TypeC Exercise Challenge and Contest

[wolfy]

Wolfy: Do you have any good articles on High Intensity Anaerobic Interval Training?

Not really, I have a few books but I'd have to type them out. The wikipidea article is a pretty good intro High-intensity interval training. I use the Tabata method a lot and it really works. A lot of people have had success with the Body For Life version of HIIT and it's pretty easy to understand.

Basically just alternate between periods of high intensity cardio and low intensity cardio.

You can put the intervals in the middle of your long duration cardio.
For example 20 min
5 min cycling
4 min tabata
5 min cycling
4 min tabata
2 minutes cycling.

The Body for life program is set up like that too.

Or you can do straight intervals. Like 400 meter sprints, hill sprints and stuff like that. 400 meter sprints take the fat off very fast. I have a good training progression if someone wants to try. But initially the long duration is best and safest.

 

[Udog]

I did my "A" schedule exercise today and started logging my weights. I also did my 20 minute walk. Then my friend waylaid me with cake. I... I... was powerless. !

So that completes my week 2 with the use of 1 cheat. Considering how crappy I started off (distracting holidays!), I'll take that as a win.

I'm not adding anything major for week 3. My only goal is to continue with the momentum I built Fri/Sat/Sun. That and continue with 1 Blizzard = 1 cheat rule.

Or you can do straight intervals. Like 400 meter sprints, hill sprints and stuff like that. 400 meter sprints take the fat off very fast. I have a good training progression if someone wants to try. But initially the long duration is best and safest.

Thanks! For now, I'm taking it easy on my knee - which includes no jogging or cycling. However, I'm sure I can figure something out with a stair master, elliptical, or arc trainer. Anyways, I'm planning on saving an advanced technique like that for later when I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with my current routine.

 

[cafe]

Did all my stuff today. Added a little time to my play list and did some curls with cans of tomatoes (I know I'm a weenie so I'm starting easy), but I need to tweak it to allow time for changing positions. Looking forward to my one little soda when I'm playing WoW in a few.

 

[kyuuei]

Weekend statistics:

Number of miles ran: 4 1/2
Number of miles walked: Close to 10
Calories consumed a day: Close to 2,000
Push-ups completed: 56
Push-ups completed because I was too lazy to prove I had something: 25
Hours spent cleaning/working: 20
Number of snowboards set up: 1
Showers taken: 5
Number of working showers in the armory: 0
Number of hair ties ruined by my thick hair: 7

Rainy, muggy weather ftl. But weekend was completed!

Why am I so happy? Because: The jeans that sparked my diet last month.. Fit me. Not just fit.. but fit comfortably.

 

[poppy]

Weekend statistics:

Number of miles ran: 4 1/2
Number of miles walked: Close to 10
Calories consumed a day: Close to 2,000
Push-ups completed: 56
Push-ups completed because I was too lazy to prove I had something: 25
Hours spent cleaning/working: 20
Number of snowboards set up: 1
Showers taken: 5
Number of working showers in the armory: 0
Number of hair ties ruined by my thick hair: 7

Rainy, muggy weather ftl. But weekend was completed!

Why am I so happy? Because: The jeans that sparked my diet last month.. Fit me. Not just fit.. but fit comfortably.

Woohoo! That's pretty awesome.

 

[poppy]

9/6
Did a half hour of weights and crunches at a bit after midnight this morning. Breakfast=tea and crackers, lunch=mozarella and olives and some more crackers, dinner=hamburger and a little potato salad. After dinner I jogged/walked the hilly part of my neighborhood, which took a little over an hour. Was very hungry after, so I had potato salad and a handful of almonds.
Eating: yes
Exercise: yes, plus extra

9/7
Got up and tried to go for a swim, but the water was freezing. Breakfast/lunch consisted of potato salad, grapes, and crackers, and a leftover burger. Had a glass of ice cream and almonds for a snack. Went for a half hour hike in the evening, ate a huge carrot and a small slice of pizza for dinner.
Eating: Pretty poor
Exercise: yes, but not a full hour

9/8
Breakfast was leftover pizza, lunch was potato salad, had a snack of tortilla chips and grapes later. For dinner I made oyako don, which was pretty healthy, but overall I would have liked to have eaten better today and last night.
Eating: only ok
Exercise: no

9/9
Um...I seem to have lost 9/9 and 9/10. I can't remember any details about them or why I didn't write anything down...But I didn't exercise and probably only ate ok.

9/11
Breakfast was cereal, lunch was oatmeal, a carrot, and some pasta. Egg, grits and green beans for dinner.
Eating: yes
Exercise: no

9/12
Bagel and pineapple for breakfast, a pretty healthy burrito for lunch, and french fries and sorbet for dinner. Not ideal, but I did get some vegetables and fruit and spent a lot of the day walking around.
Eating: yes
Exercise: some

9/13
Bagel for breakfast, clam chowder for dinner, an apple with peanuts and carmel (which was delicious bee tee dub).
Eating: acceptable
Exercise: no

TOTAL:
Exercise: 2/3
Eating: Okay
Cheat Day -1

I ate alright this week, but I felt pretty sluggish so I think I should have done better. Also I didn't spread exercise out through the week very well.

 

[Haphazard]

I did a map quest and figured that I walked about .8 miles every day with a heavy backpack to school.

Should I be counting this?

 

[Fidelia]

Ate fine for Fri, Sat and Sunday, but didn't get in all my exercise for the week, so have to claim one cheat day. Busy weekend! Tomorrow is my b'day, but we'll still sqeak in a workout somewhere or other. Lost 2 lbs this week!

 

[Udog]

TOTAL:
Exercise: 2/3
Eating: Okay
Cheat Day -1

I ate alright this week, but I felt pretty sluggish so I think I should have done better. Also I didn't spread exercise out through the week very well.

Thank you for the report!

How is this compared to a couple of week ago? If you are improving, overall, then that is a start. Last week was difficult for me as well (Labor Day threw me off), but this week is a fresh week.

I did a map quest and figured that I walked about .8 miles every day with a heavy backpack to school.

Should I be counting this?

Yup! Especially because of the extra weight (15-20 pounds?) you carry. I certainly was counting it when I suggested you give yourself a break on Sunday.

Ate fine for Fri, Sat and Sunday, but didn't get in all my exercise for the week, so have to claim one cheat day. Busy weekend! Tomorrow is my b'day, but we'll still sqeak in a workout somewhere or other. Lost 2 lbs this week!

Happy Birthday! Congrats on the 2 pounds.

 

[Laurie]

Ok, I worked out, even did some weights with my arms.

I'm loving my bike setup. I think I just want a reclining bike now.

I also have been having trouble with my diet (what I'm eating, not that I'm on a diet) - it didnt help that my daughter was selling candy bars for preschool last week :/

Today I picked up a

instead of a

That was a definate choice, I was on my way to starbucks.

Ok, apparently this is Laurie's picture post.

 

[Little Linguist]

Been going since 5 am, so I honestly did not have any energy for the gym today. Positive note: I've been running around all day. Must have walked 1-2 hours altogether, if not more, so that's got to count for something.

All these new impressions sort of short circuited my brain though, and I need a bit of a break, so I'm going to relax for a while.

Caloric intake: about 1500 (breakfast: Quark bowl, fruit bowl, coffee with milk, Lunch: whole grain roll with camembert and veggies, 1 L water with grape juice and green tea extract, Dinner: baguette with meat and onions and lettuce. Water intake: about 2-3 L).

 

[Udog]

This doesn't count towards my goals, but I brought in a healthy lunch to work today (chopped chicken breast with chick peas, tomatoes, onions) and then went for a 1.3 mile walk afterward. 'tis progress!

 

[Night]

This doesn't count towards my goals, but I brought in a healthy lunch to work today (chopped chicken breast with chick peas, tomatoes, onions) and then went for a 1.3 mile walk afterward. 'tis progress!

Absolutely!

For a nice drink substitute, try Green Tea. Helps eliminate antioxidants and has been shown to diminish certain free radicals that can cause cancer.

Almonds are also wonderful nuggets of nutrition. Have been shown to lower risk of heart disease, metabolic trauma and even linked to improving short term memory.

(As an aside, yesterday I ran 2 miles, and did some bicep and pectoral training)

 

[Domino]

Nuggets of nutrition. Sounds sexay.

I've done some time on the stationary again (20 minutes w/o keeling over) and about 2 hours of walking, weights, etc.

I ate some kittens though. Blew my carbs right out the window.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I completed my week again, although it was REALLY hard. Never underestimate the effect of good music on the ability to complete a workout! I'm going to be upping my pushups for this week though, they're getting easier.

I lost 1 more pound for a total of 7 during the challenge. Does anyone know why your weight varies so much depending on the time of day? For the purposes of the challenge I weigh in as soon as I wake up on Monday, but just out of curiosity I weighed myself Sunday night as well and I was a full four pounds heavier than the next morning. It's not like I cut off an arm or anything.

Thanks for the cardio articles, Wolfy, they look interesting!

 

[Udog]

For a nice drink substitute, try Green Tea. Helps eliminate antioxidants and has been shown to diminish certain free radicals that can cause cancer.

Almonds are also wonderful nuggets of nutrition. Have been shown to lower risk of heart disease, metabolic trauma and even linked to improving short term memory.

Good tips! I'm 100% with you on both of them, although I didn't know about the memory thing with almonds. Cool. I'm working on weaning myself from my coffee addiction and replacing it with a green tea addiction.

As for the nuts, what I've been doing is mixing cashews, almonds, walnuts, and pecans. Each has their own blend of mono and polyunsaturated fat content, and together average out for a pretty healthy ratio.

I've done some time on the stationary again (20 minutes w/o keeling over) and about 2 hours of walking, weights, etc.

I ate some kittens though. Blew my carbs right out the window.

Well, not all ways of skinning cats are equal. Remember, there is more than one way, and some of them are friendlier to the carb conscious than others.

I completed my week again, although it was REALLY hard. Never underestimate the effect of good music on the ability to complete a workout! I'm going to be upping my pushups for this week though, they're getting easier.

I lost 1 more pound for a total of 7 during the challenge. Does anyone know why your weight varies so much depending on the time of day? For the purposes of the challenge I weigh in as soon as I wake up on Monday, but just out of curiosity I weighed myself Sunday night as well and I was a full four pounds heavier than the next morning. It's not like I cut off an arm or anything.

EffEm: What makes your workout REALLY difficult? Is it mostly your shins, or are there other sticking points for you?

When it comes to weight, I'm not sure why it fluctuates so much. Trips to the bathroom and water lost via moisture (esp. breathing), sweating, etc play a big chunk in it. I assume clothes were the same both times you weighed yourself. Otherwise, perhaps it has something to do with the moon and the tides?

 

[Kyrielle]

Exercises today:

100 jumping jacks
40 sit-ups
44 bicep lifts for each arm
25 overhead lifts
20 pushups
25 behind-the-head lifts
20 squats

 

[scantilyclad]

I completed another week . This one was particularly hard because school
keeps me extremely busy but I did meet my goals. I'm still having a slight issue with not being able to control myself when I eat. Oh the woes of a compulsive overeater. I dropped one more pound though.

 

[Udog]

I completed another week . This one was particularly hard because school
keeps me extremely busy but I did meet my goals. I'm still having a slight issue with not being able to control myself when I eat. Oh the woes of a compulsive overeater. I dropped one more pound though.

1 pound in 1 week is good, and you should be proud that school didn't knock you off your exercise program.

I highly recommend this article that talks about our relationship with food - it might offer some insight for you:
It’s Time for a New Relationship With Food

Leave it to an INFP (me, not Scanty) to make something like EATING equivilant to relationships.

 

[Grayscale]

Today, I decided to start off my week by doing some interval training by converting 1.5 mile run from 1x10:30 to 3x3:00 with 45 second break in between. Doesn't help overall time but should help aerobic performance... now just have to shave time off the break period until it's gone

the last few months i have been using sleep aids when i need to tweak my sleep cycle, but i am noticing whenever i do this i still feel very sluggish the next morning. think it might be the melatonin... decided to go back to the old way of fixing sleep schedule.

Does anyone know why your weight varies so much depending on the time of day? For the purposes of the challenge I weigh in as soon as I wake up on Monday, but just out of curiosity I weighed myself Sunday night as well and I was a full four pounds heavier than the next morning.

This is due primarily to water lost through respiration and perspiration, somewhat due to food weight as well. Although it's fine to measure your weight at any time of the day as long as you do it at the same time, the morning is probably the most consistent because you will avoid fluctuations from eating a particularly light or heavy meal.