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Fitness Weekly Discussion
What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?
I've been strength training with my Bowflex dumbbell set for probably about 6 months now, but my diet was my biggest enemy and I knew it. Haven't been cooking and pretty much eating out exclusively. Bad for wallet and weight goals, I know, but with my depression, cooking has been a huge challenge to have energy for. I've finally managed to actually get back into it with my pressure cooker and making dump recipes. I want to ramp up to skillet stuff next, still keep it simple as my main issue is cooking for one and how even meal kits create so many dirty dishes to keep up with.
So, definitely back to basic stuff, but sometimes that's what you have to do with mental health. I'm already noticing some sweeping positive changes such as more energy throughout the day and sleeping better. Hopefully these things reflect significantly along the waistline in the next couple of months.
Would you be open to sharing some of those recipes you've started with? Cooking for one and all the dishes from fancier recipes and meal kits are issues I struggle with as well.
Recipes I've tried so far that I'd really recommend are Italian peppers and sausage. Basically just a bag of frozen fajita vegetables with a jar of your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce, the sausages, and optionally rice. Added chicken broth for the rice variant for enough moisture. Layer it with veggies at bottom, sausages next, followed by rice and finally sauce and broth. Make sure you don't stir because the vegetables keep a protective layer at the bottom to prevent a burn notice on instant pots. Add seasoning like basil, garlic, etc to your taste.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/slow-cooker-vegetarian-lentil-chili/
Slow cooker recipes can often easily be modified or wholesale followed for pressure cooking. This chili was extremely cheap and very good. I cut out the coconut oil because that's expensive and I didn't have it on hand, and added beef broth for personal preference along with some serrano peppers for a kick.
Salsa and salsa verde chicken is also very easy and very good. Pretty much the same recipe steps as the Italian peppers an sausage above, but sub the sausage for chicken cuts of your choice and the marinara for whichever salsa type of your preference. I add a can of rinsed beans to this, usually black beans, along with the rice. I would omit broth in a recipe like this if the salsa is particularly wet, and add a packet of taco seasoning if using red salsa along with whichever spices like cumin to your taste.
I want to try making pot roast when that cut is next on sale near me, I hear that's very easy as well. You can up the taste to any of these recipes even more by doing a sauteing step first for the veggies, but I usually skip this step to keep them as easy as possible and the dishes still turn out very good.
The budgetbytes.com site is an amazing recipe source. She does a fantastic job of showing how to cook as well as breaking down the costs.
I have made many recipes that are keepers. Oven fajitas are definitely a favorite. Husband and guests get the chicken and me and other vegetarians get the portobello tray.
Good luck on your journey!
Oh that sounds delicious! I've bookmarked this thanks!
My go to easy cooking has been all stir-fries. I bought a wok and the total dishes are just the wok, the cutting board, the knife, and the plate to eat from. It's decently low effort and delicious but you can only eat stir-fries so many weeks in a row.
I've never used a wok, but might be something I need to look into. If you have any stir-fry recipes you'd recommend, I'd love to have them. Haven't had a decent stir-fry in a while.
I dont really have any recipes but I can give you the run down on what I usually buy.
Some sort of fresh noodles. They're usually in the grocery store near the tofu and the such.
Your favorite veggies. My current go-to are bok choi and bell peppers
Your favorite type of mushrooms.
And some sort of protein. Lots of lean ground meats work well, but I also do a lot of smoked tofu these days instead.
Sauce wise, just some soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and some sort of red pepper oil or paste mixed together make a great sauce. A much lower effort sauce you can do is just buying some hoison sauce, but its pretty sweet so go easy on it.
I regularly make simple but tasty chicken fajitas in an air fryer, using this recipe: https://recipeteacher.com/best-damn-air-fryer-chicken-fajitas/#tasty-recipes-2205-jump-target
I also premix the seasoning in a large batch, so cooking only involves chopping, mixing with oil and seasoning, and throwing in air fryer. Takes maybe 30 min total. Plus its easy to portion out for calorie control and has leftovers!
Ooh, I'll have to try this, thanks! I've got an air fryer, and I've been eyeing it too for some simple recipes.
I'm wearing out my second resistance band set since I started using them during COVID, and am researching dumbbells. Would you recommend the Bowflex ones? Seems like I'm going to get shafted whether I go with individual weights or the adjustable ones. LOL
I would definitely recommend the Bowflex dumbbells. I use the 500 model, or whatever number the smaller set is. Each dumbbell goes up to 52.5 pounds. I'm a woman, so I haven't hit the max yet aside from squats and deadlifts, and I haven't moved to a more advanced set list yet either. I've read that folks feel like the adjustable weights feel flimsy, but I've used mine 3 days a week since I've started, and nothing has failed on me yet. Probably folks used to dropping their weights, but I'm in an upstairs apartment and never developed that particular bad habit lol.
I just stumbled upon this thread I know it's a few days old but when I was looking for adjustable dumbbells to replace my cheap set I used this video
https://youtu.be/EVmEgHMhZKY
Based upon his recommendation I went with the Powerblocks and they're good. I went with the Pro Exp with the first weight extension. That's a fun thing about those, they're very flexible you can get two weight addons, a barbell addon, kettle bell addon. At the moment I just use them as dumbbells though. That being said I don't think you can go wrong with Bowflex.
Thanks for the info! I actually saw that video the other day and then Woot had the Powerblocks Sport Exp on sale for $199 so I ordered those. Looks like a solid pick and can't beat the price.
Wow that's an amazing price yes, enjoy them!
Personally I recommend individual plates and dumbbell handles.
I started with that and now have a full home gym. It got expensive, but you can do it slowly.
60 pounds of plates and two dumbbells handles can train you for months. Slowly you add a barbell and plates when the time comes.
I’ve done the same, and it’s probably the most cost effective for a home gym, but I’ve found some real drawbacks. Handle length can be pretty long to accommodate multiple plates compared to fixed dumbbells, which makes certain movements awkward or limited. Plates are relatively thin but large in diameter compared to a fixed weight dumbbell, also making certain movements awkward or limited with heavier plates. Swapping plates during a workout can really slow things down, so you either take longer or force different lifts into the same weight. The ones with screw-on nuts sometimes loosen, so you’ve got to be mindful. Many of the dumbbells use 1”-hole plates, which means your set might not work if you eventually get an Olympic size barbell.
I agree. My dumbbell handles are lengthy and are a pain when you want to dumbbell bench heavy. Specially when kicking them up with the knees to get in position.
Changing weights is bad, but not that bad if you account for it before starting. If I will superset one exercise with 40 with another with 30 I use plates that makes it easier to swap.
Also I got a pair of these and they speed things up quite a bit.
Those look great! Do they work on threaded bars, or only smooth? I can’t seem to find any product descriptions that mention it.
They work fine for me on every bar I have. Threaded and not threaded.
But mine are made for thinner regular bars and not olympic bars (they are expensive here in Brazil), so make sure you buy the right one.
I ended up grabbing a set of (no-name) locking collars for my threaded bars after this discussion. So much easier to get on and off than the bug nuts! While I can’t get the plates quite as snug, they haven’t loosened at all during movement like the nuts occasionally would. The collars are a little wider than the nuts I had, so I might not be able to load that extra plate when I get to it, but that’s a bridge to cross at another time.
Nice! In Brazil what we use most are these. It can be fast too if they aren't too tight. I have plenty of those and they are cheap.
Look into cheap sous vide cookers, or even rice cookers.
With a round flat mesh strainer you can flip it upside down, pour water into the rice cooker and steam chicken or veggies on top of the strainer. I think mashed potatoes are doable too, but haven't tried myself.
I am trying to get back into jogging. My pace is so slow I can't call it running.
I have a treadmill because of the long winters and barely used it.
The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to keep moving. I was in good shape last summer and aim to get back into my groove.
Kind of similar. I am struggling with getting more muscular. In the past two months I have gained some weight and have been starting to focus my attention on eating healthier. Getting back to running would also be incredible for me. Best of luck!
I'm going through the classic break-up from a long term relationship and try to get in shape after to make yourself feel better arc. I recently bought a rowing machine, a work out bench and a couple sets of dumbbells.
The beginner progress of only a few weeks with the strength exercises are exciting and helping me stay motivated, but the cardio progress being so slow is definitely hard to keep motivated with. I'm about 50 pounds overweight so I have a lot of progress to make. Right now I'm doing mostly upper body focused dumbbell excercises and just a few KM on the rowing machine each day. I'm going to try and start ramping it up along with adding some core exercises this monday.
This is definitely the longest I've committed to a workout routine in the past 5 years. Buying my own equipment and doing it from home has been the biggest factor. It was always so easy to skip a run or a trip to the gym when I'm tired after work, but having it all there means when I'm doing something unproductive like watching a show I have no excuse not to atleast do a small workout.
My next biggest step will be diet related. I've already cut down to only eating in the afternoon and evening, but I know just skipping meals isn't a very healthy way to lose weight. I figure one step at a time, once I'm in a good workout routine I can plan a sustainable diet.
Dude, you bought a rowing machine. That is pretty much the hardest cardio ever. I remember the first time I tried one in undergrad, and I almost passed out after 90 seconds despite being in decent shape (and riding a no brakes fixie up and down hills to get to class). Don't feel bad.
Definitely look into some beginner routines to give your body the time to adapt. It was a long time ago but I think what I did was pick a specific (short) distance, and just focused on getting my time down.
Alternatively you could pick a time limit, and then gradually try to increase the distance covered within that time.
I think I eventually built up to maybe four 3 minute sets as a cardio accessory to lifting.
Thanks for the advice and pep talk! I'll try to set some realistic goals for myself. Right now I just use it until I physically can't go much further, which probably isn't the most sound cardio plan.
Sorry, somehow I missed your reply. You should definitely set up some kind of "program" or simple goal, hitting or beating that goal each work out is a massive motivator.
For me personally, rowing indefinitely until exhaustion with no metrics would probably be demotivating xD.
I'm looking into buying a bench for at home dumbbell workouts. Which one did you get? Do you recommend it?
I honestly just bought the cheapest well reviewed one on Amazon. Heres the link to the one I got, which was around $100CAD after the sale and coupons at the time of purchase. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08BZGYNV9?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
It has worked great for me. I wouldn't call it super high quality, but it's got a very high weight limit and gets the job done. Adjustable for all the angles I need it for and comfortable enough.
I started using the AllTrails app for hiking. I really like it! I have been going to new places more often, and I feel a lot more confident about bringing my dogs with me. I love being out in nature with them.
Trying to get back on the fitness train. I haven’t done anything beyond walking since the birth of my kid a year or two ago. I had thought I’d start again when they got older and my time freed up, but we’re expecting another, and so waiting seemed unreasonable for my health and my ability to keep up with increasingly active kids.
It’s been tough for a number of reasons, mostly boiling down to time.
I’m skinny-fat, as the kids these days call it. Mid-30s, 175cm, 59kg - a twig with all extra weight on the belly. I’d like to fill out and tone, nothing crazy, as well as develop greater functional “dad” strength.
I’ve started using Cronometer to track my diet again - more so to get back to better macro split and hit more micro targets; I was already eating mostly clean, with a reasonable caloric total and very little extra snacks, soda, or alcohol.
I had read a bit about “micro workouts”, sprinkling a few minutes throughout the day for the same total volume instead of a single 30-60min session. I’m hoping that’ll let me still see some gains, fit more flexibly between responsibilities, and not get me so sweaty at once as to need a shower. I also got an adjustable weighted vest both for both for exercises and for some light rucking on the park walks. We’ll see how it goes. Better than nothing, I guess.
It sounds silly, but you and the toddler could do cosmic kids yoga on YouTube and it’s more of a workout than it sounds. Get you a little cardio and stretching in while having fun with the kiddo.
That does sound like fun! I’ll give it a try when the little one’s attention span get a bit longer.
Sounds like you'd be interested in Dan John's Easy Strength program.
Here's the gist of it:
Source: the first result on Google
I do this as a complex/circuit/superset, so it's about 3 minutes to do all the exercises. Rest a minute or two, then do it all again with slightly higher weight and reps. Done in about 8 minutes.
I only really commit to 1 set 5 days a week as a minimum, because who doesn't have 3 minutes out of the day? I can squeeze that in to any spare moment. I'll often do the second set once I get started though. Not going to set any records, but I feel strong and fit enough.
Looks interesting. Those times and “ease” are certainly appealing.
How long have you been at it? How large would you estimate the results - strength and/or tone - relative to where you started? Has it been steady improvement, or we’re/are there any big plateaus?
For me it's been more about maintenance. I did various powerlifting programs in the past. I was never very strong, but I did hit intermediate milestones like 2.5x bodyweight deadlift, 2x squat, 1.5x bench, then lost motivation soon afterwards. I found that training any harder just made me more tired, and I didn't feel like the somewhat increased injury risk was worth it at this point in my life. So I decided that I just wanted to be "reasonably fit." I just don't want to be the kind of person who throws out their back moving a dresser because the last time they picked up something that heavy was years ago. I pick up heavy things almost every day, so I feel confident in handling any normal situations that come up.
As far as progression, I guess I started off struggling to do turkish getups with a 35lb kettlebell, and was able to rep 70lbs some months after. I feel a lot better as far as mobility while doing it too. You get better at what you practice. I'm not really keeping track of progression though, so I haven't really perceived any plateaus. If I'm feeling tired I'll just lower the weight and allow myself to build back up over time. I already feel strong enough, so it's more about maintaining the habit and pushing through periods of low motivation at this point. Doing something, even very light weights, is way better than doing nothing. The idea is to do something like this for the rest of my life.
I just bought a trap bar for my home gym and it's my new favorite thing! Feels way better than conventional deadlifts.
I have been taking an evidence-based Yoga for Bone Health class that is based on the research of Dr. Loren Fishman. It is a zoom class taught by an instructor who is also a CNM, and is really focused on the health benefits. I am about 8 months into this, and meet by zoom with another student an additional 3 days a week which has really helped me stay on track (generally at 7 AM my local time - great way to start the day with a sense of accomplishment). Definitely noticing more flexibility.
Can anyone join or is it closed off? I’ve been meaning to get back into yoga for a while; I’m so stiff these days!
There is now an opening for a couple of people to join. Pm'd you instructor email.
After buying a bicycle in 2021 and letting it sit in the garage untouched for a shamefully long time, I've finally started getting into cycling. I previously was heavy into weight lifting and somewhat into yoga (both at home) but fell off the wagon pretty hard in 2020 and haven't had much motivation to return to those activities. Having something to do that gets me moving and out of the house has been exhilarating and, so far, something I look forward to doing - I forgot how nice that felt. My next goal is to figure out some type of plan; instead of riding leisurely around my neighborhood, I want to either focus on going further distances or getting faster.
I've been finally getting back on the fitness train. In 2017, I lost 100 lbs, was running 15 miles a week, and sparring every week. I was pretty fit and in the best shape I've ever been. When the pandemic started, I became sedentary, used door dash a lot, and gained basically all of that weight back. While I stopped gaining after that, I was having so many issues trying to lose it again, I think because I know how hard it was the first time.
Well, I've finally committed to a routine. My sister is playing tennis with me every week now, and while I haven't seen the scale move much, my clothes are starting to fit better. I still need to commit to also taking regular walks (and turning those into runs when I'm more fit again) and commit to a better diet (I calorie counted the first time I lost weight), but at least I'm making slow progress at the moment.
I'm also moving next month and the area I'll be in seems like it will be nice for biking, too.
I’ve been doing PPL for most of my time weightlifting which is only 2+ years. It makes the most sense to me and it’s not very complicated. The only thing I’ve really tweaked in my program is incorporating pyramid sets, and 3x10 versus 4x12.
So in pyramid sets the weight will get heavier and the reps decrease. I also found out there’s the reverse pyramid, you can figure out what that is. Tried that with squats and even at a light weight it was so difficult.
I almost want to do something different than PPL, but I feel like for the most part it’s working. I don’t want to drastically change my routine too much, that’s why I figure incorporating those pyramid sets and maybe changing where I do a workout (like, lat pull-down on cable vs machine) is a good start.
If you enjoy the workouts, I would encourage you to lower the weights and do a period of tempo training. Focusing on each part of the rep did wonders for my mind/muscle connection.
That is a great idea. How much would you lower the weights for this period? Like for example if I’d do 133 lbs for RDL’s maybe go down to 113?
I do struggle with the mind muscle connection with certain parts so this is definitely something I’ll look into, thanks (:
I like PPL in theory, but in practice I think I'm just wasting time.
For me upper/lower makes more sense because I like to superset exercises.
In one of the upper days I do something like this:
4 sets of Bench press superset with pull ups
4 sets of incline dumbbell press superset with more pull ups (i do a lot of pull ups)
3 sets of triceps extension superset with curl
3 sets of lateral raises superset with ab exercises
That way I train not only strength but work capacity and endurance too.
This is a great idea.
I spend about an hour in the gym just doing weights. I enjoy my workouts, but if I can optimize my time, get a good workout and still have time for abs, it could be worth a try.
What does a lower day look like for you? How many days a week do you go?
It's 4 days. Upper on mondays and thursdays, lower on tuesdays and fridays
I have a home gym so don't have leg press or any leg isolation machine so here is what the first lower day looks like for me:
Front Squat 4 sets x 4-6 reps
Trap Bar Deadlift 3 sets x 6-10 reps
Romanial Deadlifts superset with Leg raises 3 sets x 8-12 reps (leg raises is as many reps as possible)
Belt squat superset with Dumbell row 3 sets x 10-15 reps (i train back every day)
The second lower day is like this:
Trap Bar DL for 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Bulgarian split squat 3 sets x 6-10 reps
Dumbbell row superset with leg raises 3 sets x 10-15
Belt squat superset with gliding leg curls 3 sets x 10-15
Got these new shoes and they're soo comfy. The importance of a good shoe can never be overstated, just like a good bed
I finished my first race (running) since 2018 yesterday. 7km, had planned to be ok with walking some if needed but not only did I do the whole thing running, I ran it 30 secs/km faster than my best training pace! Not too sore today, either. Feeling extremely proud of myself. Next up: a 10km in September!
I have not been doing well towards my fitness goals recently. Work has been stressful, I keep getting sick, and it’s just been rough.
But I bought some new running shoes and I’m hoping to go out on this trail I found online a few weeks ago, once I start feeling better.
This week has been very slow/low/nothing for me, but part of that is because my mom just had a full knee replacement and she's staying with me and my SO. So it's been more busy between work, taking care of mom, making sure she's taking her meds at the right time, etc. For the first 4 days I was giving her her medicine during the night too, and that really messed up my energy levels.
But it's all okay! I'm okay with this and I figured I'd be low motivation. I managed to squeeze in an indoor cycle session Saturday and a couple of lifts throughout the week.
On the plus side, I am looking to getting back into running. I really enjoy it, but I also want better shoes for it. The ones I have right now are okay, but I want a real good running pair if I'm going to be training for races.
My go-to routine is either a hour of spin or an hour on the stair climber. I also have been walking on days when I can’t cycle or stair. Was lazy as heck this past week but was on task the last two days. Feels good to be back on track! Cheers!
Just started (and feeling tentatively hopeful about) a new jogging/running routine. A lot of times I'll find myself starting something when I have an abundance of motivation and then quickly abandoning it once I get tired/drained. This time, however, in addition to a helpful regimen of SSRIs, my fiancée has agreed to do the program with me. We've done a couple sessions now and the self-consciousness that usually eats away at my motivation is conspicuously lacking. Looking forward to feeling a bit better :)
Been trying to get back into a fitness regime. I was exercising at the gym daily until COVID hit in 2020, and honestly have been lazy and gotten extremely out of shape since then. My family and I moved out to Northern California 3 months ago, and I have been getting back into the swing of being more active. I usually go on a short 30-45 minute hike at lunch through the Redwoods or around the Campus I work at (since it's so hilly. I have been trying to find a gym to start lifting again now that I know better what my day-to-day routine would look like.
I'm in my sixties with lifelong heart rhythm issues. Although I used to be fairly athletic, as atrial fibrillation episodes have become more frequent with age I've had to go on regulator meds that keep my heart rate artificially low. They make exercise a real challenge; the pulse doesn't want to keep pace with the body's needs for oxygen, so exhaustion happens early, and it's difficult to get those reward hormones flowing. So the gym hasn't been a productive place for me lately.
This spring the wife and I started learning pickleball. I'm slow and don't get a lot of success in the win/loss sense, but the old competitive juices are still there, and they go some way to overcoming the chemical disadvantages if I don't let myself get too frustrated. I manage to work up a good sweat most nights, and that's the main thing.
A peloton recently appeared in my apartment (my significant other purchased a used one for a good deal.) I went from only taking walks to getting into a workout routine. The app is leading me to build healthier training habits. I never really took warm ups, cool downs, stretching seriously and the instructors are pushing me to keep up with those.
I am making sure to not burn myself out by not riding every day, which has also led to me taking some yoga and strength courses. While not as great as the cycling courses, they are keeping me active while resting from cycling.
I also am trying to not compete against the leaderboard. It was mildly demoralizing to see myself in the lower half of 50k riders. Instead, I shifted my mindset to compete against myself. One caveat is that I try to listen to my body and push myself on days when it agrees.
I used to do a lot of weight training.
Now I do a lot of Krav Maga. Not modified kick boxing / MMA but “one of us isn’t coming out of this”-oriented, field tested combatives / self-defense.
In both pursuits it wasn’t “to stay fit” but it was to learn or do something that I enjoyed and had a side benefit. I think that’s the key.
I despise cardio but in a zombie apocalypse, cardio wins…