Fitness and shit

[KSGregman]

Originally Posted by shmike

That's awesome.

When did you decide to "get back in shape?" (how many years ago?)

How far had you fallen off the in shape wagon? (Before stats or years as a lazy-ass.)

I was in so-so shape 2 years ago...had gall bladder surgery...and gave up....coasted on the sofa for about a year....ballooned up to 204...the heaviest I've ever been in my life. My daughter took a picture of me sitting on the sofa and that picture changed my life....I couldn't reconcile the image I saw in the picture with my "self image"....it pissed me straight off and motivated to DO SOMETHING about it....to change.

I did 3 months of weight lifting 3 days a week....cardio 2 days a week and yoga one day a week while I struggled to modify my nutrition....I work out in the morning....5:30a every day. I did "what I've always done" when trying to lose weight....modify portion sizes...ridding myself of the obvious bad choices...but wasn't really educated about or dedicated to nutrition. After 3 months, I was down to 180 but was still carrying too much body fat and wasn't satisfied with my "results."

I changed up my work outs....I started doing ultra high intensity cardio 6 days a week and added weight lifting 3 days a week after cardio. I go hiking every Saturday after I work out...usually 10 miles or so per hike...and I run every Sunday morning with my dog...usually 4-6 miles depending on how I feel. I took a crash course in nutrition...and through trial and error with different food types and recipes found a nutrition style that works for me....2,400 calories a day....40%/40%/20% carb/protein/fat split. It's easy to prepare...and gives me plenty of energy.

I use several tools to monitor progress....a calorie/composition counter on my Razr....body fat calipers....and a tape measure...I hit the scale once a week but what I'm doing keeps me right at 174 so it's not my primary progress measurement tool anymore.

The challenge now is to mix it up....I'm looking at a MMA inspired work out regimen....for 3 months....and a friend of mine sent me a BUDS (US Navy Seals) inspired 3 month challenge too. I'm always looking for ways to challenge myself both physically and mentally....I've done a couple of Gladiator Runs....looking at a Tough Mudder this Fall....and a half marathon in the fall with a co-worker. I hike all over...been to Arkansas a couple of times already this season...and have logged nearly 100 miles just in Kansas alone so far....I'm going to Summit County Colorado over the 4th of July to do some 10,000+ hiking near Breckenridge...another trail near Vail...and one more outside Dillon....REALLY stress test the cardiovascular system.

Having a lean and strong body is GOOD..best decision I ever made to dedicate myself to it and make it happen.

[shmike]

Cool stuff, Gregman.

Lots of cool and different ways to train out there. I am going to do a Tough Mudder later this year too.

Check out this guy's training video (he's about 2 years older than you).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YErZ5GjOyas

[OneSickPsycho]

LOL, this guy is legit.

http://mustachemantraining.com/Musta...ning/Home.html

[Kaneman]

Congrats Gregman, that's awesome. You're doing it right dude. Post up that couch pic and a now pic for comparisson.

Shmike, that dude is frickin awesome!! There's a lot of guys that age that are effectively disabled from lack of activity...but that guy will be going strong into his 70s!

Here are my pics to show how the different diets and workout routines affected me.
This is about a year ago, after I had lost 40lbs and weighed around 145lbs following a restricted calorie, high vegetable content diet. Very little muscle mass, but I was very happy to have gone from a 34" to 28" waist. Exercise was BJJ class only.


About three months ago, eating a traditionally clean diet, trying to hit 3.5k calories or so a day. BJJ 6x a week, lifting 2-3x a week, running 1x a week.


This is today, after 3 weeks on the high-fat, low-carb setup. Exercise routine is the same.

[Turbo Ghost]

Definitely improvement in the works! I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone that works out with weights though. Stay away from the bench press! Yeah, it works and builds muscle but, it destroys your shoulder joints! I'm paying the price as are many of my friends from my bodybuilding days! I switched to dumbbells and got much better results with much less pain!

As for protein, GNC has the Lean Muscle Meal that is really good and mixes with water very easily. That's what I have for lunch every day. I've been drinking shakes for lunch for about 15 years or so now. I haven't had a soft-drink in about 15 years either. Pretty much water or milk is all I drink.

When I did the Atkins diet, I was eating lots of eggs and bacon for breakfast and plenty of meat (ribeyes, T-bones) for dinner. Plenty of fat but, usually when you are hungry and you put food in your mouth and chew, the hunger goes away. I was starving as I was chewing!

I'm lucky. I can gain or lose as I need pretty easily. I know what my body needs to get the results I want. Thanks to a lot of crap in my life over the past several years, I've been out of the gym and am way out of shape from what I want to be. Hopefully, I'll be getting back into it soon and then the beast shall be released!

[shmike]

Originally Posted by Kaneman

Congrats Gregman, that's awesome. You're doing it right dude. Post up that couch pic and a now pic for comparisson.

Shmike, that dude is frickin awesome!! There's a lot of guys that age that are effectively disabled from lack of activity...but that guy will be going strong into his 70s!

Here are my pics to show how the different diets and workout routines affected me.
This is about a year ago, after I had lost 40lbs and weighed around 145lbs following a restricted calorie, high vegetable content diet. Very little muscle mass, but I was very happy to have gone from a 34" to 28" waist. Exercise was BJJ class only.


About three months ago, eating a traditionally clean diet, trying to hit 3.5k calories or so a day. BJJ 6x a week, lifting 2-3x a week, running 1x a week.


This is today, after 3 weeks on the high-fat, low-carb setup. Exercise routine is the same.

Nice progress, Josh.

I'd like to see a recent pic with you not flexing though.

To be honest, the last pic is hard to tell the difference from the prior pic because you are chill in one and flexing in the other.

There is definitely some lean gain, but wouldn't you have had that on the other diet as well?

[Kaneman]

Originally Posted by shmike

Nice progress, Josh.

I'd like to see a recent pic with you not flexing though.

To be honest, the last pic is hard to tell the difference from the prior pic because you are chill in one and flexing in the other.

There is definitely some lean gain, but wouldn't you have had that on the other diet as well?

If you look at my neck and shoulder veins in the second picture you can see that I'm actually flexing. Even more telling is that my wife took that picture after we got back from lifting so I was still pumped. The last picture I just jumped off the couch and had her snap it. I'm also around 8lbs lighter in that last pic.

[derf]

Well damn thats a huge transformation.

I've been going to the gym 3x a week, plus a modified version of crossfit 3x a week. Mon Wed Fri I do the modified crossfit, basically crossfit without the weights and more running. Then Tu Th and Sat I lift weights. I haven't made the progress that Josh has made, but I have seen a difference in my body.

For running I wear the reebok realflex shoes. I've probably got 200 miles on them now and they are great. Its like a minimalist shoe with extra padding on the sole. When I first bought them I made it a point to strike with the balls of my feet. I had a ton of pain in my shins, and read that it was because you use different set of muscles. I started to stand on a curb with my heels and lift my body by lifting my toes and rotating over the heels. After 2 weeks of doing that the pain went away. I am noticing that I have less knee and hip pain than I used to have with traditional running shoes.

[shmike]

Originally Posted by Kaneman

If you look at my neck and shoulder veins in the second picture you can see that I'm actually flexing. Even more telling is that my wife took that picture after we got back from lifting so I was still pumped. The last picture I just jumped off the couch and had her snap it. I'm also around 8lbs lighter in that last pic.

If you aren't flexing in the last pic (especially your neck), then HOLY SHIT! You are one vascular fucker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M5LC...eature=related

[Adeptus_Minor]

Originally Posted by shmike

If you aren't flexing in the last pic (especially your neck), then HOLY SHIT! You are one vascular fucker.

That's actually kind of creepy.
My body keeps my veins hidden so the bad guys don't know where to cut me.
Also gives phlebotomists a fit.