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OT: Fitness Nerds and Babe

Volcanologist said:
Surprised to see not a single word about food, which is actually a lot more important.

no consideration to that, and you're merely bailing water out of a boat full of holes, no matter how many side lateral raises you do...
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my priority is upping my protein intake and fibre and greens and cutting out fast foods generally. Fortunately I like to cook so not too difficult as long as I'm organized.
 
Deckie007 said:
lose weight / gain muscle, get healthier. More lifestyle change than anything.
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There’s merits to all sorts of various diet related advice, but if you don’t want to be counting calories or doing anything insanely restrictive.

Prioritize two things…..protein and fiber….and everything else kinda falls into place on its own.


Aim for 0.75-1 times your goal weight, in grams of protein per day….so that all the work you’re putting into lifting etc is being turned into muscle as effectively as possible. (Protein is also pretty ideal for appetite suppression and satiety)

Then make choices that help your fiber intake….choose beans or lentils over rice/pasta…choose whole grain breads that have extra fiber or even pick up some psyllium fiber capsules, and pop a few anytime you’re eating something less healthy, so that meal then has increased fiber.

Lentils & beans are kinda a secret super food in this sense as they’re the rare food that gives you both fiber and protein, but are also a source of low glycemic carbs, that help boost your energy.
 
Deckie007 said:
Hey....

So finally have gotten my ass back to the gym and I've put together a fairly basic circuit routine, looking for feedback and tips. I'm basically a newbie and starting with machines until I'm comfortable to try out free weights.

I'm just alternating lower body / upper body with a rest day or two in between depending on how I feel. I've been playing tennis on weekends and planning on mixing in swimming during the week on rest days. Goal is to lose weight and gain muscle and just get into better shape so I can do things I enjoy easier.

Upper

Cardio Warmup (Elliptical usually)
Bicep Curls
Shoulder Press
Tricep Extension
Chest Press
Pec fly

Lower

Cardio Warmup (Bike usually)
Leg Press
Hamstring Curl
Leg Extension
Back Extension
Ab machine

Is this a good start for a out of shape 42 yr old? 🫠
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everyone has their different types of cardio they prefer, but if you haven’t tried it yet concept2 rowing machines are pretty amazing/addictive, or Airdyne air bikes….both just great workouts, but also ideal for warming up because they get your whole body involved. Also real low impact on your joints etc.

Think you’d dig both
 
trujaysfan said:
Anyone have a good morning stretching routine?

Lower back and hips have gotten really tight.
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Try out a number of hamstring stretches and find one you like best and are most liable to repeat….do that every morning and sit in it longer than suggested. (I like 2 mins per leg). That will do a world of good for your back I suspect.

I like downward facing dog etc, but I personally find I feel the stretch best when doing a standing hamstring stretch.


View: https://youtu.be/UYXXPnpsYPU?si=5gvPNSTIZrEz7Etg


And for your hips, try sitting in a deep squat for as long as you comfortably can, aiming to build up to around 15-20 minutes total over the course of the day, split up into 3-5 minute micro sessions if need be…and as you progress press your elbows into your knees while pressing your hands together, and really work those hips open side to side, stretching your limits etc…….do that consistently every day for 2-3 weeks and you’ll feel like a new man.

IMG_4303.jpeg

It’s goofy looking, but I’m also a fan of of bear crawls in the morning, specifically straight legged bear crawls for my hamstrings and warming up my shoulders etc.


IMG_4302.gif
 
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Deckie007 said:
my priority is upping my protein intake and fibre and greens and cutting out fast foods generally. Fortunately I like to cook so not too difficult as long as I'm organized.
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ok. Not sure how overweight you are but regardless honestly I would start looking at all bread, rice, pasta and potatoes as treats instead of regular staples. for life. junk food or not. learn to love sweet potatoes and quinoa if you don't already. those 2 are good. black beans are good too.

the problem is we collectively eat too much sugar, including all the things that metabolize into sugar(your complex carbs/starches). you have to starve yourself of sugar and re-train your body to use fat as an energy source.

fruit also becomes a treat under this model, with the exception of berries which are A+ since they are comparatively low sugar and high fibre. they are my primary fruit source for that reason.

when I first quit ingesting sugar for the most part, I couldn't even taste 5 packs of monkfruit sweetener in my coffee (oh yeah, stop using splenda/artificial sweeteners....they may not have calories or rot your teeth, but the effect on insulin remains...this is why it's coming out now that they commonly cause weight gain, instead of the opposite). this is because we are used to the "10" on the sweetness meter refined sugar and sweeteners provide. once you quit that stuff, your tasting of food and relative sweetness will change pretty quickly.

in the popular imagination, fat and total calories in/calories out have dominated the weight loss discourse, when in reality this is totally the wrong way to look at it. the true issue for many is sugar, insulin, and insulin resistance. Not all calories are equivalent and what type they are is more important than how many.
 
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Volcanologist said:
ok. Not sure how overweight you are but regardless honestly I would start looking at all bread, rice, pasta and potatoes as treats instead of regular staples. for life. junk food or not. learn to love sweet potatoes and quinoa if you don't already. those 2 are good. black beans are good too.

the problem is we collectively eat too much sugar, including all the things that metabolize into sugar(your complex carbs/starches). you have to starve yourself of sugar and re-train your body to use fat as an energy source.

fruit also becomes a treat under this model, with the exception of berries which are A+ since they are comparatively low sugar and high fibre. they are my primary fruit source for that reason.

when I first quit ingesting sugar for the most part, I couldn't even taste 5 packs of monkfruit sweetener in my coffee (oh yeah, stop using splenda/artificial sweeteners....they may not have calories or rot your teeth, but the effect on insulin remains...this is why it's coming out now that they commonly cause weight gain, instead of the opposite). this is because we are used to the "10" on the sweetness meter refined sugar and sweeteners provide. once you quit that stuff, your tasting of food and relative sweetness will change pretty quickly.

in the popular imagination, fat and total calories in/calories out have dominated the weight loss discourse, when in reality this is totally the wrong way to look at it. the true issue for many is sugar, insulin, and insulin resistance. Not all calories are equivalent and what type they are is more important than how many.
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Great advice but quinoa is the nastiest shit on the planet. Just a fact.
 
LeafGm said:
I’ll happily exchange at least a decade of my life for continuing to eat rice, pasta & potatoes instead of the likes of quinoa & barley.
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My wife makes quinoa muffin kind of things with egg as a binder, parm, onion and herbs for flavour and then bakes until the tops are crispy and they're solid. Also, just cooking quinoa in a good chicken stock with a bit of shaved parm and chives is good when I'm sick of brown rice.
 
MindzEye said:
My wife makes quinoa muffin kind of things with egg as a binder, parm, onion and herbs for flavour and then bakes until the tops are crispy and they're solid. Also, just cooking quinoa in a good chicken stock with a bit of shaved parm and chives is good when I'm sick of brown rice.
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Sounds like an ideal way to ruin some perfectly good eggs, Parmesan, onion & chicken stock!
 
MindzEye said:
My wife makes quinoa muffin kind of things with egg as a binder, parm, onion and herbs for flavour and then bakes until the tops are crispy and they're solid. Also, just cooking quinoa in a good chicken stock with a bit of shaved parm and chives is good when I'm sick of brown rice.
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Yeah, Quinoa itself is pretty neutral tasting….in my mind its “taste” is kinda correlated 1-1 with the quality of dish you’re serving it with.

Like you say cooked in a little chicken stock, with the right fat/acid combo to compliment your main dish, and it’s pretty much always going to be great.
 
Count me as one of the fellas that enjoys quinoa. It gives me the shits but anything loaded with fiber does!
 
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I’ve mentioned it a number of times before, but I grilled up a steak at lunch and had it with nothing other than this Maldon smoked sea salt…..just can’t recommend it enough.

Ideal finishing salt for just about any grilled meat or fish.
 
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