Anybody into working out/fitness?

[Jayster]

Anybody into working out/fitness?

I've been spending the last 15 months doing a relatively simple workout program. Long enough to realize that there are 4 basic building blocks:
1)the work outs
2)diet
3)supplements
4)sleep


Pretty straight forward and easy; I've got some basic free weights and a mid width olympic bench! I've been working an intermediary program with medium heavy weights and high reps... 3-5 times/week. I statrt with an arms and chest day(1st thing in the morning I'll do 35 push ups, then 2 hours later again, 2 hours later again, 3 more times... I.E.-7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm) then get home and decline press 115lbs. 2x12, flat press 145 3x8, incline press 115 2x12 then 3 sets of dumbell curls at 35 lbs, 3 sets of tricep curls at 60lbs. and then 5-10 minutes on the eliptical... (workout 1)

(Workout 2) TEAM WORKOUT - My wife and I do this together: 10 deadlifts while the other is planking, if one stops so does the other! 10x155lbs(for her 60lbs.) we alternate the planking with the lifts(I use 1 leg planks, she does normal).

(Workout 3) LEGS - Squats... For me~ warm up at 115lbsx10, 145lbsx10, 145x10, 185x10, 185x10, front leg extensions at 95lbs 3x12, calf raises 50x70lbs., instep at 25x70lbs., out step at 25x70 times... Then a mile and a half walk.

Team workout alternate 1 ~ 10 thrusters at 115lbs., mixed with planking
team workout alternate 3 ~ bear complex(youtube it)

With some variations thru the week to account for extra energy or even feeling like an area needs more attention.





Diet wise: I try to ingest 200+ grams protien, less than 50 carbs, and high fats.... Then on the weekend I introduce more carbs.


What do y'all do?

[Larz]

I really got into a fitness lifestyle 3-4 years ago and I workout 6-7 days a week, sometimes twice a day. I'm going for lean muscle, cardio and keeping low bodyfat. In my mid-40s so I'm not trying to get huge for the beach anymore, just maintaining quality of life going forward and looking and feeling healthy overall.

As you listed above, the diet is as important as the workouts and drinking lots of water. I'm always looking for different things as protein sources but I don't really count numbers or have a strict daily diet. I do a post-workout whey protein mix drink, protein bars, spinach/kale mix in my salads instead of regular lettuce, lots of chicken and fish and fruit, non-fat protein yogurt, almonds, etc. If you're gonna put all the time in working out, you might as well do the eating part right, to some extent. I quit eating all the crap that my kids eat several years ago and it helped alot.

For my goals, I do some standard chest, arm, leg, shoulders weight workouts, but I try and mix up things each time in terms of the exercises targeting those areas. Dumbbells, olympic style weights, kettles bells, pullups/dips, various lunges, resistance bands, various planks, jump rope, light running, stair climbing, uphill treadmilling, mixing in pyramid style sets, bike rides, etc.

I also do a few 60 minute high intensity interval training and crossfit classes each week at a gym as those are great for hitting all parts of your body with different exercises that you wouldn't necessarily think of and its a great fat burning and cardio workout. I have a few 20-30 minute "insanity" style dvds that I do at home as well. Its good to change up what you're doing with some regularity to shock your body or whatever the term is. Just so your muscles get challenged and don't get used to the same routine.

I got to the point where I really like working out and pushing myself, so it doesn't really seem like "work" to me. I have fun with it.

Having a partner like you do makes it fun too and helps motivate eachother, keep it up.

[dg]

I also got into HIIT about 3 years ago, and it was a real life-changer. I had been doing some basic weightlifting, body-weight workouts, and traditional cardio, and was getting bored and also wasn't getting the results I wanted. I did a little research and decided to try mixing in a Tabata workout on the stationary bike 3 times a week at the end of workouts. It took about 3 weeks to be able to do the full 8 reps at max output, and it was excruciating, but it made a huge difference in every other part of what I was doing and turned out to be the missing link for me. It gave me way more energy throughout the day, and also got me over the hump to increase the intensity of the weight & body weight training. After a couple of months, I started applying the HIIT approach to the workouts themselves, and just did the bike Tabata once a week. I only do steady-state cardio occasionally, mainly just to check and be sure that the HIIT is keeping me in good cardio shape, which it is. As an example, back when I only did steady-state cardio on the bike, I could maintain just over 20mph for a typical 30 - 45 minute ride. I got that up over 22mph after a couple of months doing Tabata/HIIT, and I just check occasionally to make sure I can still do that.

Diet-wise, I have always been a pretty healthy eater, but the main change I made was to add more protein and cut out refined carbs as much as possible. The big one was breakfast. I need something quick and easy that keeps my stomach from growling before lunch, and for years that was a bagel with cheese. Now I eat 8oz of plain Greek yogurt with half a scoop of chocolate or vanilla whey protein powder mixed in, and a small bowl of oatmeal. I also use the whey after workouts. For the first few months, I swore off most bread, all pasta, pizza, etc., but I've been able to add some of those back in without putting any of the weight back on. In terms of weight, I'm just under 6' and started at 198lbs and around 20% body fat 3 years ago. I got down to 180 in about 3 months with just the 3x/wk. Tabata added to my prior workout routine, then down to 167 and 10 - 12% body fat about a year after that after switching to mostly HIIT workouts. I added a bit more muscle and have been steady at around 175 for the last 2 years or so.

[DRM]

I workout daily, both because I have to for work and because I choose to.

Everything I do is in a circuit with the exception of ruckmarching or long runs. I put, on average, between 30-35 miles of running per week and my resistance training lasts for one hour per day. Of that hour, about 10 minutes are warming up, 30-35 minutes are the circuit, and I cool down for the remaining time.

As for diet, I eat 5 smaller meals through the day and try to consume a lot of whole grains and protein. I supplement with glucosamine and fish oil.

For guys who care about stats, I'm 5'7", 185lbs at 9% body fat. Deadlift 1RM is 445lbs, Front Squat is 255lbs, Back Squat is 405lbs, Overhead Press is 235lbs, Hang Clean is 255lbs, and I'm sitting at 16 dead-hang pull-ups.

My last 5-mile run was a 32:41, last 12-mile ruckmarch w/ 45lbs and weapon was 2hrs 22min.

*ETA: Here's a pic from late last year. I've actually leaned down a little bit since then.

[Shawn Lutz]

I run primarily but do general pushups, situps etc.

You are correct in that its all about the diet and the saying of you are what you eat is true...fill your body with crap and you'll fell like crap.

For me its all about cardio and endurance. I don't care how big, strong or bad-ass you think you are if you don't have cardio you ain't got shit lol.

The human body was not designed to sit around idle in front of TV's and computer screens. If you want to be healthy you have to stay in motion or get in motion if you want to be healthy. Eat healthy, natural, unprocessed foods, exercise regularly and everything else will fall into balance...including sleeping well

I'm 51, 165 lbs and a 30 inch waist. IF I didnt eat right and exercise I'd be a fat old dude LOL

[goodwood]

Anybody into working out/fitness?

I've been spending the last 15 months doing a relatively simple workout program. Long enough to realize that there are 4 basic building blocks:
1)the work outs
2)diet
3)supplements
4)sleep

This is just a technicality, but if your diet is good, the supplements are just insurance (and many would say, a waste).

Health & fitness is a very complex thing and commitment is the key.

[TKEblue]

I've always been Pretty into fitness. I've thought about doing an amateur physique show but 1, cutting is pretty dang hard and 2, the maintenance to stay cut is even worse. So I usually fluctuate quite a bit, try to keep abs slightly visible.

As for workouts, I've done tons of them. My personal favorite is madcow 5x5, I recommend it to everyone looking to build muscle. I usually do a 6-8 week program then take a light week or two and move on. Sometimes I create my own, sometimes I just find one that looks challenging on bodybuilding.com.

My diet right now is garbage but when cutting I usually do some meal prep. When the food goes down the supps go up, esp omega fatty acids for joint inflamation. for supplement information I like Jim stoppani videos.
Check out buff dudes on YouTube, they have a lot of home workout ideas and a lot of helpful videos.

I also think that using the bodybuilding.com app bodyspace helps. you upload that pic, or that weight update, and you'll want to work harder to make the next better. Accountability basically. Also the app will let you track all of your workouts and let you see your improvement.

[straycat]

Good luck and I hope you guys reach your goals.

I still do Tai Chi every morning and work with ancient weapons. Long bo,short bo,Sia and tonfa.
Tai Chi is great for keeping limber which me being 62 limber is a good thing.
Walk around 1- 2 miles a day and eat pretty much an oriental diet Rice,veggies and chicken but do have red meat every now and then.
Moderation has always seemed to work for me.
Studied karate most of my life or some form of it to keep in shape.
Never got into bulking up or weight lifting. Can't weight lift now anyway with two cracked vertebrae in the back

[Jayster]

I really got into a fitness lifestyle 3-4 years ago and I workout 6-7 days a week, sometimes twice a day. I'm going for lean muscle, cardio and keeping low bodyfat. In my mid-40s so I'm not trying to get huge for the beach anymore, just maintaining quality of life going forward and looking and feeling healthy overall.

As you listed above, the diet is as important as the workouts and drinking lots of water. I'm always looking for different things as protein sources but I don't really count numbers or have a strict daily diet. I do a post-workout whey protein mix drink, protein bars, spinach/kale mix in my salads instead of regular lettuce, lots of chicken and fish and fruit, non-fat protein yogurt, almonds, etc. If you're gonna put all the time in working out, you might as well do the eating part right, to some extent. I quit eating all the crap that my kids eat several years ago and it helped alot.

It's hard to fit in more than I do right now as far as frequency, it really helps that I've got my wife on board but with young kids and the grind of work and commuting(I know excuses). BUT, like you said mainly just going for the quality of life thing and feeling good ~ If some size happens, I won't be mad!

Diet-wise, I have always been a pretty healthy eater, but the main change I made was to add more protein and cut out refined carbs as much as possible. The big one was breakfast. I need something quick and easy that keeps my stomach from growling before lunch, and for years that was a bagel with cheese. Now I eat 8oz of plain Greek yogurt with half a scoop of chocolate or vanilla whey protein powder mixed in, and a small bowl of oatmeal. I also use the whey after workouts. For the first few months, I swore off most bread, all pasta, pizza, etc., but I've been able to add some of those back in without putting any of the weight back on. In terms of weight, I'm just under 6' and started at 198lbs and around 20% body fat 3 years ago. I got down to 180 in about 3 months with just the 3x/wk. Tabata added to my prior workout routine, then down to 167 and 10 - 12% body fat about a year after that after switching to mostly HIIT workouts. I added a bit more muscle and have been steady at around 175 for the last 2 years or so.

For breakfast 5 days a week, I have 3 large eggs(I mix up fried, scrambled and hard boiled(changing it up every few weeks to keep from getting burned out, 3 sausages, jalapenos and 4 olives). Before lunch I have about 4oz of cheese with 6oz chicken or turkey. For lunch I have a protein shake with organic milk, and heavy cream. For dinners I have meat(mainly beef) and a green vegetable. I eat freely on the weekends but mostly avoid breads, pasta's and grains(my BIG weakness is potatoes). I've added the Tabata timer to my phone for future use, cool ~ Thanks!!

I workout daily, both because I have to for work and because I choose to.

Everything I do is in a circuit with the exception of ruckmarching or long runs. I put, on average, between 30-35 miles of running per week and my resistance training lasts for one hour per day. Of that hour, about 10 minutes are warming up, 30-35 minutes are the circuit, and I cool down for the remaining time.

As for diet, I eat 5 smaller meals through the day and try to consume a lot of whole grains and protein. I supplement with glucosamine and fish oil.

For guys who care about stats, I'm 5'7", 185lbs at 9% body fat. Deadlift 1RM is 445lbs, Front Squat is 255lbs, Back Squat is 405lbs, Overhead Press is 235lbs, Hang Clean is 255lbs, and I'm sitting at 16 dead-hang pull-ups.

My last 5-mile run was a 32:41, last 12-mile ruckmarch w/ 45lbs and weapon was 2hrs 22min.

*ETA: Here's a pic from late last year. I've actually leaned down a little bit since then.

Yeah, well... Kudos to you Brother! And thank you for doing your gig.

I run primarily but do general pushups, situps etc.

You are correct in that its all about the diet and the saying of you are what you eat is true...fill your body with crap and you'll fell like crap.

For me its all about cardio and endurance. I don't care how big, strong or bad-ass you think you are if you don't have cardio you ain't got shit lol.

The human body was not designed to sit around idle in front of TV's and computer screens. If you want to be healthy you have to stay in motion or get in motion if you want to be healthy. Eat healthy, natural, unprocessed foods, exercise regularly and everything else will fall into balance...including sleeping well

I'm 51, 165 lbs and a 30 inch waist. IF I didnt eat right and exercise I'd be a fat old dude LOL

I HATE running, but do approach my workouts with no rest periods. One thing directly to the next... Sleeping well is still tough for me, I guess the stress of life or whatever... Even taking ambien doesn't really work well for me.

This is just a technicality, but if your diet is good, the supplements are just insurance (and many would say, a waste).

Health & fitness is a very complex thing and commitment is the key.

Complex is right Brother, I read every day and try to apply those things to my life with varied results(I don't think it's a one size fits all approach).

[TKEblue]

I don't do much in the way of cardio. I do a warm up and cool down on treadmill on lift days. If I'm doing a big compound day I take a lot of 1-3 min breaks, if it's an auxiliary day I'll do little to no rest between exercises, 1min between sets. I usually do 3 non lift days per week and I'll do usually either 20min hiit on a stationary bike a jog 3-4 mile outside or 2-3 miles on treadmill with high incline on 1 of those days. the other 2 rest days I foam roll and recover.

I've always had a hard time getting to sleep myself, some things that help me is I actually always go to bed pretty full. I go to town on some peanut butter and milk or cottage cheese or frozen banana blended with milk and vanilla casein mix. Cottage cheese being mostly casein is an ideal pre sleep snack. Ive also tried arnold iron dreams and it helped some with drowsyness, but once asleep, man. Wake up feeling great and very well rested. Ofc now with a baby a good night's sleep is like a fairy tale.

My post workout right now, I grind up flax seeds and whole oats, add little almond or peanut butter, a protein blend mix, and 1% milk. Makes a really thick shake.

I'm 5'6", those pics are from last summer I was at about 6-7%bf and I think around 152lbs. Right now I'm at about 165

[Jayster]

A lot of great stuff here, I didn't have time to respond to everyone last night(and am fixing to watch a couple of movies with Traci and then an early night). I'll get back on the weekend and post a few pics also nothing to impressive just weight loss and basic toning. Thanks for the feedback guys!!

[Larz]

There are a lot of good cardio things you can do without necessarily running or elyptical machines or things like that.

Even while you are in between sets with a weight lifting workout, you can just do some forward/backward lunges while you're killing a few minutes of time and mix those in with some mountain climbers or jump rope, or box jumps, or burpees, etc. It all keeps the heart pumping.