Cause Workin' Out is 'fun' to do...

[locke]

final score was reeses 5, adam 4, so I made up ground.

today's workout was run 3km (1.87mi)

I hate hate hate running so much. I'd rather do any other exercise than run.

Oddly enough Soccer was my favorite sport, but I played fullback.

hmm, perhaps it was a coincidence that I procrastinated going to the gym until I almost didn't have time before heading to work, but I forced myself to go anyway.

And incredibly enough I was able to run farther on the treadmill (6.5mph) than I had before, guess the workouts have been working, about 1.3 miles and I got to 1.6 miles before I ran out of time and had to head to work.

[Wil]

If you run on a treadmill you need to turn the incline up to 1.0 to help simulate wind resistance of an actual run.

Well, you don't NEED to, but I'd recommend it.

[VelvetElvis]

I did it! I used the machines! I did 20 min on a recumbent cycle, and 5 on a regular one waiting for an elliptical to free up. I totally did 15 more minutes on that thing. Then, I said "screw this" and went swimming.

[locke]

I did it! I used the machines! I did 20 min on a recumbent cycle, and 5 on a regular one waiting for an elliptical to free up. I totally did 15 more minutes on that thing. Then, I said "screw this" and went swimming.

YAY!

unfortunately I don't have such good news. I missed today's workout because I was sleeping. I figured that was more important to my overall health than forcing a workout with not enough sleep. I hate when I have a 14 1/2 hour day. the OT pay is nice, but it's exhausting. and frustrating when basically you alternate between being at work, commuting and sleeping for 72 hours with really nothing else. Such is the joy of working for the top show on tv I suppose.

[zeroguy]

Such is the joy of working for the top show on tv I suppose.

Wait, what?

[locke]

I thought my location gave it away. *points to the left*

[starlooker]

Swam again today! Forty minutes again. I am achy and hurty, but in a good way.

I hate locker rooms.

I figure that I spent $80 on the damn swimsuit, which means that right now, having used it twice, that swim "cost" me forty dollars. My goal is to be down to no more than $2 per use by the time I leave this state.

[VelvetElvis]

I feel slightly superior now. M perfect-in-every-way blue Speedo only cost me 17 bucks.

[starlooker]

It's worth it to have a swimsuit that gives me no fear of falling out (well, it's worth it assuming I use it). I can't wear normal swimsuits, dear. They were not created for chests like mine.

Which could cause me to feel slightly superior, actually, except that it doesn't.

[Eaquae Legit]

If a suit costs less than 70$ (barring sales), I start to question what it's made of. A good suit is worth the price and will last for years.

[VelvetElvis]

My last speedo was my friend since I was fourteen. I ripped him when I fell while climbing a waterfall. The reson I like this style is because it DOES have support.

[locke]

in my warmup today I got seven pullups and 9 dips, my previous best had been 5 and 7, don't feel so bad about missing several days due to too much overtime now.

[Ela]

I do folkdancing for exercise, and walking. Folkdancing is pretty fast and intense, so it's good at burning calories. And it's fun! For strength training, I do a set of simple exercises at home using free weights (though I have not been conscientious about doing them the last week or so).

As far as food intake goes, I started counting my calories using Sparkpeople.com. It's a free diet site that gives you meal plans (or you can plug in your own), exercise plans, support teams, and helpful articles about exercise and nutrition. There's a Hatrack team on Sparkpeople which I joined.

[locke]

spark people is awesome, the best calorie counting software I've come across and a superb site with all sorts of fantastic nutritional information. I got lazy and or frustrated though and stopped tracking my calories there, which was very silly of me, the worst thing you can do is say 'I don't want to know how much that was that I just ate' and then not enter or track for a few days cause you're feeling guilty about it.

[Eaquae Legit]

I also enjoy sparkpeople. It's a great motivator for me to be able to track my fitness. And I love being able to input recipes and save them online.

[Luet]

I'll have to check that out. Once in a great while I've used fitday just to get a vague idea of how many calories I eat in an average day but now I have a new option to try.

[locke]

today's workout, maximum number of sets in 20 minutes of: run 1/4 mile, max rep pullups.

I got five sets, pullups were 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

I hate running.

[Rei]

I tried sparkpeople to help keep me on track with my diet, but it really did not work for me. It probably doesn't help that I struggle to keep weight on, especially when I'm living on my own.

[Ela]

I mostly use it to track the calories of what I eat. Though some days, when I eat out and/or go to parties, I have a had time guesstimating how many calories the food I ate had.

I had previously tried using the Slimfast site to track caloric intake and that site really didn't work for me at all.

The fitness section is good for me, cause it prompts me to work out on scheduled days. I don't necessarily follow their schedule, but I like the reminder.

[locke]

today's workout was a bummer, I didn't apply myself properly to really get the full benefit. I hate when I realize after the fact that I was half-assing it the whole time. I've really got to allow myself more time for the workout plus sauna, cause today I rushed my workout so I could go to the sauna and read my magazine. :p clearly I also need to plan more reading time that is not reading the internet.

Today's workout was: complete as many sets in twelve minutes as you can of:

2 muscleups (subbed 3 pullups 1 dip or 6 jumping pullups 1 dip per muscleup since no rings and I don't know if I could do one)
4 bridged handstand pushups
8 kettleball swings with 1 pood (I used a 35 lb dumbbell)

I only got five sets which is pathetic, though I could have lost track and gotten six sets, still, that workout should be up around 9 or 10 sets.

[locke]

today's workout was run 1/4 mi rest two minutes, as many sets as you can complete in 15 minutes. I finished my 4th set at 16min. pushed myself hard today, I ran those at 7mph, 8 mph 8.5 mph and 7.5 mph which was out of my comfort zone but exhilerating.

[locke]

Fight Gone Bad!

that's the name of today's workout a brutal seventeen minutes that leaves you fairly whipped and exhilerated at the end and nearly unable to move the next day.

complete as many repetitions as you can in one minute of each of the following exercises. after one minute move to the next exercise with no rest in between, you are allowed one minute of rest in between sets, complete three sets. score one point for each repetition.

Wall Ball (14lbs)
Sumo Dead Lift High Pull (15 lbs)
Box Jump - 18"
Push Press - 50 lbs
rowing (15lbs 1 pt per 3 reps)

I scored 232 which is a new high and I really pushed myself throughout the workout.

[Ela]

You don't let up, do you, locke.

I went folk dancing last night for a couple hours.

Then I came home and did some strength training and stretches - while watching Firefly.

[Young Val]

Since I am really really bad about all things health related, I've decided to start small. I'm also dirt poor, so for right now whatever I do has to be free. And since I have to use them constantly at work (and also want to hold myself accountable) I'm tracking my progress with excel.


Right now, phase one of my plan is called Water and Walking.

I don't drink nearly as much water as I should (meaning I don't drink ANY). And, though I used to walk constantly after moving to NYC, I've grown lazy. Currently my (modest, sure, but I have to start somewhere) goal is to drink three nalgene bottles of water a day and walk three miles.

I'm on day five of this plan and so far so good.

[locke]

Seven sets of 1 rep Push jerks today. the weight at my apartment's minigym is too light for this to really get a benefit so I mixed it up a bit, still a nice light workout but not what I was looking forward to. I did decide to add 50lb dumbbell curls to my warmup though. with a flex and hold at the point of maximum contraction to get more benefit. will probably just do ten or so of these. but I also need to add lunges to my warmup as I've been forgetting them.

[locke]

You don't let up, do you, locke.

posting here keeps me motivated and provides a way for me to track my own progress as I'm quite bad at keeping my own excel spreadsheet updated.

goal is to drink three nalgene bottles of water a day

I do two-three nalgene bottles at work everyday. or at least I try to.


Here's an interesting book I came across mentioned in the paper that made me think of pweb.

The Writing Diet

[Derwyddon]

I've just randomly been looking through the site, and it's funny to find this thread because since I've been gone I've actually become a personal trainer.

[Ela]

My hubby and I went for a brisk walk on the boardwalk today. Then I came home and did my strength training exercises.

I seem to be on a weight loss plateau. Very frustrating.

[Derwyddon]

Ela, how long have you been trying to lose weight? What are your current stats? how much weight have you lost so far? what is your diet like (be specific)? What kind of workouts do you? What is your strength training like? how long have you been stuck?

[Ela]

Well, I've been trying to lose for a long time, but I didn't actually start doing the SparkPeople thing to track my calories till about a month ago, because the methods I used to use (basically sensible portion control) weren't working anymore. I am only a little overweight. I have lost 5 lbs. I'd like to lose 10-15lbs more, but I would settle for 5 more lbs. right now, actually. I haven't been stuck that long, so I'm hoping things will start moving again. I have lost a couple inches around the waist and hips. (And my daughter said I looked skinnier when she was home for spring break.)

SparkPeople gave me a 1200-1550 calorie diet and I am trying to stick to that. I eat mostly vegetarian - lots of vegetables, beans and whole grains for protein, largely nonfat dairy products. We have chicken once a week only. Sometimes I have fish.

My exercise is mostly folkdancing (which is fast dancing) and brisk walking. I just do simple strength training exercises at home using free weights and try to cover all the major muscle groups. I probably need to increase the weights soon.

That's about it.

[Wil]

Meat. Please, for the love of all that is holy, eat it. Beans (and whole grains? Really? Hmm) are very, very poor substitutes for meat proteins. You're probably really lacking in the Carnitine which helps with muscle growth and the breaking down of fatty acids.

Carnitine is found mostly in beef, however pork has larger amounts as well. A good comparison is that you would need to drink 100 fl ounces of whole milk OR eat 100 ounces of chicken breast to get the same amount of Carnitine in 3.5 oz of steak.

If you really refuse to eat more beef then you can buy Carnitine as a supplement, however that's just one of probably several other vital nutrients that you're missing by slacking on the meat intake.

[eriador]

Ooooh I didn't know that... so this stuff helps you gain muscle as opposed to fat?

[locke]

Stupid Dancing with the Stars. they're shooting on the stage next to us, and now the parking lot is always packed which makes it a lot more time consuming to find parking space and get credentials and up to a bay before a live show. end result, I missed workouts the last two days cause of said live shows because I now have to leave thirty minutes earlier I'm going to make up for it tomorrow by doubling the intensity of my workout.

[locke]

so this stuff helps you gain muscle as opposed to fat?

what stuff? exercise is 'stuff' that helps you do that. as for a supplement, such as carnitine, no, not on it's own.

[v-girl]

Ooooh I didn't know that... so this stuff helps you gain muscle as opposed to fat?

I'm pretty sure the answer to this is no. Carnitine is essential for breaking down fat (it assist movement of fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane for oxidation) but it doesn't really have anything to do with amino acid metabolism.

Also, carnitine deficiency is pretty rare, since most people synthesize what they need. It is in some supplements and diet pills, with the idea that you will break down more fat if you have excess carnitine.