Gym/Exercise Thread

[Kraftster]

I am set to see an orthopedic doctor next Tuesday. I will be extremely disappointed if I have to rest it from impact exercise for 6-8 weeks. I was really making good progress....

Your going to the doctor because your foot hurts from running....one more reason you shouldn't have a low premium low deductible Insurance plan.

Haha. I originally made the appointment to get a professional to look at the bone chip in my right ankle, which I've been avoiding since college. Then this came up. The pain is tolerable, but the golf ball sized lump in my ankle does not seem right.

[steelhammer]

What about low-impact exercise like cycling? Can you do that while you recover? You can still maintain your fitness level and perhaps gain on it. Perhaps you might end up liking it better than running. I was in the same boat 5 years ago and I never looked back at running (sprinting, in my case).

[The Snapshot]

This is my new workout:

http://thechive.com/2012/10/16/a-workout-so-bizarre-even-this-mans-body-is-all-like-wtf-man-video/

[Kraftster]

What about low-impact exercise like cycling? Can you do that while you recover? You can still maintain your fitness level and perhaps gain on it. Perhaps you might end up liking it better than running. I was in the same boat 5 years ago and I never looked back at running (sprinting, in my case).

yeah, that's what I'd have to explore. cycling or swimming, I guess. Its not like I wouldn't benefit from lifting during a hiatus from running, I just want to try to maintain some of the fitness level that I was getting back so I don't have to start from scratch all over again.

[steelhammer]

What about low-impact exercise like cycling? Can you do that while you recover? You can still maintain your fitness level and perhaps gain on it. Perhaps you might end up liking it better than running. I was in the same boat 5 years ago and I never looked back at running (sprinting, in my case).

yeah, that's what I'd have to explore. cycling or swimming, I guess. Its not like I wouldn't benefit from lifting during a hiatus from running, I just want to try to maintain some of the fitness level that I was getting back so I don't have to start from scratch all over again.

If you aren't already training with weights, I would highly recommend that as well (sorry for glossing over that). It's not like you have to go to the gym 5 days a week for 90 minute session. Three 30 minute sessions per week would do just fine, assuming you keep up a high intensity level and focus on compound exercises.

Cycling can be approached a lot of different ways. I don't even ride much at all in the city anymore since it's not exactly the safest bet to make. Off-road riding like rail/river trails or mtn biking can be both fun and challenging. Don't get the wrong idea about mtn biking. You don't need to slam mtn dew and break your bones to be successful. There are trails for EVERY skill level. Indoor bike training is good too. Just put on a movie or tv in front of you and have at it. Highly recommended for winter training.

If you can handle swimming, all the more power to you. I suck at it so I never give it an honest try.

Bottom line, don't get discouraged. One door has closed, but there are so many other possibilities and like I said, you might end up liking one of them better. At the very least, it will make you feel better to do something than just sitting idle.

[columbia]

About 5 years ago, I lived at a place with a swimming pool. I swam every morning and was in the best shape of my life, since I ran cross country in HS.

I fully recommend it.

[Kraftster]

What about low-impact exercise like cycling? Can you do that while you recover? You can still maintain your fitness level and perhaps gain on it. Perhaps you might end up liking it better than running. I was in the same boat 5 years ago and I never looked back at running (sprinting, in my case).

yeah, that's what I'd have to explore. cycling or swimming, I guess. Its not like I wouldn't benefit from lifting during a hiatus from running, I just want to try to maintain some of the fitness level that I was getting back so I don't have to start from scratch all over again.

If you aren't already training with weights, I would highly recommend that as well (sorry for glossing over that). It's not like you have to go to the gym 5 days a week for 90 minute session. Three 30 minute sessions per week would do just fine, assuming you keep up a high intensity level and focus on compound exercises.

Cycling can be approached a lot of different ways. I don't even ride much at all in the city anymore since it's not exactly the safest bet to make. Off-road riding like rail/river trails or mtn biking can be both fun and challenging. Don't get the wrong idea about mtn biking. You don't need to slam mtn dew and break your bones to be successful. There are trails for EVERY skill level. Indoor bike training is good too. Just put on a movie or tv in front of you and have at it. Highly recommended for winter training.

If you can handle swimming, all the more power to you. I suck at it so I never give it an honest try.

Bottom line, don't get discouraged. One door has closed, but there are so many other possibilities and like I said, you might end up liking one of them better. At the very least, it will make you feel better to do something than just sitting idle.

Appreciate the tips. Yeah, I've done no weight training at all -- was basically on the couch and in the work chair for the past 8 years. With diet and exercise (running) I've dropped 30 lbs in 2012, but I've still got some more to lose (5'11 196) since I've got essentially no muscle mass other than what I've put on my legs from running. So, like I said, there's LOTS of other stuff that would be useful for me. Three 30 minute sessions per week is about perfect for my schedule. Given the foregoing, is there anything that fits the bill/is worthwhile that I could manage to do at home?

[Troy Loney]

You should pick up a Men's Health Mag, there are some good quick exercise routines that they outline in each issue. If your starting from scratch, you could probably manage with just a set of 45 lb d-bells and a space in your basement. You'd probably just want to start with just the big muscles, so you can do push ups, an upight row, dead lift and squat.

[bh]

Started to use a calorie counter app. Holy crap is this thing awesome! Really makes me see what I am eating and when I need to stop. We'll see if it helps with a little weight loss though. Bought a small food scale as well. I am going to go for 1.5 lbs per week. Would like to end up around 180ish lbs.

[columbia]

I was off coffee for a period and started back with only decaf a few months ago. I've lost 10 pounds from the tiny amount of caffeine in it.....no other change in my diet or exercise.

So I'm back the same weight when I originally stopped drinking coffee.

[bh]

I went from drinking a whole pot of coffee in the morning to nothing for the last couple months. I had two cups this morning and my heart has been flutterng/racing/felt funny all day? At least i hope it's from the coffee.

[columbia]

It's the coffee.....I'v had a stray cup here and there and it almost makes me want to puke, because I'm so sped up.

[shafnutz05]

Started to use a calorie counter app. Holy crap is this thing awesome! Really makes me see what I am eating and when I need to stop. We'll see if it helps with a little weight loss though. Bought a small food scale as well. I am going to go for 1.5 lbs per week. Would like to end up around 180ish lbs.

Calorie counter and food scale have been a godsend for me.

[PensFanInDC]

Started to use a calorie counter app. Holy crap is this thing awesome! Really makes me see what I am eating and when I need to stop. We'll see if it helps with a little weight loss though. Bought a small food scale as well. I am going to go for 1.5 lbs per week. Would like to end up around 180ish lbs.

Just be careful. It's not the amount of calories you intake but where they come from. 100 calories of grass fed beef is totally different from 100 calories of donut. You will burn most of the calories from the beef just digesting it. The calories from the donut, however, need more physical work to burn off.

[DudeMan2766]

I eat chicken breasts almost daily. Running out of ways to not make it boring.

[PensFanInDC]

I eat chicken breasts almost daily. Running out of ways to not make it boring.

Raw. Definitely not boring...

[DudeMan2766]

I eat chicken breasts almost daily. Running out of ways to not make it boring.

Raw. Definitely not boring...

That'll just be a gateway to eating live chickens after I get bored with that.

[JS©]

Did something to my knee about a week and a half ago. Went running earlier in the day, eventually met up with a friend for a beer later that evening. Was in mid-jog trying to make up time, and when I came to a stop I don't know what I did but my knee buckled. It hasn't been the same since. A week+ later, I can walk almost normal. If I'm on my feet for any extended time, I go back into a walk where I'm favoring one leg more than another. I still can't walk up steps or in some cases even off a high curb without noticeable pain.

I thought maybe it might have been a sprain or something along those lines, so I figure rest, ice, and stuff like that would be good for it. After a week, I figured it wasn't getting any better so they finally got me in for an appointment tomorrow afternoon. Not sure what to expect since this is the first injury I've had that hasn't gone away after a week.

[steelhammer]

What about low-impact exercise like cycling? Can you do that while you recover? You can still maintain your fitness level and perhaps gain on it. Perhaps you might end up liking it better than running. I was in the same boat 5 years ago and I never looked back at running (sprinting, in my case).

yeah, that's what I'd have to explore. cycling or swimming, I guess. Its not like I wouldn't benefit from lifting during a hiatus from running, I just want to try to maintain some of the fitness level that I was getting back so I don't have to start from scratch all over again.

If you aren't already training with weights, I would highly recommend that as well (sorry for glossing over that). It's not like you have to go to the gym 5 days a week for 90 minute session. Three 30 minute sessions per week would do just fine, assuming you keep up a high intensity level and focus on compound exercises.

Cycling can be approached a lot of different ways. I don't even ride much at all in the city anymore since it's not exactly the safest bet to make. Off-road riding like rail/river trails or mtn biking can be both fun and challenging. Don't get the wrong idea about mtn biking. You don't need to slam mtn dew and break your bones to be successful. There are trails for EVERY skill level. Indoor bike training is good too. Just put on a movie or tv in front of you and have at it. Highly recommended for winter training.

If you can handle swimming, all the more power to you. I suck at it so I never give it an honest try.

Bottom line, don't get discouraged. One door has closed, but there are so many other possibilities and like I said, you might end up liking one of them better. At the very least, it will make you feel better to do something than just sitting idle.

Appreciate the tips. Yeah, I've done no weight training at all -- was basically on the couch and in the work chair for the past 8 years. With diet and exercise (running) I've dropped 30 lbs in 2012, but I've still got some more to lose (5'11 196) since I've got essentially no muscle mass other than what I've put on my legs from running. So, like I said, there's LOTS of other stuff that would be useful for me. Three 30 minute sessions per week is about perfect for my schedule. Given the foregoing, is there anything that fits the bill/is worthwhile that I could manage to do at home?

You can do everything you need at home, provided that you have the equipment. Do you have room for a set of adjustable dumbbells and or barbell? While it may require a larger initial investment, you will save money and time (emphasis added) if you can exercise at home. Let's say you had barbell and dumbbells - here's an example of a good 3x week workout. It will involve 20 minutes of strength training and 10 minutes of metabolic conditioning (essentially, cardio with weights). The metabolic conditioning (met-cons) should be done for 6-10 minutes with minimal rest and should be difficult. Similar to things you might see in Crossfit.

Monday: Romanian Dead Lift (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnBREGM7pE0) [3 sets of 12], Pull ups or some variation, [3 sets to failure] Javorek Complex (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUkmSxhRddI) [6-10 minutes]

Wednesday: Overhead Press (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJFjYyA40ss) [3 sets of 12], Barbell Shrug (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5oQvog_fGU) [3 sets of 12], Skull Crushers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_KZxkY_0cM) [2 sets of 12], Javorek Complex (maybe add in some push ups too?)

Friday: Dumbbell Lunge (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7KaRcUTQeE) [3 sets of 12 for each leg], Barbell or one-arm rows (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9efgcAjQe7E) [3 sets of 12], Javorek Complex

The suggestions above are just a template that you can add from if you like, but you can get in great shape simply doing the exercises listed CONSISTENTLY. Trying to work around your no impact status, so I didn't put too much thought into the met-cons. There is an infinite number of combinations you can do there. I think the Javorek Complex is good though because it has the all the tools you want in a met-con: compound exercises, hit lots of different muscle groups, flow from one exercise to another. You'll be surprised how quick it can get you tired after just a few rounds. You can play around with the number of reps you do. Maybe add in some push ups and lunges as well? See how much you can do in 8 minutes and only rest when absolutely necessary (and keep the rest intervals short to boot). Good luck.

[Rylan]

I am excited to get back into a regime. Its going to hurt, but I missed it so much.

[Grunthy]

Started to use a calorie counter app. Holy crap is this thing awesome! Really makes me see what I am eating and when I need to stop. We'll see if it helps with a little weight loss though. Bought a small food scale as well. I am going to go for 1.5 lbs per week. Would like to end up around 180ish lbs.

Just be careful. It's not the amount of calories you intake but where they come from. 100 calories of grass fed beef is totally different from 100 calories of donut. You will burn most of the calories from the beef just digesting it. The calories from the donut, however, need more physical work to burn off.

calories are calories. It is just energy. If two people burn 2,500 calories per day, but one person eat 5,000 calories of apples and celery per day while the other eats 2,000 calories of lard and chocolate. Guess who will lose weight. The person that eats lard and chocolate. Yes nutrition is important, very important, but the main driver in weight gain or loss is calorie intake, no difference in what makes a calorie.

[PensFanInDC]

Started to use a calorie counter app. Holy crap is this thing awesome! Really makes me see what I am eating and when I need to stop. We'll see if it helps with a little weight loss though. Bought a small food scale as well. I am going to go for 1.5 lbs per week. Would like to end up around 180ish lbs.

Just be careful. It's not the amount of calories you intake but where they come from. 100 calories of grass fed beef is totally different from 100 calories of donut. You will burn most of the calories from the beef just digesting it. The calories from the donut, however, need more physical work to burn off.

calories are calories. It is just energy. If two people burn 2,500 calories per day, but one person eat 5,000 calories of apples and celery per day while the other eats 2,000 calories of lard and chocolate. Guess who will lose weight. The person that eats lard and chocolate. Yes nutrition is important, very important, but the main driver in weight gain or loss is calorie intake, no difference in what makes a calorie.

I'm on my phone so I don't have the links right now so I'll start with asking if you think empty calories exist. Other certainly does matter where you get the calories from.

And I happen to eat a lot of dark chocolate and fat :-)

[Grunthy]

Started to use a calorie counter app. Holy crap is this thing awesome! Really makes me see what I am eating and when I need to stop. We'll see if it helps with a little weight loss though. Bought a small food scale as well. I am going to go for 1.5 lbs per week. Would like to end up around 180ish lbs.

Just be careful. It's not the amount of calories you intake but where they come from. 100 calories of grass fed beef is totally different from 100 calories of donut. You will burn most of the calories from the beef just digesting it. The calories from the donut, however, need more physical work to burn off.

calories are calories. It is just energy. If two people burn 2,500 calories per day, but one person eat 5,000 calories of apples and celery per day while the other eats 2,000 calories of lard and chocolate. Guess who will lose weight. The person that eats lard and chocolate. Yes nutrition is important, very important, but the main driver in weight gain or loss is calorie intake, no difference in what makes a calorie.

I'm on my phone so I don't have the links right now so I'll start with asking if you think empty calories exist. Other certainly does matter where you get the calories from.

And I happen to eat a lot of dark chocolate and fat

an empty calorie is just a name people assign to something with no nutritional value.

[bh]

Started to use a calorie counter app. Holy crap is this thing awesome! Really makes me see what I am eating and when I need to stop. We'll see if it helps with a little weight loss though. Bought a small food scale as well. I am going to go for 1.5 lbs per week. Would like to end up around 180ish lbs.

Calorie counter and food scale have been a godsend for me.

Yeah, I didn't think it would help so much. I can't fool myself anymore thinking I've eaten less than I really have. So you must have had some success with this method?

[count2infinity]

by definition, every calorie is equal.