Official Dids Gym Thread

[TimM]

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As you may know, last March I was at 331 lbs. That's likely down from more like 345 (I had moved in Feb and was walking about 3 mile or so a day for the past 3 months).

Since then I've dropped about 70 lbs to my current total of 260.

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Very nice, it feels good doesn't it?

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What jumps off the page at me is that my upper body is horrible, especially chest press, but my lower body is almost maxing out some of the machines.

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I am similar, shoulder press is also my worst.

[Sofisdad]

Dids,

I think the big reason you might want to try lifting before cardio is due to losing weight more efficiently given your expected amount of time in the gym each session. It takes approximately 20 minutes of medium intensity cardio to burn the sugar in your bloodstream that your body is going to be using for energy during your workout. After you get rid of the sugar then your body begins to rely on fat stores for additional energy to carry you through whatever activity you are taking part in. Lifting will not burn the amount of calories that intense cardio does but it will serve the purpose of getting rid of the body's primary energy source for short durations of activity, i.e., blood sugar, and then allow you to start burning off some of the fat stores that have been collecting it for later use. Ideally, you will have no more blood sugar left when you start cardio after lifting and all the calories you burn will be taken from stored fat.

This is another reason some people will recommend doing cardio or working out in the morning first thing on an empty stomach, your body has used its available sugar sources to maintain all of your bodily functions while you are asleep. This will lead to all calories burnt coming from your fat stores, before you put food into your body in the morning. Bodybuilders will do this when getting ready for a competition to lower their body fat at a quicker pace.

Its also important to remember that all calories going into your body, whether they be fat, protein, or carbs, will be turned into sugar molecules eventually and then put into your bloodstream. It just takes more work for your body to turn the protein molecules into the sugar and the body burns more calories converting protein into available energy. Fat is 9 calories a gram, protein and carbs are 4 calories per gram. Thats why 1 fat gram is 'worse' than a gram of protein or carbohydrate. Carbs are in various forms but simple carbs like white bread, white rice, or just plain sugar hits your bloodstream much quicker after eating them and if they aren't used immediately by your body then they turn to fat fairly quickly. Not trying to make this Nutrition 101 or anything but understanding what happens to the different types of foods that go into your body sometimes makes it easier to know what to stay away from over time.

Congratulations on your weight loss so far Dids!!!!

[Thremp]

Dids,

After reading the responses and doing some mild thinking (in lieu of studying). I think you are still too fat to do a "workout". There are a hundred avenues you can go, but instead of doing "cardio and a workout". You are best suited by a GPP type workout. Your diet needs improvement, but at this point... Its kinda moot. As progress slows you can tighten up.

GPP would be like carrying heavy things around. Lifting heavy things up and putting them on the ground. Doing complex movements with only your bodyweight.

Like right now. You could do bodyweight box squats to failure for a morning workout in sets of 10 or whatever. And then possibly work on your snatch form in the evening. However, you mentioned that you "enjoy" going to the gym. So while it may not be the optimal thing for you to go and grind out machine bicep curls. Motivation is probably the biggest thing at this point. So just stick with what your doing. (Learning O-lifts with a broomstick in lieu of cardio some days might be a good sub.)

[Dids]

Thremp,

What are the negatives of what I'm doing now. What you suggest sounds like some good additions, but is there stuff I should NOT be doing?

[nation]

Dids,

any activity is good. i think he's saying there are more effective ways for you to lose the weight.

[nutsflopper]

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Thremp,

What are the negatives of what I'm doing now. What you suggest sounds like some good additions, but is there stuff I should NOT be doing?

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Don't worry about whats wrong with your training, nothing is wrong, any physical effort is going to work wonders for you where you are right now. As long as you give your muscles work, you're going to make rapid improvements. Training is the least of your worries right now, you need to worry about changing the eating habits you have ingrained for who knows how long, and it looks like you're doing a great job. Losing fat is ~80% diet, ~20% training. I've told you what is optimal (strength training with short rest periods using compound movements such as squats/lunges, rows, assisted pullups, bench press, overhead press, and deadlift variations) but you don't seem willing to put effort into these, so just make it to the gym often but most importantly take care of your diet. Keep up the good work, and you won't have any problem staying motivated as you're going to see major changes in your body very quickly.

[mr_whomp]

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I start with 20 minutes of cardio on crossramp at the 16 setting (which works the gluts and calves) keeping up a rate of about 155-165 strides per minute and a heat rate between 130-145 (this really varies by how much energy I have), and then another 10 on the bike or the treadmill that’s typically less vigorous than the crossramp.


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Why do you keep your HR down at 130-145ish?

[Dids]

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I start with 20 minutes of cardio on crossramp at the 16 setting (which works the gluts and calves) keeping up a rate of about 155-165 strides per minute and a heat rate between 130-145 (this really varies by how much energy I have), and then another 10 on the bike or the treadmill that’s typically less vigorous than the crossramp.


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Why do you keep your HR down at 130-145ish?

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I don't, that's just the max I hit. Remember, I'm old and stuff (30).

[Dids]

Update.

Clocking in at 256.

I haven't had the best few days of eating. More carbs than I would have liked over the weekend. Not anything really horrible, just not super good like I need to be.

The recent workouts have been harder. I don't know if it's bad sleeping scheduling or what, but I'm just not able to keep up the same pace on the cross ramp as I have in the past. Before I was hitting about 150 strides per minute, which was almost a run. Now I'm closer to 135. Part of that is that I've upped the angle at which I'm working, so maybe I should cut that down a bit.

Current weights for lifts (what I'm doing 3 x 10):

Legs and Abs:

Leg Sled 380
Calf Press 280
Leg Extension 130
Leg Curl 130
Adductor 120
Ab Crunch 155

Back and Biceps

Row 105
Lat Pull 100
Back Extension (maxed out machine, do 3x15) 260
Torso Rotation 145
Pullover 120
Rear Fly 100
Biceps Curl 75

Chest and Triceps

Chest Press 90
Triceps Extension 75
Shoulder Press 45
Lat Raise 80
Fly 110
(I'm working on adding a forearm workout here)

Pictures:

[edfurlong]

Sorry not to weigh in with any advice here, but wow dids. Amazing work so far. Was there one particular straw that made you just say no to dying early all of a sudden?