Working it out!

[Medusa]

Re: Working it out!

I did my triathlon today. 30 minutes each of treadmill, bike and swimming. Then cleaned my mother's room for two hours! One day down this week!

[Dez]

Re: Working it out!

I got on Livstrong and started tracking my daily calories and carb intake this past weekend.

Trying to just follow my doctor's suggested workout, see how it goes, and not push too hard and then stop.

[Thjoth]

Re: Working it out!

I've switched my workout routine to something more simple now that I actually have access to a proper barbell. "I lift heavy things." Currently at 105lbs and steadily increasing the weight by 5lbs every two days. I might increase it to 135lbs tonight just for deadlifts, since those are supposed to be higher than your normal operating rate for everything else anyway, but I've been taking it easy to avoid back injuries. My goal is to be able to lift 300lbs at some point. It's still kind of puny compared to a lot of the guys I know who are all able to lift 700lbs or more, but I haven't been training for it for half my life, either.

[Medusa]

Re: Working it out!

30 minutes of swimming and I LOST ONE POUND!!!!
That's two so far!

[Thjoth]

Re: Working it out!

F**k yeah, this calls for a brofist!

'cept you're not a bro...oh well, brofists for everyone!

Just hit a personal record of 185lbs for my deadlifts and 115lbs for everything else. Feelin' good. I want to be deadlifting 300lbs in the next two months...I don't know if that's a realistic goal or not, but I'm trying for it.

[Jembru]

Re: Working it out!

Ooh, me me!! I wanna share my success story.

I turned 29 in August and the 'omg I am almost 30' thing hit me. I went on a massive overhaul of my health then. I stopped smoking (using a hypnotherapy recordning from youtube of all things!!) and it has been 147 days since my last cig. I also started swimming and doing yoga again. Then I discovered those fitness channels and started to do various dance workouts and stuff with my boyfriend (he is up for just about anything, love him to bits!).

I totally changed my diet so that I now eat mainly wholemeal and natural foods. I have now become so used to this diet, that even the thought of going back to highly processed junk turns my stomach. I am short so can't eat too many calories if I want to keep a nice shape. Even though I eat a good variety of natural healthy foods, I also take a multivitamin and a skin and hair supplement. I am a vegetarian too so there are a few things I can only get by eating high fat foods in large quantities, so the supplements are important for me.

I'm really pleased with the results. I have so much energy (I used to always be tired) and have so far avoided any cold symptoms, even though I am constantly surrounded by people sneezing and coughing. Oh and I now weigh just 7 stone 3 (101 lb), which is 8 lb less than I was before all of this. I feel like a right sex-kitten and my boyfriend looks at me as though I am a super model. He always thought I was attractive but now likes to take me out just to show me off. It's kinda funny to me because I am quite unattractive face-wise, but it feels wonderful to be treated this way by someone!

Good luck to everyone here who is working hard to take care of their health!

[Medusa]

Re: Working it out!

Did my 1 hour of swimming today. New Year or not...I'm sticking to my workouts!

[Immortal_Dragon]

Re: Working it out!

It seems everyones been quite busy. My workouts have stopped aside from workin. I work on a farm now and at the end of the day all I wanna do is sit down. I hope to start wakin up earlier so I can actually get a workout in.

[Thjoth]

Re: Working it out!

When I wake up in 4 hours, I'm going to be lifting again. I can't stand NOT lifting any longer. My foot has mostly healed itself except for the nail coming off, so to hell with it.

Also starting tomorrow, I'm going to try to pre-portion my meals for the next week, and get into that habit. I want to spend the next 6 weeks or so in ketosis so I can cut my bodyfat percentage down. Jodee, do you have any tips or tricks on pre-portioning meals? I think I've seen you mention it before, but I wasn't sure.

EDIT: Put up 225lbs with my deadlift today! My goal of a 250lb deadlift by the end of January looks likely!

[Thjoth]

Re: Working it out!

First off, I have Fitocracy invites if anyone wants them.

Second, I reached my January goal of a 250lb deadlift, lifting 255lbs yesterday. My next goal is a 300lb deadlift and 175-200lb bench by the time the spring semester is over (May) and I'll probably blow through that; I'm kind of expecting to be up to 350lbs by then on the deadlifts. After that, my goal is a 400-450lb deadlift and a 250-275lb bench by the end of the year. If I really put my back into it, I might be benching 300lbs by the end of the year, that would be excellent.

[Jembru]

Re: Working it out!

Congrats Thjoth! Weights will never be my thing and I'm so weak that I can't hold my phone to my ear for more than a few minutes without my arms getting tired! My legs are very strong, stronger than many men I know, but my arms... they're a joke! My 11 year old niece can beat me at arm wrestling (and she can pick me up and carry me around.. she's like an ox!).

I'm not doing quite as much physical exercise as I was before my boyfriend was attacked, but I've managed to keep the weight off. His cast comes off on Wednesday though and as his physio told him to build his muscles with cycling, we're hiring a two seater bike on Friday afternoon. Hopefully I can hold off the flab until then!

[GabrielWithoutWings]

Re: Working it out!

Starting a work-out routine is a pita. I walked into the gym last night with no direction and just looked around like, "Uhhhh... arms, I guess?" I should've skipped that, because I figured out just how weak I've become. Meh.

What do you all recommend for sets/reps? Also, how long do you usually stay? I keep hearing about people that say things like, "Well, I went to the gym for a couple of hours and..." I went last night, did 15 minutes on the treadmill and did 6 sets of arms curls and it was maybe 25 minutes later.

[thalassa]

Re: Working it out!

Starting a work-out routine is a pita. I walked into the gym last night with no direction and just looked around like, "Uhhhh... arms, I guess?" I should've skipped that, because I figured out just how weak I've become. Meh.

What do you all recommend for sets/reps? Also, how long do you usually stay? I keep hearing about people that say things like, "Well, I went to the gym for a couple of hours and..." I went last night, did 15 minutes on the treadmill and did 6 sets of arms curls and it was maybe 25 minutes later.

It depends...

When I've been on an awesome workout schedule (like, when I was in the military, before I had kids), I would do 45 min cardio (usually elliptical) or an hour spinning class 4 days a week, and weights 2 of those day, 5 reps of 8, each exercise. On fridays, I swam a mile or played racketball for an hour.

When I got out of the military and worked for the Y for two years (free membership and a place to take the kids so I could work out) I did TRX (best workout I have ever had) twice a week, taught water aerobics 4 times week, kickboxing twice a week, zumba once a week, and yoga twice a week (so I worked out about an hour and a half to two hours a day, but nothing on Sunday).

Now I take the kids to the park and run/walk around the lake three times a week. I miss the gym and I'm super out of shape. Once we are back in VA, we are getting a family membership to the YMCA.

My recommendation would be to start out with what you can do comfortably for the first week or two and then increase it by a few minutes and a bit more intensity each week or so, depending on how much you progress and how comfortable you are. Basically, you want it to be a challenge, but you dont want to injure yourself or end up in so much pain that you are discouraged.

Unless you are mentally like me--I basically have to figuratively flog myself the first week as some sort of penance of unworthiness as motivation to stick to the plan... And I can't do the same workout--it bores me. Which is why I do so many classes... ...but I have a goal of running a 5K this fall (even though I hate running, its the only way I can loose and keep off weight) and doing a triathlon next spring (I have some health issues to work thru first, so I'm giving myself more time than I usually would).

[GabrielWithoutWings]

Re: Working it out!

I've never been in a gym-setting. I was never active as a kid, I was the nerdy kid in school, I've had a sedentary job for the last five years and have just now decided to get in shape. I've got a great frame... I just need to change the curtains.

My problem is I'm a newb in every single way, exercise routine, diet, etc. and there's so much conflicting information that I'm not sure who I'm supposed to listen to.

[thalassa]

Re: Working it out!

Are you at a gym-gym, or a YMCA/community center gym?