Get fit plan

[MinervasOwl]

My teaching job ends in mid June and then I basically have nothing to do until I leave for my program mid Aug, so I thought it would be a good time to get fit- lose some visceral fat- and basically get in better shape. I'm planning on starting running (on a treadmill) 3 times a week and resistance training twice a week.

Anyone else have get fit plans?

[MyNamesNotRick]

Throuout my master degrees and now onto my PhD I've continuted to be a gym rat.

I've limited it to 4 days a week and essentially have either gone in the early morning or at late night.

I've found that it has helped me stay focused on my studies actually because when worked into my schedule it helps me keep things regimented.

For example, if I I know I have to go workout tomorrow I am trying to get as much as possible done today in regards to school work.

[ktel]

I'm a pretty dedicated athlete, so am playing rugby for 6-7 months of the year and then off season training the rest. It's a great way to destress and make new friends.

[Dal PhDer]

I am like MyNamesNotRick. I am at the gym 3-4 times a week doing cardio and weights, I play recreational soccer one night a week, and then I try my best to eat healthy (lots of veggies, good protein, and moderate portion sizes) ... this has allowed me to lose my MA weight (and more!) - a total of 30+lbs to date and going for more!

The biggest thing is to not make it something you 'have' to do, like it's work...make it part of your regular routine- like brushing your teeth! Also, I highly HIGHLY recommend joining a co-ed rec sports league for the summer! A lot of cities have these and it's a great way to get outdoors, exercise and meet people...it's the social highlight of my week!

Exercise is really great to help focus you and restore your attention, not to mention it can reduce stress, improve your immune system, and help you maintain a good sleep pattern- these are all essential things for when you are in grad school! I would start making it part of your lifestyle! And you'll enjoy it and it won't seem like work!

[booksnlooks]

I've been working on a get fit plan so I'll have a routine in place by the time Sept rolls around. I've been doing 2 days strength training, 2 days cardio, and 2 days yoga. For weights and cardio, I've been using the P90 program and I love it! I was originally going to start P90X with the boyfriend but I have no arm strength so I couldn't get past the fit test haha so getting to P90X is my new goal!

[3point14]

I've been working on a get fit plan so I'll have a routine in place by the time Sept rolls around. I've been doing 2 days strength training, 2 days cardio, and 2 days yoga. For weights and cardio, I've been using the P90 program and I love it! I was originally going to start P90X with the boyfriend but I have no arm strength so I couldn't get past the fit test haha so getting to P90X is my new goal!

I have been doing P90X. I didn't pass the fit test (couldn't do the pull-up), but started anyway since that was the only thing I failed. If you can't do the weights and/or pull-ups, you can start with resistance bands until you're strong enough.

[Cici Beanz]

I've been doing a terrible job taking care of my self physically lately...to be honest, have such a sense that I am just biding my time til September that it's hard to even think about changing up my routine in any real way. But in any case, I've been telling myself that when I get to school I'm going to take full advantage of 1. the BRAND NEW routine I'll be creating- new city, new people, classes...and 2. the fitness center at my university. I know it might seem like wishful thinking that I'm going to heap yet another change onto my life, but I have high hopes for the plan...

[Shari A Williams]

You guys are SO RIGHT about exercising regularly being a way of regularizing your schedule overall where studying and other things are concerned. I find that when I work out first thing in the morning or when I know I have to work out in the evening, I'm more likely to be super productive during the days.

I dance at my current university, and that ranges from about 4-9 hours a week depending on whether or not there's a performance. Dancing generally tends to improve flexibility and strength along with cardio for me. Normally when I'm not dancing I try to do a combo of jogging/cardio, yoga and some strength training at LEAST 4 times a week. This year I actually kept doing those things WHILE dancing seven or eight hours a week, in addition to trying out capoeira...and even though I hurt my knee and lower back in the process (my fault for not easing into everything), it was worth it in the long run. Not only were the results ok, but it greatly improved my energy levels and my mood in general. Those are things that I DEFINITELY need in grad school..so if I can't dance at my new university I'll find a sport or something to complement the other activities.

I think a very important thing people sometimes underestimate is the importance of moving throughout the day...for weight loss and general fitness that can help a great deal. It's really hard when you're spending long hours sitting down at work/in class/in the library but whenever you can it helps to get up and move around, take a brief walk, take the stairs where possible and so on. The key is just to get the metabolism going whenever possible.

Hope everything goes well for you, and thanks to everyone else who posted for the tips!

[TheFez]

I am "regularizing" with a Red Bull and Monster Drink regimen to compensate for my general lack of sleep. This along with pencil pushing, mental gymnastics, math exercises and occasional recreational sex.

[Dal PhDer]

I am "regularizing" with a Red Bull and Monster Drink regimen to compensate for my general lack of sleep. This along with pencil pushing, mental gymnastics, math exercises and occasional recreational sex.

Sugar and caffeine are two important food groups when you're in grad school!

[MyNamesNotRick]

I am "regularizing" with a Red Bull and Monster Drink regimen to compensate for my general lack of sleep. This along with pencil pushing, mental gymnastics, math exercises and occasional recreational sex.

Questioning your existence during finals is very exausting also.

I tend to get many sets in every May and December.

Sugar and caffeine are two important food groups when you're in grad school!

There are other food groups?!?!

[Dal PhDer]

There are other food groups?!?!

Poutine!

Wine!

Chocolate!

I don't think I am missing anything, am I?

[ktel]

Oh, I have a good get fit tip to share. I really hate running without a purpose. Sprint training, intervals, running to score a try, or any sort of running that only takes a short amount of time or distance is fine with me. But long distance or time? I hate it. So I have begun actually running to places. This has the benefit that I can not quit early or I can't get home (or to wherever I need to be). Plus if I need to be somewhere by a certain time, I know I have to run at a certain pace as well. Works remarkably well for me.

[Shari A Williams]

I am "regularizing" with a Red Bull and Monster Drink regimen to compensate for my general lack of sleep. This along with pencil pushing, mental gymnastics, math exercises and occasional recreational sex.

LOVE IT! This pencil pushing thing....the more time I spend writing, the hungrier I get...so it MUST be burning some calories!!!

[antecedent]

If you can't run places like ktel (I think I may be the world's sweatiest person, and shouldn't be allowed in confined places or public transit [much like durian fruit] after strenuous exercise) then I can't recommend enough distance running. You get the satisfaction of running really far, you get to do it slow (compared to sprints or track races or anything under 10k), and it's really good for clearing your mind. Plus the occasional race gives you a goal to focus on other than school, and running a half marathon or a marathon makes you feel like a badass, which is particularly helpful when your studies are getting you down. It's also the best way I have every found to lose weight - I lost over 20 lbs that 'd been trying to lose for years in 4 1/2 months.

[Hillary Emick]

We're moving to a much warmer climate and that was a big kick in the rear end to get in better shape. I've been working out daily, alternating a light work out focusing on toning my problem areas with an intensive aerobic workout every other day. I'm down a full dress size from when I started (~ 6 weeks in) and feeling stronger and healthier.

[yoquierocafe]

I am moving from Southern California to Colorado and I am worried about staying motivated during the winter months. I love running, but I'm not so sure that I will love it in the freezing cold... I will attempt to make the gym part of my routine, but that will take extreme dedication as I hate the gym!

Any suggestions for working out in cold climates??

[SomedaySLP]

I am moving from Southern California to Colorado and I am worried about staying motivated during the winter months. I love running, but I'm not so sure that I will love it in the freezing cold... I will attempt to make the gym part of my routine, but that will take extreme dedication as I hate the gym!

Any suggestions for working out in cold climates??

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the climate in CO. It's rare that we have extended periods of time of freezing temperatures. The winters are really weird here, you could get snow in the morning and be running in shorts by the afternoon. While you will get some big snow storms (usually only a few a year that accumulate to more than a few inches, though it varies by year. And obviously if you're in the mountains you'll get more, but not so much in Boulder), usually the snow is gone by the next day or two, due to the amount and intensity of the sunshine we get. It's not at all uncommon to have two week periods of 70 degree weather mid-winter (though also not unheard of to have a blizzard at the end of April...) and pretty common to have a day where you're bundled and trudging through snow and a day when you can go comfortably without a coat within the same winter week. It's nothing like the cold, wet, sunless New England or Midwestern winters at all.

I personally hate the snow and cold and I love living in CO and am dreading leaving it. I exercise outside regularly, as do most of my friends, and the weather rarely becomes an issue. On those occasional times per year when it truly is too cold or snowy, I just suck it up and go to the gym (or take a cheat day ) but I guarantee you it will not be a season-long issue, just a few days here and there. If you need any suggestions on living in Boulder (or the SLP program, since I see that's your program as well), feel free to PM me.

[melly_mel]

I am moving from Southern California to Colorado and I am worried about staying motivated during the winter months. I love running, but I'm not so sure that I will love it in the freezing cold... I will attempt to make the gym part of my routine, but that will take extreme dedication as I hate the gym!

Any suggestions for working out in cold climates??

get a season pass and hit the slopes! or try snowshoeing or cross country skiing. i lived in washington state for years and developed a love for snowshoeing. it can be a great workout, though not entirely a cardio routine. i also ran in really cold weather -- the key is just the right gear.

[SomedaySLP]

get a season pass and hit the slopes! or try snowshoeing or cross country skiing. i lived in washington state for years and developed a love for snowshoeing. it can be a great workout, though not entirely a cardio routine. i also ran in really cold weather -- the key is just the right gear.

Oooh, I second this. Didn't think of mentioning winter sports, but I love snowshoeing too, as well as cross country skiing (I'm not big on downhill skiing or snowboarding though...a sin for a CO resident, I get lots of flack for it ) Eldora ski resort is very close to Boulder if you're into that stuff. In the nicer months, hiking the flatirons is very close by, a good workout AND full of gorgeous views to boot. There are also bike lanes and paths everywhere in Boulder and cyclists and pedestrians pretty much rule the roads (annoying when you're driving, convenient otherwise) so if you like riding a bike for your exercise, it's extremely bike-friendly as well.

[rising_star]

God, I'm jealous of anyone that can lose a full clothing size after 6 weeks of working out!

FWIW, I work out several times a week. I train capoeira 2-4 times/week, lift weights 2-4 times/week, and then do other cardio (elliptical, treadmill, run outside) another 1-2 times/week as my normal routine. I've been off that routine for a while due to a number of circumstances and I can feel the differences in my body and my mind.

To the OP: Remember to start off slowly. I recommend the elliptical as an easy way to fit in cardio, which you should do in addition to weight training. If you don't have a background in weight training, definitely find some books/websites that can help you develop a sound and safe routine. Oh, and consider meeting with a personal trainer or a more knowledgeable buddy the first time to ensure that you're lifting weights correctly. You don't want to hurt yourself when you're trying to get in shape!

My basic weight lifting routine is actually super simple, though I do vary it up periodically to challenge my muscles and keep it interesting. Here are the basics: Leg press, calf raise, lat pulldown, bench/chest press, upright row, tricep extension, bicep curl... Alternating between pushing and pulling exercises.

[MyNamesNotRick]

God, I'm jealous of anyone that can lose a full clothing size after 6 weeks of working out!

FWIW, I work out several times a week. I train capoeira 2-4 times/week, lift weights 2-4 times/week, and then do other cardio (elliptical, treadmill, run outside) another 1-2 times/week as my normal routine. I've been off that routine for a while due to a number of circumstances and I can feel the differences in my body and my mind.

To the OP: Remember to start off slowly. I recommend the elliptical as an easy way to fit in cardio, which you should do in addition to weight training. If you don't have a background in weight training, definitely find some books/websites that can help you develop a sound and safe routine. Oh, and consider meeting with a personal trainer or a more knowledgeable buddy the first time to ensure that you're lifting weights correctly. You don't want to hurt yourself when you're trying to get in shape!

My basic weight lifting routine is actually super simple, though I do vary it up periodically to challenge my muscles and keep it interesting. Here are the basics: Leg press, calf raise, lat pulldown, bench/chest press, upright row, tricep extension, bicep curl... Alternating between pushing and pulling exercises.

Well it depends on what you're working with body wise to begin with.

So that information that might be good to figure what you might be doing wrong or right.

On the surface of it, if those are your exercises you are really not doing much in regards to lifting.

You need to do more in the type of exercises you are doing.

So bench presses, great.

But you are not doing either of the major leg exercises, squats or deadlifts.

There are a number of variations of either to get you comfortable with it, so I would look into what may work for you.

There is much more to lifting that can do wonders for weight loss that doesn't mean you have to increase an actual workload (squats and deads for example).

But the main thing you want to remember with weight loss is calories in/calories out.

From your post you have the calories out part right so you want to start thinking about the calories in part.

Salts and sugars are not your friend (of course all in moderation).

And water, lots and lots of water. It's the most simple thing you can do for weight loss.

Finally, it's a lifestyle change so think long term.

Like someone said before, being active should be treated like breathing.

The long term benefits are worth more than fitting into a piece of clothing (and that will come eventually anyway).

[TypeA]

I've been working out on-and-off for the past few months, but I really want to commit to 4-5 solid days a week of working out at my gym for the rest of the summer. I usually do 30-50 minutes of cardio, almost always a combination of elliptical, rowing machine, and treadmill (speedy uphill walking--I loathe running). I follow that with 20-30 minutes of strength training, and then stretches. I'd like to drop one more clothing size by September, but I'd be content just being a "fitter" version of my current size.

My latest attempt to clean up my diet has been making tzatziki to use as a veggie dip for snacking. If you use Greek yogurt for the whole base (instead of including sour cream, like some recipes do), it's quite healthy. I've also recently become addicted to Clif bars, which I like before or after a workout. And summertime means grilled veggies, of course.

Edited May 31, 2012 by TypeA

[Max Power]

Well it depends on what you're working with body wise to begin with.

So that information that might be good to figure what you might be doing wrong or right.

On the surface of it, if those are your exercises you are really not doing much in regards to lifting.

You need to do more in the type of exercises you are doing.

So bench presses, great.

But you are not doing either of the major leg exercises, squats or deadlifts.

There are a number of variations of either to get you comfortable with it, so I would look into what may work for you.

There is much more to lifting that can do wonders for weight loss that doesn't mean you have to increase an actual workload (squats and deads for example).

But the main thing you want to remember with weight loss is calories in/calories out.

From your post you have the calories out part right so you want to start thinking about the calories in part.

Salts and sugars are not your friend (of course all in moderation).

And water, lots and lots of water. It's the most simple thing you can do for weight loss.

Finally, it's a lifestyle change so think long term.

Like someone said before, being active should be treated like breathing.

The long term benefits are worth more than fitting into a piece of clothing (and that will come eventually anyway).

This is really really good. Any lifting program that doesn't start with the big, multi-joint compound movements is going to be substantially less effective than one that does. Isolation movements aren't bad, per se, but they should not be the primary part of a lifting program.

A good place to start is to plan each workout around squatting (front, back, zercher, just make 'em good and deep and get past parallel) and then doing one big pressing movement (bench press, standing overhead press, dips, floor press with bands and chains, etc) and one big pull (deadlift, power clean, chin up, pull up, power snatch, etc). 3 heavy sets of 5 (plus an adequate warmup) of each is a full body resistance workout. You can do some assistance stuff if you want, but you probably won't want to. For the first 8 months I was lifting, the only movements I did were back squat, bench press, overhead press, deadlift, power clean and chin up.

Weight gain/loss is a function of calories in vs calories out. Heavy barbell movements will not make you get bigger unless you are also eating surplus calories. Look at all the people in the gym who don't look like Arnold circa Pumping Iron. It does have ton of weight loss benefits, especially squatting and deadlifting. They will promote your body to release more testosterone and growth hormone than any other movement, which are great for weight loss, plus adding some lean mass means a sped up metabolism, so you burn more calories while you are writing papers.

[MinervasOwl]

If you can't run places like ktel (I think I may be the world's sweatiest person, and shouldn't be allowed in confined places or public transit [much like durian fruit] after strenuous exercise) then I can't recommend enough distance running. You get the satisfaction of running really far, you get to do it slow (compared to sprints or track races or anything under 10k), and it's really good for clearing your mind. Plus the occasional race gives you a goal to focus on other than school, and running a half marathon or a marathon makes you feel like a badass, which is particularly helpful when your studies are getting you down. It's also the best way I have every found to lose weight - I lost over 20 lbs that 'd been trying to lose for years in 4 1/2 months.

I'm really interested in training for a 500k- and I've been working out for 6 months taking circuit and strength classes at a local gym but as far as running is concerned, I'm a newby. Right now i'm using a program I downloaded online. Any ideas how i can train more effectively? Are their groups or classes I can join- generally?