Last year's thread: https://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=649579

What are your goals for the new year?

1/4/2019 11:59:29 AM

hit my goal weight. complete a sprint triathlon. add some muscle. metric century on the bike in June. not sure after that. maybe a century ride by the end of the year. maybe work on my running endurance and get to a 10k. keep working on my mountain bike skills.

[Edited on January 4, 2019 at 12:12 PM. Reason : i feel like the sky's the limit once i hit my goal weight and get out of the calorie deficit]

1/4/2019 12:11:49 PM

All I care about is getting 100% healthy. Last January or so I figured out my previous injury was likely an issue with my psoas and I still haven’t recovered completely. Day to day I’m fine but I haven’t been able to squat or deadlift in close to two years now. I have one more routine I’m going to go through before going back to the sports med doctor. Never going to make the mistake of neglecting mobility and stretching ever again.

1/4/2019 2:23:59 PM

I had never ran a half-marathon before until last year and ended up doing three of them before it was all said and done.

That said, I didn't do a good enough job training, didn't do a good enough job with my body and my weight management to get to the point that I wanted to be. I guess I can say I'm in better shape than I was at this point last year, but now my goal is to see the gains at a transformational level.

Need to lose twenty pounds and once I meet the goal, keep it off. Improve my mobility to get more agile and also help with improved recovery after training. Have 4 half-marathons planned and a dozen races total.

If I can do that, I'll be in a good place.

1/4/2019 3:12:23 PM

I was in size 44 pants and even those had to go under my gut. I'm in size 34 now and they're actually up on my waist. Had to get them 2 inches longer because I can wear them at my waist now.

1/4/2019 7:38:10 PM

Finally shed the water weight from new years salt intake and down 150 lbs today.

1/5/2019 12:38:01 PM

^nice

I'm working out for the first time since college, so like 12 years. Managed to get 3 in this year so far.

Christmas weight I was like 229, but I'm back to a pretty normal 223 today. Goal is under 200

1/7/2019 7:45:14 AM

trying to get back into a weightlifting/running regimen. gained 14 pounds over the holidays. gonna do Starting Strength MWF and then try to run/walk 5k on T/H with the goal of being able to comfortably run 5k in under 30 minutes by the time run clubs pick up in the spring.

1/7/2019 4:29:41 PM

I have a long commute so getting in exercise is tough these days but I want to get in exercise at least 3 times a week or 12 times total a month. That means a brief dumbbell workout on weekdays and longer workouts on the weekends.

1/9/2019 10:39:49 PM

200 lbs even today. In the final stretch now.

Getting faster and more confident on the mountain bike. Signed up for the sprint triathlon. Got swim lessons scheduled. Doing 5k under 27 minutes on the treadmill. Need to run outside to see where I'm really at.

1/12/2019 9:21:15 PM

Awesome. I thought about doing a sprint tri for a bit, but don't have 10% of your drive

1/12/2019 11:42:31 PM

^^you probably know this but it’s worth saying - try to mix in some hills when you run outside. When I was training for my first, I lived downtown and didn’t realize how flat my route was compared to the race course and it kicked my ass.

[Edited on January 13, 2019 at 12:49 AM. Reason : .]

1/13/2019 12:49:00 AM

I'm in wilmington and so is the race. It's flat as shit. I'll start doing some inclines on the treadmill though. Thanks.

1/13/2019 8:21:25 AM

26:20 5k outdoors today

1/18/2019 1:36:51 PM

wow, that's a really impressive time - especially for your first. you'll probably be even faster on race day with the adrenaline and stuff. good job, and good luck on your race.

I waited too long to sign up for the Holden Beach 5k this weekend and it's all sold out, so my first race of the season will probably be the Sunset Beach 5k at the end of March, assuming my tibias hold up (coming off stress fractures in both).

1/18/2019 4:41:54 PM

down 160 today. yesterday i went a little crazy and did 1 hour on the trainer, 30 min dumbell workout, 5k run, and 2 laps (12 miles) on the mtb at brunswick nature park, so i may put some of that back on in water weight. riding brown's creek for the first time this afternoon.

1/19/2019 9:41:10 AM

Quote :

"riding brown's creek for the first time this afternoon."

is that a euphemism?

1/19/2019 2:59:41 PM

Ha! No it's in Elizabethtown. It was pretty great. Has lots of elevation considering it's in eastern NC. The climbs kicked my ass. Has some high speed sections that had me grabbing the brakes, too.

1/19/2019 4:50:51 PM

My spreadsheet predicted 190 lbs at the end of January and I weighed in at 189.4 this morning. Haven't been at this weight since I was a freshman in high school. Less than 15 lbs to go.

1/31/2019 7:43:18 AM

^How tall are you?

Haven't seen a home gym pic in here in a while. I bought a house in July and it has a detached garage will a full ~200sf guest suite with a kitchenette and full bath. Didn't want to rent/AirBnB it, so I thought it would make a great gym.

Here's what I have so far:





Basically just a smith machine (opted for this over a rack because I live alone and don't want to get pinned and die), a deadlift station (rubber mat with plywood - will upgrade this eventually) and a few extra dumbells/barbells. It's all I need for the moment.

I'm looking at moving the smith machine over and getting an elliptical this weekend. There's a place that's selling used gym grade Precors for $200. Also need to pick up some more plate weight so I don't have to move weight around.

[Edited on January 31, 2019 at 11:01 AM. Reason : code]

1/31/2019 10:57:07 AM

^ Nice. Don't get a stupid elliptical - just run outside like the rest of us. What about a stand-up dip station in that corner instead? Just got mine for Christmas and my triceps are looking like Lee Haney's in his prime already.

1/31/2019 5:13:02 PM

^^i'm 5'11"

1/31/2019 6:59:36 PM

^^would love nothing more than to just run but I keep refracturing my tibias. Takes several months each time and just seems to want to reinjure no matter how slow I come back, orthotics, shoes, compression, etc. doctor said I have irregular curvature in my shins that makes me susceptible to it. It’s not for lack of drive/effort, I love to run.

I’m gonna start cycling in the spring but by the time I’m home it’s too dark out this time of year so the elliptical makes sense for cardio

1/31/2019 10:25:51 PM

Don't think I've ever seen someone say they love to run, but more power to you

1/31/2019 11:00:36 PM

If you're gonna buy a bike or already have one, just get an indoor trainer for it. Love mine. Takes up much less space than an elliptical. I hate an elliptical.

2/1/2019 7:19:46 AM

^^^What about a rower? recumbent bike or an Airdyne? I like those options and what ^ says before I get a worthless elliptical. I'd even rather have a Cybex ArcTrainer over an elliptical.

You have a great setup, though not liking the Smith machine. They also greatly decrease the use of your stabilizer muscles. Only exercise you have to worry about getting pinned is during bench press, and there's plenty of squat/power racks with decent safeties to help give you enough space to help you wiggle out from a failed rep. Also, if you had more stall mat coverage on your floors, you could just tilt the barbell so the weights fall off the side (but I get why you might not want to due to space, wall damage, etc).

Some resistance bands and gymnastic rings would also be a great investment. Can do a lot with them and they take up very little space.

[Edited on February 1, 2019 at 8:17 AM. Reason : ]

2/1/2019 8:15:27 AM

Quote :

"If you're gonna buy a bike or already have one, just get an indoor trainer for it."

Is there a brand you recommend? I was also considering doing this or getting like a spin bike. I was thinking elliptical because it would mimic the running motion but with less impact. I had also read that it burns more calories than a bike.

^totally fair criticism of the Smith machine. for now it's doing what I need it to, but in the future when I get more comfortable with my lifts (especially squat) I'll probably end up getting a power rack of some sort. it would be more practical for adding other stuff, like the dip station GoldieO mentioned as well, although a corner unit could definitely work. I also thought about one of those "land mine" things.

I'll look into the bands - I've never used them before.

Right now I'm just doing the Stronglifts 5x5 to get back into the habit of lifting and to build up my squat, which has always been super weak. Before I hurt my shoulder my PRs were 295 on bench, 420 on deadlift, but only like 175 squat (all on free weights) - this was back in 2016. Currently doing 5x5s on 160 bench/220 squat and 1x5 260 deadlift. I'm trying to build back up slowly and spend more time stretching. I have a really bad habit of being impatient, doing too much too fast and hurting myself. Yoga is something else I'd like to start getting into to help stay limber and do core but have no idea where to begin other than some of the brewery classes on Sundays.

2/1/2019 10:15:03 AM

you'll definitely burn more calories on an elliptical than a bike. Get a good one though; I've got a Life Fitness X1 and after 10 years it's still whisper quiet with no problems. Look at the listings on Craigslist for the number of people selling what they bought at Dicks 2 years ago that already have problems, and you'll realize what you're paying for.

2/1/2019 10:37:34 AM

I have the Wahoo Kickr. I like the smart trainer in erg mode so I don't have to screw with shifting or anything. I just choose the workout I want to do in TrainerRoad and it handles the intervals for me. You also get a very accurate calories burned number since it is literally measuring the watts you're outputting and can convert that to kJ and kcal.

I burn about the same calories in 30 minutes of steady running as I do in 30 minutes of threshold intervals on the trainer. I prefer the trainer. Neither is as fun as a MTB or road ride.

2/1/2019 11:26:55 AM

^^ seems like theres a yuge difference between the cheap consumer shit and the commercial grade equipment. if i was in the market i'd target used commercial grade.

2/1/2019 12:15:58 PM

^Absolutely! Mining Craigslist, Marketplace, etc. can be a chore, but if you're patient you can find steals on used commercial equipment.

2/1/2019 12:49:54 PM

my new job has me up 15lbs in only 3 months. I need to get back to tracking all my inputs and outputs. my fitbit doesn't even last an hour anymore. does anyone have a recommendation for something that'll last a solid week on a charge, has a heart rate sensor, preferably lets me control my music, and ideally doesn't look like shit? integration with my withings scale would be tight

2/1/2019 12:52:45 PM

^it doesn't cover all of your bases, but I'm nuts about my Apple watch. maybe I'm just a total sheep but it's heads above any of the fitbits I've had and it charges fast enough where I just have it on charge when I'm in the shower and it's fine. It also has a ton of bands/styles and can go with formal or casual stuff. Apple health will work with your scale, too.

I found a place on Craiglist called ABC fitness. They had some Precor 524 and 546 for $200. I actually went today at lunch and checked them out just to see. I think NeuseRvrRat has a good point about the bike since I'm planning to buy one anyway and it will take up significantly less room.

They did have some plate weight at $0.50/lb. so I snagged about 140lbs worth while I was there. All they had were 35s, but I just mainly wanted to leave my existing 45s on the deadlift bar and not have to shuffle weight back and forth from the smith to the deadlift bar.

They also had some good deals on new bumper plates, etc. It's in this dumpy warehouse off Glenwood and Ebeneezer but they had a lot of stuff and some really good deals.

2/1/2019 2:36:59 PM

i don't have an iphone

2/1/2019 4:06:41 PM

^^^I have a Garmin Fenix 5 that does all that and looks pretty good imo. Battery life is awesome. The calories burned numbers from Garmin seem to be spot on based on my weight loss tracking (3500 kcal of deficit per lb lost). The Fenix 5 lets you play, pause, skip, go back on music, but the the Fenix 5 Plus actually has a Spotify app and will store music on the watch, so you can go running without your phone. It also has maps whereas the regular Fenix 5 just shows your GPS location and way points. I highly recommend it. If you get it and don't like it, hell, I'll buy it just to upgrade.

[Edited on February 1, 2019 at 5:13 PM. Reason : J]

[Edited on February 1, 2019 at 5:15 PM. Reason : Dj]

[Edited on February 1, 2019 at 5:15 PM. Reason : Apple watch looks shitty imo. Fucking square. ]

2/1/2019 5:13:19 PM

swapped to clipless pedals on my mountain bike and rode them for the first time today. they made me a good bit faster and way more confident. so confident that i clipped a tree with my bars just before a log crossing and crashed hard. whacked my thigh pretty hard and had to replace my shifter. all good otherwise my calf cramped up when i went down so it was kinda comical with me laying under the bike trying to get my leg to stretch out.

swim lessons start tomorrow.

2/1/2019 9:10:55 PM

Down 170 lbs. 11 to go. Swimming is improving slowly.

2/6/2019 6:32:21 AM

Who here still uses the NCSU gym?
If you don't, we all thank you for your money from the past...best gym hands down by a mile.

2/6/2019 11:09:45 PM

^^
Ever considered an adult swimming lesson? I took one to improve my lap training. Helped tremendously. Breathing techniques, proper head positioning, etc...

I had never really swam for exercise, before. I'm still not great, but went from only being able to do one full lap without stopping to about ten.

[Edited on February 7, 2019 at 8:55 AM. Reason : add another note]

2/7/2019 8:54:39 AM

Yep, I'm doing them. Second lesson is Saturday. Already showing improvement.

2/7/2019 10:50:19 AM

Awesome.

2/7/2019 1:18:30 PM

I think for the swim its all about technique and breathing. I do my 250's in a sprint tri in around 5:00 and I get smoked by about 60-100 people each race.

2/7/2019 11:19:21 PM

I'm focusing on breathing first. Nothing really matters if I can't get air in and out properly. Went this morning to practice with some buddies from work. Saw a ton of improvement. I'm getting comfortable with the breathing and i'm over the mental thing that tells a human to get his face out of the water when it's submerged. 2nd lesson is tomorrow morning and i'm kind of excited to show my instructor how far i've come in just a week. It was pretty bad at the first lesson

Got a good mtb ride in after the swim today, too.

[Edited on February 8, 2019 at 1:36 PM. Reason : actually did 1750 yds of swimming today. most of it was with a pull buoy between my thighs.]

2/8/2019 1:34:34 PM

I've lost 40lbs so far. I got about 20 more to go. I've hit a small plateau since I've started lifting weights a and eating more protein. I've been pretty sore, so I'm trying to convince myself it's water weight. I hate being this weak, so gaining muscle is important to me right now.

2/17/2019 12:34:12 AM

Great job!

2/17/2019 10:12:56 AM

^^nice work

weighed 180 lbs this morning. 176 lbs lost. 5 lbs to go to my goal weight.

2/17/2019 3:51:56 PM

Jeeeesusss way to go, man. I'm sure you've gone over this countless times already, but what's your diet regiment? Actually food intake that is.

2/18/2019 5:59:57 PM

1500 calories per day. Sometimes as much as 2k on big workout days, but not often. That's it. I don't worry about anything else, really. I try to get plenty of protein simply because it keeps me satiated longer.

[Edited on February 18, 2019 at 10:41 PM. Reason : Bd]

2/18/2019 10:40:54 PM

Started training Jan 1 to run my first ever 5k. I've already ran 50 miles since then. I haven't run 5 miles in 1 year let alone 50 miles in about 20 years. Very happy to say I've run 3.1 miles twice in the past week at 10:40 pace. Using the couch to 5k app which I highly recommend to anyone looking to get into running. They break up it up into timed alternating runs and walks which is a lot easier and more encouraging that trying to go out and run as far as you can until you get tired.

2/18/2019 11:56:23 PM

178 lbs this morning. 3 lbs to go.

finished with swim lessons for now. got lots of drills i can continue to do on my own to work on form. the race will be 300 yds of swimming and i can do that in about 8.5 minutes now. i'm pretty happy with that.

2/23/2019 6:01:27 PM