Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => The Dressing Room => Topic started by: Dmoney on April 12, 2011, 03:17:43 PM
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so, I used to do japanese ju jitsu from the age for 7 til i was 18, then quit for a few years, then got a job being paid to watch TV and got fat. Apart from a 2K jog i had in the hotel gym when I was working in India, today is the first time I've had a real session or sorts.
I got no direction, but free reign of stuff. So I managed to use a treadmill, bike, and some weird thing you spin with your arms that is full of water. like a rowing machine but you're legs ain't involved.
I'm shattered!
I keep telling myself this will make me feel happier in general... maybe that will kick in tomorrow. haha.
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You're mental!
Saying that, I'll be going doing half a mile swimming every morning as of May 1st. Paddy's getting CHUNKY!
Paddy
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hahah! i don't mind being chunky, but I do mind feel older than I am, and unfit.
Plan is to loose some weight then maybe hit some weights.
I wish I was this fit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCxH88-9X8&feature=related
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Last year I used to be at the gym, used to do treadmill (20) and then cycle (30). Did a selection of weights for core building then a warm down with the plank and all that jazz. It felt good but I didn't really change much and I went frequently, it made me slightly annoyed that I pay monthly and I really didn't get much of a service.
I expect service in some way for a gym. And for £40 a month.
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im paying 35, and I can go a lot. its just across from my flat and it's open late, and I work shifts so some days im free all day.
I had the induction but I haven't had anything like... being asked what I want to change and being pointed to stuff I could use. I know I want to loose weight, so today I tried out some cardio machines. I did a 20min run and 30min on a bike, then 5 mins with my arms on the other machine at a higher resistance but solid pace.
I'm going to have to do some research I think. Luckily I know people who are gym staff in other places, so I can talk to them.
I have some dumbbells here at home and a few exorcises for them. would be nice to put together some kind of plan and go a few times a week. they do classes too. various yoga, some kickboxing. those are the classes that tempt me.
I feel like I made a good start, but I also feel like I need some goals and a way to track progress
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Eating less too helps! And drink lots of water.
Back in Jan I lost half a stone in three weeks by eating a hell of a lot less (and eating better also, loads of protein and salad veg/fruit), cutting sugar out of my tea (and knocking coffee on the head as I can't drink it without sugar). I also swam two miles a week! It also boosted my arm and chest muscles considerably (which I've sadly lost) whilst adding more definition too!
For this summer I plan to get to 14st (I'm 15st 9lbs now) just by doing all this.
Paddy
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word. I'm about 16st.
I have a belly but I'm quite big built, although I'm not strong at all really.
I went swimming in hampstead ponds at the end of last summer and totally destroyed every muscle in my body.
I think that was an eye opener!
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Currently at 15st here, but it's going down :) 10miles cycle, 4k rowing and some weights is my usual routine, sometimes switch a mile swim in there instead, but i've not done that for a while. I try and go to the gym each evening-- like you my gym is just over the road, so it helps :)
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About 15 stone here now, weight hasn't really moved much since I started doing stronglifts 5x5 with my mates. 5x5 is pretty good if like me you hate the gym atmosphere and doing an aimless programme - you don't need to spend hours in the gym and it seems to build strength really quickly. Already squatting 75kg 3 weeks in, but then I already had strong legs from being a fatty and also cycling a lot! Bench press and overhead press are so weak though because of a shoulder injury :(
Doing my first 50 mile road ride this weekend, did 30 last week. Considering LEJOG late July :)
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awesome. you're all inspiring me.
I actually got bored after getting home and sitting round for a few hours, so I got out the dumbbells and working my arms and shoulders.
One thing about the bike in the gym though, I was on it for 30mins with a reasonable resistance, and kept at a constant speed of about 10K and hour, but the readout said I only did 3K! I'm SURE that if I was on an actually road I would have done more than 3K.
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I've lost over 6 stone in the last 18 months or so (and still have much more to lose!). I didn't follow Alwyn Cosgrove's methods (links below) to the letter but his writing really change my mind on things. I had never lifted a weight before in my whole life and never intended to. Now I lift heavy (for me) 4 times per week (Jim Wendler's 5/3/1) with HIIT finisher. Plus everything else I can fit in.
Alwyn Cosgrove's The New Rules of Lifting:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Rules-Lifting-Maximum-Muscle/dp/158333338X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1302635403&sr=8-2
One of the core elements of the book is also in this article - The Hierarchy of Fat Loss:
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_hierarchy_of_fat_loss
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wow! thats awesome.
I'd like to loose 2 or 3 stone. No idea what that translates to in terms of time. One thing about the gym by my place is that the free weights area is tiny, and always seems to be really busy. Those links looks really interesting.
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You lot put me to shame though I weigh 14st and I now know why I haven't been well for the last 5 months and why my weight is what it is. I am really not up to going to a gym but swimming ought to be a possibility. Good on you though for starting a regime.
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Dmoney: the calculations on the bikes at the gym doesn't really represent 'real' cycling... my usual 10miles takes about 35mins (can get it under 30 if i push it)-- that's aiming for 90-95rpm average on a good resistance (i think level 10 out of 25). If im out on my bike, 10 miles will take nearer 45mins, but that's a little more casual at times, and it seems to fly by a lot quicker because of the scenery!!!
Keep it up-- the first stone will fly off quickly, then it's the hard determination that will get you through the rest... my first stone went in about a month and a half i think, but trying to lose the last 2 is proving very hard/slow work :)
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Exercise can be really uplifting on your moods too, all those endorphins and what have you. I swim quite a bit not as much as I did two years back when i was getting over an accident i had at work. With swimming, it does help to get some technique improvements. I'm no Mark Spitz but i did go to a club as a kid and it stays with you. I see some people at the pool, game though they are, splashing around vertically isn't going to burn off many calories. An hour is usually enough, with a few breathers.
I've started cycling again, thats a lot of fun. Uphill is a killer. I'm also going to have a go at rollerblading. I've tried it a few times but still getting the hang of it. I can do the quad skates ok but these things are strange.
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cheers guys. seems like if i loose faith I can post here for some words of support.
tomorrow my plan is get up early and head down. maybe warm up at home a bit then go over the road and try the rowing machine for a few mins before getting in a good ride. monitor what im doing and keep an eye on the time.
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Carbs, protein before. Some carbs afterwards. Peckish - eat nuts.
Rowing machine - 200m, 3 runs, 1 minute countdown.
And like I said before, cycle 20, run (or 30)
Most importantly is your warm up and warm down. But also breathing of course, but I'm sure you know the method.
:)
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[snip] Most importantly is your warm up and warm down [/snip]
Good point, I like to do dynamic stretching for warm-up; something like DeFranco's Agile Eight,
http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.html
I also use the foam roller for warm-down.
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I used an exercise ball, like lying on it, feet against the wall, body straight and do sort of reverse sit ups.
And the plank, gotta love the plank.
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The thing about fitness and exercise is that you should only do what you're prepared to maintain - otherwise it just becomes a soul destroying cycle of weight loss and weight gain.
The equation is pretty simple: eat less, move more. However, that equation becomes more complex when you include "life".
I'm a little heavier than I need to be, but I still train regularly in Wing Chun, so I know that I'm realtively fit (or at least I get exercise...) But the only way I can maintain that is by doing a form of physical exercise that I enjoy. I wouldn't last a month at a gym, it's not my thing at all.
Find something that you enjoy doing that makes you sweat and gets your heart going. Then eat a little less. You'll be fine.
Mark.
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I've been going to the gym somewhat regularly over the last ten to twelve years. Over the years, many people I knew decided they wanted to loose weight/get in shape/build up muscles blah blah blah... I usually think of these as New Year commitments and gyms are never fuller than in January. :x
The truth is, for most people, ironically including me, gym is NOT fun. It's really just about forcing yourself, making it a habit and sheer determination. Hence most people who I knew who started at some time stopped at some time, usually within the first 3 months. Typical reasons: doing way too much right from the start and then feeling like total cr@p/having unrealistic expectations about getting a bikini figure/sixpack in 2-3 months.
And the other thing is that after 3 months you will notice nothing, except maybe feeling a bit healthier. After 6 months you might see something. Worth the effort? Probably not. It is only after keeping fit over years that it will pay off one day in you looking better than the typical flabby guy your age (who does nothing in his life except handling the remote control and chugging down beers in the pub on Friday evening) and having a healthy heart & metabolism. I do it mostly for the latter. I'm surrounded by rather disgustingly fat people at work, that helps keep up my determination. :) If that sounds harsh... you haven't seen them!
You must think of it as a long-term thing and should not expect it to be fun, more something that you have to do for your health!
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I don't expect the time in there to be fun. If I do weights at home I really have to push myself. I do enjoy the aching feeling the next day though. Feels like I've done something. I'm also think I'm a bit of a mild masochist. I also quite like the experience of being tattooed, which isn't always pleasant.
I get paid to sit in a chair and watch TV for 10+ hours a shift. Everyone I work with has put on weight since they started.
I'm going to go do some rowing this morning and have a cycle.
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The equation is pretty simple: eat less, move more
Or eat the right things and stay away from the bad ones. I have totally given up on sweets and everything that contains a high amount of sugar and it really feels good. I think that losing weight is a matter of life style as well as a matter of physiacal training.
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Yeah it definitely needs a lifestyle change, hence why I cycle - don't really enjoy any other kind of sports/exercise but I love cycling so it fits in quite nicely. Only downside is I spend all my money and time on bikes now rather than guitars!
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for sure. I used to have a MUCH healthier lifestyle. then it all went down hill.
Today I managed to use the rowing machine for the 1st time, I enjoyed that tool. I kind of went by ear and aimed for 2000m in roughly 10mins, at a fairly high resistance. At least I think that is what the wild readout was telling me. I did that 4 times with a rest between and felt pretty huge afterwards. Then I had a cycle and ended it all with a jog. I've noticed im weak at jogging. I feel better than I did yesterday post workout. I think this time I made more effort to take the odd short break and I tried to aim push myself evenly over a whole exercise rather than just wear myself out in the first 5mins. I also had some nuts and stuff a while before i went down today. Yesterday I went down on a totally empty stomach and felt pretty rough afterwards.
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I've managed to loose quite a bit of weight. Here's how:
First, get yourself a job where all the other people doing it are dropping like flies. This means that you quickly end up doing two peoples work and the stress levels increase dramatically.
Then get yourself a baby, meaning that you're constantly knackered and stressed out.
Make sure you only have enough money left over to be eating toast for the week before payday.
This is the Tonemonkey diet. Make yourself stressed out and poor and live off a diet of fags and fingernails. You'll drop loads of weight.....
..... Actually I've put some back on as I've been on the beer for about two weeks and one of my mates keeps showing up at my house with a carrier bag full of cookies :lol:
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The equation is pretty simple: eat less, move more
Or eat the right things and stay away from the bad ones. I have totally given up on sweets and everything that contains a high amount of sugar and it really feels good. I think that losing weight is a matter of life style as well as a matter of physiacal training.
+1
While the phrase 'eat less, move more' is basically correct, there is a 'sweet spot' where the 'correct' amount of food & exercise produce a steady and long term fat loss. Eating 800 cals per day + 3hr exercise might result in initial rapid weight loss (notice I say weight loss not fat loss) but isn't sustainable.
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Strange/unusual diets can have a very negative effect on your long-term health and immune system. Just eat healthy.
Measurement for progress can indeed be jogging. Pushups/Pullups are also a good measurement for arms/shoulders, you can see your progress there.
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I hit the gym again today, although for less time. But, I still pushed it.
I can't push ups that good. I used to be able to RIP through them!
I tried some of those Agile Eight stretches and they really helped me feel good. So I'm going to do them more often, even if I'm not going to the gym. It worked out a lot of tension from bits I didn't really know how to hit with a stretch.
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Lot's of people go down the "lose some weight then hit the weights" approach, but it's flawed. Doing weights will help you lose weight much more quickly, and doing large amounts of fixed intensity cardio training actually becomes counter productive. Resistance circuits and cardio interval training are the best recipe for losing weight. Also generates way more endorphins, so you feel better too.
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^ totally agree. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn when doing nothing.
Do a lot of leg weights as well. Big legs need a lot of feeding.
I'm off to the gym
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Any kind of strength/weights work (within reason) is a superb way of burning fat, the sort of confusing thing though is that as you build muscle mass - and most people I know who lift weights in gyms do it to build muscle mass - you end up getting heavier. Lies, damn lies and bathroom scales...
It's pretty intimidating how much conflicting advice you get when it comes to exercise. My advice, for the little it's worth, is always to find something that motivates you and let fitness follow organically. How many people do you know who excercise purely to get in shape? I'm guessing a good majority are badly out of shape!
Edit - Oh, and if you are going to be lifting weights then some good tuition from a qualified coach is utterly priceless. Your back will thank you...
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[snip] the sort of confusing thing though is that as you build muscle mass... you end up getting heavier [/snip]
If you are creating a 'sensible' calorie deficit, you should lose more fat mass than lean muscle gain.
http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/DietExStudy.html
The group who did 'diet & exercise' lost the same weight as the 'diet only' group but lost much more fat.
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[snip] the sort of confusing thing though is that as you build muscle mass... you end up getting heavier [/snip]
If you are creating a 'sensible' calorie deficit, you should lose more fat mass than lean muscle gain.
http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/DietExStudy.html
The group who did 'diet & exercise' lost the same weight as the 'diet only' group but lost much more fat.
I've tried to read that three times now and got lost. I'll give it a bash tomorrow when I'm sober :lol:
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If you're looking for a noticeable increase in muscle mass, you need to lower the reps and raise the weight. For example, 2 or 3 sets of 10 reps with a lighter weight will tone your muscles, but won't affect their size so much. Instead, try increasing the weight to the most you can lift with good form for 2 to 3 sets of 6 reps. Logically, it makes more sense to work the sets of 6 until you are happy with the size of your muscles, then work with sets of 10 or 12 to really carve them out and give yourself the definition you're looking for. The most important thing to do, whether you're toning or bulking, is to lift to the point of muscle fatigue.
If you're looking to lose weight, then your best bet is actually to focus on your diet. It is much easier to cut 100 calories out of your diet than to work those 100 calories off after you've already eaten them. The simplest and most effective diet is a vegetarian, or mostly vegetarian, diet that is low in animal products, especially dairy products. Even if that is out of the question, just cut back on or eliminate the dairy products and limit your meats to chicken and fish. Finally, after you're all done with that, then you can finally hit the gym :D
P.S. Sorry about the essay. I wrote a lot because I'm interested in the subject and I feel that there is a lot of misinformation out there. Anyway, good luck with everything
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If you're looking to lose weight, then your best bet is actually to focus on your diet. It is much easier to cut 100 calories out of your diet than to work those 100 calories off after you've already eaten them.
Really? I'd take walking up some stairs over going hungry any day of the week. Motivation's a very personal thing though so it's bound to be an each to their own job.
The ideal sets/reps for any given purpose will depend on the exercise but actually for most 10 reps is about right for encouraging hypertrophy, some 6 might be ok for but typically about 5 is what you'd do for max strength, with 1-3 being best for power.
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[snip] the sort of confusing thing though is that as you build muscle mass... you end up getting heavier [/snip]
If you are creating a 'sensible' calorie deficit, you should lose more fat mass than lean muscle gain.
http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/DietExStudy.html
The group who did 'diet & exercise' lost the same weight as the 'diet only' group but lost much more fat.
Women don't build mass as easily as men, which I imagine would make a difference? The type of exercise will make a huge difference too, as will what counts as a 'sensible' calorie deficit. I dunno.
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If you're looking to lose weight, then your best bet is actually to focus on your diet. It is much easier to cut 100 calories out of your diet than to work those 100 calories off after you've already eaten them.
Really? I'd take walking up some stairs over going hungry any day of the week. Motivation's a very personal thing though so it's bound to be an each to their own job.
The ideal sets/reps for any given purpose will depend on the exercise but actually for most 10 reps is about right for encouraging hypertrophy, some 6 might be ok for but typically about 5 is what you'd do for max strength, with 1-3 being best for power.
Well I didn't mean you have to starve yourself, just substitute lower calorie foods for higher calorie foods. Lower calorie foods aren't necessarily less filling than high calorie foods.
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Also, as for how many reps needed to max muscle growth:
http://www.building-muscle-guide.com/how-many-reps.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/pauline5.htm (I know it's technically for women but it applies to men as well)
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Honestly it seems as though there aren't a lot of scientifically proven rules about weightlifting, based on the hundreds of conflicting theories. So maybe it's best just to do what feels right to you
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[snip] The simplest and most effective diet is a vegetarian, or mostly vegetarian, diet that is low in animal products, especially dairy products [/snip]
The 'most effective' diet is the one that you can stick to over an extended period of time. I have no idea if a 'mostly vegetarian' diet is best for weight loss. Finding 'credible' long term comparative studies can be difficult. However, I think your advice about a low-dairy diet is incorrect and the reverse is true,
http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v12/n4/full/oby200467a.html
all participants lost body weight and body fat due to the daily energy deficit of 500 kcal/d. However, both weight and fat (measured by DXA) loss were markedly increased on the high-dairy diet
As for rep-range, unless you're an advanced lifter, they all 'work'. If you lift, you'll get stronger, doesn't matter if it's 1 rep or 100. It's the lifting that's important not the rep range.
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[snip] The simplest and most effective diet is a vegetarian, or mostly vegetarian, diet that is low in animal products, especially dairy products [/snip]
The 'most effective' diet is the one that you can stick to over an extended period of time. I have no idea if a 'mostly vegetarian' diet is best for weight loss. Finding 'credible' long term comparative studies can be difficult. However, I think your advice about a low-dairy diet is incorrect and the reverse is true,
http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v12/n4/full/oby200467a.html
all participants lost body weight and body fat due to the daily energy deficit of 500 kcal/d. However, both weight and fat (measured by DXA) loss were markedly increased on the high-dairy diet
As for rep-range, unless you're an advanced lifter, they all 'work'. If you lift, you'll get stronger, doesn't matter if it's 1 rep or 100. It's the lifting that's important not the rep range.
I Agree that if you are just getting into lifting that doing just about anything will help you advance. But, I am a semi- professional power lifter so I have a pretty high calorie diet (lots of protein, carbs and dairy). This helps support the repair of the muscles I am destroying in my workout routine.
It all really depends on what you are after though. My routine is typically stretching, sets of 6 at 90% of my max, then an hour and a half on the bike, then more stretching, abs and pullups. This is mainly to work "peak" strength and quickly build dense muscle and raise your strength.
End the end it is about finding a routine that works for YOU and being able to stick to it regularly, because even a week off can set you back a little.