Getting fit with SwordsMaster

[naut]

Well, it depends. If you plan to do a career then go for it. But! Have in mind that (even if natural) large doses of protein intake is not very natural thing. Before that you should consult with a person who really knows the pros and cons of that. Be really careful what you take and things like "guess" and "hope" are out of place, really.

If your goal is simply to look better, a regular training in the gym/swimming pool and etc. is generally speaking enough.

Large protein intake is historically what we were designed to consume though.... we still have the enzyme in our system that can convert proteins into Vitamin C, it just is no longer active as our diets moved from carnivorous to omnivorous. Supplement protein from whey powder is actually scientifically speaking better for your body than protein from meat, as it doesn't have the accompanying fats and cholesterols that are damaging to your kidneys and liver.

Yes regular training will get you looking decent, but diet is the other half of the battle. If you don't have protein intakes you will simply tone and not build muscle or strength as your body can't repair the damage that exercise does to the body. The RDI of protein for the average male is 55g, I have that much for breakfast alone. 55g isn't enough if you are weightlifting or participating in other strenuous activity, it's fine if you're sitting on your bum doing nothing though. The way RDI for protein is calculated is .36g per lb of body weight, which means someone weighing in at 200lb would require 72g of protein by the RDI guidelines, not feasible for an active individual. Consuming the RDI and training will result in muscle loss over time. If you are exercising you need to be consuming between .64g and .91g per lb of body weight daily. So a 200lb individual would actually require between 128g and 182g of protein.

[Strike For The South]

Large protein intake is historically what we were designed to consume though.... we still have the enzyme in our system that can convert proteins into Vitamin C, it just is no longer active as our diets moved from carnivorous to omnivorous. Supplement protein from whey powder is actually scientifically speaking better for your body than protein from meat, as it doesn't have the accompanying fats and cholesterols that are damaging to your kidneys and liver.

Yes regular training will get you looking decent, but diet is the other half of the battle. If you don't have protein intakes you will simply tone and not build muscle or strength as your body can't repair the damage that exercise does to the body. The RDI of protein for the average male is 55g, I have that much for breakfast alone. 55g isn't enough if you are weightlifting or participating in other strenuous activity, it's fine if you're sitting on your bum doing nothing though. The way RDI for protein is calculated is .36g per lb of body weight, which means someone weighing in at 200lb would require 72g of protein by the RDI guidelines, not feasible for an active individual. Consuming the RDI and training will result in muscle loss over time. If you are exercising you need to be consuming between .64g and .91g per lb of body weight daily. So a 200lb individual would actually require between 128g and 182g of protein.

+1, thank you

[Prince Cobra]

Large protein intake is historically what we were designed to consume though.... we still have the enzyme in our system that can convert proteins into Vitamin C, it just is no longer active as our diets moved from carnivorous to omnivorous. Supplement protein from whey powder is actually scientifically speaking better for your body than protein from meat, as it doesn't have the accompanying fats and cholesterols that are damaging to your kidneys and liver.

Yes regular training will get you looking decent, but diet is the other half of the battle. If you don't have protein intakes you will simply tone and not build muscle or strength as your body can't repair the damage that exercise does to the body. The RDI of protein for the average male is 55g, I have that much for breakfast alone. 55g isn't enough if you are weightlifting or participating in other strenuous activity, it's fine if you're sitting on your bum doing nothing though. The way RDI for protein is calculated is .36g per lb of body weight, which means someone weighing in at 200lb would require 72g of protein by the RDI guidelines, not feasible for an active individual. Consuming the RDI and training will result in muscle loss over time. If you are exercising you need to be consuming between .64g and .91g per lb of body weight daily. So a 200lb individual would actually require between 128g and 182g of protein.

Well, it's logical that the more you exercise, the more you eat, or at least this is my case. For the last year I've put on 3 kilos of weight and now I am about 66 kilos and 178 cm tall (note: putting on weight was never my goal; my goal was simply to look well). And that was a period of really intensive exercising (mountain biking/ pull-ups and push-ups/sit-ups/dumbell exercises and several exercises at home). At it's peak (during the summer) my physical activity was about 2-3 hours daily/5-6 times per week. My weakness is that I rarely go to gym (I prefer open air activities); yes, winter leaves me no other option but that's a different matter. Yet, I don't think I look bad, really.

Unless it's a very intensive programme, I don't think supplements are that vital. Yes, these can help but they are not a must. My basic principle is to be careful what you put in your mouth. And yes, I am a bit suspicious but why this should be bad?

[Strike For The South]

Well, it's logical that the more you exercise, the more you eat, or at least this is my case. For the last year I've put on 3 kilos of weight and now I am about 66 kilos and 178 cm tall (note: putting on weight was never my goal; my goal was simply to look well). And that was a period of really intensive exercising (mountain biking/ pull-ups and push-ups/sit-ups/dumbell exercises and several exercises at home). At it's peak my physical activity was about 2-3 hours daily/5-6 times per week. My weakness is that I rarely go to gym (I prefer open air activities); yes, winter leaves me no other option but that's a different matter. Yet, I don't think I look bad, really.

145lbs at 5'10 is underweight. Remember kids abdominal muscles are only the result of a low body fat.

Unless it's a very intensive programme, I don't think supplements are that vital. Yes, these can help but they are not a must. My basic principle is to be careful what you put in your mouth. And yes, I am a bit suspicious but why this should be bad?

True,

[Moros]

Instead of using whey, I'm trying to eat a lot of Tuna, meat (steak, chickenbreast), beans and to drink a lot of milk. Personally I don't really watch the fat or sugar as I can't get any fat even if want to. Supersize me featuring yours truly would have have been quite a failure...

It's mostly sleep I have problems with...

[Strike For The South]

Direct All fitness related questions here

[edyzmedieval]

SwordsMaster, you around buddy?

[rajpoot]

So I need some advice about jogging to lose weight, and I'll be really grateful if experts here could help.

I'm around 20 pounds over my ideal weight. Since jogging outside isn't really comfortable out here, I've joined my old gym. Currently I'm doing 4.1-4.2 kms every day, in half an hour.

My question is that with a sedentary lifestyle and a daily diet of around 2000 calories, is the running enough to lose weight? Or do I have to increase my time/distance?

[Major Robert Dump]

The distance should be fine for a 2k diet, but I really recommend changing it up occasionally and running that distance in sprint/rest sprint/rest. It confuses your metabolism and makes your heart angry, which burns more calories and will ultimately affect your distance running in a positive way.

[rajpoot]

The calorie counter on the treadmill displayed that I burned only 250 kcal which seemed a very inadequate number compared to 2000 kcal, and that's why I grew doubtful.

Problem is I don't have a good stamina, so I really can't sprint. Instead I jog for 5 minutes at 8 kmph then for a few minutes at 10 kmph, and I keep alternating there after.

[Centurion1]

The calorie counter on the treadmill displayed that I burned only 250 kcal which seemed a very inadequate number compared to 2000 kcal, and that's why I grew doubtful.

Problem is I don't have a good stamina, so I really can't sprint. Instead I jog for 5 minutes at 8 kmph then for a few minutes at 10 kmph, and I keep alternating there after.

At the end of the day you will always be shocked at how little calories your body burns exercising. Running isn't as good for losing weight as people think. I try to run 4-5 miles a day at about a 7 minute pace per mile. This is in addition to everything else I do to workout.

[Major Robert Dump]

Thats 250 (give or take) right then and there. It will be higher with sprint/walks. You may also try using a very low speed setting, and doing variation runs, like running sideways or backwards, that will burn calories that a simple machine tracker will not pick up on (just try not to fall on your butt)

The hour following your cool down your body is still reeling and burning calories, above and beyond the 250. You burn calories all day, and at a higher regular pace than with no cardio. Unless you are trying to drastically reduce your weight or counter-act a higher protein intake, 250 in a session is not bad. The goal isn't to reduce your net calories to 0, so 250 is @12.5% of your daily calories. If you go higher than that in one setting you will need to increase your post workout meal and take calories off another meal. You may try short, intense cardio several hours later, lik an evening run if you workout in the morning. Just like a 10 minute thing.

I don't know your age, but at 20 pounds over what you want if you maintain your 2k diet, the status quo run, and maybe lean up the types of calories you consume, you will lost weight pretty quickly in your first 2 months if you were sedentary before. After 2 months, you will need to change the routine because your body adjusts.

[rajpoot]

Never actually tried running any way aside from straightforward, so I'll have to try.
I'm in my mid twenties, and I have a slightly less than moderate amount of muscle on me. I put on all the weight in the last six months after I abruptly stopped working out and went a little heavy on the drinks.
Also aside from the jog I do light workout since I didn't want to lose the little muscle that I have with the fat.

Anyhow thanks for the advice. I'll post back once I lose my first few kilograms.

[SwordsMaster]

So SM returns after a long absence. My apologies to whom I might have not responded in the past few months – my life had been so messy I was forgetting to even pay off my credit cards.

But, as all things, that is over. Fitness is once again on the agenda. Since shame and peer pressure is one of the greatest motivators known to man, I invite you all to join me in this.

WHAT is THIS?

A 6 week experiment in fitness improvement, using social peer pressure as motivation, with overall fitness as a goal. Members will post their progress as well as their process so we can see what is working, and can offer support, tips, and solutions.

RULES:

• Workouts posted on the day of workout
• Workout descriptions should include duration of exercise and rest period
• No anabolics
• Meals posted on the day of consumption including snacks and drinks (not water).
• Take a picture of every meal with your phone camera (picture doesn’t necessarily need to be posted)
• Eat 30-80g of protein within 30-45 min of waking up
• Weekly posts of progress of body transformation.
• How to do this: Take 6 measurements with metric tape: amrs on biceps, legs at widest point, waist and hips (ass). Add total inches (TI) or total cm (doesn’t matter as you will compete with yourself, mostly). Also, if available provide your bodyweight.
• Take your measurements before breakfast on a Saturday or a Sunday. Come on. It’s only 6 weeks.

GOALS:

Mine might differ from yours:

I will consider myself fit if I lose 6kg of fat, can benchpress 100 kg for 4 reps, deadlift 165kg for 4 reps, and run 5km in under 25min.

Of course those are not the only exercises I will do, but that’s my goal.

What are yours? Who is in?

[Peasant Phill]

Apart from finely streamlining my workload at my job, my new years resolution will be to get a better trained body.
Not that I'm overweight but my weight has been jojoing the last couple of months and I've never really put much attention towards upper body.

Here's what I'm working with:
Age: 28
Weight: 76 kg
Height: 1m75
activity/week: Almost all year round I do about 3 hours of sport each week. On Wednesday I play mini football (compare it to basketball or handball) for about an hour and on Sundays I play regular football or go cycling. Most of the time I'm with the best condition-wise. When the weather is better (May-September) I ride my bike to work which is about 20 km a day.

I want to focus a bit of attention towards my upper body but I don't know much about push-up and crunch routines.

[Vladimir]

My New Year's fitness resolution is to find a young, slightly overweignt but attractive woman who feels unconfident about her weight, for a workout partner. It's all about motivation.

I think it could work.

[edyzmedieval]

Upper body, it depends what part of your upper body you wish to work out

* lateral pull down
* press ups
* pull ups
* bench press

[SwordsMaster]

Apologies for lack of maintenance of all this, and thanks for continuing to contribute!

So, after a 2 week holiday stuffing myself with sweets in Tunisia, and a week of food poisoning a few days after returning I've been practically off duty for a month. Time to get back on the proverbial horse, and what better than the first of the month!

I have access to a pull-up bar, and might have it to a gym, but regardless, i've focused on creating an all-bodyweight routine you can practically do anywhere. I've included food in the description.

I'm currently standing at 1.78m, and 92kg. The idea is to go down to 88kg but with significant body transformation, since, as an endomorph, carbs just make me explode, and the last few weeks have not been kind.

So:
Exercise today:
Wake up, coffee, then:

All bodyweight unless indicated otherwise.
1-Squats x15
2-Pushups x25
3-Plank x45sec
4-Jumping Jacks/Burpees x20
5-Reverse lunges x11 each leg
6-Lying hip raise x15

10sec rest between exercises
45 sec rest between circuits
6x circuits

This took approx 25 min, plus 5 min for preparation of shakes and coffee, I had my 'breakfast' within 40min of waking up.
Breakfast shake with banana, 1.5% milk, 48g whey, 2 hrs of work, then:

1.5km run (one lap), 6min/km pace
5x set pushups (maxrep) - 44 total 90 sec rest between sets
400m sprint (80%)

All this, plus some vacant staring at the lake took less than 30 min

2x cinnamon buns, omelette with 2 chilis, 200g of bacon, 4 eggwhites and 1 yolk.
Again, allow half hour for doing dishes from yesterday, and making the omelet, I ate within an hour of finishing (I had the buns within 10 min...), and drowned everything with coffee after.

Potential for a heavy workout this afternoon. Depending on work load and whether I make it to the gym, and whether they allow the likes of me in.

Didn't make it to the gym - fell asleep watching the olympics.

Anyway, dinner was half a chicken and a caprese salad.

Post yours, and share the motivation.

[Strike For The South]

As always, like a sir.

In other news I weighed in at 198 pounds today. First time sub 200 since I was 14.

[Centurion1]

Yikes your only 8 pounds more than me now haha.

Personally, I have switched over to a farming heavy workout and its working wonders.

[Vladimir]

Holy cow. I weigh more than SFTS!

I need new friends. All mine are married and/or lame and aren't into physical exertion. It's so difficult to stay motivated when the computer is so close and your friends are lame.

[SwordsMaster]

SFTS: It's good to be back! It's good to be exercising again, and, specially to be motivated about it... Since April or so, I forced myself to do it, but my head was not in it...

Centurion: Horses are strong, right? So are oxen. Plus you get to eat them after.

Vlad: That's what we're here for! Join in, and don't say you have an excuse!



Today:

Woke up 10:30, sluggish, one of those times your alarm goes off in the middle of the deep sleep cycle and messes you up for the day:

Turkish coffee at 11, then:

All bodyweight unless indicated otherwise.
1-Squats x15
2-Pushups x25
3-Plank x45sec
4-Jumping Jacks/Burpees x20
5-Reverse lunges x11 each leg
6-Lying hip raise x15


10sec rest between exercises: 4th and 5th circuit, no breaks
45 sec rest between circuits
6x circuits

Really felt it today, probably due to long fasting before breakfast.

Breakfast: Cinnamon bun, shake: banana, 50g whey, 1.5% milk, kiwi, 6x almonds, 120g frozen raspberries

4pm 1st lap: 1.6km 6min/km pace, then

9x 6 pullups (3x narrow, 3x medium, 3x wide grip)
60 rest between sets

2nd lap 1.3 km 7min/km, really felt heavy.

Lunch: 400g chicken fillets, 4tbs houmous&cauliflower blend (one of 2 only ways i can eat cauliflower), 1 avocado, 1 banana, 1 peach, coffee.

Dinner is likely to be steak with some more of that cauliflower mix.

Tomorrow, likely rest from running - 1 lap only, and none for the weekend.
My project is almost over! means I can really sleep in, play videogames and still get a workout in!

[Vladimir]

Been getting back into it this week. Why is gravity so much stronger at 5 AM? I think I'm pregnant too. My belly keeps growing. I must have hit that magical mark in a man's life.

[SwordsMaster]

Been getting back into it this week. Why is gravity so much stronger at 5 AM? I think I'm pregnant too. My belly keeps growing. I must have hit that magical mark in a man's life.

Surely 5am is not necessary... I cannot perform at 5am no matter what the motivation. Then again, maybe it's the pregnancy keeping you up?

[edyzmedieval]

I just want to give out two very useful links - www.livestrong.com

And the second one, Google the following word - Fitocracy. For us gamers, combining the gym with RPG style works wonders.

[SwordsMaster]

Thanks edyz!

Did the same again today, after work, so just finished. Not posting the food because I'm ashamed.

All bodyweight unless indicated otherwise.
1-Squats x15
2-Pushups x25
3-Plank x45sec
4-Jumping Jacks/Burpees x20
5-Reverse lunges x11 each leg
6-Lying hip raise x15

10sec rest between exercises: 4th and 5th circuit, no breaks
45 sec rest between circuits
6x circuits

[edyzmedieval]

Quite an intense workout Swords, what's your goal this time?

[SwordsMaster]

Just to lose about 8kg of fat I've picked up in the last 6 months.

No workout since my last update. Had some incredibly intense days at work, and literally no time.

Yesterday managed to do about 50 pullups in 6 sets with 1 min breaks, and today:

Had protein shake in the morning with 50g of whey, An hour later:

All bodyweight unless indicated otherwise.
1-Squats x15
2-Pushups x25
3-Plank x45sec
4-Jumping Jacks/Burpees x20
5-Reverse lunges x11 each leg
6-Lying hip raise x15

Did 4 circuits, 45 sec break between circuits, no break between exercises.
Plan is to go for a jog this evening, but it's pouring rain, so we will see...

After that had an omelette with 200g of ham, 1 yolk, 3 egg whites, and 100g of kidney beans.

[naut]

SM what's your calorie/kj intake per day currently?

[SwordsMaster]

SM what's your calorie/kj intake per day currently?

Hard to say, I'm not really counting calories. I try to make most of my meals include at least half protein, the fat takes care of itself, i try to have some nuts/avocados/flaxseed or olive oil every day, and try to make sure my carbs are complex when possible. So I avoid starch, bread, processed flour and sweets.