[Health] General fitness thread

Everything else!

Moderators: Bakhtosh, EvilHomer3k

User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

[Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

I've been clogging up the weight loss thread with commentary on exercise, so I thought I'd put them in one thread. But when I checked, and we never had a general fitness thread. So, tada! Here it is.

I rode my (stationary) bike for 30 minutes a day for a little over a year. I missed exactly one day, and that was due to a genuine illness. Unfortunately, I stopped once the lockdowns hit. I did the one thing I said I wouldn't: I made an excuse. It was something about timing with the kids out of school, or about the crappy food I was stuck with when the shelves were bare, or something. It's not important. What matters is that I made an excuse (as distinct from a reason), and once I did making that day a weekend, and then a week was easy. And then it had been months.

I was back at the point I had been at before I'd started, and I got there fast. I hated it. I put on around 20 pounds. I was climbing up instead of standing up. I was watching risk factors for COVID and knowing that one of the biggest that applied to me was self-inflicted (obesity.) I realized that I might be able to get an early vaccination because of it, and saw myself going in to the health department, them asking what condition made me eligible, and having to say it was because I'm fat. That pushed me over the edge. (Disclaimer: I'm fat because I'm lazy. This is just about me. A lot of people don't have control of the factors that bring about obesity, and them being obese isn't self-inflicted or something to be ashamed of. But I'm lucky in that I do have control over those factors and have just decided over the years to not exercise that control. That's on me.)

I started exercising again in January. I'd been doing 30 minutes at 80% max heart rate prior to stopping, so I went back at 70% for 20 to work myself back into it. Several things came together at once for me, not the least of which was being diagnosed and treated for ADHD, which solved a lot of the fatigue and lethargy problems I've been having for a few years. During the same doctor's visit I was also diagnosed with spinal arthritis, explaining the pain I've been in since a car wreck in '95 when I went head-first into the ground. That was awesome, as a diagnosis meant being able to discover exercises to compensate. So, suddenly getting over the lethargy and fatigue at the same time I was getting back to working out was a huge boost.

I went to 70%/25 minutes, the 80/25, then a couple of weeks later to 80/30 (the same workout I'd been doing before.) I also added a couple of core exercises (planks, 3x at 30 seconds with 30 second in between, plus bridges, 2 sets of 10 for 10 seconds each) along with some back-focused stretches. But sometime in there something had changed from the last time I'd been working out. Maybe it was the increased focus and reduced fatigue from the medicine I was on, but I began to enjoy working out. Before it was work. I dreaded it. It was tedious and dull, something I forced myself to do every day. But now I'm genuinely enjoying it. I'm having fun challenging myself, trying to beat my previous numbers. I've started adding other exercises (new warm-ups, bodyweight squats, push-ups) to the mix. I've also started investing what I can. When I can afford it (in other words, when my stimulus finally comes through), I'm planning to get a set of decent resistance bands (I had to return my previous set due to quality issues), and hopefully a fitness tracker (I have my eye on the Garmin Venu sq.)

So, right now I'm doing two different workouts on different days, one of them four days per week, the other twice a week, with one day of full rest.

4 days a week:
~30 minutes on my stationary bike in the 'target heart rate' zone for high intensity exercise (mostly in the 80-85% max heart rate range)
~Planks, 3x35 seconds
~Bridges, 2 sets of 10x10 seconds
~Warmups before and stretching after

2 days a week:
~3 sets of 20 bodyweight squats
~3 sets of pushups to failure
~[Placeholder for when I get my resistance bands and add several upper-body exercises]
~Warmups before and stretching after

But it isn't just that. At the same time all of this started, I was given an Oculus Rift-S. Thanks to that two things happened. First, the majority of my gaming went from sitting to standing, and from finger movements to arm movements. It took me from sitting on my ass all day (IE - all of my hobbies were sedentary) to being standing and moving most of the time. That's a huge health boost. Second, some of my favorite games aren't just standing, they're extremely active. I'm partial to Beat Saber and PowerBeatsVR. If you follow those links, you'll see that playing these games is comparable to playing tennis. What that means is that playing them for a while is a second full workout. It is enough that I've actually had to stop myself from playing them on some days because I was actually overdoing the exercise to the point that it wasn't healthy. Yeah, I'm having to force myself to exercise less.

Both the CDC and WHO recommend getting at least 75 minutes of intense exercise every week, or 150 minutes of moderate exercise. By my count, I'm getting at least 100 minutes of intense plus 250+ minutes of moderate exercise every week. And yeah, I'm proud and tooting my own horn.

I've also been very careful with what I've been eating. I'm locked in at 1700 calories per day, plus I eat off any I burn exercising (simply circulating blood and breathing burns about 2700/day for me, so I'm operating at a net 1000 calories/day loss.) Here's one place I'm cheating: the medication that I'm on for the ADHD is also used to treat binge eating, and tends to act as a mild appetite suppressant. I've actually got to force myself to eat enough to not get sick. I'm making sure along the way that a big percentage of my calories are protein, starting at 150 grams/day at 1700 calories, and adjusting upwards as I increase the calorie intake to account for exercise. That ensures that I have what my muscles need as I work them, making sure that my body to turns to the stored fat, not the muscles, for the energy deficit. And I make sure that the rest of the calories are mixed between healthy fats and carbohydrates, that I'm taking in enough vegetables and fiber, etc. so that I'm getting the right amount of nutrition along with the calorie deficit.

Note: The free MyFitnessPal app does all the tracking and math for me. I don't have the kind of patience it would take to do it by hand.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

So what's the impact of all of this?

Since January, I've lost all of the weight I gained during lockdown and the rest of 2020. But more than that, although my scale poundage is the same as when the pandemic hit, the clothes that fit me then are too large now. That means that while I've lost 21.5 pounds, I've also put on a significant amount of muscle from the workouts. I'd guess that I've probably lost closer to 30 pounds of fat in the last ten weeks, which is awesome.

But the best part is that I'm actually enjoying the workouts. They're almost a hobby in and of themselves. Not quite, but it's getting there. That's something I've never experienced, not at any point in my life.

I'm at a point now where I stand up instead of climbing up. Instead of pushing myself off of the couch by the arms or grabbing the counter and pulling myself off of the floor, I simply stand up. I don't get winded bringing the groceries up anymore, nor do my legs ache after walking around the store for 45 minutes. I don't get tired as early in the day, but I fall asleep faster and sleep better. My back aches less (not none, but less.) There are other measurable changes. When I first started playing Beat Saber less than two months ago, I was worn out after three or four songs, mostly because my arms were giving out (I have a problem shoulder.) Now I'm good for 45 minutes (and tend to play for an hour despite my arms feeling like noodles by the end.) I'm blowing way, way past what my workouts were a year ago, but I recover a lot faster. And I simply move better. That's hard to explain. When want to move from A to B, or reach for something, or whatever, I simply do it. It's less effort and more controlled. Being in better control of one's own body is hard to explain, but it feel great. It reminds me of how I used to feel years ago when I was in shape and doing martial arts regularly.

And that's all after ten weeks. I can't wait to see what it'll be like after a year.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
YellowKing
Posts: 30126
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:02 pm

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by YellowKing »

That's some nice work, Blackhawk.

I've talked about my Spartan classes in here before and how much they helped me a couple of years ago get in the best shape of my life. The pandemic certainly knocked me for a loop on that front, as they suspended classes for the entire 2020 season. While our trainers have been awesome giving us workout "homework" twice a week, it's not as good as being an actual gym with equipment, weights, obstacles, etc.

Throughout the past year I've been pretty good at getting the homework done. Some weeks I've crushed it, other weeks I've done the bare minimum, but I can't think of a week since March where I haven't done at least a little something. That's kept me basically in the "treading water" zone. I still packed on about 10 pounds from working from home, and while I've maintained a sort of base level of cardio/strength I can't say I actually improved over the year. It was all maintaining a level significantly below where I was in 2019.

Today was the first chance in a year where the Spartans got back together, this time to do a mock Spartan race at our local park. I was looking forward to it just to see where I was at physically.

Let me tell you, it kicked my ass. I was sucking hind tit the whole way, last place, getting beat by grandmas. But that's OK - I wasn't competing against them, I just wanted to prove to myself I could finish. And finish I did.

Strength-wise I feel I'm doing OK. I'm not super strong by any stretch of the imagination, but I can bang out push-ups and burpees that at one time would have killed me. I did fine in almost all of the strength activities (except pull-ups, pull ups are my Achilles Heel). Cardio though - man, if I thought my running 2 miles a couple of times a week was prepping me, I was SORELY mistaken. The cardio kicked my ass up and down today, and I definitely realized how badly out of shape I was.

All that said, it was SO good to get back to the "real" workout. It allowed me to understand where I need to focus, and it also reminded me of the intensity level I used to be handling. I have no doubt I'll approach the homework workouts in an entirely new way, because compared to that mock Spartan they were baby level.

Spartan classes, for me, have always been about accomplishing things I don't think I can do. Every single class seemed impossible at the start, and yet I'd finish every one. Today's race was no exception. It' was a fantastic reminder that I'm capable of much more than I think, and there's no reason I can't get back into 2019 shape this year.
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 43690
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Kraken »

I started fitness walking in 2004 and have clocked somewhere around 600 miles/year for 16 years, or approx. 9,600 miles (I didn't start tracking it until I got my first smartphone in 2014). In that first year I lost 45 lbs, and I slowly regained 30 of them as my body adapted to daily exercise. Bodies want to gain weight by default.

Due to ugly winter weather followed by a serious work crunch, I haven't been able to walk this year. I intend to restart once my crunch ends in 10 days. It will take me a couple of weeks to work back up to my customary pace and distance. I expect to lose a few pounds in the process since my body's now adapted to being sedentary again.
Jeff V
Posts: 36414
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 7:17 pm
Location: Nowhere you want to be.

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Jeff V »

So far this year, I missed the 10,000 step mark walking only 5 times, 3 days due to planter fasciitis, the other 2 to profound laziness.

My weight has been consistent...consistently fat that is. Wife observed I was getting "fat" even though I'm only up 0.6 lbs from when she said I was improving. :roll:
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
Skinypupy
Posts: 20336
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:12 am
Location: Utah

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Skinypupy »

After too many years of being completely sedentary and gaining around 30 lbs, I started walking again last fall. Usually between 1.5-2 miles/day with the dog at night, nothing too taxing but something to at least get me off the couch. A gout flareup over the holidays completely derailed that for nearly a month. When I started walking again in early February, I decided to start mixing in a little bit of jogging to see how it felt. That has somehow turned into me - against all odds - starting to run again.

A little background, I've had a massive mental block around running for my entire life. Playing competitive soccer from age 6 through college, running was always ingrained as something we had to do for punishment if we didn't play well. Add in that I've never been great at distance running (my stamina has always been shit), and it has firmly been set in my brain as something to be avoided at all costs because of it's level of horribleness. So imagine my surprise when I've found that for the first time in my nearly 47 years, I'm actually enjoying running. I'm finding that I feel significantly better after I go, I have more energy, and while I haven't lost much weight yet (6 lbs), it's a satisfying mental checkmark that I'm doing something that's good for me. Sure as hell beats sitting on the couch.

Last Thursday marked the 1 month mark of starting to run again. Runkeeper tells me I ran 21 times for a total of 32 miles during Feb 24-March 24. I've already shaved nearly 2 minutes off my minutes/mile time, and what started out as a half walk/half run, has now turned into a 90% run with a walk up a couple of the huge hills. I did a new loop this morning that is almost exactly two miles, which is the initial distance goal I've been shooting for. I did get a reality check as I was gasping for breath at the 1.5 mile mark, and the two older ladies jogged right on past me while carrying on a casual conversation. :lol: I...definitely still have lots of room for improvement.

I'm finding that the toughest part is simply getting out the door. That hasn't been too tough for this first bit (due to the novelty and the cooler weather), but we'll see how that resolve holds up when it's 100 degrees outside in late August. I'd love to look back at this first month as a good start to a better, healthier routine. We shall see...
When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

I tried running a few years ago, but realized I'd have to lose a lot of weight first when, after a week of alternating jogging/walking (C25k style) my knees started turning inside out. I've got too many pounds slamming down on them with too little muscle. I'd also need to find a place to get over the hump without an audience. Alternating my flab bouncing around with me gasping for breath is something I'd prefer not to share with the neighbors.

I may give it another try once I've lost the weight and have more muscle in my legs. I think I'd actually enjoy it, although Indiana really only has a few months a year of good running weather - the rest is frozen or boiling (nobody wants to run in 85% humidity.)
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Skinypupy
Posts: 20336
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:12 am
Location: Utah

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Skinypupy »

Blackhawk wrote: Sun Mar 28, 2021 1:56 pm I tried running a few years ago, but realized I'd have to lose a lot of weight first when, after a week of alternating jogging/walking (C25k style) my knees started turning inside out. I've got too many pounds slamming down on them with too little muscle.
My knees are pretty much destroyed from soccer. They hurt no matter what I do, but it’s more of a general “you’re old” ache than a sharp “something’s wrong” type of pain. It’s become less painful the longer I go, so gaining some general overall strength certainly seems to be helping.
I'd also need to find a place to get over the hump without an audience. Alternating my flab bouncing around with me gasping for breath is something I'd prefer not to share with the neighbors.
Oh, I gave up entirely on that concern. Hopefully I’ll lose some weight through the process, so there will be less of me bouncing around for them to be grossed out by. :)
When darkness veils the world, four Warriors of Light shall come.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

I'm going to have to adjust my workout. I started out doing cardio 5 days a week, then added in the VR workouts, giving me about 450 minutes out of the 150 minute goal*, which is awesome. It was enough that I was able to cut one day of cardio to add in the resistance training, which has helped quite a bit with my shoulder's range of motion plus my back pain. The problem was that everything I found suggested that I really needed to be doing resistance training at least two days a week. So I added in the second day of resistance, giving me four days of cardio and two days of resistance each week. I also start each cardio workout with a warm-up including planks, bridges, bodyweight squats, push-ups, and a some movement, then finish each with a set of stretches - hamstrings, ankles, back, and especially my hips**. I'm currently doing a butterfly and figure-4 stretch, and I'm trying to get the form right for the 90-90 stretch.

The problem is the six days a week, or rather the lack of other days. Due to scheduling, Mondays are locked in as the non-workout day, which means that I have zero flexibility. With two rest days a week I could take off Mondays and have one day for when I needed it. With six days a week, I don't have the ability to take that extra day when I'm not feeling up to it, or when some commitment comes up, or when I just need a break. And that's becoming a problem. I need to take it back down to five days per week. I'm pondering:
  • 3 days cardio, 2 days resistance
  • 2 days cardio, 3 days resistance
  • 2 days cardio, 2 days resistance, 1 day circuit training
I know nothing about circuit training, don't know if my equipment would work for it, and don't now if it's a good idea, but it would be an option, and I could use that day to work in the chest/back muscle groups I'm missing right now.

I'm back to doing research, but I'm leaning toward either the first or third option. I could still be getting way more than the recommended amount of activity with three days of cardio, whereas only two days would put the high-intensity below recommendations (I'd like to keep both intensities above the recommendation, despite it being either/or.)

* "giving me about 450 minutes out of the 150 minute goal" - the goal, agreed upon by the CDC, WHO, HHS, and any number of others, is either 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week (50%-70% max heart rate) or 75 minutes of high intensity (70%-85%) max heart rate - although there are other metrics, such as breathing, to judge it by. If you mix them, you simply go for 150 minutes total exercise and count high-intensity as double. So if I did 25 minutes/day, four days per week of high intensity, I'd be getting a total of 100 minutes of high intensity, or 200 minutes toward the combined total. And of course, more is better up the point that you're hurting yourself. I like that I'm getting both goals, and I don't want to drop below that.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

Angry rant incoming. Feel free to ignore.

I asked about this in the /Fitness subreddit.

Wow, what a pack of elitist dicks.

I spent an hour and a half writing a post, checking their rules, checking their requirements for a routine critique, and making sure I nailed every single detail. They immediately deleted it. I asked for clarification. The moderator came back with a list of 'offenses' that were so utterly absurd that I couldn't believe it.

They request every detail about your workout and routine. I did that. The moderator said I had too much detail, suggesting that because I has given info on my diet, that " Our community is not a substitute... ...or a stand-in for someone who needs one-on-one training or dietary instruction." There were zero requests in what I wrote. Here was what I'd posted on diet, in its entirety:
Spoiler:
Diet: I'm currently eating at a 1,000 calorie deficit from my BMR, and I'm eating back any calories I work off beyond that. I track everything that goes into my mouth, and I'm being careful to make sure that I'm getting the necessary amounts of fiber, vegetables, and nutrients. I'm currently working toward 40% protein, 20% fat, 40% carbs. This gives me about 200 grams of protein per day (and the rest in balance.)
I stated that I was going from a six-day to a five-day workout and needed to change the workouts. The moderator response? "Time management is covered in our wiki." (Therefore I hadn't read the wiki, therefore my post was removed.) I didn't ask for time management. I stated that I was managing time. The requirements for a workout critique state to include, "A specific goal you're trying to achieve with your routine", my post stated, "My goals are: To lose weight, obviously. Mobility and control - I got tired of having to climb out of chairs instead of just standing up. Beyond that, general fitness and health." I also mentioned one time that I'd lost 26 pounds. Their reason for removal of my post included, "Weight loss is covered in our wiki." My question, again, wasn't about weight loss. It was asking for feedback on changing my workout.

Next reason for removing it: "Low- and no-equipment workout routines are covered in our wiki. You will need to choose one for yourself." I already had a workout, which I provided in detail, down to a list of exercises, the order, the weight, the reps, and sets. I didn't ask for one. My only mention of equipment was that I was was limited to what I already had - and remember, I never asked for any exercises or workouts. And then I made the mistake of mentioning that I had limited shoulder mobility in describing my situation. Naturally, "Working out around your shoulder issues is prohibited by our Rule 5." The simple fact that my disability exists prohibits me from posting about my workout? There was no request for advice about it, and I specified that I'd already consulted with a professional. Apparently if you're amputee, you apparently have to keep it secret there. If they find you lost a leg, all of your posts violate their rules.

Nearly every single reason they gave for removing my post was because I'd asked questions covered in the Wiki, but every single one of the examples listed was me giving the exact details their exhaustive routine critique guidelines required. Not one was a question.

A bunch of assholes. It's a shame that such a great resource is effectively unusable because of such vague, subjectively judged rules being looked over by massive egos.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
coopasonic
Posts: 20970
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:43 pm
Location: Dallas-ish

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by coopasonic »

Blackhawk wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:07 pm A bunch of assholes.
Welcome to the internet. I'll use reddit as a reference and reply to some posts, but I'll never be able to call it home. Many reddit mods are people living out power fantasies at the expense of the communities. There are some great communities but you have to judge subreddits, and which to partake and avoid, individually.
-Coop
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
Isgrimnur
Posts: 82094
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Chookity pok
Contact:

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

My karma is approaching 200k on reddit after 8 years. 7/8 of it is from comments. I rarely post content as an OP, as I rarely have a hit idea, and have had a few things removed for various reasons.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
User avatar
gilraen
Posts: 4313
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:45 pm
Location: Broomfield, CO

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by gilraen »

We have a treadmill and an elliptical. I prefer the elliptical, just because it's so much easier for me. I don't count calories or measure heart rate or any of that crap. I just crank it up to max resistance and just go as fast as my energy level will allow for the duration of whatever TV episode I'm watching. I hate running, but I coax myself into using the treadmill at least once or twice a week, even if only means alternating running and walking for 5 minutes each, again for a duration of a TV episode.

I've been taking taekwondo classes for over 15 years (I think there was a ~3 or so year break in there somewhere) up until last March, and I just never got in good enough shape to take my black belt test. Still hoping for that some day (although right now I don't even know if the school stayed in business after the COVID lockdowns started). Anyway, one of the requirements for their black belt test is running 3 miles in 30 minutes. I could pretty much never do that, but I figured I'll just work toward it, and if nothing else, running burns more calories than the elliptical.

The goal is to "exercise every day". It doesn't work that way, but at least that way I don't plan for a day off - I take one if I'm really tired, or not feeling well, or had to work late and have neither mental nor physical energy left to deal with exercise. Trying not to skip more than 1 day in a row, although I've been really lazy on weekends, so that needs to change.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

I've done some more reading, and it turns out that /r/Fitness is infamous for toxic posters and asshole moderators.

I replied back to the moderator one more time with a very specific intent:
Spoiler:
Ya know, I just went and did more reading on fitness, and I understand my mistake. Sorry, typo. Reading on /r/Fitness. Had I known the subs reputation and toxicity, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near it. What you are doing to people interested in improving themselves is just uncalled for, it is overtly harmful. You're turning people *away* from fitness. In other words, you're dicks.

So, do me a favor and ban me so I don't accidentally post there again in the future.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

Blackhawk wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:36 pm I've done some more reading, and it turns out that /r/Fitness is infamous for toxic posters and asshole moderators.

I replied back to the moderator one more time with a very specific intent:
Spoiler:
Ya know, I just went and did more reading on fitness, and I understand my mistake. Sorry, typo. Reading on /r/Fitness. Had I known the subs reputation and toxicity, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near it. What you are doing to people interested in improving themselves is just uncalled for, it is overtly harmful. You're turning people *away* from fitness. In other words, you're dicks.

So, do me a favor and ban me so I don't accidentally post there again in the future.
Spoiler:
You have been permanently banned from participating in r/Fitness. You can still view and subscribe to r/Fitness, but you won't be able to post or comment.

Note from the moderators:

by request
:horse:
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Chraolic
Posts: 1156
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:37 pm

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Chraolic »

I took up biking last year when I started working from home and got totally fed up with seeing the same four walls all the time. I also have more time during the day since I don't need to commute, so I've been doing daily 15-kilometer bike rides just to get out and do something else and it's really made a difference.

I've gotten my BMI down to 23.5, I'm more fit than I've been for over a decade, and also it keeps me from going insane while being cooped up in my home, or at least I think it does. I might need to get a second opinion on that part, but what's not up for debate is that I'm closing in on 5000 kilometers in under a year, which I think is pretty cool.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

Blackhawk wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 12:35 pm I need to take it back down to five days per week. I'm pondering:
  • 3 days cardio, 2 days resistance
  • 2 days cardio, 3 days resistance
  • 2 days cardio, 2 days resistance, 1 day circuit training
I'm going to go with the third option. That will mean two days of straight cardio, two days of resistance training, and one day of fairly intense mixed cardio/resistance training that will focus on the muscles the other workouts miss. Right now my resistance days are 1/3 legs, 2/3 arms and shoulders (plus pushups, and I do planks and bridges with every workout.) I'll likely put the emphasis on my chest and (upper) back for the combined day.

Now, to go research how to actually design a poor-man's circuit training workout.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

WARNING!
The video I'm sharing makes use of human cadavers for their examples.
It isn't guts and gore, just close ups of muscle, but it's still there if that sort of thing bothers you.

It's refreshing to find basic health information that isn't written for fifth graders. This short, 5-minute video gave me a better understanding of why movement is important and why being sedentary for years is harmful than all of the public-facing health advice I've seen. It's worth a watch.
Spoiler:
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

So, today I've decided that I'm going to try changing it up. My normal bike ride is 30 minutes. I do a warmup before getting on, then cycle for 30 minutes at 90 RPM, adjusting the resistance up and down to keep my heart rate in the 80-90% zone, which typically gives me 28 minutes at the ideal rate. Today I'm going to do it HIIT style (High Intensity Interval Training.) So, my usual warm-up, then four minutes at moderate resistance for a more targeted warm up, then one minute as super high resistance oh-crap-ow levels, then two minutes low resistance, then one, and so on. Seven sets, so 21 minutes plus the warmup.

4 minutes: warm up
1 minute: high resistance, intense effort
2 minutes: low resistance, recovery
1 minute: high resistance, intense effort
2 minutes: low resistance, recovery
1 minute: high resistance, intense effort
2 minutes: low resistance, recovery
1 minute: high resistance, intense effort
2 minutes: low resistance, recovery
1 minute: high resistance, intense effort
2 minutes: low resistance, recovery
1 minute: high resistance, intense effort
2 minutes: low resistance, recovery
1 minute: high resistance, intense effort
2 minutes: low resistance, recovery


From what I've read, it's much more effective, and a 20 minute workout this way has as much impact as a 40 minute workout at a steady pace. We'll see how it goes.
Last edited by Blackhawk on Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

Alrighty, that was too much. My ass is fairly well kicked, as in 'warning signs I'm pushing it' kicked. At one point my heart rate hit 167, which is around 98% of my max. I normally hit the brakes if I pass 156 (90% max heart rate for me.) I've got a fairly good heart rate recovery, so I probably wasn't in danger of bursting my thumper, but it still isn't a good way to work out.

If I continue with this alternative (research needed), then I need to cut it down to 20 minutes and either do fewer sets (5*3 minutes + warmup) or reduce the length of sets (45 on, 90 off, so 2:15 per set) (research needed.)

The alternative is to acknowledge that what I've been doing is working, and while this method may work better, sometimes you don't need to fix what isn't broken.

(Research needed.)
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

Based on yet more reading, the benefits of HIIT over steady, even cardio are pretty distinct. It isn't just the time or the intensity, it's the alternating demands on the body that has the big impact.

Alrightly, so I based my workout today based on a number of articles. I've been doing a bunch more reading, and I know what I should be doing different. First off, the articles I read assumed that the reader was coming into it from doing a normal cardio workout at 'moderate' levels (50%-70% max heart rate.) The advice was to start with the normal workout and have the intensity intervals pushing into the 'vigorous' range (70%-85%.) The problem is that I do my regular workout at the upper end of the vigorous range already. So when I took the approach from those articles, I was pushing from vigorous into whatever is above that. So instead of the approach I'd found (basically to go balls-to-the-wall during that one minute phase on the assumption that it would only push you high into the vigorous range), I need to base it on the numbers instead.

1. I'm going to keep the non-warmup phase to 20 minutes.
2. I'm going to keep the intervals at 1 minute up, 2 minutes down
3. I'm going to aim for 90%-95% max heart rate during that minute and hold it there rather than continuing to push.

That 20 minutes should have a greater positive impact than the 30 minutes at 85% I normally do, and it should be sustainable. As I get in better shape, it is the intervals that change, not the total duration (I'd start taking time off of the rest phases, eventually getting to 1 up, 1 down, or even 1 up, 30 seconds down. That would take a long, long time, though.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

I started today with a really blah resistance workout this morning. This afternoon, though, was much better. I hit a new record for myself: more than 1,000 calories burned from exercise in a single day. I can feel it, too. My numbers show that I hit a week's minimum recommended exercise numbers today alone.

Also: This wasn't planned, so I now need to figure out how to squeeze another 816 calories down my throat before bed so that I don't come in too low for the day, but I have no appetite right now.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Chraolic
Posts: 1156
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:37 pm

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Chraolic »

Blackhawk wrote: Wed Apr 28, 2021 10:30 pmAlso: This wasn't planned, so I now need to figure out how to squeeze another 816 calories down my throat before bed so that I don't come in too low for the day, but I have no appetite right now.
That sounds like exactly what potato chips are for.
User avatar
Daehawk
Posts: 63531
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:11 am

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Daehawk »

I roll at least a -10 on fitness.
--------------------------------------------
I am Dyslexic of Borg, prepare to have your ass laminated.
I guess Ray Butts has ate his last pancake.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/daehawk
"Has high IQ. Refuses to apply it"
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

Blackhawk wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 12:45 pm 1. I'm going to keep the non-warmup phase to 20 minutes.
2. I'm going to keep the intervals at 1 minute up, 2 minutes down
3. I'm going to aim for 90%-95% max heart rate during that minute and hold it there rather than continuing to push.
I did this today. It worked noticeably better. It still had me swearing (which I understand is what's supposed to happen), and by the end of the 20 minutes + warmup, I was still totally trashed. The difference is that after I scraped myself off the floor, did my post-workout stretching, and got a shower, I was feeling functional. Last time I was exhausted for hours. I do intend to tweak it from 7 sets to 6 for a month or so, and then add the 7th back in when I've started to adapt (so 18 minutes instead of 21.) Long-term, likely months from now, when I'm finally starting to feel comfortable with it, I'll start cutting 15 seconds off of the recovery intervals (so one minute intense, 1:45 rest, repeat.) I'll keep doing that when appropriate until I'm at 1:1. That could potentially take a long, long time.

I do think that I will hold off on adding the fifth workout day in for now. I've changed enough, and I want to get used to the new routine before I start messing with things again. As it is this week, I'm already sitting at 283 minutes out of the CDC/WHO recommended 150, and I still have another workout to do on Sunday.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

So, for posterity, my current workouts are this, after the next HIIT adjustment (still dialing it in.) I give priority to form over reps or weight. The focus is still mostly on my lower back, hips, and legs until I work out the effects of a quarter century spent sitting. Hips more than anything else. If anybody has any thoughts or suggestions, I'm all game.

Floor bodyweight exercises, four times per week*:
-Three planks at 35 seconds each
-Two sets of pelvic bridges, 3 seconds up, two held, one down, 15 per set
-Two sets of prone leg lifts, 10 per set

Warmup, before all of the exercises below:
-One set of 20 bodyweight squats*
-One set of pushups to failure*
-Forward and lateral leg swings
-Stepping jacks
-high knee bends with arm swings

*I skip these two if I'm doing the resistance workout, as they're already part of it.

Cardio, twice a week:
-Warmup
-6 sets of 1 minute intense, 2 minutes recovery HIIT training on my stationary bike
-Post workout stretches


Resistance, twice a week. I do these in pairs, alternating between the two with one minute reset between each pair:
-Warmup
-3 sets of 20 bodyweight squats
-3 sets of pushups to failure (currently under 10 per set - I haven't worked my upper body since high school :oops: )
-3 sets of lateral shoulder raises to 10 or failure*
-3 sets of forward shoulder raises to 10 or failure
-3 sets of curls to 10 or failure
-3 sets of tricep extensions to 10 or failure
-Post workout stretches

*When I do '10 or failure', I stop at 10 if I can hit it with perfect form. When I can reliably do three sets of 10, I up the weight. Typically the sets look something like 10/9/7 or similar.

Post workout stretches, 4x a week, plus individual stretches throughout the day when I get stiff or feel the need. I generally hold each for 30 seconds.
-Hamstring stretch
-Quadricep stretch
-Ankle mobility stretch
-Calf stretch
-Lumbar twist (the variant with one leg straight and the head looking the opposite direction
-Figure four stretch
-Butterfly stretch

i fiddle with the stretches all the time. I've given up on the 90-90 stretch until I become a little more limber in the hips, but I have been working on the kneeling lunge and Spiderman stretches. (The butterfly, figure four, kneeling lunge, Spiderman, and 90-90 are all hip stretches.)
-Buttefly stretch

It sounds like more complex than it is. On a typical day, I just do the three floor exercises, then the warmup (a total of five to ten minutes up to this point), then whatever workout I'm doing that day, then stretch. The workout plus a shower takes around an hour if I stay focused. Of course, I also spend a lot of time playing exercise-intensive VR games on top of all of this, but I consider that bonus exercise, not part of my routine.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
dbt1949
Posts: 25688
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:34 am
Location: Hogeye Arkansas

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by dbt1949 »

I'm up to 3 naps a day!
Ye Olde Farte
Double Ought Forty
aka dbt1949
Jeff V
Posts: 36414
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 7:17 pm
Location: Nowhere you want to be.

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Jeff V »

dbt1949 wrote: Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:28 pm I'm up to 3 naps a day!
I can't even manage one. The moment my darling 4 year old daughter catches me starting to snooze, she gives me a round-house gut punch and yells, WAKE UP!
Black Lives Matter
JCC
Posts: 2191
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 11:07 pm

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by JCC »

I guess I can stop posting about my walks in the running thread.

Nearly every morning I take a (minimum) 7 mile walk. Great way to start the day. One day a week I run some of that day's walk. I had lots of running injuries last year and early this year so I am being cautious. Today I decided to run mile 2 (for my 2nd day of trying to run this week). Sadly, I had hip pain and only ran a mile. Hip/Knee pain is what got me out of running last year. Very frustrating.

April was a good month for me. I walked 28/30 days for a total of over 204 miles (7.3 mile average/walk). I probably needed more rest days late since I was very slow on the last day of the month today. (no miles under 14 minutes - aside from the one I ran) and I had no walks all week where every mile was under 14 minutes. April was uncharacteristically, mostly rain free which kept me out there.

I really need to start doing some sort of strength training but I have a hard time sticking with that.
Black Lives Matter

"You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common: they don't alter their views to fit the facts; they alter the facts to fit their views." - The 4th Doctor
User avatar
YellowKing
Posts: 30126
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:02 pm

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by YellowKing »

One of the biggest problems I've found with my running is that I spend most of my morning sitting at a computer. Then when I want to go run at lunch, I'm stiff and struggling.

So to combat that I've started incorporating some beginner yoga stuff into my morning routine. I figured anything I could to to help my posture and flexibility would be a good thing, and it has the added bonus of giving me some stretch time before the run.

While the running plan is very regimented and easy to follow, I'm still struggling to find a strength training program that I can follow consistently. I have to have very disciplined, step by step workouts. When things get too open-ended "Try one of these great 20 home workouts" I just get analysis paralysis and freeze.

If anyone has any good programs or trainers they like to follow, please let me know.
User avatar
coopasonic
Posts: 20970
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:43 pm
Location: Dallas-ish

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by coopasonic »

YellowKing wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 11:39 am While the running plan is very regimented and easy to follow, I'm still struggling to find a strength training program that I can follow consistently. I have to have very disciplined, step by step workouts. When things get too open-ended "Try one of these great 20 home workouts" I just get analysis paralysis and freeze.

If anyone has any good programs or trainers they like to follow, please let me know.
Work gives us free access to NEOU. I've never touched it because exercise is satan, but I've heard very good things. Basically like Beachbody crossed with Peloton. They have a 7 day free trial and it's $60/yr (when paid annually).
-Coop
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

I have trouble following strength training, too, mostly because I find it insanely dull, and unlike most cardio exercise you can't let your mind wander. You have to stay heavily focused on the excitement of "Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down." in order to maintain the correct form. I handle that by doing a few muscle group exercises (squats, pushups), and then a few exercises directed at specific problem muscles that I feel the need to work. The idea is to do enough while keeping the number of exercises (and thus the time) down to minimums.

I don't follow any particular program or trainer, mostly because lifters tend to have an attitude that if you aren't doing everything, you're failing. Strength is a lifestyle or you're doing it wrong. "You're only doing eight exercises twice a week? Why do you want to be weak, sissy? You should be doing these twenty exercises twice a week, and these other 15 three times a week! And you're doing it a home? If you aren't surrounded by sweaty people and the smell of iron, you're failing! Get to a gym! Get a trainer to check your form! Free weights or you fail! WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE WEAK?!?"

Ugh. I don't want to be 'pumped', even if I do have the kind of 'stocky' build that's good for it. I don't care about impressing the ladies. I have no real need to show off or to be better than the next guy. I don't need to bench press my car. I just want to be functional. Stable, mobile, strong enough to do what I need to do, flexible enough to do what I want to do. And what I'm doing already is a big improvement in that regard. Once my weight is where I need it to be so that I'm not running at a steep calorie deficit, I'll likely start trying to add a little more to my strength training, but I still won't be living strength training as a lifestyle.

Side note, a gym membership plus a regular check-in with a trainer would run more than the phone bill for the entire family, and I don't particularly enjoy workout out with people who are obsessed with image and competition. If I had that kind of money and determination, I'd be more likely to invest it into martial arts or dance classes (if there were any decent ones anywhere near me - there aren't.)
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Isgrimnur
Posts: 82094
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:29 am
Location: Chookity pok
Contact:

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Isgrimnur »

Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 6:44 pm You have to stay heavily focused on the excitement of "Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down." in order to maintain the correct form. I
You just need the right soundtrack.
Last edited by Isgrimnur on Tue May 04, 2021 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

Isgrimnur wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 6:47 pm
Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 6:44 pm You have to stay heavily focused on the excitement of "Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down." in order to maintain the correct form. I
You just nee the right soundtrack.
Well, I did find a playlist on Spotify that's nothing but training montage songs from 80s.
Spoiler:
It got old really quick.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
coopasonic
Posts: 20970
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:43 pm
Location: Dallas-ish

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by coopasonic »

Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 6:44 pm Ugh. I don't want to be 'pumped', even if I do have the kind of 'stocky' build that's good for it. I don't care about impressing the ladies.
For the most part muscles are way more useful at impressing the guys than the ladies. They mostly don't care or at least the ones you care about caring generally speaking don't care.
-Coop
Black Lives Matter
User avatar
YellowKing
Posts: 30126
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:02 pm

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by YellowKing »

When I was training at the gym (pre-Spartan days) I had a female trainer and was the only guy in the group. Didn’t bother me a bit because I was there to get in shape, not get ripped. Never had to deal with the testosterone-fueled aggro of the male trainers, but still got decent workouts and all the women loved me. It was a win-win. :D

Even my Spartan classes were predominantly women older than me, and that’s just the speed I liked it.
User avatar
FishPants
Server WhOOre
Posts: 4659
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 1:38 pm
Location: Canada

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by FishPants »

Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 6:44 pm
I don't follow any particular program or trainer, mostly because lifters tend to have an attitude that if you aren't doing everything, you're failing. Strength is a lifestyle or you're doing it wrong. "You're only doing eight exercises twice a week? Why do you want to be weak, sissy? You should be doing these twenty exercises twice a week, and these other 15 three times a week! And you're doing it a home? If you aren't surrounded by sweaty people and the smell of iron, you're failing! Get to a gym! Get a trainer to check your form! Free weights or you fail! WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE WEAK?!?"
I don't think that's the culture at all, or if it is you're definitely in the wrong places. I hired a personal trainer to work with me (mostly over Zoom due to lockdowns and geographical distance) - she never pushed me to do anything that I hadn't set as a goal. She helped push me to pick something as a goal, but otherwise that's up to me - and she helped me get me there in the timeframe that I wanted to get there. I've recently stopped working with her because of the cost to benefit (I have a solid workout regimen, fully understand my macros - there wasn't much more for her to teach me).

Anyhow in 9 months I went from being very fat/sedentary to the strongest I've ever been in my life bar none. I'm doing pushups off a barbell (it rolls around and makes you engage your core), chin ups, yesterday I broke my personal record and deadlifted 325lbs. None of that is to impress anyone, it's really cathartic to fight off the lockdown blues and also to help improve my health. But there's no doubt, if I keep working out like this 4-5 times a week I will be jacked - it's not the reason I'm doing it, but I'm ok with that as a side effect. I get more excited as I can bang off more chinups then the week before, or add weight to a Z-press workout; those are very challenging for me.
Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 6:44 pm Once my weight is where I need it to be so that I'm not running at a steep calorie deficit, I'll likely start trying to add a little more to my strength training, but I still won't be living strength training as a lifestyle.
Strength training in any capacity while running a heavy deficit is very difficult for sure, I don't think I've ever been more hungry in my life currently and I'm eating about 2700 calories a day -- in previous diet phases I would eat as little as 1500 without exercising (and it wouldn't phase me much) -- now just eating 2700 is killing me.
No.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

To be fair, I should probably clarify that by, "I don't follow any particular program or trainer", I was talking about following their programs online. Those people are invariably Big Personalities, and that attitude is pervasive. Actual hired trainers are, I'm sure, different.

I would honestly love to have a personal trainer, dearly love to. I'd love to have someone to help me troubleshoot the source of my weaknesses/aches without the exhaustive research, guesswork, and constant dead ends that come with figuring it out myself. It took years to discover that a big problem for me was stiff hip flexors, but knowing that just leads to dozens of variations of dozens of exercises all of which are the best exercise for stiff hip flexors. I'm sure different ones are better for different people, but which is best for whom requires expertise of months of frustrating trial and error (for example, I spent several weeks working hard on the 90-90 stretch only to discover that I wasn't flexible enough to do it properly, and therefore needed other stretches first.)

I'd love to have someone check my form. Doing a plank, just as one example - have your head, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles in a straight line. Don't sag your but or push it up. Simple enough - but trying to see if you're getting it right while you're in the position with your nose pointed straight at the floor from ten inches away is impossible without a mirror or a way to set up a monitor (my space isn't big enough for a camera, or even a phone camera with a timer.) With squats you need to keep your knees in line with your toes while moving, but you also need to have your shoulders back, your chest out, and be looking forward - where you can't see your knees and toes. The list goes on.

But I've looked at trainers, and the cost is crazy-high. It would literally cost a full day's income for one hour.
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 43501
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by Blackhawk »

FishPants wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 9:16 am
Blackhawk wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 6:44 pm Once my weight is where I need it to be so that I'm not running at a steep calorie deficit, I'll likely start trying to add a little more to my strength training, but I still won't be living strength training as a lifestyle.
Strength training in any capacity while running a heavy deficit is very difficult for sure, I don't think I've ever been more hungry in my life currently and I'm eating about 2700 calories a day -- in previous diet phases I would eat as little as 1500 without exercising (and it wouldn't phase me much) -- now just eating 2700 is killing me.
My main goal with strength training right now is to put enough strain on my muscles that my body turns to fat for energy. Without the training, my body would start to consume muscle instead, leaving the fat right where it is. I'm absolutely gaining some muscle, strength, and endurance. Noticeably. But it isn't significant, and I expect that once I get to a more 'normal' level after decades of not using them, the increases will mostly stop. It's tricky to gain muscle while losing fat, given that losing fat generally requires a calorie deficit (burn more than you take in), while building mass generally requires a calorie surplus (you're forcing your body to add extra to certain areas while giving it the raw materials so it doesn't scavenge from elsewhere.) Doing both requires very careful tracking and numbers.

My base goal each day is 1600 calories, which puts me at a 1,000 calorie per day deficit, which is the maximum deficit that's considered safe. I eat back any exercise (so if I work out for 400 calories, I have to eat that 400 calories or else I'd be at a 1,400 calorie deficit.) Right now I'm keeping my calories at 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fats, with an absolute minimum of 150 grams of protein. That minimum is what keeps me from consuming muscle tissue for energy. Doing the quick math, to keep the percentages and hit the minimum protein, 150 grams of protein is 600 calories, so I'd need 600 calories worth of carbs and 300 calories worth of fats to be able to make progress without risking my health. That's 1,500 out of 1,600 calories, and it is nearly impossible to be that precise when eating actual food. In practice, that means that if I don't work out at least some, I can't get the minimum protein I need, as there won't be enough calories left for the overlap. (I've actually had to start giving myself an extra 250 calories 'bonus' on my rest days in order to meet the demands.)

But the challenge, more often than not, isn't in being hungry. I'm not. More often, the problem is that I get to the end of a day after I've done exercise that burend an extra 800 calories and not having enough of an appetite to cram the extra down my throat. Since the burned calories aren't always planned, I can't just eat extra throughout the day to prevent that last minute deficit.

Eating too little is easier. Eating too much is easy. Eating the right amounts of the right stuff is a pain (although the benefits - like how much better I feel - are worth it.)
(˙pǝsɹǝʌǝɹ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʎʇıʌɐɹƃ ʃɐuosɹǝd ʎW)
User avatar
coopasonic
Posts: 20970
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 11:43 pm
Location: Dallas-ish

Re: [Health] General fitness thread

Post by coopasonic »

My body has to use the fat, there is no muscle!

To expound on that a bit, more 30 years ago I weighed ~30 pounds more than I do today and had a lower body fat percentage...
-Coop
Black Lives Matter
Post Reply