I just went back and added all workouts from 1/10 on. I will try to stay on top of it better haha
Fitness!
- Thread starter Dash
- Start date
RowBearToe
Well-Known Member
So it sounds like there are no complaints or changes needed, so I'll leave it for now. If we decide to end it at the end of February and start up a new one, that's easy to do!
Heath
Well-Known Member
As of today my weight starts with a 1 again! Down 10 pounds since the beginning of the year, and I'm finally noticing my clothes starting to fit properly again, which is always a good motivator for me to continue.
Also I'd definitely recommend Noom to anyone considering it, it's been a great motivator...though I could do without the group bullshit
Also I'd definitely recommend Noom to anyone considering it, it's been a great motivator...though I could do without the group bullshit
Corycm
Well-Known Member
Ugh. I’m dying over here (not literally this time).
I lost like, an absurd amount of weight in a bad way. Then had to rush to just put on *any* weight. Now I’m closer to my old fighting weight (but still 25 lbs and two pants size lighter) and have to figure out how to build back muscle. Difficulty level: I can’t actually *go* to the gym yet. I mean, with all this snow I suppose I could Rocky IV this shiz but maybe not.
I lost like, an absurd amount of weight in a bad way. Then had to rush to just put on *any* weight. Now I’m closer to my old fighting weight (but still 25 lbs and two pants size lighter) and have to figure out how to build back muscle. Difficulty level: I can’t actually *go* to the gym yet. I mean, with all this snow I suppose I could Rocky IV this shiz but maybe not.
debianlinux
Well-Known Member
Got the cold. Also got 9 sets of 4 at 400lb+ deadlifts waiting on me at the gym (and that's before the workout). Imma feel worse tomorrow but not worse than if I didn't go at all (mentally, anyway). I will have a nice 45 minutes where I can breathe because I forced a situation where my body either opens up the nasal passages or dies. Off to change into gym clothes and do the thing.
Hopefully, I will feel better soon and get more workouts logged.
With a toddler at home, a full time job, and grad school coursework I've struggled the past few years to find time to workout like I used to. This month I made it a goal to fill those damn Apple Watch rings every day, eat better, and not bring beers into the house.
Success! And I'm down a bit over 12lb to boot. I'll take it!
Success! And I'm down a bit over 12lb to boot. I'll take it!
Heath
Well-Known Member
Nice! I missed one ring all month, on like Jan 2, so I'm hoping to clear out February instead
CONGRATS! I did Noom last year and have found that some of it still sticks with me. I feel like I've said this already, but in case I'm hallucinating if you message in that you want to cancel they will offer you a STEEP discount to stay on.
Since July of last year, I'm down 80 lbs. I still have a long way to go, but I feel like myself again. I'm losing motivation to go to an aqua zumba class tonight. I was pumped for it at 8 am and now I am super anxious over it. Ugh. I can make it through this...
That is AMAZING! And I'd be willing to bet you'll be glad you went
I am posting here to make sure I go....I will report back.That is AMAZING! And I'd be willing to bet you'll be glad you went
Heath
Well-Known Member
This describes literally every one of my experiences with exercise...morning Heath is basically Chris Traeger from Parks and Rec, while afternoon/evening Heath is more like Andy in the early seasons
THIS is precisely why I have to budget time stupid early in the morning for my exercise. If I don't do it then, it's hard to motivate later. And at the same time I wouldn't say that I'm bouncing off the walls about it at 5am either. In fact I think it's partially the sleep-deprived, let's get this over with vibe that sees me through it. But the rest of the day I tend to feel GREAT!
LeSamourai
Well-Known Member
I'm a natural night owl who has to pretend to be on a normal schedule for my job, so I'm up early-ish every day, but my body HATES early-morning exercise. My sweet spot is between noon and 4 PM, so I end up doing most of my exercise at lunch time, because it gets dark when I'm getting home for work and if I do it in the morning it sucks.
This was the most fun I’ve had at the gym ever. It was a nice change from the humdrum of the treadmill or elliptical machine.
debianlinux
Well-Known Member
I have lots but we’ll start with form over everything. It is important to perform the movement correctly and train that. This will provide the most benefit as the weight goes up.
When you first start a thing it will make you sore. If you keep doing said thing the soreness will abate generally within the first 2 weeks assuming you’re not crushing heavy weights and you are otherwise hydrated and have your diet dialed in to feed muscles. Dont let soreness slow you down But also don‘t rely on it as indicator of successful production, either.
I don’t know what flavor of poison your cardio is but you probably want to pick movements that potentiate as well as antagonize that thing. For example, let’s say running is your jam. Potentiators are things like squats, lunges, and sled pushes. Antagonists might be things like hanging leg raises, abductor/adductor (good girl bad girl) machine, and hamstring curls or glute ham raises. Obviously this is focusing on lower body and maybe you are looking to get some action outside your cardio focus like upper body for runners. In this case the same idea applies. If you are working chest then also do some band pull aparts and lat pull downs to antagonize (aka balance) the movements.
Free weight movements are long term more effective and safer to perform. Do these where possible. Machines offer a false sense of safety in that you can’t perform it wrong per se and you can’t really drop it but they actually force you into movement patterns that are completely linear and unnatural as well as encourage imbalances. Machines have a place and can be used just fine but should not be your mainstay for long term effective resistance training if you have free weights as an option. Provided a linear machine and a cable operated machine for the same general movement choose the cable.
If you want to progress the weights must go up. Find a rep range you want to work. Let’s say 8. Get through your initial soreness period and then start tacking on weight in manageable increments until 8 is not possible. Back down the weight until 8 is just possible. Do that for a while until 8 is no longer a struggle to finish. Increase the weight so that 8 is again a struggle to finish. Rinse and repeat ad nauseum or until desired results are achieved. That’s the basic idea behind what progressive overload weight training is about.
For maximum effect do not do the same things every single time forever and ever amen. Let’s say you want to grow your triceps. You may start with cable push downs. Sometime switch to skull crushers. Another time do over the head cable presses. There are a million variations but the general idea is to A) approach the movement from various planes and B) not succumb to an efficiency pattern that will inevitably result in diminishing returns. In these cases, with a trained muscle group, soreness can be an indicator of productivity in the sense that you have definitely shaken things up.
A lot of the above requires passing knowledge of how to do a thing or what things do what to which body parts. All of this comes with time and experience. Fraternize and socialize in the gym. Ask questions about what people are doing and why. The more successful a person looks at doing a thing the more likely they are to have done all the wrong things and have some decent advice. Advice should be accepted when requested but, in general, rejected if offered unsolicited. The exception to that rule is if the person expresses concern for your safety. Like, if they say doing this thing that way can hurt you then probably listen to them It still get second and third opinions while you stop doing the thing that way in the meantime. For example, some people will tell you deadlifts and squats will harm your back and they are wrong. However, doing deadlifts and squats the wrong way is a great way to wreck a back (Remember train the form, the weights will come). Initially you may want to just google exercises according to the target muscle groups. Internet videos are generally pretty good about depicting correct form.
That was my highly abridged, edited, and pauciloquent answer to your question. If you want more be specific because that was a very wide open question you asked.
debianlinux
Well-Known Member
That’s great to hear! One mantra I keep in my head when I am not feeling it beforehand is that I have never regretted going and I have always felt better afterwards.
I suggest that you do weights about twice a week to start. I started on machines with a personal trainer because my gym offered me a free session with a trainer. The other place I like is livestrong.com and pop sugar fitness for weight routines. To choose what weight you lift, try doing 10 reps with the weight, if you can't do 10 reps, your weight is too high. If you hardly feel anything, get heavier weights. You want to be able to do 3 sets of 10 reps and be able to feel it on those last few reps without killing yourself.
I generally do a mix of free weights and machines. I find that lower body is just easier to do on the machines, but arms are better with free weights because you can isolate each side.
I can't just do treadmill or elliptical. I love classes and I really love choreographed dance classes--zumba and step. I also like kickboxing. Water aerobics looks so fun, but it's an extra cost on top of my membership. I don't know how people who don't do classes stick with the gym. It just gets so boring for me.