Mgoblogger Fitness Survey - What Are You Doing to Stay Fit?
Mates,
Despite the fact that it's pretty close to zero degrees with the wind chill, and on top of snow last night we're expecting another 1/2 foot today and tomorrow, spring is here. And if spring is here, beach season is just around the corner. Yesterday a few of the Mgoblogger-razzi made comments that they were just getting back into some form of regular fitness routine. I also remember some prior posts where some of our brother/sister bloggers were pretty hard-core about their training.
So today's question is this: What are you doing (or about to start in the foreseeable future) to get and/or stay in shape? Cardio work? If so, what type(s) and how often? Weights? Same sub-questions. Mix and match, maybe. Might be good if you have any specific diet tips to share.
Two things this thread is NOT: a listing of how many lbs you can lift, 4 minute miles you run, etc. Also, this is not a mental fitness request - there aren't enough terrabites, servers and clouds to store the collective neurosis that is particular to Michigan fans....
Have a great weekend,
XM
EDIT: A number of you have shared some anxiety issues in the context of exercise and I want to compliment all of the responses thereto - very thoughtful all the way around.
The first thing that should be discussed, and the only thing that matters, is your diet. I could wax poetic about the changes necessary to lose weight and maintain a healthy shape, but there are thousands of books and articles on the subject. The wife and I use Advocare to maintain our diets and love it.
That said, I believe constant muscle confusion is the way to gains. I do a mix of varying yoga classes (which I love for the physical and mental edge) in both regular and Bikram settings, heavy cycling and interval weight training. If you can mix those in 4 days a week and change your diet (try giving up sugar and beer), you will see the weight fall off.
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Hit it on the head here. A great way to jumpstart your diet/fitness is the whole 30 challenge. Find it on amazon. No sugar/alcohol for 30 days working in weights/cardio. The wife and I did it and literally have never felt better.
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How do you expect me to get drunk without alcohol?
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...an hour ago. Does that count?
Did you go to bed?
Turpentine
Or be SugarShane without sugar
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It's all about what you eat
Eating healthy is good but if you eat a lot, you aren't losing weight. My name is experience and I'm talking to ya...
It's 80% nutrition 20% working out. What goes in your body is where the magic happens. It is 12:40 pm and I logged in to read the blog while I eat my 3rd meal of the day. I'm reading this eating 5oz of ground turkey, 1/2 cup brown rice, asparagus, and a handful of almonds. I use a jalapeno mustard on the turkey.
I work out 4x per week hitting every body part once and abs 3x. Do 20 min of cardio 2x week. I transformed my body 2 years ago when I got the nutrtion part right from a very knowledgeable trainer.
When you see people in the gym week after week, year after year and they always look the same, it is solely due to their diet.
I've been doing t25 and eating strictly chicken and greens. Fruits for breakfast and snacks and s protein shake. I've slimmed out and my gym membership has became a waste. Il go there on weekends only to do arms
is definitely a factor. My thing is to eliminate sugars from my diet, I am more along the lines of neo-paleo-atkins without going crazy (or eating too much bacon. But ya gotta have some bacon!). I work out 6 days/week, and have been doing so for decades. I cycle 3x/week (30-50 miles each session, with hills), take two "boot camp" classes/week, and do the step mill for 45-60 min (interval training program) each week. I'll also change things up, just to break the routine.
Fitness and nutrition need to be a total lifestyle commitment- you can't really have an "off season" and you can't "go on a diet." You can't eat an ice cream sundae and say, "I'll start my diet tomorrow!"
Fitness is great, yet nutrition is where all the gainz come. If you want to bulk, take in more than you burn in protein, carbs, and a bit of fat. If you want to get lean, take in less than you burn, cut the carbs. Spread meals out, don't eat near bed, get a good night's sleep every night.
If you can be disciplined with a routine, and be patient enough to wait for the magic to happen (and it will happen), you'll see serious progress. You don't need to be Arnold or similar benching 400 to get shredded.
You are correct!
the less I believe this. I'll believe that it is easier to eat fewer calories while eating vegetables. But is there any evidence that eating different foods is healthier in any way beyond a calorie count? Nutritional science is overwhelmed with pseudoscience and it's so challenging to find anything convincing. In the meantime it seems to me that amount of food is the only thing that matters, but I would gladly read otherwise.
I lost 31 pounds in 2 months - it is amazing - just do it!
I do cardio only. Stair climber and treadmill, I like to do the treadmill at a fast walk at a high angle. Both are good workouts.
how long when you go?
5 days a week. Stair climber 25-35 minutes. Treadmill 5-15
Please tell me you don't hang on the support bars....!
Mgoblog on iPhone and on the computer. Cross-training.
q: how can you tell when someone does cross-fit?
a: its the first thing they say to you.
I actually do and love CrossFit but I get why people make fun of it. And there are too many good GIFs making fun of it to not join in.
Crossfit, where every plate looks like a 45, and the trainers will likely get you injured.
As a crosfitter, the stigma about injuries is stupidly false. I've yet to meet a coach that will teach you anything that would injure you.
do you even lift?
Most trainers are very good and diligent about form. But different gyms employ a myriad of trainers, and I have run across a couple muscle heads who fit the over-the-top stereotype. But only a couple. They are the outliers.
I love CrossFit.
I knew I liked you
I said the same thing. And although I think it's the programming more than the trainers themselves, I quit CrossFit 2 years ago because I had fucked up my knees, back and shoulder. I was 30, no reason for that many injuries other than it was way too hard on my body. I'm not saying it's bad, but it's hard to argue that injuries aren't more prevalent.
Now I just run. I try to run 10-15 miles a week, mix in some abs and push ups (or other body weight work outs) at home either after my runs or on my rest days.
It's the programming. You can take the absolute best fitness coach in the world and they still wouldn't be able to manage a safe workout environment in a crossfit gym. Crossfit takes exercises that were meant to be done for quality, power and strength in a well rested state, and mixed them with highly fatiguing circuit training principles. That is mixing fire and gasoline... Crossfit does a lot right especially with regards to building community in their gyms, motivating clients with palpable goals, and teaching good form and mobility. The problem is that even with the best form and mobility in the world, you are eventually going to get hurt when you are doing 40" box jumps after 100 reps of deadlifts, cleans, and overhead presses.
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You don't want to ruin anyone's self esteem by making it obvious they aren't as strong as someone else.
Someone told this man to do this. I cannot think of a better way to injure your back.
This definitely looks like a back injury waiting to happen, but it's also not CrossFit either, even though the flashing words at the bottom are very convincing.
Yeah, that's not CrossFit. There are plenty of ways to injure yourself doing crossfit, but that's not one of them.
The problem I had with CrossFit is during the WOD you get tired, and your form goes out the window. Even when the weights aren't that heavy, lifting weights for time while fatigued is not a recipe for success.
I often throw a fit.
Does that count?
Twice a week I work with a 16lb dumbbell, push-ups and stomach crunches. Sometimes I jog around the neighborhood.
I work with a couple 200 pound Dumbbells
I have a Concept 2 rower for days like this.
I'm saving my allowance to buy one of those. Such a great thing to have in Michigan winters
My wife got me into the Insanity DVD's, and I really like them. 30 minutes to an hour of super intense cardio/plyo that I can get in after the kids go to bed. I was always a runner, not much into the gym, and assumed those DVD workouts were basically infomercial trash. Turns out I love them (or at least this series).
#GetSome
less impact than T25
also did Hammer and Chisel - Beach body has it dialed in
I just finished my second week of p90x3. I have not lost any weight on the scale but my clothes fit better and I feel great, but really sore.
I can do 35 reps of 220 lbs WHILE running a 4:25 mile.
I otherwise walk vigorously. A lot. Gimpy knees preclude my old pastimes of running and hoops.
right?
Half barrels. No pony kegs allowed.
of the emergency exit stairs!
Without clanging on the concrete or railings!
next thing you know, people will be drinking 2 % if you let that weakness into your life.
He SMUGGLES kegs. Naked.
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before he starts drinking from it
As a young'un, I like to walk vigorously with a weighted vest. Still much better than jogging on the joints, and I can actually work up a sweat wearing 60 extra pounds.
My top advice for anyone buying a weighted vest is to shell out for one with excellent straps. Uncomfortability on the shoulders or an inability to get the vest secured to your torso makes it impossible to use. Mine straps firmly to my chest such that not all the weight sits on my shoulders, and I can even run sprints or play pick-up basketball wearing it without it bouncing around.