navis

I just purchased fractional plates myself. My gym has 1.25kg / 2.5lbs plates, but I find 2.5kg / 5lbs to be a huge jump on certain lifts (bench, OH press...), or sometimes just on certain days. My point being you'll likely find a long term use for them so definitely worth the cost imo Here are the ones I got: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XNCRLA4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Good point, I never thought about the way you should take the bar off the hooks. No more split stance! Oh and I shuffle a lot because I tend to always put one foot ahead of the other (even when I walk) which causes one of my hips to move forward. Trying to reduce it though. Thanks

Interesting observations! Like I said, I was sure I was collapsing my chest so I was surprised to see that wasn't the case at all. The balance at the bottom feels good, especially since I switched to flat soles (at the very early start I still wore my runners). I do take a big breath at the top, and exhale on my way up. I sometimes forget to do so when the weights are lighter. I did think the way the weights were spinning wasn't right, but hadn't paid attention to the movement in my wrists. Overall the bar feels stable, though it does slide down a bit like you said. I don't notice it while I squat, but rather because my skin is a bit rough because of the knurl when it slides. I'll give the thumbless grip a go tomorrow and let you know.

Hello I filmed myself for the first time today. Lately, as I've been increasing weight, I've felt my chest may be collapsing (goodmorning style) and depth just wasn't there. I've gone down 20% on my weight as I hit my first plateau, and am building back up trying to focus even more on breath, depth, and overall form. I'm actually pretty happy, it doesn't look nearly as bad as it did in my head! I'd love to get feedback on those areas, and any other aspects I might be missing. https://www.dropbox.com/s/y7hp1epogcsh0eo/Squats 5x125 0814.mp4?dl=0 Thanks in advance!

Such a seemingly small change but it truly makes a world of difference! Best of luck

Hey there! I'm similar to you as well. I initially thought "warrior" because I love lifting, but I do a fair bit of yoga (did accro yoga, would love to try aerial) and I run. I signed up under Rangers but I'm doing my first challenge with the Rebels. Good luck with your challenge, and your injury.

Thank you! It's the Data Science Specialization offered by Coursera.

Thank you for the encouragement Goal #1 part 1 will kick off with a delay ; I was travelling over the weekend AND my stove gave up on me which limits my meal prepping capabilities. I'll do some shopping after work today and figure out what my raw options are. I did the HIIT bodyweight workout on Sunday (and hated it). Good thing it's quick. Goal #2 I haven't been to my weekly yoga class yet BUT I have been practicing my headstand. I was so surprised to be able to get my legs up without kicking ON THE FIRST TRY! So instead of practicing not kicking up, I'm working on perfecting my form once I'm up and controlling my legs on the way down. Goal #3 This one is tricky. I've been doing 10 mins of jump rope a day, which resulted in the most painful shin splints. I had to give up on my morning run after one mile today because of it. I may have to park this goal until I figure something out. Goal #4 I registered and have my first assignment due this week. I've already been through some of the lectures and completed some of the exercises. I'll do the rest over the weekend I think. I'm so stoked about the headstand I don't even care about not making much progress in other areas

Hello I debated posting this into the Rebel section or the Ranger section as they are the guild I chose, but considering this the first challenge I'm going Rebel Here goes -- I'm going to keep it simple. I've been looking forward to this! Goal #1: Level down my BF% My last few measurements were all over the place, but I'm generally around 23-24%. Ultimately I'd like to drop under 20%. Bring my own snacks to work everyday: I've been doing paleo lunch preps weekly for about a two months now and that's been going very well. I will now start prepping snacks more thoughtfully so I don't get hungry when I'm at work and default to the unhealthy options there. Do HIIT bodyweight workout once / week: My trainer gave me a routine to complement my weight lifting routine, I saved it to my Polar. Now I need to use it. Goal #2: Level up my yoga skills - Get into a headstand without kicking up I started doing yoga regularly over a year ago and fell in love with the idea of inversions and arm balance poses. But I suck at them. My current routine involves a lot of core and shoulder stability, but with all these new support exercises my actual practice has taken a backseat! Go to yoga class at least once / week Practice my headstand 10 mins / day Goal #3: Level up my boxing skills - Jump rope for 90 seconds straight I do boxing once a week and drills involve jumping rope for 30 to 90 seconds. I can do about 20 secs if the rope length is ok. Jump rope 10 mins / day Goal #4: Level up my brain skills - Data Science Certification I started an online data science certification course to develop skills applicable to my job (I'm a data analyst at a digital marketing agency). I got the first three courses knocked down (12 in total) but haven't touched the 4th course in probably around a month now. I need to get back into it! Complete Course #4 of my Data Science Specialization There you go!

I'm already terrible at updating this thing! Overall I'm really happy with the last week. I'm progressively increasing my training time, and I feel great. Yes, I collapse into bed at 11pm BUT once I do I actually sleep, which is relatively new for me. I'm really getting into running and strength training, I completely stopped going to BodyPump and my core class. I'd like to find time to go at least once a month because I of the people and atmosphere, but I'm so happy I can train on my own time now. Thurs 5.19 REST -- now that I'm more comfortable with weightlifting I'm going to try and run / do yoga on days I don't lift rather than do nothing at all. Fri 5.20 30mins jog -- I started Polar's 5k training program. It's fairly challenging for me because I've been terrible at running longer than 15 minutes, but I surprised myself being able to run longer at an only slightly slower pace. Sat 5.21 Boxing -- my instructor is on full torture mode ; he had us do pushups, burpees, mountain climbers and sprints in-between stations. Love it though! Sun 5.22 Strength training -- I had a session with my trainer. I was disappointed we didn't do any lifting because I'm really into it already. She had me do a HIIT bodyweight workout, which is the kind of thing I hate because I fail miserably. I do however acknowledge that's probably because I need to do more of it. Nevertheless, I left feeling like crap. 45mins run (interval training) -- I went for a run in the afternoon, which really lifted my spirits. I alternated running and walking, but it was a beautiful day and I was happy I could keep running for as long as I did. I felt amazing afterwards! Mon 5.23 30mins jog -- my heart no longer beats like crazy as soon as I start running, which means my endurance is already improving. Tue 5.24 Strength training SS x3 back squat (x10, 85lbs) / jump squat (30secs) -- I was hoping to squat 90lbs but hadn't touched the bar in a week and my form was feeling shaky. Next time! SS x3 pushup with shoulder tap (x10, 5 riser incline) / chest fly with 45° leg extension (x15, 10lbs) -- I'm keep lowering my legs halfway through rep #15, I need to stop doing that! I think I can also reduce the incline for my pushups soon. SS x3 pull ups (x10, 80lbs assist) / db bicep curl oh press burpee combo (x10, 12.5lbs) -- my pull ups are looking less and less pathetic, aiming for a 70lbs assist next time. SS x3 roman chair leg raises (x10) / plank with crunch to three-legged dog (x10 per leg) -- aiming for 12 reps on the roman chair next time. Wed 5.25 45mins run (interval training) -- I ran the whole time!! It's a shame the GPS on my watch does not cope well with bridges (under which I often run) because I don't have an accurate measure of my pace, but this run put me in an excellent mood.

Oh, how do you prepare the plantains? Do you bake them or fry them? I wonder if I can find some where I am...

I'm in the same boat as you -- ever since transitioning to paleo, I've been finding it really difficult to hit my target for carbs (180g daily). So far I've been eating mostly sweet potato, but it's still not enough. I'm now trying a combination of high carb veggies and low sugar fruit. Otherwise I'll have to consider re-introducing some grains into my diet. You may have come across this link already: http://balancedbites.com/PDFs/BOOK_EXTRAS/PracticalPaleo_GuidetoPaleoCarbs.pdf

I'm 29 That's good to know. I'll adapt my pace rather than force myself into a HR zone next time. Thank you for your answer, and the link. It's interesting how over reliance on technology can work against you so quickly!

Hello, I just started a running coaching program through my Polar m400. I'm really enjoying it so far, but have a question for the more experienced runners. There's a lot of light jogging and interval training involved where the objective is to keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone. The issue I'm facing is that even at my slowest jog, my HR goes way up. I usually run no matter what the targeted HR zone, only slower. Today though I just walked (briskly) to bring my HR down when needed. I attached a screenshot of my HR analysis so you see what I mean: The colored zones are where I should aim to be for the purposes of the exercise. I jogged the first 15 minutes then alternated running / walking. I guess I actually have two questions: Is it better to bring your HR down or to keep running to improve endurance? With training, will my HR eventually be lower when I'm jogging / running reaaaally slowly? I have an idea of what the answers are, but would appreciate your feedback (and some reassurance that my body isn't completely weird ) nonetheless. Thanks! -- and apologies if these questions are already covered in another topic

It's fairly normal to feel sore after doing something that requires a lot of effort such as strength training, especially for the first time. The first time I touched a barbell I felt sore for days afterwards. The second time I barely felt anything. Now it varies, but I can usually run or do yoga the next day. If you did mostly stretching during your other session, then it's expected you didn't feel as sore. In terms of who the best trainer is, I'd say it's the one who writes the program that will help you meet your goals and who you like working with. One may be contingent on the other. Whoever you decide to go with, make sure you tell them what your goals are: what do you want to be able to do and by when? (e.g. squat 2x your body weight in 3 months, do x number of pull-ups in a row...). It's up to them to tell you whether that's realistic, and to give you the tools and information to get there. They may even suggest goals or exercises you hadn't considered based on what you tell them.

What would the purpose be, though? And how would you measure the successful (or not) impact of randomization? I haven't read the book, however while general fitness can definitely benefit from "shock" (e.g. you haven't been to the gym in a week and yet have one of your best workouts) or a measure of disorder (e.g. cross-training), it seems counter-productive to deliberately adopt attitudes which could potentially negate your work. Wouldn't planned rest/cheat days achieve similar results? I'm curious as to the added-value of randomization past the novelty effect.

Oh I need to create a challenge! I'm like you: personality-wise, I definitely recognize myself in the ranger description ; however I really want to put the emphasis on strength in my workouts which is more in line with warriors. Maybe I'll look at the warrior section for challenges and make my own mix, ranger style.

So I've been holding strong and avoiding the snack pantry at the office -- even the chocolate covered pretzels, which are usually my downfall. I've also been ignoring Bagel Mondays for the last couple of weeks. On the plus side, I've discovered I LOVE peanut butter on celery It's been my after-dinner snack for the last few nights (tracking my macros I discovered I don't eat enough fat!). Now I just need to finish the peanut butter I have and replace find a paleo substitute (I like almond butter but haven't found a decent/cheap brand yet). Workout-wise, Monday was a well deserved rest day. TuesdayI went for a short run before work (1.27mi, I'm aiming for 2mi) and yoga in the evening Wednesday strength training before work Warm up: rower (500m then 3x250m drills) Superset barbell squats (x10 reps, 85lbs) and 30 sec jump squats x3 Superset pushups with an incline (x10) and chest flys (x15, 10lbs) with 45° leg extension x3 Superset assisted pull ups (x10, 80lbs) and db bicep curls/overhead press/burpee combo (x10, 12.5lbs) Superset roman chair leg raise (x12) and plank with crunch to three-legged dog (x10 each leg) x3 Cool down: hamstring, lower back and hip flexor stretches The barbell squats were not as challenging as they were on Sunday, so I might be able to up my weight a bit again this week. Tomorrow will be rest again, then Friday maybe run and/or yoga. I have my regular boxing class on Saturday and another session with my trainer on Sunday.

Thank you both I'll definitely give the Warrior pages an eye. I marked myself as a Ranger for now, but maybe I should stick with Rebel until I've figured it out? @SpecialSundae: impressive transformation! It's nice to hear others have gone into fitness for a similar reason ; I don't even mention it anymore. Working out has become part of who I am.

My goals are: Lower body fat - I was at 30% in January 2015, around 24% now and am aiming for 19-20% Strength - I'm working on my crow pose for yoga, which requires upper body and core strength, so I need to work on those Flexibility - unlocking those hip flexors and hamstrings! Working out in the morning - I used to take mostly evening classes which seriously cut into my social life ; I'd like to move what I can to the AM in order to still have a life outside of the gym Figure out my food plan: I thought I was eating too much, turns out I may actually not be eating enough. I need to figure out a routine I can manage and which keeps me full. I had a pretty awesome week: Monday: rest -- I met my first Olympic bar the previous day and my quads were on fire Tuesday: went for a short run before work (I suck at running but I like it) and went to my core class in the evening (or as I like to call it "30 minutes of everything plank") Wednesday: strength training before work Warm up with the rower (500m then 3x250m drills) Superset barbell squats (x15 reps, 75lbs) and 30 sec jump squats x3 Superset pushups with an incline (x10) and chest flys (x15, 10lbs) with legs extended at 45° because why not x3 Superset roman chair leg raise (x10) and pike plank (x10) x3 I failed to bring a plan for a cool down so I did a few vinyasas and light stretches Thursday: rest Friday: another short run before work, then a good sweat out at hot yoga in the evening (note to self: bring towel) Saturday: boxing -- not many people turned up, which is unusual for this class so the instructor got creative with the circuits! My arms were shattered Sunday: strength training with my trainer Warm up with the rower (500m then 3x250m drills) Superset barbell squats (x10 reps, 85lbs) and 30 sec jump squats x3 Superset roman chair leg raise (x12) and plank with crunch to three-legged dog (x10 each leg) x3 Superset assisted pull ups (x10, 80lbs) and some odd combination of bicep curls, overhead press and burpee (x10, 12.5lbs) Cool down: she helped me figure out a plan with lots of hip flexors In parallel, I've been slowly transitioning into paleo and started tracking my macros a couple of weeks ago to gauge where I'm at in terms of needs / habits. My fridge is now packed with carefully portioned chicken, vegetables and sweet potato which should see me through the week.

Hello, I’ve been lurking around this place ever since I found it back in January as I was looking for tips to switch up my workout routine. First off, my friends would definitely call me a nerd, though I can be pretty selective in what I geek out on. I grew up with Belgian / French comic books (Wake – or Sillage in French, for instance, which inspired my username). I have an undergrad in Japanese for which practice was rooted in watching animes and reading mangas. I did play Super Mario growing up (being the youngest of two, I was always Luigi) but I preferred watching/playing/impersonating/drawing Ninja Turtles. My dad not being a fan of American comics (some sort of French chauvinism there I think), I never had the Marvel / DC Comics childhood experience. As an adult I do have a penchant for Batman, though. Oh and you might have gathered by now: I’m French. Let’s dive right into it: I’ve always been kind of in and out of the gym, but it never really stuck until I struggled with depression. I had to take a year off school, and when I went back I was so afraid of falling back into a dark place that I signed up to a gym (which was right across the road from me!) and went to classes any chance I got. As it turns out, exercise proved to be a far better way for me to balance my emotions than prescription drugs. I was able to ween myself off the antidepressants and sleeping pills overtime and today, fitness is my only therapy. I started out with RPM (Les Mills) three times a week and a few core classes. Around 18 months ago I found out about Body Pump and have been doing it twice a week since (gosh did I have NO upper body strength!). After reading Steve’s article on how to break a plateau, I stopped spinning (seriously, even with the best of instructors I still HATE spinning) and took up boxing instead. I also do a bit of yoga, where the most challenging poses for me are the ones requiring a lot of core strength. I’m pretty good about not missing a workout, or making up for one I can’t make. My cooking is fairly healthy, however during my years of depression I suffered from emotional eating and yo-yoed between being overweight and shockingly skinny, completely messing up my metabolism and leaving me with a larger-than-preferred lower body. Lately though I’d been feeling stuck in a routine and perhaps a little too comfortable. Then one day my absolute favorite BP teacher announced she was dropping our class due to conflicting schedules. To be honest, by then I was going more for the social aspect than the actual workout. Sure, I kept upping my weights but I could tell the class was no longer enough of a challenge for me. And after months of reading NerdFitness as well as other online resources, I’d grown convinced I was ready to move on to “serious” strength training. So here I am. Finally posting on this forum. A few weeks ago I got an email from my gym about an offer on Personal Training packages. This was the perfect opportunity for me as I was still lacking the confidence to enter the testosterone dominated sections of my gym. After an initial assessment, I had my second session just this morning, and I’m really liking it! My trainer is a woman with a background in yoga and dance, and she lifts weights, making her the perfect match and inspiration for me. She pushes me, listens to me, and gives me advice I can use in my yoga classes too. I started with 75lbs barbell squats last week and moved on to 85lbs this week as it was a tad too easy (I accidentally did more reps than I was supposed to!). I’m very excited about my new program, and to meet people here who are as nerdy about fitness (and nerdy things) as I am