I’d drop those crunches though (or replace them with weighted crunches, low rep - depending on what else you’re doing), if you want to build muscle around your core. Because muscle won’t grow in response to high reps.
Thanks for the advice. :) How many reps should I be aiming for with say, weighted crunches, 10-20?
My situation was similar to tiohn’s in that I wanted to exercise but couldn’t really afford a gym. I bought a couple of pairs of dumbbells and began doing some of the beginner routines from this book. The results were fairly modest after a few months of three-times-a-week workouts and I’ve recently been re-thinking my options there.
I am also jogging every other day now after completing the Couch-to-5k plan and am up to 10k per run. This doesn’t really do me any good in terms of building muscle, so I’m looking to complement it with either a re-worked weight routine or something else.
I lost most of my weight (40+ pounds) by changing to a diet that cut out fast food, junk food and reduced sugar as much as possible.
Sure, and make sure you get full range of movement without just flexing your hips. Ab workouts always seemed to be black magic for people who had their own personal preference, but I think you’ll want to move your shoulders toward your hips (that are possibly elevated slightly) to exercise those muscles properly. However, I’m not enough of an expert to say this is definitive.
Yeah, but on the lower end of that. Generally people do 5-8 reps to build muscle, because you have to shock it into growing. But abs have a lot of slow-twitch fibers so you can (and I think want to) go a bit higher in reps than you would with most other muscles. So around 8-12. It’s not an exact science of course…it also depends on where you feel you maintain good form. That’s more important than shaving off a couple reps.
I started Couch to 5K this morning. I’m in Florida, and I was having to avoid patches of ice on the pavemment. WTF. At least the twenty-degree weather was incentive to keep moving so that I didn’t freeze to death…
I’ve been slacking off a the past year so my goal is go back to exercising 4 times a week (the fact that I gained 4k the past year has been a bit of a wake up call :( ).
I have been doing Capoeira the past 2 years and it’s really whipped me into shape…so this year I’m thinking Capoeira twice a week + two days of swimming in between.
I used to lift weights but I just can’t stand the boredom. Much prefer doing actual activities :)
I love my Crossfit affiliate so much it hurts.
It’s basically Crossfit with a Rippetoe-ish strength emphasis (which main-page Crossfit sorely neglects).
When I lost weight, I just walked a lot. To and from work, and around the neighbourhood in the evenings, for about 6km total. There was also a big uphill section that seemed to help my cardio a lot – when I started, I’d be exhausted and gasping for air by the time I reached the top, but after a few months, it was like nothing.
Bosu (the half-ball thingy) is fun and effective for home workout. I mostly follow the half hour training video that came with it, or invent my own program. I also have a rowing machine which is quite fun to use too, but those things aren’t cheap.
Since April I have “mountainbiked” myself down to 94Kg/207lbs from about 105Kg/232lbs. Target for this year is getting under 84Kg/185lbs, which should be doable if I keep riding through this harsh winter.
First ride I huffed and puffed around my block for 20 minutes, last Saturday I gulped down 60 Km ~ 37 miles of muddy and icy paths on my newly built singlespeed MTB, left my pals in the dust on most climbs and came back home wishing for more.
I might try running again, as cycling is quite harder to schedule.
I tried couch to 5K when I was at the heaviest and while I could notice my endurance improving, my shins wouldn’t actually support my weight, no matter what shoes, surfaces or techniques I tried.
I’m trying to get a little more in shape too, and have been for a couple of months with limited (i.e. no) success. I’m 5’11 and 180lbs on the nose. I’m quite broad across the shoulders and medium build, but I could certainly stand to be more like 165-170. I don’t really have time or money for the gym, but we do have a fold-out exercise bike. I generally do about 10 miles on it in half-an-hour, aiming for three times a week but not always getting there. I have it set at a slight incline. I have no idea if this is good or not. I am generally tired and sweating, but far from exhausted, by the end - should I be going for longer, or just trying to go quicker? I am generally going at about 85% of my maximum pace, flat-out sprinting for the last three minutes.
I also recently bought some free weights, which seem decent and came with a nifty wallchart. Even with that though, I find it difficult to structure in a 15-20 minute session that’s easy to remember post-bike. Does anyone have any recommendations on that score, preferably online ones? Or any other suggestions as to what I could do to shift these extra 5-10? I already eat like a monk during the week (I did a brutally honest diary), so I figure my once-weekly saturday night of drunken debauchery and eating out shouldn’t be holding me back too much, right?
I’ve set some aggressive goals for myself this year and I know what weight I want to be when I hit my birthday - March 21st. I’ve hit my Jan goal already so I’m working on the Feb one a little early. It already feels great to be losing weight again!
so I figure my once-weekly saturday night of drunken debauchery and eating out shouldn’t be holding me back too much, right?
Once a week might be a little much if you’re really trying to drop some weight. Alcohol and bar food add up quick.
Yeah, this is probably the harsh reality that I don’t want. After a week of Special K, cup-a-soups, and bananas, I’m not sure I can face a weekend without a couple of pints and a nice restaurant somewhere in it. Bah. No fair, I say! My mates eat and drink enough to put me in the shade and never gain a pound. Maybe I could get rid of that niggling half a stone by weeping it out over the injustice of it all. Still, any ideas for resources on the free weights front?
I’m trying to go in the opposite direction. Like RepoMan I’m a super ectomorph (6’2" ~160lbs). I’ve managed to add about 7 pounds or so in the last 4-5 months, but it’s hard. My goal is to look average and toned instead of skinny, but getting enough healthy calories, especially protein, is very time-consuming and expensive.
Well, bodybuilders often have a cheat meal once a week. It’s not a bad idea if it helps keep you sane and on track. But yeah, it’s going to slow you down some… how much depends on the number of calories we’re talking about. ;) Ultimately at the end of the week you need a deficit to lose weight, and there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat.
The thing is though, unless you’re making a permanent change in diet and/or exercise, you’re going to gain these pounds back once you stop your monk diet. On top of that (from how you described your diet), your body probably thinks it’s starving and is reducing your metabolism, eating muscle and preserving fat. All the things you don’t want.
30mins on the bike is good for your heart and such of course, but isn’t going to do much in terms of losing weight. Eat more (high protein, low fat), just never too much at once. Spread it out. You need that to increase metabolism and so your free weight workouts don’t go to waste.
Lift weights in the garage 2 - 3 night per week. Other nights…I have a treadmill in the basement and a small TV with a DVD player in it. I recently got the complete series of The Wire. Slap on the headphones, turn off the lights, do a light jog at a 5% slope and 5 mph for each episode. Good for 60 hours, which should last me through May at least…