The Ongoing Fitness and Exercise Thread

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

Looking to buy a treadmill, any tips or advice? Thanks.

Make sure you buy a quality unit. Cheap one are cheap, they don’t work as easily as the ones at your gym. People stop with at home machines because they do not buy a quality unit

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

I started eating healthy in mid-December, as well as refraining from eating after 7pm in addition to working out an extra 1-2 days more per week than my usual 3 days a week.

I've lost between 10-15 lbs. I'm not really in it for weight loss, I'm pretty muscular, so I'm just trying to flatten my stomach and I'm noticing progress.

It's all about diet. I can work out 7 days a week, but if I don't eat healthier, it won't result in noticeable improvement.

Update: Just at about 2 months of eating clean and working out 5-6 days a week. I only have one cheat meal a week. I've been pretty disciplined.

I don't think the 6 pack of my early 20s is ever coming back, but I've seen a noticeable change in my midsection. I'm proud of the discipline I showed.
Last year from mid-April to November I ate oatmeal every weekday morning and biked 11km each way to and from work, went to the gym 3 days a week, but my diet just wasn't good enough. It was a lesson learned.

I'm going to Mexico on Monday for 2 weeks. When I return, I'm going to relax my diet a little bit, but I'm going to maintain some discipline and carry over healthy eating habits. There's no reason for going back to coke zero with most meals, or sitting on the couch eating baked lays chips and a ham sandwich at 8 pm most nights or eating pizza or burgers a few times a week.

[Slava]

Well what do you mean “there’s no reason…”? It’s damn enjoyable and as I read that, it sounds delicious!

[RichieRich]

Last November I started doing regular yoga (1-2x weekly) plus weights (1-2x weekly) and what an amazing difference. No lower back issues, definitely helped shoulder/neck issues, and also more comfortable at the work desk with ergonomics. Didn’t expect such an improvement considering how active I’ve always been.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by RichieRich

Last November I started doing regular yoga (1-2x weekly) plus weights (1-2x weekly) and what an amazing difference. No lower back issues, definitely helped shoulder/neck issues, and also more comfortable at the work desk with ergonomics. Didn’t expect such an improvement considering how active I’ve always been.

Once you get past a certain age, mobility becomes a major issue. Particularly if you have a desk job. Back pain can be caused by tightness in so many areas too. At one point I was getting back pain, and the culprit ended up being an overly right bicep.

[Locke]

I find this thread a relentless and shameless affront to all things good and just.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by blankall

Once you get past a certain age, mobility becomes a major issue. Particularly if you have a desk job. Back pain can be caused by tightness in so many areas too. At one point I was getting back pain, and the culprit ended up being an overly right bicep.

What about your left bicep?

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by blankall

Once you get past a certain age, mobility becomes a major issue. Particularly if you have a desk job. Back pain can be caused by tightness in so many areas too. At one point I was getting back pain, and the culprit ended up being an overly right bicep.

Yep I hear you. I’m most often at a desk for work but have always tried to prioritize fitness/health. Problem is we all fall into doing the same things the same way which actually means we ignore problem areas. So yeah, variety is important as well as trying new activities and getting periodic checkups from good proven paramedicals has definitely helped immensely. In that list, for myself, I include a sports-specialist chiro, massage, Physio, naturopathy, but am a bit am on the fence regarding Osteopathy.
I know some readers scoff at naturopathy but it comes down to what you want out of it and what you’re willing to try (especially after GP’s say “well you better just learn to live with that problem” which is a sh*tty cope out, but I digress) In my case it was very specifically food sensitivity testing, some simple dietary changes, and the results were amazing. And no, I did not buy a single supplement from them. For some people this latter suggestion has helped them manage weight and that basketball belly.

[DoubleF]

My new years resolution has been as such:

- More exercise, but at minimum, 5 squats in the morning and 5 squats at night (5-10 seconds).
- Less pop, more soda stream (ie: Less sugar, but not no sugar)
- Disciplined caloric intake Monday to Thursday, no restrictions on Friday to Sunday if it's a special event. Attempt to continue disciplined caloric intake if no special event Friday to Sunday.
- Improved BQ and improved strategies for body recovery after exertion.

I'm doing much more than the minimum 10 squats a day and for exercise I'm doing calisthenics and yoga. Sometimes I turn on those kid themed yoga segments on Youtube and the kids do it with me. I'm also doing physio for nagging things that are bothersome. I am aiming to fix it before it gets bad.

Not doing great on the soda stream. It's so boring. I'm thinking to start cutting my pop and juice intake with the soda stream water. TBH I already cut juice with water, so using soda water with my pop and juice shouldn't be too bad. It's honestly speaking the attempt at net zero that's causing the resistance and bounce back.

In the same way that I find it hard to stay disciplined for caloric intake unless I have a specific goal or a cheat day to look forward to, I find the same might be true for sugary drinks. But in the same way that things aren't as cool when they're not forbidden, I kinda find that it's easier to say no on the weekend for certain empty calories. The feeling of feeling good feels better and lasts longer than the feeling of consuming that tasty treat.

I've only lost like 3 pounds since I first started, but my strength is up. I cut out beer, and I think my revised approach for pop will accelerate things rapidly. TBH, my target weight loss isn't even that high. But my aim is easy sustainability. I currently fluctuate between 186 to 201 pounds with a typical weight float around 188 to 194 pounds. I'd love a 6 pack again, but there's no way I'm getting back down to the 155 pound range (21 BMI) and even though I felt great back then, it seemed too lanky in pictures. Even breaking the 180 pound barrier to hit 175 (23.7 BMI) wasn't easy nor sustainable (fluctuated 15 pounds up then down in a week and a half). Many people told me I looked sickly rather than healthy when I force dropped my weight below 180 and that was more modded diet than exercise.

I'm an athletic build, but I find that my body feels better in a different build these days than the build I had a decade before if that makes sense. If using football as a metaphor, if in my youth my body was more of a specialized lean and fast running back type build. My body doesn't feel good like that now and seems to prefer training towards more of a balanced tight end type of build. If looking at sports, I used to love running in my youth, but I feel like my body can't handle that singular range of motion anymore and is screaming at me to exercise like a triathlete or take up something completely different than running sports like boxing or wrestling. It's a bizarre feeling. During the pandemic, it felt way better to alternate swimming, riding the bike (first time in literally over a decade) and running vs running/sprinting only. I love the swimming for recovery.

My aim is to get my weight float to around 183-186 or around a 4-5% weight reduction (25 BMI ish). But the focus isn't on weight, but focus more on range of motion, strengthening the body to avoid injury when playing with the kids (from 20-40 to approx 30-50 pounds of sustained lifting per arm + at awkward angles for 5-15 minutes at a time) and increased stamina for the fact the damn kids have unlimited energy. I also aim for stronger functional strength for lifting/moving things around the house or construction etc. even though I currently consider myself no slouch in that department. I have good range of motion, but I want great. I'm no slob, but I go through extreme ranges of diet and exercise which causes extreme changes in short time frames and my body doesn't like that, so I'm basically trying to level things out.

[RichieRich]

Hey DoubleF you seem to be on the right path and have listed many good reasons that a change is needed. Good on ya.

I’d suggest keep going with (or add) full body activities which have the benefit of good overall time efficiency, overall balance, overall mobility, and slowly strengthening your connective tissues. Do that for 4-6 months at least 2-4x weekly to build good habits. Then slowly integrate fun cardio stuff that doesn’t feel like too much work for a few months then start upping the intensity and volume. Don’t do high intensity every workout as that’ll burn you out mentally and physically also making you prone to injury or quitting. Full body stuff would be some of the more active yoga, kettlebell sessions, swimming/Xc skiing, and full body light weight lifting. Anyways just some ideas… the key is to keep it interesting and varied before hyper focussing on a single or two things. Just some ideas… take it or leave it.

[TorqueDog]

As part of a new routine I started near the end of January, I found that I wasn't getting enough calories and protein to support muscle recovery, and finally decided to get myself some supplements in the form of creatine and protein powder. Creatine, no need to get fancy, just buy the lowest cost-per-gram creatine monohydrate you can find, like the Allmax stuff. I bought creatine HCL this time around and -- for the money -- I don't really think there's a benefit beyond using good ol' monohydrate aside for less water retention allegedly.

But the protein powder I bought is friggin' delicious and that's why I'm posting. It's the Beyond Yourself Isolate, 'Peanut Butter Dream' flavour. The macros are really good (1.92g fat / 1.3g carb / 26g protein) and god damn is it tasty, can't recommend it enough.

I'm going to try the Perfect Sports Diesel brand next time as it was also pretty highly recommended, but it's 1 lb. powder less than the Beyond Yourself for the same money, so unless it tastes out of this world, it'll probably be more for curiosity than anything else.

[Ozy_Flame]

I actually enjoy protein powder as a snack without scheduling it into exercise. Makes a nice thickener for smoothies

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

As part of a new routine I started near the end of January, I found that I wasn't getting enough calories and protein to support muscle recovery, and finally decided to get myself some supplements in the form of creatine and protein powder. Creatine, no need to get fancy, just buy the lowest cost-per-gram creatine monohydrate you can find, like the Allmax stuff. I bought creatine HCL this time around and -- for the money -- I don't really think there's a benefit beyond using good ol' monohydrate aside for less water retention allegedly.

But the protein powder I bought is friggin' delicious and that's why I'm posting. It's the Beyond Yourself Isolate, 'Peanut Butter Dream' flavour. The macros are really good (1.92g fat / 1.3g carb / 26g protein) and god damn is it tasty, can't recommend it enough.

I'm going to try the Perfect Sports Diesel brand next time as it was also pretty highly recommended, but it's 1 lb. powder less than the Beyond Yourself for the same money, so unless it tastes out of this world, it'll probably be more for curiosity than anything else.

I don't know what your situation is up on top but I found that shortly after starting creatine, I started experiencing a pretty noticeable amount of hair loss. I had been wondering what was going on with losing hair and then started doing some digging into it and found some literature showing there is some correlation; not necessarily 100% causation but there is some evidence out there for it.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

Update: Just at about 2 months of eating clean and working out 5-6 days a week. I only have one cheat meal a week. I've been pretty disciplined.

I don't think the 6 pack of my early 20s is ever coming back, but I've seen a noticeable change in my midsection. I'm proud of the discipline I showed.
Last year from mid-April to November I ate oatmeal every weekday morning and biked 11km each way to and from work, went to the gym 3 days a week, but my diet just wasn't good enough. It was a lesson learned.

I'm going to Mexico on Monday for 2 weeks. When I return, I'm going to relax my diet a little bit, but I'm going to maintain some discipline and carry over healthy eating habits. There's no reason for going back to coke zero with most meals, or sitting on the couch eating baked lays chips and a ham sandwich at 8 pm most nights or eating pizza or burgers a few times a week.

Went on my trip. Worked out every morning and then did athletic activities during the day (volleyball, waterpolo, basketball)

I ate pretty well on my trip. Didn't go overboard.

Been back a week and have maintaining my strict diet well and working out every day.

The difference from 3 months ago is insane.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by D as in David

I don't know what your situation is up on top but I found that shortly after starting creatine, I started experiencing a pretty noticeable amount of hair loss. I had been wondering what was going on with losing hair and then started doing some digging into it and found some literature showing there is some correlation; not necessarily 100% causation but there is some evidence out there for it.

It’s not my first time taking creatine, and I have a full, thick head of hair up top with no finasteride/Propecia or minoxidil/Rogaine in use. But that’s still interesting. Probably one of those things where, if you’re predisposed to MPB or hair-loss, you might see a higher likelihood of it.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

It’s not my first time taking creatine, and I have a full, thick head of hair up top with no finasteride/Propecia or minoxidil/Rogaine in use. But that’s still interesting. Probably one of those things where, if you’re predisposed to MPB or hair-loss, you might see a higher likelihood of it.

While MPB is a thing in many of the males in my family, I'm one of the lucky ones who has a full head of hair at the age of 62. Likely some sort of predisposition due to some combo of genetics, diet and supplements for me. Glad to hear that you're not impacted by it.

[WhiteTiger]

After nearly 2 months off due to various levels of sick, I'm finally feeling well enough to get back into my routine. I've managed to gain 6 lb, which isn't a big shock since I've basically been a couch potato in my basement the last 2 months, but...I'm surprisingly not down on myself about it, and while I'm taking it easy on myself with my return to workouts, they aren't nearly as hard/draining as I thought that they'd be after so long off.

Starting to feel pretty good about this whole thing.

[Deviaant]

I have such a passion for exercise now. In the last 2 years I’ve lost 100 lbs im still a bit off from the weight my brain wants to be. My body is kinda saying that’s it’s happy at my current weight so we will see what wins I guess. I am 5’9” and 215lbs so I’m still obese but far from what I was.

During my weight loss Ive also experienced quite the taste change as well. I used to love nothing more than a big ole steak or some ribs for dinner. I can’t stand the thought of animal products now. I have not touched an egg in about a year. I eat mostly a plant based diet now. Loads of lentils and greens. I still do eat a gross amount of candy if I’m being honest. So I should not be surprised at my weight.

I have a new German Shepard puppy so I’ve been able to change my habits to suit his needs which has worked amazing. We go for a nice long walk at 6 am, sets up the day mentally for us. I have a Peloton which I use daily. All things considered I feel amazing, my self confidence has not been this good in a long time. I’m excited to see my progress in another year, I do hope I can get to sub 200 but it’s not the end of the world if I can’t.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

After nearly 2 months off due to various levels of sick, I'm finally feeling well enough to get back into my routine. I've managed to gain 6 lb, which isn't a big shock since I've basically been a couch potato in my basement the last 2 months, but...I'm surprisingly not down on myself about it, and while I'm taking it easy on myself with my return to workouts, they aren't nearly as hard/draining as I thought that they'd be after so long off.

Starting to feel pretty good about this whole thing.

Illness has really killed my workout routine lately too. Took 3-4 weeks off for a vacation to visit the in laws. Then got a vicious cold. Got back into it, but then had a horrible chest infection and bronchitis.

It's really discouraging to hit the weights and see you're squatting 50-60lbs less than you used to. Fortunately muscle memory means that your get out back relatively quick.

[kipperiggy]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

Update: Just at about 2 months of eating clean and working out 5-6 days a week. I only have one cheat meal a week. I've been pretty disciplined.

I don't think the 6 pack of my early 20s is ever coming back, but I've seen a noticeable change in my midsection. I'm proud of the discipline I showed.
Last year from mid-April to November I ate oatmeal every weekday morning and biked 11km each way to and from work, went to the gym 3 days a week, but my diet just wasn't good enough. It was a lesson learned.

I'm going to Mexico on Monday for 2 weeks. When I return, I'm going to relax my diet a little bit, but I'm going to maintain some discipline and carry over healthy eating habits. There's no reason for going back to coke zero with most meals, or sitting on the couch eating baked lays chips and a ham sandwich at 8 pm most nights or eating pizza or burgers a few times a week.

Any tips for discipline? I seem to be okay for a couple days then back into my old habits.