Fitness

[DragonmasterDan]

So like many people with a desk job and bad eating habits, as the years have gone by my level of fitness has dropped to unhealthy levels. This week I've started dieting and perhaps just as importantly joined a gym to try to get into better shape. Outside of my high school and college gyms, I've not really worked out at a proper gym before but am getting in the habit of going immediately after work everyday.

My question for the board is do you go to the gym? If so how often? What kind of workouts do you do?

[JoshTurboTrollX]

No gym (but possibly in the future)

I try to get my exercising done in the AM before work whether that's just following a workout DVD (DDP Yoga, P90X) or if the weather is nice, I go for a 3-5 mile jog.

I'm not super athletic or anything, but I'm in way better shape now than I was 10 years ago.  (roughly 60 lbs lighter)

Dan, are you looking to just drop weight or build muscle? 

PS: I've seen your calves, they're HUGE!!

[DragonmasterDan]

Dan, are you looking to just drop weight or build muscle? 

PS: I've seen your calves, they're HUGE!!

Looking to drop weight primarily.

When I was in high school/college I used to be able to do the max on my high school and college leg press machines which was 2500 lbs or so. I also used to be able to dunk a basketball, so my legs are pretty strong but definitely not where they were a decade ago.

[ClodBusted]

I don't visit the gym, but I'm running every weekend, between 5 to 15 km depending on who is going with me. Some years ago I participated at a 21 km half marathon, and I'd like to repeat that.

EDIT: By the way, this is the kind of music that helped me surviving that run:
http://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/40094?tags=512kb

[mitsuman]

I go to the fitness center at my wife's work about twice a week, but am looking at increasing that. I go Saturday and Sunday morning, for about an hour a piece. One day I will ride the stationary bike for an hour. The other day I will work on upper back, shoulders, and abs.

Last year when I was dealing with depression, I got the fantastic idea to put on a bunch of weight to hurry along my inevitable death. Since I have high blood pressure and a bad heart (not weight related, I was diagnosed with it all when I was 17 and in prime health), I figured the quick increase in weight would do me in. No suicide means wife still gets my life insurance.
Well I worked through all of that, and am now working to drop all of that weight. I have gone down about 5 or 6 pounds in the past couple weeks because I finally got my diet under control. Now I just have to get my work out routine back in order and I should start dropping weight quicker. But in the end, I would really like to build a little bit of mass and tone up a lot.

A quick note on P90X, I did that 5 or 6 years ago, and dropped about 25 pounds in the 90 days. It was fantastic.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

"Gym?  What's a gym?"

My exercising is limited to bike riding (~10 miles a day when it's nice out) and 12 ounce arm curls.

[cjameslv]

"Gym?  What's a gym?"

My exercising is limited to bike riding (~10 miles a day when it's nice out) and 12 ounce arm curls.

Ahh this is me as well. I have a really nice bike trail that passes right behind my house and goes all the way to a wetlands preserve. Its a 8 mile loop there and back. Just got a road bike and what a difference from a mountain bike!

[NightWolve]

Some things that are working for me:

- Instead of driving, walk through the McDonald's drive-thru for your big macs.
- Let Majors talk you into walking "just across the parking lot" to buy your liquor.
- Use a shopping basket instead of a cart, it builds upper body strength to carry all those twinkies and energy drinks around the store with you.
- Keep one foot on the floor when weighing yourself.

That last one has been most effective for me, but I'm thinking about experimenting with tapeworms to break this plateau.

[wildfruit]

I've actually lost half a stone over the last couple of months just by eating less and doing a bit of wii fit u. The gym is a bridge too far for me.

[xcrement5x]

I used to go pretty regularly and was lifting but stopped because of life (and a baby!) so I've been slowly ramping back into it.  My work offers a free gym in the building so I normally do basic cadio while watching anime/tv or something.  I may get back into lifting again but instead use a coach to help make sure I keep proper form and such.

If you are going for weight loss like others said, diet is extremely important, and I have been told that lower intensity longer time is the best (with some caveats), but my number 1 advice is to pace yourself on starting out exercise.  I have seen a lot of folks go super gung ho then work out too long/or recklessly and strain or hurt themselves and get stuck waiting a couple weeks to a month to heal so they could start again.  Loosing that inertia in the routine is horrible and makes it hard to get back going to the gym again. 

[bartre]

I lol'd at the "across the parking lot" -mgc was grand

I try to go 3x a week, and do different things on each visit.
I swim one day, legs/abs/lower back the next, arms/chest/upper back the next
The two most important things are safety and varying your workout.

I'm sure you know this, but it's important to change your diet as well
Two hours at the gym is essentially ruined by a couple sodas.
Honestly though, I've found that drinking more water and just slimming the amount you eat helps hugely

[DragonmasterDan]

I lol'd at the "across the parking lot" -mgc was grand

I try to go 3x a week, and do different things on each visit.
I swim one day, legs/abs/lower back the next, arms/chest/upper back the next
The two most important things are safety and varying your workout.

I'm sure you know this, but it's important to change your diet as well
Two hours at the gym is essentially ruined by a couple sodas.
Honestly though, I've found that drinking more water and just slimming the amount you eat helps hugely

I've given up on non-diet soda. Drinking a lot of water, and have been watching what I've been eating. With that said I'm only on day 3.

[o.pwuaioc]

I've found that seltzer, even cheap seltzer, really curbs my appetite when I want a snack. I've only lost 5 pounds since, but I blame work right now for not having enough time to run. My goal is to get to under 190 by the end of the summer.

[mitsuman]

I've found that seltzer, even cheap seltzer, really curbs my appetite when I want a snack. I've only lost 5 pounds since, but I blame work right now for not having enough time to run. My goal is to get to under 190 by the end of the summer.

I would think seltzer works about the same way as eating a fiber rich food would. It "fills" you up with gasses.

I have a zip lock bag full of almonds at my desk. I eat a handful, and they tend to tide me over for a couple hours.

[Dicer]

I'm rocking a well maintained "dad bod" which seems to be all the rage, so I'm gonna leave it as is...

[xcrement5x]

I'm rocking a well maintained "dad bod" which seems to be all the rage, so I'm gonna leave it as is...

Is that the belly which is created from eating all the food that your kids won't finish?  Because currently I have one of those starting to come in myself.  :O

[Dicer]

I'm rocking a well maintained "dad bod" which seems to be all the rage, so I'm gonna leave it as is...

Is that the belly which is created from eating all the food that your kids won't finish?  Because currently I have one of those starting to come in myself.  :O

Yep, that certainly adds to the mass...

[munchiaz]

ive been hitting the gym up about 3 times a week for the past few months. So far i have lost 10 pounds, and i have put on a decent amount of muscle. I have a personal trainer (5 more sessions left) right now, which has helped to just learn a variety of different workouts. I usually tend to run for about 10 minutes to warm up, then i focus on lifting, for upper body, and squats and the like for lower.

I'm getting a little board with the gym, so once my 5 training sessions are complete im going to join a gym that offers muay thai classes.

[o.pwuaioc]

I've found that seltzer, even cheap seltzer, really curbs my appetite when I want a snack. I've only lost 5 pounds since, but I blame work right now for not having enough time to run. My goal is to get to under 190 by the end of the summer.

I would think seltzer works about the same way as eating a fiber rich food would. It "fills" you up with gasses.

Yep, sure does. Thing is, I do a lot of computer work, so I tend to want to snack to keep it from being monotonous. Coffee and seltzer has largely (but not completely) curbed that. I'm OK with being filled up so my body doesn't think it's hungry until an actual meal (and then, of course, I try to eat healthful foods, and not too much of it; calories in, calories out, you know?).

[DragonmasterDan]

ive been hitting the gym up about 3 times a week for the past few months. So far i have lost 10 pounds, and i have put on a decent amount of muscle. I have a personal trainer (5 more sessions left) right now, which has helped to just learn a variety of different workouts. I usually tend to run for about 10 minutes to warm up, then i focus on lifting, for upper body, and squats and the like for lower.

I'm getting a little board with the gym, so once my 5 training sessions are complete im going to join a gym that offers muay thai classes. 

I've met with the personal trainer once and have a consultation with them again tommorow. After that I may try to schedule a weekly or bi-weekly meeting to help me with progress. How helpful has your personal trainer been?

[turbokon]

Good for you Dan:).

I work out two to three times at week.  During the week days, i go right after work. I mostly been doing upper body workout but I also do karate PT's once a week.  Doing the little things will help you for sure like quitting pop, cut on the sweets and carbs, walk more and use the stairs, etc.  For me its carb that is my biggest problem.  I'm Asian so I grew up on rice.  I have switch to brown rice for the most part for the past few months.

[cr8zykuban0]

i've been trying to also hit the gym more often as of last week since i chose to wait until getting close to summer time lol although skating helps a lot, i'm sure lots of cardio at the gym will help get me to where i want to be.

when it comes to eating, i've been drinking a lot of more but food wise, i got a lot of work to do lol

[SamIAm]

My current fitness plan is being too much of a cheapskate to buy new pants when my abdomen starts to enlarge. The constant discomfort is pretty good at putting me off from snacking.

I actually moved in with my girlfriend last year (married her two months ago, too). Before that, I used to lift every night in my house. These days, I just can't find the time, but in the last few weeks, I've been doing just a little before eating dinner. Also, during break time at work, I climb the building's six flights of stairs a few times. Hey, it helps.

[seieienbu]

Just as I finished a big project last July I decided that I didn't like how I looked due to inactivity, diet, age, etc.  So I picked up a scale and it read 230.  I decided that was unacceptable and first changed my diet and started some moderate exercise: first a lot of walking, then some running, and I joined a gym at the first of this year.  I go to the gym 3~4 times a week and lift weights and go for the occasional run around the neighborhood on other days. 

I'm 195 at this point and I'm shooting for 175.  At that point I figure I'll re-evaluate what I want to do based on how I look/feel and plan accordingly.  I'm pretty happy with what I'm doing at the moment though; my weight has gone down, my runs are getting faster/further, and the amount of weight I'm lifting is going up.

[Digi.k]

I do weights but at home when I have time and space.. I pop onto the wii fit which is great if you can stick to it.  Also the dance central games are great as an exerciser

[esteban]

Jesus Christ. I love eating and I have been battling with my weight for 10+ years.

Working out/exercise is not enough, because I can easily eat 3-4 dinners a night if I stay up late.


I hate everyone in this thread who is healthy, exercises regularly, and lost weight. DAMN YOU ALL! I hate it when I am confronted with the truth. I don't want to reduce my food intake.

Damn you all. Except Nulltard.

P.S. I lost 5 pounds by only eating 1-2 dinners a night for the past 3 weeks. BUT, this only worked because I went to bed early every night.

P.P.S. I'm serious about everything I said, you skeptical bastards.

[BigusSchmuck]

I play wii sports, that's enough fitness for me.

[esteban]

I play wii sports, that's enough fitness for me.

I play XaviX Boxing and Jackie Chan Power Mat.

That's all I need

[munchiaz]

ive been hitting the gym up about 3 times a week for the past few months. So far i have lost 10 pounds, and i have put on a decent amount of muscle. I have a personal trainer (5 more sessions left) right now, which has helped to just learn a variety of different workouts. I usually tend to run for about 10 minutes to warm up, then i focus on lifting, for upper body, and squats and the like for lower.

I'm getting a little board with the gym, so once my 5 training sessions are complete im going to join a gym that offers muay thai classes. 

I've met with the personal trainer once and have a consultation with them again tommorow. After that I may try to schedule a weekly or bi-weekly meeting to help me with progress. How helpful has your personal trainer been?

My experience with personal trainers has been awful. But i blame the gym that i'm currently going to. I'm at Youfit right now. its one of those $10 a month gyms. I have had about 8 sessions so far and i have had 4 different trainers so far. Mind you these sessions have been going on since March. I had to travel for work, and then i had my Japan trip. I'll be glad once they are over so i can move on to muay thai classes.
The sessions def helped with learning new ways to work out, but honestly thats about it. I have the motivation myself to workout, so i don't need a trainer for that. Also, it cost a good amount of money. So you have to weigh your options. If you are willing to do research on workouts and stuff then you most likely don't need a trainer

[DragonmasterDan]

My experience with personal trainers has been awful. But i blame the gym that i'm currently going to. I'm at Youfit right now. its one of those $10 a month gyms. I have had about 8 sessions so far and i have had 4 different trainers so far. Mind you these sessions have been going on since March. I had to travel for work, and then i had my Japan trip. I'll be glad once they are over so i can move on to muay thai classes.
The sessions def helped with learning new ways to work out, but honestly thats about it. I have the motivation myself to workout, so i don't need a trainer for that. Also, it cost a good amount of money. So you have to weigh your options. If you are willing to do research on workouts and stuff then you most likely don't need a trainer

The gym I joined has a discount program through my employer's health and welness page. It's 30.00 a month but is near my house and has a nice big facility. The personal trainer costs are very high wanting you to sign 28 week or one year personal trainer contracts. Probably a lot easier to just research what to work out and when.

[xcrement5x]

My experience with personal trainers has been awful. But i blame the gym that i'm currently going to. I'm at Youfit right now. its one of those $10 a month gyms. I have had about 8 sessions so far and i have had 4 different trainers so far. Mind you these sessions have been going on since March. I had to travel for work, and then i had my Japan trip. I'll be glad once they are over so i can move on to muay thai classes.
The sessions def helped with learning new ways to work out, but honestly thats about it. I have the motivation myself to workout, so i don't need a trainer for that. Also, it cost a good amount of money. So you have to weigh your options. If you are willing to do research on workouts and stuff then you most likely don't need a trainer

The gym I joined has a discount program through my employer's health and welness page. It's 30.00 a month but is near my house and has a nice big facility. The personal trainer costs are very high wanting you to sign 28 week or one year personal trainer contracts. Probably a lot easier to just research what to work out and when.

Woah yeah, that's a red flag.  Any good trainer would let you do a couple one off sessions for free or possibly at an individual rate. 

[munchiaz]

My experience with personal trainers has been awful. But i blame the gym that i'm currently going to. I'm at Youfit right now. its one of those $10 a month gyms. I have had about 8 sessions so far and i have had 4 different trainers so far. Mind you these sessions have been going on since March. I had to travel for work, and then i had my Japan trip. I'll be glad once they are over so i can move on to muay thai classes.
The sessions def helped with learning new ways to work out, but honestly thats about it. I have the motivation myself to workout, so i don't need a trainer for that. Also, it cost a good amount of money. So you have to weigh your options. If you are willing to do research on workouts and stuff then you most likely don't need a trainer

The gym I joined has a discount program through my employer's health and welness page. It's 30.00 a month but is near my house and has a nice big facility. The personal trainer costs are very high wanting you to sign 28 week or one year personal trainer contracts. Probably a lot easier to just research what to work out and when.

28 weeks, or one year?!?!?!. Yeah no thank you. I say just do your research, and once you get bored of simply working out, you can join a gym and learn MMA,Boxing, Muay Thai ect.

[technozombie]

I've lost about 25 pounds since Nov '14. My wife's neurologist put her on a Keto diet and I did it too, to lose weight but also to support her. A keto diet is a low carb diet.  We do have a "splurge" day on Saturday that keeps us sane. It's very important to keep the splurge day to just one day a week though. Basically our diet consists of meat and vegetables. Once you break away from the carb addiction(it literally is an addiction) it gets easier. I also dropped Coke and bought a Sodastream, now I just drink the carbonated water. At the same time in Nov. I started jogging now I'm up to 3miles/5k  almost every single day.

[crazydean]

I have been exercising for about 10 years. Goals change and so do workouts. For the most part it has been lifting, but at one point I was running 7-8mi 3x a week. Right now I'm looking to add mass in places that I have been cheating on for so long: back, traps, and shoulders. Right now I work out 4x a week and it seems to be getting me where I want.

As for personal trainers, I say that they can be helpful, but if they won't work with you and demand a 6 month contract, screw that. It's obvious they have no desire to help you and only line their own pockets.

If you're looking for exercises and tips, check out Scooby's Workshop: http://scoobysworkshop.com/
He gets a good bit of hate, but I think he is really helpful. He has a lot of good information, especially for beginners.

[BlueBMW]

When I moved to colorado last summer I weight about 205.  I cut out most soda and started eating less unhealthy and overall just less food.  In about 3 months I had dropped down to about 180.  I have tried some other workout stuff but its sometimes hard to make the time for it each day.

Right now I'm seriously looking into a good bike to ride to work.  Its only about 2.8 miles each way and its 95% bike paths or bike lanes to get there.  And with the 300 days of sunshine we get here in Colorado its perfectly viable....  We will see.

[DragonmasterDan]

So in a little over two weeks since I started my new diet and exercise regimen and I'm noticing my clothes are quite a bit looser. I have more energy and physically am feeling quite a bit better. I've hit the gym every day since I joined for at least 45 minutes with a mix of cardio and some strength training.

[munchiaz]

So in a little over two weeks since I started my new diet and exercise regimen and I'm noticing my clothes are quite a bit looser. I have more energy and physically am feeling quite a bit better. I've hit the gym every day since I joined for at least 45 minutes with a mix of cardio and some strength training.

Awesome man. Keep it up. I just joined a new gym focused on MMA training. I will be taking some Muay Thai classes, and also training with a friend of mine

[roflmao]

Woo hoo! Go Dan!

I think this thread has inspired me to be a little more mindful of my own fitness schedule.  Lately I've been more consistent about going for walks during my lunch break and have increased the length of them from 2 to 3 miles per walk. Also, I've been riding my bike more on the weekends.  I took a 14 mile ride on Sunday, which is my longest by far.

[NightWolve]

I have decided to cut out my coca colas as well and switch to iced water. Drinking a glass of cold water before and after a meal gives you a bit extra full feeling, minus say 100 calories with a coke, and causes a minor burn of calories. It's a dieting trick I read, not to mention it helps keep you well hydrated which has many benefits to your health.

[esteban]

I have decided to cut out my coca colas as well and switch to iced water. Drinking a glass of cold water before and after a meal gives you a bit extra full feeling, minus say 100 calories with a coke, and causes a minor burn of calories. It's a dieting trick I read, not to mention it helps keep you well hydrated which has many benefits to your health.

This is an old, but trusted, urination trick. Drink more water, and you will urinate.

[NightWolve]

Heh.

[o.pwuaioc]

I love an ice-cold water after a big, hot meal. Feels more satisfying, and despite the superstitious, it's really good for you.

[jeffhlewis]

Dan:

Glad to hear you're taking the plunge - I definitely reccommend a personal trainer if you're starting out seriously for the first time (or even if you're coming back into exercising after a long hiatus). They can get you set up with a routine, make sure you're doing it correctly and safely, and in a lot of cases can set you up with things like diet plans and whatnot. They definitely run a little on the expensive side, but if you look at it as an investment and pay up front it's a little easier to swallow.

Some tips and/or things that worked for me:
1.) Going along with the trainer thing - I find that having someone instruct/coach/yell at me gives me 2-3x better results than just working out on my own. This doesn't mean you have to have a private instructor - look for things like boot camps and group fitness to get the same experience at a lower price (there's a new-ish chain of gyms called Orange Theory Fitness that does this pretty well).

2.) Get some workout videos and some gear to use at home for when winter hits or for days where you just don't get a chance to go to the gym. P90X, as cliche as it is, is a fantastic workout and has lots of variety. I haven't done Insanity but I've heard good things about that as well. Pick up some basic gym supplies - resistance bands, a yoga mat, some weights, maybe a medicine ball or two...there's a lot you can do at home with that stuff.

3.) Beware of the plateau - when you start out, you'll lose a ton of weight and see crazy results fast...then over time your workout regimen will become a routine, and visible results will come a lot slower (or stop altogether). If you reach this "plateau" you might want to try something new, alter muscle groups on different days, buy a couple training sessions, join a spin class...etc...

4.) Diet is crazy-important to weight loss and maintenance - almost more important than going to the gym, in my opinion. Drink a ton of water, as everyone has said. Cut out soda as much as you can (that includes Diet Soda, which I've personally scaled back on a ton...and I love diet soda like no other). Think in terms of calories-input vs. calories-output. If you eat that value meal, you've just negated like 2 days worth of workout in some cases.

Good luck!

[DragonmasterDan]

Dan:

Glad to hear you're taking the plunge - I definitely reccommend a personal trainer if you're starting out seriously for the first time (or even if you're coming back into exercising after a long hiatus). They can get you set up with a routine, make sure you're doing it correctly and safely, and in a lot of cases can set you up with things like diet plans and whatnot. They definitely run a little on the expensive side, but if you look at it as an investment and pay up front it's a little easier to swallow.

Some tips and/or things that worked for me:
1.) Going along with the trainer thing - I find that having someone instruct/coach/yell at me gives me 2-3x better results than just working out on my own. This doesn't mean you have to have a private instructor - look for things like boot camps and group fitness to get the same experience at a lower price (there's a new-ish chain of gyms called Orange Theory Fitness that does this pretty well).

The gym I joined offers various classes that are free with membership. I may attend some of those. Thus far (only three weeks in) I'm noticing excellent results but I realize that's going to taper off over time. I'm feeling considerably stronger. I've definitely lost some weight. Both upper and lower body strength and endurance have improved at levels I never would have expected. I definitely need to work on my core more.

I may eventually hire a personal trainer, but not through the gym, check Craigslist and look for an independent one that doesn't require a long term contract.

2.) Get some workout videos and some gear to use at home for when winter hits or for days where you just don't get a chance to go to the gym. P90X, as cliche as it is, is a fantastic workout and has lots of variety. I haven't done Insanity but I've heard good things about that as well. Pick up some basic gym supplies - resistance bands, a yoga mat, some weights, maybe a medicine ball or two...there's a lot you can do at home with that stuff.

I've been trying to do my core exercises at home, usually either right when I wake up or right before I get ready to wind things down for the night. I may hit a secondhand sports store and look for a mat, and some weights, I've been checking thrifts for it without much luck.

3.) Beware of the plateau - when you start out, you'll lose a ton of weight and see crazy results fast...then over time your workout regimen will become a routine, and visible results will come a lot slower (or stop altogether). If you reach this "plateau" you might want to try something new, alter muscle groups on different days, buy a couple training sessions, join a spin class...etc...

Yep, changing up my routine is going to be key. I've watched a lot of youtube videos on adding variety to your workouts.

4.) Diet is crazy-important to weight loss and maintenance - almost more important than going to the gym, in my opinion. Drink a ton of water, as everyone has said. Cut out soda as much as you can (that includes Diet Soda, which I've personally scaled back on a ton...and I love diet soda like no other). Think in terms of calories-input vs. calories-output. If you eat that value meal, you've just negated like 2 days worth of workout in some cases.

I'm keeping a pretty close eye on calories and trying to emphasize protein over carbs. I am drinking diet soda as I have a rather awful caffeine addiction and need it in my system to wake up early in the morning. I drink way more water than diet soda though and have totally dropped drinking regular soda.

Good luck!

Thanks!

[mitsuman]

FINALLY got around to working on my arms today. Went to the fitness center/gym at my wife's work and did some lifting. I forgot how freaking hard it was, but also how great I felt after. Looking forward to doing it again on Thursday (different group of muscles of course).

[munchiaz]

Im really enjoying my kickboxing/muay thai training with my friend Anthony. We have been training for about 2 weeks now. I purchased some hand wraps, gloves and shin guards. We go about 3 times a week. We got a great deal at my gym where they allowed us to sign up on 1 account. so instead of each of us having to pay $100 a month for access to the gym, and unlimited classes. We each pay $50.

We have yet to take any classes yet. Mainly because my friend Anthony has been doing KB/Muay thai training for like a year. So we just practice and spar with eachother.

[Digi.k]

Sorry hate to sound like your strict parent but...

Just in case you don't know this.  Don't have stuff with artificial sweetener ie Diet Coke etc.  Studies have shown that it makes you hungry.  Your body produces insulin and since there is no sugar there you end up eating.

Also fruit juice despite being good for you has a lot of carbs.

[CGQuarterly]

Progress report / check-in time!

I started doing atkins (the original version) on father's day, and today I hit the 30 lb lost mark.  I've had great success with atkins before, and I'm hoping to stick with it through triple-digit losses.

Anyone else still committed to the cause?

Thant's great!  I did a keto diet (basically the Atkins induction phase) for about 9 months and dropped like 60 pounds.  Now I just try to eat a healthy diet, and I ride my bike like crazy.

[jtucci31]

Congrats null, that's awesome news!

I've been trying to ride my bike lately too, or at least just get out and walk the dog. I figure if I ride my bike enough I'll maybe work up to actually running, but riding my bike is just so nice and fun.

[esteban]

I gained 10-15 pounds in July.