How "In Shape" are You?

[James Y]

The body becomes too accustomed to the exercise. That’s why it’s also good to periodically vary the strengthening exercises you do, or the way you’re doing them.

Jim

Spot on Jim! I'm actually in the middle of switching up my routine myself, largely in part because the past few months I haven't really felt like I've been gaining anything, more so maintaining.

I typically strength train in 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps per set. Last week I actually lowered the amount of weight I've been lifting with various exercises, and lifting them in the 12-15 set range (whichever number I hit first before fatigue sets in and I lose proper form and risk injury)

Let me tell you, I feel like I just started working out again. Sore for a day or two afterwards, doing the same exact exercises I've been doing, but just switching up the weight/reps.

Yes, Rick, changing things up now and then can be a game changer. And it’s not always adding more weight or etc. but simply doing something in another way that the body isn’t overly adjusted to. That’s what makes the body adapt and improve.

Jim

[BLUETYPEII]

I’m a skinny guy. I’m 5’10” (177.8cm) and I’ve never exceeded 140lbs (63.5kg) I average between 130lbs (58.9kg) and 135lbs (61.2kg).

I however do not claim to be “fit”. I smoke cigarettes and I eat whatever I want so I would really hate to see what the inside of my arteries look like. I probably don’t exercise enough. I do get out to the hiking trails almost every weekend, my work is physical too. I probably should exercise more though.

The new thing is my kid wants to go for a walk when I get home from work... so that’s been another 15-20 minutes of exercise I wasn’t getting before.

I struggled to quit smoking and gave up about a month ago however I think I’m about ready to give it another try.

Hope I got those metric conversions correct for y’all.

[Naperville]

I struggled to quit smoking and gave up about a month ago however I think I’m about ready to give it another try.

I'm 60, and smoked for at least a decade over my life. I took up vaping September, 15, 2015 and although tricky at first, I stuck with it and gave up smoking for good after a few weeks.

There is a law/bill that was passed called the PACT Act, and it spells doom for vaping. The online retailers are not able to ship directly to consumers for fear they may sell something to someone under 18/21(smoking age for a jurisdiction) so the online retailers are all going to go out of business, unless they make something they can get in to vape shops.

THIS, has really thrown a monkey wrench in to the lives of people like myself who just wanted to quit smoking, and take up something that is at least 95% safer than smoking according to the UK Surgeon General. They don't call him/her/them the UK Surgeon General, they call them Public Health England (PHE) and Royal College of Physicians and they are the top UK research scientists and DRs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-ci ... ark-review

https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/ou ... -reduction

In the USA, the US Govt made a deal with the devil, BIG TOBACCO, to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in to funds for states. Well, ever since vaping took off, cigarette smoking has gone way down, and the funds are in danger of defaulting on covering related illnesses from tobacco consumption....SO THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL VAPING.

Hardly going to effect me and some others that I know. As I said, I'm 60, and I have 25 years worth of liquid nicotine and gear to keep me satisfied. But the 20 year old will take up cigarette smoking, and the cycle will start all over again.

[BLUETYPEII]

I struggled to quit smoking and gave up about a month ago however I think I’m about ready to give it another try.

I'm 60, and smoked for at least a decade over my life. I took up vaping September, 15, 2015 and although tricky at first, I stuck with it and gave up smoking for good after a few weeks.

There is a law/bill that was passed called the PACT Act, and it spells doom for vaping. The online retailers are not able to ship directly to consumers for fear they may sell something to someone under 18/21(smoking age for a jurisdiction) so the online retailers are all going to go out of business, unless they make something they can get in to vape shops.

THIS, has really thrown a monkey wrench in to the lives of people like myself who just wanted to quit smoking, and take up something that is at least 95% safer than smoking according to the UK Surgeon General. They don't call him/her/them the UK Surgeon General, they call them Public Health England (PHE) and Royal College of Physicians and they are the top UK research scientists and DRs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-ci ... ark-review

https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/ou ... -reduction

In the USA, the US Govt made a deal with the devil, BIG TOBACCO, to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in to funds for states. Well, ever since vaping took off, cigarette smoking has gone way down, and the funds are in danger of defaulting on covering related illnesses from tobacco consumption....SO THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL VAPING.

Hardly going to effect me and some others that I know. As I said, I'm 60, and I have 25 years worth of liquid nicotine and gear to keep me satisfied. But the 20 year old will take up cigarette smoking, and the cycle will start all over again.

I feel bad saying this but, from what I hear vaping is just as bad if not worse than smoking.

[Naperville]

I'm 60, and smoked for at least a decade over my life. I took up vaping September, 15, 2015 and although tricky at first, I stuck with it and gave up smoking for good after a few weeks.

There is a law/bill that was passed called the PACT Act, and it spells doom for vaping. The online retailers are not able to ship directly to consumers for fear they may sell something to someone under 18/21(smoking age for a jurisdiction) so the online retailers are all going to go out of business, unless they make something they can get in to vape shops.

THIS, has really thrown a monkey wrench in to the lives of people like myself who just wanted to quit smoking, and take up something that is at least 95% safer than smoking according to the UK Surgeon General. They don't call him/her/them the UK Surgeon General, they call them Public Health England (PHE) and Royal College of Physicians and they are the top UK research scientists and DRs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-ci ... ark-review

https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/ou ... -reduction

In the USA, the US Govt made a deal with the devil, BIG TOBACCO, to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in to funds for states. Well, ever since vaping took off, cigarette smoking has gone way down, and the funds are in danger of defaulting on covering related illnesses from tobacco consumption....SO THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL VAPING.

Hardly going to effect me and some others that I know. As I said, I'm 60, and I have 25 years worth of liquid nicotine and gear to keep me satisfied. But the 20 year old will take up cigarette smoking, and the cycle will start all over again.

I feel bad saying this but, from what I hear vaping is just as bad if not worse than smoking.

Hahahaha....yes, that is what everyone thinks. It is harmless. That is why I gave you the TWO links above. In the UK if you go to your DRs office and tell him that you want to quit smoking, and you say you want to try vaping, the DR gives you a vape pen!

Watch this film, "You Don't Know Nicotine"
https://knownicotine.com/

Vape juice is VG(vegetable glycerine) and Nicotine, and if Nicotine is not carcinogenic, then there is NO harm. Did you know that there is nicotine in vegetables?

[RustyIron]

Vape juice is VG(vegetable glycerine) and Nicotine, and if Nicotine is not carcinogenic, then there is NO harm. Did you know that there is nicotine in vegetables?

Yeah... no. As appealing as it sounds to get jacked up on nicotine, I don't need any more vices. And sucking particulates into my lungs just doesn't seem wise. Some day I might tell you of my friend in Kentucky who sent me a big box of dried tobacco from a local farm. I went to the liquor store, bought some rolling papers, sat on the patio, and sparked one up. The nicotine was great, but not so great that I'd ever want to endure the nausea again. Barf.

So you getting out for some walks? Housecleaners are here and I need to get out of their way. My plan was to ride this morning, but I'm uninspired. No worries, though. I'll force myself. After 30 seconds on the trail, the Inspiration Meter will be redlined.

[Naperville]

Vape juice is VG(vegetable glycerine) and Nicotine, and if Nicotine is not carcinogenic, then there is NO harm. Did you know that there is nicotine in vegetables?

Yeah... no. As appealing as it sounds to get jacked up on nicotine, I don't need any more vices. And sucking particulates into my lungs just doesn't seem wise. Some day I might tell you of my friend in Kentucky who sent me a big box of dried tobacco from a local farm. I went to the liquor store, bought some rolling papers, sat on the patio, and sparked one up. The nicotine was great, but not so great that I'd ever want to endure the nausea again. Barf.

So you getting out for some walks? Housecleaners are here and I need to get out of their way. My plan was to ride this morning, but I'm uninspired. No worries, though. I'll force myself. After 30 seconds on the trail, the Inspiration Meter will be redlined.

I've been getting out and doing some yard work, and taking some walks. Getting there.

Nicotine isn't my problem, the 7,000+ other chemicals that come with igniting and inhaling tobacco is. I started smoking when I worked in concrete back in the 70's. Quit. Then started to smoke again when one of my instructors in escrima smoked....I'd join him for a break. I also used to chew on a molasses plug in the 70's, great stuff! But smoking cigarettes and cigars is a no-no for me. I have heart problems and tobacco is bad news for me.

[BLUETYPEII]

Vape juice is VG(vegetable glycerine) and Nicotine, and if Nicotine is not carcinogenic, then there is NO harm. Did you know that there is nicotine in vegetables?

That may be the case across the pond but I don’t think company’s here in the United States are quite so concerned with our health.

[James Y]

I thank my lucky stars I never became a smoker. I tried smoking a cigarette in 1970 at age 7, and started choking horribly after the first inhalation. I never tried it again and never will.

Jim

[vivi]

https://streamable.com/uwkoiu

If you've never tried any sort of martial art I highly recommend it. Its wonderful cardio, its fun, and its a practical thing for anyone to learn.

This was at the end of a two hour workout and my right shoulder is injured, so my punches had the pop of a five year old girl :p

Nice, vivi!

I like the fact that you’re incorporating some side kicks. I’m going a bit OT and into martial arts here, but lots of people underestimate their effectiveness, and nowadays, many people don’t incorporate side kicks at all, preferring instead the Thai round kick to the thigh. Back in the day, I practiced side kicks a ton, and there were many people back then who had very well-developed side kicks that were very effective and hit like a mule.

For self-defense, targeting the knee or shin with it multiplies its effectiveness. In many competitive fighting formats, round kicks to the thigh are allowed, but side kicks to the leg are not. There is a good reason for that; it’s very easy to cause serious injury to someone’s knee joint, and is very difficult to defend against, especially when the opponent moves towards you and must put his weight down onto his forward leg. It is also extremely difficult (if not nearly impossible) to grab a properly-executed low side kick. There is much to be said for a low kick with the lead foot that travels straight into the opponent’s leg, as opposed to taking a circular path.

Jim

In MMA we call front leg side kicks to the knee oblique kicks. For obvious reasons I never use them sparring, but I do practice aiming side kicks both low and at head height.

Leaning back to fire one at the head is both unpredictable and it puts your head in a very difficult position for someone to hit.

Side kicks are under utilized in general. Back when my MMA gym was open I used to love feinting with my hands then firing off a lead leg side kick to the body when they raised their guard. They can be lightning fast with some practice.

I'll make another video sometime soon when I'm fresher and show a few moves I didn't show here. Wheel kicks, spinning elbows and backfists, flying knees, jumping switch kicks etc. I'll post that one in the martial arts thread.

[SG89]

Been working on strength training lately. I hope to get a pool this summer so I can work on my cardio.

[kennethsime]

I haven't done martial arts since I was a child, but I have been trying to get back in shape this month.

I find myself going through boom and bust cycles - I'll be lazy for a few weeks, then try to "go hard" for a few weeks, and usually end up burned out.

This month, I've been bouldering Monday, Wednesday, Friday and running Tuesday, Thursday. I've also (mostly) reserved alcohol for the weekends. I feel a lot better already, and feel like this is a pace I can keep up for awhile.

[Paraguy]

My suggestion is to make it fun. Personally I enjoy playing basketball with my friends between 1-3 days out of the week. I also play roller hockey in the late spring to early fall.

[Paraguy]

My suggestion is to make it fun. Personally I enjoy playing basketball with my friends between 1-3 days out of the week. I also play roller hockey in the late spring to early fall.

Oh, also biking is really fun. Get yourself a nice Trek or Cannonade and try to incorporate it into your schedule. Last summer I went biking twice a week with friends and boy is it fun. If you're close to work you can enjoy a ride every morning! You'll enjoy it more as you see yourself progress and gain endurance.

[TkoK83Spy]

I typically strength train in 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps per set. Last week I actually lowered the amount of weight I've been lifting with various exercises, and lifting them in the 12-15 set range (whichever number I hit first before fatigue sets in and I lose proper form and risk injury)

Let me tell you, I feel like I just started working out again. Sore for a day or two afterwards, doing the same exact exercises I've been doing, but just switching up the weight/reps.

The recent bump in this thread made me come back to this post from over a month ago. I've been maintaining this same routine and have been very satisfied with my results. Not only this, but I've also stopped drinking during the weekdays (normally have 2-4 beers each night) but now only have drinks on Friday/Saturday. I've lost 4lbs over this past month, and I thin a lot of that is water weight/bloat. I'm actually seeing a bit more definition in my abs and pants are fitting a little looser around the waist. The lack of drinking has also improved my sleep and helps me in waking up easier each morning. I've also noticed a bit more definition in my muscles throughout my body since switching up the routine. Very pleased with my results!

[vivi]

My suggestion is to make it fun. Personally I enjoy playing basketball with my friends between 1-3 days out of the week. I also play roller hockey in the late spring to early fall.

Oh, also biking is really fun. Get yourself a nice Trek or Cannonade and try to incorporate it into your schedule. Last summer I went biking twice a week with friends and boy is it fun. If you're close to work you can enjoy a ride every morning! You'll enjoy it more as you see yourself progress and gain endurance.

I went two years using my road bike for everything, and sometimes I miss those days. I'd ride it to work, to grocery stores, to the gym, I'd ride it to dates, I'd ride it to a vacation spot states away then ride back etc. One of my favorite ways to get a workout.

Got some new boxing gloves coming in the mail. Which is good - with my 12oz beginner gloves I can watch small pieces of padding fly out when I land a solid punch.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=A-BJ7aw3AOU

My favorite way to work out my cardio these days.

[SG89]

Just got done with my workout. Today was leg day. Deadlift and barbell calf raises.

[SG89]

My workouts lately have been rowing machine and weightlifting

[twinboysdad]

My son is a budding middle school wrestler. I go live with him a few days a week since we are close enough in size now. I didn’t wrestle growing up and the cardio and strength demands are unreal. I did both Judo and BJJ in my 30’s and it is not even close to wrestling. I run with wife on Saturdays and strength train 3 days per week but never go heavy as I am high mileage and very close to 50. Pro tip- you cannot out exercise a crappy diet. Diet is crucial.

[SG89]

I've been underweight my whole life and struggle to gain weight. I exercise for strength. I try not to do anything that is too hard on my joints. I swim and row for cardio and lift weights. Hydrating is the key. Crazy how from hour to hour I can feel the difference if I'm not drinking enough water.