youtube has LOTS and LOTS of demos

7/17/2014 9:04:24 PM

I GET THAT. They're all taught differently, and there are alot of bad ones. Trying to put feelers out on demos that some like to use for whatever reason, without clicking my mouse so much.

7/17/2014 11:14:59 PM

Does anyone know of any local gyms that have bumper plates, but don't require that you attend a class to use them. One of the best things about the CF gym I first joined was that they didn't have set class times. My schedule really doesn't allow me to be at a class at a specified time. And i often don't have 60+minutes to devote to working out.

7/27/2014 7:01:45 PM

15 pounds from my pre pregnancy weight. I'm in the last pair of jeans standing between me and my Eddie Bauer skinny jeans. Starting to feel tons better.

7/30/2014 10:24:02 AM

My gym in downtown Winston-Salem (The Rush) just got bought out by Gold's Gym. Should I be worried? Never had any experience with them.

7/30/2014 12:18:00 PM

What's a good neoprene knee brace? I need to order one but have no idea what to look for. Only thing I could find locally in my size has seams that are a little annoying so I want to try something else.

Currently considering these, but I am open to suggestions:
http://www.amazon.com/McDavid-Deluxe-Knee-Black-Large/dp/B000UVUBRQ
http://www.amazon.com/McDavid-Neoprene-Support-Black-Large/dp/B0000AU212

7/30/2014 12:36:10 PM

JP I wouldnt worry too much...Gold's has tried to get away from the lunk image a little and a lot are converting their gyms to fit the needs of crossfit as well.

As for the brace, I like the first one.


Doing the spartan super in october, anyone know of places around that are good to train at? like obstacle runs, walls, etc?

7/31/2014 6:14:38 PM

Thanks! I might order that one and this one to see what I like better (it's the only level 2 I could find that doesn't look annoying to put on) : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NROLTQ/

My knees aren't going to get any better, so I might as well try to keep them from getting worse.

8/1/2014 3:22:04 PM

Does anyone have any recommendations for a workout/weight routine for men? I know that sounds vague, but I'm going back to the gym for the first time in about 5 years (I've had periods of time where I've done marathon training and I use to do weightlifting in college).

I just joined a gym up here in VA, and I'd like to start off fresh. I'm mostly concerned with Weights at this point, I can get my cardio when I run with my wife.

Any suggestions of a schedule or routine?

8/4/2014 2:56:34 PM

inb4 "what are your goals?"

8/5/2014 11:29:16 AM

^^if you go to http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/find-a-plan.html and answer a couple questions, they'll give you some programs based on what you're looking for - then you can download the app and track workouts. I've done two of the programs and loved it (I don't follow the diets though).

8/5/2014 11:35:49 AM

^Cool thanks.

^^I'll be brutally honest with my goals. I'm not looking to loose 30lbs or become a master lifter. I'd like to tone up and get on my way to just being healthier. I've got a little bit of a stomach, but its not enough that I'm desperate to loose it, I just know its there and it cant be there because I eat healthy or workout all the time.

8/6/2014 3:11:34 PM

so just a quick update...i finally reached one of my goals and that was to have my pants inseam and waist size to be equal. As of yesterday I'm a happy owner of some comfortable 30/30 jeans. My 32/30 jeans were just way too big on me. I was wearing 36/30 a year and a half ago.

8/18/2014 8:41:56 PM

I have made a ton of progress since earlier this year, ended up losing a total of 51 pounds and am now slowly adding lean mass.

I have mainly been sticking to the "beach muscles" the past couple months since I had some back and quad injuries earlier in the year and I am just now starting to work squats back in, man I am going to be hurting tomorrow

8/23/2014 2:00:32 PM

These tips are out-dated now?

Wasn't too long ago.
http://www.quackwatch.org/03HealthPromotion/lowfat.html

Quote :

"To cut down on whole-milk products, switch to 2% or 1% milk, and perhaps eventually to skim milk. Many people find it easy to get accustomed to low-fat milk, and that when they do so, whole milk tastes too rich. Use the low-fat or skim-milk versions of ricotta, cottage, and mozzarella cheese. Low-fat farmer or pot cheeses also are available. All these cheeses should contain no more than 2­6 grams of fat per ounce. For desserts, substitute ice milk, frozen yogurt (especially the nonfat variety), sherbet or sorbet for ice cream. If you do eat ice cream, choose regular rather than super premium types. Limit consumption of foods that contain palm, palm kernel, and coconut oils, lard, butter, unidentified shortening, egg-yolk solids, and whole-milk solids. Also, cut down on baked goods made from these ingredients or that are fried, such as doughnuts. Use nonfat or low-fat yogurt instead of sour cream in dips and toppings. Use only the egg whites or discard every other yolk in recipes requiring eggs (2 whites = 1 whole egg in recipes). Or try commercial cholesterol-free egg substitutes. "

more...stuff

10/3/2014 12:06:56 AM

I've been fighting post partum thyroiditis and currently I am hypothyroid but I am now below my high school weight. 10 more pounds to go until I'm in my happy place. I actually feel pretty fantastic about the way I look right now. Maybe next I will work on actually toning my mommy gut.

10/3/2014 11:00:39 AM

^^Not outdated just recommended based upon a lack of understanding or misinformation. Low-fat substitutes are often worse for you than anything else. Most butter and fat substitutes have very poor quality vegetable oils or sugar in them. Why you shouldn't eat any of those "can't believe it's not butter" products. It's all vegetable oils with lots of transfat and weak bonds. Stick to butter or coconut oil. They're much more stable oils that don't turn to transfat when heated.

10/3/2014 11:22:16 AM

Day 2 on Paleo. Fuck this life. I am crampy, bloating and gassy. And I have supplemented fiber capsules to get things moving down the pipe.

Nothing. I quit.

10/7/2014 3:20:27 PM

Why would you do paleo in the first place? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

10/7/2014 3:24:21 PM

Haha give it a week before you give up. I stick to it about 90% of the time now and I get crampy, bloaty, and gassy when I eat foods high in sugar or wheat.

Also it doesn't have to be Paleo. Just eat less processed foods. If you like legumes, quinoa, or peanut butter then eat it. The key is limiting processed foods and high glycemic foods. Doesn't matter what diet you call it. Most healthy diets limit your sugar intake. Don't feel like you have to stick to the strict requirements of a particular diet. Just try different things out until you find out what works best for you.

[Edited on October 7, 2014 at 3:33 PM. Reason : s]

10/7/2014 3:32:13 PM

I want to give up because I am miserable! This may not be best for me for IBS.

I was regular with bowel when on white rice lol. Adequate absorption of water with this kind of carb? I also had issues with whole grain stuff too.

10/7/2014 3:41:30 PM

I think it all depends what you were eating before. Were you primarily eating refined wheats and lots of white rice? If you all of a sudden drastically switch up your diet then yes you might run into some stomach issues. If you want to make the adjustment easier then I'd make a slower transition. Just start substituting processed foods with heartier whole foods (sweet potatoes, all types of squashes, bananas, apples, kale, quinoa if you want) but still eat rice and wheat. As you slowly transition to eating healthier non-processed foods you should feel better.

I am much more regular now (tmi?) that I've stopped eating processed foods 90% of the time. Those days I eat a sandwich or pizza it throws everything out of wack for a good day or two but it eventually evens back out.

On a side note I started kettle bell squats and swings again this past Saturday. Wow I feel it in my shoulders.

[Edited on October 7, 2014 at 3:53 PM. Reason : s]

10/7/2014 3:51:45 PM

I just turned 28 a couple weeks ago and reality kind of sunk in that I've only got two solid years left in my twenties and I needed to get in better shape.

I started going to the gym at work during my lunch break the week after my birthday. I figure that once I'm off work, there's no way I'm going to take the time to go to the gym, park, change, etc. after a long day of work so incorporating a routine into my work day is the best idea. I get an hour of paid break time a day (7 hours work, 1 hour break) so there's plenty of time to get in five exercises @ 3 sets each. Nobody is ever in there and there's a lot of individual machines, free weights (dumbbells and barbells w/ benches) and cario equipment.

It feels good to work out again. Hopefully I'll keep it up.

10/15/2014 4:06:37 PM

Awesome! Yeah my new place has a pretty decent gym so I've got the Mon-Wed-Fri gym time pretty regularly now.

10/15/2014 5:44:43 PM

It might be too late for most of the old people on this board (myself included)...but my advice to anyone that is still young is to get in as good as shape as possible at an early age. It is sooo much easier to maintain being in good shape as you get older if you have a solid base to work with. I worked out like a maniac from 18-26 years old. I now haven't gone to a gym in five years. My current workout schedule consists of running, push-ups, pull-ups, and a weighted jump rope. I have some kettle bells, but they might get used once every couple months. On a good week I run three times and "workout" twice...but mostly it's a run or two and maybe one good push-up/pull-up workout. Obviously I can't bench or squat what I use to, but I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life and look just as good now as I did when I was 20 (more lean as opposed to muscular). I watch what I eat to a certain extent, but I rarely diet and I drink more now then when I was younger. Main thing is less sweets and heavily processed foods.

tl;dr....work your ass off now, it will make it much easier as you get older

10/15/2014 6:14:26 PM

I don't know if "too old" is even relevant any more. It's never too late to get out and get in shape.

10/15/2014 6:27:58 PM

I just think it's much easier to work out like crazy when you're 18 than when you're 30.

I'm in good shape, but I'll still have random weird pains in my knees and ankles every now and then. I also never stretched when I was younger. Now if I don't get a good stretch in, my calf will seize up a few blocks into my run. When I was 18 I could jump off a 5 story building and then go run a 5k.

10/15/2014 6:33:51 PM

I did a lot of weight training in high school and some in college but yeah I've noticed getting back into it that stretching is pretty important, when it used to be something I scoffed at. Being able to work out at lunch is nice because I incorporate it as part of my work day and it doesn't interfere with my free time, and I also get a nice pick me up for the afternoon lull.

10/16/2014 10:20:49 AM

My mom had knee issues in her 30's and stopped running a lot. She picked it back up in her 40's now she does ironmans and she won 1st place in her age group (she's 62) in the nation in a half ironman earlier in the year. She runs, bike, kayaks, and swims on a daily basis. My dad is almost 70 and probably rides a few hundred miles a week still. They're both in fantastic shape and an inspiration to me. It's really never too late too get in shape. You might just have to take it slower the older you get but you can still always progress.

10/16/2014 11:43:48 AM

^^

I've been doing the lunch break work out now for the last 4 months. It's awesome!! I've never been in a situation where I can workout on my lunch break, but now that I am I don't ever want to go back. I take an 1.5 hr lunch, get a good 45min to 1hr workout, 10 mins in the steam room afterwards, then shower, get dressed and high tail it back to work. It's an awesome way to break up the work day, have plenty of energy for the afternoon and I'm able to get fasted workouts in every day. I'm the most muscular and lowest BFP I've been since my freshman year in college

10/16/2014 1:33:44 PM

damn dude that's awesome. hopefully I'll see some results in the upcoming weeks/months.

10/17/2014 2:36:47 PM

yeah no doubt man jus keep at it.

here's a quick photo update form this past weekend.



[Edited on October 21, 2014 at 3:05 PM. Reason : .]

10/21/2014 3:05:05 PM

On a side note...my chin-up game is hitting an all-time high. I normally save chin/pull-ups for the end of the workout, so I'm probably at my weakest after a three mile run and several hundred push-ups.

I like to start off with a pyramid with the following sets 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1. Then do a variety of resistance and negative pull/chin-ups, basically til exhaustion. I use to struggle through that pyramid and my form was all over the place. Now I'm doing slow, methodical pull/chin-ups, going full extension on every single rep. After breezing through the pyramid for about a month, I went up to 6 reps...which essentially adds two more sets (1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2-1). And I've whittled down my rest between sets to just a few seconds. Aside from being able to do more pull-ups, this is the first time I've noticed my arms getting bigger since I stopped free-weight training more than five years ago.

Feels good man.

10/21/2014 3:20:01 PM

^^

So I moved and stopped doing crossfit. I miss it, but my back just could not handle all the repetitive deadlift and kettlebell workouts. I love deadlifting, but I've given up on being able to do it heavy anymore. Back just spazes out by the 2nd set. So anyway I am focusing now on just lifting weights for a while and work out in the mornings.

I've started intermittent fasting and only eat between 12:30 pm and ~8:00 pm. Thus I am fasted during my workouts. Been doing it for about a month, maybe longer, and am used to it now. My question is has anyone else done this and how long did it take before you saw results. I've dropped about 5 lbs, but my weight can swing wildly based on hydration levels. I am not a fat ass or anything, but hoped to drop weight faster than that. I'm 6'0, 205 lbs now.

10/21/2014 5:18:56 PM

I bought some sandbags to use when I workout at home; I'm interested to see how well they hold up.

10/21/2014 9:12:16 PM

anyone know the effects of alcohol vs. protein synthesis? I've read a lot of conflicting information about it.

I lift at lunch and then I'll have a few glasses of wine at dinner - does that completely negate any gains I would have, or is it just slightly sub-optimal (like 20% less or something)?

On the flip side, say I go out on a Friday night and drink but everything is out of my system early Saturday morning and then I go lift at lunch - is my body still in "repair mode" even though I don't have any BAC whatsoever?

10/27/2014 12:53:44 PM

this is a good read

http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html

I drink fairly regularly, a couple beers, glass of wine or a glass of bourbon at night when I relax. I'm sure that I would have better gains with out consuming alcohol but I've been able to add mass, though slowly, decrease body fat and waistline while consuming alcohol. Like you I get a fasted work out a lunch.

10/27/2014 2:04:10 PM

I read that last night actually - it was a great article.

I'm just confused because all spring and summer I weighed about 165 give or take a couple of pounds and then in September I shot up to 170, 175, then close to 180. I started lifting in October and started watching what I ate more but I'm still hanging out around 175 pounds and I can't understand why I'm not losing weight after adding an exercise regimen while simultaneously being more carb conscious. I can't imagine I'm still in the water weight phase, nor can I imagine I have put on that many pounds in solid muscle mass.

10/27/2014 2:16:13 PM

^I wonder if it's the body's natural way of retaining some weight for the cooler seasons? Not sure if this is even a thing (never tried to look anything up on it), so I could be just spouting some BS.

10/27/2014 3:36:08 PM

^I've actually wondered the same and I think I do tend to put on weight in the winter but I always attributed it to lack of exercise and heartier food, and it usually comes on later.

On a positive note - as of my session earlier today I'm finally noticing gains in the gym! Definitely wouldn't have hit the numbers I did three weeks ago, although the numbers certainly aren't worth bragging about on their own

10/27/2014 5:48:20 PM

the body produces less GH at cooler temperatures, which causes the body composition to change slightly. I doubt it's as pronounced as what you described though; probably a combination of factors are involved.

10/27/2014 9:54:53 PM

11/29/2014 11:05:29 PM

Tore my fucking pec right off my bicep this summer trying a one arm pull up while drunk right after joining an expensive private gym , back to square 1 . Gruesome snap noise whole arm filled up with blood just kept partying tho

benched like 75 lbs tonight one arm feels longer than t he other might need some rehab

12/3/2014 2:17:40 AM

#SwolePatrol

12/3/2014 8:55:41 AM

Can anyone recommend a good sports dietitian? I have really come to realize what I eat effects my health, even more so than my exercise habits. I know a lot of people have certain diets you follow, such as paleo, etc. But I am looking to personalize my nutrition, and determine the optimal diet to meet my health goals.

12/3/2014 5:18:56 PM

Don't waste your money. They're not going to tell you any differently than what you can find on Google. Dig deeper, do some research, you will find the same template and regurgitated lessons on healthy eating. What is it that you think you need "personalized"?

12/3/2014 7:56:51 PM

^I completely disagree. Not everyone understands the science behind nutrition and with so much bad information out there, it can be hard to distinguish between the pseudoscience and legitimate information. Combined with the emerging field of nutritional genomics, there's a lot of things a dietitian can tell you and test for that make it worthwhile.

^^http://healthydietsinc.com is a great place to consider. Many of the employees (and one of the owners) are grad school friends of mine.

12/3/2014 9:38:03 PM

^^Here's a small example: Everyone knows that fish oil is good for you. They are loaded with omega-3s, which promote, brain, heart, and immune health. However, some research suggests that fish oil supplements are ineffective, and the best source of omega-3s are from actual fish. There is also some research that linked a high diet of fish oil with INCREASED risk of prostate cancer. And this is all research published in highly credible scientific journals.

I am not an expert in nutrition science, and the amount of information we now understand requires someone who can expertly sort through the details to provide the most efficient nutritional guidance.

^Exactly my point. Thanks for the referral.

12/4/2014 1:15:50 AM

^ she's not the least biased person on the matter.

12/4/2014 2:29:21 AM

My statement was not to "diss" dietitians and nutrition counselors. These professions are legit in a clinical setting where they may deal with diabetics, people with real metabolic disorders, intestinal disorders like celiac or chron's, etc. To clarify, what I meant was, if HCH is looking to pay someone to hold his hand, read studies other than from Men's Health or naturalnews.com for him, tell him what to eat and what vitamins to take daily, and make him accountable for his dietary decisions, then it's a waste of money. There is no such thing as "personalized" nutrition for people like us who are generally in good health. There is "common sense" nutrition. I'm assuming most people in this thread understand some common guidelines already if they're looking to lose weight. And if you look at the last 18 pages, there are some valuable information, repeated even, in just about every page. And if you still can't lose weight, you know what's probably missing? Consistency and will power. We all fail at this.

I see people pay for these online nutrition coaching and it's a scam. Many of them don't have the proper license and education. They're just fitness junkies who prey on people who are lazy, people who need their hands held. They got their information from Google U and applied meal plans and exercise plans to everyone. The template is so simple, yet these people don't even know it.

Please don't get me started on vitamins and supplements. People still think they need it. Many reports are coming out discouraging it. Here is a comprehensive list from NYT.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/news-keeps-getting-worse-for-vitamins/?em

12/5/2014 1:10:11 AM