Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with fitness

Intermediate Swimming Advice?

freshwater_pr0n — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:52:45 -0800

Help me transform myself from someone who knows how to swim (albeit inefficiently) into a real swimmer who swims laps for exercise. I know how to swim well enough to have fun at the lake or stay afloat/swim to shore if the rowing shell or kayak I'm in capsizes. I'm not afraid of the water; in fact, I already spend a few hours a week swimming with my dogs in an area where I can usually touch bottom. I'm in good cardiovascular shape but I can only make it through one lap in the pool, and I'm absolutely exhausted afterwards.

All of the adult swim classes I've checked out are geared to people way beneath my skill level (can't swim at all) or way above (lap swimmers who want to improve techniques they already know.)

I want to become efficient enough to swim laps. What advice or resources do you have for me?

What exactly is displayed on Curves (for Women) Smart equipment?

Savannah — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:45:24 -0800

This is in regard to Curves Smart equipment, which is now available at some Curves for Women fitness facilities. Does anyone know what exactly the display depicts? Although I've seen pictures of it, which shows "Cardio", "Energy", "Range", and "Reps", I'd like to know what each one is indicating. Also, prior to the installation of the Smart upgrade, the hydraulic resistance was non-adjustable. The only way to get more resistance was to speed up. It appears that the hydraulics are still configured the same. If so, then is it safe to assume that the only way to increase intensity/resistance is to do more reps in the same 30-second time frame? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Estimating weight from breastfeeding

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:13:16 -0800

Fitness/Breastfeeding Filter: how do you estimate weight retention from breastfeeding? I'm an overweight woman and I am breastfeeding. I'd like to determine a healthy weight for myself, but I am unsure how much extra weight I have due to breastfeeding. Most calculators for BMI or anything like that are not meant for breastfeeding, of course. And none of the healthy weights charts are either.

My baby is older and on solids, but still nursing about six times a day, perhaps a bit more. How much extra weight would I have due to nursing? I would think there's a range, of course.

Just to clarify, I'm not looking to stop nursing. I just want to get a sense of where my weight is and where I should take it. I'm going to be nursing for at least another 15 months. I don't really want to wait till then to do the calculations. And I don't need to be totally scientific -- it's just that I find numbers motivating.

Is there a rule of thumb for estimating weight from increased breast tissue and milk? I have lost all of my pregnancy weight, fwiw. But I'm assuming that I have some weight due to breastfeeding, given that I've gone up 4+ cup sizes. I have a more than adequare supply or milk. And you would normally say that I have pendulous breasts, even when I am not breastfeeding (according to my doctor, who says that they probably make me weigh 15 lbs more than a typical person, when I am not breastfeeding).

Note: I am not looking to do anything unhealthy. It's just that I am motivated by numbers and percentages and things like that, when it comes to weight loss. Also, you are not my doctor, etc.

Thanks.

Do weight training supplements do anything -- good or bad?

liquado — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:14:04 -0800

I'm looking to shake up my workouts, shed the excess poundage, and get some more definition -- basically, I'm bored, not making much headway, and would like to get over the hump to better health/muscle shape. Since it's hard to tell the difference between the shills and the real online reviews, advice, etc., I need some Mefite first-hand experience with hydroxycut or similar supplements. YANMD. I am not looking for a magic bullet. However, I've had a few friends who used creatine-type supplements in the past to get big/cut/etc, and while I'm no more vain than the normal person, it would be nice to turn some of my muscle into more defined muscle.

I'm not normally a supplement/pill/insert fad here, but I'm stalled in my workouts, and would love to get a little jump start to reinvigorate my drive to keep it up.

This is also potentially part of a reinvigorated calorie reduction and healthier eating pattern (stupid night-time snacking), so I do have the long view in mind, as well.

FWIW, I'm 34 and in good shape, other than carrying more weight that I should be -- no significant health problems of any kind (knocks wood).

HundredPushups + some pullups without overtraining?

sdis — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:52:17 -0800

How do I safely add other exercises to the 100 pushups workout on other days of the week? I'm on week 2 of the 100pushups plan that's been floating around the net lately, and I wanted to add at least pull-ups 2-3 days a week to my exercises regimen, as it seems a little unwise to just work one muscle set for a 7 week period. Am I setting myself for overtraining if I just alternate pushup and pullup days? (that's 6 days a week of lifting) If so, what's a better solution?

I don't really want to do pushups AND pullups on the same days; one of the reasons I decided to do this 100pushup thing is because it's fast and simple and doesn't involve me needing to walk 15 minutes to the park to find something I can do pull-ups with. (Granted if i do pull-ups on alternating days, that's still 3 days a week of going to the park but for whatever reason it's less of a mental barrier to tell myself that I'm just going to do a pyramid of pull-ups and go home than a pyramid of pull-ups plus anything else.)

Please make me fit, oh MeFi

paultopia — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:08:41 -0800

Workout filter: where you, yes you, lucky intarwebs, get to judge my fitness + diet regimen (long, detailed) I'm a 29yr old male, who is seriously overweight but used to be a lot MORE seriously overweight -- I'm about 295ish now, I used to be around 350ish. Took off those pounds with a combination of undirected gym, cutting back on things like sodas, and starting grad school = biking all over the place on huge campus. Was starting a serious exercise plan about a year ago, then I broke my ankle. Getting back on track now.

Now it's time to kick out the jams. I keep reading that 2lbs a week is a safe amount to take off, so I want to do so, for a year -- the goal being to be under 200 pounds by the end of June 2009. I'm in decent health apart from the weight -- no major medical problems, lots of muscle, etc.

I like aikido and swimming a lot, and feel vaguely obligated to do yoga because my muscles are not very stretchy. I want to include muscle-building stuff too. I HATE long cardio ordeals, so my cardio will be in the form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

ERGO, here's the workout plan:

sunday: HIIT on elliptical machine (15 mins, or working up to it), 20-30 mins swimming

monday: 20-30 swim, 1 hour-1.5 hr long yoga class

tuesday: 1 hr aikido class, 20-30 swim

wednesday: weights (all muscle groups), swim

thursday: aikido, swim

friday: HIIT, swim

saturday: weights, swim

Diet: goal is 2000 calories daily. Not sure how to get there, since I'm a single, poor, grad student with a sweet tooth who hates to cook. Also a little too addicted to dairy-filled latte caffeine bombs, and I'd like to figure out a diet that permits that.

Does anyone have any wisdom on a) the exercise plan noted above (too grueling? too easy? poorly conceived?), and b) how to do a healthy diet without having to spend hours a day cooking or choking down inedible salads? (Links on the latter would be great.)

thanks...

What defines a physically fit person?

pixlboi — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:00:55 -0800

What performance measures, tasks, challenges or metrics should be included on a comprehensive list of human fitness? In order to keep myself challenged and motivated I am trying to create a comprehensive list that defines fitness. This is proving harder than I thought since people do not necessarily agree on what being "fit" means.

Nevertheless, certain limitations aside, what are some measures of fitness that you think a physically fit person should be able to achieve?

I have done some Googling on physical exams for police and fire depts but I'm not having much luck finding comprehensive lists of measurable tasks. So far, I have: being able to jog 5K, being able to bike 30K, doing 100 push-ups and 100 sit-ups, completing a 75 yard dash with small obstacles and turns in under 17 seconds and having a body fat percentage of less than 15%.

What is a good swimming metric? Leg strength? Flexibility?

These tasks should be challenging, a true measure of fitness that takes training to achieve but does not require elite level skills (for example, completing an Ironman-level triathlon is a bit over the top).

Ideally, the list would cover cardio endurance, muscle endurance, muscle strength and flexibility across the entire body.

I am 6'2", 180 lbs, male and workout regularly if that matters but I am seeking a more general list of challenges that could apply to almost anyone in great shape.

I am not seeking diet or exercise advice nor asking for workout plans on how to meet the challenges, just help making a list of challenges. Thanks.

How to get in shape in 6 weeks!

phaedrus441 — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:48:46 -0800

Give me a brainless workout plan that's as easy as HundredPushups.com for the next 6 weeks! The key is that I have 6-8 weeks with no work, so I want to get in better shape (amongst other things).

Currently I go to the gym about twice a week, and mainly just run. Recently I've started doing the Hundred Pushups plan, and now that I see how easy it is to just follow a strict plan, I want a plan for everything else!

Is there a resource that just says, "Monday, do these exercises. Tuesdays, do these," etc.?

Am I lazy in asking for this? I want to workout about 1-2 hours a day, if that's any help.

Hurry up and weight?

Sock Muppet Acct! — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:31:08 -0800

Have been working out hardcore and just can't. lose. weight. Frustrated and at the end of my rope. Help me Mefi, as only you can! I've been working my ass off for the last few months...not one pound has dropped. I realize that I've probably added muscle, but I'm so overweight that I would've assumed I'd see a few pounds melt off in addition to the muscle gain. (Am 5'4", 24, female, about 180)

My regimen tends to consist of strength training (free weights, lots of squats and lunges and large muscle exercises) 3-4 times a week for about an hour. I also tend to do cardio 1-2 times a week.

I know I'm slacking on the cardio (I really hate it) and I need to make some serious changes to my diet, namely the boozing. I either need to cut down a lot or completely. The diet is ok but I mostly just eat when I'm hungry (not too much and not too mindless...I think it adds up to the traditional 3 meals + 1 snack.)

I had a check up and requested a thyroid screening as hypothyroidism runs in the family and could be the cause of my woes. My TSH is apparently on the lower end (my online results list it as 0.31 L 0.40-4.50 UIU/ML ....which...quoi?) but isn't that indicative of HYPER thyroid? In which case, wtf?

I worked out so much one month that I completely missed my period (no I'm not preggers), and have cut back to the point that my body, hopefully, is not in starvation/panic! mode.

So I've covered diet, hormones, stress. I have a trainer who is puzzled, and I'm losing hope FAST. I don't know what to do next. Help me Mefites!

How is a steady-state weight calculated?

zaebiz — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:18:57 -0800

I am A years old, am H inches tall and I weigh W pounds. I burn a total of B calories per day on average (that's including exercise as well as just daily living and sleeping). I consume E calories per day. What would my steady-state weight be expected to be, and how long would it take to reach it?

I'm not fat I'm husky

autojack — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:50:58 -0800

What should I change about my current diet and exercise regimen to see some success in shedding fat? I'm 28 years old, male, 5'9" tall, and around 155 lbs. I think my weight and overall level of fitness are healthy, but I would dearly love to rid myself of the fat around my middle. I've been surprised that my current fitness regimen hasn't been more successful in this area, and I suspect that some simple changes may be all I need.

After being almost completely sedentary for several years, I took up rowing again 18 months ago. I belong to a club that has a small gym, and in addition to occasionally actually rowing in a boat on water, I've worked out using rowing machines religiously, two nights a week after work. For those of you familiar with the numbers, my workout is 30 minutes long, three sets of 4, 3, 2, 1 minute cycles of 20, 22, 24, 26 strokes per minute. I typically row about 6400 meters in that time. Other than that, and a certain amount of walking around town and up the very steep hill I live on, I get no other exercise. I work behind a desk all day.

A couple of months back, I started thinking that maybe an upper body weight-lifting workout, in addition to the rowing cardio workout, would be beneficial. My leg and back muscles are in great condition from the rowing, but my arms and chest were lacking. My logic was that by adding more muscle, I would burn more calories throughout the day and thus lose some more fat. I added two more nights a week at the gym, doing lat pulldowns, bench press, military press, bicep curls, and tricep pulldowns, interspersed with various situp-like exercises, followed by a 20 minute "calorie burning" (according to the machine) stairmaster workout. Although I definitely have more toned arms and chest, I think I look about the same in the gut department. There's definitely muscle under there - I use it all the time when I row. I just need to get rid of the flab!

In terms of diet, I think I eat pretty well. Almost no junk food, no soda, candy, or chips. I drink around a liter of water per day just at work, plus water or juice with meals. For the first eight weeks of weight lifting, I cut red meat and pizza (two otherwise pretty regular staples) out of my diet entirely. On a typical weekday I'll eat cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, a fresh deli sandwich or burrito for lunch, and maybe fish and rice, or Indian food, or stir fry (all from Trader Joe's) for dinner. On the weekends a lot of times I'll only have two meals - a big brunch/breakfast and a moderate-sized dinner. I don't eat huge portions. I don't snack at all. I read labels and try to avoid fake sugar, trans-fat, and other stuff like that, but overall I try not to be obsessive and masochistic about my diet. I like to eat and cook for myself!

The only ideas I've had myself on what I might change are diet-related. For one thing, I probably drink about six beers every week. Doesn't seem like that many, but they're certainly empty calories. Maybe I should cut out some or all of those?
Also, I tend not to eat breakfast until I get to work, maybe around 10am. Then I have lunch around 1, and dinner around 7 or 8. Maybe if I consistently ate breakfast at home, earlier in the day, and/or switched to more frequent smaller meals, that would help. And perhaps I should be more diligent about getting in 3+ smaller meals on weekends instead of the big breakfast/dinner routine.

I have no problem motivating myself to go to the gym - I find the workouts enjoyable, I feel great afterward, and if I didn't go I would just sit at home and watch TV. I see friends there pretty often as well, so it's social. Our gym is relatively limited in what it offers: rowing machines, stationary bikes (pretty crappy ones), stairmaster, free weights, kettle balls, bench press, pulldown weights, two kinds of leg weight machine, and the new, entertainingly large and unwieldy "fitness tree" (on which I think you can do dips, pullups, leg lifts... dunno what else). Any suggestions on what I can do within those confines, I am absolutely open to.

I guess the reality is that I'm looking for an aesthetic change more than anything else. I'm not interested in "losing weight," I expect to gain some from muscle. I also don't want to be a calorie counting diet nazi. I think I'm close to my goal, and I'm hoping you guys can suggest some tweaks to bring it all home. Thanks in advance (and, on preview, sorry this is so long) : )

Developing my own fitness routines?

rikhei — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:03:35 -0800

I'm interested in developing my own workouts. I know what to do, but how do I string it all together? I like to think I have the puzzle pieces; I just lack the knowledge of how to put the puzzle together.

A little background: I've a membership with my local Y. As a work-related perk, when I joined, I got 6 free sessions with a personal trainer. We've met 5 times, and our last time will be this week. I've enjoyed meeting with him; he's taught me a lot of different moves. I definitely would feel comfortable meeting with him occasionally in the future, or asking him questions as I have them, but I can't really afford to continue meeting with him on a regular basis.

He's typed up our workouts, and so I have a good idea of what we've done. Mostly, we've worked with a stability ball, a resistance band, and free weights. We've also worked with a few of the machines.

I've got my own stability ball, resistance band, and free weights, and of course, access to all those at the Y. I also belong to SparkPeople, which I think has an excellent library of exercises. If I'm ever at a loss, I'm sure I can come back here, too - I saw a lot of great suggestions while reading over other people's related questions.

What I'm looking for, I think, is a set of guiding principles. So far, the most useful thing I have seen is on Stumptuous - specifically the section on this page that discusses building routines. I'd like more information in that vein.

I am looking for general resources - books or websites would be welcome - but I also think that finding answers to the following questions would go a ways toward helping me figure this out:

(1) How do I determine how many minutes of cardio I need to do? Generally, when I'm at the gym on my own, I only do cardio. I do about 25 minutes on the treadmill and 10 minutes on something else (either the arc trainer or a stair stepper or something). I know I need to do more, and work myself up to about an hour. Should I ever do more than that? (Not sure that I will ever have the patience to - I don't like the gym, really - but let's consider it anyway.) How many minutes should I do on days I strength train? Am I trying to quantify this more than I need to? (Note of possible relevance: I'm morbidly obese, so I'm guessing, in general, that the more cardio I do - within reason - the better my health will be.)

(2) How do I determine how many sets I need to do? Or should the number of sets remain consistent - should it be the resistance or weight I change up instead?

(3) And the question that has been bugging me - can I spot train? I keep hearing that you can't spot train, but it's also been framed in a confusing way. Two examples: you can't get rid of upper arm flab just by doing tricep curls; you can't get a six-pack just by doing crunches. It seems to me that what they're saying, really, is that you can't expect to lose fat if you're just doing strength training - you need to do cardio, too. Am I right? If so, well, DUH. But you could still get yourself some pretty nice abs even if they are hidden under a nice layer of fat, right?

(4) Part of the reason I ask the previous question is because my next question is: how do you identify weaker muscles? I'm aware that I need to strengthen the muscles in my lower back. Unfortunately, I am aware of this because I injured it last November and had to go to physical therapy and focus on just that. I'd like to avoid injury, and if I can do so by pinpointing weaker muscle areas, that would be good.

Is there anything that I can ask differently, or that I should ask of my trainer when I see him that last time on Wednesday?

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Staying Fit While Traveling in Europe

gm2007 — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:41:18 -0800

Going on vacation to Germany and Italy for 2 weeks. Looking for ways to try to stay fit while traveling. We will be staying with friends in Germany and may have access to a Gym, but will be staying in a house in Italy with no gym access. Any ideas for this? Possibly equipment that I could take that would assist?

What can I do to be more hot?

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:19:02 -0800

I want to regain my "hotness". But I have limited money and time. What will have the most impact in amping up the sexy quotient, and what else should I do? I'm not quite sure when it started to happen, but I've recently come to the realization that I"m just not as "hot" as I used to be. When I enter a room, I no longer attract looks, or when I want by, heads don't turn. I'm not sure when it happened--I just haven't been paying attention, and I suppose it's been a slow change over the years. I've been concentrating on motherhood (am a single mom), career, and find myself in my 40s, 20 lbs heavier than I used to be, and in rather frumpy clothes. Looking very much like the typical frumpy old maid. I realize that for women in their 40s, looking "hot" or sexy takes a lot more effort than it did when I was younger.
What can I do, given limited $ and time, to be more sexy? What should I tackle first, second, etc.? Things I am thinking of are: Exercise (hoping to lose about 15 lbs, but I'll need to exercise in order to get there). Getting more sexy clothes. Wearing make-up. Get my hair cut more regularly (right now, twice a year, if I'm lucky).

Assume that I have about 40 minutes a day, total, to spare to this self improvement project. Meaning, if I spend 15 minutes putting on make-up and 10 minutes doing my hair, then I only have 15 minutes to exercise, so it'll take me much longer to lose weight (if any). And if I purchase a gym membership, then that's less money for new clothes, hair cut, make-up, etc.

So, what are things I should do, and in what order, to get the most "bang" out of my time/money? Also, please be specific, if you can. If you think that better, more sexy wardrobe is the answer is the 1st priority, then please suggest specific brands or styles that I should look at. If you think that losing weight is the key, what should I do in the meantime, or after the weight loss, etc.?

Also, feel free to suggest other things that I could do. For example, if you're a heterosexual guy, what are the things that turn you on? What would want you to get to know someone better? Sorry for the ramble. Also, this is anonymous because my co-workers read this, and I don't want them to know that I'm this vain.
Thanks in advance.

Help whip my post-obesity body into shape

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:29:31 -0800

I used to be obese. I have lost about 80 pounds out of my goal of 100 lost, and am struggling to lose the rest. My body, even though I am in my mid 20s, is now a complete mess. I am covered in stretch marks from head to toe. I’m hardly exaggerating. They start at my shoulders and don’t let up until my calves. I have big hanging flaps of skin and fat under my arms. Some bits of stretch marks and loose skin on my tummy, hips, thighs, and rear. I look like I had a baby or four. My breasts sag and are also covered in stretch marks. I’m aware that I’ll likely only ever look normal by plastic surgery, but what I am looking for is how to improve my body as much as I can through accessible methods until I can begin to afford surgery (or better, avoid it). I’ve tried searching Google and here, but I can’t seem to find the right information. Lots of questions/background inside. I lost the weight mainly through diet changes and using a food log, along with some walking. I couldn’t afford a gym while losing my weight and even if I could, I was too embarrassed to work out in that condition.

I’ve discovered that I had a pretty hourglass figure hiding under the pounds, but what good does it do me? I honestly was not prepared to look this awful after what was supposed to be the triumph of losing all that weight. I look fine in clothes if I cover everything excluding my forearms and below my knees.

I started getting fat as a kid, and was overweight until college, where I went through severe depression, and gained 45lbs. I eventually recovered. I stepped on a scale one day shocked to see it say almost 220lbs. I’d cry daily. My clothes weren’t fitting anymore. It was then that I decided to overhaul my diet and stop hating myself.

How can I lose this last 20lbs, tighten up as much as possible, and see some progress in my body?

I joined a gym late last year, and went regularly until work and illness knocked me off track, and I’ve been having trouble going regularly ever since. I hate working out. I’d never worked out before last year, aside from P.E. at school.

I am terribly uncoordinated and I’m not sure if I do exercises right. My gym is very cheap – there are no trainers on the floor. I can hire a trainer, which I am considering, but I can only afford one session. Maybe two.

Is there anything I should be asking with regards to finding a trainer who can help my specific case?

What exercises might I try that are geared to a beginner’s level, but will help me drop fat, tone, lengthen, and build muscle? I mainly just go in there, pick a couple machines per session according to muscles worked (usually legs one session, arms next, with abs on both) and top it off with about 30 minutes of cardio.

Any advice on setting up a program? Especially one geared to fat loss and toning for someone like me. Does this look like it might work for me?

How would I adapt it? I see his note on adapting it for women on the bottom, but I actually don’t understand the program (mainly the workouts) to begin with.

I’ve read the Ask posts that deal with loose skin and obesity. I followed links there to programs like Body Fat Guide and on other sites to Joyce Vedral’s program. Both claim they can reduce or eliminate loose skin. Do these work at all? I can’t seem to find reliable reviews. The first claims losing body fat will help.

What’s the most inexpensive, yet accurate way to get body fat measured? Due to my stretched out skin, I don’t think using calipers would work. Or would they? While I’m curious if following the Body Fat Guide program works, I’d like to know this in general, since I didn’t exercise while I lost the weight. I suspect my body fat ratio might be really high.

I have NO muscle tone whatsoever. I am soft and doughy and jiggly all over. When I worked out steadily, I saw no progress at all. Weight didn’t change, no change in the way clothes fit, no muscles seeming to grow or tighten. For someone like me, with this terrible body, is it possible to see progress? If so, when?

They say a person should be able to see progress within a few weeks, but I worked out for about four months with nothing apparent. It’s incredibly discouraging when absolutely nothing changes, especially when the whole process of getting to the gym and working out feels like torture. I just want to know that going through the torture of working out regularly is going to net me visible results. Sure, I care about health benefits of working out, but right now, my idea of progress is visual. I want to be as slim and as tight as I can be until surgery becomes a possibility.

The way I look makes me feel incredibly bad, and it causes some conflict with my S.O. who loves me dearly but is sometimes understandably frustrated by how bad my body is. We both are. I’m young and I want to look and feel normal and even to feel sexy. We both were excited when I decided to lose the weight only for it to turn into this nightmare.

What can I do in the meantime to make this post-obesity body of mine look better? Any tips or personal stories? I just need all the help that I can get right now.

Please don’t tell me that I am not my body. Don’t tell me to focus on the health benefits of having lost the weight/working out. I already know those. I need practical advice on what to do.

Okay, enough rambling. Responses or questions may be sent to formerbiggirl@gmail.com .

10K every day?

mccxxiii — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:07:32 -0800

How accurate can I expect a pedometer to be? Prefacing this whole thing with yes, I know that "you get what you pay for" ... but I'm still going to ask.

I bought a cheap-o pedometer ($4.95) at Target because I thought I'd start doing the 10,000 steps a day thing. I bought the cheapest one they had because a) I'm cheap like that, and b) I didn't want to drop $30 for something that was just a lark. I see that there are some in specialized online stores that go up to $100!

Well ... surprise, surprise ... the $4.95 pedometer doesn't seem to be too accurate. I wore it for the first time today and it was wildly over-counting my steps. I did some official tests where I walked up and down the hall at work and counted out loud, and the pedometer was over-counting by sometimes as much as 4 steps for every 10 I actually took. I am being careful to keep it anchored on my waistband in a level position, as the directions tell me.

So ... is this just because it's a cheapo, and if I get a better one can I expect it to actually work? I'm willing to suck it up and pay more for something that works if I can be assured that it will actually, you know, work. I don't demand scientific accuracy, but I do need something that doesn't tell me that walking my dogs around the block is 4,000-something steps.

Or are all pedometers pretty much the same on the inside, and none of them really count that exactly, and I should just give it up and not waste any more money on this project?

Do MBT shoes work for toning?

scody — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:48:03 -0800

Anyone have experience with MBT footwear for toning legs/rear end? Due to work demands that aren't going to be lessening any time soon, I haven't gone to the gym regularly in ages. On top of that, even when I do go, chronic joint issues (knees and hips) have increasingly limited what I can do for an effective lower body workout (even "safe" squats are out, as are most machines). I'm fine working with hand weights at home for upper body toning, but am wondering if I can get some strength/tone back in my legs and glutes just doing a daily walk with MBTs? Given the price tag, I'd like to know that it's not just all hype before I buy. (Also, if it's relevant, I'm not interested in using them as part of a workout to lose weight -- I only want to gain muscle.)

Speaking of price tag, here's a much cheaper (and goofier looking) version of what appears to be the same principle. Anyone ever used those? And are there any other options between the $40 flip-flops and $250 walking shoes?

I wish someone would do something about how fat I am.

hazelshade — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:45:23 -0800

[DC Gym filter] For downtown D.C. Washington Sports club members specifically. Which location do you belong to: K street or Connecticut Ave? Pros/cons of your location? And if you've been to both, would you recommend one over the other?

Couch to 100k?

procrastination — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:17:35 -0800

Is there a good program to follow to build endurance and cardiovascular fitness on a road bike? I have read previous questions (this seeming the most relevant), but was hoping to find something that was highly structured like the couch to 5K program for runners. How do I do a couch to 100k? I have a nice new road bike and time over the summer.

RUN, FAT BOY, RUN

scrump — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:50:59 -0800

How do I go from out-of-shape to a baseline level of fitness in a relatively short time without giving myself a heart attack or a stroke? So a coworker is rustling up people for a recreational soccer league. I love soccer, but I'm 36, about 50 pounds out of shape and haven't played since 1986. Despite this, my coworker persists in believing that I'll have fun doing this, and I have to say that he's probably right.

I just need to undo, er, about 22 years of bad habits.

What I think I want to do is improve my cardiovascular fitness in a relatively short period of time (say 3 months or 12 weeks) without injuring myself in so doing. I want to be able to run the field, for instance, without getting excessively winded or seeing spots.

I'm not looking for quick fixes: I realize that there's no easy way to achieve fitness. What I'm looking for is a realistic training/nutrition plan (I have 5-day-a-week gym access) that will build a good foundation for continuing improvement. Something that will give me a solid base that I can improve on year after year.

So what's the quickest safe way to tune up your cardio without injury?

Looking for fitness/exercise related websites, books, mag's

Sufi — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:24:34 -0800

I want to work out, but I know nothing about fitness or exercise. Recommend me some of your favorite websites, books, magazines.. anything that would help out a fitness fledgling. I've finally decided that I wanted to lose some pounds and get fit. A friend recommended the "Power 90" program, which is something I feel that I can commit to long-term. I'm considering taking supplements suggested by Beachbody (where I purchased the program), but I'm pretty clueless about all of this. Heck.. the last time I did any sort of exercise was in middle school!

So hive-mind, recommend me some sites, books, magazines.. anything that would help out a fitness fledgling.

If only it were as simple as changing the oil

EatTheWeak — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:41:38 -0800

I could use some help loosening up for my return to cycling. After a very long interval away from bicycles, I am returning to two-wheeled transport for both fitness and commuting. I was hoping some veteran Mefite cyclists might recommend a few stretches for the hips, legs and lower back. I'm feeling a lot of tension through these areas, and am hoping to learn some stretches ideal for loosening these regions up.

SportBrain: Stuck in phone-jack land. Alternatives?

trokair — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:09:40 -0800

Are there any alternatives to the SportBrain 'connected pedometer' device? The idea behind the SportBrain is cool (tracking fitness stats online), but the fact that it relies on a landline phone jack for connectivity purposes is not (I use my mobile exclusively). Are there any similar devices that upload via a PC connection or via WiFi?

I'm starting everybody else's new years' resolution in May... help?

twiggy — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:59:22 -0800

I've just signed up for a gym membership for the first time in my life... Due to metabolism, I'm not fat, but I'm still really out of shape... what should I start with? I signed up because there was a huge discount for this place's grand opening and I really should be getting exercise. However, the reason I can afford it is because of the discount. That means I can't really pay for personal training sessions (something like $75 a piece)...

I'm pretty thin, save for my belly which is finally starting to grow ... guess I'm finally old enough that the metabolism is slowing down...

I've lived a sedentary lifestyle for years now, with office jobs that have had me behind a computer all day, and my main hobby being poker -- yay for more sitting!

My main goals are to just be in healthier shape and to hopefully trim down this weird belly that's sitting on a skinny dude's frame. It would be nice to bulk up, but right now that's tertiary to the other two goals.

Some questions:

1) I imagine I'd puke if I tried to run a mile in less than 8 minutes right now. Pathetic, but probably true. What exercises should I start with? Do I want to focus on cardio 'til I'm in decent enough shape to run a couple of miles -- then add in the weightlifting? Or should I rotate between them both right away?

2) I've been having mildly annoying lower back pain when I bend down that gets better, then comes back, then gets better, for the past 8 weeks or so. It's not enough that I've gone to a doctor, because it seriously only hurts a little bit. However, does this make doing cardio stuff before seeing a doctor a stupid idea?

3) My diet isn't terribly unhealthy. However, any recommendations in this realm if I'm looking to eventually get rid of this belly? Is diet even relevant beyond "burn more calories than you take in"?

Are men naturally more fit than women?

mallow005 — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:14:24 -0800

My girlfriend says that women are naturally less fit than men. Is this true? I work from home and sit in a chair for about 12 hours a day, I'm definitely not aerobically fit but I also have very little fat and I'm not a complete wimp. My exercise consists of about 5 hours of walking a week... maybe some biking.

My girlfriend works in a lab and says that she's often very active for hours at a time. But generally, she's about as active as I am. Yet, I'm still more fit than her, what's up?