OCR Fit Club (Summer Session)

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Soon as the weather cools off, I plan to start running 3 miles every morning.

[XZero]

Saw this thread a while back, but didn't post anything in it. Now, I figured I'd post some results I had with my own health endeavors this summer. On May 17, 2008, I weighed 186 lbs, which, according to my Aunt who is a professional nutritionist, is approximately 25-30 lbs overweight for someone of my height and build.

From May 18 to May 22, my family and I were in Disney World, where I ate healthy foods and sweated considerably from 10 hours daily of walking around the park. On May 22, I weighed myself to discover that I was down to 181 lbs.

On May 23, I acquired a copy of Wii Fit. I have done the body test every day for the last 97 days, as of this morning, and have actually done the Wii Fit exercises for approximately 9 hours. I also played quite a bit of tennis throughout the summer, ate healthily, and jogged for 10 minutes per day, followed by 20 minutes of walking per day.

When I weighed myself two weeks ago, which was kind of the unofficial end of summer for me since I started law school at that point, I was down to 159 lbs. I have recently been hovering around 161 lbs, and have maintained that for these two weeks.

The biggest influence in all of this was Wii Fit, which compels me to come back every morning between 6 and 8 and weigh myself to see where I stand. It's really cool to see that graph of your weight loss, a visual depiction of how much weight I lost. I recommend Wii Fit to anyone looking for some assistance in their weight loss efforts. I now actually use it every day for 30 minutes per day so as to ensure that all of the studying I'm doing does not make me start gaining the weight back. I'm in the best health I've been in since grade school, and it's thanks in no small part to Wii Fit!

[DrumUltimA]

i forgot to post but the other day i ran a mile in 7:01--which is by long and far my best mile yet. Also, I'm weighing in under 180! i haven't weighed less than 180 since my freshman year of high school

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Worked a bit of rings and tumbling this morning, and it was a pretty good workout. My presses on rings are getting a lot better. Got a couple of straight body, straight arm presses, which is a new skill for me. As for tumbling, I was nailing double layouts and double twisting double backs like they were nothing onto a mat in a pit. I'm hoping to put the double-double on floor pretty soon so I can use it in my routine.

[Vivi22]

Argghh. Got back from courses almost a week ago now, and got on a scale to learn that I not only had the 30lbs. I needed to lose from when I left, but another 13 on top of that. I've redoubled my efforts to eat healthy and exercise to lose this weight as I know it's gotten out of hand at this point. Down 5 lbs. in the last 4 days so far.

[MechaFone]

I just got home from a four mile walk. I think I've found a new goal: to walk that same distance a couple times a week. If I can catch that walk in the morning, I'd have it made.

[Lunahorum]

damn I can run a mile in 6:30 but my 5k time lags around 24:00. Or is that usual? Right around 16:00 into the thing, in between the first and second mile, I start to really kick ass, but I end up slowing down by the end. I usually can finish with an awesome sprint though so maybe I just need to toughen up and use that energy during the race.

edit: Anyone got any tips or anything? Also my knee hurts when I jog but not when I sprint. Is there anything I can do to alleviate this? Also how do I avoid erections when on the inner/outer thigh machine. Sure the "up and under" trick works, but I'd rather not get an erection in the first place. One time I had a huge erection, and some guy looked at it then looked down and pretended not to see anything. The only reason for the weird workout (thighs lol) is that I want to improve my leg strength and flexibility for taekwondo kicking.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Haven't done much strength/stretching this week, but I've done a fair amount of vault and tumbling.

[DrumUltimA]

LEVEL UP!

Biceps +5

Back +10

Waist size -1

i ran my last 5k in 25:21. i think thats an improvement?

[Katsurugi]

blargh, I'm dying.

I'm sick this week, terribly sick. Level down.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Did some upper-body work yesterday.

Lately I've been focusing a lot more on floor and vault and less on rings, but all three are definitely improving. I'm getting tantalyzingly close to landing a new vault that has never been done before in the history of the sport. I'll definitely post vids if I make it.

[DrumUltimA]

happy birthday to me! yesterday, for the first time in my life, i ran a mile in less than 7 minutes! 6:56 was my time. yaaaaaaaay

now to beat my work out buddy from connecticut. i have to beat 6:40. it's ON

[MechaFone]

D'oh yeah, happy birthday, Ultima!

So haven't done much this week. I did some nice walking this morning and I'm planning on another decent walk tonight. I've been doing some pushups for the first time in about three weeks, and they're aching and trembling a bit. Need to get back into it!

[Nohbody]

ROTC is killing me. 5 am PT sessions, when we do about 100 push ups and situps, and then run 3 miles nonstop in formation. So far last friday was the only day i havent passed out, and even then it was marginal. Im getting used to them but starting tomorrow we run 4 miles. I cant take it, its already humiliating enought that I pass out constantly and now ill black out and have to run another mile after that. Does anyone have advice or anything

[Penfold]

damn I can run a mile in 6:30 but my 5k time lags around 24:00. Or is that usual? Right around 16:00 into the thing, in between the first and second mile, I start to really kick ass, but I end up slowing down by the end. I usually can finish with an awesome sprint though so maybe I just need to toughen up and use that energy during the race.

edit: Anyone got any tips or anything? Also my knee hurts when I jog but not when I sprint. Is there anything I can do to alleviate this? Also how do I avoid erections when on the inner/outer thigh machine. Sure the "up and under" trick works, but I'd rather not get an erection in the first place. One time I had a huge erection, and some guy looked at it then looked down and pretended not to see anything. The only reason for the weird workout (thighs lol) is that I want to improve my leg strength and flexibility for taekwondo kicking.

Yep, that's normal. My last 400m sprint was 75 sec (a bitslower than usual), last mile was sub-7:00, 3k last night was 13:36, and my last 5k was 26-ish. Simply, the longer you run, the slower you'll end up going per unit of measurement. That's also assuming you're maintaining proper intensity for the distance (not jogging both a 400m and a 5k to "maintain a pace"), if that makes sense.

As far as injury from running is concerned, read up on POSE method running. I've been doing this for a while now, and I haven't incurred any joint pain/shin splints/etc since (which is the main point of POSE, along with overall efficiency). If you try it, you'll notice a dip in your time, as muscle recruitment is slightly different, but will go back up in time, and eventually faster. If you need resources, PM me.

As for the thigh machines, my personal advice is to not use any machines at all (compound movements > isometric movements). My advice: try full range of motion front/back/overhead squats and squat cleans for increased leg power, and wallball shots (heavy med ball throws to 10-ft target on wall from front squat), thrusters (front squat to press), and box jumps for explosive power. Doing air squats (and especially pistols, aka one-legged squats) will help as well. My expereince has taught me that you're not going to increase strength in a particularly functional way nor gain any flexibility by doing isometric machines.

ROTC is killing me. 5 am PT sessions, when we do about 100 push ups and situps, and then run 3 miles nonstop in formation. So far last friday was the only day i havent passed out, and even then it was marginal. Im getting used to them but starting tomorrow we run 4 miles. I cant take it, its already humiliating enought that I pass out constantly and now ill black out and have to run another mile after that. Does anyone have advice or anything

Yep.

First off, make sure you get enough sleep - shoot for at least 8 hrs. I assume that you're relatively new to this, and your internal clock hasn't quite adjusted to the early mornings. Definitely gotta get that rest to give your body the time it needs to recover.

Next, get your nutrition right. It doesn't seem like it would have such an effect at first glance, but a bad diet will kill you when it comes to high intensity PT. My recommendation: at the very least, get off ALL refined sugar, try to mostly eliminate most complex carbs, and eat plenty of fruits/veggies. Try researching both paleo diet and zone diet. I had been eating mostly paleo for the last few months, and that's improved my work capacity right there. I recently switched to a stricter paleo zone, and I've been feeling awesome, but what's more I've been working faster and stronger at the WODs since (example: did 100 burpees for time in under 6 min this morning, when the same workout took me twice as long a month ago).

Third, keep your attitude as positive as possible. If you go in, thinking "Aw shit, this again :(" it's going to be harder on you than if you keep more upbeat thinking (ex "Hell yeah, I'm gonna kick the shit out of PT this morning!"). This one is way easier if you get the two above dialed in.

If you need resources or anything, PM me (since I'm only rarely in this thread these days). I'd actually be interested in hearing specifically how they set up their PT sessions. Good luck, and don't be too hard on yourself man.

[Vivi22]

Well, moved to a new city a little over a week ago and actually managed to sprain my wrist during the moving process so I haven't been able to join a gym or do any weight workouts since moving. That's the bad news, but the good news is I'm eating a lot better, and running a lot more. There's almost no long stretches of level ground in the area I live so it's largely running up and down hills which is proving to be a fun challenge that's keeping me interested. So far I'm down 6 lbs. and I just keep dropping weight every day.

[Halt]

I have always been nervous to lift weights in my town. Because of my small size. im like 5'6-5'7 and 115ish in Terrible shape. I Realized, I dont need to lose weight. I need to gain muscle.. Thing is, When im nervous. I can get mad easily. and fly off the handle on someone. I wouldnt care who they are. But im gonna make a goal. to get in shape like the days of when i wrestled.

I now regret Quitting Wrestling..

I have an incentive. I just need some way to not get discouraged. Because if some freshmen, talks shit to me. Shit will go down.

Any help here? I just want to get in shape. but how can I get combfortable around the people, and the school gym it self?

[Penfold]

I have always been nervous to lift weights in my town. Because of my small size. im like 5'6-5'7 and 115ish in Terrible shape. I Realized, I dont need to lose weight. I need to gain muscle.. Thing is, When im nervous. I can get mad easily. and fly off the handle on someone. I wouldnt care who they are. But im gonna make a goal. to get in shape like the days of when i wrestled.

I now regret Quitting Wrestling..

I have an incentive. I just need some way to not get discouraged. Because if some freshmen, talks shit to me. Shit will go down.

Any help here? I just want to get in shape. but how can I get combfortable around the people, and the school gym it self?

Honestly, I've never had anybody "talk shit" to me in a gym in all my life, not even anybody trying to "correct" my pullups when I kip. Closest thing was 6 or so months ago, when some guy who clearly hardly goes to the gym (must have been faculty or staff...definitely too old to be a student) complains to me that I've been "using the pull-up bar for a long time" (which I was, and for good reason...doing the following workout: 1 mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run [pullups, pushups, squats partitioned as desired/needed]). I laughed a little, because he clearly never learned gym etiquette. I apologized while still laughing, since I could tell he wouldn't respond well to anything else, and all I wanted to do was get back to my WOD.

It's my opinion that if people are being pricks, they're just trying to cover up their own inadequacies, so if it happens best thing to do is just let it go. Again, in my experience, people just tend to not do that sorta thing in the gym, though I think a lot of people have the fear of being criticized in that sort of environment. What I have experienced, though, is that there are always a few people who are really helpful and if they see some serious problem in your form they're politely help you correct it (they're often quite cautious, since they're looking to help and not have it misconstrued as an attack).

Hope it helps.

[Halt]

Honestly, I've never had anybody "talk shit" to me in a gym in all my life, not even anybody trying to "correct" my pullups when I kip. Closest thing was 6 or so months ago, when some guy who clearly hardly goes to the gym (must have been faculty or staff...definitely too old to be a student) complains to me that I've been "using the pull-up bar for a long time" (which I was, and for good reason...doing the following workout: 1 mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run [pullups, pushups, squats partitioned as desired/needed]). I laughed a little, because he clearly never learned gym etiquette. I apologized while still laughing, since I could tell he wouldn't respond well to anything else, and all I wanted to do was get back to my WOD.

It's my opinion that if people are being pricks, they're just trying to cover up their own inadequacies, so if it happens best thing to do is just let it go. Again, in my experience, people just tend to not do that sorta thing in the gym, though I think a lot of people have the fear of being criticized in that sort of environment. What I have experienced, though, is that there are always a few people who are really helpful and if they see some serious problem in your form they're politely help you correct it (they're often quite cautious, since they're looking to help and not have it misconstrued as an attack).

Hope it helps.

That does help, Its the people in the Gym and in my school, that Will give me problems.

But, i still dont know how to not get discouraged. If someone could give me an answer with that. would be well appreciated.

I planned to go to the Gym tommorow, That plan got shot to shit, just went and picked up 2 bags of cough drops, sore throat, sinus's are getting me and whatnot. Came down with a cold. So best i can do now, is get healthy asap.

I am making some ramen for my throat as I type too. =/

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Got a decent strength workout today. My crosses don't seem to be getting any stronger, but my planches and press handstands are definitely improving. I can now do a straight body, straight arm press handstand on rings (ie from support, through planche, all the way up to handstand with a straight body).

[Vivi22]

Been out running for 4 of the last 5 days. The hills are getting easier and my stamina is increasing greatly. I'm looking forward to visiting home tomorrow and if I get the chance, I plan to run my old route on the trails to see how I handle it now.

[MechaFone]

I've been out on some decent walks this week, but only at the beginning. The rest was alllllll about food, damn it. I don't know what time it is right now, but I'm almost convinced I must go for a midnight run to counter the Mexican I've been eating. Feh.

[Lunahorum]

Got a decent strength workout today. My crosses don't seem to be getting any stronger, but my planches and press handstands are definitely improving. I can now do a straight body, straight arm press handstand on rings (ie from support, through planche, all the way up to handstand with a straight body).

nice work there

[Vivi22]

I've been back home for the day and ran my old route on the trails and have cut my run time down by 10 minutes compared to what it was 3 weeks ago. I think running on hills all the time is helping loads, and I still had energy to burn in the end. I'm not sure how much farther I could have gone, but I'd rather up the pace than the distance anyway.

I'm also down a total of 11 pounds now. I only have about 30 more to go before I hit my goal weight. My wrist is also feeling a lot better, and I think I may be ready to hit the weights again in another week or two.

[MechaFone]

Okie dokie. I'll have to take some new pictures, 'cause I've both slimmed down a bit and put on a bit of muscle. Excercise can be taxing, but the results are so worth it.