CITR Gym Thread

[itr5093]

Post any interesting or helpful information in regards to gym/training/diets/foods etc and let's all motivate everyone to get fit and active!!

[felixR]

I've been doing chin ups, pull ups and push ups lately instead of using machines at the gym. It has really helped with my lower back issues and it doesn't hurt anymore. Awesome!

Also, gym lighting ftw.

[c_two]

call me semi-gym junky! LOL
do intermittent fasting if you wanna lose fat. effective!!

[SPL_K]

Felix, which gym do you go to? As if not come to Fitness First! lol

[plAythiNG]

I have started back into gym after a 4 year neglect.. hint hint i bought mt dc5 4 years ago...

[plAythiNG]

Dont fall into the hype of buying supplemnets n all that bullshit. All u need is a multivitamin and whey protein (wpi) after gym. Change ur diet. And aim for decent amount of weight liftting ie compound exercises and some cardio. Personally i woyldnt bother with any other exercise except:

Chest

Incline and flat dumbell press and flys

Back:

Stiff legged deadlifts
T bar rows
Lat pulldown
Seated row (or if u can, single handed dumbell bent over row)

Shoulders:

Dumbell shoukder press + supersetted with front and side delt raises

Legs:

Leg extension
Leg curls
Squat

Do ab exercises every day in addition to cardio and a healthier diet.

[cartoon]

Im stuck between 2 worlds at the moment.

I use to do weights and boxing and loved it but started up krav maga again and missed it soooo much. Problem is I can afford to do krav and gym

[plAythiNG]

call me semi-gym junky! LOL
do intermittent fasting if you wanna lose fat. effective!!

Its not really a long term change though. Yes it has its benefits in short term, rapid weight loss but im sure all us losig weight guys are ultimateky looking for a long term change. Well i mean it isnt along term thing as i woykdnt be doing it fir rest of my life

[felixR]

Felix, which gym do you go to? As if not come to Fitness First! lol

To a free one! Haha

I haven't been to that gym lately though as I've just been using those fitness bars thing at parks instead.

[isaac]

Yay Gym section!!!

Driving fast activates your core!!!

[itr5093]

Someone define intermittent fasting, and give an example? no0b to it
My current diet consists of protein, moderate carbs, LOTS of water, wpi, fish oils, and salad. Aim is to loose 15-20kg over 6months. in 2011 i went from 93kg -->79kg

[plAythiNG]

what about fats? i want to introduce more good fats into my body, starting by half an avocado per day!

[SPL_K]

There are several approaches to intermittent fasting (IF). The most popular one is where you don't eat for a certain amount of period per day. E.g. No eating for 18 hours per day and consuming all your calories in the 6 hours. There are other variations out there will people will fast for 2 days completely and eat normally the rest.

I would probably count your calories and macros before trying IF. If you're not currently at a caloric deficit, you wont be losing weight period. You should also be counting your macros.
A good tool is http://www.myfitnesspal.com. They have a food diary which you enter your current weight, desired calorie intake and the its macronutrient composition. They also have a phone app with a handy barcode scanner to get the macro breakdown!

What is a calorie? A calorie is a unit of heat energy. "Energy balance = Energy In - Energy out" or to put it "Calorie balance = calories in - calories out". To lose weight, your calorie balance should be at a deficit and vice versa for gaining weight. Any unit of energy that is not used is then stored as fat.

What is a macro you say? Here are some articles to clarify for you!

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_nutrients.php
http://www.foodpyramid.com/6-essential-nutrients/

Some people also take the "If it fits your macros" (IIFYM) approach. More information can be found here http://iifym.com/

Everyone is different, so everyone has different diets and approaches. What works for you might not work for someone else and vice versa. But before you try everything, you need to get your diet in to check! Without that, you wont be getting the best results you can yield! Don't forget plenty of sleep and water.

Alex, try Flaxseed oil, natural peanut butter, cashews, almonds, olive oil (that's all I can think of atm). Fats, good or bad, are fairly calorie dense. Depending on the brand, a table spoon of flaxseed oil will be around 100 ~ 150 calories, 12-15g of good fats equivalent to 100g of avocado and less calories (and less fibre, carbs and other micronutrients). Quick and easy to consume and wont go off as quick as an avocado and definitely cheaper in the long term.

Happy training all

[itr5093]

Thanks for that info, sounds very useful, will deffs read it when infront of a computer

[SPL_K]

Here's a good article for those who are trying to burn fat, http://www.livestrong.com/article/29...-pound-of-fat/
Live Strong provide some good articles and are fairly reliable as they reference all their findings.

This should give you a rough idea how many calories you burn a day without any exercises, http://caloriecount.about.com/tools/calories-burned
Remember, it is only an estimate and should not be used as an exact figure as there are many variables that affect your daily calorie consumption (e.g. hormone levels, metabolic rate, current body composition i.e. fat %, etc). I think the best way to track your calories is if you are currently not losing or gaining weight to keep a diary of your daily food intake for about 2-3 weeks and calculate your calories from there to give you a good estimate. After, you can adjust accordingly to your desired level to achieve your goals.