Health, Good Practises, and Exercise

[mikzn]

That setup does work well.

"Lose it" or "MyNet Diary" are the two best. The later is $3.99 and also has a watch app. The former is a subscription.

Thanks for the info - I have been using "Lose it" since iPhone 3 - LOL - I took a look at "MyNet Diary" and it is also subscription based pricing and exactly the same pricing as "Lose it" from what i can see on the app store - It does look like there are very similar apps and both have a "free" version

 

[Apple_Robert]

Thanks for the info - I have been using "Lose it" since iPhone 3 - LOL - I took a look at "MyNet Diary" and it is also subscription based pricing and exactly the same pricing as "Lose it" from what i can see on the app store - It does look like there are very similar apps and both have a "free" version

You can use MyNet Diary without the subscription and won't miss anything important, versus "Lose it."

 

[HappyDude20]

You can use MyNet Diary without the subscription and won't miss anything important, versus "Lose it."

do lose it and mynetdiary show you macros and micros without the subscription or purchasing the app? I just downloaded both so am planning on using both the following week and making a decision as to which to use moving forward.

 

[44267547]

54 days until the bodybuilding comeback Part #2-

Current stage height/weight physique update:

~5’9
~215lbs

So, I’m already at my goal weight where I want to be for my pre-bulk come March 1. I’d like to reach ~220, which is totally doable for 5 pounds.

And......220lbs nailed! 5 pounds gained in 15 days, The mass is set. Just to give you a quick glimpse, when I stopped bodybuilding [Due to C/19 gym closures] and dropped the calories, I went down to ~195, so now I am up ~25 pounds where I need to be. Now it’s nearing that time for the come-back March 1.

I don’t have any intention to go above ~220, maybe I’ll hit ~225, but I would like to keep it where I’m at.

Oh, and how I gained an extra 5 pounds, was eating a meal right before I would go to bed, so my body would store it and not burn the caloric intake.


Lets get it!

 

[yaxomoxay]

And......220lbs nailed! 5 pounds gained in 15 days, The mass is set. Just to give you a quick glimpse, when I stopped bodybuilding [Due to C/19 gym closures] and dropped the calories, I went down to ~195, so now I am up ~25 pounds where I need to be. Now it’s nearing that time for the come-back March 1.

I don’t have any intention to go above ~220, maybe I’ll hit ~225, but I would like to keep it where I’m at.

Oh, and how I gained an extra 5 pounds, was eating a meal right before I would go to bed, so my body would store it and not burn the caloric intake.


Lets get it!

View attachment 1716863

This is fantastic! Seriously, good job!

Question: how do you know that you're packing muscles and not fat (or at least, in the proportion you want) when your weight goes up?

 

[44267547]

I’m just going to branch on my own topic here:

The only way to truly understand your body composition is to do a DEXA-fit scan, and that is most accurate measurement of your body (visceral) fat/muscle ratio. [Body calipers are not accurate and most people who claim to know how to use them, do not.]

Also, you can’t bulk without putting on body fat. It’s not possible. Nobody is a genetic freak where they are on a bulk where it converts to all muscle, (Rather it be a lean/mass/dirty bulk cycle) without putting on body fat. The idea behind a bulk is to execute two things, 1.)You need the size to convert into muscle mass and 2.)You need the strength to be able to lift the weight, to power through those extra reps, to fully fatigue the muscle, break it down and then have it grow with adequate sleep. If you’re not eating enough prior to your training regiment, then you’re going to Fatigue quicker in the gym and your body will hit a plateau.

So in terms of my own body composition:

When I went off cycle last year, meaning decline of calories/not lifting as heavy, I dropped down to ~195, and I believe at that time I was ~212 pounds prior to the pandemic. Now, in the midst of that cut, I lost some muscle mass, some body fat and the muscles literally fall flat, (because they’re not necessarily getting the restoration from the carbohydrates that I was using before and my protein content had dropped significantly.)

So I’ve been in a ‘re-feed’ trying to put on size before the holidays when I started, and it didn’t take me long to regain the weight, but in the midst of that, what happens is, you’re also essentially bringing some of that muscle back to life when you re-feed the proteins/carbohydrates, so putting on the size was almost like body memory, where it remembers where it once was. What I mostly need besides reactivating the muscle, is more {tone and definition}, which I’ve also lost some, but with the right execution of lifting technique‘s through stretch and contraction, going to failure, that won’t take long to shape.

The idea behind bulking as well, is you have to teach yourself to eat more, because without the food, you can’t grow, and you need to have a pre-stage set before you start lifting. Plus, once I start training March 1, some of that fat obviously is going to burn off naturally. Learning to eat multiple times a day without thousands of calories, is like a stepping-stone process, it just takes time for your body to adapt to that, and you can’t just ‘force feed’ yourself weeks before you start training.

I had a really good conversation tonight with a friend, and he was talking about weightlifting and I told him how I was in a prep stage right now and we talked about muscle memory. And once you have the foundation laid where you put on muscle prior, and based on your genetics and healthy testosterone levels, you can retain a lot of that muscle also depending on your diet, but once you start lifting to reactivate that muscle, it’s literally like riding a bike, it comes right back. It really is a unique factor about your body, and that’s why I think the size is crucial, because it supports the muscle and your body uses all those nutrients to revive what you once had.

Lastly, one thing I think that gets overlooked a lot when you talk about weight lifting, muscle memory, bulking, sleep cycles, the list goes on. Is testosterone levels. Most males have no idea where they stand with healthy testosterone levels and what they produce. It’s a good thing to have measured, and your natural testosterone levels drop significantly after the age of 40, but one thing that helps with bodybuilding, is if you have a strong production of natural testosterone in your body, it’s a massive building block to put on muscle quicker and retain it longer. I’m 35, but once I reach over 40, I’ll definitely be going on TRT, as has so many benefits, but that’s another topic.

Oh, there was a checklist a while back that I read that was kind of anecdotal to see if you produce healthy testosterone (Of course, if you want complete-accurate results, you would need a true TRT test), and it was questions like ‘Do you have a healthy sex drive, do you naturally have a high level of stamina, do you put on muscle easy, are you sleeping regularly without interruption, are you easily fatigued, ect.)

Getting to know your body is a science on its own.

 

[44267547]

Tried to get all fancy with some time on my hands making this little piece of artwork [On the healthy-ish side]. It’s crab/shrimp wrapped in cucumber and avocado with a Cajun horseradish. You’re looking at about ~450 cal/30g of protein. Not too bad, even though I could probably consume five plates of these with no problem.😁

 

[44267547]

View attachment 1716863

13 Days til the comeback Part 2:

Final Weigh-in. The goal was to ~220, and I now stand ~223. I’ve actually added an additional 10 pounds from where I was for my ‘Part one’ of my bodybuilding back in 2019 (I was ~212 then). So I have more than enough mass to come even bigger and stronger.

That said, after months of looking specifically for a 24 hour gym that would put me in a position where I can still reach my goals with bodybuilding, but also safe guard myself in a pandemic, I found a bodybuilding/powerlifting gym that’s a little bit further than I wanted to drive, but I am extremely stoked. It’s a bit pricey, sitting at ~$60 a month, but I talked to the owner on the phone (Super passionate guy about lifting), and he told me that this is a really exclusive gym where it’s not your ‘every day gym’ where the majority the public would attend like a Planet fitness or something, and I told him I plan on working out about 1:30 in the morning, and he said that nobody would even probably be here and I would have the whole gym to myself, where I wouldn’t even have to mask.

What’s even better, he said that he basically has every piece of equipment that no other gym would have (Multiple versions of the Hammer strength machines, Cybex, Precor, Helix machines double Cam and half racks), so I can challenge myself a new Ways this year.

Once I get acclimated to the gym, I’ll snap a few photos for this thread of some of the equipment. Also, at some point, I’d like to post a photo of myself on here of a physique update to show some of my progress.

I still have to tour the gym and complete the paperwork, but it’s so refreshing and motivating to know I can get back to doing what I love, and you can’t let a pandemic put you in a position where it thwarts your lifestyle completely, you just have to work around it and —adapt and adjust—.

Press on!

 

[yaxomoxay]

13 Days til the comeback Part 2:
View attachment 1730930
Final Weigh-in. The goal was to ~220, and I now stand ~223. I’ve actually added an additional 10 pounds from where I was for my ‘Part one’ of my bodybuilding back in 2019 (I was ~212 then). So I have more than enough mass to come even bigger and stronger.

That said, after months of looking specifically for a 24 hour gym that would put me in a position where I can still reach my goals with bodybuilding, but also safe guard myself in a pandemic, I found a bodybuilding/powerlifting gym that’s a little bit further than I wanted to drive, but I am extremely stoked. It’s a bit pricey, sitting at ~$60 a month, but I talked to the owner on the phone (Super passionate guy about lifting), and he told me that this is a really exclusive gym where it’s not your ‘every day gym’ where the majority the public would attend like a Planet fitness or something, and I told him I plan on working out about 1:30 in the morning, and he said that nobody would even probably be here and I would have the whole gym to myself, where I wouldn’t even have to mask.

What’s even better, he said that he basically has every piece of equipment that no other gym would have (Multiple versions of the Hammer strength machines, Cybex, Precor, Helix machines double Cam and half racks), so I can challenge myself a new Ways this year.

Once I get acclimated to the gym, I’ll snap a few photos for this thread of some of the equipment. Also, at some point, I’d like to post a photo of myself on here of a physique update to show some of my progress.

I still have to tour the gym and complete the paperwork, but it’s so refreshing and motivating to know I can get back to doing what I love, and you can’t let a pandemic put you in a position where it thwarts your lifestyle completely, you just have to work around it and —adapt and adjust—.

Press on!

This is great news!! I love it! I am certainly not a fitness addict nor a bodybuilder but I do understand the feeling. Going to the gym, working out etc is now an important piece of my dialup routine, 7 days a week. It’s painful when I can’t go (see this week due to this damn winter storm).
I can’t wait to see the pictures. It’s what you love, and you work for it. You deserve every ounce of personal success in your journey.

 

[44267547]

This is great news!! I love it! I am certainly not a fitness addict nor a bodybuilder but I do understand the feeling. Going to the gym, working out etc is now an important piece of my dialup routine, 7 days a week. It’s painful when I can’t go (see this week due to this damn winter storm).
I can’t wait to see the pictures. It’s what you love, and you work for it. You deserve every ounce of personal success in your journey.

Really appreciate your support!

I saw the after affects of the weather storm down in Texas and surrounding parts of the country, it’s just crazy how our global environment has changed so drastically over the last five years.

I saw a post from someone that said it was 75° in Arkansas not even two weeks ago and then the same people were building a snowman in the front yard. Just mind-boggling really.

Be safe.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Must've pulled some back muscle (latissimus dorsi, I suppose given the position) since I've been feeling sharp pain for the past couple of days. I guess no weight training for a few days, which sucks because I just started going back to my routine after last week's crazy weather.

 

[Richard8655]

Here, avoiding fried foods, soda pop, and very little red meat. Zwift indoor cycling is great fun and pretty good exercise until warmer weather allows outdoor biking.

 

[44267547]

^. I was just talking about this last night with a friend. The absolute restrictions I have with eating/drinking, is no alcohol whatsoever, no deep fried foods and avoid anything that has no significant caloric value, [i.e.,Chips, doughnuts, ect].

I think the biggest contributor to helping keep the waist line down for some people, is no alcohol. The mistake that I see the most I think they contribute to bloating and weight gain, is just drinking too much alcohol, specifically beer. I think people have the mindset that they come home from work or just by habit, then they have one beer, then one turns into two in, two turns into three, if you do that 3-4 days a week, you can do the math on where those calories go.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with alcohol consumption, but I feel a lot of adults don’t use moderation. Not to pick on my neighbor (But a good example), he is a builder, so he has like six months off during the winter months, and I kid you not, he must be at the bars fours days a week at minimum, and carries the ‘belly bloat’ look from drinking. When you couple that with little exercise, that’s the outcome.

 

[yaxomoxay]

I think the biggest contributor to helping keep the waist line down for some people, is no alcohol. The mistake that I see the most I think they contribute to bloating and weight gain, is just drinking too much alcohol, specifically beer. I think people have the mindset that they come home from work or just by habit, then they have one beer, then one turns into two in, two turns into three, if you do that 3-4 days a week, you can do the math on where those calories go.

That would be me. I am not a heavy drinker by any means, but I can easily go for one, two, or three beers if they're available. That makes it for a minimum of 700 extra calories a week to 2500 calories (or even more). So, I basically decided to drink alcohol on planned days (Christmas, Easter, my birthday).

Same goes for junk food. I had some fried rice and some other crap for fat Tuesday, now I am doing all the lent stuff. I'll eat more on Easter day, then no extravaganza until my birthday (which honestly I don't really celebrate, so I might get some fries), then Christmas.

 

[44267547]

That would be me. I am not a heavy drinker by any means, but I can easily go for one, two, or three beers if they're available. That makes it for a minimum of 700 extra calories a week to 2500 calories (or even more). So, I basically decided to drink alcohol on planned days (Christmas, Easter, my birthday).

Same goes for junk food. I had some fried rice and some other crap for fat Tuesday, now I am doing all the lent stuff. I'll eat more on Easter day, then no extravaganza until my birthday (which honestly I don't really celebrate, so I might get some fries), then Christmas.

Let me reassure you, by no means am I perfect either, we all have our vices when it comes to certain food or drink items.

I said it many times over, I am a huge lover of food, and enjoy eating. I’m not going to short sell myself the luxury of life of not enjoying food and drinks, but I try to hold myself accountable in terms of making sure it just has the necessary caloric value for my benefit (Minus like deep fried foods and sodas), and moderation where I don’t consume the whole pizza for example and physical activity.

I was buying these flavored 16oz cold coffee drinks lately from my local convenience store, (they’re actually crafted exclusive to the store), they come in different flavors. And I think I was purchasing these for like three weeks, but although they are higher calorie, they were loaded with protein, because it’s primarily milk-based with coffee flavoring and some caffeine (But they weren’t like those garbage coffee energy drinks). I got to the point, I said I should stop buying these and just convert back to regular black coffee from Keurig at home. (Partly I was using these to boost my calories for the day during bulking, but ultimately I realize they’re probably not the most healthy either.) But they were goood!😁

Anyways, you can see my point, that I won’t short sell myself things that I want, I just need to make sure that there’s tempered controls in place that you check yourself that you’re getting the necessary benefits out of whatever you’re eating and of course exercise.

 

[pshufd]

I haven't been here for a while but have been clawing back from lack of fitness from pandemic and other stuff. I ran four miles and played an hour of tennis today which makes for a good workout day. I did not get tired playing - my hitting partner did get winded several times during our session and he's twenty years younger.

It has been a considerable challenge running in a New Hampshire winter. I used to run on indoor tracks or treadmills during the winter in the past but I'm not comfortable running in the gym. The indoor track at my local gym only allows walking on the track and the treadmills are too closely spaced for my liking. The other gym with an indoor track is heavily booked for the track. That gym gets a lot more usage as it's in a big city. So that leaves me with running outside and figuring out clothes and watching the weather for snow, rain, ice and high wind.

The nice thing is that we have a warming trend with daytime temps above freezing for ten days.

My goal this week is 20 miles. It's doable as I have 15+ in the bank and two days left in the week. I'm generally working out 9-10 hours per week. The other time, besides tennis and running is Yoga, Spinning, Weights, Flexibility and Balance. I use VO2Max and the other Garmin training tools to measure progress.

It's all about getting started and then doing things that are sustainable in the long-term. Having the right gear makes a big difference as well.

 

[yaxomoxay]

A pretty good article on the trends and causes of obesity in the US. The amount of obese elementary school age kids I see makes me wonder if 60% is optimistic.

60 Percent of Americans Will Be Obese by 2030

www.theepochtimes.com

 

[pshufd]

A pretty good article on the trends and causes of obesity in the US. The amount of obese elementary school age kids I see makes me wonder if 60% is optimistic.

60 Percent of Americans Will Be Obese by 2030

www.theepochtimes.com

Overweight or obese are the new normal. I look at the people at the grocery store and thin and normal weight people stand out because there are so few of them.

I read a Twitter thread on Peloton this morning. The stats on their members is that the the average number of workouts per member is 21.1 per month. Their members pay about $2,500 for the machine and $39/month for All-Access membership. They have 1.7 million members and want to grow that to 100 million. I can't see it happening unless society looks at health and exercise differently than today.

I'm a member of the Garmin Community so I can see the workout stats of other members. My assumption is that Garmin users are more into working out than the general population given that they are paying upwards of $1,000 for devices. Many are probably wearing them because they are in a work-health insurance program (you get a free device if you enroll in tracking or a fitness contest). The stats on Garmin users has most of them in the low range of steps, stairs and running and there's a right tail. 10.5 miles per week gets you in the 79th percentile for my age (I ran 23 this past week).

One other interesting thing with running is that the peak miles per week is in the 45-50 age range which was a bit of a surprise. It rises from young adults to Gen Xers and then falls slowly until over 75 where it falls sharply.

 

[44267547]

Your link posted requires a subscription/email to access the article, which I won’t do. So perhaps maybe you can copy and paste the contents for those who don’t want to give there information.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Your link posted requires a subscription/email to access the article, which I won’t do. So perhaps maybe you can copy and paste the contents for those who don’t want to give there information.

View attachment 1736611

Let me know if it works. It’s a scary article IMO.

 

[44267547]

Let me know if it works. It’s a scary article IMO.

That worked. Thanks. I’ll read over it.

 

[44267547]

Interesting article.

It actually makes me think of another topic that I mentioned in this thread a year or so ago, Morgan Spurlock directed movie called ‘Supersize me’ [2004]. Now, obviously he touches on eating McDonald’s for 30 straight days three meals a day, but he also touches on obesity in America and a growing concern of what schools are serving, the lack of exercise and Americans eating too much processed food/fast food, and now with delivery services (I.E. Doortrash/GrubHub), they can be delivered to your door without even leaving your home anymore. But we look at things like ordering a soda from a restaurant that’s 30 ounces, and no one takes in consideration of how much sugar is actually in a 30 ounce Mountain Dew. I also suspect people are under the notion that weight gain is from food, when that is not also very accurate, it’s also from high sugar/high fructose corn syrup beverages, which are equally dangerous as processed foods.

I think another contributor to obesity is people that are harbored inside their house during colder months, maybe hotter seasons and what do they do? They over eat unhealthy.

So what can people change that would impact there life? Well, it really is basic concepts that an eight year can grasp, which is moderation of what you’re eating, three healthy meals a day, plenty of water and exercise. Sounds easy right? But I think when people factor in that they’re busy lifestyles, lack of commitment and excuses, the end result is for those who don’t care.

 

[44267547]

Oh, almost forgot:

The Bodybuilding come back Part 2 starts...... now (March 1).

So here’s my set schedule for the first 30 day orientation, which will consist of a lot of pre-stretching, and retraining muscle groups, especially the rear delts, which is crucial. This isn’t about training too heavy right away, it’s about training smart and effectively, to protect the joints and reactivate the muscle fibers. I’ll also start preloading my supplements starting today.

For the first 30 days, I will start a 4 day training regiment with three days off to re-feed and re-cover each session will be approximately 1.5 hours. Each workout session, I will isolate each muscle group individually to maximize the gains as much as possible.

1.) Biceps/back
2.) Triceps/Shoulders
3.) Chest
4.) Legs


After the first 30 days, then I will push to a five day training cycle, where the weight will increase.

My training strategy is very simple,{high volume—mid-weight— train to failure}. You stimulate the muscle through the contraction and stretch.

I’ll get some photos of the gym, and some supplements I’m taking to post later.

Press On!

 

[pshufd]

I think another contributor to obesity is people that are harbored inside their house during colder months, maybe hotter seasons and what do they do? They over eat unhealthy.

I made a significant effort to run outside this winter season which included buying a lot of cold weather running gear and I'm pretty happy with the results. But it takes planning because there are fewer daylight hours, and trying to find parts of the day without a lot of rain, snow or wind. Also having sufficient laundry.

My mantra on making sure you get enough exercise is to make it easy and convenient but it's frequently anything but with modern lifestyles.

One other thing about working out a lot - you have less time and opportunity to consume calories.

 

[decafjava]

Well I reached the lowest weight in years, 73.9 kg (162.9 lbs). I had a visit to my GP for other reasons today and he told me that 6 years ago (last time I was weighed at his office) I was 95 kg (207 lbs)! As I am 5' 6'' you can see that was no good. I have been working it off and on over the last few years but really the last year has helped in some ways.

Being concious of what I eat, at least most of the time is very important. Cutting way back on certain foods, like white bread, sweets except dark chocolate and limiting alcohol to once or twice a week as well as the quantities drunk then.

Also, I must thank the thief who stole my electric bike last July. I got an excellent manual bike and I live up a gentle hill and go almost everywhere by bike even in cold weather. Also the electric bike had a bad battery for which I had just lost the key so hope the d*** who stole it was annoyed.

The important thing now is to bulk up a bit muscle wise, not much, as I have been concentrating on cardio-type exercises.