The Gym Thread - I lift things up and put things down

[Dra508]

I moved and had to find a new boot camp. I miss my gym buddies.


Started going to a Crossfit and after laying off for close to two months I didn't do to badly. I'm not really into all the heavy lifting, but the guys don't seem to pay me any mind, at least I'm trying. I know I'm trying, my freaking arms and legs are sore. This is a non-competitive place and the guy who owns it is already asking me for business advice, so I think I'll be ok here. Too dam expensive though.

[MAD]

I no longer have the time to go to gym but I bought some dumbbells and I've been using them ever since. I'm slim and fit but I can't say that I don't want to have bigger arm muscles.

[icklekitty]

Winter is drawing in, so I'm losing the will to do my physio, let alone my fitness exercises. Any tips to combat that? I'd like to hold on to what I've acheived over the summer for once.

[sublimaze]

I slacked off way too much in November. Back to "boot camp" now, my legs hurt like fuck from Monday, and I have class again tonight. "Light" cardio (HR 130-ish) on off days to burn fat. High-lean protein diet. So, trying to get back on the fitness wagon.

[Christo]

Over the past year I put on about 9kg of muscle. But now I'm getting out of routine. Need to push myself back into it.

[NotoriousTIMP]

I'm also having a hard time keeping up with the Gym, and I have a personal trainer :( I'll be going back tomorrow for the first time in over a week and I know I'm going to hurt like hell come Friday morning. :(


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[sublimaze]

Survived tonight's workout. I'm going to be in some major hurt. :)

[orestes]

Winter is drawing in, so I'm losing the will to do my physio, let alone my fitness exercises. Any tips to combat that? I'd like to hold on to what I've acheived over the summer for once.

Ugh, I know what you mean. It's hard to feel motivated to go to the gym when it's cold and dreary, plus it's peak business at work and fuck if I have the energy to work out afterwards. :/

[bruised]

5 weeks ago I decided to experiment and get in shape. I started jogging and eating right, and have dropped 15 lbs! It's awesome and I feel the best I've felt in a long time. Being healthy is pretty sweet.

[sentient02970]

5 weeks ago I decided to experiment and get in shape. I started jogging and eating right, and have dropped 15 lbs! It's awesome and I feel the best I've felt in a long time. Being healthy is pretty sweet.

I'll drink to that! Getting back on the weight training now that I'm done with marathon training until Feb. Looking forward to the burn and the hurt. As you said "pretty sweet".

[blackholesun]

It is indeed great to be in shape and healthy.

At the beginning of this year I put a huge emphasis on getting in shape, eating right and becoming a healthier person in general. So far I've lost a little more than 70lbs. It was not easy though. I changed my lifestyle and put in many many many hours of hard work. Having a healthier diet was the hardest part. No more fast food. No more soda. Less beer (heh). More fruits and veggies. Only have the occasional cookie or chip. Don't even need to count calories. Just make sure I have a balanced diet.

I did a lot of hiking in the summer. At the beginning, I couldn't even run a mile. Now I run 5 miles about 5 days a week and do yoga in the mornings. I really need to get to lifting weights and such in a gym but the little set that I have is more than enough for now.

It was all about just allowing myself no excuses. All the results have been positive. I have sooo much more energy. I feel much better about myself. I've had to buy all new clothes basically. The next goal is to run a half-marathon in April and then a marathon after that. I'm gonna start training in the new year.

[REPLICA]

I've had to buy all new clothes basically. The next goal is to run a half-marathon in April and then a marathon after that. I'm gonna start training in the new year.

Don't know how long you've been into running but make sure you get some tech clothing, like Asics, Nike, Brooks, or Saucony. Good running shoes help too, I think you can look up local running specialty stores on Runners World.

Today I signed up to do my fourth marathon, the Covenant Health Marathon (April 1st) in Knoxville, TN. I ran it once before (2010) and it was pretty challenging, it started raining at mile 16 and kept on until I finished. They also have a 5k, a Marathon Relay (if you want to get three of you friends to run with you - distances vary but longest is around 8 miles), the Half and the Full Marathons. You could look into to other ones too, Publix has a good Half in Atlanta, in March I think. I have heard good things about the Historic Half up in D.C. Charlotte, NC has Thunder Road Half Marathon but it's usually near November or Dec. Good luck to you!

[millionmilesaway]

started weight training again, i love being able to feel muscles that otherwise wouldn't be worked. and I'm down the 15# I gained while being too sick to move earlier this year

[sublimaze]

My prediction was correct. Major hurt, even with naproxen on board. Plus I think I pulled my left thigh adductors. But I know that I got an intense workout!

[sukey]

Running a half marathon in 3 months. I hate running. Really need to get my arse into gear with training for it.

[dogsipod]

home gym only. did p90x for at the start of the year, switched to insanity in the summer and now i am doing a hybrid. hopefully get p90x2 for Xmas. I love it. It works for me and I am getting great results.

[icklekitty]

Winter is drawing in, so I'm losing the will to do my physio, let alone my fitness exercises. Any tips to combat that? I'd like to hold on to what I've acheived over the summer for once.

Hmm, so my physio says I've made a huge improvement and to reduce my exercises to three times a week. The human body is odd.

I celebrated by eating pie and mash in a pub.

[REPLICA]

Rode two bike (spin) sessions today for my training. They were both pretty fast. Rode 5.18 miles in 15 one the first then I took a three minute break. My second session was another 15 minute ride, it was 5.30 miles.

Going to pick up some new running shoes tomorrow! Thinking about the Brooks Adrenaline 12 or Mizuno Wave Inspire 8.

[Broadbent]

I just started exercising. I've been a big guy all my life, but I've always told myself as long as I don't weigh 300lbs I'm ok. well in August I was weighed and I clocked in at a hefty 303lbs!!!!!! Since then I've been eating less and eating healthier. But the impact of that was a little lacklustre and by October I was only down to 280lbs. So for the past 2 months I've been going for jogs about 3 times I week. I do 3 laps around the track, take 5, and do another 3 laps bringing each job to 2.8km I'm now down to 259lbs. If I can lose another 15-20 I will be really happy with myself. I've always had muscle so I'm not to concerned about that. but I'd like to get rid of my gut and my fat ass. is running and sit-ups the only legit way to do this?

[Rossva]

Eish I've got lazy lately - used to run half marathon distance once a week, gym 3-4 times, last couple months have seen that cut down to 6-7 miles a week and gym couple times. But you know what , not put any weight on, so wht the heck!

[Dra508]

I just started exercising. I've been a big guy all my life, but I've always told myself as long as I don't weigh 300lbs I'm ok. well in August I was weighed and I clocked in at a hefty 303lbs!!!!!! Since then I've been eating less and eating healthier. But the impact of that was a little lacklustre and by October I was only down to 280lbs. So for the past 2 months I've been going for jogs about 3 times I week. I do 3 laps around the track, take 5, and do another 3 laps bringing each job to 2.8km I'm now down to 259lbs. If I can lose another 15-20 I will be really happy with myself. I've always had muscle so I'm not to concerned about that. but I'd like to get rid of my gut and my fat ass. is running and sit-ups the only legit way to do this?The trainer at my gym says the only legit way to lose way is to eat less. Not exactly her best marketing moment. Exercise is for your overall health.

Stay away from: sugar, processed food, anything fried, go light on the red meat. no soda - not even diet.
Eat: more fruits and veggies, nuts (in moderation -like a handful of unsalted almonds not the whole jar), lean proteins like chicken and fish (but not fried).

One I swear by when I did this three day detox diet was drinking two giant glasses of ice water about 30 minutes before lunch and dinner. There something about revving your body before it starts digesting. It really seemed to work. That and oatmeal.

Good luck +40 pounds is amazing.

[halloween]

I don't go to the gym, but i bike a hell of a lot and lately i've also been doing a little more dancing. I didn't have the intention of losing weight, but of course i ended up doing just that. 15 lbs in three or so months- made me fucking happy! It's weird though to think that the last time i weighed what i do now was in highschool at some point (and i'm four years out of highschool). I need to be doing more yoga though, i'm not stretching nearly enough and yoga in generally helps with my stress. which has been pretty high recently.

[dominik]

holy shit, sometimes there are days when i really hate myself because of not doing any sport, but at the same time I can't even be bothered to just go running, especially when it's getting dark at 4.30 pm. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO GET MOTIVATION.

[redshoewearer]

holy shit, sometimes there are days when i really hate myself because of not doing any sport, but at the same time I can't even be bothered to just go running, especially when it's getting dark at 4.30 pm. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO GET MOTIVATION.

Find something you like to do. If you hate it, it is always going to be hard to be motivated. If you had a treadmill in your house/apartment, would it be easier?

I teach aerobics (8-10x per week), and sometimes the only thing that motivates me is that I have to show up because people have paid for class.

Dra508 - it is probably not your situation, but we do have some clients who come to class, and BARELY MOVE, maybe show up 1-2x per week, haven't changed their eating habits, then wonder why they aren't losing weight, which is why instructors/trainers mention the food part.

[dominik]

Find something you like to do. If you hate it, it is always going to be hard to be motivated. If you had a treadmill in your house/apartment, would it be easier?

I teach aerobics (8-10x per week), and sometimes the only thing that motivates me is that I have to show up because people have paid for class.

Dra508 - it is probably not your situation, but we do have some clients who come to class, and BARELY MOVE, maybe show up 1-2x per week, haven't changed their eating habits, then wonder why they aren't losing weight, which is why instructors/trainers mention the food part.

If I had a treadmill in my apartment I think I would run every day. But I can't afford that and it is surely better to get out of the house and get some fresh air and stuff. Maybe I should just harden the fuck up or find someone that goes running with me so I have no more excuses ;)

[bruised]

Ran just shy of 7 miles this morning, my farthest! This running thing has really changed my life for the better, and combined with eating right, the weight is just falling off. Besides looking better, feeling better, and being happier, buying new clothes has got to be the best thing ever! And I'm a straight dude haha! Can't wait to see where I'll be in another 6 months or so! #Stoked

[Rossva]

Ran just shy of 7 miles this morning, my farthest! This running thing has really changed my life for the better, and combined with eating right, the weight is just falling off. Besides looking better, feeling better, and being happier, buying new clothes has got to be the best thing ever! And I'm a straight dude haha! Can't wait to see where I'll be in another 6 months or so! #Stoked

nice one well done bro; what time u do that in?

[Jord]

kicked myself into a strict regime in september, still hammering it 3 times a week now. I just need to cut down on the booze.

It's nice to see a difference in muscle size, I've always had small arms, but hopefully if I keep going, they'll improve. Being Asthmatic sucks though when cardio gets involved.

[icklekitty]

Find something you like to do. If you hate it, it is always going to be hard to be motivated. If you had a treadmill in your house/apartment, would it be easier?

I second this. I like to dance around my flat for a couple of hours to my iPod. I mean really DANCE. I get hot and stinky every time.

[theimage13]

holy shit, sometimes there are days when i really hate myself because of not doing any sport, but at the same time I can't even be bothered to just go running, especially when it's getting dark at 4.30 pm. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO GET MOTIVATION.

Find someone to kick your ass. The best shape I was ever in was when I was going to the gym with a friend. I was always the one who was dragging him there and giving him crap about being late or not wanting to be there, but then once we were actually there, my motivation for putting in a full workout was that I was no longer in a position to just up and leave. Now that I'm solo again, I take any excuse I can get not to go - getting out of work late, etc. I'm perfectly healthy, but I need to get stronger to make my job easier.

[bruised]

nice one well done bro; what time u do that in?
I had an average pace of 8:30 -ish per mile, took about an hour. I run a little over 5 per day easily now, about 5.2. I've been running for 6 weeks now. I use the nike+ app for the iPhone, and that's the best. It's basically a gps app that keeps track of your runs/time/pace/calories burned/routes, etc. It's awesome! I'm signed up for a challenge to run 200 miles in 2011, so I'll be stoked if I hit that. A side challenge of my own is to hit 100 in just Dec, (easily beating the 200 one) and I should have it before X-mas. Who knew running was so fun?

[Dra508]

Cross fit my abs off today and did not do a single crunch.

[brightshadow]

home gym only. did p90x for at the start of the year, switched to insanity in the summer and now i am doing a hybrid. hopefully get p90x2 for Xmas. I love it. It works for me and I am getting great results.

I tried insanity and I thought I was going to die so kudos to you for sticking with it. I'm using Jillian michaels' DVDs now and theyre a much lower level but I'm still feeling the burn. Also not feeling like my heart is going to explode.

[theimage13]

I think I may have stumbled onto a new tradition: 5k Fridays. It's quite simple: when you clock out on Friday, you head home, throw on your running shoes, and pound the pavement for a few miles. I did it without even realizing it yesterday, and I felt great when I got back home - minus the horrible sweatiness from the inadvertent over-layering.

[scotty79]

I just joined a gym last week, need to try put some muscle on, I've always been pretty skinny so that's my main goal, do any of you guys use protien shakes? if so any preferences on what brand is better or is it a case of finding what suits you best?

[Dra508]

I just joined a gym last week, need to try put some muscle on, I've always been pretty skinny so that's my main goal, do any of you guys use protien shakes? if so any preferences on what brand is better or is it a case of finding what suits you best?
http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3267235
This is the only whey protein that I have to not have a horrible aftertaste. Must get the bananna flavor and make a smoothie.

One scoop protein
6 ices cubes
bannana
handful of frozen strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. Whatever tickles your fancy.
splash of milk

Blend - yum.

[allegro]

I usually put a splash of orange juice in mine, to add a touch of tartness to counter the sweetness. And I use vanilla-flavored whey protein. I don't put ice in mine.

I got an immersion blender a few weeks ago, and a special steel immersion cup, and wow, awesome!

[konstantin]

I just joined a gym last week, need to try put some muscle on, I've always been pretty skinny so that's my main goal, do any of you guys use protien shakes? if so any preferences on what brand is better or is it a case of finding what suits you best?

http://www.bigfootnutrition.com/product_images/Cytosport/Pics/500602.jpghttp://www.buildingbrawn.com/product_images/Cytosport/Pics/500600.jpg

easy does it for me. tasty, not bloating, and NO MESS!! it's more than just a protein shake. i use it as lunch, since i go to the gym during my lunch break. have been using Amazon's "Subscribe & Safe" to get extra 15% off, and always have a bunch of these in my office.

[frankie teardrop]

i've never been a fan of going to gyms or working out in public. i pretty much stick to a morning routine of crunches and pushups that keeps me in good enough shape for the time being. i don't do much cardio, but i live in a city where walking is a necessity, so there's that. i get lazier about walking in winter, but once nicer weather is at hand, i walk further out of the way for the trains.

[Christo]

Did a crazy leg workout the other day and now my quads are aching so much I'm walking like an OAP.

[scotty79]

thanks for the input guys, don't think i can get those in the uk though unless i order them in, maximuscle seems to be the main brand being advertised at the moment, I know the big brands aren't always best though
i've got a free session with a PT to take when i signed up so I'll just wait and see what advice he has before buying anythin

[konstantin]

think i'm gonna switch gyms. at the one i've been going to for more than a year there are now newspapers and empty water bottles in the sauna room. some people even read on their kindles, no kidding. too much like Metro. also, the eye candy factor is way low.

[dogsipod]

Got P90x2 for Xmas. It's no joke. Harder workouts, shorter workouts due to less down time, only 5 workouts a week. Two off days is nice. Let's me have some time to run or go mountain biking.


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[Dra508]

Pet Rocks, Wall balls, broad jumps, and burpees. I nearly threw up today. Huzzah.

[Jord]

http://www.bigfootnutrition.com/product_images/Cytosport/Pics/500602.jpghttp://www.buildingbrawn.com/product_images/Cytosport/Pics/500600.jpg

easy does it for me. tasty, not bloating, and NO MESS!! it's more than just a protein shake. i use it as lunch, since i go to the gym during my lunch break. have been using Amazon's "Subscribe & Safe" to get extra 15% off, and always have a bunch of these in my office.


Thinking of getting some of this stuff when my whey protein powder runs out. Would you say it's effective?

[Fixer808]

I danced my fucking balls off last night, does that count? Actually, I suppose that even if it does, I kinda broke even, what with the amount of booze and cigarettes consumed...

[konstantin]

Thinking of getting some of this stuff when my whey protein powder runs out. Would you say it's effective?
i don't think you can ever tell if these things work by themselves. that's why they're not regulated and it's multi billion dollar industry. i like these particular ones because i treat them like a high protein meal replacement and they are not bloating like everything else i've tried out there.

unrelated: think i've entered an anorexic stage of my fun body management project. at this point i can live with very little food and exercise daily quite vigorously (just did 85 pushups in one go for starters today). basically i was pretty bummed last fall with my running injuries, so i pigged out for a while (thank you holidays too!), so by the end of the year i was pretty tired of weighing 170lbs. i'm down to 148 after 2 months, and i'm a lean and mean machine! the end date of this fun project is March 16 when i go on a week long cruise, i.e. pigging out will resume!

[millionmilesaway]

did a spin class yesterday, Im surprised that I'm not sore at all today. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and the instructor was pretty awesome. Too bad I cant make it to the class on a regular basis due to my work schedule.

[Dra508]

did a spin class yesterday, Im surprised that I'm not sore at all today. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and the instructor was pretty awesome. Too bad I cant make it to the class on a regular basis due to my work schedule.I find that the pain and soreness comes not the next day, but the day after that. Tell me if you can move tomorrow.

Handstand push-ups. Really? This is unnatural.

[Dra508]

Hey people, if you're sore a couple days after working out, next time take an ice bath. It hurts like a mofo for a few minutes, then you are totally numb. I did this on Monday night. Usually two days after Crossfit, I can't walk. Ice bath fixed that - I feel great today. Well, until I went back and did 200 m runs, turkish get ups (why they are called that I have no idea) power cleans and burpees. ey eyah eye.

[sentient02970]

I concur, ice baths work wonders. I always do them after very long runs (like a marathon) and I'm good for walking like a normal person the very next day and day after. Although the first time I did it I caught myself saying out loud as a mantra (as my manly bits hit the cold): "Going to my happy place, going to my happy place, going to my fucking HAPPY PLACE!!"

[Dra508]

I concur, ice baths work wonders. I always do them after very long runs (like a marathon) and I'm good for walking like a normal person the very next day and day after. Although the first time I did it I caught myself saying out loud as a mantra (as my manly bits hit the cold): "Going to my happy place, going to my happy place, going to my fucking HAPPY PLACE!!"Oooh, I'm using that mantra the next time I do it. Telling a friend that I had done this ice bath, all he wanted to know was "do you look at your boobs the whole time?" My response "do you look at your junk the whole time". Apparently, the answer is yes.


VVVVVV Ice bath G - dooooooo it.

[YKWYA]

I've been training for about 5 weeks now, for the local American Football club. I'm starting to get back to the point where it doesn't hurt the day afterwards, which is a lovely feeling.

[dogsipod]

Damn, first day of phase 3 p90x2. Really fun. Been a long time since I have been a sweaty mess unable to get up from the floor. It's like Insanity with a random weigh lifting yoga pose thrown in.


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[Findus]

I concur, ice baths work wonders. I always do them after very long runs (like a marathon) and I'm good for walking like a normal person the very next day and day after. Although the first time I did it I caught myself saying out loud as a mantra (as my manly bits hit the cold): "Going to my happy place, going to my happy place, going to my fucking HAPPY PLACE!!"

Contrast showers work well, too. Start with warm/hot, then switch to all cold for about a minute, switch back to warm/hot for a couple of minutes, back to all cold for 1-2 minutes, back to warm/hot, then back to all cold, and so on, for as many cycles as you want. I typically end with a brief warm cycle. Refreshing and invigorating.

[Dra508]

My Crossfit team workout of the day this morning. 4000m row, 200 overhead lunges, 200 pushups, 200 situps, and 100 pullups.

I was the token women so for some reason the three guys felt obligated to carry the load on pullups. Fuckers took my situps too, but I carried them on the row and did my share of lunges and pushups. Bwooohah

[BlueCalx]

I'm doing Stronglifts (http://stronglifts.com/) squatting three times per week, mixed in with some cardio and a protein heavy diet. I started properly in January and my strength has gone through the roof, but I'm only just now beginning to see results in the mirror.

[Dra508]

After slacking off for two and 1/2 weeks, I'm back in the gym or doing yoga six days a week. For all you depressives out there, it's true exercising really does give you an emotional boost. Now if I could just control my sugar craving, life would be really good.

[allegro]

G and I quit our gym last night. Because we never went there. Seriously NEVER. We joined in January of '11 and never set foot in the building again. G said probably because there's always 800 cars in the parking lot and, I dunno, we didn't like the gym, anyway? I didn't like the layout or crowded gyms and G admitted he thought the gym was "sleazy." He suggested that perhaps we were "seduced" by the MUCH LOWER PRICE ($25/mo for each of us, vs the $120/mo for each of us that we were paying for Equinox at the time). Yeah, probably right. But we actually WENT to Equinox. Which is now up to $138 / month per person. (The gym we never went to? LA Fitness.)

Then we checked out our city's Parks and Recreation facility. It's new. "No, well, actually, we've been open for 7 years" said the nice lady at the desk. Really? Jesus, we remember all the talk about building it, then we could barely find the place last night because signage out front screams COUNTRY CLUB but zero about a rec center. "Yeah, we are trying to get them to fix that, ha." So this rec center has locker rooms that are, um, country club locker rooms, a fucking huge pool, 2 basketball courts, 3 studios, a spin class room, weight room, the cardio equipment overlooks a gorgeous forest preserve, and it has an indoor half-mile track. For just a little over LA Fitness. And it's nicer than Equinox. AND OUR TAXES ARE PAYING FOR THIS! IT'S PART OF OUR COMMUNITY!


Edit: Today, I asked one of the senior partners at work who lives in HP (and is a huge HP supporter, really involved kinda guy, we trade news) if he'd been to the Rec Center. Oh, yeah, he and his wife go EVERY day, since it opened, they LOVE it, it's awesome. He gave me a 20 minute description of its awesomeness. Oh, and it ends up that the HP Park District has owned the Country Club for a few years, and it brings us profit. This is all screaming win-win. I wanna join, G is on the fence. I'm gonna push him over the fence this weekend. :-)

[sukey]

I wanna lose some weight for summer so I've started trying the classes at my gym instead of just going and doing my own work out. So far I've tried spinning, cardio street funk and zumba. All pretty fun actually, although spinning at 7am whilst being shouted at by a terrifying Scottish woman was quite an experience.

[millionmilesaway]

Ive accomplished my goal to be able to do pullups! I can still only do 3-4 at a time but can now say chin ups are getting kinda easy... I'm also looking 100x better than I was in this super unflattering comparison photo i took earlier this year. I still find it hard to control my diet but if I can do that I could probably lean out a bit which may be my next goal. funny thing is i haven't lost any weight between the two photos

[Dra508]

G and I quit our gym last night. Because we never went there. Seriously NEVER. We joined in January of '11 and never set foot in the building again. G said probably because there's always 800 cars in the parking lot and, I dunno, we didn't like the gym, anyway? I didn't like the layout or crowded gyms and G admitted he thought the gym was "sleazy." He suggested that perhaps we were "seduced" by the MUCH LOWER PRICE ($25/mo for each of us, vs the $120/mo for each of us that we were paying for Equinox at the time). Yeah, probably right. But we actually WENT to Equinox. Which is now up to $138 / month per person. (The gym we never went to? LA Fitness.)

Then we checked out our city's Parks and Recreation facility. It's new. "No, well, actually, we've been open for 7 years" said the nice lady at the desk. Really? Jesus, we remember all the talk about building it, then we could barely find the place last night because signage out front screams COUNTRY CLUB but zero about a rec center. "Yeah, we are trying to get them to fix that, ha." So this rec center has locker rooms that are, um, country club locker rooms, a fucking huge pool, 2 basketball courts, 3 studios, a spin class room, weight room, the cardio equipment overlooks a gorgeous forest preserve, and it has an indoor half-mile track. For just a little over LA Fitness. And it's nicer than Equinox. AND OUR TAXES ARE PAYING FOR THIS! IT'S PART OF OUR COMMUNITY!


Edit: Today, I asked one of the senior partners at work who lives in HP (and is a huge HP supporter, really involved kinda guy, we trade news) if he'd been to the Rec Center. Oh, yeah, he and his wife go EVERY day, since it opened, they LOVE it, it's awesome. He gave me a 20 minute description of its awesomeness. Oh, and it ends up that the HP Park District has owned the Country Club for a few years, and it brings us profit. This is all screaming win-win. I wanna join, G is on the fence. I'm gonna push him over the fence this weekend. :-)
That's the whole gym scam - sign up as many people up as possible, knowing that a lot of them will not show up. The rec center sounds like a total win-win. Even if you don't ever show up to that one, you're contributing to the upkeep of a community asset.

I really need a better way to recover from some of my workouts, including yoga. My hammies were so stiff this week. I know it's the lactic acid thing....

[Fixer808]

Ive accomplished my goal to be able to do pullups! I can still only do 3-4 at a time but can now say chin ups are getting kinda easy... I'm also looking 100x better than I was in this super unflattering comparison photo i took earlier this year. I still find it hard to control my diet but if I can do that I could probably lean out a bit which may be my next goal. funny thing is i haven't lost any weight between the two photos
Good for you!

I've started to exercise again, think I've lost a couple pounds so far. I was down around 193 in November but went back up to about 210 because fuck winter. So back to the grind. My friend has been hitting the gym regularly and she's getting in shape, too. Her boyfriend got in the shit-house though.
"Babe, it's really workin'!"
*Harsh glare in return*

[mixxy]

funny thing is i haven't lost any weight between the two photos

YES. I've been going to the gym religiously 3-4 times a week since January. While I've lost a few inches, my weight has not gone down yet. Anger! I know I should be happy as long as I'm making the healthy choice to exercise and shit, but I'm not damn it.

[dogsipod]

Wife and I just started the next phase of our fitness plan. I like to call it eat until you die. We are increase our protein intake and i just don't have the hunger to eat as much as I do. Right now I am around 1800 cal and 170grams protein. My weight has gone up which freaked me out, but my measurements are the same. I am definitely getting more muscle mass. We will see how this progresses into summer.


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[the duder]

With the beach season coming up rapidly (plus a pending violation that resulted in an immediate suspension of my license), I've been biking or running to work (3 miles one way) every day for the past week. Can't deny how GOOD it feels to work out; very excited for the summer. Now I've just gotta get out of the "binge" mindset (re. working out, doing school work, drinking) and start being more of a 29 year old with a plan/schedule.

[Dra508]

Wife and I just started the next phase of our fitness plan. I like to call it eat until you die. We are increase our protein intake and i just don't have the hunger to eat as much as I do. Right now I am around 1800 cal and 170grams protein. My weight has gone up which freaked me out, but my measurements are the same. I am definitely getting more muscle mass. We will see how this progresses into summer.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkWhat are you eating?

[Dra508]

Mile run sharing a ten lb med ball, 50 burpees, 50 kb swings, 50 pull ups, 1600m row. Saturday work outs are suppose to be easier.

[sentient02970]

Holy shit. At 42 the weights still do something. I am pleasantly surprised. More importantly, motivated.

[theimage13]

Has anyone here ever used resistance bands as a primary means of weight training? I'm not looking to get all buffed up and huge, but I'd just like to get a bit stronger, and if I look a little bit better in the process, that'd just be a pleasant surprise. I'm about to head out on a tour for the rest of the year, so I'm pretty much limited to using the bands in my hotel room a few days a week. Any tips, suggestions, etc? Thanks!

[Dra508]

Has anyone here ever used resistance bands as a primary means of weight training? I'm not looking to get all buffed up and huge, but I'd just like to get a bit stronger, and if I look a little bit better in the process, that'd just be a pleasant surprise. I'm about to head out on a tour for the rest of the year, so I'm pretty much limited to using the bands in my hotel room a few days a week. Any tips, suggestions, etc? Thanks!A friend of mine (a guy) has been using a bowflex machine for a couple of years now. I saw him recently and he definitely has more toned arms, not huge - toned. I've used bands, they can be real killer, especially on the legs. Strutting side to side with a band around your ankles - there are a whole bunch of moves.

I have to get more consistent with my Crossfit. When I'm home, I go three days a week. I need to start making an effort to find a Crossfit when I travel.

[theruiner]

I seriously just saw someone on Facebook say that Obama is a Muslim and that most Muslims hate anyone who's not a Muslim. This person gets bonus points for not having any grasp of grammar or the English language in general (and she appears to be American, so English is probably her first language).

I almost said something, but it's on a family member's feed, and I didn't think it was a good idea to get into it. Man, stupid people really, really don't realize they're stupid, do they? This woman probably thinks she's smart and totally up on the facts, when in reality she'd be laughed at by any halfway intelligent person.

[october_midnight]

^^^ Was this while you were in the gym?

[theimage13]

I seriously just saw someone on Facebook say that Obama is a Muslim and that most Muslims hate anyone who's not a Muslim. This person gets bonus points for not having any grasp of grammar or the English language in general (and she appears to be American, so English is probably her first language).

I almost said something, but it's on a family member's feed, and I didn't think it was a good idea to get into it. Man, stupid people really, really don't realize they're stupid, do they? This woman probably thinks she's smart and totally up on the facts, when in reality she'd be laughed at by any halfway intelligent person.

Says the one posting a facebook rant in a gym forum ;)

(I tease, I tease).

[Dra508]

I went to Crossfit four days in a row. I have bruises on both arms from kettlebells and one on my leg I don't know how I got. You have to appreciate the coach who says "you're going to want to do the sit up part of this work out over on the padded carpet, if you do them on this floor (hard rubber), you'll rub a hole in your ass". Yeah, 160 situps will do that.

I official hate wall balls, though not as much as I hate running.

VVV Those are the idiots that try too hard trying to impress each other. I am very fortunate that the guy who runs the Crossfit I go to actually has a degree in phys ed and taught little kids at one time. Skills that transfer very well to the uber gym setting. He knows how to take em down a notch every once in a while and not think they are the only ones in the gym. He also stressed form over heavy weight.

[Findus]

http://youtu.be/IOrOHrJyarQ

[miss k bee]

YES. I've been going to the gym religiously 3-4 times a week since January. While I've lost a few inches, my weight has not gone down yet. Anger! I know I should be happy as long as I'm making the healthy choice to exercise and shit, but I'm not damn it.

I have been doing regular exercise for about a year and a half now and while I feel much fitter and more toned my weight hasn't moved that much. Must get back into doing
Zumba.

[Hazekiah]

I'm pretty sure I broke my ankle jumping off an overpass about a month ago, so I've been feeling pretty sluggish since a screwed-up ankle makes it difficult to exercise much or to even just get around. I never bothered with going to a hospital because I could kinda walk on it well enough if I was VERY careful and just treated it like a stump instead of actually using it like a normal, functioning joint. Plus, y'know...no insurance and I was traveling out-of-state at the time and all that. But a month later it still hurts like it JUST happened when I occasionally try rotate it wrong or put too much weight on it or whatever. Ugh. Not fun at all.

Anyway, my grandma's 92 and I've been helping to get her moved into a better living situation so we've been packing and organizing a lot of her stuff lately. In the process, she let me have her stationary exercise bike and treadmill since she can't take them with her and hasn't used them in about 20 years.

It seems silly but I'm kinda ridiculously excited about it!

I've gotten them both set-up across the room from a big-ass flatscreen TV I found in an alley that's hooked up to some sweet old 32 inch speakers I got as a hand-me-down from my dad and fixed-up...so now instead of just laying there watching my bootlegs with killer sound and picture clarity, I can actually get some exercise in the process!

I highly, highly recommend the combination. It makes the work-out SO much more fun and it's a GREAT way to replicate the high-excitement thrill and demanding physical strain of watching a concert from the heart of a seething, chaotic pit. I'm basically considering it my stamina prep-work for all the pits I'll be in this summer between a month of Alice Cooper and Manson followed by as many NIN shows as I can make it to later on and who-knows-what other shows I'll find myself at.

Speaking of which, it's pretty hilarious to work out to live NIN concerts. The music's mostly perfect for it but what REALLY puts it over the top is all the high-energy vocal and lyrical improvs he tosses into the songs throughout. He's almost constantly shouting out random stuff in the middle of the songs like, "Hey!", "All right!", "Yeah!", "C'mon!" while I'm switching from jogging to cycling to weightlifting and back every few songs, hahaha.

It's a LOT like having a musclebound Trent as a personal trainer and, well...you could certainly do worse, lol.

Pretty fun way to get back in shape for a billion grueling pits in the deathly heat of summertime while also rehabilitating a fucked-up ankle!

Good times.

:)

[theimage13]

I guess this is a safe place to admit this: Trent is a major inspiration for me in terms of physical health and working out. I mean...look at the videos of him stumbling over his own lyrics and barely keeping himself going during some of the Fragility era stuff...and look at him now. Goddamn, what he's done for himself is impressive.

I have separate mixes for running and for lifting, but there's one similarity: NIN tracks on both. Last used to be an infallible song for me - if I felt like I didn't have a single set of anything left in me, I just had to switch to that and I could keep going. It's finally starting to wear off a little, but I still use them all the time for working out. On tour last year, my best treadmill run (which are extremely hard for me due to boredom) came from putting on AATCHB and just mouth-shouting along for four miles' worth of running. And yeah, the random shouts from the live recordings do make for great little boosters.

[dlb]

Funny you come up with this as I was just talking about it yesterday with a friend. But yeah, back in 2005 I was utterly impressed by Trent's overall appearance when I saw the first pics of the club shows with him just wearing that black tank top. He looked super buff in the hand that feeds video already, but those pics really mae an impression. And of course, the sheer verocity he put into his performance was unbelievable. Ever since that has been an inspiration for me aswell, although I don't necessarily have any NIN on when I'm training. He calmed down a bit since those days, but he's still giving it his best and most of it looks more alive than everything that was before he got his head right.

After having been quite lazy I'm starting a 30-day workout routine on Monday that I got from Gym Jones (the guys that got famous by training the cast for 300) and I'm sure it will kick major ass. It's pretty much withouth any weights, but I'll add some training sessions here and there and I hope to get in the best shape possible within that short amount of time for my fencing tournament at the end of May. And I'll actively go and ride my bike in years. :D

[the duder]

Ran 3ish (stopped tracking my run using gps/phone app after 2.75 mi @ 7:40 pace) miles today in the beautiful weather and am now ready to kick a t-rex in the face and ride a pterodactyl off into the sunset.

[Dra508]

@ 7:40 pace.I pretty much hate your guts and always will. :(

[the duder]

I swear to god you'll run that fast too if you put on The Joy Formidable's The Big Roar. That album is like an alternative energy source for me when I run.

[theimage13]

I pretty much hate your guts and always will. :(

If you lived in Buffalo too, you wouldn't go out running unless you could run away at a good pace.

(I kid, I kid. Fellow WNY native.)

[hellospaceboy]

On tour last year, my best treadmill run (which are extremely hard for me due to boredom) came from putting on AATCHB and just mouth-shouting along for four miles' worth of running.

Ditch the treadmill and try running outside whenever you can, it really helps with boredom. :)


I run pretty much every day, but would rather shoot myself that to dick around on a treadmill for an hour. I hate that there's a TV screen/monitor right in your face, and even if you don't turn it on it's still there and you can't look far into the distance. For some reason it fucks with my brain: to be running, but focusing my eyes on something only a couple feet from my face. HATE IT!

[orestes]

I absolutely hate TVs at the gym.

They used to have it on channels like the Food Network, which is just mean for some folks, but now most of the TVs are set to 24-hour news channels or daytime crap on the Discovery Channel. All that negativity is bad for your chi. One day, the set right in front of me was playing Yukon Men, where they showed a moose being hunted and skinned. :(

[allegro]

Ew! That's terrible!!

I quit my last gym because of their TVs. always tuned to Food TV, Fox News, or bad Spanish TV. I joined my Rec Center and the TVs are on each piece of equipment so you can control the TV.

I'd much rather exercise outdoors but sometimes weather prevents it. The elevated indoor track at the RC is nice.

[theimage13]

Ditch the treadmill and try running outside whenever you can, it really helps with boredom. :)


I run pretty much every day, but would rather shoot myself that to dick around on a treadmill for an hour. I hate that there's a TV screen/monitor right in your face, and even if you don't turn it on it's still there and you can't look far into the distance. For some reason it fucks with my brain: to be running, but focusing my eyes on something only a couple feet from my face. HATE IT!

Believe me, I HATE treadmills. But when you're on tour and staying in a hotel in the middle of a super urban (i.e. park-less) area that you've never been to before, it's just safer and more convenient to use the hotel gym than try to run a block through pedestrian traffic, wait for a light, run through more people, keep waiting, etc. And then possibly end up lost. But when I do get forced into treadmill situations, I avoid TVs at all costs. When I first started, I thought watching sports or something would make it super easy for me to get distracted - instead, just like you said, it messes with my head and my vision.

[DF118]

I took up jogging a couple of weeks ago, and have completely fucked up my knees in the process with a nice case of Patellofemoral Joint Irritation, otherwise known as Runner's Knee. I'm currently wearing leg braces on each leg so I can walk around and stuff, and I'm feeling totally miserable.

From now on I'm sticking to my routine of 1.30 hours exercise biking daily, and some resistance dumbbell lifting thee times a week. Never running again.

[teresMajor]

From now on I'm sticking to my routine of 1.30 hours exercise biking daily, and some resistance dumbbell lifting thee times a week. Never running again.

I used to treadmill jog for an hour, 3-4 times a week back in my teens for about five years. Fast forward 15 years later and I'm still feeling the effects, especially with any kind of casual running or bending of the knee (squats and single leg variations unfortunately cause my knee pains to flame up).

The key to any exercise or physical activity is to stop doing anything that hurts. While it's a simple truth, ignoring what your body is trying to tell you (normally through pain) is such an easy thing to do. And I'm looking at you dips, wide grip pullups, skullcrushers and the list goes on...

[millionmilesaway]

finally biking weather again, biked to work four days last week, 7 miles each way. Having switched from an old decrepit road bike to a new-ish mountain bike has made a world of difference on riding comfort but it takes me a bit longer to get there now. I am already keeping the bike in the highest gear for 80% of the ride which makes me think I need to switch bikes again. But maybe its better to spend more time on the bike anyways, instead of pedaling at peak effort.

also for the past couple months I have been getting very sudden and painful muscle cramps/spasms/charlie horses if I tense up or stretch my muscles in a certain way. Earlier tonight when I was reaching for my water my trapezus locked up on me and I dropped the water all over my BF's lap. he had to massage the cramp out for a good 5 minutes before the shooting pain was gone. This has been happening all over, calves, hip flexors, biceps, even my abdominal muscles did it at work one day.
I thought it was dehydration but it still happened after drinking excess amounts of water daily over the course of a week. and I eat lots of bananas.

[Dra508]

I've been out of town so much, my cross fitting has been lacking. I tried to run while out of town and I swear I think I'm doing it wrong. It hurts my lower back, my chins, give me a headache....

[Dra508]

The aerodyne bike is called the devil's bike for a reason.

[miss k bee]

have not done any exercise this week but weirdly dreamt about doing tabata training!

[hobochic]

Tomorrow I start my third week of a '6 workouts per week' program. I'm running every other day and hitting the gym every other day. Feels pretty amazing and I actually feel lazy during my "day off" day - so today I took a walk into the city and had a pizza for dinner. Served me good.

[Magtig]

Lately I've found this handy chart to be pretty useful when I can't make it to the gym.

http://laughingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/12well_physed-tmagArticle.jpg

[Dra508]

Hey that's the 7 minute work out. It's pretty good if you do the 1 minute on, 30 seconds off. I appreciate TABATA. I still hate to run. Went to yoga tonight and got twisted like a pretzel.

[hobochic]

Getting bored of doing the same routine every day? (did I just sound like an infomercial?)
Plenty of amazing superhero workouts in this little vidja:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POdzasJklxw

[millionmilesaway]

going to try my first real crossfit class tomorrow... very nervous since I have not attempted some of these moves before. I did some shortened onramp classes that had me sweating like never before, here's the full workout for tomorrow:

Warm Up

200 M Run
Then 2x through
20 Air Squats
10 Pass Throughs
10 Jumping Lunges
5 Around the Worlds (each side)
Then
200 M Run

Skill

EMOM For 10 Mins


5 Pistols
8 Chest to Bar Pull Up

WOD

12 Min AMRAP


12 Push Ups
10 Toes to Bar
8 Burpee Box Jumps

[Dra508]

going to try my first real crossfit class tomorrow... very nervous since I have not attempted some of these moves before. I did some shortened onramp classes that had me sweating like never before, here's the full workout for tomorrow:

Warm Up

200 M Run
Then 2x through
20 Air Squats
10 Pass Throughs
10 Jumping Lunges
5 Around the Worlds (each side)
Then
200 M Run

Skill

EMOM For 10 Mins


5 Pistols
8 Chest to Bar Pull Up

WOD

12 Min AMRAP


12 Push Ups
10 Toes to Bar
8 Burpee Box Jumps


I'm sure you did great. Two days later, can you lift your arms? Does it hurt to walk? Good, now go back, jump on the foam roller and do it again. :)

Yesterday, I went to a noon class which usually has a few women I've become friendly with and a bunch of guys who if I hadn't been taking the same class would be totally intimidated by, but I know them now and they are cool. Yesterday, no other women, just me. They were so sweet, they let me stay out front during the 400m warm up run and asked me how I did on the 2000m row (20 seconds less then the last time I did it) I know being there kicked their chance for a bro fest, but I honesty didn't care, I pay just like them. Plus, there were a couple of them that were probably happy I was there so one of them wasn't last during the row or just do a handstand on the wall rather than attempt a walking handstand, which by the way, is really cool to watch when you too are upside down.

[millionmilesaway]

surprisingly I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be, I even biked to work later in the day. I definitely need a lot of work, my form was quite cringe worthy

[hobochic]

This item has been on my buy list for months and today I actually remembered to pick it up:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31RTaFoZWFL.jpg

Now I just need to mount it.

[scotty79]

I've been doing the stronglifts routine for the past couple if weeks, feel I've been doin quite well with it but starting to struggle with the bench press, really need a spotter or I'm gonna have to start using the cable machines

[armorer]

Dumbbells are better than barbells for bench in every respect. Also, don't let your ego tell you cables are wimpy. They provide constant tension throughout the range of movement while allowing you to play with angles. Neither cables or DBs require a spotter, so you can go heavy without worry. The only limitation to both is the poundage available, by the time you get to that point you'll be pretty jacked.

[scotty79]

I had been using dumbbells before going on to this routine so just used the bar for change aswell, using the cables doesn't bother me, started off with them and would use them if I couldn't get to a bench or bar anyway and would rather use them than try push myself and end up with 60kg stuck on my chest or throat lol

[orestes]

Ugh, started new exercises with resistance bands, targeting the lower half of my body, and boy, are my thighs feeling it today.

[Scarlet Siren]

Not a gym post but fitness nevertheless...

Went back to British Military Fitness this morning. Fuck me sideways../. Talk about an arse kicking! I'm going to go sit in the bath for the rest of the day and cry.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Emil Dorbell]

For various reasons I've been away from CrossFit since around april. Went back yesterday and needless to say got my ass handed to me. It's so fucking brutal, and I'm definitely not a fan of coming in last having the whole class wait for me to finish, but what the hell - I just need to pick it up from here and keep going. Onwards, to glory!

[Dra508]

For various reasons I've been away from CrossFit since around april. Went back yesterday and needless to say got my ass handed to me. It's so fucking brutal, and I'm definitely not a fan of coming in last having the whole class wait for me to finish, but what the hell - I just need to pick it up from here and keep going. Onwards, to glory!

Meh, my Crossfit class is always pretty encouraging to the last person, which is me sometimes. I try not to be dead last, I'm mildly motivated. I just want to finish and care less about the time. Did 'Annie' In 9:30 which is pretty crappy. Some dude did it half that time yesterday. Whatever.

[Emil Dorbell]

Meh, my Crossfit class is always pretty encouraging to the last person, which is me sometimes. I try not to be dead last, I'm mildly motivated. I just want to finish and care less about the time. Did 'Annie' In 9:30 which is pretty crappy. Some dude did it half that time yesterday. Whatever.

Yeah, I get, and I try not to think so much about the others in the gym, it was just so obvious that I'd been away and the rest of the class had been going nonstop. Also, I've noticed that people tend to cheat, skip reps or do reps with poor form, just because they can't handle coming in last. I'd never fall to that. I'd rather do each rep with the full range of motion and be dead last than cheat my way through a workout.

[Dra508]

Also, I've noticed that people tend to cheat, skip reps or do reps with poor form, just because they can't handle coming in last. I'd never fall to that. I'd rather do each rep with the full range of motion and be dead last than cheat my way through a workout.This drives me nuts too. They are only cheating themselves. Funny, a couple of the coaches know who does this and occasionally will 'no rep' them on a crappy squat or push up just to rein them in.

[dogsipod]

side note for you gym folks. i recently started getting serious about my goals and habits in the gym. the encouragement from my wife was probably the biggest factor. she suggested that i kind of pay it forward. it made sense to me. sometimes going to the gym or trying to start some new habits can be a little daunting solo. currently, i use my twitter account to send out support and positive tweets. right now i just bike, run, and lift. planning on some sort of fighting in the future (muay thai looks cool). if you ever need some encouragement look me up. disclaimer: along with the supportive stuff will be tweets or humor, sports, and drunken tweet centered around the viewing of the jurassic park movies series.

on topic...this week has been pretty good for me in the gym. had the best shoulder workout ever. finished with shrugging a personal record of 200lbs. never used 100lb dumb bells before.

twitter: @mr_kaptastic

[redshoewearer]

Just finished teaching the extra body sculpting classes I was offering - dang - it was so fun and I got more buff too. I used resistance bands in addition to dumbbells. Plenty of 'cheaters' in my class but you give cues to help them get it right - many people don't have as much body awareness as we do, and don't even realize their form is not good unless you point it out, and point it out, and point it out... and some people never get it no matter how much you say. If I can fit it in around the aerobic/strength classes I already teach, I'll try to get another session going - I don't want to lose the nice deltoids/triceps/biceps thing I've got going now. If not, I'll just keep doing extra on my own.

[orestes]

Nothing like a good strength training session to cure what ails you! Was walking around all day with a limp in my step but now I'm better.

[Dra508]

I just can not bring myself to work out in hotel gyms. Oh, and I hate to run.

[allegro]

I just can not bring myself to work out in hotel gyms. Oh, and I hate to run.
Have you ever used the gym at the Four Seasons above the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas?

Ohhhhhhhhh, that's a nice; you have your own attendant who keeps bringing you glasses of Evian with a lemon slice in it, and he keeps handing you new towels.

I used to love to run; I hated it, then I kinda liked it, then I loved it. Then some shit happened and I stopped and now I hate it again. I'm wondering if I could love it again, because it sure is a quick way to get into shape and it's good cardio and prevents osteoporosis.

[Dra508]

^^^That's good to know. The gym I go to is actually doing a workshop on running and I'm thinking if I do it, it'll teach me to enjoy it more. If my brother can run freaking marathons, I can manage a mile or two or three. I know it's my gait - shins and low back always aching. Put me on a bike or a rowing machine, no problem. Frustrating cause I'd love to get the calorie burn.

[Christo]

Did 3 sets of 135kg (300lbs) deadlifts today. So I'm pretty pleased with that. I'm sure my back will not be allowing me to walk tomorrow.

[allegro]

I know it's my gait - shins and low back always aching.
That's just what happens when you first start; slow down, stop and stretch, it'll stop. Shins can be partly your gait, I get it from fast-walking sometimes and I guess it's from incorrect length of stride. Do the class, that should help! Learning how to run the RIGHT way could be very beneficial! I worked on it, myself, adjusted things as I went, stretched, warmed up, eventually I was running 2 miles per day even though I smoked a pack a day at the time, haha. It's so easy, you don't need any equipment except you and your shoes, and i really did get that "runner's high" they talk about, I could hear street lamps buzzing that I never heard otherwise, I swear my hearing while running rivaled that of a DOG.

I have some Lolo apps on my iPhone and I'm hoping that will help me to love running again, it has a "coach" prompting you. I've done the Couch to 5K programs, ha, yeah right. I haven't mastered the getting up off the couch part. But the Lolo "coaches" are really motivating. http://lolofit.com/apps Especially this one: http://lolofit.com/apps/beatburn_treadmill_outdoor_trainer

[dogsipod]

motivation if you need it. food and lifts
teamfinish (http://teamfinish.tumblr.com)

[Dra508]

motivation if you need it. food and lifts
teamfinish (http://teamfinish.tumblr.com)

Is that you?

*just noticed the NIN poster. :)

[theimage13]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LUv3kbmNfg

[virushopper]

Here is some motivation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZV3aZfextU

[dogsipod]

Is that you?

*just noticed the NIN poster. :)


yup thats me :)

[scotty79]

Broke my deadlift pb today for 120kg at 3 reps for 25 reps (5x5) hopefully I can keep the weight going up a good bit as well now

[halloween]

I want to be a yoga teacher.
This desire frightens me.

[theimage13]

I want to be a yoga teacher.
This desire frightens me.

Why? (to both, I suppose).

I want to be a yoga student, but that desire frightens me. A: I've tried it, and I couldn't get my brain to shut up. B: scrawny bearded men with unkempt hair tend to stick out like a sore thumb in yoga classes, and I get really damn self conscious about it.

[Halo Infinity]

Bodybuilding.com seems to be among one of the most popular and reliable sites regarding advice and discussions for exercising, dieting, losing weight, and getting buff. I don't think it was mentioned yet though, but I thought that it would've been worth plugging here.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/index.php

[Charmingly Miserable]

I need to get my ass back to working out. I was doing 4 weeks of Insanity and then 4 weeks of the treadmill. I was doing so well for a while. Between work, school, being a horny single mom, I kinda don't have time for that. I want to do sexercise but I guess I need a partner for that.......

[halloween]

Why? (to both, I suppose).

I want to be a yoga student, but that desire frightens me. A: I've tried it, and I couldn't get my brain to shut up. B: scrawny bearded men with unkempt hair tend to stick out like a sore thumb in yoga classes, and I get really damn self conscious about it.

I wish you would try again, let go or rather embrace your insecurities and know that everyone is probably struggling with their own too. The idea of being a teacher frightens me because I feel like there's SO MANY PEOPLE out there getting certified so it seems scary and competitive, but at the same time I'm used to this idea since I went to school for photography... The idea of saving up money to get training and certification for it...well, this is a long term project if I decide to commit!
Now I started teaching 5 minute yoga with the little kids I work with and it's so much fun. I've enjoyed leading it with my friends too. They all seemed to get something good out of it and that made me feel good. I see so many people around me living so unconsciously in their bodies and even in their minds, it's kind of frustrating.

To you, I wish to say that you should try yoga again but really think what you hope to achieve out of that class- don't make it the ultimate goal, make it a step to the goal. For example, maybe your "intention" as yoga teachers put it, for that class is simply to make it through the class. Because showing up and doing it, is a big step. Then maybe you can get into more details like learning the quieting of the mind, learning to let go of insecurity of being a scrawny bearded man (eventually you need to just accept that's who you are, and know that if other people need to just accept that's who you are too!) Know what I mean?

[theimage13]

Oh, I've accepted that. Hell, I try to embrace it. The frustrating thing is that in the few times I've gone, my outcome upon leaving has been anywhere from neutral to actually being downright angry (after the first class, in which I learned that it was being held in a room that couldn't actually accommodate everyone, the teacher was running it as though everyone had been practicing for months, and I just felt absolutely lost the entire time). What I want to accomplish isn't on the physical end. As much as I'd like to increase my flexibility (which is admittedly lacking) and maybe improve my strength a little bit, what I'm much more interested in is the calming/stress relieving part that everyone seems to find. But I can never make my brain shut up and focus on my breathing, which I feel is pretty important to actually getting the benefits that yoga is supposed to offer. I've never found any form of meditation that works for me.

I'm sure I'll talk myself into trying it again sometime. I'd be much more likely to go if I found someone to come with; that's always helped me with other things that I've been hesitant to tackle. We'll see.

[theimage13]

Bodybuilding.com seems to be among one of the most popular and reliable sites regarding advice and discussions for exercising, dieting, losing weight, and getting buff. I don't think it was mentioned yet though, but I thought that it would've been worth plugging here.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/index.php

That's actually where I go for looking into different things to try when I'm lifting. Well, this page specifically: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/

[Dra508]

Oh, I've accepted that. Hell, I try to embrace it. The frustrating thing is that in the few times I've gone, my outcome upon leaving has been anywhere from neutral to actually being downright angry (after the first class, in which I learned that it was being held in a room that couldn't actually accommodate everyone, the teacher was running it as though everyone had been practicing for months, and I just felt absolutely lost the entire time). What I want to accomplish isn't on the physical end. As much as I'd like to increase my flexibility (which is admittedly lacking) and maybe improve my strength a little bit, what I'm much more interested in is the calming/stress relieving part that everyone seems to find. But I can never make my brain shut up and focus on my breathing, which I feel is pretty important to actually getting the benefits that yoga is supposed to offer. I've never found any form of meditation that works for me.

I'm sure I'll talk myself into trying it again sometime. I'd be much more likely to go if I found someone to come with; that's always helped me with other things that I've been hesitant to tackle. We'll see.You should be deliberate in which "studio" you go to. Some of them are uber competitive with everyone decked out in their lululemon, but others, like the one I happened upon is very low key - much more concerned about alignment and "being present". It's one of the best anxiety reducers I have that also has made me much more flexible and strong. Balance poses have always been my nemesis specifically because I climb into my head and say I can't do it. I finally got to just thinking of one thing "I can" when trying to do a balance pose and poof - I got it better.

When picking a place, see if they do an Introductory Series.

[theimage13]

You should be deliberate in which "studio" you go to. Some of them are uber competitive with everyone decked out in their lululemon, but others, like the one I happened upon is very low key - much more concerned about alignment and "being present". It's one of the best anxiety reducers I have that also has made me much more flexible and strong. Balance poses have always been my nemesis specifically because I climb into my head and say I can't do it. I finally got to just thinking of one thing "I can" when trying to do a balance pose and poof - I got it better.

When picking a place, see if they do an Introductory Series.

Right now, I don't get to pick. I'm broke as as joke, so my options are the basic 60 minute 2x a week class that my gym offers, or DVDs from the library.

[allegro]

Right now, I don't get to pick. I'm broke as as joke, so my options are the basic 60 minute 2x a week class that my gym offers, or DVDs from the library.
Tara Stiles has a YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/TaraStilesYoga)

[Lew]

i am on day 3 of light working out: 5 minutes skipping rope, 10 minutes jumping on trampoline (jogging on it for 5 minutes) and 5 to 10 of yoga.
i am not sure if i am not stretching enough or what, i keep waking up and walking like a fledgling bronco rider for about 3 or 4 minutes. lol.
i am kinda digging the sweating. :)

[Lew]

and an update: i am no longer sumo walking in the mornings. lol. still a bit sore, but not like a few days ago.

[Lew]

so starting with the yoga (plank, downward dog, cobra, child pose, repeat), then the jump rope, then the trampoline, then the yoga.
sometimes a 3rd set of the yoga between the rope and the tramp. the yoga, i hold each pose for three long breaths. and child pose for 6.

halloween: is the 5 minute kid yoga thing anywhere online? my youngest likes to "do" yoga with me. it would be cool to do the kiddie one with him. and please do certify. as a teacher you may have something to offer that no one else does, or you may have something to offer a particular student that no one else does. :)

theimage13: it took me a long time to 'get" the breathing. and as best you can: do not look at anyone else unless you are trying to understand a pose. i used to drive myself mental with comparing myself to others in class or online, until i really started to like the feel of a pose. and shortly after that the breathing started to "make sense" to my body. still getting there, but it is worth persisting.

allegro: to add to your suggestion for theimage13, there is also a great yoga channel on youtube called yogatics. esther eckhart is the main teacher, with guest teachers. she is wonderful.

[Digital Twilight]

I used to take a yoga class a few years ago before it got cancelled. I really miss it and don't have the space/quiet to do it at home :(

The gym does free classes but they are 45 mins long (I'm used to 90) so i'm a little concerened what I can get out of it in that time.

[[parasite]]

guys, I'm thinking of starting to run in the morning before work, maybe only getting up an hour earlier, have a little run of an hour, (if I can manage it!) then get back for a shower and then make my way to work!
does anyone else run in the morning post-work? and do you have any advice?
thanls

[sukey]

Tara Stiles has a YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/TaraStilesYoga)
I’ve been doing her beginner playlist most evenings this week and, as a complete yoga beginner, I’m loving it. None of that bullshit hippie vibe that’s always put me off in the past. Just focus on calming and stretching.

[tony.parente]

Just started doing hypotrophy and I LOVE it. Haven't had doms like this since I first started picking things up and putting them back down again.

[miss k bee]

My local Curves is closing, so gutted as it has really helped me to keep fit, just have to stick to the gym now.

[tony.parente]

My local Curves is closing, so gutted as it has really helped me to keep fit, just have to stick to the gym now.

I know curves is just a ladies gym, but what does it have that a normal gym doesn't? Is it just the atmosphere that's supposed to be different?

[sentient02970]

I know curves is just a ladies gym, but what does it have that a normal gym doesn't? Is it just the atmosphere that's supposed to be different?
Less guys....but seriously as I understand, when they first started, it is set up like a serial station workout, where you start at one end of the gym and work your way around doing all of the necessary exercises. It's like a "built in" workout trainer.

I've stuck with a great home routine over most of last year but stopped once I moved and my weight bench ended up in the basement. I've since discovered this past week that I have room down there to still get my workout done. It's been great! Only problem, the basement has a low ceiling so I have to be careful not to whack my head or arms into rafters or PVC.

[Sarah K]

I've never understood the appeal of all female gyms. In the past, when I've actually gone... It was always women who were the assholes to me, and guys were generally encouraging or silent.

I would for sure go to one of those Fatties Only gyms, though.

[tony.parente]

I would for sure go to one of those Fatties Only gyms, though.

That's planet fitness for sure, on a lifting standpoint though that was the worst gym i've ever been to in my entire life. They give out fucking pizza, cupcakes and bagels there for gods sake.

I'm not even joking.

[Sarah K]

No... Like, they have gyms where you have to be like 100 pounds overweight to join and shit.

It is also my dream to start a pool like that!

[tony.parente]

No... Like, they have gyms where you have to be like 100 pounds overweight to join and shit.

It is also my dream to start a pool like that!

Wait what?
So like...when you make physical progress and lose your weight they kick you the fuck out?

lolwut

[miss k bee]

Curves workout is a series of resistance machines stations with recovery station in between where you do light cardio etc. 30 seconds on each station and then stretch after. Twice round the circuit and then stretches takes about 30 mins. Good for weight loss and general fitness.

[millionmilesaway]

Just joined up with my university gym and it is AMAZING! it even has a climbing wall AND an archery range. Still getting the hang of lifting with kilos vs lbs but doing well so far after not being in the gym for a month. Also I have to walk/jog a mile there and back so its like a built in warm up and cool down. Once the semester starts there will a bunch of group classes too, I might have to start spinning again.
Virtual tour: http://www.sport.ed.ac.uk/virtual_tour/pleasance/

[Sarah K]

Wait what?
So like...when you make physical progress and lose your weight they kick you the fuck out?

lolwut

Nah... At least, not the one I was looking at joining back in Omaha. It's like, you can be a current or former fatty. BUT, if I remember correctly, it was like $200/month. So once you got to a reasonable size, I can't imagine that you would want to continue at that place... I'd go back to a normal gym.

[tony.parente]

BUT, if I remember correctly, it was like $200/month.

$200 a month?!?!?! Mother of sweet jesus I don't pay that a YEAR of 24 hour access at my gym. Heck 90% of the work in losing weight is done in the kitchen, a treadmill is a treadmill no matter what gym you're in. I guess if the environment helps then it's worth it I suppose.

[Sarah K]

I was once spending ~$500 a month for a medically supervised diet... You get desperate.

[tony.parente]

I was once spending ~$500 a month for a medically supervised diet... You get desperate.

I hate hearing stuff like that from people I care about, I've never been even close to overweight so I can't get in the mindset of an overweight person trying to lose weight but I try so hard to help my friends and be supportive when they're trying to make a healthy change and they always end up doing weight watchers or stuff like $500 a month for diets like that and then quitting in a few months. Losing weight is absolutely 100% free, I tell all my friends to never EVER get caught in a situation where you're paying to lose weight. It's all calories in, calories out...people can try and muddy up the water by throwing carb free diets or whatever in but at the end of the day if you used more calories than you took in you lose weight.

Of course there's people with thyroid issues but thats less than 3% of the population.

[Sarah K]

When you're as fat as I was/am, there are also psychological aspects behind it. I mean, I go through cycles where I binge and binge. And then I feel guilty. And then I go through a period of a few weeks where I really won't eat much at all, to the point of being constantly dizzy and even passing out a few times(although this has been a few years go now). I've never been able to find a good middle ground with it. I've kept off 100 of the 130 that I lost for a couple of years now... And I've been following a plan for the last week. I feel ready to address it again - but it's going to involve medical doctors, my therapist, my psychiatrist, etc, etc, etc. If you've never struggled with weight on a dangerous scale, I understand how it's extremely difficult to grasp.

But if it was that simple, we'd all be skinny, ya know? I think more focus needs to be shifted to what caused someone to eat that much in the first place. If the mental issues aren't addressed, the physical "fix" isn't going to last very long, and old habits return. Most people who lose over 100 pounds gain it back and then some.

I have no grand delusions that I'll ever be prancing around in a bikini or any shit like that. I mean, I like having an ass and boobs. I just want to get to a healthier weight. Turning 30 years old is weeks away... So if I don't start doing something again NOW, I probably never will. I don't even know what a reasonable goal weight IS for me, because I've ALWAYS been huge. Like, I'm smaller now than I was when I graduated high school, and I'm still morbidly obese.

My grandpa had his first heart attack at 32, and he wasn't even fat. He died at 52, after 5 heart attacks over the years. My other grandpa died from complications of a heart bypass. Like, it's time for me to get my shit together. For real. Or I'm probably going to die within 10 years.

[tony.parente]

When you're as fat as I was/am, there are also psychological aspects behind it. I mean, I go through cycles where I binge and binge. And then I feel guilty. And then I go through a period of a few weeks where I really won't eat much at all, to the point of being constantly dizzy and even passing out a few times(although this has been a few years go now). I've never been able to find a good middle ground with it. I've kept off 100 of the 130 that I lost for a couple of years now... And I've been following a plan for the last week. I feel ready to address it again - but it's going to involve medical doctors, my therapist, my psychiatrist, etc, etc, etc. If you've never struggled with weight on a dangerous scale, I understand how it's extremely difficult to grasp.

But if it was that simple, we'd all be skinny, ya know? I think more focus needs to be shifted to what caused someone to eat that much in the first place. If the mental issues aren't addressed, the physical "fix" isn't going to last very long, and old habits return. Most people who lose over 100 pounds gain it back and then some.

I have no grand delusions that I'll ever be prancing around in a bikini or any shit like that. I mean, I like having an ass and boobs. I just want to get to a healthier weight. Turning 30 years old is weeks away... So if I don't start doing something again NOW, I probably never will. I don't even know what a reasonable goal weight IS for me, because I've ALWAYS been huge. Like, I'm smaller now than I was when I graduated high school, and I'm still morbidly obese.

My grandpa had his first heart attack at 32, and he wasn't even fat. He died at 52, after 5 heart attacks over the years. My other grandpa died from complications of a heart bypass. Like, it's time for me to get my shit together. For real. Or I'm probably going to die within 10 years.

Well, it seems more internal than anything...but if you ever have questions about what food to eat or whatever ETS's resident butt troll is always here to help. :)

[Fractal04]

Any gym or any home equipment can work, if you're smart, and know what you're doing. There are even body weight exercises if you have no equipment.

[Dra508]

Crossfit Coach asked if I ever considered competing in my age group. Bwahahhhahaaaa ok, completely non-competitive person, still flattered. Not going to do it.

[tony.parente]

I'm up 10 pounds in 2 and a half weeks!

[millionmilesaway]

between catching the "freshers flu" and winding up in crutches due to the brilliant idea of joining a rugby team I haven't been to the gym in about 3 weeks :'( at least these crutches are giving my triceps a workout.

[Marie]

I too have joined a gym but then contracted campylobacter poisoning which wiped the floor with me. I want to get back into it but don't even know where to start.

[Millionaire]

after a week and a half-long vacation where I did absolutely no exercise, I'm finding it hard to start again. Falling off the exercise horse sucks. I do it 4-5 times per year I think. But hey, all my little aches are healed, so thats the bright side I guess.

[decadent]

I am two weeks in the Hugh-Jackman-Wolverine-programm and I really, really like it. Normally I am very skeptical when I read about such workouts, but this one is actually presented by Hughs trainer for the website and it pushes me even more than the last programm I had, which had 40-rep-sets.

The goal of the Wolverine-programm is to up ones RM of the 4 main excercices (bench-press, deadlift, squats, weighted pull-ups) and I can definately see myself doing that at the end of the first 4 weeks.

Anyway, if some of you are looking into changing their gym-routine and push yourselves, you can have a look here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mutant-strength-hugh-jackmans-wolverine-workout-week-1.html

[Dra508]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/health-goth-clothing-fitness-trend_n_5999482.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000030

lol wut
Personally can't carry the goth look

[Fractal04]

If it gets some people to work out, then it's a good thing.

[Dra508]

If it gets some people to work out, then it's a good thing.True.......

[tony.parente]

If it gets some people to work out, then it's a good thing.

Unless we're talking about crossfit.

http://media.giphy.com/media/MGyMItEzNRzJ6/giphy.gif

[Dra508]

Unless we're talking about crossfit.

http://media.giphy.com/media/MGyMItEzNRzJ6/giphy.gif

Huh? I do Crossfit. I'd go goth if I could. Can't do a Kipping pull-up though

[allegro]

You know, honest to God, I got into the best shape of my LIFE doing this video back in the day oh my god. i'm gonna use my Apple TV and get on my Reebok step bench, again. My treadmill is boring me to death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IpJM29PJR4

[Dra508]

So totally 90's!!! The instructions at the beginning are hilarious,

I did step aerobics with those scrunchie socks and hair ties. After class, I'd drive home and smoke a cigarette.

[allegro]

I used to run 2 miles then go smoke a cigarette.

[Dra508]

Well now I run around in circles, pick up heavy things and drink wine. I suck.

[Rubeninphoenix]

*Major thread bump*

Without getting into major details, I had an episode in February that led to me getting into the gym these last couple of months. I've gone from about 230-240 at the end of February to about 195 today. A nice mix of eating well (about 80%) and a combo of HIIT, CrossFit, and regular gym work has been the catalyst for that change. I can feel my strength increasing, my metabolism improving, etc etc and now I'm just trying to cut down further on the fat before I really start to muscle up.

[Dra508]

I dropped Crossfit about 4 months ago (availability/cost/boredom) and have gone hard on the yoga - ~5 times a week. I can't stand on my head yet, but I did a bird of paradise yesterday. Boo-namaste-yah

[Rubeninphoenix]

I dropped Crossfit about 4 months ago (availability/cost/boredom) and have gone hard on the yoga - ~5 times a week. I can stand on my head yet, but I did a bird of paradise yesterday. Boo-namaste-yahThat's awesome! A friend of mine wants to try Bikram but I'm not sold on the idea until I gain more flexibility and mobility.

[Dra508]

That's awesome! A friend of mine wants to try Bikram but I'm not sold on the idea until I gain more flexibility and mobility.Actually, yoga is what will improve your flexibility. I used to do 3 days of Crossfit and 3 days of gentle yoga. The yoga will actually improve your flexibility and help with tight muscles. I highly recommend to compliment the HIIT stuff you're doing.

[Rubeninphoenix]

Actually, yoga is what will improve your flexibility. I used to do 3 days of Crossfit and 3 days of gentle yoga. The yoga will actually improve your flexibility and help with tight muscles. I highly recommend to compliment the HIIT stuff you're doing.I will certainly look into a studio around town. Thanks!

[orestes]

*bump*

Been catching an episode here and there on Pluto tv but decided to start the 30-day program today, which greatly helped with my pre-menstrual cramps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBu-pQG6sTY

[Rubeninphoenix]

I've been trying to really do some of the gymnastics stuff that people love throwing at you in CrossFit (pullups, anything involving olympic rings, handstands and anything with those, etc) and it's been a fun adventure so far. I can almost do a full handstand on my own and I can do a handstand pushup with a little bit of wall assistance. I still can't do pullups though, grip strength (among other things) sucks.