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Official Fitness Thread of Whipping Your Butt into Shape

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Onemic

Member
Struct09 said:
If you're doing a low carb diet, I'd stay away from HIIT. The two don't seem to mix, and I've read stories where people feel like utter shit when trying both. And if you lift weights, that would likely be hindered as well from low carb + high intensity.

Just a suggestion, I won't claim to be an expert on the subject.

hmmm...so they feel like shit, but does it provide better results? And does the feeling go away after doing it 3days straight or so?
 
Struct09 said:
The thing with HIIT is that you have to give it your all. If you're not wishing death upon yourself after 15 minutes, then you're just being lazy.

:lol :lol :lol

That last line had me rolling at just the thought of it.
 
onemic said:
hmmm...so they feel like shit, but does it provide better results? And does the feeling go away after doing it 3days straight or so?
The downside of doing a very strict, low carb diet is that you're never fully recovered. The first few weeks are okay, because you still have those reserves from before you went on the diet. But as you cut down, which means that you're losing those reserves, it feels like you're wearing down a little bit farther with each workout or strain. It's the excess calories that make you feel recovered from a stressful workout, but when you're dieting you never get to that excess of calories [by definition], so your body never gets into the black, recovery-wise.
 
I haven't been posting here but I've been reading the thread and following some tips here and there. I've lost about 10 pounds within the past 2 weeks. :D My goal is to lose about 30 more, and when that happens I'll really, really be proud of myself. I was at 224, and I'm down to 213 at the moment. My goal right now is 180.
 

Onemic

Member
Captain Glanton said:
The downside of doing a very strict, low carb diet is that you're never fully recovered. The first few weeks are okay, because you still have those reserves from before you went on the diet. But as you cut down, which means that you're losing those reserves, it feels like you're wearing down a little bit farther with each workout or strain. It's the excess calories that make you feel recovered from a stressful workout, but when you're dieting you never get to that excess of calories [by definition], so your body never gets into the black, recovery-wise.

So are cheat days beneficial then?

Well now after doing an HIIT(An incomplete one at that too) my chest kills and for some strange reason my bottom lip hurts.
 

Wraith

Member
onemic said:
I'm currently doing the atkins diet, which is very low carbs and high protein. How would HIIT affect me? Would it be more effective?

Atkins is actually moderate protein IIRC. Eating too much protein on Atkins will prevent you from hitting ketosis due to... uh... glucogenesis? I don't remember.
 

Shoho

Banned
Captain Glanton said:
I really, really can't say this loudly enough: If you hate yourself because of your body, and then you 'fix' your body, you will most likely still hate yourself. You'll just look better. I know plenty of fit, miserable people. It is much more important to come to a new, healthier perspective on your own life, and then to allow yourself to become more physically fit simultaneously or as a result. If you need to get professional help to assist you with that change, then there's no shame in that.

Also, let's get something straight here: Dating beautiful women is not all sunshine and rainbows. I'm far from a Don Juan, but I can tell you this: being with a beautiful woman is a lot of work, and you have to put up with a lot of stuff, including neurosis and some stiff shots of self-hatred on her part. I'm not saying that beautiful women are bitches, at all, but I am saying that growing up a beautiful woman creates plenty of problems for them, and when you're with them, those problems become your problems. When you see those women, do not imagine that dating them--or just talking to them every day--is what you're imagining. It isn't.


thanks. thats something to think about. food for thought:)
 
onemic said:
So are cheat days beneficial then?

Well now after doing an HIIT(An incomplete one at that too) my chest kills and for some strange reason my bottom lip hurts.

I wouldn't say cheat days are beneficial in the sense that they directly help you achieve your goals, but if the occasional cheat meal means you stick to your overall plan longer, then it is probably worth it. Better to cheat a little than get fed up and quit altogether.

Chest hurting is likely your heart/lungs from working so hard. I used to get it rarely when I did military PT with my local ROTC. Lasted for a day or so and then I felt better.

Are you biting your bottom lip when you are doing HIIT? You'd be surprised how little you notice about yourself when you focus so strongly on your exercising at hand.
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
I haven't been really following a diet per se but I've already notice large gains from just weightlifting. I need to cut the fat off my body but muslce groups are already starting to emerge and grow like Volcanic Islands. Makes me wish I started getting serious in my teenage years.
 
BlueTsunami said:
I haven't been really following a diet per se but I've already notice large gains from just weightlifting. I need to cut the fat off my body but muslce groups are already starting to emerge and grow like Volcanic Islands. Makes me wish I started getting serious in my teenage years.
Gay subtext pics or it didn't happen.
 

Onemic

Member
Soka said:
I wouldn't say cheat days are beneficial in the sense that they directly help you achieve your goals, but if the occasional cheat meal means you stick to your overall plan longer, then it is probably worth it. Better to cheat a little than get fed up and quit altogether.

Chest hurting is likely your heart/lungs from working so hard. I used to get it rarely when I did military PT with my local ROTC. Lasted for a day or so and then I felt better.

Are you biting your bottom lip when you are doing HIIT? You'd be surprised how little you notice about yourself when you focus so strongly on your exercising at hand.

So then on average how many cheat days should a person usually have? Once a week? Once every 2 weeks?
 

Google

Member
onemic said:
So then on average how many cheat days should a person usually have? Once a week? Once every 2 weeks?

It's not cheat days, it's a cheat meal.

So, instead of sticking to your single Chicken breast with broccoli and Cauliflower's, you're able to grab some Sushi, or go grab a Subway or something.

And, you dont need to be doing this, but it's a nice treat if you've had a hard week.

I haven't been posting here but I've been reading the thread and following some tips here and there. I've lost about 10 pounds within the past 2 weeks. My goal is to lose about 30 more, and when that happens I'll really, really be proud of myself. I was at 224, and I'm down to 213 at the moment. My goal right now is 180.

The first 10 lbs lost is usually water, so don't get discouraged if you don't lose another 10lbs over the next few weeks.
 

Router

Hopsiah the Kanga-Jew
onemic said:
Yeah HIIT, that's it.

So how good is it exactly for fat/weight loss and how is it better than just doing say a 30min fast walk or jog?


The thing with HIIT vs running or other exercise is that the energy burned between the two is vastly different. HIIT burns a lot more energy on average than regular exercise (Over the duration of the exercise). The BIG thing with HIIT though is that it increases your metabolism for much longer periods after the exercise. In effect, you keep burning more energy for much longer after the exercise compared to other methods.


As for some of the people on very low calorie diets... When fewer calories are consumed, the body compensates by reducing many of the hormones involved with thyroid function/metabolic rate (T3/T4, leptin, etc.) and increasing production of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase, which conserves food energy by storing calories as fat. In simple terms, when you restrict calories too low your body doesn't necessarily know when your next meal is coming, so it'll take what little calories it is getting and store them as fat for later use.
 

j-wood

Member
So guys, I'm working on getting into shape. At the beginning of the semester this January I weighed myself and was 199.6. I decided that I do not ever want to hit 200 pounds, so I cut back on how much I eat, and got more exercise, mainly playing racquetball. I have since dropped to about 178.5, but my weight isn't going down anymore.

This past month, I've decided I want to get into better shape, and started running 1 mile a day. Even though I was playing racquetball alot during the week, i couldn't jog a 1 mile without get a stitch in my side, or getting really out of breath.

This past week though, I broke though, jogged a mile in 10 minutes, at a steady pace of 6 mph. My calf muscles/shin area still feels like it's about to burst though...is this normal? Will it just take more time for the muscles to get used to it?

I think part of the problem could be my running style. I hit pretty hard when I run, as in my feet hit the ground pretty hard. I have been told that I'm a heel runner, and it looks wierd when I jog, so I decided to remedy this, and have started to try and run on teh balls of my feet. This feels really un-natural though, and I have to force my self and almost point my foot downwards to make sure it hits right. Any tips/suggestions?
 

Onemic

Member
j-wood said:
So guys, I'm working on getting into shape. At the beginning of the semester this January I weighed myself and was 199.6. I decided that I do not ever want to hit 200 pounds, so I cut back on how much I eat, and got more exercise, mainly playing racquetball. I have since dropped to about 178.5, but my weight isn't going down anymore.

This past month, I've decided I want to get into better shape, and started running 1 mile a day. Even though I was playing racquetball alot during the week, i couldn't jog a 1 mile without get a stitch in my side, or getting really out of breath.

This past week though, I broke though, jogged a mile in 10 minutes, at a steady pace of 6 mph. My calf muscles/shin area still feels like it's about to burst though...is this normal? Will it just take more time for the muscles to get used to it?

I think part of the problem could be my running style. I hit pretty hard when I run, as in my feet hit the ground pretty hard. I have been told that I'm a heel runner, and it looks wierd when I jog, so I decided to remedy this, and have started to try and run on teh balls of my feet. This feels really un-natural though, and I have to force my self and almost point my foot downwards to make sure it hits right. Any tips/suggestions?

How tall are you?
 
Yeah, how tall are you? You should go to a running/jogging focused shoe store. The good ones have people that will have you jog for them and analyze how you run, what to change, and what shoe would be best for you.
 

KingGondo

Banned
You should give something with lower impact a try, like ellipticals or a rowing machine. No matter how much it hurts (unless you're injured), try to get in the habit of doing cardio every day. It'll start to hurt less, and you'll be running 3 miles a day before you know it.

I second the other posters, too--it wouldn't hurt to check out a running store and tell them about your problems.
 

j-wood

Member
Do you guys know the name of a big chain running store? There isn't anything like that in my area, but I'm only about an hour away from Nashville, TN.


BTW, what did my height have to do with anything?
 

Onemic

Member
j-wood said:
Do you guys know the name of a big chain running store? There isn't anything like that in my area, but I'm only about an hour away from Nashville, TN.


BTW, what did my height have to do with anything?

In your post you stated you wanted to go below 178lb, which I thought was already more than low enough, so I decided to ask for your just in case you were below 5'10 or something. Looks like I was right.
 

j-wood

Member
onemic said:
In your post you stated you wanted to go below 178lb, which I thought was already more than low enough, so I decided to ask for your just in case you were below 5'10 or something. Looks like I was right.

So does that mean I should lose a little more to be at average weight for someone my height? Or is 180 the right weight?
 

KingGondo

Banned
Try Google--I would recommend finding a small running store in Nashville rather than a big chain. A small store will likely have more specialized help. My search turned up a couple immediately.
 

Onemic

Member
j-wood said:
So does that mean I should lose a little more to be at average weight for someone my height? Or is 180 the right weight?

It depends on your muscle mass, but if you don't feel/look fat I don't see any reason to try and go lower.

Of course keeping fit and losing weight are two different things though.
 
j-wood said:
So does that mean I should lose a little more to be at average weight for someone my height? Or is 180 the right weight?

If you just started focusing on building some muscle mass, you could probably stay at your weight right now. The muscle would eventually replace the fat and you'd be a much leaner 180.
 

j-wood

Member
Mr. Snrub said:
If you just started focusing on building some muscle mass, you could probably stay at your weight right now. The muscle would eventually replace the fat and you'd be a much leaner 180.

I think that's the best idea. I feel comfortable at 180, but there is definitely fat still there, such as no abs lol.

I would really like to get my running style "fixed" I guess. Is there a proper way to jog/run?
 
Does anybody in this thread ever do Romanian deadlifts? I'm looking for a deadlift that involves less 'knee' (my knee needs a break).

Also, stretching before or after lifting. I'm used to stretching before lifting and not after. Is that the right approach? Or should I do both.
 

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
brandonh83 said:
I haven't been posting here but I've been reading the thread and following some tips here and there. I've lost about 10 pounds within the past 2 weeks. :D My goal is to lose about 30 more, and when that happens I'll really, really be proud of myself. I was at 224, and I'm down to 213 at the moment. My goal right now is 180.

congratulations man. it sounds like you're on about the same track i was when i started my diet when i was nineteen (~230 lbs., shooting for 170-180).

Google said:
You're at 130?

Why?

missed this yesterday as i left right after i posted. i'm at 130 lbs. because once i became fully accustomed to my diet, it became a full blown lifestyle change. as my body got more in shape, i developed an affinity for running, my stomach capacity shrunk, and frankly i just had around 40 lbs. of weight loss after my intended goal for which i hadn't planned. am i complaining? hell no. 130 lbs. is a healthy weight for someone my height, i feel fantastic, and i eat what i want. everything feels copacetic and ideal. i've never wanted to be completely ripped, but i lift to develop muscle definition and run because it makes me feel awesome. so i don't know really--i'm 130 lbs. because it's just sort of where i landed with my lifestyle. trust me that it's much nicer than 230, and sometimes when you've spent some time in the land of the fatty boombatties, it's nice to be on the other end of the spectrum for a bit
 
perryfarrell said:
Does anybody in this thread ever do Romanian deadlifts? I'm looking for a deadlift that involves less 'knee' (my knee needs a break).

Also, stretching before or after lifting. I'm used to stretching before lifting and not after. Is that the right approach? Or should I do both.

Romanian deadlifts are great, but don't work as much muscle mass. There is little to no knee extension, however, so there is really no quad involvement. The great thing is that it does start with an eccentric movement, so its easier to take advantage of the muscle-stretch reflex, and your entire posterior chain gets worked like a mofo.

I don't stretch before, as stretching before can have a negative effect on power production. I warm up thoroughly though, some light aerobic exercise to get blood flowing, and many warm up sets. I stretch after or on my off days.
 
Can someone explain the Muscle weights more than fat thing?

Im an idiot when it comes to these things...

I was at 256lbs 2 years ago , fast-foward to present Im at 182lbs ( lost alot of weight with a little diet and alot of running 6 miles per day )

A month ago , My friends told me I should start shaping my body and gain muscle. So I started taking protien ( Syntha-6 ) and started an intensive workout ( 1;30-2hr ) at the gym every two days

1 month = I gained weight , but I look thinner and more shaped than fat? The fuck... is this shit supposed to happen? I gained like 8 pounds during this whole ordeal but I can lift ALOT more and my triceps/biceps are bigger.

I thought I was going to lose more weight as I gained more muscle?( More muscle = More calorie burn no? )

Is it because I have to establish a checkpoint when working out... then LOSE all the weight? Or am I doing it wrong...halp?
 

Slo

Member
SuperAndroid17 said:
Can someone explain the Muscle weights more than fat thing?

Im an idiot when it comes to these things...

What's to understand? A cubic inch of lead weighs more than a cubic inch of styrophoam because it's more dense. A cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat because it's more dense.

Keep it up.
 

123rl

Member
SuperAndroid17 said:
Can someone explain the Muscle weights more than fat thing?

Im an idiot when it comes to these things...

I was at 256lbs 2 years ago , fast-foward to present Im at 182lbs ( lost alot of weight with a little diet and alot of running 6 miles per day )

A month ago , My friends told me I should start shaping my body and gain muscle. So I started taking protien ( Syntha-6 ) and started an intensive workout ( 1;30-2hr ) at the gym every two days

1 month = I gained weight , but I look thinner and more shaped than fat? The fuck... is this shit supposed to happen? I gained like 8 pounds during this whole ordeal but I can lift ALOT more and my triceps/biceps are bigger.

I thought I was going to lose more weight as I gained more muscle?( More muscle = More calorie burn no? )

Is it because I have to establish a checkpoint when working out... then LOSE all the weight? Or am I doing it wrong...halp?

You'll gain weight as you add more muscle, and then slowly lose weight as you drop excess fat...but the scales will tell you you're gaining weight because you're adding more muscle. I've gained about 5lbs since January yet I've lost inches off my waist and it's the same reason - I'm losing weight and getting slimmer, but adding on a lot of muscle and I'm much more toned and defined than before.
 

GHG

Member
SuperAndroid17 said:
Can someone explain the Muscle weights more than fat thing?

Im an idiot when it comes to these things...

I was at 256lbs 2 years ago , fast-foward to present Im at 182lbs ( lost alot of weight with a little diet and alot of running 6 miles per day )

A month ago , My friends told me I should start shaping my body and gain muscle. So I started taking protien ( Syntha-6 ) and started an intensive workout ( 1;30-2hr ) at the gym every two days

1 month = I gained weight , but I look thinner and more shaped than fat? The fuck... is this shit supposed to happen? I gained like 8 pounds during this whole ordeal but I can lift ALOT more and my triceps/biceps are bigger.

I thought I was going to lose more weight as I gained more muscle?( More muscle = More calorie burn no? )

Is it because I have to establish a checkpoint when working out... then LOSE all the weight? Or am I doing it wrong...halp?

If you've gained weight and look thinner then it means you've lost fat and gained muscle (muscle weighs more than fat). I wouldn't worry about it since if you keep going then you will get back to your previous size but it will be mostly muscle so you'll have a better body because of it.

One question though, you say your workouts are 1:30-2h long? Is that all with weights? If so thats too long, you should generally try and limit yourself to 1 hour. But hey, if it works for you keep at it since everyones body is different. Just if you hit a wall and you don't know why, have a look at that.
 
thanks for the quick responses and answers!

Yeah that does make alot of sense , and to be exact its about 1hr-1:30 of ( Bench , Dumbells , Skullcrushers, Military press ETC ) total of 6-8 exercises. I know my limits.. :lol simply when my body cant take it anymore.

Speaking of hitting walls.. the reason I stopped full cardio workouts ( Around 183 lbs ) was because I didnt lose weight for about 2-4 months. I had a good diet and ran almost every day. I guess I hit what people call the " brick wall " and the reason I started the body definition workouts.
 
Well, as long as you are training smart, training for over an hour isn't a problem. One of my workouts a week takes close to 2 hours, and another closes in on 1.5. The other takes 1 hour.

If something in your routine is stalling, don't just think, "Well, better change everything." It may be how you're working out, not what you're working out with.

You may have stalled because your body adapts. If you run the same distance every day, your body isn't going to change.
 

Davedough

Member
I'll be perfectly honest, I'm not motivated enough to glance through 28 pages of this, but let me ask this and I apologize if it's been covered in depth already.

I want to know some of your opinions from people who know about fitness on the DVDs for the Power 90 series by Tony Horton. A friend of mine gave me his copies and said he never got around to using them and since I dont think I'm physically ready for the P90X system, I think the Power 90 is right up my alley.

I'm 6'3" and 220lbs. I'm only slightly overweight, but greatly out of shape. What are some of your opinions on this workout routine for someone who doesn't have the time or money to attend a gym just yet?
 

Slo

Member
Davedough said:
I'll be perfectly honest, I'm not motivated enough to glance through 28 pages of this, but let me ask this and I apologize if it's been covered in depth already.

I want to know some of your opinions from people who know about fitness on the DVDs for the Power 90 series by Tony Horton. A friend of mine gave me his copies and said he never got around to using them and since I dont think I'm physically ready for the P90X system, I think the Power 90 is right up my alley.

I'm 6'3" and 220lbs. I'm only slightly overweight, but greatly out of shape. What are some of your opinions on this workout routine for someone who doesn't have the time or money to attend a gym just yet?

I think you should just make a half assed, token attempt at fitness out of guilt and obligation and then quit as soon as you have a good excuse to stop. Like being busy, or it costing too much. But don't start now, nobody starts in April. Wait until your New Year's resolution.
 

Davedough

Member
Slo said:
I think you should just make a half assed, token attempt at fitness out of guilt and obligation and then quit as soon as you have a good excuse to stop. Like being busy, or it costing too much. But don't start now, nobody starts in April. Wait until your New Year's resolution.

Wow, that really helped me out. Thanks for being a complete douche. I'm glad to have successfully added another one to my ignore list.
 
Slo said:
This link is to one of my favorite articles, ever. Everyone should read it.
I wish I'd thought of linking to it here.

Also, just to emphasize, no one who knows fitness stuff minds being asked to help out people who don't know but are willing to work hard to learn. We do mind being asked to do the work others won't do for themselves.
 

Vanish

Member
ok just so i have a goal to reach for: how much should i weigh if i want to be toned, cut, lean and muscular with my abs showing, and having less than 10% body fat?

i'm 21, 5 feet 9 inches, not much in terms of muscle, and 135 pounds with no fat except right on my stomach.
thanks again
 

Slo

Member
That's really hard to say, it depends on your frame and your genetics. The first step is to get bigger. I'd start lifting more and eating more. Gain 20-30 pounds and then re-evaluate yourself.
 
Vanish said:
ok just so i have a goal to reach for: how much should i weigh if i want to be toned, cut, lean and muscular with my abs showing, and having less than 10% body fat?

i'm 21, 5 feet 9 inches, not much in terms of muscle, and 135 pounds with no fat except right on my stomach.
thanks again
It depends entirely on what you mean by "cut," "muscular," etc. Sorry, but that's the best answer that I can give.

Most people would define "cut" as being vascular, where veins are standing out on your arms and, when you're very lean, your stomach and your legs. Now that is getting very, very lean. "Toned" might mean that you can see your muscles move under your skin, nothing sags ever, no loose skin, etc. It's not as lean as "cut" in my book. Now "muscular" is even more open to interpretation--but I can guarantee you that being 5'9 and 135 isn't it. You should probably count on gaining 30 lbs of muscle at least before muscular people would consider you muscular. I'm 5'9, too, and at a reasonably lean 215lbs I didn't consider myself muscular until I snapped some cell phone photos of my back.
 

Mr.City

Member
I've recently found out during a visit to the chiropracter that my pelvis is uneven and cause one leg to be shorter than the other. I've always noticed weight being place more on one leg more than the other during my squats.

My question is if I should to unilaterial leg exercises exclusively. Single-leg squats make me a bit nervous considering I don't have the best balance in the world.
 
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