The gym (gainz) and fitness thread

[Tiger King]

Just started going back to the gym again, it's one of those American 24 hr ones which is cool because you can go anytime.
I'm really shocked at how easy it is to lose your fitness! My first couple of sessions I was struggling to run for periods longer than ten minutes!! This time last year I could run for an hour, though I usually did circuit training so 3 20 min runs broken up by weights.

I've started swimming too, its great exercise as you are working a lot of the body without putting too much stress on yourself.
Really wish I could hit the free weights more but that section of the gym is occupied by huge guys lifting weights that are probably double my weight. I know i shouldn't feel embarrassed and that is why I'm at the gym, to improve myself. It does make me feel a bit awkward though when I'm lifting the smaller weights compared to these big guys.

I saw some of that 'calisthenics' (think its called that) the other day. It's exercising using just your body weight and my god those people are strong!
Must take awhile to build up your core strength I imagine but it's really impressive, I saw a video where one guy was able to suspend himself horizontaly from a wire fence!

I'm kinda confused by the diet stuff for exercising, everyone keeps saying you gotta eat more meals a day but I'm not hungry. In my mind I can only see that as a quick way to get fat unless you are doing a couple of really long gym sessions each day. Also I cant afford to buy all that food lol.

 

[DefunctTheory]

I'm kinda confused by the diet stuff for exercising, everyone keeps saying you gotta eat more meals a day but I'm not hungry. In my mind I can only see that as a quick way to get fat unless you are doing a couple of really long gym sessions each day. Also I cant afford to buy all that food lol.

Increased protein intake can help with rapid muscle gain during high intensity training. Its really only necessary for people hitting the gym, hard, and yes, it usually does come with an increase in body fat as well (There's a reason some professional weight lifters arn't exactly 'sculpted'). If you ever get to befriend someone who does seasonal body building competitions, you'll see some really weird stuff - They go from in shape but a bit round (Off season), to extremely muscles combined with being down right chubby (Building period), to ripped (Fat loss period). Its down right wild sometimes.

 

[MustardTiger]

Welllllllll, here I go revealing myself as the fattest guy here.

Don't think I've been to a gym a single day in my life. Or excersized, really, for that matter. Since I weigh 446 pounds, or 202 kgs, that doesn't come as a surprise. Something tells me I should do something about that!

So other fatties in this thread: If you feel huge, at least take solace that you're not as big as me

 

[BlackJesus]

Any tips for a fat bastard?

 

[Ihateregistering1]

Any tips for a fat bastard?

Most trainers say that 80% (some argue closer to 90%) of fat loss comes from diet, and sad to say, I think it's true. It sucks because, honestly, going to the gym is pretty easy (especially once you start to make gains and begin to enjoy it) but regulating your diet all the time is a pain.

The "slow-carb" diet, which Tim Ferriss talks about in much greater detail in his book ("The 4 hour body") works very well, but bear in mind it's harder than it intially sounds (I've done it). Also, you need to get used to eating a lot of the same stuff over and over again. However, Ferriss says it's the only diet he's come across that he has seen work for absolutely everyone who tried it and stuck with it.
http://fourhourworkweek.com/2012/07/12/how-to-lose-100-pounds/

Even though diet is mostly what will make a difference, exercise still helps a lot. A few things I will tell you:
-Don't run for the purpose of losing weight; run to get better at running. Seriously, unless you run cross country athlete distances, running doesn't really help you lose weight.
-On that note, don't count calories. In other words, don't be like those people who say "well according to the treadmill I burned 500 calories, therefore I can eat this piece of cake". In addition to the fact that the treadmill is not even close to accurate, the old "calories in/calories out" idea of fat loss is too simplistic for how it really works.
-Weight training or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) are better for you than just getting on an eliptical for 40 minutes or jogging long distances.
-Larger muscles burn more calories, but bear in mind it's very difficult to build muscle and lose fat at the same time.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

There's a very good reason I don't discuss fitness / lifting on this forum. This thread is pretty much why.

 

[renegade7]

I don't go to the gym, I stick mainly to body-weight exercises and cycling.

I usually try to get 50 miles per week in on the bike in addition to my commute to class and work (which adds roughly 10 miles weekly).

I've recently started a body-weight "program" which is basically:
25x push-ups
50 second wall sit
50 second plank
120 second arm-raise (arms straight out to the sides with palms facing up)
25x leg-lift

Repeat 4 times with 2 minute breaks, every other day.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Any tips for a fat bastard?

Ok, I have to say it. Do not do this.

The "slow-carb" diet, which Tim Ferriss talks about in much greater detail in his book ("The 4 hour body") works very well, but bear in mind it's harder than it intially sounds (I've done it). Also, you need to get used to eating a lot of the same stuff over and over again. However, Ferriss says it's the only diet he's come across that he has seen work for absolutely everyone who tried it and stuck with it.
http://fourhourworkweek.com/2012/07/12/how-to-lose-100-pounds/

Don't. Unless you've literally exhausted every other option.

Mass exclusion diets (And that's what that is) can be very effective. They're also prone to failure, for a variety of reasons, but primarily because eating a hand full of things is maddeningly frustrating. As some one who's been on multiple successful diets (I'm pretty damn good at losing weight, but complete shit at maintaining), I can say that mass exclusion was my absolute least favorite, and I was miserable the entire time. I was also overseas and armed all day at the time, and it fascinates me to this day that I managed to not shoot anyone out of anger.

Everyone's different, and you'll have to find a diet that works for you (Maybe eating 4 things for the rest of your life would work fine for you), but here's some pretty universal tips.

Spoiler

-Calories aren't everything, but they are the most important thing - No matter what, if your taking in more then your burning, you will not lose weight. That being said, often the type of calories you eat are just as important as how many you eat. Also of note - Cutting you calories to the absolute minimum is not good. Getting too low in calories can result in nutritional imbalance, or in extreme cases, force your body into a metabolic state that will actually result in you gaining more weight.

-There are diets that have you eat 3 times a day, or 6, or sometimes in excess of 10 meals a days. Whatever you choose (I suggest 3, but whatever your comfortable with), stick with it. Don't skip meals, ever - Even if you have to eat fatty fast food, its better to keep a regular schedule then to refuse to eat something not 100% good for you.

-Counting calories can be counter productive, mostly because it can often psych you out, or burn you out constantly keeping track. I find its a good idea to count calories at the beginning of a dieting period, but only to get a general idea of what you should be eating and how much. Once your comfortable with portioning, just keep a general tally in your head of what your eating, and try not too focus too much on specific numbers.

-Ditch the sugary and wheat based snacks. Cut out desserts in general, unless you specifically work your diet around the calories/bad ingredients. Instead, get something you can eat between meals, to stave off hunger til the next meal/sleep (Don't schedule snacks. Use them as an emergency patch job). Personally, rice patties and unsweetened apple juice (Both 50 calories or less) work for me.

-Stop drinking soda. And sweet tea. Sugary drinks in general. Stop it. And drink plenty of water.

-Stay away from refined grain (White bread, white wheat, white rice). Replace as much of it as you can with whole grain breads and brown rice. Not only does it contain less calories, but its generally healthier for you. I personally use whole wheat pita bread as a replacement for most bread - Its tasty, and half a loaf is about 80 calories, compared to 120 for a whole wheat sandwich (Two pieces) or 150 in a white bread sandwich (two slices, again).

-Meat is ok. Even beef. You just need to pay attention to what cuts and your portions. Try to stick to about 4-8 oz portions. For chicken, stick to the breast (110 calories per 4 oz). Lean ground turkey (110-140 per 4 oz) is a good choice. Pork is surprisingly good on diets, since most pigs now a days are bred to be lean - The tenderloin (110 per 4 oz) and sirloin (120 per 4 oz) in particular are tasty, tender, low calorie meats that can add flavor to your diet. Buy a whole sirloin/tenderloin, chop it into slices, and freeze in 6 oz bags for a relatively cheap way to keep pig in your life. For beef, try to limit yourself to one meal every 1-2 weeks, and stick to the lean cuts - Lean sirloin for the occasional burger (110-130 ish per 4 oz), or flank/flat iron steaks (219 per 4 oz).

-The key to a successful diet you don't want to quit is to mix things up. Check online for new recipes and ingredients, hit the library up and get cook books, just do something. Keep it interesting, and try to get yourself excited about whatever your eating. Yesterday, I made my first black bean burger (I didn't particularly like it, but it was a mini adventure making and trying it out), and for dinner tonight I actually managed to make a fake crab meat dish that didn't make me want to kill the japanese bastard who invented the stuff.

-Eat peppers with as many meals as you can, or alternatively, use your favorite hot sauce. Bell peppers, spicy peppers, and things liked sriracha can come in handy when you mess up the spices in new meals, or are just eating something bland. It can also help compensate for the lack of fatty flavor. Supposedly, the stuff in peppers that make it hot also help with weight loss - I honestly don't know if this is true. But its tasty anyway, and peppers are a good source of nutrition and flavor, so why not?

I think that's enough for now. If you'd like to really talk about it, PM me sometime.

Oh, and assuming you really are fat, and I mean fat fat, then I suggest walking a bit every day or every other day. Its a lot easier on you then hard core cardio, has no ramp up or up front cost like weight training, and is easier on the joints for someone carrying too much weight anyway then things like push ups, lunges, or other bendy exercises.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

Ok, I have to say it. Do not do this.

The "slow-carb" diet, which Tim Ferriss talks about in much greater detail in his book ("The 4 hour body") works very well, but bear in mind it's harder than it intially sounds (I've done it). Also, you need to get used to eating a lot of the same stuff over and over again. However, Ferriss says it's the only diet he's come across that he has seen work for absolutely everyone who tried it and stuck with it.
http://fourhourworkweek.com/2012/07/12/how-to-lose-100-pounds/

Don't. Unless you've literally exhausted every other option.

Mass exclusion diets (And that's what that is) can be very effective. They're also prone to failure, for a variety of reasons, but primarily because eating a hand full of things is maddeningly frustrating. As some one who's been on multiple successful diets (I'm pretty damn good at losing weight, but complete shit at maintaining), I can say that mass exclusion was my absolute least favorite, and I was miserable the entire time. I was also overseas and armed all day at the time, and it fascinates me to this day that I managed to not shoot anyone out of anger.

And I have to have a rebuttal. For starters, the slow carb diet is not a "mass exclusion" diet. Any diet which has a built in cheat day couldn't really be considered "mass exclusion". Likewise, like any diet, it's unrealistic to expect 100% perfection unless it's a diet to prep for a bodybuilding competition or something extreme like that.

I mentioned that the slow-carb diet is very difficult to do, I was simply pointing out that it is very effective.

Part of what makes the slow-carb diet good is the fact that you don't have to weigh out portions on a scale in your kitchen, or worry about how many meals a day to eat, or anything along those lines. It's as simple as "eat this, don't eat that", which means it can be done easily (ok, somewhat easily) even by people who don't live, breathe, and eat fitness and the gym. Half the recommendations you made already fall under the slow-carb's umbrella anyway.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Spoiler

Ok, I have to say it. Do not do this.

The "slow-carb" diet, which Tim Ferriss talks about in much greater detail in his book ("The 4 hour body") works very well, but bear in mind it's harder than it intially sounds (I've done it). Also, you need to get used to eating a lot of the same stuff over and over again. However, Ferriss says it's the only diet he's come across that he has seen work for absolutely everyone who tried it and stuck with it.
http://fourhourworkweek.com/2012/07/12/how-to-lose-100-pounds/

Don't. Unless you've literally exhausted every other option.

Mass exclusion diets (And that's what that is) can be very effective. They're also prone to failure, for a variety of reasons, but primarily because eating a hand full of things is maddeningly frustrating. As some one who's been on multiple successful diets (I'm pretty damn good at losing weight, but complete shit at maintaining), I can say that mass exclusion was my absolute least favorite, and I was miserable the entire time. I was also overseas and armed all day at the time, and it fascinates me to this day that I managed to not shoot anyone out of anger.

And I have to have a rebuttal. For starters, the slow carb diet is not a "mass exclusion" diet. Any diet which has a built in cheat day couldn't really be considered "mass exclusion". Likewise, like any diet, it's unrealistic to expect 100% perfection unless it's a diet to prep for a bodybuilding competition or something extreme like that.

I mentioned that the slow-carb diet is very difficult to do, I was simply pointing out that it is very effective.

Part of what makes the slow-carb diet good is the fact that you don't have to weigh out portions on a scale in your kitchen, or worry about how many meals a day to eat, or anything along those lines. It's as simple as "eat this, don't eat that", which means it can be done easily (ok, somewhat easily) even by people who don't live, breathe, and eat fitness and the gym. Half the recommendations you made already fall under the slow-carb's umbrella anyway.

Rule #1: Avoid ?white? starchy carbohydrates (or those that can be white). This means all bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, and grains. If you have to ask, don?t eat it.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again, especially for breakfast and lunch. You already do this; you?re just picking new default meals.
Rule #3: Don?t drink calories. Exception: 1-2 glasses of dry red wine per night is allowed.
Rule #4: Don?t eat fruit. (Fructose ?> glycerol phosphate ?> more bodyfat, more or less.) Avocado and tomatoes are excepted.
Rule #5: Take one day off per week and go nuts. I choose and recommend Saturday.

Two of the five rules are 'Don't eat this, ever,' referring to entire food groups, and a third is basically 'pick a few things and eat that, only.' The only provided testimonial that describes his diet is living almost entirely on eggs, cauliflower, and black beans.

Perhaps the only diet I'm aware of that excludes more is hard core Atkins (Which is also a bad idea, by the way.). Speaking of which, do people still do Atkins?

In any case, that's my advice. Like I said, maybe Four Hour Week's diet is right some people, but I'm the only person I have met in real life that's successfully completed a exclusion diet, and I was miserable the whole god damn time. I recognize the effectiveness of it, but do not believe it is the best choice for dieting.

EDIT: Another thing I dislike about exclusion diets is that it doesn't teach you anything you can continue to use after you've achieved you're desired physical state, since you really haven't learned anything about proper portion sizes, good cooking, or the right foods that are ok to eat in moderation. You either stay on the diet forever (Which, if that's a prospect that appeals to you... go for it. Someone who's willing to eat a handful of meals for life obviously doesn't care much for food, and in such a case, yah, this is a good weight management method), or learn an entirely different diet method, meaning you gotta start over again.

 

[s0denone]

Can you describe your usual posture?

It's not a shame to spread out your legs, bend your back a bit whilst pushing your shoulders in.
Also try to find your appropriate placement for your hands.
And look at where you're lifting, is it closer to your head or to your chest/tummy?

No point. I know how I'm supposed to bench properly, I have friends that bench constantly. My form isn't as bad as it has been, but, like I said, it is a case of literal years of benching with poor form, cause I was training alone, that really screwed me up. I don't like benching regardless, anymore - it was just hip when I was in highschool, to compare with the other dudes!

Any tips for a fat bastard?

Well there is already a discussion going on diet here, so I won't go into that -- But I've mentioned it earlier in the thread, and Ihateregistrering mentioned it aswell: High intensity interval training is easily the best for losing weight, if you are at the gym.

 

[Politrukk]

Any tips for a fat bastard?

Depends how old you are.
If you're still young and in college/uni I can highly recommend a job where you need to stand up all day.

That may sound silly but I found I lost the most weight on days I was working on Food Festivals (ironically).

Try long runs where you keep your heartrate as low as possible, if running itself is too much right now then do walks instead.

Cut potatoes,drinks with sugar and white bread from your diet (if you can get fibre whites that's fine).

Preferably you're going to want to be eating a lot of rice+chicken and drinking water +fruit juices.

Despite popular belief, Pastas are actually fine as long as you don't make them your final meal of the day.

Try to only trim very detrimental things from your diet, this helps you keep form, motivation and focus.

I lost 15kg's in fat just by doing this over the course of a year, sure that may seem slow to some people, but I was still capable of eating like a normal human being whilst losing the weight.

 

[omega 616]

I'm trying to get back into it but I have this shoulder thing going on, when doing certain things it pops ... not like cracking your knuckles but popping, it doesn't hurt but afterwards my shoulders just lose all strength for up to a day.

As for legs, I'm a chef and the last thing I need is to not be able to walk after a "leg day".

As for cardio, well as I said I am chef which means I walk about 5 miles a day (pedometer says so anyway) and I hit my bag in a cardio style (not trying to snap the thing half, I just jab at it as fast as I can for as long as I can) but I don't run or anything, so my cardio is shit. I am looking to buy a bike 'cos at the moment I am very over weight (106kg) and it's pissing me off!

I am drinking a protein shake but it says 2 scoops twice a day, I am doing one scoop once a day. I don't want "sick gains!" I just want to pack on a little muscle and then I will stop with the shakes. It's all well and good having arms like tree trunks but I don't see the appeal, I'd rather look like a MMA fighter than Mr. Universe.

(OK, there are MMA fighters of various body shapes just look at Roy Nelson and Geoff Monson but you know what I mean)

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Well I lost 40kgs and was lucky enough to befriend a personal trajner at just the right time (when I was about ready to try and stay the same weight), in a party, which lead to me gettjng jnto weightlifting and learning to workout properly. I still got fat again by putting 20kgs back on, but now Im losing the weight again.

I used to do powerlifting twice a week with a day of circuit training with the PT. Now Im just trying to lose weight so I am doing Crossfit(DUN DUN DUN) whilst dieting, because Crossfit even if it isnt good for gains(like half the internet claims) seems great for weightloss and keeping your strength at least where it is now. The randomness fights adaptation for greater calorie burning and the weights keep you from losing too much strength I figure...Ill probably Crossfit for the rest of the year until I am back under 80kgs, I am 86 now.

Im rather surprised by how swole my arms and chest are starting to look as I strip away the fat and see what I have going on under there., I really did make some gains while working out! Though after Crossfit Ill probably try my first ever proper powerlifting program or maybe Strongman training program and See what I can really do...

 

[MeatMachine]

I hate going to the gym. Something about the environment just rubs me the wrong way. That being said, I actually enjoy fairly frequent workouts that don't require equipment. Might not be geared for optimal results, but its more than enough to keep me healthy and strong.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

I hate going to the gym. Something about the environment just rubs me the wrong way.

This might be just one of those quirks you have and you'll never like going, but I found with the gym (and fitness in general) that the more you do it and the better you get at it, the more fun it becomes.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

I hate going to the gym. Something about the environment just rubs me the wrong way.

This might be just one of those quirks you have and you'll never like going, but I found with the gym (and fitness in general) that the more you do it and the better you get at it, the more fun it becomes.

Depends on the gym too, pretty trendy streamlined gyms full of machines make me uneasy. Give me a gym that looks like a sex dungeon full of free weights any day!

 

[LetalisK]

Any tips for a fat bastard?

I have two suggestions and honestly, these two things strike at the core of what I and almost everyone I know have struggled with: Trying to do too much too fast.

1) When you decide to lead a healthier lifestyle, focus on just nutrition for at least the first two months. Do not do any exercising until your new diet[footnote]and I mean that in the literal "this is how this dude ate his whole life" sense, not the pop-fad-bullshit sense[/footnote] becomes second nature and normal for you. It will most likely become preferred as well. I know countless people who, after switching to a better diet can't stand the shitty food they used to love. That happened with me and fast food. Diet is easily the bigger part of "Diet and exercise", so take some time to really master it.

2) When you do start integrating exercise into your lifestyle, it is completely normal to feel like you didn't do quite enough during that exercise session. One of the biggest problems with beginners is that they over-train, not that they under-train or under-perform. If you completely burn yourself out right off the bat, you're going to end up burning yourself out quickly in general and just stopping all together. That exercise routine will quickly become an intense behemoth that you make up excuses to avoid. This is the biggest issue I still have to deal with to this day because you think "Oh, I have all this energy still and I feel like I'm just supposed to push myself to my breaking point". No, you're not. You are sliding into the fitness jacuzzi, not trying to do a cannonball and make a splash.


Changing to a healthy lifestyle can actually be really easy, mentally and physically, it's just it requires more time. We're not a society used to being patient, though.

 

[Danny Dowling]

been out the gym for about 5 days i've been a stunt performer for a film called Instant Death starring Lou Ferrigno instead. Spent Friday falling down some stairs. But proper missing the gym.

 

[Glongpre]

Don't use a diet, they don't work. You need to choose a lifestyle. If you want to lose weight then you have to pick a lifestyle that will allow that. You can't stop eating shit for a year, then all of a sudden go back to shit and expect to keep the same shape. It doesn't work. Nutrition is huge. You can't build a house without the right materials, just like you can't build a body without the right food.

Cardio is overrated (unless you are specifically training for an endurance goal, like for a sport). Just lift weights, put on muscle. While doing so (with healthy nutritional intake), cut your calories by 500 (MAX) per day. The key is consistency, motivation, drive. Eventually you will lose weight. You might even begin to look toned.

Instead of thinking about cutting calories numerically, think about having smaller portion sizes. Count how many spoonfuls of mashed potato you are having and reduce that by one. 3 slices of bread for breakfast? Make that 2. Half a pork tenderloin? How about 3 slices. But make sure you are consistent.

Vegetables are always good. You can't eat too many vegetables. Eat a vege of every colour, try new ones, don't have lettuce and carrots everyday.

Fruits are also very good.

(I am not a nutritionist, so take it upon yourself to research and find something that works for you)