Fitness

[xelement5x]

My experience with personal trainers has been awful. But i blame the gym that i'm currently going to. I'm at Youfit right now. its one of those $10 a month gyms. I have had about 8 sessions so far and i have had 4 different trainers so far. Mind you these sessions have been going on since March. I had to travel for work, and then i had my Japan trip. I'll be glad once they are over so i can move on to muay thai classes.
The sessions def helped with learning new ways to work out, but honestly thats about it. I have the motivation myself to workout, so i don't need a trainer for that. Also, it cost a good amount of money. So you have to weigh your options. If you are willing to do research on workouts and stuff then you most likely don't need a trainer

The gym I joined has a discount program through my employer's health and welness page. It's 30.00 a month but is near my house and has a nice big facility. The personal trainer costs are very high wanting you to sign 28 week or one year personal trainer contracts. Probably a lot easier to just research what to work out and when.

Woah yeah, that's a red flag.  Any good trainer would let you do a couple one off sessions for free or possibly at an individual rate. 

[munchiaz]

My experience with personal trainers has been awful. But i blame the gym that i'm currently going to. I'm at Youfit right now. its one of those $10 a month gyms. I have had about 8 sessions so far and i have had 4 different trainers so far. Mind you these sessions have been going on since March. I had to travel for work, and then i had my Japan trip. I'll be glad once they are over so i can move on to muay thai classes.
The sessions def helped with learning new ways to work out, but honestly thats about it. I have the motivation myself to workout, so i don't need a trainer for that. Also, it cost a good amount of money. So you have to weigh your options. If you are willing to do research on workouts and stuff then you most likely don't need a trainer

The gym I joined has a discount program through my employer's health and welness page. It's 30.00 a month but is near my house and has a nice big facility. The personal trainer costs are very high wanting you to sign 28 week or one year personal trainer contracts. Probably a lot easier to just research what to work out and when.

28 weeks, or one year?!?!?!. Yeah no thank you. I say just do your research, and once you get bored of simply working out, you can join a gym and learn MMA,Boxing, Muay Thai ect.

[technozombie]

I've lost about 25 pounds since Nov '14. My wife's neurologist put her on a Keto diet and I did it too, to lose weight but also to support her. A keto diet is a low carb diet.  We do have a "splurge" day on Saturday that keeps us sane. It's very important to keep the splurge day to just one day a week though. Basically our diet consists of meat and vegetables. Once you break away from the carb addiction(it literally is an addiction) it gets easier. I also dropped Coke and bought a Sodastream, now I just drink the carbonated water. At the same time in Nov. I started jogging now I'm up to 3miles/5k  almost every single day.

[crazydean]

I have been exercising for about 10 years. Goals change and so do workouts. For the most part it has been lifting, but at one point I was running 7-8mi 3x a week. Right now I'm looking to add mass in places that I have been cheating on for so long: back, traps, and shoulders. Right now I work out 4x a week and it seems to be getting me where I want.

As for personal trainers, I say that they can be helpful, but if they won't work with you and demand a 6 month contract, screw that. It's obvious they have no desire to help you and only line their own pockets.

If you're looking for exercises and tips, check out Scooby's Workshop: http://scoobysworkshop.com/
He gets a good bit of hate, but I think he is really helpful. He has a lot of good information, especially for beginners.

[BlueBMW]

When I moved to colorado last summer I weight about 205.  I cut out most soda and started eating less unhealthy and overall just less food.  In about 3 months I had dropped down to about 180.  I have tried some other workout stuff but its sometimes hard to make the time for it each day.

Right now I'm seriously looking into a good bike to ride to work.  Its only about 2.8 miles each way and its 95% bike paths or bike lanes to get there.  And with the 300 days of sunshine we get here in Colorado its perfectly viable....  We will see.

[DragonmasterDan]

So in a little over two weeks since I started my new diet and exercise regimen and I'm noticing my clothes are quite a bit looser. I have more energy and physically am feeling quite a bit better. I've hit the gym every day since I joined for at least 45 minutes with a mix of cardio and some strength training.

[munchiaz]

So in a little over two weeks since I started my new diet and exercise regimen and I'm noticing my clothes are quite a bit looser. I have more energy and physically am feeling quite a bit better. I've hit the gym every day since I joined for at least 45 minutes with a mix of cardio and some strength training.

Awesome man. Keep it up. I just joined a new gym focused on MMA training. I will be taking some Muay Thai classes, and also training with a friend of mine

[roflmao]

Woo hoo! Go Dan!

I think this thread has inspired me to be a little more mindful of my own fitness schedule.  Lately I've been more consistent about going for walks during my lunch break and have increased the length of them from 2 to 3 miles per walk. Also, I've been riding my bike more on the weekends.  I took a 14 mile ride on Sunday, which is my longest by far.

[NightWolve]

I have decided to cut out my coca colas as well and switch to iced water. Drinking a glass of cold water before and after a meal gives you a bit extra full feeling, minus say 100 calories with a coke, and causes a minor burn of calories. It's a dieting trick I read, not to mention it helps keep you well hydrated which has many benefits to your health.

[esteban]

I have decided to cut out my coca colas as well and switch to iced water. Drinking a glass of cold water before and after a meal gives you a bit extra full feeling, minus say 100 calories with a coke, and causes a minor burn of calories. It's a dieting trick I read, not to mention it helps keep you well hydrated which has many benefits to your health.

This is an old, but trusted, urination trick. Drink more water, and you will urinate.

[NightWolve]

Heh.

[MrBroadway]

I love an ice-cold water after a big, hot meal. Feels more satisfying, and despite the superstitious, it's really good for you.

[jeffhlewis]

Dan:

Glad to hear you're taking the plunge - I definitely reccommend a personal trainer if you're starting out seriously for the first time (or even if you're coming back into exercising after a long hiatus). They can get you set up with a routine, make sure you're doing it correctly and safely, and in a lot of cases can set you up with things like diet plans and whatnot. They definitely run a little on the expensive side, but if you look at it as an investment and pay up front it's a little easier to swallow.

Some tips and/or things that worked for me:
1.) Going along with the trainer thing - I find that having someone instruct/coach/yell at me gives me 2-3x better results than just working out on my own. This doesn't mean you have to have a private instructor - look for things like boot camps and group fitness to get the same experience at a lower price (there's a new-ish chain of gyms called Orange Theory Fitness that does this pretty well).

2.) Get some workout videos and some gear to use at home for when winter hits or for days where you just don't get a chance to go to the gym. P90X, as cliche as it is, is a fantastic workout and has lots of variety. I haven't done Insanity but I've heard good things about that as well. Pick up some basic gym supplies - resistance bands, a yoga mat, some weights, maybe a medicine ball or two...there's a lot you can do at home with that stuff.

3.) Beware of the plateau - when you start out, you'll lose a ton of weight and see crazy results fast...then over time your workout regimen will become a routine, and visible results will come a lot slower (or stop altogether). If you reach this "plateau" you might want to try something new, alter muscle groups on different days, buy a couple training sessions, join a spin class...etc...

4.) Diet is crazy-important to weight loss and maintenance - almost more important than going to the gym, in my opinion. Drink a ton of water, as everyone has said. Cut out soda as much as you can (that includes Diet Soda, which I've personally scaled back on a ton...and I love diet soda like no other). Think in terms of calories-input vs. calories-output. If you eat that value meal, you've just negated like 2 days worth of workout in some cases.

Good luck!

[DragonmasterDan]

Dan:

Glad to hear you're taking the plunge - I definitely reccommend a personal trainer if you're starting out seriously for the first time (or even if you're coming back into exercising after a long hiatus). They can get you set up with a routine, make sure you're doing it correctly and safely, and in a lot of cases can set you up with things like diet plans and whatnot. They definitely run a little on the expensive side, but if you look at it as an investment and pay up front it's a little easier to swallow.

Some tips and/or things that worked for me:
1.) Going along with the trainer thing - I find that having someone instruct/coach/yell at me gives me 2-3x better results than just working out on my own. This doesn't mean you have to have a private instructor - look for things like boot camps and group fitness to get the same experience at a lower price (there's a new-ish chain of gyms called Orange Theory Fitness that does this pretty well).

The gym I joined offers various classes that are free with membership. I may attend some of those. Thus far (only three weeks in) I'm noticing excellent results but I realize that's going to taper off over time. I'm feeling considerably stronger. I've definitely lost some weight. Both upper and lower body strength and endurance have improved at levels I never would have expected. I definitely need to work on my core more.

I may eventually hire a personal trainer, but not through the gym, check Craigslist and look for an independent one that doesn't require a long term contract.

2.) Get some workout videos and some gear to use at home for when winter hits or for days where you just don't get a chance to go to the gym. P90X, as cliche as it is, is a fantastic workout and has lots of variety. I haven't done Insanity but I've heard good things about that as well. Pick up some basic gym supplies - resistance bands, a yoga mat, some weights, maybe a medicine ball or two...there's a lot you can do at home with that stuff.

I've been trying to do my core exercises at home, usually either right when I wake up or right before I get ready to wind things down for the night. I may hit a secondhand sports store and look for a mat, and some weights, I've been checking thrifts for it without much luck.

3.) Beware of the plateau - when you start out, you'll lose a ton of weight and see crazy results fast...then over time your workout regimen will become a routine, and visible results will come a lot slower (or stop altogether). If you reach this "plateau" you might want to try something new, alter muscle groups on different days, buy a couple training sessions, join a spin class...etc...

Yep, changing up my routine is going to be key. I've watched a lot of youtube videos on adding variety to your workouts.

4.) Diet is crazy-important to weight loss and maintenance - almost more important than going to the gym, in my opinion. Drink a ton of water, as everyone has said. Cut out soda as much as you can (that includes Diet Soda, which I've personally scaled back on a ton...and I love diet soda like no other). Think in terms of calories-input vs. calories-output. If you eat that value meal, you've just negated like 2 days worth of workout in some cases.

I'm keeping a pretty close eye on calories and trying to emphasize protein over carbs. I am drinking diet soda as I have a rather awful caffeine addiction and need it in my system to wake up early in the morning. I drink way more water than diet soda though and have totally dropped drinking regular soda.

Good luck!

Thanks!

[mitsuman]

FINALLY got around to working on my arms today. Went to the fitness center/gym at my wife's work and did some lifting. I forgot how freaking hard it was, but also how great I felt after. Looking forward to doing it again on Thursday (different group of muscles of course).