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[Dead Prince]

Did the Plyometric Cardio Circuit for Insanity yesterday.

I almostquit with 10 minutes left X___X. It almost destroyed me LOL. I've been playing soccer since I was 6, so I never imagined that I'd be this challenged by the exercises. o_o

don't give up! if you don't vomit in the first week you can do it!

 

[BlueBadger]

don't give up! if you don't vomit in the first week you can do it!

LOL I definitely didn't vomit! I literally had no appetite after for like 3 hours tho tbh..

If I can play soccer in 95 degree weather (;_____ and not puke, I should be okay, right? Right...? o_o

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Legs & Back wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be. Got through it okay. My body was drenched in sweat by the end and it sort of looked cool XD

Also, I was able to do some of the exercises in Ab Ripper X that I couldn't do a few days ago! #PROGRESS

 

[LaneDS]

I don't need medicine balls with grips for P90X2 right? Just the standard ones will do?

The ones sold through Beachbody don't have grips, so you should be fine without.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Tried doing some unassisted pull-ups at work yesterday (someone randomly had a bar on their office door frame) and could barely do two. Definitely not where I once was! The idea of doing weighted ones... geez.

Edit: Finished legs & back week 4. Most of my numbers are up. My squat form sucks (I have trouble "sitting" and feel like I'm leaning forward way too much) and I in general struggle with a lot of the moves in terms of good form. Probably not getting a plyo workout in each week is making my legs & back performance weaker than I expect, but I'm trying my best all the same.

pull-ups/chin-ups are really hard. I could only do about two today as part of Legs & Back. I also have really bad form when it comes to squats and lunges. (well, for pretty much everything to be honest)

 

[SteveMeister]

I don't need medicine balls with grips for P90X2 right? Just the standard ones will do?

You're doing push-ups on them, so you want them to be hard, round, and have some texture to them. I'm not sure the ones with grips would work.


http://youtu.be/7PJHzGJoNEM

 

[LaneDS]

pull-ups/chin-ups are really hard. I could only do about two today as part of Legs & Back. I also have really bad form when it comes to squats and lunges. (well, for pretty much everything to be honest)

That said, proud of you for nearly completing week 1! Keep up the good work!

 

[zeemumu]

I guess I'll just ask here: What are the best exercises for making your butt smaller?

 

[RatskyWatsky]

That said, proud of you for nearly completing week 1! Keep up the good work!

Thanks! I hope Kenpo isn't too hard!

 

[LaneDS]

Thanks! I hope Kenpo isn't too hard!

Kenpo is possibly the easiest workout of the bunch I'd say. A lot of the difficulty stems from the intensity you bring to the workout, as it's easy to do the motions but not feel all that tired. It's kind of nice after all the other week's challenges though.

 

[Ixian]

I guess I'll just ask here: What are the best exercises for making your butt smaller?

You can't really target a specific area like that, fat will come off from wherever it wants to, dependent on genetics and probably other factors.

---

Since we have some newer people in this thread, I thought I'd throw out some tips that have helped me.

- This is going to be counter to what most people suggest, but I believe you should weigh yourself every day and look at the average of seven days (ie: weigh yourself Monday - Sunday, average that, rinse and repeat for next Monday - Sunday). The reason people suggest not to do this is because of how your weight can fluctuate dependent on what you eat, but that's the exact reason why I believe you should do it. All too often I see people complain that they gained 4 pounds overnight without understanding why. If you're OCD about the number on the scale, doing this will eventually numb you to that as well.

- Body measurements are a better judge than scale weight, especially if you're doing a program where you're building or retaining muscle. Buy Orbitape and measure yourself according to the image under item #1 here weekly (same time every week, of course), record the results, adjust as needed.

- Donate any old bigger clothes. I've always had a personal rule where I refuse to buy bigger clothes again; instead, I use it as a sign that things have gotten out of hand and I need to reverse course. Hopefully that won't happen anymore, but to be safe I'm going to be more aggressive about getting rid of things that allow me to be comfortable with weight gain.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Are the bands worth buying? I don't have very many weights (5 and 10 pounds, which isn't really enough), and they seem like a good alternative. Do they work well on carpet?

Kenpo is possibly the easiest workout of the bunch I'd say. A lot of the difficulty stems from the intensity you bring to the workout, as it's easy to do the motions but not feel all that tired. It's kind of nice after all the other week's challenges though.

Yeah, I agree. It was by far the easiest workout of the week. I don't mind though

 

[LaneDS]

Those all seem like good suggestions to me. One caveat I can offer is the scale thing. My diet and effort has been lets say 90% on point for four weeks and I went from about 210 lbs to 210 lbs. I look and feel much, much better (stronger) and my smaller sized clothes are starting to fit again, but the number on the scale refuses to drop. Just throwing out my anecdote to those who may get frustrated by what that scale says. It aligns with the "take measurements" point though, for sure, and I should really start doing the same.

 

[Dice]

I just started Athlean Xero which I will continue indefinitely. It is all online and has a calendar you follow. I also inherited a pair of these that I may incorporate. I'm basically starting from zero muscle and skinny (5'7" 140lbs) in all but my legs (cycling), as years of depression, poor nutrition, and recovery from it resulted in atrophy. However, these days I am not only finding myself with a lot of free time and no friends, but I am 30 now and I can no longer be lazy about health. When I am stronger I may do more stuff with weights if this is not satisfying me.

Why this program? I liked the guy's videos on youtube and equipment/space is limited for me right now. It's that simple.

 

[LaneDS]

Are the bands worth buying? I don't have very many weights (5 and 10 pounds, which isn't really enough), and they seem like a good alternative. Do they work well on carpet?



Yeah, I agree. It was by far the easiest workout of the week. I don't mind though

Good job finishing week one! And bands are good to have because even when you've got other weights at your disposal they still have uses. I can't remember for sure but I think in P90X2 there are a few moves where they're the recommended tool for the job even. Aside from that, they're useful in general and for the money they provide great value.

 

[Kiriku]

Are the bands worth buying? I don't have very many weights (5 and 10 pounds, which isn't really enough), and they seem like a good alternative. Do they work well on carpet?

Yeah, I agree. It was by far the easiest workout of the week. I don't mind though

I used bands for some of the shoulder exercises. You're recommended to use really light weights in some of them anyway, so bands work well in that regard.
Also, Kenpo is really fun but, as mentioned, kind of easy. I ended up strapping weight around my legs, (only) 2.5 pounds per leg but definitely made a difference. I also did as many punches etc as I could in the upper body moves.

And congrats for making it through week 1, keep it up!

 

[Ixian]

It aligns with the "take measurements" point though, for sure, and I should really start doing the same.

Yeah, it's really about using all of the information together to make more informed decisions. In your example:

Is weight down? No. Are stomach measurements down though? If so, yay. If not, start examining other variables, like diet, sleep, and stress levels. It also helps answer questions like "did my scale weight go up because I put on muscle" (which is a popular thing for people to think not saying it's not always true though).

Ultimately, diets are a lot like religion; people will debate them to their out of breath, but a lot of things work and it's about finding what you can stick with. Tracking numbers helps keep your actual progress objective.

 

[RukusProvider]

Did the Plyometric Cardio Circuit for Insanity yesterday.

I almostquit with 10 minutes left X___X. It almost destroyed me LOL. I've been playing soccer since I was 6, so I never imagined that I'd be this challenged by the exercises. o_o

Wait until month 2 Plyo workout.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Thank god today is a rest day because the area behind my knees is screaming. Also, I'm having a shit ton of muscle spams in my legs and arms...is that normal?

Good job finishing week one! And bands are good to have because even when you've got other weights at your disposal they still have uses. I can't remember for sure but I think in P90X2 there are a few moves where they're the recommended tool for the job even. Aside from that, they're useful in general and for the money they provide great value.

I used bands for some of the shoulder exercises. You're recommended to use really light weights in some of them anyway, so bands work well in that regard.
Also, Kenpo is really fun but, as mentioned, kind of easy. I ended up strapping weight around my legs, (only) 2.5 pounds per leg but definitely made a difference. I also did as many punches etc as I could in the upper body moves.

And congrats for making it through week 1, keep it up!

Thanks! Looks like I need to get some bands then!

 

[LaneDS]

Thank god today is a rest day because the area behind my knees is screaming. Also, I'm having a shit ton of muscle spams in my legs and arms...is that normal?

Thanks! Looks like I need to get some bands then!

Not normal! Please rest and stretch appropriately today! Tomorrow is thankfully a chest and back day so that shouldn't be too much of an issue but hopefully it's better by plyo day. And yer welcome!

Out of town for a wedding this weekend in middle of nowhere West Virginia. Went hiking for a few hours today and it felt like a good off day activity. Diet going out the window for this small spell then all business until September 27th's Tough Mudder.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Not normal! Please rest and stretch appropriately today! Tomorrow is thankfully a chest and back day so that shouldn't be too much of an issue but hopefully it's better by plyo day. And yer welcome!

D: It's not? I've been having muscle spasms all week, so what do you think that means? That I'm overdoing it?

 

[Ixian]

Really could be a lot of things. What's your diet look like? Are you sleeping enough? Basically sounds recovery failure.

 

[Psychotext]

You're doing push-ups on them, so you want them to be hard, round, and have some texture to them. I'm not sure the ones with grips would work.

http://youtu.be/7PJHzGJoNEM

Hmm... I see myself being able to do about one of those. lol

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Really could be a lot of things. What's your diet look like? Are you sleeping enough? Basically sounds recovery failure.

Oatmeal
*wait one hour*
Spoonful of peanut butter
P90X
Something with protein for lunch (this week I've been eating a can of beans + can of tuna, which is like 20g of protein)
Chicken/Salmon + veggies for dinner

I have been getting sleep, but my schedule is all messed up so I'm going to bed at like 2-3 and waking up 11-12.

 

[Ixian]

Need more specific numbers than that. You say 20g protein for lunch but what about the rest of the day? Muscles need protein. For reference I am around 160 pounds and eat that much (160g) protein per day.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Need more specific numbers than that. You say 20g protein for lunch but what about the rest of the day? Muscles need protein. For reference I am around 160 pounds and eat that much (160g) protein per day.

The oatmeal is 7g of protein and the spoonful of pb is also 7g. A thing of salmon has 40g and a piece of chicken has about 30g, I think? I'm poor so I don't always eat very well every day though

I'm about 160lbs as well btw.

 

[Psychotext]

For what it's worth, there's likely no reason to go as high as 1g / 1lb. It's an old "rule of thumb" that's stuck despite having little scientific basis (and was largely only ever valid for people on steroids anyway).

http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

or a friendlier version:

http://www.slideshare.net/TimG1/protein-intake-16529721

You wont be harming yourself by going that high (extra protein is just extra calories), but you wont be helping yourself gain muscle / retain muscle any better either.

 

[Ixian]

Maybe (I say that because I'm sure I could find something supporting ~ 1g / 1lb but down that road lies madness and I don't care to do that dance), but I wasn't necessarily suggesting that with my post, just that he might be eating too little even relative to the numbers your article references and offering a point of comparison. However, protein also has the bonus effect of providing satiety which is also important.

Edit: So one of my friends describes weight lifting like grinding in WoW; I think I just had the equivalent of wiping to the boss at 1% HP. Weighed in this morning, scale hit 159.8 then went to 160.0. >_< I haven't been in the 15x.x range in... probably at least 15 years if not more.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Would a protein powder be a good thing for me to look into?

 

[Ixian]

Would a protein powder be a good thing for me to look into?

You should try to eat your protein if possible since shakes aren't as satisfying (in the sense that you won't feel full as long). That said, shakes are certainly cheaper so if money is an issue or you're super full after consuming other food, go for it.

 

[LaneDS]

Milk and eggs are also great sources of protein that are usually pretty cheap. Some folks are anti-dairy though so maybe someone who knows more on the subject will chime in.

Anyway, just got back from a long trip out to middle of nowhere West Virginia and now am going to start X1 phase 2 with whatever that upper body workout happens to be. Gonna sleep tight tonight.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

You should try to eat your protein if possible since shakes aren't as satisfying (in the sense that you won't feel full as long). That said, shakes are certainly cheaper so if money is an issue or you're super full after consuming other food, go for it.

I'm poor and don't have enough money to eat 50g+ of protein daily

Milk and eggs are also great sources of protein that are usually pretty cheap. Some folks are anti-dairy though so maybe someone who knows more on the subject will chime in.

I'm lactose intolerant so I can't have milk, but eggs might be an option. I really like 'em boiled.

 

[LaneDS]

I always buy the lactose free milk, but I don't know if that works for you or not. Hard boiled eggs are great though, so that's something.

 

[Ixian]

I'm poor and don't have enough money to eat 50g+ of protein daily



I'm lactose intolerant so I can't have milk, but eggs might be an option. I really like 'em boiled.

Out of curiosity, where do you live? If you can find a place to purchase stuff in bulk (like Costco) it's huge savings. I cringe whenever I see the cost of meat (or most other things...) at regular grocery stores.

You can also try almond milk. I used to use that for protein shakes and it's pretty good as long as you don't expect it to taste like the regular stuff.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I always buy the lactose free milk, but I don't know if that works for you or not.

It does, but it's like $4+ for a half gallon.

Out of curiosity, where do you live? If you can find a place to purchase stuff in bulk (like Costco) it's huge savings. I cringe whenever I see the cost of meat (or most other things...) at regular grocery stores.

You can also try almond milk. I used to use that for protein shakes and it's pretty good as long as you don't expect it to taste like the regular stuff.

Colorado. The closest warehouse "bulk" store is a Sam's Club like 70 miles away. I never go there though, so I have no idea what the prices are like, but yeah, meat is super expensive at regular grocery stores.

It's okay. I prefer coconut milk though.

 

[Touchdown]

Starting T-25 tomorrow. Wish me luck.

 

[Ixian]

Colorado. The closest warehouse "bulk" store is a Sam's Club like 70 miles away. I never go there though, so I have no idea what the prices are like, but yeah, meat is super expensive at regular grocery stores.

It's okay. I prefer coconut milk though.

I'd definitely recommend eggs and egg whites then (egg whites for when you want to boost your protein without affecting your daily fat / carb intake).

Starting T-25 tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Good luck! I really liked the use of moving to the rhythm of the music in that one.

 

[LaneDS]

Starting T-25 tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Good luck!

Finished chest/shoulders/triceps today. Sucked at those push-ups but tried my best. Decided I would try to run immediately after the workout and nearly puked, so it became like a ten minute jog and a ten minute cooldown walk... points for effort, maybe? Going to keep trying to tack on runs to workouts every so often, and if I don't eat garbage like I did on the five hour drive back today (Pizza Hut... might as well just eat garbage) I may have a chance at getting a real run in post-workout.

Also giving some consideration to switching to P90X2 shortly... really like that program and think it may help me better prepare for the Tough Mudder since I don't have enough time to complete X1 and X2 beforehand (have around 80 days to go). Will probably stick with X1 just to get some strength back but am looking forward to X2 whether it's soon or in October.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

points for effort, maybe?

Yep!

 

[Swig_]

I'm tall and lean, about 6'2 and 170-175. I'd like to gain a little bit of muscle mass, but not too much. Would one of the P90Xs be best for me or would there be a better program to gain muscle?

 

[Ixian]

I'm tall and lean, about 6'2 and 170-175. I'd like to gain a little bit of muscle mass, but not too much. Would one of the P90Xs be best for me or would there be a better program to gain muscle?

If you're looking for a video program, P90X has a mass schedule and there's also Body Beast. You might also investigate simple barbell training programs.

The important thing with muscle is you need to eat more calories to develop it; if you're new to weight training you might gain a little bit of muscle on a deficit but it won't last.

 

[EloquentM]

Hopping back on the insanity wagon. Pray for me &#128560;

 

[Auto-Reply]

I'm poor and don't have enough money to eat 50g+ of protein daily



I'm lactose intolerant so I can't have milk, but eggs might be an option. I really like 'em boiled.

I also have some problems with dairy products, funnily enough I have absolutely no problem with lean quark which is probably the most cost effective way to get some additional protein.

 

[EloquentM]

Ok fit test for insanity is a lot more harsh than when I did it a year ago! Am I that much out of shape??! &#128553;&#128553;&#128553;&#128553;

 

[LaneDS]

Ok fit test for insanity is a lot more harsh than when I did it a year ago! Am I that much out of shape??! &#128553;&#128553;&#128553;&#128553;

Good that you even showed up! Impress yourself two weeks from now with your numbers from the second fit test.

Today would be a plyo day for me, but since I can't do plyo I'm looking for suggestions on what I could do instead that isn't nearly as disruptive to downstairs neighbors. My answer in previous weeks is "go for a long run" but I know that's nowhere close to the same thing.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Chest and Back/Ab Ripper X Week 2: Way easier than week one. Yaaaa Plyo tomorrow let's do this!

I also have some problems with dairy products, funnily enough I have absolutely no problem with lean quark which is probably the most cost effective way to get some additional protein.

That's basically just cottage cheese right? I can't have that. Thanks for the suggestion though!

 

[RukusProvider]

Ok fit test for insanity is a lot more harsh than when I did it a year ago! Am I that much out of shape??! &#128553;&#128553;&#128553;&#128553;

Get T25. It's a much more efficient workout.

I've gone through insanity twice now.

 

[Ixian]

Still haven't recovered from Friday's deadlifts so I get to find out how bad I am at chin-ups in an hour. Can't wait.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Not feeling anywhere near as sore and stiff today as I was a week ago.

 

[EloquentM]

Get T25. It's a much more efficient workout.

I've gone through insanity twice now.

I will after I actually complete insanity. Last time I couldn't cause I hurt my ankle with drunk shenanigans