Official Workout/Fitness Thread (Re-born)

[pancakes3]

Well, on a scale of 1 to 10 of making it happen, we're at a 1.5 right now. Just to clarify t's not a camp for football players. It's a gym/fitness camp for regular people using football drills.

[dckingsfan]

I need some new ideas. I'm about 5'8, 175. I'm 36 and i play ball a couple nights a week and my speed is still one of my biggest weapons. Problem is my legs feel great but something pulls on me every few weeks. One week its a calf strain, then a hamstring, now its my second about with plantar fasciitis. Ay ideas on keeping my legs in shape while cutting down on some of the wear and tear? I signed up for Bikram Yoga...

I've been having sore legs too. I usually been running 2 1/2 miles about 3 times a week for the past few months. On the other half days I was doing 20 minutes of elipticals. First, I got a sore back, and then my hamstrings became sore and then I took a week off. Started picking up the running again, and now my calves are sore. I'm thinking of getting some rest in and lowering the distance that I run and then building it back up- and taking rest days (ie no eliptical in between running days).

Have you been doing myofascial release with the foam roller and balls? Are you using ice or heat?

[dckingsfan]

Cardio is highly overrated - at least if it's in the form of sustained, intermediate speed running/biking for half an hour or more.

You will get much more bang for your buck if you do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Try sprinting for a minute and then walking for a minute to catch your breath. Repeat 4 times (or 8 times if your real hard core). Do a 5 minute warm up beforehand a 2-minute warm down afterward. You can even do it right after your weightlifting workout.

You can also do burpees after your workout in the same general time format. (Do 15-20 burpees, rest a minute and repeat 4 times.) Burpees would probably help you more with your basketball explosion and core strength. Really, any form of cardio can be done this way. The goal is to push your heart to a near max rate for a short period of time, recover, then repeat. It's a much more efficient and effective method of achieving good conditioning without all the unnecessary wear and tear on your joints.

One word of caution, start slowly on the HIIT workouts. Maybe to the first few sessions at 75% intensity so you don't pull any more muscles. Always warm up. Stretching isn't really all that necessary, but if you must stretch, do so either after your warm up or after your workout. Never stretch cold. Also, when you stretch, don't hold it for 10-15 seconds. Hold it for just 2 or so seconds, then relax, then repeat.

I would probably advise do some portion of Neuromuscular work, some portion anaerobic capacity work and some portion VO2 work for the conditioning. You are correct that just doing muscular endurance work (cardio) would be of little use except as a recovery workout or TO BURN FAT.

I would also start with plyometrics vs starting with weights. It would probably translate a bit better. But adding weights in wouldn't hurt.

As for stretching - agreed! Don't do it before the work - think of a rubber band in a refrigerator - stretching before warming up is never a good idea. And you really only need to stretch to add to or regain range of motion.

And don't forget myofascial release!

Start easy and build...

[Kanyewest]

I need some new ideas. I'm about 5'8, 175. I'm 36 and i play ball a couple nights a week and my speed is still one of my biggest weapons. Problem is my legs feel great but something pulls on me every few weeks. One week its a calf strain, then a hamstring, now its my second about with plantar fasciitis. Ay ideas on keeping my legs in shape while cutting down on some of the wear and tear? I signed up for Bikram Yoga...

I've been having sore legs too. I usually been running 2 1/2 miles about 3 times a week for the past few months. On the other half days I was doing 20 minutes of elipticals. First, I got a sore back, and then my hamstrings became sore and then I took a week off. Started picking up the running again, and now my calves are sore. I'm thinking of getting some rest in and lowering the distance that I run and then building it back up- and taking rest days (ie no eliptical in between running days).

Have you been doing myofascial release with the foam roller and balls? Are you using ice or heat?

No i'm unfamiliar with myofascial release? I sometimes use ice.

[nate33]

I need some new ideas. I'm about 5'8, 175. I'm 36 and i play ball a couple nights a week and my speed is still one of my biggest weapons. Problem is my legs feel great but something pulls on me every few weeks. One week its a calf strain, then a hamstring, now its my second about with plantar fasciitis. Ay ideas on keeping my legs in shape while cutting down on some of the wear and tear? I signed up for Bikram Yoga...

I've been having sore legs too. I usually been running 2 1/2 miles about 3 times a week for the past few months. On the other half days I was doing 20 minutes of elipticals. First, I got a sore back, and then my hamstrings became sore and then I took a week off. Started picking up the running again, and now my calves are sore. I'm thinking of getting some rest in and lowering the distance that I run and then building it back up- and taking rest days (ie no eliptical in between running days).

The distance shouldn't be bothering you too much. 2.5 miles 3 times a week isn't likely to give you chronic soreness. I think you are on the right track in identifying the lack of rest days as a problem. Drop the elliptical, or do elliptical on one of your run days. If you want to boost your conditioning more, don't drop the rest days, run longer and/or faster on your run days but continue to give your body a day off to rest.

If you have the desire to work out more frequently, just cross train. Instead of a rest day, lift weights, do core work, or swim.

[nate33]

I would probably advise do some portion of Neuromuscular work, some portion anaerobic capacity work and some portion VO2 work for the conditioning. You are correct that just doing muscular endurance work (cardio) would be of little use except as a recovery workout or TO BURN FAT.

What do you mean by neuromuscular work? Any suggestions?

[dckingsfan]

I've been having sore legs too. I usually been running 2 1/2 miles about 3 times a week for the past few months. On the other half days I was doing 20 minutes of elipticals. First, I got a sore back, and then my hamstrings became sore and then I took a week off. Started picking up the running again, and now my calves are sore. I'm thinking of getting some rest in and lowering the distance that I run and then building it back up- and taking rest days (ie no eliptical in between running days).

Have you been doing myofascial release with the foam roller and balls? Are you using ice or heat?

No i'm unfamiliar with myofascial release? I sometimes use ice.

Go to youtube.com and search for myofascial release and foam roller - then add quads, IT band, calves and piriformis as separate searches...

[dckingsfan]

I would probably advise do some portion of Neuromuscular work, some portion anaerobic capacity work and some portion VO2 work for the conditioning. You are correct that just doing muscular endurance work (cardio) would be of little use except as a recovery workout or TO BURN FAT.

What do you mean by neuromuscular work? Any suggestions?

You should split your work into neuromuscular work, AC work and VO2 work.

Neuromuscular work is sub 30 second efforts and then recover before you do the next effort. I happen to like 15 second efforts on 5 minutes. Same with AC work (30 second to 1 minute efforts), my preference there is 1 minute efforts on 5 minutes. If you can get to 9 sets, that would be great... but build into it slowly.

VO2 efforts are a bit different, for basketball work probably 3 minutes on 3 minutes off. Working to 7 sets is ideal. I like to set out a distance and make sure I can do all 7 sets... first one isn't so hard but the last one is very difficult. Again, build into it slowly.

I think someone earlier in the thread pointed out that you want to slowly build into your regime. They are right, build into it slowly

And the elliptical is fine for muscular endurance/fat burning. But you want to go at 70% of LT. To measure your LT Max, do your best effort for 20 minutes and find out what your average HR is. Then multiply by .95 and then multiply .7 to get your target HR for the elliptical.

And after each workout, use the foam roller, ice and heat where applicable along with any NSAIDs when you really need them.

And yes, build in days off (2x per week would be good for most of us) - and especially when you have chronic soreness.

[Kanyewest]

^^ Thanks guys for all the tips- I started running again with some weight training on the same days. I tried some myofascial release- it did provide some relief.

[AFM]

Just try convincing your girlfriend to take a myofascial.

[dckingsfan]

Just try convincing your girlfriend to take a myofascial.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Well, on a scale of 1 to 10 of making it happen, we're at a 1.5 right now. Just to clarify t's not a camp for football players. It's a gym/fitness camp for regular people using football drills.

Today my son's football team had a distinguished guest. Herschel Walker came and spoke. Nice, humble, gentleman. He looks like he's in his thirties. He is in awesome shape. He looks like he could still play.

He took time to come out in some very inclement weather. Answered many questions, always with a smile. Posed for pictures, even with babies.

It was really a nice time.

[Zonkerbl]

Yeah, this guy at my old gym made up this workout for me once:

Elliptical intervals on resistance 7: 20 seconds as fast as you can, 10 seconds rest, repeat for eight minutes.
Anaerobic: Legs 10 reps (bulgarian squats) - Shoulders ten reps - legs 8 reps - shoulders 8 reps- legs 6 reps (reverse on day two)
Elliptical intervals for 2 minutes
Chest - Back - Chest - Back - Chest (reverse on day two)
Elliptical intervals for 4 minutes.

It was insane.

For something easier, I do:
3 min warmup on resistance 11

3 or 4 reps of:
2 minutes twenty seconds sprint, ten second rest resistance 15
1 minute rest resistance 11 (or 9)
1 minute twenty seconds sprint, ten second rest resistance 15

3 min warmdown

But I've been all over the place in my workouts. There's my boxing workout:
3 or 4 reps of:
2 minutes jump rope
20 pushups
20 punching situps

Then finish with a 20 minute jog

Lifting - Upper body:
Repeat two or three times:
10 reps chest machine
10 reps lat pulls
10 reps rows
10 reps standup row (what's it called when you pull the barbell up under your chin?)
10 reps crunch machine
then 8 reps with 15 more pounds, then 6 reps with 15 more pounds
20 minute jog
20 minute on the elliptical (if trying to lose weight, which is pretty much all the time now)

Lifting - lower body
Repeat two or three times:
10 reps leg machine (deadlift)
10 reps ham crunch
10 reps quads
10 reps lunges
10 reps crunch machine
20 minute jog
then 8 reps with 15 more pounds, then 6 reps with 15 more pounds
20 minute on the elliptical (if trying to lose weight, which is pretty much all the time now)

Then I had this crazy workout that I don't do anymore that was all burpees and mountainclimbers and all the leg stuff that made me really tired during aerobics.

I wish our gym had a rowing machine, would be a nice change of pace to do that instead of jog. Just every once in awhile.

[Zonkerbl]

And the elliptical is fine for muscular endurance/fat burning. But you want to go at 70% of LT. To measure your LT Max, do your best effort for 20 minutes and find out what your average HR is. Then multiply by .95 and then multiply .7 to get your target HR for the elliptical.

Huh. I guess that would be 190 or so. 190x.95*.7=126? What's the point? Even 85% of that is 153, I would barely break a sweat at that rate.

[dckingsfan]

And the elliptical is fine for muscular endurance/fat burning. But you want to go at 70% of LT. To measure your LT Max, do your best effort for 20 minutes and find out what your average HR is. Then multiply by .95 and then multiply .7 to get your target HR for the elliptical.

Huh. I guess that would be 190 or so. 190x.95*.7=126? What's the point? Even 85% of that is 153, I would barely break a sweat at that rate.

Muscular endurance workouts don't have to be that hard, but they should be fairly long. Basically the first 30 minutes of the workout you are just burning glycogen. The next 1.5 to 3.5 hours you are burning fat. That is the key to getting your body fat down.

The notion is this type of workout would be done in conjunction with the high intensity (or interval) workouts.

The range of ME workouts is from 70 to 85% of FT. 70% is the minimum. So your range would be between 126 and 153. The idea is to start at 126 and work your way up until you can hold 150 or so for 2-3 hours - yikes.

Example:
M: off
Tu: AC workout described above
W: ME work
Th: VO2 work
Fr: off

Add in your myofacial release, core and weights and you will be happy for the days off on M & F.

That lets you be a weekend warrior on Sa/Su or do more interval work and weights.

[dckingsfan]

One more thing... the 20 minute jog or the 20 minute elliptical aren't the best "fat burning" options. But together they aren't too bad - especially if you pushed the elliptical to 40 minutes.

[Zonkerbl]

One more thing... the 20 minute jog or the 20 minute elliptical aren't the best "fat burning" options. But together they aren't too bad - especially if you pushed the elliptical to 40 minutes.

Well, that's what it was, but I just wasn't getting any actual weight loss. I figure my body is just adjusting my overall energy level afterwards to accommodate whatever workout I do, so why waste 20 minutes (and spend the rest of the day tired and unproductive)? I think I can only lose weight by changing my diet, which just isn't feasible with all the traveling I have to do now.

[dobrojim]

I will break 1000 miles bike commuting for the year on my next day of commuting.

[W. Unseld]

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.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

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.