Reynard Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Sounds good. I'll try it next time I'm at the gym. I've been pounding the pavements the last couple of weeks. It actually burns fat as well, so it's good if you are trying to shred. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrmad Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Think I may need to visit this thread more often, I'm attempting to stop smoking and lose 66lbs starting tomorrow, I reckon if I can keep my discipline it'll take me 11 or 12 months of hard graft to get where I want to. I'll be starting with a 20 minute walk, circuits etc will have to wait a few months. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzle Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Im 6'1 and 11 stone 9 so I am pretty much my ideal weight however i have a bit of belly fat i would like to lose for the coming summer months. I started a week ago and have cut out lager, crisps, sweet, cakes, biscuits and takeaways until im happy with my stomoch, this along with plenty of water, fives twice a week and two nights in the weight room at the gym. Is there anything else that would massively help me reach my goal? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hero of the Day Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 (edited) If you're really, really hitting your HIIT insanely hard, 20 minutes is probably enough, although I'd make sure to mix it up with steady state (on separate days). Out of interest what does your HIIT consist of ? Having started this thread, I've not even started. Really struggling to motivate myself to do anything, I'm so unfit that I'm blowing out my arse after 2 minutes on the bike. Need to change my diet, and get into some organised sport. If it's not organised I won't stick to it. Sign up to the gym and go with a pal. Your more likely to be more motivated if you've got someone doing it along side you. Ask around at work if there is any 5 a side games that takes place during lunch with colleagues or something. Edited April 20, 2011 by The Hero of the Day 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hero of the Day Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Im 6'1 and 11 stone 9 so I am pretty much my ideal weight however i have a bit of belly fat i would like to lose for the coming summer months. I started a week ago and have cut out lager, crisps, sweet, cakes, biscuits and takeaways until im happy with my stomoch, this along with plenty of water, fives twice a week and two nights in the weight room at the gym. Is there anything else that would massively help me reach my goal? 5-6 smaller meals every 2-3 hours instead of 3 big meals a day. Keeps your metabolism up which will burn calories at a faster rate. Burning fat is a pretty slow process so patience is something you'll need. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hero of the Day Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Posted this in the weights thread but thought it might be relevant too in here for anyone looking to get a bit fitter. The promotion video on youtube is a bit cheesy but the actual programme itself is tremendous. Been doing it on and off for a year now and have lost huge amounts of fat. Might not be everyones cup of tea but it suits me down to the ground, shows you the correct form and takes you through everything step by step on a daily basis. I'm always knackered at the end of each workout and look forward to the end result. Think its about £100 from amazon but its fairly easy to download. I got mine from a mate for £40 with the nutrition guide etc included. After deciding to give this a watch. I've read a few reviews about it, all reviews are positive and everyone seems satisfied with the results they are getting. Did you use it once your mate once he had used it or was he able to get you some sort of discount? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss..schlecht Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Think I may need to visit this thread more often, I'm attempting to stop smoking and lose 66lbs starting tomorrow, I reckon if I can keep my discipline it'll take me 11 or 12 months of hard graft to get where I want to. I'll be starting with a 20 minute walk, circuits etc will have to wait a few months. Well done. A program worth checking out if you're really out of shape is the couch to 5k (C25K). I used this a while back to get myself into exercising again (and cos I was as unfit as f**k). Good starting point. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuctifano Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 This is definitely the longest I've stuck with a fitness programme of any kind since I left school. Got another fitness assessment a week tomorrow, to get some good numbers will be nice but I can see the difference in the mirror and in photos on nights out etc. Can definitely see some definition at the top of my abs and the moobs are totally gone now- just a wee ring of fat around the belly to shift (which will be the hardest part, particularly with two bank holiday weekends and a week on holiday in May coming up). In terms of weight etc. From 12st and 21% bodyfat I'm now 10st 9, and around 12-13% bodyfat- long term goal is to be 11st with 10% bodyfat, so will be changing my programme. No secrets I'm afraid, just don't eat shite, don't booze too much (I tend to have a couple of weeks sobriety then a couple of binges) make sure you do weights so you're not burning muscle when you do your cardio, and mix up steady state and interval cardio, and change your weights programme every 8 weeks or so. At most I was going 5 times a week but probably averaging 3 over the longer term. I guess I've got fit, the staying fit part is always the harder part. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moriarty Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I was 12st 3 at the start of the year, and am now down to 11st. Chuffed! 14 weeks in a row now I've been to midweek circuits class, and I think maintaining that has been key. Beyond that I'll get out for a brisk walk a few times a week, cycle for an hour a couple days a week, and do some strength/toning exercises at home. Definitely much fitter and stronger now. At the circuits at the start of the year, I was struggling with some of the exercises (press-ups on my knees, etc), but now I'm not too far away from some of the fittest guys I'd say. Amazing the progress that can be made if you stick at it. As for diet, I was just fairly sensible really. Have got into the habit of having porridge every morning with a banana chopped up in it; often soup with bread / sandwich for lunch; normal dinner; satsuma/grapes mixed in with a 100 calorie yogurt at about 8/9 o'clock. Weekends I'll let it go a wee bit and allow myself some crisps, a few beers, etc but what's the point in sinking 10 pints and making it difficult for yourself at the start of the next week? Feel like I still need to lose maybe another half a stone or so, but hopefully that'll happen in the next 6 months or so. Now I've got into the habit of regular exercise I can't imagine stopping, especially in the short term with a few months of better weather ahead of us. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrmad Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Well done. A program worth checking out if you're really out of shape is the couch to 5k (C25K). I used this a while back to get myself into exercising again (and cos I was as unfit as f**k). Good starting point. Hope that's cash, lol. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
young_bairn Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 In in the same boat as the previous posters. I was turning into a right fat bassa so decided to lose a couple of stone. Was about 13 and A half stone now down to 12 and A half. Training at least 5 times a week both cardio and weights and seeing noticeable differences. Diet wise I have started using a calorie counter app on the iphone and the biggest ommision from my diet is cheese. Love the stuff but it is amazing how many calories cheese has. A month ago I said I would be happy with 12.7 stone but going to keep going until I feel comfortable. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshmallo Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 I've been going to the gym every weekday for 15 weeks now. Using the weight machines Monday, Wednesday, Friday for my arms, chest, shoulder and stomach in equal proportions. There's enough of an overlap in the machines that my back's getting worked too. I'm working the weights in 6 week programmes, finding my new maximum after 6 weeks and doing 3 sets of 10 at 80% of my maximum on each machine. I'm on the treadmill Tuesday, Thursday to improve my cardio. I've been trying to eat in a healthier way (getting my 5 a day every day, eating wholemeal bread) but haven't been completely dedicated to cutting out crap, although I'm drinking less often than I did before Christmas (not that that's really a conscious choice, just less likely to be going out at night if I'm up at half 6 to go the gym). I realise folk were ripping the pish a bit with the milk earlier in the thread but I'm drinking 4 pints every day of full fat milk Monday to Friday and I think it's helping. I'm noticing some decent results, although it's a fairly slow process. I've always been really lanky but I've put on 9lbs since I started (now 6'3" and 10st 11lbs) which has been muscle mass mostly, but with the amount of milk I'm drinking I'm guessing some will be fat. I'd still like to put on another stone or so, so I'm going to keep going in the same fashion with regards the diet and workload etc. The maximums I can lift on the machines have increased but at different rates. My shoulders, chest and stomach have pretty much doubled since I started, but I'm only seeing an increase of about 15-20% in my arms. My chest and shoulders started at a lower level but I'm still a little confused by this. My arms are the area where a visible difference is least noticeable as well (the others have improved markedly but my arms haven't). Is this because the arms are more difficult to build up, or am I doing something wrong? Should I do more weights for my arms or change the way I'm working them? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Arch Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 No secrets I'm afraid, just don't eat shite, don't booze too much (I tend to have a couple of weeks sobriety then a couple of binges) make sure you do weights so you're not burning muscle when you do your cardio, and mix up steady state and interval cardio, and change your weights programme every 8 weeks or so. What is meant by this exactly? Every 8 weeks make the weights you usually lift heavier (ie instead of 12 reps at 25, do 12 reps at 30) or stop using those weights and use other machines and weights? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuctifano Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 The maximums I can lift on the machines have increased but at different rates. My shoulders, chest and stomach have pretty much doubled since I started, but I'm only seeing an increase of about 15-20% in my arms. My chest and shoulders started at a lower level but I'm still a little confused by this. My arms are the area where a visible difference is least noticeable as well (the others have improved markedly but my arms haven't). Is this because the arms are more difficult to build up, or am I doing something wrong? Should I do more weights for my arms or change the way I'm working them? Someone like Gaz or mhak might be better placed to answer this, but my guess would be that because your arms are smaller muscle groups than your back or chest, then it's harder to make a big difference. Unless I turn into a total 'roid monkey then I'm always going to have skinny forearms as that's the way I'm genetically built but I've already made a difference to my chest and back in a few months. What is meant by this exactly? Every 8 weeks make the weights you usually lift heavier (ie instead of 12 reps at 25, do 12 reps at 30) or stop using those weights and use other machines and weights? Just any sort of change to shock your muscles and stop them getting used to it. Could be as simple as changing the order you do your workout in, or using more weight machine exercises / less free weights (or vice versa), doing different or new variations of the exercises (e.g. using an incline or decline bench), or putting the weights up and doing less reps per set but more sets (or again vice versa). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshmallo Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Someone like Gaz or mhak might be better placed to answer this, but my guess would be that because your arms are smaller muscle groups than your back or chest, then it's harder to make a big difference. Unless I turn into a total 'roid monkey then I'm always going to have skinny forearms as that's the way I'm genetically built but I've already made a difference to my chest and back in a few months. Hmm, the fact it's a smaller muscle group could explain why it's not really visibly different but I'm not sure it explains why the weights haven't gone up by anywhere near as much as for the other muscle groups. Maybe my form isn't as good on those machines. I was talking about my biceps rather than my forearms btw, should probably have made that clearer. -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
young_bairn Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Only lost 1 pound this week. Fecking pish! Although according to the machine my body fat has shot down from 15.9% to 12.7% and my bmi is down 0.2%. I don't know how accurate these machines are however. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banterman86 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 (edited) Bumpy. How's everyone doing? I had been keeping it up pretty well, no fewer than 3 gym visits a week for about six weeks, and then effectively took last week off. Want to change my routine at the gym but not sure where to start. Interested in compound lifts, but is that something you can do alone? Edited May 17, 2011 by banterman86 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I'm doing alright, although I've been swamped with Uni work over the past few weeks so I haven't been out running much. Finished now so will be out a lot more. Having a rest day today (last exam was this morning) but got a run planned for tomorrow and Friday and running in the London Marathon on Sunday (got a team place with three mates). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshmallo Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I've been keeping it up despite having exams, reassessing myself on the weights tomorrow so hopefully those will go up. I'm noticing a difference in the mirror the last couple of weeks although I'm not quite Scott Steiner yet. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
die hard doonhamer Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 Still struggling to get started. No motivation at all. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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