Jump to content

Fitness Thread


Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC

Recommended Posts

UnworthyPapaLazaru

I've got about four minutes in which to write this, so apologies if it's a bit short...

 

- Even if you don't want big legs, you should still be doing leg exercises like squats and deadlifts. They're a big muscle group, and therefore release a lot of growth hormone, which will help in other areas too. The same won't happen with running or cycling.

 

Noted. I?ll incorporate that into my routine.

 

- As far as sets and reps go, have you been doing three sets of eight since you started? I'd reccommend starting with three twelves and short rests of around 60 seconds before working down to higher weight, lower rep stuff with longer rests. Once you're down to high weight/low rep, you could then think about adding sets or switching to supersets/pyramid sets.

 

Really all started with doing sit up and press ups at home. First month at the gym I was doing 10-12 rep sets, but read that 8 reps at a heavier weight would suit my goals better. Don?t get me wrong, I'm not talking really heavy, In fact I was getting the piss ripped out of me at lunch time for the weights I was lifiting! i'll read into supersets and pyrimid sets

 

- Increase the weight whenever you feel that you're not pushing yourself hard enough. It's more important to lift with correct form.

 

Yip, I'm focused on form. Keep the stomach and arse tight, straight back and push. I do witness some atrocious form at the gym. Bench presses with feet on the bench and the only the shoulders touching the bench with the back all curved. Terrible, but not the place of a skinny lad to tell some pumped up weightlifter he is doing it wrong!

 

- If you're only ever using that routine, I'd not go five times a week. You shouldn't be exercising the same muscle groups on consecutive days, although there's no problem with using different muscle groups or mixing resistance with dedicated cardio days.

 

I do try and have cardio days (running as I mentioned). But I often feel that my normal routine doesn?t hurt enough, so I do the same the next day. I will mix uppper and lower body routines from now on I think. Give the legs a workout.

 

- The abs exercises are pretty good, but you need to burn fat to really see any benefits. High intensity cardio or weights will both help here.

 

I'm fortunate to be virtually fat free, though that thin layer over the abs is there and very hard to get rid of. I'm not that fussed about a visible 6pack. I often feel the ab exercises target the top of the abs and not the bottom. Will look into this more.

 

- Before moving onto protein shakes, try to incorporate a bit more protein into meals and snacks. Seeds and nuts are a good way of doing this, as are oats (think porridge/oatcakes). Natural peanut butter's probably my favourite food ever. If you do feel the need to move onto shakes, one before and one after can help if you're working hard enough, but I'd say that most people only need one after if at all. Try to eat six times a day, with three small, healthy meals and three healthy snacks in between each meal. As far as diet goes, it's just as important as exercise, but it's really about how many changes you're happy to make, what you think's worth giving up, etc. Don't do anything you don't enjoy, or you just won't stick to it.

 

Noted! getting the diet right will come over time. I am definatley better than i used to be, but for me it was odd. Eat rubbish - stay skinny. Never really saw any ill effects from a poor diet and have always cycled and never driven a car so I guess that has helped.

 

 

Just had my luchtime work out and I can feel it today!

 

Thanks for your responses, Im well into this just now, really enjoying it and wanting to talk about and read about it all th time. lets hope it lasts!

Edited by UnworthyPapaLazaru
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If your struggling to put on weight, then put some Whey Protein along with Milk,a Banana and Peanut Butter / Oats (Whatever you fancy) into a blender to make a home-made weight gain shake. Full of Carbs and Protein.

I used to use normal Weight Gain shakes but the quality of Protein isn't as great and you miss out on nutrients etc. So IMO a home-made Weight Gain shake is the best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Creepy Lurker

Just had my luchtime work out and I can feel it today!

 

Thanks for your responses, Im well into this just now, really enjoying it and wanting to talk about and read about it all th time. lets hope it lasts!

 

No problem, let us know how you get on!

 

As far as the sets and reps thing goes, it's down to personal preference really. I always tell people to start out with lower weight/higher rep stuff, but others would disagree.

 

If your struggling to put on weight, then put some Whey Protein along with Milk,a Banana and Peanut Butter / Oats (Whatever you fancy) into a blender to make a home-made weight gain shake. Full of Carbs and Protein.

I used to use normal Weight Gain shakes but the quality of Protein isn't as great and you miss out on nutrients etc. So IMO a home-made Weight Gain shake is the best.

 

Yeah, I used to do a similar shake to the one that you've mentioned: protein blend, 3 tbsp oats, 1 banana, 2 tsp peanut butter. At the moment, I'm using Sci-MX Lean Grow, which is an all in one incorporating protein and carbs, which I'm quite enjoying. That said, when I say that I'm 'quite enjoying' it, what I mean is that it tastes nice. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UnworthyPapaLazaru

I found one of these mens health 'marine' work out hings on the web last night, lots of squats and lunges etc. I'll give that a bash today to rest the upper body :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dusk_Till_Dawn

I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm pissing in the wind with my attempts to tone my abs. My torso's getting slimmer (particularly where my lovehandles once were) but for all the sit-ups, weights, running etc I've been doing for ages, I still can't see much toning. I'm 5' 10" and 11st.

 

Can I ask one of you fellas who's in the know - if someone came to you and said "I want to tone my abs", is there a specific, detailed routine you'd suggest?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some good advice from creepy lurker..

 

One thing I would disagree with is that he called the plank etc "abs execises" and didn't place too much importance on them.

 

The plank is so much more than an abs exercise. It works your body's core which helps with balance and posture. A strong core is essential for general wellbeing and fitness.

 

As well as plank exercses, swiss ball work, chin ups and press ups also help.

 

If you are not conscious of your core strength when doing a workout, you are probably doing something wrong. It's probably the most common mistake that people who use the gym but don't seek the advice of a qualified instructor make...

 

Here are some links courtesy of google:

 

http://www.athleticadvisor.com/weight_room/core_strength.htm

 

http://www.corefitnessstrength.com/core-fitness/what-is-core-strength-and-why-is-it-important/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm pissing in the wind with my attempts to tone my abs. My torso's getting slimmer (particularly where my lovehandles once were) but for all the sit-ups, weights, running etc I've been doing for ages, I still can't see much toning. I'm 5' 10" and 11st.

 

Can I ask one of you fellas who's in the know - if someone came to you and said "I want to tone my abs", is there a specific, detailed routine you'd suggest?

 

My post above came at the right time for you. Use a swiss ball. Aim to work your whole core.

 

Other than that, good abs is all about fat burning which really only comes with exercising regularly for a very long period and eating all the right foods.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dusk_Till_Dawn

My post above came at the right time for you. Use a swiss ball. Aim to work your whole core.

 

Other than that, good abs is all about fat burning which really only comes with exercising regularly for a very long period and eating all the right foods.

 

That's probably the answer but I don't think I can get my weight down any further, not without pushing myself to an excessive degree. In general I'm thin but my stomach is like a magnetic for flab.

 

But core strength is something to work on, starting tonight. Appreciate the advice

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Creepy Lurker

Some good advice from creepy lurker..

 

One thing I would disagree with is that he called the plank etc "abs execises" and didn't place too much importance on them.

 

The plank is so much more than an abs exercise. It works your body's core which helps with balance and posture. A strong core is essential for general wellbeing and fitness.

 

As well as plank exercses, swiss ball work, chin ups and press ups also help.

 

If you are not conscious of your core strength when doing a workout, you are probably doing something wrong. It's probably the most common mistake that people who use the gym but don't seek the advice of a qualified instructor make...

 

Here are some links courtesy of google:

 

http://www.athletica...re_strength.htm

 

http://www.corefitne...s-it-important/

 

You're quite right; I didn't mean to play down the importance of core exercises, it was just that I was getting the impression from UnworthyPapaLazaru's post that what he was looking for was toned abs as opposed to core fitness per se.

 

Agree with your advice, although I'd add that squats are a compound lift which are particularly good for core fitness, as is even the bench press if done with correct form. As well as a Swiss ball, I'd also reccommend using a bosu ball. I've actually only started on it fairly recently, but I'm really feeling the benefits of it. It's also important to target the obliques, which things like side planks and Russian twists are pretty good for.

 

In terms of getting noticeable abs, though, it's all about fat burn. I think that the rule of thumb is that you need to be below 10% bodyfat to have a noticeable six pack?

 

That's probably the answer but I don't think I can get my weight down any further, not without pushing myself to an excessive degree. In general I'm thin but my stomach is like a magnetic for flab.

 

But core strength is something to work on, starting tonight. Appreciate the advice

 

It could well be down to diet, and if that's the case then it'll really depend on what you consider to be 'pushing yourself to an excessive degree'. As I said earlier in the thread, making improvements to your diet's really all about deciding what you are and aren't prepared to give up in order to look better or be fitter, and if you'd rather (for example; this isn't aimed at you) have a pack of crisps and can of juice at work each day than give them up just to look a wee bit better then that's probably what you'll do.

 

I don't think that many people fully appreciate just how important diet is in any kind of fitness regime. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that, once they're doing a lot of exercise, they 'can eat whatever they like, as they know they'll burn it off'. That might be true up to a point, but you won't be getting anywhere near as many benefits to either health, fitness (if you eat the right things, you'll perform so much better) or fat burn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UnworthyPapaLazaru

Well, after my day yesterday doing squats and deadlift squats lunges etc my legs today are killing me! If I feel the same tomorrow, and I think it is likely, should I take another day off till they feel normal or should I bust through the pain barrier?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, after my day yesterday doing squats and deadlift squats lunges etc my legs today are killing me! If I feel the same tomorrow, and I think it is likely, should I take another day off till they feel normal or should I bust through the pain barrier?

 

I'd wait a couple more days before you do legs again. Do upper body instead?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Creepy Lurker

If you're doing a day in which you're focussing only on legs, I wouldn't really reccommend doing it more than once a week. If you're hitting them hard enough - and, by the sounds of things, you are - that should be more than enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Konrad von Carstein

Been unable to get to the gym since last monday due to other commitments and for the last couple of days I have some kind of cold/cough hanging about me rather pissed off but ther is no sense going if you are even a wee bit under the weather....is there? :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been unable to get to the gym since last monday due to other commitments and for the last couple of days I have some kind of cold/cough hanging about me rather pissed off but ther is no sense going if you are even a wee bit under the weather....is there? :unsure:

 

Have heard that you should give it a miss if the cold's in your chest, but you're okay if the cold's in your head. God knows if that's true though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have heard that you should give it a miss if the cold's in your chest, but you're okay if the cold's in your head. God knows if that's true though!

 

This is true, though I'm not sure if being "a wee bit chesty" counts :teehee:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dumbbell curls 3 sets of 8 reps

Dumbbell Shoulder press 3 sets of 8 reps

Dumbbell forward rise

Dumbbell hang clean 3 sets of 8 reps

Bench Press 3 sets of 8 reps

Chest press machine 3 sets of 8 reps

Pec Fly machine 3 sets of 8 reps

 

 

 

Your set routine seems a bit short.

 

For each group of muscles you should be starting with 15 reps going to 12, 8, 6, 6 - trying to increase the weight every set if possible, if not every time then as much as possible.

 

Then for the second set on a muscle group and anything beyond that you should be looking at 12, 8, 6, 6 again, increasing the weight if possible.

 

Once you are feeling stronger and fitter you should be looking at 5 sets of 15 for each.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UnworthyPapaLazaru

Your set routine seems a bit short.

 

For each group of muscles you should be starting with 15 reps going to 12, 8, 6, 6 - trying to increase the weight every set if possible, if not every time then as much as possible.

 

Then for the second set on a muscle group and anything beyond that you should be looking at 12, 8, 6, 6 again, increasing the weight if possible.

 

Once you are feeling stronger and fitter you should be looking at 5 sets of 15 for each.

 

Time contraints more than anything mate, but i do usually do a few floor exercises too.

 

On the days I have a bit longer, or if I go in the evening, I do usually add a bit extrra.

 

I dunno if I could up the weights each time. Im using pretty much the lightest weights in the gym as it is, and wont have the strenght to up with each set! I'll give this a try. Having a well deserved rest day today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dusk_Till_Dawn

It could well be down to diet, and if that's the case then it'll really depend on what you consider to be 'pushing yourself to an excessive degree'. As I said earlier in the thread, making improvements to your diet's really all about deciding what you are and aren't prepared to give up in order to look better or be fitter, and if you'd rather (for example; this isn't aimed at you) have a pack of crisps and can of juice at work each day than give them up just to look a wee bit better then that's probably what you'll do.

 

I don't think that many people fully appreciate just how important diet is in any kind of fitness regime. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that, once they're doing a lot of exercise, they 'can eat whatever they like, as they know they'll burn it off'. That might be true up to a point, but you won't be getting anywhere near as many benefits to either health, fitness (if you eat the right things, you'll perform so much better) or fat burn.

 

This is the frustrating thing - I think I eat pretty well. There's nothing I'm regularly prone to that I could honestly look at and say 'get rid'. I do eat quite a bit of bread and cereal though. Maybe that's it.

 

As far as excessive degree goes, I'm really meaning at the gym. if I did any more than I'm doing already (three or four nights a week) I'd be totally wasted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Snake Plissken

This is the frustrating thing - I think I eat pretty well. There's nothing I'm regularly prone to that I could honestly look at and say 'get rid'. I do eat quite a bit of bread and cereal though. Maybe that's it.

 

As far as excessive degree goes, I'm really meaning at the gym. if I did any more than I'm doing already (three or four nights a week) I'd be totally wasted.

 

That is exactly what it is.

 

I'd suggest eating less simple carbs in one sitting - that which cannot be used by the body is stored as fat. I'm not saying go on the Atkins or anything daft like that, just moderate how much you eat and the times you eat.

 

I have small regular meals combined with short, sharp and frequent workouts - I'm never at the gym for more than an hour. I often go during my lunch hour and then again after work (not every night).

 

As Creepy said, diet does come into it a lot and you have to be prepared to give up certain things if you want to make the most of it. Put it this way - one mars bar = 270 calories, that's about 20 minutes on the treadmill for the average person. Easier to not eat it in the first place, yes?

 

One thing I've done is drastically reduce my sugar intake. Save for the single teaspoon of sugar I have in my coffee in the morning and the naturally occuring sugars in fruit and fruit juice I do not have any sugar at all. No chocolate, no biscuits and no sugary cereal - at least during the week. Sunday is my 'day off' and I treat myself to one bar of chocolate.

 

It takes about three weeks to adjust, there were some nights after dinner I had a real craving for something sweet but I don't really get it anymore. I feel better for it and my next step is to really increase the amount of vegetables I eat. I usually get my 5 a day but it's mostly fruit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Creepy Lurker

That is exactly what it is.

 

I'd suggest eating less simple carbs in one sitting - that which cannot be used by the body is stored as fat. I'm not saying go on the Atkins or anything daft like that, just moderate how much you eat and the times you eat.

 

I have small regular meals combined with short, sharp and frequent workouts - I'm never at the gym for more than an hour. I often go during my lunch hour and then again after work (not every night).

 

As Creepy said, diet does come into it a lot and you have to be prepared to give up certain things if you want to make the most of it. Put it this way - one mars bar = 270 calories, that's about 20 minutes on the treadmill for the average person. Easier to not eat it in the first place, yes?

 

One thing I've done is drastically reduce my sugar intake. Save for the single teaspoon of sugar I have in my coffee in the morning and the naturally occuring sugars in fruit and fruit juice I do not have any sugar at all. No chocolate, no biscuits and no sugary cereal - at least during the week. Sunday is my 'day off' and I treat myself to one bar of chocolate.

 

It takes about three weeks to adjust, there were some nights after dinner I had a real craving for something sweet but I don't really get it anymore. I feel better for it and my next step is to really increase the amount of vegetables I eat. I usually get my 5 a day but it's mostly fruit.

 

Can't really add that much to any of this, except to say that I've done the same thing with added sugar and have noticed the exact same result of, over time, reduced cravings. It's now very, very rare for me to even want chocolate, and when I do schedule a 'cheat day' (which isn't that often as alcohol usually gets in the way: you're meant to have a 'cheat' every 7-10 days, but I can't justify it when I'm drinking more regularly than that), it'll more often be some kind of unhealthy savoury food. There are certain things which help to cut down on cravings, for instance green tea and eating a bit of grapefruit after a meal, but I think that once you've started to give up added sugar that becomes addictive in itself; I realised that I'd been eating sweets and drinking fizzy juice more out of habit than because I particularly wanted or needed them.

 

A lot of people worry about lower energy levels, but what sugar actually does is give you an insulin spike; although this gives you a short term boost, it leads to a longer 'crash', as well as increased cravings...which people tend to get over by eating more sugar. If you stick to lower-GI carbs (sugar, I believe, has a value of 100 on the glycaemic index), you'll actually find yourself having more energy in the long run.

 

A couple of suggestions for Dusk Till Dawn: do you like porridge? It's much better for you than cereal. Even if you don't, oats are probably the most versatile breakfast food out there, with tons of other things being possible. Also, although diet is almost definitely a factor in your problems, when was the last time that you changed your workout? After a certain length of time, your body effectively gets used to what you're doing, which ends up minimising any improvements. Personally, I change all of the lifts that I'm doing every two weeks, but you don't have to do as much as that: even just changing the amount of sets/reps every so often helps. They say that you shouldn't stick to any one routine for longer than six weeks...

 

Lastly, what kind of cardio training are you doing (if any)? Switching from steady state cardio to high intensity interval training, or alternating between both, can lead to pretty dramatic increases in fat-burn.

Edited by Creepy Lurker
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dusk_Till_Dawn

A couple of suggestions for Dusk Till Dawn: do you like porridge? It's much better for you than cereal. Even if you don't, oats are probably the most versatile breakfast food out there, with tons of other things being possible. Also, although diet is almost definitely a factor in your problems, when was the last time that you changed your workout? After a certain length of time, your body effectively gets used to what you're doing, which ends up minimising any improvements. Personally, I change all of the lifts that I'm doing every two weeks, but you don't have to do as much as that: even just changing the amount of sets/reps every so often helps. They say that you shouldn't stick to any one routine for longer than six weeks...

 

Lastly, what kind of cardio training are you doing (if any)? Switching from steady state cardio to high intensity interval training, or alternating between both, can lead to pretty dramatic increases in fat-burn.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post pal.

 

The cereals I eat are usually rice krispies/cornflakes/bran flakes/alpen but I'm quite partial to a bit of porridge so I'll get into that this week. When did I last change my workout? A while ago to be fair. I try to mix up the weights I do and I increase the load whenever I'm ready but in general I do far more cardio work than anything else - I usually run 10-11km on the treadmill two or three times a week before sit-ups and pull-ups but I've been doing it for so long that it's almost a habit as much as anything. I know I can get through an hour's run so I just set the treadmill going and plod on. Sounds like it's time to break from that and start mixing it up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Creepy Lurker

Thanks for taking the time to post pal.

 

The cereals I eat are usually rice krispies/cornflakes/bran flakes/alpen but I'm quite partial to a bit of porridge so I'll get into that this week. When did I last change my workout? A while ago to be fair. I try to mix up the weights I do and I increase the load whenever I'm ready but in general I do far more cardio work than anything else - I usually run 10-11km on the treadmill two or three times a week before sit-ups and pull-ups but I've been doing it for so long that it's almost a habit as much as anything. I know I can get through an hour's run so I just set the treadmill going and plod on. Sounds like it's time to break from that and start mixing it up.

 

Yeah, a few of those cereals aren't great. Bran Flakes aren't too bad, but the likes of Alpen are a bit of a pet hate of mine: they purport to be healthy options, but actually contain loads of added sugar. If it's that kind of thing that you're after, you're better off with muesli.

 

10-11k in an hour's pretty good (although you might be well advised to try a bit of outdoor running, as it's a better workout and also just less boring), but a good idea would be to mix it up with high intensity interval training: this is basically any regime which involves short 'sprint' periods (try to push yourself as hard as you can for about 30 seconds, maybe a minute if you're on a treadmill as you'll be using up time accelerating and decelerating) followed by (usually) longer 'rest' periods at an easier pace to get the heartrate back down.

 

If you're doing HIIT right, you'll burn more fat than you will with steady state cardio and as an added benefit won't be spending so much time at the gym! I'd also maybe look into doing different core exercises to sit ups afterwards, as they're far from the most efficient.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Three weeks into the new regime and it is going pretty well.

 

Lost about a stone and a half, although I have probably lost more than that and gained some muscle weight.

 

The diet took a bit of a hit thurs-fri-sat as I had a ball on the Thursday night and my first drink in 6 weeks. Needless to say I got absolutely smashed and ended up with a two day hangover so as well as 3 days of not great eating I had 3 days off the gym!

 

Got back into it with a morning and evening session yesterday and I started to feel more like myself again, I definitely needed to detox!

 

My problem right now is niggly injuries appearing and preventing me from doing certain weights for a few days. It started with my left elbow which was just not giving me any power towards the end of sets when doing chest excercises and now I have strained my neck doing back pull downs.

 

Up to a nice 15k in 30 mins on the bike which is such a difference from my first session when I had to stop after 25mins having only done 10k as my legs were cramping up!

 

Might need to start using the treadmill as well (although I loath it) just to change things a wee bit.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Creepy Lurker

I'm a broken man at the moment. Was a complete waste of space at Muay Thai today; my legs are just...wow. Obviously what I'm doing at the moment's working, probably more so than I'd like. :mellow:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Three weeks into the new regime and it is going pretty well.

 

Lost about a stone and a half, although I have probably lost more than that and gained some muscle weight.

 

 

 

Is that a stone and a half in three weeks? that seems an auffy lot to me. I don't know as much as a lot of the guys on here, but I always thought that loosing anything over a couple of pounds a week isn't a good idea. (That said, if I could loose a stone and a half in 3 weeks, I'd be delighted)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is that a stone and a half in three weeks? that seems an auffy lot to me. I don't know as much as a lot of the guys on here, but I always thought that loosing anything over a couple of pounds a week isn't a good idea. (That said, if I could loose a stone and a half in 3 weeks, I'd be delighted)

 

I am using t5 fat burners which significantly increase weight loss and the diet I am on is pretty strict so I would have expect to lose around that.

 

As I say it is probably more but I have put some back on in muscle.

 

Feeling very fit, healthy and strong at the moment - niggling injuries aside I am still enjoying it.

 

Getting back into clothes that have not fitted me in a year or so has been great!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dusk_Till_Dawn

A couple of suggestions for Dusk Till Dawn: do you like porridge? It's much better for you than cereal. Even if you don't, oats are probably the most versatile breakfast food out there, with tons of other things being possible.

 

I'm taking liberties asking so many questions here, but do me a favour an answer me one last query:

 

The calories in a bowl of porridge seems to be much higher than a comparative bowl of cornflakes. It that at all significant or are calories irrelevant?

 

The same goes for nuts etc. I picked up a pack of pumpkin seeds the other day and (according to the back of the packet) the number of calories in them is sky high - considering what's in the packet.

 

I'm not a calorie counter and I never have been but both of the above surprised me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Creepy Lurker

I'm taking liberties asking so many questions here, but do me a favour an answer me one last query:

 

The calories in a bowl of porridge seems to be much higher than a comparative bowl of cornflakes. It that at all significant or are calories irrelevant?

 

The same goes for nuts etc. I picked up a pack of pumpkin seeds the other day and (according to the back of the packet) the number of calories in them is sky high - considering what's in the packet.

 

I'm not a calorie counter and I never have been but both of the above surprised me.

 

You're not taking liberties at all: no-one ever finds anything out without asking...

 

It's difficult to explain this without going into loads of boring detail, but basically it isn't always just calories or even fat that you have to watch. Most cereals are full of sugar and salt, whereas oats are complex carbohydrates which take a long time for your body to process, meaning that they give you a steady stream of energy as opposed to a short spike followed by a crash. They're also high in fibre, which promotes fullness.

 

As far as nuts and seeds go, they're high in fat but that doesn't actually make them fattening (I realise that this sounds totally self-contradictory, but bear with me...). Apparently, not all of the fat's actually absorbed, which makes them contain less calories than would be expected. The fat that you do absorb is also good fat, which is good for the heart and can actually cause the body to release more energy (ie, more calories burned).

 

I've tried to give a bit of a potted version of some of the facts there, as it's the sort of thing that you could go into all kinds of boring detail about. Hope it makes sense?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UnworthyPapaLazaru

ive been off work for a week and done zero of my routine... Ive come back to work and the gym is getting a re-fit so is closed for a week! Two weeks off, this is really going to stop my momentum! Nightmare. Looks like press ups and sit ups in the house...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does shovelling snow could as exercise?

I'm counting it!

 

I used the heart rate monitor while I was clearing snow on Wednesday - calories burned came in about 720.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest vanbasten1874

Been hammering the exercise regime lately 40 minutes on the exercise bike . 3 sets of 60 sit ups 3 sets of 100 curl ups 10 kilos each dumbell . 3 sets of 60 pressups then 3 sets of 100 curl ups again and i am made of granite like i never got results like this in the gym do all my workout at home aswell should i go back to the gym?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

just had a read through this and there is some good advice by the likes of Creepy Lurker. I have been training for about 5 years now and would be happy to help where I can. I will try to put a few routines up which I hope will be of benefit when I get the chance. In the meantime the best advice I can give to beginners who are looking to cut fat would be watching their diet - eating 5-7 smaller high protein meals a day to increase metabolism and cutting out bread and potatoes where possible.

 

In regards to a workout I would recommend keeping it simple for the first 4-6 weeks doing core exercises eg deadlifts, squats, bench press and shoulder press focusing on form and feeling the muscles working correctly mixed with cardio training (interval training is excellent for burning fat).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi guys. Looking for a bit advice here.

 

I'm by no means fat but I have developed a bit of a beer belly over the last couple of years since leaving school.

 

I don't actually eat a lot on any specific days. A typical day could see me eat a cheese + ham sandwhich or chicken baguette at lunch. For tea it usually consists of either Pasta/Pizza or something like a bacon rolls etc.

 

My weight is odd as it seems to constantly vary from 12st 5lb up to 12 st 13lb throughout any given week.

 

How can I tackle this beer belly and what should I be doing to maintain a decent balanced diet?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sterling Archer

Just completed my first week of the p90x programme. Anyone else done this? Good variety of exercises but requires quite a bit of commitment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just completed my first week of the p90x programme. Anyone else done this? Good variety of exercises but requires quite a bit of commitment.

 

Very good, stick at it and you'll notice changes fairly fast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC

What is the P90x programme?

 

I've been struggling for motivation with this weather. The winter really gets me down. :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nelly Terraces

Hi guys. Looking for a bit advice here.

 

I'm by no means fat but I have developed a bit of a beer belly over the last couple of years since leaving school.

 

I don't actually eat a lot on any specific days. A typical day could see me eat a cheese + ham sandwhich or chicken baguette at lunch. For tea it usually consists of either Pasta/Pizza or something like a bacon rolls etc.

 

My weight is odd as it seems to constantly vary from 12st 5lb up to 12 st 13lb throughout any given week.

 

How can I tackle this beer belly and what should I be doing to maintain a decent balanced diet?

 

 

You're getting older, and probably more sedentary in your lifestyle I'd guess. The diet you've outlined there is a bit of a disaster I'm afraid, and if you've got a small beerbelly developing now, think what you'll look like in a few years - a ***** right lardy chubber.

 

Easy fix though mate, 1st off, the diet, ditch all the white stuff (bread, rice, pasta) and go totally wholemeal on the lot. It far better for you, less fattening and processed (of a fashion), and you burn it off slower so you don't feel as hungry (all that white stuff, it fills you up but burns fast and makes you want to eat more sooner). It's actually tastier too (at least, I think it is). Try knock out all the cheese etc you may have on sarnies/pizzas, it's just pure sat fat, really bad for yer gut. Swap some foods for others too, instead of pizza, have a baked spud with a healthier filling, and tuna on a wholemeal roll instead of a ham baguette, that sort of thing. Fraid another thing you'll have to ditch is the beer, or least reduce considerably, and 'junk' food also, probably best to cut out both altogether initially. Just try and east healthily as much as poss, and get stacks of fruit and veg in you too, it's all good.

As for exercise, it cardio all the way - running/cycling/walking, you name it, do it. Walk EVERYWHERE if you can, it all adds up, but really you need to introduce to higher aerobic fitness into your lifestyle, being a runner, I'll always say that's best, it's the least time consuming and gives most benefit. Also, get the old sit up's/crunches going, along with other core work exercises, and rotate these every 6 weeks (your body gets used to the same routine and it doesn't work any more). You can find stacks of these on the web Actually, clickety click, micro fits: http://www.mensfitne...s/ab_exercises/

Good luck - don't become a tubby, it's just wrong.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for exercise in this weather, it's just pants, but I'm been out most days clocking up the miles, though pace is just not even a factor as I don't fancy slipped on ma jacksey and breaking something, been out along the canal and doing between 5 - 8 miles a day though it's off the to the dreaded treadmill the next few days. Meant to be starting a training plan for London Mara as off this Sunday - this weather's not going to help that, as I wanted to be up to 50 miles paw this week, but nowhere near that, next weeks gonna be a killer, still, determined to beat my pb from Amsterdam in October, and get under the magical 3hr barrier.

Cheers!

Edited by Nelly Terraces
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is the P90x programme?

 

I've been struggling for motivation with this weather. The winter really gets me down. :angry:

 

It's a 90 day program that can be done at home. It includes weight training with a diet and nutrition plan.

 

Costs around 120 quid to order it online but it's a good program that will give you results if you stick at it. It's good for building a base before you go onto body building more seriously.

 

Would recommend it to all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sterling Archer

It's a 90 day program that can be done at home. It includes weight training with a diet and nutrition plan.

 

Costs around 120 quid to order it online but it's a good program that will give you results if you stick at it. It's good for building a base before you go onto body building more seriously.

 

Would recommend it to all.

 

Building on what Jailbait said it's 6 days a week for around an hour to hour and a half a day. Involves weights, jump training and yoga. Theres slight variations depending on whether you want more muscles or a more lean look.

 

All you need is a yoga mat, weights or bands and a pullup bar.

 

I didn't pay for the DVDs, they can be found on most torrent sites. You can also find the workout schedule online.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UnworthyPapaLazaru

Might take a look at that. Been doing my routines for a while now, and by the sounds of things it's good to have a change. I'll try the torrent route and try before I buy. Aye right ;-) got a link to the non DVD stuff?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Creepy Lurker

Hi guys. Looking for a bit advice here.

 

I'm by no means fat but I have developed a bit of a beer belly over the last couple of years since leaving school.

 

I don't actually eat a lot on any specific days. A typical day could see me eat a cheese + ham sandwhich or chicken baguette at lunch. For tea it usually consists of either Pasta/Pizza or something like a bacon rolls etc.

 

My weight is odd as it seems to constantly vary from 12st 5lb up to 12 st 13lb throughout any given week.

 

How can I tackle this beer belly and what should I be doing to maintain a decent balanced diet?

 

Your post's a bit vague: exactly what lengths are you prepared to go to?

 

As a few basic pointers:

 

- Aim to eat around six times a day, with three small meals and three healthy snacks in between.

- Try, to the best of your ability, to cut out added sugars and greasy foods like crisps etc.

- You should be taking on protein every 2-4 hours even if you don't want to gain muscle. It takes longer to digest than carbs, and therefore keeps you fuller for longer. That doesn't mean that you go for protein shakes or anything, you don't need them unless you're training pretty hard (and I'd advise leaving it for a while after starting serious training to buy them, just to make sure that you're actually going to stick to it). Things like lean meat (chicken, turkey etc), oily fish (tinned fish are a good cheap option), nuts, seeds, eggs, milk, cottage cheese: things like that.

- You won't lose weight unless you're burning more calories than you're taking in.

- Try to get carbohydrates from healthier sources: unrefined, unprocessed, low on the glycaemic index and high in fibre. Think wholemeal bread and pasta products, brown rice, oats, beans, fruit and vegetables. General rule: it's impossible to eat too much veg. You'd have to eat half a kilo of asparagus to take on as much carbohydrate as you would in one wholemeal pitta bread.

- You need a certain amount of fat in your diet, but as a general rule keep saturates and trans fats to a minimum; aim for monounsaturates and polyunsaturates, especially omega 3 and omega 6. Again, nuts and oily fish are great here.

- Don't try to cut things out of your diet entirely: if you have a cheat day every 7-10 days, as well as making you more likely to stick to your diet it'll actually help keep your body guessing. Otherwise, it becomes too used to what you're hitting it with. My cheat day was today, I had a calzone and it was ******* brilliant.

- Training wise, resistance training has a longer metabolic effect than cardio training, so it'll keep you burning fat for longer. Most would agree that a mix of weights and cardio's the best thing, though.

- Always take on protein and carbs right after training, your glycogen stores need replenished. You don't need to get fired into supplements (as I said, I'd advise against it until you're quite an experienced gymgoer): something like a natural peanut butter and banana sandwich on wholemeal bread, a tuna pasta salad or a multigrain bagel with cream cheese and sliced tomato would be perfect.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Edit: on a personal note, training's going really well at the moment. Muay Thai was mental on Wednesday: it started with a barbell complex invented by Randy Couture which was as follows:

 

Bent over row x 8

Upright row x 8

Military press x 8

Good morning x 8

Split squat x 8

Split squat (other leg) x 8

Squat to press x 8

Romanian deadlift x 8

 

No rests between lifts: once you've picked up the bar, you can't let go. We did that six times through, with minimal rests between circuits. After that, we expected to start technique, at which point the coach hit us with four back to back tabata workouts (one tabata workout is 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, eight times through) with gloves on and gumshield in. The four exercises used were jump ups, press ups, Hindu squats and burpees (yes, burpees last. He's a sadist).

 

As far as the gym goes, I've been mostly aiming at improving my core muscles recently and seeing real improvements. Made my own protein bars last week, really feeling the benefit of using them and they taste much better than the ones you buy.

Edited by Creepy Lurker
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...