The exercise/weight loss thread

[Glen]

Just moved to a place where the elevation is roughly 1800 feet higher than where I was before.  Gonna do my first run there tomorrow, will be interesting to see how different it is.

[Stradling]

I've gained back all the weight plus ten pounds I had taken off two years ago, so back to the gym I go. Today I started up with the personal trainer I had before. I have a crazy hectic work life right now that won't end until just after Christmas, but I'm still hoping to have two sessions a week with the trainer. That along with some good eating and some at home cardio should lead to some decent results. We will see.

[Angels_Make_Me_Drink]

Weight loss is overrated gentlemen. Winter is coming. It is time to stack the pounds on for the harsh SoCal winters

[DowningRules]

DR's weightloss:  Morning:  Egg whites with cheese and bacon or ham omelette.  Snack at 11am:  handful of almonds or peanuts.  Savor them.  Don't eat in one bite.  Black coffee.  Stay away from any kinda creamer for solid bowel movements.  Hard at first but then you get a rhythm. 

 

Lunch:  1/2 pita sandwich stuffed with cheese, ham or turkey, avo, lettuce, lil' bit o' mayo.  Toast that sucker for added texture.  Water.

 

Afternoon snak:  Black coffee.  More nuts.  Gobble them up.

 

Dinner:  Giant iceberg lettuce salad with sunflower seeds and bacon (cooked), more avocado.  Tasty salad dressing, but not subtle application.  Or eat a chicken breast (cooked). 

 

Dessert:  one square of 72% cacao dark chocolate bar.  It will stop you from craving 10 pound of ice cream or frozen yogurt.

 

Eat like a semi-pig on weekend, but don't be slovenly.

 

You will lose weight and thank me in two weeks time.  You will want too keep losing weight this way.  I'm at 174 lbs now.  Down 30 pound from January 2013.

[mp170.6]

Afternoon snak:  Black coffee.  More nuts.  Gobble them up.

 

Really?

[NrM]

I've been out of shape for a while now. In december I'm going to start doing Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program. For anyone interested in putting on weight amd getting stronger, I recommend looking into the program.

[Brandon]

coffee and hard bowel movements don't go hand in hand.

I mentioned something similar to 5/3/1 a while back. anything that gets you motivated or keeps you going is a good thing.

[Stradling]

DR's weightloss: Morning: Egg whites with cheese and bacon or ham omelette. Snack at 11am: handful of almonds or peanuts. Savor them. Don't eat in one bite. Black coffee. Stay away from any kinda creamer for solid bowel movements. Hard at first but then you get a rhythm.

Lunch: 1/2 pita sandwich stuffed with cheese, ham or turkey, avo, lettuce, lil' bit o' mayo. Toast that sucker for added texture. Water.

Afternoon snak: Black coffee. More nuts. Gobble them up.

Dinner: Giant iceberg lettuce salad with sunflower seeds and bacon (cooked), more avocado. Tasty salad dressing, but not subtle application. Or eat a chicken breast (cooked).

Dessert: one square of 72% cacao dark chocolate bar. It will stop you from craving 10 pound of ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Eat like a semi-pig on weekend, but don't be slovenly.

You will lose weight and thank me in two weeks time. You will want too keep losing weight this way. I'm at 174 lbs now. Down 30 pound from January 2013.

Not to nitpick your weight loss plan, but I'm guessing if you don't cook the bacon or chicken breast you will lose just as much weight, maybe more....

[katie]

2 weeks? I hate that male bodies are way faster at losing weight.

[katie]

Oh yeah, DR doesn't drink. That has a lot to do with it.

[Brandon]

I'm actually flexible with the diet this time because I always get burned out. For instance, I used to do Greek yogurt in the morning but the store I go to got rid of the Greek style with the granola add on so now I'm doing reg yogurt with granola....more sugar, but I won't hate life and can eat that constantly without getting some breakfast sandwich. Same with a hunger pang last night I where I just scrambles eggs and made Italian sausage which I wouldn't have done before.

I even snuck in a couple bites of ice cream where before that was a no no.

I'm lucky though in the fact I like simple meals.of chicken and asparagus or broccoli....easy to cook and clean up after. I messed with a bunch of spices too so it's not boring or feels like work to eat.

[Stradling]

Day two with the trainer, I will be sore tomorrow. Today was nothing strenuous, just haven't done it in a year, so my body will be pissed off tomorrow. By the way, throwing a ten pound mush ball high up against a wall then catching it, over and over again, is no joke. That is what will make me the most sore, I am sure. Either that, or the bro rape.

[Brandon]

You'll be good. Minor soreness in the chest where the armpit is, but its not too bad because shoulders take the brunt and even with muscle failure don't really get the pain of chest, tri's, and the worst which is legs.....mainly glutes and hammys.

Props though dude. Hope you have the feel good soreness (like you were productive) and not the pain side.

[Stradling]

Oh it won't be pain, just sore. I have been through it before, and I really can't wait to get where I was with what I could do at the gym. It won't take too long.

[Adam]

Lay off the double doubles too

[Stradling]

I had a Double Single Protein no spread yesterday.

[Brandon]

Just throw in some cock pushups if you eat fast food

[Adam]

Just throw in some cock pushups if you eat fast food

 

Those are key 

[mp170.6]

Need some advice.

 

I have especially long arms.  My arms are probably 3" longer than the average guy my height.  Upper body strength has always been a problem because longer arms require more range of motion with each rep.  I have to pull or push farther each time.  Ever since I was a kid, I've adapted by bearing a lot of weight on my leg muscles.  This is hard to overcome without making a conscious effort to engage my upper body muscles more often.  

 

This is also a bit of a Catch 22 situation because I can't exercise my upper body very well with routine lifting of stuff (i.e. bags of groceries).  With my hands to the side, at chest level, and arms bent at 75° my elbows are still running into door frames, or gates, or block walls.  Once again, the long arm problem. 

 

How do I find a competent trainer that can help me with this problem?  The ones I've tried in the past haven't understood this problem well enough to help.  Most meatheads can't relate as they don't have this problem. 

[Adam]

Need some advice.

 

I have especially long arms.  My arms are probably 3" longer than the average guy my height.  Upper body strength has always been a problem because longer arms require more range of motion with each rep.  I have to pull or push farther each time.  Ever since I was a kid, I've adapted by bearing a lot of weight on my leg muscles.  This is hard to overcome without making a conscious effort to engage my upper body muscles more often.  

 

This is also a bit of a Catch 22 situation because I can't exercise my upper body very well with routine lifting of stuff (i.e. bags of groceries).  With my hands to the side, at chest level, and arms bent at 75° my elbows are still running into door frames, or gates, or block walls.  Once again, the long arm problem. 

 

How do I find a competent trainer that can help me with this problem?  The ones I've tried in the past haven't understood this problem well enough to help.  Most meatheads can't relate as they don't have this problem. 

 

That is an interesting question. I bet wicked would have some knowledge. I would think that you would do normal upper body exercises but without doing full reps. If you're doing bench for example, maybe only bring it down 2/3s of the way. Start light and work you're way up. Any exercises that give you problems, that may be a solution. As you get stronger, rather than up weight, increase the fullness of the rep...I'm not sure if that made sense.

[NrM]

That is an interesting question. I bet wicked would have some knowledge. I would think that you would do normal upper body exercises but without doing full reps. If you're doing bench for example, maybe only bring it down 2/3s of the way. Start light and work you're way up. Any exercises that give you problems, that may be a solution. As you get stronger, rather than up weight, increase the fullness of the rep...I'm not sure if that made sense.

Well I think full range of motion is very important. How about just don't be embarrassed if you have to put up less weight because of your long arms. Start very low and work your way up.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Poozy

[Brandon]

yeah, I'd still do full reps just acclimate to what you can rep consistently.

I'd do workouts that made sure two days a week were bi's/back and the other trip's/chest.

the thing is your length is never going to change so you just have to adapt to it.

[mp170.6]

Well I think full range of motion is very important. How about just don't be embarrassed if you have to put up less weight because of your long arms. Start very low and work your way up.

 

I'm long past the point of being embarrassed. 

 

One thing I should add is that I was deficient in upper body strength as a young 10-year old kid -- long before any of us were lifting weights.  Some politician type decided that 4th graders should be evaluated for physical fitness by seeing whether we could do 1 chin up, and 1 pull up, on the monkey bars.  I was the only kid in my class who failed the test, and no, I wasn't obese or even overweight.  I could get within a couple inches but that was it.

 

The various weight lifting routines I've tried over the years have not been helpful.  That's where I need the guidance.  I don't know if I'm doing the wrong exercises, executing them wrong, not eating enough, etc, etc.

[DowningRules]

Do you have any back problems due to the length of your arms?  One thing to think about is how much work your putting into your back muscles.  I might be concerned that with the length of your arms, you're not giving your core or back enough of a work out.  You may not feel it now, but as you get older it might be an issue.

 

Just something to think about.  Consider your back conditioning and its correlation to your arms. 

[NrM]

I'm long past the point of being embarrassed. 

 

One thing I should add is that I was deficient in upper body strength as a young 10-year old kid -- long before any of us were lifting weights.  Some politician type decided that 4th graders should be evaluated for physical fitness by seeing whether we could do 1 chin up, and 1 pull up, on the monkey bars.  I was the only kid in my class who failed the test, and no, I wasn't obese or even overweight.  I could get within a couple inches but that was it.

 

The various weight lifting routines I've tried over the years have not been helpful.  That's where I need the guidance.  I don't know if I'm doing the wrong exercises, executing them wrong, not eating enough, etc, etc.

If you actually want to gain weight and get stronger then there's a couple programs you can do.

They both focus on the 4 main lifts; Squats, deadlifts, bench press and overhead press.

 

Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength(very simple and you'll see the fastest gains)

Jim Wendler's 5/3/1(Little more complicated and slower gains, but the program will last longer)

 

Definitely look into it. If you do decide to go with either one of them, I recommend reading their book.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Poozy