Getting into shape

[cardsfansince82]

Just in the past year or two I've really come to appreciate how much lifting weights can help me stay in shape. I used to spend the vast majority of my time on cardio, now it's more like 50/50. But far and away the most important thing is discipline with your diet. And that's the hardest thing for people to control. I've found something that works pretty well for me and it has become ingrained as part of my life. That's the way it has to be or it won't work. Now that I've gotten close to my ideal weight I can eat what I want pretty often without gaining much back.

[Gashouse]

Your liver constantly produces glucose or sugar or whatever it is called, and your body uses that. If you drink enough, your liver quits producing sugar as it focuses on removing alcohol from the blood. For whatever reason, I've always found this happens the next day instead of during the middle of the night which is odd but happens nearly every single time.

I have an enormous sweet tooth, but when I'm hungover, I can't get enough sugar and simple carbs. I'd never understood that craving until now.

[IMADreamer]

Just in the past year or two I've really come to appreciate how much lifting weights can help me stay in shape. I used to spend the vast majority of my time on cardio, now it's more like 50/50. But far and away the most important thing is discipline with your diet. And that's the hardest thing for people to control. I've found something that works pretty well for me and it has become ingrained as part of my life. That's the way it has to be or it won't work. Now that I've gotten close to my ideal weight I can eat what I want pretty often without gaining much back.

I thought some where along the way I had heard you shouldn't do cardio and weights at the same time. If that is not true it would be a big help to me breaking up the monotony of cardio.

[jim]

I think a balance is very important. I lift 2-3x per week, I do pure cardio 4x per week, and I do stretching (yoga) 2x per week. I say "pure cardio" because my lifting is cardio as well, instead of doing sets of this and sets of that I do sets of everything at once and do not take breaks. A muscle group gets a rest as I do other exercises that work other muscle groups, but I'm going non-stop. I always do something like burpees with pushups in there to really get the heart rate up.

btw - I lifted this morning minus the bench and my wrist feels fine. It's a nerve issue or something, I think certain movements cause a little bit of swelling which mucst be pressing on a nerve which causes all sorts of nasty sensations, and when the swelling goes down the problem goes away completely.

[jim]

Here's my situation, not that you care. I promised Nic before she passed away I'd take better care of myself. I'm pretty hard on my body. I sleep about four hours a night. My diet consists of BBQ and things in a can or box. When I was younger I worked out all the time. At one point I really was a force to reckon with. Now most of that force has turned to goo.

Last year I lost 30 lbs. Not that anyone could notice because I'm a total fat ass. Looking back I think 30lbs is pretty pathetic and I should be able to do twice that this year if not more. I'm doing better in the eating area with the exception of BBQ, but after a day at the farm my legs, particularly knees just kill me. Which means I'm not heading out for a jog. However I have new incentive to get back into shape. I can not keep up with Michelle Obama who is just a ball of energy. That's good for me though it gets me moving. While Nic worked out and was in great shape our time together was largely spent hanging out reading, watching movies, etc. Michelle Obama wants to hike, bike, jog, whatever. Much more outdoorsy and I just can't do it.

Anyway, I want to be more active in this thread this year. I really want to fulfill my promise to Nic. I have done everything she wanted me to do except take better care of myself and settle down and have a family. One, probably leads to the other.

Number one problem on your list is sleep. Get more. They have done so many studies and while it is almost counter-intuitive, people that sleep more are healthier and aren't as overweight. I worked a 3rd shift for a year long ago in my 20's, and I gained 15 pounds that year. You would think you burn more calories being up more, which I suppose is true, but your body goes into this mode where it demands even more food.

Not to mention the problems lack of sleep has on your internal organs etc.. I try to get 8 hours a night, my problem is that I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep. I go to bed and get up at a time where if I don't have troubles through the night I'll get at least 8, and I'd say I get that about 5 out of 7 nights.

[tlombard]

I finally went to the gym last night after signing up last week. Of course I didn't actually work out yet. That will come tonight. Last night I went to actually see the place for the first time (signed up online) and to get my access card and free t-shirt. I was pleasantly surprised with the facilities. Everything was clean, modern, functional, all the TVs work. Tons of equipment. I wasn't expecting that from a place that only costs $10/month (Planet Fitness). I was expecting a [expletive deleted]-hole. The shower and locker room was actually really nice and clean with individual showers and dressing rooms off to the side. Hopefuly after tonight I can start getting myself up earlier and going before work. That would be the most convenient for me if I can figure out the right schedule.

The only other place closer to me is the YMCA and I thought about going with them but I figure since I haven't worked out regularly in well over a decade I might as well start with the lowest risk/easiest to cancel and if I can keep up with it, I'll probably move to the YMCA so I can play some basketball too.

Before hitting 35 last May I was always able to get myself back into softball shape within a week or two of just playing three or four nights a week and kickball on the weekends (starts a little earlier than softball). I could drop 40 pounds in less than a month easily without doing anything more than just adding in the little extra physical activity. Last year it just didn't happen though. I tweaked something in my groin area the first week and just never got into any decent playing shape the entire season even though I was playing on four teams. Of course the beer at (and after) every game probably doesn't help either.

I clearly have to put some effort in if I'm going to be happy with my play and I should have started earlier but I guess late is better than never. Our league starts two weeks from today and then I play every Tuesday and Thursday (two Thursday teams) through the middle/end of August. Hopefully I'm in the best shape of my life by the end of the season and will have the drive to keep it up over the fall/winter. I'm actually glad to be down to just three softball teams and no kickball too. Last year it was all just too much and I literally only had two free evenings a week and my weekends were all booked. That was also a LOT of beer being drank. That might have been my problem as much as age because if I'm not playing sports, I don't drink at all during the week. I was playing at least three nights a week, sometimes four and then on top of that I had kickball on Saturday and Sunday for a stretch. I can't I survived that. Normally I am on just two or three teams and not six. So yeah, the extra booze very well may have been the problem. It certainly didn't help.

[Freed Roger]

I probably weighed 20 lbs more when I played softball doubleheader leagues 1 or 2 nights a week for 6 months a year. Some of the guys on the team really accumulated lbs over the years. Weird, because you are running around for a couple hours sometimes in 95 degree heat. I guess it is a lifestyle thing - the beer drinking is one factor - and then you have to partake in late-night eating. The next day I was usually a slug. - So that basically took care of the week, as far as physical activity.

It was a whole lot of fun and I pictured playing for quite a while longer -but when I broke my hand and had to sit out, I didn't miss it at all.


Jim... bench press. Why?

[JackofDiamonds]

Jim... bench press. Why?

Those beach muscles won't grow themselves.

[tlombard]

I finally got to the gym Tuesday night and got in a good workout. Felt really good that night and all day yesterday. I wanted to go this morning before work so I set my alarm earlier... and then I must not have remembered why I set it so early and I turned it off. I don't even remember it going off. I just know I woke up at my normal time without an alarm and it was too late. I should go after work and want to but there is Cardinal baseball and Blues playoff hockey to be watched with friends tonight. I've already set a few alarms for 4:50-5:10am tomorrow so I go before work.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I don't think softball, no matter how intense the games are, is a workout. Same for baseball. Sure, you get some sprints in, but not enough on a regular basis to really count as a workout. IMO. It's fun, and better than sitting on the couch, but I wouldn't say it's better than 30 minutes on a treadmill or anything like that.