Weight-Lifting Thread (General Fitness Thread)

[Halsey]

Some good advice I've been using for getting weight off.

-Make sure you're getting enough good quality sleep
-Reduce sugar in your diet as much as possible. Especially refined sugars.
-Stop drinking sugar filled beverages(soda, juice, energy drinks, sports drinks, etc.)
-Replace sweetened drinks with water, unsweetened coffee/tea, lightly sweetened drinks such as tea with a little honey or water with a little apple juice mixed in.
-Eat more vegetables
-Eat more natural meats. such as organically raised grass fed beef
-Eat less grains, especially processed grains.

I've been stuck at my current weight for a few weeks now, but I've lost a lot of weight this year with help from those strategies.

[josh07039]

Im not the most serious person about working out, but i do bjj pretty around 2 times a week as well as go to the gym . My biggest issue is recovery, especially after bjj. My body always feels so beat up after a hard class that it is difficult to get anything done the next day. I've tried stretching more, drinking more fluids, contrast showers, etc but I can't seem to help my recovery at all. Any suggestions from anyone?

[Ravens1991]

try to foam roll that thnig is magic

[Verloren]

Originally Posted by josh07039

Im not the most serious person about working out, but i do bjj pretty around 2 times a week as well as go to the gym . My biggest issue is recovery, especially after bjj. My body always feels so beat up after a hard class that it is difficult to get anything done the next day. I've tried stretching more, drinking more fluids, contrast showers, etc but I can't seem to help my recovery at all. Any suggestions from anyone?

Tried active cooldown before stretching? Or maybe an intra-workout drink?

If you're going into foam rolling, I'd also say get a tennis ball for upper body trigger points/soreness. There's a ton of stuff online for that.

Get something like a The GRID for foam rolling on the large muscles (quad, ham, gluteus, lats). It's a good investment. I've been foam rolling for so long that the ones you can get in sporting goods stores don't work as well as when I started out. There's also the issue of them getting deformed and having to get another one.

[Rob S]

Foam rolling, as mentioned, is great. The thing everyone has overlooked though.....eat and sleep more.....honestly, those are the most important things for recovery and it's not even close.

[Halsey]

Originally Posted by Rob S

Foam rolling, as mentioned, is great. The thing everyone has overlooked though.....eat and sleep more.....honestly, those are the most important things for recovery and it's not even close.

Agreed. It may seem elementary, but getting plenty of quality sleep and quality nutrition can't be overemphasized. Many people are deficient in those areas, without realizing it.

[josh07039]

In terms of foods, drinks that are good for recovery,I assume just normal protein type stuff like nuts, meats, etc? I know a well balanced diet is obviously the thing im shooting for in general, but is there anything else I should look at as a food i should be eating more of to rebuild my body? Please no powders or supplements, I cant deal with it.

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by josh07039

In terms of foods, drinks that are good for recovery,I assume just normal protein type stuff like nuts, meats, etc? I know a well balanced diet is obviously the thing im shooting for in general, but is there anything else I should look at as a food i should be eating more of to rebuild my body? Please no powders or supplements, I cant deal with it.

If you won't do protein shakes/BCAAs then just shoot for a diet with at least 1g of protein per lb of lean body weight. That and make sure to eat some carbs post work out.

[Halsey]

Originally Posted by josh07039

In terms of foods, drinks that are good for recovery,I assume just normal protein type stuff like nuts, meats, etc? I know a well balanced diet is obviously the thing im shooting for in general, but is there anything else I should look at as a food i should be eating more of to rebuild my body? Please no powders or supplements, I cant deal with it.

Nutrient rich vegetables like broccoli, kale, spinach and carrots contain lots of vitamins and minerals your body needs for recovery.

Grass fed, all natural beef is full of protein and packs more nutrients that the typical bargain beef you'll find at an average grocery store.

Coconut water is a great alternative to processed sugar filled, artificial sports drinks.

Nuts are best in modest servings. Raw nuts are more nutrient dense than cooked nuts. A handful of nuts seems to be the most one should eat at a time

[Verloren]

Originally Posted by josh07039

In terms of foods, drinks that are good for recovery,I assume just normal protein type stuff like nuts, meats, etc? I know a well balanced diet is obviously the thing im shooting for in general, but is there anything else I should look at as a food i should be eating more of to rebuild my body? Please no powders or supplements, I cant deal with it.

Other than what's already been said, chocolate milk post exercise + pre-bed is good.

And please, please, please don't get coconut juice mixed up with coconut milk. I got into a lot of arguments over that, along with what a coconut actually looks like.

[jayceheathman]

Originally Posted by josh07039

Im not the most serious person about working out, but i do bjj pretty around 2 times a week as well as go to the gym . My biggest issue is recovery, especially after bjj. My body always feels so beat up after a hard class that it is difficult to get anything done the next day. I've tried stretching more, drinking more fluids, contrast showers, etc but I can't seem to help my recovery at all. Any suggestions from anyone?

How long have you done it for? I usually give myself that cool down day to not work out and let my body rest. Then the more you keep it up the more your body gets used to it. At least that happens for me.

[jayceheathman]

Originally Posted by descendency

I know all about this, lol.

I jog 5 days a week, roughly 8 miles a day. I gained 3 pounds this week (and am a good 20 over weight).

I really need to figure this out, because it's getting frustrating (I've lost 25 pounds in 7 months, but I need to lose another 20 or so to be at a normal healthy weight)

On a positive note, my legs are slowly edging closer to when I ran cross country in high school.

Try swimming. It really is the hardest workout/sport I have ever tried. Find a pool that is 50 yards and swim as long as you can at the fastest pace you can do. Try some freestyle with your fists closed as well as one arm freestyle. That is where you only swim with one arm for three strokes, take a breath, and then switch and do it all over with the other arm. Once you get better then throw in a flipturn. I think swimming is about as underrated as it gets.

[josh07039]

Originally Posted by jayceheathman

How long have you done it for? I usually give myself that cool down day to not work out and let my body rest. Then the more you keep it up the more your body gets used to it. At least that happens for me.

In the past when I have just done normal exercise that has been the case, but BJJ is just hard on my body to a crazy extent. I never do bjj 2 days in a row, but sometimes I would like to not be dead the next dead to get some lifting in. I have lost way too much weight this year. I am currently 6'2 175 after being 215 maybe 10 months ago. 215 was too much, but I can't be this skinny and weak.



To everyone else who offered help, I have done chocolate milk, but definitelynot enough in the past. Now im going to be more aware of the quantity to go along with my new and improved protein laden diet. Also, using tennis balls to loosen up my muscles and back worked pretty well, I may try that foam roller stuff too. Thanks.

[diabsoule]

I'm 6'0", 295 and have been exercising for almost two weeks now. Been doing over an hour of cardio a day (mix of walking/jogging) and have been incorporating weights every other day. Haven't been too strict on my diet but am eating a lot more fish, less beef, and am eating more greens, fruits, and drinking a ton of water. Also have cut out sodas and significantly cut back on my beer consumption.

[Ron]

Originally Posted by diabsoule

I'm 6'0", 295 and have been exercising for almost two weeks now. Been doing over an hour of cardio a day (mix of walking/jogging) and have been incorporating weights every other day. Haven't been too strict on my diet but am eating a lot more fish, less beef, and am eating more greens, fruits, and drinking a ton of water. Also have cut out sodas and significantly cut back on my beer consumption.

Dude, that's a really ******* unhealthy weight. You should pick up the pace on your diet as well as your cardio.

[Ness]

Any suggestions for counting grams in accordance to body weight? I've never done this before and I was curious if anyone here has. My diet consists of trying to eat 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per day for every pound I weigh and 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight per day (mostly starchy complex carbs and fibrous carbs). This will be spread out over the course of 5-6 meals per day. And I weigh about 200 pounds.

But I'm not sure how to measure exactly. Especially for mixed sets of food. Or at least get close. If I make a pot of pasta with mushrooms, meatballs, potatoes, and peppers in there...how much pasta should I consume for one meal?

[themaninblack]

Originally Posted by josh07039

In terms of foods, drinks that are good for recovery,I assume just normal protein type stuff like nuts, meats, etc? I know a well balanced diet is obviously the thing im shooting for in general, but is there anything else I should look at as a food i should be eating more of to rebuild my body? Please no powders or supplements, I cant deal with it.

Do what some BJJers do and light up a hefty lefty post workout.

[Ness]

Originally Posted by diabsoule

I'm 6'0", 295 and have been exercising for almost two weeks now. Been doing over an hour of cardio a day (mix of walking/jogging) and have been incorporating weights every other day. Haven't been too strict on my diet but am eating a lot more fish, less beef, and am eating more greens, fruits, and drinking a ton of water. Also have cut out sodas and significantly cut back on my beer consumption.

I dare you to go all out and just cut fast food (don't know if you eat any to begin with), cut beer, no desserts other than fruit, and cut processed foods in general for three months. Only drink water too. See what happens. :)


Oh and if you find yourself having to eat out just go to subway or something and get something healthy.

[brat316]

Originally Posted by Ness

Any suggestions for counting grams in accordance to body weight? I've never done this before and I was curious if anyone here has. My diet consists of trying to eat 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per day for every pound I weigh and 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight per day (mostly starchy complex carbs and fibrous carbs). This will be spread out over the course of 5-6 meals per day. And I weigh about 200 pounds.

But I'm not sure how to measure exactly. Especially for mixed sets of food. Or at least get close. If I make a pot of pasta with mushrooms, meatballs, potatoes, and peppers in there...how much pasta should I consume for one meal?

food scale

[diabsoule]

Originally Posted by Ness

I dare you to go all out and just cut fast food (don't know if you eat any to begin with), cut beer, no desserts other than fruit, and cut processed foods in general for three months. Only drink water too. See what happens. :)


Oh and if you find yourself having to eat out just go to subway or something and get something healthy.

That's what I've done. I haven't eaten any fast food (didn't really eat much to begin with) but when I do want something fairly cheap and don't want to cook I go to Subway. The only things I've been drinking are water, milk, tea, coffee, and low sugar fruit juice (mostly diet grapefruit juice).

I've dieted and exercised in the past but have lost motivation to keep going after a while. This time, though, this time it's different. I'm about to get married, turning 30 at the end of the year, and will be planning on starting a family once my fiance graduates from school in a year and a half. I want to be healthy and fit now.

[Ness]

Mushy egg whites FTL. Weird, my last batch cooked fine when I scrambled them. Now these are all gross and mushy when cooked in that manner. Maybe because they aren't fully thawed yet. My pan is pretty old and awful. I do need a new one. Not sure if that would help though.

[Rob S]

Why were you freezing eggs? Better question, why are you eating egg whites?

In other news, I just beasted out a 30 minute round on the jump rope. Did you ever get started, brent?

[jrdrylie]

Anybody have a decent dumbbell workout routine? I'm not trying to gain a ton of muscle mass so it doesn't need to be really intense. I'm just trying to lose about 15 pounds, currently 5'8" 173, and I want to add some weight training to my cardio.

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by jrdrylie

Anybody have a decent dumbbell workout routine? I'm not trying to gain a ton of muscle mass so it doesn't need to be really intense. I'm just trying to lose about 15 pounds, currently 5'8" 173, and I want to add some weight training to my cardio.

Heavy bench, incline bench, OHP are always staples. Lunges are good. I'd recommend just going to barbell route if you can though.

[Ness]

Originally Posted by Rob S

Why were you freezing eggs? Better question, why are you eating egg whites?

In other news, I just beasted out a 30 minute round on the jump rope. Did you ever get started, brent?

They're liquid egg whites. I ordered them and they come already frozen so they don't go bad. They were partially thawed out when I received them.

I eat liquid egg whites as a part of my protein diet.