The WDYDT Fitness, Exercise, Diet Thread

cnh

Only 30 minutes on the treadmill today...but at least I'm starting to do the aerobics instead of always focusing on the anaerobic exercises I prefer above. Have to start doing this because the weight is creeping up a few pounds. Age! Don't do it...stay young...if you can...but if you can't; crack open a cold one once in a while. lol

cnh

dragon1952

Crap....always happens, I get too obsessive/compulsive and end up hurting myself. Only lasted 2 miles tonight before I had to quit. I've got an incredibly sore spot underneath the inside of my right knee-cap. Below the medial collateral ligament and I think below the meniscus even. Any ideas?

fatchowmein

dragon1952 wrote: »

Crap....always happens, I get too obsessive/compulsive and end up hurting myself. Only lasted 2 miles tonight before I had to quit. I've got an incredibly sore spot underneath the inside of my right knee-cap. Below the medial collateral ligament and I think below the meniscus even. Any ideas?

Yeah, you and me both except different areas. Sign up on Runner's World and ask them. They'll probably tell you "R.I.C.E." - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation or doctor visit. Take a break for a week or two and restart slower. May take longer. I tweaked my left knee on Plyometrics a few months ago and was out 4 weeks.

Anyhow, walked all day shopping with the wife. At least I got in a few minutes with a pint of Sam Adams at The Londoner Pub. Oh, and I got a new MegaMind sized Bell bike helmet at Performance Bicycle to replace my 15+ year old Giro with straps that are about to snap.

howie777

dragon1952 wrote: »

Crap....always happens, I get too obsessive/compulsive and end up hurting myself. Only lasted 2 miles tonight before I had to quit. I've got an incredibly sore spot underneath the inside of my right knee-cap. Below the medial collateral ligament and I think below the meniscus even. Any ideas?

Now this sounds familiar. I messed up my left knee doing too much too soon with a run a few years ago. I ended up going through physical therapy twice, two MRI's and two doctors. Best they could tell me is I needed to work on stability training and my upper leg muscles and that I did not tear my meniscus. being 6 foot 250 lbs doesn't help it either.

My kneecap was actually fixed in place and wouldn't move after my injury. So they also had me manually move my kneecap up/down/left/right/twist to loosen it up. This was due to fluid in my knee mainly. Still do this occasionally today although its probably more by habit.

Good luck, knee injury's suck.

Ricardo

I mowed the lawn in my self propelled mower. Had a beer when I finished the front yard, another one when I finished the back yard.

Now I'm gonna sit in my recliner, watch TV and have some icecream.

Strong Bad

Unless you're in the military or you have a specific need to be conditioned to run long distances, then I wouldn't recommend running/jogging to anyone. It's very hard on the feet, ankle, knees, legs, hips and low back. Exercise is to make the body healthy and strong!

I'm in the high intensity strength training group. Train for strength, train hard and intense but do it in a slow controlled manner lifting what YOU can lift. Build and strengthen the muscles, have a good diet in place and the rest of the body will fall right in line!

Thats my couple of cents worth! :biggrin:

Ricardo

Forgot to mention my total cholesterol is at 151. Lipitor works wonders.

cnh

Strong Bad wrote: »

Unless you're in the military or you have a specific need to be conditioned to run long distances, then I wouldn't recommend running/jogging to anyone. It's very hard on the feet, ankle, knees, legs, hips and low back. Exercise is to make the body healthy and strong!

I'm in the high intensity strength training group. Train for strength, train hard and intense but do it in a slow controlled manner lifting what YOU can lift. Build and strengthen the muscles, have a good diet in place and the rest of the body will fall right in line!

Thats my couple of cents worth! :biggrin:

Great Advice...I'm off to the gym for 90 minutes of free weights.

Ricardo, those are great numbers. How long have you been on the drugs?

Do you have hereditary issues with Cholesterol? Mine has run the gamut from 145 when I've been DIETING to 175 more recently. No history of high cholesterol in the family. But what I eat does affect my levels. I hit my high of 200 when I hit my peak weight before leaving for China (fall 2009) for a year. I was about 35-40 pounds over a more normal weight. So watch those calories boys--even those of us with no history can boost our 'numbers'.

cnh

bobman1235

:rolleyes: there's nothing inherently wrong with running, or especially jogging, as exercise. If it's ALL YOU DO, then you're setting yourself up for problems. You should be conditioning the muscles that you need (especially knees) so running is not injurious, and you should know your limits, and STRETCH, but... saying people shouldn't run is dumb.

As is taking Lipitor unless absolutely necessary. I know Ricardo's mostly just being a sarcastic **** (something I'm quite familiar with), but a sedentary lifestyle + drugs isn't "healthy," no matter what the numbers say. My cholesterol was borderline high (215) so I *gasp* lost 10 pounds and started doing more cardio.

Ricardo

cnh wrote: »

Ricardo, those are great numbers. How long have you been on the drugs?

Do you have hereditary issues with Cholesterol?

When I turned 40, my cholesterol jumped and stayed around 200 no matter what I did/ate. When I turned 50, it went up to 250. I started on Lipitor in October last year when it got to 280. Came down in less than two months.
I get it from my mother's family; all my uncles have had bypasses.

bobman1235 wrote: »

As is taking Lipitor unless absolutely necessary. I know Ricardo's mostly just being a sarcastic ****.

How dare you. Never, ever.

scottyboy76

Im up to 265, bloodwork no.s are all fud up.

diabetes and cholesterol meds, and still borderline high.

All my dads side die young of heart issues.

Just saw that they are curing diabetics with bypass.

I have had 13 surgerys, all from a rigorous lifestyle, fighting or accidents, so they were repairs.

my sister had bypass, sorta floated for awhile after a large weight loss,then got serious about nutrition, exercise and has transformed herself.

she is happier than she has ever been, and she is now an even more insufferable, know it all ****.

The thought of a thumb sized stomach, and my guts getting cut up and rearranged sorta freaks me out.

But so does dying young.

fatchowmein

Although this doesn't help Dragon at the moment, here's a recent (March 28, 2011) NPR article about running and your knees.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/28/134861448/put-those-shoes-on-running-wont-kill-your-knees

Yes, it's true: Jogging, long thought to hurt knees with all that pounding and rattling around, may actually be beneficial for the complex and critical joint. There are caveats, though, especially for people who have suffered significant knee injury or are overweight. But for the most part, researchers say, jogging for your health seems like a good idea.

cnh

Wow..that's really interesting. I, however, have pretty much given up jogging because it does bother my knees--perhaps the real problem for me is the pounding my 'back' takes because I do have a little early arthritis there (not much) but probably enough to disturb the structure of things. Hence I do most of my lifting on a bench or on equipment that provides good back support. It's not like my back is that bad, but it's certainly STIFF in the morning when I walk up or if I sit too long--which is an occupational hazard in my line of work?

Intuitively, this makes sense to me. I began noticing, in my 40s, that my lifting sessions caused more 'stiffness' than they did when I was younger but even as I continued to lift more or less at the same level for another decade I didn't feel any worse? Hmmmmm....seems to be similar to what's described in the article above. Of course I also take large doses of joint supplements. Maybe they work, maybe it's just a placebo but I'm still hitting the weights and that's all I need to know.

cnh

fatchowmein

30 min stationary bike (road bike on trainer) in am.
45 min rehab ride on road bike in pm. Gorgeous day for a rehab ride but a bit windy for hill work.

Jstas

3 more barrels of wild onions dug up. 100 push ups. Too beat to do anything else but sleep.

The onions have beaten me I think. I got as many as I could with the shovel (on my 2nd one too, they broke one. ****!) but there is a heavy patch that I fear is going to flower soon before I can get them out so I broke out the chemicals to stop them from flowering and spreading. I'm probably going to have to dig up the entire patch and that will be even more work and "exercise".

ryanjoachim

My workout for last Thursday:
Each rep is factorial (example: for 3, you do 3 reps of each, then 2 reps of each, then 1, then rest 1m)

3!
Hanging power clean (95lbs)
Front squat (95lbs)
Jerk
Run 400m

4! (4, 3, 2, 1)
Hanging clean jerk (95lbs)
Front squat (95lbs)
Run 200m

5!
Hanging clean to jerk +squat (95lbs)
Run 100m

Then 8m AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
10 no-hand pushups
5 muscle-ups

Then 100 crunches.

Then I headed to dance rehearsal for 3 hours.

tommyboy

bobman1235 wrote: »

:rolleyes: there's nothing inherently wrong with running, or especially jogging, as exercise. If it's ALL YOU DO, then you're setting yourself up for problems. You should be conditioning the muscles that you need (especially knees) so running is not injurious, and you should know your limits, and STRETCH, but... saying people shouldn't run is dumb.

As is taking Lipitor unless absolutely necessary. I know Ricardo's mostly just being a sarcastic **** (something I'm quite familiar with), but a sedentary lifestyle + drugs isn't "healthy," no matter what the numbers say. My cholesterol was borderline high (215) so I *gasp* lost 10 pounds and started doing more cardio.

Yes, that advise is only useful for the heavy lifters, but for an average person, wieghtlifting does nothing (well not as much) to your cardiovascular system and it sounds like an excuse not to do it. My goal right now is hour to hour and a half of hard cardio (running/stepper) each week. I try not to do more because then that would start to affect my lifting. Running too much does hinder muscle growth if you are trying to gain mass. However, running helps me on my burnout sets and makes me feel better overall. Don't take it for granted!

Anyways, kind of a thread jacking question, but do any of you guys recommend a pair of headphones for running? Is water resistant necessary? The ones I have now keep falling out and are a pain. Oh well, I guess I'll quick cheaping out on **** headphones and get a nice pair.

Ricardo

tommyboy wrote: »

Anyways, kind of a thread jacking question, but do any of you guys recommend a pair of headphones for running? Is water resistant necessary? The ones I have now keep falling out and are a pain. Oh well, I guess I'll quick cheaping out on **** headphones and get a nice pair.

I use these on my bicycle and they:

-Sound decently good
-Never fall off.
-Not too pricey.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PMX-680-Headphone-Neckband/dp/B0034L3G8U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301967303&sr=8-1

fatchowmein

P90x Chest & Back, Ab Rip X

jcandy

45:20 circuit (85-95% max HR)

30 situps
30 crunches
10 dumbell clean/press (17.5 lbs)
110 reps jump rope
15 pushups
10 kicks (front)
10 kicks (knee-strike+roundhouse)
10 kicks (axe)
10 kicks (back)
10 squats (35 lbs added)

Repeat 10 times, no rest at any time.

And today there is a reward: now drinking a 500ml of RRBC Blind Pig.

jcandy

Strong Bad wrote: »

Unless you're in the military or you have a specific need to be conditioned to run long distances, then I wouldn't recommend running/jogging to anyone. It's very hard on the feet, ankle, knees, legs, hips and low back. Exercise is to make the body healthy and strong!

I'm in the high intensity strength training group. Train for strength, train hard and intense but do it in a slow controlled manner lifting what YOU can lift. Build and strengthen the muscles, have a good diet in place and the rest of the body will fall right in line!

I agree 100% with your analysis of running. I think it is overrated and simply a bad idea for many/most (ex-athletes with prior knee injuries, overweight people, etc). The article that has been discussed at some length here is not quite so critical as it should be about the dangers of running. Of course, if you are 5'10" and weigh 140 lbs, have no prior injuries, etc, then running may be for you. A colleague who I work closely with (she was my postdoc for a few years) recently ran a marathon -- just 6 seconds over the 2012 female Olympic qualifying time. Alas, she is now in a cast and can barely walk because of a severe stress fracture. The take-home message is that as soon as you feel EVEN THE SLIGHTEST DISCOMFORT when running, its time to STOP and do something else. There are countless routines/protocols that are really superior to running for overall fitness.

On the other hand, the modern trend nowadays is to do circuit/interval training with relatively heavy weights. The problem is that as the weight increases in circuit exercises (say, doing squats, clean press, etc in a circuit), you basically collapse from exhaustion more and more rapidly, and that also increases the chance of injury, lengthens recovery time, and reduced overall calories burned. For about the last 5 years I have been experimenting with heavy-weight circuits and now am backing off the weight and ramping up the pure endurance aspect of the routine. For me personally, I feel better and the weight-loss aspect seems to be superior with the type of "easy" circuit I have been posting.

jcandy

ryanjoachim wrote: »

My workout for last Thursday:
Each rep is factorial (example: for 3, you do 3 reps of each, then 2 reps of each, then 1, then rest 1m)

3!
Hanging power clean (95lbs)
Front squat (95lbs)
Jerk
Run 400m

4! (4, 3, 2, 1)
Hanging clean jerk (95lbs)
Front squat (95lbs)
Run 200m

5!
Hanging clean to jerk +squat (95lbs)
Run 100m

Then 8m AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
10 no-hand pushups
5 muscle-ups

Then 100 crunches.

That is a very nice routine (I like how the running is integrated). I would recommend that others (who have access to Olympic weights and treadmill) try it.

Here's an unsolicited suggestion: replace the front squat with an overhead squat in the first group, probably before the power clean

jcandy

The easiest way to embarrass random Joe-showoff in the gym is to ask him to do some overhead squats. Most guys can do ZERO.

Check this out. This video is total inspiration. Watch it, then go to the gym and try a bodyweight OHS, and watch it again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjuULPqI-WY

bobman1235

jcandy wrote: »

The take-home message is that as soon as you feel EVEN THE SLIGHTEST DISCOMFORT when running, its time to STOP and do something else. There are countless routines/protocols that are really superior to running for overall fitness.

The same could be said for ANY EXERCISE KNOWN TO MAN. An exercise is only as good as the person doing it, and only useful if a person does it. Which for MOST people means something they enjoy. So if someone enjoys running, and that's how they'd prefer to get in shape, more power to them. Just cuz you guys have fragile bones of paper doesn't mean everyone does.

fatchowmein

jcandy wrote: »

A colleague who I work closely with (she was my postdoc for a few years) recently ran a marathon -- just 6 seconds over the 2012 female Olympic qualifying time. Alas, she is now in a cast and can barely walk because of a severe stress fracture.

Correct me if I'm wrong, the 2012 female Olympic qualifying time for a marathon is 2 hours and 39 minutes? She ran 26 miles in 2 hours, 39 min, and 6 seconds or a little over a six minute mile? Wow, that's fast.

cnh

Moderation...as bobman suggests is the key. Your body WILL tell you when you're going too far. I had a number of colleagues who were avid runners, they were addicted to running and ran every day--as they aged, the hip replacements started coming in. They were not listening to their bodies!

Or remember "W", he ran and ran hard up to somewhere in his 50s, then he switched to biking, if I'm not mistaken--under advisement.

I know I can't run any significant distance without messing something up, but I have some minor knee injuries, I ain't 25 or even 40 anymore, and my back is starting to feel about as flexible as a very old tree trunk. As for my bones, well the weight training probably means that my old bones have greater 'density' than a lot of youngsters here so that's not the problem.

In any case, for you guys and gals that are past your mid-40s and more. Listen to your body and stretch well, rest well, sleep well, eat well and you'll be OK.

cnh

jcandy

fatchowmein wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong, the 2012 female Olympic qualifying time for a marathon is 2 hours and 39 minutes? She ran 26 miles in 2 hours, 39 min, and 6 seconds or a little over a six minute mile? Wow, that's fast.

2:46:18 ... just over 6 minute miles. She told me 6 or 8 seconds over Olympic qualification, I didn't look up the actual qualifying time. Its unreal.

fatchowmein

cnh wrote: »

In any case, for you guys and gals that are past your mid-40s and more. Listen to your body and stretch well, rest well, sleep well, eat well and you'll be OK.

cnh

I agree with you yet I find it hard to listen to my body. Exercise involves some discomfort and sometimes it's hard to tell an ache from a sore. I was running for 60 min with various aches that either stopped when I stopped running or were easy to rub out. Heart and lungs were fantastic and that runner's high can really zone you out.

But I sidelined myself because my outer right foot throbbed even though I'm not sure if it's something minor that may lead to something major or whether it's just my body adjusting to my new running regime. I did get a physical and my doc said to just slow down so I switched to my bike but not a day goes by that I do not look at my running shoes longingly. I'm sure my attitude will be different once it hits 90 around here but right now it's gorgeous outside.

ryanjoachim

I don't think I've seen it mentioned yet, so here's my 2cents - Stretching after a workout is easily as important as stretching before your workout.

jcandy

cnh wrote: »

Moderation...as bobman suggests is the key. Your body WILL tell you when you're going too far. I had a number of colleagues who were avid runners, they were addicted to running and ran every day--as they aged, the hip replacements started coming in. They were not listening to their bodies!

Agreed. The "run through it" mentality is very common.

cnh wrote: »

In any case, for you guys and gals that are past your mid-40s and more. Listen to your body and stretch well, rest well, sleep well, eat well and you'll be OK.

Perfect advice. With respect to designing a routine, now any time I feel any issue developing (say, a pain in the elbow, shoulder, etc) I switch protocol to take emphasis off that body part.