Official Workout/Fitness Thread (Re-born)

[Induveca]

Guys, seriously AVOID P90X. I went to a family party of my girlfriend yesterday, and 4 people formerly on P90X there had really transformed themselves about a year ago.

Today? Flabby/out of shape and I'd say 80% back to where they were a year ago. Don't get me wrong they are very attractive people, not super fat or anything and look good with clothes......but once we hit the pool........it was obvious the miraculous P90X "transformation" just isn't realistic. It makes workout training regimens seem impossible to maintain and having a great/healthy body to only be something for workoutaholics. It's just not true.

Their excuse for quitting it? "It" just wasn't sustainable and they burned out. I strongly, strongly strongly believe that even at 6 weeks P90X is just another American style quick fix, just like an Atkins diet or otherwise designed to drop pounds as fast as possible for a 3 week "mirror fest" as I like to call it. People admire their gains in the mirror at the end, and then just pretty much quit. No serious weight training was ever involved, so they're just 4-5 weeks of junk food away from hiding most of their gains under a layer of flab. If you don't have any serious muscle tone, lowering your body fat is fool's gold in terms of really being strong/in shape.

Americans especially are too extreme in their approach to health matters (I am American citizen, I have done it too) then go right back to the opposite as soon as they reach their goal. That's how those types of programs work. If it isn't sustainable long term, don't bother once you're around the 35 year old age. If you're grossly out of shape at that age, you need to start kicking some ass because after 40 getting in shape is extremely difficult. P90X isn't the answer. The body is in serious decline already.

Lifestyle change. Solid/low impact cardio and weight training will keep your body in shape very late into your life. There is a man at my building in Miami who is in truly amazing shape and *ALL* he does is 20 laps a day in the pool and lifts ridiculously light weights. The guy is amazing. He's done it for 15 years, and has a great time. Doesn't push himself at all. Take a cue. P90X is a bad move.

[willbcocks]

Guys, seriously AVOID P90X. I went to a family party of my girlfriend yesterday, and 4 people formerly on P90X there had really transformed themselves about a year ago.

Today? Flabby/out of shape and I'd say 80% back to where they were a year ago. Don't get me wrong they are very attractive people, not super fat or anything and look good with clothes......but once we hit the pool........it was obvious the miraculous P90X "transformation" just isn't realistic. It makes workout training regimens seem impossible to maintain and having a great/healthy body to only be something for workoutaholics. It's just not true.

Their excuse for quitting it? "It" just wasn't sustainable and they burned out. I strongly, strongly strongly believe that even at 6 weeks P90X is just another American style quick fix, just like an Atkins diet or otherwise designed to drop pounds as fast as possible for a 3 week "mirror fest" as I like to call it. People admire their gains in the mirror at the end, and then just pretty much quit. No serious weight training was ever involved, so they're just 4-5 weeks of junk food away from hiding most of their gains under a layer of flab. If you don't have any serious muscle tone, lowering your body fat is fool's gold in terms of really being strong/in shape.

Americans especially are too extreme in their approach to health matters (I am American citizen, I have done it too) then go right back to the opposite as soon as they reach their goal. That's how those types of programs work. If it isn't sustainable long term, don't bother once you're around the 35 year old age. If you're grossly out of shape at that age, you need to start kicking some ass because after 40 getting in shape is extremely difficult. P90X isn't the answer. The body is in serious decline already.

Lifestyle change. Solid/low impact cardio and weight training will keep your body in shape very late into your life. There is a man at my building in Miami who is in truly amazing shape and *ALL* he does is 20 laps a day in the pool and lifts ridiculously light weights. The guy is amazing. He's done it for 15 years, and has a great time. Doesn't push himself at all. Take a cue. P90X is a bad move.

This sounds like sage advice, but you also posted this earlier in the thread:

3. Eat 1500 calories or less daily for the first 2 months (men). Start ignoring the fat content more, and pay attention to the CALORIES. If you want to get in shape, calories are the key. Ignore the low fat stuff, it will blow you up just as quick if not quicker than the normal stuff.
4. Don't eat breads, pasta and rice.......period. Pasta and bread especially. And don't think brown rice has less calories, it doesn't.
5. If you must eat bread, get the 100 calorie breads (they are thin, 50 calories per slice) they have in groceries these days and just make a sandwich using one half of the slice. Put on some fat free bologna and half a slice of low cal cheese and a sandwich will be under 100 calories. Just don't eat 5 of them or it's the same damn thing as a normal fattening sandwich.
6. Eat slower......much slower.
7. Make 1-2 days a week juice fasts. Put the juice in a blender with ice and eat it with a spoon. Makes it seem more like a meal.

Juice fasts and no bread/pasta/rice (though maybe I'm skewed on this second point because I almost only eat Asian food) seems an equal invitation to burnout and is certainly not sustainable long-term.

[Induveca]

Agreed Will, I eat rice/pasta etc along with a ton of meat/protein........if I don't I really can't gain muscle at this point. That was more for getting in shape and dropping pounds quickly but in a healthy fashion for very out of shape people looking to get fit quickly.

I still juice fast 3 days or so a month and have for years, I think it helps my body and mind a bit. But I think doing it when trying to lose weight is a great thing. Just knowing you can go a day or two without solid food is a lifechanger for a lot of people.

[dobrojim]

so-so to mediocre day at the Wilson Br half marathon today

my rank in the finishers looks OK (220th/>3000 runners)
but my time was a PW for a half and 6 min slower than the
Philly half a year ago. Course was harder than Philly though
and I probably should not have biked to work on Friday if
I was going to obsess about my time (1:39).

Saw a bald eagle during the run so it's all good

bottom line though is that I got work to do if I want to
achieve my goal for MCM. Intervals!

[willbcocks]

Bald Eagle on a run? That's awesome.

I got back to Tokyo from China and have felt a significant improvement in my breathing ability--while running inside on treadmills. The air is that bad in Beijing.

Was planning on running and lifting weights so I jogged 3 miles, but after sweating all over the bench for 5 minutes waiting to recover -- and not -- I decided to run again, doing 2 miles in 12 minutes. That was pushing it...

[dobrojim]

had a solid week of training/workouts this week

biked to work 2x so I got in 94 miles on the bike

and I made it to the track last night for a pyramid intervals
sessions. I wimped out again on the 2x800 and instead did
3x400 on the way down

2x200
2x400
1x800
3x400
2x200

50K in WV tomorrow that I am looking forward to, esp hoisting
a couple/few ales at the conclusion of it all. Actually the run is
probably a little longer than 50K.

Willb, if you're around in Jan, you might consider going down
to Mason Neck for a run with some friends of mine, typically
it's on Super Bowl Sunday. It's a long run 15-20 mi around the
Pohick Bay / Mason Neck area and there are lots of bald eagles
down there. The last time I did that run, I saw around 20.

[dobrojim]

50k in the books. Slow seeming time of 8:33 which still placed
me solidly in the middle of the pack. On a warm day with up
to 10 miles btw aid stations, I ran out of water once despite
carrying 2 water bottles and had to limit myself much more
than I would have preferred btw the last stop and the finish
where thankfully there was copious ice water and free beer
after that!

back to intervals later this week after my legs recover

10K weekend after next, then MCM 2 weeks after that.

[ShaqDiesel]

best workout for hypertrophy in your opinion?

guys?

[Wizards2Lottery]

I've started going to the gym again and it feels damn good. A week ago I ran a mile in about 10 minutes and today I ran it in 7. I've also fixed up my diet thanks to learning how to cook a lot more than I could just a year ago.

I've only been going for a few days but I feel like within two months, I will be in the best shape of my life. This is by far the best balance of diet and working out I've ever had.

[willbcocks]

Good for you W2L. You just started college right? I think a lot of people learn to cook then. I did, really enjoyed it, and cook all the time now. It makes having a healthy diet easy and enjoyable, which in turn does the same for getting into shape.

What kind of food have you been making?

[Wizards2Lottery]

Good for you W2L. You just started college right? I think a lot of people learn to cook then. I did, really enjoyed it, and cook all the time now. It makes having a healthy diet easy and enjoyable, which in turn does the same for getting into shape.

What kind of food have you been making?

I actually started college three years ago but I relied mostly on campus food. I was pretty much done with it a year ago but last year I had a lot of stuff to take care off so I was never able to continue my gym routine or devote time towards cooking.

Some of my South Asian and East Asian friends have taught me how to cook a lot of their traditional food. I really enjoy Indian food. Some of the healthier vegetarian Indian food tastes great and adds that needed flavor that vegetables need, I'm not a fan of salads at all.

My current goal is to reach 165. I'm at 150 right now but 165 is where I want to be.

[willbcocks]

Nice, sounds like the same kinda stuff I'm making. Tasty, cheap, healthy--Indian hits all the right points (although it's not as cheap when you have to pay 4 dollars for a bunch of cilantro, F'ing Tokyo). I'm having Dal for lunch today and Rechad curry stuffed fried fish for dinner...

Good week for me on the workout front. Hit the gym 5 days, did a full pyramid run--albeit with a double rest after the second 800m--and a 5 mile jog, which for me is pretty long (sorry dobro, 15-20 mile run would kill me twice over, I'm not built for distance).

Then today I maxed the treadmill on a 5:20 mile run, which is my new personal best. I didn't feel like s*** afterwards either, so I think I could have could faster had the machine let me.

[dobrojim]

this week was a kinda off week for me

M-Tu I had to go downtown for training and didn't bike
although in truth, I was still sore from the 50k.
Wed-Th the weather and back2school night interfered
with any workouts I might have done. I finally got
a bike2work ride in on Fri (it was glorious). This
morning I did a 40 min run with the dog. She doesn't
understand pacing and runs like hell when we start.
After about 5-10 min she calms down. After about 20 min
I can out-run her. Tomorrow I'll run long. Hopefully
I can get some intervals in this week. I /really/ need
to. Next weekend I race a 10K at Hains Point (W Potomac Prk).
Then 2 weeks to MCM.

[Induveca]

Since dobrojim is keeping updates with his running, figured I'd keep tabs on my road to incline and decline bench 400 pounds for 6 reps. Also trying to get to a 400 squat, but that's pretty damn hard for a guy who is 6'4 closer to 6'5, long legs don't lend well to squat. So I'm stuck at a measly 260 or so right now on squat, common problem for tall fellows....sigh.

Anyhoo, last week I hit about 300 pounds incline at 6 reps on incline bench. Decline, hit 320 at 6 reps. I'm doing a good job of taking in tons of protein, solid *USEFUL* supplements while keeping my carb count reasonable yet enough to still grow. Also doing my damndest to keep my rotator cuffs and supporting muscles strong by doing iso exercises on them.

I hope to hit 400 at 6 reps by end of the year on both decline and incline, wish me luck. Now to go ingest tons more protein and hype myself up for a late night workout.

[nate33]

Induveca, I strained my shoulder (I'm pretty sure it's the rotator cuff) about 3 months ago. It's not bad, but it still bothers me a bit when I bench heavy weight (for me, heavy weight is 185). What kind of exercises do you recommend for strengthening it?

[Induveca]

I hear you Nate, has happened to me....more than likely bad form due to going too heavy. The cable machine will soon become your friend. Check out this page, they detail the exercises better than I can.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/criticalbench24.htm

In my experience, avoid bench press machines.....they hit shoulders more than chest ironically. If 185is heavy for you I'd suggest sticking with 25-35 pound dumbbells and just avoiding barbell presses until you strengthen your rotator cuffs and shoulders.

But again the cable machine contraption is your friend.......on most of those exercises I can do 40-50 pounds. At first 15 was tough. Also make sure you strengthen your arms with reverse curls or your elbow will also give out sooner rather than later. Glucosamine is also a must.

Also updating I hit 335 on decline today 4 times. Shoulder shook a bit so need to take it slower but was a big rush. Getting pretty damn big.

[Nivek]

I finally admitted to the reality that I don't stick with any kind of consistent exercise routine unless I'm preparing for something. So, I signed up to do a Warrior Dash this Saturday -- basically a 3-mile obstacle course. I've been running regularly, though I had to switch to the elliptical for 10 days because of a strained Achilles. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill the other day, which was a pleasant improvement from when I started "training" a couple months ago.

After Saturday, I'll be looking for another event. I'm probably going to do a sprint triathlon next year. Maybe a 100-mile bike ride too. I do have the church basketball season coming up in January.

[nate33]

I hear you Nate, has happened to me....more than likely bad form due to going too heavy. The cable machine will soon become your friend. Check out this page, they detail the exercises better than I can.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/criticalbench24.htm

In my experience, avoid bench press machines.....they hit shoulders more than chest ironically. If 185is heavy for you I'd suggest sticking with 25-35 pound dumbbells and just avoiding barbell presses until you strengthen your rotator cuffs and shoulders.

But again the cable machine contraption is your friend.......on most of those exercises I can do 40-50 pounds. At first 15 was tough. Also make sure you strengthen your arms with reverse curls or your elbow will also give out sooner rather than later. Glucosamine is also a must.

Also updating I hit 335 on decline today 4 times. Shoulder shook a bit so need to take it slower but was a big rush. Getting pretty damn big.

Thanks Induveca. I workout at home so i don't have access to a cable machine. My elbows and triceps are good because I swim (well, at least during the summer). I'll switch to dumbell presses for a while. I'm also spending more time warming up. I'm doing arm circles (small then big) for a good 3 or 4 minutes before lifting anything. That seems to help a bit.

I've read up a bit on glucosamine. There doesn't seem to be any consensus on whether it is helpful at all. (It's always so tough to get concrete information on nutritional supplements.)

[Induveca]

Nate, check out this stuff.......I recommended glucosamine because it's an ingredient in this I believe, but this has far more. I had rampant joint soreness for about 3 months last year (shoulder/elbow). At the behest of a guy who had been training for 18 years I know, I started taking "Labrada Elastijoint".

After about a week or so I felt noticeably better doing the same exercises. Still take it pretty much everyday......I can say from this creaking older body that the stuff works. Supplement wise pretty much all I trust are *most* Animal and Labrada products......so I hear you on that. I've tried some stuff which has done nothing.

[nate33]

I just kicked ass on my tempo run today. Ran 5.5 miles at a 6:47 pace (after a 0.5 mile warm up at an 8:15 pace). I felt great. I could easily have kept that up for another 2 or 3 miles, maybe longer. For comparison, last year, I held a 7:13 pace during the half-marathon. I think I might be able to hold something like 7:05 now.

The Columbus Marathon is in 12 days.