Take care of yourself

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

SmPotatoes--i like that.

This will sound bizarre, but I always end my workouts with one extra set or lap or sprint for every person I know who is sick or died too young. Morbid, I know, but it's a sharp reminder that even though I'm completely drained at the end of a workout, I'm strong and healthy--and lucky enough--to be able do this.

Whatever motivates.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Small:
I think that's great, too. Keep it up.
I always do an extra 10th of a mile or so if I'm using the treadmill or elliptical, just on principle.
I also have a notebook with my personal bests on certain courses for running or biking. Every month or two, I'll time myself.
Seems anal, but it feels great to be able to measure progress (or even when you just push yourself a little harder than the time before.)

Also, Hokie: Have you ever tried this routine: one set of 12 at a weight that's comfortable but not easy; then move up a weight for each subsequent set and do as many reps as you can?
I've only been doing it for a few weeks (not every workout) and I've actually seen a difference in strength already.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

21, fair question ... the cardio is pretty high intensity. I don't lollygag on level 5 on the stairmaster, more like level 17. I'm usually completely dripping with sweat by the end of it, so it seems to work right.

Plus, I bike to and from work most days, and when I go downtown for things (about eight miles roundtrip), I tend to bike. Trips to the uni for practices and stuff add up too. So I'd say I probably ride 10 miles a day at least on top of the stuff I do at the gym.

Again, my goal is to keep my workout at right around an hour. Any more than that, and I either a)get bored or b) find excuses not to go. One hour is perfect to pack into a tight schedule.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

hokie ... here's another cardio you can add/substitute

jumping rope

you can do it as a warm up, cool down or as the meat of a cardio day

if you haven't jumped in a while, it's going to take some time (maybe a week) to get used to it

start out slow: jump for a minute, rest for 15 seconds, go for another minute, etc. ... do that for five total minutes of jumping

i incorporated jumping rope into my workouts after doing a story on a boxer's training regime ... i talked with his trainer while this guy jumped non-stop for 30 min.... i was amazed, bought a rope that night, started jumping, and was gassed by the two-minute mark (it's a serious exercise)... six years later, i can jump 30 min and barely break a sweat

try it ... it's a great x-training tool

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Yeah, I've done that before, it's good stuff. Definitely need a spotter for it and I haven't worked out with a partner for a while (he works out at 8 a.m. now, waaaaay to early for my night-owl ass).

Not sure if it was lost, but Seabasket had a great strength training workout for gaining strength. Basically, you did 10 sets of one exercise to failure using heavy weights. Did it for hamstrings and I hurt (in a good way) for days afterward, great stuff.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Hokie, I do the 10-reps, 10-times workout sometimes, too. It's brutal, in a good way.

The plain ole three sets of 8-10 workout is good for maintaining status quo, so I try to mix it up.

And for the jump-rope poster, I do that for a few minutes sometimes before a bike ride or something. But 30? Wow, I'm impressed.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

What about quick-fix diet pills?

I'm nowhere near obese (5'10", 185), but would like to drop about 15-20 pounds.

Diet and exercise -- that is, maintaining a diet and exercise -- isn't one of my strongpoints.

While calorie counting will do the trick, is there an easier way? Do any of these appitiite decreasing, informercial worthy, ephedrine-free diet pills work?

Thanks

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

n3849
they work at getting you to spend money, that's about it

these advertisers can get away with their claims because they all say in addition to the "miracle pill" that you must combine it with an exercise program

hell, they know people looking to take these pills are exercising anyway, so anything they do is going to create a positive change

and the advertisers say it's the pill that causes the change

i've had many clients who were pill poppers before they came to me. i don't advocate any supplements until i know that person's diet is complete. if the diet is complete and the exercise program is complete and they still need more to attain their goals, then we can start talking about supplement

taking an "easy" way to get rid of 10-15 pounds means it's going to come back just as easy

work your ass off ... refine your diet, refine your exercise plan and work your ass off

it's the only way you're going to keep it off

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

When I decided I was going to lose weight, I decided there were three things that I would refuse to do:
1). Any sort of radical, unhealthy crash diet that I can't maintain long-term.
2). Surgery
3). Drugs.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

n ...

The ONLY supplement that I think is really legit is real whey protein. It'll help you build muscle, but it's not a meal replacement. It's a supplement to your daily diet.

You've got to exercise and put in the work if you want to drop the weight. Simple as that. That means taking an hour out of your day that you'd spend watching TV or reading or relaxing and getting to the gym. Not only will you look better, but you'll feel much better too.

And I'm not saying this to be narcissistic. You feel better internally when you work out. You're less sluggish. And think about it: Five hours a week is not that much of a time investment for a healthy body and healthy mind. Think about that.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Uggghhh..... No, man those things are just quick fixes, if they work at all. And they're usually dangerous for your heart.

You want the easiest way to lose weight? Here goes: Every morning, first thing in the morning, before you eat a single morsel of food, take a 25-30 minute brisk walk/jog.

Your body will burn fat first thing in the morning when it is looking for the energy it needs for your jog. And it will jump start your metabolism for the day.

If you can't give 25 minutes a day (or at least 4-5 times per week) for your health, no other solutions are going to work for you.

 

Re: Take care of yourself (LiveSTRONG)

Speaking of whey protein, about a month ago I went to a trainer for advice on how to work around a shoulder injury. That's all I really wanted and needed, no more, no less. I was happy with the rest of my diet/workout and saw no need for a complete overhaul.
Of course, the guy tells me I need a whole new workout, that I'm doing everything wrong. He asks if I'm on a diet and I tell him I am. He asks if I'm eating protein and I say yes. He asks what kind, I reply "Egg whites, chicken, turkey..." and he cuts me off and says I need to go to a particular supplement shop and get certain protein supplements.
Basically he said if I'm not using a protein supplement, I'm not eating protein. he also said I needed some other supplements that I can't spell or pronounce.
Seeing that for what it is, an attempt to hustle me out of more money, I found another gym.
One of the most frustrating things for me is that while I've made good progress, I still have a long way to go. If you saw me in February and saw me now, you could tell that whatever I'm doing is working. But if you just saw me for the first time today, you would probably assume that either I wasn't doing anything, I didn't know anything about diet or exercise or whatever I was doing wasn't working. Looking out of shape makes it kind of hard to call bullshit on somebody who feels the need to act like a know-it-all.