New Exercise and Fitness Thread

[peterbound]

Thanks! If you're looking to do one yourself, I cannot recommend enough Hal Higdon's novice program.

Link here.

It gives you Mondays and Fridays off and is a nice gradual buildup. He has lots of other great programs on his website for various runs. You can look at them for free, or pay to have his service email your schedule daily.

Best of luck with the 5k!

I'm going to do this. Although i think i'll drop the saturday programming and throw in an extra day of crossfit.

[Harlot]

Wow. What an awesome resource. Thanks so much for the links. Just looking over the site I'm feeling really inspired.

[alguien]

I'm going to do this. Although i think i'll drop the saturday programming and throw in an extra day of crossfit.

Depends on what your goal is.

If its just to get generally faster, build up mileage, and drop weight, then cutting the Saturday long run is probably fine. In the program I linked to, Sundays are a cross training day. I almost always swim, but I have done yoga as well.

If you are training for an actual marathon though... you gotta get those long runs in there, if not Saturday, then another day. (a lot of people do their long run on Sunday instead) They're the most important aspect of the training. (and the most time consuming)

[ztemhead]

Weight lifting will tire you out at first, but stick with it...that "feeling better" comes after 6 months or so, not right away. Not unless you're 20. ;)

indeed. a good squats day gives only a little less euphoria than a vicodin. I only wish it also didn't come with a little disorientation, but that passes.

Day 2 of Smolov went okay. I reckon if I'm feeling sore and crap and I stick to the squats only, I'll be okay. I haven't had a chance to get together with B for all the other random stuff in the program, but I have been keeping up with the overall volume, rep for rep. :) Tommorrow will be a bit of a challenge because I'm going out tonight and have to work tommorrow at 11:30AM.

[CelticKnight]

Well I've finally decided to bulk.

After going from about 200 lbs. (of fat) to 150 lbs. and maintaining that for a year, I've finally decided that it's time I start putting some mass on this tiny frame. I actually developed what I believe is a slight eating disorder in the process, in that I became obsessed with counting calories and macronutrient values, so much to the point that I would prevent myself to go out with friends because I didn't know the precise value of what I ate.

No more! Time to be a man and eat. I'll post a pic later to keep myself honest and to track my progress.

This "bulk" should probably also help my lifts, which have been stagnating as of late. I'm at a 315 lbs deadlift, 260 lbs. squat, and 200 lbs. bench press (all for 5 sets of 5).

My goal is to add 20 pounds of lean mass by next year on this date. Time to do this.

Current stats:

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 150 lbs.

[lessthanluke]

Well I've finally decided to bulk.

After going from about 200 lbs. (of fat) to 150 lbs. and maintaining that for a year, I've finally decided that it's time I start putting some mass on this tiny frame. I actually developed what I believe is a slight eating disorder in the process, in that I became obsessed with counting calories and macronutrient values, so much to the point that I would prevent myself to go out with friends because I didn't know the precise value of what I ate.

No more! Time to be a man and eat. I'll post a pic later to keep myself honest and to track my progress.

This "bulk" should probably also help my lifts, which have been stagnating as of late. I'm at a 315 lbs deadlift, 260 lbs. squat, and 200 lbs. bench press (all for 5 sets of 5).

My goal is to add 20 pounds of lean mass by next year on this date. Time to do this.

Current stats:

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 150 lbs.

TIME TO EAT :D

[Sophelia]

Thanks for the encouragement folks (Fleeing Finn, Xray :) etc. ). Harlot I am impressed by your resolution. Someone in my office has just done the Great North Run, which normal (non Conanlike) people do every year for charity, but I still lack the bravery to commit to something like that. Keep posting how you get on. Chataya - thanks especially for such a detailed post giving some idea of what a newbie like me might expect. It sounds like you have achieved loads (er...literally I guess). I was at the gym again today (on the arm weights again this time) and pretty wiped out. However I do already feel a little stronger and fitter than when I started.

I do have one question: what does it mean when one's joints click? I presume it's a sign of unfitness: should I just carry on and ignore it, or is it a sign one isn't ready to do that weight yet? Or does it mean I need to do some stretches? (My gym routine doesn't include stretches at the moment, though the first gym I went to gave me some to do before the weights)

[cjfshaw]

I do have one question: what does it mean when one's joints click? I presume it's a sign of unfitness: should I just carry on and ignore it, or is it a sign one isn't ready to do that weight yet? Or does it mean I need to do some stretches? (My gym routine doesn't include stretches at the moment, though the first gym I went to gave me some to do before the weights)

I have no idea what it means, but usually I don't think it's cause for concern.

[CelticKnight]

Alright so as promised, here's a pic of me, weighing in at 150 lbs. Let the bulking commence. Sorry for the crappy webcam pic.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/728/meat150lbs.jpg

[Eponine]

If you are training for an actual marathon though... you gotta get those long runs in there, if not Saturday, then another day. (a lot of people do their long run on Sunday instead) They're the most important aspect of the training. (and the most time consuming)

I second this, but for Peterbound, seems like the Pump and Run might be more your thing.

[Tempra]

Well I've finally decided to bulk.

After going from about 200 lbs. (of fat) to 150 lbs. and maintaining that for a year, I've finally decided that it's time I start putting some mass on this tiny frame. I actually developed what I believe is a slight eating disorder in the process, in that I became obsessed with counting calories and macronutrient values, so much to the point that I would prevent myself to go out with friends because I didn't know the precise value of what I ate.

No more! Time to be a man and eat. I'll post a pic later to keep myself honest and to track my progress.

This "bulk" should probably also help my lifts, which have been stagnating as of late. I'm at a 315 lbs deadlift, 260 lbs. squat, and 200 lbs. bench press (all for 5 sets of 5).

My goal is to add 20 pounds of lean mass by next year on this date. Time to do this.

Current stats:

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 150 lbs.

What's the plan?

[Harlot]

Ran my first 5k this morning in 30 mins 47 secs. My goal was 35 mins so obviously I'm thrilled. It's a huge confidence booster. On Monday I transition to the 10k training and I'm feeling that a half-marathon this spring is very doable.

Thanks for all the support here. Also, I can't say enough how great the Couch to 5K program is. It really helped me organize. Posting my runs on FB and here also helped to keep me honest and motivated.

Thanks again for the Hal Higdon links, they've worked their way into my mind and heart

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

That is so brilliant, Harlot. Congratulations. :)

[CelticKnight]

What's the plan?

The plan is to up my caloric intake from 2300 to about 3000, slightly less than that on rest days, and go from there.

As for the training I'm doing a power/hypertrophy split right now, something I've been doing for about a month right now which I really like. It has definitely helped increase some of my lifts. I basically do low volume power training on monday/tuesday, and high volume hypertrophy training on thursday/friday/saturday and rest the two other days of the week.

[Lightning Lord]

Well done Harlot. Coming in almost five minutes under your goal time is almost as great as finishing the race in the first place. Keep us posted on the 10k progress. :cheers:

[cjfshaw]

Congrats Harlot! 5 minutes is huuuge

[Fleeing Finn]

I do have one question: what does it mean when one's joints click? I presume it's a sign of unfitness: should I just carry on and ignore it, or is it a sign one isn't ready to do that weight yet? Or does it mean I need to do some stretches? (My gym routine doesn't include stretches at the moment, though the first gym I went to gave me some to do before the weights)

If the clicking isn't accompanied by pain, swelling etc. it's most likely nothing to worry about. It's very common for people to have some clicking joints.

Have fun with your bulk CelticKnight. It's good you decided to get fairly lean first.

[Harlot]

Soph - my knees crack and pop all the time, but no pain. I think it's just age.

Started on my bridge to 10k this morning. Feeling good. I'm going to sign up for another 5k race soon. I'm signed up for a Halloween 5k but it is more for fun than for competition and I'd like to get another competitve 5k (or 2 ;P )under my belt before the 10k at the end of November

[ztemhead]

I do have one question: what does it mean when one's joints click? I presume it's a sign of unfitness: should I just carry on and ignore it, or is it a sign one isn't ready to do that weight yet? Or does it mean I need to do some stretches? (My gym routine doesn't include stretches at the moment, though the first gym I went to gave me some to do before the weights)

yeah, stretching is definitely a good idea, Sophie. The best thing is to warm up a little bit first, then stretch. This will get the synovial fluid flowing in your joints before you start your actual routine.

day three of Smolov, and I'm still keeping up with the routine, but barely. seven sets of five reps at 80% of my max was difficult but doable, even in spite of it being a crap morning otherwise. By the end of the last couple sets, my form was pretty rough and I was pausing for a couple seconds after each rep. It definitely feels like it's working, now my biggest concern is that I don't lose anything from my bench and deadlift. My goal is to add at least 10% to my squat over the next three months. Seeing as how my max now is only 300, perhaps I should aim higher; I don't know.

[ztemhead]

What's the plan?

may I suggest...

SQUATS!!!

No, seriously.