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Random fitness stuff
Since I've started lifting again I've become obsessed with learning as much about fitness and nutrition as possible. If I was younger I would probably thinking about switching careers and look at becoming a personal trainer or strength and conditioning coach but since that's not very realistic at this point I'll focus on dispensing unsolicited fitness/nutrition advice instead.
I want to preface everything I'm about to say with one simple rule:
Doing something is better than doing nothing. So if you are out there doing something you enjoy keep on doing it.
One thing I've learned is that Aerobic training isn't all it's been cracked up to be. One common misconception is that training at an Aerobic level is the best way to burn fat. Well, this is most definitely a fallacy and in fact aerobics appear to be no better for burning fat than diet alone.
"How could this be" you ask? Simple, as with many things in life a factual piece of data has been misinterpreted and misrepresented. People claim that you burn more fat calories while working out at an low intensitity level than at a high intensity level if that were true you'd burn the most fat calories sitting on your ass doing nothing. The reality is that a greater "percentage" of calories burned are fat calories. "But that's the same thing", you say. No, look closer, it's the percentage part. So, its true that working out at lower intensities burns a greater "percentage" of the calories burned are fat calories but the actual amount of calories is much lower and as a result so is the number of fat calories.
Let's break it down with a real example:
Say your RMR(resting metabolic rate) is 2400 calories/day. That's 100 calories/hour.
So sitting on your but staring at the TV you burn 100 calories an hour. Let's say that at the lowest intensity level 50% of calorie burn is "fat calories". That means that sitting on your butt you are burning 50 fat calories/hour.
Now let's look at aerobics. You might burn 300-400 calories an hour doing aerobics. We'll be generous and say 400 calories. Now let's say that percentage stays at 50%. In an hour of aerobics you burn 400 calories total, 200 of those being fat calories. And as soon as you are done with the exercices your RMR drops right back down to 2400/day.
Now lets say that when working out with weights at a high intensity level the percentage drops to 35%. "Wow, that's a big difference, aerobics must be better right?" Wrong. With an hour of intense workout you will burn a lot more calories. Let's be conservative and say you burn 800 calories during the workout. Well a bit of quick math tells us that's 280 fat calories and 800 calories total in that hour alone. But wait, there's more. Unlike with aerobic your RMR stays elevated for up to 24 (and in extreme cases 48) hours meaning you continue to burn more calories while resting.
You can find some other information on why Aerobics might not really be that useful as a fat loss tool here.
Lunges and Deadlifts and Squats Oh my.
Well, it's been a little over 2 weeks now since we started up the new program and I'm still loving it.
I'm starting to really love Deadlifts and Squats. The Static lunge is also a good one but it's pretty grueling, especially since you do it right after doing squats.
My legs (and for the most part the rest of my body) are recovering much faster than they did the first week and we actually managed to ride Saturday after doing Squats the day before.
In less than 3 weeks I've gone up 30 pounds in my squats (from 135 lbs up to 165 lbs for 15 reps). I've also gone up in the deadlift and the close-grip lat pulldown.
I've increased the distance I swim from 200 meters to 300 meters and will likely go up to 350 or 400 next week.
We continue on this program through next Wednesday then we'll rest up for a few days before starting into a 4 week routine that should take us right up till our trip to Hawai.
My goal was to lose 10 pounds before the trip followed by another 10 or so after. I'm happy to say 2 of those pounds have already been lost.
Initial Workout Program
Break-In-Program - 3 Workouts a week/3 weeks
Workout 1
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Squat(96) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Static Lunge(123) 2 15 Normal 60 Two Point DB row elbow out(158) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Push-up (135) 2 15 Normal 60 Swiss-ball crunch (169) 2 15 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 2
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Deadlift (106) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Sterp-Up (126) 2 15 Normal 60 Dumbell one-arm shoulder press (143) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Close-grip lat pulldown (152) 2 15 Normal 60 Reverse Crunch (172) 2 15 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 3
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Squat(96) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Static Lunge(123) 2 15 Normal 60 Two Point DB row elbow out(158) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Push-up (135) 2 15 Normal 60 Swiss-ball crunch (169) 2 15 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 4
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Deadlift (106) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Sterp-Up (126) 2 15 Normal 60 Dumbell one-arm shoulder press (143) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Close-grip lat pulldown (152) 2 15 Normal 60 Reverse Crunch (172) 2 15 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 5
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Squat(96) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Static Lunge(123) 2 15 Normal 60 Two Point DB row elbow out(158) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Push-up (135) 2 15 Normal 60 Swiss-ball crunch (169) 2 15 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 6
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Deadlift (106) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Sterp-Up (126) 2 15 Normal 60 Dumbell one-arm shoulder press (143) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Close-grip lat pulldown (152) 2 15 Normal 60 Reverse Crunch (172) 2 15 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 7
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Squat(96) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Static Lunge(123) 2 15 Normal 60 Two Point DB row elbow out(158) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Push-up (135) 2 15 Normal 60 Swiss-ball crunch (169) 2 15 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 8
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Deadlift (106) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Sterp-Up (126) 2 15 Normal 60 Dumbell one-arm shoulder press (143) 2 15 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Close-grip lat pulldown (152) 2 15 Normal 60 Reverse Crunch (172) 2 15 Normal 60 Notes:
Fat Loss I - 3 Workouts a week for 4 Weeks
Workout 1
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Squat (96) 3 15 Normal 75 Cable Seated Row (155) 3 15 Normal 75 Superset with full Rest Supine Hip Extension (115) 3 15 Normal 75 Dumbell Push Press (143) 3 15 Normal 75 Superset with full Rest Rotational Lunge (185) 3 15 Normal 75 Swiss Ball Crunch (169) 3 15 Normal 75 Notes: Workout 2
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Deadlift (106) 3 15 Normal 75 Dumbell Incline Bench Press (139) 3 15 Normal 75 Superset with full Rest Bulgarian Split Squat (125) 3 15 Normal 75 Mixed Grip Lat Pulldown (152) 3 15 Normal 75 Superset with full Rest Romaian Deadlift (111) 3 15 Normal 75 Swiss Ball Lateral Roll (173) 3 15 Normal 75 Notes: Workout 3
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Squat (96) 3 15 Normal 75 Cable Seated Row (155) 3 15 Normal 75 Superset with full Rest Supine Hip Extension (115) 3 15 Normal 75 Dumbell Push Press (143) 3 15 Normal 75 Superset with full Rest Rotational Lunge (185) 3 15 Normal 75 Swiss Ball Crunch (169) 3 15 Normal 75 Notes: Workout 4
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Deadlift (106) 3 15 Normal 75 Dumbell Incline Bench Press (139) 3 15 Normal 75 Superset with full Rest Bulgarian Split Squat (125) 3 15 Normal 75 Mixed Grip Lat Pulldown (152) 3 15 Normal 75 Superset with full Rest Romaian Deadlift (111) 3 15 Normal 75 Swiss Ball Lateral Roll (173) 3 15 Normal 75 Notes: Workout 5
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Squat (96) 3 12 Normal 60 Cable Seated Row (155) 3 12 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Supine Hip Extension (115) 3 12 Normal 60 Dumbell Push Press (143) 3 12 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Rotational Lunge (185) 3 12 Normal 60 Swiss Ball Crunch (169) 3 12 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 6
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Deadlift (106) 3 12 Normal 60 Dumbell Incline Bench Press (139) 3 12 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Bulgarian Split Squat (125) 3 12 Normal 60 Mixed Grip Lat Pulldown (152) 3 12 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Romaian Deadlift (111) 3 12 Normal 60 Swiss Ball Lateral Roll (173) 3 12 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 7
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Squat (96) 3 12 Normal 60 Cable Seated Row (155) 3 12 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Supine Hip Extension (115) 3 12 Normal 60 Dumbell Push Press (143) 3 12 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Rotational Lunge (185) 3 12 Normal 60 Swiss Ball Crunch (169) 3 12 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 8
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Deadlift (106) 3 12 Normal 60 Dumbell Incline Bench Press (139) 3 12 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Bulgarian Split Squat (125) 3 12 Normal 60 Mixed Grip Lat Pulldown (152) 3 12 Normal 60 Superset with full Rest Romaian Deadlift (111) 3 12 Normal 60 Swiss Ball Lateral Roll (173) 3 12 Normal 60 Notes: Workout 9
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Squat (96) 3 10 Normal 45 Cable Seated Row (155) 3 10 Normal 45 Superset with full Rest Supine Hip Extension (115) 3 10 Normal 45 Dumbell Push Press (143) 3 10 Normal 45 Superset with full Rest Rotational Lunge (185) 3 10 Normal 45 Swiss Ball Crunch (169) 3 10 Normal 45 Notes: Workout 10
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Deadlift (106) 3 10 Normal 45 Dumbell Incline Bench Press (139) 3 10 Normal 45 Superset with full Rest Bulgarian Split Squat (125) 3 10 Normal 45 Mixed Grip Lat Pulldown (152) 3 10 Normal 45 Superset with full Rest Romaian Deadlift (111) 3 10 Normal 45 Swiss Ball Lateral Roll (173) 3 10 Normal 45 Notes: Workout 11
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Squat (96) 3 10 Normal 45 Cable Seated Row (155) 3 10 Normal 45 Superset with full Rest Supine Hip Extension (115) 3 10 Normal 45 Dumbell Push Press (143) 3 10 Normal 45 Superset with full Rest Rotational Lunge (185) 3 10 Normal 45 Swiss Ball Crunch (169) 3 10 Normal 45 Notes: Workout 12
Exercise Sets Resps Tempo Rest Kit's Weights Shay's Weights Superset with full Rest Deadlift (106) 3 10 Normal 45 Dumbell Incline Bench Press (139) 3 10 Normal 45 Superset with full Rest Bulgarian Split Squat (125) 3 10 Normal 45 Mixed Grip Lat Pulldown (152) 3 10 Normal 45 Superset with full Rest Romaian Deadlift (111) 3 10 Normal 45 Swiss Ball Lateral Roll (173) 3 10 Normal 45 Notes:
