How in shape are you?

  • Thread starter Citrus
  • 203 comments
  • 13,821 views
It's been working pretty well actually. The past three days I've made time to jog/run and really haven't had a problem with it. The only downside is the fact that I don't have my stuff, but so far I've gone for my headphones and Ipod.

As for what I'm doing I usually just jog/run once around my block (that's all I can do so far) then go in and either do push ups or use my bench press. I've been favoring push ups lately because I don't need someone to spot me, but I can only do a maximum of 10 on a good day :indiff:

I think the issue with the other times i've tried to get in shape was definately motivation, but also my expectations. I wanted to see results but was seeing little so I thought why bother. Now I'm jogging because I want to get my stuff back, with getting into shape as a bonus.
 
Small update.

I've kept up with my running/jogging and have run every day but Sunday because I didn't have time. I still haven't lost any weight, but I'm not worried about that.

I was just doing 10 push ups to count as working on my arms but luckily my friend showed me this core workout in which I still do 10 pushups, but 10 repetitions of many other things as well. It's actually got me motivated to do it, but some of them are quite a pain in the ass. I'm going to try and alternate doing the core workout one day and the bench press the other.

As for improvements, I feel better even now but no changes that I can notice yet physically.
 
Had a good squat day on Wednesday. After a warmup my sets were as follows:

315 x 10
405 x 5
365 x 10

The 405lb set was the heaviest I have ever gone on free weight squats so it was new ground for me. It felt very rewarding!
 
Last week I got through my Kendo practice without feeling sick. That's a major breakthrough after being away from the sport for over a year. I've been jogging a mile every other couple of days, so that's helped. Hopefully I'll be able to go crazier at each practice as the weeks go by.
 
I've only done the core workout a for a short while and already it's made a drastic improvement. I now do 1 and 1/2 laps instead of just 1, and after not doing the bench press for the longest time I beat my max first try. My max was 135lbs 6 times, but I did 7 on the first day, and on the second I did 8 but could have done 9 (my dad spotted me too early). Next time I hope to reach 10 then it will be time for more weight.
 
I'm running the Chicago Marathon in like two weeks so I hope I'm in pretty decent shape. I doubt I can bench press 120, but I can outrun you I bet. When I've fully recovered from this marathon I'd like to do a bit more strength training and focus more on shorter, higher intensity runs. Maybe start training for a 5K, see if I can run one in under 17 minutes or something.

I try to get to the rock gym a couple times a week, but haven't had time recently. It's a pretty ridiculous full (especially upper) body workout climbing walls. Haven't been to the real gym in a couple months.
 
I've got to get myself entered for a 10Km!

Where I am living at the moment is up a rather steep hill, but at teh bottom is the beach and a good 5Km of flat beach-side to jog on with some half decent scenery.

Finally got to back into my weights after a good 2 weeks without thanks to Freshers :D But the wait for the gym induction is quite big so I've brought my free weights and dumbell bench up. Probably would have anyway but it's nice to be doing something.
 
Klostrophobic
I try to get to the rock gym a couple times a week, but haven't had time recently. It's a pretty ridiculous full (especially upper) body workout climbing walls. Haven't been to the real gym in a couple months.
Click to expand...

Climbing is great exercise 👍 - i use a similar local indoor bouldering wall at least once a week, it works out muscles you'd never even touch with regular gym equipment. It's also a good workout for your mind, solving some of the climbing route problems. I find gyms leave me bored out of my skull.
 
Climbing is fun but I haven't done if for years. I would have to shed some serious weight before I could start scaling walls again. At 230 - 240 lbs., every step or pull up is a serious task for me. I would be the guy in the gym that grunts for 8 pull ups, all the while envious of the other guys that can crank out 30+ pull ups like it's going out of style.

Something I need to work on for sure....
 
There was a Tread Wall at one of the gyms I used to go to.

ShpFit-G.gif


I loved that thing. It had adjustable angle and speed and you can just make it out, but the cable that comes off of the top can be belted around your waist and adjusted for height. It then stops the wall when you get too low so you can take a quick break. I personally wasn't a fan of that because it didn't force you to keep moving.

Incredible full body workout.
 
TB
There was a Tread Wall at one of the gyms I used to go to.

ShpFit-G.gif


I loved that thing. It had adjustable angle and speed and you can just make it out, but the cable that comes off of the top can be belted around your waist and adjusted for height. It then stops the wall when you get too low so you can take a quick break. I personally wasn't a fan of that because it didn't force you to keep moving.

Incredible full body workout.
Click to expand...

Interesting, looks like fun. Although looking at it there can't be much variation to the climbs. It's the lack of variation with bikes, cross trainers, treadmills and rowing machines that gets repetitive to me. I don't mind using free weights, even though they are repetitive actions by nature, because of the balance needed to control the bar or bell, you really have to concentrate.
 
TheCracker
Interesting, looks like fun. Although looking at it there can't be much variation to the climbs.
Click to expand...
After a while it gets repetitive, but as you get more comfortable with it, you start going for longer reaches, different paths, grabs, etc. Also, the holds are different shapes - some you can only get a few fingers on, others you can wrap your entire hand around and they bolt on, so every once in a while they moved them around to change it up.
 
Figured I'd give a bit of an update. I've been running as well as alternating a core workout and the bench press every day give or take a few days since I started. After a while I just ran anyway and forgot about that whole motivation technique, but lately I've been getting a bit lazy. I caught myself a few days ago and had to force myself to run. I'm glad I did though because If I hadn't I think I would have stopped.

To get rid of this problem I've recently made it so I workout every day but Friday and Saturday. I figure it will give my body some time to rest and allow me to hang out with my friends and not feel guilty that I didn't workout. Whenever I don't run though I make sure that i do both the bench press and the core workout the next day.

As for changes my parents have told me that I look slimmer, although I haven't noticed much. The most I've noticed is that my biceps are bigger and I've lost a decent amount of the fat in my love handles. My shorts that used to fit comfortably after wearing for a bit now fit close to comfortable right after being washed. Along with my shorts my size 36 jeans now fit well instead of tight, which kinda sucks because I just bought some size 38 jeans which now bunch too much for comfort at the top.

Now if only I could get eating right, or at least decent. On school mornings my stomach can't handle food, so i've started taking a Vitamin C supplement to at least have something. Lunch is whatever the school has (You can't beat 40 cents a day. Being poor has its good sides, lol). When I get home is where it gets bad though. I'll have soda if it's in the fridge and something to eat (usually spaghettios), then later on I'll have whatever is for supper. Last of all after I run i'll usually have a bowl of cereal, which can't be helping me especially that late at night (I run around 8:00, I don't like running when it's light out).
 
Sounds like you're on the right track! 👍

What ever is in my house I eat. I beg for healthier snacks, fruits. veggies, ect. Even multi-grain crackers are better than potato chips. Try to limit your refined sugars if you can. Soda is really bad, candy, etc....

Good job man, keep it up!

:cheers:
 
First off I'd like to congradulate everyone here for their efforts. It's not easy getting in shape, whether you've been away from it for a year, or ten years. I got back from the gm earlier this evening and had a good workout. I have access to very good facilities and use them everyday. I'm getting ready to finish up five years active duty as a Grunt in the Marine Corps and looking to the future. I'm always happy to see "civilians" taking note of their physical health. I want to actually move into the health feild and start taking classes towards diet and excercise physiology next fall. I've been lucky to have a job demanding me to be in the best shape I can be in. I've gained just shy of thirty five pounds in the last eighteen months. In april of '07 is when I really started moving in this direction. Since then I've gone from being 5'8" at 160lbs, and I'm teetering on 194-195 right now. My goal is to get up to 200 by january. So there's how I feel, that's what I've done. Again for all of you just starting out, or finding yourself in a rut just remember, "if it were easy, everyone would do it". Take pride in every little step you make, hopefully in a year when turn around and look back at the starting point, you won't even recognize that guy that began all of this anymore.
 
Felixthebat
First off I'd like to congradulate everyone here for their efforts. It's not easy getting in shape, whether you've been away from it for a year, or ten years. I got back from the gm earlier this evening and had a good workout. I have access to very good facilities and use them everyday. I'm getting ready to finish up five years active duty as a Grunt in the Marine Corps and looking to the future. I'm always happy to see "civilians" taking note of their physical health. I want to actually move into the health feild and start taking classes towards diet and excercise physiology next fall. I've been lucky to have a job demanding me to be in the best shape I can be in. I've gained just shy of thirty five pounds in the last eighteen months. In april of '07 is when I really started moving in this direction. Since then I've gone from being 5'8" at 160lbs, and I'm teetering on 194-195 right now. My goal is to get up to 200 by january. So there's how I feel, that's what I've done. Again for all of you just starting out, or finding yourself in a rut just remember, "if it were easy, everyone would do it". Take pride in every little step you make, hopefully in a year when turn around and look back at the starting point, you won't even recognize that guy that began all of this anymore.
Click to expand...

👍

Keep us updated, and share the knowledge. :D
 
Well am not really healthy because i've had an eating disorder for 13 years and am 16 now. My arms don't have much fat at all on them but i have quite hard biseps(however you spell it) and big muscles on my fore arms. I also have quite big peks / chest muscles. I can run quite fast but only about 240 meters before am out of breath while jogging. I used to be quite weedy but i've been doing pressups, pullups and situps for a year now and taking protein shakes and am a much better build than i was now.
 

Latest Posts

Back