Official Workout/Fitness Thread (Re-born)

[fishercob]

Just completed my first session with a new trainer.

I think I'm okay... Ask my core and my upper chest and arms tomorrow AM.

She kept me laughing through the pain of the TRX training session. I paid for 11 more sessions. Money's paid. I'm all in.

Way to go CCJ. Get it.

[nate33]

Has anyone ever heard that lifting weights "protects" your joints? I suppose the muscle around the joints would be strengthened which could help but I've always thought you're in for worse arthritis if you lift regularly.

Edit to add:
Also, I had a "hang up the sneakers" performance over the weekend. Assume for purposes of the hypo I can't do both, would I be better off lifting/working out 3-4 days a week or playing 3-4 days a week? I'm out of shape but strange parts of my game are disintegrating like court awareness, particularly around the bucket.

Yes, there's a lot of studies that say that weight lifting will help arthritis and protect joints. Just google weight lifting and arthritis and you'll see a bunch of stuff.

You would definitely be better off lifting/working out 3-4 days a week healthwise. On the other hand, you only have so many basketball days left in you, so if you really love the game, you might want to keep playing. I think it would be best to do a little of both.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Completed session 2 just a while ago. This one was very challenging.

Circuit training. 3 sets of 8 exercises. One minute each, 30 seconds rest in between exercises. 3 minutes between sets.

Started with tossing a ball against the wall. Second exercise was flipping 200-lb tire. Third, pushups off the tire. Fourth, planks against the tire. Fifth, was called mountain climber, where you hold the tire with outstretched hands, and run in place pushing against the tire, knees-to-chest. Sixth, dumbbell row pushups one arm at a time. Seventh, bicep curls with two dumbbells. Eighth and last, push weighted sled length of the floor, pull it back.

After the first circuit, I thought no way could I do two more. I had to pray, breath, and throughout the workout I took three extra 30 second breaks. Most of all had, I to convince myself and calm my breathing. I felt like I was going to throw up on the last set. I haven't been this out of shape in my life. But, I got through it!

Right now, I can tell my lats and abs are getting worked the hardest. The sled pull made my hamstrings burn, but not to injury.

I'm going to fix a protein drink and have that while I recover in a cold tub of water. EDITED: I'm good, about 30 mins later. Cold water is amazing!

[Zonkerbl]

Jiminy H. Cricket.

That's an insane workout.

[nate33]

I'm going to fix a protein drink and have that while I recover in a cold tub of water. EDITED: I'm good, about 30 mins later. Cold water is amazing!

I'm glad you discovered the power of cold baths. It wasn't too long ago that you enjoyed a soak in the hot tub after a workout.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Today, just a cold shower after workout. Is that progress?

All I know is just after the first workout of week 2, I feel like a wuss. I can't believe how weak I've gotten and how much these exercises hurt. Flutter kicks at the end were TOUGH. What I've learned so far is my idea of a workout on my own really wasn't taxing enough. Working with a trainer is making me do much more than I would on my own.

Today, weight lifting workout featured three sets of 15 of every exercise. Leg presses, lat pull downs, flys with machine, shoulders reverse flys, barbell lateral raises. I don't know all what I did, but just that at this point my body has been aching all over...

Had a bit of trouble with one wrist. It was bad to the point of not gripping the bar tightly w/o pain. The other day, where an ankle and achilles are weaker from past injuries, I couldn't pull off a plyometric exercise involving stepping up. Ego has to be in check because that would have been easy years back. Today, the shoulder with bursitis and an old rotator cuff injury made me dial down the weights, but actually didn't bother me too badly. The lifting might actually HELP.

I am posting the good and the bad...

The bad is the middle aged, fat guy, wimpy feeling. I'm much weaker and fatter than I was. I'm aching all over. Toughest time of my life to the point where I have struggled to stay positive. The good is I'm doing all the exercises and powering through. In faith, I believe weeks or months from now I'm going to have a whole lot good to report. I'm not going anywhere but up, God willing.

By posting this here, I'm trying to be accountable. I know I'm not the only one. I've gotten encouragement from a few people at the gym, already. Also, a lot of ladies seem to notice my effort if nothing else.

All that doesn't kill you makes you better. Right? I damn sure hope so.

I made that part tiny, because this forum isn't about me. I am just one of many here. If you want to read that, fine. My goal is to record the journey here from time to time.

[FreeBalling]

Today, just a cold shower after workout. Is that progress?

All I know is just after the first workout of week 2, I feel like a wuss. I can't believe how weak I've gotten and how much these exercises hurt. Flutter kicks at the end were TOUGH. What I've learned so far is my idea of a workout on my own really wasn't taxing enough. Working with a trainer is making me do much more than I would on my own.

Today, weight lifting workout featured three sets of 15 of every exercise. Leg presses, lat pull downs, flys with machine, shoulders reverse flys, barbell lateral raises. I don't know all what I did, but just that at this point my body has been aching all over...

Had a bit of trouble with one wrist. It was bad to the point of not gripping the bar tightly w/o pain. The other day, where an ankle and achilles are weaker from past injuries, I couldn't pull off a plyometric exercise involving stepping up. Ego has to be in check because that would have been easy years back. Today, the shoulder with bursitis and an old rotator cuff injury made me dial down the weights, but actually didn't bother me too badly. The lifting might actually HELP.

I am posting the good and the bad...

The bad is the middle aged, fat guy, wimpy feeling. I'm much weaker and fatter than I was. I'm aching all over. Toughest time of my life to the point where I have struggled to stay positive. The good is I'm doing all the exercises and powering through. In faith, I believe weeks or months from now I'm going to have a whole lot good to report. I'm not going anywhere but up, God willing.

By posting this here, I'm trying to be accountable. I know I'm not the only one. I've gotten encouragement from a few people at the gym, already. Also, a lot of ladies seem to notice my effort if nothing else.

All that doesn't kill you makes you better. Right? I damn sure hope so.

I made that part tiny, because this forum isn't about me. I am just one of many here. If you want to read that, fine. My goal is to record the journey here from time to time.

Are you using font size 2.5?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Whatever font POST REPLY, Tiny format is. (Size=50). That's what I used.

The easy way to read it is while in QUOTE format when responding.

I need my own blog and don't want to bore anyone. I think I might be encouraging or thought-provoking. But I made the font small just in case it was TMI and I'm boring/overwhelming. Don't know ...

[W. Unseld]

Keep posting CCJ, good stuff.

[Zonkerbl]

Yeah, my sister broadcasts on facebook all her menial workout details as she prepares for various marathons. Everybody HATES it, but she's my sister, so...

I didn't mind until she got her husband to start doing it. Didn't start running until a year or so ago. He just ran a half marathon averaging 8:08 per mile, that jerk.

'Course he's also been a swimmer all his life, so it's not like he's starting from zero, but still. I ran a sub-20 minute 5k once when I was 17, that was about a 6:30 per mile pace. Fastest 10k was 42 minutes, so like 7 minutes per mile. 24 years later I can do like one 8 minute mile. If I KILL myself I can run three miles in about 26 minutes, so an 8:40 pace. That bastard can run frickin 13 miles at an 8:08 pace. SCREW HIM!

[dobrojim]

Those times are decent but nothing to get that excited about.
The last fall marathon I ran (2011) I ran 3:25 which is under 8 min/mi.
FWIW, that's a fast downhill marathon (Steamtown). I was 54 at the time.
I ran my fastest 10k in 2002 at age 45 at about a 6:22 pace. Not coincidently
I ran my fastest marathon about 3 weeks later in 3:08. If you're a decent
distance runner, a half marathon should be do-able at nearly the same pace
as a 10K. Over a half marathon, all bets are off.

I rode a century ride yesterday. Reston Bike club. It's not a wussy 100
like those flat eastern shore ones. The ride heads straight to Loudoun Co
piedmont for 80% of the distance. My daughter tried too but she had issues
with the gears on her bike and ended up only riding about a metric century.

[Zonkerbl]

I'm not a long distance runner. Pretty terrible bball player too. I think the only athletic skill I have is beating people up. Or to be precise, not beating people up, as my martial arts instructor pointed out -- "the point of this training is so you don't have to fight." Since I've only gotten in one fight the entire time I've been learning and practicing martial arts, I call that a resounding success.

[pancakes3]

I was running but mildly sprained my knee back around March. It wasn't serious but I was turned off of running and just relied on poorly played basketball and golf as exercise for the summer. Last month, I went to Old Rag and DAME, I was out of shape. Even at my (previous) worst shape, I never had to stop for that hike but I stopped about 5-6 times that time. I tried to dismiss it but last weekend, I went to Sugarloaf Mountain and DOUBLE DAME, I am out of shape. Huffing and puffing on the STAIRS! I didn't get fat(ter) or anything but my wind/athleticism was just gone.

So now due to scheduling constraints, I can only work out either before work, during lunch, or late: like 9pm+. I want my endurance back, and I could also stand to lose a couple of pounds. I'm actively managing my diet, I got some supplements (CLA, green tea extract, multivitamin, fish oil), and I'm going to try to swim my way back into shape. I only managed to eke out 250m today. I'm aiming for 500 m by the end of the week and 1600 m by this time next month.

To help out, I ordered these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171000961643

I think I'm going to lightly jog later tonight, in an hour or so.

So yeah, I'm CCJing it up a bit. Just wanted to get it off my chest. I do have a question though. I'm trying to eat right and I'm pretty good about not eating snacks or soda. My main problem is portion. When I cook for myself, I'm not very good at estimating portion, or I unconsciously drip in too much oil into a pan, or I just plain can't estimate how many calories there is in panko. Or siracha. Or jasmine rice. I figure eating out would be easier for me to keep a running total in my head, or am I just being too lazy?

I'm also cutting out eating after 9, except I work late some nights and that means skipping dinner. I hope that isn't a bad thing. I also regularly skip breakfast. That pretty means I'm eating a good sized lunch every day. Today I had a wrap, a bag of fritos, and 2 cookies. It's not the best lunch. I could have eaten raw snap peas instead of the fritos, and fruit instead of the cookies. I'll do better. In the meantime, even though I skipped meals, I worked out and I only had about 700 calories (so far). Pretty good?

[Zonkerbl]

Well, if you starve yourself your body goes into "store fat at all costs!" mode.

Don't eat more than 50 grams of sugar a day. That is an amazingly small amount, and it includes sugar from fruit.

What you're supposed to do, and I've never managed to do this, which is probably why I'm still about 20 lbs overweight, is to consume about half of the weight of your daily diet in vegetables. Consume about 500 calories or so of protein and the rest of your calories from fruit and rice and pasta and such like.

Yuck. Might as well get fat and die.

[nate33]

I'm also cutting out eating after 9, except I work late some nights and that means skipping dinner. I hope that isn't a bad thing. I also regularly skip breakfast. That pretty means I'm eating a good sized lunch every day. Today I had a wrap, a bag of fritos, and 2 cookies. It's not the best lunch. I could have eaten raw snap peas instead of the fritos, and fruit instead of the cookies. I'll do better. In the meantime, even though I skipped meals, I worked out and I only had about 700 calories (so far). Pretty good?

I have the opposite take as Zonker. I'm reading more and more about the benefits of "intermittent fasting". You eat your last meal at 5 or 6 oclock or so, refrain from snacking at night, and skip breakfast. By going 18 or so hours without eating, you tell your body to go into "fat burning mode" which helps to burn fat. You are also more likely to eat less total calories in two large meals (lunch and dinner) than you otherwise would by eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and an evening snack.

It's much easier if you have a high protein, high fat, low carb dinner to help keep you sated all night and through the morning.

Overall, that lunch sounds horrible if you're trying to shed a few pounds. Switching those cookies to fruit won't really help either. Fruit is also loaded with sugar (the worst kind: fructose). Fruit is better than cookies because it has fiber and vitamins, but it's not going to help you lose weight at all.

Eat meat and veggies. Skip the carbs. You will lose weight. Try a turkey and cheese wrap (with the "wrap" being either the cheese or a piece of lettuce). Almonds or cashews are good too.

To help out, I ordered these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171000961643

Neat! Let me know how they work out. I'd love to have some music while swimming but at that price, I want to know that they work well before considering them.

[pancakes3]

I was operating under the impression that fructose was the best kind. Huh. Ok. I'll nix fruits (really sugar all together) and carbs. Sounds like a pain in the ass, but mild on the difficulty meter. I can see how the raw food paleo thing helps lose weight then. 18 hrs without eating also sounds like a pain in the ass, but obtainable. Everything gets eaten in a 6 hr window... say breakfast at 8 and lunch at 1. Don't burn me, Nate. I'm taking your advice at face value here! That is unless Zonk wants to talk me down.

I'm wary about the swimphones also. I checked out the reviews. All in chinese and all positive. Still wary though - of the quality, not the technology. I'll definitely report back. Since it's from China, it'll take a couple of days. Maybe CCJ can head them off on the big island over there and give us a heads up.

Swam 500m today with a minute break at the 250m mark. I'm slow. Hella slow, but that's ok.

[nate33]

I'd skip breakfast, not dinner. It's much easier to skip breakfast because you're never really THAT hungry in the morning. So eat at 12 and 6.

[Kanyewest]

I've been doing the interval training the past month. I've built it up to the point that I'm running 8 1 minute sprints and 2 minutes of walking with a 5 minute warmup - which totals about 2.7 miles. During the days I do interval training, I work on my legs and my core, and on the "rest day" I work on my arms and chest.

My goal right now is to lower fat but maintain my weight. I plan on cutting down on the carbs. I have generally been having whey protein shakes after workouts= what are some snacks that you guys have?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

On the subject of lowering fat, I want to do that and lower my weight. Worked out with my trainer today. I'm really pleased with today's workout and how things are going in general.

Today, I did a circuit that started out with tire flips. Did that for one minute with 20 seconds rest. Next, I did ball wall tosses. Throwing the ball high and bouncing it off the wall. On the catch you squat and then you repeat with throw about 3-5 feet above your head. Again, do this 1 minute and rest 20 seconds. Next up, one minute of isometric pushups. My trainer sessions back corrected a mistake I was making. I used to do fast pushups, and use momentum. She insists I do them slowly with proper form. This is by far my easiest exercise, with muscle memory guiding me from past experience. Pushups are getting easy now. I did them against the tire today. After pushups and twenty seconds, next in the circuit is dumbbell row from pushup position. One minute of raising one arm at a time with weights in hand. Targets back of shoulders and upper back. A couple weeks back I had a lot of trouble stabilizing one wrist and doing this under control. I find myself getting accustomed to the exercise now. Not as wimpy as when I started. One minute of the rows, keeping core tight, and pressing through is not as tough but still challenges me. From there, I did my FAVORITE exercise. Medicine ball slams. One minute of Mighty Joe Young. Simply throw the ball down, pick it up, repeat for a minute. Today, my trainer said she didn't want me to break the ground. I joked with her that I am a little scary on this one. It's great for any stress or anger management issue. That one I went full out and after 20 seconds rest was nowhere near recovered. Next in circuit was plank against the tire, just one minute. This one feels WAY BETTER than it did just 2-3 weeks ago. After rest, the last exercise was a coordination and balance drill. Reminds me of the motion of a racing ice skater. Touch a cone in front of opposite leg with one hand while throwing the same leg back, as fast as you can. Alternate hands and touch opposite cone. You hop from one leg and arm to the other for one minute. Those 6-8 exercises comprised one set. I did three sets.

Afterward, my right knee immediately stiffened up, probably from squatting too deep in the ball to the wall tosses. I went on the basketball court for about 15-20 minutes and shot around. This took my mind off the pain and sort of stretched me out and loosened me up naturally. It was more or less a cool down.

From there I did 20 minutes on the elliptical, very low impact. Burned 125 calories if machine was accurate.

nate, I didn't take a cold bath but I did do a cold shower. No more heat post-work out. Once I learn I tend to remember.

I'm proudest of my pre and post workout nutrition and supplementation. I was well hydrated before. Had a couple boiled eggs. Tried a new product called Up Time, a coenzyme Q10, ginseng, and gingko biloba mix before the workout. I don't know if the stuff worked but I had a helluva workout. Post workout, I had a whey protein shake (Walmart's cheapest).

Got good feedback from my trainer. I'm doing a lot better than when I started and I've already lost noticeable inches and weight. Just getting started, too.

As I type this I feel really encouraged. I took some time away from single parenting and to literally get my head together a couple weeks back. I have a lot more patience with my kids (went over homework and chores very calmly today) and a brighter outlook. GOD is good!

[nate33]

I've been doing the interval training the past month. I've built it up to the point that I'm running 8 1 minute sprints and 2 minutes of walking with a 5 minute warmup - which totals about 2.7 miles. During the days I do interval training, I work on my legs and my core, and on the "rest day" I work on my arms and chest.

My goal right now is to lower fat but maintain my weight. I plan on cutting down on the carbs. I have generally been having whey protein shakes after workouts= what are some snacks that you guys have?

That's a real good workout routine. I do a similar routine. Sprinting all out for a full minute is brutal, isn't it?