total strangers in an online forum...hey, wait a minute...

[KevC]

Alright, wow. It seems like my post has gotten a lot of positive feedback :)

Yes, diet is extremely important. However, if you want to REALLY be fit, you must exercise as well :)

Resistance training plus cardio is what you need. And pumping iron is by far the best form of resistance training.

I need to dispel some myths.

1) Girls, you need to pump iron too. You will *NOT* get all veiny and huge just by lifting free weights. Heck, even guys can't get veiny and huge if they don't try hard enough. And we have testosterone, a huge part of being huge.

2) Spot reduction. ERR!!!! No such thing! I've seen people do 300 crunches and they still have flabby abs. Why? Well, first of all, volume isn't a good thing. And second of all, your body removes fat from EVERYWHERE. So you can't possibly ONLY do crunches and expect to have a washboard stomach. Nu-uh, not gonna happen.

3) Cardio bunnies. You must do freeweights! I will get into that... now.

Serious bodybuilders have a bulking phase and a cutting phase. In order to be efficient, they are seperated. Why? When you build muscle, your body also adds on fat. When you cut fat, your body also cuts muscle. It's a fact of life, you can't escape it. Cardio bunnies, don't stay on the treadmill forever. Yes, you'll remove a lot of fat. But bye-bye all your muscle.

Muscle is good. Lean mass is extremely important. Yes, this is for the girls too. I know so many ladies that just want to hit whatever number they want to hit. The truth is, your weight really doesn't matter. You can be 100lbs and really out of shape, or 160lbs and look smoking hot. Why? A big reason is this: Fat weighs less than muscle.

Muscle also burns fat. Even when you're not working out. Yes, so when you're just chillin, your muscles eat away your fat to keep it going. So what's all this mean? To get into shape, you must LIFT WEIGHTS!

"But how about the machines?" Machines are evil. Why? They restrict movement. This is very not good. Why? Well, one muscle gets worked out, but machines leave so many muscles untouched!

Now I know many people do not enjoy going to the gym. But once you start hitting the gym, and once you start to see results (and believe me, you WILL see results, especially for a beginner) you're gonna start enjoying hitting the gym.

Private gyms are expensive. Check out your neighbourhood community centre. They have better rates. Or better yet, just buy yourself a bench. Get a sturdy one (it's kinda like the tripod argument... why do I need to spend so much money on a piece of metal?). Get a barbell, dumbells, and free weights. This shouldn't cost you more than $200 in total. Stick it in your basement, and work out 3 times a week. Yes, that's all you have to do.

Now's the question, *what* do you do? Well, for our purposes, compound exercises are far better than isolation exercises. Why? First of all, WHAT are compound exercises?

Compound exercises are exercises that exercise (wow... a lot of exercising) more than one muscle. This may come to a surprise to most, "isn't it better to focus ALL your energy onto one muscle?" NO! nonono definitely not. Why? It's the same idea as why the machines are bad. Muscles are left unworked. With compound exercises your body works out ALL the muscles in the area, making it more efficient (one exercise vs 10 to work out the same muscles) and gives a more even growth.

Well, what should I do then? There are THREE basic exercises you should do, and that will cover basically everything.

Benchpress, Deadlift, Squat. That's it. Yes. No dumbell curls. (that's isolation!) Benchpress takes care of arms. Deadlift and squat takes care of back and legs. But be careful! You must do them properly. Yes, this means you have to do light weights at first to make sure your form is correct.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

That site is amazing for showing you how to do exercises PROPERLY.

Oh, and as I said before, volume is bad. After several reps, your body is drained of it's energy and starts feeding on your muscle to keep it going. Bad! Do 5 sets of 5. Don't do like 3 sets of 12 reps like everyone tells you to. With 5 sets of 5 reps, you are able to lift more, and will grow much faster.

Right, so that takes care of the weights.

Now cardio. Remember I said, you can't shred fat and build muscle at the same time? Since we're not into competitive bodybuilding, we can bend that rule slightly. Make sure you have at least 12 hours between cardio and weightlifting. Do it on seperate days!

There are 2 ways to do cardio. Easy and hard.

Easy: Traditional Cardio. 30+ min of jogging/swimming. Light movement. Another myth: You do not need to be dying in order to have a good workout. In reality, running too HARD may be a waste. For your body to be in it's fatburning mode, your heart rate has to be no higher than 60% maximum. You don't have to monitor your heartrate, a good guideline is if you can't hold a conversation, you're going too fast! Slow down! Focus on breathing. And keep going! 30+min will be fine!

Hard: This is for your lazy people. This will only take 5min of your day. But why is it hard you say? It's intense. It's an EXTREMELY intense 5min. It's called HIIT. High Intensity Interval Training. Here's how it goes. You go and you walk for 1 minute. You start jogging for 1 minutes. Then you pick up the pase and you go at 80% for 1 minute. Then you go all out, 110% for one full minute. Chances are, you can't go all out for one full minute. Just go all out, as hard as you can, for as long as you can. 30 seconds, 45 seconds. Whatever. Then repeat. Most people can't even do this more than once. Go walk around to cool down after. You've done your cardio for today :)

Once you start working out, and once you start seeing results, you will start to enjoy going to the gym/working out. It wont be so much of a chore. The endorphins will start running and you'll feel much better, much more alive. You'll sleep better, and wake up fresher. Believe me, being healthy is a very good thing to be!

Wow I typed a lot. And it wasn't organised at all. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask. Just be careful and be safe! Start with low weights, and make sure you do things right before moving up! Good luck!

[Wazza]

I lose weight by going to the gym that I've had a membership with for 18 months.

I gained 10 kg in a month (December), when I ate ate ate, and don't do anything. Now I'm back to a more ideal 82kg, 185cm tall.

[Carzee]

Turns out this is a great topic. Thx KevC, must save me hours of surfing - a real 'cheat sheet' on the issue. V G info re the HIIT too. Again, Thx. I will be fast-walking in the morning!

[roanjohn]

KevC................I am taking notes!!! taking notes!!! taking notes!!!!

Thanks!!! A lot of good info here!!!!

:-)

BTW, I know benchpress and squats............but what are deadlifts???:confused:

Ro1

[KevC]

Hehe, I'm glad I'm of help :) That's what forums are for! You just have to be careful of wrong information (like people telling you to do 300 reps of bicep curls :rolleyes: )

BTW, I know benchpress and squats............but what are deadlifts???:confused:

My routine is like this:

Alternate every workout inclined bench and flat bench press with DUMBELLS (they have greater freedom of movement than barbells, work more muscles). Don't bother with declined because flat already takes care of what decline does, and decline is much more difficult and strenous on bone structure.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/DBBenchPress.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralClavicular/DBInclineBenchPress.html

Squats
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBFullSquat.html

Alternate everyworkout with deadlifts and stiff-legged deadlifts.
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBStiffLegDeadlift.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBDeadlift.html

Now that's the core exercise. Notice there are no individual leg or arm exercises? These 3 exercises will work your full body.

If you are crazy about shoulders (not as important as the rest) you can also do this:

Dumbell Shoulder Press
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBShoulderPress.html

but standing. It recruits more stabliser muscles, and helps you develop more evenly.

Also, pullups are very good for chest, back and arm muscles. But it's difficult to do at home (I work out in my basement).
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/WtPullup.html

Do it unweighted untill your body weight is too easy for you.

The website is extremely good. If you are bored with these exercises, feel free to change them around. Look for compound exercises, as this develops your muscles more evenly and you get the most out of your workout!

Oh, and as I stated before. Be careful with too much VOLUME. Stick to 5x5. 5 sets of 5 reps. Take 30s-1min break in between. Try to gradually increase weight, but don't overexert yourself! Push really hard ONLY when you are certain that your form is correct!

I totally forgot about crunches. Lie (perpendicular to the bench) on the floor with your legs rested on the bench. Crunches are the one exercise that volume doesn't hurt. Feel free to do like 20-30 crunches in one setting. The reason is that your muscles wont get overstimulated because of the minute weights involved.

Good luck, and have fun working out! When the endorphins start to rush, and you start to see results, it wont become a chore :)

edit: Viking Joe, 6% bodyfat is EXTREMELY impressive.

Bodyfat % is what needs to be low in order to see those abs. I believe under 10% will start to show, and if you're crazy like Viking Joe, you'll start to get really ripped under 8%.

One important thing: STAY AWAY FROM THOSE FATBURNERS!! These drugs nowadays are basically caffeine and nothing more. The major drug (ephedrine) became illegal because of serious consequences. With your diet in check, and doing both resistance and cardio you'll lose fat without these crazy drugs! Stay away!

Protein suppliments are completely different from drugs though. If you're serious, you should also order some whey protein. Have 2 scoops blended with some juice or milk AFTER your workout. It'll help feed the muscles after being torn apart (which is basically what resistance training is, tearing muscles apart and letting them rebuild.. bigger and better).

[Tom W]

Hehe, I'm glad I'm of help :) That's what forums are for! You just have to be careful of wrong information (like people telling you to do 300 reps of bicep curls :rolleyes: )



My routine is like this:

Alternate every workout inclined bench and flat bench press with DUMBELLS (they have greater freedom of movement than barbells, work more muscles). Don't bother with declined because flat already takes care of what decline does, and decline is much more difficult and strenous on bone structure.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/DBBenchPress.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralClavicular/DBInclineBenchPress.html

Squats
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBFullSquat.html

Alternate everyworkout with deadlifts and stiff-legged deadlifts.
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBStiffLegDeadlift.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBDeadlift.html

Now that's the core exercise. Notice there are no individual leg or arm exercises? These 3 exercises will work your full body.

I vaguely remember the 'big three'. Those are the cornerstone of a full body strength routine. Compound exercise = good!

If you are crazy about shoulders (not as important as the rest) you can also do this:

Dumbell Shoulder Press
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBShoulderPress.html

but standing. It recruits more stabliser muscles, and helps you develop more evenly.

Do note however that standing presses are hazardous to low basement ceiling tiles. :) Move to the garage or do the seated variety if that's a problem.

Also, pullups are very good for chest, back and arm muscles. But it's difficult to do at home (I work out in my basement).
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/WtPullup.html

Do it unweighted untill your body weight is too easy for you.

I used to do them weighted, but I had an additional 25 pounds permanently installed around my waist so that I didn't have to hold that plate between my knees any more (actually, I have a belt for that). :)

Personally, I'd add the pull-up/chinup to the big three and call it the big four. Really, it's a good compound exercise that helps back, biceps, gripping muscles in the hands and forearms, and a little more.

The website is extremely good. If you are bored with these exercises, feel free to change them around. Look for compound exercises, as this develops your muscles more evenly and you get the most out of your workout!

Oh, and as I stated before. Be careful with too much VOLUME. Stick to 5x5. 5 sets of 5 reps. Take 30s-1min break in between. Try to gradually increase weight, but don't overexert yourself! Push really hard ONLY when you are certain that your form is correct!

For us semi-geezers with questionable joints, a 5X5 program is probably asking a lot. I find things work a lot less painfully in the 2-3 set 8-12 rep range.

I totally forgot about crunches. Lie (perpendicular to the bench) on the floor with your legs rested on the bench. Crunches are the one exercise that volume doesn't hurt. Feel free to do like 20-30 crunches in one setting. The reason is that your muscles wont get overstimulated because of the minute weights involved.

Good luck, and have fun working out! When the endorphins start to rush, and you start to see results, it wont become a chore :)

edit: Viking Joe, 6% bodyfat is EXTREMELY impressive.

Bodyfat % is what needs to be low in order to see those abs. I believe under 10% will start to show, and if you're crazy like Viking Joe, you'll start to get really ripped under 8%.

One important thing: STAY AWAY FROM THOSE FATBURNERS!! These drugs nowadays are basically caffeine and nothing more. The major drug (ephedrine) became illegal because of serious consequences. With your diet in check, and doing both resistance and cardio you'll lose fat without these crazy drugs! Stay away!

Protein suppliments are completely different from drugs though. If you're serious, you should also order some whey protein. Have 2 scoops blended with some juice or milk AFTER your workout. It'll help feed the muscles after being torn apart (which is basically what resistance training is, tearing muscles apart and letting them rebuild.. bigger and better).

Weight training is rather fun, especially when you're young and your hormones are coursing through the veins. I am not as strict with it as I was 10 years ago, but I still manage to get down to the basement to push a little iron around periodically.

Like most people, there's a lot on the calander sometimes so things get put off to the next day. We do need to prioritize our lives a bit sometimes.

Anyway, for those that aren't quite as apt to take up weight training (though I do recommend it to all), walking is still a great exercise. Grab the camera and head off to the park, garden, woods, downtown, railroad tracks, or wherever you want to take some images. Walk around and shoot!

[CyberDyneSystems]

The OFFICIAL Diet of P.O.T.N.

[nat869]

KevC brings up some great info, however there are a few things to add/correct:

1) Girls, you need to pump iron too. You will *NOT* get all veiny and huge just by lifting free weights. Heck, even guys can't get veiny and huge if they don't try hard enough. And we have testosterone, a huge part of being huge.

As your percent bodyfat drops, veins will show, its just the way it is. Fortunately it is not unattractive, so enjoy it. Typically to get very large muscles, men and women have to use steroids....this is true of bodybuuilders, not the fitness/gymnast look.

Serious bodybuilders have a bulking phase and a cutting phase. In order to be efficient, they are seperated. Why? When you build muscle, your body also adds on fat. When you cut fat, your body also cuts muscle. It's a fact of life, you can't escape it. Cardio bunnies, don't stay on the treadmill forever. Yes, you'll remove a lot of fat. But bye-bye all your muscle.

This is not true, as you say the more muscle you have the more you burn fat, you however do not add or subtract both at the same time. You can do lots of cardio and keep your muscle, it all boils down to diet, meaning you need to ingest enough protein so your body does not cannibalize muscle to get it.

"But how about the machines?" Machines are evil. Why? They restrict movement. This is very not good. Why? Well, one muscle gets worked out, but machines leave so many muscles untouched!

Sorry, but this is flat out false. Machines have their place just as free weights do. It would be better for someone to use a machine than nothing at all.

Private gyms are expensive. Check out your neighbourhood community centre. They have better rates. Or better yet, just buy yourself a bench. Get a sturdy one (it's kinda like the tripod argument... why do I need to spend so much money on a piece of metal?). Get a barbell, dumbells, and free weights. This shouldn't cost you more than $200 in total. Stick it in your basement, and work out 3 times a week. Yes, that's all you have to do.

Again, sorry, but this is bad advice. Private gyms are much better than a bench at home. For one, you have many more workout options, potential partners to keep you motivated as well as fitness trainers who can help you with form and technique. Most home gyms languish unused.

Benchpress, Deadlift, Squat. That's it. Yes. No dumbell curls. (that's isolation!) Benchpress takes care of arms. Deadlift and squat takes care of back and legs. But be careful! You must do them properly. Yes, this means you have to do light weights at first to make sure your form is correct.

These are not exercises for the beginner. If your form is not right, you can injure yourself....again this is another reason to go to private gyms, the trainers will help you with your form.

Oh, and as I said before, volume is bad. After several reps, your body is drained of it's energy and starts feeding on your muscle to keep it going. Bad! Do 5 sets of 5. Don't do like 3 sets of 12 reps like everyone tells you to. With 5 sets of 5 reps, you are able to lift more, and will grow much faster.[\quote]

Sorry, 3 sets of 8-12 is better for the average person. Only powerlifters and bodybuilders do such little reps. Mostly because you are trying to push heavier weights. The average person should not be concerned with heavy weight. Only will lead to frustration and injury.

[quote]Easy: Traditional Cardio. 30+ min of jogging/swimming. Light movement. Another myth: You do not need to be dying in order to have a good workout. In reality, running too HARD may be a waste. For your body to be in it's fatburning mode, your heart rate has to be no higher than 60% maximum. You don't have to monitor your heartrate, a good guideline is if you can't hold a conversation, you're going too fast! Slow down! Focus on breathing. And keep going! 30+min will be fine!

Sorry, if you CAN hold a conversation you are NOT working out hard enough. 30-60 minutes of cardio will burn fat, Drink a carbo mix with protein added to it so your body does not cannibalize muscle.

I totally forgot about crunches. Lie (perpendicular to the bench) on the floor with your legs rested on the bench. Crunches are the one exercise that volume doesn't hurt. Feel free to do like 20-30 crunches in one setting. The reason is that your muscles wont get overstimulated because of the minute weights involved.

Form is especially important in crunches. Do not put your hands behind your head. lay them across your chest, lift your body from the center of your chest. Do them deliberately not fast......by the way, there are better exercises for the abs too.

[Tom W]

KevC brings up some great info, however there are a few things to add/correct:



As your percent bodyfat drops, veins will show, its just the way it is. Fortunately it is not unattractive, so enjoy it. Typically to get very large muscles, men and women have to use steroids....this is true of bodybuuilders, not the fitness/gymnast look.

Generally, it takes a LOT of work to get in body-builder shape - plus some good genetics and possibly a few anabolic steroids as well. The danger of getting "too big" or all muscle-bound and "veiny" isn't a serious issue.

That said, being in shape is attractive, and you won't look like Lee Haney or whoever it is at the top of the heap these days.

This is not true, as you say the more muscle you have the more you burn fat, you however do not add or subtract both at the same time. You can do lots of cardio and keep your muscle, it all boils down to diet, meaning you need to ingest enough protein so your body does not cannibalize muscle to get it.

It's definately a work in progress, balancing the intake with the burning of calories from the various food sources, and balancing strength training with cardio training. And balancing all that with the rest of life.

Sorry, but this is flat out false. Machines have their place just as free weights do. It would be better for someone to use a machine than nothing at all.

I agree for the most part, though I do prefer free weights. But there are some machines that are great, and some machine exercises that are hard to duplicate with weights. Plus, there is the built-in spotter in most machines.

Again, sorry, but this is bad advice. Private gyms are much better than a bench at home. For one, you have many more workout options, potential partners to keep you motivated as well as fitness trainers who can help you with form and technique. Most home gyms languish unused.

Depends - a gym is useless if it is so inconvenient that you won't use it (likewise, if you head out with the gang after the workout to pound beers). And an at-home setup is useless if you don't use it. But self-motivation is the key to both approaches. I prefer the old gym that I used to use when I lived elsewhere, but there is no close-to-home duplicate gym here, so I tend to use home equipment. Helps to have a workout partner though, both for motivation and for safety. This stuff is HEAVY.

These are not exercises for the beginner. If your form is not right, you can injure yourself....again this is another reason to go to private gyms, the trainers will help you with your form.

Sage advice - learn the proper technique before you decide to waddle around the house with a barbell across your back.

Oh, and as I said before, volume is bad. After several reps, your body is drained of it's energy and starts feeding on your muscle to keep it going. Bad! Do 5 sets of 5. Don't do like 3 sets of 12 reps like everyone tells you to. With 5 sets of 5 reps, you are able to lift more, and will grow much faster.

Sorry, 3 sets of 8-12 is better for the average person. Only powerlifters and bodybuilders do such little reps. Mostly because you are trying to push heavier weights. The average person should not be concerned with heavy weight. Only will lead to frustration and injury.

Depends on your goals and what you're training to do, but in general, you are right. I have no ambitions to be at the top of either heap, nor could I. Like most folks, I prefer to just stay in something that resembles a healthy body. 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps of a few key exercises does it for me.

And I've been through a little frustration and injury over the years.

BTW, don't forget that this isn't all about looks - its about being healthy, too. Strong bones, "toned" (a hated word amongst some lifters) muscles, lowish bodyfat, and the ability to perform a good deal of work without having to stop and catch your breath are some of the benefits of good exercise.

Sorry, if you CAN hold a conversation you are NOT working out hard enough. 30-60 minutes of cardio will burn fat, Drink a carbo mix with protein added to it so your body does not cannibalize muscle.

There is benifit to NOT pushing yourself to the limit, but that depends on your individual situation, goals, and such. I prefer to walk with little bits of jog in between, primarily because my condition isn't what it was 20 years ago. But there is nothing inherently wrong with walking at a stiff, but sustainable pace while still being able to converse, particularly if you've not exercized in a good long while. No use going for the 90% heart rate in the first week of training.

60 minutes isn't always available for many people, but there's nothing wrong with incorporating some of the cardio, stretching, and strength training into everyday activities. I half-jokingly mentioned yardwork as exercise, but it is benificial. No, its not going to turn you into "Arnold", but it doesn't hurt.

My take is that unless you're specifically going for body-building or strength competition, a tiny bit of muscle cannibalization from performing cardio isn't going to matter, compared to the benifits of fat-burning and endurance enhancements.

Form is especially important in crunches. Do not put your hands behind your head. lay them across your chest, lift your body from the center of your chest. Do them deliberately not fast......by the way, there are better exercises for the abs too.

Right again - putting your hands behind your head causes you to try to "pull" your head up, rather than isolating the abdominal region. Fast is generally not good for any exercise unless you're practicing sprinting or something like that.

[cfcRebel]

The OFFICIAL Diet of P.O.T.N.

LOL! http://initial-d.com/forums/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[msad1217]

The OFFICIAL Diet of P.O.T.N.

LOL! That used to be my diet when I was in the Marines. Gotta save the money for booze, you know.

I'm a cycling nut and do a lot of races throughout the year. So of course, diet and fitness are important.

Definitely, need to watch your caloric intake. Of course, it also goes without saying, watch what you eat.

Hydrate - nothing is more important. Your energy level will be non-existant if you are not properly hydrated.

Stretch - whenever you can, stretch. If you have a couple of minutes to kill and you're just standing around, do some basic stretching instead. Stretching will help keep the blood flowing more efficiently through your muscles and body. And you will be less susceptible to injury.

If you go to a gym, great, make sure you take advantage of everything that they offer, you're paying for it. use it. If you have a home gym, great, use it. That is the biggest problem I see with people, they buy a home gym and use it for a week or so and after that it just collects dust. Me, I have a Bowflex, if I don't feel like working out at home that day, then I would go to Gold's Gym. Or one other exercise I like to do, I would go to Husky Stadium here in Seattle and just work the stairs. Here are three exercise you can do without help of any weights, push-ups, pull-ups and crunches.

Oh, and the most important thing you can do to improve your fitness...GET OFF THE COUCH!:D

-Manny

[skade]

Geez, you know your stuff KevC...are you a personal trainer by any chance? Gotta say my favorites in the gym are deadlifts, bicep curls, and squats with some kick ass weights on the bar! lol.Love those days when ya cant walk down the stairs of the gym coz ya cant feel ya legs!

Just to update ya Carzee... I got hold of the magazine yesterday, and finally seen my photo. It looks like absolute crap in the mag! I was a little disappointed. It printed out way to dark, you can barely even make it out! But hey, my name is in there lol

[KevC]

Tom W: 5x5 is actually not as difficult as you would think. The 2-3x12 is a lot more strenous on muscles. I recommend this (12reps) to bulkers and hardcore bodybuilders. The reason being, after your 4-5th rep, your muscles are depleted of energy and you start to "burn out". Stick with 5 reps. If you can't do 5 sets, that's fine. Just do 2-3. However many. But do take ample rests, and stay with 5 reps. It's safer than you think :)

skade: Thank you for your compliments. I'm not a personal trainer, though as I stated in the beginning, I did do my research.

nat869: This is what I meant by a lot of controversy. I'm not shooting you down. There are different schools of thought out there, and I respect your opinion. But I, still, stand my ground. It's not people like you I'm worried about. I believe you have your opinions backed with enough theory and evidence. It's the people who spread false and worse... harmful advice. Then there's just the idiot that doesn't know anything but tries. (Sorta like the Bestbuy salespeople?)

You are correct. Muscle burns fat. I even said that in my posts. However, what I meant was, if you are training to lose fat, your body burns away the muscle aswell. And when you are training to build muscle, (bulk up) you tune your diet to increase body MASS. And your body will not let that happen without increasing fat.

Machines have their place. I... don't exactly agree with you. Possibly to start out. But once you get going, I believe the switch to freeweights is important. I've stated already, machines limit your movement. They force some muscles to work and others not to. Your body isn't free, it doesn't automatically balance and adjust to do what you're trying to do. Also, machines force your body into a form that's fitted to the average. What if you are not average? Freeweights (done properly, mind you. form is extremely important) eliminate all that.

You may believe gyms help out. I think fitness gyms are great. However, bank accounts may disagree. And, look around may be positive motivation to some, while others get discouraged and start to look at how little they lift compared to others. Also, I tend to be distracted (a lot of fine women there :)) and just stand around and chat. A home gym is for me. It's more economical, and less distracting. That's my opinion. It may or may not work with others.

You are completely correct with your form statement. However, I do believe deadlift/squat/benchpress can be done properly even for a beginner. I do agree with you. Form is of utmost importance. You'll end up hurting yourself more than working out. This is why I state, do extremely light weights and focus on yourself. A spotter may be extremely helpful, just get somebody to watch you. My friend (very small build... 100lbs.. little asian girl) does squats and deadlifts with the bar only! She's just starting...

As for cardio and holding a conversation, I still disagree with you. Maximum fatburning occurs in the "Fitness Zone", which is 60-70% of your max HR. Once again, 85% of your calories burned in this zone are fats, 5% are proteins and 10% are carbohydrates. Studies have shown that in this zone you can condition your fat mobilization (getting fat out of your cells) while conditioning your fat transportation (getting fat to muscles). Thus, in this zone, you are training your fat cells to increase the rate of fat release and training your muscles to burn fat. Therefore, the benefits of this zone are not only the same as the healthy heart zone training at 50-60% but you are now slightly increasing the total number of calories burned and provide a little more cardiorespiratory benefits. You burn more total calories at this zone simply because it is more intense.

Of course, this is "boring" (I can't stand it). Which is why I suggested HIIT for people who just want to get in and out ASAP!

There is a lot of good information here. Good luck and be safe, y'all! :)

[Tom W]

Tom W: 5x5 is actually not as difficult as you would think. The 2-3x12 is a lot more strenous on muscles. I recommend this (12reps) to bulkers and hardcore bodybuilders. The reason being, after your 4-5th rep, your muscles are depleted of energy and you start to "burn out". Stick with 5 reps. If you can't do 5 sets, that's fine. Just do 2-3. However many. But do take ample rests, and stay with 5 reps. It's safer than you think :)

.......

There is a lot of good information here. Good luck and be safe, y'all! :)

Oh, don't get me wrong. 20 years ago, I was doing heavy, low-rep sets without problems. As long as you're in condition, that's a good way to gain strength.

But I'm a bit older now and parts don't hold up as well as they used to. Rotator cuff injuries - I've had a few over the years. Knees do some funky things as well. Lower back. All that stuff benefits from weight training, but the more extreme weights are not in my future any more.

Muscle-wise, you're probably right, depending on time-under-tension and all that kind of stuff. Lower reps are good in that arena. But connective tissues and the skeletal system do present issues in the older body. Recovery is slower as we age, and joints lose some of their natural lubrication and cushion. Connective tendons and such lose a little elasticity over time and are more prone to tears.

This doesn't mean that weight training and other exercise isn't allowed when we get older, but the approach needs to be adjusted to the realities of the older body. It's still beneficial even for Grandma to pump a little iron.

[roanjohn]

:confused:

Hmmm.............

A ton of information.............

............confused...............

I guess I'll just stick to my spoon and fork alernating bicep curl routine!!!:lol: :lol:

Ro1

[nat869]

Oh, don't get me wrong. 20 years ago, I was doing heavy, low-rep sets without problems. As long as you're in condition, that's a good way to gain strength.

But I'm a bit older now and parts don't hold up as well as they used to. Rotator cuff injuries - I've had a few over the years. Knees do some funky things as well. Lower back. All that stuff benefits from weight training, but the more extreme weights are not in my future any more.

Muscle-wise, you're probably right, depending on time-under-tension and all that kind of stuff. Lower reps are good in that arena. But connective tissues and the skeletal system do present issues in the older body. Recovery is slower as we age, and joints lose some of their natural lubrication and cushion. Connective tendons and such lose a little elasticity over time and are more prone to tears.

This doesn't mean that weight training and other exercise isn't allowed when we get older, but the approach needs to be adjusted to the realities of the older body. It's still beneficial even for Grandma to pump a little iron.

Hey Tom, have you tried Glucosamine? I think it is a natural supplement which helps with joint pain. Many physicians are recommending it for their patients, it just takes about 3 months to start working.........but it really helps. I have started taking it and my wife takes it to help with her joint pain, which is usually the result of lots of weight lifting and hours of cycling and running. I may argue that, for you, higher reps with very light weights would help to strengthen and not hurt your joints. There are also a couple of good exercises to just strengthen your rotator cuff.

[4nR]

can you swim? swimming is probably the best workout imo. lots of cardio, decent resistance, no stress on the joints, and you dont get hot. i used to swim all the time, but my new gym doesnt have a pool, so im just stuck with weights. just combine that with a better diet (not just less calories but healthier foods)

[awp]

i also do the walmart hike. problem is i stop at the deli

[DocFrankenstein]

Kev is spon on with many aspects... Looks like we read the same books.

I'd disagree with holding a conversation while running. It'd have to be a very light jog, and some people prefer to train cardio instead of burning muscle.

Of course everybody defines fitness for themselves. For me, being fit is not being cut and have huge muscles, even though I'm not small at 225 lbs.

Being fit is:
Good aerobic capacity. You can run fast, you can run long enough
Being prepared for global emergencies
Being able to lift/carry object/person for a mile or so
Being able to defend myself if attacked
The training should not sacrifice my body for short term improvements

Somewhat of a military/survivalist plan.

So, point by point, this is how I try to accomplish this:
Good aerobic capacity. You can run fast, you can run long enough
Aerobic exercise. Tennis, swimming, running, biking... walking sometimes. Although I seldom have time for walking now.

Being prepared for global emergencies
No, I don't have a year's supply of provisions and an AK-47 buried somewhere. :D

But I don't try and don't worry about pushing my fat levels too low. Studies show that your immune system responds very negatively to low fat contents. Cells need lipids to build their cell membrane, and if you don't provide them with fat, they can't grow. Your chances of getting something like tuberculosis, cholera and antrax are 10x smaller if your bodyfat lies within double digits instead of single. But I don't look as sexy as I could. Boo hoo!

Being able to lift/carry object/person for a mile or so
Go to gym. Do the big three. Deadlifts, squats, benchpress. Every muscle will grow. I also do traps separately, cause it's such an important muscle.

Being able to defend myself if attacked
Lacking there, haven't been to a martial art class in years. There are reasons for it.

Best MA for self defence are judo, jujitsu, sambo... there's israeli krav maga, but the methods would get you in jail fast.

The training should not sacrifice my body for short term improvements
This is a big part of it. I want to live longer than most people. It's gonna be funny when I get run over by a truck theorising of another way to get healty. :lol:

I've read a book by Cooper (sp). The guy is the father of aerobic training, a doctor and he's pretty much the only one who have done statistically valid research on aerobic training.

After dedicating his life to it, he found out that people with the shortest lifespan are either pro athletes or couch potatoes.

Why? you ask. Couch potatoes never exercise, have weak heart, body and soul ;) and keel over successfully at around 45 or so.

Why pro athletes? They exercise too much and too specifically. So, they damage some limbs/joints/muscles and can't exercise at all. So they keel over almost as fast at the couch potatoes.

The longest lifespan is observed with people with moderate forms of exercise. His recearch showed that running at 150-160 bps 30 mins tree times a week gives you the best shot of seeing your grandkinds... or even seeing them marry.

So it's in your best interest to try and do "safe" sports. This elliminates soccer, tennis, baseball, basketball and football/rugby. Playing them long enough guarantees knee problems for life. It's common for pro athletes to have more than 5-10 knee operations.

So swim, jog carefully, treadmill, kayak, bike...


That's one part of the joints. The other is trying and saving your lower back. Here's a guide for the start:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hardgainer18.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/casi4.htm

As you can see, you don't need deadlifts to kill your back. Just lifting that beer or backpack improperly does microdamage to your spinal tissues.

Always stretch thouroughly and properly too.

Now, nutrition part of it
You really need to know what goes on in your body to eat healthy and to reach your goal.

1) Fat is not your enemy. (part 1)
The spare tire. The jiggly stuff. Sure, you want to look oh so sexy, but it can really get you sick. With low bf% your immune response drops and you're vulnerable to infection. You never know what can happen to you and what disease you might catch. And when you're sick, you're not gaining weight, you're only losing it.

Studies show, that the weight of the people who have died from SARS in the recent epidemic have a lower bodyfat percentage than those who survived.

So leave some of it on you. Another reason to do so, is you'll be able to eat more and not get any fatter. As your fat storage diminishes, the pituitary and the thyroid glans release a hormone which commands the body to extract as much energy from the food as possible. Thus making it hard for you to lose fat and every extra calorie you eat, will be deposited as that jiggly substance.

2) Fat is not your enemy (part 2)
This is the fat people are afraid to eat. The eggs, the mayo and (the horror!) saturated animal fats and butter. They are afraid the choleterol will go up, so the diet consists of carbs and proteins.

This is a very good way to get a heart attack. Our bodies are fully capable of producing cholesterol by themselves. So you can have elevated CH being a total vegetarian.

But, when you include some fat in your meal it has to be emulsified (turned into small drops to increase the surface area). The organ responsible for it is the gall bladder, connected to your stomach. It secretes bile, which is made mostly of cholesterol. Once the bile is in your stomach it will bind to fats and turn it into small droplets, so that it can be absorbed easier. The good thing is, that if you eat cellulose or roughage at the same time, it will bind there too PERMANENTLY. So, by eating fats + fruits and veggies, you can excrete large amounts of cholesterol from your organism.

Another common practice nowadays is to eat proteins in huge amounts. "I want my muscles to grow" is the war-cry of today's bodybuilder.

Well, if you do eat it, you're putting a lot of strain on your kidneys. Fats and carbs, when your body is done with them, turn into harmless water and carbon dioxide.

But proteins contain nitrogen and phospohus... and voila... you eat too much proteins, you forget to drink and get this:
Seriously, Im not kidding!! If I feel sluggish or "brain dead" as I call it, I know its because I havent had enough water. If I get a headache, I say "Its because I havent had enough water today". My fiance says "how the hell do you know things like that" lol. I just know my body and how it works, and if Im dehydrated the first thing that happens is a headache.
Can actually cause some brain damage, if you allow the urine concentration be high enough.

There is too much stuff to actually type in. The best way is to know how everything works and understand your body, by reading diet books, physiology and anatomy.