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Gym Routines

KyCatFan

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May 7, 2002
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For those of you that go to the gym, what do you want to get out of it? What kind of workouts do you do? Myself, I am primarily going for weight loss for the next 11 weeks. I am in my companies Biggest Loser Weight Loss Challenge. It is a 12 week competition and I lost 5 pounds the first week. I started at 218 and would like to drop down to the 170's.

I won the competition last year but only lost 20 pounds before I hit a rough stretch (grandmother died, sick for 2 weeks, and back was hurting) and lost my motivation. I want to also put on some muscle (not Schwarzenegger muscle) after dropping the weight. I'm afraid if I start doing weight training I will put on muscle weight that will counter the lost weight from losing fat. That is why I am probably going to stick to cardio until this is over.

What do you do to keep motivated? Right now I am finding something interesting on Netflix to watch while I do cardio for about an hour (elliptical). My end motivation is the main thing. By September, I want to be in the best shape of my life for my 15 year wedding anniversary. The wife and I are planning a nice vacation to one of the island with just the two of us. It will be the first vacation like that we will have taken without our kids.
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I lift 2 times a week, do a spin class every week and 3 days a week I go to a boot camp type class during my lunch break at work. I also play basketball for a couple of hours every Wednesday at my church.
 
You'll lose more if you mix in strength training now. More muscle raises your metabolism. Also, muscle and fat weigh the same. A lb is a lb. Muscle is more dense, taking up less space than fat, so if you were looking at volume, muscle weighs more in the same volume.
 
Losing weight is 98% diet. You can't out exercise a shitty diet. Know every single calorie you put in your body. Cardio is just bonus.

You don't have to put the caveat that you don't want to be Arnold. Unless you're mixing some steroids in along with your diet, you won't be. Get in the habbit now of weight training. If you're dieting to cut a lot of weight in a short period, you aren't going to put on much muscle if any at all. But if you do put on muscle, what's the big deal? You lose out on some money in your competition at work, but you are no longer a marshmallow. And don't get discourage when you aren't packing on all kinds of lean mass if you start lifting weights. As with losing weight, 98% of gaining weight is diet. You have to tailor your diet to what you want.

As far as motivation goes, if you aren't worried about some competition and what the scale says, all you really need is a mirror. If you can truly make a lifestyle change, you'll know exactly where you want to be. And if you go a couple of weeks without working out you'll feel disgusting.
 
Agree with Bill Cosby. Lean bodies are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. There's no question that you should incorporate some physical activity, but these people who buy Fit Bits and track their steps while simultaneously eating HoHo's make me laugh. Unless you're walking to South America, you probably shouldn't be eating those HoHo's.

But yes, educate yourself on nutrition and diet. Drink water and yes, get active and throw around a weight or two. And two things that always worked for me when I was competing: don't weigh yourself daily. Your weight can fluctuate with food, stress, sleep, etc. Weigh yourself once a week. And enjoy a "treat" meal once a week. Not a cheat meal, a treat.
 
I did P90X 3yrs ago and lost 45lbs. Went from 220 to 175. What really helped me lose the weight was I followed the diet plan. Like the other posters have stated, it all depends on your diet. I gained 25lbs since I lost me weight, so I started P90X3 last week. Its shorter than 90x, but it still gets the job done. I am on a 2500 calorie diet. Eat proteins and carbs in the am. Have a salad for lunch. Have a couple of healthy snacks in between and a meat and 2 veggie dinner.
 
I do 10-15 minutes of cardio and 30-40 minutes of lifting 4 times a week on average. I pretty much plateaued 10 years ago on my heavy lifts and am basically been in maintain mode since. Basically do it to look good and any weight gains/loses I have had since college have been diet related and have little to do with working out. I am mid-30s now and my metabolism hasnt really slowed down at all, when it does I am sure I will get fat because I have no desire to do more cardio.
 
Currently doing a program. Got injured and put on around 25 lbs. Used to body build in my younger years so I have a good idea on how to diet and lose weight. Just harder to lose now that I am close to 40. I do not sit around counting calories and all for what I want to do. If you want to do a competition, yeah those folks are counting calories. I rarely get on the scale. I rely on the mirror and how my clothes fit. I know when I am losing weight. Scale is all over the place when you are gaining muscle, retaining water, etc. I like to weigh when I first start and at the end of each month until I reach my goal weight.

Like others have said, bodies are made in the kitchen. So many different ways to do it, but what has always worked for me is portion dieting. I try to eat 5-6 times a day, but small portion meals and higher protein. I avoid all carbs after 2pm. Do not eat any breads or processed foods. Protein shakes are my best friend. Drink lots of water. Lots of veggies, fish, chicken, etc. I have a cheat day where I eat whatever I want which helps keep the metabolism in check (actually speeds it up).

Exercise wise, in my younger years I could go all day long in the gym. Now, I want to get in and get out as quickly as possible. I see so many folks waste time by talking, taking long breaks, playing with their phones, etc. I put on the headphones, have a stop watch to keep my break times under a minute and go at it. I do not bother with the heavy lifting anymore. Avoid the bench press since it kills my shoulders. You do not have to do 20 sets for each body part to get the job done. Its not about how much weight you can do. Its about how intense you are which burns the calories and fat. If you want to be a fat powerlifter then by all means spend two hours on the bench press. If you want to lose weight but not look like Arnold do 10-12 sets for each body part but do it fast and get out. I can do two body parts in less than 45 minutes and be drenched in sweat and have a full pump. My workouts typically take 1:30 since I warm up on the elliptical for 10 minutes, stretch, workout, and then I hit the treadmill for 35-45 minutes. Some "experts" think treadmill etc are not effective. Some say it helps with the aging process when you get into your mid to late 30's. All I know it that it works for me. Jump rope also is a great way to get cardio in.

During those 35-45 minutes I do intervals. I will run hard for 2 minutes and then power walk on an incline for 3 minutes.

Bottom line, there are no real shortcuts when it comes to losing weight and looking great. Sure, you can take roids and all, but even those folks still have to eat good and put the time in the gym. I see several of them in my gym. Acne all over the back, women sound like men, etc. They still have to put the time and hard work in the gym to look the way they do. I see them drinking lots of water and I am sure are getting it done in the kitchen as well.

It takes hard work, time, and being smart about it. The biggest pitfall so many folks have is they think they should lose a ton of weight in a month or so and when it does not happen they quit. Those who lose it real fast almost always put it back on plus some. I expect my deal to take 6 months at the least to lose what I need to lose and keep it off.

This post was edited on 2/2 10:02 AM by ukalumni00
 
What do you all think 30 minutes cardio with 30 minutes weights? Do the different body areas on different days like back and biceps one day, chest and triceps another day, and legs the third day? Then throw in abs everyday? Or do those circuit training workouts where you work everything each day?

I drink mostly water and have cut down on my caloric intake. I am never going to be great at eating 100% real healthy, but I am cutting back on the bad stuff drastically and that has helped quite a bit.
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I run for 30-40 min everyday at lunch. Spin class 3 other times/week. I've been doing the running for 20+ years, so it is just a routine habit. The spin class is intense and kinda fun. Sometimes swim laps. I tried weights for about a year or two, and did a Les Mills Body Pump class (light weights/high reps) for a while. I need to get back to some weights and watching my food intake. Too much junk.

As for my goals,etc... Heart disease runs in my family, so for my time/effort, I like to work the heart.
 
My gym routine is that I drive by from time to time, just to make sure it's still there if I ever want to join.
 
Originally posted by KyCatFan:
What do you all think 30 minutes cardio with 30 minutes weights? Do the different body areas on different days like back and biceps one day, chest and triceps another day, and legs the third day? Then throw in abs everyday? Or do those circuit training workouts where you work everything each day?

I drink mostly water and have cut down on my caloric intake. I am never going to be great at eating 100% real healthy, but I am cutting back on the bad stuff drastically and that has helped quite a bit.
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As someone who runs a pretty large recreation/fitness facility (280,000sf), I have seen it all. As for your lifting routine, if you're really serious and your gym has Personal Trainers, see if you can get a 1 time session where they can put a routine together for you. So much easier for people that have some knowledge, but unsure about what they should do.
 
More experienced "lifters" might laugh at this, but I've been doing the Body Beast program for a few weeks now and really like it. You'll need some weights and a bench, but I really like the results so far. You'll put in 30-50 minutes per session 6 days a week.

I also agree that P90X3 is a good home program. It focuses on the core a lot, which is good for folks like me who are pushing 40. After finishing it, I could tell a noticeable difference in my posture, "back health," etc.
 
That tough patch you described is difficult not only because of personal troubles, but also your body. You made adjustments that brought your weight down to say, 200lbs. But to get down to 190, you need to further those changes. Because whatever you did to get to 200lbs, did just that, get you to just 200lbs. You need to increase your caloric deficiency to drop another 10lbs. That's where a lot of people struggle. They think they can make 5 changes and they are good to get to whatever goal, Not true. The chanegs need to keep being made if you want to continue weight loss.
 
Lift 6 days a week for 1.5 - 2 hours a session. I mix and match body parts and groups the best I can, and vary as much as possible. That said, I spend most of my winters skiing, so that takes up time and energy. I've been slacking a bit at the gym over the last few weeks. Holidays + Super freaking cold + short winter days + packed gyms after NYE = makes gym going tough.

My goal between now and the Summer is to keep lifting and drop 10lbs.. but to throw in some cardio to stroke the furnace, so to speak.

For motivation, you just need to figure out what you want out of this. You have to know that this is a process, and every step counts. You also have to just GO TO THE GYM. Anyway possible. Just get there. Even if you spend 15 minutes on a machine and leave. Going is half the battle.
 
I just got back into exercising. I use the Fitocracy app on my iPhone. I usually do about 30-40 minutes on the elliptical or bike (I hate running) every day. The great thing about Fitocracy is that it will show you how to do certain exercises and tracks your reps, which is essential to actually gaining muscle.

Above all, just go. Once you get into a routine, it's a lot easier.
 
I have an in home gym (still a work in progress, but it contains the essentials), but when I've trained at a gym (and now at home) I try to find some sort of balance. I want to be strong, but fast. I want to learn new ways to move my body and use my body to move weight. I tend to create my own programs as far as routine is concerned, though with a baby at home you do what you can in a 20-30 minute window. I tend do a lot of HIIT with a big lift (3x8, 5x5, etc....) to work on power. I've recently been going through Ross Enamait's "Jump Rope Conditioning" to add to my jump rope game. That's been super fun. I also work with a deck of cards every now and then to keep things from getting dry. They are the ultimate variety generator, but it kinda sucks if shuffled poorly and you three face cards in a row from the same suit ( especially on something like burpees or pullups).
I sometimes like to think that if the world goes to pot and I have to be strong to survive, I must exercise to do so. Anyways, that's what I do and what motivates me.
 
Originally posted by Tylera86:
I also work with a deck of cards every now and then to keep things from getting dry. They are the ultimate variety generator, but it kinda sucks if shuffled poorly
Shuffling a deck of cards is a good workout? Must be some touching heavy cards.
 
Originally posted by maverick1:


Originally posted by Tylera86:
I also work with a deck of cards every now and then to keep things from getting dry. They are the ultimate variety generator, but it kinda sucks if shuffled poorly
Shuffling a deck of cards is a good workout? Must be some touching heavy cards.
Probably like a deck that was used on Card Sharks.

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Originally posted by UnfrozenCatfanLawyer:
More experienced "lifters" might laugh at this, but I've been doing the Body Beast program for a few weeks now and really like it.
I did Beast from September through November and changed my body for the first time in years, decades even. Started at 177, got to 194 in the building pase, then ended up at 188, and have stayed there. Mostly muscle. Over the years, I'd gotten away from weights and just did cardio. This made me relearn an old lesson, you really can't transform your body on cardio alone, you need to lift too. Diet, of course, is paramount. Best thing about Beast, which I've continued, is the lifting and cardio sessions are all 30-40 minutes. (Some phases include workouts that are 50 minutes, but now that I'm just maintaining, I'm only doing the ones around half an hour).....
 
Originally posted by bbonds:

Originally posted by LineSkiCat:
Lift 6 days a week for 1.5 - 2 hours a session. ...
You're doing WAY too much.
Not to be a dick, but this couldn't be any more wrong. If you lift entire body during every session, sure that isn't giving you any recovery time. But there is no reason you can't lift 7 days a week for 2 hours at a time and maybe even do doubles, IF you split it up accordingly. You ask any professional power lifter or body builder how much time he spends (or even lifting "enthusiasts) and it could be 10+ hours a week. I see it from dozens of people, every day that I'm at the gym.

Day1 - Chest/Tris
Day2 - Legs/Abs
Day3 - Back and Bis
Day4 - Shoulders/Abs
Day5 - Chest/Tris
Day6 - Legs/Abs (Keep cycling evenly)
Day7 - Rest

Remember, 2 hours of lifting doesn't mean you are "literally" lifting that entire time. It's not like cardio or a sport. You spend maybe 1/3rd of that time under duress... maybe even less.
 
Originally posted by Bill Cosby:

Losing weight is 98% diet. You can't out exercise a shitty diet. Know every single calorie you put in your body. Cardio is just bonus.

You don't have to put the caveat that you don't want to be Arnold. Unless you're mixing some steroids in along with your diet, you won't be. Get in the habbit now of weight training. If you're dieting to cut a lot of weight in a short period, you aren't going to put on much muscle if any at all. But if you do put on muscle, what's the big deal? You lose out on some money in your competition at work, but you are no longer a marshmallow. And don't get discourage when you aren't packing on all kinds of lean mass if you start lifting weights. As with losing weight, 98% of gaining weight is diet. You have to tailor your diet to what you want.

As far as motivation goes, if you aren't worried about some competition and what the scale says, all you really need is a mirror. If you can truly make a lifestyle change, you'll know exactly where you want to be. And if you go a couple of weeks without working out you'll feel disgusting.
Somewhat. Diet matters, and without the right diet you won't ever get "cut" or abs etc. But I do think that it depends on the person. Some people can eat whatever if they exercise enough.

But while I eat healthy for lunch all 5 days of the week, I occasionally eat a bad dinner during the week, and I eat like an offensive lineman on weekends. I'm 6 foot and 170 and over 40 years old. I've found that as long as I workout 4 days a week that doesn't change regardless of what I eat. If I do 3 then I will see a very minor gain. If I get in 5 then I lose. A few years ago I hurt my hip and took several months off to heal, and hten lost interest and ended up about 10-12 months without working out. I gained 30 pound and was 200. I lost all of that in a few months with no dietary change, just working out again. Some of this may just be genetic though, as I've always had a good metabolism.

For the OP, I tend to do 30 minutes of my own version high intensity interval training. And then 30 minutes of weights when I have time. Basically, I run a half mile at 7 mph to get going, then the next half mile at 8 mph. Then the next two miles I run at 7 mph for 1 minute, then I sprint at 12 mph for 30 seconds, and continue to alternate that. Pretty much 5 cycles of that will take you 1 mile. And that's it. 3 miles. Counting warmup it's about 30 minutes.

Technically most of that type of training uses a slower resting period than I do I think. But I just use what works for me. The point is I just want my heart rate to yoyo up and down, but still stay moving. Back when I played basketball I couldn't gain weight if I tried, so I just try to replicate those conditions. And for me basketball was constantly moving but with short bursts of intensity pepppered throughout, so that is what I try to do.



This post was edited on 2/2 5:47 PM by ThePhoenix
 
With adequate rest, sure.

Here's what I do when I'm at my personal "peak" performance. If I take time off for one reason or another, I can barely make it an hour at the gym.

10 min Cardio workout
Pull-ups 5 sets to failure
Hyper extensions 5 sets/10 reps
Deadlift 5 sets/5 reps
Cable Row 3 sets/10 reps
Single Arm Lat Pull Down 6 sets/8 reps
Let Me Ups (Body weight inverted row) 3 sets/10 reps
Single Arm DB row 6 sets/10 reps

EZ Curl 3 sets/10 reps
Incline DB curl 3/10
Reverse curl 3/10
Backwards incline DB curl 3/10
Stands Barbell Wrist curls 3/10
Seated palms down DB wrist extension 3/10

It's not as crazy as it sounds. And I've had a few days where I've done more than that.
What I should maybe be doing differently is doing just 4-5 back exercises but doing them for 6-8 sets. But that bores me sometimes.
 
Originally posted by LineSkiCat:
Not trying to be argumentative, as I'm no pro, but how are you spending 2 hrs. at the gym? Is your gym unreasonably busy? Do you throw in cardio on the lengthier days? EDIT: Nevermind you kinda answered this while I was typing.

As for the OP, I'm getting back into lifting after a long hiatus. I've been doing Stronglifts 5x5 and can really tell a difference in overall strength. You can google the program and find plenty of information (mainly on the Stronglifts website), but disregard this suggestion if you don't like squats (you'll be doing those everyday).

The program advises the total novice (read: never lifted/unfamiliar with form) to start with just the barbell and increase lifts by 5 lbs. every 2 workouts, but if you have any athleticism and familiarize yourself with proper form, you can probably throw some weight on the bar and find what gives you the best workout from the get-go and add weight as you progress.

After a few more weeks, I plan on increasing the demand by switching over to Jason Blaha's 5x5. It's basically Stronglifts with some additional muscle group work on the back end. After I'm happy with my strength progression, I plan to switch over to a more aesthetic/bodybuilding based routine, like the one LineSki outlines above.

This post was edited on 2/2 6:02 PM by Mossip
 
Originally posted by Mossip:

Originally posted by LineSkiCat:
Not trying to be argumentative, as I'm no pro, but how are you spending 2 hrs. at the gym? Is your gym unreasonably busy? Do you throw in cardio on the lengthier days? EDIT: Nevermind you kinda answered this while I was typing.


This post was edited on 2/2 6:02 PM by Mossip
I probably take a bit more time resting than I should, although I'm not on the phone, texting, chatting, lounging. I always thought I was pretty good about keeping my rest time in check. Drink water, change song, stretch, lift, repeat. I also only do some exercises to failure. Could I go balls-to-the-wall on the first few lifts and be out of there in 45min? Probably. But not really my style.

It's honestly not as difficult as you may think. For me, time flys by when I lift. 2 hours is over in no time. And if you can string together 3-4 months of solid lifting, you should have the stamina to put in two hours fairly often.
 
Originally posted by Mossip:


Originally posted by LineSkiCat:

Not trying to be argumentative, as I'm no pro, but how are you spending 2 hrs. at the gym? Is your gym unreasonably busy? Do you throw in cardio on the lengthier days? EDIT: Nevermind you kinda answered this while I was typing.

As for the OP, I'm getting back into lifting after a long hiatus. I've been doing Stronglifts 5x5 and can really tell a difference in overall strength. You can google the program and find plenty of information (mainly on the Stronglifts website), but disregard this suggestion if you don't like squats (you'll be doing those everyday).
Stronglifts 5X5 is the real deal. Been doing that for a while now. Be careful on the squats - I hurt my lower back. I don't think it's indicative of the program, just that I have a bad lower back.
 
Originally posted by WayneDougan:
Stronglifts 5X5 is the real deal. Been doing that for a while now. Be careful on the squats - I hurt my lower back. I don't think it's indicative of the program, just that I have a bad lower back.
Squats and dead lifts are dangerous if you try to rush it. I've never been seriously injured, but I'm guilty of loading the barbell for pride's sake.
 
Originally posted by Bill Cosby:

Losing weight is 98% diet. You can't out exercise a shitty diet. Know every single calorie you put in your body. Cardio is just bonus.
The above statement is where you need to start and could not be any more correct. I have trained for 25+ years and focus on diet when I was younger was eat as much as I could to try and get as big as possible. When you are younger your metabolism makes it tough to gain weight. During the season I would lose 8-10 pounds because of practice/games, weightlifting, conditioning which took 3.5-5 hours most days. Once season was over or during winter break I could gain it back pretty quickly.

A couple of years ago I had a buddy of mine who is a national level bodybuilder who also writes for muscle and fitness and men's health send me a program which was a huge help. I am like a lot of folks in that I know what to do but need the discipline to do it. Focus was on healthy fats(almond butter, cook in coconut oil or red palm oil), Eggsland's best eggs, grass fed beef , salmon, nuts like almonds and walnuts, keep carbs low after 4pm. Best rule of thumb with carbs is to eat them for what you are going to do or have done I.e. use them as fuel. Lots of water... The other thing he had me do was every Friday I had to send him a photo to show my progress - just a simple photo with just shorts on. This turns out to be one of the best things you can do because the accountability factor becomes a huge deal.

In summation:

* move more and eat less
* diet is the key in regards to your leanness and bodyfat levels
* if possible do cardio in the am on an empty stomach
* lift weights to increase muscle mass which will help with leanness as well since muscle requires more fuel than fat
* drink plenty of water. Helps with performance and muscle is mainly made of water.
* how your clothes fit is a good indication of your progress - if your pants fit looser or tighter you will know if you are doing it right.
 
Originally posted by Mossip:

Originally posted by WayneDougan:
Stronglifts 5X5 is the real deal. Been doing that for a while now. Be careful on the squats - I hurt my lower back. I don't think it's indicative of the program, just that I have a bad lower back.
Squats and dead lifts are dangerous if you try to rush it. I've never been seriously injured, but I'm guilty of loading the barbell for pride's sake.
 
I dropped over 45 lbs with Focus T25 by Beachbody. I was able to do it without paying a gym membership and could do it at home. I was fortunate enough to be selected to go to NYC and shoot some footage for the new T25 promotional video that started airing in January. I met some folks there who had lost an amazing amount of weight. One guy had lost over 100 lbs in 25 minutes per day and eating a healthy diet.

I started Insanity Max30 in January and while I haven't dropped any weight, since I am only around 150 lbs, I have gained more muscle tone and definition with this program. I plan to do P90X after Insanity Max30 is completed to put on some muscle mass as I am very thin. I don't have any desire to go to a gym and pay a monthly membership when I can get results at home.
 
Wow, wish I had the kind of stress free responsibility free life where I could spend 2 hours a day at the gym. For most people with work or school, spouses, kids that is a pretty unreasonable use of 8.3% of your 24 hours. But if it makes you happy, go for it.
 
When he says "over training" he means the same body group, the same sport or the same physical activity. If you lift Back/Bis on day 1, lift completely different muscle groups day 2 and 3, and then go back to Back and Bi's on day 4, that is *not* over training because you are giving specific muscle groups 48+ hours of rest.

I will say again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with lifting 6 days a week, IF you vary the muscle groups, as the millions of lifting enthusiasts do right now.
 
Originally posted by JHB4UK:
Wow, wish I had the kind of stress free responsibility free life where I could spend 2 hours a day at the gym. For most people with work or school, spouses, kids that is a pretty unreasonable use of 8.3% of your 24 hours. But if it makes you happy, go for it.
I'm 28 and my only responsibility is a full-time job. You sound bitter for not having free time. Maybe put one of your kids up for adoption?

Or maybe don't spend your nights on the couch watching prime time for 8 hours a week.
 
Originally posted by JHB4UK:
Wow, wish I had the kind of stress free responsibility free life where I could spend 2 hours a day at the gym. For most people with work or school, spouses, kids that is a pretty unreasonable use of 8.3% of your 24 hours. But if it makes you happy, go for it.
Boo-effin-hoo. Let's hate on the guy for working out too much...

It doesn't bother me half as much as the fat logic floating around my workplace. "I walked the steps instead of using the elevator! Time for my 2000 calorie reward lunch!"

Not saying you're a fatty, jb. But if someone wants to exercise 2 hours some days, I say go for it.
 
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