Topic: The Weightlifting/Powerlifting/Fitness Thread

[Solstice2006]

Guess it depends on the bike too.  Normal people don't spend thousands of dollars on a bike.  But I hear ya.

Trust me, the cost of a bike has nothing to do with this.

So I should head to crappy tire, and spend $250 on a CCM road bike, and should expect similar results then one from Brant Cycle that costs $2-3k?

I know it's not a huge factor, but the type of bike, tires, weight, do make a difference.

[quadzilla]

Then why do you spend thousands (or tens) on a bike that is largely used for fitness it if didn't matter?

My bike cost $3000 8 years ago. I bought it because I liked the way it looked. Can't get any more honest than that.

In our club there is a guy that rides a 10 year old Giant with mid level specs. He is one of the fastest guys and I can't touch him in a sprint or on a climb.

Now training will make a huge difference. I climb up Whiteface Mountain (12.97km Distance, 8% Avg Grade, 1,076m of climbing) in Lake Placid every year. Here are my times over the last three years.

2017 = 1:02:44
2016 = 1:03:37
2015 = 1:12:53

All on the same bike. Only thing that changed was how I trained. In 2016 I started to ride with a club, obviously that helped a lot.

Now when it comes to very competitive racing and pro level racing, there is a difference but these races comes down to seconds and they ride at speeds where any and every aero advantage is worth it.

[Gurgie]

I've found that HIIT either on the treadmill or bike burns calories the best for me (I do either one depending on what I feel like doing & how my knees feel at the time), and it helps me for hockey where you need flat out bursts of 20-30secs. For skiing it also helps because again you have bursts where you're skiing stupid hard for a short period of time.

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[Solstice2006]

Then why do you spend thousands (or tens) on a bike that is largely used for fitness it if didn't matter?

My bike cost $3000 8 years ago. I bought it because I liked the way it looked. Can't get any more honest than that.

In our club there is a guy that rides a 10 year old Giant with mid level specs. He is one of the fastest guys and I can't touch him in a sprint or on a climb.

Now training will make a huge difference. I climb up Whiteface Mountain (12.97km Distance, 8% Avg Grade, 1,076m of climbing) in Lake Placid every year. Here are my times over the last three years.

2017 = 1:02:44
2016 = 1:03:37
2015 = 1:12:53

All on the same bike. Only thing that changed was how I trained. In 2016 I started to ride with a club, obviously that helped a lot.

Now when it comes to very competitive racing and pro level racing, there is a difference but these races comes down to seconds and they ride at speeds where any and every aero advantage is worth it.

OK, so try it again with the CCM bike, heavier, not as adjustable, inferior tires.  More than a few seconds. 

[quadzilla]

Guess it depends on the bike too.  Normal people don't spend thousands of dollars on a bike.  But I hear ya.

Trust me, the cost of a bike has nothing to do with this.

So I should head to crappy tire, and spend $250 on a CCM road bike, and should expect similar results then one from Brant Cycle that costs $2-3k?

I know it's not a huge factor, but the type of bike, tires, weight, do make a difference.

You missed the most important factor...fit.

[Solstice2006]

Guess it depends on the bike too.  Normal people don't spend thousands of dollars on a bike.  But I hear ya.

Trust me, the cost of a bike has nothing to do with this.

So I should head to crappy tire, and spend $250 on a CCM road bike, and should expect similar results then one from Brant Cycle that costs $2-3k?

I know it's not a huge factor, but the type of bike, tires, weight, do make a difference.

You missed the most important factor...fit.

Well I have to bug you a bit, to make up for the time you have been lurking in the shadows... 

[quadzilla]

OK, so try it again with the CCM bike, heavier, not as adjustable, inferior tires.  More than a few seconds.

Fit is the most important. All bikes are adjustable. If not don't buy that bike.

If you could find a CCM bike that fit correctly, was the same size, similar wheels/tires, etc as a $2-3K bike then it would be very close. Weight only matter for climbing and acceleration. Bike materials matter for feel/comfort.

A 175 pound rider on a 20 pound bike going up a 5% grade for 5 miles pushing 250 watts will take 29.55 minutes.
On a 18 pound bike it will take 29.32 minutes.
On a  16 pound bike it will take 29.09 minutes.

You can't argue science.

[rrocket]

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned I was being a "diet buddy" with a co-worker.  He only lasted a week or so...so I'm solo now.   

So here's the 2 week update:

Thus far, I've lost 12 pounds.  My waist is down 5/8" inch.  I don't find the diet particularly restricting and I don't feel hungry.  Which was (I thought) a problem early on which necessitated a call to the dietician (my work plan pays for dieticians).  My issue was I felt very full all the time (from the protein and fats)...but I was still eating when I wasn't hungry to meet my nutrition macros.  So I called to see if this was the right thing to do.  She said "No!"....eating when you're not hungry is a destructive habit.  Just eat when you're hungry, listen to your body, etc.  I'm also drinking more fluids than before which is a good thing and important to my success apparently. 

Overall....feeling fine.  No great difference in how I "feel" though. 

Here's what I ate today to give you an idea of the foods I'm eating.

Breakfast:

2 eggs
2 pieces of bacon
1 roasted red pepper
1 espresso with 1 shot of heavy cream

Lunch:

Tuna/Salmon/Sardine wraps (haven't eaten lunch yet so I'm not sure which way I'm going to go).
4 romaine leaves
3 Tbs olive oil mayo
1 Babybel Mini cheese

Dinner:

2 chicken thigh
1/4 cup creamy alfredo sauce
1.5 cups broccoli florets
1 Babybel Mini cheese

Snack:

1/4 cup Pecan halves
1 plain espresso

I'll post a followup in 2 weeks.

[craigq]

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned I was being a "diet buddy" with a co-worker.  He only lasted a week or so...so I'm solo now.   

So here's the 2 week update:

Thus far, I've lost 12 pounds.  My waist is down 5/8" inch.

This is good work Ron. Congrats 

Almost one year later and I'm still down at the low 160 lb range. Losing that weight was one of the best things I have done for myself in a while...

[rrocket]

^^Thanks.

We'll see how low I can go.

[valuator]

Great job Ron.  You diet does look a lot like the "modern" diabetic plan I'm trying to follow. 

Of course, the dietitians in my neck of the woods are 20 years behind the times and insisting I follow the Canada Food Guide....I'd be eating upwards of 250g carbs per day.  Hello, that's what pushed me from pre-diabetic to full blown Type II.  Are you trying to kill me, or at least force me to take increasing large doses of drugs to keep blood glucose under control?

Type II can't eat normal levels of carbs...period....either because their cells are insulin resistant or the pancreas is not producing enough insulin.  Either way, carbs are at some point converted to glucose and the body can't handle them in quantity.  Stop. Eating. Facking. Carbs.  This is not a difficult concept!

Anyway, I am motivated to keep the weight loss moving along and I've been on a really good role with the blood sugar levels.  Can't wait for my next appointment so I can show them my food log and meter readings.  I'm sure they will still insist I'm doing it wrong....

[valuator]

To be more on-topic for fitness.....I am losing about a pound a week between diet and brisk walking....about 3.5km 5-6 nights per week.  I'd like to find another way to burn calories, but my knees are in rough shape.  We have an elliptical, is it worth investigating anything beyond that?

Ideally I'd like to continue to lose at least a pound per week....get down to 180 by summer and 160 by Christmas.  Below 180, I am hopeful I can discontinue diabetes drugs and manage the condition on diet/exercise alone.

[johngenx]

Swimming?  Zero impact.

[Shorlaw]

To be more on-topic for fitness.....I am losing about a pound a week between diet and brisk walking....about 3.5km 5-6 nights per week.  I'd like to find another way to burn calories, but my knees are in rough shape.  We have an elliptical, is it worth investigating anything beyond that?

Ideally I'd like to continue to lose at least a pound per week....get down to 180 by summer and 160 by Christmas.  Below 180, I am hopeful I can discontinue diabetes drugs and manage the condition on diet/exercise alone.

I'd recommend adding in ~3 days/week of upper body weight training in addition to your walking.  Great for calorie burn and strength building without impacting your knees.  Are your knee issues something known and degenerative, or something that would benefit from slowly gaining some strength up?  My knees aren't great either, but I do find a compression sleeve helps a lot.

[Ex-airbalancer]

To be more on-topic for fitness.....I am losing about a pound a week between diet and brisk walking....about 3.5km 5-6 nights per week.  I'd like to find another way to burn calories, but my knees are in rough shape.  We have an elliptical, is it worth investigating anything beyond that?

Ideally I'd like to continue to lose at least a pound per week....get down to 180 by summer and 160 by Christmas.  Below 180, I am hopeful I can discontinue diabetes drugs and manage the condition on diet/exercise alone.

Doing a 45 min session in the morning and another in the evening on the elliptical , you will lose a ton of weight
Did it 10 years 

[rrocket]

Great job Ron.  You diet does look a lot like the "modern" diabetic plan I'm trying to follow. 

Of course, the dietitians in my neck of the woods are 20 years behind the times and insisting I follow the Canada Food Guide....I'd be eating upwards of 250g carbs per day.  Hello, that's what pushed me from pre-diabetic to full blown Type II.  Are you trying to kill me, or at least force me to take increasing large doses of drugs to keep blood glucose under control?

Type II can't eat normal levels of carbs...period....either because their cells are insulin resistant or the pancreas is not producing enough insulin.  Either way, carbs are at some point converted to glucose and the body can't handle them in quantity.  Stop. Eating. Facking. Carbs.  This is not a difficult concept!

Anyway, I am motivated to keep the weight loss moving along and I've been on a really good role with the blood sugar levels.  Can't wait for my next appointment so I can show them my food log and meter readings.  I'm sure they will still insist I'm doing it wrong....

Yes, it seems so. There's even been a few studies done by the government that said (in a nutshell) "Carbs bad" but they were quashed because it didn't fit the narrative. Seems like for a normal person that about 100g of carbs should be the max.

BTW..have you seen the documentary called "Fat Head"? Available on YouTube. It's silly, but there's lots of good info referencing medical studies on the topic. The guy ended up eating nothing but McDonald's for a month (in response to Spurlock's Super Size Me) eschewing the carbs and lost weight. Worth a watch.

[rrocket]

To be more on-topic for fitness.....I am losing about a pound a week between diet and brisk walking....about 3.5km 5-6 nights per week.  I'd like to find another way to burn calories, but my knees are in rough shape.  We have an elliptical, is it worth investigating anything beyond that?

Ideally I'd like to continue to lose at least a pound per week....get down to 180 by summer and 160 by Christmas.  Below 180, I am hopeful I can discontinue diabetes drugs and manage the condition on diet/exercise alone.

Resistance bands are great! TONS of professional athletes use them in rehab. Cheap too! A nice set hooked to doorway and you're good to go.

[Shorlaw]

To be more on-topic for fitness.....I am losing about a pound a week between diet and brisk walking....about 3.5km 5-6 nights per week.  I'd like to find another way to burn calories, but my knees are in rough shape.  We have an elliptical, is it worth investigating anything beyond that?

Ideally I'd like to continue to lose at least a pound per week....get down to 180 by summer and 160 by Christmas.  Below 180, I am hopeful I can discontinue diabetes drugs and manage the condition on diet/exercise alone.

Resistance bands are great! TONS of professional athletes use them in rehab. Cheap too! A nice set hooked to doorway and you're good to go.

For the last couple months I've been doing workouts that incorporate Resistance Loops, I'd never heard of them, but holy crap do they ever work muscles in a whole new way

[Ex-airbalancer]

These guys are a bit crazy , but if you need info on excise on rehab they are pretty good

9 mins = 45 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLaAP1jLb4I&list=PUmTe0LsfEbpkDpgrxKAWbRA&index=4

[JohnnyMac]

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned I was being a "diet buddy" with a co-worker.  He only lasted a week or so...so I'm solo now.   

So here's the 2 week update:

Thus far, I've lost 12 pounds.  My waist is down 5/8" inch.  I don't find the diet particularly restricting and I don't feel hungry.  Which was (I thought) a problem early on which necessitated a call to the dietician (my work plan pays for dieticians).  My issue was I felt very full all the time (from the protein and fats)...but I was still eating when I wasn't hungry to meet my nutrition macros.  So I called to see if this was the right thing to do.  She said "No!"....eating when you're not hungry is a destructive habit.  Just eat when you're hungry, listen to your body, etc.  I'm also drinking more fluids than before which is a good thing and important to my success apparently. 

Overall....feeling fine.  No great difference in how I "feel" though. 

Here's what I ate today to give you an idea of the foods I'm eating.

Breakfast:

2 eggs
2 pieces of bacon
1 roasted red pepper
1 espresso with 1 shot of heavy cream

Lunch:

Tuna/Salmon/Sardine wraps (haven't eaten lunch yet so I'm not sure which way I'm going to go).
4 romaine leaves
3 Tbs olive oil mayo
1 Babybel Mini cheese

Dinner:

2 chicken thigh
1/4 cup creamy alfredo sauce
1.5 cups broccoli florets
1 Babybel Mini cheese

Snack:

1/4 cup Pecan halves
1 plain espresso

I'll post a followup in 2 weeks.

I know the point of what you are eating is to lose weight but it would seem the level of carbs you are eating is very restrictive.  I see that you've eaten a decent amount of veggies but did not have any fruit.  Also I'd like to see how many grams of fiber you ate for that day.  That's something that I try to focus on.

I know a lot of people hate on carbs, and rightfully so on most fronts, but I tend to focus only on whole grains/multi grain/whole wheat carbs.  I find getting my daily intake of fiber has definitely helped with me maintaining a healthy weight and feeling healty.