The Physical Conditioning -thread

What I heard is that the calipers are the most accurate way to measure your body fat %. You need to learn the correct technique first though.
 
Not sure if this is "physical conditioning" or boring old fashioned "exercise" but either way, there's a question down the bottom of all this tl;dr.

I'm not particularly healthy so the plan was to start running after xmas, build up until the summer and run a half marathon in under 2 hours. What actually happened was that I ran my first half marathon after just over a month and by two and a half months I was running around 1hr 40 of an evening after work... until I did some mild knee damage (got some running shoes now!), which i'm resting at the moment. So now i'm focusing on swimming at which i'm not slow, but hardly fast either (probably cover 3km in an hour swim if I push).

So the question is now where to go next, full marathons or triathlons? Triathlons sound the more interesting option, but it does mean far more training than just a normal marathon. Anyone got experience of either or both?
 
No personal experience as of yet, but I am running a marathon in August and here is the schedule my former history teacher gave me, as he has been running and competing in orienteering on a national level for ages, has trained with long distance runners etc. so he knows his stuff.

This is what he said I should be doing each week:

2x 10km - roughly around 40-45min or quicker
1x 20km - 5min/kilometer is the absolute maximum pace
1x 10km interval - 1km hard/1km light

As the actual race is getting closer one should, according to him, up the ante. Replace maybe one 10km with a 20km and try to get 30km stints under your belt before running a full marathon.

As soon as the weather steadies itself and the ice is gone for good, I'm going to start utilizing this regime as much as time and other activities such as tennis and gym let me.
 
Does anyone have any experience with riding with weights? I'm more interested if such a use is at all practical/at all purposeful.
I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work if you want more resistance and to build more strength. Just make sure you have the weights strapped in properly, so they don't move around on their own while you are riding.
 
Soooo, I'm mostly not hurt at the moment and decided to start working out a bit more again. Problem is, I'm really out of shape. Really, really out of shape. I just haven't cared for a while and it's gotten to the point where I get winded at ridiculous moments. I'm also much, much, much...erm, fluffier?...than I'd like to be at the moment. I guess the biggest thing I'd like to start working on is losing weight. I'm just not sure how to start that. I try to avoid eating really fatty things and a lot of junk food, I've cut wayyyyyyy down on the number of cokes I drink, and I'm still annoyingly rotund. I usually spend an hour working out a few days a week - mostly on bikes, treadmills, and the stair machine. Occasionally the rowing machine if my shoulders aren't giving me hell (they have a bad tendency to lock up). I'm trying to start off kind of easy since I get winded just running for a short distance, grr. Eventually, I'd like to be able to run the trail that goes all around campus (a couple miles in length, I think), but I can't hardly make it down the block without pooping out. I sweat like a pig whenever I'm at the gym, which is a bit embarrassing because I'm surrounded by tiny freshmen who don't ever seem to break a sweat, grr. It's helped a bit, though--my face looks a bit thinner than it did, which is nice--but I seem to be a bit stuck. Is there anything I should try that's different or that might work a little better? I don't want to do any crazy starvation diets or anything--I'd just like to see my weight go back down to normal as healthily as possible. That being said, I will admit that I'm a bit annoyed at how long it's taking for anything to happen. I know it's not an overnight thing, but I'm quite tired of being a puffalump that gets really tired really quickly.

{ this part asploded from post }
 
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It's good that you are going to the gym. But what I would suggest is to start lifting some weights as well as doing cardio excersises. Start with basic stuff lunges, bicep curls, push ups (you can do them on your knees if you cant do them normally, like this), ab crunches, etc. Try to use so much weight that you can do about 6-12 reps three times with about a minute breaks in between. If you can't do atleast 6 reps you are using too little weight and if you can easily do more than 12 you are using too little, the goal is to use all your strength for best results, at the end of your workout you should be totally spent. Don't be worried that you will turn in to a muscle monster overnight, you won't.

After you have done your weight training you could hit the treadmill, bike or stair machine. On those try to keep your heartrate up, if your gym has those fancy things with built-in heartrate meters use them. Your goal is to keep your heartrate to around 100-130.

Overall you could start out with doing half an hour of weights and another half an hour right after that doing cardio. As you go on and start to be in better shape increase the time you work out. Maybe have weight training and cardio on separate days and do them longer. Try to keep a set schedule though, for example choose monday, wednesday and friday as you workout days and always work out on those days.

Sweating means you are doing things right. Just remember to drink water!
At the gym don't pay attention to others. No looking at the cute guy, no looking at what others are doing, no thinking about how your bum looks in the gym pants, nothing. Only thing you are allowed to do is to work out and think about your own work out.

Next thing is food. What you need to do here is to eat just the right amount, not too little, not too much. Five small meals is the optimal. Try not to starve yourself, try to avoid being hungry. It's good idea to stock up on easy and quick to make meals. Like frozen veggies, oatmeal, fruits, etc. Things you can prepare quickly and that are healthy. That way you can eat them when you feel hungry, instead of going for fastfood. Always start your day with a breakfast!

But as said, you won't lose 30 to 40 pounds in a month. It will take a while. But if you persist you will get in better shape and you will be able to run the campus trail.

I hope this helps.
 
Hmmm....my deadlift keeps on improving almost on a daily basis. Eventhough I had legworkout yesterday I sitll did reps with 140kg/311lbs. Going to try a new record next weekend, 170kg/377lbs. Not too bad for someone my size, though not great either. I'm aiming at 200kg/444lbs at some point, but I'm in no hurry nor will I start to train specifically to reach that.

There is clearly a correlation between my improved squatting, deadlift and the fact that for the last month or two I've been playing rinkball 3 times a week.

The winter in general has been good to me. Now that I've been unable to go running pretty much the entire winter, I have concetrated on gym more than before, tweaked my training a little bit and I have also eaten way more than before. Bench press is another where I have made some great improvement but altogether I've managed to gain a few kilos during the winter, pretty much all of which is muscle. I'm very satisfied, because I haven't exactly tried to gain weight, it has just happened.
 
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Does anyone have any experience with riding with weights? I'm more interested if such a use is at all practical/at all purposeful.

What do you mean?

Soooo, I'm mostly not hurt at the moment and decided to start working out a bit more again. Problem is, I'm really out of shape. Really, really out of shape. I just haven't cared for a while and it's gotten to the point where I get winded at ridiculous moments. I'm also much, much, much...erm, fluffier?...than I'd like to be at the moment. I guess the biggest thing I'd like to start working on is losing weight. I'm just not sure how to start that. I try to avoid eating really fatty things and a lot of junk food, I've cut wayyyyyyy down on the number of cokes I drink, and I'm still annoyingly rotund. I usually spend an hour working out a few days a week - mostly on bikes, treadmills, and the stair machine. Occasionally the rowing machine if my shoulders aren't giving me hell (they have a bad tendency to lock up). I'm trying to start off kind of easy since I get winded just running for a short distance, grr. Eventually, I'd like to be able to run the trail that goes all around campus (a couple miles in length, I think), but I can't hardly make it down the block without pooping out. I sweat like a pig whenever I'm at the gym, which is a bit embarrassing because I'm surrounded by tiny freshmen who don't ever seem to break a sweat, grr. It's helped a bit, though--my face looks a bit thinner than it did, which is nice--but I seem to be a bit stuck. Is there anything I should try that's different or that might work a little better? I don't want to do any crazy starvation diets or anything--I'd just like to see my weight go back down to normal as healthily as possible. That being said, I will admit that I'm a bit annoyed at how long it's taking for anything to happen. I know it's not an overnight thing, but I'm quite tired of being a puffalump that gets really tired really quickly.

I'm at ~170 lbs now, which is a bit embarrassing to admit on the internet. Ideally, I'd like to be lose 30 or 40 lbs because this has just gotten ridiculous. And that's embarrassing to admit on the internet, so I may edit this part of my post out soon.

How tall are you?
 
5'4".
 

At your height/weight you may want to hold off on running until you lose a little more weight; it can be pretty brutal on the joints if you are not used to it. The last thing you want is to develop knee or ankle pain which could put you out of commission for a while. Swimming, biking (stationary or not) and rowing are better at this point since they're little to no impact on your joints. Also keep in mind that what you eat determines how much fat you lose. Think of it like this, it's easier to not eat a candy bar than it is to run 10 miles trying to burn those calories off.

I would recommend wandering around on this site:
http://www.stumptuous.com/

It's about weight training/fitness and is geared toward women and dispels most of the nonsense that girls believe such as what geeman mentioned:
Don't be worried that you will turn in to a muscle monster overnight, you won't.
 
YES !! 175kg/389lbs - a personal deadlift record and officially over 100kg my own weight. I am happy. Next up, 200kg !

Thats BEASTLY. Congrats! For me weight training season is over with the end of winter. Weather's nice now so it's cardio running and biking.
 
Folded in some negative bicep curls to my routine last night...shit I'm sore now.:lol::cry:
 
Couple of my friends have been telling me great things about P90X, so I'm gonna go pick up some equipment this weekend (chin-up bar, resistance bands, etc.) and start on that throughout this summer plus my daily jog. My main goal would be to lose the extra bit of flab around my gut and trim down from 195lbs~200lbs down to 175lbs~180lbs and build some muscle mass and upper body strength.
 
Who wants to hear my routine.....I'll take the silence as acceptance which is legal under US law. :D

Monday and Friday: 30 minutes stationary bike then 30 minutes Arc Trainer; 3x12 triceps cable press downs, 3x12 seated bicep curls, 3x12 triceps extensions, 3 sets of barbell 21s, 3x12 triceps kickbacks, 3x12 reverse barbell curls, 3x12 bench dips.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 30 minutes Arc Trainer; 3x15 leg press, 3x15 front squats, 3x15 standing hamstring curl, 3x15 weighted calf raises, 3x20 bench step ups, 3x12 side lunges, 1/5th a mile of lunges, 3x12 hip adduction, 3x12 hip abduction, 3x15 seated hamstring curls, 3x15 seated leg extensions.
Wednesday: 30 minutes stationary bike then 30 minutes arc trainer; 3x12 dumbbell flys, 3x12 resistance band swimming type motion, 3x12 resistance band row, 3x12resistance band snow angels, 3x12 body bar one arm flys, 3x12 seated row, 3x12 lat pulls downs, to failure bar bell front shoulder raises, 3x10 shrugs, 3x12 bent over row.
Sunday: Rest
 
You're way more organized than I am:

Monday/Wedensday/Friday: 30-45 minutes of trail running, mountain biking, or rowing.
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday: Always 10x10 pullups, 2x30 lunges, 2x50 squats, 2x30 dips, 2x30 hanging leg raises, 2x30 crunches, 15 minutes of finger training, and whatever dumbell exercises I feel like throwing in.
 
YES !! 175kg/389lbs - a personal deadlift record and officially +100kg over my own weight. I am happy. Next up, 200kg !

Good work! I'm only at 350lbs for a deadlift max, but I doubt I could do that now since I haven't had a chance to go to the gym in almost 2 months :/


Couple of my friends have been telling me great things about P90X, so I'm gonna go pick up some equipment this weekend (chin-up bar, resistance bands, etc.) and start on that throughout this summer plus my daily jog. My main goal would be to lose the extra bit of flab around my gut and trim down from 195lbs~200lbs down to 175lbs~180lbs and build some muscle mass and upper body strength.

Do you have access to a gym? Even if you don't, there are better strength training programs out there using cheap equipment you can buy/make for not too much cash. I'm not knocking P90X, follow what they say exactly and you'll notice some differences in both strength and appearance. They make it pretty idiot-proof so anyone can understand which is another plus. I'm just letting you know there are other options out there.

Who wants to hear my routine.....I'll take the silence as acceptance which is legal under US law. :D

Monday and Friday: 30 minutes stationary bike then 30 minutes Arc Trainer; 3x12 triceps cable press downs, 3x12 seated bicep curls, 3x12 triceps extensions, 3 sets of barbell 21s, 3x12 triceps kickbacks, 3x12 reverse barbell curls, 3x12 bench dips.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 30 minutes Arc Trainer; 3x15 leg press, 3x15 front squats, 3x15 standing hamstring curl, 3x15 weighted calf raises, 3x20 bench step ups, 3x12 side lunges, 1/5th a mile of lunges, 3x12 hip adduction, 3x12 hip abduction, 3x15 seated hamstring curls, 3x15 seated leg extensions.
Wednesday: 30 minutes stationary bike then 30 minutes arc trainer; 3x12 dumbbell flys, 3x12 resistance band swimming type motion, 3x12 resistance band row, 3x12resistance band snow angels, 3x12 body bar one arm flys, 3x12 seated row, 3x12 lat pulls downs, to failure bar bell front shoulder raises, 3x10 shrugs, 3x12 bent over row.
Sunday: Rest

Holy hell this high volume.

You're way more organized than I am:

Monday/Wedensday/Friday: 30-45 minutes of trail running, mountain biking, or rowing.
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday: Always 10x10 pullups, 2x30 lunges, 2x50 squats, 2x30 dips, 2x30 hanging leg raises, 2x30 crunches, 15 minutes of finger training, and whatever dumbell exercises I feel like throwing in.

This is high volume too, there's no way you're doing 2x50 squats with weight are you? 2x30 dips is pretty impressive, you could try weighted dips if you are finding bodyweight to be too easy.
 
Nope, nothing is weighted. My friend has a weight vest that I've played around with, but I'd have to change up my reps if I started using that seriously. I do squats with the dumbells though about half the time, every so often I'll do some power lunges with weight. Mostly though, I hate squats and I hate lunges, more hate for the lunges though.
 
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Nope, nothing is weighted. My friend has a weight vest that I've played around with, but I'd have to change up my reps if I started using that seriously. I do squats with the dumbells though about half the time, every so often I'll do some power lunges with weight. Mostly though, I hate squats and I hate lunges, more hate for the lunges though.

You can make a sandbag for ~$20 if you don't have a gym available:
http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/budget.html
half way down the page there is a link on how to make your own sandbag. It's pretty awesome, you can pretty much have a 200lb weight set available for next to nothing. And since the sand moves around a lot, it presents its own challenges so that even a 50lb bag is hard to move around. I plan to do this over the summer when I won't have access to a free gym right next door. I'm mentioning this because there's only so much you can do to work the lower body when you don't have a barbell to work with, especially with heavy movements like the squat and deadlift.

If you want some examples of what you can do with a sandbag, watch some of this guy's videos:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LGG725qO10[/youtube]

What are your "goals" at the moment? You could try using the weighted vest for dips and pullups, that's pretty much what they were made for.
 
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