So is anyone else into fitness? (bodybuilding, fat loss etc)

[ballzac]

muscles built through natural dynamic human movement ie not in the gym with supplements or drugs in my opinion are much more aesthetically pleasing. gym muscles look manufactured. like they've been blown up with a bike pump.

 

i've always been one to admire.. say, Bruce Lee over Arnie.

Bruce lee used weight training extensively to build his physique and increase his strength and agility. Knowing the exercises you should be doing, in what rep range, how often, and in what order, are essential if you have a particular goal in mind and want to achieve that. The whole point of using weights is to have ultimate control over how you shape your musculature, and you can't do that with manual labour or calisthenics. The body responds to the stresses you place on it, and you can manipulate those responses in a very controlled manner if you are using free weights. There is no machine that will pump your muscles up. Your body is just responding in the same way as it does if you're lifting bluestone in your landscaping work (for example). But you don't have control over the weight of the bluestone and can't choose how many reps you do, or which muscles you are going to work. It's all about taking those natural principles and exploiting them to achieve the effect you desire. If you prefer Bruce Lee to Arnold Schwarznegger, then it is not the 'gym look' you don't like, it is the testosterone enhanced, medium rep, to-failure look that you don't like.

[Zen Peddler]

I know a guy with two kids who spends all his time training and exercise while ignoring his wife and kids.

[paradox]

If you prefer Bruce Lee to Arnold Schwarznegger, then it is not the 'gym look' you don't like, it is the testosterone enhanced, medium rep, to-failure look that you don't like.

yes more or less, i'm not trying to say that working in the gym or doing weights isn't a good thing to do, just that in my opinion it's a lot more advantageous for the kind of fitness i'm interested in to balance weight & gym training with a holistic regimen that takes into account, flexibilty, agility training, dynamic movement, reaction time, correct breathing & mental discipline, instead of just raw repetitive muscle pumping workouts & protein suppliments that seems to be such a popular approach in our culture.

i don't know much about how bruce lee trained but i know a little about martial arts & he was brilliant martial artist therefore i assume, all the things i just mentioned were also a large part of his routine..

There is no machine that will pump your muscles up. Your body is just responding in the same way as it does if you're lifting bluestone in your landscaping work (for example).

i think doing repetitive work like brick laying or whatever is just as silly as spending hours in a gym every day. though at least you get paid for it. well there is lots of machines that will pump your muscles up, it's just you're the one who has to do the work..

there is pretty much no routine in the gym, no matter how complex & on how many different machines that can simulate the dynamic movement & muscle use of a naturally active lifestyle or 'holistic' physical discipline that will give the type of body i'm interested in having. though it can be great if you're after that kind of look or you just like doing it. as you said everyones different, thats not my interest.

I know a guy with two kids who spends all his time training and exercise while ignoring his wife and kids.

thats sad zen, but it should be said that no ones saying that anyone here would do that, just in case that comment is taken personally. cunts are cunts, that guy could just as easily be doing anything else & neglecting his wife & kid

[Sallubrious]

sylvester stallone in Rambo 1 is my ideal body type, he looked mega fit and awesome. But by Rambo 3 he looks unnatural and kinda overweight (probably because he had to eat so much and lost that cut slim waist), imo.

His physique certainly changed during that period. I read that he had abdominal implants and a lot more cosmetic surgery since that time as well.

Recently he was busted with 48 vials of HGH when he came to Australia, so it seems he's addicted to the image he created for himself when he was younger.

http://www.19actionnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=6517676

& Bruce Lee was far from a natural build for his body type before he died. In his early movies he was well toned but not what anyone would consider as well muscled. Before his demise he used an EMS machine others known as a TENS unit and put on a lot of bulk by using that and eating like a pig.

Edited October 1, 2013 by Sally

[paradox]

to be honest, bruce lee's body can look a bit gross to me too.. like, just a bit too much.. not big but just too pumped up to be aethetically pleasing to my eye

[Sallubrious]

yes more or less, i'm not trying to say that working in the gym or doing weights isn't a good thing to do, just that in my opinion it's a lot more advantageous for the kind of fitness i'm interested in to balance weight & gym training with a holistic regimen that takes into account, flexibilty, agility training, dynamic movement, reaction time, correct breathing & mental discipline, instead of just raw repetitive muscle pumping workouts & protein suppliments that seems to be such a popular approach in our culture.

 

there is pretty much no routine in the gym, no matter how complex & on how many different machines that can simulate the dynamic movement & muscle use of a naturally active lifestyle or 'holistic' physical discipline that will give the type of body i'm interested in having. though it can be great if you're after that kind of look or you just like doing it. as you said everyones different, thats not my interest.

You should try a Kettlebell, they give you an all over workout in short time and they give functional strength that transfers well to real world applications.

There's a few reasons why gyms are full of machines these days, one of the main reasons is liability - it's a lot harder to hurt yourself on a machine than it is with free weights particularly with todays' attitude of people wanting to quick results in the mirror. Also most gyms are understaffed and there is only a limited amount of time an instructor can devote to each individual.

There's a saying in the gym industry -The best customers are the ones that don't come to the gym.

That's another reason gyms are full of sexy machines that are for the most part useless, new customers see all those machines and think the gym looks the part and then they pay up-front fees (most gyms actively try to snare you into a six or twelve month contract for this reason) and then they only turn up a few times before they lose interest.

People assume the controlled form that applies to working out on machines is protecting them from injury which it does until you try to apply that strength to the real world. If you work out only with machines chances are you won't be using all your muscles in the synergy they are designed for.

Most people that focus on machines are setting themselves up for injury because all their work is balanced. In the real world you just don't get that many objects that are balanced and spread their load evenly if you have to move them.

People tend to focus way to much on muscular strength and ignore the rest of their anatomy to their own detriment as well. You won't find too many gym junkies that actively focus on strengthening ligaments to protect their joints from all that extra force they will be exerting on them with their new found strength.

[goneski]

Hello... (holy shit, I'm back.. sort of, but not really..)

I've been getting into fitness quite a bit over the last few months, mostly for weight loss and a little strength training (I've gone from 90kg down to around 76kg since the beginning of June).

Here's what I do (in no particular order):

1) Cardio - Cross Trainer & Running (I dived in and spent around $2k on a good cross trainer. I'm glad I did. I go running sometimes, but the cross trainer is much lower impact).

2) Kettlebells - Good for a bit of strength training in short periods of time and if you do the right exercises, they seem to work the whole body.

3) Workout Trainer - Android/iphone app that has a heap of workouts built in with videos and an audio coach. I have a HDMI output cable, so plug my phone into a TV / monitor and go through different workouts (body weight, mat exercises, dumb bells / etc). It's free, but there are paid workout programs. I just paid for it, was $50 for a year which is nothing. Even if you use all the free workouts, there's a heap of them.

4) Fitness Blender -- Hundreds of decent, free workout videos made by a couple who are personal trainers.. http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiP6wD_tYlYLYh3agzbByWQ .. I just download em all, so they can be played back on TV via media player or phone

I don't follow a particular routine, I just do whatever I feel like. If my legs are sore from a previous workout, then I'll concentrate on upper body, for example.. Or if my whole body is sore, I might just do some cardio. Or, I might do a combination of different things in one day.

Basically, I just do a combination of cardio, strength and resistance training. It seems if you concentrate on one set of exercises too much, your body adapts (especially if you're attempting weight loss like I am), so the key is to mix it up as much as possible.. This seems to have worked for me. I particularly love kettlebells, as there's such a large variety of different moves and I think I've seen the most results.. The key thing that everyone says is to make sure you get a dvd from a well-respected trainer or even go and get lessons from a kettlebell trainer to learn the moves & techniques properly. Having said that, I find at times I get a bit sloppy, particularly when I'm fatigued, and I haven't really injured myself. Just be sensible, I guess.

I went for all the above because to be honest, I don't feel very comfortable with the idea of going to a gym full of bros. I also don't feel like utilising machines at the gym that resemble a grilled sandwich maker or some kind of torture device. I like being able to exercise in the comfort of my own home when I want. I usually exercise around 3-5 times a week, anywhere from 40 - 60 minutes each session. As for recovery, I find a BCAA supplement seems to help a little (or at least works as a placebo), or you could try a full protein supplement or adjust your diet accordingly..

I should also note that my goals are weight loss and building lean muscle. I'm not really interested in bulking up or anything like that.

EDIT: I also forgot, I use www.myfitnesspal.com to keep a food journal so I can monitor my calorie intake.. Both android & iphone apps are available, and it's completely free. It has probably helped the most for weight loss. Once you realise what you're consuming, you quickly learn to adjust to help reach weight loss goals (if that's your thing).

Edited October 2, 2013 by goneski

[Sallubrious]

Good work mate!

It seems like you've struck a good balance that is working well for you. You must be close to ideal body weight after losing that much weight.

The last time we heard from you, you were living a sedentary lifestyle and guzzling litres of energy drinks each day. I remember you were looking for direction for a lifestyle change but I wasn't sure how serious you were. I was wrong there. We probably wouldn't recognise you now.

Well done.

Edited October 2, 2013 by Sally

[Yeti101]

Hey goneski, good to see you back (even if it is only sort-of).

I used to get hung up on an ideal looking body when I was younger, for all the good it did me. Now I find being able to do amazing things more appealing. For the most part I don't care what I (and others) look like, but I would love to be able to do half the stuff that people like Al Kavadlo can achieve.

[TommyChesnutt]

Akin to what Goneski said about combination exercising,

when i was alot younger (16-17) i used to really be into the boxing thing, would go to the gym and everything.

One thing that always burned the fat right off me was the little routines we did - i.e., 3 mins of punching bag, then 20 pushups, then 5 mins of skipping...

3-4 sets of that and you'll wake up the next day a bit thinner and more toned, IME... twice a week for a few months,

and man was i looking great (if i may say so..)

fat loss potentials should try this, REALLY effective.

[goneski]

I have yet to try anything like HIIT, but from what I've read and heard, it can be more efficient and effective (particularly for weight loss) than longer workouts / endurance.

Mixed martial arts might be worth a shot.

Edited October 2, 2013 by goneski

[jennyg]

I enjoy being active, so fitness is just a way of life for me! I like staying as natural as I can in the kitchen and involving exercise in my daily routine. I do it more to feel good, and to stay healthy and still mobile when I get to an old age. I see some elderly people who look wonderful, and they always tell me how they owe it all to keeping active. I enjoy doing workout dvds/programs and taking group ex classes at my gym with some of my girlfriends!