[Vengeance]

Reduce your size portions and make sure to completely cut out soda. If you have big plates and small plates the only use small plates. Same for your bowls. If you take food to work use a smaller Tupperware container. Reducing you size portions will work tons better then trying to keep track of your calories.

Anytime you can take the stairs do so. If you need to communicate with some one and they are close enough to walk too then do so rather then email.

Give your self one day a week where you aren't going to fret over what you eat. Or even the whole weekend. You are trying to change your life style not drop 20 pounds for a weigh in. So being to strict at the beginning will just cause you to give up.

[Andorion]

Vengeance, on 06 January 2017 - 04:02 AM, said:

Reduce your size portions and make sure to completely cut out soda. If you have big plates and small plates the only use small plates. Same for your bowls. If you take food to work use a smaller Tupperware container. Reducing you size portions will work tons better then trying to keep track of your calories.

Anytime you can take the stairs do so. If you need to communicate with some one and they are close enough to walk too then do so rather then email.

Give your self one day a week where you aren't going to fret over what you eat. Or even the whole weekend. You are trying to change your life style not drop 20 pounds for a weigh in. So being to strict at the beginning will just cause you to give up.

Soda is gone. Totally. I stopped sometime in 2016.

Portions is a good point. I keep on thinking that one of my problems is too much rice. Its a major staple where I live. A big portion of rice is the norm. I need to reduce that.

The big problem is family dynamics. Everybody wants me to lose weight on the one hand, but on the other get upset when i turn down the sweet/cake/oily fried snack they prepared/bought. It upsets me to upset them.

Very good point about the walking. No more escalators on the subway. And maybe I should skip that last bus ride and take a 15 minute walk instead.

[EmperorMagus]

So Ando, I'm not sure what your knee issues are so take this as you will. I think the best aerobic, low impact exercise you can do in a gym would be using an elliptical on its higher settings (lower settings aren't really aerobic exercises). If you can get on an elliptical, turn it up to 20 and use it for thirty minutes. It would be really beneficial for your cardio-vascular system, it can also strengthen the muscles in your legs (I'm not one to remember exact muscle names). Of course if your knees can't take that particular motion then ignore this.

Another low impact aerobic exercise is getting on the rowing machine and using it. However, you do need to have correct from or that exercise may hurt your lower back. If used properly, the rowing machine burns calories like no other exercise. I used to burn 400 cal in 20 minutes using that exercise. It will make you hate your life though.

If all of the above are not possible for you, I really recommend swimming. The possibility of hurting oneself while swimming is minuscule, and an hour of swimming involves almost every muscle group in the body. The downside to swimming is that it makes most people ravenous afterwards, which means it's not a really good form of exercise for just losing weight.

Finally, it's generally recommended to use exercises other than sit ups for core muscles nowadays, as it's simply not the most efficient and effective way of doing it. I think this reddit poster explains the reason why well and provides very good alternatives (1).


My own fitness goals this year:

So, I have spent the entirety of December trying to get back into shape after abandoning all exercise back in September. I could do 25 minutes of cardio (which was what I mostly care about) at the beginning of January.

Currently, I am 182 lbs (83 kg) and 6'2 (187 cm). My goals for 2017 are to lose 5 kgs and be able to do 45 minutes of cardio easily by the end of it. I have also discovered an aikido dojo with a competent looking sensei (I've yet observe any of its classes) near my uni. I want to attend classes there as long as university is in session in 2017. The problem is, to get to its classes I would have to wake up at 5 AM three days a week.

1. Lose 5kg.
2. Do 45 mins of continuous cardio.
3. Attend at least at least 80 sessions of aikido classes. (If the instructor is actually competent)

[Andorion]

EmperorMagus, on 06 January 2017 - 04:20 AM, said:

So Ando, I'm not sure what your knee issues are so take this as you will. I think the best aerobic, low impact exercise you can do in a gym would be using an elliptical on its higher settings (lower settings aren't really aerobic exercises). If you can get on an elliptical, turn it up to 20 and use it for thirty minutes. It would be really beneficial for your cardio-vascular system, it can also strengthen the muscles in your legs (I'm not one to remember exact muscle names). Of course if your knees can't take that particular motion then ignore this.

Another low impact aerobic exercise is getting on the rowing machine and using it. However, you do need to have correct from or that exercise may hurt your lower back. If used properly, the rowing machine burns calories like no other exercise. I used to burn 400 cal in 20 minutes using that exercise. It will make you hate your life though.

If all of the above are not possible for you, I really recommend swimming. The possibility of hurting oneself while swimming is minuscule, and an hour of swimming involves almost every muscle group in the body. The downside to swimming is that it makes most people ravenous afterwards, which means it's not a really good form of exercise for just losing weight.

Finally, it's generally recommended to use exercises other than sit ups for core muscles nowadays, as it's simply not the most efficient and effective way of doing it. I think this reddit poster explains the reason why well and provides very good alternatives (1).


My own fitness goals this year:

So, I have spent the entirety of December trying to get back into shape after abandoning all exercise back in September. I could do 25 minutes of cardio (which was what I mostly care about) at the beginning of January.

Currently, I am 182 lbs (83 kg) and 6'2 (187 cm). My goals for 2017 are to lose 5 kgs and be able to do 45 minutes of cardio easily by the end of it. I have also discovered an aikido dojo with a competent looking sensei (I've yet observe any of its classes) near my uni. I want to attend classes there as long as university is in session in 2017. The problem is, to get to its classes I would have to wake up at 5 AM three days a week.

1. Lose 5kg.
2. Do 45 mins of continuous cardio.
3. Attend at least at least 80 sessions of aikido classes. (If the instructor is actually competent)

I know the elliptical! I tried it once and really liked it, seemed a nice all-round exercise. I will put this in. Must remember to dial the settings up.

Rowing - not sure. My back is already killing me. Not very eager to increase that.

Swimming - maybe. Possible summer activity. But I remember the last time I swam - and I ate a lot after that.

That link was very helpful. Planking is something I can do on a regular basis.

Generally I am leaning more towards exercise I can do by myself as I don't really trust the people in the gym.

Thanks!

[EmperorMagus]

If your back is bothering you, focusing on core exercises can help a lot. Doing them every day once or twice can help you avoid surgery later on. And an entire set doesn't take longer than five minutes.

[Vengeance]

Andorion, on 06 January 2017 - 04:09 AM, said:

Vengeance, on 06 January 2017 - 04:02 AM, said:

Reduce your size portions and make sure to completely cut out soda. If you have big plates and small plates the only use small plates. Same for your bowls. If you take food to work use a smaller Tupperware container. Reducing you size portions will work tons better then trying to keep track of your calories.

Anytime you can take the stairs do so. If you need to communicate with some one and they are close enough to walk too then do so rather then email.

Give your self one day a week where you aren't going to fret over what you eat. Or even the whole weekend. You are trying to change your life style not drop 20 pounds for a weigh in. So being to strict at the beginning will just cause you to give up.

Soda is gone. Totally. I stopped sometime in 2016.

Portions is a good point. I keep on thinking that one of my problems is too much rice. Its a major staple where I live. A big portion of rice is the norm. I need to reduce that.

The big problem is family dynamics. Everybody wants me to lose weight on the one hand, but on the other get upset when i turn down the sweet/cake/oily fried snack they prepared/bought. It upsets me to upset them.

Very good point about the walking. No more escalators on the subway. And maybe I should skip that last bus ride and take a 15 minute walk instead.

Say thank you and that you will eat it later. Then dont

[Andorion]

EmperorMagus, on 06 January 2017 - 04:41 AM, said:

If your back is bothering you, focusing on core exercises can help a lot. Doing them every day once or twice can help you avoid surgery later on. And an entire set doesn't take longer than five minutes.

Core exercises being planking and things like these?

[EmperorMagus]

Andorion, on 06 January 2017 - 04:54 AM, said:

EmperorMagus, on 06 January 2017 - 04:41 AM, said:

If your back is bothering you, focusing on core exercises can help a lot. Doing them every day once or twice can help you avoid surgery later on. And an entire set doesn't take longer than five minutes.

Core exercises being planking and things like these?

Yep. Variations of them are even prescribed by doctors before spinal surgeries, as there is a chance they can eliminate the need for it.

[amphibian]

Regarding the food thing, take what breakfast/dinner is given you and put the excess in a Tupperware for lunch at school/work. Split it out right there at the table from what you'll eat there and then. You're still taking the food given and not offending people, but you're also moving the rice count lower. I'm Nepali and I know how much that rice adds up. The tea too.

For your bad knees and bad back, you really need to strengthen the little muscles that hold the knee cap in place and strengthen the muscles that let you twist and pull/push without injuring your back.

Which means you should try sets of body weight squats, pistol squats, standing on a stair edge with your toes on it and your heels off while you lower yourself past the stair level, several wide stance leg stretches. Almost yoga like, but focused on getting your thigh muscles and calf muscles OK with holding things securely during movements of all kind.

For your back, look up deadlifts. Or pick up using a squat position and a straight back something heavy like a 30 kg or 50 kg sack of rice a few times like you were hugging a child to you. If you've some dirt and a few plastic bags plus a duffel and duct tape available, you can make your own heavy bag to move, pick up, and throw. Lots of tape needed. Cheap to make though.

If you have something that's like 10 kg, sit up in a sit up position, put the object besides you next to your hip, pick it up with both hands, twist it across your body and put it on the other side of you. Repeat that many times.

Plank and do yoga stuff too. It'll really help your back. Won't get you big muscles, but it'll help you not get hurt by mundane movements.

If you are able to get to a school gym or a professional gym, I can get you a better routine, or you can get the gumption to trust a good personal trainer.

Keep in mind that being "cut" is about food discipline and being stronger and less injury prone in your specific situation is about building up the areas around the problem areas.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 06 January 2017 - 05:35 AM

[Andorion]

amphibian, on 06 January 2017 - 05:32 AM, said:

Regarding the food thing, take what breakfast/dinner is given you and put the excess in a Tupperware for lunch at school/work. Split it out right there at the table from what you'll eat there and then. You're still taking the food given and not offending people, but you're also moving the rice count lower. I'm Nepali and I know how much that rice adds up. The tea too.

For your bad knees and bad back, you really need to strengthen the little muscles that hold the knee cap in place and strengthen the muscles that let you twist and pull/push without injuring your back.

Which means you should try sets of body weight squats, pistol squats, standing on a stair edge with your toes on it and your heels off while you lower yourself past the stair level, several wide stance leg stretches. Almost yoga like, but focused on getting your thigh muscles and calf muscles OK with holding things securely during movements of all kind.

For your back, look up deadlifts. Or pick up using a squat position and a straight back something heavy like a 30 kg or 50 kg sack of rice a few times like you were hugging a child to you. If you've some dirt and a few plastic bags plus a duffel and duct tape available, you can make your own heavy bag to move, pick up, and throw. Lots of tape needed. Cheap to make though.

If you have something that's like 10 kg, sit up in a sit up position, put the object besides you next to your hip, pick it up with both hands, twist it across your body and put it on the other side of you. Repeat that many times.

Plank and do yoga stuff too. It'll really help your back. Won't get you big muscles, but it'll help you not get hurt by mundane movements.

If you are able to get to a school gym or a professional gym, I can get you a better routine, or you can get the gumption to trust a good personal trainer.

Keep in mind that being "cut" is about food discipline and being stronger and less injury prone in your specific situation is about building up the areas around the problem areas.

Food - yeah - I need to cut down on the rice. I have already started on this. As a matter of fact I have eliminated carbohydrates from breakfast. Right now, its cottage cheese, one helping of the veg dish of the day, one helping of dal, and sliced onion and capsicum.

Regarding my knees - they are the strangest thing. I have never ever dislocated a knee cap while my leg was under stress. All four times it has happened when I was taking a casual light step. Twice it happened in my house, once in my bedroom.

I have this knee clenching exercise which I am supposed to do but always forget about. Time to restart that. And I can certainly do squats. At one point I could do 50 squats easily.

I think my big mistake was quitting sports after my first dislocation. Before that I could do 30 situps, 30 squats, 30 leg-rotations very easily

Regarding the weights - I am not at all sure about this - the doctor was pretty emphatic about "no weightlifting, at all" - I don't really know about the relation between high blood pressure and weights.

[Slow Ben]

Andorion, on 06 January 2017 - 05:47 AM, said:

amphibian, on 06 January 2017 - 05:32 AM, said:

Regarding the food thing, take what breakfast/dinner is given you and put the excess in a Tupperware for lunch at school/work. Split it out right there at the table from what you'll eat there and then. You're still taking the food given and not offending people, but you're also moving the rice count lower. I'm Nepali and I know how much that rice adds up. The tea too.

For your bad knees and bad back, you really need to strengthen the little muscles that hold the knee cap in place and strengthen the muscles that let you twist and pull/push without injuring your back.

Which means you should try sets of body weight squats, pistol squats, standing on a stair edge with your toes on it and your heels off while you lower yourself past the stair level, several wide stance leg stretches. Almost yoga like, but focused on getting your thigh muscles and calf muscles OK with holding things securely during movements of all kind.

For your back, look up deadlifts. Or pick up using a squat position and a straight back something heavy like a 30 kg or 50 kg sack of rice a few times like you were hugging a child to you. If you've some dirt and a few plastic bags plus a duffel and duct tape available, you can make your own heavy bag to move, pick up, and throw. Lots of tape needed. Cheap to make though.

If you have something that's like 10 kg, sit up in a sit up position, put the object besides you next to your hip, pick it up with both hands, twist it across your body and put it on the other side of you. Repeat that many times.

Plank and do yoga stuff too. It'll really help your back. Won't get you big muscles, but it'll help you not get hurt by mundane movements.

If you are able to get to a school gym or a professional gym, I can get you a better routine, or you can get the gumption to trust a good personal trainer.

Keep in mind that being "cut" is about food discipline and being stronger and less injury prone in your specific situation is about building up the areas around the problem areas.

Food - yeah - I need to cut down on the rice. I have already started on this. As a matter of fact I have eliminated carbohydrates from breakfast. Right now, its cottage cheese, one helping of the veg dish of the day, one helping of dal, and sliced onion and capsicum.

Regarding my knees - they are the strangest thing. I have never ever dislocated a knee cap while my leg was under stress. All four times it has happened when I was taking a casual light step. Twice it happened in my house, once in my bedroom.

I have this knee clenching exercise which I am supposed to do but always forget about. Time to restart that. And I can certainly do squats. At one point I could do 50 squats easily.

I think my big mistake was quitting sports after my first dislocation. Before that I could do 30 situps, 30 squats, 30 leg-rotations very easily

Regarding the weights - I am not at all sure about this - the doctor was pretty emphatic about "no weightlifting, at all" - I don't really know about the relation between high blood pressure and weights.

Normally it depends on how bad your BP is. If its uncontrollably high, lifting weights can be dangerous. But moderate exercise, including weightlifting, can actually help lower your blood pressure.

But I would probably listen to your Dr.

This post has been edited by Slow Ben: 06 January 2017 - 01:56 PM

[Andorion]

Slow Ben, on 06 January 2017 - 01:54 PM, said:

Andorion, on 06 January 2017 - 05:47 AM, said:

amphibian, on 06 January 2017 - 05:32 AM, said:

Regarding the food thing, take what breakfast/dinner is given you and put the excess in a Tupperware for lunch at school/work. Split it out right there at the table from what you'll eat there and then. You're still taking the food given and not offending people, but you're also moving the rice count lower. I'm Nepali and I know how much that rice adds up. The tea too.

For your bad knees and bad back, you really need to strengthen the little muscles that hold the knee cap in place and strengthen the muscles that let you twist and pull/push without injuring your back.

Which means you should try sets of body weight squats, pistol squats, standing on a stair edge with your toes on it and your heels off while you lower yourself past the stair level, several wide stance leg stretches. Almost yoga like, but focused on getting your thigh muscles and calf muscles OK with holding things securely during movements of all kind.

For your back, look up deadlifts. Or pick up using a squat position and a straight back something heavy like a 30 kg or 50 kg sack of rice a few times like you were hugging a child to you. If you've some dirt and a few plastic bags plus a duffel and duct tape available, you can make your own heavy bag to move, pick up, and throw. Lots of tape needed. Cheap to make though.

If you have something that's like 10 kg, sit up in a sit up position, put the object besides you next to your hip, pick it up with both hands, twist it across your body and put it on the other side of you. Repeat that many times.

Plank and do yoga stuff too. It'll really help your back. Won't get you big muscles, but it'll help you not get hurt by mundane movements.

If you are able to get to a school gym or a professional gym, I can get you a better routine, or you can get the gumption to trust a good personal trainer.

Keep in mind that being "cut" is about food discipline and being stronger and less injury prone in your specific situation is about building up the areas around the problem areas.

Food - yeah - I need to cut down on the rice. I have already started on this. As a matter of fact I have eliminated carbohydrates from breakfast. Right now, its cottage cheese, one helping of the veg dish of the day, one helping of dal, and sliced onion and capsicum.

Regarding my knees - they are the strangest thing. I have never ever dislocated a knee cap while my leg was under stress. All four times it has happened when I was taking a casual light step. Twice it happened in my house, once in my bedroom.

I have this knee clenching exercise which I am supposed to do but always forget about. Time to restart that. And I can certainly do squats. At one point I could do 50 squats easily.

I think my big mistake was quitting sports after my first dislocation. Before that I could do 30 situps, 30 squats, 30 leg-rotations very easily

Regarding the weights - I am not at all sure about this - the doctor was pretty emphatic about "no weightlifting, at all" - I don't really know about the relation between high blood pressure and weights.

Normally it depends on how bad your BP is. If its uncontrollably high, lifting weights can be dangerous. But moderate exercise, including weightlifting, can actually help lower your blood pressure.

But I would probably listen to your Dr.

Its 140/90. I am kind of hoping that the exercise will get it down and then I can do more stuff.

[Azathmaster]

Great day in the gym today, finished my deadlift set (6x6) with 335lbs (152kilos)x6, and my hang clean set (5x5) with 205 (93kilos)x5. Since from what I understand it tends tobe easier to move more weight power cleaning than doing hang cleans I feel pretty good about where I am with my power clean goal, as well as my deadlift goal.

[Coco with marshmallows]

Just realised i never actually stated what MY goals were for the year....

whoops.

Well, i decided i'm going to work up to and complete a variety of lifting challenges during the year that i'll find on the tnation site. Aiming to do roughly one a month or so.

Tomorrow morning i'll be completing the first of them:

10,000 kettlebell swings in 30 days.
(actually it will have taken me 29 days, first day was 26th December)

basically 500 swings a day, 2 days on, 1 day off.

So that's the first challenge done for me.

Next up..... dunno yet

[Aptorian]

I haven't been updating the thread with my progress but in terms of the goals for 2017 I might have set the bar a bit low. Been lifting for 3 weeks now and I am already back up to around my performance before Christmas.

Did a current 1 rep PR Deadlift with a 160 kgs today. If I was willing to risk tearing something I could probably hit the goal of 170 kgs next week. Lets make a new goal of hitting 1x200 kg before January 2018. That would be 20 kgs more than my high school PR.

I Squatted 100 kgs for 6 or 7 reps Saturday so I think we'll bump up the Squat goal for 2017 to 1z140 kgs. That would be around a little under my high school PR. Squat has always been a tough one for me. I am not particularly weak in the exercise but I find it terribly intimidating once you get up in the 120+ range and the bar is actually bending slightly over your shoulders. I also have a tendency of fucking up my back if I don't stay close to good form.

Bench still sucks but that's no surprise. I've always been in weak in chest and press exercises in general. But I don't think 90 kgs will be impossible to hit before summer so let's bump that up to 1x100 kgs before January 2018.

Been doing some Power Cleans to get into the olympic lifts. For now it's just a sort of intense compound exercise I throw in before chest days to get some full body punishment in there. Been thinking about putting some cleans, jerks and snatches into my program but I am not really willing to drop the more normal Body Building exercises I like to do. I reckon I'll just squeeze them into various days where they fit with a certain body part. Namely biceps and shoulder/traps workouts.

This post has been edited by Apt: 31 January 2017 - 08:01 PM

[Coco with marshmallows]

you're pretty much the polar opposite of me Apt, deadlift is my weakest lift and one i dread as i have had a shoulder dislocation in the past.

all time best reps at 160 kg deadlift = 4
all time best reps at 160 kg squat = 3.

Of course, at the moment i'd struggle to do 140 in either of them i think, so there's that to work on.

[Azathmaster]

Great day today, hit 235lbs on hang clean which is at my body weight, only 15lbs away from my hang clean goal! 235 went up pretty easy too so if i actually tested for a clean max i feel like i could hit my goal of 250. May up my goal to 275 if i hit 250 in the next month or so

This post has been edited by Azathmaster: 27 February 2017 - 08:34 PM

[Vengeance]

I also haven't been updating the thread in what I am doing. I had gotten my mine down to just under 8 minutes and then broke my toe on thursday night. So no running for me for 4 weeks. So that means that I am unlikely to reach a 6 minute mile for 3 miles by the time may comes rolling around.

[Azathmaster]

This week just keeps getting better for lifting: at the end of a 5x10 pushup and 6x(6,4,4,2,2,max reps) superset, I hit 205lbs for 2 on bench, which upped my estimated one rep max to 211lbs. Fresh, I'm confident i could hit at least 1 at 215 which puts me close to my first goal of 225 on the way to 250!

[Gorefest]

I would definitely second the swimming suggestion. Great way to do a full body workout without big risk of injuries or strain on your knees. It depends what sort of facilities you have where you live, of course, but simple lane swimming is an amazingly effective workout. If you get a food kick afterwards, just try and drink a lot of water instead to fill you up (not from the pool, of course...).