Idle Mind
10-28-08, 01:38 PM
Inspired by BentheMan's thread where he has set a goal for himself to get 1,000 miles under his bicycle's tires by May, I thought it would be a good idea to think about personal goals with relation to fitness. This way we are held accountable to stay on track, at least to a minimal degree, by the others who frequent this section of sciforums and we can also discuss and ask questions about how to achieve the goals we have set.
Obviously the goals are going to be personal, as there is already going to be a fairly large gap in fitness between posters here. But, perhaps reading successes or strategies will help and encourage others who may not be as fit to do something about it, and the members who have a bit more experience can help with words of wisdom.
So, now that the little preface is out of the way, I will explain my goals and why I have decided to participate in such activities.
Background:
I am 26, male and have grown up on the West Coast of Canada. For the past two and a half years, my lifestyle has changed from that of fairly regular physical activity -- mostly due to a new job that had regular hours. My living situation was one where I didn't have a lot of motivation to get out and do much either. Combine a desk job, no real sports outside work (besides irregular bike rides that got progressively harder) and an unhealthy diet, and I was well on my way to some serious health problems and weight gain. At my peak I was 265 lbs, although at 6'1" I carried it reasonably well. And still, riding was more of a chore than it was fun, and something needed to be done.
I have had gym experience before, and went quite regularly while I was at University. After first year post secondary I dropped from 230 down to 195, then as I developed muscle I got back up to 205-210. This is where I would like to be again.
Goal:
I would like to get my weight down to 210 by January 1, 2009 -- if this turns out to be unreasonable, then an extension will be granted by myself to the date March 1, 2009.
Strategy:
Lifestyle: I moved from my old town to a new city, and have started walking everywhere. I have also decided that I can get away with spending less time on my personal computer, less time playing video games, and less time watching TV. I have also started a new job, and while it is also a desk job, the hours are far more stable and I can get into a routine. Shift work that changes every month and swings you from a 6-8 am start to a 2:30-4:30 pm start and then back to mornings prevents routine. Random "weekends" also does not help.
Activity: I started at the gym on Sept 24, 2008, and have increased my workout gradually over the month so that I am now going 5 days a week for 45 minutes to 75 minutes. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are set aside for cardio* -- this will help me drop some weight and will also get my lung capacity up to previous levels of performance and beyond. I used to live on my bike, and days with 20-30 km worth of riding were common (and not a challenge). Tuesdays and Thursdays are resistance training**. I have a few muscle groups that I would like to work on, but I'm not looking for a lot of bulk. Shape and tone are the overall goals, but for now it's just the basics.
Diet: I have changed both what I eat, and the intervals in which I eat it. I try to get 6 meals a day in, and I balance them as best I can with protein, carbs, and fatty acids. I may need to find supplements to make sure I get everything I need -- something I was hoping to discuss a little bit here. Lots of fruit (bananas, oranges, grapes, pineapple), vegetables (broccoli, lettuce, carrots, cauliflower) and chicken. I have also tried various protein bars to try and supplement that aspect. I eat at 0700, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600 and 1830. I have also started minding my calories. I check everything and try to make sure I am around the 2,000 Cal mark each day.
Progress:
When I started at the gym, I was weighing in at 260 lbs first thing in the morning. After approximately one month, as of this morning, I weigh 242 lbs for a loss of 18 lbs. I am also noticing a significant increase in lung capacity and am able to push myself harder for longer. So, definitely positive results so far, and I hope to continue the gains (and/or losses) that I've started to make.
Does anyone else have similar goals or aspirations? Post them up and let's help each other meet them.
================================================== ================================================== =================
*The cardio routine is as follows:
- 7 minutes on a bike in "Warm up" mode, which gradually increases resistance -- here I can usually pedal just over 2 miles and get my heart rate to ~160.
- 20 minutes on an elliptical trainer in X-Trainer Aerobic mode with resistance at 12-15 out of 20 -- X-trainer Aerobic is an interval training where the first two minutes are between three and four miles per hour, one minute pushing against the supports, one minute pulling against the supports, 1 minute running at 6+ mph, 1 minute at 3-4 mph, 2 minutes at your own pace using legs only and 2 minutes in reverse. This cycle is repeated twice.
- 5 km rowing -- this takes me approximately 23 minutes to complete.
- 3-5 sets on an ab machine
- 10 minute cool down on a bike -- manual mode, gradually reducing resistance on my own.
**Resistance training is a work in progress, but is currently:
- Warm up on bike, same as above.
- 3 sets of 8-10 reps of various chest workouts (flys, various presses with a mix of inclines), a mix of machines and free weights
- 3-5 sets on an ab machine
- 3 sets of 8-10 reps on a bicep machine
- 3 sets of 8-10 reps on various tricep workouts, a mix of machines and free weights
- 3 sets of 8-10 military press machine
- 10 minute cool down on a bike
Obviously the goals are going to be personal, as there is already going to be a fairly large gap in fitness between posters here. But, perhaps reading successes or strategies will help and encourage others who may not be as fit to do something about it, and the members who have a bit more experience can help with words of wisdom.
So, now that the little preface is out of the way, I will explain my goals and why I have decided to participate in such activities.
Background:
I am 26, male and have grown up on the West Coast of Canada. For the past two and a half years, my lifestyle has changed from that of fairly regular physical activity -- mostly due to a new job that had regular hours. My living situation was one where I didn't have a lot of motivation to get out and do much either. Combine a desk job, no real sports outside work (besides irregular bike rides that got progressively harder) and an unhealthy diet, and I was well on my way to some serious health problems and weight gain. At my peak I was 265 lbs, although at 6'1" I carried it reasonably well. And still, riding was more of a chore than it was fun, and something needed to be done.
I have had gym experience before, and went quite regularly while I was at University. After first year post secondary I dropped from 230 down to 195, then as I developed muscle I got back up to 205-210. This is where I would like to be again.
Goal:
I would like to get my weight down to 210 by January 1, 2009 -- if this turns out to be unreasonable, then an extension will be granted by myself to the date March 1, 2009.
Strategy:
Lifestyle: I moved from my old town to a new city, and have started walking everywhere. I have also decided that I can get away with spending less time on my personal computer, less time playing video games, and less time watching TV. I have also started a new job, and while it is also a desk job, the hours are far more stable and I can get into a routine. Shift work that changes every month and swings you from a 6-8 am start to a 2:30-4:30 pm start and then back to mornings prevents routine. Random "weekends" also does not help.
Activity: I started at the gym on Sept 24, 2008, and have increased my workout gradually over the month so that I am now going 5 days a week for 45 minutes to 75 minutes. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are set aside for cardio* -- this will help me drop some weight and will also get my lung capacity up to previous levels of performance and beyond. I used to live on my bike, and days with 20-30 km worth of riding were common (and not a challenge). Tuesdays and Thursdays are resistance training**. I have a few muscle groups that I would like to work on, but I'm not looking for a lot of bulk. Shape and tone are the overall goals, but for now it's just the basics.
Diet: I have changed both what I eat, and the intervals in which I eat it. I try to get 6 meals a day in, and I balance them as best I can with protein, carbs, and fatty acids. I may need to find supplements to make sure I get everything I need -- something I was hoping to discuss a little bit here. Lots of fruit (bananas, oranges, grapes, pineapple), vegetables (broccoli, lettuce, carrots, cauliflower) and chicken. I have also tried various protein bars to try and supplement that aspect. I eat at 0700, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600 and 1830. I have also started minding my calories. I check everything and try to make sure I am around the 2,000 Cal mark each day.
Progress:
When I started at the gym, I was weighing in at 260 lbs first thing in the morning. After approximately one month, as of this morning, I weigh 242 lbs for a loss of 18 lbs. I am also noticing a significant increase in lung capacity and am able to push myself harder for longer. So, definitely positive results so far, and I hope to continue the gains (and/or losses) that I've started to make.
Does anyone else have similar goals or aspirations? Post them up and let's help each other meet them.
================================================== ================================================== =================
*The cardio routine is as follows:
- 7 minutes on a bike in "Warm up" mode, which gradually increases resistance -- here I can usually pedal just over 2 miles and get my heart rate to ~160.
- 20 minutes on an elliptical trainer in X-Trainer Aerobic mode with resistance at 12-15 out of 20 -- X-trainer Aerobic is an interval training where the first two minutes are between three and four miles per hour, one minute pushing against the supports, one minute pulling against the supports, 1 minute running at 6+ mph, 1 minute at 3-4 mph, 2 minutes at your own pace using legs only and 2 minutes in reverse. This cycle is repeated twice.
- 5 km rowing -- this takes me approximately 23 minutes to complete.
- 3-5 sets on an ab machine
- 10 minute cool down on a bike -- manual mode, gradually reducing resistance on my own.
**Resistance training is a work in progress, but is currently:
- Warm up on bike, same as above.
- 3 sets of 8-10 reps of various chest workouts (flys, various presses with a mix of inclines), a mix of machines and free weights
- 3-5 sets on an ab machine
- 3 sets of 8-10 reps on a bicep machine
- 3 sets of 8-10 reps on various tricep workouts, a mix of machines and free weights
- 3 sets of 8-10 military press machine
- 10 minute cool down on a bike