Fitness advice/suggestions

[Concrete Helmet]

. Once you get into a routine you'll probably look forward to it (I generally watch a show ONLY on the bike - so if I want to watch that particular show I have to get on the bike).

I love this kind of mind control game....My deal is if I want a beer or 2 that day before dinner then I have to do either 30-40 minutes of cardio or either a full upper or lower body workout. Same is true for "pig out" day during CFB season....no workout means no ribs, pizza, wings or whatever I have planned for the game feast...

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Alright since we have a little renewed interest in this thread and some new people wanting to get started or just restarting, I wanted to mention something that I never brought up since starting it nearly a year ago.....mental approach.

I'm not talking about the will power to resist having cheesecake before you go to bed or skipping the french fries with your turkey sandwich for lunch. We all fight that and how you choose to deal with it best I will leave up to you.

What I do strongly recommend is forming a vision for where you want your fitness journey to lead you. Crazy, right? Well, the picture I posted of reaching my goal weight by my last birthday is the same exact picture I visualized 8 months earlier when beginning my journey.....Call me crazy if you want, I don't care and I may come off sounding a little off my rocker but here goes.....I've never done ANYTHING meaningful in my adult life without first picturing where I would end up.

This goes for other areas of my life including first career, relationships, financial milestones, houses, cars and even my current life situation....all of it seen in my mind before it happened. Again, to some this might come off as crazy but I think if you believe in something enough to invest time and effort you really should have a destination to where you want it to lead you.

 

[TLB]

orming a vision for where you want your fitness journey to lead you

Not crazy at all. Necessary. Without a plan, you don't know if you're on/off track. Without an endpoint, you are just wandering aimlessly hoping you end up in the right place.

 

[BMF]

Alright since we have a little renewed interest in this thread and some new people wanting to get started or just restarting, I wanted to mention something that I never brought up since starting it nearly a year ago.....mental approach.

I'm not talking about the will power to resist having cheesecake before you go to bed or skipping the french fries with your turkey sandwich for lunch. We all fight that and how you choose to deal with it best I will leave up to you.

What I do strongly recommend is forming a vision for where you want your fitness journey to lead you. Crazy, right? Well, the picture I posted of reaching my goal weight by my last birthday is the same exact picture I visualized 8 months earlier when beginning my journey.....Call me crazy if you want, I don't care and I may come off sounding a little off my rocker but here goes.....I've never done ANYTHING meaningful in my adult life without first picturing where I would end up.

This goes for other areas of my life including first career, relationships, financial milestones, houses, cars and even my current life situation....all of it seen in my mind before it happened. Again, to some this might come off as crazy but I think if you believe in something enough to invest time and effort you really should have a destination to where you want it to lead you.

One of my running goals for about 3, 4 years was breaking 3 hours in the marathon - I failed 5 times going for it, then finally hit it. Pretty much every other distance, except the marathon, I felt that I had run a "perfect race" (i.e. I "didn't leave anything on the course" - gave it my all). The marathon is such a different beast.

I read a quote from a champion 5K runner turned marathoner - basically, "When you run a 5k you should be uncomfortable the entire race. When you run a marathon, you find your pace and you sit in it....for 26 miles!"

I'm sure had I gotten into distance running in my younger years it would have been easier - but I finally hit the sub-3 hour goal just after I turned 40 years old. Within 2 years I was pretty much done with distance racing - I had "lost my mojo". There was nothing left to do, no more goals. The funny thing is - I still never felt like I ran a "perfect" marathon, even when I broke 3 it wasn't "perfect". Best race I ever ran was the Gate River Run (in Jacksonville, the USA 15K Championship) - ran a 59:01, and had I known I was that close to breaking 59 minutes I probably would have found another gear, finished in the top 150 out of 15,000+ runners (including 25 professional men & 25 professional woman).

So yes - I agree, the mental approach to fitness goals are huge.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Best race I ever ran was the Gate River Run (in Jacksonville, the USA 15K Championship) - ran a 59:01, and had I known I was that close to breaking 59 minutes I probably would have found another gear

You’re looking at this all wrong. You should be congratulating yourself for comfortably finishing in under an hour!

 

[BMF]

You’re looking at this all wrong. You should be congratulating yourself for comfortably finishing in under an hour!

I ran 3 sub 60's in the Gate. Fun race, the bridge at the end sucks, but otherwise it's always a good time! And I was one of the first to the beer garden after each race!

 

[Gator By Marriage]

And I was one of the first to the beer garden after each race!

I think I can speak for everyone here when I say, I expected nothing less.

 

[Altitude Gator]

I don't pop in this forum very often - just saw this thread and skimmed through it. So to sum up, Crete was a fatty and he's not so much of a fatty anymore? Also, Coach is under 6' and 219lbs? So Coach is also a fatty? How many other fatty's do we have hanging around here?

 

[Altitude Gator]

I followed this with a little envy.

Jumped into a version of 75 Hard through a church group this Jan. 2. I have failed to stay with it due to various distractions and travels, but have gotten into a fitness routine. Actually finished a 6 week lifting program on the Body Fit app mid-Feb. The first time I have lifted that consistently since before I got married 30 years ago. Didn't lose but a few pounds, but lost a couple inches in the middle and can tell some good weight emerging. The selfies show progress.

Took the last couple weeks off (again, travel), but back at it this week. Trying to make it a habit...something I have never had...even when young. I just played sports and lifted in the off seasons as required, but never with much effort. I was quite skinny as a kid (graduated HS at 145).

I am 5' 9.5" (seemed to have lost a little height from my official military entry height of 5' 10.25"). I was, at one time up to 275. I lost 35 pounds 5 years ago and found about 10 of it. Last weighed 245 at the gym a couple weeks ago.

Goal is 200, but I have to commit to a better diet. I gave up sweets for the 75 Hard diet requirement, but it has to move to a more formal nutrition plan if I am going to lose effectively. That is what worked 5 years ago.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Took the last couple weeks off (again, travel),

Dude, throw some excerise bands in your suitcase....

 

[Gator By Marriage]

I followed this with a little envy.

Jumped into a version of 75 Hard through a church group this Jan. 2. I have failed to stay with it due to various distractions and travels, but have gotten into a fitness routine. Actually finished a 6 week lifting program on the Body Fit app mid-Feb. The first time I have lifted that consistently since before I got married 30 years ago. Didn't lose but a few pounds, but lost a couple inches in the middle and can tell some good weight emerging. The selfies show progress.

Took the last couple weeks off (again, travel), but back at it this week. Trying to make it a habit...something I have never had...even when young. I just played sports and lifted in the off seasons as required, but never with much effort. I was quite skinny as a kid (graduated HS at 145).

I am 5' 9.5" (seemed to have lost a little height from my official military entry height of 5' 10.25"). I was, at one time up to 275. I lost 35 pounds 5 years ago and found about 10 of it. Last weighed 245 at the gym a couple weeks ago.

Goal is 200, but I have to commit to a better diet. I gave up sweets for the 75 Hard diet requirement, but it has to move to a more formal nutrition plan if I am going to lose effectively. That is what worked 5 years ago.

If the goal is to keep those 45 pounds off and not just lose them temporarily, then your method of losing is slowly is the way to go. I’ve had to cut back on carbs and that’s even more effective than giving up sweets. The hardest thing for many is exercising, but that doesn’t sound like your issue. I imagine if you keep working out, keep off the sweets and carbs and eat smart you’ll meet your goal.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

One of my running goals for about 3, 4 years was breaking 3 hours in the marathon - I failed 5 times going for it, then finally hit it. Pretty much every other distance, except the marathon, I felt that I had run a "perfect race" (i.e. I "didn't leave anything on the course" - gave it my all). The marathon is such a different beast.

I read a quote from a champion 5K runner turned marathoner - basically, "When you run a 5k you should be uncomfortable the entire race. When you run a marathon, you find your pace and you sit in it....for 26 miles!"

I'm sure had I gotten into distance running in my younger years it would have been easier - but I finally hit the sub-3 hour goal just after I turned 40 years old. Within 2 years I was pretty much done with distance racing - I had "lost my mojo". There was nothing left to do, no more goals. The funny thing is - I still never felt like I ran a "perfect" marathon, even when I broke 3 it wasn't "perfect". Best race I ever ran was the Gate River Run (in Jacksonville, the USA 15K Championship) - ran a 59:01, and had I known I was that close to breaking 59 minutes I probably would have found another gear, finished in the top 150 out of 15,000+ runners (including 25 professional men & 25 professional woman).

So yes - I agree, the mental approach to fitness goals are huge.

Did you ever trying seeing in your minds eye that time as you were crossing the finish line? In my case I weighted myself first thing in the morning after taking my shirt off and getting out of bed(you weigh less after a goods nights seep) and the digital numbers reading 220...


Like I said it may sound whacker doodle to some but ANYTHING meaningful in my life over the last 30 years or so has been "seen" before it was done. Even certain smaller goals like getting through my workday when I used to sell or run route sales jobs being done by a certain time and reaching certain numbers....I put the number in my mind ahead of time
whether it was on the clock to get home in time to workout or meet a sales goal.

I do this on almost a daily basis even if it is something as simple as seeing numbers of calories burned during a specific time frame doing cardio or like the other day reaching a PR on the standing military press.

I should mention this to anyone reading this to practice this in a realistic manner......something I learned many years ago when visualizing breaking boards with my fist.... I broke the the board but also have a somewhat disfigured right hand by doing so...

 

[soflagator]

something I learned many years ago when visualizing breaking boards with my fist.... I broke the the board but also have a somewhat disfigured right hand by doing so...

 

[CDGator]