The Rock-Your-Body Fitness Thread
We talk about health and exercise in a lot of different threads. It's time for a one-stop shop.
As you all have read ad nauseam, I have a super slow metabolism so I'm always looking for ways to increase my fitness.
I'm going to join a gym next Wednesday (most likely). Is it true that I should leave a day between working muscle groups? I'll likely only be at the gym on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so I'm not sure what the best excercises are if I'm only going to be working that area once. Like, Wednesday for legs or front and Thursdays for arms or back. Something like that? I'll have about an hour between work and when yoga starts and the gym will be relatively empty, so I'll have plenty of time and access to equipment.
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I recently read that dehydration leads to a drop on body temperature and a drop in temp triggers a body to store fat. Of all the dagnabbit, underhanded, flea-analogue bitten things! My normal temp is in the 97.1 - 97.3 F (36.2 - 36.3 C) range.
yep! AND I don't have to pay the entry fee, because I entered through work and am part of the Cap Coast Cruizers!! Yeah! (ok not that exciting...just means they pay my entry dee and I have to wear their shirt)
I never got back into couch to 5k, but I think the prob with my knees may have been not enough support on my old trainers, so I have bought a new pair which should hopefully arrive in the post soon.
I entered because 2 other (non-runner) girls in work also entered and persuaded me to, but now they have both dropped out!
Gym yesterday and a short visit today.
haha yeah I looked it up after you posted about it. I haven't done Auckland round the bays for years, maybe I should do it this year... it's 8.4km, I could definitely get up to running that distance by March.... hrmmm I'll see if mr oww wants in...
Is anyone else from your work doing it now those girls have dropped out? You should get Niall to go with you! : )
I'm so excited for my new round of p90x starting tomorrow morning.
I'm going to do the fit test tonight and use that as both the 'end point' result for my first round and 'starting point' for this one because I never got round to doing it after we finished at Christmas time.
yes, do it!!!!
Unfortunately, Niall is working the day the run is on, so he can't do it.....otherwise I think he may have done it too. I am trying to persuade one of the other girls at work to do it with me, but we'll see. I was also encouraging my neighbours, but as they're planning heir wedding and getting mariied next week, they might have other things on their minds!
And you must post results of the p90x fit test thingy, I'm really interested in this.
Last night was a good workout at the gym. The music I had on my ipod was a slower bpm than my normal music so I decided to go at a slower pace on the cross trainer and just increase the resistance by 2 levels to make up for it. BUT I ended up just going at the same pace as I normally do (maybe ever so slightly slower butn ot much). So basically I just increased the level by 2!!! It felt good.
Tonight I am going to a 'power' class with a girl from work,,,,,I think this is basically a toning/weights type class. I'm excited to do it!
theo - everything you post sounds like fun
shell - it's awesome that you're challenging yourself
oww - are you doing the same routine or is there an "advanced" routine (it all sounds advanced)
me - I've had trouble sleeping this week, so by the end of the workday I'm dangerously tired and have gone straight home. My coworker is out this week so no one has dragged me to the gym. My goal is to go to bed at 6p (in a half hour) and sleep for 12 hours and rock the gym tomorrow. Tomorrow is also my last physical therapy day. My PT guy is super cool, but I'm excited it's over.
Shell, do you usually match your cardio pace to your music? Maybe I'm daft, or maybe it's just the music I listen to, but I would always just have music in the background and go as hard/fast as I wanted to. Good on you for upping your resistance and still feeling great! : )
Power class sounds frightening, but then again I am scared of gym classes in general, even though I've never seen one!
hh, good luck getting a killer sleep in and I hope you feel super energised tomorrow! Sometimes our bodies just need a break from this stuff and hopefully yours till be well ready to go by the morning : )
p90x in general is pretty advanced but I am contemplating trying to do the 'doubles' version rather than the 'classic' we did last time, which basically means the same workout structure, but with three days where you do an extra cardio workout as well as the resistance training. I'm going to go with the philosophy that on days when I can fit in either one of the cardio dvds or a run, then I will, and if I don't, then so long as I've done the 'main' workout for that day I'll still call it a success.
so, highlights of my 'post' fitness test:
nine more reps on max rep bicep curls
32 second longer wall squat
twelve more pushups on my toes than my best effort on my knees at the beginning.
Chest and back this morning felt amazing, it was tough as hell, but still fully achievable and I felt pleasantly wiped out afterwards.
I've changed my form on pullups from doing an assisted pullup with chair for support to using the chair to assist up and then lowering myself with as much resistance as I can. Once I pretty much fall straight back down, I'm done. It's dropped my numbers/reps way down but I think is a much better strategy to work towards actually being able to knock off a real pullup on my own.
I'm also upping the weights on all exercises by a minimum 1.4kg because I'm switching to using my husband's dumbbells which are much better quality than mine, and the bar alone weighs that, where mine weights next to nothing.
I've changed my form on pullups from doing an assisted pullup with chair for support to using the chair to assist up and then lowering myself with as much resistance as I can. Once I pretty much fall straight back down, I'm done. It's dropped my numbers/reps way down but I think is a much better strategy to work towards actually being able to knock off a real pullup on my own.
whoa this was a good idea! I still have sore back muscles today from Friday's pullups.
Been going well since then, I did plyometrics on Saturday morning and went down to the gym as well to do legs as this was the last week I've got my membership.
Shoulders and arms was really tough on Sunday but my shoulders are definitely one of my weak points and my arms were feeling pretty tired still from all the push and pull ups on Friday. Still, got through it, and with increased weights on pretty much everything.
Yoga yesterday and legs and back this morning, both felt pretty good! : )
How's your round the bays training going, Shell? : )
Hi all! Sorry I feel off the VW for a while. Not sure if Im fully back yet or not but thought I would post anyways! My gym time is still ongoing, thankfully. I am lifting four to five days a week with 10 minutes Arc trainer or Recumbent Bike whenever I can fit it in, usually two days. Ive also added swimming with a membership to my local YMCA on three nights a week so far.
Ive also changed my eating habits to lose some weight. I cut down on eating potatoes, I am avoiding eating rice and I completely stopped eating pasta and bread. Oddly this helped me lose 8 pounds this month! My goal is 30 pounds to lose before August and I want to be lean, firm and fabulous!
Keep up the great work all!
Even if you don't post elsewhere, stay here in the fitness thread (she suggests selfishly).
We both have wonky metabolisms. I avoid starchy foods (rice, potatoes, bread), too. Twinsies! What's in August?
So, about me:
I didn't go to the gym for about a month after the accident, when I did go it hurt like hell, so I haven't been back for weeks. Nearly two months later, I think I'm healed enough to return. I went later than usual this afternoon and the cardio equipment not out of order was in use. I don't want to strain my neck lifting, so I'll make my triumphant return (earlier) tomorrow.
yah, Cali's back! : ) Wow 8lbs in a month sounds like heaps!
We both have wonky metabolisms. I avoid starchy foods (rice, potatoes, bread), too. Twinsies!
my metabolism is rubbish also, but we have rice, potatoes, bread or pasta every day... oops!
HH I hope your triumphant return goes spectacularly!! : ) Good luck!!
for me, I have actually not been having a good week. I hurt myself doing p90x shoulders and arms on Sunday and have not really been up to going hard since. I finished the workout but skipped the shoulder exercises and managed to do the legs portion of legs and back but there's no way I can do pullups at the moment. I *think* it's starting to feel a little better and hopefully by the weekend I'll be more like back to normal...
Cali, sounds like you're doing great! 8lbs in a month is amazing. Well done.
Double H, shame that the cardio machines were in use, but you're definitely right not to do weights.....make sure you're really better totally before doing that.
Oww, poor you. Sounds painful : ( Make sure you're better before doing too much...although I'm sure I don't really need to tell you that!
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ok so I have started my training properly for my run......but not really!
Monday was so good. I did some running on the treadmill at the gym - 5min warm up walk, 7 mins running, 3mins recovery, 7mins running and then 5 mins cool down walk. Boy was I knackered! then usual legs and abs stuff at the gym.
I was very pleased with myself, and my knees did not hurt yesterday - I think either my new trainers are better for running than my old ones or I just haven't done enough running to hurt my knees yet!
Then yesterday I didn't end up going to the gym, because I'm crap. And we needed to book stuff for when Niall's olds are here and I had a skype date with my mum. But mostly because I was achey from the running and I'm crap.
But I will be going later tonight and the aim is for 5mins walk, 10-2 mins running, 3mins walk and 10-12 mins running, 5mins walk.
My aim is to do the 7km run in less than 50mins, which should be manageable, but considering I really am crap at running I'm not sure. : /
How was the treadmill, shell?
How's your shoulder, oww? I hope better. (Maybe starchy foods are more okay for you because you're so active?)
I skipped the gym. Again. I know what it is. I'm self-conscience about going slow on the treadmill. I know I'll be on a steep incline, but anyone who uses them runs flat. I was self-conscience about the elliptical, too, in the beginning. If I just go do it, I'll get over it because no one pays attention there. Hmpf.
In other news, people have recently been asking me if I've lost weight. I don't know if I have, but it's annoying they're asking after I've stopped going to the gym so I can't tell myself it's because I'm getting toned.
I'm currently on a 5 day weight plan and I throw cardio in whenever. I'm a dedicated cyclist but haven't been getting out much due to lack of money for gear. Finally got out and rode 15 miles today and it felt amazing.
I recently got into running and I'm fucking in love with it. I can't wait to run during spring.
You can do it HH! Get back in there! I am sorry to hear you were hurt too!
OWW! You too can cut back on starches. Simply replace them with more veggies! Ive been eating a lot more squash lately. I am sorry to hear your shoulder is giving you issues. I hope it recovers quickly.
Great job Shell! I am sure you will hit that goal. Your not crap! :p
Hi Ska! Great job on getting into running. That is something I wish I could do myself but fear its never to be.
The past two days I got in both lifting and swimming! With a touch of cardio on Thursday. So I am feeling good. Plus when I stepped on the scale on the 3rd I hit my January goal of 9 lbs! YAY! Only 25 more to go.
August is the start of our local Renaissance faire, and I want to be fit, lean and firm for it so I can wear skimpy sexy outfits. hahah So vain! I know. :)
ok so I have started my training properly for my run......but not really!
yah, sounded like a good start, how have you been going the last few days? I still haven't decided if we're going to do round the bays or not... but probably not : /
How's your shoulder, oww? I hope better. (Maybe starchy foods are more okay for you because you're so active?)
Until this weekend it was still giving me quite a bit of grief, but it held up really well doing shoulders and arms again yesterday, so I'm going to go ahead and claim it healed : )
I don't think carby foods actually do work for me, I'm sure I'd be slimmer if I ate fewer of them, but I guess I'm ok like this.
Hope you get your gym time in soon and can show that treadmill who's boss! : )
I'm currently on a 5 day weight plan and I throw cardio in whenever.
Hi, Preston! : )
The past two days I got in both lifting and swimming! With a touch of cardio on Thursday. So I am feeling good. Plus when I stepped on the scale on the 3rd I hit my January goal of 9 lbs! YAY! Only 25 more to go.
yeah, Cali is a butt-kickin workin-out weight-loss machine!! : ) wow!
I am trying to find time/mostly energy to use my eliptical.... things have been busy at work and home though... and i get tired.. i know i will have more energy if i give a little to that danged machine. I will try to get in a bit tonight. y'all sound like you are doing good though.
Jess, I think you're a machine for just keeping going getting on with work and life and looking after your daughter on your own, I'm not surprised you don't have any energy left!!
But I think you're right that getting a bit of daily exercise in will help elevate your energy levels, I know it sure did for me. Could you maybe try and get up even 20 minutes earlier in the morning and have a go then? I know mornings aren't for everyone, but it's my favourite time to work out : )
...that being said, I've slept in till nearly 5:30 the last two days in a row and so I planned to move my rest day to yesterday and do legs and back this morning, but when I slept in again this morning I'll have to do it after work tonight, which is a pain but all good really.
my parents are moving in with us for a week from this weekend so I will have to see how I go getting my morning workouts in next week as I won't want to wake them ...
slept in til nearly 5:30?!?! shame on you :P i sleep in til nearly 10:30 on a regular basis :D but i do need to get up a bit earlier, i have been thinking of doing 30 mins in the morning and 30 in the evening. the bit of excersise really does help with my energy. and i have a bit of help now at home as my rct (retarded conjoined twin) has moved in with me with her two kids and her sisters 3 kids, so she stays at home with them and homeschools them and has them in bed by 7:30 in the evenings. so i dooooooo have time.. i just need to get over the lazy.
haha, yes, I normally need to be up no later than 5.05 to get my workout in and still have time to get ready for work. Which is why I am usually in bed by 9pm...
just play around with different times of day till you find what works best for you, you want it to be something you enjoy and look forward to, not something you dread or have to psyche yourself up for... Good luck!! : )
double h - I'ven ever really don running ever so don't really know how running on the treadmill compares to the road...I'll find out soon! But I do run really slowly compared to other poeple at the gym - whatevs, I don't care.
oww, you're plenty slim enough, so who cares if the carbs don't work for you ; ) and I can't beleive you were so lazy and didn't get up until 5.30!! I didn't even know tha time existed!
training is ok. Managed to run for just over 13mins in one go then 2 min rest followed by 5mins run. I did just under 3.5km in about 25mins (with the 5min warm up walk bit too). My aim for round the bays is 50mins, but I would be happy with less than an hour, so fingers crossed I'll do it.
I was gonna go to the gym last night, but it was nice-ish weather and the garden was way overgrown so I did 2.5hours gardeing instead. I woke up this morning and the backs of my thighs were (still are) killing me. Then I figured out it was because I was basically doing squats for 2.5 hours last night!
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