Workout Tips & Tricks

[SoxFan562004]

Just be careful on how hard you run on the way down. I did too much too soon and got popliteal tendonitis in the back of my knee. It put me out for 4 months. I missed a marathon due to it.

yeah, thanks for the tip, but I've been actually just walking down, partly because I'm very clumsy!

[greasywheels121]

I'm pumped; I just signed up for this.

 

http://www.payton34.org/default.aspx

 

--

 

I was in search of doing some kind of race this summer, and stumbled upon this. I'm striking out in finding a decent race or two before then. Does anyone know of anything taking place in the northwest suburbs this summer? Thanks in advance.

[BearSox]

I strained (is that the same as pulling it?) my hammy doing sprints today... any good tips on a fast recovery, because any extended time off is really gonna hurt my regimen.

Edited June 23, 2009 by BearSox

[greasywheels121]

I'm pumped; I just signed up for this.

 

http://www.payton34.org/default.aspx

 

--

 

I was in search of doing some kind of race this summer, and stumbled upon this. I'm striking out in finding a decent race or two before then. Does anyone know of anything taking place in the northwest suburbs this summer? Thanks in advance.

 

I just completed my first 10K, which was also my first race. I ran the Wauconda 10K this morning in 48:12. It was definitely a learning experience, and I could have timed much better.

 

I was too pumped going off the start line with all the people and exerted myself much more than my usual pace. I admittedly walked a little in the middle of the race, and have a better understanding what I need to do in the future, as I anticipate this being the first of many. Great experience.

[Rex Hudler]

I just completed my first 10K, which was also my first race. I ran the Wauconda 10K this morning in 48:12. It was definitely a learning experience, and I could have timed much better.

 

I was too pumped going off the start line with all the people and exerted myself much more than my usual pace. I admittedly walked a little in the middle of the race, and have a better understanding what I need to do in the future, as I anticipate this being the first of many. Great experience.

 

Nice work greasy!

[ptatc]

I just completed my first 10K, which was also my first race. I ran the Wauconda 10K this morning in 48:12. It was definitely a learning experience, and I could have timed much better.

 

I was too pumped going off the start line with all the people and exerted myself much more than my usual pace. I admittedly walked a little in the middle of the race, and have a better understanding what I need to do in the future, as I anticipate this being the first of many. Great experience.

 

Excellent wrok!!! Always good to add another road racer to the ranks. Just keep at it and you'll learn the strategy best for you.

 

[greasywheels121]

I was waiting for the results to be posted, before I wrote this--I ran the Race for Young Life 5K in Palatine yesterday morning in 21:20. It was a great time, especially since the rains held off; it only spit on us during the run. I ended up placing 26th out of 200+. Also, I surprisingly won the male 20-24 age class, which was an awesome shock. I got a certificate yesterday, and they send personalized trophy/plaques to the winners via mail.

 

I'm hoping to go to Ohio to visit a college buddy in mid-August, where we're planning on doing a race there. If not, I signed up for the Windrunner 10K in Wheaton at the end of August, as my final tune-up before the Walter Payton 16,726 Yard Run in September.

 

Updated: With Results

[Rowand44]

I was waiting for the results to be posted, before I wrote this--I ran the Race for Young Life 5K in Palatine yesterday morning in 21:20. It was a great time, especially since the rains held off; it only spit on us during the run. I ended up placing 26th out of 250+. Also, I surprisingly won the male 20-24 age class, which was an awesome shock. I got a certificate yesterday, and they send personalized trophy/plaques to the winners via mail.

 

I'm hoping to go to Ohio to visit a college buddy in mid-August, where we're planning on doing a race there. If not, I signed up for the Windrunner 10K in Wheaton at the end of August, as my final tune-up before the Walter Payton 16,726 Yard Run in September.

Damn. Impressive man.

[NorthSideSox72]

Starting very soon here, I'll be doing something I did years ago, that is a great way to get in better shape, tone lower body and a little core, and get an aerobic workout in while commuting. I'm going to bike to work.

 

My ride is about 6 miles each way. I do it on an MTB with knobbies, which is a lot more work than a road bike with skinny tires, but that is part of the idea. I go basically all out for 30 minutes to get downtown and park the bike at the gym. Do 3 or 4 weight sets (upper body and core), shower and change, walk to work. Go back there to change after work, bike back home. At a high pace of biking for 30 minutes / 6 miles each way, I'll burn 600 to 900 calories (depends on what source you look at), get in two aerobic workouts, save myself the $75/month for the CTA pass, and not add any extra time to my day (since I have to commute anyway)... its fantastic.

 

And I need it, bad. I've gotten into terrible shape the last few years - I clock in at 6'3" and 250-ish right now. Need to be about 200. I figure if I do this all summer and into fall, I should be back down to 200 by the end of the year.

 

If anyone here works downtown and lives somewhere else in the city, I highly recommend this option.

 

Anyone else do this?

Update...

 

I started riding in May, not sure exactly when, but I think around mid-Month. I try to ride to work every day, but some weeks I miss a day or two for various reasons, so I probably average 4 days a week. 6 miles each way for 12 round trip on the MTB, I do it in anywhere from 23 to 27 minutes each way depending on traffic, weather, and how I'm feeling that day. That's an average of 14-16 mph, which includes slows and stops for traffic, so I'm probably doing more like 18 while moving, topping out in the low 20's on longer stretches.

 

Started at 259 (I had thought I was closer to 250, but when I weighed in on starting, I was basically 260). Now at 25, so I've lost 14 pounds in 1.5 months of riding. And this is with no other significant additions to exercise (other than the weekly softball game, which isn't really exercise in a meaningful way). So it works! 7 weeks for 14 pounds, I'm doing 2 pounds a week, just as I thought.

 

If I can ride through the end of September, I would lose about 24 more pounds, and be at 221. Not quite to my 210 goal for the end of the year (was 200, but I started later than planned), but most of the way there. I'd just need to find something to do in October-December to lose that other 11 pounds.

 

I highly recommend riding to work!

 

[Flash Tizzle]

I was surprised to find out that taking two weeks off from running actually benefited me. For quite awhile I had been running three miles a day, four days a week, and was beginning to develop painful shin splints. After taking two weeks off, I just comfortably ran a 1.5 mile around 12:20. My fear was I'd be winded more easily, when it was in fact just the opposite. It was probably just an issue of giving my legs time to heal.

Edited July 6, 2009 by Flash Tizzle

[NorthSideSox72]

I was surprised to find out that taking two weeks off from running actually benefited me. For quite awhile I had been running three miles a day, four days a week, and was beginning to develop painful shin splints. After taking two weeks off, I just comfortably ran a 1.5 mile around 12:20. My fear was I'd be winded more easily, when it was in fact just the opposite. It was probably just an issue of giving my legs time to heal.

Still prepping for the power test?

 

I hated that thing, and it has almost no bearing on job performance at all. There are a few departments that do something different - Lombard for example uses the Denver Test, which is an obstacle course of sorts. CPD also does something different. Palatine uses the power tests but artificially increases the standards a bit across the board.

 

[Flash Tizzle]

Still prepping for the power test?

 

I hated that thing, and it has almost no bearing on job performance at all. There are a few departments that do something different - Lombard for example uses the Denver Test, which is an obstacle course of sorts. CPD also does something different. Palatine uses the power tests but artificially increases the standards a bit across the board.

Yeah, at this point I could pass all the different tests (situps, sit/reach, bench press, 1.5mile run), but I'm trying to give myself a little bit of breathing room. The mile and a half run is the most concerning of mine, especially since we're at the mercy of whatever weather conditions or in door track conditions the testers throw at us. For all the runners out there you know training primarily indoors and then running outside in 90 degree weather or 10 degree weather is good for knocking some time off your run.

 

Also, CPD does use the power test. Their test proctors are notoriously lenient with applicants in the initial power test, though. There are two power tests every applicant has to pass before the academy, and with with how slow everything moves with CPD they'll basically tell you that passing the first one was a gift and the second one wont be. I've heard of people struggling in every category only to be marked as passing.

Edited July 8, 2009 by Flash Tizzle

[NorthSideSox72]

Yeah, at this point I could pass all the different tests (situps, sit/reach, bench press, 1.5mile run), but I'm trying to give myself a little bit of breathing room. The mile and a half run is the most concerning of mine, especially since we're at the mercy of whatever weather conditions or in door track conditions the testers throw at us. For all the runners out there you know training primarily indoors and then running outside in 90 degree weather or 10 degree weather is good for knocking some time off your run.

 

Also, CPD does use the power test. Their test proctors are notoriously lenient with applicants in the initial power test, though. There are two power tests every applicant has to pass before the academy, and with with how slow everything moves with CPD they'll basically tell you that passing the first one was a gift and the second one wont be. I've heard of people struggling in every category only to be marked as passing.

OK, I thought CPD had something different, since they have their own academy (or did). The POWER test was developed by the staties, for their academy, originally.

 

The run was actually one of the two easy ones for me (the other being bench press). Situps took some training, and sit/reach was ugly, I am just not a flexible guy.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Yeah, at this point I could pass all the different tests (situps, sit/reach, bench press, 1.5mile run), but I'm trying to give myself a little bit of breathing room. The mile and a half run is the most concerning of mine, especially since we're at the mercy of whatever weather conditions or in door track conditions the testers throw at us. For all the runners out there you know training primarily indoors and then running outside in 90 degree weather or 10 degree weather is good for knocking some time off your run.

 

Also, CPD does use the power test. Their test proctors are notoriously lenient with applicants in the initial power test, though. There are two power tests every applicant has to pass before the academy, and with with how slow everything moves with CPD they'll basically tell you that passing the first one was a gift and the second one wont be. I've heard of people struggling in every category only to be marked as passing.

OK so, I have to take this opportunity to tell a story, about my experience with the Lombard PD test (the obstacle course). Its actually pretty amusing...

 

So, there are 150 or so of us out there in a school parking lot, along with 10 or so cops, and a paramedic crew (most of the cops and medics are there for the show I think). The cop leading the test explains what we have to do...

 

You start off sitting in a squad car, driver's seat, buckled in, and wearing a 20 pound duty belt. There is a cop in the passenger seat. The cop has a little tape recorder, and a radio. He plays you a radio call of the incident you are responding to, including the description of a suspect. When that is over, he yells GO into the radio. At that point you have 42 second to...

 

--Unbuckle, get out of the car, close the door

--Run about 20 yards, partially through a cone slalom course

--Scale an 8 foot chain link fence

--Run a little further to a spot in the grass with a 90 degree turn, on grass they have wetted down with a hose

--Run to a fake wall with a "window" that you have to jump through (pads on the other side to land on)

--Get up and run a longer stretch, past a gallery with 4 manequins with numbers on their chests - you have to shout out the number of the manequin that matches the description from the radio call

--Run a little further to a picnic table where there is a 180 dummy, which you have to pull off the bench and drag 5 yards

 

After explaining the test, they have one of they uber-buff Tac guys do the course for us, which he finishes in about 30 seconds. Then its time to line up and get numbers.

 

I decide that I don't want to get more nervous than I already am, so I get up there quick, and get #3.

 

#1 goes, does pretty well, passes.

 

#2 is this overweight guy, who does fine until he scales the fence. Takes a few shots at it, finally clears it, lands awkwardly, and is now writhing in pain on the ground. The medics go over to check him, and the cop running the drill says "get him out of the way!", and then "OK, new obstacle on the course, #3 get up here!"

 

I start off OK, get out of the car, do the cones, get to the fence. Start the fence well, leap up, one pull and I'm one leg onto the top of the fence... then my foot slips, and I land in such a way that my upper body is over the fence, my lower body still behind. Desperate and no thinking, I just reach down, grab the fence, and pull.

 

Somehow, by some miracle, this causes me to do a flip off the fence, landing squarely on my feet on the other side - to the sound of cheers from the crowd and an "oh hell yeah!!" from the cop nearby watching the festivities. I could probably try that move 20 times and not pull that off again - I seriously don't know how I managed it.

 

I do the wet turn, jump through the window (cutting my knee open), run by the gallery and shout the correct number, get the dummy and drag it, and collapse on the ground. As I'm laying there, here is a cop hovering over me, smiliing, and he says "41 seconds - you pass, gymnast boy!"

 

So, I passed. Still not sure how.

 

[BigSqwert]

We need a youtube of this. LOL

[NorthSideSox72]

We need a youtube of this. LOL

They did actually videotape it, and said that if you got into the department, you could have a copy. I ended up not joining that department, and left law enforcement entirely, so I never got to see it. Someone probably has it, somewhere.

 

[BigSqwert]

They did actually videotape it, and said that if you got into the department, you could have a copy. I ended up not joining that department, and left law enforcement entirely, so I never got to see it. Someone probably has it, somewhere.

I'd love to see it at 1.5 speed with the Benny Hill music playing.

[greasywheels121]

I just discovered some nearby park trails this morning on my run, I'm excited for the new scenery.

[Sonik22]

I seem to have hit a plateau in my goal of losing 60 lbs and getting down to 170 lbs. Its been about 3 1/2 months and I've lost 50 lbs to make it down to 180 but I know there is more weight to lose and as of this week the weight loss has stopped. I still eat about 2000 calories and work out every day and I guess my body has finally gotten used to that. Any suggestions on what I should do?

[RockRaines]

I seem to have hit a plateau in my goal of losing 60 lbs and getting down to 170 lbs. Its been about 3 1/2 months and I've lost 50 lbs to make it down to 180 but I know there is more weight to lose and as of this week the weight loss has stopped. I still eat about 2000 calories and work out every day and I guess my body has finally gotten used to that. Any suggestions on what I should do?

What is your weekly workout schedule/routine look like? Are you just measuring weight or actually taking body and body fat percentage measurements? Did you take pictures of when you started and progressively as you went?

[Sonik22]

What is your weekly workout schedule/routine look like? Are you just measuring weight or actually taking body and body fat percentage measurements? Did you take pictures of when you started and progressively as you went?

Well I weight myself every day, i started around 33% bf, now I'm around 23%. I did not take pictures, I probably should have. One day I will do around 250 crunches and 70 push-ups along with some resistance training on the total gym. Mostly biceps and triceps workouts. The other day is for when I do cardio, where I will either run a mile, or play soccer or some sort of sport that makes me use my legs. I've kept the same diet of around 2000 calories or below, and since it's been around 16 weeks of that i believe that my body has finally adjusted to that. So yeah, idk what I should do. I went to the gym today for the first time so I could up the resistance training and build more muscle to burn more fat. I'm hoping that's the answer. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[RockRaines]

Well I weight myself every day, i started around 33% bf, now I'm around 23%. I did not take pictures, I probably should have. One day I will do around 250 crunches and 70 push-ups along with some resistance training on the total gym. Mostly biceps and triceps workouts. The other day is for when I do cardio, where I will either run a mile, or play soccer or some sort of sport that makes me use my legs. I've kept the same diet of around 2000 calories or below, and since it's been around 16 weeks of that i believe that my body has finally adjusted to that. So yeah, idk what I should do. I went to the gym today for the first time so I could up the resistance training and build more muscle to burn more fat. I'm hoping that's the answer. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

First off, you may be at the point where your weight is not a good measurement of progress, this can be very disconcerting to many people, and its going to affect you as well. This is when people give up, dont do it.

 

You can reduce your caloric intake a bit, OR make sure that you are doing it right. Dont eat carbs after 8pm, make sure you are eating clean food, none of that packaged or fast food bulls***. Fish, whole grains, veggies.

 

Also its probable that your body has become used to your workouts. I would throw in something that not only is a change of the actual excercise, but also the muscles that you use for that workout. Instead of running a mile, do some yoga, or maybe some squats and sprinting. If you have a soccer field nearby, do some wind sprints. I know it sucks, but just changing the way your muscles complete an excercise is progress. Stairs or stadiums is a good change of pace because it attacks other parts of your legs.

 

Next, dont worry about doing 250 crunches, they are only blasting ONE part of your core. Do maybe 25 crunches, then some v-ups, some oblique crunches, superman for lower back, straight leg crunches, planks and even wall sits. Doing 250 crunches in one sitting may be counter productive.

 

For your pushups. I would aim for 100 total, but do 10-15 eat set of different kinds. Do wide arms, military, use a towel under one hand and while you go down for a pushup, slide that hand out and make it a fly exercise for your chest.

 

PM me for more ideas if you want, I can basically describe some of the differnt home workouts I do in P90 and they could keep your body guessing.

[Sonik22]

First off, you may be at the point where your weight is not a good measurement of progress, this can be very disconcerting to many people, and its going to affect you as well. This is when people give up, dont do it.

 

You can reduce your caloric intake a bit, OR make sure that you are doing it right. Dont eat carbs after 8pm, make sure you are eating clean food, none of that packaged or fast food bulls***. Fish, whole grains, veggies.

 

Also its probable that your body has become used to your workouts. I would throw in something that not only is a change of the actual excercise, but also the muscles that you use for that workout. Instead of running a mile, do some yoga, or maybe some squats and sprinting. If you have a soccer field nearby, do some wind sprints. I know it sucks, but just changing the way your muscles complete an excercise is progress. Stairs or stadiums is a good change of pace because it attacks other parts of your legs.

 

Next, dont worry about doing 250 crunches, they are only blasting ONE part of your core. Do maybe 25 crunches, then some v-ups, some oblique crunches, superman for lower back, straight leg crunches, planks and even wall sits. Doing 250 crunches in one sitting may be counter productive.

 

For your pushups. I would aim for 100 total, but do 10-15 eat set of different kinds. Do wide arms, military, use a towel under one hand and while you go down for a pushup, slide that hand out and make it a fly exercise for your chest.

 

PM me for more ideas if you want, I can basically describe some of the differnt home workouts I do in P90 and they could keep your body guessing.

Thanks for everything Rock, I'm gonna start doing this instead and I'll let you know how it goes. I won't give up, thats not going to happen. Thank you!

 

[RockRaines]

Thanks for everything Rock, I'm gonna start doing this instead and I'll let you know how it goes. I won't give up, thats not going to happen. Thank you!

No worries, hit me up on PM if you need anything. Stay motivated and the end result will be worth the work.

[BigSqwert]

Since this is the closest thing to a catch all I'll post this here.

 

Skip the sports power drinks. Your best bet is to drink pure coconut water after a workout or run. Tons of electrolytes and more potassium than a banana. And you don't get all the high fructose corn syrup and other crap.

 

O.N.E. and Zico are a couple of brands you can try.