Gym/Exercise Thread

[Idoit40fans]

A lot of the weight you can put back on, especially given your situation, is gonna be leg muscle.

[Rylan]

A lot of the weight you can put back on, especially given your situation, is gonna be leg muscle.

I figured at least 5 lbs of that 15-16 would be meat to the lower body. And given that I have spent the last 3 months eating as much as I could I feel like I have a good base to start with, though I am not looking forward to the first 2 weeks of getting back into the grove.

[PensFanInDC]

16lbs in 4 months is 1 pound a week. It's not that hard and is doable. However, I would suggest you consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Lower body work will be the toughest. Do you have access to a gym with machines? If so I would recommend (again, with your doctor's approval) that you use the quad lift and the hamstring lift machines in conjunction with upper body free weights.

[shafnutz05]

By far the hardest part of my diet to regulate is sodium. Trying to eat 2500 calories a day while somehow staying under 2.5g of sodium is nigh impossible. Thankfully I've never had an issue with high BP, but it's so tough to keep that sodium down.

[Rylan]

16lbs in 4 months is 1 pound a week. It's not that hard and is doable. However, I would suggest you consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Lower body work will be the toughest. Do you have access to a gym with machines? If so I would recommend (again, with your doctor's approval) that you use the quad lift and the hamstring lift machines in conjunction with upper body free weights.

Yea, I would just go to the campus gym.

[PensFanInDC]

By far the hardest part of my diet to regulate is sodium. Trying to eat 2500 calories a day while somehow staying under 2.5g of sodium is nigh impossible. Thankfully I've never had an issue with high BP, but it's so tough to keep that sodium down.

Why are you trying to keep sodium so low if you don't have any BP issues? If you don't mind me asking...

[PensFanInDC]

16lbs in 4 months is 1 pound a week. It's not that hard and is doable. However, I would suggest you consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Lower body work will be the toughest. Do you have access to a gym with machines? If so I would recommend (again, with your doctor's approval) that you use the quad lift and the hamstring lift machines in conjunction with upper body free weights.

Yea, I would just go to the campus gym.

How serious are you about putting on that weight? I can give you an eating plan to follow in addition to an exercise program to maximize mass building. I will again implore you to talk to your doctor first though. I may be a certified trainer but I'm certainly not a doctor.

[shafnutz05]

By far the hardest part of my diet to regulate is sodium. Trying to eat 2500 calories a day while somehow staying under 2.5g of sodium is nigh impossible. Thankfully I've never had an issue with high BP, but it's so tough to keep that sodium down.

Why are you trying to keep sodium so low if you don't have any BP issues? If you don't mind me asking...

TBH, I dunno. To avoid those issues? I mean, I don't eat a ton of sodium, usually between 3.0-3.5g a day. I probably worry about it way more than I need to.

[PensFanInDC]

lol I gotchya. I have BP issues (much less not than a year ago) so I keep my sodium low but not too low. I'm still at 3-3.5g a day which is more than my doctor wants but I need it with all the exercise I do. Salt is the best electrolyte on the planet. I tried cutting it out almost completely and ended up with muscle cramps all the time.

[Rylan]

16lbs in 4 months is 1 pound a week. It's not that hard and is doable. However, I would suggest you consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Lower body work will be the toughest. Do you have access to a gym with machines? If so I would recommend (again, with your doctor's approval) that you use the quad lift and the hamstring lift machines in conjunction with upper body free weights.

Yea, I would just go to the campus gym.

How serious are you about putting on that weight? I can give you an eating plan to follow in addition to an exercise program to maximize mass building. I will again implore you to talk to your doctor first though. I may be a certified trainer but I'm certainly not a doctor.

I am serious.

As far as the doctor thing goes, yea I agree. The end of the month I have all of my check ups and I was just going to spend this month working the body back into a training mindset. (Eating correctly, proper sleep, Light exercises, stretching, and other things to prepare the body)

[Idoit40fans]

Everyone should work to keep their sodium down because everyone consumes way too much of it.

[JS©]

Anyone doing the Rachel Carson Challenge this year? A guy at work talked me into it.

http://www.rachelcarsontrails.org/ 36 miles, done on the Saturday closest the summer solstice.

Is there a shuttle or anything at the end of the race? That's actually the weekend of my birthday, also the same weekend of the bike race in Morgantown.

I might be able to talk somebody into it, but he might be doing is own pace that wouldn't be close to mine. He'd probably aim to finish it in 5 hrs.

[yubb]

Anyone doing the Rachel Carson Challenge this year? A guy at work talked me into it.

http://www.rachelcarsontrails.org/ 36 miles, done on the Saturday closest the summer solstice.

Is there a shuttle or anything at the end of the race? That's actually the weekend of my birthday, also the same weekend of the bike race in Morgantown.

I might be able to talk somebody into it, but he might be doing is own pace that wouldn't be close to mine. He'd probably aim to finish it in 5 hrs.

Yes, there is a shuttle. You can either get shuttled back to the start or you can shuttle to the start before the race. They're doing a lottery system based on karma. That said, I have 0 karma (religious or trail) and me and two of my co-workers got selected.

[DudeMan2766]

Man do my knees sound disgusting when I walk up stairs or a squat and actually listen to them. Funny thing is there no pain when I do those activities or I'm on a machine at the gym. Now if I sit the same way too long I will feel a bit of soreness, and sometimes some quick discomfort if I take a step and plant the wrong way. I definately need to get them looked at. its been like this for a while. I did P-90X for the summer 2 years ago and I think that screwed them up. I had an x-ray on my left last year that showed nothing, and has an MRI scheduled, but my insurance was so crappy at the time I skipped it. My question is, we are doing the Warrior Dash in June, I need to get some leg strength back, are there any good exercises that won't strain my knees to badly? I'm doing calf work but other than that I can't think of anything to strengthen legs without feeling like I'm destorying my knees until I can get them looked at, even tho I really feel no pain.

[PensFanInDC]

This is a common complaint among P90Xers. I mean no offense by this, but your form was probably off while doing squats and other knee bending exercises. I know I've had to be corrected dozens of times until I got it right.

As for what you can do now, since the doctor found no problems I would suggest strengthening your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Find a trainer that can show you (not just be in a video) how to squat properly. The more you strengthen the muscles that affect a joint the stronger the joint becomes.

[Idoit40fans]

Yeah, i'm not disciplined enough to keep good form doing squats, so I sacrifice some gains, add weight and use a leg press.

[PensFanInDC]

I've had the luxury of exercising in an atmosphere filled with trainers so I always had someone correcting me if I lost form.

[Idoit40fans]

I do enough core exercises correctly and frequently that I don't really miss out on the limited leg press workouts, so its not a big deal. I am definitely aware of the limitations of using machines though, its just a lot safer and easier to go through them a little faster and lets say carelessly.

[DudeMan2766]

This is a common complaint among P90Xers. I mean no offense by this, but your form was probably off while doing squats and other knee bending exercises. I know I've had to be corrected dozens of times until I got it right.

As for what you can do now, since the doctor found no problems I would suggest strengthening your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Find a trainer that can show you (not just be in a video) how to squat properly. The more you strengthen the muscles that affect a joint the stronger the joint becomes.

Thanks. Yeah I'm pretty sure I wasn't doing anything right. I didnt even complete the entire regimine, but I did plyo enough that I think thats what did it. To be clear, the x-ray found nothing, I'm worried I could have some cartilidge torn or something. I did do the 7 mile Mud on the Mountain in November and aside from the expected soreness, nothing bad. Still gotta get it checked out tho so its not a problem thats just building and building. Its been quite awhile with knee soreness, almost two years.

[PensFanInDC]

Get a complete diagnosis before continuing your fitness regimen. I'm pretty sure I broke my foot in October and have failed to get it checked out. I fear the long term effects. Yes....I am stupid.

[PensFanInDC]

GoRuck training might kill me...

[Godric]

Is gaining 16 lbs over 4 months too lofty a goal?

I just gained 25 pounds in 8 weeks. I'd say I lost about 5 pounds of muscle :-/. I've also been eating clean.

I just took my cast off my wrist a couple days ago though, I'm going to a doctor on Tuesday to get cleared.

I just ran near sprint 1.5 miles today on a park trail that is mostly up hill. I use to do this no problem before I broke my wrist, I'd actually go play basketball an hour later....
This morning I got about half way done when I reached the top of the tallest hill... I started to feel like I was pushing myself at my peak and I was thinking to myself "Dude quit being a **** it hasn't been that long" but that feeling intensified as I finished the last .8th of a mile

I got back to my car and I felt like I was gonna collaspe...
I knew what I was gonna feel next so I leaned on the stone wall that was in front of my car...

I was just waiting to puke and oh it came.... I said hi to my granola/yogurt/fruit I had for breakfast and took a big swig from my camel back to get the taste out of my mouth

It sucks losing gains to injury

[PensFanInDC]

That's cool. I don't want a spine anyway...

[Pen48guins]

So,

In August 2012 I went on the keto diet. I weighted about 230ish. Didn't really do any exercise and got down in the 190s. Started hitting the weights at home. I have a few dumbells and kettle bells and one of those stack gym thingies at home. Started running 3 miles at least twice a week.

I'm not following the diet like I was but I have been watching what I eat and keep it low carbs during my 4 work days. I'm currently back over the 200lb mark. I'm hoping because of muscle gain. I benched my highest max today. 223lbs. Probably could of went a bit heavier.

I live in a tiny apartment. Does anyone know of any decent space saver weight benches. I really want to be able to do bench presses on a regular basis instead of the once or twice every other week when I work out with my brother.

P.S. I hate exercising..... but the results, even the small ones are so addicting.

[JS©]

Anybody doing Mud On The Mountain next weekend?

I think my knee is finally in good enough shape to handle something like this.