*Official* Work Out Thread

[RockRaines]

Mostly, you have to find what works for you and what keeps you interested. I know myself...and I know I get bored with non-gym home workouts like P90X rather quickly, and I also know that I enjoy going to a gym, which helps keep me focused so I stay on track. I can't stress enough that there is no ONE perfect workout for everyone...if P90X doesn't keep your interest, find something that does. But there IS a workout out there for everyone, of that, I'm convinced. They just have to find what it is.

I agree 100%. I take those to the gym and also learn from others. I think the exercise of going to the gym energizes me quite a bit.

[Y2HH]

I agree 100%. I take those to the gym and also learn from others. I think the exercise of going to the gym energizes me quite a bit.

 

Same...and I'm not sure why. You would think the added necessity of having to go to a gym, which takes time, would be something to avoid...but it actually help motivate me somehow...where staying at home actually has a negative effect.

[Reddy]

Same...and I'm not sure why. You would think the added necessity of having to go to a gym, which takes time, would be something to avoid...but it actually help motivate me somehow...where staying at home actually has a negative effect.

i think it really just has to whatever routine you get yourself into. once you're in it, it's really not that hard either way. for me, doing it at home is no problem but that's ONLY because I schedule it into my day - just like you do with the gym. people who DONT schedule their P90X or whatever program are much more likely to put it off and eventually quit.

 

 

[StrangeSox]

Same...and I'm not sure why. You would think the added necessity of having to go to a gym, which takes time, would be something to avoid...but it actually help motivate me somehow...where staying at home actually has a negative effect.

 

I have to exercise when I get up in the morning. Way too easy to put it off at night.

[RockRaines]

I have to exercise when I get up in the morning. Way too easy to put it off at night.

This is something I am trying to get in to. Whats the secret to getting up in the morning to do it?

 

 

[Y2HH]

This is something I am trying to get in to. Whats the secret to getting up in the morning to do it?

 

Being insane.

 

From everything I know, the best time to do cardio is in the morning, and the best time to do lifting or hard exercise is in the afternoon/evening. I haven't, however, looked into actual science backing those claims...it's something I have to get around to doing.

[StrangeSox]

My wife gets up for work at 5:15-5:30 because she has a long drive. I get up at 6 and don't have to leave for work until ~7:45.

[Reddy]

Being insane.

 

From everything I know, the best time to do cardio is in the morning, and the best time to do lifting or hard exercise is in the afternoon/evening. I haven't, however, looked into actual science backing those claims...it's something I have to get around to doing.

you don't have to look into the science. i've tried lifting in the morning and my numbers are always way down across the board compared to if I'm doing it in the afternoon/evening. your muscles aren't awake yet.

[Balta1701]

you don't have to look into the science. i've tried lifting in the morning and my numbers are always way down across the board compared to if I'm doing it in the afternoon/evening. your muscles aren't awake yet.

I always try to go in the morning because my brain hasn't woken up yet, so if I'm at the gym at least I'm accomplishing something.

[SoxFan1]

i didn't say it's not ok!

 

what's silly is you and soxfan ripping on it because you feel "embarassed" doing it. like i said before, that's not a problem with the videos...

Whoa whoa whoa, I never ripped the program. If anything I'm extremely impressed with it, and I use certain aspects of it in my workouts, and as I said, I use Ab Ripper X almost daily.

 

We get that you love the program. What you don't seem to understand is that it is not the holy grail of exercise.

 

ok i'm sorry. what's silly is you and soxfan saying you feel "embarassed" to do it. who cares what other people think? If they think less of you for getting in shape and living a healthy life... um... well... then f*** em.

 

there. no ripping.

Again, it's "silly" to you, but clearly that is a pretty popular opinion of video workouts. You asked for feedback, we're giving it to you. Take feedback and use it constructively, don't try to persuade others that it's wrong.

 

There is no right or wrong. It's a great program, NO ONE will ever say otherwise. I like some aspects of it, I dislike others.

[RockRaines]

Being insane.

 

From everything I know, the best time to do cardio is in the morning, and the best time to do lifting or hard exercise is in the afternoon/evening. I haven't, however, looked into actual science backing those claims...it's something I have to get around to doing.

I want to be the guy who goes out at 5am and gets in a 30 mile bike ride, but I cant get my ass out of bed. I also am a bit hypoglycemic so I need fuel before anything.

[Reddy]

Whoa whoa whoa, I never ripped the program. If anything I'm extremely impressed with it, and I use certain aspects of it in my workouts, and as I said, I use Ab Ripper X almost daily.

 

We get that you love the program. What you don't seem to understand is that it is not the holy grail of exercise.

 

 

Again, it's "silly" to you, but clearly that is a pretty popular opinion of video workouts. You asked for feedback, we're giving it to you. Take feedback and use it constructively, don't try to persuade others that it's wrong.

 

There is no right or wrong. It's a great program, NO ONE will ever say otherwise. I like some aspects of it, I dislike others.

You must not have read all my subsequent posts.

[kageman129]

So back in March, Y2HH gave me a little routine for working out . . . I need to say thanks man!

 

This is the 8th week of doing a variation on what you posted for me to do. Of course, I'm not some ripped, buff guy but the results are pretty noticeable. I'm really pleased and can feel a difference. I used to work out and just constantly lift weights, trying to build up my arms but giving them the proper amount of time to "rest" and working on my legs one day, my abs the next, my arms the next, etc, its just awesome. I'm really glad I asked about it, cause I can tell I was doing everything wrong. Ha ha.

 

To join in on the discussion about morning vs. afternoon/evening workouts. I go almost every morning before work, so around 6am. Every once in awhile I go with my wife at 8pm instead of the morning. My workout in the evening is like, 100% more intense and feels better than in the morning. As mentioned, I think for me at least, my muscles are just tired in the morning, making it less effective really. I enjoy going in the mornings as a way of waking myself up, but it sucks I can't feel better about the actual workout.

[Rowand44]

Ran my 2nd 5k today, finished in 24:47. Still not great but a definite improvement from my 1st.

[Reddy]

in 2 months I've raised my # of pushups by 41, and my pullups by 20.

 

P90X. It works.

 

[Jake]

Still not a fan of P90x and as mentioned, it's because it is essentially cardio or at least "too cardio" for my purposes. It's great that it motivates people to start working out and there are several pluses that go along with someone starting P90x:

 

1. The nature of cardio is that long cardio sessions can burn pretty large amount of calories while typical resistance training has a negligible calorie burning effect. I'd imagine a P90x burns off a whole twinkie or so.

 

2. Working out and particularly cardio has an appetite suppressing effect for a number of reasons. You're not hungry while you're working out. There is a slight stomach shrinking that goes on during exercise as well. Psychologically, folks feel much more accountable for their diet if they have worked out that day as well.

 

3. You're working out! Hooray. Untrained individuals in particular will respond very well to just about any workout program that they follow closely, especially if there is any resistance aspect to it.

 

I still am a much bigger fan of true resistance training, like lifting heavy weights. Improving maximal strength is very important, makes notable changes to physique, and even plays a role in hormone optimization (cardio has been shown to have a negative effect of testosterone, in contrast).

 

For those worried about getting "too big," please return to this planet (or remove your skinny jeans). Gaining muscle mass is very difficult even with a perfect program and diet. There is a distinct evolutionary advantage to gaining fat instead of muscle and you will fight that constantly. For a trained lifter (2+ years training), gaining 2 pounds muscle mass per YEAR is considered a reasonable goal. If you have gained or are gaining more you are either: untrained, gaining more fat than you think, or you have amazing genetics.

 

 

And while it's fabulous to talk about workout programs, it all comes down to diet. Your energy balance (calories in vs out) along with adequate protein intake is going to explain 75% of your visible results. You may gain some strength or endurance with a poor diet, but your physique will change as your diet dictates it to. If anyone is interested in really cracking down on your diet, I'd be happy to explain more. It is actually much simpler than you might think and you'll be happy (or perhaps sorry) to know that much of the popular discourse about diet is completely false or misleading.

[Reddy]

Still not a fan of P90x and as mentioned, it's because it is essentially cardio or at least "too cardio" for my purposes. It's great that it motivates people to start working out and there are several pluses that go along with someone starting P90x:

 

1. The nature of cardio is that long cardio sessions can burn pretty large amount of calories while typical resistance training has a negligible calorie burning effect. I'd imagine a P90x burns off a whole twinkie or so.

 

2. Working out and particularly cardio has an appetite suppressing effect for a number of reasons. You're not hungry while you're working out. There is a slight stomach shrinking that goes on during exercise as well. Psychologically, folks feel much more accountable for their diet if they have worked out that day as well.

 

3. You're working out! Hooray. Untrained individuals in particular will respond very well to just about any workout program that they follow closely, especially if there is any resistance aspect to it.

 

I still am a much bigger fan of true resistance training, like lifting heavy weights. Improving maximal strength is very important, makes notable changes to physique, and even plays a role in hormone optimization (cardio has been shown to have a negative effect of testosterone, in contrast).

 

For those worried about getting "too big," please return to this planet (or remove your skinny jeans). Gaining muscle mass is very difficult even with a perfect program and diet. There is a distinct evolutionary advantage to gaining fat instead of muscle and you will fight that constantly. For a trained lifter (2+ years training), gaining 2 pounds muscle mass per YEAR is considered a reasonable goal. If you have gained or are gaining more you are either: untrained, gaining more fat than you think, or you have amazing genetics.

 

 

And while it's fabulous to talk about workout programs, it all comes down to diet. Your energy balance (calories in vs out) along with adequate protein intake is going to explain 75% of your visible results. You may gain some strength or endurance with a poor diet, but your physique will change as your diet dictates it to. If anyone is interested in really cracking down on your diet, I'd be happy to explain more. It is actually much simpler than you might think and you'll be happy (or perhaps sorry) to know that much of the popular discourse about diet is completely false or misleading.

 

You are absolutely wrong on what P90X is. It's not a cardio program. You do TWO days of cardio a week. TWO. The rest are resistance training and Yoga - which is also a strength building practice, as well as helping with balance and overall fitness. Here are my before and afters, and tell me it doesn't help you build muscle.

 

 

 

 

Secondly, it burns more than a damn twinkie. If it didn't when you tried it, you weren't doing it right. I burn anywhere from 300 (yoga) to 1000 (plyo) calories every workout. What you said is asinine.

 

 

 

[StrangeSox]

Well to be fair there's a cardio aspect to all of P90X's workouts since you're generally doing a bunch of reps (not each set, but over the course of an hour) instead of a handful of exercises with a lot of weight.

[Reddy]

Well to be fair there's a cardio aspect to all of P90X's workouts since you're generally doing a bunch of reps (not each set, but over the course of an hour) instead of a handful of exercises with a lot of weight.

i do 7-8 reps on every move with as much weight as i can, and take slightly longer breaks. I have a set of powerblocks so it's exactly like hitting a gym, but at a higher intensity level because you do it for an hour.

[StrangeSox]

How about for the pushup and leg exercises, though? Doing 200 push-ups is a lot more cardio than doing some bench presses.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like P90X myself. I just wouldn't say it was equivalent to a weight-centric workout routine.

[RockRaines]

I'd imagine a P90x burns off a whole twinkie or so.

A P90X or circuit type workout for me burns over 700 calories, at the gym I do similar stuff and i easily top 1000.

[StrangeSox]

A P90X or circuit type workout for me burns over 700 calories, at the gym I do similar stuff and i easily top 1000.

 

From what I can remember (it's been several months), I'd burn around 700-800 calories during Plyometrics, at least according to my HRM.

[RockRaines]

From what I can remember (it's been several months), I'd burn around 700-800 calories during Plyometrics, at least according to my HRM.

Yeah, sounds about right to me. I burn a little more than that on some days. Insanity is much more cardio than P90 if someone is into that.

[Reddy]

How about for the pushup and leg exercises, though? Doing 200 push-ups is a lot more cardio than doing some bench presses.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like P90X myself. I just wouldn't say it was equivalent to a weight-centric workout routine.

if you wanna BULK up, maybe not. If you want to be more athletic, and perform better in all areas of fitness, P90X is better than a typical weight-centric routine. I'd rather be doing yoga when I'm 80 than lookin' like the hulk right now.

[RockRaines]

if you wanna BULK up, maybe not. If you want to be more athletic, and perform better in all areas of fitness, P90X is better than a typical weight-centric routine. I'd rather be doing yoga when I'm 80 than lookin' like the hulk right now.

I much prefer the cross-fit type fitness model than the worlds strongest man one myself. PLus my knees need less weight on them not more.