101 pages of awesome

11/14/2011 1:07:04 PM

post number 5001

[Edited on November 14, 2011 at 1:07 PM. Reason : ]

11/14/2011 1:07:04 PM

oh crap, imma get the hammer of gunzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

11/14/2011 1:07:28 PM

Quote :

"I've seen a lot more "fat" personal trainers than aerobic instructors."

I went to quit my old gym last week (been doing crossfit for a few months now) and a less-than-cut trainer heard why I was quitting and asked, "Are you seeing the results you want? Are you getting shredded?" in kind of a condescending way. I really wanted to reply with "Are you?" ... but I was nice.

11/14/2011 1:38:48 PM

Quote :

"That phenomenon still boggles my mind. I don't understand how someone can hire a trainer who is not at least lean or functionally heavy (read: power lifter). "

Not to mention the fat "nutrionists" I see all the time. How 'bout you follow your own advice, fatty?

It's like taking financial advice from a homeless dude.

11/14/2011 2:16:02 PM

Although I agree with the past few comments, I will say there is this one spin teacher who is INSANE. and really good and is still overweight but she's lost 140 lbs in the past 3 years or something. But it amazes me that she's spinning the way she does. Its hard to keep up with her.

11/14/2011 2:18:15 PM

if she's still overweight, it just goes to show that you can't outrun a poor diet

11/14/2011 4:12:16 PM

so..........


I went to class tonight and Master Lee had mentioned having me test either this week or next for the next belt. I was a little taken aback, but he doesn't ask if you want to test unless he knows you're ready, so I went for it. He sprung it on me tonight (along with another classmate) and I passed - had to roundhouse kick a board. But when he came out, he gave me an orange belt instead of a yellow/orange stripe belt so I got to skip a whole belt!

BALLIN

11/14/2011 9:22:02 PM

Fuck it

[Edited on November 14, 2011 at 9:34 PM. Reason : gg]

11/14/2011 9:31:07 PM

I've been taking personal training lessons, and have been having trouble with my energy level. Where can I go to get good information about keeping up with my energy? My goal is not to lose weight. I'm at a good weight for my body type (~110 pounds), but I want to beef up my endurance and tone, etc. However, I'm not getting a good workout consistently because I'm not eating the right things, and as such, I'm not energized to follow through with an hour workout. I'm just not very hungry, so I need to maximize the benefits of what I do eat.

Any suggestions for where I can go to do some research, or any ideas for things to eat?

11/14/2011 9:44:00 PM

That's amazing, Sam. Congrats!

^ What do you eat now?

11/14/2011 9:48:19 PM

Not a lot, and what I do eat isn't necessarily good. I don't typically get breakfast (I'm trying to change that). I do the previous night's leftovers for lunch. Have a mid-afternoon granola bar. For dinner it's typically chicken and a side dish, salmon and a salad, or pasta, etc. Nothing is set in stone, and nothing is consistent. That's one of the main reasons I'm trying to get a plan together. I have recently cut out caffeine (again), and that has helped significantly.

11/14/2011 9:51:38 PM

i found that frequent healthy snacking will help with getting the appetite back.

ie yogurt with granola, fruit, luna bar, etc. at least it's worked for me.

11/14/2011 9:52:55 PM

^Thanks!

11/14/2011 10:12:14 PM

How much fat do you get? That makes a big difference in energy for me. So I eat a lot of nuts, olive/coconut oil, avocado, etc.

11/14/2011 10:15:42 PM

Not a lot. Where else can I find good fats? I'm not a big fan nuts, but I can definitely stomach them if they're a good source of nutrition.

11/14/2011 10:20:10 PM

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

11/14/2011 10:21:22 PM

^Great! Thank you!!

11/14/2011 10:23:30 PM

I used to eat very little fat too (5-maybe 10 percent of my calories). I was a vegetarian and didn't really eat nuts or use much oil. A trainer (Packman92) suggested I up my fat intake to like 30 percent. So I did. But I did it all at once.

... don't do that. But up it gradually over a week or two and you'll probably find that you have more energy. I feel so much better, and perform better, now that I eat a lot more fat.

[Edited on November 14, 2011 at 10:32 PM. Reason : though likely a lot of your energy issues will be helped by just eating more/enough in generall]

11/14/2011 10:27:01 PM

Make sure you are getting enough sleep and calories to support your activity level.

Low energy levels can be from a multitude of issues. You may be deficient in some type of micro-nutrient (vitamin D, magnesium, calcium, zinc, folic acid are a few big ones that can cause problems if you are deficient.)

I'd try out a low carb, high protein, moderate fat diet. Think meats and vegetables. Get a variety of colorful vege's and fruits as different colors signify different types of nutrients. Start taking a multi vitamin, vitamin d (~2000 ius a day), ~2-3g of fish oil, and possibly a ZMA or other magnesium supp....

If you fix your sleep, stress levels, and add that diet/supplementation to the mix and you still haven't had an improvement in your wellness; go to the doctor and get a blood panel ran and it should give you some insight in to what is wrong.

If you want to get "tone" then you need to lower body fat levels and strength train. Muscle tone comes from a constant partial contraction of the muscle. It is maintained in a "ready state". This is achieved through strengthening the muscle.

Wanting to "increase endurance" is pretty nebulous. Do you want to run longer? Or just have more energy through your day?

11/14/2011 10:27:47 PM

I definitely need to add more sleep to my life :/

And thanks Skwink there's a tournament coming up in the spring... I'm really tempted to enter, but I'm worried about getting a busted lip or something before graduation/the wedding. Although I would probably look like a bad ass

11/14/2011 10:51:16 PM

11/15/2011 1:51:02 AM

Really? I saw that on theChive as well, but it doesn't really fit this thread.

Good attempt though.

11/15/2011 7:03:54 AM

Quote :

"Wanting to "increase endurance" is pretty nebulous. Do you want to run longer? Or just have more energy through your day?"

Thanks for all the tips. They really are helpful. I am B12 deficient, but I am working on getting that fixed (and it's not something you can just absorb through a supplement), so I do think that's contributing to my energy levels. By increasing endurance, I mean that want to be able to work out harder, to run longer, to be able to lift things with any general type of weight. I don't want to feel like I'm the weakest person in the room. My problem isn't shape, I really don't have much fat. I have a BMI of like 14, so I figure it's just up from here as far as toning goes.

11/15/2011 7:48:55 AM

PROTEINNNNNNN

11/15/2011 8:09:12 AM

Are you on Deplin (or similar prescriptions) or have heard of it?

I've considered taking it because my Doc thinks I may have bad absorption of Folic Acid ( a B vitamin).

It is a precursor to several neurotransmitters that are important in energy levels, feelings of empathy, motivation and more.

It is technically not a drug, but more of a prescription strength supplement.

As mentioned before, getting more protein and fat from animal products sounds like it may do the trick.

11/15/2011 10:19:56 AM

No, but I'm being screened for celiac, which my doctor thinks might be causing the malabsorbtion. I also take a B12 supplement, but I have to hold it under my tongue until it dissolves. I'll look into what you suggested though if my celiac screenings come back negative.

11/15/2011 10:21:54 AM

^ You're 6'2" and ~110 lbs? A BMI of 14 is SCARY low.

Can you do protein shakes? That may be one of the easiest ways to gain weight. I know people who really needed to gain weight who were put on Ensure shakes by their doctors so they could get more vitamins, minerals, protein, etc easily.

11/15/2011 10:25:53 AM

I'm definitely not 6'2"! Where would you get that from?? I'm 5'5". My doctor isn't concerned about my weight level or my BMI, because they both work for my body size and shape. I'm just a naturally lean person. But I do want to increase my muscle mass (which has caused some weight gain already, in a good way).

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 10:30 AM. Reason : ]

11/15/2011 10:27:54 AM

You said you were 110 lbs with a BMI of 14. Which would put you at around 6'2". Did you mean your body fat percentage is 14%?

11/15/2011 10:32:29 AM

No, I meant BMI of 14, that was not based on a chart though, but on one of those machine things that you grip and it calculates your BMI. I'm just going off of what's written on my personal training chart!

11/15/2011 10:34:48 AM

Your BMI is based on a height-to-weight ratio. So your BMI is actually around 18.5, which is low, but it's still in the healthy range, which is good.

With a BMI of 14, you'd look extremely ill.

Here's how you can find your BMI: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

I really think what you're thinking of is a body fat composition monitor. And 14 for that is GREAT!

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 10:37 AM. Reason : s]

11/15/2011 10:37:15 AM

That makes more sense to me. I don't look ill! Do you have any idea what the grippy machine thing measured then?

^Awesome, you answered my question already!!

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 10:39 AM. Reason : ]

11/15/2011 10:38:32 AM

It probably measured your body fat composition. And 14 would be a realistic number since you sound very lean. It means you're 14% body fat ... which is very low for a woman, but it's still healthy.

Once you get to the 10 - 12% range, you can risk infertility. That's the essential fat range. So being just above 12% is great. Female athletes (high-performance) tend to be in the 13 to 20% range. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 10:42 AM. Reason : t]

11/15/2011 10:41:57 AM

whoop whoop still losing - down to 131 pounds today

11/15/2011 10:45:43 AM

Very nice! GG

Are you doing anything different? Or is it mainly a continuation of the dietary changes and Bodyrock?

11/15/2011 11:12:09 AM

Just eating healthy (avoiding sulfites) and doing Bodyrock 6 days a week

11/15/2011 11:30:32 AM

If you think you may have celiac disease then you need to remove all grain based products from your diet ASAP

11/15/2011 12:13:28 PM

blog alert

failed on two of my three core lifts this morning, one being close, the other being no where near completed on sets/reps i wanted to do. after two days rest i thought i would knock this one out of the park. my working sets i do 5x5. ohps i was at 5,5,5,4,3, squats 5,5,4,3,1.

really the only plus side to this morning's workout is that now i know how to and am comfortable with safely ditching a bar during a squat. got into the hole on on the second rep of the last set, body just said "nope", and was able to just go a little lower to the safety rails and roll out. haven't had to do that before. earned that merit badge. i use the power rack because the squat racks' safeties are too high for the depth i squat.

took some pics this morning after waking up, and was going to post them, but got miffed at how they looked.

i'm stalled and blame sleep and diet. i didnt sleep for shit last night, and have been eating garbage for the last two weeks it seems. durh hurrrrrrr.....

overall pretty pissed with myself about a.) stalling twice in a row on squats, b.) stalling twice in a row on overhead presses c.) how the pictures looked... (despite adding 10 lbs and dropping 2-3% body fat since last pictures) d.) grip strength is becoming a problem on deads. i have a kind of strange mental aversion against wrist straps. confirmed today when the guy next to me was curling 65lbs in the power rack with wraps on after i barely hung on to my deadlift working set today told me "straps make things so much easier". i don't feel as if i should have a problem with doing like 255lbs double overhand with no straps.

also, i think it's about time i stopped working out at 5am. going in with little to nothing on my stomach for the last 10 or so hours, i just get gassed too easily. or i might be warming up inapporopriately with too much volume. idk. i just love the fact that when i get there there's like 3 people in the whole place. maybe ill start going into work at 530 or so and hitting the gym about 330 and fight off the high school jerks.

ahh well. it's funny how a shitty couple of sessions of working out can really sour your overall mood. i used to be the same way with running. however, i did make it into the 9th week on a linear program with some pretty taxing programing before it's really caught up to me. if i stall out on squats/ohps after the next attempt im going to drop off 10% or so, and start again. even if i have to deload i should still be able to make my goals i had set by christmas (and they were aggressive). just got to keep that in mind.

/twwi<3k2011bbcisablog

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 12:20 PM. Reason : strict presses are so tempting to cheat on. ]

11/15/2011 12:14:00 PM

Are you doing the texas method?

11/15/2011 12:24:41 PM

Quote :

"Do you have any idea what the grippy machine thing measured then? "

they're bio-impedance devices and they measure bodyfat composition. They're not accurate at all, but they're consistent. If the number goes down, then you're typically losing bodyfat. A reading of 14 means you could be anywhere from 10-20% bodyfat, but going from 14 to 13 is usually a good indication that you did lose 1% bodyfat.

11/15/2011 12:24:42 PM

I'm an idiot. Carry on.

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 12:34 PM. Reason : Celiac]

11/15/2011 12:33:04 PM

Quote :

"ahh well. it's funny how a shitty couple of sessions of working out can really sour your overall mood. "

I've been in this boat too recently. I am really trying to redirect the bad feelings into motivation to suck it up and push myself harder, but that isn't too easy.

11/15/2011 12:35:44 PM

http://stronglifts.com/

recently he's gone all commercial and the site seems to be more about selling his program than about the actual program. the program is a bastardized version of bill starr's 5x5 and starting strength's program.

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program#Three_Flavors_of_Starting_Strength

i originally leaned towards SL instead of starting strength because i was terrified of power cleans... the thought of going instructorless and straight into power cleans was very intimidating. SL replaces power cleans with pendlay rows or bent over barbell rows.

so SL is 5x5 for working weights. if you fail to hit 5x5 for three straight attempts, deload 10%. once you have to deload twice, on the third deload go to 3x5. starting strength starts at 3x5. (both have 1x5 for deadlift). Workout A is Squats/OHP/DL, Workout B is Squats/Row/Bench. Three days a week, ABA/BAB. At lower weights i was using a lot of assistance work to actually feel like I was getting a workout. Now i've cut it down to dips/chins/pullups with a random sumo dl set i've talked about in here on the last DL day of the week.

both are linear programs for beginners, adding 5lbs per exercise per completed session (10lbs for dl). start light and work on form, build up. lots and lots o squats.

my plan was to carry on with strong lifts as prescribed. two deloads per lift, get down to 3x5, then after two deloads on each lift start up Texas Method. From what I've read it's a pretty good place for an intermediate program, and suited me.

From there I'll run Texas Method for a good long while, see where it takes me, and then make a decision. At this point I guess I'll have a pretty good foundation to make some more informed decisions on what i want my body to do and look like. I expect this to be somewhere in ~2013.

for right now, I seem to be pretty much smack in the middle of novice/intermediate on the charts from

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.htm

which, i guess is about where i should be. started off several months ago directionless and well below the "untrained" levels on those charts


in full disclosure, i tried to do SL in like, may/june and didnt keep up with it for shit. started up again in september and haven't missed a workout. give it a real shot this time.


[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 12:55 PM. Reason : i like the program, not the dude.]

11/15/2011 12:41:00 PM

Quote :

"If you think you may have celiac disease then you need to remove all grain based products from your diet ASAP "

Can't until I get the biopsy done. You're supposed to eat gluten until then, so the results aren't skewed by the healing process.

11/15/2011 12:46:28 PM

Beethoven, if your celiac panels come back negative has your doc mentioned just being gluten intolerant?

And did he mention what will be in the panel specifically? Certain docs don't look for a certain antibody level, can't remember which one.. But there's a more detailed panel that I don't think is used as much

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 12:48 PM. Reason : .]

11/15/2011 12:47:15 PM

I don't want to derail the thread, but the first panel came back abnormal (one component screened positive, the other negative). Last week was another blood draw for more screening and to see if I carry the celiac gene marker. I have an endoscopy scheduled for two weeks. Lots of family with celiac though, so there's a pretty good chance I've got it.

11/15/2011 12:49:14 PM

Yeah considering the family history, might want to count on one of the DQ loci that sucks though. Are they making you stay on gluten until the endoscopy is over?

11/15/2011 12:54:03 PM

Yes, so that I don't go through any healing and mess up the results. I'm actually supposed to increase my gluten uptake, so that there's less of a chance of coming back inconclusive.

11/15/2011 12:54:57 PM

Ok, good. I heard the gluten challenge can suck... Did you ever find yourself naturally not choosing foods that had gluten?

11/15/2011 12:56:41 PM