jelloshotsrule said:
Not trying to be uptight or a jerk. I just think we have a real problem with health and fitness in this country. Sounds like you're doing pretty well though. Keep it up.
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Do You Exercise Regularly?
- Thread starter iGary
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Not trying to be uptight or a jerk. I just think we have a real problem with health and fitness in this country. Sounds like you're doing pretty well though. Keep it up.
jelloshotsrule said:
I seriously understand how alarming my daily caloric intake sounds. BUT, I am not doing it alone and I am monitored very closely. What I get in that 1000 calories is better and more than I get in 4000 calories if that makes any sense. It's a super low fat low sodium moderate carbs diet. It's not a fad diet either. It's all rather vague I know, but that's about all I'd say about it.
All I know is that I'm in the best health of my life and I am watched like a hawk!But the more I work out the more I add to my diet in 100 calorie intervals.
Lift weights 5 times a week.. and a little ten minute cardio session after the weight training. I hate seeing people lift weights with absolutely no focus, they look like zombies.. as if they're being paid to work out!
If you work out with no goal, or no concentration.. you are definitely prone to injuries because of poor form. I used to be a 6 ft 120 lb geek Genetics.. my parents are 5'5 and skinny.. but after 3 years of excercise i'm now 185 lbs. I haven't been sick in these last 3 years either.. no cold, allergies, nothing.
So those posters who think genetics will prevent you from losing weight or gaining weight.. please don't use it as an excuse not to work out. You will get results if you are consistent, and it will take more than a couple of months to see those inches come off/or on. Don't quit!
If you work out with no goal, or no concentration.. you are definitely prone to injuries because of poor form. I used to be a 6 ft 120 lb geek
Genetics.. my parents are 5'5 and skinny.. but after 3 years of excercise i'm now 185 lbs. I haven't been sick in these last 3 years either.. no cold, allergies, nothing.So those posters who think genetics will prevent you from losing weight or gaining weight.. please don't use it as an excuse not to work out. You will get results if you are consistent, and it will take more than a couple of months to see those inches come off/or on. Don't quit!
leekohler said:
I agree. Everytime I fly from India to the US via Europe.. I can definitely tell who;s american and who's not (at the airports)
Zurich airport = people in good shape (europeans)
Land in nyc and you see obese people walking everywhere.. and of course, lines outside burger king, mcdonalds.. lol.
I'll usually run around 3.5-4 miles a day, and do about an hour in the gym doing free weights and machines. I'll usually just concentrate on two sets of muscles each day (shoulders and abs, chest and triceps, back and biceps, etc.) to keep it so I'll have 3-4 days of recoop time for each set of muscles so I'm not working them when they're still repairing themselves.
The Nike+Ipod kit really gave me a boost in my running too - it lets you kind of race yourself since I never really kept track of how long it took me to run the 3.5 miles or my mile splits or anything. Now I try and hear that voice at the end saying, "Congratulations, you just set a best time for the mile."
It also bothers me a lot thinking about the health of the country in general - I guess that's my main motivation for doing all the exercise that I do. I can see where I could be physically, and I know I just wouldn't be happy. Not to say you can't be happy, just a personal habit after being made fun of for being the "fat" kid all through middle school
The Nike+Ipod kit really gave me a boost in my running too - it lets you kind of race yourself since I never really kept track of how long it took me to run the 3.5 miles or my mile splits or anything. Now I try and hear that voice at the end saying, "Congratulations, you just set a best time for the mile."
It also bothers me a lot thinking about the health of the country in general - I guess that's my main motivation for doing all the exercise that I do. I can see where I could be physically, and I know I just wouldn't be happy. Not to say you can't be happy, just a personal habit after being made fun of for being the "fat" kid all through middle school
zach said:and 6 months a year i sit on my ass and do jack ****
sounds about like the average football player
j/k
sorry, being a cross-country runner, i don't feel bad for football players' workouts. or any sport where running is their "punishment"
twoodcc said:sounds about like the average football player
j/k
sorry, being a cross-country runner, i don't feel bad for football players' workouts. or any sport where running is their "punishment"
nah, it's true
and yeah, i have a hell of a lot of respect for XC people... i sometimes run in the spring with the XC people doing their offseason workouts, and while they may not all be as strong as i am, most of them are, and most of them are in much better shape than i ever will be.but regular running's not our punishment... it's just part of the training. PUNISHMENT is something like up-downs (essentially running in place and diving full extension to the ground and popping right back up, repeatedly, for as long as the coach damn well wants) or ridiculous runs in full pads interspersed with pushups, etc., which i can assure you is quite different than running in shorts and a t-shirt
jessica. said:I seriously understand how alarming my daily caloric intake sounds. BUT, I am not doing it alone and I am monitored very closely. What I get in that 1000 calories is better and more than I get in 4000 calories if that makes any sense. It's a super low fat low sodium moderate carbs diet. It's not a fad diet either. It's all rather vague I know, but that's about all I'd say about it.
But the more I work out the more I add to my diet in 100 calorie intervals.
It doesn't make sense.
Depending on how often you work out, and how intense, I'm willing to bet you're burning far more calories than you are taking in.
This is OK....to a point. Fat and calories are not bad things, and eventually, you can run the risk of being too low in both and become very unhealthy.
Once you get so far, your body will start *losing* muscle to gain energy because you will not have any fat to burn, nor enough calories to get energy from. Calories have to be in check once you're where you want to be, so you retain your fat/muscle at a healthy point.
You could double your calorie and carb intake, as long as you are getting them from the correct sources (simple carbs, not complex processed junk), and I gaurantee you'd see even more benefits.
While weight loss and a noticable slimming figure are encouraging things, they can also be misleading.
(I once knew a lady who would stand at her desk all day long at work, and NEVER sit down, in an attempt to burn every last calorie she could. The sad part: she was a nutritionist for a hospital.)
you are incorrect
Whie this is an old biological theory, we still don't have much evidence to suggest a human heart is program for a certain number of beats in its life time (mammals in general). For the sake of argument, lets say it is true, I say that a person who lacks cardiovascular fitness will die younger or use up his heart beats before a fit person will. Simple math will point this out. A fit person like myself who can maintain a 6:30 minute mile pace for an hour has a resting average heart rate ~70, or an unfit person who perhaps is overweight with a resting heart rate of say 100 bpm? Which hearts beat more in a 24 hour period? A constant heart rate of 100 bpm or a constant heart rate of 70 bpm with 1 hour at ~155 bpm?
100 bpm person heart beats = 144000 beats per 24 hour
70 bpm person + 1 hour of intense exercise = 105900 beats per 24 hour
So a person heart that average ~100 bpm will beat 38100 more times than my heart, or 35% more. Lets keep this to a simple agrument and a simple conclusion too. This overweight person who average 100 bpm have a shorter lifespan in this case perhaps 35% less than me. Let say I live for 90 years, very plausible, this person will only live to 64 years of age.
I guess we can't cheat physics .
Cinch
spicyapple said:I agree, iGary.
I follow these health tips:
HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION
Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Whie this is an old biological theory, we still don't have much evidence to suggest a human heart is program for a certain number of beats in its life time (mammals in general). For the sake of argument, lets say it is true, I say that a person who lacks cardiovascular fitness will die younger or use up his heart beats before a fit person will. Simple math will point this out. A fit person like myself who can maintain a 6:30 minute mile pace for an hour has a resting average heart rate ~70, or an unfit person who perhaps is overweight with a resting heart rate of say 100 bpm? Which hearts beat more in a 24 hour period? A constant heart rate of 100 bpm or a constant heart rate of 70 bpm with 1 hour at ~155 bpm?
100 bpm person heart beats = 144000 beats per 24 hour
70 bpm person + 1 hour of intense exercise = 105900 beats per 24 hour
So a person heart that average ~100 bpm will beat 38100 more times than my heart, or 35% more. Lets keep this to a simple agrument and a simple conclusion too. This overweight person who average 100 bpm have a shorter lifespan in this case perhaps 35% less than me. Let say I live for 90 years, very plausible, this person will only live to 64 years of age.
I guess we can't cheat physics
.Cinch
100% failure rate if you choose to exercise to get in shape
I'm not directing this at you personally so please take no offense here.
I think it is extreme difficult to exercise simply to stay in shape. I also think all people will fail if all they do is go to the gym. Remember we have an incredible imaginative brain. Participating in a competitive/social sport is your best beat. Run on weekdays because you are looking forward to a weekend race or meeting that good looking girl/guy. I think the answer is very simple and right in front of us i.e. look at those who are in shape, physical/mental, chances are that they don't go to the gym or if they do it is a small substitute to their routine. We are not hamster running on treadmill, are we?
My advise is to live fabulously (drink lots of alcohol beer, wine, cocktail, dine out on fabulous cuisine, have fabulous sex). What is the alternative? drink bad beer, eat processed food high in corn syrup and be Catholic
Cinch
KevAllen83 said:It also bothers me a lot thinking about the health of the country in general - I guess that's my main motivation for doing all the exercise that I do. I can see where I could be physically, and I know I just wouldn't be happy. Not to say you can't be happy, just a personal habit after being made fun of for being the "fat" kid all through middle school
I'm not directing this at you personally so please take no offense here.
I think it is extreme difficult to exercise simply to stay in shape. I also think all people will fail if all they do is go to the gym. Remember we have an incredible imaginative brain. Participating in a competitive/social sport is your best beat. Run on weekdays because you are looking forward to a weekend race or meeting that good looking girl/guy. I think the answer is very simple and right in front of us i.e. look at those who are in shape, physical/mental, chances are that they don't go to the gym or if they do it is a small substitute to their routine. We are not hamster running on treadmill, are we?
My advise is to live fabulously (drink lots of alcohol beer, wine, cocktail, dine out on fabulous cuisine, have fabulous sex). What is the alternative? drink bad beer, eat processed food high in corn syrup and be Catholic
Cinch
Music_Producer said:Lift weights 5 times a week.. and a little ten minute cardio session after the weight training. I hate seeing people lift weights with absolutely no focus, they look like zombies.. as if they're being paid to work out!
If you work out with no goal, or no concentration.. you are definitely prone to injuries because of poor form. I used to be a 6 ft 120 lb geek
So those posters who think genetics will prevent you from losing weight or gaining weight.. please don't use it as an excuse not to work out. You will get results if you are consistent, and it will take more than a couple of months to see those inches come off/or on. Don't quit!
So any advice for those of us considering lifting weights (haven't done it since high school)? I've killed my fat with all my cycling and would like to up my upper body strength.
Don't push too hard too fast is the big thing. If you've worked out before, it may be tempting to jump in to quickly and hurt yourself.Motley said:
Do you have a gym you are planning on joining? If so, you may look into a personal trainer if they offer them. Otherwise, try to start out with the basics to get some decent muscle built up before going to more advanced routines.
For example, don't work out every day, or your muscles won't recover and you'll end up doing more damage than good. Try going 3 times a week and focusing on a particular area of the body each time - like Shoulders and Legs one day, Chest and Back another day, and Arms and Abs a third day, for an example. Mix and match as you'd like. You could also do a complete body workout 3 times a week and limit the reps/sets you do so that it doesn't take forever.
I've been working out on and off for about, geez, 18 years now, and I've never really found the "perfect" routine. A little soreness is good and means you've done what you need to (create small tears in the muscle) without doing major damage. Real pain is bad.
I'm sure others will have comments as well - but just get out there and try it at a fairly easy pace to get into the swing of things again.
Cinch said:
At the same time, maybe staying in shape is what make people feel good. If they're self conscious about how they look, staying in shape and being happy about how they look will help them feel better.
And I agree with what you say about people only going to the gym and nothing else. I play Ultimate Frisbee as much as I can (though less than I normally would now that school has started and everyone's schedules are different), and that's really fun. That's not about the burning calories, thats about having fun with your friends and enjoying life - which is what it should be all about
emw said:
Agreed. I would say do your whole body 3 days a week. I usually only take an hour to an hour and 15 to get it all done. Start slowly and remember that technique is what gets you results. Make sure you're lifting properly rather than lifting a ton of weight. Gradually increase the weight as you get stronger.
Plus, if you have any friends who are/have been in the military I would ask them for advice as well. I had a personal trainer at first who did absolutely nothing for me for three months. I asked for advice from a friend of mine who had been in the first Gulf war who, believe me, looks like a god. He asked me what I wanted from exercize and I told him, "I want to look like you!"
He said, "Are you sure?" I said, "Of course! I'm paying for a gym membership!" He went to the gym with me for the next 2 months and kicked my butt like it had never been kicked. And years later, I do look like him. Just remember, it takes time and discipline. Don't ever give up, you'll get there.
One aspect that I think is most commonly neglected when people begin lifting weights to build muscle is the aspect of rest.Motley said:
Rest is just as, if not even more, important than the workout itself.
When you are lifting weights, your muscles experience microscopic tears. You need to give your body enough time to heal those tears. That's how muscle is built.
Considering that you want to increase strength and build muscle, you will want to lift heavy weights and do a low number of repetitions (as opposed to lower weight and more reps used to increase muscle tone). Stay in the 2-6 rep ranges, and do no more than 4 sets of each excercise you do, depending on how many exercises you do per muscle group. Lift a heavy enough weight that you can only do it 6 times...add enough so the next time you can only do it 4 times...etc. Keep moving up.
**BUT START SLOW!!* Do not jump into things until you get good form and get comfortable with the workouts.
Because the muscles involved in a weight-training program (chest, legs, etc) are fairly big muscles on one's body, they will need plenty of time to heal before you excercise that muscle group again.
Do *not* do any specific muscle group more than twice a week. It is very easy to over-train. Remember that you are tearing your muscles and that they need to heal. You can tear them too much, but you cannot heal them too much. Healing and rest is most important, as it cannot easily be overdone.
I'd suggest a schedule like this, assuming you have the time and materials necessary.
4 days a week.
Day 1:
Chest and Biceps
Day 2:
Rest
Day 3:
Calves and Abs
Day 4:
Rest
Day 5:
Back, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 6:
Legs and Abs
Day 7:
Rest
Chest excercises such as bench press indirectly train your triceps and shoulders, so do not do tricep or shoulder work the same day as chest.
Back excercies (lat pull ups, etc) indirectly train your biceps, so do not do them both on the same day, etc.
No schedule is perfect, and everyone requires different steps depending on their own body and other commitments.
But the general idea of rest and which pairs to do together, and which to avoid, should be the foundation for any program you begin.
You automatically end up exercising quite a bit in college, just from getting from Class A to Class B during the short, 10-minute breaks in between classes.
I live a bit off campus, as well, so I end up biking quite a bit - it's nice, though, as us college kids are known to be some of the least healthy people out there....
I live a bit off campus, as well, so I end up biking quite a bit - it's nice, though, as us college kids are known to be some of the least healthy people out there....
Thanks for the replys.
I was thinking of something along the lines of:
weights
cycling
weights
cycling
weights
cycling
And on the 7th he rested.
With extra rest thrown in when ever neccessary.
I knew I should be doing certian groups together, just wasn't sure which ones.
So if I should be going for more weight as compared to many reps any idea what the average amount of time a session should last?
I was thinking of something along the lines of:
weights
cycling
weights
cycling
weights
cycling
And on the 7th he rested.
With extra rest thrown in when ever neccessary.
I knew I should be doing certian groups together, just wasn't sure which ones.
So if I should be going for more weight as compared to many reps any idea what the average amount of time a session should last?
Yes.
I go to the gym once in a while, but I also play DDR (you don't know how tiring that can be) and do yoga and exercises at home.
I go to the gym once in a while, but I also play DDR (you don't know how tiring that can be
) and do yoga and exercises at home.
Everyone is different, by my workouts usually last about 45 minutes to an hour.Motley said:
Don't constrain yourself to a limit - you'll either hurry to get done, or take too long between sets.
I'd say 30 minutes is the minumum, and 1.5 hours being the absolute max; you'd either be going to fast, doing not enough, or going too slow/doing too much.
leekohler said:Not trying to be uptight or a jerk. I just think we have a real problem with health and fitness in this country. Sounds like you're doing pretty well though. Keep it up.
i agree that we have a problem with health and fitness in the country, for sure. i just felt like your hostility towards the joke was a bit much, when for all we know the poster of the joke may well be a marathon running musclehead.
i'm not in the best shape, but do keep fairly active and certainly have lost weight from the past few years, so that's good
as for weight lifting, what hooked me was doing drop sets. basically, you do 3 sets or so of each exercise, with medium amount of weight, and no real breaks (get a drink of water or walk around the room between each exercise, but that's it).. the key is doing compound exercises that work out multiple core muscles at once. so in 30 mins i'd do 3 sets each of bench press, shoulder press (hate it!), squats, leg curls.. and maybe one or two others. you keep your heart going the whole time, so it's got a cardio aspect to it as well... i learned the routine from a friend who's in pretty good shape (he's 33 or so) and we basically share the same workout goal- to be healthy, and to perform better in sports).
but anyhoo, these other folks have lots more experience than i. hah