The Get in Shape, Eat Healthy, Better, Etc... 2010 Thread!!! :) :) :) :)

halfway through week 4 of P90X...


Kenpo X - DONE!

BRING IT!!!!

Thanks for the inspiration aredore!

If anyone is going to buy P90X or anything from beachbody.com ... PLEASE go through me to get it :)

cake, awesome! I'm on Round 2 as well, just finished Week 3 today! Kenpo X done! Also a bunch of my friends and I are doing the 100 push up challenge the entire month of May. Everyday do 100 push up's. Doesn't matter which form or forms, or how many you do at a time. Just sometime during each day get 100 done, all together or spaced out. So anyone else that wants to join in, go for it!

BRING IT!!! Lost 2 more lbs this week. Total weight loss since 1-10-10 ... 42 lbs and counting!

Core Syergisitics DONE! - BRING IT!!

aredore


If anyone is going to buy P90X or anything from beachbody.com ... PLEASE go through me to get it :)

cake, awesome! I'm on Round 2 as well, just finished Week 3 today! Kenpo X done! Also a bunch of my friends and I are doing the 100 push up challenge the entire month of May. Everyday do 100 push up's. Doesn't matter which form or forms, or how many you do at a time. Just sometime during each day get 100 done, all together or spaced out. So anyone else that wants to join in, go for it!

BRING IT!!! Lost 2 more lbs this week. Total weight loss since 1-10-10 ... 42 lbs and counting!

Is there some sort of incentive for you if someone buys P90x thru you?  Just curious...

William ... yes you can become a "Coach" where you can help motivate and keep others accountable and they can buy their beachbody.com products through you and yes you get commission. And it's for ALL beachbody.com products and supplements. HUGE news this week as the American Diabetes Association has now fully endorsed every single beachbody.com product and the Coaching Network! We're on a mission to change lives and that's what I'm trying to do not only with my own first but through my changes and pictures, trying to inspire others as well! Anyone can sign up as a Coach but you've got to have that burning fire inside to really be a Coach and yes you can make money at the same time!

Week 4, Core Syn done!!! BRING IT!!!

Just about to head off to the gym at the hotel

It will help get over the jet lag methinks

Woke up an hour earlier than usual today.  Gonna use that time to head to the gym.  Tired but happy.

Happy to report that I got back in the gym yesterday. Let's just say that it was clear that I'd been gone a while.

cardio X done!
BRING IT!!

Massive shoulder workout this morning. Pain!

I weighed in for the first time in a few weeks, and was actually expecting a bit worse than what I saw, so that was nice. I have been re-focused and ready this week!

Kenpo X done!!! BRING IT!!!

In the end got three sessions in at the gym, which goes some way to offsetting the huge food mountain we ate each day

Hwangman


K, another noob question.  This is regarding the whole "losing weight vs. toning muscle" issue.

Ideally, i'd only want to lose weight around my midsection.  I'm not fat, and i don't have a beer gut, but my stomach isn't flat.  That's the only area i'm worried about.  However, i know that i can't just go do 1000 crunches per day and instantly have 6-pack abs.  I have to lose weight from all over first, right?

It's all to do with diet and cardio. The abdominal muscles are like any other muscle group and should be trained once (at maximum twice) every week. They need time to recuperate and grow just like any other muscle group. Also, you do actually use your abs for many other movements such as squats and deadlift. It's very easy to overtrain them. All I do is a crunch movement and a lifting movement for my lower abdominal muscles. 

But there is no point in putting hard work into your abdominal training if you have a layer of fat covering them up right? So you need to burn that off with your cardio. Best thing to do is do it in the morning on an empty stomach - have two glasses of warm water, then do some intense cardio. I personally think cycling is the best form of cardio to do, but I guess it differs from person to person. As you are doing it on an empty stomach, your body doesn't have any food to get it's energy from, so it will burn your fat. 

How many carbs do you eat a day? You need to really monitor them well if you have any hope of attaining visible abdominal muscles. Have more of them in the morning, and slow the carb consumption right down during the day. I think the golden rule is no carbs after about 17:00PM. Obviously you don't want to cut them out altogether, that would be silly as you need them for a well balanced diet. I generally tend to get mine from fruit and vegetables. Jacket Potatoes are a good source. Stay well away from pasta, white rice and white bread. They will only bloat you. Go easy on the oats as well. 

If you feel cutting out the carbs is making you feel tired and you really aren't getting along with it, then eat some essential fats for extra energy. I get mine from a variety of Nuts - Pecan and Maccadamia are my favourite. 

Good look with losing that midsection fat. 

Oh, and do some vacuums every now and again. Those are awesome for knocking inches off your waist. 

I have to disagree with this...

Now, I am sure there are many viewpoints and I can only say that for ME...food in the morning is the most important thing you can do.  Especially if you are going to do cardio.

To say that there is no food in your stomach so your body is going to burn fat is a bit misleading and not entirely true.  Your body uses your stored fat for energy in some circumstances but your body muscle is also a source.  If you want to start burning off your own muscle do loads of cardio with no food in your stomach...trust me, as an ultra-runner I battle with this constantly.

Spike...I agree with every other point you made...I just want to add another viewpoint on the "breakfast, or no breakfast" discussion.  

This is, of course, just another viewpoint...so please everyone, do your own research and "listen" to what your body tells you.

I disagree with no food in your stomach and working out on an empty stomach. Your body typically starts burning lean muscle and not true fat is what I've always heard. What I do is eat a small handful of raisins, then work out 15 mins later. This way it's eating away at the raisins/sugar and not my lean muscle.

X-Stretch this morning, keep it up all! BRING IT!

Taking Tues/Thurs off this week as I get back in the swing again. Don't want to go too hard the first week, as I've done that before and lived to regret it.

For my cardio, it is first thing in the morning, empty stomach. Not saying that is the best way, but its what I have to do because I can't eat right after I get up, and I go to the gym at 5:00AM. I'm always willing to try new things, so if anyone has an even somewhat definitive answer on this, please share!

WilliamMunny


I have to disagree with this...

Now, I am sure there are many viewpoints and I can only say that for ME...food in the morning is the most important thing you can do.  Especially if you are going to do cardio.

Don't get me wrong WM, I would never train with weights on an empty stomach. I just prefer doing cardio first thing in the morning before I have eaten. I find having some warm water gives me the energy I need, and I'm always looking forward to breakfast when I get back. Personally I have found the best results doing it this way, but nobody is the same. 

I suppose at the end of the day, it all depends on what the rest of your diet and training plan is. Luckily for me, I find I can burn fat easily training this way - plus, I don't really lose my muscle mass. But then again, I have quite a high protein intake. 

Different strokes for different folks I guess. To me, the beauty of training is there is no wrong or right way - it's all about experience and trial and error. You have to experiment with different techniques to see what gets the best results. 

DTD


Taking Tues/Thurs off this week as I get back in the swing again. Don't want to go too hard the first week, as I've done that before and lived to regret it.

For my cardio, it is first thing in the morning, empty stomach. Not saying that is the best way, but its what I have to do because I can't eat right after I get up, and I go to the gym at 5:00AM. I'm always willing to try new things, so if anyone has an even somewhat definitive answer on this, please share!

Like I said earlier, small handful of raisins, wait 15 mins, then workout. I used to do the empty stomach until my friend gave me the raisin suggestion, it works great!!!

I did Core Synergistics today and Chest and Back yesterday on p90x... I'm sore lol

Today was Core Syn, whoohoo!!! BRING IT!!!

Major chest and back blast today. Great workout and I am going to be sore as hell tomorrow.

Too bad my day went to shit right after that...

spikelineus


It's all to do with diet and cardio. The abdominal muscles are like any other muscle group and should be trained once (at maximum twice) every week. They need time to recuperate and grow just like any other muscle group. Also, you do actually use your abs for many other movements such as squats and deadlift. It's very easy to overtrain them. All I do is a crunch movement and a lifting movement for my lower abdominal muscles. 

But there is no point in putting hard work into your abdominal training if you have a layer of fat covering them up right? So you need to burn that off with your cardio. Best thing to do is do it in the morning on an empty stomach - have two glasses of warm water, then do some intense cardio. I personally think cycling is the best form of cardio to do, but I guess it differs from person to person. As you are doing it on an empty stomach, your body doesn't have any food to get it's energy from, so it will burn your fat. 

How many carbs do you eat a day? You need to really monitor them well if you have any hope of attaining visible abdominal muscles. Have more of them in the morning, and slow the carb consumption right down during the day. I think the golden rule is no carbs after about 17:00PM. Obviously you don't want to cut them out altogether, that would be silly as you need them for a well balanced diet. I generally tend to get mine from fruit and vegetables. Jacket Potatoes are a good source. Stay well away from pasta, white rice and white bread. They will only bloat you. Go easy on the oats as well. 

If you feel cutting out the carbs is making you feel tired and you really aren't getting along with it, then eat some essential fats for extra energy. I get mine from a variety of Nuts - Pecan and Maccadamia are my favourite. 

Good look with losing that midsection fat. 

Oh, and do some vacuums every now and again. Those are awesome for knocking inches off your waist. 

Thanks.  I've been going 4-5 days per week lately, and i alternate between cardio and weights.  I don't know what the vacuum exercises are.  I'll start doing some crunches once or twice a week, though, maybe after my usual workouts.

I'm sure a big part of my problem is diet.  When i was working out last year, i started keeping a food journal, but i got lazy w/it.  Money's tight between my wife and i, so as much as we'd like to always shop at the local Whole Foods and get the really healthy stuff, it's not an option.  We will get burritos from the local place once per week, but we usually eat in the rest of the time, and we have stuff like pasta, raviolis, tacos, etc.  Neither of us enjoy cooking, so it's hard to get super motivated to try out a bunch of recipes.  For now, it looks like i'll just have to worry about working out since we're not likely to revamp our food situation any time soon.

Yoga X Done! Week 4 P90X Done! BRING IT!!!

I'm ready for Week 5 on Monday, it gets super hard again!!!

Holy crap am I sore from Friday!! It's a "good" sore, though, so that's good. Making sure I get enough protein for recovery and staying hydrated!

Hwangman


I'm sure a big part of my problem is diet.  When i was working out last year, i started keeping a food journal, but i got lazy w/it.  Money's tight between my wife and i, so as much as we'd like to always shop at the local Whole Foods and get the really healthy stuff, it's not an option.  We will get burritos from the local place once per week, but we usually eat in the rest of the time, and we have stuff like pasta, raviolis, tacos, etc.  Neither of us enjoy cooking, so it's hard to get super motivated to try out a bunch of recipes.  For now, it looks like i'll just have to worry about working out since we're not likely to revamp our food situation any time soon.

A food journal is a really good idea. Try and get back into doing that if you can - just get that motivation back! I find you don't have to spend loads to have a well balanced, decent diet. Obviously having extra $$$ does help though. One of the big problems is finding a bag of pasta, having nothing else to eat in the house, and not being bothered to walk to the shops to get something else. Trust me, I've been there and done that! Getting that initial level of motivation is hard work,but once you grasp it it just becomes second nature. For me, the hardest part was cutting out things like biscuits and chocolate bars. Snacky shit. 

I'll have to get back into keeping the journal current and seeing how many calories i'm averaging per day.  The wife and i were just trying to figure out some healthier meals, but we're at a loss.  Like i said, we both hate cooking, and by the time we're both home at night, we don't want to spend 30-60 minutes cooking, plus have a bunch of dishes to clean afterwards.  We need something that takes 10 minutes maximum to cook and is super healthy, which i've never encountered.

I snack a LOT during the day too, so i need some healthy stuff.  I always have fresh fruit around, as well as pita chips and some 90 calorie Special K bars.  Thing is, i need a bunch in order to stay satisfied...after snacking, i'll give myself 20 minutes or so to let the food hit my stomach, but i'm usually still starving after that.  Bummer.

Back to routine today

Chest mostly and some time on the bike

Rd 2 Wk 5 Day 1 - Chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Abs - DONE! I'm seriously toast, wow what a killer workout!

Keep it up everyone! BRING IT!!!

wk 5 day 2 plyometrics - DONE!

although, I shouldn't be too proud of myself, I missed my workouts on saturday and sunday, due to having house guests. I feel llike a lazy piece of shit. BACK ON TRACK!!!! BRING IT!!!

240 now. ...fitting in L shirts. ;)

Nice shoulders session

Although I don't think my new NO tablets are working, wheras the NO-Xplode was the bomb

DTman2112


wk 5 day 2 plyometrics - DONE!

although, I shouldn't be too proud of myself, I missed my workouts on saturday and sunday, due to having house guests. I feel llike a lazy piece of shit. BACK ON TRACK!!!! BRING IT!!!

Missing a day makes me feel bad, except every Sun which is my actual rest day. Having said that, keep it up and don't stop!!!

P90X Rd 2 Week 5 Day 2 - PLYO X DONE!!! WOW! 722 Calorie burn, Avg heart rate 137, Max 173. WHEW!!! Thank goodness for the Recovery Drink!!! BRING IT!!!

By the way, I have lost 49 LBS since Jan 10th of this year!!!

^^ Way to go man! You are kicking all kinds of ass, dude!

Slept in late today so i skipped the gym.  I did some crunches and some reps w/weights here at the apartment, but no 30-40 minute session like usual.  I felt guilty today, so i'm sure i'll be back at the gym tomorrow.  Trying to keep going 4-5 days per week as long as i can...it's annoying but satisfying.  Only thing is that i thought i'd see more progress by now.  I think this is my 6th week of going on a regular schedule, and aside from a little more bulk in my biceps, i don't see much difference.  That said, i haven't been doing any abdominal exercises until now, so i think i'll focus more on those than on weights over the next month and see how that works for me.

DTD


^^ Way to go man! You are kicking all kinds of ass, dude!

Thanks! Long way to go but I'm VERY happy with the progress so far with it being not even mid May. I know it's going to get harder to lose weight at some point so I'm pushing it hard now to do my best! :)

BRING IT!!!

Back, Biceps and Abs - DONE!

BRING IT!!!

All arms this morning and when I arrived I had the gym to myself

I know it was 5am, but that is still unusual

Cool session this morning

I am currently increasing the cardio, hoping to get back to the old mix of weights and cardio