Favorite Work Outs?

[Karen]

I think this might be a good idea just to share ideas and just to talk about what we do to stay healthy! Right now, I am trying to lose weight and I definitely do NOT believe in diets - health is a matter of calories in, calories out. When I go to the gym on a good day and have the time, I usually do:

a half hour of the elliptical

10 minutes on the erg for single time or 1200-1500 meteres for single distance

abs - situps with a workout ball, leg lifts, brazilian situps, and I try to do obliques.

I also do weights, I use 5 pound weights and do curls, triceps, lateral raises - front and side, and tricep presses to the back.

Before bed, I also try to do some stretches, I found a great thing called "yoga before bed" and it's a series of simple stretches that are done in the bed and have helped me sleep better and stretch my back, which I have problems with.

 

Share your workout techniques! If you have none, then maybe talk about any fitness goals you would like to achieve!

[The Midnight Q]

When I was on my workout regimen, my daily morning PT included a 3 mile run, pull/chin-ups, push-ups, and crunches before breakfast. During the day if time permits I would hit the bench doing presses, curls, etc. with the weights. After class I would then hit up the fencing club for 2 hours to practice. Then go back home and rest.

 

Haha now my workout consists of walking from my bed to the kitchen to cook eggs and bacon before class/work. I do the anaerobic stuff still but I haven't really had the motivation nor the strength to still do my morning runs. I also love to hit the trails on my bike for an hour or two though.

 

I definitely do NOT believe in diets

 

Seconded. IMO, the only real diet is exercise. There was a time that I never called it "eating" but rather "calorie intake". Still, I'm surprised how I haven't gained any weight as of late. I guess my metabolism is still petty fast despite my less active lifestyle.

Edited March 17, 2011 by sirbenedictvs

[Karen]

When I was on my workout regimen, my daily morning PT included a 3 mile run, pull/chin-ups, push-ups, and crunches before breakfast. During the day if time permits I would hit the bench doing presses, curls, etc. with the weights. After class I would then hit up the fencing club for 2 hours to practice.

 

 

I also love to hit the trails on my bike for an hour or two though.

 

 

Seconded. IMO, the only real diet is exercise. There was a time that I never called it "eating" but rather "calorie intake". Still, I'm surprised how I haven't gained any weight as of late. I guess my metabolism is still petty fast despite my less active lifestyle.

Wow! Fencing seems like a great workout, and very classy! ;P

 

I haven't done mountain biking yet, biking isn't really my thing. Same goes for running, I just don't like doing it. I know people say you have to build up your endurance, etc etc etc, but I think even if I did that I STILL wouldn't like it. I think it's important to find exercise that you like and is fun, too, so there's the motivation to keep on doing it. I do Zumba every once in a while as well, and that is super fun! It's just dancing but I get a great workout

 

And yeah, because you used to work out so much your metabolism is adjusted now to go faster.

[Kim.]

I do not believe in diets either. Fad diets are the worst--they concern you with the motivation to "take 3 inches off your waist in 10 days" and "burn more fat than you ever had". Fad diets are not balanced, and do not give you the smattering and variety of food group intake you need per day.

 

Also, the 2,000 calorie diet that is written on the back of food boxes and nutritional charts which depict what you "should" count as your intake is not a one-size fits all guide to long-term health. There are formulas, based on your waist to hip ratio (which, according to Jillian Michaels [noted personal trainer on "The Biggest Loser" and "Losing it With Jillian"] is more accurate than measuring the BMI [body Mass Index] because there is a differentiation between the weight [or mass] of muscle and fat.). In the following posts, once people have posted, I will provide a quote from the training manual of Michaels' that I purchased last year.

 

Men do tend to burn more calories per day than women do, so their caloric intake should be slightly higher than that of women. Once you stray away from square guides and move on to reliable sources, you can effectively manage both your "diet" regimen and health/fitness regimen together.

 

As for me, being that I have a cycling tour coming up in 43 days, I have been training for the past eight weeks. I've lost probably, at least, 5 pounds (2.3 kilos). For me, it isn't about the weight loss than it is more about the redistribution of fat in my body. When fat burns and the muscle that lies under it is worked, and in turn is torn, and grows bigger (by scarring), a person tends to weigh more because muscle is more dense than fat is.

 

Prior to leaving my supermarket job (it was largely unhealthy for me) in beginning of Februrary, I had one pair of dress pants that I fit into. The remaining three or four did not fit. My thighs were thick, and I had trouble getting my legs into a pair of jeans at a store. Shopping for clothes was unpleasant for me.

This past week, I've been trying on most of the clothes I have not worn since 2009 or slightly prior, and most of them fit without a problem. That satisfaction that I've gained is great.

 

I tend to eat as lean as I possibly can, but have up to six meals a day, which are smaller and portion-controlled. This helps your metabolism keep going through the day so that you do not experience a drop in your sugar levels (and feel sluggish as a result). Most of my dishes are cooked from scratch; that way, I can control exactly what I can put in it. I don't let myself have unhealthy snacks in my cabinet. If I want an unhealthy snack once a week, I go out and purchase a personal-size whatever-I-may-be-craving.

 

As for my fitness: I DESPISE working out inside a gym. I do not have too much knowledge about the interconnection of muscle groups and kind of get embarrassed to use anything but an upright bike and a treadmill. I purchased a gym membership, which I HAVE to go within the next week.

 

I looove the outdoors, even in the winter. For me, nothing beats breathing fresh air. I started running in October (and I DESPISED it, too) around a block behind my house about two laps. When I felt that I could catch my breath more easily, I started to branch out on side streets and go further.

 

If I couple running (walking, jogging, etc.) with cycling outdoors, in a typical week I'd do the following: According to my schedule, I would exercise five days a week with two off days. I would start off running small distances (1 to 2 miles [about 1.6-3.2 kilometres]) and build the distance over two days. In a single day, I've done up to 5 miles [8 kilometres] (not all running, of course). The following day or two would be on the bicycle, so about--on average--6-10 miles [9.6-16 kilometres] per day.

 

It's hella hard at first, but you do get used to it.

 

And fitness, no matter which form, and as long as the exercise you're doing gets your blood circulating you will feel better about yourself--emotionally and physically. After a workout, endorphins (the "feel good" chemical also known as endogenous morphines ) in the brain increase, and help to elevate your mood. Their chemical makeup mirrors that of man-made opiates (drugs like morphine, or illegal drugs [iLLEGAL DRUGS ARE BAD PEOPLE! --had to put in that disclaimer lol]. In conjunction with other chemical messengers (neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine) in the brain, endogenous morphine elevates your mood and sustains it over the day and over a long period of time if an exercise regimen is put into place and remains consistent.

 

I do not only turn to fitness to stay physically healthy and beat my odds of genetic illnesses, but I also use it as a tool to combat negativity and self-doubt, or a negative self-image. Changing your routine, little by little every day and with a small step to start, will get you feeling more productive and enable you to make a decision for change .

[flying kiwi]

I also don't agree with diets, you only put the weight on again after.

 

My current workout is 30 minutes dancing, at least 25 min on the crosstrainer, tummy lifts, leg lifts, crunches and I've.gr ecently bought a rowing ac tion exerciseer (or something along those lines) which I do a few exercises on each day. Me and my mum have also started swimming once a week. I love the feeling I get after I've had a good workout

[Slash]

Jogging is the best exercise u can get, helps u train with breathing patterns, the followed up by 4 sets of push ups, and 4 sets of sit ups and cool down.... that just my warm ups, then jog for some more, thats pretty much what i do in two hours time..

 

n also Futsal and football (soccer) every Sunday, and Oztag (flag rugby) on Wednesday... imma die soon lol

[Karen]

I do not believe in diets either. Fad diets are the worst--they concern you with the motivation to "take 3 inches off your waist in 10 days" and "burn more fat than you ever had". Fad diets are not balanced, and do not give you the smattering and variety of food group intake you need per day.

 

Also, the 2,000 calorie diet that is written on the back of food boxes and nutritional charts which depict what you "should" count as your intake is not a one-size fits all guide to long-term health. There are formulas, based on your waist to hip ratio (which, according to Jillian Michaels [noted personal trainer on "The Biggest Loser" and "Losing it With Jillian"] is more accurate than measuring the BMI [body Mass Index] because there is a differentiation between the weight [or mass] of muscle and fat.). In the following posts, once people have posted, I will provide a quote from the training manual of Michaels' that I purchased last year.

 

This past week, I've been trying on most of the clothes I have not worn since 2009 or slightly prior, and most of them fit without a problem. That satisfaction that I've gained is great.

 

I looove the outdoors, even in the winter. For me, nothing beats breathing fresh air. I started running in October (and I DESPISED it, too) around a block behind my house about two laps. When I felt that I could catch my breath more easily, I started to branch out on side streets and go further.

 

I do not only turn to fitness to stay physically healthy and beat my odds of genetic illnesses, but I also use it as a tool to combat negativity and self-doubt, or a negative self-image. Changing your routine, little by little every day and with a small step to start, will get you feeling more productive and enable you to make a decision for change .

 

Yes, I agree with you Kim. It's important to monitor caloric intake according to you personally. For example, I am under 5 feet (1.5 metres) and so I do not follow the 2000 calorie diet. My caloric intake is more like 1200-1400. I hardly eat even that per day - but I need to also burn more than I eat. I really hate the idea of a food journal, which is almost impossible to keep at school because nutrition information isn't always readily available. So far, I've just been trying to eat healthier and hit the gym 3x/week or more.

 

I also hate running. I know that if I do it, I'll get better at it, but I still think it's just not for me. I like to have fun whilst working out, and running just doesn't cut it for me.

 

Finally, I love that feeling of satisfaction you mentioned kim - my jeans are fitting more losely and I feel better about myself. I know I still have a long way to go, but I'd like to start fitting into my old jeans - I'm getting there. I lost a lot of weight my senior year of high school, roughly 15 pounds (6.8 kilos), and I felt AMAZING about myself. I gained a lot of weight when I went to uni, so I've got my work cut out for me losing it again. It's rough because I know what I am capable of being and looking like, so having let myself gain weight makes me feel like crap. However, I am taking the steps to be healthy not only now, but for life. I want to set a healthy life pattern and be healthy for my children in the future, and for myself!

[apporge]

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