Our Physical Fitness

[Kramodlog]

General wisdom is bulk then cut, not the other way round. Using excess calories to gain muscle weight but not fat weight is next to impossible. The opposite is much easier.

Hard, but not impossible. ;-)

 

[EscherEnigma]

I boulder. Sure, I may not be able to bench that much, but I can throw my scrawny ass up a rock wall by my fingertips and tippy toes. Also a few body-weight exercises (pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, standing on my hands) every now and then, but I haven't been regular about it in months.

 

[Grehnhewe]

I run...a lot. About 30 miles a week with a couple a couple shorter runs combined with a fifteen mile run on the weekend. I have been running a lot of half marathons and have done 15 this year with four left before the end of the year. Other than that I work out at home 5-6 days a week just simple sit ups, pull ups, push ups and free weights. In doing I eat a ridiculous amount of food...good food! I am not that big into gyms but I see a trainer for running advice and home workouts.

Lastly, if the weather is even halfway decent, and I have the time...I walk instead of drive.

 

[JamesonCourage]

I have pretty severe asthma (compared to most people with asthma, at least), so getting aerobic exercises has been difficult my whole life. But, I was okay on weight for a long time. But the past 5-7 years, I went from about 170 pounds to over 225 pounds. So, I started a diet (exactly 5 months ago today), and as of this last Saturday I was at 164 pounds (I don't weigh myself again until tomorrow). So, pretty happy about that 61 pounds of weight loss, and 164 isn't a bad weight for being 5'11".

Basically, I kept my calories at about 850 a day over four meals and a snack each day. Not too hard for me to do, but I think it'd be too much for most people (they might fair better at 1,300-1,500 / day). I'm looking at burning the rest of my stomach fat, but I don't want to lose too much more weight, so I'm just now picking up trying a lot harder at the gym. My diet is also closer to about 1,600 calories / day, and I've cut carbs a lot, cut sugar out almost completely, and really increased my protein (about 150 grams / day).

I'm hoping that building some muscle will work while burning my stomach fat. Hitting things like weights are easy enough (in that my arms and legs are still sore), but things like jogging or running for a prolonged period of time are out, due to the asthma. I can definitely walk at a brisk pace on the treadmill, and can easily hit the "fat burning" zone without any problems, so I'm trying that for now.

Overall, I'm in much better shape than I was in 5 months ago, and it basically was all due to my diet. (Yes, I know that 850 calories sounds really low, but I did have four meals and a snack every day, and I had much more energy than I did before starting the diet.) I feel a lot better about my health now, and about my body, too. If gaining some muscle works (not bulking up, just getting some more muscle) and I can burn the rest of my visible fat (basically all stomach fat), I'll be a very happy dude.

 

[Robin Hoodlum]

Do you have any fitness/exercise/workout regimen?

Yes. I lift often... 16 ounces at a time.

How's it going?

Awesomely!

 

[Grehnhewe]

I have always felt that more twelve ounce reps yields the same result.

 

[Bullgrit]

I try to keep to 1200 calories per day

I kept my calories at about 850 a day over four meals and a snack each day.

My diet is also closer to about 1,600 calories / day

Wow! I don't know how you can survive on so few calories. Literally survive -- the basic/simplistic calculation for caloric need is your weight x10 plus around 20%.

How are you not miserable and starving? I'd be a wreck. I'm 5'11", 150#, and I need 2000 calories a day. Yes, I track every calorie, every day, for 3 years.


Bullgrit

 

[Morrus]

Wow! I don't know how you can survive on so few calories. Literally survive -- the basic/simplistic calculation for caloric need is your weight x10 plus around 20%.

How are you not miserable and starving? I'd be a wreck. I'm 5'11", 150#, and I need 2000 calories a day. Yes, I track every calorie, every day, for 3 years.

I can't speak for the others. 1200 is very easy, I find. It's quite a lot of food, as long as you're not eating chocolate cake and stuff. But I guess people are different.

 

[Kramodlog]

I can't speak for the others. 1200 is very easy, I find. It's quite a lot of food, as long as you're not eating chocolate cake and stuff. But I guess people are different.

How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

 

[Morrus]

How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

5'10" (I think), 165lbs. It's been my standard diet for years. I don't feel I'm missing anything.

The only thing that throws it off is if I'm going out - alcohol, or restaurant meals. But since I do it most of the time, I don't worry if situations like that pop up from time to time.