Time To Get Fit - 2024

[Holeshot]

I tried exercising for the past two months but have not lost any weight or girth. What gives? And no I am not consuming yummy food like ice cream and stuff either. Am I destined to stay phat 4ever? The honey babes in the gym don't even look in my direction

There's a myth that "losing weight" happens within the first few weeks a program. For most, it doesn't, due to body adaption and the buildup to reliable intensity in your workouts. STICK WITH IT, M. I'd say don't worry much about what you eat, but roughly count what you eat and try to get the calories deficit formula working for you, daily. For that, you'll need some sort of wearable to track calorie burn.

One more thing: Cardio is secondary to weight training for burning fat/ shaping a body. It's essentially, don't get me wrong, but added muscle mass will burn calories at a greater rate over time than a strictly cardio program. The added advantage to muscle mass/ tone is a demonstrative appearance change you can see over time with pictures. Take pics in the mirror for only yourself to see. It's motivating and useful when you look back through time on how you looked. Don't worry about the scale much...that's the devil's tool anyway.

 

[m_asim]

Generally, you lose more weight in the kitchen than in the gym. Here's my summary of why. IMO of course.

Exercise often increases your appetite. Even if you aren't eating ice cream, you still may be consuming more calories than before. This can negate any weight-loss effects from the exercise. Think about how good your portion control is.

It's a lot "harder" to use calories than it is to consume them. A single can of soda is ~150Cal. To burn that, you'd need to run a mile or walk 1.5 miles (rough estimates). That soda didn't even contribute to you feeling full when you had your meal, but it took a whole mile of running to burn the sugar.

Feeling full - that's the trick to reducing calories. You should eat foods that make you feel full for as long as possible, so that you can comfortably reduce calorie intake. That's mostly high-fiber or protein-rich foods. Sugary foods generally don't fill you up for long, or worst case make you more hungry. And high fat foods are good at satisfying hunger, but likely have more calories per serving.

There's a myth that "losing weight" happens within the first few weeks a program. For most, it doesn't, due to body adaption and the buildup to reliable intensity in your workouts. STICK WITH IT, M. I'd say don't worry much about what you eat, but roughly count what you eat and try to get the calories deficit formula working for you, daily. For that, you'll need some sort of wearable to track calorie burn.

One more thing: Cardio is secondary to weight training for burning fat/ shaping a body. It's essentially, don't get me wrong, but added muscle mass will burn calories at a greater rate over time than a strictly cardio program. The added advantage to muscle mass/ tone is a demonstrative appearance change you can see over time with pictures. Take pics in the mirror for only yourself to see. It's motivating and useful when you look back through time on how you looked. Don't worry about the scale much...that's the devil's tool anyway.

Thank you and Gracias.

Adding muscle would mean adding weight which on my portly body means my poor bones have to support more weight.

Sad story: I was walking on the treadmill yesterday when the girl on the next treadmill started running. Naturally I had to start running as well. Got lightheaded and almost fell off the still running treadmill. Dangerous!

 

[ScottRNelson]

I tried exercising for the past two months but have not lost any weight or girth.

For me, exercise is more for my general health than to try to lose weight. I could stand to lose a few pounds, but that's only going to happen by eating less, and lately I've had a hard time with that.

I got a double workout today. Went to the YMCA and did a dozen weight machines, like I have been doing three days a week for several years now. Then spent more than an hour shoveling snow off of my driveway and sidewalks. That is an aerobic workout as well as using a few muscles that apparently don't get used on the weight machines. I would only get the one workout if I still lived in the Bay Area.

 

[stangmx13]

Thank you and Gracias.

Adding muscle would mean adding weight which on my portly body means my poor bones have to support more weight.

Maybe, but that usually doesn't happen. It's more common for people to lose a good amount of weight, then they plateau or add a tiny bit of weight back as they gain muscle. But the whole time their measurements are decreasing. You can't gain pounds of muscle unless you are eating enough to build all that new tissue. So the portion control that enables you to lose weight in the first place generally prevents you from gaining large amounts of muscle.

Lifting stimulates bones, tendons, and ligaments. Assuming you don't have any structural damage that requires special care, lifting may be one of the most effective ways to make you no longer feel like you have "poor bones".

 

[Mike95060]

m_asian. Berto and Robert are spitting truth. Keep at it!!! If weights are too difficult, get in the pool. I know that can be hard if you have body image issues but, it's one of the best ways to add some resistance training to your exercise routines without beating up your joints. It's a bridge. A Water aerobics class or even swim lessons if you need them will help you get stronger. Don't. Give. Up.

 

[Holeshot]

Thank you and Gracias.

Adding muscle would mean adding weight which on my portly body means my poor bones have to support more weight.

Sad story: I was walking on the treadmill yesterday when the girl on the next treadmill started running. Naturally I had to start running as well. Got lightheaded and almost fell off the still running treadmill. Dangerous!

Gym stories are always entertaining...!

I mentioned taking pictures cause it's a much better motivation than a scale. Adding muscle mass will act as a force multiplier in fat burning/ calorie burn. Diets and fitness guru's can make fat loss pretty complicated. The truth is: It's not. Burn more calories than you take in in a given day...you want to be in a calorie deficit (more burned than taken in) for most days of the week. That, along with a solid high Heart Rate weight program (non-stop...not much sitting/ resting between sets, etc) and sprinkled in cardio for heart health and overall fitness, will take you really close to your goals IMO. The big thing is this: It's going to take time. But, when the fat starts shedding, you'll notice and see the connection between your efforts and the fat loss. Besides, what else do you have to do in the winter?

IMO, give it your all for a good six months. 3-4 days of activities / week. 3 of those days should include resistance training. Figure an hour or so of overall program/ workout. put about 15 minutes (or more) into stretching 2-3 times a week and hit abs/ lower back 2-3 times a week if possible. Headphones are great to isolate yourself and if you're not using a personal trainer (which aren't needed these days, really), then find an online (or in-person) resource. If you want some to check out, PM me and I'll send you who I've been using. IIRC, we're near the same age and our workouts are going to be different from a 20 year olds.

Overall, commit, commit, commit. It sucks on many days, but it's super important to go to the gym, change and hit the floor. If you don't feel it then, then change back and go home...but make sure to get the floor ready to go before deciding it's not a good day. I would skip probably 75% of my workouts if I didn't do this. The plan is pretty simple:

3-4 days/ week: Fitness/ Gym
Less cardio, more resistance training
Eat less calories than burned
Use a fitness wearable (daily)
Photograph your progression (fuck the scale)
Commit to 6 months of intensity
Report back here...and enjoy the changes!

All IMO and meant for your motivation.

 

[two wheel tramp]

Total walking mileage for Jan 1-7 was 41.2 miles.
Average 12,557 steps a day.
Average workout HR was 102-120 bpm the first week.

My shoulder is ALMOST healed and now I will be more comfortable getting on the floor, etc., which is exciting.

 

[Holeshot]

Those are all awesome achievements! Congrats!!!

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I find since working out hard 2x a week for the past year I need less sleep. I can basically never sleep in, and I even take less afternoon naps. I'm disciplined and unless it's a weekend I never set the alarm for more than 30 min but lately I find I'm just less "Drowsy" in the afternoons and can stay alert and focused longer.

 

[two wheel tramp]

mileage for jan 8-15: 32.4.
steps: average 10,009.
average walking heart rate: 110-127.

today i hit the highest V02 max to date, 30.7, and i’ve done a consistent 16:04 minute mile even up a steep hill.

so, new goal: hit a 15 minute mile consistently while walking.


i had a tooth pulled last week and was banned from exercising for 24 hours. i got really grumpy.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

Personal Trainer wrecked me today. lured me into a false sense of security doing like 15 minutes of warmups and stretches and then crushed me. Pullups, rows, deadlifts, and some leg exercise I forget.

 

[stangmx13]

Wanna see what 'overtrained' looks like?

These two images are the same interval workout. The first was in Sept, and the second was 2 weeks ago. The Sept effort, I posted some of my best power numbers ever and had energy left to attack two climbs on the way home. The Jan effort, I added a small warmup beforehand, struggled through the workout, then limped home. Notice how the HR data is lower everywhere in Sept, even on the first interval. Notice in Jan that my stamina (Garmin metric) plummets to zero by the 5th of 9 intervals, but not until the 8th in Sept. UGH

Ive been training at near full intensity since Sept, riding 6 days a week at Z2 or above intensities and even cross training on the off days since Dec. I havent given myself any quality time off. It finally caught up with me and my body made it very obvious in the metrics. Now I know why training plans are generally 4-6wks with a week off. Block periodization is important! So I've taken it kinda easy for the past two weeks to allow my body to recover, reducing mileage by about 30% and avoiding hard efforts like intervals. I feel better. Now i just need to do a hard effort to see if the recovery has helped.

And it's a good time for that. Tomorrow is my first event of the year - a small gravel race in Temecula CA called 'Gravel & Whine'. It's 67mi & 6600ft of climbing, about 80% of it on dirt roads through wineries. We should have 'hero' dirt and weather is going to be perfect, so I'm really looking forward to it. My goal time is sub 4:00hr and my stretch goal is 3:45hrs. The distance is nbd, so I'm really looking for speed!

My fueling strategy is going to be 800Cal in my 2L hydration pack, 200Cal in one bottle, and 2 180Cal gels. I plan to drink the whole pack and finish the 2 gels. The bottle is a spare just in case. That's 290Cal/hr if I finish in 4hrs.

 

[two wheel tramp]

Good luck today Robert! I’m curious how
you feel after this race.

 

[stangmx13]

Race recap:
My race went well-enough. A few mistakes, but still good overall. The weather was warm, so much that I wore my summer kit. The course was fun - punchy challenging climbs, fast dirt descents that required paying attention, a cool difficult singletrack, very minimal mud, and nothing so crazy or annoying that made you think "fuck this". The start was too aggressive for me. My HR was over 160bpm within 5min, which is not great for a 4hr effort. Drafting so important in cycling that it can be beneficial to go a little hard at the beginning to stay with the stronger riders. But I'm pretty sure I went too hard. I managed to stay in the 3rd group until the first dirt section and climb. I recovered a bit early there, then pushed as things got steeper. I ended up passing a few people from the 2nd group and kept them behind all day. I buried myself on all the climbs and tried to recover on the descents. In the end though, I think that early attack cost me time at the end of the race. I had a small crash around mile 50 and both hamstrings cramped when off the bike. Then other parts cramped later. I just had no kick left and had to limp up any final hills.

Results:
I completed the 64mi course in 4:36hrs. The course was a little harder than I expected, so I didn't make my 4hrs goal time. But that's what happens when you guess at times. I did however improve my finishing time to the winner. The winner came in at 3:39hrs (no chance i was making 4hrs). I was 126% behind, which is the closest I've ever been. I finished 23rd overall and 21st / 104 in Mens. I rode with 2 others most of the day, including the 2nd place woman, and just couldn't keep with them on the final hills.

Avg Power: 156w & 2.4w/kg
Normalized Power: 182w
Avg HR: 155bpm
Stoppage Time: 82sec

Nutrition:
Nutrition totals were 2.5L of water with 1000Cal & two 180Cal gels for a total of 1360Cal. Because of the heat and extra time, I did end up drinking that 5th bottle and was dry crossing the line. That's right at 300Cal/hr which is the most I've ever consumed during a bike race.

Things I'd like to improve:
- Figure out a proper warm-up to better survive the start
- Improve anerobic power so the starts and punchy climbs aren't so taxing
- Relax more and keep a lower HR

 

[Climber]

Some people believe that your first lactic acid hit is your worst, performance-wise and believe that you should get into a lactic acid zone 15 or so minutes before a 400m race or less specific, a 200m race and your body will handle the lactic acid better in the race.

I haven't used that tactic, but some sprint coaches swear by it.

I don't know how that would translate in a 4 hour race, but thought I'd pass it along as food for thought.

 

[stangmx13]

I think that translates actually.

Race warmups I've seen from trusted sources go something like this:
5min spin
5min ramp to threshold
5min spin
2 sprint efforts
5min spin
Rest 15-30min but dont get cold

It seems like this accomplishes actually heating your muscles and getting that first anaerobic effort.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

So every time now my trainer makes me do 15-20 minutes of warm ups and stretches before lifting. We do less exercises, but more sets and the same number of reps, e.g. 6 x 8. I have been sore after almost every session the next day but not a debilitating kind, and I appear to be just recovered by the next session. I'm below 13% body fat and I'm starting to have visible abs at 44 years old.

 

[stangmx13]

So every time now my trainer makes me do 15-20 minutes of warm ups and stretches before lifting. We do less exercises, but more sets and the same number of reps, e.g. 6 x 8. I have been sore after almost every session the next day but not a debilitating kind, and I appear to be just recovered by the next session. I'm below 13% body fat and I'm starting to have visible abs at 44 years old.

Can you describe your warmup and stretches? I dont have any warmup program for lifting

 

[Holeshot]

I'm on a warmup of Bike 5 mins. Stretch legs. Then 5 mins crank cycle (or rope trainer). Stretch upper body (2 mins max), then get to work pushing weight. 3 exercise stations, 3 - 4 evolutions. No stopping for one whole evolution, then a 2 minute rest in between the next 3 station evolution. 3 evolutions total and 7-8 exercises. Abs / targeted lower body (non leg day) at the very end. Good for about a solid hour.

Robert: my HR looks a lot like yours minus the "where the while things are" hand in the middle. Average 137 to 144 or so in any particular 60 minute weight program.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

Can you describe your warmup and stretches? I dont have any warmup program for lifting

For legs for example he'll just make me do air squats if we're going to be doing weighted squats.

Stretch the pectorals with a standing against the wall technique

Hip raises (back on the floor)

Dead Bugs (lie on floor and lift left arm right leg and then down and then the other)

Using the roller to role out the muscles we'll be hitting

Pushups (just sets of 5) for chest

Various hamstring stretches

Jumping jacks

Planks (side, side, and then standard)



----

So I have finger lock again today. My hands were still sore Monday from Friday's workout but I worked out anyway seemed to loosen it up and then I iced it a few times and before bed it was already locking up. Hard time bending the ring finger on left hand. Iced it and it helped loosen it up but it keeps happening.Wrist is hurting too.

I use proper gloves with wrist wrap straps integrated and it's not helping.

Any ideas?