New Years Workout Thread

[Ethek]

Im posting this here to see if the forum can help a fellow liberty lover keep strong and in the fight. I want to setup a workout for myself.. Indoor gym place had a decent membershib for the year 8$ a mo, all prepaid.

I have about 14% body fat. I have a weakness in right shoulder (it will bend back over my head too far) and possibly weakness in my knee. I wanted to hold off on doing anything stenous with those until I could learn good technique for any excersizes.

I am an Air Force vet who could do all the requireds and then some. I worked out about 4 times a week back in 2004. Now, not at all. I want to do cardio to and a little strenth strength training using body weight or light weights to build back/upper arm strength without bulking up. Flexability and endurance are what im going for.

If nothing comes to mine I am hoping someone can at least point me to good resources or schools of thought on excersize programs... So many out there to choose from.

 

[bg1654]

Cardio isnt going to help you as much as getting strong will. Proper strength training will also improve your flexibility. Also as you get stronger moving a lighter weight is much easier, thus improving your endurance. A little bit of met-con added couldnt hurt though.

That shoulder sure sounds like it could use a does of heavy over head presses.

If you dont want to get big from strength training then dont eat big. You gotta eat big to get big.

Strength limits ALL other physical fitness parameters and increasing your strength will increase your overall fitness the fastest on a well constructed program.

http://www.startingstrength.com/resources/forum/
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Wit_and_Wisdom_of_Mark_Rippetoe

"Physical strength is the most important thing in life. This is true whether we want it to be or not. As humanity has developed throughout history, physical strength has become less critical in our daily existence, but no less important to our lives. Our strength, more than any other thing we possess, still determines the quality and quantity of our time here in these bodies"
-Mark Rippetoe

I'd train you myself on the lifts if you could get to Cincinnati.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

There's a lot of good info on menshealth.com, IMO. FWIW, I agree with bg about strength training. However, I found that if I combine that with running, I burn fat faster. JMHO.

 

[sratiug]

http://www.gymnasticbodies.com

 

[Uriel999]

While right now my body doesn't look like it, I've got plenty of experience getting in shape. I have a weak knee on my left leg and a weak angle on my right leg. The solution for still doing cardio without pain...run on unpaved surfaces, aka dirt and grass.

For your upper body, focus on pushups, dips, and pullups and then once you have gained back some strength bring in military press and vertical rows.

Since you have not been physically active in a while don't bother with weights and just use your body for now. If you do that in about 8 weeks you will be ready for weights weaknesses and all.

However, be careful right now. Your in a period where you need to figure out your current level of fitness. Don't kill yourself. You can hurt yourself really bad if you don't play it safe. Above all, have fun.

 

[Ethek]

Thanks for the feedback. I can see where good strength is important if I follow the reasoning that good muscle conditioning makes for good technique and less wasted effort/injury.
I also like the gymnastics link, I spent some time digging around the forums there. Mens Health has good solid material on some proven workouts. The problem with MensHealth is the sheer content of information with a lot of rehash of elements from workouts that work into articles that just fill the site. I was hoping someone had some ready gems to link out for techniques they like to use.
I like the concept of the explosive techniques to improve flexibility and build strength.

 

[bg1654]

Please note that gymnasticbodies also espouses the idea that getting strong first is the most important thing you can do for your fitness levels.

If you do not go with barbell training or a mix of barbell/gymnastics training, I highly suggest you do gymnastics training and exclude everything you ever saw in menshealth.

Also overhead presses would start strengthening that shoulder immediately... even with an empty bar if required.

What do you mean by techniques?

 

[Acala]

yoga

I have reached the point where I don't consider any training routine complete without yoga - preferably three times a week. So I do weight training, yoga, daily cycle sprints, and lots of walking and hiking. Works for me. But if I had to give up some part of it, yoga would be the last componenet I would give up.

Think it is for sissies? Take a real yoga class at a real yoga studio and get back to me on that. And be prepared to have your ideas about male versus female strength "adjusted".

Plus it is good for stress.

 

[tommyzDad]

Ethek, check out John Stone Fitness. Lots of great info, supportive people, and a lot of before and after pics of the members.

http://forums.johnstonefitness.com