Periodical Workout Thread ...
- Thread starter J.R. Hudson
- Start date
Rick Meyer
Veteran
Yeah, great site Terry! When I get a sec I'm gonna wanna spend some time there...
My update...so far so good. Week 1 was a success. I've been sticking to the plan, eating 5 meals a day (sometimes 4. Its REALLY hard sometimes to get them all in there)...And, I've been hitting them gym every day except Sunday.
Yes, I lost several pounds already. But, I'm more interested in getting my % of Body Fat much lower...plus, no sense in doing an update or a before and after of any kind until its dramatic...
But, I plan to keep this thread alive...
Rick
My update...so far so good. Week 1 was a success. I've been sticking to the plan, eating 5 meals a day (sometimes 4. Its REALLY hard sometimes to get them all in there)...And, I've been hitting them gym every day except Sunday.
Yes, I lost several pounds already. But, I'm more interested in getting my % of Body Fat much lower...plus, no sense in doing an update or a before and after of any kind until its dramatic...
But, I plan to keep this thread alive...
Rick
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
Remember to switch hands every few minutes to help maintain symmetry. :thumbsup:
mjmcneese
Veteran
...nevermind...
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
I got it. I was just messin' with ya. 
mjmcneese
Veteran
I got it. I was just messin' with ya.
I should've expected nothing less from you...
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
Larry Rutledge
Fest Master
I've been getting myself geared up to join in the fitness fun here, but got a new incentive.
I just got back from my brother's Air Force boot camp graduation. I've always wanted to join the military, but I let life get in the way of that dream. I'm 35 now, so presumably I cannot enlist ... however, I got so inspired after the graduation and spending a couple days on the air base, that I looked at the various US military branches and found that the Army has raised the enlistment age to 42.
So, all that to say, I'm seriously considering joining the Army National Guard (the reserves branch of the US Army). But for my age group and height I have to be 201 lbs or lighter, so I have about 70 pounds to lose before I can enlist.
Maybe it sounds crazy, but I'm actually pretty excited about the possibility. I believe it will inspire me to get out there and get this weight off once and for all. Plus I'm inspired to work out heavy, cause I don't want to be embarrased by all those young kids during boot camp
I just got back from my brother's Air Force boot camp graduation. I've always wanted to join the military, but I let life get in the way of that dream. I'm 35 now, so presumably I cannot enlist ... however, I got so inspired after the graduation and spending a couple days on the air base, that I looked at the various US military branches and found that the Army has raised the enlistment age to 42.
So, all that to say, I'm seriously considering joining the Army National Guard (the reserves branch of the US Army). But for my age group and height I have to be 201 lbs or lighter, so I have about 70 pounds to lose before I can enlist.
Maybe it sounds crazy, but I'm actually pretty excited about the possibility. I believe it will inspire me to get out there and get this weight off once and for all. Plus I'm inspired to work out heavy, cause I don't want to be embarrased by all those young kids during boot camp
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
Wow! :shocked: Way to go, Larry!
snodart
Veteran
I missed a JR Hudson fitness post? Good to see another one. I have done weights and cardio goods for what seems like forever (probably 12 years or so now). For about the first 6 years my goal was to put on as much muscle as possible (without illegal substances of course). The funny thing is that through all of the various lifting programs and techniques that I have tried, I never gained more than 8 or 9 pounds of muscle during any given program.... and never saw an overly huge drop in body fat. At any rate, I eventually gave up on bulking up and decided to be content at 184 lbs and fit.
I was doing the workouts at crossfit.com for a while. They are great, but pretty intense and not always easy to find motivation for if you are doing them alone. I was getting pretty burned out with working my arse off all the time and seeing mediocre results. The big hit for me was when I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Since starting about a year and a half ago, I have remained at a steady 180lbs with very low body fat. I haven't lifted weights much since then... maybe an average of 9 days a month (quick workouts to failure). I train Jiu-Jitsu about an average of 4 - 5 times a week for 1.5 hours each time. It isn't so much that Jiu-Jitsu as an art is keeping me fit; it is the insane workouts that the instructor puts us through. The great part is that it is a blast and the results on the fitness side have been great. It is very easy to get motivated while doing something that you truly enjoy. There are tounements every month and a half or so which makes stepping it all up a notch an enjoyable challenge.
In all of my trial and error over the years, these are the basic rules that I have learned to stick to (most of which I think have been mentioned):
1. Eat six small meals a day. It will speed up your metabolism and seriously curb cravings. When the body is hungry, it craves fat and sugar. I have been doing this for over 5 years now and it has become a habit now. An example of a given day might be:
Meal 1: egg whites, wheat toast, and a fruit.
Meal 2: a pure fruit smoothie with some whey protein added in depending on the level of training that I am currently doing.
Meal 3: lean turkey meat sandwich with wheat bread, and a fruit or veggie.
Meal 4: repeat of meal 2
Meal 5: steak, rice, and veggie
Meal 6: Kashi GoLean Cereal (high protein and fiber version)
Of course there are some meals from eating out about every other day or so. In this case it is just about making smart choices when you order.
2. Allow some type of food free-for-all. I consider this a necessity in many cases. The typical way might be to set aside Sunday as the one day when you can go get a greasy burger and some ice cream. I typically just limit myself to about 3 splurges a week. For example: a stop at In-N-Out (burger) would count as one splurge for the week. Taking the kids for ice cream (and getting one myself) would count as one as well. It is probably best to start out strict until you get used to the limits. Once you get in the groove, you will probably find that "bad" foods don't sound so good anymore (especially if you are sticking to the 6 small meals a day).
3. Change up your routine all the time. The body and the brain get tired of doing the same thing over and over. Without this element, it is easy for motivation to drop.
4. Do not just work out to look better or loose weight. If you don't have some other reason for doing it, then your motivation will begin to slip as you begin to feel better about yourself. A few months later you will be back in front of the mirror looking, once again, at the reason for starting in the first place. It you like to run, then train for local 5K and 10K races. Join an adult soccer team. Train for a MudRun. Try your hand at free running. Join a martial art class. You get the idea. Competition can be an excellent driving force. If you want to look and feel younger, then you have to act it too. Find something that you enjoy and train for it, then fitness and looking better become a nice side effect to your fun.
5. If you are trying to gain muscle, work you legs. I used to think that this was specific to me, but through discussions with a handful of trainers and through various pieces of literature... I think it is pretty common among all. Your legs contain the largest muscle group of the body. Every time you stress a muscle, your body releases growth hormone throughout the entire body. The larger the muscle, the larger the amount of growth hormone that is released. Of course you will need to still lift the other muscles, but working your legs will kick things into gear. Over the years, I have found that when I mix running with a lifting program I see much quicker muscle growth. This may or may not be linked in the same way, but it definitely works for me.
6. You do not have to lift weights to gain muscle (or strength). Well, sort of. The point is that you don't need an expansive gym or expensive weight set to get your muscles to grow. Crossfit.com is a great resource for examples of body weight lifting techniques. These would include push-up, pull-ups, hand stand push ups (yes, you have to work toward these), dips, and so on. When I lived in Colorado, there was a guy at my gym who hadn't touched a weight in years. He came in and did nothing but lift his own body weight and stretch. I admit he did some pretty bizarre techniques, but the guy was absolutely ripped (and could do the splits!)
7. You need your sleep. I hate this one and, being a night owl, is something with which I struggle. The facts are there though; sleep is good for your brain and is essential for muscle repair.
8. Warm up and stretch. These get passed up by many at times, but they are necessary to prevent injury and to improve performance. Before crossfit.com and Jiu-Jitsu, I tended to skimp in this area. But after a few pulled muscles with crossfit and seeing some major injuries in Jiu-Jitsu, I have opted to pay a little more attention to this area. Warm up before a workout to get the blood flowing in your body and to get your muscles nice and pliable. Not doing so will at some point result in injury, be it a pulled muscle or worse. Stretch after a brief warm up when the muscles are warm and more flexible. Stretching when the muscles are cold is almost pointless. If you are really looking to gain some flexibility, do isometric stretching.
9. It is all about setting up new habits and having fun. Once you get in the groove and are having fun doing it, you will see no other way. I remember eating Snickers bars and drinking Dr. Pepper on a daily basis during my first year in the navy (1992). It is hard to believe how much my outlook has changed since then. Because I gradually found ways to make fitness fun over the years... it is now a full blown and fun habit.
Wow, I sort of went off on with all of this. It has been such a large part of my life that I couldn't help myself. I love these threads Hudson. Thanks for another. :beer:
I was doing the workouts at crossfit.com for a while. They are great, but pretty intense and not always easy to find motivation for if you are doing them alone. I was getting pretty burned out with working my arse off all the time and seeing mediocre results. The big hit for me was when I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Since starting about a year and a half ago, I have remained at a steady 180lbs with very low body fat. I haven't lifted weights much since then... maybe an average of 9 days a month (quick workouts to failure). I train Jiu-Jitsu about an average of 4 - 5 times a week for 1.5 hours each time. It isn't so much that Jiu-Jitsu as an art is keeping me fit; it is the insane workouts that the instructor puts us through. The great part is that it is a blast and the results on the fitness side have been great. It is very easy to get motivated while doing something that you truly enjoy. There are tounements every month and a half or so which makes stepping it all up a notch an enjoyable challenge.
In all of my trial and error over the years, these are the basic rules that I have learned to stick to (most of which I think have been mentioned):
1. Eat six small meals a day. It will speed up your metabolism and seriously curb cravings. When the body is hungry, it craves fat and sugar. I have been doing this for over 5 years now and it has become a habit now. An example of a given day might be:
Meal 1: egg whites, wheat toast, and a fruit.
Meal 2: a pure fruit smoothie with some whey protein added in depending on the level of training that I am currently doing.
Meal 3: lean turkey meat sandwich with wheat bread, and a fruit or veggie.
Meal 4: repeat of meal 2
Meal 5: steak, rice, and veggie
Meal 6: Kashi GoLean Cereal (high protein and fiber version)
Of course there are some meals from eating out about every other day or so. In this case it is just about making smart choices when you order.
2. Allow some type of food free-for-all. I consider this a necessity in many cases. The typical way might be to set aside Sunday as the one day when you can go get a greasy burger and some ice cream. I typically just limit myself to about 3 splurges a week. For example: a stop at In-N-Out (burger) would count as one splurge for the week. Taking the kids for ice cream (and getting one myself) would count as one as well. It is probably best to start out strict until you get used to the limits. Once you get in the groove, you will probably find that "bad" foods don't sound so good anymore (especially if you are sticking to the 6 small meals a day).
3. Change up your routine all the time. The body and the brain get tired of doing the same thing over and over. Without this element, it is easy for motivation to drop.
4. Do not just work out to look better or loose weight. If you don't have some other reason for doing it, then your motivation will begin to slip as you begin to feel better about yourself. A few months later you will be back in front of the mirror looking, once again, at the reason for starting in the first place. It you like to run, then train for local 5K and 10K races. Join an adult soccer team. Train for a MudRun. Try your hand at free running. Join a martial art class. You get the idea. Competition can be an excellent driving force. If you want to look and feel younger, then you have to act it too.
Find something that you enjoy and train for it, then fitness and looking better become a nice side effect to your fun. 5. If you are trying to gain muscle, work you legs. I used to think that this was specific to me, but through discussions with a handful of trainers and through various pieces of literature... I think it is pretty common among all. Your legs contain the largest muscle group of the body. Every time you stress a muscle, your body releases growth hormone throughout the entire body. The larger the muscle, the larger the amount of growth hormone that is released. Of course you will need to still lift the other muscles, but working your legs will kick things into gear. Over the years, I have found that when I mix running with a lifting program I see much quicker muscle growth. This may or may not be linked in the same way, but it definitely works for me.
6. You do not have to lift weights to gain muscle (or strength). Well, sort of. The point is that you don't need an expansive gym or expensive weight set to get your muscles to grow. Crossfit.com is a great resource for examples of body weight lifting techniques. These would include push-up, pull-ups, hand stand push ups (yes, you have to work toward these), dips, and so on. When I lived in Colorado, there was a guy at my gym who hadn't touched a weight in years. He came in and did nothing but lift his own body weight and stretch. I admit he did some pretty bizarre techniques, but the guy was absolutely ripped (and could do the splits!)
7. You need your sleep. I hate this one and, being a night owl, is something with which I struggle. The facts are there though; sleep is good for your brain and is essential for muscle repair.
8. Warm up and stretch. These get passed up by many at times, but they are necessary to prevent injury and to improve performance. Before crossfit.com and Jiu-Jitsu, I tended to skimp in this area. But after a few pulled muscles with crossfit and seeing some major injuries in Jiu-Jitsu, I have opted to pay a little more attention to this area. Warm up before a workout to get the blood flowing in your body and to get your muscles nice and pliable. Not doing so will at some point result in injury, be it a pulled muscle or worse. Stretch after a brief warm up when the muscles are warm and more flexible. Stretching when the muscles are cold is almost pointless. If you are really looking to gain some flexibility, do isometric stretching.
9. It is all about setting up new habits and having fun. Once you get in the groove and are having fun doing it, you will see no other way. I remember eating Snickers bars and drinking Dr. Pepper on a daily basis during my first year in the navy (1992). It is hard to believe how much my outlook has changed since then. Because I gradually found ways to make fitness fun over the years... it is now a full blown and fun habit.
Wow, I sort of went off on with all of this. It has been such a large part of my life that I couldn't help myself. I love these threads Hudson. Thanks for another. :beer:
Last edited:
adkimery
Veteran
I can't agree more w/snodart's advice of finding fun ways to get exercise as a great way to keep yourself motivated and staying the course. Going to a gym bores the hell outta me, but I enjoy playing racquetball, volleyball, and riding my bike (on and off road) so that's how I get my exercise. A few months ago I decided to do take part in a 150 mile charity bike event at the end of March (100 miles day 1, 50 miles day 2) and training for the event has been tough, but very rewarding at the same time. When I started training in Jan the furthest I'd ridden my bike was 25 miles but each week I up my goals (last week it was 85 miles in a single ride, this week it's 90) and it feels great setting and meeting those targets. My ultimate goal is to do the 100 miles on day one in 7hrs. For me that's a tough, but doable goal and is a real motivator to keep me in the saddle even if I just want to go home and chill on the couch.
-A
-A
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
Gotta say... eating oatmeal has become strictly utilitarian; the love is gone.
Rick Meyer
Veteran
Sounds great Larry! Definitely keep us posted. I think thats pretty cool.
I'm right here with ya...I'm still doing the fitness thing and eating a bowl of oatmeal right now as a speak.
Speaking of which, Terry, I couldn't agree more. Oatmeal is more bland then oatmeal itself. You can throw in raisins, cinnamon, bananas etc. Its still slushy cardboard. I used to love it but when it gets past that point...its like eating a bowl of an abusive relationship.
I'm right here with ya...I'm still doing the fitness thing and eating a bowl of oatmeal right now as a speak.
Speaking of which, Terry, I couldn't agree more. Oatmeal is more bland then oatmeal itself. You can throw in raisins, cinnamon, bananas etc. Its still slushy cardboard. I used to love it but when it gets past that point...its like eating a bowl of an abusive relationship.
mjmcneese
Veteran
I'm only two weeks into eating oatmeal (almost) everyday...I LOVE it! There are so many ways to make it fresh and interesting. Raisins, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, honey, nectarines, walnuts, etc...
My wife's pregnant, so while I eat my oatmeal with peaches, she eats hers with a scoop of ice cream.
Snodart, very good post. I've been thinking about joining a hockey team or signing up for a mtn bike race. I really want to do it now...
My wife's pregnant, so while I eat my oatmeal with peaches, she eats hers with a scoop of ice cream.
Snodart, very good post. I've been thinking about joining a hockey team or signing up for a mtn bike race. I really want to do it now...
Rick Meyer
Veteran
This is my biggest problem. I have been doing it. But its haaaard. I can only eat 5 small meals a day. Thats my absolute limit. As I said before, my biggest culprit isn't food. My weight crept up on me from too much inactivity and beer. Thanks for the beer emoticon btw. Its nice to be reminded of what I will be missing this St. Patty's Day. :crybaby:
So, forcing myself to eat when I am not hungry at all....very hard. I just ate chicken, broccoli and brown rice and in a few minutes (or so it seems) I'll have to do it all over again for meal # 4. I am so not hungry when I eat. But, I believe in the philosophy and the system and I'm sure John and you aren't lyin.' Plus, after 1 week, I'm feeling loads better already...
Good post btw...
snodart
Veteran
Rick Meyer said:
I hear you about it being hard to get into the habit of eating when you just don't feel hungry. When I first started doing it I was trying to pack on as much muscle as I could, so I had some validation for eating when it didn't seem like I needed to. Now that the days of wasting my time trying to look like Lue Ferrigno are over... 6 small meals a day has just become a habit. I wouldn't force yourself to eat if you are having to choke it down. If that is the case, you might want to make the meals even smaller. It all depends on the amount of calories you are burning in a given day and your body type. Ideally, you should be eating just before your body begins to tell you that it needs food, but not after. Pure fruit smoothies (with some added protein if needed) are a great way to get some vitamins and to cut off the hungry signal from the body. I know 6 meals a day sounds crazy, but it works like a champ.
And hey, eat good for the week and allow some beers on St. Patty's day. Hell, have a few more on Saturday afternoon, and an ice cream on Sunday. If you are exercising and sticking to the 6 small meals the rest of the week, the effects (if any) from the splurges will be minute.
If it feels like punishment, then it is... and it won't last long. My take on it is that it has to be set up as a life long habit and not so much a goal. Then, if you are getting ready for a bike race, a hockey game, Jiu-Jitsu tournament, summer-time at the beach, or whatever... then you can step it up and skip the splurges.
Larry,
Sounds like an awesome plan. If you have a Bachlor's degree, I would strongly recommend doing whatever you have to do to go in as an officer and not as enlisted. Not that there is anything wrong with going in as enlisted (as I did)... anyway, keep it in mind when you talk to the recruiter.
adkimery,
That's a perfect example of what I was trying to say. There are many things about taking on this sort of challenge that goes beyond fitness. It does wonders for one's mental and emotional health, It carries over into the level of confidence that one has for things like busting out a DVXuser short
, and It also sets a great example for kids if you have them.
Jeff Anderson
Custom Title!
Ok I'm sick and tired of reading about all of you healthy people and am joining in on your fun. Once a day I'm posting what I did. If anyone else wants to join in the fun that would be great. I'm going to start out with the basic plan here from the site Terry linked to. My goal is to do this for a while just to get my body into the mode of exercising daily (I'm going to try and walk a dog or two as a nice light cardio everyday in addition to this - I've got a couple fat dogs that could use some walking). After a few months of this I really want to start doing the Crossfit stuff, but I just dont have the time to setup a good space to do all of that with. Big far away goal is to try out some martial arts of some sort. It just looks really tempting but I dont want try it in poor shape (i'm really out of shape - not really overweight, just out of shape). The Krav Maga looks quite interesting and fun... So what did YOU do today?