Thread: How out of shape are you?

I was in pretty rough shape earlier this year. I was a typical 30-something that had a lot better things to do than to work out for a long time.
I made three simple changes, I started riding my bike to work (about 10k each way), I started drinking water instead of soda and I started eating fiber cereal for breakfast. The weight is off, I feel great, and I think I look a lot healthier.

Originally Posted by Aces

Wow thats smaller then my last Girl friend she was 4 foot 11 lol

spinner*

Originally Posted by Rage!

keep working hard aces, you'll rebound

soy, i don't understand why you weigh so much, seems like you don't do any sport that requires you to weigh so much Unless you are bodybuilding, i'd think you'd be so much more faster/efficient if you dropped about 25 lbs of muscle because it seems to be weighing you down.

i am at 5'9 175 ~8-10% BF. I play soccer, football and have gotten started boxing twice a week. i weight lift 3 times a week. Dead: 455, Squat 425, Bench 275, Clean 225, Shrug 500.

my cardio is absolute shit, i am on the floor like a bitch after 4 2 min rounds of bag work/sparring. i can run a mile in 8.5 mins, but i am gassed after. i'd consider myself more of a sprinter (4.66 40 yd). probably could be better with the right training.

My routine is currently:
Monday: Karate drills, long run
Tuesday: Karate drills, weights, maintenance swim
Wednesday: Karate Drills, swim workout -> (stationary) bike -> interval run (on a treadmill): I call this my "mini tri" I also brick train
Thursday: Karate drills, Weights, Maintenance swim
Friday: Karate drills, Swim workout, mountain bike
Saturday: Karate drills, Long bike ride
Sunday: EAT.

It is mainly from the weight lifting that I weigh so much. The thing is I look the same as I did when I was 195 or so. My weight routine is unique in that it incorporates drills taken from physical therapy, pilates and other isometric and/or low resistance exercises...but I added a lot of weight instead. So I do reverse situps in the roman chair while clutching a 45 pound disc over my head. So I have really developed not only my major muscles, but my stabilizing muscles as well. Those little guys around the knees and in the core, etc.

I also do a periodized system.

Summer:
Endurance lifting (low weight high reps (3x20 per activity), lot's of "dynamic" lifting exercises)
Speed work for cardio (shorter distances focusing on faster times)
Usually culminating in my yearly Marathon/Triathlon/Relay(s)

Fall:
Transition from endurance to strength (increase weight, reduce reps (3x10 per activity), effectively putting me in a hypertrophy phase where I build a base to strengthen over the winter)
Transition to long distance and endurance cardio (increase distances, lose focus on time and do cardio drills to train heart muscle)

Winter:
Strength lift (low reps, high weight (3x5 per activity) mostly focusing on major muscles because stabilizing muscles do not respond as well to this sort of training..so the dynamic lifts go out the window here to focus on more traditional lifts)
Long distance and endurance cardio (minimum run distance is 6 miles, maximum is 21, swim at least 50 laps, bike at least 50 miles)

Spring rolls around and I transition to speed training again for the racing season.

But I do Karate (and other core training) throughout the year.

Where I put on the weight is all the stabilizing muscle growth (I weigh more than many guys who look bigger than I do) and just doing the strength/hypertrophy for two thirds of the year.

If I dropped the weight I would perform better in my cardio sports for sure...but I am OK with my 4.5 minute 1 mile at age 33

Plus it is nice to look over at some 120 pounder on the marathon, nod, smile and then sprint out of his sight.

It's vain I s'pose...

Originally Posted by Gumby

I was in pretty rough shape earlier this year. I was a typical 30-something that had a lot better things to do than to work out for a long time.
I made three simple changes, I started riding my bike to work (about 10k each way), I started drinking water instead of soda and I started eating fiber cereal for breakfast. The weight is off, I feel great, and I think I look a lot healthier.

There is huge wisdom in this. Most people do not want to do the crazy shit I do; but those simple changes Gumby suggests will greatly increase your health. Especially the soda thing.

I love soda, and it seems quenching when you are hot. But imagine how it would feel to pour it on yourself in the hot weather; now imagine how your guts feel when you pour that delicious crap on them.

Originally Posted by SoySoldier

Originally Posted by Gumby

I was in pretty rough shape earlier this year. I was a typical 30-something that had a lot better things to do than to work out for a long time.
I made three simple changes, I started riding my bike to work (about 10k each way), I started drinking water instead of soda and I started eating fiber cereal for breakfast. The weight is off, I feel great, and I think I look a lot healthier.

There is huge wisdom in this. Most people do not want to do the crazy shit I do; but those simple changes Gumby suggests will greatly increase your health. Especially the soda thing.

I love soda, and it seems quenching when you are hot. But imagine how it would feel to pour it on yourself in the hot weather; now imagine how your guts feel when you pour that delicious crap on them.

lol soda has never seemed quenching to me

Its water for when outside and if I am eating a meal I drink crystal light.

Originally Posted by Rage!

helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll nooooooooooooooooo

i refuse to do that much cardio. my body adapts very quickly. 2 more weeks of boxing and i'll be good, i won't be this gassed. plus i don't have an issue running on the soccer/football field, i don't need to do cardio, i could do cardio.

Running is cardio sucka.

What you are doing is the LIIT so as long as you dont go HIIT you can stop crying.