Weight Loss Thread

Real world application??? You mean like running from the cops? Or playing professional soccer?

I do a lot of elliptical, too. I used to do only elliptical but it isn't practical because my gym reorganized the machines and the ones I like are in a spot where they are taken more often now, so I have to run. I still like the elliptical, it is easy to add resistance and supposedly it is "low impact" so you should have to worry about your joints less, in theory.

Lejina_sl said:

As in using your legs to move yourself from one place to another. During a typical day i spend a lot more time putting one foot in front of the other than to row or bike. Granted walking isn't running, but it's largely using the same muscle groups. The human body is pretty much designed for running, to say it's bad for you because it hurts da joints is just a load of bs.

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The human body is designed for running, but I don't think it's designed for the kind of running that most people do. HIIT and sprinting is fine and natural, but running for hours and hours non stop, or running for really long distances (i.e. marathons) isn't natural and it's that kind of running that seems to lead to the most problems and injuries.

I know some people enjoy running and that's fine, but I'll never consider it an ideal form of cardio when there are so many other, low/non-impact options out there.

There have also been some studies done recently that suggest short, powerful bursts of running (sprinting) with rest in between is better for your cardiovascular health and also burns more calories in much shorter periods of time than slow, long jogs.

Are you referring to HIIT Khane? I did that for awhile and the results were good.


Picking up a bench and powerblocks today. Wife keeps nagging me to workout and I keep telling her running is for faggots. Used to lift pretty heavy, so hoping these are good. The only thing is I need to convert most exercises to dumbbells until I build a squat rack.

Yes, high intensity in short intervals

Convo_sl said:

yea.. low carb can cause that shit.

I recently got off the whole low carb thing and went the opposite route. Keeping my fat intake under 50g a day. Friend of mine is going to compete as a bodybuilder and gave me his diet and workout. He went from a stocky 230 to a ripped 185 in the last 6 months or so. The diet is very much like body for life, which I've done in the past and had success with. The workout is pretty awesome too, just time consuming. Still about calories and hard work tho.

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Mind sharing some of the aspects of his diet and workout?

Noodleface_sl said:

Are you referring to HIIT Khane? I did that for awhile and the results were good.


Picking up a bench and powerblocks today. Wife keeps nagging me to workout and I keep telling her running is for faggots. Used to lift pretty heavy, so hoping these are good. The only thing is I need to convert most exercises to dumbbells until I build a squat rack.

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Why not just buy a power rack?
Running is for pussies who had no fun in their youth and therefore have no knee problems.

I am going to get a power rack eventually. I can't wait

Anyone ever use a heart rate monitor? Specifically for low intensity, high volume training?

When it beats out your chest dial it back a scootch.

It is a good idea to have one though, it is like a saving throw vrs darwin award.

I've been reading some material that promotes the idea of doing a substantial amount of exercise at or below your lactic threshold, which corresponds to a perceived exercise intensity of: "am I actually working out right now?".
It's very easy to overdo it without a heart rate monitor giving you biofeedback on your actual intensity level.

The idea of the low intensity approach is that you can get much more volume without leading to overtraining symptoms. If you train at a lower intensity, you're sufficiently recovered 12-24 hours later. Whereas a high intensity workout could require 36+ hours of recovery.

Supposedly olympic athletes, including sprinters, use this technique early in their training period to develop their aerobic capacity. Working out at speeds near or below your lactate threshold does all kinds of things that high intensity training can't--increases mitochondrial activity, increases efficiency of lactate cycling, increases ability of the body to burn fat for energy (necessary for long endurance events to prevent bonking/crashing). Once your aerobic base is built, speed work can be incorporated (ie, starting a couple of months before a race).

Supposedly you also burn fat better at lower intensities (although this isn't my goal--wasn't there a fitness thread on FoH, separate from weightloss? couldn't find one here...)

This technique is pretty much the opposite of high intensity interval training. The criticism of HIIT being that it works for a while for building endurance but then people tend to plateau (because HIIT can't really train the aforementioned biology) or regress (due to overtraining).

Of course, the major downside of high volume, low intensity training is that aint nobody got time for that.

So far I'm struggling to put in more than 5-6 hours of running/cycling per week, but I'm still kind of in a build-up phase. Might not seem like a lot, but I've previously focused on rock climbing and other strength-based activities (trapeze, power yoga). This whole endurance thing is new to me, and I don't want to jump straight into 10+ hours/week.

What's the deal with these guys at the gym with the creepy masks?

It's some new fad. Don't worry it'll pass. They think they're professional athletes and need to simulate some altitude training.

Can we get a pic for reference? I didn't believe gym douchebaggery could get any worse than tapout shirts with gallons of water

Noodleface_sl said:

Can we get a pic for reference? I didn't believe gym douchebaggery could get any worse than tapout shirts with gallons of water

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Let us not stand on ceremony, Mr. Wayne.

chaos_sl said:

Let us not stand on ceremony, Mr. Wayne.

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Aha, so this isn't an isolated thing. I saw one of these masks a couple weeks ago on these two enormously jacked guys at my gym and my first thought was "holy shit Bane is working out at my gym!"

The worst thing about these masks is the annoying Darth Vader breathing sound they make. I could easily hear them breathing from 30 - 40 feet away in a busy and noisy gym.