180 replies to this topic

[Oriole85]

Great thread BB.  Meant to start one a while ago but just forgot.

Big exercise guy here.  For me there's something peaceful/relaxing about getting in the gym or going for a jog, throwing in the headphones, rocking some tunes, and getting in some work.

Typically my workouts consist of 2 week "cycles" of both cardio and weights before I switch things up.  Week 1 is M-F, with a 3.5 mile jog on Saturday (Sunday off for rest) and Week 2 is just M-F (both Saturday and Sunday off for rest before the next 2 week "cycle" begins).  Cardio all days, upper body weights on MWF, lower body weights T/TH, and core work on all days.

 

Cardio is usually 5-5.5 mile run/jog then some cooldown on both the elliptical and bike.  Gotta say that I prefer the more stand-up and/or spin bike over the bike where you're like sitting/leaning back.

 

For upperbody I usually do kinda modified circuit routine and do 2 exercises for back, chest, arms, shoulders and usually 3 core/ab exercises.

 

Lower body is the same modified circuit routine with exercises for quads, glutes, hams, calfs, plus some wrist work and the 3 core/ab exercises.

 

Again, every 2 weeks I'll switch things all up (different setting/levels on the treadmill/bike/elliptical, different exercises, reps, sets, etc.) to keep things fresh and the muscles confused.

 

So right now I'm on Week 2 of my 2-week cycle and it's been:

 

cardio:  5 min warm up on treadmill.  Then, on 1.5 incline, 2:30 minutes at 9.0mph and 2 minutes at 7.  Repeat that cycle for duration of run.  10 mins on elliptical on level 16.  10 mins on spin bike at various intensity levels

 

Upper Body (with dumbbells, where applied):

 

push-ups (4 sets of 30)

lat-pull downs (4 sets, 30 reps at 100, 20 reps at 120, 10 reps at 140, 40+(max out) reps at 80)

incline bench (4 sets, 30 reps with 30 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 40, 10 reps at 50, 40+(max out) at 25)

incline flyes (4 sets, 30 reps with 25 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 30, 10 reps at 35, 40+(max out) at 20)

curls (4 sets, 30 reps with 25 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 30, 10 reps at 40, 40+(max out) at 20)

2-arm extensions (4 sets, 60 reps with 40 pd dumbbell, 30 reps at 45, 15 reps at 50, 80+(max out) at 30)

shrugs (4 sets, 80 reps with 30 pd dumbbells each hand, 40 reps at 40, 20 reps at 50, 100+(max out) at 25)

upright rows (4 sets, 30 reps with 25 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 30, 10 reps at 40, 40+(max out) at 20)

panks (4 rounds)

oblique side bends (4 sets each side, 30 reps with 30 pd dumbbell, 20 reps at 40, 10 reps at 50, 40+(max out) at 25)

bicycle kicks (4 sets of 100)

 

lower body:

 

leg curls (on the machine, 4 sets, 30 reps at 40, 20 reps at 60, 10 reps at 80, 40+(max out) at 30)

leg extensions (on the machine, 4 sets, 30 reps at 100, 20 reps at 120, 10 reps at 140, 40+(max out) at 80)

squats (4 sets, 30 reps with 30 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 40, 10 reps at 50, 40+(max out) at 25)

lunges (4 sets each leg, 30 reps with 30 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 40, 10 reps at 50, 40+(max out) at 25)

calf raises (4 sets each calf, 60 reps with 40 pd dumbbell, 30 reps at 45, 15 reps at 50, 80+(max out) at 30)

wrist curls (4 sets, 30 reps with 20 pound dumbbell each hand/wrist, 20 reps at 25, 10 reps tat 30, 40+(max out) at 15)

then same plank/side bends/bike kicks as upper body days

 

Then after each 2 week cycle I'll use that weekend (so for example it'll be this upcoming weekend) to research and come up with new exercises/reps/weights for the following 2 weeks.

Where's the promotional video?... really amazing!

[DuffMan]

I enjoy running a ton always have always will, but I think a part of the reason I like it so much is that it allows me to eat whatever I want.

[Russ]

Great thread BB.  Meant to start one a while ago but just forgot. Big exercise guy here.  For me there's something peaceful/relaxing about getting in the gym or going for a jog, throwing in the headphones, rocking some tunes, and getting in some work. Typically my workouts consist of 2 week "cycles" of both cardio and weights before I switch things up.  Week 1 is M-F, with a 3.5 mile jog on Saturday (Sunday off for rest) and Week 2 is just M-F (both Saturday and Sunday off for rest before the next 2 week "cycle" begins).  Cardio all days, upper body weights on MWF, lower body weights T/TH, and core work on all days.   Cardio is usually 5-5.5 mile run/jog then some cooldown on both the elliptical and bike.  Gotta say that I prefer the more stand-up and/or spin bike over the bike where you're like sitting/leaning back.   For upperbody I usually do kinda modified circuit routine and do 2 exercises for back, chest, arms, shoulders and usually 3 core/ab exercises.   Lower body is the same modified circuit routine with exercises for quads, glutes, hams, calfs, plus some wrist work and the 3 core/ab exercises.   Again, every 2 weeks I'll switch things all up (different setting/levels on the treadmill/bike/elliptical, different exercises, reps, sets, etc.) to keep things fresh and the muscles confused.   So right now I'm on Week 2 of my 2-week cycle and it's been:   cardio:  5 min warm up on treadmill.  Then, on 1.5 incline, 2:30 minutes at 9.0mph and 2 minutes at 7.  Repeat that cycle for duration of run.  10 mins on elliptical on level 16.  10 mins on spin bike at various intensity levels   Upper Body (with dumbbells, where applied):   push-ups (4 sets of 30) lat-pull downs (4 sets, 30 reps at 100, 20 reps at 120, 10 reps at 140, 40+(max out) reps at 80) incline bench (4 sets, 30 reps with 30 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 40, 10 reps at 50, 40+(max out) at 25) incline flyes (4 sets, 30 reps with 25 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 30, 10 reps at 35, 40+(max out) at 20) curls (4 sets, 30 reps with 25 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 30, 10 reps at 40, 40+(max out) at 20) 2-arm extensions (4 sets, 60 reps with 40 pd dumbbell, 30 reps at 45, 15 reps at 50, 80+(max out) at 30) shrugs (4 sets, 80 reps with 30 pd dumbbells each hand, 40 reps at 40, 20 reps at 50, 100+(max out) at 25) upright rows (4 sets, 30 reps with 25 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 30, 10 reps at 40, 40+(max out) at 20) panks (4 rounds) oblique side bends (4 sets each side, 30 reps with 30 pd dumbbell, 20 reps at 40, 10 reps at 50, 40+(max out) at 25) bicycle kicks (4 sets of 100)   lower body:   leg curls (on the machine, 4 sets, 30 reps at 40, 20 reps at 60, 10 reps at 80, 40+(max out) at 30) leg extensions (on the machine, 4 sets, 30 reps at 100, 20 reps at 120, 10 reps at 140, 40+(max out) at 80) squats (4 sets, 30 reps with 30 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 40, 10 reps at 50, 40+(max out) at 25) lunges (4 sets each leg, 30 reps with 30 pd dumbbells each hand, 20 reps at 40, 10 reps at 50, 40+(max out) at 25) calf raises (4 sets each calf, 60 reps with 40 pd dumbbell, 30 reps at 45, 15 reps at 50, 80+(max out) at 30) wrist curls (4 sets, 30 reps with 20 pound dumbbell each hand/wrist, 20 reps at 25, 10 reps tat 30, 40+(max out) at 15) then same plank/side bends/bike kicks as upper body days   Then after each 2 week cycle I'll use that weekend (so for example it'll be this upcoming weekend) to research and come up with new exercises/reps/weights for the following 2 weeks.

Holy crap, that's a lot of reps. How long does it take you to get through a workout, including lifting and cardio?

[Miller192]

I work out 4 days a week, and feel great because of it.  

 

There was a guy today at the gym in red corduroy pants and work boots.

[Markus]

Where's the promotional video?... really amazing!

 

For the low price of just 6 installments of $49.99 I'll send you my set of 5 dvds that focus on all parts of working out.  You'll also get a nutritional-guide book, food journal, Sweating to the Oldies 6 cd, and a tshirt that you'll "earn."

 

 

Holy crap, that's a lot of reps. How long does it take you to get through a workout, including lifting and cardio?

 

Something like that is usually around an hour and a half or so.  Cardio is usually around an hour and the weights is around 1/2 hour.  Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less depending on just how tired my body is on a given day.

 

I mentioned before how I do it in kinda a circuit routine and what I do is break the exercises up into groups of 3 or 4.

 

So for example, this 2 weeks the groupings are:

 

1:  push ups, lat pull downs, bicycle kicks

2:  bench, flyes, shrugs, side-bends

3:  curls, extensions, upright rows, planks

 

With each group I go through all 4 rounds without stopping.  After each group I'll reset, drink water, towel off, etc., etc. and than start up again with the next group.  So while it is alot of sets/reps it really doesn't take too too long b/c it's just non-stop and doing it continually like that keeps the heart-rate up and keeps me panting pretty good.  I mean, when I'm done with both weights and cardio it's safe to say my shirt is 80%ish covered in sweat and I probably smell awful.

 

 

I enjoy running a ton always have always will, but I think a part of the reason I like it so much is that it allows me to eat whatever I want.

 

Agreed. 

 

Part of the reason why I do is is b/c my family medical history isn't the greatest on either side so I know consciously (and subconsciously) part of the reason I do that is to try to reverse the trend. 

 

But I know part of the reason I do it is b/c it does let me eat a bit more of what I want.  I'm not one of those "food = fuel" kinda people and still enjoy some of my vices (peanut butter, booze, chocolate).  Not that I'm some fatty sitting around eating tubs of pb with a spoon while chasing it down with cases of beer and snickers but I definitely do like to indulge here and there.  Overall, really healthy diet but no reason to not enjoy something you like every once in a while.

 

Plus, there's also the self-competitive aspect of it, knowing you can always shave off time (even it it's just 1 second) off of a run or put up the weight just 1 more rep or add more weight or something.  So that constant pushing/strive for more I really enjoy.

[Oriole85]

For the low price of just 6 installments of $49.99 I'll send you my set of 5 dvds that focus on all parts of working out.  You'll also get a nutritional-guide book, food journal, Sweating to the Oldies 6 cd, and a tshirt that you'll "earn."

I'm expecting to see this ad on at 2 AM!

[bnickle]

Related to working out.

Has anybody here tried intermittent fasting? Seems to be becoming more popular and Ive done some preliminary research and mostly positive reviews.

This is kind of how I lost weight before without really having a set plan.

[Markus]

^Have never heard of it but did some reading and, to me, doesn't seem that good.

 

Typically dieters eat 500 calories (600 for men) on their "fasting" days and follow their normal diets the other days.

 

Seems like you're essentially starving yourself for 5 days, while eating regular diet 2000-2500 calories for 2 days.  Just seems like the "fasting" days will tell your body you're starving and the body will just do everything to retain whatever fat you already have, making it harder to drop fat/weight.  According to this diet you'd be getting in around 8000 calories a week.  That just doesn't seem healthy.

 

To be truthful I think most "diets" are a load of crap.  Yes they work for some but they really don't work long-term.  Honestly, just get in a bit of exercise and, for the most part, eat smart/sensibly/in moderation and you'll get more fit and/or retain your fitness and in the long-term be more healthy overall.

 

Thing is, people want to see results immediately and don't understand it takes some time to actually and safely drop weight/get healthy.  You see it all the time at the gym when you noticed someone new working out for like a week and then never see 'em again.  Odds are they didn't see the "6-pack" they wanted in the week they worked out and gave up.

[DuffMan]

^Have never heard of it but did some reading and, to me, doesn't seem that good.

 

 

Seems like you're essentially starving yourself for 5 days, while eating regular diet 2000-2500 calories for 2 days.  Just seems like the "fasting" days will tell your body you're starving and the body will just do everything to retain whatever fat you already have, making it harder to drop fat/weight.  According to this diet you'd be getting in around 8000 calories a week.  That just doesn't seem healthy.

 

To be truthful I think most "diets" are a load of crap.  Yes they work for some but they really don't work long-term.  Honestly, just get in a bit of exercise and, for the most part, eat smart/sensibly/in moderation and you'll get more fit and/or retain your fitness and in the long-term be more healthy overall.

 

Thing is, people want to see results immediately and don't understand it takes some time to actually and safely drop weight/get healthy.  You see it all the time at the gym when you noticed someone new working out for like a week and then never see 'em again.  Odds are they didn't see the "6-pack" they wanted in the week they worked out and gave up.

This.  It can't be a diet if you want the results to stick.  It has to be a permanent change in eating habits.

[Mike in STL]

Two things. One. Three square meals, or six small meals? I was eating three squares but felt like I was eating more. Bigger portions. I went to six small with healthy snacks, measuring servings etc... I gained more weight snacking in between even with fruits.

 

Second. Anyone know of a good fat burning supplement? Something that will keep my energy up? I used Methyl Drive a couple months back, and it kept me wanting to workout more for about a three days. Then I saw no results after that. I have this habit of buckling down and dieting in and exercising for two week stints, then making excuses for giving up. Its too cold. Holiday meals are too good to pass up. My aunts bake us cookies as presents. Football = beer and junk food.

 

I need some kind of stimulant to get my ass off the couch and to keep going for at least a few months so I don't put it all back on in a week.

[Markus]

I do 3 meals with a snack or 2 mixed in.  I tried the eat every 3 hours/6 small meals and stuck with it for a while but I just put on weight.  Went back to the 3 meals and a snack or 2 and everything went back to normal.  So I think it's just trial/error for each person who may have a different body/metabolism/etc.

 

As for supplements I'm not really into 'em much.  I have some protein powder I'll mix into smoothies or have a scoop of when I get back from working out, along with a protein bar, but other than that I just don't like 'em.  Especially the super caffeine/get-you-perked-up/fat-burn stuff.   Just makes me to shaky, or at least it did when I tried it for a little while in college.  For me just the "high" from working out is enough to motivate me to get my exercise on.  <--Not trying to be soap-boxy here. 

 

Instead of maybe making excuses to stop, try to find excuses to keep it going or rewards to keep you interested.  Something like:  If I workout, that maybe I could indulge a bit more on that delicious holiday meal.  If I hit the gym today maybe I could have 3, instead of 2, of aunts cookies.  If I bust my butt this week in the gym, Sunday football day of beer and junk will be a nice reward.

 

Also, I dunno if anyone else has ever done it but for about a year I did a food journal.  It was amazingly educational and you come to understand just how many empty/pointless/unnecessary calories you can sometimes ingest.  It really helped me learn about fat, saturated fat, calories, sodium, sugar, protein, you name it and the proper levels of each that should be consumed on a daily basis for a healthy lifestyle.  I still measure/weigh out a fair amount of stuff I eat and it has also really helped know what to look for when trying to pick something to eat while dining out.  If anyone hasn't tried it, I'd definitely recommend it.

 

That said, and while I've pointed out before, having a cheat day where you kinda just eat what you want without fretting over it really helps keep the mind right and keeps me motivated to eat well the other 6 days a week.

[Russ]

Something like that is usually around an hour and a half or so.  Cardio is usually around an hour and the weights is around 1/2 hour.  Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less depending on just how tired my body is on a given day.

 

I mentioned before how I do it in kinda a circuit routine and what I do is break the exercises up into groups of 3 or 4.

 

So for example, this 2 weeks the groupings are:

 

1:  push ups, lat pull downs, bicycle kicks

2:  bench, flyes, shrugs, side-bends

3:  curls, extensions, upright rows, planks

 

With each group I go through all 4 rounds without stopping.  After each group I'll reset, drink water, towel off, etc., etc. and than start up again with the next group.  So while it is alot of sets/reps it really doesn't take too too long b/c it's just non-stop and doing it continually like that keeps the heart-rate up and keeps me panting pretty good.  I mean, when I'm done with both weights and cardio it's safe to say my shirt is 80%ish covered in sweat and I probably smell awful.

I tried something similar to this this morning with chest.  I did bench, flys, and dips.  I did 5 circuits (40, 20, 20, 20, 15) though I couldn't do 40 dips after the first two exercises.  I wanted to cry.  It was great.  I'm going to stick with this style through the week.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Well, today starts the "diet" -- I'm not doing anything major -- just changing my eating habits and hitting the elliptical for 30 mins or so a day.  We'll see how it goes.

 

In the past, I've tried to do too much "major" stuff, like completely changing my diet and spending two hours at the gym, but this always leaves me frustrated.  I'm hoping that making minor changes won't be as painful and it's ok if the results aren't as swooping as normal.

 

Once upon a time I was able to lose 50 pounds in about four months -- gained all that back and then some.

[Markus]

Signed up to run, this upcoming Saturday, my second 5K in about a month.

[DuffMan]

One of the biggest things you can do is drink more water.  The more water the better.

[Oriole85]

Signed up to run, this upcoming Saturday, my second 5K in about a month.

I used to do more growing up, road races are a lot of fun. I do about 3-4 a year now, partially a financial issue. I hope to do more eventually.

[Markus]

I used to do more growing up, road races are a lot of fun. I do about 3-4 a year now, partially a financial issue. I hope to do more eventually.

 

Yeah, one on hand for the first 5K race I did in December I really enjoyed the "competitive" aspect of racing against others, seeing someone ahead of me, reeling them in, and passing them and then picking someone else out to do the same to.

 

But, yeah to pay $30ish bucks to run just as far, or less far, than I do almost every other day is kinda a kicker.  I mean, I get the proceeds to go charity (and the tshirt I get, post-race oranges, etc., etc.) so I'm not gonna complain about it.

 

1 thing I didn't like was, and I chalk this up to being a "newbie", was the start of the race.  I hated having to swerve and dodge and duck and dip and dive and dodge my way around people with their dogs and strollers, and groups of women more interested in yacking it up with each other at the start.  I get everyone has different reasons for doing these but I just wish there was some kinda, almost escalator-type policy of "competitive/timed runners on the left, fun-walkers/runners on the right" deal.  But lesson learned and now I know to start more near the front of the pack to avoid all that mess.

 

That said, in my first one, I put up a time of 22:38 which was good enough for 36th out of 700+ and good for 8th in my age bracket.  So the bar has officially been set for this weekend.

[Oriole85]

Yeah, one on hand for the first 5K race I did in December I really enjoyed the "competitive" aspect of racing against others, seeing someone ahead of me, reeling them in, and passing them and then picking someone else out to do the same to.

 

But, yeah to pay $30ish bucks to run just as far, or less far, than I do almost every other day is kinda a kicker.  I mean, I get the proceeds to go charity (and the tshirt I get, post-race oranges, etc., etc.) so I'm not gonna complain about it.

 

1 thing I didn't like was, and I chalk this up to being a "newbie", was the start of the race.  I hated having to swerve and dodge and duck and dip and dive and dodge my way around people with their dogs and strollers, and groups of women more interested in yacking it up with each other at the start.  I get everyone has different reasons for doing these but I just wish there was some kinda, almost escalator-type policy of "competitive/timed runners on the left, fun-walkers/runners on the right" deal.  But lesson learned and now I know to start more near the front of the pack to avoid all that mess.

 

That said, in my first one, I put up a time of 22:38 which was good enough for 36th out of 700+ and good for 8th in my age bracket.  So the bar has officially been set for this weekend.

I did 21/22s for the most part at my peak (I'm doing 27/28s now). My best cross country time(which I think was actually harder than road races) was 20:23. I definitely think you run faster in a road race than you would if you just ran by yourself or with some friends. Like you, I like the competitiveness of it, and it's nice to be able to compete even if you aren't a great runner like myself.

 

Some of the races are more charitable than others btw. Not always does the proceeds go to charity fyi.

 

Keep up the good work!

[DuffMan]

I used to do more growing up, road races are a lot of fun. I do about 3-4 a year now, partially a financial issue. I hope to do more eventually.

I think that's why I prefer marathons, I feel like I'm getting more bang for my buck.  I hate shelling out 30-40 bucks for a 5k. 

[Oriole85]

I think that's why I prefer marathons, I feel like I'm getting more bang for my buck.  I hate shelling out 30-40 bucks for a 5k. 

Just slightly harder, But yeah I agree with you, also more motivating I would think too.