The unofficial, official, Swingersboard exercise thread!!

[fun4Ds]

Two bike rides in one day.

One 30 min bike ride this morning

One 20 min hard and fast this evening. Mrsfun kept going but I couldn't keep up. She said thats OK, its how she felt at first also. I believe that....

No weight loss, as of yet.

Starting tomorrow, I'm taking my morning walk into some actual jogging..... I think.

[CXXC]

Originally Posted by Chicup

I'm more of a exercise prodigal son. I've got a long way to go to reach even sainthood.

CXXC's list is very good.

I did 150 crunches today watching football, and I'll most likely do another 50 watching the kids. When I started 15 was my 'burn' point on a set, now its 25.

My weight program which kicked my ass a month ago no longer is, and my tight clothes are now my comfortable clothes.

My major weakness is leg work right now. I think the pain I put myself in after my first workout has me gun shy and I really gotta do it.

On the effect side, I could tell how much better shape I was in on our vacation. We had been there before and things were just 'easier'.

Still though I've got a ways to go before I get to hard body.

Thanks Chickup!

LEGS! I HATE LEG WORKOUTS! HOWEVER!!!!!

If you want to work the body in the most efficient and calorie burning way, work the largest muscles! The Legs are the best way to shed extra pounds, build cardio and add muscle mass. Plus, what woman can say no to a rock hard butt???? One last thing, the legs and lower abdomin are connected. Want to add a little extra length to your manhood? Do squats and suspended crunches. That pubic region will soon shed the extra padding.

[The Fuse]

Jogged five miles yesterday. We have a fantastic trail near here that I just love.

Today I did my "TV workout" -- aerobics bench, hand weights and yoga mat in front of the tube for an hour. General rotation of stepping, squats, lunges, arm exercises, pushups, various types of crunches, and other core exercises. A few yoga poses.

I am trying to shed a few pounds and get more toned in advance of a big Hallowe'en party on the 24th. There will be a lot of people there we know, an indoor pool, and lots of nakedness. I want to feel confident. So really what I need to do is cut down on the eating while keeping up the workouts. It's always a problem for me because I am an emotional eater and also have blood sugar issues. I need protein at every meal or I crash. Sometimes I just want to eat rice or pasta! But I always regret it afterward when I get all shaky and HAVE to eat something else or I can hardly see straight.

[Chicup]

Yippie 200 crunches today. I AM starting to see and most definitely feel a difference with my abs.

Originally Posted by The Fuse

Jogged five miles yesterday. We have a fantastic trail near here that I just love.

Today I did my "TV workout" -- aerobics bench, hand weights and yoga mat in front of the tube for an hour. General rotation of stepping, squats, lunges, arm exercises, pushups, various types of crunches, and other core exercises. A few yoga poses.

I am trying to shed a few pounds and get more toned in advance of a big Hallowe'en party on the 24th. There will be a lot of people there we know, an indoor pool, and lots of nakedness. I want to feel confident. So really what I need to do is cut down on the eating while keeping up the workouts. It's always a problem for me because I am an emotional eater and also have blood sugar issues. I need protein at every meal or I crash. Sometimes I just want to eat rice or pasta! But I always regret it afterward when I get all shaky and HAVE to eat something else or I can hardly see straight.

If you are really working out do NOT be afraid of the protein, if anything you should UP the protein. You don't build muscle on rice and pasta

I'm doing the body for life style eating 6ish meals a day, with protein in all of them.

[TheLorax]

Originally Posted by fun4Ds

Two bike rides in one day.

One 30 min bike ride this morning

One 20 min hard and fast this evening. Mrsfun kept going but I couldn't keep up. She said thats OK, its how she felt at first also. I believe that....

No weight loss, as of yet.

Starting tomorrow, I'm taking my morning walk into some actual jogging..... I think.

The great part is how rapidly you mkake progress at first. The depressing part is how hard it is to get past a plateau.

Keep up with it though!

Liz used to be able to out-hike me uphill since her cardio is better. I could out-hike her on the downhills since my stability and balance is much better. Now I'm keeping up with her in the uphills carrying 30 more pounds, so I'm happy. Of course, when we hike the GC they are going to use that as an excuse as to why I should carry more of my share of the weight

In a week we'll be hiking in SMNP, so I'll get my first chance to see how much I've improved in sustained uphill.

[fun4Ds]

Jogging in the morning, not good ! Especially, in the dark before sun up.

Kind of embarrassing when a kid says "Mr. are you ok, you really did a good roll"

"Yea, I'm fine."

Then he just has to ask, "What are you running from ? "

Thinking just get on the school bus kid....

Mental note: Stay with low impact bicycling and walking.


Ok you wise healthy people. Should one eat breakfast (or any meal) before exercise or after ?

Does it make a difference ?

[TheLorax]

Originally Posted by fun4Ds

Ok you wise healthy people. Should one eat breakfast (or any meal) before exercise or after ?

Does it make a difference ?

It does make a difference in the way your body responds. You may not want to eat a full meal since exercising on a full stomach is uncomfortable, but something that elevates your blood sugar some is a good idea. Sports nutritionists recommend a glass of OJ or sport beverage or the like. A couple hundred calories of rapidly metabolized carbs. This gives you fluid and carbohydrates. Avoid fats and protein right before exercising. These stay in the stomach longer and make exercising less enjoyable.

Later in the day I eat a small meal 2-3 hours before I exercise. That way my belly isn't full but the blood sugar is still up and the muscle glycogen saturation is high. This allows you to exercise longer and harder with less fatigue. There's a misunderstanding that exercising without eating burns fat more, but that's simply not true. The body requires glycogens to burn fat and without the carbs it will fatigue and just stop.

[The Fuse]

Originally Posted by fun4Ds

Ok you wise healthy people. Should one eat breakfast (or any meal) before exercise or after ?

Does it make a difference ?

My take is a little different. If exercising in the morning I prefer to do it first thing, because I wake up starving pretty much every day, so if I don't exercise right away I need to eat first. But sometimes it's just too much and I'll eat something small.

Personally I say if you're going to eat before exercise, eat what sits comfortably in your stomach. I always need protein so for me that's eggs, or a single egg before a workout. If I eat grains I'm crashy and starving very soon after. But most people would probably recommend something else, so do what works for you. Just not much sugar and I would recommend against caffeine, but again, that might not bother you. Whatever gives you energy and doesn't leave you feeling sluggish.

When I used to play tournaments all day, I'd have a sausage McMuffin with Egg. Then I wouldn't eat for most of the rest of the day because the exercise was too intense. But that big lump of food kept me going. People who work on ranches all day eat hearty breakfasts too.

[Chicup]

Ok 200 crunches was about 25 too many.

Effected my workout today as a limiting area, as in anything where my core tensed a bit, they hurt.

On the plus side, while I was there my wife's friend referred to me as eye candy to her. Perhaps just being nice, but hey I'll take it

[fun4Ds]

I walked one mile this morning limping a little from the spill I think ? I'm also thinking the actual impact of jogging is not good for someone of my age. (left ankle, right knee are sore)

But I noticed at the half mile mark I was absolutely starving. I think the walk back was at a little faster pace.

I ate cantaloupe for breakfast........ Well, actually I ate the whole cantaloupe.

Still no weight loss

[TheLorax]

Originally Posted by fun4Ds

I walked one mile this morning limping a little from the spill I think ? I'm also thinking the actual impact of jogging is not good for someone of my age. (left ankle, right knee are sore)

But I noticed at the half mile mark I was absolutely starving. I think the walk back was at a little faster pace.

I ate cantaloupe for breakfast........ Well, actually I ate the whole cantaloupe.

Still no weight loss

Eh. Jogging is TERRIBLE for your joints if you start out all at once. Listen to your body. Joint pain is telling you something. Start with a fast walk with a slow jog for a few minutes at a time, uphill if you can. If you are in your 40s-50s and have never jogged, it can take 6 months or more until you have built the joint strength to handle jogging continuously. Mild muscle ache=good workout. Joint pain=damaging workout.

[The Fuse]

I agree with TheLorax. If you are not used to more strenuous exercise, it takes several weeks or longer for joints to strengthen and capillaries to develop. Bicycle riding and walking sound like good ways to build up to short stints of jogging. That is true whatever your age, but makes even more sense as we get older.

[CXXC]

Low impact aerobic exercise is the BEST way to get your body prepared for more strenuous activities such as jogging. However, remember that the human body was not really designed to stand upright. Jogging places all the impact and weight upon the knees, hips and ankles. wihtout the aid or counter balance from our arms as most 4 legged creatures, the lower body wears out faster.

If you have the ability to do so, join the Y and swim. This is the most effective aerobic activity you will ever find. It is low impact AND will get your cardio going. The coolness of the water also helps regulate overheating where jogging just gets plain hot!

[fun4Ds]

I walked two miles this morning. I took an orange with me and ate it at the one mile mark. Surprisingly...... filling.

I can actually say I felt a boost of energy.

I found some weight bands of Mrsfuns for your ankles. I'm going to try wearing them tommorow.

Still no weight loss, but thats cool. I still believe.....

[TheLorax]

Originally Posted by fun4Ds

I walked two miles this morning. I took an orange with me and ate it at the one mile mark. Surprisingly...... filling.

I can actually say I felt a boost of energy.

I found some weight bands of Mrsfuns for your ankles. I'm going to try wearing them tommorow.

Still no weight loss, but thats cool. I still believe.....

Don't put them on your ankles yet, give it a couple-three weeks. However, if you can find wrist weights and you don't have shoulder problems, you can add those now and swing your arms while you walk. Don't try to jump in quickly. It takes time. Patience

If you can find uphill areas to walk those will give you more exercise earlier and still not be bad on your joints.

It will come, it just doesn't happen right away. 1-2lbs a week weight loss for the first few months is about right, any more than that and you're not getting maximum long term benefit. The thing is, for most people, 1-2 lbs is well within the 5-10lbs we can range depending on how much you've eaten lately and the level of your hydration. Get in the habit of weighing yourself at the same time of the day, and do it once a week, not daily.

You'll see the fastest gain in your cardio. You'll get less winded doing simple things like climbing stairs. You can see this benefit in the first week. By the first month you'll see your resting pulse rate start to drop. The real test is in your cardio recovery. Last year I could exercise to get my heart rate up to 160, and five minutes later it would still be 120. Now the same amount of exercise I did then barely gets my HR to 120, and when I go up to 160, within a minute it is under 100 again. THAT is real improvement for me! That and my resting pulse is now in the low 60s which it never used to be (best I ever did in my twenties was in the mid 70s).