The "I just got back from the gym" and this is what I have eaten thread.

[SenselessChiefsFan]

Okay, so there are a ton of guys in here that are working out, trying to work out, or 'thinking' about working out.

So, I figured I would start a thread. I am all about making myself accountable. The more people that I tell about working out, the more people I would let down by not going.

If you go to the gym.... then post here when you get back. If you do P90X, post here when you get done. If you ride the excercise bike.... post it here.

Anything you do to get in shape.... share with the board. I know I have gotten some great advice and feedback.

Also, post what you eat. If you post everything you eat, and you know others will be critical, you may think twice before you grab a Twinkie.

Okay, so, I went to the gym. I did five minutes on the cross climber to warm up. I stretched for about three minutes.

Then, I did three sets of squats with just 135. I did back extensions and hanging leg lifts. Three sets each. I did leg curls, calf extensions, abductor and adductor excercises as well.

On my leg day, I do very light chest exercises to work on my explosive power. I do three sets of six pushups as explosively as I can. I throw the excercise ball up like a chest pass while laying on the bench.

Then, I finished off my workout with 30 minutes on the eliptical.

As far as my diet.

Breakfast two pieces of peanut butter whole wheat toast, protein shake, and banana.

I have had another banana, two yogurts, and a handful of cashews as snacks.

I didn't have a 'lunch' per se.

Kids had sloppy joes with lean beef (as if that makes it great).... I took a baked potato, and put a serving of sloppy joe over it, with jalapenos and 2 oz's of lowfat cheddar cheese.

I have also had shotgun with water, and synthesize with water.

I won't eat again before bed.


Okay, I know putting everything down here will open me up to criticism. I know some will think that I am doing things all wrong. I appreciate any advice, but I have done a lot of reading and talking to trainers.... so, I have an idea of what I am doing.... or at least what I think I am doing.

The point of this thread, isn't to get into pissing matches about how to do things.... but rather to give ourselves a gold star for making an effort.

Try not to beat anyone down on this thread, because this is about encouragement.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

This is different than skim? What does it taste like?

Different companies label fat free milk as skim milk. It's pretty much the same.

[ArrowheadHawk]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

Different companies label fat free milk as skim milk. It's pretty much the same.

Yep. Kroger does this. They have skim and fat free plus. They both have the same calories and taste the same to me.

[Simply Red]

15oz of chicken, Diet Lime Coke - bitchezzz. *gobble, gobble* i mean, /chicken cackle.

[Buck]

2 steakumms / 4 tbsp of no carb salsa / 1 slice of Swiss cheese

[philfree]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

I'd rather have another slice of bread or another egg than sunny D. If you drink only water, those calories can be used to keep you fuller.

I really like Sunny D. That's why it's in my fridge.


PhilFree

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by philfree

I really like Sunny D. That's why it's in my fridge.


PhilFree

But you're dieting.

Would you rather NOT drink Sunny D and feel fuller later on?

[Buck]

Isn't Sunny D like straight sugar?

[philfree]

Originally Posted by GoChiefs

But you're dieting.

Would you rather NOT drink Sunny D and feel fuller later on?

I don't have bad hunger issues really. I'll be fine till 5 or 6 o'clock.


PhilFree

[ArrowheadHawk]

So far today. Nutrigrain bar 130 calories
Banana - 125 calories
Cambells Chicen and Rice Soup - 175 Calories

That leaves over a 1000 for dinner and my evening snack.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by Buck

Isn't Sunny D like straight sugar?

It is. I don't think it matters so much as long as my caloric burn is greater then my caloric intake. I do consider it though. I won't drink it every day. Kind of like having pork chops last night and eggs this morning. That's alot of fat and cholesterol two meals in a row. I think tonight I'm requesting tomato Soup and a turkey sandwich.

PhilFree

[Silock]

Originally Posted by Shag

I agree that P90X gets a bit of a bad rap around here. But, to each their own...

I finished my first P90X circuit a few weeks ago, and had good results - 25lbs lost, and added muscle definition. I definitely enjoyed it (well, except for yoga, lol), and it succeeded in getting me into working out again. I've found that having this type of structure is extremely helpful to me, and was a big factor in my being able to complete the 90 days. And strangely, the fact that P90X is reasonably well known by the general public actually served as an accountability thing for me - a lot of people knew I had started it, and I wanted to be able to tell them I completed it.

I can see how some people don't feel it's for them, and I certainly have no problem with that. I don't think it's designed for those who are hardcore into lifting and fitness - those aren't the type of people who would be targeted by this, nor would they likely need it. But, I think it's disingenuous to call it "gimmicky". It uses standard resistance training lifts/movements, lots of body-weight exersises, and HIIT cardio. It pushes you to use as much weight for resistance as possible, given a target rep range. Where's the gimmick?

I guess the major problem I have with it is this: Muscle confusion is a bunch of crap. For gains in either strength or endurance, all you need is progressive overload. This is simply doing more than you did last time and challenging yourself. It doesn't take "muscle confusion" to accomplish this. But it does take more frequency than P90X prescribes. "Muscle confusion" is a gimmick.

And the rep structure is built around building "lean muscle." WTF does that mean? ALL muscle is lean. I suspect that what they are really talking about is wanting to build muscle without getting bulky and fat. Well, that's easily done WHILE getting stronger. And it's largely a function of diet. The phrase "lean muscle" is a gimmick.

I ESPECIALLY hate when people talk about doing higher reps to "tone up." That's a total myth. Toning up is a function of two things: Diet and heavy lifting. If you just want to see the ripples in your muscles, all that's required is diet. If you want actual TONE, which is the flow of ions across the muscles resulting in them being in a semi-contracted state even at rest -- you must lift for strength and power. 12-15 reps once a week won't do it, especially if you completely fatigue the muscle. "Toning up" is a gimmick.

And the frequency of the workouts that it has you do simply isn't enough for progressive overload once you've progressed beyond newb gains. Chest once a week? Shoulders/bi/tris once a week? Core once a week? That's just not enough for progression once your body gets used to lifting. You're going to see results, absolutely, if you have never lifted before or haven't done anything with that intensity for a while. But you're going to soon reach a plateau if you don't figure out a way to really shake things up.

You need frequency to really progress beyond the newb gains, and you need heavier weights. Chest, back, tris and shoulders should be done at LEAST twice a week, if not three times. You should do something for your core EVERY DAY. Even the 8 reps it prescribes is a bit high for mass gains. And if you really want to get stronger, you need at least 2, closer to 3-4, minutes of rest in between lifts.

Now, I know why it has things structured the way it does. It's because it doesn't rely solely on the weight to do the work. It relies a lot on volume, which is only one aspect of getting stronger. And you can't do lots of volume work back to back to back, before it gets seriously counter-productive. It doesn't matter if you can do 100 pushups at a time; it won't significantly increase your bench. Doing a thousand pullups won't significantly increase the weight you can row.

That's why the workouts take SO LONG. It's not necessary to exercise that much every day to get results. You could get the same results in half the time with a different program. 60-90 minutes a day with a strict diet... of COURSE you're going to lose weight.

Can you modify the workouts however you want? Sure. You can do them more often if you want. You can add more weight. But at some point, you're getting out of the whole P90X thing and into something else. The workouts simply don't lend themselves to advanced muscle gains and strength training. You don't need to hit the triceps 18 different ways one day a week if you want to get stronger. Same goes for any muscle group. 3 sets with low reps, 2-3 times per week with progressive overload is what you need to get stronger. And by stronger, I mean increasing your maximum strength, not simply increasing your strength within a certain rep range.

Now that I've said all of that, I still don't think P90X is BAD. It's not. It's a good thing. I actually LIKE the concept a lot. I think it's a fantastic way for people to get off their asses and start getting in shape. ANYTHING that does that has my support. You just have to recognize the severe limitations it has once you get into shape. Some of the auxiliary programs are pretty good, like Yoga, Stretching and Plyometrics. You could do everything as it is structured for the rest of your life and be fine. But if you truly want to progress, you have to do something different.

That progression isn't for everybody. Staying at P90X levels certainly isn't for me. But then, what I do isn't for other people, either, so I'm not going to sit here and tell people "Don't do P90X." I just want to educate them about what is actually going on. I hate when P90X throws those buzzwords around without actually informing people about fitness, because the concepts as explained by Tony are fairly off-base. They need serious clarification and education. I hate anything that perpetuates fitness factoids, and P90X, regardless of it efficacy, does that a LOT.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Silock

P90X Rant

You should probably just post that as a blog post and link people to it whenever this "argument" comes up.

[Buck]

Had 2 turkey burgers with a slice of Swiss on one and Colby Jack an the other.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by NewPhin

You should probably just post that as a blog post and link people to it whenever this "argument" comes up.

Maybe. I just don't want to become known as "That Anti P90X Guy," because I'm not anti-P90X at all.

I'm just pro-education, and that sometimes crosses paths with what P90X teaches. But there are a LOT of programs out there that I disagree with. P90X just happens to be popular right now, so it draws a lot of my ire.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Silock

Maybe. I just don't want to become known as "That Anti P90X Guy," because I'm not anti-P90X at all.

I'm just pro-education, and that sometimes crosses paths with what P90X teaches. But there are a LOT of programs out there that I disagree with. P90X just happens to be popular right now, so it draws a lot of my ire.

I've never done the program, but I've seen the outline. My main issue with it is that it's 90 minutes a freaking day. I currently spend from 30-45 minutes a day in the gym, and I'm having stellar results. If I'm spending 90 minutes, then I better be seeing some serious freaking results... like... I better look like a damned underwear model.