Fitness Advice

[corkman]

Hi All,

I often go to the gym and just use the treadmill regularly, and now I have started strength training program. It's probably not the best program in the world, but I've got to start somewhere. I'll be combining it with with usual 3 day per week treadmill routine (nothing too vigorous, just 3-4km in 30 mins).

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/complete-mf-beginners-training-guide-0

Questions:

1. Would it be better to do cardio and strength workout on the same day, and a full day rest in between? Or alternate days, where possible?

2. I use Amway Nutralite Positrim shakes for breakfast - have done for some time now (1 pack mixed with 400ml water). I enjoy them and find them filling. I have also started adding one scoop of Amway Nuralite "All Plant Protein Powder" every morning:

(a) Is there a better alternative to this combo (something pre-made that is readily and easily available - I don't have time for fancy home-made concoctions).

( I do my work out in the morning. I get up at 6am, and I'm in the gym for 6.15. I spend up to an hour there, then rest for 30 minutes before showering and leaving for work. Should I take my protein shake before or after my workout? Note, if after workout I'd drink plenty of water before.

3. Nutrition. I have been told and read that half the battle for getting in shape is correction nutrition. Generally, I try to have breakfast as above; lunch consists of something Thai with rice OR a veg based dish like suki-heng or som tam etc.; dinner is usually a salad or lean meat with veg, depending on whether or not I had rice / noodles at lunch time (try to limit rice/noddles to once per day). can anyone recommend a good website where I can read and learn about nutrition?

Many thanks.

CM

[robblok]

1) at first you can do them at the same day, later when you get into better shape you can split them as your workouts will demand more from your body.

2) Supplements are fun but whole foods are best (yes I take supplements but make sure my normal food is in order) Its nothing magic, ps you can buy cheap but good plant based proteins in Thailand too.

3)Your nutrition seems good.. try to avoid sugars and rice (you can take some). Nutrition is complex many schools of thought there but in the end you will loose weight if you burn more as what you eat. I personally go for lowish carbs and the carbs that i take are complex. i am relatively high proteins.

[sanuk711]

corkman you will get a lot of good advice from people on here like Robblok etc.

I'll make my story short--- nearly 70 worked out most of my life, gyms then weren't anything like today of course, they mainly revolved around a particular sport, boxing etc. Anyway last 3 years --a nightmare, medical--& personal problems, no workouts. Getting back into it -- I picked the program strong-lifts, recommend by my daughter who is a personal trainer in Oz. It seems to easy-- but the results are great, working on core muscle groups. You wont look so wonderful as doing the regime you have posted----but you will be without a doubt stronger with less body fat. please have a look at it----its all free as well as the Apps if you want. http://stronglifts.com/

Cardio --they don't go a lot on it in SL, but I do....your 30 minutes isn't enough, or is just basically enough--- you need to speed up your metabolic rate--not just for the time you are doing the cardio but for hours after-- Dr Eric Newsholm of the oxford uni has over the years studied & set tables for this..it was him that set the Acronym F.I.T. = Frequency --Intensity. Time. Walking is the easiest way to do this --but not strolling along, you must walk at a minimum of 120 steps a minute. (This is the British Army route march speed---so you can achieve it, & in fact after a while it becomes quite comfortable)

These are the tables for speeding your metabolic rate up

30 minutes---------15 hours

45 minutes----------24 hours

60 minutes ---------30 hours

120 minutes--------48 hours

so as you can see if you do 45 minutes a day your metabolic rate will be speeded up all the time

There is also another way of speeding this rate up & by burning more the double the calories , this was started by linford christie the runner, & its called heavy hand walking. Not only will you burn through a lot more calories--you will find it easier to do----I know that sounds odd, but in 1993 the Colorado university made the exciting discovery that people holding small hand weights were able to continue for twice as long as those not holding weights. The group reported that the exercise felt easier when holding a small weight. They also found that the upper limbs were using more oxygen (burning more calories ) The reason for this is simple---our legs are used to carrying the weight --in fact the fatter (heavier) we are the better the legs learn to cope with that load. using the 4 limbs will burn through calories so very much faster.

There are lots of books out if you need to be pointed in any direction----but as I said people like Robblok etc know a lot more about it than me

[robblok]

@sanuk711

Yes stronglifts is arguably the best streght program there is. i did not talk about it because I thought the OP was set on his program. But if he is flexible the stronglifts programs is the best.

I do a modified version of it myself. My whole training revolves around deadlifts/squats/benchpress

[h90]

cork: what is your goal?

Getting rid of fat, or building muscle, or being more fit over all, or a bit of everything?

[corkman]

Dear all,

Thanks very much for your replies. In order of response:

Robblock

Seems I'm on the right track for a ammeter / beginner in terms of nutrition. Guess cutting through the initial fat and getting some basic fitness is the low lying fruit. As I advance, perhaps I'll need to be a bit more focused on diet.

Not stuck on this program, but I'd like to see it through then try something else. Open to and appreciative of advice when the time comes.

Sunuk711

Wow, a long and detailed reply. Thank you so much. Lots of helpful advice and reassurance. I think I will stick with the program I have started - it is somewhat motivational so achieve some sort of milestone. I took a look at the strong lifts routine - perhaps I'll try that one next, maybe modified if my 30 day program has taken me "past" that level. Regarding the 45 mins+ for cardio. If I include the walking before / after I do 35 mins, so an extra 10 isn't going to kill me in terms of effort or time.

Do you have a convenient link for Dr Eric Newsholm's tables etc. or background info about same. I'd be interested to read that.

Holding weights while running - I often thought about that. Is there a suggested / recommended amount to begin with?

h90

My goal is a bit of everything.

I am 80kg, and according to BMI scale I should be 76kg MAX. I know BMI is not perfect, but 75-76 feels about right (I was 75-76 before). So I could do with losing a bit of fat.

I'm not a sports person, but I'd like to be fit enough that I can go trekking or do outdoor activities when I go on holiday and generally enjoy the benefits of being reasonably fit.

Sure I'd like to build a bit of muscle and strength. Years back I used to work in construction, so I was always physically quite strong - but now as an office worker I struggle to pick up things that once were a piece of cake. I would also like to look a little better when I go to the beach etc. with a firm stomach and no man-boobs, but "getting ripped" is not my goal.

I've dabbled with fitness over the last few years, with a little bit of success and reasonable fitness. This last week or two I'm actually taking an interest in it, in the sense I'm actually reading about it etc. and I'm looking for some lifestyle changes - so I may well get into "the gym" and "fitness" as a hobby. Let's see how I get on for 30 days (I started on June 1st) and if I feel good then I'll probably get a more serious :-)

Thanks again guys.

[cornishcarlos]

Read " Relentless Forward Progress " by Byron Powell. It's an ultra running bible but has a lot of good nutrition advice too. I'm pretty sure you'll find it a good read and even if you're not looking at running, there is some great general fitness information to be had from it...

[GarryP]

Dear all,

Thanks very much for your replies. In order of response:

Robblock

Seems I'm on the right track for a ammeter / beginner in terms of nutrition. Guess cutting through the initial fat and getting some basic fitness is the low lying fruit. As I advance, perhaps I'll need to be a bit more focused on diet.

Not stuck on this program, but I'd like to see it through then try something else. Open to and appreciative of advice when the time comes.

Sunuk711

Wow, a long and detailed reply. Thank you so much. Lots of helpful advice and reassurance. I think I will stick with the program I have started - it is somewhat motivational so achieve some sort of milestone. I took a look at the strong lifts routine - perhaps I'll try that one next, maybe modified if my 30 day program has taken me "past" that level. Regarding the 45 mins+ for cardio. If I include the walking before / after I do 35 mins, so an extra 10 isn't going to kill me in terms of effort or time.

Do you have a convenient link for Dr Eric Newsholm's tables etc. or background info about same. I'd be interested to read that.

Holding weights while running - I often thought about that. Is there a suggested / recommended amount to begin with?

h90

My goal is a bit of everything.

I am 80kg, and according to BMI scale I should be 76kg MAX. I know BMI is not perfect, but 75-76 feels about right (I was 75-76 before). So I could do with losing a bit of fat.

I'm not a sports person, but I'd like to be fit enough that I can go trekking or do outdoor activities when I go on holiday and generally enjoy the benefits of being reasonably fit.

Sure I'd like to build a bit of muscle and strength. Years back I used to work in construction, so I was always physically quite strong - but now as an office worker I struggle to pick up things that once were a piece of cake. I would also like to look a little better when I go to the beach etc. with a firm stomach and no man-boobs, but "getting ripped" is not my goal.

I've dabbled with fitness over the last few years, with a little bit of success and reasonable fitness. This last week or two I'm actually taking an interest in it, in the sense I'm actually reading about it etc. and I'm looking for some lifestyle changes - so I may well get into "the gym" and "fitness" as a hobby. Let's see how I get on for 30 days (I started on June 1st) and if I feel good then I'll probably get a more serious :-)

Thanks again guys.

Your answer to h90, is me to a T. Started going to the gym about 6 weeks ago. Not fat by any means 181 cms and was 84kgs. Now 79. Cut rice from my diet for a couple of months before going to the gym (no aircon). Still eat very little rice and stopped drinking alcohol. I can only go to the gym on Saturdays and Sundays (because of work). Usually 2.5 to 3 hour sessions. Start with cardio then use the various weight apparatus/machines. Use every machine in the gym before heading back home. Cycle there and back 6km. Target weight 75-76 kgs

My waist is coming down now size 34" from 35". I just want to get rid of the little remaining belly fat I have, get a firm stomach (getting there), tighten up my muscles but not aiming at getting ripped. Basically just look good .

Rob, I still haven't started using your spinning bike yet, but will when the weather cools down.

[pinkpanther99]

1) at first you can do them at the same day, later when you get into better shape you can split them as your workouts will demand more from your body.

2) Supplements are fun but whole foods are best (yes I take supplements but make sure my normal food is in order) Its nothing magic, ps you can buy cheap but good plant based proteins in Thailand too.

3)Your nutrition seems good.. try to avoid sugars and rice (you can take some). Nutrition is complex many schools of thought there but in the end you will loose weight if you burn more as what you eat. I personally go for lowish carbs and the carbs that i take are complex. i am relatively high proteins.

Excellent advice right here.

As for Stronglifts, I used 5x5 and made great progress early on. It's a good program as it's simple, easy to track and measure and very effective.

[h90]

Dear all,

Thanks very much for your replies. In order of response:

Robblock

Seems I'm on the right track for a ammeter / beginner in terms of nutrition. Guess cutting through the initial fat and getting some basic fitness is the low lying fruit. As I advance, perhaps I'll need to be a bit more focused on diet.

Not stuck on this program, but I'd like to see it through then try something else. Open to and appreciative of advice when the time comes.

Sunuk711

Wow, a long and detailed reply. Thank you so much. Lots of helpful advice and reassurance. I think I will stick with the program I have started - it is somewhat motivational so achieve some sort of milestone. I took a look at the strong lifts routine - perhaps I'll try that one next, maybe modified if my 30 day program has taken me "past" that level. Regarding the 45 mins+ for cardio. If I include the walking before / after I do 35 mins, so an extra 10 isn't going to kill me in terms of effort or time.

Do you have a convenient link for Dr Eric Newsholm's tables etc. or background info about same. I'd be interested to read that.

Holding weights while running - I often thought about that. Is there a suggested / recommended amount to begin with?

h90

My goal is a bit of everything.

I am 80kg, and according to BMI scale I should be 76kg MAX. I know BMI is not perfect, but 75-76 feels about right (I was 75-76 before). So I could do with losing a bit of fat.

I'm not a sports person, but I'd like to be fit enough that I can go trekking or do outdoor activities when I go on holiday and generally enjoy the benefits of being reasonably fit.

Sure I'd like to build a bit of muscle and strength. Years back I used to work in construction, so I was always physically quite strong - but now as an office worker I struggle to pick up things that once were a piece of cake. I would also like to look a little better when I go to the beach etc. with a firm stomach and no man-boobs, but "getting ripped" is not my goal.

I've dabbled with fitness over the last few years, with a little bit of success and reasonable fitness. This last week or two I'm actually taking an interest in it, in the sense I'm actually reading about it etc. and I'm looking for some lifestyle changes - so I may well get into "the gym" and "fitness" as a hobby. Let's see how I get on for 30 days (I started on June 1st) and if I feel good then I'll probably get a more serious :-)

Thanks again guys.

Interesting!

There are different ways that would all work, so it is a bit up to what you like to do.

Less exercise more diet based (but still some heavy lifting). Makes you slim and you keep your muscles.

Very strong on the heavy weights, but eating a bit more. Will make you more muscular (to which degree is also up to your genetic) and reduces the fat.

Both will help on the general fitness on trekking and outdoor activities.

Or you do more cardio....I love to go with the street bike for 2-3 hours (others like running or mountain) burning lots of energy train the heart and legs and sometimes do some weight training to not loose other muscles.

All would more or less work for your goals. I think most important is that you like what you do, so you can sustain it. Things need time. For example these cardio training in a fitnessstudio: it is terrible boring for me. I could never do it consequent.

[Asheron]

For a beginner i would say...

Always take your protein "directly" (as in within an hour or so) after workout as 20 grams of whey protein is enough to maximize muscle protein synthesis. Personally i wouldn't do cardio and weight lifting same day as those two are very different things and send the opposite signals to the body of what is happening and how the body will react. It really doesn't matter what "program/guide" you follow as in the first 6-12 months any noob will see some quite "drastic" results in body composition if his/her diet is correct.

It's quite adequate if you get around 1-1.2 gram of protein per kilo of body weight as in if you weight 80 kg then 80-100 grams of protein is enough. It's only when you start to hit intermediate level that you possibly need more. Don't forget that fat is essential to life and should be atleast 50-60 grams each day.

Thing is that people really have to understand that they have to have realistic goals of what is achievable.

[h90]

For a beginner i would say...

Always take your protein "directly" (as in within an hour or so) after workout as 20 grams of whey protein is enough to maximize muscle protein synthesis. Personally i wouldn't do cardio and weight lifting same day as those two are very different things and send the opposite signals to the body of what is happening and how the body will react. It really doesn't matter what "program/guide" you follow as in the first 6-12 months any noob will see some quite "drastic" results in body composition if his/her diet is correct.

It's quite adequate if you get around 1-1.2 gram of protein per kilo of body weight as in if you weight 80 kg then 80-100 grams of protein is enough. It's only when you start to hit intermediate level that you possibly need more. Don't forget that fat is essential to life and should be atleast 50-60 grams each day.

Thing is that people really have to understand that they have to have realistic goals of what is achievable.

agree, maybe put the protein a bit higher. But if cutting down on carbs and fat automatically the protein will be OK.

To add: don't overdo it, have free days, from time to time 2 free days so the body can regenerate. Light cardio on a weight lifting day is no problem but a full power 1 hour and later weight lifting is very hard, wouldn't do that.

[Bob12345]

Great advice given so far here, and surprisingly no trolling (yet).

I would agree with about everything mentioned so far already; people seem well informed here about training. The nutrition part is less covered so far so let me get you started on that.

Regarding nutrition it is impossible to give you specific advise as you do not give many details. Thats probably because you do not know the details yourself either. I would recommend you to start tracking your daily consumption for a short period of time, for example a week (weight what you eat, write it down, calculate the nutritional values). Only then you know how many calories you eat and if you get enough fats and proteins. There are tons of websites with nutritional information available, I often use calorieking (dot com) to get my information.

As earlier mentioned you want to keep your sugar consumption low but do keep eating your fats. Don't make the common mistake by going too low in calories to lose weight as that will result in your body using fewer calories and regaining the weight later on again. Also by monitoring what you eat you will quickly start to see patterns, for example you will notice how unhealthy Thai dishes often are (lots of sugar and fats) and how many of your calories come from snacks and "in-betweens" you barely enjoy.

This can be your starting point to cook (healthier) for yourself. I often prepare a big pan of food and store it in plastic containers in my fridge (meal-boxes which you can pop in the microwave for a minute for a warm meal). Once i started cooking for myself instead of eating out a lot i lost a few kilos and started enjoying my meals a lot more as they taste better and are exactly what I like.

In the beginning it might be hard to come up with nice recipes but you can easily google easy-to-make healthy recipes that require a minimum of ingredients. I am currently following recipes from Thailandfit (dot com) which has some nice recipes made from local Thai ingredients in both English and Thai (so you can pass them to your spouse to cook for you, haha). You can also find more information there about dieting and training but the most important things are already covered above by previous posters.

Regarding supplements: stick to a multivitamin and some omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) for now and try to get your body going the right way without adding more supplements. Once you start moving the right way and you understand what you are doing you can start adding some supplements to make life more comfortable or speed the process up. Do not use supplements from the start onwards as it will only give a temporary solution for a long-term problem.

[pchansmorn]

Am looking for a personal trainer that will come to my condo in nonthburi. We have a Gym & Pool. You can contact me at [email protected]

[Straight8]

Due to different body types and metabolisms, each person is different, however, don't fear carbs. Diet is equally if not more important as your time spent in the gym.

If you want to gain strength and do some low rep lifting, carbs are essential, its muscle fuel and rice is one of the best.

I just cut them out altogether after 6pm, but during the day, I like to eat quite a bit of them.

I have experimented with low carb diet and tend to feel sluggish, just doesn't work for me.

As for protein, try and get at least 1.5 grams per kilo body weight. Consume a shake if you can right after your workout.. then make about 50grams [a shake in a container equally to about 50g of protein] and sip it through the day. If you feel you didn't get enough, take some late at night, but make sure you are using WPI protein. Virtually zero carbs and zero fat [if taken with water]

Fine tune your metabolism by breaking up you meals to about 5 or 6 a day, even if they look small, it will kick start your met. to work better.

With your strength training, keep your form strict and work in a range of 6 - 10 reps per set. Again, keep it strict to avoid injury even if the weight seems light.

Last of all stay committed and don't lose motivation.. the results will come.

Good luck

Edited June 5, 2015 by Straight8

[mick01827]

Take a look at Dr jim stoppanni, got some great advice and programmes

[tkramer]

This 'fitness calculator' will give you a good indication as to where you are now, and in 1-3-6 months check it again to view your improvements.

https://www.ntnu.edu/cerg/vo2max

Edited June 5, 2015 by tkramer

[h90]

Due to different body types and metabolisms, each person is different, however, don't fear carbs. Diet is equally if not more important as your time spent in the gym.

If you want to gain strength and do some low rep lifting, carbs are essential, its muscle fuel and rice is one of the best.

I just cut them out altogether after 6pm, but during the day, I like to eat quite a bit of them.

I have experimented with low carb diet and tend to feel sluggish, just doesn't work for me.

As for protein, try and get at least 1.5 grams per kilo body weight. Consume a shake if you can right after your workout.. then make about 50grams [a shake in a container equally to about 50g of protein] and sip it through the day. If you feel you didn't get enough, take some late at night, but make sure you are using WPI protein. Virtually zero carbs and zero fat [if taken with water]

Fine tune your metabolism by breaking up you meals to about 5 or 6 a day, even if they look small, it will kick start your met. to work better.

With your strength training, keep your form strict and work in a range of 6 - 10 reps per set. Again, keep it strict to avoid injury even if the weight seems light.

Last of all stay committed and don't lose motivation.. the results will come.

Good luck

No carbs are not essential......Essential to what?

And white rice is about the worst....oatmeal, musli, dark bread etc would be good.

[h90]

Great advice given so far here, and surprisingly no trolling (yet).

I would agree with about everything mentioned so far already; people seem well informed here about training. The nutrition part is less covered so far so let me get you started on that.

Regarding nutrition it is impossible to give you specific advise as you do not give many details. Thats probably because you do not know the details yourself either. I would recommend you to start tracking your daily consumption for a short period of time, for example a week (weight what you eat, write it down, calculate the nutritional values). Only then you know how many calories you eat and if you get enough fats and proteins. There are tons of websites with nutritional information available, I often use calorieking (dot com) to get my information.

As earlier mentioned you want to keep your sugar consumption low but do keep eating your fats. Don't make the common mistake by going too low in calories to lose weight as that will result in your body using fewer calories and regaining the weight later on again. Also by monitoring what you eat you will quickly start to see patterns, for example you will notice how unhealthy Thai dishes often are (lots of sugar and fats) and how many of your calories come from snacks and "in-betweens" you barely enjoy.

This can be your starting point to cook (healthier) for yourself. I often prepare a big pan of food and store it in plastic containers in my fridge (meal-boxes which you can pop in the microwave for a minute for a warm meal). Once i started cooking for myself instead of eating out a lot i lost a few kilos and started enjoying my meals a lot more as they taste better and are exactly what I like.

In the beginning it might be hard to come up with nice recipes but you can easily google easy-to-make healthy recipes that require a minimum of ingredients. I am currently following recipes from Thailandfit (dot com) which has some nice recipes made from local Thai ingredients in both English and Thai (so you can pass them to your spouse to cook for you, haha). You can also find more information there about dieting and training but the most important things are already covered above by previous posters.

Regarding supplements: stick to a multivitamin and some omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) for now and try to get your body going the right way without adding more supplements. Once you start moving the right way and you understand what you are doing you can start adding some supplements to make life more comfortable or speed the process up. Do not use supplements from the start onwards as it will only give a temporary solution for a long-term problem.

Good advise....specially the own cooking. For reducing weight that is of course a very big topic and many different solutions work.

[Laza 45]

Monitoring your heart rate while working on a treadmill or elliptical (cross trainer) is important.. basically you should work to 80% of your maximum... your maximum is calculated by subtracting your age from 220.. 60 years old.. =160 maximum.. 80% .. 130 beats per min.. this is conservative and considered safe.. *if you don't have any pre-existing heart problems.. if you do consult your Dr.. start slowly.. even as little as 10 or 15 min to start with.. bring your heart rate up to desired level and keep it there as long as you feel comfortable.. your fitness will improve reasonably quickly.. you should be able to exercise longer and keep your heart rate at the desired level longer.. Aerobic training can be done every day.. resistance (weight) training should be done every second day...

[Pistol101]

Obesity problems are mostly associated with a non-functioning metabolism.

Correct the metabolic processes and weight gain is no longer an issue. You can do this by eliminating all un-natural 'foods' from the diet including Aspartame and all other artificial sweeterners and excitotoxins. Fluoride treated water, MSG, Artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, Vaccinations, anti-biotics, HFCS, supplements (many of which contain questionable ingredients) etc and clean your home thoroughly to remove any traces of mold.

Certain black molds such as aflatoxins produce a bi-product known as mycotoxins that are more carcinogenic than some of the deadliest chemicals known to man. They are a hidden health threat also often overlooked. People are too quick to clean up their diets without realizing that by removing one of the single biggest burdens on our immune, endocrine, lymphatic, respiratory, nervous and digestive systems, our bodies will better cope with the other toxins in our lives and environment, and maybe even eat a burger without blowing out.

Attending to our home environment and our diet goes a long way in improving our internal terrain.. Its the cleaning of your terrain that is the most important goal as this will facilitate weight loss and well being far more than exercise and if your body has some underlying issues, then its best to pay attention to the true root cause rather than following outdated fitness regimes that are often counter-productive anyway.

This little article should shed some interest generating light upon an overlooked area of health - Probiotics.

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_industryhealthiermedica235.htm

As already mentioned, whole foods are the best. Nothing man has ever created in a lab can measure up to the incredible feats of nature. Personally, I wouldn't trust supplements made in Thailand and have imported Organic Plant Protein from the US from Bodybuilding.com

If you are not getting what you need from your food, then there is clearly a problem.

1. The food is void of the nutrients required.

2. not eating a balanced diet to improve nutrient diversity

3. your intestinal flora is not what it should be and your not gaining full value from what your digesting.

4. obviously there are others but without knowing everything about your history, its pointless rambling on further.

(bacteria in our gut plays one of the most important roles in our lives including predigesting foods that we can't do alone) - if your eating a balanced diet of fresh organic raw whole foods, then consider adding a powerful probiotic & prebiotic to your daily diet. The best probiotic available on the planet today that I know of is Coconut Kefir, which is a cultured beverage made from fermenting young coconut water. I make my own from milk kefir grains and sugary kefir grains collected from around the world and contains more than 20 beneficial strains of bacteria and yeast. (Commercially available junk normally has the 2 most popular strains which is not enough. A healthy gut terrain is the best defence we have against illness since 80 - 90% of the immune system stems from the gut. (This is the main reason why governments permit pharmaceutical companies and chemical manufacturers to unleash their toxins upon an unsuspecting public - Because they believe the world is chronically overpopulated and its no longer a secret that they are doing everything they can to reverse the problem)

New studies are proving that intermittent fasting is one of the most exceptional weight loss, metabolism stabilizing methods available. (restrict your eating hours to an 8 hour window each day or even 6 hours) If your eating good food during that 6 hour period you can almost ignore the calories. All this talk about calorie restriction is old school mentality and is outdated. Restricting eating times and maintaining an organic raw whole food diet is enough to get in shape and stay that way.. Now, if you are interested in being a finely tuned athlete then thats another matter..

Although i disagree with Mercola on some issues, I definitely agree with his opinion on High Intensity Interval Training. As a previous exponent of Full Contact TaeKwonDo (I went as far as the 2000 Olympics selection process where I was one of only two athletes in Qld. Australia that qualified), I can vouch for the effectiveness of HIIT, which was used religiously 6 weeks prior to competition.

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/04/12/tabata-workout.aspx

You can waste time and energy killing yourself in the gym with pointless, 45min + cardio sessions or you can gain more benefit and reward (not to mention gaining some time) by completing 3 x 20 minute HIIT sessions a week, leaving plenty of time for 3 decent strength training days and make more progress than you would jogging around the world. Its now being shown that providing the intensity is there, an effective HIIT session can be for a short as 4 mins (10 seconds all out craziness where another second would kill you - followed by 20 seconds rest - repeat 8 times.. if you get to 8, your cheating yourself. I used these methods on and off for the 10 yrs that I was competing at state and national level and I NEVER made it to the 8th set (unless i dropped intensity).

1. Mentality

2. Diet

3. Environment

4. Rest

5. Exercise. (notice this is last on the list because it wont keep you alive any longer if the other 3 are not corrected and balanced)

BTW. Being superfit does not make you live longer. My great grandmother never exercised a day in her life and she lived until the ripe old age of 102. (she didn't drink or smoke and ate a very simple yet clean diet) It wasn't illness of any kind that killed her - she suffered a fall and fractured her hip, was wheelchair bound and lost her will to live as she lost her independence.

I'm also curious as to what highly evolved beings on other worlds (assuming they exist) would think of our health & fitness industry and our obsession with being fit.. I couldn't imagine little grey men pumping iron...lol..

Best of luck comrade..

Edited June 5, 2015 by Pistol101

[h90]

Monitoring your heart rate while working on a treadmill or elliptical (cross trainer) is important.. basically you should work to 80% of your maximum... your maximum is calculated by subtracting your age from 220.. 60 years old.. =160 maximum.. 80% .. 130 beats per min.. this is conservative and considered safe.. *if you don't have any pre-existing heart problems.. if you do consult your Dr.. start slowly.. even as little as 10 or 15 min to start with.. bring your heart rate up to desired level and keep it there as long as you feel comfortable.. your fitness will improve reasonably quickly.. you should be able to exercise longer and keep your heart rate at the desired level longer.. Aerobic training can be done every day.. resistance (weight) training should be done every second day...

220-age is a very rough estimation......I think better than that would be to go at a speed that feels comfortable for the beginning and steadily increase.

80% max every day for someone not trained 60 year old, but only 10-15 min? I would rather go at a speed that I can sustain 30 better 45 min.

[h90]

Obesity problems are mostly associated with a non-functioning metabolism.

Correct the metabolic processes and weight gain is no longer an issue. You can do this by eliminating all un-natural 'foods' from the diet including Aspartame and all other artificial sweeterners and excitotoxins. Fluoride treated water, MSG, Artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, Vaccinations, anti-biotics, HFCS, supplements (many of which contain questionable ingredients) etc and clean your home thoroughly to remove any traces of mold.

Certain black molds such as aflatoxins produce a bi-product known as mycotoxins that are more carcinogenic than some of the deadliest chemicals known to man. They are a hidden health threat also often overlooked. People are too quick to clean up their diets without realizing that by removing one of the single biggest burdens on our immune, endocrine, lymphatic, respiratory, nervous and digestive systems, our bodies will better cope with the other toxins in our lives and environment, and maybe even eat a burger without blowing out.

Attending to our home environment and our diet goes a long way in improving our internal terrain.. Its the cleaning of your terrain that is the most important goal as this will facilitate weight loss and well being far more than exercise and if your body has some underlying issues, then its best to pay attention to the true root cause rather than following outdated fitness regimes that are often counter-productive anyway.

This little article should shed some interest generating light upon an overlooked area of health - Probiotics.

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_industryhealthiermedica235.htm

As already mentioned, whole foods are the best. Nothing man has ever created in a lab can measure up to the incredible feats of nature. Personally, I wouldn't trust supplements made in Thailand and have imported Organic Plant Protein from the US from Bodybuilding.com

If you are not getting what you need from your food, then there is clearly a problem.

1. The food is void of the nutrients required.

2. not eating a balanced diet to improve nutrient diversity

3. your intestinal flora is not what it should be and your not gaining full value from what your digesting.

4. obviously there are others but without knowing everything about your history, its pointless rambling on further.

(bacteria in our gut plays one of the most important roles in our lives including predigesting foods that we can't do alone) - if your eating a balanced diet of fresh organic raw whole foods, then consider adding a powerful probiotic & prebiotic to your daily diet. The best probiotic available on the planet today that I know of is Coconut Kefir, which is a cultured beverage made from fermenting young coconut water. I make my own from milk kefir grains and sugary kefir grains collected from around the world and contains more than 20 beneficial strains of bacteria and yeast. (Commercially available junk normally has the 2 most popular strains which is not enough. A healthy gut terrain is the best defence we have against illness since 80 - 90% of the immune system stems from the gut. (This is the main reason why governments permit pharmaceutical companies and chemical manufacturers to unleash their toxins upon an unsuspecting public - Because they believe the world is chronically overpopulated and its no longer a secret that they are doing everything they can to reverse the problem)

New studies are proving that intermittent fasting is one of the most exceptional weight loss, metabolism stabilizing methods available. (restrict your eating hours to an 8 hour window each day or even 6 hours) If your eating good food during that 6 hour period you can almost ignore the calories. All this talk about calorie restriction is old school mentality and is outdated. Restricting eating times and maintaining an organic raw whole food diet is enough to get in shape and stay that way.. Now, if you are interested in being a finely tuned athlete then thats another matter..

Although i disagree with Mercola on some issues, I definitely agree with his opinion on High Intensity Interval Training. As a previous exponent of Full Contact TaeKwonDo (I went as far as the 2000 Olympics selection process where I was one of only two athletes in Qld. Australia that qualified), I can vouch for the effectiveness of HIIT, which was used religiously 6 weeks prior to competition.

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/04/12/tabata-workout.aspx

You can waste time and energy killing yourself in the gym with pointless, 45min + cardio sessions or you can gain more benefit and reward (not to mention gaining some time) by completing 3 x 20 minute HIIT sessions a week, leaving plenty of time for 3 decent strength training days and make more progress than you would jogging around the world. Its now being shown that providing the intensity is there, an effective HIIT session can be for a short as 4 mins (10 seconds all out craziness where another second would kill you - followed by 20 seconds rest - repeat 8 times.. if you get to 8, your cheating yourself. I used these methods on and off for the 10 yrs that I was competing at state and national level and I NEVER made it to the 8th set (unless i dropped intensity).

1. Mentality

2. Diet

3. Environment

4. Rest

5. Exercise. (notice this is last on the list because it wont keep you alive any longer if the other 3 are not corrected and balanced)

BTW. Being superfit does not make you live longer. My great grandmother never exercised a day in her life and she lived until the ripe old age of 102. (she didn't drink or smoke and ate a very simple yet clean diet) It wasn't illness of any kind that killed her - she suffered a fall and fractured her hip, was wheelchair bound and lost her will to live as she lost her independence.

I'm also curious as to what highly evolved beings on other worlds (assuming they exist) would think of our health & fitness industry and our obsession with being fit.. I couldn't imagine little grey men pumping iron...lol..

Best of luck comrade..

"Obesity problems are mostly associated with a non-functioning metabolism.

Correct the metabolic processes and weight gain is no longer an issue. You can do this by eliminating all un-natural 'foods' from the diet including Aspartame and all other artificial sweeterners and excitotoxins. Fluoride treated water, MSG, Artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, Vaccinations, anti-biotics, HFCS, supplements (many of which contain questionable ingredients) etc and clean your home thoroughly to remove any traces of mold."

And I always thought you get fat from eating too much.....No the things that have no kalories at all: sweeterners, fluorid, msg, colors, vaccines and antibiotics make you fat....Very interesting. I nominate you for the Nobel price.

I didn't read the middle part of your posting, but for your grandmother. I knew a guy, he was overweight, smoked a lot and was every day drunk and ate some fat junk in the pub, last time I saw him he was 95. What can we learn from it....nothing the same as from the diet of your grandmother.

[Straight8]

Due to different body types and metabolisms, each person is different, however, don't fear carbs. Diet is equally if not more important as your time spent in the gym.

If you want to gain strength and do some low rep lifting, carbs are essential, its muscle fuel and rice is one of the best.

I just cut them out altogether after 6pm, but during the day, I like to eat quite a bit of them.

I have experimented with low carb diet and tend to feel sluggish, just doesn't work for me.

As for protein, try and get at least 1.5 grams per kilo body weight. Consume a shake if you can right after your workout.. then make about 50grams [a shake in a container equally to about 50g of protein] and sip it through the day. If you feel you didn't get enough, take some late at night, but make sure you are using WPI protein. Virtually zero carbs and zero fat [if taken with water]

Fine tune your metabolism by breaking up you meals to about 5 or 6 a day, even if they look small, it will kick start your met. to work better.

With your strength training, keep your form strict and work in a range of 6 - 10 reps per set. Again, keep it strict to avoid injury even if the weight seems light.

Last of all stay committed and don't lose motivation.. the results will come.

Good luck

No carbs are not essential......Essential to what?

And white rice is about the worst....oatmeal, musli, dark bread etc would be good.

Essential to fuel your body for strength training. That's what I said, not sure what your on about.

I never said anything about white rice, however, don't believe everything you read, its not as bad as you make it to be. I too believe brown is better however, I know a few hardcore bodybuilders who have no issue with white rice, so if one doesn't like the taste of brown or other grains, don't avoid white.

Having said that, its how you prepare it [rice] or anything for that matter and what you put it in, that counts.

[Pistol101]

Obesity problems are mostly associated with a non-functioning metabolism.

Correct the metabolic processes and weight gain is no longer an issue. You can do this by eliminating all un-natural 'foods' from the diet including Aspartame and all other artificial sweeterners and excitotoxins. Fluoride treated water, MSG, Artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, Vaccinations, anti-biotics, HFCS, supplements (many of which contain questionable ingredients) etc and clean your home thoroughly to remove any traces of mold.

Certain black molds such as aflatoxins produce a bi-product known as mycotoxins that are more carcinogenic than some of the deadliest chemicals known to man. They are a hidden health threat also often overlooked. People are too quick to clean up their diets without realizing that by removing one of the single biggest burdens on our immune, endocrine, lymphatic, respiratory, nervous and digestive systems, our bodies will better cope with the other toxins in our lives and environment, and maybe even eat a burger without blowing out.

Attending to our home environment and our diet goes a long way in improving our internal terrain.. Its the cleaning of your terrain that is the most important goal as this will facilitate weight loss and well being far more than exercise and if your body has some underlying issues, then its best to pay attention to the true root cause rather than following outdated fitness regimes that are often counter-productive anyway.

This little article should shed some interest generating light upon an overlooked area of health - Probiotics.

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_industryhealthiermedica235.htm

As already mentioned, whole foods are the best. Nothing man has ever created in a lab can measure up to the incredible feats of nature. Personally, I wouldn't trust supplements made in Thailand and have imported Organic Plant Protein from the US from Bodybuilding.com

If you are not getting what you need from your food, then there is clearly a problem.

1. The food is void of the nutrients required.

2. not eating a balanced diet to improve nutrient diversity

3. your intestinal flora is not what it should be and your not gaining full value from what your digesting.

4. obviously there are others but without knowing everything about your history, its pointless rambling on further.

(bacteria in our gut plays one of the most important roles in our lives including predigesting foods that we can't do alone) - if your eating a balanced diet of fresh organic raw whole foods, then consider adding a powerful probiotic & prebiotic to your daily diet. The best probiotic available on the planet today that I know of is Coconut Kefir, which is a cultured beverage made from fermenting young coconut water. I make my own from milk kefir grains and sugary kefir grains collected from around the world and contains more than 20 beneficial strains of bacteria and yeast. (Commercially available junk normally has the 2 most popular strains which is not enough. A healthy gut terrain is the best defence we have against illness since 80 - 90% of the immune system stems from the gut. (This is the main reason why governments permit pharmaceutical companies and chemical manufacturers to unleash their toxins upon an unsuspecting public - Because they believe the world is chronically overpopulated and its no longer a secret that they are doing everything they can to reverse the problem)

New studies are proving that intermittent fasting is one of the most exceptional weight loss, metabolism stabilizing methods available. (restrict your eating hours to an 8 hour window each day or even 6 hours) If your eating good food during that 6 hour period you can almost ignore the calories. All this talk about calorie restriction is old school mentality and is outdated. Restricting eating times and maintaining an organic raw whole food diet is enough to get in shape and stay that way.. Now, if you are interested in being a finely tuned athlete then thats another matter..

Although i disagree with Mercola on some issues, I definitely agree with his opinion on High Intensity Interval Training. As a previous exponent of Full Contact TaeKwonDo (I went as far as the 2000 Olympics selection process where I was one of only two athletes in Qld. Australia that qualified), I can vouch for the effectiveness of HIIT, which was used religiously 6 weeks prior to competition.

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/04/12/tabata-workout.aspx

You can waste time and energy killing yourself in the gym with pointless, 45min + cardio sessions or you can gain more benefit and reward (not to mention gaining some time) by completing 3 x 20 minute HIIT sessions a week, leaving plenty of time for 3 decent strength training days and make more progress than you would jogging around the world. Its now being shown that providing the intensity is there, an effective HIIT session can be for a short as 4 mins (10 seconds all out craziness where another second would kill you - followed by 20 seconds rest - repeat 8 times.. if you get to 8, your cheating yourself. I used these methods on and off for the 10 yrs that I was competing at state and national level and I NEVER made it to the 8th set (unless i dropped intensity).

1. Mentality

2. Diet

3. Environment

4. Rest

5. Exercise. (notice this is last on the list because it wont keep you alive any longer if the other 3 are not corrected and balanced)

BTW. Being superfit does not make you live longer. My great grandmother never exercised a day in her life and she lived until the ripe old age of 102. (she didn't drink or smoke and ate a very simple yet clean diet) It wasn't illness of any kind that killed her - she suffered a fall and fractured her hip, was wheelchair bound and lost her will to live as she lost her independence.

I'm also curious as to what highly evolved beings on other worlds (assuming they exist) would think of our health & fitness industry and our obsession with being fit.. I couldn't imagine little grey men pumping iron...lol..

Best of luck comrade..

"Obesity problems are mostly associated with a non-functioning metabolism.

Correct the metabolic processes and weight gain is no longer an issue. You can do this by eliminating all un-natural 'foods' from the diet including Aspartame and all other artificial sweeterners and excitotoxins. Fluoride treated water, MSG, Artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, Vaccinations, anti-biotics, HFCS, supplements (many of which contain questionable ingredients) etc and clean your home thoroughly to remove any traces of mold."

And I always thought you get fat from eating too much.....No the things that have no kalories at all: sweeterners, fluorid, msg, colors, vaccines and antibiotics make you fat....Very interesting. I nominate you for the Nobel price.

I didn't read the middle part of your posting, but for your grandmother. I knew a guy, he was overweight, smoked a lot and was every day drunk and ate some fat junk in the pub, last time I saw him he was 95. What can we learn from it....nothing the same as from the diet of your grandmother.

Theres always one isn't there..

your assumption regarding 'eating too much' is patently false. There is much more going on than you obviously realize.

considering you can't even spell some of the words your vomiting, it would be unfair of me to think you have any knowledge on this subject whatsoever.

Along with so many others, you fail to see the connection between the substances I mentioned and human health (in this case obesity). But you can deal with your own ignorance later.

And finally, implying that your fat, smoker, alcoholic mate who was lucky to live past 50 negates my grandmothers experience, is logically flawed and laughable, and I can see why you have trouble spelling simple words.... since when does the existence of one exclude the other???..

So your saying I could take up 2 packs a day, a carton of booze and sit on the couch and this will improve my chances of living a long vibrant life?? Wow.. you should be giving health advice...NOT

Edited June 5, 2015 by Pistol101

[h90]

Due to different body types and metabolisms, each person is different, however, don't fear carbs. Diet is equally if not more important as your time spent in the gym.

If you want to gain strength and do some low rep lifting, carbs are essential, its muscle fuel and rice is one of the best.

I just cut them out altogether after 6pm, but during the day, I like to eat quite a bit of them.

I have experimented with low carb diet and tend to feel sluggish, just doesn't work for me.

As for protein, try and get at least 1.5 grams per kilo body weight. Consume a shake if you can right after your workout.. then make about 50grams [a shake in a container equally to about 50g of protein] and sip it through the day. If you feel you didn't get enough, take some late at night, but make sure you are using WPI protein. Virtually zero carbs and zero fat [if taken with water]

Fine tune your metabolism by breaking up you meals to about 5 or 6 a day, even if they look small, it will kick start your met. to work better.

With your strength training, keep your form strict and work in a range of 6 - 10 reps per set. Again, keep it strict to avoid injury even if the weight seems light.

Last of all stay committed and don't lose motivation.. the results will come.

Good luck

No carbs are not essential......Essential to what?

And white rice is about the worst....oatmeal, musli, dark bread etc would be good.

Essential to fuel your body for strength training. That's what I said, not sure what your on about.

I never said anything about white rice, however, don't believe everything you read, its not as bad as you make it to be. I too believe brown is better however, I know a few hardcore bodybuilders who have no issue with white rice, so if one doesn't like the taste of brown or other grains, don't avoid white.

Having said that, its how you prepare it [rice] or anything for that matter and what you put it in, that counts.

sure if you want to real bulk up big, you need fast carbohydrates. But if you just want to be fit, better keep carbs at minimum (minimum is for most people still a lot, not many people would cut them out 100%). Strength training works perfect without any carbs (body produces enough carbs itself, but of course performance is reduced).

For someone who just start and want to reduce weight, also not young, rice isn't a good recommendation. Yes for a hardcore bodybuilder it is a must, but the topic starter isn't a hardcore bodybuilder.

When reducing calories, I would start with the sugar, and carbs first and not with the meat or fat.

[MaeJoMTB]

Obesity problems are mostly associated with a non-functioning metabolism.

Obesity is caused by eating more than you burn each day.

You can lose weight by eating less, exercising more, or both.

I live in CM, cycle up the road to Wat Doi Suthep, or run up the trail, problem solved.

Don't even have to do it every day.

Edited June 5, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[Straight8]

Strength training without carbs?

With all due respect, you have NFI!!!!

Rice, yes even white, is a quality carb, and can be consumed in proportion to ones weight / needs, but to try and workout with weights on zero carbs, you'll find you wont be lifting much. On top of that, its unhealthy to eliminate carbs, just as its necessary to consume a certain amount of fats in your diet.

OP, try out different suggestion made by people here and see what works best for you, but one thing I can recommend is don't cut out carbs.

[Pistol101]

Obesity problems are mostly associated with a non-functioning metabolism.

Obesity is caused by eating more than you burn each day.

You can lose weight by eating less, exercising more, or both.

I live in CM, cycle up the road to Wat Doi Suthep, or run up the trail, problem solved.

Don't even have to do it every day.

Are you claiming that All Obesity is caused by eating more than you burn each day?

If so, you would be WRONG. Overeating is NOT the only cause of obesity.

Nutrition is far more critical than calories. Its nutrition that enables your body to function effectively and if you must consume more calories (providing its from real wholesome food) then so be it.. You will be rewarded with a healthy body in part because the nutrition allows your metabolism to function normally as the fat burning furnace that its meant to be.

Correcting a sluggish metabolism through good nutrition is often enough to correct weight problems.

If overeating was the only link to obesity then some diabetics whom I know that eat very little and actually suffer from malnutrition as a result of insufficient and inadequate food, would not be grossly overweight..

So please explain to someone whom has completed 4 modules on nutrition (doctors do approx 2 hours of nutrition at university), how people who don't fit your calorie intake/expenditure paradigm can possibly be overweight. I think you should consider the possibility that your opening statement is not entirely true and other factors are increasingly involved.

[MaeJoMTB]

^^

Excuses from lazy & greedy fat people.