The Fitness thread

I try and keep myself fit and after a few years of Lazyitis I started back cycling to work.
Decided to give myself a goal so signed up for the challenge distance at the London Duathlon.
Also signed up for Wimbleball 70.3 in June next year, which is a half ironman so lots of training up ahead for me.
 
So this is exercisers' anonymous? My name's Jonathan and occasionally I do some exercise.

I've been in and out of gyms most of my adult life but never really did anything in them :). Before I was a photographer I worked in IT and didn't fancy looking like I worked in IT so made an effort but it was like twice a week for an hour, mixed CV and light weights. Nothing that does anything.

When I moved to Canterbury I found there aren't any decent gyms. After a year or two I gave in and got a Concept 2 rowing machine and used it off and on for a bit. About 18 months ago I got more serious with it. Ramped it up until I was doing 60 - 70K a week with a half marathon whenever I felt like it (for a couple of glorious weeks I was in the top 200 of the C2 distance leader board for the world :D )

Then in February this year, I heard about P90X. 90 days of exercise guaranteed to change your body. How could I resist? After all, I reckoned I was pretty fit already.

First workout I thought I was going to die. Pull ups and push ups for an hour followed by the hardest abs class I've ever done. I lay on the ground feeling very ill. 89 days later I did the last session. I don't remember the exact numbers but I know I put in over 150 pullups and finally got my head round plyo pushups. I felt awesome.

So I tried Rip:60 with some extra CV workouts. It's like a poor man's TRX with the same workout every day for a week then change - for 8 weeks. Pretty cool.

Part way through some friends started Insanity and I thought "why not? After all I'm outrageously fit". First workout, I thought I was going to die..... Just coming to the end of the first month of that now and it's getting pretty good. Apparently the second month is hard though.

Yeah, reading that back makes me look a little obsessed.....

Best achievement so far? I'm wearing a smaller waist size than I did when I was 21.
 
JonathanRyan said:
So this is exercisers' anonymous? My name's Jonathan and occasionally I do some exercise.

I've been in and out of gyms most of my adult life but never really did anything in them :). Before I was a photographer I worked in IT and didn't fancy looking like I worked in IT so made an effort but it was like twice a week for an hour, mixed CV and light weights. Nothing that does anything.

When I moved to Canterbury I found there aren't any decent gyms. After a year or two I gave in and got a Concept 2 rowing machine and used it off and on for a bit. About 18 months ago I got more serious with it. Ramped it up until I was doing 60 - 70K a week with a half marathon whenever I felt like it (for a couple of glorious weeks I was in the top 200 of the C2 distance leader board for the world :D )

Then in February this year, I heard about P90X. 90 days of exercise guaranteed to change your body. How could I resist? After all, I reckoned I was pretty fit already.

First workout I thought I was going to die. Pull ups and push ups for an hour followed by the hardest abs class I've ever done. I lay on the ground feeling very ill. 89 days later I did the last session. I don't remember the exact numbers but I know I put in over 150 pullups and finally got my head round plyo pushups. I felt awesome.

So I tried Rip:60 with some extra CV workouts. It's like a poor man's TRX with the same workout every day for a week then change - for 8 weeks. Pretty cool.

Part way through some friends started Insanity and I thought "why not? After all I'm outrageously fit". First workout, I thought I was going to die..... Just coming to the end of the first month of that now and it's getting pretty good. Apparently the second month is hard though.

Yeah, reading that back makes me look a little obsessed.....

Best achievement so far? I'm wearing a smaller waist size than I did when I was 21.
Click to expand...

Welcome Jon!

You sound like someone that loves a challenge!

How about I give you a challenging workout to try...just for.......... fun?? Mwuha <secret devilish grin>
 
Phil Young said:
Welcome Jon!

You sound like someone that loves a challenge!

How about I give you a challenging workout to try...just for.......... fun?? Mwuha <secret devilish grin>
Click to expand...

Um, maybe......

I'm supposed to be on a rest week next week so maybe then.

Needs to be doable in less than 2 square meters though.
 
Ok here's the challenge;

It's the fastest time. We're talking full reps and must complete each rep without making it. If you can't do a rep, rest until you can but the clock still ticks :)

1) 30 plyometric press ups
2) 20 normal press ups
3) 50 knee tucks
4) 50 burpees
5) 50 squat jumps
6) 50 squat thrusts

I'm going to do mine this weekend...never done it before but should be a challenge :)

LEADER BOARD:
JonathanRyan - 6m 43s
Phil Young - 10m 04s
 
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Hmm that looks pretty hard.

You're going to have to define some of those terms since definitions vary and I had to look a couple up.

For example, plyo press ups - do you keep your feet on the floor (wimpy clap press up) or go for full airborne? Big difference if you're doing 30. Burpees - press up or cheat's way?
 
JonathanRyan said:
Hmm that looks pretty hard.

You're going to have to define some of those terms since definitions vary and I had to look a couple up.

For example, plyo press ups - do you keep your feet on the floor (wimpy clap press up) or go for full airborne? Big difference if you're doing 30. Burpees - press up or cheat's way?
Click to expand...

Just assume the hardest way to do everything - when I say full reps, that means not cheating or making it easier for yourself.

If you need to drop to your knees on plyo press ups, then have a rest until you can pick up full reps again.

You should be able to easily find the teaching points if anyone needs to on YouTube. It's probably going to take a fit person 6mins or so at a guest.
 
Here's what Tony Horton considers plyo pushups (he's the old guy who does the talking....)

[YOUTUBE]ak5lzzYXOsQ[/YOUTUBE]

I seriously doubt I could do that in less than 10 minutes. It will probably be next week before I know for sure ;)
 
JonathanRyan said:
Here's what Tony Horton considers plyo pushups (he's the old guy who does the talking....)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak5lzzYXOsQ">YouTube Link</a>

I seriously doubt I could do that in less than 10 minutes. It will probably be next week before I know for sure ;)
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Ok that's a variation to accommodate his programme. Looks like a great exercise but I probably wouldn't call that a press up since there's clearly a lot of knee and hip movement going on.

The wimpy clap ones are standard plyometric press ups.

Anything plyo will essentially be a burst movement of the standard exercise.

He's ones look like something I'd be tempted to call "worm thrusts" lol. Will give them a go since they look quite fun!
 
Ok - not going to lie...that was tough!

When you get to 25 burpees you can't help but think "ANOTHER 25 TO GO!?!?!?". It was a good combination between resistance and cardio challenges.

Anyhow, I timed it with laps to give an idea of the length of time to catch up on.

So here's the first entry then!

971577_10153128798005305_624187303_n.jpg


01 - 30 plyometric press ups;
1m 35s

02 - 20 press ups;
43s

03 - 50 knee tucks;
1m 14s

04 - 50 burpees;
3m 35s

05 - 50 squat jumps;
1m 28s

06 - 50 squat thrusts;
1m 27s

TOTAL TIME:
10m 04s

And me by the end:

1098090_10153128781435305_175709195_n.jpg
 
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Yeah. I figured the burpees would be the killer point :) I can just about do 25 in a minute but that relies on not doing anything for a while afterwards.

Pretty respectable time though.

Not sure I'll get time to try today - "recovery" week in Insanity is slighter harder than I anticipated.....
 
Yeah that took a while. Despite it being rest week I had a problem with my back so was putting this off. Couple of days with a roller and I finally got round to it.

Yeah, pretty tough. Burpees are very tough.

I warmed up with 40 mins of Insanity Cardio Balance so I was nice and loose but my hip flexors had taken a pounding. But it looks like the Team Beach Body guys have had an effect on me. It was also nice to see what I had to beat.

1. Plyo Push ups 26s
2. Push ups 20s
3. Knee tucks 53s
4. Burpees 3m02s (OMFG they were hard. It's possible I miscounted and did 55 but I really don't think so)
5. Squat Jumps 59s
6. Squat Thrusts 1m03s (yeah, tiring big time)

Total time.........6:43s

And me at the end.....

2013-08-09%2018.40.26.jpg


Time for a shower.

Could you adjust the leader board please? :D
 
JonathanRyan said:
Yeah that took a while. Despite it being rest week I had a problem with my back so was putting this off. Couple of days with a roller and I finally got round to it.

Yeah, pretty tough. Burpees are very tough.

I warmed up with 40 mins of Insanity Cardio Balance so I was nice and loose but my hip flexors had taken a pounding. But it looks like the Team Beach Body guys have had an effect on me. It was also nice to see what I had to beat.

1. Plyo Push ups 26s
2. Push ups 20s
3. Knee tucks 53s
4. Burpees 3m02s (OMFG they were hard. It's possible I miscounted and did 55 but I really don't think so)
5. Squat Jumps 59s
6. Squat Thrusts 1m03s (yeah, tiring big time)

Total time.........6:43s

And me at the end.....

Time for a shower.

Could you adjust the leader board please? :D
Click to expand...

Jeeeeeessshhh man that's a good time - and I know you must have worked your ass off for it because I did too and you shaved off 3+ minutes!

Nicely done sir! :clap::clap::clap:
 
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Phil Young said:
Come on folks, need a few more introductions!
Click to expand...

okay - i'm 40 , in my early 20s I was seriously in shape - I used to run about 5 miles most days, workout, do Krav Maga, and play rugby, hockey and lacrosse.

I had the body of a young greek god

These days I have the body of Buddha - however in common with a lot of 'just turned 40s' I've decided that's gonna change.

I may not be able to quite recapture my youth , but I can be in damn good shape in my prime
 
Phil Young said:
Jeeeeeessshhh man that's a good time - and I know you must have worked your ass off for it because I did too and you shaved off 3+ minutes!
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yeah, I figured I had to start very fast so I could get finished before I was tired ;)

big soft moose said:
okay - i'm 40 , in my early 20s I was seriously in shape - I used to run about 5 miles most days, workout, do Krav Maga, and play rugby, hockey and lacrosse.

I had the body of a young greek god

These days I have the body of Buddha - however in common with a lot of 'just turned 40s' I've decided that's gonna change.

I may not be able to quite recapture my youth , but I can be in damn good shape in my prime
Click to expand...

Oooo - I fancy trying Krav Maga. Is it as much fun as it looks?

Seriously to get in shape I'd highly recommend the Beach Body workouts. P90X will shape up your body and Insanity is just outrageous for CV.

I'm gearing up for P90X2 in a month or so and that looks very hard indeed.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Oooo - I fancy trying Krav Maga. Is it as much fun as it looks?
.
Click to expand...

yes - although its also pretty damn brutal. I gave it up after I accidentally hospitalised a training partner.

If you do try it make sure you go to a reputable centre, and use the protective equipment provided as training won't be limited to safe techniques.

Also unlike the far eastern martial arts it won't necessarily help you acheive an inner peace - as the emphasis is on aggression and finishing a fight as quickly as possible. My now ex partner felt that it wasnt making me a better or calmer person.

You also have to be really careful about employing its techniques in the real world as most of them go well beyond what the police would consider reasonable force
 
big soft moose said:
yes - although its also pretty damn brutal. I gave it up after I accidentally hospitalised a training partner.

If you do try it make sure you go to a reputable centre, and use the protective equipment provided as training won't be limited to safe techniques.

Also unlike the far eastern martial arts it won't necessarily help you acheive an inner peace - as the emphasis is on aggression and finishing a fight as quickly as possible. My now ex partner felt that it wasnt making me a better or calmer person.

You also have to be really careful about employing its techniques in the real world as most of them go well beyond what the police would consider reasonable force
Click to expand...

Jeeez...

Krav Maga is brutal... knee caps, Adam's apple's... I don't think my kickboxing would help me in the slightest against a well trained KM man.
 
Phil Young said:
Just published an article to my site about pre-workout nutrition. Might be of use to some...

http://www.philyoungpt.co.uk/#!pre-exercise-nutrition/c19cx
Click to expand...

Interesting. I usually work out in the morning before breakfast then have basically a high protein porridge. If I'm working out again later in the day I'll have a scoop of maltodextrin as a recovery drink to stop me falling asleep at my desk.

I'm guessing that's pretty bad.....
 
big soft moose said:
If you do try it make sure you go to a reputable centre, and use the protective equipment provided as training won't be limited to safe techniques.
Click to expand...

Hmm yeah. There's a big reputable outfit who trawl FB for new members. Unfortunately they don't have any clubs in Kent.

There's a local chap who teaches but although his students reckon he's really good....I can't see any evidence of pads etc at his sessions.
 
Yeah the diffeence is that KM is training meant for the battlefield / street fight - theres a lot of emphasis on dealing with people with knives and that sort of thing

To be fair they do teach you to avoid confrontation where possible - to be self effacing and not to look for trouble, but they also teach that when thats not safe to do so you do pretty much anything to drop your opponent asap

I fractured my training partners trachea with the top of my head ( I was aiming to catch him under the chin and knock his head back but mis judged momentums ) if the paramedics hadnt been so quick he would have died

Anyway - getting a little off topic, I won't be going back to the KM , but I do intend to pick up the running, weight training, and maybe look at Jujitsu as a calmer martial art
 
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JonathanRyan said:
Hmm yeah. There's a big reputable outfit who trawl FB for new members. Unfortunately they don't have any clubs in Kent.

There's a local chap who teaches but although his students reckon he's really good....I can't see any evidence of pads etc at his sessions.
Click to expand...

http://www.institute-kravmaga.co.uk/kent-class-locations/

i wouldnt worry about it too much by the way - beginners won't be going straight into full contact fighting anyway so you can certainly learn the basics in a safe way, then decide if you want to take it further.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Interesting. I usually work out in the morning before breakfast then have basically a high protein porridge. If I'm working out again later in the day I'll have a scoop of maltodextrin as a recovery drink to stop me falling asleep at my desk.

I'm guessing that's pretty bad.....
Click to expand...

You would notice a big improvement in performance if you had the maltodextrin 45mins before training.

Recovery carbs aren't needed but extra protein is needed if you've lost muscle for energy during workouts (if you workout on an empty stomach).
 
Phil Young said:
You would notice a big improvement in performance if you had the maltodextrin 45mins before training.

Recovery carbs aren't needed but extra protein is needed if you've lost muscle for energy during workouts (if you workout on an empty stomach).
Click to expand...

Interesting. I drink a protein shake with breakfast - it's a habit I got into during P90X. It's really hard for veggies to get as much protein as they recommend. But on tough days, the maltodextrin really stops me crashing mid morning. I'll try it before training and see what happens.

In other news, did my 3rd fitness test for Insanity today. To my amazement, all the scores went up again. After the first test I remember saying "there's no way I'll ever beat those" :)

[YOUTUBE]XEAYDVMh9ks[/YOUTUBE]

[Not really SFW....though quite funny at the end]
 
Phil Young said:
Ok here's the challenge;

It's the fastest time. We're talking full reps and must complete each rep without making it. If you can't do a rep, rest until you can but the clock still ticks :)

1) 30 plyometric press ups
2) 20 normal press ups
3) 50 knee tucks
4) 50 burpees
5) 50 squat jumps
6) 50 squat thrusts

I'm going to do mine this weekend...never done it before but should be a challenge :)

LEADER BOARD:
JonathanRyan - 6m 43s
Phil Young - 10m 04s
Click to expand...

Did we frighten everybody else off......? :D
 
I missed this when first posted - i'll give it a go later
 
Started my second month of Insanity last night!!! How I'm moving today I have no idea!

It probably didn't help that I had a couple of weeks break after finishing the first month due to being on holiday but f-me sideways with a twist of lemon.... it was tough!

Not really seeing any difference on the scales but my arms, shoulders and chest are getting more definition and there may be some signs of abs :lol:

A few weeks back the wife came in for a cuddle on the sofa and was most upset that there was less fat on my side and apparently I've become uncomfortable to lay on :lol:
 
Russ77 said:
Started my second month of Insanity last night!!! How I'm moving today I have no idea!
Click to expand...

Woah - same here. Fitness test and Max Interval Cardio yesterday.

Did you do max interval plyo yet today? If not you really do have a treat in store.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Woah - same here. Fitness test and Max Interval Cardio yesterday.

Did you do max interval plyo yet today? If not you really do have a treat in store.
Click to expand...

I was a little short on time so I skipped the fitness test, it was just the max interval...... I'm now really looking forward to this evening... NOT! :lol:
 
Do the fitness test. It's a massive boost when the numbers go up.

Mind you, most people reckon the fitness test is the hardest workout of all. Doing anything after it is tough.
 
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