The Fitness thread

Phil, you are a ladypocket! I managed two sets of 100 reps (started off at a light 40kg and by the end was on 10kg) on the leg press and now I can't walk! And my back hurts.

In other news, my squat has improved but am still worried about my deadlift form. I started to fail on the last rep and couldn't keep strict form.
 
Half way point of week 2 and I feel like I'm just starting to get into the rhythm of things again. Finally got past the horrific DOMS stage of the first week where you can't walk for 12 hours after and now I'm finally able to give them a good shot.

Had a crack at Pure Cardio yesterday and despite my constant inability to do 1-2-3 heismans and switch kicks apart from that it was good. Just need to focus on the ground drills because that's where I seem to slip up the most. Anyway onwards and upwards and hopefully see some results come the next fit test in 4 days.
 
Nilagin is bang on the money here and I tried to make the point with outdoor running vs treadmills.

Your brain only activates as many muscle fibres needed forba given task. You can subconsciously over ride that by effectively telling yourself you can only manage 5 or only run for 10mins for example. Most people are stronger / fitter than they subconsciously believe.

After running away from your house for 10 minutes nothing is more motivating than knowing you either have another 10 minutes run back, or a 20 minute walk of shame looking silly in your sweaty running clobber.
 
In other news, my squat has improved but am still worried about my deadlift form. I started to fail on the last rep and couldn't keep strict form.
So long as you aren't going to do yourself an injury, I wouldn't worry too much about losing form on the last rep as all you have done is rep out to failure which is what you are supposed to be doing. If you realise your not going to perform the rep properly return to start position take a few deep breaths and focus, chances are you'll get that last rep in ok.
 
I think I did. My back felt a bit sore after the workout and the pain got worse. Thankfully it's almost completely eased by now and I'm almost back to 100%. Essentially, I let my lower back round when I was putting the bar on the floor and sustained a muscular injury. I don't think the back problem was helped by the long stay on the leg press machine nor the calf machine which seemed to have an awkward posture.
 
I think this is injury corner, ankle has flared up a bit today so took insanity steady, modified the plyo moves and concentrated on the ground work. Iced, rested and some ibuprofen later and it's feeling much better.

Tomorrow is recovery day so I'll nip out and get a support and keep my fingers crossed and try and keep impact on it low for the next week and maybe do a hybrid with T25 which has some awesome looking stuff that's a bit less impact
 
I think this is injury corner, ankle has flared up a bit today so took insanity steady, modified the plyo moves and concentrated on the ground work. Iced, rested and some ibuprofen later and it's feeling much better.

Tomorrow is recovery day so I'll nip out and get a support and keep my fingers crossed and try and keep impact on it low for the next week and maybe do a hybrid with T25 which has some awesome looking stuff that's a bit less impact

Recovery day? Shouldn't you be doing pliés with weights?

Last week I had the genius idea* of wrapping my pull up bar in tennis racket grips. Better grip but more importantly no longer icy to the touch. I can do pullups without wearing gloves :)

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* OK so I had this idea right after somebody else told me about it. Also, I've had the grips for over a fortnight but only got round to actually fitting them last week. And there's a cold bit in the middle for close grip pullups. Who knew a bar would need that many grips?
 
Recovery day? Shouldn't you be doing pliés with weights?

Last week I had the genius idea* of wrapping my pull up bar in tennis racket grips. Better grip but more importantly no longer icy to the touch. I can do pullups without wearing gloves :)

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* OK so I had this idea right after somebody else told me about it. Also, I've had the grips for over a fortnight but only got round to actually fitting them last week. And there's a cold bit in the middle for close grip pullups. Who knew a bar would need that many grips?

Recovery day went all right, I don't have any problems with the slow stuff it's the high intensity sprints, butt kicks, high knees, power jumps etc that seem to get me. Picked up a couple of ankle supports yesterday and just ordered a wobble board to try and do some more ankle strengthening bits. Actually noticed foam rolling my lower legs seems to ease some ankle pain so I am wondering if tight calves might have anything to do with it. Gonna try and stretch them out twice a day and do some more foam roller work.
 
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Actually noticed foam rolling my lower legs seems to ease some ankle pain so I am wondering if tight calves might have anything to do with it.
It won't have. Your ligament(s) is lax and can't support as strongly as before. The pain you experience will be inflammation when force is applied to the already weakened ligament - I expect it goes after a few hours or by the next day if this is the case.

Foam rolling will either be a placebo effect or possibly blood heightened blood flow causing muscles to stabilise like ligaments...but I doubt the latter.

Good idea with the support - nice and tight when you exercise and use the wobble board for rehab :)
 
Talking of lax ligaments, I can confirm a sprained jaw! first thought it would be the usual tenderness felt with a good right hook to the face but after 5 days and still not being able to eat solids without a lightning bolt going through my head, I can confirm ligament damage.

...now where are the straps for that!? Lol.
 
Went to the gym for a run for the first time in two weeks. Completely forgot to buy any lucozade. I went back a few steps to runs of 3m/5m/3m/5m and managed all but the last five mins. Really didn't help that I hadn't had breakfast either.

Did weights after and bit peeved that all of the dumbbells below 20kg were in use - three random guys seemed to have hogged a whole lot of dumbbells. They really need another set of racked dumbbells.
 
Tried Pilates for the first time today (it's part of P90X3 but I got the wrong day).

WTAF??????

Weird, weird, very hard and weird in roughly that order. Might try and find a local class :)
 
just about to start back at the gym after about 10 years mainly for fitness rather than becoming mr universe and wondered what the best protein shake would be to take as there are so many different ones to choose from.
 
Jay Cutler, IIRC, lived on a farm and ate mainly eggs, chicken and steak when he first started bodybuilding.

Protein supplements are just that - protein supplements. You should be maximising your protein intake from whole foods. I'm a vegetarian so struggle which is why I add in a protein shake regularly.
 
I add in protein shakes mainly because I find it impossible to actually eat anymore. I already eat 4 to 5 times a day. But then I'm not specifically going to the gym just to keep fit or lose weight.
 
Protein supplements are just that - protein supplements. You should be maximising your protein intake from whole foods. I'm a vegetarian so struggle which is why I add in a protein shake regularly.

Me too ;) There's plenty of protein in a veggie diet for normal living. But for building muscle it's a little light (and yes, I know how controversial that is - I've been beaten up by the vegans who only eat bananas.....).

If you want non dairy then Warrior Protein is very good. Brendan Brazier's Viva is excellent (though hard to get in the UK). If you want dairy then try stuff from http://www.theproteinworks.com/ - high quality and the flavours are very nice indeed. Quote code JR51435 when you sign up and you'll get a bunch of free stuff when you spend £10 (and they will pay me for mentioning them ;) )
 
I'm back down to mypre-pregnancy weight but struggling with some stomach fat. I know my stomach will never be perfect again but if anyone has any toning tips please let me know. I use a slendertone abs, do sit up's, and try to walk 2 miles a day pushing pram. Someone has suggested cardio or a DVD Fit in 15 by Davina, not sure I can cope with Davina.
 
I'm back down to mypre-pregnancy weight but struggling with some stomach fat. I know my stomach will never be perfect again but if anyone has any toning tips please let me know. I use a slendertone abs, do sit up's, and try to walk 2 miles a day pushing pram. Someone has suggested cardio or a DVD Fit in 15 by Davina, not sure I can cope with Davina.

I'm sure someone more qualified than me will come along soon but as far as I'm aware you can't target fat loss to specific areas. Stomach and hip fat tends to be some of the last to shift and so you just need to work on removing the last lot of fat as a whole. Your weight may be the same as pre pregnancy but your body composition could have changed and if you have lost muscle you may in fact have a higher body fat % now than you did before despite weighing the same.
 
I used to BMX, and race..

When I met my Mrs i was a 'bit bigger' in the arm department, but since having a family, i've stopped the riding..
my arms have reduced in size.

I've taken up press ups.. I do 100-120 every other day 20-25 with a 2min rest, since October and I can see an improvement.. Ill be increasing to 150 soon.
on the rest day, I do 50ish sit ups to improve my buffet belly..

I'm a chauffeur and really don't have time for the gym and the family, so this is an easy thing i can do before bed each day..
 
Echo the above comments. I lost three stone and I know i lost muscle mass with it. I've started weight training in an effort to curb muscle mass loss. My arms and legs are showing muscle definition but i still have a tyre around my stomach. Much smaller than it was before though.

Remember even when you lose bodyfat, you may still have skin sag and IIRC this has a layer of subcutaneous fat that you can't really get rid of.
 
Thanks, my hips and bum vanishes but my stomach is still flabby. I'll keep at the sit up's and try and tighten everything up. Failing that, start saving for lipo
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...You could just eat less.

No disrespect intended.

To be fair that is pretty disrespectful.

I actually finished a mix of dieting and exercise last year. I got to my target weight but my stomach still isn't what i'd like it to be so it's an area that i'd like to concentrate on.
 
To be fair that is pretty disrespectful.

I actually finished a mix of dieting and exercise last year. I got to my target weight but my stomach still isn't what i'd like it to be so it's an area that i'd like to concentrate on.

Ooo, I dont know...

My advice to my wife is always the same, eat exactly what you always eat, just less..

If you have a kitkat with your lunch, just halve it.. if you have a chinese for Friday dinner, have 2 thirds..

That way, you wont crave all of the things you've told yourself you cannot have due to a diet.. Whenever my Mrs starts one of her diets, all I get on an evening is "omg, I need some choccy!"

I can understand you taking offence to the above comment.. But i don't think he meant to say "stop eating so much, fatty!"
 
To be fair that is pretty disrespectful.

I actually finished a mix of dieting and exercise last year. I got to my target weight but my stomach still isn't what i'd like it to be so it's an area that i'd like to concentrate on.
If you have more fat than you'd like, you need to eat less. That's the way.

Like I said, no disrespect intended but that is the answer.
 
I'm a mess at the moment. Lat strain isn't bothering me but I did some knee damage doing heavy front squats last week. Crunch under the front of the patella. Seems to be getting better as days go by. Then I fell on the ice at hockey on Saturday, right on my shoulder. It didn't pop out but it felt like it was on the way. Muscles are sore around it today. Sports therapist says I've probably just stretched the ligaments and tendons in the area.
 
Sports therapist says I've probably just stretched the ligaments and tendons in the area.
Stretched connective tissue can still be pretty painful and limits what you can do...I love beating people up at the dojo but since I took a nasty hook, I haven't sparred for 3 weeks! These things happen...

I'd be more concerned about the crunch in the knee which could be just an alignment/tracking issue or worst case cartilage damage. See how it goes over this week but if it doesn't improve, probably a good idea to get checked :)
 
Your right Phil. Shoulder is tender tonight but I was pressing reasonably heavy earlier. It was a bit tender at the time. The knee is improving. I've done a similar thing probably 6 years or so ago last time I squatted really heavy. Crunched coming out of the rep then made the mistake of going for another and it went. This time it was a front squat and I felt my weight come ever so slightly off the heels as I drove it up. Will be reet though in time.
 
Forgot to mention, month 1 of Insanity is complete, today is the start of the 'recovery' week before the madness of month 2. Still not seeing massive weight loss, but definite fitness improvement, ankle strength has increased back up to full, feeling a lot more toned in the legs and upper body, my core is also much stronger and I can now feel some solid abs under my little bit of flab. I just hope month 2 continues to give me the same results and more and hopefully I can shift this last bit of flab from my stomach.
 
I just hope month 2 continues to give me the same results and more

hahahahahahahaha. Month 1 is the warm up ;)

Just back from a week's hols. No exercise (unless walking over sand dunes for hours counts) and a diet consisting mostly of chocolate and crisps. 2 kilos lighter than when I went and ready to tear into block 2 of P90X3 :D
 
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