am I hippie or a bodybuilder: HEALTH + FITNESS

[G.C.R]

Good on you , Clare! It feels so good.

[Good Intentions]

Say hello to PROPOSITIONAL and CONTENT

That's certainly something substantial.

(I'm a few days late to the party, but I wasn't going to let that pass)

[milly balgeary]

Today I went to yoga and the instructor was like, "So instead of doing a hatha sequence we're gonna do 48 sun saluations, ok?" 

I live to tell the tale.

Is that them things where you go to downward dog and shit? Then all the way down so your toes are on the floor and all? That's pure darkness.

[peacocks]

Pure awesome more like it. I did like 30 moon salutations the other day for the new moon it was tight.

[milly balgeary]

You're bonkers!

[milly balgeary]

I was buying whey protein at the GNC and they gave me a free sample of c4

http://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Extreme-Explosive-Workouts-Servings/dp/B004RG76NC/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1327760893&sr=1-2

Man, that stuff is pretty awesome. I took some this morning. No jitters.

[Em]

You're bonkers!

She's not bonkers, but I am FEELIN' IT this morning! They were salutations with the back knee dropped into a deep lunge on each side and a mini-back bend at the top and damn! It was good though because it teaches you what you're doing wrong--for example, I hold tension in my neck in down dog, always, even though I know I'm not supposed to, and after about 20 of 'em I sort of figured out that I really needed to not because ow. Hopefully that'll stick.

[peacocks]

I do the same thing because I'm not confident in my arm strength. I had fixed that but need to work at it again. My mid/lower back are the hot spots for me in yoga now, where before it was always my hips. I had a little pity party about it because having back pain made me feel old and broken but I'll get over it.

[JamesSchneider]

Y'all have convinced me that I need to stop practicing yoga alone in my living room and get to a class. I'm sure I'm making mistakes all over the place.


I resolved the bummer of not being able to run outdoors in the Michigan winter by installing a heavy bag in my basement and doing at least a half hour on it every day. I have a training app on my phone that calls out combos, kicks, and footwork. By combining that with a steady low weight high rep weekly cycle, I'm finally building the body that I want.

[Bernard]

Isn't yoga one of those where you need to have good form to prevent injury? I mean, I'm sure it's true of everything, but especially so with yoga?

[JamesSchneider]

Yeah, I just roll dangerous. I only ever do what feels comfortable, and use it more as a stretch out and wind down around a kickboxing session.

[Em]

A home practice is a good good thing, but a class or two to line you up and give you an idea of a proper sequence probably wouldn't hurt! And you'd have a good time.

[coldforge]

I hate exercising! All forms! I keep doing it and will keep doing it, but I will never enjoy it.

[Em]

I have always been an adrenalin junkie, so I liked being an athlete when I was one, but my yoga practice is much more devotional than athletic. I don't think of it as going off to exercise. I'm always motivated.

[JamesSchneider]

I hate exercising! All forms! I keep doing it and will keep doing it, but I will never enjoy it.

Have you tried boxing? Working a heavy bag is like other exercise, but you get to PUNCH SOMETHING.

[ellaguru]

Y'all have convinced me that I need to stop practicing yoga alone in my living room and get to a class. I'm sure I'm making mistakes all over the place.

Yeah, I recommend the going to class thing. It's worthwhile having the posture right. Also, yoga chicks. You can't get them at home. Or at least they never come over to my house.

[cold before sunrise]

I was buying whey protein at the GNC and they gave me a free sample of c4

http://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Extreme-Explosive-Workouts-Servings/dp/B004RG76NC/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1327760893&sr=1-2

Man, that stuff is pretty awesome. I took some this morning. No jitters.

this came highly recommended: http://www.iherb.com/Vega-Sequel-Naturals-Complete-Whole-Food-Health-Optimizer-Vanilla-Chai-Flavor-34-9-oz-988-g/9138?at=0 - shaken into almond milk. more hippy than body builder, you'll still probably insist on a creatine product, but it's real good stuff.

[milly balgeary]

I was buying whey protein at the GNC and they gave me a free sample of c4

http://www.amazon.com/Cellucor-Extreme-Explosive-Workouts-Servings/dp/B004RG76NC/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1327760893&sr=1-2

Man, that stuff is pretty awesome. I took some this morning. No jitters.

this came highly recommended: http://www.iherb.com/Vega-Sequel-Naturals-Complete-Whole-Food-Health-Optimizer-Vanilla-Chai-Flavor-34-9-oz-988-g/9138?at=0 - shaken into almond milk. more hippy than body builder, you'll still probably insist on a creatine product, but it's real good stuff.

That's not really a product that rivals a preworkout or creatine type supplement. That's more of a multivitamin drink and is probably really great for you.

C4 is a preworkout stimulant. It does contain a tiny amount of creatine. I don't take creatine, otherwise, never have. But I hear it actually works, for bodybuilders!

[Little Sixes Little Nines]

i've decided i really need to start trying to gain muscle weight - i managed to gain 5kgs during army training (putting me at 62, which my GP keeps telling me is dangerously low for my height (5'11") ) but then lost it all and more during the 10 day field exercise. I'm now sitting back at my usual 57, but am hoping eating better and my new gym membership will help bring me up to my ideal 70 before the year's out. a few friends have recommended things like whey protein, so i'll have to check it out. any other tips?

[Greg Nog]

Diet-wise: whey protein right after you exercise is good, as it's absorbed quickly.  I usually mix two scoops of whey protein with one scoop of casein (which takes longer for your body to break down).  Creatine, which milly mentioned earlier, is also a helpful supplement for muscle-building.  It builds in your system over time, and I've always seen recommendations that one should use it in on/off cycles, so I usually take a small scoop each day for two weeks, then cut it out for a week.

Overall, the standard weightlifter recommendation for protein is one gram per pound of bodyweight per day. So each day, you should be aiming to consume 150 grams of protein.  Which is lot.  Like, annoyingly so. Besides whey powder, eggs and milk are your cheapest bets.  And yogurt, which I believe is magic incarnate.  (I know folks who break down exactly what percentage of their calories come from protein, fat, and carbs, but I generally just stay away from too many refined starches and sugars, try to eat lots of protein and raw vegetables, and assume my gluttony for fried things and beer are giving me more than enough in the fat/carb areas.)  If you are consuming that much protein, you want to make sure you're getting enough Omega-3s to balance out the Omega-6 fatty acids you're consuming, so I take a caplet of fish oil and several tablespoons of ground flaxseeds per day.  Above all, drink lots of water, get lots of sleep.

Exercise-wise: for building muscle mass, low-rep high-intensity stuff is going to give the fastest results.  So something like Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5.  They have the benefits of being very simple and using compound movements that require lots of body parts at once, increasing core stability at the same time that you're building your largest muscles (legs, back, chest).  If you have a gym membership, you might look into getting either a knowledgeable friend or a personal trainer to make sure you're doing the exercises with good form, as you can injure yourself pretty badly if you're doing the exercises incorrectly.

Worth noting: I actually don't do those programs, as I find them kind of boring, and don't have a membership to a gym where I could do deadlifts and squats, and I really like running, and I like yoga, and basically there's lots of people who are evangelical about powerlifting as a simple route to good health, but I really liked p90x much more, because of the variety and the overall feeling of balanced capabilities.  Also, the higher-rep nature of p90x is slightly more idiot-proof in terms of not injuring oneself.

[milly balgeary]

Diet-wise: whey protein right after you exercise is good, as it's absorbed quickly.  I usually mix two scoops of whey protein with one scoop of casein (which takes longer for your body to break down).  Creatine, which milly mentioned earlier, is also a helpful supplement for muscle-building.  It builds in your system over time, and I've always seen recommendations that one should use it in on/off cycles, so I usually take a small scoop each day for two weeks, then cut it out for a week.

Overall, the standard weightlifter recommendation for protein is one gram per pound of bodyweight per day. So each day, you should be aiming to consume 150 grams of protein.  Which is lot.  Like, annoyingly so. Besides whey powder, eggs and milk are your cheapest bets.  And yogurt, which I believe is magic incarnate.  (I know folks who break down exactly what percentage of their calories come from protein, fat, and carbs, but I generally just stay away from too many refined starches and sugars, try to eat lots of protein and raw vegetables, and assume my gluttony for fried things and beer are giving me more than enough in the fat/carb areas.)  If you are consuming that much protein, you want to make sure you're getting enough Omega-3s to balance out the Omega-6 fatty acids you're consuming, so I take a caplet of fish oil and several tablespoons of ground flaxseeds per day.  Above all, drink lots of water, get lots of sleep.

Exercise-wise: for building muscle mass, low-rep high-intensity stuff is going to give the fastest results.  So something like Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5.  They have the benefits of being very simple and using compound movements that require lots of body parts at once, increasing core stability at the same time that you're building your largest muscles (legs, back, chest).  If you have a gym membership, you might look into getting either a knowledgeable friend or a personal trainer to make sure you're doing the exercises with good form, as you can injure yourself pretty badly if you're doing the exercises incorrectly.

Worth noting: I actually don't do those programs, as I find them kind of boring, and don't have a membership to a gym where I could do deadlifts and squats, and I really like running, and I like yoga, and basically there's lots of people who are evangelical about powerlifting as a simple route to good health, but I really liked p90x much more, because of the variety and the overall feeling of balanced capabilities.  Also, the higher-rep nature of p90x is slightly more idiot-proof in terms of not injuring oneself.

what brand protein do you take? i've been tracking my micronutrients. Trying out a 2k diet: 250 protein cals, 150 carbs, and 50 fat cals. It's fine except for the massive, disgusting amounts of protein. for a while I was up to 300+ protein and I was hurtin. I don't want to ever eat ham again.

[Greg Nog]

This one for the whey protein, this one for the casein.

[Little Sixes Little Nines]

wow that is a whole lot cheaper than whey protein here.

[dumbfish]

Ran in the Krispy Kreme Challenge here over the weekend. Five miles with a dozen donuts at the halfway point. The idea is to finish in under an hour and not hurl.
Pretty psyched to say I succeeded on both counts. Somehow ran faster in the second half.

[Thermofusion]

Awesome! Were there any visibly ill people? I've wondered how hard it would be: on the one hand, it's a dozen Krispy Kremes (love the things but I usually can't eat more three at a time), on the other hand it's not a very long run.