Fitness Folks

[spudley112]

Anyone else here a fitness junkie of any kind? Bodybuilding, running, bicycling etc etc.

I started going to the gym when I was in high school, but with no real seriousness. When I was in the Marines, we got plenty of PT (physical training) but many of us were gym rats too. Of course, as a police officer, fitness was also pretty important. Unfortunately, after so many years of being super active, I retired and found myself working behind a desk. I was used to being able to eat a lot because I was super active, but behind a desk, all those calories start to show.

After several years, I found myself in the worst shape of my life. I finally got fed up with feeling bad, and feeling bad about myself, and decided that I was going to make some major changes. Start on May 15th of 2015, I started going to the gym again and I hit the weights and cardio hard. I was determined to get back my life. The day I started, I weighed 321 lbs. Below, you can see the pay off.

May 15, 2015
321lbs


The picture below is 4 months and 1 day later.

Sept 16, 2015
222lbs

[RF52]

Made some great progress there
Good job

Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk

[chip]

That’s Truly awesome spudly.
6 years ago I was a carpenter working renovating houses. I ran 7 miles every other day, the day I did not run I did weights for an hour at home and would do mountain biking at the weekend
Now I have not worked for five years due to giving up work to become a long term carer for a sick friend who was gravely ill, then after my friend died I became ill myself. I have in that time put on 6 stone and largely live a sedentary lifestyle.

I am probably not as tall as you but now look pretty much how you did in that top picture.
Due to recent chest pains and subsequent trips to the rapid chest pain clinic where thank god I was told my ticker is in surprisingly good condition I am now determined to lose the weight and get some of my fitness back.

So thanks for some inspiration.

[styx]

a lot of folks here like to work out in some way

nice going with getting back in shape

[SirVicaLot]

Good job spudley getting back in shape! 

I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and do Martial Arts two times a week. I try to incorporate everything in my workouts: Running, HIIT, Weight Lifting, Bodyweight exercise, and so on. Just trying to be as versatile as possible.

It all started about 10 years back. I had some serious back problems and realized that doctors could not help me, i had to do something myself. I started working out to improve the muscles that help stabilize the back and it worked. No more back pain! Since then the gym bug got me. If I cannot workout for a few days I don’t feel good and I have way too much energy left 

[Mechanickal]

My goodness!

I usually don't say this to males, but you're looking great there!

Hatsoff to you!

[BadMechanic]

Im all about fitness. fitness this pizza in my mouth 

July 2014-july 2015 i lost 94 lbs 
278 to 184

[spudley112]

Good job spudley getting back in shape! 

I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and do Martial Arts two times a week. I try to incorporate everything in my workouts: Running, HIIT, Weight Lifting, Bodyweight exercise, and so on. Just trying to be as versatile as possible.

It all started about 10 years back. I had some serious back problems and realized that doctors could not help me, i had to do something myself. I started working out to improve the muscles that help stabilize the back and it worked. No more back pain! Since then the gym bug got me. If I cannot workout for a few days I don’t feel good and I have way too much energy left 

I know what you mean. I was feeling bad all the time. If I hurt my back, it took forever to heal...I frequently had headaches and stomach problems. My resting heart rate at that time was 89 beats per minute (today it is 54 beats per minute) and my blood pressure was high. I start getting cranky when out of the gym too long.

[LoopCutter]

Great job Spudley, even changed the hair style. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[spudley112]

Great job Spudley, even changed the hair style. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I will dig up a picture from when my hair was long...now THAT was a change.

[spudley112]

Without hair dye...lol. Yeah, I am a bit gray

[SteveC]

Good job !   

[BadMechanic]

Awesome job! 

[LoopCutter]

(Image removed from quote.)

Without hair dye...lol. Yeah, I am a bit gray
(Image removed from quote.)

Yes, many here as well.  Yet we have hair. 

They say, when the roots hit Grey matter, the hair takes on the same.  It is when the roots reach nothing it falls away. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Grant Lamontagne]

Good for you Spudley!

I'm at the "before" stage myself right now.  After my last injury (decided bolts in one ankle wasn't good enough, so I broke the other one as well so I'd have a matching set) and the loss of my job (average 25,000 steps/day, 2-3 days a week) I have ballooned up a bit myself.I am the heaviest I have ever been in my life, and I can feel it.  A few weeks ago I saw an old picture of myself (just 4 or 5 years ago) and I was surprised to see how different I looked then- and I had thought I was overweight then too!   

I had deluded myself, thinking that going for hikes, paddling my kayak, snowshoeing etc was enough and that I wasn't in bad shape for a guy who has trouble walking, but the reality is that they were just excuses... and now I am (sort of) beyond that.

Def

[spudley112]

Def,

Go easy on yourself. All of that is a lot to deal with. I have an ORIF in my right leg with 7 screws, so I know how bad that can mess you up. You have that X2! Losing a job is a tough blow to a man, so the emotional strain added to everything else has got to be a bit overwhelming. Once you feel like you are ready to hit the ground running, I am sure it will not take much to get back to where you want to be.

On that note:

I have a friend, Ty, that has just started going to the gym with me. He is very down on himself right now for being out of shape. When he started going to the gym with me, he spent a great deal of time talking about "I used to" type things. "I used to be able to do this much cardio." "I used to be able to lift this much." He was pushing hard and was talking about getting back to where he was before. Don't get me wrong, goals are important, but I saw him on the verge of making some mistakes I have seen a thousand times before. Wanting to work out to exhaustion every single day (over training), trying to jump to the weights he used to lift (a shortcut to injuries that will set you back ever further), and an obsession to reach a certain weight in the shortest time possible by constantly brow beating himself about his own body image.

My advice to him (and anyone else) -

1. Focus on how a good workout makes you feel...both physically and emotionally.

2. Focus on fitness as a journey, not a destination. The people that benefit the most from training are those who develop a strong foundation and a long term health plan. I have watched guys wanting massive muscles as fast as possible, have heart attacks in their late 30's from all the garbage they put in their body.

3. Leave your ego at the door - I see this a lot from all levels of people involved in fitness. It becomes about what they used to be able to do, or all about stacking massive amounts of weights on the bar, or doing a certain amount of reps. In doing this, they sacrifice safety or proper form. You see it in guys who run high weights on squats, but their range of motion is about 6 inches. Instead, put a controllable amount of weight on the bar (quit worrying that the meathead next to you is staring) and put 100% concentration into EVERY rep.

4, Realize that every day that you contribute to your fitness is a great day. Make the best of it.

5. Quit gulping down 1,396 different supplements a day in an effort to shortcut the journey. They are mostly a waste of money.

6. True fitness will be about 15% of what you do in the gym, the other 85% is in the kitchen. I have seen people train to the point they are drenched with sweat and near exhaustion, but their physical appearance never seems to improve. Don't screw up your gains at McDonalds.

7. Log your workouts and work toward developing training that works for you and YOUR body. Seeking advice is great, but everyone is different. Training is about what your are trying to get out of it...general health? Endurance? Muscle size? Raw strength? With a detailed workout log, you will start to see patterns that work for you. Also, log your food intake (at least at the beginning...it will keep you honest), how you feel before, during and after training,

8. If you are just getting started (or starting over again) , remember that the first two weeks is going to suck. Be ready for it.

[pfrsantos]

Yeah, ok, not bad... but that was 4 years ago, dude! How do we know that lasted?!

 

I want a pic with a recent newspaper!

 

[RF52]

Def,

Go easy on yourself. All of that is a lot to deal with. I have an ORIF in my right leg with 7 screws, so I know how bad that can mess you up. You have that X2! Losing a job is a tough blow to a man, so the emotional strain added to everything else has got to be a bit overwhelming. Once you feel like you are ready to hit the ground running, I am sure it will not take much to get back to where you want to be.

On that note:

I have a friend, Ty, that has just started going to the gym with me. He is very down on himself right now for being out of shape. When he started going to the gym with me, he spent a great deal of time talking about "I used to" type things. "I used to be able to do this much cardio." "I used to be able to lift this much." He was pushing hard and was talking about getting back to where he was before. Don't get me wrong, goals are important, but I saw him on the verge of making some mistakes I have seen a thousand times before. Wanting to work out to exhaustion every single day (over training), trying to jump to the weights he used to lift (a shortcut to injuries that will set you back ever further), and an obsession to reach a certain weight in the shortest time possible by constantly brow beating himself about his own body image.

My advice to him (and anyone else) -

1. Focus on how a good workout makes you feel...both physically and emotionally.

2. Focus on fitness as a journey, not a destination. The people that benefit the most from training are those who develop a strong foundation and a long term health plan. I have watched guys wanting massive muscles as fast as possible, have heart attacks in their late 30's from all the garbage they put in their body.

3. Leave your ego at the door - I see this a lot from all levels of people involved in fitness. It becomes about what they used to be able to do, or all about stacking massive amounts of weights on the bar, or doing a certain amount of reps. In doing this, they sacrifice safety or proper form. You see it in guys who run high weights on squats, but their range of motion is about 6 inches. Instead, put a controllable amount of weight on the bar (quit worrying that the meathead next to you is staring) and put 100% concentration into EVERY rep.

4, Realize that every day that you contribute to your fitness is a great day. Make the best of it.

5. Quit gulping down 1,396 different supplements a day in an effort to shortcut the journey. They are mostly a waste of money.

6. True fitness will be about 15% of what you do in the gym, the other 85% is in the kitchen. I have seen people train to the point they are drenched with sweat and near exhaustion, but their physical appearance never seems to improve. Don't screw up your gains at McDonalds.

7. Log your workouts and work toward developing training that works for you and YOUR body. Seeking advice is great, but everyone is different. Training is about what your are trying to get out of it...general health? Endurance? Muscle size? Raw strength? With a detailed workout log, you will start to see patterns that work for you. Also, log your food intake (at least at the beginning...it will keep you honest), how you feel before, during and after training,

8. If you are just getting started (or starting over again) , remember that the first two weeks is going to suck. Be ready for it.

Solid guidelines to follow
One important part is to have fun doing it, makes it so much easier to stick with it

Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk

[Aloha]

Well done STUDLEY112 

[SirVicaLot]

Def,

Go easy on yourself. All of that is a lot to deal with. I have an ORIF in my right leg with 7 screws, so I know how bad that can mess you up. You have that X2! Losing a job is a tough blow to a man, so the emotional strain added to everything else has got to be a bit overwhelming. Once you feel like you are ready to hit the ground running, I am sure it will not take much to get back to where you want to be.

On that note:

I have a friend, Ty, that has just started going to the gym with me. He is very down on himself right now for being out of shape. When he started going to the gym with me, he spent a great deal of time talking about "I used to" type things. "I used to be able to do this much cardio." "I used to be able to lift this much." He was pushing hard and was talking about getting back to where he was before. Don't get me wrong, goals are important, but I saw him on the verge of making some mistakes I have seen a thousand times before. Wanting to work out to exhaustion every single day (over training), trying to jump to the weights he used to lift (a shortcut to injuries that will set you back ever further), and an obsession to reach a certain weight in the shortest time possible by constantly brow beating himself about his own body image.

My advice to him (and anyone else) -

1. Focus on how a good workout makes you feel...both physically and emotionally.

2. Focus on fitness as a journey, not a destination. The people that benefit the most from training are those who develop a strong foundation and a long term health plan. I have watched guys wanting massive muscles as fast as possible, have heart attacks in their late 30's from all the garbage they put in their body.

3. Leave your ego at the door - I see this a lot from all levels of people involved in fitness. It becomes about what they used to be able to do, or all about stacking massive amounts of weights on the bar, or doing a certain amount of reps. In doing this, they sacrifice safety or proper form. You see it in guys who run high weights on squats, but their range of motion is about 6 inches. Instead, put a controllable amount of weight on the bar (quit worrying that the meathead next to you is staring) and put 100% concentration into EVERY rep.

4, Realize that every day that you contribute to your fitness is a great day. Make the best of it.

5. Quit gulping down 1,396 different supplements a day in an effort to shortcut the journey. They are mostly a waste of money.

6. True fitness will be about 15% of what you do in the gym, the other 85% is in the kitchen. I have seen people train to the point they are drenched with sweat and near exhaustion, but their physical appearance never seems to improve. Don't screw up your gains at McDonalds.

7. Log your workouts and work toward developing training that works for you and YOUR body. Seeking advice is great, but everyone is different. Training is about what your are trying to get out of it...general health? Endurance? Muscle size? Raw strength? With a detailed workout log, you will start to see patterns that work for you. Also, log your food intake (at least at the beginning...it will keep you honest), how you feel before, during and after training,

8. If you are just getting started (or starting over again) , remember that the first two weeks is going to suck. Be ready for it.

  All very good points. A healthy lifestyle takes work and patience but it is worth it. It gets easier once you start seeing results, but that might take a little while. So keep going, no quitting 

[lister]

I do some weight training, stretching and calisthenics. I do almost no cardio... 

[spudley112]

My spotter and I have been amping it up a lot here lately. Yesterday we did a full chest workout pushing to failure on each set. After the workout was complete, we did drop sets starting with our max weight (well, what we could handle at that point) then pushed to failure, dropped 20 lbs off the bar and pushed to failure again. We kept dropping 20 lbs at a time until we were unable to even lift the bare bar. It was a great workout.

[SirVicaLot]

Sounds like it  I mostly do weights to failure, then switch to pushups to failure. Gets you tired pretty quickly as well.

[comis]

I love reading this inspiration thread, and I am in process of getting fitter myself, so thank you for the motivation!

Just on top of that wonderful list, I think as I age, I start to realize not everything will always be the same, and getting that balance and ego in check are more relevant than ever. 


I have to start watching out for 'wear and tear', learn not to push myself to the max and gain more flexibility, I know I might be still way too young to start thinking about all these, but I've seen many of my predecessors losing quality of life in later stage to know better now.

[Syncop8r]

Well done spudley!

6. True fitness will be about 15% of what you do in the gym, the other 85% is in the kitchen. I have seen people train to the point they are drenched with sweat and near exhaustion, but their physical appearance never seems to improve. Don't screw up your gains at McDonalds.

^This. And it's not just a case of calories in Vs calories out, but also the quality of your gut flora.

You might like this thread: https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,33772.960.html
It needs a good 

[Aloha]

I've always been a healthy eater which has made whatever fitness activity I do promote a healthy weight.  As Comis said tho, I keep myself in check.  I'm a long way from 30 and the activities I once took for granted I now balance my attitude towards.  I take my foot off the pedal more these days.  When once I would floor it in everything I did I now am more focused on flexibility and core.  I enjoy doing Kata and yoga.  Both keep me fit and focused. 

[spudley112]

Me and my workout partner, Ty, have been pushing our limits to the max the last few workouts. I love that feeling when you hit the "wall" and feel like you cannot even move the weight anymore...then your spotter applies just barely enough pressure to get it moving a little. You feel that moment when you have given all you got, and then a little more, then let the weight down in a slow controlled eccentric movement with every muscle fiber straining. It hurts like heck, but after awhile, you come to crave that moment. You know that painful wall is where you really get your best gains.

Add to that a workout partner that pushes you to keep trying even though you feel like you cannot possibly give any more. It is an exhaustion that feels almost heavenly.

After we finished tonight, I could barely turn the steering wheel on my car! haha

[Syncop8r]

Having a workout partner makes things a lot easier, especially for motivation (harder to pike out when there is someone else). 

[styx]

true. although a good gym culture can help with the motivation part as well. when I was going to a gym that has a bit of a hardcore reputation in my city, it didn't matter that I had a 2 hour commute or if a lift didn't go all that well. it was a pleasurable grind. now when I'm going to a definition of a commercial gym it is a pain in the smurf to get going even though it is about a 20 minute walk from me. and even the perfect lift, I could have a few things to gripe about

[spudley112]

Leg day!

Started with cardio to get a good burn started and some heavy sweating.

Spent over an hour on the squat rack. Started with squats...increased weight after each set. Every rep was full squat "butt to the boards" which is a beast at the higher weights. Followed squats up with reverse lunges with progressive increase in weights. Finally, deadlifts with heavy weights to the point where I had to lean on the rack after each set because I was so wiped out. We finished with leg curls.

Leg day is often dreaded by a lot of people, but I really love that exhausted feeling afterward. I really feel like I accomplished something, regardless of how crappy my day might have been.