Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with workout and fitness

Help me find a good exercise book to listen to on my trip.

whoaali — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:00:54 -0800

My exercise routine is not yielding me results. I want a book (preferably one that I can download on audible) that will fill in the many gaps in my excercise/fitness knowledge. For about the past nine months I have been attempting to lose about 15 - 20 pounds and tone up. I'm a 27 year old female. BMI hovers around 25, but basically healthy weight.

I initially did a lot of power yoga (very intense classes which worked me harder than I've ever worked before). They left me starving and sore. After about 4 months of this I had lost no weight and could only see minimal results. I switched to going to the gym and doing primarily cardioand this has been more successful. My appetite is under control and I've lost about 7-9 pounds, but I feel as flabby as ever.

A month and a half ago I sprained my ankle really badly and couldn't exercise at all, however the weight loss continued at the same (possibly faster?) pace as when I was going to the gym. This leads me to believe my current exercise regime is doing nothing for me (I've been losing weight by counting calories) and I want to learn what I'm doing wrong and how I can have a more effective workout. Granted I am not naturally athletic at all, but I still think I could be getting some tangible results from all the hours of exercise I've put in.

I'll be driving about 15 hours over the next week and want to download a book or 2 that will help fill in my exercise knowledge. Here is a rough idea of what I'm hoping to learn.

- How to exercise efficiently.
- Cardio vs Weight Lifting
- Supplements, are they even worth it?
- Eating before and after exercise (and how does this mesh with a low calorie diet approx. 1500 calories a day)
- Is there any point in building muscle if it's covered in fat?
- Weight lifting - reps, weight etc

I'm particularly interested in books that have a practical approach and are aimed at beginners. I'm not looking to become a weight lifter or a world class athlete, I just want to jiggle less!

Joint pain after treadmill usage

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:46:43 -0800

YANMD (or my personal trainer) but I need advice on a cardio workout that will help me lose weight and also not kill my joints. Difficulty: I am quite overweight...my BMI is just shy of 60 I have lost 50 lbs (yay me!) but still have a ways to go. To keep the momentum on my weight loss, my wife and I joined a gym this past weekend.

Living in a small town our gym options were limited and we settled for a Snap Fitness which has no 2 year contracts, is reasonably priced, and consists of a number of bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, and some nautilus-type weight equipment.

I am gunning for an hour workout a day, and as my goal is to build endurance and lose weight I'm focusing on cardio. My plan for these early days was 30 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes on the treadmill.

On Sunday, our first day working out, I did a bit over 30 minutes on the tradmill, my heart rate held around 140, and my average was just under 3MPH. I was happy with that result...it was a well paced walk, which is what I could handle at this point.

I quit after the treadmill, not moving on to the bike, because after stopping I realized I was in a lot of pain. It wasn't muscle pain, which is what I anticipated, but instead it was severe joint pain, focused in my ankle and my knee. My feet also ached.

I took some Advil and resolved to go back the next day, but the pain actually worsened the more time passed. It's now been over 48 hours and I'm still on a heavy Advil rotation and have not returned to work out as standard walking is quite painful at the moment.

(background: despite my weight I have no history of joint problems, and my feet do normally bother me if I walk a good distance of a couple miles, but never my ankles and knees like this).

I'm not sure if I should "push through the pain" and hop back on the treadmill, if I should just focus on the stationary bike for a while and do 60 minutes on the bike completely foregoing the treadmill, or if there is a better option.

Suggestions would be most appreciated.

Are kettlebells really a viable fitness regimen?

piedmont — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:47:21 -0800

Will a kettlebell regimen take me from 'skinny fat' to relatively in shape? I'm currently what's considered a healthy weight for my height, but there's hardly any muscle mass there. There was at one point, but two years of sitting on my duff at an office job have proved significantly less active than the construction and serving jobs I held prior to this. I've been running 12-15 miles a week, which has helped, though not much.
I'm not looking to get 'ripped' or anything, I just want to be able to do things like help friends move without embarrassing myself.

Looking at previous questions indicates that a kettlebell workout program might remedy this.
Would this be a somewhat quiet workout? I'm in an upstairs apartment, and work evenings, this is a must.
What weight should I start with? The websites I've found give conflicting info.
Where can I get setup on the cheap? Target wants $50 for a 20lb weight. This seems steep, though I could be wrong.

Curious Yoga Novice Seeks Guidance

EatTheWeak — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:55:21 -0800

Tips, advice, recommendations, insight, cautions, suggestions and matters unforeseen concerning the addition of yoga to my fitness regimen. I'm considering adding yoga to my weekly exercises. I know very little about the practice, but what I've come to understand about it makes it sound quite appealing indeed. From what I've heard, yoga can help one build strength, burn fat, build flexibility, ease joint pain, ease anxiety and stress and is, on the whole, a tremendous benefit to one's overall health.

However, what I don't know about yoga could fill a stadium. I've come to understand that yoga is practiced in several variations and sub-variations, some of these variations call for special equipment, that there are mats and appropriate clothing to consider, that there are a dizzying number of books, websites and videos available, and, well, it's all more than a little overwhelming. I was hoping the hivemind could help me find the ideal way to add yoga to my fitness regimen.

I am a thirty-year-old male at an average level of fitness. I do, however, struggle a bit with some stiffness and inflexibility in my hips and lower back. My current workout routine includes a lot of compound-movement weight training and resistance band exercises, favoring work on large muscle groups rather than bodybuilder-style muscle pinpointing. I ride my bike everywhere and, starting in October, plan to also add lap-swimming to my routine. The weights happen 3-4 times a week and the cycling is just about daily.

My overall fitness goals are the building of muscle, the burning of fat, increasing overall energy and the suppression of sedentary hazards such as depression and anxiety. My goals for adding yoga, aside from those just mentioned and, assuming I understand its potential benefits correctly, would be to drastically improve my flexibility and balance as well as control sundry aches and pains.

What I would like to know from you, AskMe, is how shall I set about as a yoga beginner? Is it best to dive right into a formal class, or to first learn some basics so I'm not the stiff, unbalanced buffoon tipping over in the back of the studio? Which yoga variant is best-suited to my goals? What clothing and equipment will I require? What books, websites and videos do you recommend? What qualities distinguish the best yoga instructors, groups and studios? Is yoga compatible with my current routine and exercise schedule - if not, what needs adjusting? And what do you wish you would have known when you first made yoga a part of your life?

Thank you very much for your help.

Push-ups worked, how now to maintain?

everichon — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:06:40 -0800

I've been doing regular push-up sets three days each week, and am pleased with the results. How do I maintain my current state of arm-shape, without getting still bulkier or losing any of it? Do I simply keep doing the number of reps/days that I have been doing to this point? Or is there an always-increasing threshold I need to aim for?

Good online workout plans?

internet!Hannah — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:20:09 -0800

I need some recommendations for free online workout programs I can work into my fitness plan! I've let myself go a bit the last year and I'm trying to get myself back in shape. However, I'm horrible at doing things without direction, so I was hoping for some recommendations for good workout plans that I can find online.

Right now I'm working on the 100 pushups program (as well as the 200 situps and 200 squats sister programs) as well as the couch-to-5k plan. These kinds of sites are absolutely perfect for me, all nice and laid out and easy to do without much preparation. Are there any other sites like these I should know about?

I'm mostly interested in finding some sort of mild weight training website, preferably something that could be done with minimal equipment (or, ideally, with a sandbag, since that's what I have on hand currently). I've got some pull-up bars handy, too, and a jumprope. I don't do well in the student gym, though.

For the record, I'm a college-age female, not horribly out of shape though slightly overweight, looking to lose 15 or so pounds and get my sixpack from two years ago back. I don't want to bulk up, though I do want to get toned.

I'd prefer only website recommendations, and free ones since I'm a starving college student, but I'm willing to take alternate suggestions if they are worth it. Thanks in advance!

I need to start working out, but other than my lack of motivation, not having a workout plan is keeping me from starting. How can I solve this? Personal trainer? Websites?

decrescendo — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:31:13 -0800

I need to start working out, but other than my lack of motivation, not having a workout plan is keeping me from starting. How can I solve this? Personal trainer? Websites? I feel like having no direction and structure is keeping me from working out. Yes, I realize working out without a plan is better than not working out at all, but I think I'm the type of guy that needs a plan for this.

I'm trying to bulk up. I want to gain weight and gain muscle. I'm 6'3" 185 lbs. How should I go about this? I need some structure.

Are there any safe workout supplements?

ascetic — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:01:47 -0800

Are there any *safe* supplements I can take for added muscle gain/weight loss/etc? I'm only 20 years old... Perhaps I don't "need" supplements but I sure would like to get more out of my workouts without comprimising my health and wellbeing.

I eat clean 90% of the time - fresh fruits, veggies, home cooked meals, etc. I RARELY eat McDonalds or any other kinds of junk food. Currently I make a protein shake after working out... Two scoops protein powder, nonfat milk, and 1 tbps of flax seed oil... Sometimes some berries and banana.

The first session was free, but are the next ones worth it?

filthy light thief — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:45:39 -0800

FitnessFilter: how should I evaluate options for a personal trainer at a local gym? Lots more discussion inside. I recently joined a local gym with my wife, and I was told we received an evaluation or something of the sort with the membership. We're both gym novices, so I was glad to be shown around the gym and given help figuring out how things worked.

I went to the evaluation-type session today, and it was basically to get me to pay for personal training sessions. The work-out was good, and I'm sure I'd benefit from the sessions. I signed up today, after the initiation fee ($99) was waived, and I was given 5 free sessions ($35 per half-hour session).

It's $280 for 8 sessions per month, which doesn't sound that much right now, but we'd have to be tied into a year of training, or we have to pay a cancellation fee. I'm skeptical of gyms in general, and the sales pitch with fees that weren't disclosed up front today ($49 for processing, and the waived $99 initiation fee) didn't help.

I have a few days to try out the personal training set-up, and figured others would have some insight. Could I refer to training books or websites and come out fine? Or is it a good idea to invest in a trainer for a year while we get into working out at a gym? We're not looking to get bulging muscles, just to get fit and start some good work-out regimes.

Help me build an exercise routine.

so_gracefully — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:22:29 -0800

General advice in the area of finding my exercise/fitness niche? Good, structured DVDs or programs to try? I am a female in my mid-twenties, and I have never been too "sporty" or all that excited about exercising in general. I want to become excited about it, but I have not yet been able to find something that I really like or something that feels like it's working well for me. I also have no idea how to structure it so that I'm doing something that is definitely worthwhile, so I guess that's my main question--what can I add in to create more structure so that it's effective and simple to stick with?

Goals:
- Improve heart health, lose a little bit of weight, feel more connected to my body, strengthen my muscles and make myself less vulnerable to aches/pains in my largely sedentary job.

Limitations:
- Can't afford a gym membership or even yoga classes right now
- Don't really have any equipment, or access to any

Things I already know/like:
- I am working on the nutrition part, and that is going well.
- I like to try to challenge myself a little bit throughout the day, like taking the stairs instead of elevators whenever possible, parking at the back of a parking lot to give myself more of a walk, etc.
- I have really loved yoga classes in the past, but the DVDs I currently own are very meditation-focused, and I want something more strength- and challenge-focused.
- I like walking and sometimes hiking; how can I incorporate them in a way that maximizes their benefits?
- I would love to be able to swim, but don't have access to a pool!
- I have been having fun playing Dance Dance Revolution. Dance-focused workout videos make me feel very defeated because I have some problems with coordination.
- I like to follow along with DVDs, and currently I have: some basic yoga videos, some basic pilates, cardio pilates (this is the one I enjoy the most). I am definitely looking for recommendations on good videos that are meant to increase overall strength and encourage weight loss, while being fairly simple and not complicated with a lot of intense dance moves!

I would like to start working out during my lunch hour.

heeeraldo — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:47:19 -0800

Help me plan a lunch-hour workout. There's a gym in my office building, and I've decided to use it on my lunch break, which will mean I spend less time puttering around malls downtown, I bring lunch more often, and I get in to better shape.
I'm not too worried about cardio, as I am doing the 6 weeks from couch to 5K thing.

The gym itself is decently equipped with free weights, cardio machines, a bunch of the not-free-weight machines and a couple of balance balls/yoga mats.

I'd like to figure out a routine or a number of them I can rotate through (which is better?) for four workouts a week which take up no more than 30-40 minutes altogether, as I need time to eat, change, shower, etc.

Thanks in advance, gang!

How does a 19 year old couch potato lose 50 pounds?

BoldStepDesign — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:07:24 -0800

Ok I’m an overweight college student here. I’m a male coming in at 6’2” weighing 275 pounds. I want to lose 30 in 30. Ideally I want to shed 50 pounds and get down to 225 lbs, which is what I was back in highschool. According to my BMI I need to lose 70-100 pounds.
I’m allergic to all nuts, fish, turkey and oranges.

What I eat:
3 Scrambled eggs; cheese and or Katchup, or 3 Over easy eggs; 2 pieces of toast
Lunch, Sandwich (usually grilled cheese, or ham/turkey sandwich) or soup with pringles chips
Usually Pasta for dinner, maybe a cheese burger, soup or a steak, salad always with ranch, a veggie maybe jello
Two days a week I get anything from pasta, donuts, chocolate, basically leftovers at work
2-5 starbucks style coffee’s a week have cut down sizes to mediums, some times smalls
Fridays:
Friday night’s are Pizza and a bottled soda with friends, I’m not giving that up. Pizza is home made, usually IBC root beer or cream soda. One thing I refuse to give up.

Exercise:
I work out 3 days a week, usually 30 minutes on the treadmill, 2 miles, then some ab/chest workouts
Realizing how badly I do eat. I need to cut out what I eat, or atleast down 50%, increase my work outs.

That being said, to get where I want to be, what would you recommend for me?
I need diet ideas and work out ideas, plans etc...
Any helpful suggestions would be apprenticed!

Moving from Starting Strength to bodybuilding

ludwig_van — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:24:33 -0800

I think I'm about ready to move on from Starting Strength and I'm looking for bodybuilding routine. I started on the Stronglifts Beginner program in June. In September I switched to the similar Practical Programming Advanced Novice program. Both are based on Rippetoe's Starting Strength. By my estimation I've just about reached the intermediate level and it's time to change programs again.

My current stats: 23 year old male, 6', 160 lbs., ~12% bodyfat. My best lifts in pounds: Deadlift - 280 1x5, back squat - 245 3x5, front squat - 170 3x5, bench - 160 3x5, OH press - 115 3x5.

I've surpassed 1.5 bodyweight on the squat and I think I'll stall on it soon. My deadlift can probably stand a few more increases. Both my bench and OH press have recently stalled hard. I'm not interested in any kind of competitive lifting -- my goals are mainly aesthetic, so I'd like to start a bodybuilding routine.

I realize that an intermediate program must by definition be more complex than a beginner program, but I'd love to find something as simple, clear, effective, and easy to follow as the starting strength variations I've been doing. Can you recommend a program? I feel lost in a sea of options.

How much does my new muscle weigh?

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:28:12 -0800

How much does my new muscle weigh? How much does the muscle I've gained weight?

I've been losing inches, but not very many pounds.

For the past 3-4 months, I've ramped up my exercise. I work with a trainer once a week to lift weights and do compound exercises and primal movement exercises. I work out at the gym on my own once a week. I've been going to a boot camp class once a week, where I'm doing core, strength and cardio and coming home tired. I also do a lot of walking, often while pushing two kids in a stroller (approx 100 lbs of gear and kids). I walk 30-60 minutes most days. A call to a dietitian yesterday confirmed that, for my current activity level, I have a caloric deficit of at least 500 calories and more like 1000, since I'm breastfeeding.

Yet, in all this time, I've only lost 8 pounds. And I've had a hard time going beyond that. I took my measurements about 6 weeks ago and again just this past week. I've lost several inches in my bust, chest, stomach and a bit in my hips. (Most of my weight is around my stomach.)

From reading past questions, I'd estimate that I've been gaining muscle, which is denser than fat. But how much muscle would I have gained? The reason I want to know is that I am unsure as to whether I should tweak my caloric intake. (Note that I'm breastfeeding and don't want supply or nutrient issues.) Many of the credible sites I've read said that people aiming to get fit overestimate muscle gain and use it as an excuse for not working out or cutting calories enough.

So, for someone who was mostly sedentary the past three years, following a car accident and difficult pregnancies, how much muscle could I realistically have gained? 2 lbs? 10 lbs? Any idea?

Thanks!

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.

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).

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!

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 .

Help a weakling achieve her first push-up!

geekgirl397 — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:25:15 -0800

I'm a 35 yr old female, 5'6", 120lbs, in good general shape (walk loads, work out) who has never been able to achieve a single-push up. It's a key move to many of the workouts I want to do, but most strength-building programs assume that even the weakest can do at least one. What should I do? I want to include yoga and pilates in my routine, but the yoga "chaturanga" pose escapes me, making it hard to do "sun salutations" which are the core of many routines. Part of my routine is the interactive game "Yourself Fitness" on the PS/2 - this features fitness tests every 10 workouts, which include pushups as a measure. I just sit them out and enter fake info, which is frustrating.

I am in good general health. I walk between 15 and 20 miles a week and do yoga/pilates/weight routines for 30 mins about 3 times a week (hoping to ramp up to more). In the past, I've devoted a lot of time to staying fit, and for several years worked out six days a week for at least 45 mins, once a week with a trainer for an hour. Even at my fittest, I was unable to do a single push-up. I could/can do chest presses, flys, etc. with lightish weights. I can hold the yoga "plank" position and "side plank" for a decent amount of time.

I am thinking of finding a yoga teacher and getting an individual lesson to see if that helps me finally get chaturanga, but I don't have a lot of time/money and I don't currently know of a teacher I trust. (Also, gym trainers and yoga/pilates class teachers in the past have not been able to teach me to do a push up or achieve chaturanga.)

Has anybody else out here had this problem? I feel like a freak. Has anyone been able to overcome it? How? Are there any "tricks" or tips that might help me to do my very first push up, and work up from there?

What's recommended to consume right after a work-out ?

hboogz — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:31:10 -0800

What should i consume immediately after a work-out ? If i'm not a fan of powdered protein ? I've heard that consuming a high-glycemic carbohydrate after a workout is idea -- could anyone give me feasible ideas of this ?

I'm squishy

showbiz_liz — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:51:07 -0800

I've never set foot in a gym or done any kind of non-phys-ed exercise... so how do I take advantage of my school's free gym? I am horribly, horribly out of shape, and I don't think there's a time in my life when I was ever IN shape. I never played sports as a kid, and the most taxing activity I've done in the last few years has been walking uphill. I'm not overweight at all- I'm 5'6", 130 pounds, female- but I get tired doing even mildly difficult physical activities. I know I need to do something about this, and the most obvious choice seems to be to start going to the gym. I mean, it's free, for god's sake, and next semester I'll have plenty of free time to go work out. I'd really love to start going to the gym regularly, but I have absolutely no idea what to do when I get there.

I know you change in the locker room, warm up, and then go use a machine. That's it. I don't know what warmups to do or how to do them, I don't know what kind of machines to use or how to use them, I don't know how long or how hard I should work to get a health benefit without hurting myself. I am utterly clueless.

I've tried to make plans to go with other people who could show me what to do, but things keep coming up to prevent that, and I think the only way I can really make myself get started is to go by myself... but what do I actually do?

Help me work out, in.

Ambrosia Voyeur — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:35:01 -0800

How do you make a home-based workout work for you? When I go to the gym, I pretty much only use the elliptical (an adjustable incline type so I get butt-work) and a mat for crunches or leg lifts. I think when I move out of this teeny apartment, I would like to buy my own elliptical, as it would pay for itself in a few years.

What are some strategies for guaranteeing good home workouts? How do you minimize distractions, stay comfortable (I'm used to a lot of air flow, and I workout sweaty hard) or keep the honeymoon going with in-home fitness routines?

I think one thing I'd like to do is have a small tv in the same area so I can do dance video workouts there some of the time, too.

Need a new workout to get my hockey legs (and lungs) back!

liquado — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:53:39 -0800

I'm (stupidly) starting playing ice hockey after 20 years off the ice (I'm 33). After the first game last weekend, I'm apparently in far worse shape than I thought -- and need some ideas for new workouts to get my game on. I'm 5'11", 225, and run 5k/life weights 4-5 times a week. I'm also an occasional 10k runner, so I've got some legs, but I was just about dead after playing == not sore, but waaay out of breath, wheezy, etc.

Obviously, the extra weight I'm carrying isn't helping, and I have a touch of exercise-induced asthma (the phlegmy cough for the last three days has been unpleasant, to say the least), but I need some ideas for a new workout regime that will help me get some of the jump back -- sprints, ????? Thanks MeFiers!

Help me design a home push/pull routine

sirion — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:27:22 -0800

Help me design a good home push-pull workout with minimal equipment. Goals: Mass and definition I'm trying to get a good weight-training workout set up in my new apartment, but have fairly limited moneys to invest in it. As such, I'm planning on getting some adjustable dumbbells, maybe a balance ball, and if I can find a used workout bench, that too (suggestions on cheap equipment appreciated).

My current push/pull is as follows: (basically all upper body, as I have shitty knees. Will be walking/biking quite a bit, so not too worried about leg atrophy) Please feel free to comment, and then help me find replacement exercises that will be effective at home.

Push (8-12 reps, 2-3 sets)
-Incline bench press (any good replacements when lacking an incline bench)
-Barbell Pull-overs (tried this with dumbbells, which works, though it's fairly taxing on the wrists)
-Assisted Dips (I guess chair dips or reverse incline bench press?)
-Fly Machine (How many variants on dumbbell flys can I do?)
-Dumbbell bench press(works fine at home)
-Dumbbell fly(works fine at home)
-Shoulder press(works fine at home)
-Side raises(works fine at home)
-Front raises (works fine at home)
-Barbell skullcrushers
-Cable pushdown
-Situps
(Anything missing from a full upper body push routine?)

Pull
-Assisted Pull-ups (how do I replace this, as I need 100 lbs of assistance to do 8-12 reps x 3)
-T-Bar Row (Replace with 1-arm row?)
-Lateral Puil-down (Still not sure what to do)
-Cable row (More 1-arm rows?)
-Reverse Fly Machine (Could use some dumbbell versions of this.)
-Reverse curls (works fine at home)
-Hammer curls (How do I better isolate my biceps? When using a bicep bench, I can only curl about half the weight, so I'm clearly using a decent amount of back in my current form)
-Back extensions

Criticize my workout

long haired lover from liverpool — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 07:14:40 -0800

Criticize my gym regime! 230lb, 34 years old, 5ft 11in, male. I've recently started going to the gym three/four times a week to get fit and lose weight. I'm reasonably experienced at gym work, having been an on/off member of gyms throughout my adult life.

The machines have built-in heart-rate monitors and I'm aiming to keep to 150-160bpm. I use the HRM as a guide to what settings I use. If my heart rate drops I crank up the resistance of the machine.

My current regime is:

10 mins on cross-country skiing machine
10 mins fast walking on elevated treadmill
10 mins recumbent cycling
10 mins step/thighmaster-style machine
10 more mins on cross-country skiing machine

That's 50 minutes and it's as much time as I can spare.

Is there any room for improvement? The only other aerobic machine in the gym is the rower and I hate it.

What's different about this plan compared to previous plans I've had is that I don't really lose my breath. I sweat a lot. But I don't walk out feeling particularly tired. Previously at the gym I've always pushed myself hard and practically staggered away.