Fitness Thread

[Sconnie]

I'm going to go Monday-Friday for a couple of weeks and then go every other day.

 

I know it's not advisable to go every day but it's just for a couple of weeks, and hopefully with that and a healthy diet, I'll notice some improvments.

 

I'll update my progress after sessions.

Edited June 5, 2011 by Sconnie

[Alan_R]

Also I'm a broad guy. I'm a bit overweight however I'm fairly fit and as I'm tall I'm not too much heavier than I should be.

 

I was 15.5 stone but I've lost half a stone fairly quickly. Now I'm stuck at 15. No doubt some of it is due to muscle and I feel fitter (also been told I look slimmer too) however regardless of what I do I can't seem to shift anymore weight and I've been going at it pretty hard. Advice?

 

any give me pointers regarding this part?

 

Its frustrating because despite being a bit bigger I know I'm easily fitter than most of my friends.

 

I think it may have been what I was eating (missus is a picky eater and I usually end up eating the same shite as her so we dont need to make 2 meals). However I've been eating much healthier last we while and still no obvious different. Maybe I'm just impatient?

[Guest Ultraviolet Catastrophe]

Elliptical arrived today

[Sconnie]

I done 20mins on the bike and done 4 miles, I wasn't going all out tbf. I done 3000m on the rowing machine in 16mins, I'll be looking to improve on that tomorrow. I done 15mins on the treadmill and an embarrassing 10mins on the cross trainer. I was fine using everything but after 10mins on the cross trainer I was f***** I'm going to use the excuse that I went on it straight after the bike!

 

I've went and bought oranges, apples, wholemeal bread, yoghurts, nuts etc, and also picked up some Tetley's lemon green tea for ?1. I could really do with some extra ideas for meals at dinner time? I've got alot of snacking foods but anybody any ideas for main meals?

Edited June 6, 2011 by Sconnie

[Isaac Clarke]

I done 20mins on the bike and done 4 miles, I wasn't going all out tbf. I done 3000m on the rowing machine in 16mins, I'll be looking to improve on that tomorrow. I done 15mins on the treadmill and an embarrassing 10mins on the cross trainer. I was fine using everything but after 10mins on the cross trainer I was f***** I'm going to use the excuse that I went on it straight after the bike!

 

I've went and bought oranges, apples, wholemeal bread, yoghurts, nuts etc, and also picked up some Tetley's lemon green tea for ?1. I could really do with some extra ideas for meals at dinner time? I've got alot of snacking foods but anybody any ideas for main meals?

 

Are you doing interval training on the cardio machines? I started doing it awhile ago and I'm really feeling the benefits.

 

With regards to main meals probably stuff like chicken, turkey, pasta, plenty of vegetables. I've started to have Couscous quite alot instead of pasta aswell.

Edited June 6, 2011 by JamboTaylor

[peter_hmfc]

I done 20mins on the bike and done 4 miles, I wasn't going all out tbf. I done 3000m on the rowing machine in 16mins, I'll be looking to improve on that tomorrow. I done 15mins on the treadmill and an embarrassing 10mins on the cross trainer. I was fine using everything but after 10mins on the cross trainer I was f***** I'm going to use the excuse that I went on it straight after the bike!

 

I've went and bought oranges, apples, wholemeal bread, yoghurts, nuts etc, and also picked up some Tetley's lemon green tea for ?1. I could really do with some extra ideas for meals at dinner time? I've got alot of snacking foods but anybody any ideas for main meals?

 

3000m in 15mins? I try hard at it with the notch all the way up to 11 and I struggle to reach 2000m in that time.

 

What are you aiming for at the end of it all? Lose weight or a certain figure, etc?

 

Also I've heard fish is good for you, unfortunately that doesn't count fish and chips though.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

I done 20mins on the bike and done 4 miles, I wasn't going all out tbf. I done 3000m on the rowing machine in 16mins, I'll be looking to improve on that tomorrow. I done 15mins on the treadmill and an embarrassing 10mins on the cross trainer. I was fine using everything but after 10mins on the cross trainer I was f***** I'm going to use the excuse that I went on it straight after the bike!

 

I've went and bought oranges, apples, wholemeal bread, yoghurts, nuts etc, and also picked up some Tetley's lemon green tea for ?1. I could really do with some extra ideas for meals at dinner time? I've got alot of snacking foods but anybody any ideas for main meals?

 

You are on the right track mate. Once you feel comfortable, make sure you get yourself a plan to stick to otherwise you'll more than likely lose motivation.

 

I'm no diet expert but try and get stuff like chicken, fish, rice wholemeal pasta, tuna, plenty vegetables etc for your main meals. Porridge for breakfast etc. Stir fries are brilliant and easy. You can buy stir fry packs out of Asda etc for like a quid and they are packed with good foods. Stick a bit of chicken and egg noodles in with that and you are laughing. If you eat loads of sandwiches you could replace the bread with wraps. Just stuff like that. Cut out all the stuff you feel is bad. Forget about fizzy juice, sweets and crisps.

 

Annoyingly, I felt a wee tweak in my back yesterday during a weights session and it feels a bit tight today. Going to try and go for a run later and hope it's not too bad.

Edited June 6, 2011 by Andy Gray

[Ali-1874]

Wondering if anyone could give me a bit of advice. I've been set up a plan by a personal trainer. My goal is to lose weight as I'm slightly overweight and to tone up a bit, here's my 1st workout which focuses on legs/back:

 

All cardio is interval training and all weights are 3 sets of 12.

 

10 mins bike

Squats

Standing deadlift

Pull-ups

Leg Curl

Seated Row

Calf press (don't know if that's the proper name but using the leg press I literally just have the top half of my foot on the board and push the heel in slightly so I feel the calfs burning haha)

10 mins cross-trainer

 

It seems a bit like there's too much weight/not enough cardio for what I'm wanting to do. Bearing in mind I haven't been shown the other workouts I'm going to be doing (going to be going 4 times a week)then maybe I'm worrying over nothing.

 

EDIT: also, while I'm waiting on personal trainers to set me up a programme for arms etc would it be alright to go up myself and do cardio training without doing the weights?

Edited June 6, 2011 by Ali-1874

[Beats]

I'm bad for Rolls and Bread.Might change them to wraps.

 

The soles of my feet are really hurting.They have hurt for years even when I'm not exercising.I went to the docs and was told it was nothing as there is nothing in the soles you can do damage to!

 

Really improved my diet as well.I used to eat next to no Veg.Now my plate is filled with it every night.Can't say I enjoy it all that much mind you

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

Wondering if anyone could give me a bit of advice. I've been set up a plan by a personal trainer. My goal is to lose weight as I'm slightly overweight and to tone up a bit, here's my 1st workout which focuses on legs/back:

 

All cardio is interval training and all weights are 3 sets of 12.

 

10 mins bike

Squats

Standing deadlift

Pull-ups

Leg Curl

Seated Row

Calf press (don't know if that's the proper name but using the leg press I literally just have the top half of my foot on the board and push the heel in slightly so I feel the calfs burning haha)

10 mins cross-trainer

 

It seems a bit like there's too much weight/not enough cardio for what I'm wanting to do. Bearing in mind I haven't been shown the other workouts I'm going to be doing (going to be going 4 times a week)then maybe I'm worrying over nothing.

 

EDIT: also, while I'm waiting on personal trainers to set me up a programme for arms etc would it be alright to go up myself and do cardio training without doing the weights?

 

20 minutes 4 times a week as well as your weights seems like plenty, tbh. If you enjoy cardio you could go and do it on one of your rest days. A mixture of weights and cardio seems to be the best method for weight loss.

[Creepy Lurker]

I done 20mins on the bike and done 4 miles, I wasn't going all out tbf. I done 3000m on the rowing machine in 16mins, I'll be looking to improve on that tomorrow. I done 15mins on the treadmill and an embarrassing 10mins on the cross trainer. I was fine using everything but after 10mins on the cross trainer I was f***** I'm going to use the excuse that I went on it straight after the bike!

 

I've went and bought oranges, apples, wholemeal bread, yoghurts, nuts etc, and also picked up some Tetley's lemon green tea for ?1. I could really do with some extra ideas for meals at dinner time? I've got alot of snacking foods but anybody any ideas for main meals?

 

You're on the right track: at this stage in your training, I'd advise making gradual small changes.

 

You don't need to cut out things like bread and potatoes, but do try cutting down. Another good piece of advice is to change white things to their brown equivalents: brown rice, wholegrain pasta, wholemeal bread, things like that. Sweet potatoes instead of potatoes is also a good shout.

 

Try to include a lean protein source in every main meal: lean meats such as chicken and turkey as well as most kinds of fish (including tinned fish) are the best. You also need healthy fats from foods such as salmon and other oily fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil. Also, you can't eat too many vegetables: I aim for eight servings of fruit and veg a day, but that'll usually be 2 fruit / 6 veg. The reason for this is that most fruits are actually pretty high in sugar: you need the nutrients from fruit too, but it is possible to eat too much. This isn't the case with vegetables: you'd need to eat about half a kilo of asparagus, for example, to take on as many grammes of carbohydrate as you'd find in one wholemeal pitta bread.

 

I've given much more detailed advice elsewhere in the thread, but when you're just starting out it's better to make gradual strong changes than dive straight into getting mathematical about things. Once you're comfortable with what you're doing, I'll be more than happy to give more detailed advice.

 

Wondering if anyone could give me a bit of advice. I've been set up a plan by a personal trainer. My goal is to lose weight as I'm slightly overweight and to tone up a bit, here's my 1st workout which focuses on legs/back:

 

All cardio is interval training and all weights are 3 sets of 12.

 

10 mins bike

Squats

Standing deadlift

Pull-ups

Leg Curl

Seated Row

Calf press (don't know if that's the proper name but using the leg press I literally just have the top half of my foot on the board and push the heel in slightly so I feel the calfs burning haha)

10 mins cross-trainer

 

It seems a bit like there's too much weight/not enough cardio for what I'm wanting to do. Bearing in mind I haven't been shown the other workouts I'm going to be doing (going to be going 4 times a week)then maybe I'm worrying over nothing.

 

EDIT: also, while I'm waiting on personal trainers to set me up a programme for arms etc would it be alright to go up myself and do cardio training without doing the weights?

 

20 minutes of interval training's plenty. If it doesn't feel that way, increase the intensity.

 

As far as the rest of your workout goes, it's mostly pretty good for fat burn as it's made up mainly of compound lifts with a few isolation exercises. I'm assuming that you'll be doing different workouts focussing on the different muscle groups?

Edited June 6, 2011 by Creepy Lurker

[Ali-1874]

As far as the rest of your workout goes, it's mostly pretty good for fat burn as it's made up mainly of compound lifts with a few isolation exercises. I'm assuming that you'll be doing different workouts focussing on the different muscle groups?

 

Yeah, just not been shown the other workouts yet. Can't wait to get into a routine.

[Sconnie]

Are you doing interval training on the cardio machines? I started doing it awhile ago and I'm really feeling the benefits.

 

With regards to main meals probably stuff like chicken, turkey, pasta, plenty of vegetables. I've started to have Couscous quite alot instead of pasta aswell.

 

I was doing interval training on the bike and rowing machine, I didn't fancy having a massive sprint on the treadill!

 

 

3000m in 15mins? I try hard at it with the notch all the way up to 11 and I struggle to reach 2000m in that time.

 

What are you aiming for at the end of it all? Lose weight or a certain figure, etc?

 

Also I've heard fish is good for you, unfortunately that doesn't count fish and chips though.

 

Don't feel too bad, I think my notch was at 6...I'll fire it upto it's highest setting tomorrow and set a time for you!

 

I'm just hoping to shed a few pounds and lose my little bitch tits I've just been focussing on all the weight machines for arms and chest.

 

 

You are on the right track mate. Once you feel comfortable, make sure you get yourself a plan to stick to otherwise you'll more than likely lose motivation.

 

I'm no diet expert but try and get stuff like chicken, fish, rice wholemeal pasta, tuna, plenty vegetables etc for your main meals. Porridge for breakfast etc. Stir fries are brilliant and easy. You can buy stir fry packs out of Asda etc for like a quid and they are packed with good foods. Stick a bit of chicken and egg noodles in with that and you are laughing. If you eat loads of sandwiches you could replace the bread with wraps. Just stuff like that. Cut out all the stuff you feel is bad. Forget about fizzy juice, sweets and crisps.

 

Annoyingly, I felt a wee tweak in my back yesterday during a weights session and it feels a bit tight today. Going to try and go for a run later and hope it's not too bad.

 

I thought it was pretty weird at first, I was waiting on some people leaving a certain area before going across, but then I quickly realised that nobody gave a shit what you were doing! I'm definitly going to get a plan on the go! At the end of my session this morning I worked my way down every weight machine on my way to the exit for 10 reps, not sure why but what the hell!

 

I've actually packed in the fizzy stuff for a couple of months but I've not being doing the excercise to notice any different, but the junk food is over. I had a yoghurt and an orange for lunch! I'm going to give those stir fry packs you mentioned a try, I need someone quick and simple

 

I hope all is well with the back mate

 

 

You're on the right track: at this stage in your training, I'd advise making gradual small changes.

 

You don't need to cut out things like bread and potatoes, but do try cutting down. Another good piece of advice is to change white things to their brown equivalents: brown rice, wholegrain pasta, wholemeal bread, things like that. Sweet potatoes instead of potatoes is also a good shout.

 

Try to include a lean protein source in every main meal: lean meats such as chicken and turkey as well as most kinds of fish (including tinned fish) are the best. You also need healthy fats from foods such as salmon and other oily fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil. Also, you can't eat too many vegetables: I aim for eight servings of fruit and veg a day, but that'll usually be 2 fruit / 6 veg. The reason for this is that most fruits are actually pretty high in sugar: you need the nutrients from fruit too, but it is possible to eat too much. This isn't the case with vegetables: you'd need to eat about half a kilo of asparagus, for example, to take on as many grammes of carbohydrate as you'd find in one wholemeal pitta bread.

 

I've given much more detailed advice elsewhere in the thread, but when you're just starting out it's better to make gradual strong changes than dive straight into getting mathematical about things. Once you're comfortable with what you're doing, I'll be more than happy to give more detailed advice.

 

 

I've bought some wholemeal bread and some semi skimmed milk to try. The only problem I've got now is what to stick on the bread? I decided against buying chicken/turkey slices, I take it they'll be alright? I'm also a lover of tuna but I've only ever had that with mayonaisse and I decided against buying the light stuff as I thought it was probably still fattening.

[Creepy Lurker]

I've bought some wholemeal bread and some semi skimmed milk to try. The only problem I've got now is what to stick on the bread? I decided against buying chicken/turkey slices, I take it they'll be alright? I'm also a lover of tuna but I've only ever had that with mayonaisse and I decided against buying the light stuff as I thought it was probably still fattening.

 

Moving down to semi-skimmed milk's another good move (assuming that weight loss is your goal). I drink skimmed personally (my aim's generally just to stay around the same weight), but I know a few guys whose main aim's to gain mass who swear by drinking whole milk.

 

As far as chicken and turkey slices go, the really high quality ones aren't too bad, but generally they're not brilliant. I wouldn't generally advise eating that many sandwiches anyway, but as far as tuna goes you don't necessarily need to mix it with anything. I like it on its own...if you want a mayonnaise substitute, you could try fat-free natural yoghurt? A good suggestion would be natural (ie, no added sugar / salt / oil) nut butters such as peanut butter or almond butter. You can usually get the Whole Earth peanut butter in Tesco, but stuff like almond, cashew and hazelnut butters are usually only found in health food shops such as Holland and Barrett.

[Ignoranus]

Some good info in this thread

 

Normally i keep myself fit with footy but seeing as the season is finished i'm not doing too much exercise and starting to feel lazy and horrible.

 

Been out for a couple of runs, normally jog round arthur seat. But whilst i like jogging it can get a bit boring without a football to chase

 

Also need to pay some attention to my diet. It's kinda slipped these past few months

 

Seen a few posters mention Stir Fry bags as a good healthy meal! Defo agree with that. A variety of tasty stir frys can be achieved if you use your imagination!

 

Anyone else got any good healthy recipes?

[Sconnie]

Moving down to semi-skimmed milk's another good move (assuming that weight loss is your goal). I drink skimmed personally (my aim's generally just to stay around the same weight), but I know a few guys whose main aim's to gain mass who swear by drinking whole milk.

 

As far as chicken and turkey slices go, the really high quality ones aren't too bad, but generally they're not brilliant. I wouldn't generally advise eating that many sandwiches anyway, but as far as tuna goes you don't necessarily need to mix it with anything. I like it on its own...if you want a mayonnaise substitute, you could try fat-free natural yoghurt? A good suggestion would be natural (ie, no added sugar / salt / oil) nut butters such as peanut butter or almond butter. You can usually get the Whole Earth peanut butter in Tesco, but stuff like almond, cashew and hazelnut butters are usually only found in health food shops such as Holland and Barrett.

 

I may aswell give the tuna a bash on it's own, I've never tried it before tbh. I know the peanut butter your talking about, that's a great shout!

 

Question for everyone here, how late do you have your last snack/meal before bed? I heard somewhere it's best to not eat 4 hours before your kip, could be a myth though!

[Creepy Lurker]

Some good info in this thread

 

Normally i keep myself fit with footy but seeing as the season is finished i'm not doing too much exercise and starting to feel lazy and horrible.

 

Been out for a couple of runs, normally jog round arthur seat. But whilst i like jogging it can get a bit boring without a football to chase

 

Also need to pay some attention to my diet. It's kinda slipped these past few months

 

Seen a few posters mention Stir Fry bags as a good healthy meal! Defo agree with that. A variety of tasty stir frys can be achieved if you use your imagination!

 

Anyone else got any good healthy recipes?

 

Loads...the best thing to do's use your imagination with healthy foods, to be honest. Earlier in this thread, I posted a few full day meal plans of mine, which I probably won't do again as it seemed a bit weird. I actually sometimes look here when I need a bit of inspiration, though: some of their advice can be indifferent and even self-contradictory, but they have some good recipe ideas which make healthy food a bit more interesting. A diet of chicken breast, brown rice and protein shakes definitely gets dull after a while!

 

I may aswell give the tuna a bash on it's own, I've never tried it before tbh. I know the peanut butter your talking about, that's a great shout!

 

Question for everyone here, how late do you have your last snack/meal before bed? I heard somewhere it's best to not eat 4 hours before your kip, could be a myth though!

 

The whole 'don't eat before bed' thing's a bit of a myth: there's no proof that it leads to weight or fat gain. The myth's mostly come about through a combination of people generally snacking on unhealthy foods late at night and weighing themselves in the morning. I try to take on slow release protein (usually from cottage cheese or milk) within the last hour before going to bed. People also talk a lot of nonsense about not eating carbs after a certain time. Different things work for different people, and if you cut out carbs after a certain time you'll probably notice a difference, but it'll be because you're eating less carbs rather than because of the timings.

[Sconnie]

Peter, I done 3000m on the rowing machine on it's highest setting in 15mins 29secs. I was starting to feel a bit of cramp at 2000m

 

That was my second visit to the gym and I'm already seething at the amount of people sitting on the machines doing ****all. I mean 30 seconds is fine but 5 minutes?

 

[Chrambo]

Just how bad is White bread?

 

Trying to gain weight at the moment, trainings going fine but my diets a bit shit in parts. Breakfast/dinner is fine, but lunch always let's me down, constantly just end ip making a sandwhich or roll.

[peter_hmfc]

Peter, I done 3000m on the rowing machine on it's highest setting in 15mins 29secs. I was starting to feel a bit of cramp at 2000m

 

That was my second visit to the gym and I'm already seething at the amount of people sitting on the machines doing ****all. I mean 30 seconds is fine but 5 minutes?

 

 

Sounds like a take on! I'll have an attempt at that tomorrow, though I usually waste a minute or two changing the song every now and then. Don't expect me to beat it though.

 

I don't get half the people who go there either. I've seen a few people sit down at a machine, take 5 minuts to adjust it, do 2 pulls, pushes or whatever, sit there for another five minutes then walk way. At first I thougt I was going way overboard by going for a few minutes straight and that they had intricate plans, but now it seems they're just skiving.

 

How's the new food going? May I recommend adding half a tin of tuna to pasta? Absolutely magnificent!

Edited June 7, 2011 by peter_hmfc

[Creepy Lurker]

Just how bad is White bread?

 

Trying to gain weight at the moment, trainings going fine but my diets a bit shit in parts. Breakfast/dinner is fine, but lunch always let's me down, constantly just end ip making a sandwhich or roll.

 

As far as macronutrient levels (protein, carbs and fat) and as a result calories go, the difference between white and wholemeal bread's actually pretty negligible. The differences arise because wholemeal bread falls lower on the glycaemic index, which means that your body breaks the carbs down more slowly. This is better because it gives your body a steady supply of energy, whereas higher GI carbs will be converted into energy more quickly, causing a spike in your energy levels followed by a crash, leading to lower energy levels and cravings. Brown bread's also higher in fibre, which'll keep you fuller for longer. This is actually more relevant than the difference in GI levels, which doesn't tend to be as big as people assume.

 

In terms of weight gain, the two yield a similar amount of calories, so it won't really make a huge difference if you eat white bread instead of wholemeal. When you're bulking, you do actually have a bit more leeway to eat stuff like bread in comparison with other people, but you'd still be better off getting more of your carbs from stuff like brown rice, quinoa etc.

[UnworthyPapaLazaru]

I'm finally begining to get over a shoulder injury I have been carrying for a few months. Its been a frozen shoulder so not a great deal I could do about it other than train round it. I was begining to make inquiries about a sports injury clinc to get it looked at but it has eased up over the last couple of days. I'll give it another week or so before I do some of the exercises I have been avoiding. Light at the end of the tunnel!!

[Sconnie]

Sounds like a take on! I'll have an attempt at that tomorrow, though I usually waste a minute or two changing the song every now and then. Don't expect me to beat it though.

 

I don't get half the people who go there either. I've seen a few people sit down at a machine, take 5 minuts to adjust it, do 2 pulls, pushes or whatever, sit there for another five minutes then walk way. At first I thougt I was going way overboard by going for a few minutes straight and that they had intricate plans, but now it seems they're just skiving.

 

How's the new food going? May I recommend adding half a tin of tuna to pasta? Absolutely magnificent!

 

14mins 49secs to beat mate

 

It's going not too bad! I'm on the green milk now and wholemeal bread, which I've found to be better tasting, who'd have thought it!? I'm eating apples and oranges if i'm feeling hungry. I've got a baked tattie for my tea tonight and I've got a couple of big mushrooms to try out I'm going to go for a decent shop at Asda and get some decent stuff, the co-op is pish

 

Just a quick question about shakes etc, is there any shakes that help with muscle gain and don't put on the weight? Or is that just stupid?

[Creepy Lurker]

I wouldn't really recommend starting to take shakes until you've been training for quite a bit longer and have both sorted out the rest of your diet and stuck to it for quite some time, in all honesty.

 

No shake's going to lead to weight gain unless it leads to you taking on more calories than you're burning, though.

[Sconnie]

I wouldn't really recommend starting to take shakes until you've been training for quite a bit longer and have both sorted out the rest of your diet and stuck to it for quite some time, in all honesty.

 

No shake's going to lead to weight gain unless it leads to you taking on more calories than you're burning, though.

 

I'm really planning on sticking to the diet and going to the gym. I thought it would be more of a chore but I'm actually enjoying it.

 

What is the name of the stuff I'd be looking to use? There's loads of different stuff.

[Creepy Lurker]

If you're really wanting to take shakes, I'd at least start out by only taking whey isolates like Maximuscle Promax, PhD Pharma Whey or USN Gold Standard 100% Whey.

 

I really don't think that it's worthwhile at this stage in your training, though: you do need to be taking on protein and carbs after training, and whey protein shakes are a good way of getting fast absorbing protein into you, but they aren't the magic muscle potion that a lot of beginners think they are.

 

Any more than 2g protein per kg bodyweight per day* is extraneous, and as much of the protein intake should be coming from natural sources as possible. You should also be taking on good carbohydrates and healthy fats, coming from regularly spaced small meals/snacks. You've made a good start on improving your diet, which is commendable, but there's really a lot more work to be done before you'll really benefit from any form of supplementation.

 

*Jailbait will tell you a different figure. No point in resurrecting the argument from earlier in the thread, although I stand by what I've said: follow whichever advice you want to follow, but the point is that you only need so much protein.

[peter_hmfc]

14mins 49secs to beat mate

 

It's going not too bad! I'm on the green milk now and wholemeal bread, which I've found to be better tasting, who'd have thought it!? I'm eating apples and oranges if i'm feeling hungry. I've got a baked tattie for my tea tonight and I've got a couple of big mushrooms to try out I'm going to go for a decent shop at Asda and get some decent stuff, the co-op is pish

 

Just a quick question about shakes etc, is there any shakes that help with muscle gain and don't put on the weight? Or is that just stupid?

 

Ermm... what? Are you sure? 14mins 49 secs? You're joking?

 

 

I went there earlier with the intent on beating your 15:29 or at least getting close. I started rowing and made the grave error of starting full pelt trying to get off to a great start. It lasted about 25 seconds and I was shattered with about 2800m to go. Nevertheless I carried on at least determined not to give up. I had about four brief stops (one to change the song) and a few rushes going full pelt. By about half way I was f**ked, but carried on. With about 1000m to go I was sweating buckets and getting quite a few dodgy looks. By the last 1000m of all-out-assault I actually thought I could do it, almost singing out loud to distract the pain and exhaustion. Full throttle for the last 500m and hurray! Your record SMASHED, and I got 15:18. Delighted!

 

Then I read your first sentence. Damn. Well done though, 15:29 itself is a tough time never mind doing it in 14:49. I now really appreciate the effort by those in "The Boat Race", punising stuff.

 

Also I know I'll maybe get a few responses saying I shouldn't have done it if I wasn't ready: Lesson well and truely learnt, I sure as **** won't be doing it again any time soon. I'm now almost literally scared of the rowing machine.

 

On a plus side, 15:18 is still good right? Also I suppose it can only get easier from on now on.

[Sconnie]

Ermm... what? Are you sure? 14mins 49 secs? You're joking?

 

 

I went there earlier with the intent on beating your 15:29 or at least getting close. I started rowing and made the grave error of starting full pelt trying to get off to a great start. It lasted about 25 seconds and I was shattered with about 2800m to go. Nevertheless I carried on at least determined not to give up. I had about four brief stops (one to change the song) and a few rushes going full pelt. By about half way I was f**ked, but carried on. With about 1000m to go I was sweating buckets and getting quite a few dodgy looks. By the last 1000m of all-out-assault I actually thought I could do it, almost singing out loud to distract the pain and exhaustion. Full throttle for the last 500m and hurray! Your record SMASHED, and I got 15:18. Delighted!

 

Then I read your first sentence. Damn. Well done though, 15:29 itself is a tough time never mind doing it in 14:49. I now really appreciate the effort by those in "The Boat Race", punising stuff.

 

Also I know I'll maybe get a few responses saying I shouldn't have done it if I wasn't ready: Lesson well and truely learnt, I sure as **** won't be doing it again any time soon. I'm now almost literally scared of the rowing machine.

 

On a plus side, 15:18 is still good right? Also I suppose it can only get easier from on now on.

 

Haha! Loving the smilies :lol:

 

15:18 is a great time mate I never really go full pelt. I just go at a steady pace and make sure I'm pulling all the way back and going most of the way inwards. Do you pull all the way back? I started doing it and noticed it added a couple of more meters per row.

 

9000 meters in 3 days with another 3000 tomorrow I might try and go all out and beat the 15min mark...

[Sconnie]

If you're really wanting to take shakes, I'd at least start out by only taking whey isolates like Maximuscle Promax, PhD Pharma Whey or USN Gold Standard 100% Whey.

 

I really don't think that it's worthwhile at this stage in your training, though: you do need to be taking on protein and carbs after training, and whey protein shakes are a good way of getting fast absorbing protein into you, but they aren't the magic muscle potion that a lot of beginners think they are.

 

Any more than 2g protein per kg bodyweight per day* is extraneous, and as much of the protein intake should be coming from natural sources as possible. You should also be taking on good carbohydrates and healthy fats, coming from regularly spaced small meals/snacks. You've made a good start on improving your diet, which is commendable, but there's really a lot more work to be done before you'll really benefit from any form of supplementation.

 

*Jailbait will tell you a different figure. No point in resurrecting the argument from earlier in the thread, although I stand by what I've said: follow whichever advice you want to follow, but the point is that you only need so much protein.

 

Thanks for that mate, the Maximuscle Promax looks good. I'll leave it until the end of the month and maybe get some. I'll be in the gym 6 days out of 7 until then anyway.

[UnworthyPapaLazaru]

Way too pricey that stuff. Check the MyProtein website, much better vfm.

[Creepy Lurker]

Maximuscle's pretty cheap at Costco, so I sometimes get it from there. At the moment I'm using banana flavoured Pharma Whey and vanilla flavoured 100% Whey, though.

[Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC]

Maximuscle's pretty cheap at Costco, so I sometimes get it from there. At the moment I'm using banana flavoured Pharma Whey and vanilla flavoured 100% Whey, though.

 

I'm using the vanilla stuff at the moment and it tastes horrendous. On the verge of spewing every time I have to drink it.

 

Lifting well today. Had let the weights slip when I knackered my knee but I'm into my third week and was lifting decent amounts and feeling comfortable.

 

Anyone any experience with punch bags? Looking to get one but don't want the ones you have to attach to the wall, are the standing ones any good?

[peter_hmfc]

Glad this thread was brought back up again, been having a bit of pain recently.

 

Any time I use the abdominal machine and I slip my feet under the foothold bar to keep in place, when I lean forward and my feet lift up a bit to take some pressure, I get a searing pain in my right leg. Strangely that's stopping me using the machine, leg pain and not abdominal pain.

 

Also when I use the "Lat Pull" machine, whenever I pull down, the bone in my left arm feels as though it's actually twisting around. Sometimes when I let go, I turn my arm around and I can actually here it cracking back into place. Surely not good? Also getting blisters on my palms.

[Alan_R]

any one had any succes with I-CARNITINE?

[Beats]

Update on my 10k training.

 

Not going well

[Chrambo]

 

 

Anyone tried this stuff? Just about to start it, heard mixed reviews.

[peter_hmfc]

Got my gym induction sorted for later in the week, quite looking forward to it!

 

I bought myself a bench and some dumbells around a month ago and went to task at trying to get rid/tone up my man chebs I have to say I'm already noticing a difference, but if I want to achieve more then I think cardio is the only way forward.

 

If anybody doesn't want a personal trainer or would feel awkward doing so, I recommend Youtube. You will get guys showing you routines and explaining what musceles are being worked etc.

 

Sorry to bring this back up again but how much did your induction cost? What did they do? How was it etc? Info?

[Sconnie]

Sorry to bring this back up again but how much did your induction cost? What did they do? How was it etc? Info?

 

The induction was a fiver and it's ?24 a month. They just took a group of 4 people around the machines and showed us how to use them and demonstrated different excercises. It was simples, we walked around for about 20-30 mins and we were then left to have a shot on them ourselves. Easy.

 

Anybody ever had any trouble with the rowing machine? Last night it felt like my insides were about to fall through my @rse! I was on it earlier and it didn't feel right at all, I decided to stop at 1000m.

 

Still going strong though, been every day this week and golfing whilst maintaining the diet.

[peter_hmfc]

The induction was a fiver and it's ?24 a month. They just took a group of 4 people around the machines and showed us how to use them and demonstrated different excercises. It was simples, we walked around for about 20-30 mins and we were then left to have a shot on them ourselves. Easy.

 

Anybody ever had any trouble with the rowing machine? Last night it felt like my insides were about to fall through my @rse! I was on it earlier and it didn't feel right at all, I decided to stop at 1000m.

 

Still going strong though, been every day this week and golfing whilst maintaining the diet.

 

I've been set up for an induction tomorrow after one of the personal trainers noticed how wrong I was using the machines.

 

Going to cost ?25 though! Surely too much, I've read it should only cost ?15.

[Chrambo]

I've been set up for an induction tomorrow after one of the personal trainers noticed how wrong I was using the machines.

 

Going to cost ?25 though! Surely too much, I've read it should only cost ?15.

 

 

Typical personal trainers, tell you your doing something wrong to get them a new client. Does my head in!

[peter_hmfc]

The induction was a fiver and it's ?24 a month. They just took a group of 4 people around the machines and showed us how to use them and demonstrated different excercises. It was simples, we walked around for about 20-30 mins and we were then left to have a shot on them ourselves. Easy.

 

Anybody ever had any trouble with the rowing machine? Last night it felt like my insides were about to fall through my @rse! I was on it earlier and it didn't feel right at all, I decided to stop at 1000m.

 

Still going strong though, been every day this week and golfing whilst maintaining the diet.

 

Had an induction earlier which went well, but at the same time was actually pretty embarrassing. Turns out I only weigh about 50kg. Definitely need to start gaining A LOT of weight before I can start my new routine.

 

So Scott, while you're away tryin to LOSE weight I'll be gorging on pizza, fish, chips, burgers and pies. Guh, oh well.

Seriously though I would far rather be a bit overweight needing to cut back than waaay underweight and puny. Admittedly tought my diet was pretty shocking for quite a while, I would eat a crisp sandwich and Snickers with a cup or two of milk and that did me for the day.

 

This is my new target for 2012:

BEEFCAAAKE !!!

 

Now I'm keeping a track of what I've eaten, and I'll have a look at proteins etc.

 

500th post !!!

Edited June 16, 2011 by peter_hmfc

[Ignoranus]

Had an induction earlier which went well, but at the same time was actually pretty embarrassing. Turns out I only weigh about 50kg. Definitely need to start gaining A LOT of weight before I can start my new routine.

 

So Scott, while you're away tryin to LOSE weight I'll be gorging on pizza, fish, chips, burgers and pies. Guh, oh well.

Seriously though I would far rather be a bit overweight needing to cut back than waaay underweight and puny. Admittedly tought my diet was pretty shocking for quite a while, I would eat a crisp sandwich and Snickers with a cup or two of milk and that did me for the day.

 

This is my new target for 2012:

BEEFCAAAKE !!!

 

Now I'm keeping a track of what I've eaten, and I'll have a look at proteins etc.

 

500th post !!!

 

Man i'd prefer to be on the light side and have the challenge of putting on weight rather than losing/maintaining it.

 

I wouldnt recommend you gorge on pizzas and chippies to gain wieght though. Your better to eat healthy food, just alot more of it!

[Sconnie]

Had an induction earlier which went well, but at the same time was actually pretty embarrassing. Turns out I only weigh about 50kg. Definitely need to start gaining A LOT of weight before I can start my new routine.

 

So Scott, while you're away tryin to LOSE weight I'll be gorging on pizza, fish, chips, burgers and pies. Guh, oh well.

Seriously though I would far rather be a bit overweight needing to cut back than waaay underweight and puny. Admittedly tought my diet was pretty shocking for quite a while, I would eat a crisp sandwich and Snickers with a cup or two of milk and that did me for the day.

 

This is my new target for 2012:

BEEFCAAAKE !!!

 

Now I'm keeping a track of what I've eaten, and I'll have a look at proteins etc.

 

500th post !!!

 

Good stuff bud. I was still using machines wrongly after my induction I just watched what other people were upto and now I'm alright

 

I would rather be skinny trying to put some weight on tbh! All you have to do is get up and force yourself to eat, I've got to force myself to the gym! Haha. I'm already noticing a difference with my clothes so I think I've lost a bit. I spoke to my mate who I hadn't seen in a while and he said I'd lost quite a bit so

[peter_hmfc]

Good stuff bud. I was still using machines wrongly after my induction I just watched what other people were upto and now I'm alright

 

I would rather be skinny trying to put some weight on tbh! All you have to do is get up and force yourself to eat, I've got to force myself to the gym! Haha. I'm already noticing a difference with my clothes so I think I've lost a bit. I spoke to my mate who I hadn't seen in a while and he said I'd lost quite a bit so

 

To Ignoranus: Of course I'll still eat healthily but the notion is just so tempting.

 

To Scott: It's actually not as easy as you'd think, I'm afraid I might throw up from over-eating (even though I've only had a bowl of Cheerios). Apparently I need to eat about 2800 calories a day . I still need to go to the gym of course if I'm going to build some upper body strength. I have a routine now but I might distract from it for a while and do my own thing until I've caught up weight-wise.

 

Well done in losing weight by the way, seem to be doing very well at a great pace.

Edited June 16, 2011 by peter_hmfc

[Sconnie]

To Ignoranus: Of course I'll still eat healthily but the notion is just so tempting.

 

To Scott: It's actually not as easy as you'd think, I'm afraid I might throw up from over-eating (even though I've only had a bowl of Cheerios). Apparently I need to eat about 2800 calories a day . I still need to go to the gym of course if I'm going to build some upper body strength. I have a routine now but I might distract from it for a while and do my own thing until I've caught up weight-wise.

 

Well done in losing weight by the way, seem to be doing very well at a great pace.

 

You feel your over eating after a bowl of Cheerios? Haha! Just get some Cornflakes and power the sugar on them! And be sure to snack all the time

 

Cheers man, just added a little extra to my session today since I'm not working tonight! I just had to go in and order some new uniform for work cause all my other stuff is too big

[Creepy Lurker]

Tried a new pancake recipe for breakfast today and was pretty delighted with it.

 

To make one pancake, the recipe was as follows:

 

30g wholemeal flour

45g oats

125ml skimmed milk

1 scoop vanilla flavoured whey protein

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

15g blueberries

 

All you need to do's blend all the ingredients in a food processor and pan fry it over a high heat in a wee bit of oil for a few minutes (obviously turning it regularly to avoid allowing either side to burn).

 

I make it 445.9 calories, 38.8g protein, 64.5g carbs, 5.4g fat per pancake, although that depends upon using as little oil as possible. I used a few sprays of the 1 calorie olive oil spray, so it'd only have added about half a gram of fat. It's all coming from good sources too. I'd definitely recommend this recipe to anyone looking to make their healthy meals a wee bit more interesting; obviously, it can be scaled up if you're bulking.

 

Just thought I'd share this.

[Guest Ultraviolet Catastrophe]

A whey protein pancake?

 

What did it taste like?

[Creepy Lurker]

It was honestly amazing. I'm totally doing it again.

[peter_hmfc]

Is it just me or is 2800 calories a day an absolute mountain of food?

 

I had a burger for lunch earlier and it was only about 240, surely there's no way the average person (apparently 2800 is average) actually eats the equivalent of TEN burgers a day, and then some?

Edited June 17, 2011 by peter_hmfc

[Creepy Lurker]

Is it just me or is 2800 calories a day an absolute mountain of food?

 

I had a burger for lunch earlier and it was only about 240, surely there's no way the average person (apparently 2800 is average) actually eats the equivalent of TEN burgers a day, and then some?

 

2,800 calories is quite a lot, but to gain weight you need to be taking on more calories than you're burning. You do need to eat a lot if you want to build muscle, but the calories need to be coming from good sources.

 

In practice, 2,800 calories a day isn't as difficult as it sounds if you eat nutritious, calorie dense foods like nuts, seed and avocado. Or if you're eating a salad, making your own dressing with olive oil will help. Each millilitre of any kind of oil contains 9 calories, so 1 tbsp = 135 calories straight away. That's not to say that you should be getting all of your calories from olive oil - if you're working out regularly, you only want a maximum of 20-25% of your calories to be coming from fat - but it does show how taking on a lot of calories doesn't need to be as difficult as it sounds.