Great Lakes Fitness Center

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FuzzyVelcro
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by FuzzyVelcro »

That is so awesome, Dan! Excellent job!

Just did my final Stage 1 New Rules of Lifting for Women workout (big THANK YOU to Rome for posting about it in this thread a ways back). I started out only using an empty bar, "girly" dumbbells, and/or body weight.

Six weeks later I finished with 2 sets of:

Squats: 8 @80lbs
Pushups: Started at an angle against the wall, now on the floor.
Bent-over rows: 8@70lbs
Step-Ups: 8 @ 60 lbs (230lb dumbbells)
Prone Swiss Ball Jackknives: Went from 8 to 15
Deadlift: 8 @80lbs
Shoulder press: 8 @25lbs (tried the 30lb dumbbells and couldn't even get the bloody things up at the starting position even using momentum :p)
Lat Pullovers: 8 at forty pounds
Lunges: 8 w/ two 35lb dumbbells
Swiss ball crunches: Went from 8 to 15 as well.

Not bad progression in 6 weeks for an old broad. ;) Next Stage is when the real fun begins wheeeee! :D

I'm also doing treadmill and kickboxing intervals two-three times a week for a fat-burning boost and because I love the energy I get from doing it. Plus punching and kicking the hell out of a bag is a great stress reliever. ;)
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Dankelzaga »

Just checking in with everyone! Hope your all doing well and working towards meeting your goals. I've been chugging along but really hit a wall in terms of weight loss. I realize "weight" isn't a true indicator of fitness, but all the same..I need to lose more to truly hit me personal goals. I feel great and I suppose that is what really matters.

I decided to start the insanity program as my work has a wellness program and they started a group for it. It's nice as a whole group is doing it and it is right after my workday. Really adds to the overall accountability. I actually enjoyed the first day and was pretty proud of myself as I'm not all that fatigued or sore. I'm sure it only gets uglier but I'm up for the challenge. Doing something like insanity in a room full of people really makes me want to give it my all.

Take care everyone..with the weather starting to get nice it should make things a bit easier in terms of getting out, movin' and shakin'.

Stay on Target!!!!
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by FuzzyVelcro »

Keep at it, Dan! :)

Still working on it myself and nearly halfway through Stage 3 of the program I am officially addicted to this lifestyle change. When I had to take a few days off due to my knee being bothersome I think I was driving everyone as crazy as I felt myself.

I also downloaded the Zombies, Run! app yesterday and am doing my first workout with it today. I've never been a runner, but easing into it these past few weeks is quickly turning me into one.
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Crimson »

Great job, Dan and Ang!

Dan, make sure you're adjusting your caloric intake appropriately as you get smaller but more active.

Ang, running is addictive (as you can see from what I do ;)). Make sure you have good shoes, too. I need to think about replacing one of my pairs that's not even a year old..... but I suppose that means I've been beating the crap out of them!
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by jabba974 »

Ok...I just went back into the gym after about 150 years....The second day was a killer! Over did the arms and shoulders a little bit..... And was told I'm not in high school anymore....WTH?!?!? lol So backed up a little and decided to just get the mucles moving again, light wieghts and multiple exercises I think for the first week or two... I did hit the bike some...Not as bad as I had thought I would be...

The main reason I am getting back into the gym, besides the fact that I am tired of not feeling "Strong" any more is that being diabetic, the meds I am on have caused me to gain back quite a few pounds. I am up around 260 again and want to get back down around 220-225. I know my diet has been off lately too. To many processd meals and the such....

ANybody have a good workout plan for a beginner?
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Dankelzaga »

Awesome job of getting back into it. You can do it. I'm no fitness expert but over the last 15 months I've found some things that really work well and certainly things that don't. When it comes to exercises everyone is certainly different.

I've become a big believer in whole body type exercises. While weights certainly have a place in the fitness, I believe that managing your own body weight is the first and most important "weight". You can get plenty of cardio and weight training just by incorporating circuits of functional exercises. Do a search or youtube for plenty of examples. Things like jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, push up, leg lifts, etc, etc.

At any rate, just my quick advice..I'm sure others will chip in. Keep at it and best of luck.
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Crimson »

In the realm of weight-lifting for overall strength & fitness (as opposed to bodybuilding), there are 6 moves that are really the only essentials that are needed:
  1. Squat -- quads, core
  2. Deadlift -- hamstrings, core
  3. Bent-over rows -- biceps, shoulders, upper back
  4. Pull-ups -- biceps, lats
  5. Overhead press -- triceps, shoulders
  6. Bench press -- triceps, chest
Each of them are compound moves, so they work more than one muscle group at a time, which means more workout in less time than isolation moves -- notice that there aren't any curls of any kind in this list (bicep, hamstring, preacher, etc.) or extensions (tricep extensions, skullcrushers, etc.).

There are plenty of variations available to each of these exercises, but these are the fundamentals.

There are also a few myths and misconceptions as well, which we tend to either forget or are simply ignorant of, particularly as we get older. When we were teenagers, our metabolisms were sky-high so we could eat anything and everything and not worry. Not so much the case as most of us have crested that 30 barrier :)

The TLDR summary:
  • Lift weights using compound moves for maximum efficiency, effectiveness, and balance.
  • Lift an amount of weight per exercise that's heavy enough to where you achieve failure of proper form and routine at about 8-10 reps in per set.
  • Aerobic exercises are good, but not the be-all-end-all of exercises.
  • Eat at an appropriate amount for your body size and activity level
  • Be patient. You didn't gain all this weight overnight, so you're not going to lose it any faster.
  • Make it a lifestyle, not a temporary fix
Weight loss comes from eating less than we burn, but there's a lower limit to that. Our bodies will not let us subsist on less than what is essential for survival (called BMR, or basal metabolic rate). Weight loss also does not occur on a linear progression, but an exponential one: the less we have to lose, the slower the rate of loss goes, and as we approach our physical limit, the rate of loss slows more and more (again, because we have less to lose).

Muscle-mass gain comes from eating more than we burn. So you can probably see the conflict that occurs when someone says "I want to lose fat but build muscle. How do I do that?" Beginners cannot do this effectively. They can increase strength while on calorie deficit (strength being not just a physical manifestation but also neurological), but adding mass is well-nigh impossible (muscles need fuel and material in order to increase mass; if the body is burning most of it for just daily operations, there's none left over for adding material to muscle bulk).

Optimum fat loss while retaining lean tissue comes from weight-lifting. Not cardio. This is another myth (I know it sounds odd coming from me, of all people, but bear with me a moment). Cardio -- or more accurately, "aerobic exercise" -- burns calories, yes. But that level and type of activity causes the body to burn whatever it can get its proverbial hands on, and that includes lean tissue.

AKA: muscle

There is such a huge push toward cardio activities because of what amounts to the effects of immediate satisfaction. You work hard, you sweat a lot, you're breathing like you're going to die....therefore, you've obviously done some good! With weight-lifting, you're sore, but you didn't sweat nearly as much and you're not out of breath. Therefore, you must not have worked as hard to burn fat.

This is wrong.

Aerobic activity aids the cardiopulmonary system (hence the term "cardio") and improves endurance, but as a sole method of fat loss, it's not as efficient as pure weight-lifting.

"Toning" and "getting toned" are bad words and should never be used. Ever. They're used typically by women who fear "getting bulky" and therefore relegate themselves to stripped-down half-effort workouts which end up being more of a waste of time than an effective workout. Women do not have the hormonal capability to "bulk up." Yes, they can get more athletic and lean, but the She-Hulk look comes from "additives" that we shall not discuss here.

So, now that I've overloaded everyone with this stream-of-consciousness, how do we figure out what an appropriate amount of food is? I mentioned calorie deficit above and how there's a limit because it's not a linear progression. One of the most common traps that catch people is undereating, because they figure that if they maintain a daily calorie deficit of 500 in order to lose 1 lb. a week, then a daily deficit of 1000 would result in 2 lbs. a week, right?

WRONG

The body is smarter than that, and won't allow us to make that extreme a shocking change. It will react by slowing the metabolism to preserve every ounce of fuel storage we have because so little food over an extended period of time signals famine. Smaller calorie deficits trick the body into burning off just a little bit of extra fat over time while still being fed appropriately and sufficiently, and that long-term approach is what works.

Obviously, each body is different in food intake requirements. It depends primarily on our gender, age, height, and current weight. There are a number of on-line calculators available, and most will provide slightly different results. The idea is to take those results as mere estimates because computers aren't jacked directly into our metabolisms to calculate real-time burn (yet....).

BMR is what the body burns just to stay alive -- heart beating, cells processing, lungs breathing, etc. Absolutely no one -- male, female, old, young -- should be eating below their BMR. For me, at 5'8", 40 years old, and weighing 158, my BMR is about 1600 (it's actually probably actually a bit higher in reality). From that lowest limit, we then have to calculate our regular daily burn, known as TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). This is what we'd burn on an average day: waking up, brushing teeth, going to work, watching TV, etc.

For me, I'm probably around 2000 since my daily routine is usually pretty sedentary. So if I wanted to lose fat just from diet alone, I should be consuming around 1700 calories and expect a pretty slow rate of loss because that's just barely over my BMR.

And this is where exercise comes in. Because I have such a narrow window of opportunity, adding exercise and increasing my calorie burn is the only way I can more effectively manage my intake vs. output. If I run about 4 miles, that's approximately 500 calories burned, which would put my TDEE for the day at around 2500. That gives me opportunity to increase my food intake to around 2000-2200 calories and still expect a reasonable weight-loss rate but also bearing in mind that the loss won't be just restricted to fat cells, but also muscle tissue. This is why most long-distance runners are so lean and lanky, and you never see elite marathon runners who also look like tanks.
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Dankelzaga »

Just an absolutely awesome post Rome...thank you. I work at a hospital and they have a machine that is used for ventilated patients to determine their BMR in order to adjust tube feeds. They were offering it to employees for a fee in order to provide very accurate data as to BMR. I didn't feel like coughing up the funds but thought that would be interesting.
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Crimson »

Thanks, Dan. This was all cobbled together after a couple of years of research from an Average Person perspective (so I left out all the thermodynamics and physiology :)) as well as participating in a pretty good diet/fitness forum with a bunch of people who know more than I do.

I should also note that I am not actually against isolation moves, as may be implied in my novel. Isos have their place, especially for bodybuilding and targeting specific muscles for aesthetics (why I tend to do deltoid raises). But for general strength for everyday living, as well as a program for beginners or coming-back-after-hiatus, compound moves are more effective and efficient in the beginning.

When moving furniture, a squat and rows would be more likely to be used than bicep curls. Putting boxes up on a shelf would involve an overhead press rather than tricep extensions.
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by jabba974 »

Love the Novel! lol You made some great points that I have forgotting in my many years away from the "healthy" scene.... I know that unlike cardio workouts, a wieght training program continues to burn calories even after you stop working out... I am useing wieght training to help increase the strength that I have lost over the years...I was a pretty big/strong kid coming out of high school, but I also worked out in the wieght room twice a day, as well as competed in sports...

Another reason for working out, is to help control my blood sugar. I believe I set the record for A1C levels at my doctors office at around 18... Any of you that know what that means, you can pick your jaws up off the floor now :blink: The health coach nurse at the doctors office is working with me to bring these numbers back under control, and above eating better, she suggested more exercise( or any at all)...

I have trouble getting meals in throughout the day. Very seldom do I really feel hungry, so I will miss meals. My work schedule doesnt help much, since I work from 4pm to 4am. I was shocked to learn that when we go without food, our bodies release sugars to compensate for lack of fuel, which will raise blood sugar levels. I have found this to be true, since when I eat what I feel is to much through out the day, my numbers are generally better, then when I have gone without...

Over the past 2 weeks, my B.S. numbers have been closer to target levels of 85-120, as opposed to the 300 range. I still will have an occasional spike around 200, but that seems to happen when I eat poorly..
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Crimson »

Chronic undereating can trigger appetite suppression, which then continues into this self-perpetuating cycle. It seems counter-intuitive to say "eat more to lose weight!" but it's applicable when considering that a person might not have been eating enough to begin with.
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by FuzzyVelcro »

Rome that was a great post! I've been trying to educate my coworkers who have been trying to follow my example since they saw the results I have been getting since I started lifting and changing the way I nourish myself. The hardest thing for them to understand (besides the fact that you actually have to put the effort in if you want to accomplish anything :p) is that you can't put your body in starvation mode and expect to lose weight in a healthy and lasting way. I get " ZOMG you're eating again?!?!?!?!" comments all.day.long. even after I, as well as my fitness enthusiast CO, have told them I have to fuel the machine properly with good stuff to make it work efficiently. ;)
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Crimson »

I already have the reputation for eating like a Hobbit here at work. :D
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

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I'm having second breakfast myself right now. ;)
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by jabba974 »

Eating enough seems to be my biggest obsticle right now....For years, I have normally gone with the two meals a day plan, which I know is the wrong way to go, but it is difficult for me to get the meals in...when I do eat, I feel so full all the time that I dont feel hungry... I also have a horrible sugar/chocolate craving after meals... I am not sure why that is, but its bad! :whatthe: I decided to try a chocolate protein shake to help curb that craving...I found one that is fairly low in carbs/sugar...That has seemed to help, but I hope its not hurting in other ways...I am trying to use it after workouts and at least a few hours after meals.
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Dankelzaga »

I know changing eating routines can be really difficult. Hang in there. One of the biggest things that I've learned to do is simply plan, plan, plan. I've gotten into a habit of pretty much setting up my entire days meals and snacks the night before. The benefit is 1) You will establish a good eating plan 2) You will avoid spur of the moment craving type situation in which you don't have something on hand to eat and settle for poor other options 3) You will be able to better track calories.

I'm not sure what type of exercising you are up to at this point, but I would really, really emphasize the whole "six" small meals/snack scenario. It doesn't have to be elaborate.

Just as an example my typical day looks something like this. I'm certainly not perfect..and I have poor choice/cheat days. But I really have gotten into a pretty good routine of this sort of thing. I'm just putting some typical choices also... I don't eat everything I'm listing in one sitting of course.

Meal 1
2 to 3 eggs fried in 100% virgin coconut oil
Steel Cut Oats with bananas or other fruit
Greek Yogurt with Bare Naked protein granola
Ezekial Whole Grain Bread with Peanut butter and Banana
Breakfast sandwich made with a light english muffin, egg beaters, 2% cheese slice, and lean ham

Snack 2 (Be very careful about protein bars and shakes--do your research..there are good ones and very bad ones. Lots of info out there about them.
Protein Bar
Protein Shake
Apple slices with peanut butter
Almonds
Walnuts
Handful of chia seeds

Meal 3
Some sort of sandwich on Ezekial bread
Chicken breast with Quinoa
Any sort of salad with an amount of protein and I use whatever dressing I can find with 100% virgin olive oil

Snack 4
Same list as above but at this point in my day I always ensure I'm getting some sort of simple starch/simple sugar such as a small apple as my workout is about one hour after this time frame.

Dinner 5
Some sort of Lean protein with some sort of vegetable and depending on my appetite or mood possibly a starch such as sweet potatoes, quinoa, small baked potato, and a small side salad.

Snack 6
This is the one meal/snack I find really varies in my routine..I find somedays I'm not hungry and others I'm starving. I have to use this snack/meal to often hit my calorie needs as I have found I'm often under. I find myself eating nuts or peanut butter most of the time as the good oils are important. Nuts and such have really high calorie counts in a small amount. Peanut butter and nuts can be your best friend or worst enemy if you can't find yourself controlling your intake relative to them.

Whew...just some examples and you'll find what works for you. I can't emphasize the importance of planning ahead through. I know you have always heard it a million times but....water is a great ally. Keep your intake of water high. It will help you in many ways.

Also, if you are exercising..your body simply must have fuel. Two meals a day is likely going to slow down your metabolism and hurt more than help. You want to keep that inner fire burning all day.

Dan
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Crimson »

I'm not going to log individual workouts anymore -- there are too many :D

Total miles for June 2013: 44.45
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

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Total miles for July, 2013: 28.96
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

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Total miles for August, 2013: 52.7
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Re: Great Lakes Fitness Center

Post by Dankelzaga »

Thought I'd check in and see how people are doing with their health challenges. I started posting in this thread a little over 2 years ago and I'm happy to say that I'm kept my weight off, integrated some form of fitness into my daily routines, and generally made some lifestyle changes that have become routine. Thanks to each of you for your informative and supportive posts over that time frame.
I started up another round of Insanity and while there are some things about it I'm not fond of, I do enjoy it.
As some of you may know, I went through a cancer scare and I really think "being healthier" allowed me to better face that battle.
At any rate, hope everyone is doing well with their own personal health challenges. I'm certainly not a fitness expert but I feel like I've learned a ton over the last two years with regard to healthy recipes, whole body fitness, and little tools to help fitness not seem so daunting. If you need a biker scout shoulder to cry on, or a supportive listening ear just holler.
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