Fitness journey

[BatRam]

All my life iv been fitness mad until the covid stuff happened and then i got really fat and unhappy.

Did powerlifting and bodybuilding as a hobby for many years. Yet find it difficult to try and work up the motivation to do any of that again ahah.

With a holiday booked for later this year im hoping to start my journey back to fitness , cant really afford gym anymore but iv got kettlebells , benches , powertower , barbells and dumbells at home so the only thing holding me back is myself and my rubbish diet. Got all the knowledge what to do just not the will power. Currently at 15st 8 (around 30% bodyfat)  as of this morning and the first target weight is 15st then the main target is 14st 4 (200lb). 

Annoyingly a ran a leisurely 5k at the weekend and injured my foot so thats running out the window for a bit haha.

Anyway ...is anyone else into their fitness or wanting to better themselves .

Feel free to post anything regarding fitness , sports , bodybuilding , diets and so on

[GboroRam]

From my memory of "7 habits of highly effective people" I learned - if you want to change something about your life, change something about your life. 

And by that I mean make a small change. It might be a catalyst to bigger changes. Pick a small thing and focus on making it happen. 

[BatRam]

33 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

From my memory of "7 habits of highly effective people" I learned - if you want to change something about your life, change something about your life. 

And by that I mean make a small change. It might be a catalyst to bigger changes. Pick a small thing and focus on making it happen. 

Ye man , its a lifestyle change. Unfortunately desk job plus not lifting moving enough means having to eat far less.

Taking measures to sort that out tho. i dont drink or smoke or anything and i do kickboxing. so im not unfit i just look terrible haha.

[Wolfie]

For me, the key thing is to get into the regular habit / routine of excercising. That way, I plan the rest of my week around it.

I'd never really done much as an adult (other than always enjoyed walking) until I split up with my first wife and started going to the gym to give me something to do in the long winter evenings. That was 14 years ago and I've been going to the gym 3 times most weeks ever since. 2 x weekday evenings and 1 x weekend

I'm not super fit and don't aspire to be, but I enjoy food and regular excercise means I don't really have to worry about what I'm eating. Plus the mental health benfits shouldn't be under-estimated.

My routine is usually 35-40 minutes cardio (cross-trainer on fairly high resistance). 20 mins or so of weights (machine) - chest & shoulders mainly. I've always had quite big legs from cycling a lot as a youngster, so don't have to worry about skipping leg day!.

Then usually 10 minutes steam room and a few lengths swimming to finish off (and cool down).

I average about 11,000 steps a day, to help as well. I have a desk job but make sure I go for a walk at lunchtime or evening, to get them in.

[Ram-Alf]

I worked the doors in the 80s so lifting weights(no steroids)was common practice, As I got older I stopped doing the doors and stopped the weights, Getting even older and working part time I had plenty of time to eat and chill out, The lbs went on but I never noticed, Eating is a great habit, Eating the nice stuff but the stuff that puts weight on is even better.

She bailed out so I was cooking for myself, Dead easy aint it, Microwave meals, Fish n chips...pizzas wow what a life, Then one day I bought myself a nice gold chain and took a selfie...fcuk me I thought "you fat bas***d", So I took up running, There's a long hill where I live, Not steep but just keeps going on and on, My 1st run I got about halfway up then walked to the top, I was bo****ed, Walked a bit then ran a bit, Next Morning aches all over, You think I'll give today a miss, Nope I went again and again the objective was to get to the top of the hill without stopping...after around 7 attempts I made the summit...the buzz I got was great....altho out of breath.

I lost 3 stone over the 2 years I went from 18.4 to 15.2, Covid kept me going as there was nowt else to do, I eat pretty healthy now, Salads and pasta, Jacket tators, I have the nice stuff every now and then, Running is off the menu as I got Sciatica some 18months ago and the knees are getting as old as myself 😬

Now over to you BatRam, Having all the gear at home is convenient as you'll find, There will be days when you say...I'll give today a miss and work twice as hard tomorrow...simple aint it...no!

All in the mind, If you want to get where you want to be then you have to go for it...no excuses...all the best👍 

 

[BatRam]

28 minutes ago, Ram-Alf said:

I worked the doors in the 80s so lifting weights(no steroids)was common practice, As I got older I stopped doing the doors and stopped the weights, Getting even older and working part time I had plenty of time to eat and chill out, The lbs went on but I never noticed, Eating is a great habit, Eating the nice stuff but the stuff that puts weight on is even better.

She bailed out so I was cooking for myself, Dead easy aint it, Microwave meals, Fish n chips...pizzas wow what a life, Then one day I bought myself a nice gold chain and took a selfie...fcuk me I thought "you fat bas***d", So I took up running, There's a long hill where I live, Not steep but just keeps going on and on, My 1st run I got about halfway up then walked to the top, I was bo****ed, Walked a bit then ran a bit, Next Morning aches all over, You think I'll give today a miss, Nope I went again and again the objective was to get to the top of the hill without stopping...after around 7 attempts I made the summit...the buzz I got was great....altho out of breath.

I lost 3 stone over the 2 years I went from 18.4 to 15.2, Covid kept me going as there was nowt else to do, I eat pretty healthy now, Salads and pasta, Jacket tators, I have the nice stuff every now and then, Running is off the menu as I got Sciatica some 18months ago and the knees are getting as old as myself 😬

Now over to you BatRam, Having all the gear at home is convenient as you'll find, There will be days when you say...I'll give today a miss and work twice as hard tomorrow...simple aint it...no!

All in the mind, If you want to get where you want to be then you have to go for it...no excuses...all the best👍 

 

 

1 hour ago, Wolfie said:

For me, the key thing is to get into the regular habit / routine of excercising. That way, I plan the rest of my week around it.

I'd never really done much as an adult (other than always enjoyed walking) until I split up with my first wife and started going to the gym to give me something to do in the long winter evenings. That was 14 years ago and I've been going to the gym 3 times most weeks ever since. 2 x weekday evenings and 1 x weekend

I'm not super fit and don't aspire to be, but I enjoy food and regular excercise means I don't really have to worry about what I'm eating. Plus the mental health benfits shouldn't be under-estimated.

My routine is usually 35-40 minutes cardio (cross-trainer on fairly high resistance). 20 mins or so of weights (machine) - chest & shoulders mainly. I've always had quite big legs from cycling a lot as a youngster, so don't have to worry about skipping leg day!.

Then usually 10 minutes steam room and a few lengths swimming to finish off (and cool down).

I average about 11,000 steps a day, to help as well. I have a desk job but make sure I go for a walk at lunchtime or evening, to get them in.

Ye working a desk job has absolutely ruined me . Time to sort me head out and push mesen to go do something haha. im not bothered about being ridiculously strong anymore or looking like arnie ( obviously i didnt take any gear or anything back then as my hero was steve reeves). just want to look good , be healthy , and be happy more than anything. Feel i should be somewhere there by the holiday if stick to jogging, kickboxing , walking dog , kettlebells and weighted calithetics on the powertower. 

[Wolfie]

I would add that the days when I really haven't felt like excercising after work are usually the ones I feel the most benefit.

I distinctly remember once going to the gym after a hard day at work. I'd driven there, got changed, put my stuff in the locker etc and I was stood by the gym door, arguing with myself as to whether or not I should just turn round, get changed back again and go home.

I eventually decided to give the gym a few minutes and see how I felt. An hour later I was buzzing more than I ever had before, after doing a great session.

You do sometimes have to really push yourself but in my experience, it always feels better afterwards.

[RadioactiveWaste]

I get really fat in my 30s. Like really fat. Like struggling to tie shoes fat.

Got COVID and it ruined me for months so decided to sort myself out.

For me it was running, I got to the point I loved it, had run quite a few Half's and had just completed a marathon...and my knee started playing up.

Never realised how much I would miss it.

However I'm just starting to work back so I'm on the trying to get going again journey.

You don't need a gym, you don't need equipment, all you need is the will to do it.

(He said as he shovelled a KitKat into his gob)

[Scott129]

My story's the opposite to everyone else's here 🤣

I've always been very skinny (about 6'1, 10 stone in Dec 2021). Started going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and just generally eating more, and I'm currently up about 3½ stone. Went in at the deep end with calorie counting, protein supplements, creatine, etc., but I look so much better for it.

The only slight concern I've got at the minute is the cardio side of things. I've focused so much on lifting weights and getting bigger, that I've completely neglected my internal health. So now I've started dedicating a whole session to a combination of the bike/treadmill/stairmaster.

I also have a lot of aches and pains in my lower back and knees. I'm not sure whether this is me getting a bit older (31 now), a downside of me carrying some extra weight, or an injury that I've not paid enough attention to. It's on my list to see a physiotherapist or something.

Edited April 4 by Scott129

[Anag Ram]

2 hours ago, Wolfie said:

I would add that the days when I really haven't felt like excercising after work are usually the ones I feel the most benefit.

I distinctly remember once going to the gym after a hard day at work. I'd driven there, got changed, put my stuff in the locker etc and I was stood by the gym door, arguing with myself as to whether or not I should just turn round, get changed back again and go home.

I eventually decided to give the gym a few minutes and see how I felt. An hour later I was buzzing more than I ever had before, after doing a great session.

You do sometimes have to really push yourself but in my experience, it always feels better afterwards.

Agree entirely. Also feel it’s important to acknowledge any exercise you’ve done, whether or not it has gone well.

It’s easy to be very self critical after a slow run or a short run, or a ‘lazy’ session in the gym, but sometimes we are looking after ourselves or not in the best shape at that particular moment. Better times will come.

At nearly sixty, each run seems harder and everything hurts, but there’s no better coffee than the one I have when I get back 😊

[DarkFruitsRam7]

If you're struggling to get up for or enjoy the gym, caffeinated pre-workout is a miracle. 

[IanC]

The hardest step is always the first.

My journey started back in 1981 - as a recently married young man of 24, who had gradually been putting on weight over the preceeding couple of years following a knee injury playing local league football - requiring several weeks rehab, after which i never really got back into football - instead being a heavy smoker (40+ per day) who became the proverbial couch potato.

Long story short, after several months i vowed to stop smoking, and my first step was to try jogging - a 2 mile out and back route - which nearly killed me.

But on the basis of taking no smoking 1 day at a time - i persevered and gradually started to enjoy it. Fast forward a year or 2  i joined a running club (shelton striders) , and started entering the occasional race and running with others on club nights - which was great personal motivation.

It also turned out i was quite decent at this running lark, and progress was being made. Coming across the running term PB's (personal bests), was like a red rag to a bull and over the years  ran to a level that led to qualification for the Derbyshire team for the Inter Counties Cross country a few times in the early 1990s (via a top 10 finish in the Derbyshire cross country championships).

Also once competed in the great north run (1988) and finished in the top 200.

Competed pretty much until 1998, when chronic OA of the knees forced retirement from competition - very soon after my last competitive race - as part of the Derby & County AC Vets team that finished 5th in that years National Vets 8 stage road race relays in Aldershot.

Even then its nor been the end of the story. I can no longer run (indoors or out), but am now a member at Springwood Gym Oakwood,and have been for the last 20+ years - which is a really friendly and welcoming place, and great value.

The adrenaline buzz from an aerobic cardio workout, is till a great lift and boost - and keeps me coming back for more.

Even now, as a 67 year old OAP , i can be found in the gym most days and concentrate mainly on aerobic / cardio workouts such as

Stairmaster Stepper - 1500-2300 steps - (5-6 days per week) in 16-22 mins at 98-99 steps per minute - 2200 steps is approx the number of steps at the World Trade Center in NY +

Xtrainer - 2.25-3.5 miles - (5-6 days per week) in 15-24 mins - in intervals of 1 min build/recovery 4 mins at twice the power of the recovery +

Concept 2 Rower - 1-2.5miles (5-6 days per week) - at 7 mins 15 secs per mile +

Stationary bike (Watt bike or Keiser) - 3-4 miles (3 times per week) at 3.15 per mile plus 2-3 spin classes per week (12.5-13.5 miles per class in 45 mins) +

These days as i still work part time, i have 3 x shorter gym days (60 mins) + 3 x longer ones (95 mins and which include the spin classes).

Compared to many i may overdo it - but it does give a great boost to mental health, as well as physical wellbeing. The 

Just start gradually and try to get into a routine. Common problems that people face - particularly with jogging / running - is that they always start too fast , simply because they think they are going too slow. It always takes your heart several minutes (upto 10) before it gets used to what the body is demanding of it - so go as slow as you need to to get past that 10 minute mark - i guarantee that once you can do that, you get into rhythm that can actually feel quite enjoyable and which gets those endorphins flowing through your system.

[Mucker1884]

[BatRam]

15 hours ago, Scott129 said:

My story's the opposite to everyone else's here 🤣

I've always been very skinny (about 6'1, 10 stone in Dec 2021). Started going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and just generally eating more, and I'm currently up about 3½ stone. Went in at the deep end with calorie counting, protein supplements, creatine, etc., but I look so much better for it.

The only slight concern I've got at the minute is the cardio side of things. I've focused so much on lifting weights and getting bigger, that I've completely neglected my internal health. So now I've started dedicating a whole session to a combination of the bike/treadmill/stairmaster.

I also have a lot of aches and pains in my lower back and knees. I'm not sure whether this is me getting a bit older (31 now), a downside of me carrying some extra weight, or an injury that I've not paid enough attention to. It's on my list to see a physiotherapist or something.

Hi mate , as i did body building and powerlifting for years , id suggest looking at form or maybe swapping out exercises for stuff more comfortable. Do you do any mobility work? any sort of ankle stiffness or hip mobility issues will cause knee/back issues. Also modern lifestyle being sat at work and sat at home at sofa messes you up ( thats why im in my horrific condition atm haha) .

If youre a nerd i couldnt recommend this channel enough.

https://www.youtube.com/@TheBioneer/videos

being a lard nowadays and years of powerlifting and being as proficient as possible lifting from A to B has no crossover whatsoever for my kickboxing as my mobility is awful so its something im personally working on. Kettlebells and calithetics will help me become more hybrid regarding stamina and more functional. 

Not wanting to be a strong lump anymore since dropping heavy deadlifts and squats i feel loads better. replaced with goblet squats and elevated/hindu squats and trying to train for longevity aswell. Few of my friends religiously follow the same exercises even though theyre in discomfort which i find very strange. For example he continues to do skull crushes even though it causes him pain. instead of swapping it for one of the many other tricep exercises that put less stress on joints .

 

 

 

[BatRam]

15 hours ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

If you're struggling to get up for or enjoy the gym, caffeinated pre-workout is a miracle. 

unfortunately my caffeine tolerance is really high and i dont get anything from it and anything more than what i currently have sets of migraines haha. Energy drinks are one of the worst things you can have so ive stopped having them 

[BatRam]

14 hours ago, IanC said:

The hardest step is always the first.

My journey started back in 1981 - as a recently married young man of 24, who had gradually been putting on weight over the preceeding couple of years following a knee injury playing local league football - requiring several weeks rehab, after which i never really got back into football - instead being a heavy smoker (40+ per day) who became the proverbial couch potato.

Long story short, after several months i vowed to stop smoking, and my first step was to try jogging - a 2 mile out and back route - which nearly killed me.

But on the basis of taking no smoking 1 day at a time - i persevered and gradually started to enjoy it. Fast forward a year or 2  i joined a running club (shelton striders) , and started entering the occasional race and running with others on club nights - which was great personal motivation.

It also turned out i was quite decent at this running lark, and progress was being made. Coming across the running term PB's (personal bests), was like a red rag to a bull and over the years  ran to a level that led to qualification for the Derbyshire team for the Inter Counties Cross country a few times in the early 1990s (via a top 10 finish in the Derbyshire cross country championships).

Also once competed in the great north run (1988) and finished in the top 200.

Competed pretty much until 1998, when chronic OA of the knees forced retirement from competition - very soon after my last competitive race - as part of the Derby & County AC Vets team that finished 5th in that years National Vets 8 stage road race relays in Aldershot.

Even then its nor been the end of the story. I can no longer run (indoors or out), but am now a member at Springwood Gym Oakwood,and have been for the last 20+ years - which is a really friendly and welcoming place, and great value.

The adrenaline buzz from an aerobic cardio workout, is till a great lift and boost - and keeps me coming back for more.

Even now, as a 67 year old OAP , i can be found in the gym most days and concentrate mainly on aerobic / cardio workouts such as

Stairmaster Stepper - 1500-2300 steps - (5-6 days per week) in 16-22 mins at 98-99 steps per minute - 2200 steps is approx the number of steps at the World Trade Center in NY +

Xtrainer - 2.25-3.5 miles - (5-6 days per week) in 15-24 mins - in intervals of 1 min build/recovery 4 mins at twice the power of the recovery +

Concept 2 Rower - 1-2.5miles (5-6 days per week) - at 7 mins 15 secs per mile +

Stationary bike (Watt bike or Keiser) - 3-4 miles (3 times per week) at 3.15 per mile plus 2-3 spin classes per week (12.5-13.5 miles per class in 45 mins) +

These days as i still work part time, i have 3 x shorter gym days (60 mins) + 3 x longer ones (95 mins and which include the spin classes).

Compared to many i may overdo it - but it does give a great boost to mental health, as well as physical wellbeing. The 

Just start gradually and try to get into a routine. Common problems that people face - particularly with jogging / running - is that they always start too fast , simply because they think they are going too slow. It always takes your heart several minutes (upto 10) before it gets used to what the body is demanding of it - so go as slow as you need to to get past that 10 minute mark - i guarantee that once you can do that, you get into rhythm that can actually feel quite enjoyable and which gets those endorphins flowing through your system.

Good on you for carrying on with fitness. Its a use it or lose it situation with health and well being as you age isnt it. you'd prob put a lot of youngns to shame nowadays haha

[BatRam]

Not gonna lie to you all , im failing on the mental side of things. its pretty embarrassing 

[Ram-Alf]

Just to add from my last post, I now weigh circa 16stone, I walk for an hour every day except when raining, Sunshine is just around the corner so I can get in my garden and spend more time outside...praise the Lord ☺️

As for the nice things, I chomped through a bag of liquorice allsorts last night when watching a film, Film was good the allsorts were even better 😁  

[Scott129]

2 hours ago, BatRam said:

Hi mate , as i did body building and powerlifting for years , id suggest looking at form or maybe swapping out exercises for stuff more comfortable. Do you do any mobility work? any sort of ankle stiffness or hip mobility issues will cause knee/back issues. Also modern lifestyle being sat at work and sat at home at sofa messes you up ( thats why im in my horrific condition atm haha) .

If youre a nerd i couldnt recommend this channel enough.

https://www.youtube.com/@TheBioneer/videos

being a lard nowadays and years of powerlifting and being as proficient as possible lifting from A to B has no crossover whatsoever for my kickboxing as my mobility is awful so its something im personally working on. Kettlebells and calithetics will help me become more hybrid regarding stamina and more functional. 

Not wanting to be a strong lump anymore since dropping heavy deadlifts and squats i feel loads better. replaced with goblet squats and elevated/hindu squats and trying to train for longevity aswell. Few of my friends religiously follow the same exercises even though theyre in discomfort which i find very strange. For example he continues to do skull crushes even though it causes him pain. instead of swapping it for one of the many other tricep exercises that put less stress on joints .

 

 

 

Thanks for the tips 👍 

I definitely have issues with overall flexibility, especially my hips, so will look into some mobility work for that. Even when I was able to do squats, my depth was always terrible, which I guess was another symptom of that.

Nowadays, I avoid any sort of squatting movement completely. Just far too much discomfort in my knee.

[Wolfie]

Word of caution about jumping in & doing too much straight away...

During first Covid lockdown I thought it's be a good idea to do start doing those daily Joe Wicks youtube workouts with miss Wolfie.

Day 1..... Joined late, so missed any warm up (if there was one). First 10 minutes of squats after not doing leg excercise for a good while. Had to stop. Legs on fire for the next 2 days & struggles with stairs. Never did it again.

Start slow & easy people & gradually build up!

Edited April 5 by Wolfie