Ask Stew: Going Into Winter Lift Cycle But Already Strong Military.com
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
060: Q&A with the Pilot
Hi friends! Happy Tuesday! So excited to have my favorite guy on the podcast this morning. He’s been on the show a couple of times and was the most-requested guest when I asked who you wanted to see on episode 60. This was a fun episode (as always!) and thank you to those of you who sent your questions via Instagram.
Here’s what we chat about:
– Our first dance song
– How we’re navigating work, distance learning, and his travel schedule
– What aircrafts he flies and what were his second and third choices
– Did he ever have a fear of flying or has he loved it his whole life?
– Has it been weird/ is he nervous about traveling during Covid?
– Does my “healthiness” bother him?
– Keeping a workout routine while flying and traveling
and so.much.more
Resources from this episode:
Don’t forget to sign up for your free 21 days of Les Mills On Demand! This is one of my all-time favorite workout platforms. The instructors are knowledgeable and motivating, plus the music is incredible. There are so many different formats, you’ll definitely find something you love. Get your free workouts here. Perfect opportunity to switch up your routine now that so many of us are at home.
CBD has been a game changer for me. It helps so much with my anxiety and sense of calmness. You can read more about my experience with CBD here and use the code FITNESSISTA here to get an extra 15% off your first order. (I love the mint flavored drops and bath bombs!)
Have you tried Trunk Club? This is my favorite styling service! All of the pieces are from Nordstrom and excellent quality. Use my link for $50 off your first Trunk.
Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you.
You can listen and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.
Any guests you’d like to see on future episodes? Please leave in the comments below!
xo
Gina
The post 060: Q&A with the Pilot appeared first on The Fitnessista.
* This article was originally published here
Is 30 mins through 1 hour stretches before working out overdoing it
My friend and I had an argument about stretching before working out. He said that I should be doing 30 mins to 1 hr stretches before working out. Personally, I told him I think that’s a little too much. What you guys think?
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* This article was originally published here
Monday, September 28, 2020
Why is Swimming so much more exhausting?
So to give some background, I’m an athlete and fitness enthusiast who trains daily:
-Weightlifting ~5 times a week (push pull legs abs) 40min-60min
-Running 3-4 times a week (1X HIIT, 1XIncline, 1X Tempo, 1X distance) 20-30 mins on average
-Elliptical ~3 times a week (30-60min)
-Swimming ~3 times a month (20-30 min)
Now, none of the aforementioned workouts tire me as much as swimming does. I burn roughly 8-10 calories/min when I do the elliptical and roughly ~15 calories/min when I run. I’m gonna leave aside the Elliptical for the following discussion. Even though my runs are extremely intense, they never exhaust me as much as swimming does.
To give an idea, 20 mins of swimming fatigues me as much as or probably even more than 30-45 mins of running does (even though I burn 1.5 times the calories/min while running). And honestly, I’m perplexed as to why this happens. Is it because I don’t swim as much as I run? Or is it natural for swimming to be more intense and exhausting?
So today, I swam for 20 mins and I was panting and fucking tired at the end of it, and my pace wasn’t too great either (0.46miles/735m freestyle in 20 min, 2’43”/100M). Whereas, when I run, even though it’s intense and the sweat makes it look like I fell into a pool of water, it’s much lighter on me. To give more detail, I run at a pace of roughly 7.20-7.60 mile/km (4:30-4:45 min/km) for 3-4.5mile (5-7km) runs, but I’m never panting as much as I am after swimming.
Is this natural (lower calorie/min for swimming and yet, it being more exhausting than any other conventional workout)? Or is it because I run so regularly and intense that swimming simply seems harder?
I’m a 154lbs (70kg) Male
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* This article was originally published here
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Help with Fit Thick Routine for Women?
Hi. I am trying to get into recomposition workouts and to gain bulk on my legs and hips as an 18 year old girl, while keeping waist toned and slim. I am going for that 'fit thick' aesthetic. I am quite underweight and thin but have an hourglass figure, and am recovering from an eating disorder and from prior doing way too much cardio and restricting calories. I want to learn to see food healthier while gaining healthy weight and toning up in a healthy hourglass shape.
I eat very clean and have been trying to up my protein and caloric intake but I still need to do more. I have been searching everywhere for a routine that is effective for this sort of look- I am going for a sort of Dani Divine (a person) type look. I am 70lbs, 5'2.
I am unsure what is a good routine that is genuinely effective online that I could use? I cannot seem to pinpoint a reputable one. Thank you for any help guys. I do need some guidance as I am kind of struggling to know what to do right now. Highly appreciated.
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* This article was originally published here
Saturday, September 26, 2020
Rant Wednesday
Welcome to Rant Wednesday: It's your time to let your gym/fitness/nutrition related frustrations out!
There is no guiding question to help stir up some rage-feels, feel free to fire at will, ranting about anything and everything that's been pissing you off or getting on your nerves!
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* This article was originally published here
Daily Simple Questions Thread - September 24, 2020
Welcome to the /r/Fitness Daily Simple Questions Thread - Our daily thread to ask about all things fitness. Post your questions here related to your diet and nutrition or your training routine and exercises. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer.
As always, be sure to read the wiki first. Like, all of it.
Also, there's a handy-dandy search bar to your right, and if you didn't know, you can also use Google to search fittit by using the limiter "site:reddit.com/r/fitness" after your search topic.
Other good resources to search are Exrx.net for exercise-related topics and Examine.com for nutrition and supplement science.
Be aware that the more relevant information you add, the more relevant the answers you receive will be. And if you are posting about your routine, please make sure you follow the guidelines.
(Please note: This is not a place for general small talk or chit-chat. Also, the community decided long ago that we keep jokes, trolling, and memes outside of the Daily Q&A threads. Please use the downvote / report button when necessary.)
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* This article was originally published here
Daily Simple Questions Thread - September 26, 2020
Welcome to the /r/Fitness Daily Simple Questions Thread - Our daily thread to ask about all things fitness. Post your questions here related to your diet and nutrition or your training routine and exercises. Anyone can post a question and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer.
As always, be sure to read the wiki first. Like, all of it.
Also, there's a handy-dandy search bar to your right, and if you didn't know, you can also use Google to search fittit by using the limiter "site:reddit.com/r/fitness" after your search topic.
Other good resources to search are Exrx.net for exercise-related topics and Examine.com for nutrition and supplement science.
Be aware that the more relevant information you add, the more relevant the answers you receive will be. And if you are posting about your routine, please make sure you follow the guidelines.
(Please note: This is not a place for general small talk or chit-chat. Also, the community decided long ago that we keep jokes, trolling, and memes outside of the Daily Q&A threads. Please use the downvote / report button when necessary.)
[link] [comments]
* This article was originally published here
Friday, September 25, 2020
Blood vessel growth in muscle is reduced in women after menopause
A new study demonstrates that formation of small blood vessels is impaired in the muscle tissue of postmenopausal women. The study's findings highlight the importance of physical activity for women prior to and during menopause, as a means to prevent the development of disease later in life.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
So many questions about jumping rope
Looking into this as a form of cardio to work in. I'm embarrassingly bad at it (trip every 10-30 skips, cannot do double unders) but I know I'll get better. Questions:
What routines do y'all use? Do you go for time or for number of skips?
Should I work this into my lifting- like do a few rounds between sets- or do it before/after lifting as it's own entity?
Should I do this on top of other cardio (running) or is it really enough to be cardio on it's own?
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* This article was originally published here
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Routine Campfire - r/Flexibility Full Body Stretching Routine
Welcome to the next r/Fitness Campfire series - Routine Campfires! You can read the original announcement thread along with the future schedule here.
This week's topic: r/Flexibility Full Body Stretching Routine
Ask questions you have about this routine in this thread, and the community will help you get an answer.
Here are the rules for Routine Campfires:
- Routine Campfires are for asking specific questions about a specific routine and getting answers from the community.
- Top level comments must be a specific question about the topic routine. Questions which are excessively vague to a point of being difficult to answer directly will not be permitted. Comments should not be used for general chit-chat, just for asking and answering questions.
- Routine Campfires are not for routine critique requests of any kind. This includes but is not limited to: tweaks, lift replacements, accessory choices. All such questions should be directed to the Daily Thread exactly as any normal routine critique would be.
- Replies to questions should be either an answer to the question, or asking the poster for information necessary to better answer the question.
- Comments which in any way support or encourage piracy of a routine or its material will be removed and posters who make them banned permanently.
- Comments should be civil and serious. Jokes, memes, and rudeness will not be permitted.
- If the answer to a question can be found in an existing page about the routine, please be sure to include a link to the page.
- Please check the thread to see if your question has been asked prior to posting.
Comments which break these rules will be removed and posters given bans at the discretion of the moderators. Remember when you participate that the purpose of these threads is to develop community resources for those who come to r/Fitness for help in the future.
[link] [comments]
* This article was originally published here
Virtual juice date
Hi friends! I hope you’re enjoying the day so far! It’s been quite a while since we’ve done a virtual juice date, so I thought that would be a fun post for today. So please grab a glass of your favorite morning beverage, let’s grab a pastry from the pastry counter, and hang out for a bit this am. <3
(wearing the coziest Barefoot Dreams cardigan and it totally lives up to the hype)
If we were having juice right now…
I’d want to hear about how you’re doing with everything going on. Like, how you’re really doing. I feel like so often we’ll say, “I’m good!” or “I’m hanging in there!” but there’s so much more than that. I’d love to hear what you’re up to, how the kids are doing, or anything you’re looking forward to this fall. I’m really looking forward to the Pilot’s and P’s birthdays in October. Any ideas on how to celebrate the big 4-0??
I’d ask you what kind of workouts you’ve been loving lately. There are so many great online options available right now. I’m still loving Les Mills On Demand, Peloton, barre, and an occasional studio hot yoga class. I started strength training a bit more recently – I was doing mostly cardio for quite a while because I really needed the endorphins – and it feels good to lift heavy things again. I’ve lost some strength and muscle mass, so I’m looking forward to building it back.
I’d ask you if you’ve read anything amazing or are watching anything good right now. I’ve been picking through Frida Kahlo’s diary for a bit each day and it’s magical! It’s completely in Spanish, which is good because mine has been a little rusty. TV-wise, I’m still enthralled by Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. It’s just the lighthearted fun I need after the kiddos are in bed and I just want to unwind and eat a Good Pop on the couch. 
I was super excited for the return of Dancing with the Stars but zero studio audience and the fake dubbed cheering is a little bizarre.
I’d talk to you about school. What’s going on with school in your neck of the woods? We finally got the word that Liv may be going back to school in October for ONE day a week. Lolololololol. <— that’s me laughing maniacally until I start crying. Thankfully, I feel like we’ve found a groove a bit with a distance learning. It’s just that the screen time amount is far beyond our comfort level and it’s a lot of work and projects. I also have to admit that I’m really concerned about what a return to school will look like. I don’t want the kids to be scolded if they want to interact with each other and the thought of them eating in a classroom with an “X” for where they may sit, 6 ft away from everyone else, is troubling. I think we really need to consider the mental health impact on children for all of this and if school is going to turn into a prison environment, we’re considering alternate options and homeschooling. I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that because she really misses her friends and her teachers. :/
I’d tell you that I’m doing a Charcoal Mask Zoom pop up tomorrow and am so excited about it! It’s the first virtual pop up that I’ve put together and I’m so pumped that so many reader friends signed up. We’re going to do the charcoal mask during the call – I sent out samples earlier this week – and it will be so nice to see so many of the faces of friends who have been leaving comments for years. Any fun ice breaker type things we could do? I was thinking about asking everyone to share their #1 fave beauty or skincare product. Also, I’m considering planning more of these in the future as a fun virtual way for us to hang out. Please let me know if you’d be down!
So tell me, friends: what workouts are you loving lately? What’s going on with school for the kiddos? How are you, the kids, the fam? Any amazing reads or shows you’re enjoying?
Thanks for hanging out with me this morning and for stopping by the blog today. I’ll see ya tomorrow with Friday Faves!
xo
Gina
The post Virtual juice date appeared first on The Fitnessista.
* This article was originally published here
5 Ways To Make Your Veggies More Tasty
Tired of microwaved broccoli? There are other ways to enjoy your vegetables that can provide flavor and are still nutrient dense. Although it might take a bit more time and effort, the prep time is worth the flavor and taste you will experience! Here are five ways to make your veggies more tasty!
Roast
Roasting your veggies can bring out certain flavors that just can’t be accomplished with boiling. Roasting is completed at a much hotter temperature than boiling or steaming, resulting in a rich, caramelizing effect that brings out the sweetness of the vegetables. For this reason, the best vegetables to roast are root vegetables that contain some starch such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips and squashes. Although, other hardy vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli do roast well also.
Dice your veggies into cubes of approximately the same size. If you’re short on time, dice your veggies into smaller portions, or place in the microwave and pre-cook them first. For flavoring, keep it simple by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with salt and pepper. Other ideas: add a shake of balsamic vinegar or even lemon juice. Roast on 425 for about 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the type of veggies you choose. Stir halfway through roasting.
Mash
You can mash more than just your potatoes. In fact, sweet potato, pumpkin, squash and even cauliflower make great mashes. And unlike traditional mashes, you don’t need to add buckets of cream or whopping spoonfuls of butter either. In fact, mashes can be made with non-fat, gluten-free vegetable stocks, and for a bit of a creamier flavor, try adding almond or coconut milk or even cashew-cream.
Want to reduce the starch? Blend white potato with cauliflower, or try sweet potato with pumpkin or butternut squash. The possibilities are endless! Want to avoid starchy carbs? Try bean mashes such as white bean or pinto beans for a So-Cal Mexicana flavor! To mash, boil your vegetable choices by chopping them into smaller vegetables pieces and placing them into a pot of boiling water. Boil until soft. Drain, then mash using a fork or mashing utensil. Or if you’re feeling very ambitious, use a food processor! Add coconut or almond milk or stock, along with 1 tbsp of oil such as olive, coconut or even cashew-cream.
Stuff
Tired of boring and plain vegetables? Try stuffing them with other veggies, meat or grains. Peppers, squashes, zucchini and even sweet potatoes can be cored and stuffed with cooked meat, chopped veggies such as onion, pepper, chopped mushrooms, along with a bit of pre-made quinoa, brown rice or wild rice. Sautee veggies and meat together and season with garlic, a bit of olive oil and your favorite spices. For peppers, chop in half, or simply de-core by removing the center seed pod. For zucchini and squash, chop in half and remove some of the center flesh to create a boat for your stuffing. Add stuffing and bake.
Stir Fry
Easy and fast, stir fry traditionally uses a very hot pan such as a skillet or wok to cook the veggies on high heat very quickly. Choose any veggie you like, but make sure they are cut small enough to allow for quick and even cooking. Good stir fry veggies are snow peas, green beans, onion, pepper, broccoli, carrots, bok choy and mushrooms. Place heat on high, use approximately one tablespoon of oil such as sesame or coconut oil or something with a high smoke point. Add garlic and onions if desired to sauté to add flavor, then add veggies. Stir constantly to ensure even cooking. Cook until tender.
Raw
Perhaps the best way to have your veggies is simply having them raw and fresh. Salads, although some may consider boring, can be made into many different combinations to give unique flavor combinations, depending on your craving. Choose from a variety of different green bases like Rocket, Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Arugula and many more. Pick from a variety of other veggies and fruits for your toppings: peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, carrot, berries, avocado or tomato. You can never go wrong with a fresh salad that delivers nutrient rich source of essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Add your choice of meat, a few nuts, or seeds such as almonds, walnuts or pumpkin seeds, along with a freshly made dressing. Simply mix oil like olive, coconut oil, sesame oil with a vinegar like balsamic or a citrus like lemon or lime.
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
M36/5’7/174–141/1 year of CICO Tracking, Spin, Lifting, and Endurance Running; First Marathon in November
TDEE Spreadsheet, 09/23/19–09/23/20 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Progress Pics: 169 lbs on 10/19/19, 158 lbs on 02/25/20, 145 lbs on 06/18/20, 141 lbs. on 09/09/20
In July I hit my first milestone which was my GW of 145 and I posted about it in LoseIt. Today marks exactly one year since I started tracking my TDEE and CICO in a TDEE Spreadsheet and started a cardio + strength exercise routine and I wanted to share my experience.
Background: I have been heavy for most of my adult life, topping out at 190 in 2016. Prior to starting CICO/TDEE I had never had a nutrition and exercise plan that stuck. Through some major depression and IBS issues between 2017–19, I lost a little weight and then yo-yo'd around between 170–175 for about a year. I have always at least been active as a walker, with regular long walks and walking commutes to work. I was able to run a very shitty treadmill 5K when this started that would completely gas me at a 10-min pace.
First phase, 09/23–01/01 (12 lbs. lost):
I started this plan on 09/23/19 at 174 lbs. When I started TDEE/CICO, my targets where at around 1800 kcal/day, but I broke it up to eat somewhere closer to 1500 kcal on weekdays and 2500 kcal on Friday and Saturday. I did not pay attention to macros other than to increase protein and decrease sugar. I found thinking of my TDEE/CICO on a weekly basis rather than day to day and planning meals for the week accordingly made it a lot easier to be good from meal to meal.
This early nutrition phase was done in coordination with a Peloton spin routine, specifically power zone training. I know people have mixed feelings about Peloton, particularly the cost/culture, but my gym had two that were free to use and I found them very useful as a person who had never adopted a well-considered training routine or had a coach. I did Peloton about 4x/week and upped it to 5x within a couple months. What I found particularly valuable — and this advice can be ported to other cardio training routines — is the power zone training. In power zone training, you take an extremely vigorous 20-min FTP test that gauges your functional threshold power, i.e. your maximum output. It uses that number to create 7 power zones — recovery, endurance, tempo, threshold, V02 max, anaerobic, and neuromuscular. I spent most of my time in the course of a week in endurance and tempo, with occasional intervals in zones five and six. If you are new to aerobic exercise, I can't recommend power zone training enough — it's not Peloton specific, either, you can do it on any bike. I'd add that building a cardio routine on a bike was much easier than my past attempts to build one on the treadmill or in outdoor running; there wasn't such a strong acclimation period of muscle soreness from all the impact and the metrics on the bike made it easy for someone like me who did not have a feel for strain/intensity to appropriately work out and progress my aerobic base. I have since shifted to distance running as my primary activity and I could not have picked it up and sustained it if I hadn't done the bike first. Comparable zone-based training plans exist like this for other cardio — Strava, for instance, has pace zones or you could get a cheap HR monitor and do HR training. For me, metrics worked extremely well in making helping me build a consistent progression.
In addition to spin, I did 3x/week strength training. I'm going to be straight: I have never had a good and consistent strength training program so I'm not going to go into a ton of detail about it here. I did a circuit of four exercises 5x5 3x/week, hitting different areas each day along with assistance exercises (squats, deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press, hammer curls, curls, rows, pushups, planks, crunches). I've tried to attempt pull ups a bunch of times. I think I've been able to do 2 max? Lol. The bottom line is that I aspire to have a consistent strength routine and I'm looking forward to getting on it this winter, but right now I'm just trying to survive marathon training. Anyway...
In terms of diet and nutrition, these first few months were easily the roughest in this whole year. My activity volume and intensity were not nearly where they're at now, I was lacking in muscle mass, and it took a lot of trial and error to figure out satiety and energy with food. Here were my general principles:
1) Alternate breakfast between high protein on strength training days (eggs, greek yogurt, etc.) and raisin bran (or comparable) on the other days to keep myself regulated and have some variety.
2) Light lunches or skip lunch. Lunch I found the easiest meal to cut back on by far. I basically made a deal with myself — I know how much I like having a big dinner and a glass of wine after a stressful work day and there's no way I could have kept this up and deprived myself of that. So lunch a lot of times was salads, baby carrots with homemade light-oil hummus, *very* stripped-down chipotle bowls, or just homemade sourdough /w olive oil and an apple. If I had a particularly active day I'd throw in some almonds or a granola bar.
3) Sunday–Thursday I need to always have something whole and homemade in the freezer, very often big batches of stews, soups, curries, etc. that can be easily reheated, have a high vegetable and protein content, and taste spicy and good. Most of these dinners were around ~400-500kcal. I usually paired them with a 5 oz glass of wine and a 100 kcal fudge pop. Friday and Saturday were cheat days. Typically I would skip lunch on Friday to save calories for dinner, often sushi or non-fried chinese food. I ate a lot of popcorn as a salty movie snack. Ice cream, beer, and martinis were my real cheats.
Second Phase, 01/01/20–06/29/20 (17 lbs. lost):
A lot of the principles and routines from the first phase stuck around but, of course, the pandemic happened and changed things quite a bit for me in terms of my exercise routine. After about a month long plateau from late-December to the beginning of Feburary, I got back into my nutrition routine and things stayed the same right up until March 13th. My gym was closed that day and, though it's reopened since, I haven't gone back. I turned to outdoor running doing about 4x/week alternating 5k and 10k runs, so around 15–20 mpw. Like a classic running rookie I was running too fast and probably too much, but because of the aerobic base I'd built on the bike, and with a little research on r/running and r/advancedrunning, I transitioned into a sustainable running routine over time. I did my first half marathon on a whim on May 16th and then slugged it out with low-HR and easy miles throughout the dog days of summer, my goal being to slowly increase volume and improve efficiency.
I'd say this second phase is where I first started to transition from losing weight predominantly through diet to a 50/50 mix of losing weight through both diet and exercise, or, to put it another way, this is when I started to value exercise and fitness as my predominant concerns rather than weight loss alone. Weight loss kind of became a ride-along achievement for improving as a runner.
And, of course, because my gym closed, my strength training went to total shit. I tried to keep up some bodyweight circuits and did some yoga in the first couple months and then totally lost interest. I'm not proud of it.
Third Phase, 07/01/20–present (~3 or 4 lbs lost, Marathon Training):
Against the advice of people who have done marathons before and who know how much they suck and how much it helps to have a crowd and fellow runners, I decided to do the Virtual NYC Marathon. I started a Runner's World training plan for a 3:30–4:30 pace and I have been modifying it heavily to meet my fitness level — in retrospect, I wish I had chosen one that didn't have such a wide goal range. I do basically 3 easy ~10k runs, a workout run (hill repeats/fartleks), and a long run (13+ miles). My longest run now is 19 miles and I'm doing 20 this Sunday. Honestly, to me it's completely fucking bonkers that I'm running 20 miles this coming Sunday when one year ago I weighed 174 lbs and could barely make it through a 30-minute 5K without barfing. This is the one part in this where I will allow myself to become a bit sentimental and self-congratulatory — holy shit, I'm doing it. Virtual marathon is on 11/01.
In terms of nutrition, I have majorly tried to slow down my weight loss to the point of caloric maintenance and it has gone... ok? Lots of trial and error and my metabolism is adjusting. Around week 8 I had some real wake-up calls involving post-long-run crashes and hardcore fatigue. I had a very silly goal to try to run the marathon at 135 lbs, but that idea was terrible; if you're doing marathon training, do not try to lose weight, however slowly. I actually am still losing weight, and weirdly think I've started losing more weight since upping my calories? The last few weeks I've been exceeding my TDEE, but I think my TDEE Just keeps going up as volume increases and my physiognomy changes. Marathon training really gets your system scrambling is all I can say.
Future Goals (Becoming Stronger, Gaining Muscle Mass, Long Term Recomp to 135 lbs, Sub 4-Hour Marathon):
I know the secret ingredient I'm missing in becoming a better, faster runner is strength. After marathon training is over, I'm going to buy some resistance bands or build a weight bench and get to work on a consistent 5x5 routine 3x/week. I'm going to cut running down to 30 mpw with a plan to pickup my next training cycle sometime in February. This should give me at least three months or so to really make strength training the thing and, hopefully, build some good long-term habits. Fellow distance runners: Advice welcome!
Physically I feel very good, but I'll be the first to point out that I have wound up kind of skinny fat, or at least with a kind of fleshy endurance runner physique. My physical appearance has not been the main reason for me to do this plan, but I'd be lying if I don't look in the mirror a lot these days, feeling simultaneously pretty impressed with myself, but also self-conscious about my weirdly stubborn lovehandles and fleshy torso, which could easily be fixed with a 5x5 strength routine. I mean, whatever, I love my body, body positivity etc., but I wanna be strong and I want to look strong and I think that's where I'm going.
I'm going to mark it now: I think one year from today (09/23/21) I want to be a much stronger 135 lbs. I want to stay light for running, but I want to achieve most of my strength gain through recomposition. So I think this is all to say that deliberate weight loss is done for me and as far as these last 6 or 7 lbs go, I'm expecting that if I eat at maintenance while very gradually upping my duration and intensity of strength and cardio training over the course of the next year, that the 6 or 7 lbs will come off as a result of an increased TDEE, not through deliberate weight loss. I may even find that I'm happiest at 140. We shall see.
I guess that leads me to one capping point on all this: I still feel really uncertain about deliberate weight loss plans and whether they are a good thing. For me, undoubtedly it worked and was fairly safe and healthy; but I'd be lying if I didn't think in the past year or so that I am slightly over-obsessive about intake and that the initial phase of weight loss didn't feel kind of unhealthy. If I could put it another way, I'd say that all weight loss plans — with obviously varying degrees — are essentially disordered eating and if you're not getting enough energy, it does kind of mess you up; it can certainly lead to a bad place. Psychologically I am still a little conflicted about my weight loss, but I also think I'm just putting this phase in my rear view mirror as something I had to go through to get where I am in my holistic, long-term fitness plan. I had to do what I did to become an athlete and I have no regrets about it.
So, if you're in the position I was a year ago, my advice would be: do a very slow cut (no more than .75 lbs/week), find a manageable training plan to avoid injury and burnout, prioritize consistency in your workouts, set reasonable long-term goals so that you're excited when you exceed them, think of yourself as an athlete, don't starve yourself if you have intense training blocks, and cherish food — it is not the enemy!
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* This article was originally published here
Sport and memory go hand in hand
If sport is good for the body, it also seems to be good for the brain. By evaluating memory performance following a sport session, neuroscientists demonstrate that an intensive physical exercise session improves memory. How? Through the action of endocanabinoids, molecules known to increase synaptic plasticity. School programs and strategies aimed at reducing the effects of neurodegeneration on memory could benefit from the study.
* This article was originally published here
* This article was originally published here
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