Official Workout/Fitness Thread (Re-born)

[nate33]

I've increased my protein intake over the last year with protein shakes and creatine. It has made a real difference in my strength. At age 53, I just hit a new record on the bench press of 235. That's not a massive number or anything, but for a wiry ectomorph like me, that's really good.

The nice thing is that the added protein has boosted my satiety so I'm less hungry in general. My weight has dropped to 157, which is cool because that means I can bench 150% of my weight.

My main goal is to be able to play basketball (effectively) until age 60. So far, so good. I may not be the best guy on the court, but I'm not considered the "old guy" that nobody wants on their team either. I hold my own.

[dobrojim]

two of my old favs were

needs:

1. 3 more or less equally fast (or slow) runners
2. a 400 or 1/4 mile track

Then a single runner does a lap --
when they come around the first time, a second runner drafts a lap behind them
After the lead runner does a 2nd lap, they drop out and the 3rd runner drafts while the
remaining runner leads. It continues like that however long you can do it.
I'd recommend 4-6 800s.

each runner drafts a lap, leads a lap, and rest rests a lap
It's basically doing 800s on half rest

the second workout ideally requires a track and finding out your (?) forget the name of it but you determine it
by seeing how far you can run in 6 minutes. That then becomes your speed limit ie your pace, for the workout
at each of the distances. Same pace throughout.

Each interval is followed by half rest.

The workout is:

2x 200 (for me this used to be 200 on 47 seconds which would be followed by 23-24 sec of recovery)
2x 400 on the same pace so 1:34/400; again half rest so 47 sec of recovery
2x 800 on 3:08 again with half rest so now the rest period is 1:34
2x 400 on 1:34 - half rest
2 x 200 on 47 sec half rest

In this workout the biggest challenge for me was typically doing the 2nd 800 on time.
Once I had done the 2 800s, the rest felt easy.

As you would for any speed workout, it should be preceded by a warm up run

I should state that the above workouts are ones I did 6 years ago when I could run much better or at all.
At that time my marathon time was 3:50-4:00. Back in my heyday, I could often finish a marathon in 3:20-3:30
which is under or at an 8 min pace. Now I can't run a half mile at an 8 min pace but I'm above medicare age.

Yesterday I did a decent "power" walk or just over 5 miles at about a 19 min/mi pace.
This is easy for me. Actually running, not so much.

[Doug_Blew]

I'm in my mid 50s and just stopped benching and doing pullups. I have a small hiatal hernia and my xiphoid process, small softer bone that's part of the sternum is bugging me some. I believe that the pullups and benching were not helping with either of those things.

I now start off my morning with youtube yoga videos for 20-40 minutes. I started off with Adriene and am now doing Charlie Follows. I really enjoy the excersize and my core feels as fit as i've been in the last 20 years.

edit...and I stopped playing basketball when I hit 40 (my knees couldn't take it). Props to Nate on playing until 60.

[nate33]

I'm in my mid 50s and just stopped benching and doing pullups. I have a small hiatal hernia and my xiphoid process, small softer bone that's part of the sternum is bugging me some. I believe that the pullups and benching were not helping with either of those things.

I now start off my morning with youtube yoga videos for 20-40 minutes. I started off with Adriene and am now doing Charlie Follows. I really enjoy the excersize and my core feels as fit as i've been in the last 20 years.

edit...and I stopped playing basketball when I hit 40 (my knees couldn't take it). Props to Nate on playing until 60.

I've been very fortunate with my knees. I have no knee issues whatsoever. I can't explain why - other than never being overweight.

My weak point is my Achilles tendons. The left side has tendonitis and the right side has bursitis. For the most part, I'm okay as long as I keep my weekly running mileage low. I stopped doing long runs about 5 years ago and just stick to sprint work and relatively short tempo runs. Basketball doesn't seem to bother them much, but once a year or so, I sometimes need to take 2 weeks off from basketball to get right.

Recently, I switched to minimalist shoes with virtually no heel elevation. I wear them for everyday use and walking the dog and it seems to have helped to strengthen my Achilles. Having too much arch support and heel elevation all the time lets the muscles in your feet atrophy.

[nate33]

Has anybody experimented with red light therapy to help promote healing of injuries?

[AFM]

Has anybody experimented with red light therapy to help promote healing of injuries?

I have a small machine. It's claimed to work for practically everything, blasting your balls with it supposedly raises T not even joking. People use it on their face. Healing as you said. Does it work? I dunno. But if you get one, buy it straight from the chinese source. I think I got mine on alibaba for like 40 bucks. Exact same one as they sell here in the states for 600, just missing the logo.

[dobrojim]

5 mile run that became a walk this morning as my legs felt
dead after a 26 mile bike yesterday.

I have 3 weeks left to prepare for my 50k.
I'm hopeful I can get an official finish
(under 10.5 hours). Need to avg 3.1 mph
in mountainous terrain.

[AFM]

Has anybody experimented with red light therapy to help promote healing of injuries?

I have a small machine. It's claimed to work for practically everything, blasting your balls with it supposedly raises T not even joking. People use it on their face. Healing as you said. Does it work? I dunno. But if you get one, buy it straight from the chinese source. I think I got mine on alibaba for like 40 bucks. Exact same one as they sell here in the states for 600, just missing the logo.

Nate after reading my post

[Kanyewest]

I've gone back to tracking nutrition using myfitnesspal- I did it for a period of 100 days last year and lost weight. It is pretty tedious though but effective. Results are not instantaneous.

[dobrojim]

Did a little 5k run/walk yesterday. Was quite surprised
when the second mile split was under 12:30 considering
that included brief periods of walking.
I always stop at the cul de sac at the end of my street
and time the last (slight upgrade) 0.28 mi to my
house. It was at 11:07 pace. Total for the 5k
was 43 minutes. But my neighborhood is pretty flat.
And it was only 5k instead of the 50k in the mtns
with big time vertical (5400 ft of climb). But I'll
have 3 additional hours after 10x 43 minutes.