[OreoCookie]

Jogging is great, especially for people who like long-distance sports, but it's hard on your joints. I've had two knee surgeries and I cannot run too often, otherwise my knee starts hurting. But it burns a lot more calories than biking (unless you really go uphill for a few hundred height meters at a time).

[mrtew]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Jogging is great, especially for people who like long-distance sports, but it's hard on your joints. I've had two knee surgeries and I cannot run too often, otherwise my knee starts hurting. .....I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.

You really MUST enjoy suffering from your insanity! I never went jogging again after I heard that it damages the joints, but you're still trying after multiple surgeries??? Wow. I think I'd rather be fat. Luckily there alternatives such as powerwalking. Here's a great chart to show how many calories you can burn per hour. http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist.htm

[driven]

American football players and those TV wrestlers are great examples of really strong guys that simply don't look cut up.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by mrtew 

You really MUST enjoy suffering from your insanity! I never went jogging again after I heard that it damages the joints, but you're still trying after multiple surgeries??? Wow. I think I'd rather be fat. Luckily there alternatives such as powerwalking. Here's a great chart to show how many calories you can burn per hour. http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist.htm

The second surgery was not related to that, I had a bike accident and my bursa (it's a spongy tissue surrounding the knee joint) had to be removed. I don't go running very often, perhaps four, five times a month in winter, almost never in the summer. I don't like powerwalking, because I like to go fast and to be in my rhythm -- and my rhythm says `run' and not `walk fast, but not too fast'. When I'm running, I'm completely relaxed, it's like meditation. When I go mountain biking, it's not the same, either I go to university and then I try to be fast (= no relaxation). In the mountains, I have to fight and win against myself to go uphill -- which is a great feeling once you've managed to reach the top of the mountain.

Also, a certain amount of running is actually good for me. The reason is simple: the extra muscle tissue cushions the joint and since I have rather muscular legs, it's alright. The other two secrets are (i) moderation and (ii) good shoes.

Originally Posted by driven 

American football players and those TV wrestlers are great examples of really strong guys that simply don't look cut up.

Shaquille O'Neil would be another example. I've heard from a reliable source that he is fully capable of eating $100 worth of food at McDonald's

[Charles Bouldin]

Well, try spinning classes for burning calories and weights for building muscle that will continue to burn calories. Spinning burns something like twice the calories of all but the most vigorous road cycling (don't know about mountain biking), plus it's indoors so you can do it over the winter and you'll have a head start on the spring riding season.

[Eyenovation]

Originally Posted by driven 

American football players and those TV wrestlers are great examples of really strong guys that simply don't look cut up.

Come again? Many (most) athletes in both sports are extremely defined and 'cut up.' Unless of course you're counting linemen who are simply piles of MASS, so much as they are strong.



Terrell Owens

http://www.absolutefitnessusa.com/images/MF_aug05.jpg

Triple H



Body fat. Pure and simple. Get rid of it, you'll see muscle. Linemen want to carry superfluous weight. It's actually a big controversy in the sport because it comes at the detriment of their health and joints. People have even died with complications related to for being clinically obese. High school kids are now trying to bulk up because of it, thinking it will boost their chances to get into division one NCAA schools. Imagine a 300lb 17 yr old kid. Scary.

[driven]

Obviously there are exceptions ....

I'd venture to say that they are not the norm.

[Andy8]

Give some Yoga classes a try. Start with basic Hatha classes, then once you grasp the basic poses, move onto some form of Hot Yoga. This will give you a change of workout for your whole body and your eyes (nothing like a room full of flexible ladies to whip you into shape). I have been doing a lot of Yoga recently and it has really reduced my stress levels and I have lost about 3kg in weight. Give it a try

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

Give some Yoga classes a try. Start with basic Hatha classes, then once you grasp the basic poses, move onto some form of Hot Yoga. This will give you a change of workout for your whole body and your eyes (nothing like a room full of flexible ladies to whip you into shape)

Gentlemen, we have a winner!

[el chupacabra]

Is your belly actually fat or is it your gut?

Running is the fastest way to burn calories, situps will target fat burning to your outer belly fat through the release of hormones in that area (Many fitness guros say 'target training doesn't work, they are wrong). However there is no easy way to get rid of fat in your gut. This requires eating very healthy and burning lots of calories.

This could mean that you ate too many trans fats back in the day. I don't know if you did or didn't but one of the bad things with trans fats is they stack up against other trans fat molecules in your body like bricks making them very hard to burn. Often you will burn muscle before you burn trans fats. Unsaturated fat molecule for example stack like 'bent' bricks making them very unstable and easy to burn.

[RAILhead]

Hot Yoga?

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

Hot Yoga?

Most styles of Yoga, but done in a heated room.

You sweat a lot more and it helps to get your muscles to relax easier.

[scaught]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

Many fitness guros say 'target training doesn't work, they are wrong

As you are vastly in the minority in this thread as well as everything I have heard, you are going to have to back this up with something factual.

[el chupacabra]

Originally Posted by scaught 

As you are vastly in the minority in this thread as well as everything I have heard, you are going to have to back this up with something factual.

Sure, when you exercise hormones that break apart fat are released into your body. Emphasis on 'break apart' not 'break down.' Organs such as muscle now have access to them; to absorb, break down, and use as energy. So if you are doing sit ups many fat molecules will be broken apart and ready for use throughout your whole body, but natually the fat molecules which are closed to the energy demand (that being your stomach) will be absorbed faster and burned faster. As these molecules are being absorbed it will free up the saturated fat dissolving hormone molecules to be used to disolve even more fat in that area. The hormones released in your arms will be saturated and only dissolve a certain amount of fat until it is burned up. At the end of a work out as energy demand goes down the hormone will be taken back up and the once-dissolved fat molecules in areas which there was no demand will reharden in a place close to where they were originally.

Note fat molecules CAN move throughout your body and be burned in other areas...but the laws of diffussion play a large roll. Blood nor anything else will not carry much fat from your arms to your stomach. One of the reasons is unless your excercising your arms your blood vessles in that area wont be dialated enough (hence the point of warm ups to reduce injury)

You can test this (if you have tuby arms per say): Do about 30 push ups every other day for about 2 weeks the fat on your arms will decrease greatly but not anywhere else. This goes against what body builders say becuase they have some theory that there is a threshold of energy deficiency your must reach before your body will start breaking fat down anywhere. But if you have just eaten a bunch of carbs your body shouldn't be energy deficient. As a side note body builders and fitness people take lots of supplements of which they know the effect but not the How-it-works, if you research many of these supplements are designed to dialate blood capillaries to allow a constant supply of blood to the muscles even while resting.

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

Sure, when you exercise hormones that break apart fat are released into your body. Emphasis on 'break apart' not 'break down.' Organs such as muscle now have access to them; to absorb, break down, and use as energy. So if you are doing sit ups many fat molecules will be broken apart and ready for use throughout your whole body, but natually the fat molecules which are closed to the energy demand (that being your stomach) will be absorbed faster and burned faster. As these molecules are being absorbed it will free up the saturated fat dissolving hormone molecules to be used to disolve even more fat in that area. The hormones released in your arms will be saturated and only dissolve a certain amount of fat until it is burned up. At the end of a work out as energy demand goes down the hormone will be taken back up and the once-dissolved fat molecules in areas which there was no demand will reharden in a place close to where they were originally.

Note fat molecules CAN move throughout your body and be burned in other areas...but the laws of diffussion play a large roll. Blood nor anything else will not carry much fat from your arms to your stomach. One of the reasons is unless your excercising your arms your blood vessles in that area wont be dialated enough (hence the point of warm ups to reduce injury)

You can test this (if you have tuby arms per say): Do about 30 push ups every other day for about 2 weeks the fat on your arms will decrease greatly but not anywhere else. This goes against what body builders say becuase they have some theory that there is a threshold of energy deficiency your must reach before your body will start breaking fat down anywhere. But if you have just eaten a bunch of carbs your body shouldn't be energy deficient. As a side note body builders and fitness people take lots of supplements of which they know the effect but not the How-it-works, if you research many of these supplements are designed to dialate blood capillaries to allow a constant supply of blood to the muscles even while resting.

No…FACTUAL…not more of your opinion.

This post is fantasy.

[Kerrigan]

The funny thing is that I bet only 2 or 3 people in this thread are actually in good shape. Do we need to start asking for shirtless pictures to determine who to listen to and who to ignore?

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

The funny thing is that I bet only 2 or 3 people in this thread are actually in good shape. Do we need to start asking for shirtless pictures to determine who to listen to and who to ignore?

I don't think that would be fair. My weight has fluctuated greatly my whole life and right now I am about 5' 9" and 210lbs. Does that mean I don't know anything? No, it means that I have a problem sticking with my workouts. 2 years ago I was 175 lbs. and 2 years before that I was 220.

But if you REALLY want to see me shirtless…I have one from when I was 10 pounds heavier…

[abbaZaba]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

The funny thing is that I bet only 2 or 3 people in this thread are actually in good shape. Do we need to start asking for shirtless pictures to determine who to listen to and who to ignore?

I'm sure Salty would enjoy that

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by abbaZaba 

I'm sure Salty would enjoy that

I got a FFN version for him too from about 30 pounds ago…

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

The funny thing is that I bet only 2 or 3 people in this thread are actually in good shape. Do we need to start asking for shirtless pictures to determine who to listen to and who to ignore?

Yes, we do. Come on then NN girls, post your pics and then tell us how you got your lovely bellies.

Originally Posted by abbaZaba 

I'm sure Salty would enjoy that

[Kerrigan]

Cody just had a baby, and Monique is... well... Monique.

There are no other girls left!

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Cody just had a baby, and Monique is... well... Monique.

There are no other girls left!

How about this one? Isn't this that brokecollegestudentsomething girl?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Cody just had a baby, and Monique is... well... Monique.

There are no other girls left!

I count at least four others.

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by smacintush 

How about this one? Isn't this that brokecollegestudentsomething girl?

Is that Carrot Top's mom?



If he cut his damn hair and stopped wearing that makeup and eyeliner, he'd look normal, maybe even a little on the attractive side due to his body.

[scaught]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

The funny thing is that I bet only 2 or 3 people in this thread are actually in good shape. Do we need to start asking for shirtless pictures to determine who to listen to and who to ignore?

You think the numbers that high? This is a computer forum.

[storer]

A big mistake that a lot of people make when they do crunches and situps is to allow bunching of muscles when performing the actual movement. If you look at your stomach when you are doing the situp and it is bunching upwards, then you are most probably not doing it in the most effective manner. While doing the crunches you need to try and flatten out your stomach to get the best effects; that way, you build strong abs that don't stick out like fat, but still have some definition. Sorry if that doesn't make sense, but I know what I mean.

[el chupacabra]

Originally Posted by smacintush 

No…FACTUAL…not more of your opinion.

This post is fantasy.

I guess if something disagrees with you it's just opinion. But if it's a jurnalists opinion who has a website it is fact. I thought I explained it in a very drawn-out common sense way so that no one would have to read much.

I have listed the books in order of relevance. The 1st book should be all you need; 90% of is all about metabolism. Just about everything you would want to know down the molecular level. These are your run of the mill pre med books. ....And now that I have spoon fed you the sources I know you won't bother to read even one of them because your just looking for an argument.

This will be my last post on this subject as this information is too easy to find and understand to warrant arguing over.

(note the 1st book will also talk about the different types of fat and why some are much harder to burn than others. Avoid trans fats whenever possible)

Nelson David L., Michael Cox. Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry 4th edition.
Saladin. Human Anatomy. McGraw-Hill Companies. 2005.
Gilbers Scott F.. Developmental Biology 7th Edition. Sinauer. 2003.

[PB2K]

go to thailand, i lost weight just by being in that country

eat less and exercise more is what i advise if you should stay home

[wolfen]

[hart]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

I guess if something disagrees with you it's just opinion. But if it's a jurnalists opinion who has a website it is fact. I thought I explained it in a very drawn-out common sense way so that no one would have to read much.

.

I'm still skeptical. If the info is so available why isn't this concept more widely accepted? And for that matter, my own activity doesn't seem to support it. My central exercise is kayaking which is all about torso/core strength (not arms as might be assumed). And I can feel a bunch of muscles in there, under the layer of fat which seems to hover exclusively on my torso. I've been trying to get rid of the alien creature on my belly unsuccessfully since last June.

I also second the yoga thing. I just got a DVD trying to vary my workout (and haven't been in the boat for a few weeks cause the weather hasn't been great) called Rodney Yee: Yoga Burn (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw...0&Go.y=0&Go=Go) and it's slow, concentrated work with a lot of emphasis on core muscles. I think I'm going to get his Power Yoga DVD too.

I have a question: perhaps doing these mega rides on the bike preceded by a mass of pasta is counter productive. My neighbor just changed her workout from a couple of massive rides that completely drained her to several somewhat smaller rides a week and she feels it has made a big difference. She's not so completely wiped out afterwards, the work is more continuous throughout the week. Plus you wouldn't have to stuff in all those calories just to make it through. Maybe if you did a workout that didn't require the extra calories to make it through would be more functional.

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by hart 

I'm still skeptical. If the info is so available why isn't this concept more widely accepted?

Because as of yet there's no evidence.

No matter what the books say is happening physiologically study after study has not shown ANY measurable spot reducing. SInce we aren't studying for a science quiz here the only thing that matters is real world testing and real world results. In the real world, spot reducing just doesn't appear to happen, at least not in any noticeable way.

[hart]

I don't drink soda but coffee is definitely a problem. Several gargantuan mugs with whole milk every day add on a ton of calories. If you use sugar it's even worse. I was trying to replace some of it with green tea or seltzer but it's just not the same.