Weight / Fat loss

Not sure my weight will show much progress this week, I've had a bit of a mixed week, with huge amounts of exercise countered by drinking (not much, 2 pints or so) almost every day.

I will see in the morning!

Yep, 72kg, 2 days with beer this week in the calender, I guess the rest of the week will have to be extra well behaved.

Was going to weigh myself for the first time in 3 weeks this morning but forgot. I think I may have fallen off the wagon. Sure I'm now in the gym 3x a week but eating more to make up for it I think.

Also thinking of toning down the squats a little as my knee is hurting again.

Spenceey,

Re: a couple of things you mentioned / asked upthread.
Stomach - if you are engaging your core properly for strong lifts then that's a good start. Planks and hanging leg raises are my favourite core exercises.
Deadlift - one possibility is using a trap bar instead. If using a standard Olympic bar, grip with one palm facing you and one facing away.

Joe

My core circuit.

15 x sit-ups (on one of those raised benches)
30 x 'supermen (on a swiss ball with 3kg dumbells)
15 time hanging leg raises
15 reerse sit-ups (on that weird bench that supports you up to the hips, while holding say 10kg)

I tend to repeat this untill suffering > self-hate

^^Honestly, a high calorie intake, including your beloved beer, isn't really an issue in terms of losing weight and/or controlling it; in fact a high calorie intake will more than likely help to raise your metabolism as long as you get regular exercise.

As always the key issue here is output; that and metabolism, hence counting calories on a calorie restricted diet and trying to calculate exactly how much you need to exercise to burn off that extra pint or a slice of pizza doesn't mean shit.

A fit young man will easily burn 5000kcal or more a day sitting on his arse. So presuming for the sake of argument that you're not exactly obese, an average of an hour or two a day riding your bike, depending on intensity, and basically you can eat and drink whatever you fucking want and still lose weight.

Simples!

This assumes we are all same genotype, which we are not.

Also are you seriously advocating beer as a means of raising metabolism....

GTFO

Also thinking of toning down the squats a little as my knee is hurting again.

Give the squats a break for now then...

Also are you seriously advocating beer as a means of raising metabolism....

I'm in. Where do we sign?

This morning's work out went;

3x12 - Side raises/Shoulder Flies - 16kg dumbells
3x12 - Shoulder Presses - 20kg dumbells
3x12 - standing rows - 16kg dumbells
3x25 - full sit ups, inclined bench
3x12 - lat pull downs - 59kg resistance machine
3x10(last set got 8) - bench press - 30kg dumbells
3x10 - concentration curls - 12kg dumbells - one side at a time
3x10 - hammer curls - 12kg dumbells - one side at a time

the order may not be exact. Next visit will up the weight on the curls and the pull downs, maybe also the rows.

Interesting article in the Guardian today about interoceptive awareness: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2013/jul/26/listening-body-lose-weight-interoception

To be fair, I know exactly what my body is saying. Drink more water, eat less crap, run more. I'm just being lazy, and only want to do the exercise I'm currently banned from doing (I've started dreaming about swimming. SWIMMING! What the hell?).

swimming is ace.

low impact, total body workout. even parts that you'll struggle to exercise in the gym like neck, lower back etc.

I've dropped 3.4kg since thursday via swimming (laps and drills) 1hr a day, cutting alcohol completely, eating fish&fruit/veg and cycling as usual.

Happy with that. I'd deffo recommend swimming to anyone that hasn't tried it as a form of exercise.

Best part is, if you're not concerned with posting times, bad technique will make you worse in the water i.e. more drag, more effort to propel yourself i.e. better exercise.

Do it!!

I do like swimming, and used to compete a bit when I was younger, but I don't get on well with chlorine so try to avoid it. I think I might start going to the Serpentine once I'm actually allowed to go swimming again (ligament damage in my hand means swimming is (and I've tried!) excruciatingly painful).

Sounds like you're doing really well Apollo!

I understand your logic, but its not actually true, if you use correct technique you'll engage many more muscles through your whole body rather than just the ones you currently have that get you from one end of the pool to another.

Its only after practice that you'll start going faster!

I've dropped 3.4kg since thursday via dehydrating
ftfy

Hope not, I drink water before, during and after exercise, I've toned down diuretics like coffee, no alcohol and v. low salt intake. On top of that I drink loads of orange juice, water etc when not exercising.

First few kgs always fall off fast if they're surplus. it will slow down from here.

You're not going to lose 3.4kg in 4 days other than through water loss.

Yeah pretty sure even through starvation you couldn't loose that much weight that quick.

yeah I understand that, and I'm not claiming it was 100% fat loss. Just saying I'm being careful etc.

if you have cut down salt intake you will not be holding as much water. So you still be well hydrated but you have lost the weight in water if you get me

71.2kg this morning, trying to have a bit of an easier week in training as I've been going really hard for the last 2 weeks and figure I'm not giving myself enough rest.

so just my bike commute and gentle 20 minute jog this evening to burn enough calories so I can eat!

Arghh... 67... first gain in ages.
It might have something to do with the ridiculous amount of food I eat.
Time to begin training properly- think my body has gotten too used to the 20 mile ride to work.

I remember the theory was that long moderate level intensity exercise was called the fat burning zone, which I don't think is accurate (for me at least), I have found that short high intensity stuff has the most effect on me, which is challenging given that I take part in marathons and triaathlons...

I end up mixing the long slow stuff to build endurance with a lot of hiintensity interval stuff, so 100m sets in swimming, hill work in running and free weights. I need to find something to hit that high intensity level on a bike although I have been doing 10 mile tts when I can which are pretty good at killing me!

Back up to 81Kg after my holidays. Hit the gym for the first time in ages last night. Some ignorant twat had his ipad blasting out shit music sans headphones, and some other twat left his bag in the middle of the floor. So while I took a few steps back with my heavy barbell, I nearly stacked it. Forgot how amazingly ignorant the locals are. Anyway my planned thorough, yet light, weights session. Turned into a beasting after I got all stroppy.
Totally fecked this morning, and so very hungry.
Long ride tonight, designed to hit as many hills as possible.
If my right hip and knee keep it together. I reckon I can drop some serious weight, and see some improvement in my running/cycling. Now that I've deprioritised rugby.

(sorry for the rant)

Did some swimming over the weekend too.

I can feel the middle age urge to go sleeveless.

I remember the theory was that long moderate level intensity exercise was called the fat burning zone, which I don't think is accurate (for me at least), I have found that short high intensity stuff has the most effect on me, which is challenging given that I take part in marathons and triaathlons...

I end up mixing the long slow stuff to build endurance with a lot of hiintensity interval stuff, so 100m sets in swimming, hill work in running and free weights. I need to find something to hit that high intensity level on a bike although I have been doing 10 mile tts when I can which are pretty good at killing me!

The issue for me is time and tiredness.
I leave for work (hospital placement) between 6-7(depending on shift start time), which is not especially early, but it means a 5:30 breakfast. It finishes at anytime from 5-7, and then I've got the hour ride home (not including change of clothes), and when I get back I have coursework. This combination means I'm knackered and asleep by 11, and have no time to do any other training (or desire to).
The alternative is no better as driving is shit, and public transport takes the same length of time- so would just be a waste.
Need to rework the eating, as recently I've been really pigging out.