Stay/get back in shape...Vol: Motivation

[finnns2003]

i need to buy a scale. just dawned on me that i don't have one, have never needed it.

 

[oidreez]

i just use the scale at the gym. i'm trying to gain weight. i'm at 160lb and i'm about 5'11 maybe 6'

 

[finnns2003]

Originally Posted by oidreez

i just use the scale at the gym. i'm trying to gain weight. i'm at 160lb and i'm about 5'11 maybe 6'

true, always good to have one in the bathroom so you know your true weight, without shoes and clothes.

 

[demj23kobe24nise]

Nooooooooo,,


i just got the cold shoulder :burrrr:

 

[daytona 5000]

Whenever I don't get in a meal I have severe hunger pains. Not severe, severe, but they are pretty uncomfortable. Does this happen to anyone else?

 

[verynecessary]

Originally Posted by Mangudai954

Originally Posted by knightngale

Originally Posted by NiPxD

Originally Posted by Mangudai954

^ Would you recommend having a shake post workout(lifting) then going to cardio or going straight into it?

Well for me, if im somewhat full, and i run, my sides hurt really bad

Plus i believe that right after i lift, my body is now relying on the fat storage. Drinking a shake would just refuel your body and therefore the fatty will just be ignored. So i go right into it.

Same reason why some ppl go run early in the morning, before they have breakfast. When your body starves energy source, fat is the only place left to tap into.

is it better to run early in the morning or after doing strength training? or can both be done on an empty stomach?

Be careful doing it early in the morning when you're catabolic, gotta take it light.

i've been doing my reading, and if you really want to drop that fat, you should be eating.

when you work out, you burn calories. it doesn't matter a whole lot whether those calories are from fat, glucose, or glycogen. your body will compensateand convert fat to energy if it runs out of more available energy sources (glucose and glycogen). getting energy directly from your body's fat stores isfar less efficient that using glucose and glycogen. the result? you can't work out with the same intensity.

in plain english? if you work out when you haven't eaten for a while, you will get tired sooner and you'll very likely burn fewer calories. thatmeans less fat loss.

do you ever see those cardio warriors at the gym really get cut? not too often.

i say eat a little bit of easily digestible food maybe half an hour before you workout, and eat (or take supplements) right afterwards. even better, if youcan stomach it, take a short break in the middle of your workout and have some more easily digestible food/supplement. you'll be able to work out harder,and that means more calories burned. more calories burned means you get leaner. the calories you take in are better utilized while they are still being movedthroughout your body, not after they've been tucked away as fat.

also, the intensity of your workout (either resistance OR cardio) correlates strongly with shedding fat. i don't understand how anyone can put in heavywork relying almost exclusively on fat for energy, especially for any workout longer than 15 minutes.

 

[carlos tevez]

+$@*...I've been slacking hard for the past 2 weeks...skipping workouts, eating like crap. I think I've put on 2-3 pounds. I'm gonna try to extrahard for the next 4 weeks.

 

[finnns2003]

i ran 21 laps today at the gym, eh it's not bad. how many laps/miles do you guys average on a cardio day?

 

[elocin023]

Originally Posted by Gmills23

I was able to weigh myself yesterday (dont own a scale

@me)
Lost 20 pounds so far this summer, and that was my goal for the entire summer

Gonna try to do cardio every day this week.

Good job!

 

[wj4]

Originally Posted by finnns2003

i ran 21 laps today at the gym, eh it's not bad. how many laps/miles do you guys average on a cardio day?

4 miles a day on Mon-Fri. 7 miles on Saturday.

The next 2 weeks will be the test for me as I go on vacation. I've already found a nicely equipped gym next to the hotel so I will still be doing my 6days a week routine. Just gotta be mentally prepared not to give in to the food too much.

 

[finnns2003]

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

i ran 21 laps today at the gym, eh it's not bad. how many laps/miles do you guys average on a cardio day?

4 miles a day on Mon-Fri. 7 miles on Saturday.

The next 2 weeks will be the test for me as I go on vacation. I've already found a nicely equipped gym next to the hotel so I will still be doing my 6 days a week routine. Just gotta be mentally prepared not to give in to the food too much.

nice, good luck. vacation usually is chow down time since things are new and intriguing.

4 miles is 40 laps at my gym, that's a cakewalk if i stay that long. 7 miles though,

why?

 

[wj4]

Originally Posted by finnns2003

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

i ran 21 laps today at the gym, eh it's not bad. how many laps/miles do you guys average on a cardio day?

4 miles a day on Mon-Fri. 7 miles on Saturday.

The next 2 weeks will be the test for me as I go on vacation. I've already found a nicely equipped gym next to the hotel so I will still be doing my 6 days a week routine. Just gotta be mentally prepared not to give in to the food too much.

nice, good luck. vacation usually is chow down time since things are new and intriguing.

4 miles is 40 laps at my gym, that's a cakewalk if i stay that long. 7 miles though,

why?

The key words are 'if you stay that long'. I knock out the 4 miles in 30 mins. 7 miles on a Saturday because I push myself even harderknowing that Sunday is the only day I don't exercise at all. I still run 4 miles and the remaining 3 on a bike or elliptical.

 

[wj4]

On another note, man...I saw my boy today for the first time in months. In HS, he was always on the lean side, but he got brolic in the last year or so. Hetold me he takes in about $200-250 worth of supplement items a month. He's around 5'11'' and at his brolic stage, he was 220 lbs, size XL/36.Dude went on vacation for 2 months, still exercised, but didn't do the supplements and got down to 185 lbs! I found it to be absurd on how much dudechanged in 2 months.

 

[cs02132]

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

i ran 21 laps today at the gym, eh it's not bad. how many laps/miles do you guys average on a cardio day?

4 miles a day on Mon-Fri. 7 miles on Saturday.

The next 2 weeks will be the test for me as I go on vacation. I've already found a nicely equipped gym next to the hotel so I will still be doing my 6 days a week routine. Just gotta be mentally prepared not to give in to the food too much.

nice, good luck. vacation usually is chow down time since things are new and intriguing.

4 miles is 40 laps at my gym, that's a cakewalk if i stay that long. 7 miles though,

why?

The key words are 'if you stay that long'. I knock out the 4 miles in 30 mins. 7 miles on a Saturday because I push myself even harder knowing that Sunday is the only day I don't exercise at all. I still run 4 miles and the remaining 3 on a bike or elliptical.

u should really take a break man..its only a week nothings gonna happen. based on your posts it seems like you deserve a a break too. trust me take the weekoff and enjoy the vacation and u will feel awesome going back to teh gym

 

[i3]

Carbs after a workout instead of protein..

P90X Results and Recovery Formula is a four-parts-carbohydrates-to-one-part-protein powder that speeds muscle recovery.

When you exercise anaerobically (weight training, the high end of intervals, etc.), you burn blood sugar and glycogen. If you give it your all for about an hour, you'll probably deplete both of those resources. The carbs in Recovery Formula rush in to replenish that blood sugar and glycogen. Meanwhile, the protein piggybacks in, getting to muscles for a head start on resynthesis.

This 4:1 recovery drink model was conceived by John Ivy and Robert Portman in a landmark study you can read in the book Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition.

That's my main answer to this query, but there are sometimes subtle variations on the question. Let's address a few of those here.

First off, the carb-protein balance should be between 3:1 and 5:1 to work optimally. If you take in more protein than that or you add fat or fiber, it slows the absorption of the carbohydrates and you miss the post-workout window of about 1 hour during which nutrients are absorbed readily.

Secondly, while Recovery Formula primarily works for strength workouts, there's an anaerobic component to most of our "aerobic," or cardio, workouts, which you know if you've done P90X's "Plyometrics" workout.

Because not every workout is going to hammer you, you should decide how much Recovery Formula you need on a sliding scale. If you're so wasted that you're having difficulty moving the muscle groups you just worked, then a full serving of Recovery Formula is called for. If you feel a little shaky but not trashed, you probably have a little glycogen left over, so drink half a serving.

Another factor in deciding how you use Recovery Formula is how much blood sugar you began your workout with. If your diet is very lean, you may be tapped to begin with, so sipping a little during your workout would be hugely beneficial. There's no hard and fast rule. If you feel perfectly good post-workout, you likely didn't train hard enough for Recovery Formula. It's really up to you to gauge how you feel, and use some common sense.

Finally, Recovery Formula is specially designed for maximum absorption, and it has a lot of extra goodies in it. But if you're getting fit on the cheap, you can make your own recovery drink with apples or grape juice (the acids in orange juice mess with the absorption process, so don't use that) and a couple tablespoons of vanilla protein powder.

And no, it doesn't taste weird. It tastes like a fruit juice float.

Oh, and Beachbody's Meal Replacement Shake is also a decent replacement.



Thoughts? I havent looked into the 4:1 carb ratio, but was informed that a protein shake is fine, just add apple or grape juice to 1/3 of your usual proteinscoop.

 

[wj4]

Originally Posted by cs02132

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

i ran 21 laps today at the gym, eh it's not bad. how many laps/miles do you guys average on a cardio day?

4 miles a day on Mon-Fri. 7 miles on Saturday.

The next 2 weeks will be the test for me as I go on vacation. I've already found a nicely equipped gym next to the hotel so I will still be doing my 6 days a week routine. Just gotta be mentally prepared not to give in to the food too much.

nice, good luck. vacation usually is chow down time since things are new and intriguing.

4 miles is 40 laps at my gym, that's a cakewalk if i stay that long. 7 miles though,

why?

The key words are 'if you stay that long'. I knock out the 4 miles in 30 mins. 7 miles on a Saturday because I push myself even harder knowing that Sunday is the only day I don't exercise at all. I still run 4 miles and the remaining 3 on a bike or elliptical.

u should really take a break man..its only a week nothings gonna happen. based on your posts it seems like you deserve a a break too. trust me take the week off and enjoy the vacation and u will feel awesome going back to teh gym

It's 2 weeks. Last summer, when I went back to the homeland for 10 days, I gained 10 lbs.

I seriously cannot go more than 2 days w/oexercising in some form. I usually get antsy as hell comes Sunday night.

When you're this into it, it becomes addicting. Working out gives you a natural high and releases stress too, part of the reason why I love to do it somuch.

 

[36 ounces]

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by cs02132

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

i ran 21 laps today at the gym, eh it's not bad. how many laps/miles do you guys average on a cardio day?

4 miles a day on Mon-Fri. 7 miles on Saturday.

The next 2 weeks will be the test for me as I go on vacation. I've already found a nicely equipped gym next to the hotel so I will still be doing my 6 days a week routine. Just gotta be mentally prepared not to give in to the food too much.

nice, good luck. vacation usually is chow down time since things are new and intriguing.

4 miles is 40 laps at my gym, that's a cakewalk if i stay that long. 7 miles though,

why?

The key words are 'if you stay that long'. I knock out the 4 miles in 30 mins. 7 miles on a Saturday because I push myself even harder knowing that Sunday is the only day I don't exercise at all. I still run 4 miles and the remaining 3 on a bike or elliptical.

u should really take a break man..its only a week nothings gonna happen. based on your posts it seems like you deserve a a break too. trust me take the week off and enjoy the vacation and u will feel awesome going back to teh gym

It's 2 weeks. Last summer, when I went back to the homeland for 10 days, I gained 10 lbs.

I seriously cannot go more than 2 days w/o exercising in some form. I usually get antsy as hell comes Sunday night.

When you're this into it, it becomes addicting. Working out gives you a natural high and releases stress too, part of the reason why I love to do it so much.

Endorphins FTW....

 

[mateen cleaves]

should i be doing sit up and working on my abs even though ive got some belly fat?

 

[finnns2003]

Originally Posted by wj4

On another note, man...I saw my boy today for the first time in months. In HS, he was always on the lean side, but he got brolic in the last year or so. He told me he takes in about $200-250 worth of supplement items a month. He's around 5'11'' and at his brolic stage, he was 220 lbs, size XL/36. Dude went on vacation for 2 months, still exercised, but didn't do the supplements and got down to 185 lbs! I found it to be absurd on how much dude changed in 2 months.

damn, then it becomes more about what he's putting into his body and less about working out. see, i don't know if i'd want those kindsof results.

 

[wj4]

Originally Posted by Mateen Cleaves

should i be doing sit up and working on my abs even though ive got some belly fat?

Just don't spend hours on it. I see so many dudes with big belly spend their whole gym time on crunch stations. You gotta burn that lardcovering the abs off.

36 ounces- Word to runner's high.

The first mile is usually the hardest, then you get going and get into it.

To the runners out there-replace your shoes every 350-500 miles, depending on how skinny/heavy you are and how hard you run.

 

[cs02132]

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by cs02132

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by finnns2003

i ran 21 laps today at the gym, eh it's not bad. how many laps/miles do you guys average on a cardio day?

4 miles a day on Mon-Fri. 7 miles on Saturday.

The next 2 weeks will be the test for me as I go on vacation. I've already found a nicely equipped gym next to the hotel so I will still be doing my 6 days a week routine. Just gotta be mentally prepared not to give in to the food too much.

nice, good luck. vacation usually is chow down time since things are new and intriguing.

4 miles is 40 laps at my gym, that's a cakewalk if i stay that long. 7 miles though,

why?

The key words are 'if you stay that long'. I knock out the 4 miles in 30 mins. 7 miles on a Saturday because I push myself even harder knowing that Sunday is the only day I don't exercise at all. I still run 4 miles and the remaining 3 on a bike or elliptical.

u should really take a break man..its only a week nothings gonna happen. based on your posts it seems like you deserve a a break too. trust me take the week off and enjoy the vacation and u will feel awesome going back to teh gym

It's 2 weeks. Last summer, when I went back to the homeland for 10 days, I gained 10 lbs.

I seriously cannot go more than 2 days w/o exercising in some form. I usually get antsy as hell comes Sunday night.

When you're this into it, it becomes addicting. Working out gives you a natural high and releases stress too, part of the reason why I love to do it so much.

if you gained 10 lbs in 10 days it could either be that all the weight your losing is water weight or all the weight u gained was water weight.

i agree about it being additcting..last year i didnt miss a day going to the gym for like 4 months straight then i eased up because i was over working my self(i started to train MMA) and now im lucky if i lift once eveyr 2 weeks. im going back tomorrow though trying a 2x/week full body strength workout

 

[jphonix]

for some reason i get stomach cramps pretty bad when i run. that, and my lower back has a bulging disc which hurts from standing up for extended periods oftime.

so i do bike for my cardio. and i set it on level 13 and select random so the intensity goes in intervals. and although i sweat my freakin' butt off, idon't seem to be getting anywhere with it. seems like i need to run.

any tips on avoiding stomach cramps when running? they get to the point where i just stop and go home. that's why i do bike, at least i last for the 20 -40 minutes i plan on.

 

[sunstarsmoon]

Couple of questions....

What do you guys think about doing full body exercises vs. only working out certain body parts each day.. (ex. abs and back, chest and shoulders).

I been working out for nearly a year and I have seen some good results...only problem is that I hit a plateau and dont seem to be loosing any more weight. Ihave a bit of a stomach, but I cannot get rid of it...Should I focus just on ab exercises to get rid of it? I've been 150 for a long time......

 

[nikevandal]

how to get bigger triceps ?

 

[verynecessary]

Originally Posted by jphonix

any tips on avoiding stomach cramps when running? they get to the point where i just stop and go home. that's why i do bike, at least i last for the 20 - 40 minutes i plan on.

A lot of the times it has to do with your breathing rhythm. Most of the organs in your abdominal cavity are attached to your diaphragm, and everytime you take a stride, the momentum pulls down on your diaphragm. If you coordinate your breathing with your strides, it helps to prevent stomach cramps(side aches). I don't run a lot, but if I remember correctly, you should try to breathe in only when your feet strike the ground.

For your back pain, try changing up your running mechanics. Get away from landing hard on your heels and try to land with your weight spread more evenlybetween your forefoot, outside edge of your foot, and heel. Don't let your legs lock out; keep your knees more bent. It helps if you lean slightlyforward instead of keeping straight up or leaning slightly back.

Originally Posted by I3

Thoughts? I havent looked into the 4:1 carb ratio, but was informed that a protein shake is fine, just add apple or grape juice to 1/3 of your usual protein scoop.

I read a some articles about nutrient timing and taking in carbs with protein post workout. The science of it seems sound; insulin directsglucose from the bloodstream into your tissues and aids in getting amino acids into your muscle cells, especially after exercise. A large intake of carbstriggers the release of insulin, but protein alone doesn't.

There isn't a whole lot of established research on this, but the big picture makes sense. Having carbs with your protein post workout should at least helpyou recover better, and it may help you absorb more amino acids into your muscles.