The Ongoing Fitness and Exercise Thread

[Muta]

Well done OOTC! Keep it up!

You may want to add some high intensity cardio into your routine; some short bursts of fast running sprinkled within your jogging routine would be beneficial. The pump and blood flow that comes from non-steady-state cardio may benefit your routine if you're looking to build muscle while dropping weight as well.

[DoubleF]

The vibrating board isn't any good for recovery. But charged up warm up and improving balance, it's worth considering.

I hit my target weight, but I don't like how I feel. I think I need to tweak things in April so that I feel like I can maintain that weight without feeling like crap or injured all the time.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Muta

Well done OOTC! Keep it up!

You may want to add some high intensity cardio into your routine; some short bursts of fast running sprinkled within your jogging routine would be beneficial. The pump and blood flow that comes from non-steady-state cardio may benefit your routine if you're looking to build muscle while dropping weight as well.

I will keep that in mind as I build endurance -- right now the jogging itself is the bursts of fast running, haha. I usually do somewhere between 35 - 40 mins on the treadmill total. Right now I do 5 mins fast walk at 1% incline to warm-up, 10 mins jog, 2-3 mins back to fast walk for a break, 7-8 mins power walk at 4% incline, 1-2 min break, 5-8 mins jog again (however long I can maintain), then cooldown.

[Johnny199r]

I started eating clean at the end of last November. In addition, I've been working out more, rehabbing my knee at physio, doing yoga and cycling about 100km a week. I have kept up my routine and diet discipline.

I've lost my gut (finally!). For me, it meant changing my old ways. No eating past 7 pm (cutting out metabilism-killing evening snack!), cutting out pop in favour of water, eating cleaner and saving my cheat meals for the weekend (I just had pizza!)

Constantly drinking coke-zero, having a sandwich/chips in the evening, eating poorly (stopping at Wendys drive-thru) didnt allow me to reach the fitness levels I wanted at age 40.

If I worked out enough in the past, my diet wasn't all that important. Middle-age metabolism killed that dream. What worked at 25 doesnt work at 40 for me.

While I'm very active, I attribute 90% of my weight loss success to a better diet.

My ball cap fits a lot bigger now. Apparently, I lost weight from my fat head. That surprised me.

[MoneyGuy]

I’m reading Dr. Michael Mosley’s Eight Week Blood Sugar Diet. I’m not diabetic but want to drop sone weight, and a friend swears by the book for both purposes.

[CMPunk]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

I’m reading Dr. Michael Mosley’s Eight Week Blood Sugar Diet. I’m not diabetic but want to drop sone weight, and a friend swears by the book for both purposes.

Well, eating only 800 calories a day will definitely have you dropping weight

[Matata]

I'm getting back into power-lifting after many years, i forgot how great squats and deadlifts make me feel. Squats are so effective at building muscle it feels like cheating and deadlifts make my back feel indestructible.

It's also been a nostalgia trip remembering the wit and wisdom of Mark Rippetoe:

“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general.”

“A weak man is not as happy as that same man would be if he were strong. This reality is offensive to some people who would like the intellectual or spiritual to take precedence."

“There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that produces the level of central nervous system activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density enhancement, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand and toughness, and overall systemic conditioning than the correctly performed full squat.”

“Humans are not physically normal in the absence of hard physical effort.”

"I never met anyone with a 300 lb squat that had weak biceps"

[Fuzz]

Ya, that's not toxic at all. Sounds like a wonderful mind.

[Matata]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Ya, that's not toxic at all. Sounds like a wonderful mind.

Tell me where he's wrong.

[Fuzz]

A weak man is not as happy as that same man would be if he were strong. This reality is offensive to some people who would like the intellectual or spiritual to take precedence.

The assumption you must have physical strength to be happy, and that it is offensive to those who choose to pursue happyness elsewhere. First off, I'd love to see the data on that one. Second, even suggesting it is a toxic form of elevating yourself above others becuase you lift, bro.


The rest of the statements lead to similarly toxic thinking. Great you find physical activity rewarding. Leave the toxic #### at the door.

[-TC-]

Originally Posted by Matata

I'm getting back into power-lifting after many years, i forgot how great squats and deadlifts make me feel. Squats are so effective at building muscle it feels like cheating and deadlifts make my back feel indestructible.

It's also been a nostalgia trip remembering the wit and wisdom of Mark Rippetoe:

“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general.”

“A weak man is not as happy as that same man would be if he were strong. This reality is offensive to some people who would like the intellectual or spiritual to take precedence."

“There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that produces the level of central nervous system activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density enhancement, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand and toughness, and overall systemic conditioning than the correctly performed full squat.”

“Humans are not physically normal in the absence of hard physical effort.”

"I never met anyone with a 300 lb squat that had weak biceps"

Truth.

There's also all the benefits of lifting that go beyond just the purely physical.

Having a tough day at work? Go lift.
Tired and feeling lazy? Go lift.
Need to get out of your own head? Go lift.

I've never left the gym feeling worse than I did when I arrived. Instead, I feel energized, sharp, motivated and strong.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

The assumption you must have physical strength to be happy, and that it is offensive to those who choose to pursue happyness elsewhere. First off, I'd love to see the data on that one. Second, even suggesting it is a toxic form of elevating yourself above others becuase you lift, bro.


The rest of the statements lead to similarly toxic thinking. Great you find physical activity rewarding. Leave the toxic #### at the door.

Having physical strength being able bodied makes me happy. The most meaningful things in my life come from the way my body is able to move.

I work with a lot of seniors, and as a rule, those who are the kindest most fulfilled are those who took good care of themselves. These are my role models. Almost like clock work when their bodies age, and are not able anymore, their mental health plumets. Sure you can be happy and not be able bodied, but it won't be easy.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Having physical strength being able bodied makes me happy. The most meaningful things in my life come from the way my body is able to move.

I work with a lot of seniors, and as a rule, those who are the kindest most fulfilled are those who took good care of themselves. These are my role models. Almost like clock work when their bodies age, and are not able anymore, their mental health plumets. Sure you can be happy and not be able bodied, but it won't be easy.

I'm not saying in any way exercising isn't healthy for you. But looking down on others becuase they don't do squats or have huge muscles is stupid and toxic. I get loads of happiness from riding my bike but it doesn't build up big bulgy muscles. I've never been able to do squats due to bad knees, but I haven't let that make me think I am somehow inferior.

[Matata]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

The assumption you must have physical strength to be happy, and that it is offensive to those who choose to pursue happyness elsewhere. First off, I'd love to see the data on that one. Second, even suggesting it is a toxic form of elevating yourself above others becuase you lift, bro.


The rest of the statements lead to similarly toxic thinking. Great you find physical activity rewarding. Leave the toxic #### at the door.

“A weak man is not as happy as that same man would be if he were strong. This reality is offensive to some people who would like the intellectual or spiritual to take precedence."


All he says is that everyone is better off by being stronger, I honestly don't know how you can argue against that. Would your life not be improved if your physical strength magically doubled overnight? Every physical task in life is made safer, easier and more manageable when you have more physical strength.

[Icantwhisper]

Originally Posted by -TC-

Truth.

There's also all the benefits of lifting that go beyond just the purely physical.

Having a tough day at work? Go lift.
Tired and feeling lazy? Go lift.
Need to get out of your own head? Go lift.

I've never left the gym feeling worse than I did when I arrived. Instead, I feel energized, sharp, motivated and strong.

That's exercise in general, not specific to lifting.
Runners high? Cyclists get it too.
Exercise in general makes you feel better, all the things you say about lifting could easily be applied to the vast majority of physical exercises.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I'm not saying in any way exercising isn't healthy for you. But looking down on others becuase they don't do squats or have huge muscles is stupid and toxic. I get loads of happiness from riding my bike but it doesn't build up big bulgy muscles. I've never been able to do squats due to bad knees, but I haven't let that make me think I am somehow inferior.

I think that you're being narrow in your definition of strength.

I prefer the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure

[-TC-]

Originally Posted by Icantwhisper

That's exercise in general, not specific to lifting.
Runners high? Cyclists get it too.
Exercise in general makes you feel better, all the things you say about lifting could easily be applied to the vast majority of physical exercises.

Yup, 100%

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Matata

“A weak man is not as happy as that same man would be if he were strong. This reality is offensive to some people who would like the intellectual or spiritual to take precedence."


All he says is that everyone is better off by being stronger, I honestly don't know how you can argue against that. Would your life not be improved if your physical strength magically doubled overnight? Every physical task in life is made safer, easier and more manageable when you have more physical strength.

He's saying physical strength makes you happier than mental or spiritual. It's first and foremost a dubious claim with no evidence, and second, leads to toxic thinking.

[PeteMoss]

Commonly known fact that Magnus Ver Magnusseon is the happiest guy in the world.

[Icantwhisper]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

He's saying physical strength makes you happier than mental or spiritual. It's first and foremost a dubious claim with no evidence, and second, leads to toxic thinking.

I don't read it that way, all things being equal a fit man will be happier than a fat man is all it is saying.
Switch out fit for spiritual and I don't think it rings true. Physical activity increases your mental strength as well, mental strength does nothing for my physical well being.

Also physical activity improves cognitive thinking, relieves stress, improves your mood, helps with sleep, and improves your energy levels.
All of the above make me happier!

Can also have a candy bar and not feel bad!