Considering that there seems to be a few fitness guys on here, thought it would be a good idea to have a fitness thread.
I noticed a few people wanting to lose some fat, or get a bit healthier after Xmas, how are you guys doing?
If you want to get running, I have a few small tips that may help:
1. Couch to 5k program. Can't recommend enough. Do this now, it's 20 mins a day and will make you feel lots better.
2. Fat burning is done by eating less calories than you burn during the day. Some say that 80% of losing fat is what you put into your body, but I have the opinion that it doesn't particular matter if you don't go overboard on anything and keep your cardio work up. Any thoughts on this?
3. If you're serious about jogging, you might want to consider purchasing some good running shoes or even trying barefoot. Your normal Nike's will do to get started, but not for 20 mile marathons.
4. The whole point of jogging for cardio is to keep your BPM at 75% of maximum for a length of time; NOT to sprint yourself until you can't breathe, rest for 5 minutes then sprint yourself another 10 yards before stopping. Pushing yourself is fine, but only if there's a reason for it.
5. Road running is supposedly better than a treadmill. I go for a run around the local nature reserve/field with the dog. Maybe this is just me, but I was pretty self conscious the first time that I went, about either my running speed, or distance, or even technique. Hell, all the other runners even LOOKED the part whilst I was in an old t-shirt and some trackies. It wears off after a few times though, and especially as people see more of you, so just work through it.
6. The most important thing you can possibly buy whilst running is in-ear headphones. Normal headphones will fall out as you jog and will break your routine/get tangled/provide a less than satisfactory musical experience. They cost about a fiver but are worth their weight in gold. If you don't mind looking a bit of a prat, over your head headphones are even better than that.
Fitness tends to depend on exactly what you want to achieve and how much you are willing to change your daily life to achieve it. If you post in this thread, you might get some people who can help. I'm great with helping for all your jogging woes, but my knowledge on free weights and the like is rubbish.
As far as losing fat goes, I've heard different things. The only real consensus is to do some sort of a cardio and eat lean meats such as chicken breasts, fish, even things like lean pork or steaks. Things without lots of fat on them. Top this up with fruit/veg and some grains like brown rice or brown bread. Personally, I lost quite a bit of fat by just stop throwing 12 pints of lager down my throat every night and finishing with a takeaway, but your mileage may vary. You can also try weightlifting too to increase your muscle mass (increased muscles = burning more calories to provide). Not something I did at the same time, but some believe it works. As usual, let your body tell you if you are doing too much (and muscle soreness the next day isn't that message, that's just because you haven't worked out for a while!)
Note about vegetables, starchy stuff such as potatoes aren't great and shouldn't count as a 'veg' in your meals but again, everything in moderation.
Oh, drinking wise, water, tea and coffee is fine. Caffeine dehydrates you which will piss you off if you're doing lots of cardio, and water is the most awesomest thing that you can give your body. Stay away from fizzy pop, the amount of sugars and that in them will kill any gains you have. Not sure about 'Diet' pop, but I stay away personally.
If there is a golden rule about diet, it's to eat food that hasn't been processed before you bought it. If you can do this, you can't really go far wrong and it takes less concentration when shopping. Nobody likes those twats that spend 15 minutes looking at soup at Tesco to see if it fits their "calorie maximum for the day". I've never counted calories in my life and never plan to. That stuff is for the guys who are absolutely serious and want to compete, I just like running and feeling fit. Less processed generally means better for your body but more of a pain to cook. You don't have to go nuts either, a good curry or stew will last a few days.
Speaking of nuts, those little bastards are fat machines. Stay away at all costs.
Oh yeah, don't know about you, but I was brought up on the idea that a meal is Meat + something. Whether that is Chicken + chips, Pork + veg, etc, it was always the same. That's still fine, but try not to make the meat the 'main part' of your meal (and therefore your calorie intake). As I said though, that's a personal thing, might work differently for you.
I try to run once a day, but usually do it three or four times a week. If you're just starting to exercise, follow a planned routine like the couch to 5k. Cardio builds fitness while you move, weights build muscle while you rest.
So, where are you all up to? What is your routine like? Got any good tips?
I noticed a few people wanting to lose some fat, or get a bit healthier after Xmas, how are you guys doing?
If you want to get running, I have a few small tips that may help:
1. Couch to 5k program. Can't recommend enough. Do this now, it's 20 mins a day and will make you feel lots better.
2. Fat burning is done by eating less calories than you burn during the day. Some say that 80% of losing fat is what you put into your body, but I have the opinion that it doesn't particular matter if you don't go overboard on anything and keep your cardio work up. Any thoughts on this?
3. If you're serious about jogging, you might want to consider purchasing some good running shoes or even trying barefoot. Your normal Nike's will do to get started, but not for 20 mile marathons.
4. The whole point of jogging for cardio is to keep your BPM at 75% of maximum for a length of time; NOT to sprint yourself until you can't breathe, rest for 5 minutes then sprint yourself another 10 yards before stopping. Pushing yourself is fine, but only if there's a reason for it.
5. Road running is supposedly better than a treadmill. I go for a run around the local nature reserve/field with the dog. Maybe this is just me, but I was pretty self conscious the first time that I went, about either my running speed, or distance, or even technique. Hell, all the other runners even LOOKED the part whilst I was in an old t-shirt and some trackies. It wears off after a few times though, and especially as people see more of you, so just work through it.
6. The most important thing you can possibly buy whilst running is in-ear headphones. Normal headphones will fall out as you jog and will break your routine/get tangled/provide a less than satisfactory musical experience. They cost about a fiver but are worth their weight in gold. If you don't mind looking a bit of a prat, over your head headphones are even better than that.
Fitness tends to depend on exactly what you want to achieve and how much you are willing to change your daily life to achieve it. If you post in this thread, you might get some people who can help. I'm great with helping for all your jogging woes, but my knowledge on free weights and the like is rubbish.
As far as losing fat goes, I've heard different things. The only real consensus is to do some sort of a cardio and eat lean meats such as chicken breasts, fish, even things like lean pork or steaks. Things without lots of fat on them. Top this up with fruit/veg and some grains like brown rice or brown bread. Personally, I lost quite a bit of fat by just stop throwing 12 pints of lager down my throat every night and finishing with a takeaway, but your mileage may vary. You can also try weightlifting too to increase your muscle mass (increased muscles = burning more calories to provide). Not something I did at the same time, but some believe it works. As usual, let your body tell you if you are doing too much (and muscle soreness the next day isn't that message, that's just because you haven't worked out for a while!)
Note about vegetables, starchy stuff such as potatoes aren't great and shouldn't count as a 'veg' in your meals but again, everything in moderation.
Oh, drinking wise, water, tea and coffee is fine. Caffeine dehydrates you which will piss you off if you're doing lots of cardio, and water is the most awesomest thing that you can give your body. Stay away from fizzy pop, the amount of sugars and that in them will kill any gains you have. Not sure about 'Diet' pop, but I stay away personally.
If there is a golden rule about diet, it's to eat food that hasn't been processed before you bought it. If you can do this, you can't really go far wrong and it takes less concentration when shopping. Nobody likes those twats that spend 15 minutes looking at soup at Tesco to see if it fits their "calorie maximum for the day". I've never counted calories in my life and never plan to. That stuff is for the guys who are absolutely serious and want to compete, I just like running and feeling fit. Less processed generally means better for your body but more of a pain to cook. You don't have to go nuts either, a good curry or stew will last a few days.
Speaking of nuts, those little bastards are fat machines. Stay away at all costs.
Oh yeah, don't know about you, but I was brought up on the idea that a meal is Meat + something. Whether that is Chicken + chips, Pork + veg, etc, it was always the same. That's still fine, but try not to make the meat the 'main part' of your meal (and therefore your calorie intake). As I said though, that's a personal thing, might work differently for you.
I try to run once a day, but usually do it three or four times a week. If you're just starting to exercise, follow a planned routine like the couch to 5k. Cardio builds fitness while you move, weights build muscle while you rest.
So, where are you all up to? What is your routine like? Got any good tips?