Yeah, that's crazy. If you're cool with it rock with it cause it doesn't seem to effect your hot bodness. I usually eat a granola bar in the car on my way home from work so I don't exercise on an empty stomach. It's often a pain in the a.

PS this website is full of lols, hover for animation

http://www.thetrainingstationinc.com/freeweightexercises.html

[Edited on April 12, 2011 at 11:08 AM. Reason : ha]

4/12/2011 10:57:51 AM

anyone tried something like this?

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

ive been doing days focused on particular areas, hitting each area like, once per 6 days or so. (chest/tris, legs/abs, shoulders, back/biceps) problem is, the progression is slower than i'd expect in terms of gains with increasing weights. well that and it takes forever.

the idea of reducing workout times is enticing. makes sense too, with compound lifts only. just wonder if it's sufficient.

[Edited on April 12, 2011 at 12:07 PM. Reason : e]

4/12/2011 12:07:06 PM

Sorry Fellas, but ladies does your weight fluctuate during your time of the month. Sometimes I gain like 5-7 Lbs during it and once its over back to normal... so weird.

4/12/2011 12:11:20 PM

^^5x5 training is a very common and effective training program, but not the way it's described on that page. You're not supposed to use progressive weights with 5x5; you pick one weight for the exercise and try to get 5 sets of 5 reps with that weight with timed rest intervals. If you can get all 5x5, then you should up the weight next workout until you're not able to get 5 sets of 5, but more like 5 sets of 5, 5, 4, 3, 2 reps. Stick at that weight until you can do 5x5. Remember to do a couple of warmup sets before you get to your working weight, and don't count these as part of your 5 working sets.

I found 5x5 to be very effective for strength gains, but I hated needing a spotter for almost every freeweight exercise and was never comfortable going that heavy to exhaustion on squats. If I had a consistent workout partner, I'd probably train this way still.

Once you're done with the 5x5, throw in some high rep isolation movements for a couple sets to stretch the muscle fascia after you're good and pumped up. You'll really notice muscle growth and improved flexibilty if you do this.

4/12/2011 12:29:33 PM

^^ yes but my body hates my life and i actually go in the opposite direction. i don't have much water retention/bloating and i end up going down about 2-3 pounds and then pop back up when i start up the birth control again.

i just switch BC again (fourth time in about 6 months) and this pack has me taking the pills for an extra 3 days so i'm only on the sugar pills for 4 days before starting a new pack. i'm interested to see what happens.

before i had all these weird body problems, i used to gain about 3-5 pounds a month. what i find helps the most in terms of bloating/cramps/water retention is to drink a TON of water, try to make sure you're getting enough sleep, stay away from the salty foods, and eat a lot of fruit/veggies.

4/12/2011 12:48:06 PM

UGH....i have no energy this week...stupid allergies!

4/12/2011 4:26:20 PM

i've been doing 5x2 + 5x10 supersets, similar to the layout from the strength coach in 4HB, my flat bench has gone from a shady 315x1 to 335x2 in under 2 months, all while eating at maintenance or below

my most recent strength day was:

Flat Bench + BW Dips
295x2 + 10
305x2 + 10
315x2 + 10
325x2 + 10
335x2 + 10

Leg Press + Box Jumps
16 plates x 2 + 10
17 plates x 2 + 10
18 plates x 2 + 10
19 plates x 2 + 10
20 plates x 2 + 10

i take at least 2 min between sets or 60 deep breaths and stretch like crazy between

4/12/2011 5:32:33 PM

i've actually decided to take this week off from the gym.

i am mentally EXHAUSTED. i've fallen asleep studying 3 times today and i have 2 finals this week. 2 exams next week. and 3 finals the week after that .

im gonna use this week to chill before the storm.

4/12/2011 5:46:58 PM

there is an app for the iPhone/iPod touch called myfitnesspal. You can track your calories for the day, record your weight....and you can be friends with people on there. They don't see your weight or your measurements, but they will see how much you've lost.


if you wanna be friends with me on there, my name is sawahash, of course

[Edited on April 12, 2011 at 11:15 PM. Reason : ]

4/12/2011 11:14:18 PM

The app I've been consistently using is LoseIt! for iPhone.

Does the same thing that you were mentioning and also has the same "social network" idea with it.

I've lost 22 lbs so far with working out and following the calorie limits that this thing has given me. Love it!

4/13/2011 4:57:30 AM

LoseIt! is good. i've used that one before. Spark People is good too - what i like about Spark People is that it tells you how many calories, fat, carbs, and proteins you're allowed to consume, how many you have consumed, and how many you have left that you can consume for the day.

i have taken H8R's advice - i am adding 2 protein powder/water drinks to my work out days. one about an hour and a half before i work out and 1 right after. let's see how this goes.

4/13/2011 7:52:19 AM

Joie i think its good to have an off week every now and again

4/13/2011 8:41:34 AM

I understand a couple days, but a week seems like a bit much in my non-educated opinion.

4/13/2011 9:10:03 AM

just don't take more than a week off from running

4/13/2011 9:11:43 AM

i think it's all objective....


and when i say a week off from the gym, i mean a week off of lifting.
(and even then we'll see how long i can do that.)

ill still probably run 3-4 miles/day.

which a lot of people will probably think thats not a "break" and
and then there are others who will think thats a bad idea and too





i ve learned to trust my instincts and thus far its been proving me well.

the only thing i cant get a hold of (thats not "instinctual") is boredom eating!
it's really the only thing that holds me back really bad.



[Edited on April 13, 2011 at 10:16 AM. Reason : it's bad. but im getting better. ]

4/13/2011 10:11:53 AM

I take a week off from lifting to just do cardio about once every two-three months. If I don't, my progress stalls out.

4/13/2011 10:24:18 AM

So for my birthday today I got:

Lifting gloves (with a place that absorbs sweat on the back of the hand... AWESOME) from a friend.
Protein Powder (big ol' thing of it) from a friend.
Heart Rate Monitor from the fiance.

.... I said "I feel that there's a theme going on here."

To which the fiance said while smiling "You're fat!" and gave me a big ol' hug and laughing ensued. She wasn't serious. She's actually told me that she was jealous of my weight loss and my commitment to it.

Needless to say, I've got a bunch of new toys. Anyone have a heart rate monitor that counts calories lost as well as monitoring the heart rate? First time I used mine today, I didn't make the strap on the chest tight enough and the thing shimmied off of me while doing jumping jacks. (I was too into the workout to stop and put it back on in the middle of it) Needless to say, I don't know if it said calories lost or anything.

Regardless: Heart rate monitors... thoughts?

4/13/2011 12:52:59 PM

I use the heart rate monitor on the treadmill just for shits, but unless you're at a serious risk for cardiac arrest, I'd think wearing a separate device would just be a huge pain in the ass.

4/13/2011 12:56:32 PM

I have a Polar Heart Rate Monitor that syncs up to my treadmill. It's great for keeping you in a certain zone during your workout for focusing on fat burning or cardiovascular endurance. I can track my progress with cardio better through my heart rate than any other measurement.

I don't think any HRM tracks calories burned, unless you get something like a Body Bugg.

4/13/2011 1:14:09 PM

in continuation of my string of fantastic luck...

jacked up my shoulder (no clue how) last week. been having numbness in my hand for about a week and a half now. so i broke down and went to the doctor. i used to dislocate my shoulder all the time while diving, and the issues have never lasted this long.

ANYWAYS

two weeks of rehabing it then potential surgery.

awesome

4/13/2011 1:57:43 PM

I'm going to try and measure my body fat for the first time ever soon. Ordered a measuring rope and am going to try and use the Navy's body fat formula.

I need to know when I can start eating sweet potatoes.

4/13/2011 2:13:37 PM

What's the Navy's BF formula? Also, why not go to the gym and get the calipers done or something like that? While not completely accurate, hopefully it would at least be consistent.

4/13/2011 3:38:21 PM

you can go to the gym and get it measured? i really have no idea, i have never had it measured.

4/13/2011 3:42:44 PM

i benched out a few at 215 today, felt pretty proud of that. Then i read porchas thread

4/13/2011 3:43:57 PM

^

I used to lift with him twice a week and I weighed about 145lbs. It was more of a 45lb shoulder row workout than anything else!!!!!!!!!!!

4/13/2011 6:52:18 PM

I only lost one pound again this week. Second week in a row. Shit better straighten up son!

Oh and I have a headache from hell so I'm not hitting the gym tonight. It hurts to move too fast.

4/13/2011 8:20:59 PM

Quote :

"i benched out a few at 215 today, felt pretty proud of that. Then i read porchas thread "

Man, I'm still proud of the fact that I can do 2.3 pullups now. Take the victories where you can.

4/14/2011 12:37:51 AM

found a 52 week 5x5 program online, started this morning

with a partner, so having a spotter is nice (never do usually). hopefully keeps up.

established some good baselines, solid start

will report results

[Edited on April 14, 2011 at 9:21 AM. Reason : e]

4/14/2011 9:21:01 AM

So back to the heart-rate monitor thing. I basically wanted it so that I could count calories burned accurately, but it's telling me I burned 12 calories through my entire workout.

That's when it hit me. This thing is based all around a pedometer. It says I took 256 steps during my workout (strength training today, not cardio... you can imagine all the "running" I took) and mixing it with my heart rate, I'm getting a calories burned ratio. (Avg hr was 138)

I'm basically just wondering if anyone agrees with me that this heart rate monitor is not what I wanted it for, and is instead geared towards running. Are there any heart rate monitors that specifically will calculate calories burned based on my age, weight, sex, heart rate, etc. that don't focus on my "steps taken"?

4/14/2011 11:58:49 AM

Anyone wear gloves to lift?

Never have, but I've been getting some nice blisters recently and might want to look into

Just worried about looking like a meathead

4/14/2011 12:08:45 PM

^^ i have a polar heart rate monitor that gives a calories burned estimate from heart rate/weight/etc not steps

no clue how accurate it is, but it mostly makes sense to me when compared to any online estimator

(i just realized i was still wearing the watch part from my workout this morning -- it's a polar F6, it's pink so it might be specific to women)

[Edited on April 14, 2011 at 12:45 PM. Reason : ]

4/14/2011 12:43:50 PM

^^ I used to wear Valeo gloves that have a wrap around your wrist. I don't lift as much anymore and the calluses come back for a day or two, but it's not a big deal.

http://www.amazon.com/Valeo-Competition-Wrist-Lifting-Gloves/dp/B0007W2EM8/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1302799923&sr=1-1

4/14/2011 12:51:22 PM

So knowing an average heart rate, I can probably use a site like http://www.braydenwm.com/calburn.htm to find out my calories burned and it should be pretty close to accurate?

Cause if so, I'm a fatty and take a TON of calories to do my workout. (Which is both awesome and depressing at the same time).

4/14/2011 12:55:57 PM

I haven't read through recently, but have you gone and determined your Resting Heart Rate? When I get home tonight I'll give you a formula that you can plug your RHR into and then multiply by different percentages to see what your Target range is as well as helping to determine where you're burning certain types of energy.

In general, 220-AGE = Max. Heart Rate. From there, you can get an estimate of your ranges. I'm trying to remember off the top of my head, but when you're at 70% of your Max you're burning Fat mostly, 85% is a 50/50 mix of Fat and Carbs and at your Max. Heart Rate you're pretty much burning only carbs. Don't take that as gospel, I'll check later on.

4/14/2011 1:02:21 PM

Oh yeah, I've done the research for the different heart rates and what I'm burning at that point.

The question is can I figure out exact calories burned? I gotsta know!

4/14/2011 1:08:15 PM

So according to my calorie tracker I am not getting nearly enough potassium a day. They recommend 4,700 my a day and I am getting about 600mg. Should I consider a supplement ? Do these numbers sound right?

4/14/2011 2:48:53 PM

Would it be weird to go to a park and do a conditioning bootcamp kind of workout? (Is there one accepted name for interval circuits of BW exercises like pushups, squats, lunges, sprints, w/e? I am kind of stuck on what exactly to call them.) I want to get out of the gym more since the weather is so nice, and I've been meeting a friend at various parks to go for a run. I'm kind of wanting to be able to do a bodyweight circuit kind of thing there too so I don't have to drive to the gym or risk going home and then deciding I don't feel like it. But I feel like it would be bizarre to just start doing a full workout routine like that in the middle of a free play field by myself.

I mentioned that idea to a co-worker and she said she might want to try it with me. So maybe I will get some more people together for an informal group fitness meetup kind of thing after work.

4/14/2011 2:54:23 PM

^ I do that all the time ... sometimes alone, but I typically go with a friend just for safety purposes and to push myself a little harder. I usually bring equipment with me, like bands, jump rope and a towel. Nobody has ever said anything to me, and it's worth it to look a little silly for the purpose of enjoying fresh air and sunshine, IMO.

4/14/2011 3:12:29 PM

True. It's definitely easier to push yourself when you have someone else there with you. I had been thinking about wanting a workout buddy for conversational/not looking crazy purposes and hadn't thought too much about the competitive aspect.

Anybody else want to meet up for some outside workouts in the Cary area?

4/14/2011 3:19:27 PM

I am down 15lbs and 3% BF since January

I am down 25lbs and 6% BF since September




Crossfit for the win.

[Edited on April 14, 2011 at 3:50 PM. Reason : .]

4/14/2011 3:31:41 PM

I'm stopping my trainer as of Friday. It's been a good run and I've learned a lot but it's $$$. I'm starting to go to the Charlotte uptown Y's (Dowd/Gateway/Wachovia) more often now. Anyone frequent these?

4/14/2011 3:43:53 PM

Me

4/14/2011 4:01:04 PM

We went to Dowd when we had a membership. We will sign up again around June. Maybe we will see you there.

4/14/2011 4:06:07 PM

Holler if you want to use me as a referral.

4/14/2011 4:13:06 PM

Oh man, will do.

4/14/2011 4:32:31 PM

PS - DaBird you're looking pretty impressive. Surprised you didn't throw the handstand picture in here.

4/14/2011 4:47:09 PM

I'm typically at the Gateway one because I work in Gateway and it's less crowded than the Dowd but I get over there every now and then.

4/14/2011 4:48:51 PM

Quote :

"PS - DaBird you're looking pretty impressive. Surprised you didn't throw the handstand picture in here."

thanks bro. this past year has been awesome.

maybe i will add the handstand pic later

4/14/2011 6:13:37 PM

Do any of you healthy people have any suggestions for a fairly decent performing bike for <300 bucks? I'll invest more if I really get into it, but right now that is all I can spend. I like the idea of a hybrid, and I love the look of a cruiser. I won't be mountain biking, but there are some small hills I'll need to make it over. I'm very partial to Schwinns, it's the only brand of bike I've ever owned. Thanks!


Oh, and also after cutting carbs and paying attention to the glycemic index, after 3 weeks of really strange weight fluctuations I've finally showed a consistent drop! 5 pounds! Not much, but I'll take it!

[Edited on April 15, 2011 at 8:35 AM. Reason : wheeeeeeee]

4/15/2011 8:33:26 AM

You may get better responses on bike stuff here:

message_topic.aspx?topic=473480&page=1

4/15/2011 9:10:41 AM