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[LaneDS]

Indeed, Steve - what Lane said.

I've been hitting the workout routine 4-5 times per week. I have a new job and between that and just life, 5 nights is about all I can do. When I slip to 4, I sometimes feel bad about it, but hey ...

Mixing in P90X3 routines with P90X One-On-One, and I'm getting what I need.

*fistbump*

I've been doing three most weeks (should really do four minimum), so five sounds great by comparison... don't beat yourself up over it if you can!

Third this week... legs and back today. My favorite/least favorite!

 

[Infinity]

I've been doing three most weeks (should really do four minimum), so five sounds great by comparison... don't beat yourself up over it if you can!

Third this week... legs and back today. My favorite/least favorite!

I hear ya, but I usually go from 30-45 minutes per workout, which is why I aim for 5 times per week. But yeah, I try not to beat myself up over it. I just do the best I can.

 

[LaneDS]

Woof, sitting here mid-workout. Was getting very winded and a little dizzy. Think my calorie/carb intake has been too low because before I got halfway done with the workout I took I think three breaks (two to three minutes each). Going to knock out the second half in a minute, but man, bad feeling.

 

[sp3ctr3]

Started P90X3 today. Nailed the warmup, no sweat. And the first couple of excercises and kept the pace. "I f'ing GOT THIS!"

Then came crawly plyo pushups right AFTER flip flop pushups.... #dead
took a small break to catch my breath and continued. Boat/Plow fuuuuuuuuuuu #winded #jellycore

Feels like I haven't been working out the past 3 months at all I missed ya Tony. Give me more!

 

[SteveMeister]

Woof, sitting here mid-workout. Was getting very winded and a little dizzy. Think my calorie/carb intake has been too low because before I got halfway done with the workout I took I think three breaks (two to three minutes each). Going to knock out the second half in a minute, but man, bad feeling.

Were you able to get back into it?

 

[LaneDS]

Were you able to get back into it?

I did! I finished it out, was rough going but stuck with it and have sore legs two days later, which I view as a good sign. About to do chest and back. Been a part of a weight loss competition at work which ends next Tuesday, so I might try running a lot this week (versus not at all) to try and get the weight down, which has still been slow progress for me.

 

[SteveMeister]

Weighted leg work always wipes me out, more than cardio or Plyometrics. The DS Double L's from P90X3's Complex Lower are rough! (Stiff leg deadlift, squat, left lunge right lunge = 1 rep), especially in that fourth round.)

 

[sp3ctr3]

Day 2 done. Agility X #legsonfire

 

[Infinity]

Just finished a round of P90x One-on-One Volume 2 - Cardio Intervals. Feels good man.

 

[sp3ctr3]

Day 3 Yoga X. Yoga after legday? Tony you monster!

Well, atleast the time flew by and I don't think the Yoga in X3 is as hard as in X, but hey, it's only a 3rd of the time, so that is most probably why.

 

[Sora_N]

Has anyone tried Piyo?

After I finish x3 I'm thinking of either doing Piyo, x3/Piyo hybrid or should I do crazy combination of both Piyo and X3.

Just wondering if anyone has experience with the programs.

 

[obijkenobi]

Any tips/best practices on the original ab ripper x? Do you guys immediately get into it? I feel like i out everything into the resistance workout and have notbibg left for ab ripper

 

[sp3ctr3]

How far into the program are you? I remember when I did P90X, ab ripper x at the end totally destroyed me. Even at the end I still had to do a modfier on scissors

 

[sp3ctr3]

The Challenge yesterday was indeed a challenge! Pushups and pullups for 30mins non-stop.

week 1 almost complete. I love the program so far

 

[Gully State]

Hi beachbody GAF...I did P90x a while ago and would like to start it up again. However, I don't want to

a) pop in all the DVD's again (just use my iphone/tablet etc.) and

b) I want to only get the timing queues for the exercises without the banter so I can play my own music(I know the DVD has this- but I can't seem to rip that mode off my dvd).

Any solutions to this?

 

[Hawkian]

Hey Lane, awesome to see you so active in here recently. It's like the old days :3

I just finished a cycle of P90X and am starting up another in a few days. Also started cycling into the office (and a bunch in general just to get around) which I am loving. I've gone from somewhere nebulously above 190 in February (possibly ~200, I never let myself really get an honest read on my weight when I was at my heaviest) to 169 as of Friday. Feeling awesome and I want to start putting on muscle but my BF% is still too frustratingly high so I'm stuck in diet discipline cut mode for the time being. There's nothing like the sensation of just being in generally reasonable shape again, though.

I've tried a bit of Insanity Max 30 and T25 here and there as I went through it, and mixed in some different core/ab workouts as well as X2 Yoga which I really love as a replacement for the Yoga in P90X. I can say however that after giving him as fair a shake as I could manage I just really cannot stand Shaun T. He annoys the crap out of me and I never stop thinking about it and get into the zone during those workouts, which is a shame cause it also keeps me from learning the routines well. On the other hand I can do a fair few of the P90X workouts and X2 Yoga almost by heart, and without hesitation if I've got a list of moves in front of me. I love this because sometimes I'll go to the gym at my complex (it actually has two) to do them instead of doing them at home, just for the change of pace.

Hi beachbody GAF...I did P90x a while ago and would like to start it up again. However, I don't want to

a) pop in all the DVD's again (just use my iphone/tablet etc.) and

b) I want to only get the timing queues for the exercises without the banter so I can play my own music(I know the DVD has this- but I can't seem to rip that mode off my dvd).

Any solutions to this?

Have you looked at the P90X app? I assume it's on iOS, I really like the Android version. I think it would provide what you're looking for as long as you're aware of the proper form for the moves by name. If you aren't, I would stick with the actual videos until you do (that's what they're practically most useful for in my opinion).

 

[LaneDS]

Hey Lane, awesome to see you so active in here recently. It's like the old days :3

I just finished a cycle of P90X and am starting up another in a few days. Also started cycling into the office (and a bunch in general just to get around) which I am loving. I've gone from somewhere nebulously above 190 in February (possibly ~200, I never let myself really get an honest read on my weight when I was at my heaviest) to 169 as of Friday. Feeling awesome and I want to start putting on muscle but my BF% is still too frustratingly high so I'm stuck in diet discipline cut mode for the time being. There's nothing like the sensation of just being in generally reasonable shape again, though.

I've tried a bit of Insanity Max 30 and T25 here and there as I went through it, and mixed in some different core/ab workouts as well as X2 Yoga which I really love as a replacement for the Yoga in P90X. I can say however that after giving him as fair a shake as I could manage I just really cannot stand Shaun T. He annoys the crap out of me and I never stop thinking about it and get into the zone during those workouts, which is a shame cause it also keeps me from learning the routines well. On the other hand I can do a fair few of the P90X workouts and X2 Yoga almost by heart, and without hesitation if I've got a list of moves in front of me. I love this because sometimes I'll go to the gym at my complex (it actually has two) to do them instead of doing them at home, just for the change of pace.

Have you looked at the P90X app? I assume it's on iOS, I really like the Android version. I think it would provide what you're looking for as long as you're aware of the proper form for the moves by name. If you aren't, I would stick with the actual videos until you do (that's what they're practically most useful for in my opinion).

That's incredible! I want to say we're a similar height (I'm 5'8") but maybe I'm remembering wrong, and if so I aim to follow a similar weight loss trajectory. I blimped up to over 220 at the start of the year and am now just under 200 (won my weight loss competition at work though, hooray/cha-ching) but feeling/looking better than I think that number indicates. Aiming for 175 by the Fall and then will see if I can get even lower. This week, starting today after work, is going to be a hybrid of P90X workouts and running.

Monday- X1 Chest and back
Tuesday- run 3.5-4 miles
Wednesday- X1 Shoulders and arms
Thursday- run 3.5-4 miles
Friday- X2 Yoga
Saturday- X1 Legs and back
Sunday- run or rest

Going to try and keep that up for a few weeks and maybe swap out shoulders and arms for back and biceps. That, plus a strict diet, and I think I can see some good results (I'll up my running mileage bit by bit as I can).

Really though, sub 170 is a great accomplishment. Glad you're sticking with it! Do you have a longer term goal? Sounds like getting BF% down which I think is a great goal. Maybe I'll look at that in the future if I can.

 

[SteveMeister]

Awesome Hawkian, nice job!

 

[reggieandTFE]

My wife had a baby last fall and I gained 10 lbs in the 8 months since. :/

Just getting back into Insanity: Max 30 for a week already has me feeling better. I don't see the pounds dropping too quickly as I won't be getting good sleep for a while yet, but I'm ready to create a new routine and to stop making excuses.

 

[Ixian]

My wife had a baby last fall and I gained 10 lbs in the 8 months since. :/

Just getting back into Insanity: Max 30 for a week already has me feeling better. I don't see the pounds dropping too quickly as I won't be getting good sleep for a while yet, but I'm ready to create a new routine and to stop making excuses.

Always remember that diet is key with weight loss.

 

[Hawkian]

Thank you Steve!

That's incredible! I want to say we're a similar height (I'm 5'8") but maybe I'm remembering wrong, and if so I aim to follow a similar weight loss trajectory. I blimped up to over 220 at the start of the year and am now just under 200 (won my weight loss competition at work though, hooray/cha-ching) but feeling/looking better than I think that number indicates. Aiming for 175 by the Fall and then will see if I can get even lower. This week, starting today after work, is going to be a hybrid of P90X workouts and running.

Monday- X1 Chest and back
Tuesday- run 3.5-4 miles
Wednesday- X1 Shoulders and arms
Thursday- run 3.5-4 miles
Friday- X2 Yoga
Saturday- X1 Legs and back
Sunday- run or rest

Going to try and keep that up for a few weeks and maybe swap out shoulders and arms for back and biceps. That, plus a strict diet, and I think I can see some good results (I'll up my running mileage bit by bit as I can).

Really though, sub 170 is a great accomplishment. Glad you're sticking with it! Do you have a longer term goal? Sounds like getting BF% down which I think is a great goal. Maybe I'll look at that in the future if I can.

I'm 5'10'', so pretty darn close. Congratulations on winning the weight-loss competition at your job, that has gotta feel pretty cool.

That routine looks pretty solid to me. Keep your carbs n' cals under control and you absolutely will see results with it. I think one of the main, possibly overlooked, advantages that the P90X workouts have over other programs is their length- whereas the brevity of many of the shorter options is constantly touted as an advantage, just working out and pushing yourself for longer at one time really seems to encourage your body to get into the pattern of dramatic change. Horton even says during one of them- maybe Chest and Back?- "most workouts would be done right now... not ours." That's the phase when the best stuff happens, in my opinion. Don't shy away from doing plyo every once in a while Props for replacing with X2 Yoga too, lol. It's the best.

And yeah, right you are, my goal weight is eh, 160ish, but I don't care all too much about that number... really I'd like to get down to 16% BF or so which would be a first for me in my adult life. I'm sure you can relate to this, but my body clings to weight in the most frustrating places so while I've leaned out as much as I wanted to or more in the areas I didn't really care about, and would love to start eating more and putting on some legit muscle, I know I need to just keep going to get where I want to be first. I started out at over 31%, and as of my last reading I'm at 23.3.

I've started prepping lots of my meals which has helped out a ton. I very luckily love to cook, which definitely has given me a leg up in the nutrition department (as someone who really fucking enjoys food). Even got me a label maker a couple of weeks ago as I noticed the options start to pile up in my freezer. Still, I haven't had any of the carbohydrates I love so dearly in, I dunno, going on 5 months now. Can't wait for the day I can just start working them back into my diet.

I'll subscribe and try and hang out a bit more in this thread, was always a good time chatting about this stuff.

 

[Hawkian]

Day 1 of a new X cycle, Check and Back down.

Did 7 clean diamond push-ups for the first time ever, lol. And finally using 40s on the free weight moves in this one, hell yeah

 

[sp3ctr3]

I need some advice

I've been sick with fever for 4 days and had just started week 4 of P90X3. I did the accelerator on monday but haven't done anything the other days.

Do I do week 4 over on monday or move ahead with phase 2? What would you guys recommend?

 

[SteveMeister]

I need some advice

I've been sick with fever for 4 days and had just started week 4 of P90X3. I did the accelerator on monday but haven't done anything the other days.

Do I do week 4 over on monday or move ahead with phase 2? What would you guys recommend?

I've done both in the past. I don't think it really makes a difference, not for just four days. The completist in me would say to restart week 4, but I don't think there's any real harm or benefit in continuing on to phase 2.

 

[sp3ctr3]

I've decided to do week 4 over. Would be good for the body to go "easy" while it's low on strength so I can go all out again for phase 2

 

[Hawkian]

Mid week 2. I skipped Plyo in favor of a long bike ride on Monday so I'm trying to decide if I should do it or Yoga tonight.

Down to 165

 

[sp3ctr3]

Fuck pilates. I had no idea what it was going in. That shit is hard as fuck.

I must've looked like I was having a seizure on the floor at the end of it the way my body was spassing out.

I thought week 4 was supposed to be the "cooldown" week before things picked up again in phase2? NOPE! This is pure torture.

 

[sp3ctr3]

Started P90X3 phase 2 yesterday - eccentric upper

All those different pushups.... my arms are just not ready for all those different movements. I had to do modifications a lot because my arms would just give out. Didn't feel like my chest got a workout at all?

very frustrating....

Is there anything else I can do to get my arms up to speed?

 

[Hawkian]

The other workouts will help, but otherwise you're doing what you should be: modifying when you can't keep good form up. Just keep going until your arms feel it and next time you'll be able to push a little further.

 

[SteveMeister]

And don't be afraid to do them with your knees down. As long as you keep your knees in line with your shoulders and your pelvis tucked the same as if you had your toes down, you'll still get the benefits of them.

A lot of times I'll do as many full range perfect form push-ups as I can do and then drop to my knees to finish out the set. I'll also drop back into child's pose for a quick stretch occasionally & get right back to it.

 

[Hawkian]

as many full range perfect form push-ups as I can do and then drop to my knees to finish out the set. I'll also drop back into child's pose for a quick stretch occasionally & get right back to it.

That's exactly what I do, ha. There's almost always way more time provided for the set than I can do full range for any given type of push-up

 

[sp3ctr3]

And don't be afraid to do them with your knees down. As long as you keep your knees in line with your shoulders and your pelvis tucked the same as if you had your toes down, you'll still get the benefits of them.

A lot of times I'll do as many full range perfect form push-ups as I can do and then drop to my knees to finish out the set. I'll also drop back into child's pose for a quick stretch occasionally & get right back to it.

Yes, this is what I'm doing. Nice to know I'm not the only one modifying

Phase 1 didn't do a lot for me. I can feel that I'm stronger and my GF said she could feel that my chest has grown but I still look like a slob.

I've decided to take my nutrition serious in phase 2. A 300kcal deficit and count those calories. Going ok so far

Bought some bands and a door anchor today so I can do the "pullups" correctly. Up until now I've been doing bent over dumbbell rows for everything.

 

[obijkenobi]

General question.. ive gotten pretty good at pull ups. For reference, i routinely break the 120 pull up mark on the Legs&Back routine. My form can probably use a BIT of cleaning up because I dont always go all the way down due to the fact my door pull up frame is so low, I have to have my legs at and angle to go all the way down...


Anyway, the actual question, is there any downside to using light ankle weights (5 pound per leg max) to increase the intensity of pull ups? Is there any gain to have from using ankle weights?

 

[LaneDS]

General question.. ive gotten pretty good at pull ups. For reference, i routinely break the 120 pull up mark on the Legs&Back routine. My form can probably use a BIT of cleaning up because I dont always go all the way down due to the fact my door pull up frame is so low, I have to have my legs at and angle to go all the way down...


Anyway, the actual question, is there any downside to using light ankle weights (5 pound per leg max) to increase the intensity of pull ups? Is there any gain to have from using ankle weights?

Super late answer, but I was about to dust the cobwebs off this thread so the answer, as you probably know and/or found out is that there's nothing wrong with using additional weights to increase the intensity of pull ups (and good on you for that!).

I've recently been able to do 18 shoulder distance pull-ups in one go, unassisted (but quickly and not completely locking out my arms on each) which I feel really good about at just shy of 200 lbs (the year's ongoing battle against being heavy continues). I can hear tearing in my right arm as I do them the past few days, which doesn't hurt but does kind of concern me. Hoping I can just go a little easy and find that by next week it's back to normal and quiet (started last week when I stupidly tried doing one armed pull ups, which I could do on my left but not my right).

Anyway, went back to Insanity Max 30 after a little time off, and the day three workout of Sweat Intervals was so goddamn hard to complete but I'm committed to doing the full 40 workouts that comprise a single round of the program. Aiming for 175 lbs as soon as I can hit that goal, but certainly before year's end.

 

[sp3ctr3]

I think messed up my shoulder?

So, I was cleaning the house and in the evening when I had to work out I had no strength in my right shoulder?

When doing pushups my right arm didn't have any strenght to raise my body and my right shoulder was hurting on the right outside?

I have no idea whats going on but it's been like this for 3 weeks now. Once in a while I'll try a pushup to see if its fixed but it isn't. It's slowly getting better but it's been THREE WEEKS!

I tried getting a massage as I figured I had pinched a nerve or maybe my neck was tense. No luck...

Any ideas what's going on and maybe suggestions I can do to get back to 100%?

 

[SteveMeister]

I'd go see a doctor, just to make sure there's no chronic issue like arthritis or injury that requires special treatment. At the very least the doctor can prescribe pain meds or give you advice on how to treat it yourself.

I recently got Tony Horton's new version of P90 (was released last year I think) and previewed a few of the workouts. Seems to be good scalable stuff. I'm going to do the program exclusively starting Monday.

 

[Ixian]

I recently got Tony Horton's new version of P90 (was released last year I think) and previewed a few of the workouts. Seems to be good scalable stuff. I'm going to do the program exclusively starting Monday.

Is it shorter workouts like X3?

 

[SteveMeister]

Is it shorter workouts like X3?

They vary from about 25 to around 45 minutes. There are 3 each of strength, cardio and ab workouts for each of the program's 3 phases, and they get longer and more intense with each phase.

 

[marq_roq]

Anyone else doing Core de Force? Finishing up week 1 and really enjoying it.

 

[SteveMeister]

Starting tomorrow, Beachbody is launching All Access -- for $99/year you can get access to all of Beachbody's current workouts on their streaming service, Beachbody On Demand, plus all future programs. Here's the FAQ, which includes a link to sign up.
https://faq.beachbody.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3012/lob/team

 

[Hawkian]

Mar-Dec 2016
180lbs+, 32% BF to 156, 19% BF

Forward, always.

 

[vatstep]

Starting tomorrow, Beachbody is launching All Access -- for $99/year you can get access to all of Beachbody's current workouts on their streaming service, Beachbody On Demand, plus all future programs. Here's the FAQ, which includes a link to sign up.
https://faq.beachbody.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3012/lob/team

I finally decided to sign up to BOD (mostly for this) and the process was a little misleading. I signed up using the "premium access" option on this page and during the checkout it doesn't once say that the premium content would take 5-6 days to be unlocked. I see the FAQ includes that info but it's not linked at all during the checkout/account creation process. It's not the end of the world, but it's kind of annoying. :\

 

[Hawkian]

I finally decided to sign up to BOD (mostly for this) and the process was a little misleading. I signed up using the "premium access" option on this page and during the checkout it doesn't once say that the premium content would take 5-6 days to be unlocked. I see the FAQ includes that info but it's not linked at all during the checkout/account creation process. It's not the end of the world, but it's kind of annoying. :\

That's weird. I wonder if it's some kind of technical limitation. Luckily from the sound of things you still have a 30-day trial to see if you think it's worth it and get your money back I guess

Let me know how you find the platform (technically speaking, ease of use, cross-device features etc). I am interested but worried that Beachbody is new to the streaming game in general and it might have some growing pains.

 

[vatstep]

That's weird. I wonder if it's some kind of technical limitation. Luckily from the sound of things you still have a 30-day trial to see if you think it's worth it and get your money back I guess

Let me know how you find the platform (technically speaking, ease of use, cross-device features etc). I am interested but worried that Beachbody is new to the streaming game in general and it might have some growing pains.

The BB Facebook page has been blowing up over the issue (I didn't think to look there first). Apparently due to overwhelming demand the activation of the premium content for new subscribers is a little slow. It's like they have someone manually processing each account or something? Seems kind of silly.

I've had the same thoughts as you but figured I'd give it a go. First experience tonight went well, although the iOS app is a little less thorough than the website; for example the latter enables you to sort workouts based on type (and other ways), whereas the app only lets you view featured programs and workouts by trainer. No real technical issues thus far, though.

 

[sp3ctr3]

New year, new beginning. Late last year I was doing P90X3 but messed up my right shoulder and completely fell off. I've since recovered and yesterday I started P90X again.

This time I'm using dumbbells and resistance bands instead of a pullup bar. This let's me actually do the pullup motions but have to take more reps and isometric holds to feel the burn. Did chest and back yesterday and my body is utterly destroyed. Ab Ripper X kicked my ass big time...

I hit the same numbers as week 2 from way back when. It's great to be back with Tony and the gang.

I don't have a scale but will measure my fat percentage later today. I have a feeling it's around 30%

My emediate problem is food. I have a site where I go to where I can type in the foods I eat and I only ate 1100kcal yesterday. I didn't feel hungry and didn't eat more than usual, just better, and cut out all the snacks. I have to get up to atleast 1800kcal but am at a loss?

breakfeast and lunch amounted to 800kcal and dinner was 355kcal. I'm broke as shit so I can't afford protein.

Here's what I ate yesterday:
Breakfeast: 186kcal
150ml skimmed milk
1 square piece of full grain bread
5g butter
1 slice of cheese
2 cups of coffee

before lunch: 215kcal
strawberry smoothie (free at work for some reason yesterday)

lunch: 236kcal
50g cut carrots
1 egg
1 square piece of full grain bread
5g mayo
10g peas
1 tomato

afternoon: 65kcal
small banana

dinner: 450kcal
167g ground beef paddy
100g cooked carrots
100g cooked broccoli
250ml skimmed milk

after dinner: 1kcal
250ml diet pepsi

total kcal = 1153kcal

I'm afraid my body will go into starvation mode

 

[SteveMeister]

Hawkian -- looking good!

Vatstep -- ugh, sounds like a mess. I used BOD exclusively for most of 2016, using the Apple TV app and it has worked really well I've fallen off the wagon since November though & haven't upgraded to the all access stuff yet. I'm sure they'll get things settled soon enough.

sp3tr3 -- Sounds like you're off to a good start. Protein can be tough but remember you can get it from beans & peas, which aren't all that expensive. You can always augment the meat you get with those.

As for me like I said I've fallen off the wagon in 2016. Bad eating choices, fewer & fewer workouts. I've put on some weight, and I'm up to about 187-189 and not in a good (muscle) way. I did hurt my shoulder and that didn't help (pushups still hurt like crazy), but I've also allowed myself to make excuses. It has been difficult to find my motivation again. I think I'm also kind of tired of the Beachbody workouts -- I've done so many of them and even though it's trivially easy to find a workout & push play on the BoD Apple TV app, and even though I have hundreds of workouts available, maybe it's just time for a change.

My wife has had fantastic results running & adding in some light weighted & bodyweight work along with diet. I thought about getting a treadmill & did quite a bit of research, trying equipment out at stores & such. I don't like ellipticals, I think exercise bikes are a waste of time (you're sitting...) and I really dislike running. Plus I'm getting older and I don't want to deal with jarring impacts & injury that can result from that. So finally I settled on a BowFlex Max Trainer. I'd been looking at them & found one in a store, and after I tried it out I was sold.

It's an upright stepper-type machine, with moving arms that allow you to engage your upper body & core. I just assembled it yesterday & have done two workouts so far. Right now I'm sticking with the primary 14 minute interval program. It's a heck of a workout. The model I got has a bunch of programs, multiple user profiles so my wife & son could use it as well. It came with a heart rate chest strap I haven't used yet, and it also syncs workouts via bluetooth to an app (and also to the Apple health app).

So my plan is to build up my endurance on this for a few weeks & eat better. Then I'm going to start adding in some boxing (I have a standing heavy bag) and weight lifting with dumbbells. I'll probably throw in a Beachbody workout here & there as well, most likely core workouts & maybe some yoga.

So, we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I'll be able to stay motivated!

Happy 2017 everyone!

 

[Hawkian]

I'll probably throw in a Beachbody workout here & there as well, most likely core workouts & maybe some yoga.

If nothing else, mixing it up like this is a great idea, anything that can keep you interested. For the last few months instead of sticking to a strict program (after 3 very strict cycles of P90X in earlier years), I have tried to do my big strength days on Tuesday and Thursday with a lighter one on Sunday, and then do any manner of stuff on 2-3 other days based on what I feel like.

I love cycling and will often ride to and from work, do a high-resistance session on the elliptical, pick a P90X/Insanity cardio or core workout, or go swimming. Just tried a rock climbing wall for the first time and loved it, gonna give a local rock-climbing gym a shot next Monday. Might get back into martial arts, I was super involved as a kid and always loved it. Yesterday it was gorgeous out and I went kayaking down by the beach (Florida January, lol). And obviously this is a pretty impractical option for many but I just got an HTC Vive and weighted vest and am putting together a cardio gaming circuit. Anything to keep things interesting.

I've heard tons of good stuff about Bowflex though, so you're probably set for a fair few options without leaving the house. I always thought the Max Trainer used kind of an elliptical motion, but you said you don't like them, is it more like a step?

edit:

Silly me, forgot the most important thing...

Happy New Year to you Steve and to all those in this thread that have been so motivating over the years. Keep pushing yourselves!

sp3ctr3, I am going to read over your post more closely and try to advise

 

[Hawkian]

My emediate problem is food. I have a site where I go to where I can type in the foods I eat and I only ate 1100kcal yesterday. I didn't feel hungry and didn't eat more than usual, just better, and cut out all the snacks. I have to get up to atleast 1800kcal but am at a loss?

First off, what are your goals? What is it you're aiming for 1800 calories a day to accomplish? Just read over everything and realized that I didn't know what you were going for. Losing weight? Maintaining weight but lowering BF%? Gaining muscle and weight?

In going over the rest of your stuff here, I'm going to be keeping two things in mind basically...

1. What changes you would want to make to enhance whatever your goals are
2. What might possibly be inaccurate about the logging itself

breakfeast and lunch amounted to 800kcal and dinner was 355kcal. I'm broke as shit so I can't afford protein.

Here's what I ate yesterday:
Breakfeast: 186kcal
150ml skimmed milk
1 square piece of full grain bread
5g butter
1 slice of cheese
2 cups of coffee

before lunch: 215kcal
strawberry smoothie (free at work for some reason yesterday)

Looks pretty decent as a breakfast all together, but assuming that the smoothie isn't something you get every day.

That's a small breakfast on its own and fairly limited for protein. And before I start into repeating myself too much I have a feeling my advice if you really want to get to 1800 calories will amount to "find ways to add protein to this."

Eggs? Bacon? Chicken/turkey sausage? PB on the bread? Handful of peanuts or almonds?

lunch: 236kcal
50g cut carrots
1 egg
1 square piece of full grain bread
5g mayo
10g peas
1 tomato

This is an absolutely tiny lunch in terms of both total energy and protein.

If you're trying to increase intake to 1800 calories you really want to add some kind of staple protein to this, grilled chicken breast is of course the easy go-to, but you could do some beans (black beans and diced tomato is always tasty imo), add in way more peas (like quintuple), or seed-based protein like quinoa (which isn't actually that pricey if you buy dry in bulk).

I was wondering about even suggesting chicken/bacon above because up until this point in your day, I was thinking you must be a vegetarian!

afternoon: 65kcal
small banana

PB on the banana is a great way to add calories and protein to your day.

dinner: 450kcal
167g ground beef paddy
100g cooked carrots
100g cooked broccoli
250ml skimmed milk

How did you prepare the beef? Use any oil? Based on your preparation and the lean/fat percentages of the beef, you could be off here in either direction by 100 calories or more.

after dinner: 1kcal
250ml diet pepsi

total kcal = 1153kcal

I'm afraid my body will go into starvation mode

You're really good on veggies and avoiding sugars and empty calories, and fairly low carbs. Basically, this looks like the diet of someone trying very diligently to lose weight. If that is your goal, depending on your starting weight, then it's not bad- It might be closer to 1300 in reality depending on a few things, and the site is IMO just likely wrong in giving you 1800 as a daily goal. This might qualify as a Low Calorie Diet (LCD) but not an unhealthy deficit.

You are not in danger of going into starvation mode with this caloric intake and starvation mode is generally not as a much of a concern as it is often made out to be. You would at the very least need to be eating under 1000 a day to need to worry about this and even then certain balanced Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD) are considered safe for weight loss without extenuating factors.

If you are not looking to lose weight however, this is certainly not enough food and nowhere near enough protein to make any reasonable gains. I'll check back if you want to go over it any more!

edit: Completely forgot a crucial thing... exercise. d'oh -_-

If you are doing any kind of exercise at all then you should be at least adding in some post-workout protein to the day you've relayed here (clean bioavailable protein within abour 1 hour of completing exercise).

 

[sp3ctr3]

Ah yes, my goal.

I forgot to measure my fat percentage so I will do that today if I remember... I think my weight is 84kg / 185lbs, I'm 180cm / 5'11.

My goal is to maintain the muscle mass I have, lose a few kg/lbs and get my fat percentage WAY down. Would like it to be 15% or lower.

I will post a picture later today, again, if I remember to do so.

About the food. I control breakfeast, dinner and snacks. Lunch is at the cafeteria here at work and it all depends on what they serve. Some days it's fish or meats and other days it's pasta dishes. Monday was pasta dish, already mixed, so I skipped that. yesterday it was fried ground pork so I took one of those.
Salat bar is also random. There's always fine cut carrots. Sometimes peas, pineapple raisins, cucumber but not every day. Sometimes there's also peanuts.

Here's what I ate yesterday:
Breakfeast: (276kcal)
1 slice of fullgrain bread with butter and a slice of cheese
250ml skimmed milk

Lunch: (498kcal)
25g cucumber
1 tomato
100g cut carrots
25g pineapple
1 slice of fullgrain bread
167g fried ground pork

Dinner: (487kcal)
250ml skimmed milk
150g boiled broccoli
150g boiled carrots
167g fried ground beef (fried in a little oil so it doesn't stick to the pan)

Evening: (111kcal)
Granola Bar
250ml diet pepsi

Total for the day:

• kcal1372
• protein 88
• carbs 118
• fat 56

The site I'm using you can enter height, weight, jobtype etc. and it calculates your requried need of kalories to maintain your weight.

I sit at a desk all day so it says I will need 2100kcal. General rule is if you want to lose weight you have to lower your calorie intake by 300kcal right? That's how I hit 1800kcal.

Right now it looks like I'm hovering in the 1100-1400kcal a day. I don't have any sugar cravings, which is surprising, and I feel like I get PLENTY to eat. Couldn't finish my dinner yesterday.

Plyo killed my legs yesterday. Poor hammies...

 

[Hawkian]

Ah yes, my goal.

I forgot to measure my fat percentage so I will do that today if I remember... I think my weight is 84kg / 185lbs, I'm 180cm / 5'11.

My goal is to maintain the muscle mass I have, lose a few kg/lbs and get my fat percentage WAY down. Would like it to be 15% or lower.

This is my exact goal (or was, I guess... it's actually time for me to stop losing anything and start focusing on gains, which will take some getting used to!) and what I was working it all last year so I can at least tell you for starters you're on the right track.

Bear in mind that your BF% decrease decelerates while lose weight the less you weigh. Which makes sense, as it's a percentage of your total body composition and your total body will have less mass in general as you lose. In other words, don't be discouraged by plateaus in that percentage, they will come more often and last longer the closer you get to your goal weight. Don't feel like you have to change up your diet dramatically when you see this happen, it will be slower to decrease no matter what (and will continue to decrease as you put on more muscle mass if you decide to do so).

I sit at a desk all day so it says I will need 2100kcal. General rule is if you want to lose weight you have to lower your calorie intake by 300kcal right? That's how I hit 1800kcal.

This- the amount you lower your intake below maintenance levels- is wholly contingent on how fast you want to lose weight. The less you eat the more you will lose more quickly- there's not a specific threshold of 300 calories below for "ideal" weight loss. It's all a balance of how fast you want to lose, what you can comfortably manage in terms of hunger, nutrition, and safety. This looks like a clean diet to me from your two days so just keep it up. If you wanted to make it more efficient for your goals I would try to shift some calories over from carbs to protein (you could ditch the bread and have some more meat/nuts/beans, etc.). But nothing wrong with what I see here really.

Right now it looks like I'm hovering in the 1100-1400kcal a day. I don't have any sugar cravings, which is surprising, and I feel like I get PLENTY to eat. Couldn't finish my dinner yesterday.

A 1200-1400 calorie per day diet is not unsafe and won't put you into starvation mode so don't worry about that.

It is surprising to me that you couldn't finish your dinner though! A 1300-calorie day usually leaves me feeling just barely satiated, and with the obvious feeling that I'd have no trouble going for some ice cream

However that's a good problem to have. If you're feeling satisfied, not hungry or craving anything, that's a great indicator that you're in a healthy range.

Plyo killed my legs yesterday. Poor hammies...

So you ARE doing an exercise regimen with this. In that case, your day is indeed missing some calories and protein.

At the least just figure out a post-workout snack you can do. Within an hour of finishing your workout, go for something you can easily get into your system: a protein shake, some cottage cheese, an egg?