I workout... not really

[ZEDEH]

Not to sound like a little bitch, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

As my passion for home brewing grows, so does my gut. Was wondering if any of you had a workout/diet that keeps the belly off. Or are we all just doomed to brandish the mark of the brewer (beer gut).

 

[swem]

I drink too much... If you want to be super lean, like sub 10 percent body fat I've got some bad news for you (unless you have great genetics). I'm really active hitting the gym atleast 5 times a week, I also eat pretty cleanly most of the time And I manage to stay in great shape, though I'm not as lean as I would like to be. When a vacation is around the corner, like right now for instance, going to Costa Rica the 28th, I cut most of my beer. I let myself have one every couple days. Beer is my cheating from my otherwise healthy lifestyle. Not to say that it's very unhealthy in moderation, but if I had the 3-4 beers a night that I do in combination with skipping the gym, or even worse eating garbage, I think I would be fat before long.

 

[ZEDEH]

Oh no, not looking to do that. Just want to cut some of the fat off, and stay healthy. I have been super busy lately, with the second year of my IT business coming to a close, buying a new house, and getting a dog, I don't have much time to go to a gym (unless I wake up at like 4 in the morning, not a morning person) maybe just start running again, stopped last year after reawakening some ACL issues from high school.

 

[moscoeb]

I did insanity, 2,000 calories a day prior to burned workout calories (so around 1,500 net, sometimes more if I went over), and cut beer slightly. (From 8/week to 4 or so most weeks). Lost 20lbs and 2in, and I was only doing the workout 3X a week due to kids and work. Felt better and was way more fit. I just started P90X tonight. Going to try and cut a little more fat while putting on some muscle.

 

[max384]

Oh no, not looking to do that. Just want to cut some of the fat off, and stay healthy. I have been super busy lately, with the second year of my IT business coming to a close, buying a new house, and getting a dog, I don't have much time to go to a gym (unless I wake up at like 4 in the morning, not a morning person) maybe just start running again, stopped last year after reawakening some ACL issues from high school.

Not to sound like a dick, but not having time to go to the gym is just an excuse. It's very rare to truly lead a lifestyle where there is no time to go to the gym. We just don't like to make the time. I'd wager to say that between having split custody of my two children, being a third year medical student, being in the army national guard, and taking care of my dog, I probably have less free time than the vast majority here. I'm not saying that I always make it to the gym as often as I'd like, but I don't lie to myself and say it's because I don't have the time. I know it's because I'm not willing to make the time that day. I know this may sound like I'm nitpicking, but my point is that once you realize that you do truly have the time, you'll be more likely to make the time to work out if that's what you want to do.

 

[swem]

Not to sound like a dick, but not having time to go to the gym is just an excuse. It's very rare to truly lead a lifestyle where there is no time to go to the gym. We just don't like to make the time. I'd wager to say that between having split custody of my two children, being a third year medical student, being in the army national guard, and taking care of my dog, I probably have less free time than the vast majority here. I'm not saying that I always make it to the gym as often as I'd like, but I don't lie to myself and say it's because I don't have the time. I know it's because I'm not willing to make the time that day. I know this may sound like I'm nitpicking, but my point is that once you realize that you do truly have the time, you'll be more likely to make the time to work out if that's what you want to do.

100 percent true. As an added bonus, you feel better and by more productive anyway so the hour in the gym will help you get even more done.

 

[butterpants]

The above is true. Until you commit, you'll be unsatisfied.

For strength training I really like what Mark Rippetoe does at Starting Strength. Exceptional program and it's not just for beginners.

For endurance/flexibility and power I do Rob Shaul's MilitaryAthlete stuff. It's a Crossfit style program without the zealots and nonsence.

If you really want to punish yourself, buy a Prowler. Look it up on youtube. Pretty cool piece of gear. Easy to make too.

 

[ninjamonkey80]

No gym required to stay fit. Twice a week i do four sets of pushups four sets of pullups and p90x ab ripper for fifteen mintues. Im strong look great and only cut beer on those two days a week.

 

[ZEDEH]

Not to sound like a dick, but not having time to go to the gym is just an excuse. It's very rare to truly lead a lifestyle where there is no time to go to the gym. We just don't like to make the time. I'd wager to say that between having split custody of my two children, being a third year medical student, being in the army national guard, and taking care of my dog, I probably have less free time than the vast majority here. I'm not saying that I always make it to the gym as often as I'd like, but I don't lie to myself and say it's because I don't have the time. I know it's because I'm not willing to make the time that day. I know this may sound like I'm nitpicking, but my point is that once you realize that you do truly have the time, you'll be more likely to make the time to work out if that's what you want to do.

Oh I know I can make time. Just would prefer to workout at home. Or run outside rather than a treadmill. But maybe I could start a routine and do a mix of both. Just trying to get suggestions on decent workouts to get back on the horse and still enjoy great beer.

 

[ZEDEH]

The above is true. Until you commit, you'll be unsatisfied.

For strength training I really like what Mark Rippetoe does at Starting Strength. Exceptional program and it's not just for beginners.

For endurance/flexibility and power I do Rob Shaul's MilitaryAthlete stuff. It's a Crossfit style program without the zealots and nonsence.

If you really want to punish yourself, buy a Prowler. Look it up on youtube. Pretty cool piece of gear. Easy to make too.

Thanks I will look those up, and I think I may still have a prowler at my parents house from football.

 

[Dr. Francois]

I'm not in great shape, but I keep my weight steady by doing 100 35-pound-kettlebell swings a day (4 sets of 25 with jumping jacks in between, done in under 12 minutes) and eating fewer than 100g carbs per day (better at under 50g).

When I stop either of those two plans, my weight goes up.

 

[Natdavis777]

I go to the gym 4x weekly, and tend to eat pretty clean during the week. Granted, Im no where near the discipline that I used to have (kid, wife, etc) I might have a pint or two during the week, but try and save it for the weekend (i will smash a pizza or whatever sounds good drunk) My job keeps me active, and I stick to mostly protein and salads and weigh in around 190lbs. Ive been steady at the gym since high school (im almost 28 now) so it kills me to even take a week off. There is always time to make it, you just need to prioritize your schedule

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Not to sound like a little bitch, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

As my passion for home brewing grows, so does my gut. Was wondering if any of you had a workout/diet that keeps the belly off. Or are we all just doomed to brandish the mark of the brewer (beer gut).

I lost 20 lbs in a couple months just by cutting most carbs. I didn't work out (except for shoveling snow), and I didn't cut carbs all together. I didn't go hungry either, I was always satisfied after a meal. One day a week I'd eat & drink anything I wanted, even excess carbs. You'd be surprised at how fast the fat melts off just by eating meat & veggies. The catch is, you can only lose X amount without exercise, when you level off, you have to start exercising to lose more. It works well & reasonably quickly.
Regards, GF.

 

[DrunkleJon]

One of my friends started doing pushups or situps or some cardio (jumping jacks, star jumps, etc) during commercial breaks while he is watching TV. True, in the days of DVR's etc people can skip commercials right out, but it does allow you to get something in.

 

[Brewtah]

I lost 20 lbs in a couple months just by cutting most carbs. I didn't work out (except for shoveling snow), and I didn't cut carbs all together. I didn't go hungry either, I was always satisfied after a meal. One day a week I'd eat & drink anything I wanted, even excess carbs. You'd be surprised at how fast the fat melts off just by eating meat & veggies. The catch is, you can only lose X amount without exercise, when you level off, you have to start exercising to lose more. It works well & reasonably quickly.
Regards, GF.

I agree with this advice. Beer has a lot of carbs so removing Complex carbs (bread, potatos, etc.) from your food diet helps a lot. Moderate strength training to increase resting metabolism and cardio to burn calories.
I tend to have 1-2 beers a day or 160-400 calories a day. I have to cut the calories from my food. In the Spring, Summer and Fall I ride my bike 3 times a week 2-3 hours each time. This is about 1100-1600 calories a ride and I don't worry about the beer consumption.

 

[Beer-lord]

I go to the gym or workout at home 4-5 days a week and only drink a few days each week but family genes does make some difference. I try to eat well all week long and still I could loose 10 pounds or so. Its not easy and I hate the gym but I do it because I really believe the alternative is not good.
If not a gym, ride a bike, take a walk with the love of your life, find a walking group or buddy but just get it done. You'll most likely live longer and even if you don't, your life should be more enjoyable if you take care of yourself.

That said, I was thinking of going without for a month early next year to A: see if I could and B: lose a few (if that is the case).

 

[neo71665]

Go getcha some land, cattle, few horses, and take care of it all. When my time comes to sit on a porch and get fat I'd earned it.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

just do what I did: get a tapeworm! I'm 5'7" & weight about 125 right now (on the upswing!). no exercise or eating "right" plan for me!

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

My wife and I did (most of) the P90x program. Good stuff if you're really interested in staying at home, but the biggest thing was having a buddy to do it with. There were days I would come home from work dog tired but she would keep me going, and vice versa. It helped keep us honest with the program.

Other than that, I've found even a quick 10 minute run on the treadmill puts an extra spring in my step the rest of the day.

 

[porky_pine]

I drink 4 or 5 beers a day and run for or five miles every other day. I run stairs a couple days a week too. I eat really healthy and it seems to work for me. I walk a few miles on the days I don't run.

 

[billl]

Not an expert by any means, but I'm in the same situation. I've been doing short workouts and trying to keep the rest of my diet in check. The thing I've found to be most time effective is running sprints. Total, balls to the wall sprinting will get a decent cardio workout in 5 minutes (20 seconds on 10 second rests) Add in some high intensity weight lifting and you are good to go. I'm not cutting tons of lbs this way, but I'm slowly losing weight and gaining some muscle while stilling drinking a bunch of beer. It's a positive trend and something I can probably keep up with long term.

 

[cakey]

I work out 6 days a week, 4 days heavy lifting and 2 days distance training. i started exercising to loose weight for a competition at work, ended up falling in love with power lifting and ended up loosing 80lbs as well. that was two years ago. Not that i'm an expert or anything though but i skimmed through some of the post and would like to comment on a few things. Carbs are not bad, you need them. complex carbs are best but if you cut your carb intake two low your body will go into a calorie hording mode and next time you eat above the norm it will be stored as fat. also balls to the walls exercise is not good for burning fat. yes you will burn some and it depends on you definition of balls to the walls but if you exercise too hard your body will metabolism muscle instead of fat for immediate energy. Also your body adapts to whatever you through at it. if you intend to cut calories do it gradually, if you cut to many all at once you will plato early, cut calories gradually targeting roughly 1 lbs fat loss or so a week (3500 calories roughly make 1LBS of fat). the same goes for exercise, slow and steady. That said, diet, exercise and metabolism in general are extremely complex so there is always variations on these generalities.

 

[swem]

I work out 6 days a week, 4 days heavy lifting and 2 days distance training. i started exercising to loose weight for a competition at work, ended up falling in love with power lifting and ended up loosing 80lbs as well. that was two years ago. Not that i'm an expert or anything though but i skimmed through some of the post and would like to comment on a few things. Carbs are not bad, you need them. complex carbs are best but if you cut your carb intake two low your body will go into a calorie hording mode and next time you eat above the norm it will be stored as fat. also balls to the walls exercise is not good for burning fat. yes you will burn some and it depends on you definition of balls to the walls but if you exercise too hard your body will metabolism muscle instead of fat for immediate energy. Also your body adapts to whatever you through at it. if you intend to cut calories do it gradually, if you cut to many all at once you will plato early, cut calories gradually targeting roughly 1 lbs fat loss or so a week (3500 calories roughly make 1LBS of fat). the same goes for exercise, slow and steady. That said, diet, exercise and metabolism in general are extremely complex so there is always variations on these generalities.

The human body NEEDS very few carbs. Most Americans take in ten times the carbs they should per day. If you cut them all (which is damn near impossible anyway) you will
Lack the energy to get through your workouts, but if you want to cut fat, limit
Carbs big time. Like 90gs or less a day.

 

[cakey]

The human body NEEDS very few carbs. Most Americans take in ten times the carbs they should per day. If you cut them all (which is damn near impossible anyway) you will
Lack the energy to get through your workouts, but if you want to cut fat, limit
Carbs big time. Like 90gs or less a day.

I agree for the most part, i just don't advocate cutting them all at once and i think that body mass should be considered. an individual with more lean body mass will need more carbs than one with less (ie muscle mass) bodybuilding.com has great advice for just this sort of thing even if your not or don't want to be a bodybuilder, i would recommend that anyone interested check them out.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

tape. worm. good.

 

[ilikeguns]

running is my choice.. i do the marathon each year so i can never let myself go too far out of shape. I also do crossfit 3x a week and its an awesome workout having the coaches definitely helps push me further than I would push myself.

I exercise so i can drink beer and eat my pizza on fridays.. during the week i eat pretty healthy, weekends not so much.

Advice to the OP.. start something ASAP.. it becomes addicting and you might find you enjoy it.

 

[Kee]

I am just as addicted to running as I am to making and drinking beer, so it is easy for me to say, but I think everyone can find exercise that they enjoy. Little things add up, such as walking every chance you get, even if it is just parking a little further away from the entrance of the supermarket.

Setting goals helps. If you have never run a 5K find one and enter. (or a longer race)!

Diet is complicated, but strive to find the right eating habits.

Good Luck and good brewing!

 

[Rhumbline]

You don't need a gym.

Situps, pushups, calisthenics, 8-count-motherf#@kers (you might need to look that one up), etc, don't require any equipment and can be done in the comfort of your own home.

Good luck, I'm trying to get back into it myself.

 

[butterpants]

No one ever got strong doing boot camp calisthenics in their living room. Same with P90x, kettlebells or most of crossfit or long slow distance anything.

Did you wake up today and say 'hell, I'm way too strong already, almost ripped the door off the car getting in yesterday, think I need to stop lifting'...? I can assure you, you did not.

Strength is the most useful side effect of training, period.

If you're a fattie fat fat, sure cutting calories is a good idea and those for us in 1st world countries generally have carbohydrates in abundance.

Unless you're a single guy/gal living near a beach or movie star, striving to see your abs is utter nonsence and no benchmark for any fitness level. Its benefits to your life are minimal and running sub 8% bodyfat has no positive effect on longevity. Heck read up on the Framingham study.... there isn't even a correlation between blood cholesterol levels and longevity. Paradigms are being shattered.

Get strong, flexible and fast. Build bone and connective tissue density. Progressive resistance... live it. Do it properly with good form or even better yet enlist the help of someone skilled.

I'm sorry for rambling.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Biggest problem is that when you go online and ask for assistance taking a small step in fitness everyone treats you like an A-Hole. For example, myself being a skinny guy inquired how I could go from Tobey Maguire beginning of Spiderman to after the bite (spoiler?) I got told I needed to shoot for the terminator look instead. Some people just want to get more fit or defined than they are currently. My opinion is start small make reachable goals and step them up because the more in shape you get yourself, the better you will feel and as a result when you reach one goal, you will feel better about taking the next step where you want to end up.

Start small. Cut some carbs, eat more veggies, get some cardio in. Take advantage of any excuse to start working out. Be it cardio, or weight and resistance training. Heck, do some of the desk/office chair workouts.