If there is a pun in there then I'm too slow to catch it however it most certainly is the right time of year for those (me) who suffer the long term consequences of a back injury (not the initial one that I referred to before), this cold damp weather plays havoc with my lower back although pulling a tree out of the garden last month didn't help much either - I can go a few days and think its all sorted and then just have to step down a step a little too hard and it sets off spasms again - can't wait for some warm weather.

So yes, look after your back and especially look after your intervertebral fibrocartilage, to squish one even if it "heals" is to have a weak spot for the rest of your life.

You weren't wrong with that prediction. Knees have held up fine but I have an awful ache on my right femur, about three inches below the hip joint that has eased quite a bit throughout the day. I'll have another go tomorrow morning and see what I end up with then

Easter?

Pilate?

Blimey, this is why I never do cryptic crosswords.

Not read the whole thread, but I fully recommend the 5-2 diet, my dad's lost just over 4 stone in a year with regular swimming in there too.

Also anyone with back pain/tightness look up 'limber 11' on youtube, as chances are you have tight hips/legs contributing a lot more than you'd think, the video explains it all a lot better.

also not read the whole thread, the paleo diet is good & herbal life is great but youve got to exercise on them. but you will turn fat into muscle. google them? paleo is back to caveman days.

No, you won't. Fat cannot be turned into muscle any more than liver can be turned into brain.

Herbalife is incredibly dangerous for you. People really should read into things before suggesting them to others.

Herbalife is incredibly dangerous for you. People really should read into things before suggesting them to others.

Does it make you repeat yourself?

Were there no fat cavemen then?

In my albeit limited experience, any diet that requires a designer name should be avoided at all costs

Very useful thread.

A specific question if i may. I'm trying to get a bit fitter and lose some weight. I'm trying to change my diet (ie cut out most/all fizzy drinks, no late night snacks etc) and go to the gym regularly (i usually do running/bike/cross trainer and then a few of the weight machines)

I've lost the best part of a stone in a couple of months but not really any from my stomach/flab. I'm just wondering if there is anything i can specifically change (either diet or exercise wise) to "target" that area more?

One thing I have noticed is the heavier you start, the more rapid the initial weight loss. This gradually tapers off unless you increase activity and/or reduce calorie intake. If aiming at the latter don't skip protein otherwise your body could start consuming muscle instead of fat. Men are genetically predisposed to carry fat around the waistline, so although you could concentrate on that area, the best way to reduce fat around the waist is to continue to lose fat generally. So up your exercise regime and/or reduce your calorie intake

No. You cannot target where the fat loss appears. To make it worse, typically the first place fat appears (belly for you, and me) is the last place it will come off. However, once you've got it off, you might find future fat gain is a little more spread out.

You're better doing the weights first by the way, whilst you've got max energy, then the aerobic stuff. Try to get organised, rather than just doing a few machines. On a really basic level, that's enough to do an upper body routine of horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical push, vertical pull. For lower body, some kind of push (squat, leg press etc) and a "pull" which would be a hamstring curl.

Where does everyone stand on punching bags? Are they any good? I've been looking at getting one recently but can't decide whether I should or not.

Basically my upper body strength is a bit pathetic and needs sorting out. I've got a barbell and dumbbells and have been looking at various muscle gaining exercises but from what I've been reading it seems that a heavy bag is a great workout and can help to build muscle and also looks like a lot of fun.

I run 40+ miles a week and also go for the occasional bike ride so my fitness level is already quite high and I don't really need to lose any weight. With my running and cycling my legs are also quite muscular so I don't need to worry about them too much. As I've already said it's my upper body that needs working on. So are heavy bags any good or are they just a waste of time and money?

Any exercise is good. Exercises tend to make you better at those exercises. Did you notice you got better at running and cycling when you ran and cycled? So punching a bag will make you better at punching a bag. Lifting a weight would make you better at lifting a weight. You want to get stronger. How would you measure strength?

It's more a philosophy than an actual "buy this off us" diet, just eating really clean, 'natural' stuff that a caveman would, avoiding refined/processed/whatever food. I know a few people that swear by it but most don't follow it absolutely to the book as then it does get expensive with the amount athletes eat.

Herbalife is incredibly dangerous for you. People really should read into things before suggesting them to others.

Paleo is excellent in terms of getting good natural food into you, and there are some fantastic and tasty recipies out there (i'm currently making paleo protein brownies).

JuicePlus and Herbae are dangerous, and have been shown to be nothing but a fad that do not support sustainable weight loss. A colleague of mine is one some 600kcal a day diet, and has shed a couple of stone. He had a week off and put half a stone back on. Some people look too much for the quick and easy fix, neglecting to think slow progress is still progress.

Another point, You CANNOT turn muscle into fat. It is an impossibility. You can, however, have muscle where the fat once was.

I was meaning with training & dieting you will get the right results of losing flab & gaining muscle. & them brownies sound nice!

Really enjoying adding kettlebell, Tai Chi and Yoga to treadmill & shadow boxing, Tai Chi and Yoga are certainly tougher than they look at times!



Something I've realised lately too is expensive is definitely not always better. I had seen ads on the shopping channels over the years for blenders costing £100+, but I got the cheapest possible from a high street store (just in case it proved to be a 5 min wonder!) and its been brilliant so far.

been adding in more and more stretching and mobility work to my routines recently trying to improve my squat a little.

I agree, Herbalife isn't that great at all it's also pretty much a con imo.

Eat right and train hard.

Eat 5-6 small meals a day (if you can fit it all in) not 3 big meals. Cut down on the carbs as this is what your using for energy, so if you have no carbs resources left your body will start using it's 'fat stores' for energy.

High protein - low carbs and med fats daily should be your intake.

As for the gym I go 5 times a week maybe 6 if I can fit it around work. I'm currently 'cutting' so I'm keeping my reps around the 10-12 mark for 3 to 4 sets per exercise and depending what body part I'm training usually about 6 exercises.
3 sets - 6 exercises for chest. But more exercises when training legs.

As for cardio I try to aim for 30 minutes max after hitting the free weights. 30 minutes after weight training is plenty, but on non weight days I do cardio for roughly an hour.
I aim to burn 300 calories just from doing my cardio and can hit this during my 30 minute cardio workout by walking on a treadmill on a 6-8% incline at about 6kph. Running is good for you but not for burning fat. But imo arguably the best cardio machine to burn fat is the step master.

Just makes sure to warm up on a treadmill (for instance) for 5-10 minutes and stretch also with a couple of warm up sets.
I get all this done within an hour and half at gym, so not long at all.

fasted walking is apparently brilliant for fat loss.

I prefer prowler/sled work but not everywhere has that equipment