Health & Physical Fitness/Training Thread

[Boone]

I did 'G90X' this weekend (as in gardening). Built 4 big raised beds. Moved 3 truckloads of dirt to fill them, plus a bunch of bags of manure and peat moss. Then tilled my garden today. Slipped in a 30 mile bike ride earlier today.

I'm pooped.

 

[Special K]

Was supposed to do interval training with some girlfriends this afternoon, but that got shot to hell when my softball team had to play 5 games in our tournament today. Did 35 min. of cardio this evening and I'm now going to bed, I'm shot. Interval training tomorrow morning.

 

[Tastes Like Chicken]

Good to see you too John. This is my fourth cycle. Did another half cycle (45 days) before I ****ed up my left bicep last fall; took 2 months off and didn't do a whole lot, mostly cardio. Restarted January finished in March. Restarted last Tuesday. Got totally trashed with Ben and MIA at Casa Donaldson after a casino run, so missed Legs/back/abs but made it up today. I'll do Kenpo tomorrow on my day off, lucky me.

Jaimie since New Orleans I've put on about 7 lbs and basically eating a lot of protein and drinking a bit too much beer, but I'm on this new IPA kick lately. Lol

 

[Snydershrugged]

First week down on the fitness plan...dropped 4 lbs of fat (I believe its fat due to significant H2o intake and muscle gain), progressively increased my max number of push-ups and crunches, put in 8 hrs of rigorous Kung Fu training, includeing significant conditioning work. (I hurt!) and logged 150,000 steps on the pedometer!

 

[Special K]

First week down on the fitness plan...dropped 4 lbs of fat (I believe its fat due to significant H2o intake and muscle gain), progressively increased my max number of push-ups and crunches, put in 8 hrs of rigorous Kung Fu training, includeing significant conditioning work. (I hurt!) and logged 150,000 steps on the pedometer!

HOLY CRAP SS, I think I'm doing good when I hit 13K-14K on my Nike Fuelband each day Those are pretty active days and your steps leave me in the dust. You're killing it! Good job!

 

[Snydershrugged]

HOLY CRAP SS, I think I'm doing good when I hit 13K-14K on my Nike Fuelband each day Those are pretty active days and your steps leave me in the dust. You're killing it! Good job!

Thanks!! My daily goal for steps is at least 20k. This is very new for me, I was averaging around 14k leading up to this one.

Yard and Garden work really put me up yesterday and hit 24,650!

 

[Special K]

Thanks!! My daily goal for steps is at least 20k. This is very new for me, I was averaging around 14k leading up to this one.

Yard and Garden work really put me up yesterday and hit 24,650!

Yeah, that's 2x as much as fitness experts recommend (which is a good thing). Harley Pasternak, Bob Harper and several other celeb fitness trainers encourage clients to aim for at least 10,000 steps a day. I actually really like measuring myself now and trying to beat goals. Interestingly this morning at the gym, I read a report that Americans walk less than half the average miles per year than Germans. Americans average 111 miles while Germans are at 236 miles. That's pretty pathetic on our part...not surprising though.

 

[Neophyte]

So, in the interest of not killing myself I pulled out Tony Horton's 10-Minute trainer vids today and did total body with warm up and cool down. After 9 months off even that hurt somewhat. Sadly, I think it will be a long road back to where I was last spring.

 

[Special K]

Today's CrossFit

1 set = 20 seconds full speed/10 seconds rest - 8 sets back to back, then rotate to next exercise.

1. Box jumps
2. Deadlifts
3. Barbell Squat Thrusts
4. Row Machine
5. Pull-ups

I looked like a drowned rat afterward. My sister-in-law came into the locker room after her yoga class and burst out laughing when she saw me laying immobile on the bench

 

[Snydershrugged]

Today's CrossFit

1 set = 20 seconds full speed/10 seconds rest - 8 sets back to back, then rotate to next exercise.

1. Box jumps
2. Deadlifts
3. Barbell Squat Thrusts
4. Row Machine
5. Pull-ups

I looked like a drowned rat afterward. My sister-in-law came into the locker room after her yoga class and burst out laughing when she saw me laying immobile on the bench

Mucho respect for you cross-fitters. Ive seen it work so well for many.

 

[Snydershrugged]

I spent some quality time last night with these two fine fellows. The brown one kicked my arse but someday I will "break" him! If you ever want to try a unique training method, learn some Mook Jong (wooden Man) and use a heavy bag or something like my "Bob" you see in the background to get one helluva cardio blast.

 

[Boone]

Kenpo routine last night...not sure what's on tap tonight. Having some irritating burning pain between my shoulder blades the past few days...hopefully will resolve as I keep working out.

 

[Special K]

Holy crap SS, I have never, ever heard of a Mook Jong...and I was in karate for a few years and married to a wrestler/MMA guy. What the hell do you do with that? It looks like a medieval torture device. Do tell.

Mike, you're brave to do shoulders tomorrow. My shoulders and torso were trashed after my softball tournament this weekend, haha. I hate getting old! Everyone on our team was in their 20's and 30's but by games 6 and 7 we were dropping like flies with injuries

 

[Henry]

Here you go, SK.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJlrRT0u1NI[/media]

All I did today was an easy three miler. But it was hot outside and I got thirsty, so there.

 

[Snydershrugged]

Holy crap SS, I have never, ever heard of a Mook Jong...and I was in karate for a few years and married to a wrestler/MMA guy. What the hell do you do with that? It looks like a medieval torture device. Do tell.

It sure can be torture if used that way! Its a Kung Fu traditional training tool that not only helps me apply forms and concepts to a humanlike target, but it also helps a ton in making sure the exact correct amount of energy is out into blocks and strikes. The one I use also has a leg which forces me into proper footwork and positioning. Its somewhat difficult initially to get all these facets just so, but I can attest to its effectiveness as a training tool based solely on the improvements in my fights since using it.

This is probably my favorite short movie clip that has a Jong in it. Jackie is really hitting it perfectly and is showing how incredible he really is as a Martial Artist.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbwC8zBBtfI[/media]

 

[Snydershrugged]

Here you go, SK.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJlrRT0u1NI[/media]

All I did today was an easy three miler. But it was hot outside and I got thirsty, so there.

He's got great technique too, he really flows with it. On a side note, I was surprised they titled it as a JKD dummy, thats definitely a Wing Chun dummy from what I can tell. The JKD ones have a sort of neck near the top usually. Either way, he is good at it!

I have also started running just a little, (I dont like it!) My Kwoon is forming a team to do the tough mudder in November and they asked me to do it too, but I have to admit it scares the crap outa me!

 

[Henry]

Is that Rumble in the Bronx? That's a fun movie.

The Tough Mudder looks a lot worse than it is. Yes you have to be in shape but it's really more about facing your fears than physical punishment. Regular folk don't naturally want to wade waist-deep into bogs of mud, jump into vats full of ice water or crawl through holes in the ground, but none of that stuff is actually hard. You just have to grit your teeth and do it. And then it's tons of fun.

Since you're already working out you're probably 80% there. If you can build your long runs up to just 5-6 miles that should be enough for the TM. It'll be 10-12 miles but you get a lot of breaks when you do the obstacles, so it's not as grueling as, say, a half marathon. Not running-wise.

But I do recommend pull-ups. Lots and lots of pull-ups.

If you've got the shoulders for it.

 

[Snydershrugged]

Is that Rumble in the Bronx? That's a fun movie.

The Tough Mudder looks a lot worse than it is. Yes you have to be in shape but it's really more about facing your fears than physical punishment. Regular folk don't naturally want to wade waist-deep into bogs of mud, jump into vats full of ice water or crawl through holes in the ground, but none of that stuff is actually hard. You just have to grit your teeth and do it. And then it's tons of fun.

Since you're already working out you're probably 80% there. If you can build your long runs up to just 5-6 miles that should be enough for the TM. It'll be 10-12 miles but you get a lot of breaks when you do the obstacles, so it's not as grueling as, say, a half marathon. Not running-wise.

But I do recommend pull-ups. Lots and lots of pull-ups.

If you've got the shoulders for it.

That actually makes me feel a lot better about it, I'll have to think this through. Thanks Henry!!

 

[Special K]

Workout today: 40 minutes of cardio on the elliptical cross-trainer and 1 hour of lifting and catching little munchkins in my Kinderstars gymnastics class.

Here you go, SK.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJlrRT0u1NI[/media]

Why thank you Henry

It sure can be torture if used that way! Its a Kung Fu traditional training tool that not only helps me apply forms and concepts to a humanlike target, but it also helps a ton in making sure the exact correct amount of energy is out into blocks and strikes. The one I use also has a leg which forces me into proper footwork and positioning. Its somewhat difficult initially to get all these facets just so, but I can attest to its effectiveness as a training tool based solely on the improvements in my fights since using it.

Thanks for the explanation. Definitely sounds like an effective training method.

 

[Special K]

That actually makes me feel a lot better about it, I'll have to think this through. Thanks Henry!!

If you train with that Wook Jong thing, the TM should be cake