Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've seen different people lose weight from all the above. The key is to be aggressive in your cardio. I cannot stand people who are walking super slow on a treadmill and talking/reading. You have to get the heart pumping and start sweating. Applies to all these exercises.
Do a mixture of things. "HIIT" (Not necessarily crossfit), Squats/Deadlifts/Bench/Rows/Mil Press (upper/lower split), running (both sprints and long distance), and cycling.
HIIT morning/night (when I was deployed I did HIIT workouts before sleep...because it was the only time i could get it in), afternoon lift, evening quick jog. You can fit all that in. Just stop watching television (if thats what you do).
When doing this, which I will soon, should I take into account on what running can do to my knees and ankles over a long period of time?
That's why I don't run outside of a treadmill. I guess I have weak knees/bad ankles or horrible form while running. After 3 miles my knees/ankles are starting to hurt if I run on pavement. It may be the type of shoe I wear, so maybe I should go to a running store and have them watch how I run to get a recommendation. I hate running on treadmills too, so boring. So while the weather is nice, I prefer my mountain bike for cardio. During the winter I running on the treadmill as well as the rowing machine.
As far as exercise I usually do 1 hour sessions 3-4 days a week at the gym. 1 hour is enough for me, otherwise I get bored. Monday is back/chest/shoulders, Tuesday is leg and cardio, Wednesday I focus on biceps/triceps/shoulders. Thursday is a rest day and Friday I do a complete body workout and 30 minutes on the treadmill or rowing machine. In that 1 hour session I can usually squeeze in 3 sets of 6-8 different exercises that target the muscle group of the day. I superset the exercises so I'm barely resting between sets (10-30 seconds). Heart rate stays high that way.
One big thing that helps me control my weight is that I don't eat out often. You have much more control on what you put in your body if you're the one preparing your meals. Use a smaller plate, you'll have a smaller portion. Before you go for seconds, wait 10 minutes and if you're still hungry get a small portion. I'm also constantly snacking, but it's healthy snacks that I keep in the office instead of sneaking to the vending machine.
One thing that I've recently incorporated is that I'm using an app on my smartphone to track my workout as well as help motivate me. I already bring my phone to listen to music so it's not a distraction. It's called JEFIT.
Well I can tell you my jeans fit much better and I had to punch a hole in belts to keep my pants up. I stopped looking at the scale as I'm actually gaining weight after initially losing 10lbs. When I started I didn't have a whole lot of fat I needed to lose, I just wanted to be more fit. I can feel/see my muscles growing and firming up as well as the amount of weight I can now lift is increasing. So it seems to be working out for me, but there certainly could be better ways to do it as I'm no fitness expert.
I do at least two days that include lower body exercises. One day isolates them, but on my total body work day I also do 3 sets of squats/lunges/calf raises with a round of treadmill running or rows. Usually on the weekend there's some hiking involved too. I don't consider the hiking working out though, it's more a mental escape
I figure at this point I'm 31 and only about 20lbs more than I weighed in high school. Present self could totally beat up past self - LOL
When doing this, which I will soon, should I take into account on what running can do to my knees and ankles over a long period of time?
Why don't you try running? It is simple, requires little equipment and in my opinion should be better for weight loss than some other forms of exercise because it's more natural to do it for a longer duration. Plus you can do it everyday. Many exercises need 48 hours of recovery, or you just end up overtrained.
As far as joints, just make sure you avoid running on pavement. Running on hard surfaces greatly increases the shock and is tough on joints and feet.
Just go out today, buy yourself a pair of running shoes, and run a quarter mile (about 2.5 average-sized blocks). Slowly increase your distance and before you know it you'll be doing 10 milers and thinking about signing up for a marathon.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
