Saber Forum

Today, I woke up at 8 AM, got my lazy butt out of bed, and went for a jog. Afterwards, I came back home and did three sets of 10 crunches and 3 (technically 6, because I messed up on the first 3) half push-ups. I failed horribly on the push-ups, and now my elbow hurts, but that's not the point. The point is... I finally did something with my life. KRIFF YEAH.

Though it wasn't a full jog. I walked up this steep hill to a park, then I ran one track around the park, except I nearly collapsed halfway through, so I had to walk part of it, then jog for the rest of it.

I do think that I did the crunches pretty well, but I used to have a personal trainer so I guess that makes sense. Still, it was my first time doing half push-ups, and it's difficult to get the right form down. Any suggestions?

Also, does anyone have a motivational MEME or quote or something so I'll do it again tomorrow? ;D

"Every journey begins with a first step.  Failure if not taking it."

Blue

Great job.  You judge yourself by how well you continue to keep pushing.  Then you measure yourself by others around you.  You just keep moving and you'll be surprised where you will go. 

Thanks :) I like that quote a lot.

Well, I'll definitely keep pushing myself.

I just want to lose weight and find a way to break free of my depression. Though I will probably need to go back to counseling for that.... But I'm going off on a tangent. At least it does make me feel better :)

Counseling is great.  Been there a great deal in my life.  People remember to take care of the body and spirit but often forget the mind.  All three need to be in balance so that you feel in balance. 

Exercise is a great way to have the feeling you are in control of something.  It is something that you consciously do with really no set purpose in mind except to be in control of your movements.  Every rock contains a masterpiece, it just requires a sculptor to get rid of what is not needed at the moment.  (I forget who said it.)

You are the masterpiece and the sculptor.  Exercise is just a tool to clear away the things not needed at the moment. 

Exercise does make me feel in control of some things. I'm just not sure about the other things....

Mind if I PM you?

Fire away.  Always glad to PM.

Okay, thanks.

THeres a poster in my gym of rather large man in sweat suit, covered in sweat. the caption reads

"No matter how slow you think youre going ,,,,youre moving twice as fast as the guy on the couch"

THAT THING GETS ME FIRED UP EVERY MORNING

That's awesome :) So true, too :D

Here ya go. I had the original quote wrong but i found it .




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And......here we go:

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And I'm done......for now.

You guys are the best :o

Points for both of you!

:)

if you would like a reccomendation on a quick morning exercise for fitness then i can reccomend tabata rounds (short intense circuits no end) start with 10 secs to prepare alternate like this

20 secs star jumps

10 rest

20 secs crunch twists

10 secs rest

20 secs box jumps (without boxing stand shoulder width feet apart jump up knees up to chest land then stand back on feet DO NOT SPRING ONTO TOES AND "DOUBLE JUMP")

10 secs rest

repeat once more that will be 4 minutes of hell that will improve your fitness no end you can switch those with burpees push ups from knees etc i lost a good 15 kilos from circuit plan when it starts getting easier rest a minute then do another one

a good starter plan would be 1 circuit one week

week after 2 circuits with a minutes break

3rd week 3 circuits with two 1 minute breaks

4th week off

diet well do it like this no fancy plan if you can grow it or kill it yourself dont eat it, good things brown pasta chicken fish, lots of fruit and veg etc aim to eat about 1800 calories a day your body will process good clean foods easily calorie counting is pointless without eating right

drink lots of water and drink green tea both will increase your metabolism :)

have a cheat day once a week nothing mental but have some ice cream eat some crisps and congratulate yourself

push yourself man, its good to get a friend to do this with you though if you can also dont worry about not being able to go as fast as youy want it gets easier your work out more per 20 seconds, as long as your working as intensely hard as you can itll work for you.

Wow, that was very informative. Thanks a bunch :)

So one full circuit is...

20 secs star jumps

10 rest

20 secs crunch twists

10 secs rest

20 secs box jumps

10 secs rest

...Repeated twice?

Also, should I repeat the whole process over again after the fourth week is over? It sounds really intense, but also really interesting.

Oh, and unfortunately, I don't know anyone that can work out with me  :-\

I just thought about this, but is there a way to modify this so that it can help me bulk up as well? Like, maybe as a short finish after a workout?

one circuit would be 8 rounds of 20 secs with ten rest, its not something you could do straight after a jog tbh without a high fitness level. the only way it could help you bulk would be to add weights that you can use dynamically like a kettlebell or a belgian bag. to bulk you pretty much want to eat high protein foods and lift weights. cardio circuits like this are for fitness and weight loss, you can also buy some weights and/or go to the gym or buy free weights. it willl get you lean and strong if you add weights like kettlebells etc to it :)

as another side note, remember to start with a good stretch before AND AFTER the workouts... ... as a massage therapist.. i cannot stress this factor enough.... i have seen too often people go to gyms, or do workouts, and hurt later, .. but never stretched before, let alone after... that being said... i will be posting a short video of a stretching routine that will target all parts of the body... it ill help to alleviate pain, as well as increase nature body flexibility, as well as range of motion.... again, i dont have this video yet, but as i am a massage therapist, and work for a rehabilitation/fitness lifestyle center "gym" if you will... (we are more then just joe's gym, my personal feeling there)   and have been wanting to get a few core/overall body toning exercises for the members as some have asked about what exercises would be good for getting to and staying in a top fit for lightsaber dueling in general.. witch the thread can be found here as well as where i will be posting my stretch routine video in the coming week....  http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=8744.0 (http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=8744.0)    again, i am a licensed massage therapist by the state of Florida, with nation qualification to work in any state as long as a transfer my license over to that state....for legal purposes my LMT # is MA58168... this is also a way to assure you that i do know what i am talking about, lol, just wanted to clarify that.. feel free to look up my license. ^.^


P.S. .... i am in no way saying that this is how its done... this will simply my gift to the members of this community as a way to get a good stretch in the comfort of your own home.. it would even benefit you to do it in the mornings, before going to work, or starting your day, get the blood flowing so to speak.... on that note, i will end my reply.. lol will let you all know when i post the video

Oh, I see. Thanks for the explanation :) Weights have always been daunting for me. I plan on losing weight first, then bulking up, to be honest. One step at a time :D



That would be immensely helpful! I haven't been stretching before my workouts, though. I've been doing it after the workouts. Oops. Also, I do know a few stretches, but I only have a vague understanding of which areas the stretches target. So once again, that video would be very helpful :)

the fastest way to burn far is lifting weights unfortunately as its the most strenuous exercise but equally close is running and cardio if you go on stephen kestings website grapple arts a judo and bjj site he has a great fitness article for a walk run program :)

Really? Well, that's surprising.

its the most strenuous activity without a doubt lifting heavy i mean with deadlifts etc, i know a powerlifter who happily 2500 - 3000 calories on a workout day and he still loses weight (he is eating good clean food though) hes also using intermittent fasting diet that seems to work well for him :)

truth be told diet is about 80% of weight loss.
My diet has become this

5AM
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 slice wheat toast with a little peanut butter
1/2 grapefruit

9AM
Protein bar or shake

11AM
1/2 chicken breat or fish fillet
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 mixed veggies Steamed or raw


2PM
Other half of grapefruit
Protein bar or shake


5pm work out
usually here i'll do a preworkout drink
after I hot a post work out drink


7PM
a high protein meat, chicken , fish or beef
1 cup veggies steamed or raw.
1 cup of carbs I like sweet potatoes, brown rice, or whole wheat pasta

9pm protein shake before bed
930 Lights out
you xan modify as you need to just notice this theres no fast food no premade anyhting. NOthing Porcessed at all. Reason being I cant control how its prepared. Food prep is easy and you can often do it in 30 minutes or so.
Also this is what works for me, has worked for me when i was banging the iron six days a week.

my gym routine is this
Mon
chest , tri
Tue
back and biceps
Wend
Legs and abs
THur
Chest and tri
Frid
back and biceps. I do cardio each day also 30 minutes or so on a bike or treadmill,stair climber etc. I switch yp the order every 4 weeks so as to not plateau.

my only criticism of that workout schedule is the amount of protein supplements your using raven, pre workout and after workout is ok but i dont really think there is much benefit to the morning one and i personally have a before or an after workout drink rather than both, there is only so much protein that can be processed every 4 hours which is around 24.5 grams you dont wanna over do it as it'll slow your metabolism down.

but other than that thats a sound workout schedule with a good clean diet  :D must be in good shape

the after is more a recovery than pure protein. Also given the amount of weight Im trying lose i need it. from what i see I should be consuimng 1 gram to 1 1/2 grams of protein per pound of weight. as of now my protein intake is 250 grams. I will cut it as the weight comes off> I am working on dropping down to 215 220 range. I may try and go back to my high school playing weight or 185. but thats another goal for later.
the workout was my routine back when i was gettin after it. So it seemed a logical place to begin again.
I'll look at the protein intake again and get with the rainer about slowing my metabolic rate. that is counter productive bigtime.
thanks man.

no worries man, but yh one supplemental shake and one protein based meal is plenty of protein for one day imo its what i use im actually the target weight you want to be round about. dropped from 240 ish now i fluctuate between 200 and 215 pending on what category i want to compete in for jiu jitsu.

I have noillusions of competition. but I do wanna look decent when i take my gf to the Virgin Islands this summer.
Women do wierd stuff to men.

I would be very interested to see this!  I do a basic morning and evening workout, and definitely stretch before.  Never really stretched after though.  I'd love to see the proper stretches and reasons for them. 

I just oatmeal for breakfast every day. For lunch, I have either a nice, healthy sammich with fruits, or some not so healthy TV dinners, or ramen (but hey, I live with my parents and they don't want to do any extra work, nor do they want me to do any extra work for odd reasons). For dinner, it's pretty much always meats and vegetables, so no real issues there. Though I suppose the recipes could be healthier, but once again, I live with my parents, and I'm not going to go all nit-picky on them. For snacks in between meals, I just have a variety of nuts or fruits, such as bananas or apples. Oh, and the oatmeal is instant, but it's the "original flavor" Quaker Oats kind. I also slice up a banana and put it in there as well. I use 1% milk for that as well.

Am I in the clear or should I be doing something different?

I highly recommend stretching before and after any exercise.  My students do a warmup jog first, then stretching, then training.  At the end of practice they usually do a cool down stretch as well.


Doesn't sound half bad!  My only advice is to try cooking up a few things yourself.  I know I never cooked when I was younger, but now that I'm living on my own I've discovered that cooking is actually pretty easy (and even fun sometimes).

Also, in the realm of depression I HIGHLY recommend a vitamin D supplement, especially if you're talking about seasonal depression.  I've been using it this winter and it has helped me immensely.

i should have the short video by tonight .. worked this morning, took a nap, bout to head up there to get a little stretch on.. lmao.. as for your diet, it sounds pretty good. not bad or good.. over eating, and under eating are issues, as long as you aren't doing that your diet sounds good for now..  as for your parents not wanting you to do anything extra.. lol, it is really up to you, if you want the healthier foods, nothing is stopping you from going to the store and getting them yourself.. unless you don't have a job.. lol, then it would fall on you asking your folks for a side item... lol, witch i m not saying you have to.. lol  you want to make sure your calories are not over the amount you work off in a day... so if you do normal exercise and Example: burn 1500 calories in a day, you should not have more then that many calories in your daily diet...as well as cutting any excess fat off of any meats you eat...

i have done that for.. almost since i was 5, 27 now almost 28... i bite down into a piece of fatty gristle... and lost my appetite right there.. my folk were mad i didn't finish my meal.. but literally... it was like biting down on plastic rubber... very UN-natural...since then i have trimmed every piece of meet that has come in front of me... there is a good thing to this.... all the extra fat... might have the flavor of the meal in it... .. BUT ITS EXTRA FAT on top of what your body makes, that fatty gristle can add to the fat in your body.. not saying it never passes through the body, but some of it will get broken down, and put into the body as energy stores.... remember the human body burns fat and cholesterol  as one of its fuel sources.. its when we eat and don't do any kind of outdoor/indoor exercise to get the blood pumping and the bodies power factory to kick into gear...

also, drinking a glass of water in the morning with your meal, will help kick-start your metabolism...don't drink more then 5 glasses.. that 2 cups a glass.....of water a day, you can water log yourself, witch is no fun

water is the bodies natural means of helping the body move the toxins and waste product out of your system.. if you have less water, or more viscus.. (from sodas, sweet drinks) fluids in your system, your body cant move those toxins as well ... witch then sit in your system and can cause all kinds of things..

so.. in light...
the will and motivation  to get out there and do it.
proper diet (at least a little healthy, don't have to be a health nut but common sense)
at least a little exercise.. even if its just running around till you fall over...
and the stretches i will have later tonight

I'm discovering that.  I've always stretched before I exercise.  Usually just do a light walk or something to cool down, but I'll start stretching after too. 

@Nero. Is it fine to stretch before a jog as well? Also, I do enjoy cooking, but my mom has absolutely insane OCD and gets super paranoid when other people mess around in the kitchen  :-\ Oh, and I already do take a vitamin D supplement. Been doing that for about a year now.

@Genkaku Sho'Shyk. Well, I try my best not to over-eat or under-eat. I guess if my diet is okay than I'll just keep it the way it is. Also, I have no idea how many calories I burn after I work out.

Well, I drank 9 cups of water last night, but it was throughout the course of the day.

Also, is jogging in the morning then doing a workout afterwards enough for one day? I know you said a little exercise is fine, but I feel as if its not enough. It probably is though....

As far as the workouts go, I do abs one day (obliques, lower abs, upper abs, etc), then I do triceps, biceps, and chest the next day, and I'm planning on doing legs after that. I haven't been doing that, but I guess I should.

Still, once college starts up again, I'll only have enough time to jog in the morning, then I'll have to do the workouts later in the day. When would be a good time to do those?

Some swear by early AM workouts ( hand goes up) for the following reasons,
One you dont have to think too hard that early just do.
Two your body isnt tired from a full day or work school etc. A bunch of peeps use this excuse.
THree lack of traffic. be it in the gym or on the road.
and for me personally I got used to doing in when i was active duty so it just works.
Some o fthe benefits are When I do get to work im more alert/attentive. my coworkers are all bleary eyed. So i get an edge there.
The showers at the gym are cleaned as I work out so I feel better about using them than I would if I went during lunch or after work.

Good points :)

i would say this..
start with some stretches to loosen up,
 (im heading up to my work now to film them now as well as a few other exercises if i have the time^.^)
jog for 5 minutes.. straight... no stopping.. have a few sips of water.. dont chug it down that will hinder you..
rest for 30 sec.
then do some leg lunges, 5-6 steps in one direction, then turn and go the other direction.. do this 2 times. try to get as low on the back knee as you can without losing balance, both arms relaxed at your sides, and keep your head and back straight up.. dont lean forward as this can strain your back... also, dont force yourself farther then your body tells you it can go.. but try to get that LITTLE bit extra...

rest for 20 seconds and then do another exercise if you have the time.. but this little bit will help you get that cardio pumping.. and the leg lunges will help with your own center of balance... as well as strengthen your legs for more endurance and ease of movement for the forms in saber combat

 i will have some footage for you all tonight.. see in a few hours

If you have access to a local gym, I would suggest doing some cardio at it for about an hour or two every other day or on a small schedule at least.

Thanks again guys :)

ok, so the video i shot is all messed up.. not sure what happened.. i will have a video tomorrow.. i work again anyways lol

No problem :) Take your time.

Well, I can proudly say that I jogged every day this week, so far. That's something I've never been able to do before. Now I just need to keep it up.

Good job man, I'm glad to hear that you're doing this!

Thanks :) I'm glad too. I need this. Unfortunately, I over-ate last night, but mistakes happen I guess.

when its so good you eat yourself to a balloon... its just compliments to the chef

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Way to go!  Not so much the over eating, but the jogging!  Though, depending on who you listen to, over eating isn't nearly as bad as it's made out to be.

I over eat sushi once every now and the ... Its not good... But oh, was it SOOO GOOD! Lol

Thanks. Well, I personally don't like to over-eat... being bloated, plus feeling bloated, is never fun for me.



I love sushi so much. Had it for my last birthday dinner and I was so incredibly stuffed afterwards :D



That is always a great quote.

I once heard a good piece from Emeril Lagassee
"Never trust a skinny chef"

I think you read my post in your Spartn thread but I'm not a big guy, but here's my personal motivational quote that has helped me...

Im only  as small as I allow myself to be.

  That's why I started working out. I have been doing mostly pushups, curls and some squats, but I have already seen results. I drink a lot of milk too... I find that this is apropriate for me. Also I have been doing pushups while wearing chainmail for added weight... no joke!

Actually I just read it and came to this one.

I was 6'1" my senior year,172 lbs soaking wet. I had to run around in the shower to get wet.
Joined the Navy actually put on weight In bootcamp WOOHOO I hit 180!
Went overseas for 3 yrs. Came home , Effed off for six months. Oh crap no more money.
Went top work Offshore in the gulf of Mexico. Food was good.....VERY GOOD.
Got married 2 kids divorced and just really slid down hill from there. I actually , honestly looked at some of my FB pics.
I am nearly 250lbs. F*** THAT!
New years eave waas my last booze and feast day. That when I decide dto hit the gym again. I used to hit it hard, Six days a weeek every week without fail. GF wanna go somewhere SURE,,after i workout. I just got lazy and it sucks So bam there it is. I agreee the only thing holding me back is me. I too am My own worst enemy or my greatest asset. So I am wth you there as well.

Well said guys.

Hm...

Do you guys think walking is okay? After I jog one whole lap around the park, I become too tired to jog another lap, and it's just impossible no matter how hard I push, so I just walk the next couple of laps and go home. Is this fine? Also, I did have to stop half-way through the lap and catch my breath before finishing, but otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do it. I see the other men and women that are out there jogging as well, and seeing them jogging consistently lap after lap after lap makes me want to push myself to do the same, but I'm just not there yet I guess. Hopefully I will be soon. Still, I don't even know how many laps I should be doing. Any ideas?

Also, when is it a good time to work out during the day? Like I've said before, college is starting up again next week, and I'll only have enough time to jog in the morning. Even than, I'm pushing it, because I need to take a shower afterwards, then eat breakfast before I head out. I don't even know if it's possible for me to make it in time. But anyway, when will be a good time in the day to do the rest of my workouts? I'll be back home at about 2 in the afternoon each day, and on Thursdays I have Tai Chi classes starting at 5 PM.

Yeah it works but do it in increments, Run 1, Walk 1/2 run other half. You have to push yourself a lil bit every day.After a week Bump it to run 1 1/2 walk 1/2 see where i m going. One of things you do not want to is allow your body to get comfortable with what youre doing. In the gym we call it plataeu-ing. Still working out, but the noticable gains arent there. I change mine up every four weeks to avoid this.

Sounds good :) I was able to run up to a halfway point in the park one day, and the next day I ran a bit farther, etc. Still, it's slow going, and I think I would collapse if I tried to run too much. This morning, a guy that was walking his dog was right behind me when I tried to squeeze out one more lap, but I was too tired to keep going. He told me to take it easy and to try and increase my jogging distance in small increments each day. I think that was great advise, haha. It also reminds me of just how friendly people in my town are. They just love to help a person out. Well, the adults, anyway.