Fitness and Weightloss
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Just dropping in for an update. So about 4 months ago, I joined a CrossFit box and I absolutely love it. Please skip the CrossFit is stupid, or a risk of injury, or etc. etc. etc. I get it, but I have found a gym and a community that pushes me to work out and try like I never have before in my life. I'm up to going 4 days a week at 5:30am. It is tough getting up that early, but it is the one time of the day that nothing conflicts. I haven't lost weight, but I have held near the same body fat and put on about 10lbs of muscle. I need to keep that in better check with diet, but I digress. I am lifting heavier than I ever have, and I can run a mile without stopping to catch my breath, and slowly getting in the best shape of my life. If anyone out there is thinking about trying it out, go for it. It isn't like the stereotypes, and you don't have to be an athlete to get started, everything scales.
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@s-hackleman said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Just dropping in for an update. So about 4 months ago, I joined a CrossFit box and I absolutely love it. Please skip the CrossFit is stupid, or a risk of injury, or etc. etc. etc. I get it, but I have found a gym and a community that pushes me to work out and try like I never have before in my life. I'm up to going 4 days a week at 5:30am. It is tough getting up that early, but it is the one time of the day that nothing conflicts. I haven't lost weight, but I have held near the same body fat and put on about 10lbs of muscle. I need to keep that in better check with diet, but I digress. I am lifting heavier than I ever have, and I can run a mile without stopping to catch my breath, and slowly getting in the best shape of my life. If anyone out there is thinking about trying it out, go for it. It isn't like the stereotypes, and you don't have to be an athlete to get started, everything scales.
That's awesome!
Yeah, 5:30am is the only time I can go to the gym as well. But after doing it like that for years, I don't think there's any other time I'd rather go. It makes for a good day every time, hard to wake up or not. After you get up and get there, you're golden.
It's hard to go by weight when that's the goal, because like you said, you're gaining muscle weight as you lose fat, and muscle weighs more than fat. So you need to both check weight AND body fat to more accurately track weight-loss progress.
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@s-hackleman said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Just dropping in for an update. So about 4 months ago, I joined a CrossFit box and I absolutely love it. Please skip the CrossFit is stupid, or a risk of injury, or etc. etc. etc. I get it, but I have found a gym and a community that pushes me to work out and try like I never have before in my life. I'm up to going 4 days a week at 5:30am. It is tough getting up that early, but it is the one time of the day that nothing conflicts. I haven't lost weight, but I have held near the same body fat and put on about 10lbs of muscle. I need to keep that in better check with diet, but I digress. I am lifting heavier than I ever have, and I can run a mile without stopping to catch my breath, and slowly getting in the best shape of my life. If anyone out there is thinking about trying it out, go for it. It isn't like the stereotypes, and you don't have to be an athlete to get started, everything scales.
The program I joined was/is similar. 6 days a week at 5 AM. M/W/F Kickboxing - kicking your ass - fast paced non stop - no built in water breaks or anything - you need one, you take it, then jump right back in with the rest of class. T/TH/Sat strength training with bands Leg/Arm/Leg swap Arm/Leg/Arm... They also set you up with a macro based diet. In my case it was 25g protein, 9g fat, 28g carbs 6 times a day (basically eat every 2.5-3 hrs while awake).
In 10 weeks I lost 10 lbs, went from a 8:27 mile to a 6:47 mile. I had already lost 30 lbs before joining this program, so I had less weight to loose, otherwise I'm sure that would have been higher. Body fat went from 20% to 15%.Most important thing - finding something that motivates you and you enjoy doing.
I'm glad you found that!
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@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Most important thing - finding something that motivates you and you enjoy doing.
In my mind, this is absolutely goal number 1. The weight loss and improved health are just positive side effects.
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@dafyre said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Most important thing - finding something that motivates you and you enjoy doing.
In my mind, this is absolutely goal number 1. The weight loss and improved health are just positive side effects.
Yes, yes, yes. I was going to the Gym alone and lifting with headphones in. I was the youngest person in the gym and only a few people were actually trying. It was a group of local pastors and retired guys standing around with Fox News blaring. Not to knock on anyone, it just wasn't my crowd, and I was miserable and didn't even realize it. I was just going in half assing a work out and going home. Joining a place with people around to encourage and motivate was a complete game changer. It is weird how much I look forward to waking up and hitting the gym. Even when I have to travel, I will still go in and get a workout in before I have to get on a plane. Now I just need to find the same support and motivation to stick to a Nutrition program and lay off the high proof beer.
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@s-hackleman said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Now I just need to find the same support and motivation to stick to a Nutrition program and lay off the high proof beer.
We have a local place called Max Muscle that has a program for this. Though there are tons (tonnes) of programs out there for this.
Max Muscle will take a body fat measure, then give you a suggested diet plan based on your goals. Not sure on the cost.
My 10 week fitness program had us track all of foods, along with their macro nutrient numbers (I just used MyFitnessPal app) and my group lead looked it over weekly and offered suggestions on ways to improve what I was eating.
Now that I've joined the post 10 week program, I'm part of a FB group that people can post into for motivation, and others post about different foods/recipes they've tried.My wife joined a program called physician directed weight loss - basically a BS name to get buy-in from people, but it did work for it. They started her out on a small one page list of foods she could eat, along with a supplement program (you have to buy from them - yeah, that's where their real money comes from) record all your food, weekly weigh-ins, and a food coach.
It's likely you can find a program via a local nutrition store.
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@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Most important thing - finding something that motivates you and you enjoy doing.
This is 100% true. I miss Taekwondo, and had to stop because of knee pain. My goal is to get in shape enough to return and practice without unnecessary pain.
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@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Though there are tons (tonnes)
Tonis the only correct term when referring to the number or amount of things, in addition to weight. The others only apply to weight. -
@Obsolesce said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Though there are tons (tonnes)
Tonis the only correct term when referring to the number or amount of things, in addition to weight. The others only apply to weight.Shit tonne of materials would be appropriate though.
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@EddieJennings said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Most important thing - finding something that motivates you and you enjoy doing.
This is 100% true. I miss Taekwondo, and had to stop because of knee pain. My goal is to get in shape enough to return and practice without unnecessary pain.
A buddy of mine got back in to fix his knee pain, ha ha. The human body is an amazing thing.
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@dafyre said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@EddieJennings said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
Most important thing - finding something that motivates you and you enjoy doing.
This is 100% true. I miss Taekwondo, and had to stop because of knee pain. My goal is to get in shape enough to return and practice without unnecessary pain.
A buddy of mine got back in to fix his knee pain, ha ha. The human body is an amazing thing.
Any place you train should be able to help with stuff like this. Tell your coaches that you have an injury or experience pain when doing certain types of exercise.
All of the places I've worked out in, that were worth being a part of, have been able to modify the workout to accommodate the needs of most people.
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I've weight trained since middle school. I was always athletic and had coaches/trainers who set up programs for us. Since getting out of that, I've tried to continue to stay in shape and use what I learned then plus new info to build new plans. Three of the most important things I've found are as follows...
- Mind-muscle connection - This applies to all types of activity. How many times are you in the gym walking on a treadmill or doing some exercise half-heartedly while also staring at your phone? I see this a good bit in my gym, and although these people CAN make progress, it's likely being hindered by their lack of focus on what they're doing. It's important especially when weight training.
https://drjohnrusin.com/developing-a-mind-muscle-connection-for-muscle-hypertrophy/
Which leads me to my next point.
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Good form - Most people I see in the gym are either putting too much weight on and "ego lifting", or they're putting too little on and moving just for the sake of moving. For the greatest benefit, people need to find an adequate weight that pushes them and use proper technique. Let's use bench press for example. Most people will push up the weight, and then almost drop it completely to their chest and then use that momentum to bounce it back up. In reality, the resistance of letting the weight down slowly over 2-3 seconds stimulates the muscle more.
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Variation - This one I've seen the best results from recently. I've always just typically built a program and then continued that program and just tried to gradually increase the weight I was using as a measurement of progress. Lately, I've tried to add lots of variation to my routine and have seen great results. Variation is everything from what specific exercises you're doing, how many sets/reps, the order in which you do your routine, how many days per week, etc. This keeps your body from becoming adjusted to your routine and plateauing. It also keeps your workout from becoming stale and boring.
These three things have been the focus of my training for the last few months and I've seen better results than I ever have. My goal is likely different than many here who are shooting to lose a lot of weight, but I think these principles are applicable to any training goal.
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@zachary715 said in Fitness and Weightloss:
These three things have been the focus of my training for the last few months and I've seen better results than I ever have. My goal is likely different than many here who are shooting to lose a lot of weight, but I think these principles are applicable to any training goal.
Sounds like your goal and mine are similar. I've lost all the weight I want to, and then some. I joined a HIIT program last July. Since that time I've lost another 10 lbs, though gained barely any muscle. We do strength training 3 days a week for 45 mins. It's always different, no two days are the same. We alternate Leg/arm/leg then arm/leg/arm.
I'm not sure what I'm missing to gain some more muscle.
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@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@zachary715 said in Fitness and Weightloss:
These three things have been the focus of my training for the last few months and I've seen better results than I ever have. My goal is likely different than many here who are shooting to lose a lot of weight, but I think these principles are applicable to any training goal.
Sounds like your goal and mine are similar. I've lost all the weight I want to, and then some. I joined a HIIT program last July. Since that time I've lost another 10 lbs, though gained barely any muscle. We do strength training 3 days a week for 45 mins. It's always different, no two days are the same. We alternate Leg/arm/leg then arm/leg/arm.
I'm not sure what I'm missing to gain some more muscle.
For me it's been the right blend of supplementation and better diet. I try to actively hit 1g protein per pound bodyweight per day (or roughly 200g). I try to get at least 100g carbs, which turns into making sure I don't go over 200g since for me carbs add up quickly.
Also I honestly haven't done that much cardio work lately since I've been trying to add. The HIIT training is great especially for burning fat, but if you're now trying to add some muscle, it may be that you want to spend a little more time doing strength training and less time doing the HIIT. I just try to balance these and watch my physique to ensure I'm not adding unnecessary flab. I'll probably be adding in some more cardio here soon to cut back a little.
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@zachary715 said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@zachary715 said in Fitness and Weightloss:
These three things have been the focus of my training for the last few months and I've seen better results than I ever have. My goal is likely different than many here who are shooting to lose a lot of weight, but I think these principles are applicable to any training goal.
Sounds like your goal and mine are similar. I've lost all the weight I want to, and then some. I joined a HIIT program last July. Since that time I've lost another 10 lbs, though gained barely any muscle. We do strength training 3 days a week for 45 mins. It's always different, no two days are the same. We alternate Leg/arm/leg then arm/leg/arm.
I'm not sure what I'm missing to gain some more muscle.
For me it's been the right blend of supplementation and better diet. I try to actively hit 1g protein per pound bodyweight per day (or roughly 200g). I try to get at least 100g carbs, which turns into making sure I don't go over 200g since for me carbs add up quickly.
Also I honestly haven't done that much cardio work lately since I've been trying to add. The HIIT training is great especially for burning fat, but if you're now trying to add some muscle, it may be that you want to spend a little more time doing strength training and less time doing the HIIT. I just try to balance these and watch my physique to ensure I'm not adding unnecessary flab. I'll probably be adding in some more cardio here soon to cut back a little.
I'm pretty close to those same protein and carb numbers. I can't change the program other than adding my own on top of it. I signed up for a one year program (I know I know, sunk cost) so I'm going to keep it up. But I could add on an extra 2+ hrs a week of strength training...
I've been doing daily pushups as well - trying to get in around 100/day. I'm still maxing out around 21/22 in a single go before I just collapse.
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@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@zachary715 said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@zachary715 said in Fitness and Weightloss:
These three things have been the focus of my training for the last few months and I've seen better results than I ever have. My goal is likely different than many here who are shooting to lose a lot of weight, but I think these principles are applicable to any training goal.
Sounds like your goal and mine are similar. I've lost all the weight I want to, and then some. I joined a HIIT program last July. Since that time I've lost another 10 lbs, though gained barely any muscle. We do strength training 3 days a week for 45 mins. It's always different, no two days are the same. We alternate Leg/arm/leg then arm/leg/arm.
I'm not sure what I'm missing to gain some more muscle.
For me it's been the right blend of supplementation and better diet. I try to actively hit 1g protein per pound bodyweight per day (or roughly 200g). I try to get at least 100g carbs, which turns into making sure I don't go over 200g since for me carbs add up quickly.
Also I honestly haven't done that much cardio work lately since I've been trying to add. The HIIT training is great especially for burning fat, but if you're now trying to add some muscle, it may be that you want to spend a little more time doing strength training and less time doing the HIIT. I just try to balance these and watch my physique to ensure I'm not adding unnecessary flab. I'll probably be adding in some more cardio here soon to cut back a little.
I'm pretty close to those same protein and carb numbers. I can't change the program other than adding my own on top of it. I signed up for a one year program (I know I know, sunk cost) so I'm going to keep it up. But I could add on an extra 2+ hrs a week of strength training...
I've been doing daily pushups as well - trying to get in around 100/day. I'm still maxing out around 21/22 in a single go before I just collapse.
I'm a person who is generally pretty cautious around supplementation. I'm not willing to risk long term health for short term gains. With that said, the main two products I've used have transparent labels and seem to contain effective yet safe substances. Hard to measure the amount of effect they've had on my results, but I'm satisfied.
The first one is stimulant free, which I'm usually big on because I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine (I don't drink coffee). However I've started taking the second one recently to cycle off the creatine in the first one, and so far no issues. I intend to continue rotating these about every 60 days or so probably.
https://www.transparentlabs.com/collections/preseries/products/preseries-stim-free-preworkout
https://www.transparentlabs.com/collections/preseries/products/preseries-bulk-preworkout
This has been my go-to protein for a while now. Rated fairly highly on Labdoor.com for safety and value.
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@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@zachary715 said in Fitness and Weightloss:
These three things have been the focus of my training for the last few months and I've seen better results than I ever have. My goal is likely different than many here who are shooting to lose a lot of weight, but I think these principles are applicable to any training goal.
Sounds like your goal and mine are similar. I've lost all the weight I want to, and then some. I joined a HIIT program last July. Since that time I've lost another 10 lbs, though gained barely any muscle. We do strength training 3 days a week for 45 mins. It's always different, no two days are the same. We alternate Leg/arm/leg then arm/leg/arm.
I'm not sure what I'm missing to gain some more muscle.
As weird as this may sound, if you're still losing weight, then you're still operating at a caloric deficit and need to consume more calories. May need to try to bump up your protein intake if possible to 1.5g per lb. To build mass, you're going to need a slight caloric surplus. It's hard enough for me to get 200g protein a day so I understand how hard that might be.
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@zachary715 said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@Dashrender said in Fitness and Weightloss:
@zachary715 said in Fitness and Weightloss:
These three things have been the focus of my training for the last few months and I've seen better results than I ever have. My goal is likely different than many here who are shooting to lose a lot of weight, but I think these principles are applicable to any training goal.
Sounds like your goal and mine are similar. I've lost all the weight I want to, and then some. I joined a HIIT program last July. Since that time I've lost another 10 lbs, though gained barely any muscle. We do strength training 3 days a week for 45 mins. It's always different, no two days are the same. We alternate Leg/arm/leg then arm/leg/arm.
I'm not sure what I'm missing to gain some more muscle.
As weird as this may sound, if you're still losing weight, then you're still operating at a caloric deficit and need to consume more calories. May need to try to bump up your protein intake if possible to 1.5g per lb. To build mass, you're going to need a slight caloric surplus. It's hard enough for me to get 200g protein a day so I understand how hard that might be.
I'm been fairly stable on the weight thing... between 168-171... I think the flux has more to do with how much water I'm getting than anything. on low water days, the following day is 168... 80 oz+ water days, the following day is 171'ish..
Not weird sounding at all - I know you when body fat is low (mine is currently 12.2%) you can't loose to much weight while gaining muscle - you need to eat.. I'm likely not eating enough.
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Weight training is more important than cardio exercise for older people.
I've been saying this for a long time.
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Today's mile jog was 14:41 -- a new record for me
