New year health/fitness thread
- Thread starter Tenacious E
- Start date
Last summer, we went on a 10 day southern Caribbean cruise. My daughter and I went and climbed a mountain in Antigua, to see an old fort. That about killed me. Felt embarrassed having to stop all the time because I was so out of shape. I’m 6 foot and weighed about 219. Changed my eating habits, doing intermittent fasting and cutting out all sugar. Lost 34 pounds and down to 185 now. I hadn’t been under 200 pounds since high school. Had a lot more muscle mass then though.
I do cardio on the treadmill every night. Like somebody else said, a steep incline at a 3.3 to 3.8 pace. I’d like to get down to 175ish. I’ll be 49 tomorrow, I don’t care anymore about lifting weights anymore.
I do cardio on the treadmill every night. Like somebody else said, a steep incline at a 3.3 to 3.8 pace. I’d like to get down to 175ish. I’ll be 49 tomorrow, I don’t care anymore about lifting weights anymore.
So I should go heavier/moderate every time? My thoughts were that I am getting older and figured I needed more recovery time.
My goal is to cut back on carbs and sugar. I have a stressful job and tend to stress eat. I'm fortunate to have high metabolism so weigh only 172 lbs at 6' tall. I have gotten soft and out of shape. I lifted for the first time yesterday in many years. I'm embarrassing weak and out of shape. I plan on lifting 3x per week and cardio 3x per week. Holding myself accountable is the biggest struggle. I have young kids that are in many activities, and again, a stressful busy job. I hope this thread keeps going to keep me focused and motivated. Happy 2025!
That rep range will improve your muscle endurance and fitness, but not as effective for muscle hypertrophy. I would aim for the 12-16 rep range.
Look up junk volume. Follow Chris Beardsley, Joe Bennett, and Paul Carter on Instagram. Beardsley is all science
I typically pack my lunches and eat well during the day, then when I get home my discipline gets tossed out the door. Wake up and start over the next day and get no where. Although I have absolutely gained some muscle in the last 6 months…
I have a bad shoulder and also a potential heart issue and have been advised not to lift very heavy weights as a precaution.
I work out solely with dumbbells and have devised a simple plan that works for me. Three sets of each exercise 15-12-10 with the same weight. Weights anywhere between 20-40 lbs per dumbbell. I can get through it all in 20 min in my basement.
I’m not looking for a beach body - just to keep strength as I get older. I can definitely tell a difference vs when I’m not doing it.
Any problems with what I’m doing?
I will have to change up my routine some…
AI Overview
+5
"Junk volume" in weightlifting refers to excessive sets or reps performed during a workout that don't contribute significantly to muscle growth or strength gains, essentially meaning you're doing extra work that is not productive and can hinder recovery, potentially leading to stagnation or even injury; it's considered "waste volume" that takes up time and energy without providing meaningful results.
Key points about junk volume:
- Excessive sets and reps:
Doing too many sets for a muscle group beyond what is needed to adequately stimulate it for growth.
- Low intensity sets:
Performing sets with weights that are too light, even if you reach high rep ranges, which can lead to inadequate muscle stimulation.
- Poor form:
Using improper technique can negate the effectiveness of a set and contribute to junk volume.
- Lack of progression:
Not progressively increasing weight or difficulty over time, leading to stagnant training.
- Excessive sets and reps:
- Focus on quality over quantity:
Prioritize performing high-quality reps with proper form and adequate weight instead of just doing a high volume of sets with minimal effort.
- Plan your workouts strategically:
Choose exercises that target the muscle groups effectively and limit unnecessary sets.
- Listen to your body:
Pay attention to fatigue levels and adjust your workout accordingly to avoid overtraining.
- Focus on quality over quantity:
I don't do well with complicated, multi-tiered goals. My goal this year is to get myself out of breath for a few minutes and break a sweat once per day.
I have a hybrid job where I'm working from home about 50% of the time and out doing inspections 50% of the time. I'm terrible when I'm at home but somehow do pretty well when I'm traveling and avoid buying crappy food.
Start with eating organic mostly. No junk food and drinks. Little alcohol.
For sure stay away from gmo.
Reduce WiFi and cell exposure
Then work on exercise
For sure stay away from gmo.
Reduce WiFi and cell exposure
Then work on exercise
That makes sense to me for your objectives (maintain strength/muscle).
I'm already in peak physical condition. So, I suppose continue with my current routine of 100 pull jerks with deep stares in front of my bedroom mirror.
We moved from Chicago to the suburbs during summer and my fitness regimen went to hell. In the city it was a three minute walk to the gym and now I have to drive 15 minutes. Just that little change de-motivated me immensely. My new years goal is to get consistent in working out (5/6 days a week) again.
I’ve probably lost 10-15 pounds since summer when I stopped lifting consistently. I have the opposite problem most people have. I can’t keep weight on. So my body composition has changed quite a bit.
Need to focus on nutrition (protein/macro intake) as well. When I’m lifting consistently, I’m very good at this. But diet has not been great since summer either.
I’ve probably lost 10-15 pounds since summer when I stopped lifting consistently. I have the opposite problem most people have. I can’t keep weight on. So my body composition has changed quite a bit.
Need to focus on nutrition (protein/macro intake) as well. When I’m lifting consistently, I’m very good at this. But diet has not been great since summer either.
No new goals or anything like that. Just stay consistent in the gym and keep the hypertrophy train going.
Curls for the girls, as always 🙌
Curls for the girls, as always 🙌
Getting back to working out five days a week after cutting to three days the last six months to accommodate injuries/pain. Also switch from lifting all five days to lifting three and doing alternate workouts with cardio the other two.
Lifting goals are embarrassingly low - try to bench 200 and squat 300.
Lifting goals are embarrassingly low - try to bench 200 and squat 300.
I like Jeff Nipard on YouTube for this reason, everything he posts is science-based and he sites all the literature and such.
"The best way to grow your arms, based on science."
- Sep 13, 2002
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On Day 2 of Dry January. (actually on Day 4 as the last booze I had was Sunday, Dec. 29)
So far, so good!
No shakes or nothing!
Feeling good on the wagon.
So far, so good!
No shakes or nothing!
Feeling good on the wagon.
My fitness center is like that every Monday and it’s empty again by Thursday.
Hope to get up to 245 so I can fight Mike Tyson and make 9 million on PPV...
On Day 2 of Dry January. (actually on Day 4 as the last booze I had was Sunday, Dec. 29)
So far, so good!
No shakes or nothing!
Feeling good on the wagon.
I don’t know if it’s a real word or not but friedchickencentric keeps coming up in my brain.
Is that counting THC?On Day 2 of Dry January. (actually on Day 4 as the last booze I had was Sunday, Dec. 29)
So far, so good!
No shakes or nothing!
Feeling good on the wagon.
My workout routine (8 months of year) is generally weight training (free weights) four times per week. Alternating between upper body and lower body workouts. I incorporate about 6 exercises for each workout. I do 4 sets of 12 reps for each lifting exercise. I make it an aerobic workout by only resting 30 to 45 seconds between sets. The key is to use strict form on all exercises; therefore, you can’t load up too heavy on the weight until your body adapts to the workout. Then you can progressively increase the weight. Every 6 to 8 weeks, I take a one-week break from lifting to give my body a break. During the winter months my other aerobic “exercise” is shoveling my driveway, as I don’t own a snow blower. 😉 Once the weather is nice, my “workouts” consist of biking, golf, tennis, pickle ball, hiking, and mowing the lawn with a push mower. 😜
My fitness “goal” is basically to just maintain my general health, strength, flexibility, and muscle mass as I age.
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Are you Nearing failure on your sets? If not. Up your weight, or you’re wasting time
Well, the book I read (got this routine from) said to use a weight that you could do one set of 20…that’s what I use for the four sets. However, as I mentioned, I use strict form an each rep, so that by the time I’m done with the 4th set, my muscles are pumped. I add increments of weight as necessary. Every 6 to 8 weeks, I change up the various lifting exercises used. It’s worked for me as I’m 6 ft, 180 pounds, with a decent amount of muscle definition and relatively low body fat. BTW - I’ve tried other lifting routines of heavy weights/fewer reps, but I invariably end up pulling a muscle, etc. Guess I’m not a Spring chicken anymore. 😉
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- Sep 13, 2002
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- 206,327
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