[Nicodimas]

I about four weeks ago changed paced and found a local HIIT gym. Was getting super bored of my routine.

I really really enjoy HIIT as they have some things that I haven't done in years...SLED mainly. It exposed me to evil Tabata's which I think my trainer just made up out of hatred, basically 20 secs of this *random* routine to 20 seconds of ropes..x8 sets.. Evil.

This post has been edited by Nicodimas: 17 February 2016 - 07:18 PM

[Primateus]

I'm starting fitness again tomorrow as part of my mental health treatment. Hopefully it'll be good.

[Maark Abbott]

Primateus, on 18 February 2016 - 09:23 PM, said:

I'm starting fitness again tomorrow as part of my mental health treatment. Hopefully it'll be good.

Good shout. Best tip I can give is try to ignore things around you. There is you, there is the bar, and there is the goal of doing the move with the bar. Make that bar your minion.

[Nicodimas]

Boom! Signed up for six months for HIIT, so my training goal to attain is:

Weekly Split:

3x HIIT
3x Formal Strength Training
2x Hot Yoga
2x Run
1x Hike
= 8 hours/Week or so..lets do this.

[Slow Ben]

Havent had a diet soda (which i used to consume 3 or so a day) in 2 weeks.

Its amazing how much better you feel when that artificial sugar shit is not in your body.

It also makes it much easier to fast without the craving spikes.

[Gredfallan Ale]

I'm finally in sight of the fitness goals I've set years ago.

I'd gained a lot of weight after having quit cycling in my early twenties, reaching a maximum weight of approximately 110 kg (~243 pounds according to Google). Over the last four years, I've gradually lost most of the weight I've gained, I'm now at ~76 kg, and in sight of my old cycling weight of 70-73 kg.

My goal is to reach that target region by June as we're going to head to the French Alps then for a week of cycling, climbing famous "cols/mountains" like the "Col du Galibier" and "Alpe d'Huez". I don't think that will be an issue, as my training schedule is about to intensify; let's get that BFP down a bit more.

[Maark Abbott]

Did something to my left shoulder during rows earlier today. Felt like it was inside the joint, and because I know how nasty RC injuries can be, I'm gonna ease off for a few days and monitor it. Ouch.

[Shinrei]

I have been a runner for the past 6ish years, have run 3 full marathons and numerous shorter races, but had greatly neglected my upper body. About a year and a half ago I have started regular upper body workouts, but I have no real experience except for messing around in college, no trainer, and I'm too lazy for watching some videos on youtube unless they come recommended. However, from where I started, it has really made a difference. My upper arms have definition that I've never had in my life. Flexing actually does something!

So, lovely Malazanites, I would love your advice to make my workout better. What should I be doing that I am not. What am I doing that I shouldn't?

Here is what I've been doing regularly (for better or worse) for a year and a half. I generally do 3 sets of 12 for every exercise, sometimes pushing to do more, and have been increasing the weight every month or so as I've progressed.

My short workout (3 times a week)

1)Bench Press

With Dumbbells

2) Curls
3) One arm rows

4) Kettlebell swings

5) Pulldown machine for shoulders

From what little I know about weight lifting (which is very little) I realize that squats might be a recommendation people make, but I have know idea how to do them and would probably break my back....

[amphibian]

Try to move from pulldowns to pull ups.

Overhead presses are good too. Try doing those.

Squats and deadlifts are the kings/queens of exercise motions. They work on so many things, so get those in.

You may want to make sure you can squat all the way down. Some longtime runners have tight tendons such that they cannot squat all the way down without heels coming up off ground. Gotta stretch out until they stop coming up.

[Mentalist]

amphibian, on 02 March 2016 - 05:58 PM, said:

Try to move from pulldowns to pull ups.

Overhead presses are good too. Try doing those.

Squats and deadlifts are the kings/queens of exercise motions. They work on so many things, so get those in.

You may want to make sure you can squat all the way down. Some longtime runners have tight tendons such that they cannot squat all the way down without heels coming up off ground. Gotta stretch out until they stop coming up.

Yup, that's a problem i'm having. Not a runner but i've been playing soccer for as long as I can remember.

As mentioned elsethread i'm taking steps to improve general fitness, because i'm getting older and more injury-prone. When I had my last major injury, I gained some weight and was up to 93 kilos. Since I started actively trying to stay fit, I've gotten back to my normal range of 85-87, and recently i've been howering around 83-85, which is the appropriate weight for my height (185 cm or 6 feet on the dot.) now i'd like to replace some of the fat with muscle, but it's not an immediate goal.

I'm not a lifter- I play soccer and swim (twice a week, for 2 klicks, alternating 250m sets of breast stroke and front crawl. In my top form (about 6 years ago, in Uni, I was managing 2 clicks in 40 min or less. Nowadays i'm closer to 50. In the summer when I swim at an outdoor pool (less crowded and sometimes more than twice a week), I can get under 45 min.)

Since i'm not ready to make an actual commitment to a gym yet, I mostly do stuff at home. I've done P90X as a complex thing before (roughly 6 years ago), and it gave me a shoulder build I've kept ever since. Now I generally do more cardio/endurance workouts, picking and choosing exercises from various workouts, as well as the usual push-ups, squats, straight biceps curls for basic strength training.

I do a bunch of core stuff, too, which I ripped straight out of P90X. My favourite exercise is the stand-up sit-ups where you stand, put your hands behind your head and raise the knees to elbows in a criss-cross pattern. I do 100 of those every day (50 for each knee) pretty much when I wake up.


Any tips for anything absolutely essential i'm missing?

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 06 March 2016 - 12:22 AM

[Maark Abbott]

Back on it today. Training light for a few weeks but my left RC doesn't feel so gammy now at all.

[Mentalist]

+ rep for Apt for the wonderful page 1 breakdown of "muscle groups for dummies"

looks like I'm really not doing enough back stuff. I have a pull-up bar but it's downstairs and currently I work out in my room on the third floor... but by the end of the month when my grandparents leave I should have my designated workout room back, after it being occupied for over a year.

Also, prior to this I was doing squats without weights- basically just sitting down + up. Tried light weights today, made it easier to keep my posture, and, oddly enough, my knees crackled less then usual. Still can't keep my heels planted, though-- and it may be a serious problem, since I have troublesome ankles.


This weekend I'll have to skim thru my P90X collection and see what other exercises I can appropriate.

to be clear: my no 1 goal is to keep my current level of fitness. I need to stay fit and active to lessen risks of injury when I play soccer.

No 2 is to lose some of the fat in core/glutes, legs. I say "some" because my eating habits are atrocious (dictated by my my 11h workday, when I factor the commute) and I love fried greasy food too much.

No 3. is to potentially gain some upper body muscle mass, so as not to be too disproportionate- I have ridiculous hamstrings, because I walk, play and swim so much, and my quads are also large, though not w/o some fat in them.
At the same time, I need the speed (esp since more and more often I'm up against high-school/ early 20s kids that I gotta keep up with), so I don't want too much mass.

To this extent I'm trying to come up with a routine hitting all body major body parts, but primarily core/ a little cardio, with strength as secondary consideration. trying to design a longer workout to do twice a week, and a shorter one, for days I usually stay late at work. I swim twice a week, and soccer on Sundays- which has its own warm-up routine.

[amphibian]

I guarantee you have tight Achilles's tendons. That is making your heels come up as you squat. Look up the towel exercises and others to slowly work on this.

It's an artifact from running a ton without going side to side or squatting much. It's fixable and not the end of the world.

The stair lowering exercise also helps with ankle stability and mobility.

[Mentalist]

Starting to shift swimming towards more of a power vs just pure endurance workout. Initially, I was doing 4 sets of 250m breast stroke/250 m front crawl.

Now switching it up:
First set is the same (because it's a warm-up).

Second set: 150 breast/ 350 front
3rd and 4th set: 100 breast/400 front.

Feeling the extras in my arms and shoulders, but it's soft resistance, so not too bad.

Slooowly working on ankles/achilles. I can actually do repetitive tiptoes now (when I started 2 months ago, I could barely do one at a ti .

My parents noticed that my knees are cracking and are concerned. May force me to see my FD about that.

In another week or so, once we're done cleaning it out, I stand to have proper workout area again. Should finally be able to focus on lay-down stretches and work on my left quad (it's still not 100 percent. Feeling it especially when I sit and being both heels together close to the body).

Been able to maintain my weight @ 81-82 kg. Can't get into biking yet, b/c this frigging winter just won't end.

[amphibian]

Stand on a stair step with your toes on the step and most of your foot off. Go up on your tip toes, then go back down to neutral, then go down past the stair level while staying on the stair.

As for knee cracking, usually it's nothing on its own. If there's swelling and discomfort beyond the cracking noise, then you get yourself to a doctor for a look at the knees because that's bad.

[Coco with marshmallows]

my first ever attempt at Atlas Stone loading today.

only 60kg / 130 lbs, but managed it.

very fun, and some amusing bruising appearing on inside of my forearms.

[Nicodimas]

I have been a huge Bum lately...i aim to fix this.

[Coco with marshmallows]

Right malazites, the new year approaches.

I dare anyone in the thread, or anyone reading it, to PUBLICLY state their fitness/lifting goals for 2017 so that in a years time you can look back at this thread either in disgust at yourself, or contempt at how easily you passed your goals.

Can be anything, running, lifting, weight loss, weight gain, general sports participation, whatever.

But set yourself a target and GO for it.





On that note, somewhat perversely, i'm planning to do at least one mad training thing a month, might be a one off (like my widowmaker from a couple years back, posted in this thread) or a month long challenge.

Starting in January i'm doing the 10,000 rep kettlebell workout (see details on Tnation here: https://www.t-nation...tlebell-workout ) basically, 2 days on, 1 day off, 500 swings a day plus some bodyweight exercises.

[Vengeance]

I just actually want to get to the gym. I haven't gone consistently in 5 years. So I need to work on everything. I don't need to lose any weight though. I am still the same weight I was in high school. I just need to gain some muscle back and get my endurance/ speed up. I would like to be able run a 6 minute mike when I turn 40 later this year and be able to run at that speed for at least 3 miles.

[Coco with marshmallows]

Vengeance, on 30 December 2016 - 11:18 PM, said:

I just actually want to get to the gym. I haven't gone consistently in 5 years. So I need to work on everything. I don't need to lose any weight though. I am still the same weight I was in high school. I just need to gain some muscle back and get my endurance/ speed up. I would like to be able run a 6 minute mike when I turn 40 later this year and be able to run at that speed for at least 3 miles.

so focusing on running for you then? good luck Vengy.

anyone else?