Fit Club ahoy! Where men are bros and women are also bros!

[Halt]

Well I did something to my shoulder. I've been noticing it when I push my car door open. Like, wow, am I getting weak cuz it's a bit hard to push the door open? Nope, just pain. Yesterday was pretty bad. Pain when I raise arm out to shoulder level height. Not sure if it's rotator cuff something or other. Before I freak out and go to the doc I'm going to discontinue the exercises that hurt in their range of motion, particularly pullups. That's my best guess as to the cause, since I just started doing weighted and explosive pullups. Let's see if it'll get better if I'm careful in my range of motion.

A guy I know recently wrecked his rotator cuff, and he explained that he could only lift it to about shoulder level, usually less.

But I'm no doctor, but I'd probably stop all weight-training until you get that checked out. Not worth the risk of making it worse.

[Diodes]

Hi guyz can I join ur club??

I am what I believe is referred to as the "skinny fat." I'm on the low end of the healthy BMI range. But I have very little muscle toning. I decided about 2 months ago that I wanted to improve (shrink) my abdominal area. Over that time, even though I was exercising a lot, I just couldn't seem to get rid of that layer of belly fat. After some discussion with OA and Global Trance, I figured out a few things that I can do differently, and I also shifted my goal a bit. Now I am going for overall muscle tone, not just in one area.

Talking with OA also prompted me to reexamine my diet, and discover that my current diet is way too carb-heavy. I'd like to shift the balance and get more protein. An additional challenge for me is that I am a near-vegan vegetarian, and I have an adverse reaction to most dairy. I have actually always paid a lot of attention to nutrition, and I eat fairly healthy: lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains over refined, organic and unprocessed when possible, rare lapses of eating junk food. This has been working fine for me, but now my goals have changed. Looking at all the food in terms of the macronutrients, I think I just need to eat the same stuff, but in different proportions.

Besides reworking my diet, I am also going to incorporate more muscle-toning exercises into my routine. In the last two months, I was doing a lot of planking-based floor exercises to work the abs and core. I'm going to add more exercises that encompass the other parts of the body, like pushups, squats, lunges, and deadlifts. I'm trying to see how much I can do with floor exercises before I invest in more equipment, but I am considering a pullup bar in the near future. My goal is to do muscle training 3x/week. I'm already doing at least 30 mins. of cardio about 3-5x/week in the form of Pump It Up (similar to DDR; my roommate has the arcade machine in our house) and ultimate frisbee. But I may replace some of those cardio workouts with muscle training instead, because I only have so much time.

[Soul Splint]

Welcome, diotrans! We hope you are the first of many girlbros to be a permanent fixture here. Sounds like you are taking some good steps.

Something I gotta ask all of you who work out in public gyms: do you or do you not correct someone who is about to hurt himself? One guy in my gym (I've seen him twice now doing this) is curling his back so bad on deadlifts it is painful to watch. He looks like a horseshoe. The last time this happened with a different guy I mentioned it to the staff in hopes that one of them would help the guy out, but they didn't really seem to care.

I would want someone to correct me, but that's not always sound logic when considering whether or not you should do something. Anybody have any thoughts? This guy looks like a very new beginner, so I'd hate for him to hurt himself and give up on the whole concept of weightlifting (or worse, do permanent damage). This may seem like a dumb question, but I did correct someone once before (nicely!) only to get a dirty look.

[OceansAndrew]

Welcome Amy, to our thread!

I will correct people if they look like they are going to hurt themselves, but if they have bad form on their curls, i won't bother. Then again, no one uses the squat rack in my gym, or deadlifts except me and my posse, so it's not really an issue.

[Argle]

I must have bad form with something to have gotten tendinitis. Either that or I should have taken time off before now. Maybe both. Either way I'm going to be more careful from now on.

[Soul Splint]

I must have bad form with something to have gotten tendinitis. Either that or I should have taken time off before now. Maybe both. Either way I'm going to be more careful from now on.

Not necessarily. Overuse with good form can cause tendonitis, according to a PT friend of mine. Ice, ibuprofen, rest, repeat. Man, injuries suck. I have the feels for you.

[Argle]

Not necessarily. Overuse with good form can cause tendonitis, according to a PT friend of mine. Ice, ibuprofen, rest, repeat. Man, injuries suck. I have the feels for you.

Yeah, I'm going to take at least 2 weeks off, until the shoulder pain is gone. Whatever it takes. I've read that tendon strength increases much more slowly than muscle strength, so it makes sense that I have probably gone overboard. Rest, recovery, then dial it back a bit.

[kitty]

Is there a system or something to help you set reasonable goals? Still being noob at this whole fitness thing I have a hard time picking a project and sticking with it. Routines are something I don't usually have in my daily life. So any kind of motivation will help me keep going.

[ectogemia]

Ooook, I'm finally back to the gym after months of healing up this fucking arm D:

I dropped from 186 to 153 I'm a skinny shit again, but I'll work just as hard as I did before to get back to where I was. Expecting to be around 175 for MAG. LET'S GET PUMP'D.

edit: LET'S GET REALISTIC. Maybe 170 for MAG is a little more reasonable, but we'll see ;o

Edited November 11, 2013 by ectogemia

[XPRTNovice]

Last week's parkour playground:

[OceansAndrew]

that place looks sweet, im not even super into parkour and I can imagine a ton of super adventures to be had there.

[Soul Splint]

Is there a system or something to help you set reasonable goals? Still being noob at this whole fitness thing I have a hard time picking a project and sticking with it. Routines are something I don't usually have in my daily life. So any kind of motivation will help me keep going.

The best method for me has been to loosely define what I want to do, then set strict goals on the way to that definition. So for example, my loose definition was "I want to lose a bit of fat and gain some more muscle." The strict goals can then go like: gain ten pounds by XX. Once I've accomplished that, then set another goal to gain more by a certain date. Once I get up to the weight I'm looking for (2.4 more pounds, WOOT!), I'll then set a goal to lose a certain bodyfat percentage by XX date, and keep going on that.

The end result will be me at about 5 to 10 pounds heavier than I started out but with a bodyfat percentage at least 3 or 4 points lower than when I started. May not sound like much, but it makes a pretty big difference.

Once you set those specific goals, then you can look at how to achieve them (diet, lifting regimen, etc.), and those regimens will keep you busy in sticking with it. But the approach needs to be what's best suited for you, otherwise you'll have a greater chance of burning out. If my description sounds like a boring hell to you, then don't do it! Approach it in a way that makes it appealing to you. I've even heard of a lot of gamers taking an RPG-style approach to their regimens.

[Sixto]

i have this app on my phone that counts your step using the gyroscope and gps. it starts over every day and keeps track so you can check your progress. you can set a goal like 5,000 steps a day, reach it, then just keep increasing. i think the recommended goal is 10,000 steps which is, depending on lots of things, around 5 miles. you'd be surprised how easy it is to reach this goal just by parking further away from stores and things like that.

[OceansAndrew]

so I am about 185 now, and my favorite pants don't really fit anymore.

Sucks a lot, but it's all in the name of gains. Pretty bittersweet overall though.

[XPRTNovice]

so I am about 185 now, and my favorite pants don't really fit anymore.

Sucks a lot, but it's all in the name of gains. Pretty bittersweet overall though.

It is only when you don't really fit in pants anymore that you can wear them and have DA enjoy them.

[Soul Splint]

so I am about 185 now, and my favorite pants don't really fit anymore.

Sucks a lot, but it's all in the name of gains. Pretty bittersweet overall though.

Yup. You can either have pants that fit in the thighs, or fit in the waist, but not both. I'm getting back to that ratio too. Just discovered a rip in the ass of my favorite jeans a couple days ago, and they really aren't even that worn. Probably just squatting down to look at something and my glutes wreaked havoc on the poor threads...

[kitty]

The best method for me has been to loosely define what I want to do, then set strict goals on the way to that definition. So for example, my loose definition was "I want to lose a bit of fat and gain some more muscle." The strict goals can then go like: gain ten pounds by XX. Once I've accomplished that, then set another goal to gain more by a certain date. Once I get up to the weight I'm looking for (2.4 more pounds, WOOT!), I'll then set a goal to lose a certain bodyfat percentage by XX date, and keep going on that.

The end result will be me at about 5 to 10 pounds heavier than I started out but with a bodyfat percentage at least 3 or 4 points lower than when I started. May not sound like much, but it makes a pretty big difference.

Once you set those specific goals, then you can look at how to achieve them (diet, lifting regimen, etc.), and those regimens will keep you busy in sticking with it. But the approach needs to be what's best suited for you, otherwise you'll have a greater chance of burning out. If my description sounds like a boring hell to you, then don't do it! Approach it in a way that makes it appealing to you. I've even heard of a lot of gamers taking an RPG-style approach to their regimens.

I think right now I'm trying to keep some weight off. I've lost about 8lbs~ but that's more due to a decrease in appetite and isn't the healthiest way for me to have lost that weight. I'm 5'8" and currently 177lbs. I eventually want to get to 160-165lbs but don't have a specific date in mind.

Until recently, it wasn't uncommon for my weight to be 185-195lbs. Most of my fat is localized in my belly area so I have a little "pouch" as my ex-gf and karate sempai used to call it. I want to get rid of that while building up my stamina.

Once I've accomplished that or made significant progress, I think I can move on to building strength but I think that's getting a bit ahead of myself.

I'm sure I can Google some stuff, but since I consider you guys the experts I'll ask you directly: How do I find out what's a healthy weight and BMI for my height? Is there an easy way to measure BMI at home?

[The Derrit]

Once I've accomplished that or made significant progress, I think I can move on to building strength but I think that's getting a bit ahead of myself.

This is a common misconception. Building strength is the most efficient way to lose weight. Doing "weight loss" things and "strength building" things as if they are separate is not going to help you make progress.

Build muscle. In the process of doing that, your body will require the energy stored in your pouch, and it will go away.

[kitty]

Hmm okay. Things like sit ups, push ups, and pull ups would work I'm guessing?

[The Derrit]

Hmm okay. Things like sit ups, push ups, and pull ups would work I'm guessing?

Honestly, just jump right into it. The only reason I would not recommend those things to start is because it's way too easy to give yourself outs. Push ups too hard? Do them from your knees! Sit ups require proper technique to do anything for you, and almost nobody who is just starting out has it. Pull ups, same deal; if you do pull ups but only kind of do them, you're not going to get anything out of it and may end up giving up when you don't see results.

I would find a friend who works out, go to the gym with them, and do what they do. You really have to push yourself to get results, and that means lifting things that are heavy to you. Not too heavy, mind you, but heavy enough that it isn't comfortable and you feel a bit sore the next day.

I'm also going to say that weight training needs to be done at a high pace to achieve weight loss. If you're doing weights and at the end you're not sweating or aerobically tired, you're giving yourself too much recovery time. Maybe you've heard of crossfit? While I don't agree with how it works, the idea of doing lots of lifting in a short period of time *does* work in that you lose weight and get stronger. Too slow and you're shooting yourself in the foot.

The entire point of exercise (and weight loss) is to use enough energy that your body needs to either A) tap into its reserves (read: fat and unnecessary flesh) or build more muscle cells to give you the strength to do what you're doing. If you can be incredibly disciplined, do good and technically proper push ups/pull ups/sit ups in good numbers, then go for it. But in my experience most people who are starting out can't do that, and need someone else to work with. I've been in athletics since I was 8 and I still prefer to work out with other people because it gives you a reason to push yourself.

I know this is a lot but it's what I would recommend to anyone trying to start out! Weight training will get you a lot further than running two miles a couple of times a week, and it will do it a lot faster too.

[kitty]

Yeah my problem right now is I'm socially isolated at home (parents' place) until I move back to Orange County. But I'll keep your advice in mind! I used to do karate and it kept me in decent shape but we didn't get any instruction on how to do push ups and sit ups properly. Last time I went I felt pretty faint from the workout because one of the new sempais pushes everyone really hard. I admit I liked being pushed and it's good for me but he also doesn't let up if we're legit feeling sick or bad from the exercise.

Do you have a recommended cardio workout?

[Argle]

Try burpees, I'm not sure if it's actually proper cardio, but 5 minutes of them and you'll feel like you ran a marathon. Nice thing about burpees is you can make your own variations, like adding push ups.

[ectogemia]

Try burpees, I'm not sure if it's actually proper cardio, but 5 minutes of them and you'll feel like you ran a marathon. Nice thing about burpees is you can make your own variations, like adding push ups.

This. Try doing 20 seconds of burpees with maximum speed and effort (aka "intensity"), then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat that pattern 8 times total for a 4 minute workout. Dozens of studies dating back to about 2005 or so have been showing that this particular pattern (Tabata-style) of "cardio" is the most efficient and effective known way to train your cardiovascular system. Furthermore, it also stimulates fast-twitch muscle fiber growth by activation of the mTOR signaling system within skeletal muscle cells which is actually inhibited by longer duration, lower intensity jogging.

On the other hand, if you're training for ultra-endurance, long runs will be necessary, but keep in mind that the first man ever to run a marathon died immediately thereafter, and people who run marathons continue that proud tradition to this day. So if you run, keep it reasonable and relatively infrequent, but I'd stick to the plan Argle and I are advocating if I were you

Edited November 13, 2013 by ectogemia

[Argle]

tabatas are awesome, fast and killer. Even simple exercises become crazy tiring by the end of the set. 4 minutes means you can spend only 20 minutes and do five different exercises. Nice short workout if you're crunched for time.

Edited November 13, 2013 by Argle

[kitty]

Burpees look easy, but I'm concerned if I go max intensity I'll be flailing around instead of doing the form correctly. Is that something I should be worried about or should I just go for it? (still feeling noobish but I'm learning a lot from you guys!)