The Fitness Thread

[Spenner]

Not gonna go into my specs, but i'm fit. But I've been busy, and demotivated. I need to start doing a daily routine again. I'll probably start that really soon, now that I'm disease/kidney stone free and can move without much intense internal pain 8]

[Jerry DB]

I am 5 11 and weigh between 180-185. Right now I am training in MMA and am very driven to get better right now. Going all out now to build strength/explosiveness/skill. Anybody else like to train for MMA?

[kangolokster]

well im 6'2 and i weigh in about 290 lbs.
thats alot. my waist is a size 42 and i
currently lift weights. i think i need to
hit the cardio a little more so that i can
be more fit and try not to get my fat
turn into muscle it looks nasty lol

@ Jerry DB i had barely 1 week in the
MMA training. But the damn trainer said
i was too aggresive and i got kicked out
for starting too many fights lol thats
why i quit and sticked to body building

[Reach]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

holy shit

why anyone would want to look that vascular is beyond me

EDIT:

On the other hand, I can understand the impulse. I had great fun pushing the limits of my desktop computer to see how much performance I could squeeze out of it by overclocking everything and optimizing every variable that I could. There was, of course, risk involved.

Same likely applies here -- except I'd argue that there's a huge leap between risking computer hardware vs. risking your body :P

Well yeah, anyone that does this doesn't really care about aesthetics. It's not to look good. It's to push the absolute limits of the human body.

In order to get there you would already need to be around 4% and then stop eating for a few days, other than maybe some carbs prior to this picture for the glycogen. Extensive diuretic usage allows you to dehydrate completely. Normally your body would burn only muscle in this state, but the right combination of anabolic steroids will prevent this from happening, so the only thing left to take away is fat, but much of that fat is essential fat which is why this is so risky.

End result is...basically looking like an anatomy model, since there's no fat covering anything, only really skin.

I guess some people don't really care about the danger. To be fair, they're already risking their body with high levels of steroid usage. Not that steroids are as bad as most people think they are, but they're not exactly healthy.

Seconds after this photo was taken though, chances are this guy was downing several XL pizzas and litres of water.

[Reincarnate]

So I've been at 236 for like 2 weeks now, and all of a sudden I was 231 this morning. WTeverlovingF. Probably water weight or something. Hopefully with enough data points I can start to separate the noise from the trend. Eventual long-term goal is to hit single digit body fat.

One thing I might do is start taking pictures of myself every day and do one of those lame YT videos (cutting phase + bulking phase) where all the photos get put together into a fast-frame slideshow. I'm probably way too lazy to actually follow through with something like this, however.

Another idea I had (that I think would make for a really cool video) is have my present flabby self having a conversation with my future (hopefully ripped) self with some lame greenscreen magic. I think that'd be pretty wicked. :P

Of course, still probably too lazy.

[kmay]

i hope you can achieve everything you want to. i feel the same way as you considering how close we are in size and weight. as you already know. and some day i will get to motivation, and income, to start getting in shape. hard to make money when you only work 2 days a week. =/

but yea. seeing you get in shape would definitely star to push me in the right direction. seeing the shape you can build and how it would look. would most likely make me want to look the same way for when you attend another meet-up

6'2 228lbs

was an avid volleyball player until i tore my meniscus. i really want to start playing again but the scar tissue around the tear honestly is enough to cripple me some days. where even walking hurts, and other days i can go to the arcade and play ITG. so its weird. advice. DO NOT TEAR THE MENISCUS. and for those of you that don't know. the meniscus is the cartilage in your knee.

[EzExZeRo7497]

5'10, 167 lbs.

It sounds ideal for the most part, then I realise that I don't really have that much muscle mass to begin with, and most of my fat comes from my belly or thigh (Common places for the most part)

Been drinking water more often compared to other sweetened drinks lately, and I'd say that I'm getting used to it pretty fast.

I walk for around 30 minutes daily, sometimes I go for more. My diet's pretty okay too, around 2,300-2,500 calories per day, occasionally a bit more though.

I've lost around 11 lbs in 5 weeks (176 -> 167) but I don't really see much of a difference, maybe except for muscles being more obvious and thighs being a little smaller, but it isn't much of a significant difference.

Goal would be more muscle mass and less body fat to say the least haha. I just want a moderately muscled body for my size I guess.

[Cavernio]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

For me, at 48 inch waist, 74 inch height, neck circumference 16 inches, that puts me at 35% bodyfat or so using the equation:
(495/(1.0324-0.19077*LOG10(2.54*(waist circumference at the navel-neck circumference)) + 0.15456*LOG10(height*2.54))-450)/100 with all units in inches

So at 236 pounds that puts me at about 152 pounds lean mass, 84 pounds body fat. Using the Katch-McArdle formula for calculating BMR, that means basal metabolic rate is 370+9.79759519*152 = 1860 calories.

I am aiming to lose 2 pounds of fat per week. Right now I'd like to get down to 15% bodyfat, which means a target weight of 152/(1-.15) = about 180 pounds, which means I need to lose about 56 pounds of fat. A pound of fat is 3500 calories, so two pounds a week means 7000 calories which means 1000 deficit per day.

Problem is I have little muscle mass, which complicates things a bit.




Anyways, my problem:

I'm not sure what exercise routine to follow or how to adjust BMR to account for caloric expenditure. For sedentary people like myself who have a desk job Monday through Friday, the multiplier to BMR is typically 1.2 -- i.e. without working out, my daily caloric output (maintenance calories) would be 1860*1.2 = 2232 calories.

Problem is that a deficit of 1000 from this number puts me at eating 1232 calories a day, which seems quite low. Of course, I'd need to work out.

I don't know the best way to work out and how to calculate the correct caloric output from that. I am figuring that if I lift weights 3x/week and do cardio twice, that brings the multiplier from 1.2 to 1.4, thus a maintenance of 2604 (and eating 1600 calories each day doesn't sound outrageous).

I don't know if 1.4 is too aggressive an estimate or what. I'm not sure what goals to set currently, since right now nothing seems to be moving the needle.

Also not sure how to determine the macros. I figure a gram of protein per lb lean mass is adequate, but I'm not sure if this is optimal (let alone how many carbs/fats I should be taking in). Always hear about the 40/40/20 rule but that sounds a bit outdated, especially for those with high bf%.


EDIT: As you can probably tell I am a bit obsessed with the math. I need the math to make sense but I don't know enough about the underlying biophysics to gauge certain things.

I see your problem. You could probably have had an intense 20 minute workout in the time it took you to make that post.

My bf went gluten free and dairy free with me and he lost 20-25 lbs and is still losing daily, although at a much steadier pace now. We're still eating plenty of carbs and lots of fat and sugar. I lost 5 lbs so far, lol. I'm hoping it is helping out his thyroid though, he's got hypothyroidism but isn't on medication for it yet. He's got blood tests coming up, so we can see if his TSH has changed at all.

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by Cavernio

I see your problem. You could probably have had an intense 20 minute workout in the time it took you to make that post.

Hehe, while I can't tell if this was said in jest or not, I do think there's some validity to this.

"Eat less, move more" is probably good enough for most people:

However, I think it's important to work out smarter, not harder. IMO it's good practice to understand the calorie-counting math/underlying physics of how the body processes things like fats, carbs, proteins, and nutrients, because then you have a better idea what to adjust/tweak if something isn't going the way you want it to. Of course, I'm still in the process of learning a lot of this stuff, so ehh.

Originally Posted by kmay

i hope you can achieve everything you want to. i feel the same way as you considering how close we are in size and weight. as you already know. and some day i will get to motivation, and income, to start getting in shape. hard to make money when you only work 2 days a week. =/

but yea. seeing you get in shape would definitely star to push me in the right direction. seeing the shape you can build and how it would look. would most likely make me want to look the same way for when you attend another meet-up

Yeah, definitely -- it's always a lot more fun when more people are progressing together.

However, I do want to point out that it's actually been cheaper for me to eat healthy. What I did (as much as I didn't want to) was go back over the past couple of months on my debit card statements and add up how much money I was spending on food. It was atrocious. Now I am spending a very small fraction of that.

[Thatskier]

But seriously the best way to just get in shape without being a girl and just dieting is just freaking work out. Go start running two miles every day. Do small weights at first and ALOT OF CORES EXERCISES!! Core is so very important trust me. Only do what you can handle at first then build on that. If you can run two miles at first start out at one mile or 1/2 a mile. Dieting and eating right is essential but you wont get anywhere without real physical activity.

Edit: im 5'8 150 pounds and workout daily. I should check my % body fat but its really good. Im in shape.

[kmay]

hmm thats a good idea, but i dont buy my own food for the most part. maybe at school ill start getting salads or something, but thats about it. i eat pretty healthy when i go out to eat... and i could definitely cut out the soda, i do it for like a week, then it gets too hard cuz the water at work tastes so bad lol

[Reach]

Hehe, while I can't tell if this was said in jest or not, I do think there's some validity to this.

There isn't much to the claim actually. Diet should always be the first thing you have in check. 20 minutes of exercise might burn 50 calories. That ain't nothin but a few peanuts. You're far better off taking the time to get everything else in check first.

It's fairly well established among obesity researchers that exercise alone will never fix the problem. It is impossible to compensate for a bad diet with exercise. In most individuals, exercise increases hunger. The majority of people that claim this problem can be solved with exercise alone use anecdotes from people that never ate that much to begin with.

And uh, core exercises aren't that important. You can't ever build a six pack by doing situps. In fact, I stopped doing ab work weeks ago and my abs look better than they ever have. Restriction of body fat will give you abs. Your core can be worked in a number of other more important ways, specifically compound movements like squats and deadlifts.

[SCWolf]

Originally Posted by Poison-

Also, anyone just wanting to do bodyweight exercises should take a serious look at Insanity. SCWolf mentioned it before, and I just looked into it and it looks like a pretty good workout program. You can find a torrent of it easily.

Yep. It's an awesome starter program for anyone who wants to lose weight and get in shape. Essentially, like you said, it's all body weight exercises which is why I would recommend it over P90x, solely because you don't have to buy any extra stuff.

Insanity is intense cardio, as well as a great way to build Type-1 muscle fibre. Type-1 muscle fibre is that muscle that's not so big, yet incredibly strong. Olympic athletes are overflowing with Type-1 muscle fibre.

The reason all this is good is because once you're done, lost some weight and you're ready to hit the gym, your body will already be well conditioned and stronger than if you were to just walk into the gym. You will also have more of a general knowledge of your body, exercises, and what you can and can't do. This is good because when you lift, you're able to focus more on your movement rather than struggling through it (not that everyone struggles, I'm just saying).

Originally Posted by EzExZeRo7497

5'10, 167 lbs.

It sounds ideal for the most part, then I realise that I don't really have that much muscle mass to begin with, and most of my fat comes from my belly or thigh (Common places for the most part)

Been drinking water more often compared to other sweetened drinks lately, and I'd say that I'm getting used to it pretty fast.

I walk for around 30 minutes daily, sometimes I go for more. My diet's pretty okay too, around 2,300-2,500 calories per day, occasionally a bit more though.

I've lost around 11 lbs in 5 weeks (176 -> 167) but I don't really see much of a difference, maybe except for muscles being more obvious and thighs being a little smaller, but it isn't much of a significant difference.

Goal would be more muscle mass and less body fat to say the least haha. I just want a moderately muscled body for my size I guess.

Keep up the good work dude. You could probably do with lowering the calories a bit to see more weight loss. You're not far from a healthy weight as it is.

Originally Posted by Cavernio

I see your problem. You could probably have had an intense 20 minute workout in the time it took you to make that post.

My bf went gluten free and dairy free with me and he lost 20-25 lbs and is still losing daily, although at a much steadier pace now. We're still eating plenty of carbs and lots of fat and sugar. I lost 5 lbs so far, lol. I'm hoping it is helping out his thyroid though, he's got hypothyroidism but isn't on medication for it yet. He's got blood tests coming up, so we can see if his TSH has changed at all.

I won't even begin to explain why your first sentence is wrong.

While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I personally think eating gluten free isn't necessary to lose weight. It isn't necessarily detrimental to your body and/or building muscle, it's just more hassle than anything else. Gluten is the main ingredient in a lot of foods we eat, and gluten free foods were made for people who have celiac disease, not for people who think it will help them lose weight. Losing/gaining weight is simple mathematics, people tend to blow it way out of proportion.

Originally Posted by Thatskier

But seriously the best way to just get in shape without being a girl and just dieting is just freaking work out. Go start running two miles every day. Do small weights at first and ALOT OF CORES EXERCISES!! Core is so very important trust me. Only do what you can handle at first then build on that. If you can run two miles at first start out at one mile or 1/2 a mile. Dieting and eating right is essential but you wont get anywhere without real physical activity.

Edit: im 5'8 150 pounds and workout daily. I should check my % body fat but its really good. Im in shape.

You need to eat right to give your body the fuel it needs to build/maintain muscle, otherwise you will just get fat (if you eat too much) or go catabolic (if you eat too little). If you go catabolic, you will most definitely lose weight. In all the wrong ways.

Seriously, just find your daily energy expenditure and work with that. It's not that complicated. There are tons of ways for you to count calories, and the easiest way is by looking at the nutrition facts on the back of what you're eating/drinking.

Take things steady, that's really all there is to it. Once you gain more knowledge about what you're doing, then you can advance into deeper workout routines and diets.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Always get multiple opinions on things, and never assume.

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by Reach

There isn't much to the claim actually. Diet should always be the first thing you have in check. 20 minutes of exercise might burn 50 calories. That ain't nothin but a few peanuts. You're far better off taking the time to get everything else in check first.

It's fairly well established among obesity researchers that exercise alone will never fix the problem. It is impossible to compensate for a bad diet with exercise. In most individuals, exercise increases hunger. The majority of people that claim this problem can be solved with exercise alone use anecdotes from people that never ate that much to begin with.

This is why I do think the math is important. Based on what I've read online (after trying to cut through most of the broscience), weight loss is mostly a function a diet anyway. Exercise is just there to help maintain pre-existing muscle mass.

A few people IRL know I am going on a diet and think I am overthinking the whole thing by focusing so much on the math. I just fail to see how it's considered overkill when it seems so crucial to understanding what's going on.

Otherwise you run into the kind of scenario you brought up before -- people signing up for gym memberships, working out for 2-3 weeks, and seeing no progress/giving up because they didn't have a diet plan.

Without understanding the math, it's too easy to work out, get hungry, and eat way more than you actually worked off, thus resulting in a net gain instead.

[SCWolf]

Originally Posted by Reach

That ain't nothin but a few peanuts.

[Calcium Deposit]

Lost 60 pounds on pure cardio myself, eating copious amounts of junk food along the way

Then again I also have a pretty physically intensive job

[SCWolf]

Originally Posted by Calcium Deposit

Lost 60 pounds on pure cardio myself, eating copious amounts of junk food along the way

Then again I also have a pretty physically intensive job

As long as you're burning more calories than you're intaking, you will lose weight.

EDIT: First meal of the day

[Mike Weedmark]

Math is important but doesn't replace plain gusto. At some point theory needs to turn into action. What Reach was saying about exercise being less important than diet may be true, but if you're not doing both, you're not optimizing your results.

Exercise isn't just about burning off that peanut. The way you act tells your body how it needs to compose itself, and affects how the deficit created by diet is put into action in terms of burning. Eating at -1000 and not working out would create a wasting away effect that leaves you weaker, more lethargic and less healthy than when you started.

Workouts also give better results the longer and harder you do them. 20 minutes of light jogging might burn off a single peanut, but doing twice that in HIIT might burn off a whole pack, and the metabolic effect stays with you longer. 20 minutes is nothing unless you're REALLY going at it. Most people block their activity in terms of hours. An hour of hockey here, an hour of running there, an hour of lifting 3 times a week, and so on. A list of workouts ordered by effectiveness would be based on calories burned per hour.

I would even say math could be ignored completely without becoming much of a problem. Fitness is only really governed by two general rules:

1. Your body adapts to what you put it through.
2. It knows what you need to eat to fuel it, and it will tell you.

The mathiness of fitness is mostly caused by lazy people who feel like getting fit is about spiting your instincts, and is used more to RATIONALIZE fitness than actually improve it.

[Reach]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

This is why I do think the math is important. Based on what I've read online (after trying to cut through most of the broscience), weight loss is mostly a function a diet anyway. Exercise is just there to help maintain pre-existing muscle mass.

A few people IRL know I am going on a diet and think I am overthinking the whole thing by focusing so much on the math. I just fail to see how it's considered overkill when it seems so crucial to understanding what's going on.

Otherwise you run into the kind of scenario you brought up before -- people signing up for gym memberships, working out for 2-3 weeks, and seeing no progress/giving up because they didn't have a diet plan.

Without understanding the math, it's too easy to work out, get hungry, and eat way more than you actually worked off, thus resulting in a net gain instead.

Lol yeah, you can never really overdo it when it comes to dieting. Taking it seriously is the first step to success. People with a lax attitude about it never end up getting the results they want.

I call the lax attitude '****arounditis'. Many people suffer from this. I used to. They go to the gym and work hard but don't get serious about the things that actually matter and never get results.

Of course, combining exercise with diet is the way to go, because it will improve overall health.

Being at caloric deficit though is ultimately what determines how much you will lose.

[Wayward Vagabond]

im fat and need to lose 50 pounds help