| This is the general advice thread. This can include workout/diet tips, but it can include advice for other things as well. Please respect one another at all times. |
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| This is more of an opinion question than asking for advice. Though since I'm only training for strength endurance, would not counting my calories and food/water intake be impeding? Most who count calories are looking to burn fat, though I'm only looking to get into good physical shape. Mainly in the sense that I can effectively control and move my body easily when desired. |
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| You may want to look at the fat/protein/vitamins/fiber/etc. that you take in more so than calories, especially if you aren't exactly trying to lose weight. |
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MaiTai said: You may want to look at the fat/protein/vitamins/fiber/etc. that you take in more so than calories, especially if you aren't exactly trying to lose weight. Well that much I do. I try to at least provide my body with the vitamins and nutrients it needs to function healthy. I get what you mean by fat and protein as well, because those are building blocks for muscle. |
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Revelry said: MaiTai said: You may want to look at the fat/protein/vitamins/fiber/etc. that you take in more so than calories, especially if you aren't exactly trying to lose weight. This. Don't use MyFitnessPal because it's for n00bs. Use Cronometer instead because it's highly accurate. Ah. I use NutriHand because that's what my University uses. |
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| Exercise changes genes after just one workout "During a study which involved 14 men and women who didn't usually exercise, researchers examined the genes of participants’ muscles before and after they spent 20 minutes on an exercise machine." "Results showed that short physical activity sessions led to significant chemical changes in some genes within the muscle cells including several genes involved in fat metabolism which the chemical change allowed them to more easily make proteins involved in the breakdown of fat." "Even short exercise sessions can turn on genes and affect boosting muscles and fat burning, says the report published in the journal Cell Metabolism." Lack of sleep may increase calorie consumption "If you don’t get enough sleep, you may also eat too much — and thus be more likely to become obese." "People who were sleep deprived ate more than 500 additional calories per day." "The amount of energy used for activity didn’t significantly change between groups, suggesting that those who slept less didn’t burn additional calories." |
Stalker-tan said: Anyone doing lifting as part of their schedule in the gym? I mean deadlifts, squats, curls and romanian deadlifts. If so, any advice of how to start? I've never done any of said exercises before, so I'm curious if anyone has a guide of some sort. Or just in general what to think of. I've mainly stuck with bodyweight exercises before, but now I'm aiming to up my strength a bit. I do some lifting, but not any deadlifts. At my job, we offer some workshops to help people get started so they will not hurt themselves. It sounds like you will/want to have access to the equipment so I'd suggest consulting one of the attendants who works at the gym. If not, maybe one day I can get some pointers from one of the fitness assistants at my job. They may have some videos/links. |
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| I just have a few tips, Stalker-tan. Start out with lighter weight, because proper form is paramount. You can dig in with your hips, but don't bend your back. Let your legs do all of the work. Don't bend your knees under 90°. Looking up slightly can help you keep your back straight. |
| Do we have any social media savvy runners in here? As mentioned before, I downloaded the Nike+ running app today to help track my run. It did PRETTY good, but since I was inside I knew how much I ran, but Nike didn't track it all. Long story short, I did closer to 4-4.5 miles than 3 even though the app said it was 3. So, here are my questions: 1. What's better, Nike+ or Map My Run for tracking running? Or would you recommend a FitBit bracelet? 2. Does the app track running better if I use an armband? I just held my phone in my hand today. 3. If/When I use it for elliptical running, will it track the same or no? |
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| I don't use a running app, Mai. Dietary Factors, Hormesis and Health "Reducing energy intake by controlled caloric restriction or intermittent fasting increases lifespan and protects various tissues against disease, in part, by hormesis mechanisms that increase cellular stress resistance." "Among dietary factors, the amount of calories consumed has been unequivocally and causally associated with the risk of many prominent age-related diseases... . Put simply, high energy intake increases, while low energy intake decreases, the risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancers and possibly neurodegenerative disorders." "Because oxidative stress is believed to play a major role in the aging process and in the diseases most commonly responsible for mortality, there is considerable interest in whether dietary factors influence disease processes and longevity primarily by modifying oxidative stress. Indeed, evidence supports anti-oxidative effects of dietary energy restriction (DER) and chemicals present in vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish oils... ." "There is also considerable evidence from highly controlled studies of laboratory animals that DER (either controlled caloric restriction or intermittent fasting) can increase the resistance of cells in the animals to various types of stress. For example, mortality from natural causes or that caused by thermal and oxidative stress exposures to specific toxins is significantly reduced in animals that have been maintained on DER compared to control animals consuming a normal diet... ." "Studies of humans also suggest that DER can counteract disease processes." |
Stalker-tan said: Anyone doing lifting as part of their schedule in the gym? I mean deadlifts, squats, curls and romanian deadlifts. If so, any advice of how to start? I've never done any of said exercises before, so I'm curious if anyone has a guide of some sort. Or just in general what to think of. I've mainly stuck with bodyweight exercises before, but now I'm aiming to up my strength a bit. Give these a read man their great for begginers http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843 http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=133395553 |
| Rafa seems pretty knowledgeable about weights. |
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Stalker-tan said: Useful pointers, thanks! Just to be sure, though, I'll probably ask the staff at the gym to guide me through it. That, or I'll ask a guy in class who gyms a whole lot. No worries. Remember to start as light as possible to get the feel for your form on each movement. It's even more essential on free weight movements, in particular compound movements such as your squat and barbell bench press for example. Whenever your back is involved remember to stick your butt out and arch your lower make slightly to alleviate pressure from your lumbar discs. (Which is the first 5 recommended exercises in the that guide) |
| I started using standing tables for everything. Are we facing a new paradigm of inactivity physiology? "Recent, observational studies have suggested that prolonged bouts of sitting time and lack of whole-body muscular movement are strongly associated with obesity, abnormal glucose metabolism, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and cancer, as well as total mortality independent of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity." "Sedentary time should be defined as the muscular inactivity rather than the absence of exercise." Get off that deadly chair: Sitting too long raises fatality risk, experts say "Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods — even if you also exercise regularly — could be bad for your health. And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place — at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV — just the overall number of hours it occurs." "'After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals,' Ekblom-Bak said. She explained that genes regulating the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down." "Even for people who exercise, spending long stretches of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day — but still spend a lot of time sitting — might get more benefit if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single bout." |
Tim_ said: Hmm, what is recommended to counter act sitting for to long? After a set amount of time, getting up and moving around? |
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| I counteract it by not sitting at all. Except for when I'm driving around in my car, I stand all day long. I've been doing it for years, so it comes naturally to me. I actually become agitated if I have to sit down for something like a meeting. |
Tim_ said: I counteract it by not sitting at all. Except for when I'm driving around in my car, I stand all day long. I've been doing it for years, so it comes naturally to me. I actually become agitated if I have to sit down for something like a meeting. Hmm, well watching anime while standing would be difficult. Though I'll try to get up and walk around now every two to three hours. |
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| Study led by Fred Turek finds that eating at irregular times influences weight gain "A Northwestern University study has found that eating at irregular times -- the equivalent of the middle of the night for humans, when the body wants to sleep -- influences weight gain. The regulation of energy by the body's circadian rhythms may play a significant role." "'How or why a person gains weight is very complicated, but it clearly is not just calories in and calories out,' said Fred Turek, professor of neurobiology and physiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology. 'We think some factors are under circadian control. Better timing of meals, which would require a change in behavior, could be a critical element in slowing the ever-increasing incidence of obesity.'" "Simply modifying the time of feeding alone can greatly affect body weight, the researchers found. Mice that were fed a high-fat diet during normal sleeping hours gained significantly more weight (a 48 percent weight increase over their baseline) than mice eating the same type and amount of food during naturally wakeful hours (a 20 percent increase over their baseline). There was no statistical difference between the two groups regarding caloric intake or the amount of activity." |
| Hey y'all, does anyone have any resources for jump rope workouts for both men and women? The ones I keep finding are for females, and I'm looking to workout with a guy though. |
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| Here is some information I found on Men's Fitness. 1. FORWARD JUMP Jump over the rope with both feet on every revolution, swinging the rope forward (the most basic jump). 2. SIDE-TO-SIDE JUMP Jump a few inches to your left as you swing the rope. Then to your right. Get into a rhythm. 3. BACKWARD JUMP Swing the rope backward for each jump. 4. SINGLE-LEG JUMP-LEFT THEN RIGHT Jump on one foot; land softly. 5. FOOT-CROSS JUMP Cross your feet over each other on each rep. Alternate the foot that lands in front. 6. DOUBLE JUMP Jump high enough that you can pass the rope under your feet twice on every revolution. If you can’t do it fluidly, practice it for 30 seconds—it doesn’t matter how many times you miss. |
| Sugar: The Bitter Truth - video "Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin." Corn syrup is liquid death. So many people are learning the truth about corn syrup that they are now trying to rebrand it. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) = Corn Syrup = Corn Sugars "The US Corn Refiners Association has petitioned the FDA for permission to change the name 'High Fructose Corn Syrup' to the much more innocuous-sounding 'Corn Sugars.' This comes as 58% of Americans say they are concerned about HFCS's impact on their health. HFCS is a heavily subsidized industrial byproduct of the corn industry, and is ubiquitous in American processed food -- everything from Rice Krispies to 'healthy' granola bars." |
| Once again, thanks Tim! Lol |
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| You're welcome, Mai. Some company started building a local indoor climbing gym. I don't know when it will be finished, but I'm excited anyway. Climbing is a great form of exercise, but I have never used a climbing gym. Does anyone here have experience with indoor climbing? I'm assuming that they hook you up to a belay, but maybe it's all free climbing (or, in my case, free falling). I hope they have a wall called "The Bunny Slope." |
| Anyone have low budget food recipes or suggestions? Recently started counting my calories as I felt like I wasn't getting enough. Seems I usually get around 1,500 which is apparently under the recommended 2,000. It's easy for me to get caught up in reading or w/e I'm doing and forget to eat when I should. Looking around in the kitchen there isn't much variety so I thought I'd ask for recommendations. On a daily basis I usually eat cereal,apples,sandwiches(Turkey or PB&J),chicken and potatoes or canned soups. When we have it I also eat broccoli,carrots, and celery. We have eggs but not a huge egg person and the cholesterol isn't that great after one or two a day. Oh also all time favorite are almonds which I never miss out on. Rare occasions I'll eat frozen pizza and potpies, though not my favorite. |
AstrosSep 29, 2014 12:59 PM
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| Hi, Astros. The easiest way to get more calories is to drink them. You could consume some fruit juice, but the sugar is bad for you, so don't overdo it. I eat plain Greek yoghurt. A ½ cup of it contains 110 calories. |
| Hmm, you make a good point. Yeah I've tried to limit fruit juice consumption because of that, usually only a glass of OJ a day. Though I might could incorporate a glass of apple or grape juice along with it. I've eaten yogurt in the past but not really understood what it was or how it helped me. I just know that it contains probiotics, or "good bacteria". Though that gives me the impression my body could grow dependent on it which I wouldn't want. |
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| Definitely look into having a smoothie or two a day if your looking for some more calories man. 200-300ml of milk and 1-2 bananas and if you use protein shakes throw a scope of whey into that for an extra 300-400 calories. If your not into whey protein you can substitute it with other healthy alternatives like a scoop of peanut butter for example. |
| I eat spinach to get an antioxidant called glutathione, but I think that whey protein is the best source for it. |
Objective said: Definitely look into having a smoothie or two a day if your looking for some more calories man. 200-300ml of milk and 1-2 bananas and if you use protein shakes throw a scope of whey into that for an extra 300-400 calories. If your not into whey protein you can substitute it with other healthy alternatives like a scoop of peanut butter for example. Peanut butter in a smoothie, interesting. Though unfortunately we don't own a blender and I'm allergic to bananas =P. On the bright side, I totally forgot about chocolate milk. A glass of it can give roughly 200 calories which is nice once a day. I'm not big on whey protein, just seems to add mass which isn't my aim. Thanks for the suggestion though. |
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| There's always other options, having 70%+ purity dark chocolate during the day (not after 5pm) is another great source of beneficial calories. Be careful with milks and sugars, if you don't monitor your intake on those you can put on extra body fat quite easily. You can also supplement bananas with other fruits, strawberries, mangos and any berry are good picks. Blenders can be bought for quite cheap, you don't need an expensive one at all since smoothies are just light blending. If you do end up using smoothies as extra calories make sure you use a lighter milk option. (2% fat milk etc.) Whey proteins isn't for everyone, if you can get your protein for whole foods then it's completely unnecessary. @Tim, spinach is such a superfood man. I make sure to get at least 2 serves of it every day. |
| Not a big fan of dark chocolate, though curious about why after 5pm. Yeah, which I'm not all that worried about. I rarely drink milk by itself or with chocolate mixes as is, so I doubt I would go above a glass a day. True, might look into it. Though I think I would rather prefer just eating the fruit as is then drinking it. I've actually never had whole milk before, it's always been 2% or less. Yeah, I rather get my protein from whole foods honestly. Regularly eat good sources of it such as almonds, turkey, eggs, peanut butter, beans w/chuck and chicken w/potatoes. |
AstrosSep 30, 2014 8:43 PM
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| Most dark chocolates that have 70%+ cocoa in them contain a bit of caffeine which can disrupt sleeping, and at the end of the day sleep/rest is the most important thing for the body to grow stronger and recover properly. Also the point of blending the fruits is purely for the calorie count, it makes it easier for the stomach to digest and the macro nutrients come into play a lot quicker that way. |
| Didn't consider that, though good to know. True, sleep is just as important as diet is in being healthy. Wouldn't chewing your food well be similar to blending it though? |
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| Definitely not, liquids hit the belly and the nutrient breakdown begins straight away. Which is why a lot of people have a post workout watered down protein shake in order to get their protein fix in a timely manner. The only difference between liquid and whole food is rate of absorption of the macro nutrients, which is why whole foods keep you feeling fuller for longer. |
| Yeah, I've read about the window for post-workout nutrient intake. Guess I'll have to focus a bit more on my pre-workout meal to help with that if possible. |
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| Whatever works for you man. Personally my pre workout meal lately has been 50 grams of brown rice with 80grams of chicken breast pan fried in olive oil, inorder to get my 140grams of protein a day with some complex carbs and a bit of fat to keep me going. Then again I usually workout between 11am-2pm every day and have breakfast at 8am. |
| Do y'all work out in the morning, evening, or night? I did racquetball, some running, rowing, arms, and abs today and just finished a bit ago (around 11:30 p.m.) and it used to make me feel pretty good but now it just makes me feel hella tired lol. |
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| Hi! For awhile now i've been weightlifting 2 times a day and eating well and i'm slowly achieving my goals of gaining weight and how much weight I can squat, but recently I made a mistake with a knife and sliced my pinky deep. I'm on spring break for high school but now the stitches have to stay on for more 10-12 days... Is a 2 week break without weightlifting going to be an issue? My doctor isn't allowing me to use my hand with the sliced/stitched up pinky (right, dominant hand... ugh) I've read you lose 10% of your strength after 2 weeks, but theres also muscle memory which will make a quick recovery. I guess I can continue preparing my broccoli, chicken, rice, and protein shake combo until I recover but theres not many things I can think of to do to keep my legs in shape... I can do aerobic but I don't want to do too much aerobic because I fear I might burn off some muscle. Basically i'm asking: Can lose a lot of strength/muscle in 2 weeks if I can't weight lift? Anything I can do to somewhat keep in-shape without the use of my hands? |
| Fortune favors the bold. I weep for the sheep. |
LewdBugles said: Basically i'm asking: Can lose a lot of strength/muscle in 2 weeks if I can't weight lift? Anything I can do to somewhat keep in-shape without the use of my hands? You could run, probably better than not doing anything at all, if it's only a couple of weeks you are supposed to stay off you hands you should be fine. If you are lifting weights running actually helps add muscle mass but you are only supposed to do it 2-3 times a week, doing it every day will probably cause you to lose some... I have a friend I work with who had surgery on his wrists and he was unable to use them for months so he could not lift and do his p90x videos. I asked him what he did since he was unable to use his hands and he said he ran 3 days a week for 3 miles. |
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