Exercise

[UncleDeSeanAli]

I've been working out at home for about 4 months now. Started out with bodyweight exercises, now I use 6 kilo dumbbells for various exercises. I mostly watch YouTube videos and try to mimic the poses exactly, because I'm afraid that if I do it wrong I'll hurt myself. Posture seems like its so important. Is that a valid concern? I also feel like I could try out the gym, but it seems intimidating and I'd also need to plan my day around driving over to the gym. I like that I can work out at home and I am seeing results. So really what I'm asking is: Is the gym necessary?

My goal is to just stay fit, gain a little muscle all around. I'm a tall scrawny guy, so I'm just really thin at the moment with a slight tone. I'd like to get a bit bigger I guess.

I also enjoy swimming and jogging, although my orthopedist said that jogging is bad for the joints. And then people keep telling me that I should be doing less cardio (or none) if I want to gain muscle.

So all in all there is a lot of information flying around and its hard to grasp whats important to follow. Maybe I should just do what I like?

 

[man.tis.shrimp]

Yes, form is incredibly important if you want to see any results/not injure yourself. It's one reason I decided to splurge on a personal trainer, because learning poor form at the start just makes it doubly difficult to break those bad habits later on.

For me, the gym has been necessary and a joy. Having a place to go motivates me to get out and do it, and of course the equipment I want for lifting is all there. I'm lucky, though. My gym is small and has a limited number of members. So I rarely see more than one or two other gym-goers any time I work out. However, I do know that a gym isn't necessary to get fit. There are exercise plans that use your own body weight or a small selection of kettlebells/dumbbells. You'll just have to look into what appeals to you.

Coming from a naturally scrawny guy, if you want to put on weight: EAT. Eat more than you've ever eaten in your life, and be consistent with it. Try to get a gram of protein per pound of body weight in daily, i.e., if you weigh 150 lbs, eat 150 grams of protein. Whole grains and carbohydrates are also important if you want to put on mass. Eat at least a fistful of veggies with every meal. And break up your calories into smaller meals throughout the day. If you're aiming for 3600 calories a day, six meals of 600 calories each is much easier than trying to cram in three meals of 1200 calories. Get a macro-counting app to help keep track of all this. It's a lifesaver. Smoothies are your friend, but do watch the sugar. Blueberries are a great relatively low glycemic index fruit for that sort of thing.

Keep cardio limited as you're bulking; no long bouts on the treadmill or anything as you start. When I started a year ago, my trainer had me lifting four days a week--two upper body sessions and two lower. We added in a day of low impact cardio a few months after.

The main thing really is just consistency. I'm still a newbie in the grand scheme of things, and my body is nowhere near my goals yet. But the changes that have occurred over a year are wild. It's not rocket science, but it was for sure difficult to get started. They say it takes a few months of continuous behavior to create a habit, and that's really the key. Exercise is simply part of my daily routine now. You'll get there too!

 

[Trinu 3.0]

So all in all there is a lot of information flying around and its hard to grasp whats important to follow. Maybe I should just do what I like?

If you want to gain mass/muscle, it's all about eating + lifting, like @man.tis.shrimp said.
I'd say cardio is fine as long as the frequency and intensity isn't too high. Twice a week is plenty to reap the benefits of it

I mostly watch YouTube videos

As long as you're watching Caroline, it's all good!
I'm wrapping up her original EPIC program this week and gosh, it's good.

 

[Vasilios]

I've added two days Pilates to my three days a week lifting and I'm very happy with this mix? I'll start some light bopping and jogging every afternoon here and there too.

 

[UncleDeSeanAli]

Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it.

As long as you're watching Caroline, it's all good!
I'm wrapping up her original EPIC program this week and gosh, it's good.

I'll check her out. I'm currently watching a hunky Bavarian (maybe Austrian?) man names Sascha Huber. He's really obnoxious, but he has good workouts.

 

[colouroffensive]

I've been calorie counting pretty much since January on the advice of my PT in a bid to drop the weight. I didn't mind calorie counting at the start, it was kinda nice to be held accountable for my food and opened my eyes to how much I was eating. I've managed to regulate my portion sizes.

But now I've kinda over it. My goal now is to build muscle and my PT has increased my calorie limit and told me what I should be eating etc. But I've come to realise that the act of calorie counting now is ruining my enjoyment of food and even worse, cooking. I had a chat with my PT and she said to using an app like MyFitnessPal is there just as a guide to keep track, and shouldn't be used religiously. Basically if I'm going to indulge, just make sure it's "good" food and not junk. So I'm planning to ween myself off of calorie counting and just being sensible with my food intake and portion.

I wondered if anyone else in this thread has or currently counts calories as part of their fitness?

 

[Trinu 3.0]

I wondered if anyone else in this thread has or currently counts calories as part of their fitness?

Me, for the whole of 2021.

At first it was a bit of a pain to read the barcode, weight everything and whatnot. But it was eye opening when I saw how many calories were packed in the smallest portion of whatever I used to indulge… and how little there was in kilos and kilos of vegetables fff

It really helped me a lot to track everything and ensure I was in a deficit. Once I realised I could indulge in stuff that wasn’t pizza and it wouldn’t shoot my calorie intake through the roof, weight loss felt super easy.

I'll check her out.

New program starts on Monday!

 

[Soygirl]

My Fitnesspal Hunties, how detailed do you get with your entries? I'm trying to givie it a go again and I'm not sure if I need to include things like olive oil and seasoning nn.

 

[Trinu 3.0]

My Fitnesspal Hunties, how detailed do you get with your entries? I'm trying to givie it a go again and I'm not sure if I need to include things like olive oil and seasoning nn.

I didn’t include oil/vinegar, but I tried to be sensible with them. A teaspoon or two and done (would add half a bottle back in the day ñññ).

Liquids are tricky, but anything that could be weighed, I weighed.

 

[johnny_tsunami]

My Fitnesspal Hunties, how detailed do you get with your entries? I'm trying to givie it a go again and I'm not sure if I need to include things like olive oil and seasoning nn.

It's good to remember that calories are an imperfect "science." They are just an estimate of energy units and by no means exact. Not being obsessive about it will also not only allow you to maintain the practice of tracking your caloric intake but will also help you not to get into disordered eating territory.

 

[Trinu 3.0]

It's good to remember that calories are an imperfect "science." They are just an estimate of energy units and by no means exact. Not being obsessive about it will also not only allow you to maintain the practice of tracking your caloric intake but will also help you not to get into disordered eating territory.

Also this. I ditched the app this year because I feel that having used it for for most of 2021, I learned what worked for me and what not. I can also can more or less gauge portions and quantities now, while back in the good old days I’d make a kilo of spaghetti and be satisfied with my choices.

Anyway, I went on my first “run” today and fkfjdjfkjf I need trail running shoes cause the grandma hills are gonna be the end of my ankles.

 

[colouroffensive]

My Fitnesspal Hunties, how detailed do you get with your entries? I'm trying to givie it a go again and I'm not sure if I need to include things like olive oil and seasoning nn.

I included oil in my logging just because of how many calories there are in each amount- granted I'd just pour the bottle out willy-nilly. Dried spices and things like that I don't count because you'll drive yourself insane doing that.

Thing is, like @Trinu 3.0 said, once you have a rough idea of how much a sensible amount of anything is, you won't need to log it to MFP. I hope it goes well for you!

 

[Trinu 3.0]

Runners! Care to share your running playlists?

I’m currently plodding along using this scream of a playlist, but maybe someone has something more specific about BPMs or something.

 

[Purple]

Runners! Care to share your running playlists?

I’m currently plodding along using this scream of a playlist, but maybe someone has something more specific about BPMs or something.

I use a playlist that is largely comprised of 2000s and 90s eurotrash bangers. It tends to do the job but I regularly go in and remove songs if I’m getting bored of them.

 

[Laurence]

Runners! Care to share your running playlists?

I’m currently plodding along using this scream of a playlist, but maybe someone has something more specific about BPMs or something.

I tend to switch a bit between seeing the ones Spotify makes if you search Running; there's Run This Town, Pop Run, etc... They are all made up out of tracks you listen to yourself.

 

[Purple]

I have finally started getting serious about building some muscle and oh my lord I have never eaten so much food in my life.

I’m doing two days of upper body / core and another two of lower with one or two days where I go for a swim or a short run.

I’ve been doing this for just over a month now so no major changes yet but I definitely think the hardest part is eating enough? Which is surprising to say the least.

 

[Glitterizer]

Anyone else find it incredibly uncomfortable lifting with any food in you? Unless I’m fully fasted I feel very nauseous, shaky and weak.

I keep trying to adjust meal timing and types to see if anything sticks, because I see most people like to eat some sort of pre-workout meal or snack, but nope. Only an empty stomach makes me feel great. I guess the answer is always “do what works for you”, but I still find it weird.

 

[LPMA]

Anyone else find it incredibly uncomfortable lifting with any food in you? Unless I’m fully fasted I feel very nauseous, shaky and weak.

I keep trying to adjust meal timing and types to see if anything sticks, because I see most people like to eat some sort of pre-workout meal or snack, but nope. Only an empty stomach makes me feel great. I guess the answer is always “do what works for you”, but I still find it weird.

I know I've had a phase where workouts would trigger some hypoglycemia which would make me weak/shaky, and I've learned that I needed an actual pre-workout snack even if I've had dinner not long before, but that doesn't sound like your experience. Would be a major hinderance for me because I couldn't fathom morning workouts.

 

[man.tis.shrimp]

I workout first thing in the morning nn. But I definitely need a smoothie beforehand. I’d pass out otherwise. Crazy how we’re all totally different.

 

[MusicLover1994]

Anyone else find it incredibly uncomfortable lifting with any food in you? Unless I’m fully fasted I feel very nauseous, shaky and weak.

I keep trying to adjust meal timing and types to see if anything sticks, because I see most people like to eat some sort of pre-workout meal or snack, but nope. Only an empty stomach makes me feel great. I guess the answer is always “do what works for you”, but I still find it weird.

I will usually have a banana because it's quite light and high in potassium so always gives me a boost. If I go to the gym after on an empty stomach I crash. Then a protein shake straight after! Sets me up for the day.

Also - isn't it basically ineffective working out on an empty stomach because you haven't started your metabolism? That might be a myth but it was drilled into me growing up that you need to eat before doing anything physical to start your metabolism dd