Support NeoGAF

[vatstep]

Do something else good for yourself! What do you have access to? Go for a run! Do kenpo or cardio x! Something to stay active- you'll feel better that you did.

Yeah, or try out the two "bonus" workouts that come with P90X. They're from P90 Master Series. UML isn't that great (it's pretty low-intensity, with some interesting ab moves), but Cardio Intervals is an excellent cardio workout.

 

[LaneDS]

Thanks, I'm going to go for morning runs daily till I get the weights, just bummed out because I was ready to start this week

How long until you think you'll be able to get the weights? Are resistance bands an option? If it's a money thing, those are a really good bang for your buck (I still only own a pair of 15 pounders and a set of bands, but will sometimes use my roommate's 20s). And while it's discouraging to not be able to workout, just remind yourself it's only temporary... you have a great many days ahead of you to get in a ton of workouts until you're built like Ken Masters (but Ryu will still beat you sorry dawg).

 

[Ken Masters]

How long until you think you'll be able to get the weights? Are resistance bands an option? If it's a money thing, those are a really good bang for your buck (I still only own a pair of 15 pounders and a set of bands, but will sometimes use my roommate's 20s). And while it's discouraging to not be able to workout, just remind yourself it's only temporary... you have a great many days ahead of you to get in a ton of workouts until you're built like Ken Masters (but Ryu will still beat you sorry dawg).

I got resistance bands, even though I prefer weights, so I started p90x and the bands broke day 1! So I finished the workout and did ab ripper x and plyometrics the next day, day 3 required weights again and I didn't have them some just stopped completely till I got some weights.

I'm at 19% body fat and need to drop to at least 9%. I was hoping this would help

 

[SteeloDMZ]

I'd check out some of the videos meanwhile. Cardio X is a must because it has moves from all the other DVD's. I'd also recommend to check out Core Synergistics. You don't need weights, but you'll still get an amazing workout.

 

[LaneDS]

I got resistance bands, even though I prefer weights, so I started p90x and the bands broke day 1! So I finished the workout and did ab ripper x and plyometrics the next day, day 3 required weights again and I didn't have them some just stopped completely till I got some weights.

I'm at 19% body fat and need to drop to at least 9%. I was hoping this would help

It absolutely will help, try not to get so discouraged or down on yourself. Setbacks are going to happen for all of us at some point, and you just gotta find ways to keep your body busy (try yoga, that will no joke kick your ass in a great way, or kenpo, or core synergistics). When you're exhausted at the end of any of those, you won't feel as bad, promise.

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Do checkout the other DVDs, keep going!



Try yoga - just try it, words can't describe your first time. If you find yourself hating it, you better get used to it!

Try Kenpo - for kickboxing cardio

Try cardio x- a little taste of everything

 

[Harry Potter]

It absolutely will help, try not to get so discouraged or down on yourself. Setbacks are going to happen for all of us at some point, and you just gotta find ways to keep your body busy (try yoga, that will no joke kick your ass in a great way, or kenpo, or core synergistics). When you're exhausted at the end of any of those, you won't feel as bad, promise.

Well said.

 

[Ixian]

Yoga (well, the X2 version) is one of my favorite workouts, though it's the worst in terms of that whole "Man I really don't want to start this workout" feeling I get each day. After I'm done I always want to just walk around flailing my limbs about due to how flexible I feel.

First day of Core Synergistics down! Didn't do as well as I'd like since I had to learn the exercises and mess around with weights, but I get another shot this weekend and I'm excited to do better.

I was flipping through the P90X2 Fitness Guide and saw the Chin-Up Max mentioned; anyone use one before? It looks way better than using a chair and is relatively inexpensive. I'll be the guinea pig if no one's given it a shot before, though!

 

[Harry Potter]

Ya a few people use the chin up max on here. Hawkian is one of them I beleive. You can also use a band if you have one. Just wrap it around the bar and put your foot through the handles.

 

[D23]

diet is absolutely shittttttttttttt today.

 

[obijkenobi]

Yoga (well, the X2 version) is one of my favorite workouts, though it's the worst in terms of that whole "Man I really don't want to start this workout" feeling I get each day. After I'm done I always want to just walk around flailing my limbs about due to how flexible I feel.

First day of Core Synergistics down! Didn't do as well as I'd like since I had to learn the exercises and mess around with weights, but I get another shot this weekend and I'm excited to do better.

I was flipping through the P90X2 Fitness Guide and saw the Chin-Up Max mentioned; anyone use one before? It looks way better than using a chair and is relatively inexpensive. I'll be the guinea pig if no one's given it a shot before, though!

I have one. I use it all the time. Well not all the time. It is better than the chair and it has pushed my numbers up quite a bit

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Yoga (well, the X2 version) is one of my favorite workouts, though it's the worst in terms of that whole "Man I really don't want to start this workout" feeling I get each day. After I'm done I always want to just walk around flailing my limbs about due to how flexible I feel.

First day of Core Synergistics down! Didn't do as well as I'd like since I had to learn the exercises and mess around with weights, but I get another shot this weekend and I'm excited to do better.

I was flipping through the P90X2 Fitness Guide and saw the Chin-Up Max mentioned; anyone use one before? It looks way better than using a chair and is relatively inexpensive. I'll be the guinea pig if no one's given it a shot before, though!

Ya a few people use the chin up max on here. Hawkian is one of them I beleive. You can also use a band if you have one. Just wrap it around the bar and put your foot through the handles.

I followed HP's advice and coincidentally I bought a rather heavy set of bands in anticipation for V Sculpt, so it's great because I don't have to worry about being snapped. It is much, much better than chairs. It's kind of fun too, has kind of a bungee feeling too it.


For my specific bands though, the only small thing is I need to be barefoot for my foot to go through the handle, and that day I happened to be working out with shoes

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Guys what do you eat for breakfast if you take something to work? I do Muscle Milk but it doesn't fill me up enough that I don't get hungry an hour later. Any ideas of what to take to work with me?

 

[LaneDS]

Can anyone recommend a multivitamin that's decent? I know there is a lot of discussion back and forth on whether they're useful, but I want to keep doing my multi + fish oil + fiber supplement each morning. If it's sold by Amazon, all the better (currently I've used GNC Men's Sport or something like that, but I hate shopping there).

Also, totally unrelated, but do we have any Tough Mudders here? I'm aiming to do one next year, maybe in Virginia, and am curious if there's any P90X/Insanity crossover Mudders here.

Guys what do you eat for breakfast if you take something to work? I do Muscle Milk but it doesn't fill me up enough that I don't get hungry an hour later. Any ideas of what to take to work with me?

Protein bars? Hard boiled eggs? Fruit? Some random suggestions for you that might help.

 

[Harry Potter]

Guys what do you eat for breakfast if you take something to work? I do Muscle Milk but it doesn't fill me up enough that I don't get hungry an hour later. Any ideas of what to take to work with me?

Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or fruit.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

I did Greek Yogurt for a while but it does have some sugar and a good amount of carbs.

Cottage Cheese is a good idea though. I take oranges for lunch.

Hard boiled eggs are fine, but a pain to make and shell. I do my prep the night before.

 

[Harry Potter]

I also take some of my whey to work and have a gallon of milk in the work fridge if I feel like a protein shake.

 

[GCNemesis]

Please let me know how that strap works for you because my knee pain sounds awfully similar (and I only really have problems when doing all the squats in plyo).

Sorry for the delay, tried to post yesterday but GAF was down. I used these knee straps for both my knees during Cardio Power & Resistance.

I have tried full knee braces that strap around your kneecap, but I did not find the fabric behind the knee comfortable when my knee was bent.

With that said, my knees felt incredible after the workout. There was a couple of times where I had to readjust the strap below my kneecap and the fabric at time was uncomfortable behind my knee, but less so than a full knee brace. These are a godsend. I also switched my footwear for the exercise (to tennis shoes) so I don't know if that impacted the relief on my knees, but all in all, I am very happy with my purchase. My wife's concern about these is that they will weaken your patella's muscle since it will be incapacitated by the knee strap. Valid point I think, so something to keep in mind!

Bottom line: all Insanity jumpers and/or those with knee pains, should look into these!

 

[SteeloDMZ]

Can't believe that it's been almost a week and I'm still not 100% recovered from the stupid cold. Well, eff it, I'm doing Chest and Back and Balance anyways!

 

[grumble]

Careful with the joint pain! Unlike muscle soreness, it's not a sign that your fitness is improving. Knee pain is a sign of damage. If your knees are hurting, adjust your exercise or you aren't getting fitter, you're getting less fit.

An extreme case of this is runners. Runner who run with knee pain have been shown over and over again to get arthritis fairly quickly, but they will run anyways because it's 'good for them'.

 

[LaneDS]

Careful with the joint pain! Unlike muscle soreness, it's not a sign that your fitness is improving. Knee pain is a sign of damage. If your knees are hurting, adjust your exercise or you aren't getting fitter, you're getting less fit.

An extreme case of this is runners. Runner who run with knee pain have been shown over and over again to get arthritis fairly quickly, but they will run anyways because it's 'good for them'.

What's a good solution to joint problems then? Icing them after workouts? Not using the joints? My knees sound like they're tearing, almost, when I stand up from a squat. It's not painful, but it certainly doesn't feel right. I'm not sure how I can properly build them up so it's not a problem.

GC- The first strap I bought was very close to that, but then I learned that my "popping" out of the joint happens above my kneecap, which that type of strap didn't really seem to affect.

 

[SteveMeister]

Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements are great for joint health. The primary cause of joint issues is inflammation. Reduce inflammatory foods such as refined grains and processed vegetable oils, make sure your Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios are good by eating fish and supplementing with fish oil tablets, and kick up your antioxidant intake by eating things like blueberries and spinach. You might also consider antioxidant supplements too, such as resveratrol or green tea extract.

 

[KingGondo]

Has anyone else had shoulder issues? I'm in month 2 of the lean program and it's very shoulder-heavy at the moment.

Yoga X (the first 40 minutes of downward dog, vinhasa sequence, pushups, etc. are killer)
Chest, Shoulders, Tris (pushup city)
Legs and Back (pull-ups/chin-ups)

My right shoulder feels a bit of pain, but it hasn't seemed to affect the number of reps I can do. Any recommendations besides the standard RICE method?

 

[LaneDS]

Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements are great for joint health. The primary cause of joint issues is inflammation. Reduce inflammatory foods such as refined grains and processed vegetable oils, make sure your Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios are good by eating fish and supplementing with fish oil tablets, and kick up your antioxidant intake by eating things like blueberries and spinach. You might also consider antioxidant supplements too, such as resveratrol or green tea extract.

Thank you, I'm going to look into the supplements you mentioned; I think my diet is already pretty free of refined grains and processed oils, so the other stuff will warrant a look.

 

[owlbeak]

First day using my new super healthy foods. Already made breakfast and it was great!
Meal plan for today as follows:

Breakfast:
3oz egg whites, 1 turkey sausage patty, 2 slices turkey bacon all wrapped up in a low carb wheat wrap. Delicious!

Lunch: Spring Greens & baby spinach, lemon grilled chicken breast and probably a piece of whole wheat toast with a bit of peanut butter.

Dinner: Laura's Lean beef burger and low carb wheat wrap with lettuce and a dab of fat free ranch.

In between all that is my favorite, Kenpo! It's supposed to be Yoga, but when I did the program last time I really enjoyed substituting Kenpo for yoga (doing Kenpo on day 4 and 6 of the week) and then doing Yoga on my rest day. Anything detrimental about that?

Also, another question - I am taking in around 1200-1400 calories a day, give or take a few. I have not been eating the calories I have burned off. I know they are extra, but I haven't been consuming them. Not sure if I need to eat a net total of at least 1200 or not. Don't want to go into starvation mode!

 

[ocadman]

Ok. I've about 2 and a half weeks through Phase 3 and got pretty sick and haven't been able to work out since last Saturday. Any suggestions how I should get back into it?

 

[Hawkian]

Also, another question - I am taking in around 1200-1400 calories a day, give or take a few. I have not been eating the calories I have burned off. I know they are extra, but I haven't been consuming them. Not sure if I need to eat a net total of at least 1200 or not. Don't want to go into starvation mode!

Sort of depends what your goals are.

First off, re: starvation mode... I mean... it's called that for a reason. You should being feeling very hungry and weak if you're in danger of hitting that zone. If you feel good, don't worry about it.

That said, how much of a caloric deficit you maintain (indeed whether or not you should have one) has everything to do with your personal goals. Is losing weight your priority? Then make sure you feel comfortable, eat back some if you feel like it, but keep a deficit going. Are you trying to bulk up? Then eat back every last one of them with lotsa protein and simple carbs

My right shoulder feels a bit of pain, but it hasn't seemed to affect the number of reps I can do. Any recommendations besides the standard RICE method?

Hmm careful man. Shoulder injuries are notoriously tricky to recover from. Foam rolling might help?

 

[owlbeak]

Sort of depends what your goals are.

First off, re: starvation mode... I mean... it's called that for a reason. You should being feeling very hungry and weak if you're in danger of hitting that zone. If you feel good, don't worry about it.

That said, how much of a caloric deficit you maintain (indeed whether or not you should have one) has everything to do with your personal goals. Is losing weight your priority? Then make sure you feel comfortable, eat back some if you feel like it, but keep a deficit going. Are you trying to bulk up? Then eat back every last one of them with lotsa protein and simple carbs

Trying to lose about 15lbs, fat, and get some definition. Don't want to bulk, just get lean. So yeah, I haven't been feeling hungry all the time or anything. I feel pretty good, so I'll keep at it. I'm running around a 900 calorie deficit or so right now, we'll see how it goes.

 

[Hawkian]

Yeah, that's plenty of a deficit for those goals, you should see great results. And don't feel worried about munching into those 900 if you get hungry! How far into the program are you?

 

[owlbeak]

Yeah, that's plenty of a deficit for those goals, you should see great results. And don't feel worried about munching into those 900 if you get hungry! How far into the program are you?

Haha I will eat them if I feel hungry for sure!

I am only on my fourth day. Started on Monday. Using myfitnesspal to track calories and such. I keep going over my protein goals by ~10g or so, but I don't think that really matters?

 

[MyAbsolution]

In between all that is my favorite, Kenpo! It's supposed to be Yoga, but when I did the program last time I really enjoyed substituting Kenpo for yoga (doing Kenpo on day 4 and 6 of the week) and then doing Yoga on my rest day. Anything detrimental about that?

Ya I would love to do this too... I freaking hate Yoga so much but LOVE me some Kenpo.

I'd also like to know if that is a good idea, as I'd definitely be more comfortable doing yoga on Rest Day (mid-week i am WAAAY too sore)

 

[D23]

He'll be up front and to the left. You see, Jeff's a b-boy so he thinks he's good.

Spoiler

This will make sense after you're done

i was dying cuz i just finished one of the hardest insanity workout ever, and this fucker start b-boying and almost hit the pretty girl next to him, fucker. .

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Insanity is rough, but I like it. The 40 minute workout times don't make me dread doing them, and you switch moves enough to really push each body part.

Hopefully the 2 months is enough to drop some more weight.

 

[Harry Potter]

i was dying cuz i just finished one of the hardest insanity workout ever, and this fucker start b-boying and almost hit the pretty girl next to him, fucker. .

Haha yup. Poor Ariel. Imagine being completely exhausted by the end of that workout and then getting kicked in the face by that tool. The expression on her face is classic. God, I've watched that routine too many times.

 

[Hawkian]

Haha I will eat them if I feel hungry for sure!

I am only on my fourth day. Started on Monday. Using myfitnesspal to track calories and such. I keep going over my protein goals by ~10g or so, but I don't think that really matters?

You should be going over your protein by at least that I'm frequently 20 or more over what it thinks I should be getting. MFP isn't intended for extreme fitness regimens like P90X, more just general diet and activity, so it has way more generous carb numbers than it should for me, and too few proteins.

 

[Ixian]

Haha yup. Poor Ariel. Imagine being completely exhausted by the end of that workout and then getting kicked in the face by that tool. The expression on her face is classic. God, I've watched that routine too many times.

I actually say some of his key lines in time with him, helps me get pumped up! "I need power and I need for you to dig deeper!" I think Tony talks too much for me to ever memorize what he says, haha.

 

[owlbeak]

You should be going over your protein by at least that I'm frequently 20 or more over what it thinks I should be getting. MFP isn't intended for extreme fitness regimens like P90X, more just general diet and activity, so it has way more generous carb numbers than it should for me, and too few proteins.

Ah okay! Whew! I was going to say, that might put a damper on my diet.

Just finished Kenpo. So much fun! Dinner time!

 

[grumble]

What's a good solution to joint problems then? Icing them after workouts? Not using the joints? My knees sound like they're tearing, almost, when I stand up from a squat. It's not painful, but it certainly doesn't feel right. I'm not sure how I can properly build them up so it's not a problem.

GC- The first strap I bought was very close to that, but then I learned that my "popping" out of the joint happens above my kneecap, which that type of strap didn't really seem to affect.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin don't really have any scientific backing, so I wouldn't recommend it.

What I'd recommend is to adjust your movements (ie reduce impact of the movements if possible and eliminate those that are causing you discomfort). You may find that your joints are used to the impact over time, but be careful. They don't adapt well and they don't heal well.

One of the reasons why swimming is such an amazing workout; you get strong and fit without blasting your joints

 

[OchreHand]

Welp! After months of debating, I've decided to join you guys.

I started off the year cutting out junk food and eating like a pescetarian (a vegetarian that also eats fish, i love tuna). Can anyone share their eating experiences? I'm not too big on chicken , is it possible to do this with just eating veggies and fish?

 

[grumble]

Welp! After months of debating, I've decided to join you guys.

I started off the year cutting out junk food and eating like a pescetarian (a vegetarian that also eats fish, i love tuna). Can anyone share their eating experiences? I'm not too big on chicken , is it possible to do this with just eating veggies and fish?

Totally possible.

Can you handle dairy?

 

[OchreHand]

Totally possible.

Can you handle dairy?

Sadly, no... Milk makes my stomach churn. I've heard good things about almond milk, though?

 

[BeautifulMemory]

Welp! After months of debating, I've decided to join you guys.

I started off the year cutting out junk food and eating like a pescetarian (a vegetarian that also eats fish, i love tuna). Can anyone share their eating experiences? I'm not too big on chicken , is it possible to do this with just eating veggies and fish?

Absolutely! Protein wise you don't need meat at all. Fish and more specifically tuna packs a bunch.

I can tell you from my experience the most difficulty part had to deal with cravings and learned how to use substitutes. For example, in the beginning there were days I gave in and ate chips, and it wasn't until later people suggested I look into protein bats, dried fruits, or turkey jerker as substitute

Whatever plan you decide to follow, for a lot of people the low carbs portion is the toughest, since it means lower energy in combination with getting used to the workouts

My approach was more by the books. I counted calories, I counted weights. So it really helped when my friend let me borrowed her electronic scale. Took all the guess work out of it

If you are like me, please take the time and be careful with the nutritional label! It can be misleading, and you end up eatingpte calories or more fat than you planned

 

[OchreHand]

Absolutely! Protein wise you don't need meat at all. Fish and more specifically tuna packs a bunch.

I can tell you from my experience the most difficulty part had to deal with cravings and learned how to use substitutes. For example, in the beginning there were days I gave in and ate chips, and it wasn't until later people suggested I look into protein bats, dried fruits, or turkey jerker as substitute

Whatever plan you decide to follow, for a lot of people the low carbs portion is the toughest, since it means lower energy in combination with getting used to the workouts

My approach was more by the books. I counted calories, I counted weights. So it really helped when my friend let me borrowed her electronic scale. Took all the guess work out of it

If you are like me, please take the time and be careful with the nutritional label! It can be misleading, and you end up eatingpte calories or more fat than you planned

Awesome! Thanks for the advice.

I can already see cutting carbs will be the toughest, since I still enjoy to snack. When I started eliminating junk food this year, I found Vegan Kale Chips as a "healthy alternative." They're like Doritos but for vegans... and delicious. Hopefully I can still go to these while working out.

 

[BeautifulMemory]

It will be up to you! The plan, and Tony in general, doesn't account for any type of chips at all. There is a range of food to choose from for every categories, for carbs I did wheat bread or crackers.

If you do fat shredder (you don't have to), you literally can only have 200 calories of carbs per day. It's gonna be tough! But the important thing is to adjust base on your own needs

 

[owlbeak]

Scale just arrived, rather late for UPS! I weighed less than I thought, 176.6lbs. Want to get down to 160 or maybe a little less. MFP says if I continue my diet like I am, I should achieve that in 5 weeks/week of July 4th! Hope so! Added weight due to muscle isn't an issue and I'll gladly take that over some fat in the belly.

 

[Harry Potter]

Scale just arrived, rather late for UPS! I weighed less than I thought, 176.6lbs. Want to get down to 160 or maybe a little less. MFP says if I continue my diet like I am, I should achieve that in 5 weeks/week of July 4th! Hope so! Added weight due to muscle isn't an issue and I'll gladly take that over some fat in the belly.

Right on. Good luck! If you keep at it and push yourself I'm sure you can make it to your goal.

Pro tip: don't look the scale everyday. Bad for business.

 

[Ixian]

Pro tip: don't look the scale everyday. Bad for business.

Yeah, I personally weigh myself once a week, the same day of every week (Monday morning) when I get to work/have gone to the bathroom/haven't eaten yet/etc. Even biweekly would probably be better but I can't control my curiosity.

You should look in the mirror every day though!

 

[vatstep]

I weigh myself almost every morning before work. I know it's stupid, but my weight almost never fluctuates, so it's not really ever a source of discouragement. Just a habit at this point. I'm also paranoid that I might start gaining weight and not realize it. :|

 

[CrankyJay]

I weigh myself almost every morning before work. I know it's stupid, but my weight almost never fluctuates, so it's not really ever a source of discouragement. Just a habit at this point. I'm also paranoid that I might start gaining weight and not realize it. :|

I do it once a week every Monday morning. I like the bigger bumps in weight loss.

 

[owlbeak]

So, I like to drink on the weekend. How do I avoid screwing up my diet?

I'm planning on no beer, too many carbs. Maybe I could drink whiskey and diet ginger ale, my second favorite drink? Not going to get shithammered, but would like to get a buzz on. Tips and advice please!