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Fitness Weekly Discussion #2
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 got Ringfit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch on release and oh wow is it fun. It's hilariously over-the-top exercise-themed visually, but does a great job of drawing you into the feeling that you're playing a game, not alternating cardio and strength exercises. You can go back and grind previous stages to boost your level and make surviving the next monsters and boss battles easier, and there's a Pokemon-like damage system where different enemies are weak to exercises that use certain muscle groups. Nintendo really went off the deep end with their classic weirdness with this one, and it absolutely works. I think they've got a hit on their hands.
How good/bad is the keto diet? There is a lot of conflicting information online.
Pros:
Cons:
Most diets are not truly "good" or "bad". The goal of most diets is to either get you to eat less, or eat you to eat more healthily. What makes a diet truly good or bad, is whether it works for you. If you're looking for a diet, and this diet seems reasonable to you, then give it a shot. If you can't find yourself sticking to the diet or you just feel bad while following it, then drop it and search for another.
Agreed on all points listed.
In addition:
Pros:
Cons:
Finally I'd just like to underscore the impact on athletic ability. I went from doing 5 x 10k runs per week at about 55 minutes per run to more or less quitting running. It was genuinely painful to try to exercise. The other impact was on playing squash - I became extremely lethargic and slow and it completely killed my game. So that was both endurance-type sport and burst-type sport that I had to stop whilst on keto.
I did it for a year. I lost about 60 pounds in probably the first 3-5 months and the rest was maintenance. I'll note that I was starting from a higher weight than most, so my results are probably not typical.
During the time I was on it, I had extensive bloodwork done in an attempt to suss out an unrelated issue that I was exeriencing (that began long before I started keto) and all my numbers came back normal, with the only abnormality being the presence of ketones, which was auto-flagged by the computer (and not a concern because, well, obviously). My doctor was impressed by my turnaround, as part of the reason I went on keto in the first place was because he had to talk me through some bad numbers and bad news during my annual checkup. I don't think it was keto that made me healthier so much as it was the weight loss, but it was keto that enabled that for me.
I don't claim to know the science behind it as I think most of what I've read about it is junk information, but I can say that it does work. I loved that I was rarely hungry, I loved that I could eat genuinely delicious and satisfying things, and I found sticking to it easier than most diets because there's a built-in punishment for cheating.
Once I was solidly in ketosis, if I had carbs, I would know shortly thereafter. It was very easy for me to tell when I got kicked out of ketosis, and getting back into ketosis takes time (usually about 1-2 days for me). Most importantly though: it sucks. I would feel dizzy and under the weather. I would often would get a bad headache, a few times a near-migraine. Even when it wasn't terrible, I would just kind of feel bleh overall. After going through this "keto flu" a few times, I realized it was much easier to turn down that high-interest carb than it was to not only reset the clock on my weightloss but feel physically terrible while doing so.
As a result of this, I credit keto with giving me a "food superpower" in that I was able to deny myself any high-interest carb, no matter how tantalizing. Cake? Forget it! Croissants? Too bad! None of it was worth the downside of not only losing progress but feeling awful as well.
That said, I think around the two month mark was when I started having vivid carb dreams. I don't even like donuts but I remember having the most intense dream about slowly savoring every bite of a chocolate-covered donut with sprinkles. The cravings were definitely real both while asleep and awake, but it was somehow easier than expected for me to simply not give in to temptation.
I'm not a doctor nor an expert on it, so I can't give you a genuine recommendation for keto, but I can say that it worked wonders for me. If you have any other questions about my experiences with it, let me know. I'm no longer following it, but I'm very happy that I did.
Pretty cool. That's sort of how I got my start into going to the gym. Those small class/personal trainer gyms are a pretty great way to get into the mindset of exercising regularly. I've since moved on to going to the gym alone because I personally enjoyed it more. However, I still recommend to anyone that is reluctant about joining a gym to start off in classes.
I am thinking of joining a gym and I want this "community" type of feeling. I am a runner already though, so I dunno if I really should join a gym or not.. It's pricey.
I'm making some calls tomorrow to set up a new primary care physician. My husband's work changed insurance providers, and my PCP doesn't take the new plan, which I'm actually fine with as I'm not too fond of him. During every check-up he always asks me about my wife, and I'd have to correct him and let him know I have a husband, not a wife, which is never not awkward (for both of us).
I can understand making the mistake once or twice, but repeatedly either shows neglect (he didn't even bother to put that in his notes or check them before seeing me) or malice (he's deliberately asking it in order to make me uncomfortable). I don't know which it is (I assume the first), but either way, it's not a good look. I also don't think he was very helpful in trying to figure out my still undiagnosed and unaddressed chronic fatigue issues, so I'm hoping my new doctor will be more knowledgeable and proactive.
Hey, Gaywallet!
I haven't done too much for my athletic fitness, but I am down 40 pounds from my last weigh-in a few months ago. :)
My current routine is:
Monday - squash game (45 mins)
- squash coaching (45 mins)
Tuesday - squash game (45 mins)
Wednesday - squash group practice (90 mins)
Thursday - league squash match (usually ~30-50 mins)
Friday - personal training session focusing on lower back and core strength (I have a recurring slipped disc which I'm trying to counter)
Saturday - squash skills session (45 mins)
Sunday - rest
The PT is new. I've had a recurring slipped disc going back ~6 years, but recently it's starting to increase the frequency at which it "goes". Last Christmas I was out for 12 weeks - and that's out of every activity. For 8 weeks of that I couldn't tie my shoe laces or be in a seated position without extreme pain. Following that my physio gave me a series of stretches which have helped a lot. This summer it twinged again, but the recovery was only about 3 weeks and it was nowhere near as painful as it had been earlier in the year. I attributed that to the stretching, but I need to find a way to prevent it from going rather than just recovering quickly.
Currently following a modified 5x5 weightlifting program to ease me back into lifting, as well as find my limits and surpass them *epic flex montage*
Program is as follows:
5x5: 5 Sets of 5 Reps each. 3x10: 3 Sets of 10 Reps each.
**Workout A: **Squat 5x5, Overhead Press 5x5, Bent-over Row 5x5, Bench Press 5x5. Triceps Pulldown 3x10, Lateral (Deltoid) Raise 3x10, Calf Raise 3x10.
Workout B: Deadlift 5x5, Overhead Press 5x5, Incline Bench Press 5x5, Pull-up 5x5. Barbell Curl 3x10, Rear Deltoid Fly 3x10, Calf Raise 3x10.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday are the workout days (or some variant of 3 non-consecutive days, depending on my schedule), and each day alternates between A or B.
i.e. Mon - A, Wed - B, Fri - A. Mon - B, Wed - A, Fri - B.
All but one of my lifts are increasing, some faster than others. So far I'm plateuing on Triceps Pulldown, but that's due to the pulldown equipment only going in increments of 10 lbs without an optional 5 lbs plate. I may have to switch the pulldown out for Triceps Press, which is unfortunate as I've never really liked it, either that or double down and work my plateau weight on the pulldown and supplement with a triceps press. I dunno.
A few potential solutions to missing small incremental weights:
Ooo the ankle weight idea is smart. I've been trying to think of a way to do a 5 lbs increment. I may look into that. My other lifts aren't really suffering, it's just the machine pulldown that's the bug. Also, yeah for the barbell cips, they're just these plastic easyclip things, I can't imagine they weight more than half a lbs.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'll keep them in mind! :D
I've started to cautiously reincorporate chest press with dumbbells at a reasonable, yet lower weight and cutting myself off at sets of 10. I can definitely feel it in my shoulder, but the persistent pain on the following day is not really there, at least yet.
The pain clinic which is going to take a look at the nerve structure and my spine wasn't able to fit me until December, so I've got even more time to kill with a shoulder that's just, well, bothersome. 😩
Damn sucks to hear that. I have back issues from an injury I got a while ago but fortunately it's mostly manageable and doesn't affect my ability to lift (as long as I'm careful). Hopefully, you can sort out what's going on.
I hope when you get in, they can figure it out.
I vaguely understand those feels. I have a physio appointment in 40 minutes to find out what's wrong with my knee (was a bother about a year ago for months, went away, but came back now that I'm lifting).
2 MRIs and a few doctors later and they're still stumped. Apparently, I'm so good at injuring myself that the doctors are having trouble finding out what I even did. 😂
Good luck with the knee! As someone who has shitty joints in general, knee sleeves have been a blessing when it comes to squatting. If you don't already have a pair you might want to look into it.
Yup, I use them for anything that hinges at the knee.
PT thinks it's my IT band being tight, causing pulling, as he checked all my major ligaments and they were all fine, as well did some tests of my meniscus, which were perfect as well. So he wants me to make sure I'm stretching out the IT band, and focus on strengthening me glutes.
If your PT thinks it's too tight, you absolutely should spend a good amount of time stretching the IT band. I have a friend who has an extra tight IT band that went un-diagnosed most of his life. It wasn't until he had significant knee pain that he got it diagnosed and imaged. The IT band was so tight that it caused a degradation of cartilage in the knee (the pulling force was strong enough to cause minor separation at the joint, which caused cartilage to degrade, which allowed it to pull even further causing even more degradation) so now he's on regularly scheduled injections and has to pretty much stay away from anything that might damage the joint.
Long story short: stretch that IT band, a lot as an extra tight IT band can cause some serious long term issues.
y i k e s
Got it. Damn. I'm thankful that mine isn't that severe.
I keep it simple
Tuesday: "Cardio" (30 minutes on elliptical and 30 minutes of body weight/ab stuff)
Wednesday: Chest (1h30 to 2h)
Thursday: Arms (1h to 1h30)
Friday: Shoulders/Back (1h30 to 2h)
Saturday: Hockey (1h)
Sunday: Legs (1h to 1h30)
Supplements: Whey after lifting (+creatine after chest and shoulders/back)
Is there a reason you're only taking creatine twice a week? All uses I've seen is take some around the same time every day. Eventually your muscles will be saturated with it on the 7-a-week schedule, I'm not sure if that still holds with the twice a week.
Thanks for the advice. Gaywallet made a similar note. I honestly didn't know that and only started to do it on a recommendation from a friend. I did do a small amount of research and pretty much everything I read was conflicting. I'll try 7/week and see if I notice a difference.
Creatine can be taken at any time of the day (and should be taken daily), FYI. Timing your protein is also not necessary either (and whey shakes aren't necessary if you're getting adequate dietary protein) unless you're lifting in a fasted state in which case any sort of energy, protein or otherwise, right before training will help performance.
Thanks for the advice! I guess I was misled by the person who recommended it to me. I get that timing protein isn't necessary. I just do it because the routine helps me remember. I also understand protein supplements aren't technically necessary so I only started to see if I noticed any differences and I did. Figured it was likely because I wasn't consuming enough protein otherwise.
You should look to consume at least ~.7g of protein per lb of bodyweight (or ~1.5g/kg). Some people overshoot to .8 or 1g/lb (or 1.8-2g/kg) to be "safe" but the literature doesn't support any additional benefits from going that high.
So I weigh roughly 175. My aim for protein should be roughly 122.5g of protein. The whey I use (Standard Gold) is about 24g per scoop. Therefore, if I'm supplementing, I shouldn't be consuming more than 98-99 g of protein from standard nutrition. Well, fortunately, I'm not beyond that limit usually.
Is that .7 rule based on the goal of maintaining mass, building or losing?
The .8 rule comes from an older analysis on optimal protein intake based on a few studies on bodybuilders and professional athletes. A more recent review has some other good points about protein in general. Generally speaking more is better, but the .8 is what's important when it comes to maximal possible muscle growth.
Sounds good. Thanks for this!
This is the routine that I hope to get to eventually.
When you do your specific routines (i.e. chest or legs), do you do your larger, compound movements first, or just work in whatever order you can that day?
I try, as much as I can, to start with compound movements because I find them to be the most effective and the most fun. Sometimes the gym will be too busy to start that way but I'd say 90% of the time I do.
If I don't do them first, I usually find myself tiring out much too quickly and not putting up the sets I know I can do if I'm fresh.
I'm supposed to be following a schedule of lifting MWF, and biking to work T-TH. I've only biked to work once, and have missed every Monday in the gym so far.....
Other than that, it feels great to be back in the swing of things. I've found some great breakfast food in the morning that I prepare in bulk on Sundays (Overnight oats, hardboiled eggs) and I'm catching back up to where I used to be when I was more consistent in my lifting a year or two ago. Feels good to be sore again for sure.
I normally rock climb but I've broken my ankle. What is nice though is we've just bought a new house with room for fitness equipment! My parents brought my hangboard (think like a pull up bar for your fingers) up this weekend so I'll set that up and I want to start doing regular sessions to keep my finger strength up while I wait to be able to start rehabilitation.
Still doing GZCL General Gainz and i'm delighted. If i follow the guidelines for rest time i'm out of the gym in 45~60 minutes if i don't go crazy on the amount of exercises.
It's perfect for someone who just wants to get stronger and look better. No more worrying about percentages, making spreadsheets, yada yada. The sense of progress is good.
Granted this is mostly because of my mindset that i'm just tired of trying to min-max and overanalyze everything.
I'll keep doing this and keep running c25k in between. Let's see where this takes me.