The Fitness and Exercise Thread

[MegaWatty]

I know we have a trying to lose weight thread but I thought I'd start one up and some of the fitness guru's can offer some assistance along the way.

[MegaWatty]

So. I'll start it off.

I've lost 9kgs over the last 5 or 6 weeks through several different methods and am now looking to take it further by building some decent muscle as well.

I started using a Fitbit (great little device) to understand how little exercise I was doing. I now aim for the recommended 10 000 steps a day by walking when I get home from work. I've also set up a basic cardio gym with a Concept 2 Rower which is amazing, an elliptical, a tready and a spin bike. I hit those puppies most nights whether I walk or not. On top of that I have some medicine balls that I use for core exercises.

I really despise gyms so I'm looking at the usual bodyweight exercises. Obviously push ups are part of that and I have a chin up bar on the way to try and get some amount of arm strength.

What I need to know is what I should be eating to get plenty of protein and how much of it I should be eating. Are things like Muscle Milk good or bad and how much should I be taking?

Here are the routines that I am working on with the rower and med balls:

http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/ultimate-medicine-ball-workout
http://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/beginner-training/

[Grunt]

I do a fair bit with medicine balls and ketllebells. Good for core strength.
I am part way thru my cert III & Cert IV to become a personal trainer.
Try My Fitness pal to track what you eat, I have not covered the nutrition part of my course yet.

[MegaWatty]

Not a huge fan of calorie counting.

I've changed my lunch pattern to a huge salad that I make each day. This alone has helped shed the weight.

[dc68]

I bought a pump yesterday so now I have no excuses for not riding the bike. I would love to drop some weight b4 WAnker Champs as some of the pics from Bellycan Waters are downright embarrrassing.

[timah!]

Mega, as for protein, there are lots of theories about how much is necessary. From memory, anywhere around the 1.5g per kg of bodyweight is the 'optimal' - although I'm stretching the memory on that one...

[Yossarian]

If only sms was not banned he could surely offer some sage advice.

[timah!]

As for me, even though it will be around the time junior is born, I'm looking forward to a full 3-4 months of being home every night from the end of Sept. I haven't had more than a fortnight at home since I started this role over 2.5 years ago - looking forward to some consistency!

[Johnny Canuck]

Tourfit does something similar to Grunt and Mega, except it involves a delicious meal replacement shake in the morning, some kettle, no bell, then another delicious replacement shake.

[Ferrins]

I run away from two woman and chase after one.

[MegaWatty]

What's the huge fuss about kettle bells? Why would you use a fixed weight instead of dumbbells where you can add plates as necessary?

[timah!]

19268

Some have seen this before, but this is my garage...
I'll be adding some medicine balls soon too...

[kev]

I'm not sure how accurate the fitbit is overall, as I have a pretty sedentary job yet I still average 6 or 7000 steps from the time I leave home to the time I get back again.

[MegaWatty]

I'm not sure how accurate the fitbit is overall, as I have a pretty sedentary job yet I still average 6 or 7000 steps from the time I leave home to the time I get back again.

I find it super accurate. Normally 3000-4000 steps a day at work. 15000ish for a round of golf. Have checked it before and after getting in the car and it hasn't registered any steps.

[kev]

Fair enough.

[AndyP]

MegaModdy, can you please remove any cyclist posts that appear in this thread. One thread is enough.

I'm still waiting for my free weight gym set to come back from someone I lent it to 18 months ago.

[MegaWatty]

Are spinning posts OK, boss?

[MegaWatty]

Fair enough.

It also tells me that I'm the worlds worst sleeper!

[goughy]

What's the huge fuss about kettle bells? Why would you use a fixed weight instead of dumbbells where you can add plates as necessary?

I've never used them, so I'm taking a guess here. But I think dumbbells and bars etc focus more specifically on a muscle, or smaller muscle group. I think the way you use kettle bells you end up working multiple muscle groups in the same exercise. When I was doing some stuff, I was using dumbbells but doing multiple muscle group exercises. I just preferred them.

[Yossarian]

It also tells me that I'm the worlds worst sleeper!

No I am.

[davepuppies]

you will need to eat good quality protein if you want to add muscle mass...... How much? how long is a piece of string.

When i am hitting the weights hard my diet looks like this

6.00 serve of amino acids
8.00 9 egg whites, toast
10. protein shake in water
12. chicken and rice or vegies
2 protein shake in water
4 chicken and vegies
6 (after weights) protein shake and amino acids
8 lean red meat and vegies

in saying all of that i was over 130kgs pretty lean.

these days my diet consists of all the bad things.

My advice would be to have a protein shake straight after you train, and try and eat 2 or 3 other meals with either chicken or red meat, aiming for about 150-200 grams meat. that is plenty of protein for muscles to recover from basic resistance work.

increase your water intake, cut out sugar, avoid white rice, white bread, potatoes, eat lots of vegies.

[MegaWatty]

Sweet. I've started taking a scoop of Muscle Milk after training. I've cut out all of those things mentioned. I think I need to increase my meat intake a bit though.

Only issue is that I often don't get to train until 8 or 9 at night. But I guess any time is a good time compared to not at all.

[Iain]

Mega, .8g of protein per kg of body weight. You generally should try and eat some protein at every meal. You should also eat 6 smaller meals rather than 3, which should be every 2.5-3hrs.

If you're going to have protein powders, limit it to 2 per day. Meats are protein, lentils and dairy has a small amount. But meat is the best form by far.

[Courty]

Interesting article here (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/05/08/3495845.htm).

[dave1]

Variety of training methods suits me

I have lost 4 kg's in 6 weeks. Steady.

I have cut the crap out of my diet. No ice coffee. 1 biscuit instead of 2

No suguar in tea or coffee anymore.

3 litres of water per day.

2 weights sessions per week. 2 x 30km bike rides. I decent walk (golf)

No alcohol

[MegaWatty]

How about an all in one weights style system compared to free weights if there are going to be several people using it and there may be times where the won't be anyone to spot. I understand that they are limited in their ability to allow a full motion of the exercises but are they still worthwhile?

[kev]

It also tells me that I'm the worlds worst sleeper!

I've got a 95-97% sleep rate/time. I think theres a normal and sensitive setting for sleep - try normal if you're on sensitive.

[timah!]

How about an all in one weights style system compared to free weights if there are going to be several people using it and there may be times where the won't be anyone to spot. I understand that they are limited in their ability to allow a full motion of the exercises but are they still worthwhile?

You're talking about a pin loaded home gym?

[kev]

Interesting article here (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/05/08/3495845.htm).



One study showed that weight training in older people forces the muscles to remove damaged mitochondria and replace them with new ones


So you can become a Jedi when you're older!

[MegaWatty]

You're talking about a pin loaded home gym?

Yaha.

[peter_rs]

As for me, even though it will be around the time junior is born, I'm looking forward to a full 3-4 months of being home every night from the end of Sept. I haven't had more than a fortnight at home since I started this role over 2.5 years ago - looking forward to some consistency!

Now I hate you... You lucky bustard

[timah!]

How so Pete?

[Lagerlover]

That's funny Tim... The way you mentioned a baby and consistency in the same post.

[Matt 3 Jab]

I'm in no way a PT, but the reason kettle bells are great for workouts is the dynamic movement used in the exercises, i.e. if you do a KB snatch, high pull, clean etc, you are using your whole body and all the stabilising muscles rather than just doing curls or bench to isolate a muscle group. Also, they are generally used in a metcon type workout so you get muscle building and cardio at the same time, especially when you do the workouts within a group of interval training exercises like "20 KB high pulls, 15 squats, 10 KB snatches" etc

Also, kettle bells are more portable and easier to use than an olympic bar and bumpers.

As for my take on Fitness and strength building, do the major movements and supplement with focused.

As in, do squats, bench, deadlifts, pullups, and presses as your major movements, and target other areas you want to improve on, but the whole body stuff will have you stronger in no time. Remember there is a difference between being strong and looking strong, i know what i try and do.

[Ducky]

What I need to know is what I should be eating to get plenty of protein and how much of it I should be eating. Are things like Muscle Milk good or bad and how much should I be taking?
Muscle Milk is OK, but it has additional fats and sugars to make it taste decent, so you'll be consuming more calories for an equivalent amount of protein in comparison to other brands. If you're going to supplement protein in a powder format, use micellar casein in most situations (as it mixes thicker, digests slower, and will keep you fuller longer) and whey intra-workout/post-workout (as it mixes thinner and digests quickly). I personally buy all of my powders from BulkNutrients (www.bulknutrients.com.au) now, as they have decent flavours at good prices. However, taste is subjective, so you may wish to request some free samples before purchasing.


Not a huge fan of calorie counting.
Learning to count calories is key (even if it is a pain in the ass). Anyone can lose weight in the short time by restricting certain macro nutrients (i.e. carbohydrates or fats), but it's another to do it long term. Trust me on this, I'm currently much fatter than I should be as a result of not monitoring caloric intake.


From memory, anywhere around the 1.5g per kg of bodyweight is the 'optimal'...
The range is too wide, as it depends on body composition, exercise routine, and caloric intake. Typically speaking, protein requirements will increase the leaner an individual is, the more (and type of) exercise an individual performs, and how severe the caloric deficit is. An obese individual who performs no exercise with maintenance caloric intake will require approximately 0.8g/kg of lean body mass (NOT total body mass). If the same individual has a caloric deficit, that figure increases to 1.5g/kg of lean body mass. A lean individual who trains frequently (i.e. a bodybuilder or a professional athlete) with a caloric deficit may require 3.3g/kg (1.5g/lb) of lean body mass. However, there have been recent studies that suggest performing resistance exercise is a more important factor than high protein intake in preserving lean body mass whilst in a caloric deficit.


But I think dumbbells and bars etc focus more specifically on a muscle, or smaller muscle group.
That is the case for isolation exercises (i.e. bicep curl, calf raise, tricep extension, etc.), but compound exercises (i.e. bench press, deadlift, squat, etc.) work multiple muscle groups.

I apologise if anyone addressed the above, my attention span is short and I only read the first half of the thread.

[timah!]

+1 for bulk nutrients...

[just]

Learning to count calories is key (even if it is a pain in the ass). Anyone can lose weight in the short time by restricting certain macro nutrients (i.e. carbohydrates or fats), but it's another to do it long term. Trust me on this, I'm currently much fatter than I should be as a result of not monitoring caloric intake.

I'll take a counter view. Counting calories does not work in the long term, for most people it takes too much effort, also it has you focussing on the calorie itself rather the type of food you are eating. Just concentrate on eating the right things (less processed food, slightly higher protein, slightly lower carbohydrates, lots of green vegetables) in moderation and you will be fine. I've lost a lot in the ast year, and kept it off and I don't count calories. This is the advice I've been given and I've read up on it reasonably extensively. YMMV.


How about an all in one weights style system compared to free weights if there are going to be several people using it and there may be times where the won't be anyone to spot. I understand that they are limited in their ability to allow a full motion of the exercises but are they still worthwhile?

Compound exercises with free weight will do more, both in the short and long term. If you are worried about a spotter when other aren't around, get a power rack (http://www.rogueaustralia.com/products/ROGUE-R%252d3-POWER-RACK-%252d-PRE-ORDER-DUE-EARLY-OCT-2012.html) or squat stand with spotter arms (http://www.kettlebells.com.au/store/assault-rack-deluxe.html) , I've highlighted expensive, quality gear, but you can get effective equivalents for cheaper from Gym Direct, Gym and Fitness etc. With cable based home gyms the prevailing opinion is that you will find you become limited fairly quickly, which is why you see so many for sale secondhand (however women seem view them with a friendlier eye than free weights if your wife is keen to get into it). If you don't want go the power rack/freeweights/dumbells route, a more effective alternative to the cable based gym would be a leverage gym (http://www.samsfitness.com.au/products/multi-gyms/powertec-workbench-multi-system) .

Great thread. I've been looking at getting some more free weights stuff myself lately.

ps. Dibs on the concept 2

[timah!]

The cage I posted earlier is from Gym and fitness and is a good bit of gear.

[MegaWatty]

No way Just. That Concept 2 is never leaving me. I grabbed it 2nd hand from Gumtree for $850. It'd rowed 97kms in it's life.

The Pete Plan that I posted is awesome. After the 24 week beginner course I'll step up to his standard one. The plan is to hit that elusive 1 000 000 metres rowed and get myself a shirt! ;)

[Bruce]

I'm doing the 100 pushups and 200 squats programs here. The gym in the hotel doesn't open early enough for me to go before work and I'm trying to stay socially active for sanity purposes at night.

Vegetable intake is way down, but fruit is up. I'm mostly interested in finding food that won't kill me in the short term. Then I'll work on making it healthier. It's tough to be picky about choices when you are at the smile and point stage of the local language.

[MegaWatty]

I doubt there's many people that can do 100 pushups.

[timah!]

It's a program, like c25k...

[Bruce]

You build up to it.

http://hundredpushups.com/

[Webster]

I'll take a counter view. Counting calories does not work in the long term, for most people it takes too much effort, also it has you focussing on the calorie itself rather the type of food you are eating. Just concentrate on eating the right things (less processed food, slightly higher protein, slightly lower carbohydrates, lots of green vegetables) in moderation and you will be fine. I've lost a lot in the ast year, and kept it off and I don't count calories. This is the advice I've been given and I've read up on it reasonably extensively.

This.

And do as much walking as you can, especially after the evening meal. 2-3 k walk after dinner 3-4 nights a week (it's only hlaf an hour) and the same in the morning has been working very well for me this past year. You'll sleep better becasue of it too.And its low impact so it doesn't risk hurting any golf muscles!

[MegaWatty]

Walking alone helped me shed the most kilos. Easily the best and easiest way.

Timah. Is that a rower in your garage?

[timah!]

Timah. Is that a rower in your garage?

Yep, hand me down rower, bike and the cage.
Will add some med balls soon, some extras and then enjoy the time I'll have to use it all finally - ha!

[Yossarian]

You build up to it.

http://hundredpushups.com/

This is going to be fun. I cranked out 28 and almost broke my nose on the last one.

[Bruce]

I got to 18 on initial set. The end of Week 2 will have me doing sets of 16 17 14 14 and 20 tonight. I may break more than my nose pushing to 20.

There's an app that will track your progress and guide you through the sets including the rest period that I am using.

[Yossarian]

Cool, cheers Bruce.

Yours in sweet guns

Yoss.

[Ducky]

I'll take a counter view. Counting calories does not work in the long term, for most people it takes too much effort, also it has you focussing on the calorie itself rather the type of food you are eating. Just concentrate on eating the right things (less processed food, slightly higher protein, slightly lower carbohydrates, lots of green vegetables) in moderation and you will be fine. I've lost a lot in the ast year, and kept it off and I don't count calories. This is the advice I've been given and I've read up on it reasonably extensively. YMMV.
If that works for you (and I'm sure many others), great. However, it doesn't for many people and it's because they don't learn about energy balance. The fanatic (and misguided) low-carbohydrate crowd are a perfect example. Rather than trust thermodynamics, they believe that carbohydrates (rather than a calorie surplus) are the reason they are overweight. However, it's a series of false conclusions. The only advantages of a low-carbohydrate intake is the satiating effect of protein (as most low-carbohydrate foods — such as meats — are high in protein) and water fluctuation (as carbohydrates store approximately three times their weight in water, which is why when someone with a low-carbohydrate intake finally succumbs to high-carbohydrate foods such as bread, cake, or pasta and immediately gain 5-10 pounds, they freak out and assume it is body fat instead of fluctuating water levels). Otherwise, it's all about energy balance. If it wasn't, the people with low-carbohydrate intakes melting sticks of butter over broccoli and green beans would be continuously losing weight, but they don't once water levels stabilise. Counting calories doesn't need to be a permanent thing, only initially until accurate estimations can be made for most common foods.

What are the "right things"? Unprocessed foods? Assuming an adequate daily protein intake to prevent muscle catabolism (in addition to a sufficient micro-nutrient intake), is an unprocessed meal containing a large steak and large potato (with a total of 464 calories) more beneficial than a processed double cheeseburger (with a total of 426 calories) in regards to losing weight (or more precisely, reducing body fat percentage)? Once again, it's all energy balance. Therefore, larger quantities of unprocessed foods or smaller quantities of processed foods are equally as effective, the deciding factor is which each individual can tolerate. Before it's mentioned, processed foods haven't been scientifically proven (i.e. it's speculative) to be detrimental to health (such as increasing the chances of cancer) and — assuming equivalent levels of protein intake — there is no difference in the thermic effect of food (TEF) between processed and unprocessed foods.

Enjoying the discussion thus far, good stuff.

Edit: In regards to equipment, if you require a compact and spotter-less solution, all you'd need is a flat (or adjustable) bench with a set of adjustable dumbbells (such as Bowflex SelectTech (http://www.bowflexselecttech.com/bowflex-selecttech-us/products/1090dumbbells/prdcdovr~710000/Bowflex+SelectTech+1090+Dumbbells.jsp) or PowerBlocks (http://www.powerblock.com/prod_homeuse.php)). I had the Bowflex SelectTech 1090 adjustable dumbbells a few years ago, but returned them after the latches became faulty and I almost went jail-house style (i.e. weight plate to the head) on myself whilst performing bench presses. If I had my time again, I would go for the PowerBlocks.

[Toolish]

I am no expert by any stretch and I am carrying a few extra kg's at the moment but calorie counting is the only thing that works for me. The understanding you gain by counting calories is great, it is self educating. That said, it does take time and effort and unless it is used to establish good routines it is easy to go backwards again.

The processed vs unprocessed thing comes down to how it fills you.

A large big mac meal is 1172 calories .

I could eat 250 grams of steak (453 cals), 100 grams of mashed potato (106 cals), 100 grams of corn( 105 cals), 200 grams of broccoli (62 cals) and 1 medium carrot (45 cals) which totals 771 calories...I could even have a freddo frog for dessert and still be having less calories and I know which would fill me more and for longer.

As for the exercise thing, I struggle to exercise for the sake of exercise so I got into triathlon as it meant I was training for a goal rather than training to lose weight. The performance focus changes a few things, but it is all personal preference.

[Ducky]

The processed vs unprocessed thing comes down to how it fills you.
Absolutely. Ideally, everyone would exclusively consume unprocessed foods for satiety purposes. Personally, I wish I could tolerate doing so. Unfortunately, I — like others — obsess over something if I can't (or shouldn't) have it. Ultimately, the point I was making is that understanding energy balance results in less restriction.

[MegaWatty]

How do you know how many calories you can and can't have though. What should you set you deficit at each day?

[Johnny Canuck]

This is going to be fun. I cranked out 28 and almost broke my nose on the last one.

The back of Rubin's head hard?

[Ducky]

How do you know how many calories you can and can't have though. What should you set you deficit at each day?
Well, the first step is to work out your maintenance daily caloric intake (i.e. where your weight remains stable). Typically speaking, the maintenance daily caloric intake will be between 14-16 calories per pound of total body weight. For example, a 200 pound person would fall in the range of 2800-3200 calories daily. However, it's just an estimate and you need to dial it in. Try 15 calories per pound of total body weight daily for a week, see if your weight fluctuates, and then adjust accordingly. Be aware that when I refer to a calorie, it's actually a kilocalorie. You'll find that some nutritional labels may only list kilojoules, in which case divide by 4.2 to calculate kilocalories. For example, 1000 kilojoules is 238 kilocalories (rounded).

In regards to the severity of the deficit, it depends. How quickly do you want to lose weight? How strict can you be with your nutrition? How high is your pain tolerance? :D There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat. Therefore (assuming perfect efficiency and no down regulation of certain hormones, which won't happen), if a 200 pound person wanted to lose one pound per week, the daily caloric intake would be 2500 (i.e. deficit of 500 calories daily). You can take the daily caloric intake as low as you like as long as you have an adequate daily protein intake and do regular re-feeds with increased calories/carbohydrates. An adequate daily protein intake for a 200 pound person with 20% body fat would be 109g (rounded). There are 4 calories per gram of protein, so 437 calories (rounded) would come from protein daily. This is conservative and should be further increased the lower the daily caloric intake becomes.

There are more pieces to the puzzle, but — in my current state of tiredness — I'm probably only making things more confusing.

[markTHEblake]

I got to 18 on initial set. . Wow thats impressive! I started doing pushups a few weeks ago. The first goal was to do 5. Took a couple days to get that. Now I just add 1 each time. Up to 21 now. The hardest part is getting them done without the kids making fun of me.

[AndyP]

I don't even know the proper technique for pushups.

[Matt 3 Jab]

pushups are great, and show fatigue well. On a recent course we were doing around 500 per day over the day, with max sets of 40. You can see vast improvement in little time with whole body stuff like that. Try planks too, easy to start, hard to stay up for 5 mins.

[mike]

Try planks too, easy to start, hard to stay up for 5 mins.Is that where you support yourself on your elbows and toes. Yep, great for core strength.

[LarryLong]

Doesn't look that hard...

19313

[dave1]

Wow thats impressive! I started doing pushups a few weeks ago. The first goal was to do 5. Took a couple days to get that. Now I just add 1 each time. Up to 21 now. The hardest part is getting them done without the kids making fun of me.

good one

Daly Thomosn used to believe in this method of just adding one

He said same thing start with 5 sits up. Ad 1 every day. In 3 weeks you can do 27...

or walk 1 km then add 100 meters everytime you walk!

[timah!]

For those of you with medicine balls, what weights are they?

[razaar]

Both are 3.5 kgs, one is a kettle type which inflates.

[MegaWatty]

For those of you with medicine balls, what weights are they? I'm using 4 kg's for that Men's Health workout that I linked to earlier.

[popper81]

For those of you with medicine balls, what weights are they? I have a 4kg and 8kg here... Welcome to have a throw around with them..

[timah!]

Cheers. I'm thinking of a 3, 5 and 8 for the gym.
Just prioritising what I want to add in...

[popper81]

Cheers. I'm thinking of a 3, 5 and 8 for the gym.
Just prioritising what I want to add in...

I barely use the 4kg now... only for inside, on the pilates ball.

[timah!]

I'm future proofing for M a little too...

[Bushka]

I've dropped about 25 kegs this year (nearly all of it in the first 5-6 months) doing pushups/situps /bikram yoga/and golf. I've gone away from muscle building but i've always been fairly solid, im trying for core strength and lean muscle as i figure thats the primary mover for my golf swing.

I carry my bag mostly on course and swing the club in the back yard a lot. Mostly i eat whatever i want (within reason obviously i dont do much sugar and i dont do much junk food full stop, lots of protien and eggs etc).

One thing on the pushups i found at the start of the year i could do 15 or so. I got up to 30 then just started making them harder and harder for myself so now i still only do 30 but they are nose down gut down to the floor like a plank with my stomach activated and i get a lot more value doing smaller numbers with harder reps.

For big mornings my son sits on my back (22 kilo 4 year old) and i romp out 20 of those.

From 130 kegs down to 104 kegs this morning.

P.S Also have not had a drink all year...thats the real ****er i guess. But im addicted to golf and im determined to get my body right for it.

[kev]

Well done there Bushka.

After looking at the pics from the Champs, I may have to start doing the same thing... :oops:

[Bushka]

it flies by mate, just walking as mega pointed out doing a set of pushups and situps each morning as soon as you wake up and a month or two off the grog and suddenly you snowball into wtf happened im fit.

Best investment in your game you'll ever make in my opinion

[dc68]

Walked 4.5 ks this morning not as hard as I thought it might be after 12 months as a sloth I will try and do this at least 4 times a week with some bike riding as an alternate.

[dc68]

Well done there Bushka.After looking at the pics from the Champs, I may have to start doing the same thing... :oops: That's my motivation Kev.

[Johnny Canuck]

Walked 4.5 ks this morning not as hard as I thought it might be after 12 months as a sloth I will try and do this at least 4 times a week with some bike riding as an alternate. Keep it up big guy. Great job Buska.

[Grunt]

pushups are great, and show fatigue well. On a recent course we were doing around 500 per day over the day, with max sets of 40. You can see vast improvement in little time with whole body stuff like that. Try planks too, easy to start, hard to stay up for 5 mins.

As part of my PT course I have learnt that push ups are a great too to work out someone's strength in general terms for fitness assessment. Simple test, do as many push ups as you can do in 90 seconds. that will be your standard that I would work out where you are at.
For cardio I am using the simple but effective beep test. Both give me a good indication of where you are at and also give a reference point that we can see how you have improved later.

[Grunt]

I'm using 4 kg's for that Men's Health workout that I linked to earlier.

4 & 6 Kilo Medicine balls here

[kev]

That's my motivation Kev.

Weigh off next champs? :)

[Matt 3 Jab]

Grunt, there is, IMO, a better cardio (and mental attitude) test than the beep. The beep is easy to knock out 12's and more if your agile and reasonably fit.

I cant remember what its called, but its an oval run, say the 400m track, and you run as fast and as far as you can for 12m30s.

It shows not only an extended cardio workout, but also takes out the slips in the beep test at higher levels.

I found it a lot tougher than the beep itself as you push yourself, and dont have an audio cue. The participant CANNOT wear a watch!

[Grunt]

Grunt, there is, IMO, a better cardio (and mental attitude) test than the beep. The beep is easy to knock out 12's and more if your agile and reasonably fit.

I cant remember what its called, but its an oval run, say the 400m track, and you run as fast and as far as you can for 12m30s.

It shows not only an extended cardio workout, but also takes out the slips in the beep test at higher levels.

I found it a lot tougher than the beep itself as you push yourself, and dont have an audio cue. The participant CANNOT wear a watch!

Yeah like you said it is better for elite levels, beep is pretty good for those with results under 11. I have the oval run too, but another advantage of the beep test is the small area reqd. You can do it at any footy field as the ground is marked out.

[AndyP]

another advantage of the beep test is the small area reqd. You can do it at any footy field as the ground is marked out.A footy field is as big as a 400m track. There are many grounds that have athletics tracks, especially schools.
I reckon those are more speed tests anyway, not necessarily fitness.

[MegaWatty]

New low weight again today. Great feeling waking up to the scales reducing.

I've gone easy on the tough workouts this week including the rower as midweek champs start tomorrow and I'd prefer not to be tight and sore. However, should I not shoot a god score, I am going to punish myself tomorrow night.

Newest addition to the equipment is the chin up bar, due to arrive any day now.

84kgs, here I come!

[mike]

84kgs, here I come!What did you start out at?

[MegaWatty]

95 about 2 months ago.

A long time ago I got to 104 but have never been near that since.

[Yossarian]

Your buns are going to be super tight.

[MegaWatty]

Tighter

[AndyP]

Elite buns.

[MegaWatty]

84kgs, here I come!

Damn. Got it sooner than I thought.

Guess I set a new goal.

[Yossarian]

Super buns.

[just]

Buns of steel.

Timah
This is down your way I think?:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/10-Medicine-Balls-and-Stand-Almost-New-/180973092682?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item2a22d63f4a

[timah!]

It is a bit, but a little out of $$ range. Not a bad deal though. Probably the rack is the most exxy part though ha!

[MegaWatty]

Thoughts on the basic Smith machines? I've found one here: http://renoufhomefitness.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26&products_id=79

I'm guessing it's mainly for bench presses and squats. Any help out there?

[AndyP]

What is the proper technique for a push up? I was going to youtube search it, but thought I would ask here since MW has bumped it.

[MegaWatty]

So many different ways AP. Straight back is the key. I've just started doing them with my feet up on a Swiss Ball. Those things are simply awesome.

[timah!]

Thoughts on the basic Smith machines? I've found one here: http://renoufhomefitness.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26&products_id=79

I'm guessing it's mainly for bench presses and squats. Any help out there?

Not a fan of smiths. Have a look at a full cage:
http://bit.ly/TzbqcH

[Grunt]

So many different ways AP. Straight back is the key. I've just started doing them with my feet up on a Swiss Ball. Those things are simply awesome.

Is an awesome one for core strength the other is to do them with your hands on medicine balls.

[MegaWatty]

Also do planks the same way. Feet up on the ball and down into the preacher position.

[Grunt]

yeah I do that too, if you want something to really work your core, try this

sit on a medicine ball
Put you fee on another medicine ball

Try and balance

to take it a step further grab a barbell (low weight) and twist side to side keeping your balance.

I do it as part of my paddling training but I do it with a paddle stroke with a 20kg barbell for 90 second intervals

[number9]

AndyP, just starting out i would suggest military style (go figure) hands shoulder width apart hands either turned in slightly (and push elbows out to form a T) or hands turned out with your arms closer to your body to target your triceps. One rep is chest to floor with a straight back and back up.
If you want a plan I could suggest one also..
9

[AndyP]

Thanks. I think military style is what I saw on youtube. I'm not getting too ambitious with it, so don't really need a plan.

[Grunt]

Another way that is a little less difficult and I may get cut down for this but is to do it wearing a hat that way down is when the peak hits the ground, or to place a water bottle under your chest and let you chest hit the bottle.

[number9]

no comment....:mrgreen:

No absolutely, whatever works and feels good until you build the strength so you don't need training aids.
Good suggestions though Grunt, much cleaner versions than what i would suggest (think Pick of Destiny)

[number9]

I haven't read the entire thread but a great core exercise is the 'Russian twist'
http://exercisediaries.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/combination-workout.html?m=1

[AndyP]

I'm either doing it wrong or pissweak. Probably the latter.

[Grunt]

I haven't read the entire thread but a great core exercise is the 'Russian twist'
http://exercisediaries.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/combination-workout.html?m=1

Russian twist with 6kg medicine ball was one of my previous regular core exercises. I did it in a combo with crunches and elevated toe taps.

[Matt 3 Jab]

Toes to bar, hand release pushups, planks, side planks, and russian twists.

Thats for core strength, however, the only thing that will give you a six pack is diet, plain and simple, anyone who says otherwise is a fool

[number9]

Or have the metabolism of a 15 year old, which im afraid we cannot acquire..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fJkcsOkRb0&feature=fvwrel

On another note.....:mrgreen:

[Grunt]

Toes to bar, hand release pushups, planks, side planks, and russian twists.

Thats for core strength, however, the only thing that will give you a six pack is diet, plain and simple, anyone who says otherwise is a fool

The other one is that some people are just not made to have the six pack. it is genetically impossible for some body shapes.

[sms316]

Any advice from the educated on how to really bring it home in the Fat Boy Challenge? I know that dc68 won't be reading this thread so feel free to post in the open. I reckon I need to lose another 5kg in the next fortnight in addition to the 10kg lost already.

[timah!]

Sure, how good are you at running?

[sms316]

Sure, how good are you at running? Great. Running for a long time? Not so great.

[Grunt]

Are you going to a gym Shaun?

[sms316]

Joining one next week.

[Grunt]

ok, I will get back to you with something if you like over the weekend. 20 min each on treadmill/crosstrainer working at about 70% HR would be a start.

[sms316]

Sounds good Grunter.

[timah!]

Great. Running for a long time? Not so great.

That's cool. Run 'lightpoles'.
Get your circuit, then walk to a light pole, jog to the next, then walk, then run etc.

[Lobsta]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz0mJC818m8&feature=youtube_gdata_player?
Replace the twinkie with a pie?

[sms316]

Hey Lobby, are diuretics easy to get hold of?

[Lobsta]

Define easy.

[popper81]

Easy = DC

[sms316]

Can I get them over the counter or do I need to call Warnie's mum?

[Lobsta]

Warnies mum. And I wouldn't go messing around with diuretics to lose weight. Unless you're trying to make weight for a boxing match or UFC bout. You don't lose any actual body weight, just dehydrate yourself so your carrying less water, with the added risk of ****ing your kidneys or heart. Just go sit in a sauna.

[MegaWatty]

SMS. Walk, walk, walk.

It's the same as running but just takes longer. Secret of my 13kgs has been walking. It's only in the last 5 or so kgs that I've got into all the other stuff.

You can do it mate.

[sms316]

SMS. Walk, walk, walk. It's the same as running but just takes longer. Secret of my 13kgs has been walking. It's only in the last 5 or so kgs that I've got into all the other stuff. You can do it mate.I walk 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. A little variety would be nice.

[MegaWatty]

Fair enough. Grab a Swiss Ball! So versatile.

I posted a link to some med ball stuff as well earlier. A great workout in there.

[AndyP]

A magic pencil or dodgy scales should see you get over the line.

[sms316]

A magic pencil or dodgy scales should see you get over the line. Good point. A leather wedge would probably be too heavy.

[mike]

I walk 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. That's a good start but you need to walk fast, not stroll.

[Eldrick]

i always laugh seeing some women out walking and they are barely strolling
their ponytails hardly swinging

[PeteyD]

You see if their ponytails are swinging?

[Eldrick]

Depends which side of the road they are on ;)

[Zeusgolf]

The other one is that some people are just not made to have the six pack. it is genetically impossible for some body shapes.

That is a load of bs

[Zeusgolf]

If you are serious about getting that six pack forget the cardio.....hit the weights and read this diet advice....backed up by science and real life examples of success stories.....dont listen to the bro science regarding 6 meals a day.....thats old news and has no scientific evidence to support its reasoning.

http://rippedbody.jp/intermittent-fasting-leangains-introduction-benefits/


(http://rippedbody.jp/intermittent-fasting-leangains-introduction-benefits/)

[MegaWatty]

This is going to get good!

Zeus, you do this or have done this?

[just]

Just got one of these with spotter arms:
http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-s-3-squat-stand.php

[timah!]

Nice just, looks good!

[MegaWatty]

I found a Power Tower on verge side clean up the other night. Time for some legs weights I guess!

[TourFit]

I came in here for a look & quick read. I got tired reading it all...There is nothing here that interests me!

I think I'll go have a bacon/egg/cheese toasty for lunch. With a Coke.

[Eldrick]

Bumping this for all of those (me included) that will attempt some kind of fitness related resolution

[Grunt]

Yep, the goal is to lose the 5kg I have put on since my racing season ended in November.

[Grunt]

This is as good a spot as any to find out if any one else here is on the walking step counter bandwagon. I was a FitBit addict for almost 6 months until this morning when my Fitbit Flex failed for the second time since July.

Rather than another replacement I excahnged + $3 more for the Garmin Vivofit and am pretty impressed so far.

Anyone else on Garmin Connect?

[goughy]

I am, though not in the activity tracker sort of way. But all my other activities go on there then automatically load into strava.