Franchi Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 Just curious to see of those on CR who exercise on a regular, semi-regular or occasional basis, what is your preferred method of exercise and how many hours a week / month do you do it? Gym, jogging / running, biking, exercise classes, what do you find works well for you? Do you generally keep an eye on what food you eat as well? Since Oct, I've dropped 71 lbs just by drastically altering my diet, intermittent fasting and walking a LOT. Average about 16,000 steps a day and started getting into long distance brisk walking along interesting trails, like the Olentangy river trail, going out and doing ten to twelve mile hikes couple times a week. And it's kinda scary how much more energy I have now. Thinking about stepping up my game once I hit my goal of 190 lbs which will be about a month away and wanted to see in general, what method of exercise do you find that you personally like? Or just hate less than other methods. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limitedslip7 Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 Racing motorcycles is the preferred method but riding mountain bikes is cheaper. For having fun while actually getting a really good cardio workout in I haven't found anything that beats it. Unfortunately it's about a 40 min drive to the trails for me so I'm usually stuck lifting 2-3 days a week at a local gym. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudiOn19s Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 Congrats on the results! The older I get, the more I have to be aware of impact on my knees and the pain it generates in my lower back as well. I generally stick to step mills, bikes, elliptical, rowing machine and long walks with the dogs. If I run, it's for no more than 1 mile as a warm-up for something else. I hate cardio in general, it's a necessary evil but I can't go to get a workout in and just do cardio. Over the last 6 months, to aid in my weight loss, I've changed the way I lift. I still lift 5 days a week but instead of max effort I'm now doing super sets of almost everything and doing about 50% of the weight for a rep range of 15-ish. This allows me to keep heart rate up during lifting and leading into my cardio sessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 I do the occasional 5k with my wife and family, but agreed 100% with Andy. I have a membership to Planet Fitness and go 3-4 times a week in the evenings after the kids go to bed. Free weights for upper body strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l36tols1 Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 3 days on 1 day off of heavy weights: Day 1: Legs/triceps Day 2: Shoulders/biceps Day 3: Chest/back Rest Might go for a hike/bike after that rest day. Then reverse so Day 3 is now Day 1 etc. Gives my body plenty of rest and I don't feel burnt out or tired as the week goes by. Hiking/biking is my only cardio. I don't do cardio in the gym. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 Cycling. Winter, indoors usually 4-6 hours/week. Once it's nicer out, usually 3-4 days/week, anywhere from 2 to 5 hours per ride. I always hated running (not that I tried often) and since breaking my femur a few years ago, even a light jog chasing nieces and nephews looks and feels awkward. Cycling is low impact and gets my heart pumping. I'm usually burning between 450-630 calories per hour. I mostly eat what I want, I've just learned that I don't need to eat until my stomach hurts. I used to use online estimators saying for my average speed, I was burning 1000 calories/hr. Since getting a power meter that shows actual work done, my max hourly burn on my hardest rides is low 600s. I just eat less on non-ride days and indulge a little more if I plan on riding that evening or the next morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckeyeROC Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 I love lifting weights and hate cardio. Currently, I'm doing a mix of Wendlers 531 (general strength) with my main lifts and John Meadows Creeping Death 2 (bodybuilding). I change my routines every few to several months. I'm doing a push/pull/leg split right now, 5 days a week. Cardio, again I hate it. I mix up sprints on a track and steady state on the elliptical machine. Elliptical is easy on my knees. I also work in the field several days a month, that usually involves walking about 7 or 8 hours a day, many times with stairs I've weighed with a food scale (or estimated when needed) and logged EVERYTHING that I consume with an app called FatSecret. Been doing that for about 3 or 4 years now. Currently at 2600 cals a day, high protein. Every now and then I take a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and have some cheat time to stay sane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mace1647545504 Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 Everyone HATES cardio but it will melt the lbs off. You don't sound like you are trying to compete in the arnold or strongman so you don't need to go heavy. Mix up the free weights with machines and body weight exercises. How much time, it depends..are you lifting 1 body part a day...are you doing push/pull..are to doing primary/secondary on the same day? See it all depends OH..congrats on the loss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 As far as cardio is concerned, I love mountain biking on offroad trails, and swimming, plus the various workouts you can do in a pool. Elliptical doesn't bother me. Everything else cardio related generally sucks. Lifting weights is fine, but I don't care much for gyms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coltboostin Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 As you mentioned- change is diet is 85% of the fight with fat. Props on your progress. With my schedule and the time I want to spend with my kids, I only get to the Gym 3, maybe 4 days a week. I only do weight work in the Gym. Any and all of my cardio is else ware and minor-weather it be a bike ride with the kids, hike, or B ball game with friends. I dont obsess about food or actual protein intake. I just eat- and avoid the shit. (IE big bag of chips at 10pm) I also dont drink pop as a preference. After you go without it for a while, it tastes like your legit drinking syrup. I still do a triathlon every year so the month before I will ramp up actual cardio to prepare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robochan Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 Riding my mountain bike. When I go to the gym I have a tendency to stop early. When your halfway down a path you have to finish out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRTurbo04 Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 With hectic wife/kid/job/house life i bought a treadmill so i can ppund it out while watching tv. Do it 4-5 days a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotCarl Posted May 16, 2019 Report Share Posted May 16, 2019 First of all, holy shit 71 lbs thats awesome, congrats. My favorite exercise is playing hockey only because it doesn't feel like exercise at all when you're doing it. A typically skate I'll burn between 800-1100 calories depending on length of ice time, if its a game or a scrimmage. It also helps that hockey is an interval sport, you don't go constantly like soccer you have a shift then you get off, etc... If I could I'd skate everyday but i usually skate 3 times a week. I think the biggest benefit to hockey is that when I workout i workout with the goal of being a better at playing hockey. So it gives me a tangible goal that I can set and meet. If there's a certain transition or play I know I'm weak on then i find workouts to strengthen that exact thing. You don't have to play hockey, just find a hobby that's something active that makes you move. Softball, kickball, basketball, rugby (yes there are adult teams), swimming (an awesome, low impact workout), martial arts, boxing, that way you get in a workout without ever realizing you're working out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franchi Posted May 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2019 Good feedback from all, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeesammy Posted May 16, 2019 Report Share Posted May 16, 2019 Not work in an office and bust my ass at work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudiOn19s Posted May 17, 2019 Report Share Posted May 17, 2019 in regards to working in an office. I work in an office and sit on my ass all day but I have a flexible enough schedule that I can get in early, work late and take a long lunch to go to the gym, not be rushed and get in everything that I need to get in. Going mid day avoids crowds and gets me a great stress reliever in the middle of my work day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBQdDude Posted May 17, 2019 Report Share Posted May 17, 2019 71 pounds? That is awesome. I work out at the gym three days a week. Cardio, lift, cardio. This is my third year back doing it. What I finally woke to is my diet. I started that last July. I won't say I diet anymore. I will say I have made a lifestyle change and eat right now. That is where a lot of people fail; diet, lose weight, go back to the "normal" eating habit, gain weight, diet, lose weight. 47 pounds down at this point with maybe another 10-15 to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franchi Posted May 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2019 /\/\ Exactly. People I know keep asking what diet I'm doing and are stumped when I tell them I haven't done one, I just cleaned up what I ate by a lot and now FAR prefer that type of food vs what I was having. Grilled chicken with some asparagus or grilled veggies sounds better to me now than a pasta and cheese heavy dish hands down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief8one Posted May 17, 2019 Report Share Posted May 17, 2019 (edited) . Edited May 17, 2019 by Chief8one slow internet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted May 19, 2019 Report Share Posted May 19, 2019 Running is my stress reliever. Never would have thought that, as I hated running as a kid/young adult. I have to get 30-60 minutes of cardio a day, or I’m cranky. I’ll usually run 8 miles on the treadmill or bike/run. I try to lift 2-3 times a week. Getting my second half marathon of the season tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radio Flyer1647545514 Posted May 20, 2019 Report Share Posted May 20, 2019 Tree climbing for work daily. Rock climbing 3 to 4 days a week and 2 to 5 days lifting weights depending on what I'm doing for that 8 to 12 week cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewtoys Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 71 lbs is no joke! Hiking and rock climbing, with the occasional gym appearance. No set schedules. Dieting is far more important to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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