Getting fit for Summer?

[rigger]

Hey, thought this would be a good place for people to post any ideas or questions or stories about getting fit for summer. It is the time of year most people who don't really care to much about fitness start to make a bit of an effort so hopefully we get some informative posts, questions or funny stories. It doesn't matter really.

I understand you could just look up a fitness forum but I think people here would have unique views and ideas and good balanced advice more relevant to the people here. Fitness can include so many things like flexibility, yoga, or even a fitness related hobby as well as the classic strength and mass topics which may generally spring to mind. I think the open minded, considered and relevant approach shown by those here could be refreshing from the blanket ideas that sometimes used in these context.

It could be a good place for people to give ideas on unusual things people eat for their benefits considering the huge amount of knowledge people have of plants, herbs, tinctures etc. It would be great to get some of the great scientific minds to apply their knowledge to subjects here also.

It could take into account the overall picture of health in the body and the mind, I don't know of too many places you can get all that in the one place so it could end up being pretty cool. But if you just want shredded abs or a massive bench I am sure we can give great advice on that too!

Edited September 6, 2014 by rigger

[Bigred]

I started my training on the first of spring and the pool is a bit to cold but cant wait till it heats up a bit

[sundrop]

Yoga is definitely something that I will be doing more often as the weather warms up!
I'm vegan and eat organic as much as possible also. I would recommend this lifestyle to anyone who wants to be healthy ~ both mind body and soul. Choosing to not harm animals brings a lot of peace inside.

Oh and superfood wise, try spirulina in the morning if you are trying to lose weight. I also found out about this amazing superfood, pine pollen. Collected from pine trees... it contains so many minerals and vitamins!

Edited September 6, 2014 by sundrop

[Bigred]

I have been eating a lot more beans and rice its cheap and its so yummy .So many people think for it to taste good you need meat

[waterboy 2.0]

grab the spade ...become the rotary hoe

[Bigred]

I think if want to loose weight boxing is great and it builds awesomeness

[-YT-]

I really liked Spirulina when i was taking it years ago rather than taking a multivitamin, was also taking tong kat ali (tribulus is ok) in conjunction with training. can be expensive though. definitely noticed higher energy levels and muscle mass than when not taking it.

Boxing Training ( & Martial arts ) is a really great example of a broad cross section of integrated targeted work outs which are also fantastic for general health fitness & strength. More importantly a lot of basic exercises you can do for free and cost you nothing but time.

Push ups! theres about 6ish different types you can mess around with which target the arms, shoulders, chest & hands.

Squats are pretty awesome for the legs and ass lol its looks mad easy but try doing 100 non stop hehe

Sit ups i really hate although a great Core workout, i like knee hugs, V-ups & chinnies better

Skipping is one of those tried and tested things and shouldnt cost too much can even make your own skipping rope if you want. Punching on the ole bag is also great for getting the heart going will cost a bit but not as much as a set of weights or a gym membership, buy gloves too or hand wraps.

But yeah even just walking 15mins to catch the bus for work everyday, walking the dog or going for a ride on your mountain bike etc all counts towards getting healthier

[woof woof woof]

I recommend crossfit like exercises for fastest results if you want to improve your strength and fitness level + loose fat. Those 300 or spartan workouts are also super effective. So many great ways to get fit and look good. What all of the effective exercises have in common is that they are HIIT type workouts. (High intensity interval training)

About me; I train at least every other day and stay active or 2days on 1 day off,........ Training at home is usually with light weights and lots of reps. usually separate, upper / lower / and mid section. But somedays,.. whenever I feel like it I will do full body workouts. (weights and just bodyweight)

Surfing is another way I keep active.

My feeling is that I could use some more cardio - walking/cycling/swimming for those last bit of kg's. I guess I am somewhere at 12 to 15% bodyfat. So abs are not really showing. My does body looks like I do something...judging from the comments I get of people that have not seen me in a while. I have been steadily working out for at least 10 years and only in the last 4 have there been some more noticeable changes to my body.

When I work out,... I never really think about what I am going to focus on,.... I just feel my body to know what muscle groups need rest,.. and which ones I can hit that day. Also just look in the mirror and look where I could use some more attention.

I think kinda suck at healthy eating,.... I think,.... but others would think I am a health freak. I eat 4 meals a day at least or throughout the day. Morning usually starts with a protein fruit shake + oatmeal,.. vitamin C and fishoil. Mid morning mini can of tuna + banana. Mid day or at night a big meal,.... at work handful of nuts (walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds + some whey protein) just to stave off hunger. Before bed,... also some protein or yogurt + fiber source.....

kinda eliminated cheese and bread from my diet. and 3/4 to halved my carbohydrate intake (rice/potatoes/pastas etc)

I avoid sugary drinks as much as I can.

I do my best to eat a good portion of veggies every day.

Avoid bad fats.

Hope it helps

[bullit]

its all overrated. every c%% body is the new fit . jogging sucks.. everybody thinks they are the new ufc kickin boxing guru . blah blah just stop eatting sooo much and do some gardening...

[Bigred]

Sneak punch on you tube is a awesome trainer

[Bigred]

its all overrated. every c%% body is the new fit . jogging sucks.. everybody thinks they are the new ufc kickin boxing guru . blah blah just stop eatting sooo much and do some gardening...

I dont know something about beating up someone smaller than me seems so appalling . The whole im a MMA fighter or I can fight because i wear a tap out shirt. I love it because it is great exercise

Edited September 6, 2014 by Bigred

[-YT-]

i dunno woof maybe your too hard on yourself but doesnt sound like you eat anything that bad! im far worse hahaha. High intensity interval training def seems the way to go. When starting doesnt have to be full on work outs either just do what you can, the main thing is persistence and doing it regularly three times a week etc or whatever works for you ( def a reminder to myself as much as it is advice )

Sorry built i didnt mean to sound like some guru or something, ive struggled with my weight and fitness most my life and just wanted to post stuff that ive found helpful and cheap coz im mostly broke and a stingy bastard . i did do boxing for years when i was younger living in se qld mostly because my younger brother started and was always better than me at everything and i was also grossly overweight, i wanted to prove to him and others i could do it not because i wanted to fight but because i wanted to be like all the other guys i saw who were good looking and fit and had the things i didnt, i very much struggled ( and still do to an extent ) to find self value and worth, joining the club at the time with my brother besides all the macho crap there was actually an underlying current of community and friendship which helped to build my confidence and self worth as a person the mental health aspect personally helped me immensely ... think i lost something like 25kgs over 18ish months. I remember visiting the doctor who also trained at the club and he basically told me it was a good thing i was doing some sort of exercise otherwise i would risk many health problems in the future.

but yeah i dont think being fit and healthy is overrated at all, i do agree jogging sucks haha

Suppose it also depends what kinda work one does remember when paving and landscaping all that manual labor gets one pretty buff and you even get payed for it

Edited September 6, 2014 by -YT-

[Sallubrious]

As I see it HIIT workouts are in many ways misunderstood and over rated. There's no doubt that HIIT can whip you into shape quicker than anything else, it will raise your VO2 max and increase aerobic fitness in very short time and give you a good squirt of HGH but the benefits of those types of workouts rapidly lose their effectiveness after about 5-6 weeks and after that you're just beating yourself up for minimal gain.

Some modern sports scientists these days see aerobics and cardio as counterproductive as well, they raise levels of cortisol, suppress anabolic hormones and if you do them too often you will be in a permanent state where inflammatory hormones are way too high to be good for anyone. Cardio has its place but it needs to be regulated and should never be done long term especially if it's overdone.

The truth is (as I see it, feel free to disagree) the fitter you get the less you need to workout to maintain that level of fitness, unless you are trying to constantly achieve PB's which is really a very unsustainable pursuit. My workouts are almost always shorter than 40 mins and never over 45 mins, once you get past the 45 minute mark cortisol production becomes elevated and your recovery times will blow out, do it again the next day and you start to put your body into a state of permanent stress. Some of my most effective strength workouts last less than 30 mins.

If you take steroids or other hormone supplements the hormone levels can be balanced out but it is a delicate balancing act fraught with danger - the human endocrine system is way to complex to be manipulated artificially without constant testing and re-evaluation of dosages. I wouldn't suggest any kind of hormone therapy for anyone without expert medical supervision.

As for the ideal number of repitions, it's a horses for courses type of situation. High reps (15 and upwards) will give you what is known as strength endurance ie you can perform for a long time before fatigue sets in but it will never help anyone develop any real strength, for some sports this a perfect training approach as it can be incorporated into an aerobic style of workout, circuit training is one good example. Low reps (6 or less) and heavy weights will develop raw strength quicker than (almost) anything else. A good compromise is the 8-12 rep range where you will get a slight cardio effect and rapidly gain muscle (in the early stages of commencing training - week 0 -12) with an acceptable increase in strength.

Myself, I lift reasonably heavy weights for low reps most of the time, about 10 - 15 mins into a session I know if body can tolerate a heavy workout so I push hard on those days. If I feel I'm not 100% I'll scale the workout back (lighter weights same reps) and know I'll come back stronger in 2 or 3 days.

On the days where I don't workout with weights I'll take a brisk walk or do a 25-30 min Bulgarian bag workout in HIIT style but with a slightly reduced heartrate where I almost beat myself up but don't quite cross the line of complete exhaustion like a true HIIT regime. I only do a true HIIT workout or a true tabata workout to whip myself into top shape when the coach from the local football club plans to send a slacker around to be humiliated. When 18-20 years olds get put to shame both in raw strength and VO2 max by a mid forties man much smaller than themselves they tend to re-evaluate their training and work ethic.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Sally

[rigger]

I enjoy weights. I place equal emphasis on strength and volume workouts. I get a bit shocked that by the end of my strength routine I am screaming in pain trying to push out extra reps of comparatively small weights. so both are important for me and the shock you get on the first few weeks of a new routine. foam rolling has made me move my joints better also.

I tend to avoid to much diet recommendation as its pretty amazing how little we really understand about it and how much we are told is influenced to profit certain countries crops etc. I hate the term healthy eating as there isn't really bad food and good food. A big mac is fine you got some protein, fat and carb as well as some vitamin and mineral. Just balance out your meals in accordance with each other. It would be a problem if your regular intake was already very high in these aspects or you have a medical condition. don't do fad diets you don't understand like no carb, fasting etc. to get in shape quickly more goes into making these programs successful than the average person has time for.

I enjoy stretching, flexibility and working a bit of striking on the heavy bag. I like just throwing technique and working on footwork combinations and angles. I really enjoy working on set up technique, fainting, head movement etc. if you love martial arts there is a lot you can do. head kicks and the like get harder as you get older so its good to keep working on them. Don't hate on MMA! I enjoy it but Iike many I did this stuff before ufc held its first low key event. people wear merchandise for a lot of things but they aren't always a true representation of people who enjoy a sport.

There are lot of good 5 minute routines you can put together if a full workout doesn't appeal. just try squatting on the ground and holding it for a minute, stretch you hamstrings or a tight muscle group, do some pushups and shoulder stretch. Just 5 minutes in the morning can improve a lot, mix up what interests you or things you want to improve on. even do a couple of minutes of deep breathing at the end.

I think the most important thing is the training means something to you and is performed correctly. I don't like biggest loser style advice. I dislike the idea of taking a motivation (fit into a dress) to guilt people into doing a program they don't enjoy. How about using your experience as a trainer to find a suitable sustainable program to suit an individual. Just because michelle bridges enjoys it doesn't mean it will work for you. peoples genetics and experience can also make them respond to some types of programs better than others.

I actually think bullit has some good advice if you don't like it don't do it! but it would be an idea just to do a quick flexibility test. once you loose it its hard to get back. you can put unnecessary strain on the body in every day movement. do a simple hip flexability and strength test or other important body parts.... if you don't suck your probably doing fine

Edited September 7, 2014 by rigger

[Nibbana]

I've gotten a bit chubby over the winter it seems ugh.

I definitely am one of those people that just can't seem to eat healthy whenever I try :/ whenever I make an effort to eat healthily, all the junk food at home just looks so appealing and whenever I see KFC I just can't resist! (I bloody love my fried chicken!)

Most of this results from munchies though... 8) I'm sure a lot of you know what I mean, I basically become the cookie monster for junk food.

But yeah, when I don't try to improve my diet in anyway, I seem to eat healthier. It's weird. Although I guess I gotta give my partner a lot of props for this as well, as she's recently become a bit of a chemophobe and is eating all organic stuff now and is decreasing her meat intake and is constantly trying to cook "healthy and organic." She's a bit crazy hahahahaha always checking the ingredients of food for bad additives and whatnot, it is quite reassuring to me though that I'm not eating some shit that might give me cancer in 30 years.

Anyway...

I get most of my exercise from adventuring, I'm a major fan of urban exploration just because I like to climb stuff haha. I just like to go out for long drives/rides to some random destination (usually somewhere that has food like doner kebabs :D unhealthy but they're one of my favourite pick-me-up foods) and stop off at random places and just explore it, like perhaps go bushwalking on a whim if I pass by trails while driving in the mountains or check out construction sites or abandoned warehouses if I see any etc.

That feeling of going somewhere new is always exciting to me.

I really want to lose this belly fat of mine though, it just accumulated over the winter I swear.

Apparently it's really hard to get rid of it? Hahahaha.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Soup

[Optimystic]

Just generally speaking and coming from the land of food addiction, just nutrition in general... I know its been said over and over again

to eat your veggies but the point is if you have cravings that means your body is needing something and if you give it to your body

the cravings will be cut down tremendously eliminating most of the struggle some have regarding fitness... its a bout a conscious

decision regarding habits and not only does it help eliminate cravings but effects overall well being and self esteem to eat right...

cut out sugar from your diet as much as possible, especially high fructose corn syrup.. i personally changed the way I look at food

after pretty much quitting sweets.. not entirely out of my diet but my daily intake of sugar is typically around a teasoon or less daily with the exception being natural sugars from fruits... I use stevia in my tea usually but occasionally i splurge then then feel guilty for a few hours but im sorta proud that it makes me feel bad lol

im not the most fit but I cut down alot of weight after quitting sugar sweetened sodas and its never come back in a major way and thats been for a few years now... also the good fats are important for metabolism and brain function @ Omega 3 but I've heard the Omega fatty acids need to be balanced and peeps already get too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3..

also Magnesium is required for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body and creates energy in every cell by activating ATP... most are said to be deficient of Mags and of course Vitamin D3 for those who don't get alot of sun and I think it works in conjunction with calcium.. you don't usually see depressed ppl at the gym eh

 

Edited September 6, 2014 by Spine Collector

[rigger]

Hey soup, combining high fat and high carb foods together is a easy way to gain weight. That pretty much all of takeaway meals etc. If you like them is it an option to not to eat the chips when you get KFC and maybe drink half the Pepsi? this may be enough alone to stop gaining more weight.

loosing weight for some is easy and others is difficult. Are you a naturally big guy? do you drink alcohol? these things will make it more difficult. After you drink your body doesn't even burn fat or glucose it just runs of the byproducts of alcohol metabolism so this can really slow any results from exercise. Also if you eat fairly well over the week you shouldn't gain weight from smashing a bit of KFC on the weekend. If your dieting for too long it can be helpful. If you don't mind doing weights you can really use those extra calories also. Muscle will build slowly and you will lose fat. Even just a bit of weight training with no diet change should improve you physique over the years.

I agree about vit d and mag spine collector. Magnesium is really important if you like your stims also.

Edited September 7, 2014 by rigger

[incognito]

It would be nice if u could have sex twice a day that would be all the exercise you would need.

I've gotten tubby during the winter months I'm putting it down to middle age and a deserved right. I got all excited and went jogging two mornings last week and it really fricking hurt and was rather unpleasant.

I really wish there was a yoga school around here, always something I've wanted to have a go at. Can you teach urself yoga ?? Are there any like DVDs that you can watch and follow along with? I feel my days of rigorous ass busting jogging and workouts are behind me,

If I could I would attend yoga classes and maybe even tai chi, Tai chi looks very relaxing.

[rigger]

Hey incog, your right about the running. like any exercise you have to do it properly. It sounds stupid but if your carrying a few pounds and have poor technique your not really doing yourself favors. So if you continue running stretch first and work on you form eg. try to glide your feet smoothly not plod. if your surroundings are bouncing up and down ahead of you your probably just hurting your knees. Like anything take it slow until you get it right.

You can self learn yoga. Just google some poses or routines. warm up and stretch first and work your way up eg. try working toward a half lotus don't just crank you legs into full lotus etc. If you cant get half lotus just try to get close. Its a slow process if you haven't done it before so don't get frustrated and give up due to slow progression. If you keep it up for a year you will probably reassess what you want out of it and be really happy with your progress. Putting on relaxing music is a good way to make it a nice experience. Just stretch and look up enough to give yourself some direction but then just enjoy yourself. Just moving in ways you not used to feels really good. You remember as a kid how often you would use full range of motion and how as an adult you kind of just sit or stand.

You could also use sex twice a day if you like! but just like any routine you want to change it after a few months at most to get maximum effect. So if you have been doing a particular position for a while change to something different and you may get better results. But don't change too often either. You want to wait until your improvement in that position has slowed for a couple of weeks before trying something new

Edited September 8, 2014 by rigger

[DiscoStu]

main thing is to find something you enjoy and stick to it, you'll never reach the fitness goals you have if you don't enjoy what you're doing,

there's some good pilates videos on utube, try sean vigue fitness, it's only 10 minutes but give it a go it's pretty intense if you've not done it before

 

[Auxin]

I started kind of backwards, getting fit for fall and mid-winter so I could handle the biggest bursts of gardening work. I only extended my fitness routine through spring and summer after seeing how much better I feel when routinely exercising.

It would be nice if u could have sex twice a day that would be all the exercise you would need.

Brings a new meaning to 'exercise partner'

But really, if I had a sex partner I'd still exercise. If sex was your exercise then your average sex act would be where you hit maximum, having an extra bit of vigor in reserve is a good thing. That, and I somewhat enjoy being one of the few guys my age around here who doesnt look like hes pregnant.