Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

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j9j
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by j9j »

H-Town wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 11:50 am
Focus on those compound lifting exercises:
1) Squat
2) Deadlift
3) Bench press
4) Shoulder press
5) Lunges
6) Barbell row

Then combine with those exercises in between:
7) Triceps pull-down
8) Biceps curl
9) Flys using cable and free weights
10) Box jump
11) Pull-ups
12) Push-ups
13) Sit-ups
14) Stretching
15) Running up the hill

Don't step on the scale in the first month. Try to build muscle and strength. The rest will take care of itself, i.e. lose weight and fat loss.
This is a great breakdown on lifting exercises to prioritize. I would emphasize stretching as must have(both before and after lifting)

+1 on all the diet reminders. bad nutrition can undo any workouts.
alfaspider
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by alfaspider »

randomguy wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 1:53 pm
alfaspider wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 1:15 pm

I don't know any Sub 2:45 marathoners who are fat, but I do know plenty of avid recreational marathoners who have a little extra around the mid-section. A relative of mine runs several half-ironman triathlons and marathons a year but is ~50lbs overweight.

That goes back to the sustainability of out-exercising bad diet. Generally, it's only top athletes that can manage the training volume necessary to pig out without gaining weight. For ordinary recreational folks, even those who work out every day, the exercise alone won't cut it.
The performance bar is a rough proxy for training time. Take your avid relative. Do you think they are doing moderate amounts of training (7-10+ hours/week) or are they down in the low training amounts (3-4 hours/week). In my experience it is the latter. A lot of people just have no frame of reference to what a massive amount of exercise is. Running 60 mpw isn't massive. Running a 120 mpw is massive.

And no I don't expect anyone to control weight with massive amounts of exercise. But when the diet is in the reasonable range (2k for a guy is pretty reasonable.) trying to a 300-500 calorie deficit from exercise versus diet is something to think about.
I think the main issue is you need to be a pretty gifted athlete to sustain that kind of training volume (besides just having the time, which most do not). Most folks will get injured if they try to run 120mpw- even ramping up slowly to that volume. I was running ~30mpw when I decided to run a marathon and ramped up to 50mpw. While I finished my marathon, it lead to a knee injury from overuse, which I still feel from time to time even 10 years later. Some people's bodies can handle high running volume, evidently mine could not.

It also meant all my workout time was dedicated to running as opposed to other pursuits. I wasn't fat by any means (~160lbs at 5'11), but I was weak as all get-out. When I took up lifting after the knee injury, I struggled to bench press a single rep of 95lbs, and was left almost throwing up after a few reps of squatting 85lbs.

That said, I agree with you a bit of additional exercise can be useful for creating a calorie deficit, but you have to be really careful that you truly are burning more calories (and not resting more in other contexts) or cheating on meals because you "deserve it" after exercise.
Topic Author
new2bogle
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by new2bogle »

Found this pretty detailed website:

https://yurielkaim.com/compound-dumbbell-exercises/

What do you think?
alfaspider
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by alfaspider »

j9j wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:22 pm
H-Town wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 11:50 am
Focus on those compound lifting exercises:
1) Squat
2) Deadlift
3) Bench press
4) Shoulder press
5) Lunges
6) Barbell row

Then combine with those exercises in between:
7) Triceps pull-down
8) Biceps curl
9) Flys using cable and free weights
10) Box jump
11) Pull-ups
12) Push-ups
13) Sit-ups
14) Stretching
15) Running up the hill

Don't step on the scale in the first month. Try to build muscle and strength. The rest will take care of itself, i.e. lose weight and fat loss.
This is a great breakdown on lifting exercises to prioritize. I would emphasize stretching as must have(both before and after lifting)

+1 on all the diet reminders. bad nutrition can undo any workouts.
Stretching has come under question from recent research.

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2015/stretc ... ot-so-fast

Personally, I prefer a foam roller after a workout.
alfaspider
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by alfaspider »

new2bogle wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:25 pm Found this pretty detailed website:

https://yurielkaim.com/compound-dumbbell-exercises/

What do you think?
Those aren't bad exercises per-se, but they are relatively complicated to perform, and the easy ability to cheat on many can make it hard to track progress. If you have access to barbells, I would suggest something more like this to a newbie:

https://stronglifts.com/5x5/#gref

You only need 4 different exercises to follow this plan. While one could write novels on proper squad/deadlift form, they are at their core very simple exercises - especially compared to the exercises you linked to, which require two independent movements (i.e. squat + press) in the same exercise. Keeping it simple is one of the best ways to ensure you are making progress!

Once you start getting more advanced, then start branching out into different exercises. For reference on what is "advanced", I would reference this site:

https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/ ... hStandards

Don't get discouraged if you are well below these numbers at any point, and note they are for 1 rep maxes, which I wouldn't encourage testing if you are a newbie. The same site has a calculator to estimate your one rep max based on your best effort at 5x or 8x. Different body types play a big difference, and they are not adjusted for age. If you are 50 yrs old and at the "intermediate" level on these charts, I would call you pretty strong.
randomguy
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by randomguy »

alfaspider wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:26 pm

Stretching has come under question from recent research.

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2015/stretc ... ot-so-fast

Personally, I prefer a foam roller after a workout.
The evidence for foaming rolling is also pretty weak. It does feel good though :) Static stretching is definitely not fairing well in most studies other than a few specific uses. But various mobility exercises have some decent evidence. Instead of toe touches and the like, things like pigeons, cats and dogs, and pretty much everything you do in a yoga class.:) For most people it is all about loosening up the hips from sitting all day.
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Cyclesafe
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by Cyclesafe »

Lots of good stuff above.

Exercise and diet must be fully integrated into one's life. In fact, one should not need to either make a special effort to exercise or to diet. One's overall energy output and overall energy input must balance to maintain weight: to reduce or gain weight, one must increase output and decrease input or decrease output and increase input respectively. Easy to say.

It's a matter of priority. If living a long time is a priority, then one must selfishly take the time to move every day and must eat solely for nutritional sustenance. Life must revolve around your time spent moving and your food choices, not the other way around. Again, easy to say.

I run 6 miles and lift to muscle failure on a high-end home circuit weight machine almost every day, so I don't then mind when life occasionally intervenes. I (try to) eat only what is healthy (no simple carbs; no trans fat) and only enough so that I am not hungry. I have maintained my weight and muscle tone over the past two decades (157 lbs @ 6'1).

I think the more complicated one makes it, the tougher it is to stick with any regimen. The more one can integrate the tenants of healthy living into one's actual life, the better.
Last edited by Cyclesafe on Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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alfaspider
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by alfaspider »

randomguy wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:43 pm
alfaspider wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:26 pm

Stretching has come under question from recent research.

https://www.bu.edu/articles/2015/stretc ... ot-so-fast

Personally, I prefer a foam roller after a workout.
The evidence for foaming rolling is also pretty weak. It does feel good though :) Static stretching is definitely not fairing well in most studies other than a few specific uses. But various mobility exercises have some decent evidence. Instead of toe touches and the like, things like pigeons, cats and dogs, and pretty much everything you do in a yoga class.:) For most people it is all about loosening up the hips from sitting all day.
Yeah, the reason I do it is because it feels good, not because I believe it really does all that much :happy I agree mobility exercises can be good. I also find I do often need some dynamic stretching to get my hips lose enough to squat to full depth.
Topic Author
new2bogle
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by new2bogle »

alfaspider wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:34 pm
new2bogle wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:25 pm Found this pretty detailed website:

https://yurielkaim.com/compound-dumbbell-exercises/

What do you think?
Those aren't bad exercises per-se, but they are relatively complicated to perform, and the easy ability to cheat on many can make it hard to track progress. If you have access to barbells, I would suggest something more like this to a newbie:

https://stronglifts.com/5x5/#gref

You only need 4 different exercises to follow this plan. While one could write novels on proper squad/deadlift form, they are at their core very simple exercises - especially compared to the exercises you linked to, which require two independent movements (i.e. squat + press) in the same exercise. Keeping it simple is one of the best ways to ensure you are making progress!

Once you start getting more advanced, then start branching out into different exercises. For reference on what is "advanced", I would reference this site:

https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/ ... hStandards

Don't get discouraged if you are well below these numbers at any point, and note they are for 1 rep maxes, which I wouldn't encourage testing if you are a newbie. The same site has a calculator to estimate your one rep max based on your best effort at 5x or 8x. Different body types play a big difference, and they are not adjusted for age. If you are 50 yrs old and at the "intermediate" level on these charts, I would call you pretty strong.

Thanks++
mhalley
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by mhalley »

I will second the stronglifts and MyFitnessPal. They both have apps you can use.
I lost 78 pounds with those 2 and have kept it off for 5 yrs.
Another good routine is this one
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843
minimalistmarc
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by minimalistmarc »

Here is my HIIT [(removed) --admin LadyGeek] routine.
I am not a good exerciser so I like it “easy”

Warm up 5 minutes

1st routine 8 x 30 second intervals with 15 second rest - alternating kettle bell swing and fast mountain climbers

2nd routine 8 x 30 second intervals - alternating kettle bell goblet squat and running on the spot/jumping jacks

Stretch

What do you all think?
edge
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by edge »

Losing weight is almost entirely driven by diet.
Hockey10
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by Hockey10 »

As others have said, it is mostly about the diet. I used to play ice hockey for about 1.5 hours and then buy a dozen donuts on the way home from the rink. I never lost weight doing that.

Since I started being conscious of what I eat, I lost a lot of weight and went from a 38 waist to a 34. The biggest changes in my diet were the elimination of bread, pasta, and sweets. Find some fruits and vegetables that you like and eat a lot of them. For exercise, I simply do Army PT - pushups, situps, and running.
trumpet83
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by trumpet83 »

Personal Trainer and natural bodybuilding pro for what that’s worth. Here’s my take: Your routine is reasonable. Of course, there are always ways to make improvement but odds are that you are just eating at maintenance calories.

Without getting into macronutrients, I would just try cutting your total calories per day 10% each week until you begin to drop weight. If you have truly been eating a consistent 2k then just stick to 1800 for a week and see what happens.

I wouldn’t want to get deeply in the weeds with someone that sounds like they are doing some really positive things for their health. Let’s solve the problem with the most basic solution possible. Later on, the solutions are more complex but for now, simply keep ratcheting calories down until you reach the tipping point.
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LadyGeek
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by LadyGeek »

I removed several posts discussing the health benefits of diet, along with a few diet book recommendations. Health benefit claims related to dieting constitutes medical advice and is off-topic. See: Medical Issues
Questions on medical issues are beyond the scope of the forum. If you are looking for medical information online, I suggest you start with the Medical Library Association's User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web which, in addition to providing guidance on evaluating health information, includes a list of their top recommended sites.
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H-Town
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by H-Town »

minimalistmarc wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 3:38 pm Here is my HIIT [(removed) --admin LadyGeek] routine.
I am not a good exerciser so I like it “easy”

Warm up 5 minutes

1st routine 8 x 30 second intervals with 15 second rest - alternating kettle bell swing and fast mountain climbers

2nd routine 8 x 30 second intervals - alternating kettle bell goblet squat and running on the spot/jumping jacks

Stretch

What do you all think?
I'm not a fan of HIIT. I would rather stick to compound lifting for foundation exercise and running/biking for cardio. I can increase/decrease the intensity of each workout based on my programming.

But at the end of the day, exercising is way better than not exercising.
Time is the ultimate currency.
Cycle
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by Cycle »

alfaspider wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:34 pm I would suggest something more like this to a newbie:

https://stronglifts.com/5x5/#gref

+1 on stonglifts site and 5x5 app. Been doing this for a couple years. If I stop squatting due to injury I quickly lose 10 pounds. Then when I start squatting again I get that 10 lbs back (a good thing). It took a year to get my squat form right... Which required gaining a lot of flexibility.

I only lift twice a week (M and Th) for 35 minutes and am the strongest I have ever been.... But I also run 4 miles a weekday, bike 5 miles a weekday, and swim one day a week in the summer. I have an infant at home so I do these things as part of my commute or over the lunch hour.

On burning calories... Running can be mentally tiring. Walking will get u 80% of the calories burned for the same distance, which is something I tell my partner who doesn't like jogging. We usually walk a mile or more in the evening with our infant.

On diet, I don't have much self control so time restricted eating can limit my decision points and improve my adherence to a paleo style diet. I usually just eat dinner on weekdays. Sometimes I eat lunch if I over exercised the previous day. I eat plenty of calories, but good calories.

We don't keep any sugar in the house. We just walk to get ice cream, which we do a couple times a week. If we had junk food in the house I would overeat every day.

I used to do HIIT. I stopped bc this may be bad for your heart
Never look back unless you are planning to go that way
coffeeblack
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by coffeeblack »

new2bogle wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 11:32 am I've been doing the following exercise routine for about 9 months now with only minor progress (i.e., loss of belly). Specifically, I am not looking for weighing less on the scale but the "pants test" - my pants should feel looser.

Day 1 - 40 mins of cardio (some combo of treadmill/elliptical, but 40 mins of elevated heart rate)
Day 2 - 40 mins of cardio
Day 3 - 45-60 mins of free weights
Day 4 - rest
Then repeat.

DW thinks that since I've crossed over the hill it is going to be exponentially harder to lose weight. My ideal is to lose 10 lbs (or go from a size 36 pants to 34), which is almost entirely in my middle section.

It could be that I am over/under exercising, not doing enough of one thing or the other, etc. My diet is pretty good and tend to eat around 2000 calories a day, plenty of water, some sugary snacks, no sodas. I've cut out what minimal alcohol I used to drink (used to be one drink a month).

Not sure what else to do, but seems like my exercising needs to be better tailored.

Any suggestions on what works?
So I know a little something about this.

1st and most important. You are not going to like what I say.
Working out does not help in much weight loss. Studies support this.
You may lose some weight but not much.
Think about it. Lets say you run 2 hrs a day and burn 800 calories (good luck with that). 3500 calories make one pound. So assuming your eating healthy you may lose 1 pound. However, your body will adjust and get more efficient. So You don't lose weight.

The way to lose weight is buy reducing your food intake and eating the right foods. It's hard to do while you are exercising because it's hard to measure how many calories you need.

Most men need about 2000 calories to maintain weight and for their daily metabolic use. If you reduce that by 300 to 500 calories per day and exercise you will lose some weight, pant size.

1/2 of your place should be veggies, 1/4 a protein source, 1/4 Carbs (good carbs) no white bread or pasta etc. Sweet potato, brown rice etc are good and perhaps a fruit snack. You can have nuts but keep it to about 10 pieces of almonds per day.

Regarding your workout routine.

2 - 3 per week of weight training. If your body allows, compound movements. Squat, deadlifts, bench press, Overhead press all with a barbell. Then do assistance workouts like, chin ups, dumbbell rows, dips, dumbbell incline press, lunges, leg curls and abs. You need to divide up these exercises.

Squat/bench press and some assistance one day
Deadlift/overhead press and assistance a couple of days later.
In between do cardio. Run, walk, HIIT, cycle, row whatever.

A plan such as this will let your body recover and get strong. You can also do a 3day lifting plan and do cardio on the other days.

I suggest you get a trainer to walk you through the lifts and setting it up so you don't get injured.

Start light and progress slow. Focus on what you eat.
coffeeblack
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by coffeeblack »

Cycle wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 5:00 pm
alfaspider wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:34 pm I would suggest something more like this to a newbie:

https://stronglifts.com/5x5/#gref

+1 on stonglifts site and 5x5 app. Been doing this for a couple years. If I stop squatting due to injury I quickly lose 10 pounds. Then when I start squatting again I get that 10 lbs back (a good thing). It took a year to get my squat form right... Which required gaining a lot of flexibility.

I only lift twice a week (M and Th) for 35 minutes and am the strongest I have ever been.... But I also run 4 miles a weekday, bike 5 miles a weekday, and swim one day a week in the summer. I have an infant at home so I do these things as part of my commute or over the lunch hour.

On burning calories... Running can be mentally tiring. Walking will get u 80% of the calories burned for the same distance, which is something I tell my partner who doesn't like jogging. We usually walk a mile or more in the evening with our infant.

On diet, I don't have much self control so time restricted eating can limit my decision points and improve my adherence to a paleo style diet. I usually just eat dinner on weekdays. Sometimes I eat lunch if I over exercised the previous day. I eat plenty of calories, but good calories.

We don't keep any sugar in the house. We just walk to get ice cream, which we do a couple times a week. If we had junk food in the house I would overeat every day.

I used to do HIIT. I stopped bc this may be bad for your heart
Stronglifts 5x5 is a great program to get strong. Most do it 3x per week. It's not meant to be done forever.
On a side note. HIIT workouts are not bad for the heart. That is incorrect info.
SCV_Lawyer
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by SCV_Lawyer »

GT99 wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 12:19 pm I've spent a lot of time studying this, and there are many ways to go about it - Crossfit, OrangeTheory, etc - most anything that adds variety to your workout with high intensity (HIIT style workouts are extremely effective). And you don't have to pay $150+ per month. There are plenty of video series out there that are great - P90X and Insanity are a couple of "classic" ones now - there are many others.

Most people don't workout with enough intensity. An intense 20 minute HIIT workout is going to do a lot more than a 40 minute cardio workout where you're heart rate never gets above say 60% of max.

As others have mentioned, food intake is huge. It's not just about calories - what you eat (and when) impacts what you burn.
This^^

Intensity is the key to losing weight. That will jack up your metabolism and burn calories long after you are done. I often do 20s all out (and I mean ALL OUT) Assault Bike sprints, with 2:00 rest in between. 8-10 rounds. So this is just 3 minutes or so of actual hard work, but trust me, if you give it 100%, this will be a very tough workout. But then it is over rather quickly.

I also CrossFit, but that is not for everyone.

And food quality matters. You don't need to go full keto (i.e., no carbs), but carbs should be minimized and mostly non-starch vegetables. This keeps your insulin levels in check. I recall CrossFit's food recommendation is: "Meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar."
GR8FUL-D
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by GR8FUL-D »

More than a few people have commented that diet is more important than exercise in terms of losing weight (calories consumed vs calories burned), yet the discussion continues to revolve primarily around exercise, and I still don't think OP has yet described his daily food intake in any kind of detail.

IMO an easy way to lose weight by trying to consume fewer calories is to begin making green smoothies a part of your daily life. I really got interested in green smoothies after watching a documentary called “Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead” on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Fat-Sick-Nearly- ... 221&sr=8-2

http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/joes-films/#fsnd

My primary motivation for starting to drink green smoothies was I was looking for an easy way to add more green vegetables to my daily diet. When I started drinking green smoothies daily for breakfast and as an after-dinner snack, I was wearing size 34 or 35 pants; in less than a year I was down to a size 32, and this without making any other changes to my daily diet or exercise routines.

The most important thing to remember in order to to make a smoothie that is enjoyable to drink is to make sure that all the vegetables and fruits you use are FROZEN! If you use frozen fruits and vegetables, you end up with a smoothie with the consistency and texture of an ice cream shake.

The second most important factor is to make sure you use a good blender. If you’re only making one 12-16 ounce smoothie at a time, I think the Magic Bullet Nutribullet Pro 900 model is a good choice:
https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Bullet-Nut ... 305&sr=8-3 It’s powerful enough to crush/blend frozen fruits and vegetables, and is super-easy to clean.

However, if you're making more than one smoothie at a time, a Vitamix or Blendtec blender is the way to go. This is probably the cheapest Vitamix blender, it works great and is super-easy to clean: https://www.amazon.com/Vitamix-Exploria ... way&sr=8-4

In my opinion, the big mistake that most people make when making smoothies is that they use too much fruit. While moderate levels of fruit are good for you, the more fruit you use the more sugar you are consuming! Every smoothie I make uses the same base ingredients--one cup frozen spinach, one cup frozen broccoli, one cup frozen Kale, and one ripened frozen banana.

If you’re new to green smoothies, you might want to skip the frozen kale at the beginning and stick with frozen spinach and broccoli. Sometimes I substitute turnip greens or mustard greens for the Kale, but I pretty much always use spinach and broccoli. Additionally, I often add 1-2 heaping tablespoons of ground hemp, chia, or flax seeds to my chocolate or vanilla flavored smoothies.

I usually either make a vanilla or chocolate flavored smoothie, or a fruit-flavored smoothie. For a long time I was using chocolate or vanilla flavored protein powders to flavor my smoothies, but I’ve mostly stopped doing that because I think I probably already get plenty of protein in my diet. In my opinion the best flavored organic plant-based protein powder is made by Garden of Life https://www.amazon.com/s?k=garden+of+li ... _ss_i_3_14 , though the best tasting powder proteins are likely made from whey protein.

Now I skip the powdered protein and instead use chocolate or vanilla flavored Stevia to flavor my smoothies--here’s hoping in 10 years we don’t find out that stevia causes cancer! I think this brand taste best: https://www.amazon.com/SweetLeaf-Sweet- ... way&sr=8-5

Chocolate or Vanilla Smoothie:
One cup each frozen Spinach, Broccoli, Kale
One frozen banana
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 cup water
3-4 drops chocolate or vanilla flavored stevia drops

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
One cup each frozen Spinach, Broccoli, Kale
One frozen banana
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 cup water
1 cup frozen strawberries
Obviously you can add or substitute frozen blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc. for the strawberries.

Citrus Smoothie
One cup each frozen Spinach, Broccoli, Kale
One frozen banana
1 cup Orange Juice
1 cup Cranberry Juice

Chocolate Peanut Butter
One cup each frozen Spinach, Broccoli, Kale
One frozen banana
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 cup water
1 heaping tablespoon natural peanut butter
3-4 drops chocolate stevia.

If you want to make smoothies with a more smooth consistency and you’re not worried about the extra fat / calories, add half of a ripe avocado to the recipe.

All the above smoothies have a very green look to them, even if they don’t particularly taste green. However, the green look is a turn-off for a lot of people, so if I’m making green smoothies for kids or for someone who’s never had them before, I’ll often use something to make the smoothie look less green. If I’m making a chocolate-flavored smoothie, I might add a scoop of chocolate ice cream, or a brownie or half a candy bar to the smoothie. If I’m making a fruit smoothie, I’ll add lots of extra strawberries or blueberries in order to both give the smoothie a sweeter taste and to add red or blue / purple color to the smoothie.

One important piece of advice! If you’re new to green smoothies, start off with a small cup (maybe 6-10 ounces?) and stick close to home or somewhere with easy access to a bathroom! If you have any constipation issues, green smoothies will fix that! :shock: Don't worry, after a few weeks your body gets conditioned to the extra fiber consumption and elimination issues normalize.

One complaint I’ve heard from others is that drinking a large green smoothie isn’t good as a meal replacement, in that they’re hungry again within a few hours. If you want to add some bulk to your smoothie, mix in a cup of uncooked oatmeal, though doing that will of course add carbs.

Hope someone finds this helpful.
ddurrett896
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by ddurrett896 »

Day 1: cardio
Day 2: chest/shoulders/tris
Day 3: cardio
Day 4: legs
Day 5: cardio
Day 6: back/bis
Day 7: relax
ddurrett896
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by ddurrett896 »

delete
almostretired1965
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by almostretired1965 »

Exercise alone is not going to do it, unfortunately. Give intermittent fasting a try. It worked for me. Dropped 40 lbs from 210 in around 3-4 months and have been able to keep it off. It does mean you will be doing it for the rest of your life. In my case, fasting every other day or 3 days a week led to a steady weight loss of around 1-2 lbs a week. Once I hit my target, doing it twice a week allowed me to stay on target. Your mileage might vary.

A
JBTX
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by JBTX »

I've read quite a few articles where repeated studies show that more often than not people starting exercise routines don't lose much weight. There are many reasons, but the key reason is people tend to compensate by eating more. Not a lot more, but it doesn't take much.

I've seen several such articles on NYT.
averagedude
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by averagedude »

Didn't read the whole thread, but i can personally out eat any exercise routine.
InMyDreams
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by InMyDreams »

Does your nearest university have a sports clinic? check to see if they consult with the public. you could do a body composition analysis (bodpod is a good choice) and get workout recommendations from people who understand the science.

failing that, look for a well-qualified trainer. if at all possible, watch him/her work with a client. a good trainer wlll also discuss diet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_ ... ted_States

Younger Next Year was an interesting book.
cashmoney
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by cashmoney »

new2bogle wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 11:32 am I've been doing the following exercise routine for about 9 months now with only minor progress (i.e., loss of belly). Specifically, I am not looking for weighing less on the scale but the "pants test" - my pants should feel looser.

Day 1 - 40 mins of cardio (some combo of treadmill/elliptical, but 40 mins of elevated heart rate)
Day 2 - 40 mins of cardio
Day 3 - 45-60 mins of free weights
Day 4 - rest
Then repeat.

DW thinks that since I've crossed over the hill it is going to be exponentially harder to lose weight. My ideal is to lose 10 lbs (or go from a size 36 pants to 34), which is almost entirely in my middle section.

It could be that I am over/under exercising, not doing enough of one thing or the other, etc. My diet is pretty good and tend to eat around 2000 calories a day, plenty of water, some sugary snacks, no sodas. I've cut out what minimal alcohol I used to drink (used to be one drink a month).

Not sure what else to do, but seems like my exercising needs to be better tailored.

Any suggestions on what works?


Try a keto diet and you will be amazed.Not for everybody but its the only diet I have ever done were I lost my love handles and gut fat first and didn't have to starve myself.I do jog a few miles 3 days of week and do some push ups etc.
randomguy
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by randomguy »

coffeeblack wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 5:21 pm
So I know a little something about this.

1st and most important. You are not going to like what I say.
Working out does not help in much weight loss. Studies support this.
You may lose some weight but not much.
Think about it. Lets say you run 2 hrs a day and burn 800 calories (good luck with that). 3500 calories make one pound. So assuming your eating healthy you may lose 1 pound. However, your body will adjust and get more efficient. So You don't lose weight.

The way to lose weight is buy reducing your food intake and eating the right foods. It's hard to do while you are exercising because it's hard to measure how many calories you need.

Most men need about 2000 calories to maintain weight and for their daily metabolic use. If you reduce that by 300 to 500 calories per day and exercise you will lose some weight, pant size.
Most people can't run at 4mph. At that pace most people find it more comfortable to walk. If you run at a reasonable pace you burn 800 calories per hour (put in your own weight and pace). If you could run 1 hour/day, you would need a really piss poor diet to have weight issues. Realistically though few people can do that. You would be better off aiming for 400 calories (30-40 mins of running) which gets you a ~1lb of weight loss/week. You will eventually reach equilibrium. Is it easier to eat 2k and exercise for 30-40 mins or to eat 1600? Hard to say. The both require different levels of commitment and choices.
randomguy
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by randomguy »

cashmoney wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 6:50 pm Try a keto diet and you will be amazed.Not for everybody but its the only diet I have ever done were I lost my love handles and gut fat first and didn't have to starve myself.I do jog a few miles 3 days of week and do some push ups etc.
People should try Keto, low fat, intermediate fasting, zone, 6 small meals, 2 big ones,.... and see what works for them. The science is pretty clear that if you follow any of them, you get roughly the same results (i.e. a 300 calorie deficit on any of them gives the same results). But some people find certain schemes easier to follow than others. In the ends diets are all about compliance.
stoptothink
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by stoptothink »

randomguy wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 7:19 pm
cashmoney wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 6:50 pm Try a keto diet and you will be amazed.Not for everybody but its the only diet I have ever done were I lost my love handles and gut fat first and didn't have to starve myself.I do jog a few miles 3 days of week and do some push ups etc.
People should try Keto, low fat, intermediate fasting, zone, 6 small meals, 2 big ones,.... and see what works for them. The science is pretty clear that if you follow any of them, you get roughly the same results (i.e. a 300 calorie deficit on any of them gives the same results). But some people find certain schemes easier to follow than others. In the ends diets are all about compliance.
this
mhalley
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by mhalley »

Forgot to mention that I do weights MWF, Exercise bike T Th Sat. I do 30 minutes on the bike every day, but when I was losing wt I did 60 on my non weight days.
dustinst22
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by dustinst22 »

mhalley wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:58 pm I will second the stronglifts and MyFitnessPal. They both have apps you can use.
I lost 78 pounds with those 2 and have kept it off for 5 yrs.

Wow! Congrats, that is impressive!
totallystudly
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by totallystudly »

Bottom line, you aren't training with enough intensity and your diet is off. Weight loss/recomp is all about diet, diet, diet.

You should be going at least 10 sets of 10 for major muscle groups per week plus 45 min of cardio.

Cut carbs to zero and you'll lose weight like it's your job.
Finridge
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by Finridge »

" Specifically, I am not looking for weighing less on the scale but the "pants test" - my pants should feel looser."

Accomplishing your goal is about 90% diet... Without focusing on the diet, the exercise you do probably won't help and may even hurt. You need to start running a calorie deficit. You'll have to find ways to do this that work for you.This is easier said then done. It takes a lot of work, and for me I'm able to do it only if I avoid certain foods.
coffeeblack
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by coffeeblack »

randomguy wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 7:10 pm
coffeeblack wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 5:21 pm
So I know a little something about this.

1st and most important. You are not going to like what I say.
Working out does not help in much weight loss. Studies support this.
You may lose some weight but not much.
Think about it. Lets say you run 2 hrs a day and burn 800 calories (good luck with that). 3500 calories make one pound. So assuming your eating healthy you may lose 1 pound. However, your body will adjust and get more efficient. So You don't lose weight.

The way to lose weight is buy reducing your food intake and eating the right foods. It's hard to do while you are exercising because it's hard to measure how many calories you need.

Most men need about 2000 calories to maintain weight and for their daily metabolic use. If you reduce that by 300 to 500 calories per day and exercise you will lose some weight, pant size.
Most people can't run at 4mph. At that pace most people find it more comfortable to walk. If you run at a reasonable pace you burn 800 calories per hour (put in your own weight and pace). If you could run 1 hour/day, you would need a really piss poor diet to have weight issues. Realistically though few people can do that. You would be better off aiming for 400 calories (30-40 mins of running) which gets you a ~1lb of weight loss/week. You will eventually reach equilibrium. Is it easier to eat 2k and exercise for 30-40 mins or to eat 1600? Hard to say. The both require different levels of commitment and choices.
Well it is a choice. The OP asked why he was working out and not losing weight/pant size.

You need to do about 500 met minutes per week to stay fit plus at least 2 days of weight lifting. 500 met minutes is 30 minutes of walking 5x per week at about 3 to 3.5 miles per hour. If you increase the intensity (higher miles per hour in intervals) the mets go up and you can do it in 75 minutes total divided up anyway you want. If push a prowler with weight in it for endurance and/or ride an aro bike for 10 minutes of intensity. 15 to 30 seconds as hard as possible and then 1 minute rest an repeat for 5 cyles, you may puke if you are not in shape but it meets those met minutes real fast and gets your heart in excellent shape. So you can get in shape slow and add the above into your workouts to shorten the length of cardio and burn the same calories due to intensity.

Several studies have show that strength is an excellent predictor of longevity. Cardiac health is also an excellent predictor of it. So training like above will work well. It may not and most likely will not cause much weight loss. Studies show that as well. Only proper reduction in calories and eating the right foods will help in weight loss. Exercise will change the body by increasing muscle mass and metabolism. This will help keep the weight off.

If you choose to ride a bike for 3 hours per day you will lose weight eventually especially since after 45 minutes you burn more efficiently. That would be 15 hours of bike riding per week. That won't leave much time for muscle and strength building. So you might be more frail because as you get older you lose muscle and cycling is only building leg strength.

You can ride a bike 2 hours per night and perhaps do a compound upper body workout 2 days per week.

As you can see the options a plenty. But without a good diet you don't lose weight.
carolinaman
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Location: North Carolina

Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by carolinaman »

new2bogle wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 11:32 am I've been doing the following exercise routine for about 9 months now with only minor progress (i.e., loss of belly). Specifically, I am not looking for weighing less on the scale but the "pants test" - my pants should feel looser.

Day 1 - 40 mins of cardio (some combo of treadmill/elliptical, but 40 mins of elevated heart rate)
Day 2 - 40 mins of cardio
Day 3 - 45-60 mins of free weights
Day 4 - rest
Then repeat.
Your routine includes 2 days of rest out of 8 days. I suggest adjusting your routine to only have one day of rest per week, 2 days of free weights and rest cardio. You might consider increasing your time or intensity of cardio to see if that helps. I try to exercise at least 30 to 40 minutes every day (usually walking) and go to the gym at least twice a week where I do combo of cardio and exercise machines for an hour or more. That keeps me at my target weight of 150 (5'8").

Most likely you will need to adjust your diet to achieve your weight goal. I have always been active and exercised regularly. At age 65, I was diagnosed with severe GERD which produced asthma symptoms. I had to radically change my diet and went from 170 to 150 pounds in 6 months. I was not trying to lose weight but it just happens with that type of diet. I would suggest you assess your diet and see what adjustments can be made to achieve your goals and also be healthier. Best wishes.
Audioarc
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by Audioarc »

Try The Whole 30.
UpperNwGuy
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by UpperNwGuy »

At the risk of becoming controversial, I will suggest that you cut way back on alcohol consumption. Alcoholic beverages not only contain carbs, but the alcohol itself changes the way the body processes carbs.
GT99
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by GT99 »

randomguy wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 7:19 pm
cashmoney wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 6:50 pm Try a keto diet and you will be amazed.Not for everybody but its the only diet I have ever done were I lost my love handles and gut fat first and didn't have to starve myself.I do jog a few miles 3 days of week and do some push ups etc.
People should try Keto, low fat, intermediate fasting, zone, 6 small meals, 2 big ones,.... and see what works for them. The science is pretty clear that if you follow any of them, you get roughly the same results (i.e. a 300 calorie deficit on any of them gives the same results). But some people find certain schemes easier to follow than others. In the ends diets are all about compliance.
I absolutely agree that not everyone is created equal and people should do what works for them - different people will get different results on different diets because not everyone processes things the same way. That said, there is very little science that says 6 small meals is a good approach to lose weight UNLESS it is accompanied with caloric restriction. Quite the opposite - the body functions best when it has long breaks between meals (i.e. intermittent fasting). And there is not much good science that a low fat diet is a good idea (that whole premise was basically built on false assumptions - i.e. it's bad to be fat so we should eat less fat) - the type of fat is what's important (i.e. avoid saturated and trans). The obesity epidemic in the US started when the US government started recommending low fat diets. There are many reasons for this - e.g. most people will eat more when they're not consuming fat and your body needs fat to process many nutrients.

One note on Keto - there are MANY folks who now call what is really an Atkins diet a Keto diet (to the extent that there are many products out there that advertise as Keto friendly that are not - they are Atkins friendly). They are not the same. Keto is not just low carb - it is low protein as well. True Keto is extremely difficult to follow for any length of time.

Pretty much all the successful diets out there have 1 thing in common - reduction or elimination of simple carbs (for most people, sugar and white flour). If you do nothing else besides this, you will lose weight and feel better. Sugar is where cigarettes where in the 1950s or 60s. People know it's bad for you, but most people don't understand how bad or are in denial or don't care. 100 years from now, people will look back on sugar in our culture today the way we look back on cigarettes in culture decades ago. I will take a lot longer because sugar is much more ingrained in our culture (nobody teaches kids that cigarettes are a treat).
GT99
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by GT99 »

ddurrett896 wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 5:33 pm Day 1: cardio
Day 2: chest/shoulders/tris
Day 3: cardio
Day 4: legs
Day 5: cardio
Day 6: back/bis
Day 7: relax
This is the classic approach that most people were doing up until 10-15 years ago, myself included. You won't find many trainers or professional athletes who follow a regiment like this anymore outside of true body builders. Other approaches (focusing on compound movements) have been shown to be much more effective, unless your goal is to get bulky (the cardio elements suggest otherwise).
Cycle
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by Cycle »

coffeeblack wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 5:23 pm On a side note. HIIT workouts are not bad for the heart. That is incorrect info.
I didn't say they are, I said HIIT training MAY be bad for your heart. Big difference.

There are studies that show correlation of atrial fibrillation with high intensity interval training. There are studies that correlate hiit with good heart health... people need to assess the risks and make their own decision.

There is a causal theory that chronic cardio and HIIT may cause lesions that lead to coronary artery disease. I read about this in Primal Endurance.

The general lifestyle shared by folks in Blue Zones doesn't include HIIT type activities.

I've already got a decade+ of regular HIIT exercise logged on my heart. The benefits don't outweigh the risk to me.

There's also a risk of pulling something when loading your muscles/joints at their extension limits, which is a critique of HIIT training many endurance athlete make. I've read about this in Maffetones work, and experienced it many times.
Never look back unless you are planning to go that way
eastwayroad
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by eastwayroad »

I believe there’s not just one right answer for weight-loss. Exercise is certainly important for good health.
But for myself a T2 diabetes diagnosis 10 years ago forced the issue. An extreme low carb diet did the trick, cutting out sugar, pasta, most bread. I shed 30 lbs within 6 months.
Since then I’ve loosened up the restrictions somewhat and gained back 1/3 while still maintaining near normal blood sugar without insulin.
I count carbs not calories.
3504PIR
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by 3504PIR »

As others have said, diet/nutrition are very important. I would adjust your lifting as recommended, you can split it in to two days or you can split it to in between your cardio days which will give you better cardio results. Also add some exercises that target your core more, that will help.

One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is how much alcohol do you drink? Alcohol should be considered liquid fat from a fitness, nutrition perspective. If you drink particularly beer or spirits, you will impede your weight loss.

One aspect of what you are doing is that you are definitely more fit now, it’s just a matter of fine tuning.
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unclescrooge
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by unclescrooge »

crazygrow wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 11:47 am Similar to the poster above, weight loss is 90% diet IMO. Track everything you eat for a week in something like MyFitnessPal - track it exactly. Most people think they are eating XXXX calories and realize they are hundreds/thousands above that when they actually weigh/track their food. You can't out exercise a bad diet (or you rarely can).
+1
Your physique is built in the kitchen, not the gym.

The only thing that has worked for me is a low carb diet. But everyone is different.
livesoft
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by livesoft »

I'm waiting for the accompanying thread:
Critique my eating routine because it's not working for me
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coffeeblack
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by coffeeblack »

Cycle wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 12:52 pm
coffeeblack wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 5:23 pm On a side note. HIIT workouts are not bad for the heart. That is incorrect info.
I didn't say they are, I said HIIT training MAY be bad for your heart. Big difference.

There are studies that show correlation of atrial fibrillation with high intensity interval training. There are studies that correlate hiit with good heart health... people need to assess the risks and make their own decision.

There is a causal theory that chronic cardio and HIIT may cause lesions that lead to coronary artery disease. I read about this in Primal Endurance.

The general lifestyle shared by folks in Blue Zones doesn't include HIIT type activities.

I've already got a decade+ of regular HIIT exercise logged on my heart. The benefits don't outweigh the risk to me.

There's also a risk of pulling something when loading your muscles/joints at their extension limits, which is a critique of HIIT training many endurance athlete make. I've read about this in Maffetones work, and experienced it many times.
The study you mention is observational. Very poor model.

Overtraining with HIIT or any other method will cause damage. Doing a mix of interval training, HIIT and low intensity cardio will benefit your body and allow it to recover while getting in your Mets throughout the week in a shorter duration and thus allowing for other activities such as weight lifting which is equally as important. Pulling something is possible for long distance non hiit or non interval training as well. The point of non-competitive training for health is to get and stay in shape and to keep it interesting. If someone is a powerlifter and all they do all day is lift that way they will eventually have some issues and will not be very athletic. The workout needs to be well rounded and then you can design the with a skew to strength or cardio if you prefer.

So if you say the benefits don't outweigh the risk and base the risk on a couple of article you read, then you don't know the risk because you are basing your risk on some obscure studies that may or may not be reproducible. As a matter of fact, the college of sport medicine and most other organizations can't even really agree on how much exercise one must get. The suggestions they made were done by expert consensus because so many of the studies gave so many different results. What they did agree on was that you have to stay active.

The blue zone people don't do HIIT. That's correct. You don't need to do HIIT to be fit. 30 minutes of walking per day at about 3 to 3.5 miles per hour will meet a 500 met requirement. Add 2 days of lifting and you are set to go. If you can't or don't want to do 5 day of that then you can do 75 minutes of more intense activity like intervals. If you get bored with that you can shorten that by adding in HIIT. HIIT is intervals on steroids. Anything else is just splitting hairs. Most of the benefit of exercise comes from just doing it and getting in shape. Once in shape, you can improve a small percentage at a time.

It's like when you read financial articles. Most of them are BS. The only thing we really know is that you can't stay sedentary, you need to exercise the heart and you need to have strong muscles (not big muscles) and you need to eat well. Mostly plan based with some animal based foods works well. Mediterranean diet works and meet most of those guidelines.
Last edited by coffeeblack on Sat Aug 10, 2019 2:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
randomguy
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by randomguy »

GT99 wrote: Sat Aug 10, 2019 12:22 pm
I absolutely agree that not everyone is created equal and people should do what works for them - different people will get different results on different diets because not everyone processes things the same way. That said, there is very little science that says 6 small meals is a good approach to lose weight UNLESS it is accompanied with caloric restriction. Quite the opposite - the body functions best when it has long breaks between meals (i.e. intermittent fasting). And there is not much good science that a low fat diet is a good idea (that whole premise was basically built on false assumptions - i.e. it's bad to be fat so we should eat less fat) - the type of fat is what's important (i.e. avoid saturated and trans). The obesity epidemic in the US started when the US government started recommending low fat diets. There are many reasons for this - e.g. most people will eat more when they're not consuming fat and your body needs fat to process many nutrients.
There is little evidence that IF helps with weight loss UNLESS accompanied with caloric restriction. You know just like eating 6 small meals.:) Some people find one approach better than the other. The high carb approach does have some science behind it. There are a half dozen high carb cultures that have very good heart health. Japan and some South American Indians were the poster child for this in the 70/80s. But it is the type of carbs. Eating a ton of rice/corn meal isn't the same as gulping a 64 soda in terms of total calories and simple sugars. And activity also factors in.

Now blaming refined sugar is something that I don't think many people will argue with:)
Seasonal
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by Seasonal »

To lose weight: cut calories. Tracking calories with myfitnesspal or the like is very helpful. Just guessing how much you're eating is not likely to work as well.

To get better conditioned: Do some low intensity steady state, such as walking, bicycling or elliptical, to the point you can talk but not sing. Do two 30 minute sessions a week. Once you're comfortable, change one to HIIT.

To get better body composition (more muscle, less fat): Combine above with weight training, preferably focusing on large muscle group compound movements, such as squats, deadlifts, leg presses plus bench press, overhead press, similar machine. There are many good routines out there. These guys are good (doctors who are high end strength coaches): https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/th ... scription/ Also, browse some diet and programming posts at https://www.exodus-strength.com/forum/index.php, particularly the Training/Programming and Nutrition forums. Lots of good information.
Jim Beaux
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Re: Critique my exercise routine because it's not working for me

Post by Jim Beaux »

new2bogle wrote: Fri Aug 09, 2019 11:32 am I've been doing the following exercise routine for about 9 months now with only minor progress (i.e., loss of belly). Specifically, I am not looking for weighing less on the scale but the "pants test" - my pants should feel looser.

Day 1 - 40 mins of cardio (some combo of treadmill/elliptical, but 40 mins of elevated heart rate)
Day 2 - 40 mins of cardio
Day 3 - 45-60 mins of free weights
Day 4 - rest
Then repeat.

DW thinks that since I've crossed over the hill it is going to be exponentially harder to lose weight. My ideal is to lose 10 lbs (or go from a size 36 pants to 34), which is almost entirely in my middle section.

It could be that I am over/under exercising, not doing enough of one thing or the other, etc. My diet is pretty good and tend to eat around 2000 calories a day, plenty of water, some sugary snacks, no sodas. I've cut out what minimal alcohol I used to drink (used to be one drink a month).

Not sure what else to do, but seems like my exercising needs to be better tailored.

Any suggestions on what works?
Ive been there a few times. You have to change up your cardio because your body becomes more efficient with the same exercise. Try other means of cardio, swimming, walking, cycling, etc. Cardio burns the most calories so hang with it.

You may also be at a plateau. Have a big cheat meal every once in a while.
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