Sticking To An Exercise Plan..........................

[southern california guy]

So every year I decide that I am going to eat better, and get more exercise and slim down......

 

I have the same problem that most guys have.  it is very easy for me to gain muscle, but not so easy to do the aerobics that I need so much more.  I find the aerobics just plain unpleasant...  And the weight training not so much.  In fact if I eat too much then my strength goes through the roof -- I even tried competing in powerlifting for a while, and I got 4th place in one contest.  But we all look better when we are slimmer... :popcorn2:

 

Anyway I am recovering from a broken leg and I've started riding an exercise big for a half hour every day.  I know that is not much, but I have a hard time getting myself to do even that.  And a hard time not wimping out and quitting short of the half hour.  I try reading but I'm in such lousy shape that I almost can't read at the same time as even doing something as simple as riding an exercise bike.....  I end up counting down the seconds of each minute.... :(

 

Does anybody have any secrets that they use to keep themselves motivated and to gauge progress?  I've been riding the bike for a month and judging how I look in the mirror I haven't improved at all despite the effort it seems to take.  So to get any real results I am going to have to increase my exercise...

 

 

How do you do it... :(

[southern california guy]

Just an update.  I know you guys are dying to hear... okay so I am bored..  

 

I have actually ridden the exercise bike EVERY single day for an entire month!  I don't know if I have lost any weight but my heart rate has slowed down and my blood pressure is lower.  I've never done much cardio before but I find it interesting.  My exercise bike has a heart monitor, and I have noticed that my heart rate will be at it's highest right after I start then drop after about 20 minutes.  It gradually decreases over the last ten minutes.  I have no idea why but maybe that is what people mean by getting their "second wind"??

 

And not to brag or anything, but when I started my exercise program I could only do 5 pullups in a row -- now I can do 16!  I am going for 20 :D

[ContemporaryCaflicCrusader]

Nice! I don't think I can do 5 pullups!  

[ardillacid]

So every year I decide that I am going to eat better, and get more exercise and slim down......

 

I have the same problem that most guys have.  it is very easy for me to gain muscle, but not so easy to do the aerobics that I need so much more.  I find the aerobics just plain unpleasant...  And the weight training not so much.  In fact if I eat too much then my strength goes through the roof -- I even tried competing in powerlifting for a while, and I got 4th place in one contest.  But we all look better when we are slimmer... :popcorn2:

 

Anyway I am recovering from a broken leg and I've started riding an exercise big for a half hour every day.  I know that is not much, but I have a hard time getting myself to do even that.  And a hard time not wimping out and quitting short of the half hour.  I try reading but I'm in such lousy shape that I almost can't read at the same time as even doing something as simple as riding an exercise bike.....  I end up counting down the seconds of each minute.... :(

 

Does anybody have any secrets that they use to keep themselves motivated and to gauge progress?  I've been riding the bike for a month and judging how I look in the mirror I haven't improved at all despite the effort it seems to take.  So to get any real results I am going to have to increase my exercise...

 

 

How do you do it... :(

Really? If it were so easy to put on muscle without gaining fat as well, more people would look like this. 

 

 

Do you think this guy ever had problems picking up chicks? 

[Little Flower]

Really? If it were so easy to put on muscle without gaining fat as well, more people would look like this. 

 

 

Do you think this guy ever had problems picking up chicks? 

yes I think he is unattractive. Too much muscle. He's not very cute.

[Little Flower]

I take that back he is cute, but he's still toooo muscular. He looks weird. His face is still cute tho

[Lil'Monster]

Really? If it were so easy to put on muscle without gaining fat as well, more people would look like this. 

 

 

Do you think this guy ever had problems picking up chicks? 

 

 

 

 

Well he has no problem picking up a glass of wine so I guess he can pick up a couple of chicks.

[southern california guy]

Thank you Chummy Commoner.  I think that my secret is that I trained using the "Bulgarian method" -- or something called that in an old Muscle & Fitness magazine.  I do 4 to 6 sets every other day with one to 2 hours between sets (It helps that I don't have to work because I am recovering from a broken leg...).  On the days in between I have been doing shoulder presses with a barbell.

 

Ardillacid I agree the problem is gaining muscle without fat... :(  It is so easy to gain muscle size and strength when you are fat, but darn near impossible if you are slim.  I think that Arnolds secret was basically steroids..  And unfortunately he didn't have much trouble picking up women.  Unfortunately because it ultimately cost him his marriage.

 

I've been trying to slim down, and get my leg better, so I have been riding the exercise bike every single day for a half hour.  It is hard to stick to that!  Of course for the first time I'm very motivated because I really want the bones in my leg to heal!

 

[ContemporaryCaflicCrusader]

All my pants and shorts have been given away and replaced with smaller waisted ones.  In fact my belt is now to big and frankly I don't look muscular: I almost could pass as skinny, but I don;t look bad, I just don't turn heads either, which is nice to be honest with you.  I don't want to turn heads.  I listen to my iPod during my cardio and workouts.  Christian music with an edge, but that is a thread in and of itself.  It's good to join a local pickup league sports team and keep stats.  Even if it's localish it's better than nothing.  

[southern california guy]

All my pantaloons and shorts have been given away and replaced with smaller waisted ones.  In fact my belt is now to big and frankly I don't look muscular: I almost could pass as skinny, but I don;t look bad, I just don't turn heads either, which is nice to be honest with you.  I don't want to turn heads.  I listen to my iPod during my cardio and workouts.  Christian music with an edge, but that is a thread in and of itself.  It's good to join a local pickup league sports team and keep stats.  Even if it's localish it's better than nothing.  

Right on!  Sorry I called you by the wrong name earlier.  Don't worry, if you are slim then you have won 90 percent of the battle.

 

 If you train carefully you can create an illusion of size.  Exercise your shoulders.  Do standing side laterals with dumbbells.  And cheat a little.  Swing them a little but not so much that you might hurt your shoulder.  Do standing front raises with dumbbells.  Do bent raises with your shoulders forward and you chest stuck out a little and point the dumbbells downward.

 

Do shoulder presses after the laterals.  Don't worry about the weight.  Just use a weight that you can do 2 sets of eight with.  And only lower the weight down to around the middle of your face.  Going lower can injure your rotercuff.  It's like stretching too far at the bottom of the pullup.  You don't have to.

 

In addition to pullups also do dips.  You don't have to go to low on the dips.  These will give you big arms.  Also do rows and bench presses.  Keep your grip relatively narrow on the bench press and keep your elbows in closer to your sides when you lower the weight.  This is easier on the rotercuff.  Also you don't have to lower the weight all the way to the chest.  That is only important if you are a competitive powerlifter.

 

Do these exercises and you should look pretty good regardless of how big you get.  Besides who wants to get that big?  In order to maintain muscle the size of bodybuilders you have to eat nonstop -- and bodybuilders ultimately tend to end up getting bloated belly's.

[Slappo]

If you want cardio to be effective at burning fat, the diet has to change too. I've been doing cardio for maybe 4 months now 3-5 times a week for half an hour and have dropped 6 or so lbs. Not a quick process for me, but I don't push myself very hard on cardio either. I have a hard time doing it probably just like you do. I don't like exercising for the sake of exercising at all. If I didn't adjust my diet and cut out high calorie low energy foods like oreo's then I'd probably be at my regular weight.

 

One thing I do to motivate myself is i watch a 45 minute T.V show on netflix. 30 minutes of cardio 5 minute cool down and 10 minutes of stretching = one show.

[CrossCuT]

I have never been an athletic person at all and Ive tried getting motivated to do cardio (running), but I havnt found something that helps me more than this cute little app!

Its called 5k Runner and you just run the program on your ipod/smart phone and it tells you what to do!

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/5k-runner-0-to-5k-run-training/id439852091?mt=8

 

Its an awesome way to track progress and it has REALLY helped motivate me. If youve already mastered 5ks, they also make a 10k runner app as well as marathon trainers.

 

Also, the "diet" mentality is horrible. Dont ever feel like you need to cut things out....you will always fail. You need to make lifestyle changes and relearn how to eat when it comes to the dieting half of slimming down. Your body needs EVERYTHING...just everything in moderation.

 

[Slappo]

Also, the "diet" mentality is horrible. Dont ever feel like you need to cut things out....you will always fail. You need to make lifestyle changes and relearn how to eat when it comes to the dieting half of slimming down. Your body needs EVERYTHING...just everything in moderation.

Your body certainly doesn't need the high fat high sugar high calorie food items like soda, oreo's, reeses, kit-kat, snickers, ice cream, etc. There are some really good tasting healthy substitutes for deserts that will also provide natural vitamins, fibers, and energy.

 

Indulging in candies, alcohol, and other pleasures while trying to lose weight certainly won't prohibit weight loss if it is done sparingly though. That's why it's taken me 5 months to drop 5lbs! :). If you want/need faster results though, cutting those is a big priority. I'm not talking about cutting out food so you are hungry, just cutting out the junk.

[Slappo]

I think we're on the same page though crosscut, it is a lifestyle change not just cut this cut that don't eat this and stay away from that. That mindset is a set-up for failure as everything is about what you can't do.

 

Easiest thing I changed in dieting is switching from hot pockets at lunch to a fruit smoothie with almond milk, peanut butter, and a breakfast essentials chocolate powder.When I'm daring I throw in half fruit half spinach. If I workout I throw in chocolate protein powder instead of the breakfast essentials. It really isn't less calories, but it's a lot more energizing and I tend to naturally be more active from it. It's also better tasting and of course healthier.

[CrossCuT]

Your body certainly doesn't need the high fat high sugar high calorie food items like soda, oreo's, reeses, kit-kat, snickers, ice cream, etc. There are some really good tasting healthy substitutes for deserts that will also provide natural vitamins, fibers, and energy.

 

Indulging in candies, alcohol, and other pleasures while trying to lose weight certainly won't prohibit weight loss if it is done sparingly though. That's why it's taken me 5 months to drop 5lbs! :). If you want/need faster results though, cutting those is a big priority. I'm not talking about cutting out food so you are hungry, just cutting out the junk.

I figured that was pretty common knowledge.

What I meant more was that you shouldnt do "diets" that require you to cut out all or large amounts of any macro group. Like Atkins for instance.

I should have explained myself more.

 

I think we're on the same page though crosscut, it is a lifestyle change not just cut this cut that don't eat this and stay away from that. That mindset is a set-up for failure as everything is about what you can't do.

 

Easiest thing I changed in dieting is switching from hot pockets at lunch to a fruit smoothie with almond milk, peanut butter, and a breakfast essentials chocolate powder.When I'm daring I throw in half fruit half spinach. If I workout I throw in chocolate protein powder instead of the breakfast essentials. It really isn't less calories, but it's a lot more energizing and I tend to naturally be more active from it. It's also better tasting and of course healthier.

You just have to make it manageable for yourself.

You always have options and substitutes for items that are healthier. Choose something with less fat, whole grain, high protein/fiber etc.

Another good thing is to learn how to cook, and always watch portion sizes. Whenever you go out to eat at a restaurant it isnt unlikely that the amount of fat and calories in ONE entree is more than what you need in an entire day.

 

Multiple tiny changes add up to a lot. Increasing your awareness of things is the first step.