Reaching Peak Fitness

[undomesticdiva]

This is quite a hard one for me to write, because it means admitting i have issues- meh!

Over the past few months i have been implementing a fitness programme, starting off slow and working my way up, i have been walking almost every week in a forest nearby, with a break in between due to commitments, with a group of friends, and we have been averaging of around 6-7 miles all round, and once a fortnight me and The Bearded Wonder walk to the nearest town 5 miles away and get the bus back, now i can do this with barely any problems, as my legs, feet and hips have adjusted to the distance. Most walks include several hills/inclines, whatever you want to call them, and a lot of the time i can manage the hills without too many problems (i smoke, so my lung capacity isn't great)

I recently got a bike from freecycle, and i am getting one for The Bearded Wonder when i find one, and we are both going to cycle more once the weather improves, i'm kind of dreading it because i know it will force me to looking into stopping smoking. Ugh. yes, yes i know it's terribly bad for me, blah, blah i've heard the lectures plenty of times lol

On the plus side, i have noticed a gradual change in my body, mainly my calves building muscle (which i am incredibly pleased with, by the way) and my biceps look great due to carrying heavy shopping and working with weights and i am now looking into working on my midsection and flattening the stomach a bit, i'm not fat, just have a little extra around the middle that doesn't need to be there any more.
So, to get to the point, what fitness regimes do you follow? i am open to suggestions, opinions, reviews, things to avoid etc

*UndomesticDiva*

[Deeps]

This is quite a hard one for me to write, because it means admitting i have issues- meh!

Over the past few months i have been implementing a fitness programme, starting off slow and working my way up, i have been walking almost every week in a forest nearby, with a break in between due to commitments, with a group of friends, and we have been averaging of around 6-7 miles all round, and once a fortnight me and The Bearded Wonder walk to the nearest town 5 miles away and get the bus back, now i can do this with barely any problems, as my legs, feet and hips have adjusted to the distance. Most walks include several hills/inclines, whatever you want to call them, and a lot of the time i can manage the hills without too many problems (i smoke, so my lung capacity isn't great)

I recently got a bike from freecycle, and i am getting one for The Bearded Wonder when i find one, and we are both going to cycle more once the weather improves, i'm kind of dreading it because i know it will force me to looking into stopping smoking. Ugh. yes, yes i know it's terribly bad for me, blah, blah i've heard the lectures plenty of times lol

On the plus side, i have noticed a gradual change in my body, mainly my calves building muscle (which i am incredibly pleased with, by the way) and my biceps look great due to carrying heavy shopping and working with weights and i am now looking into working on my midsection and flattening the stomach a bit, i'm not fat, just have a little extra around the middle that doesn't need to be there any more.
So, to get to the point, what fitness regimes do you follow? i am open to suggestions, opinions, reviews, things to avoid etc

*UndomesticDiva*

No lecture and I've never been a smoker other than the occasional cigar but think of the preps you could get at 8 quid a packet......

As for phys, I'm an ex fitty and now a fatty but I do roughly 4 hours a day walking dogs and I go through phases of doing weights, I've got a fixed gym and free weights up in one of the spare rooms although sometimes it becomes a bit of a drying room more than a gym.

Good luck with your exertions, you do get a rush from those endorphins don't you ?

[undomesticdiva]

No lecture and I've never been a smoker other than the occasional cigar but think of the preps you could get at 8 quid a packet......

As for phys, I'm an ex fitty and now a fatty but I do roughly 4 hours a day walking dogs and I go through phases of doing weights, I've got a fixed gym and free weights up in one of the spare rooms although sometimes it becomes a bit of a drying room more than a gym.

Good luck with your exertions, you do get a rush from those endorphins don't you ?

For the record i can't afford proper ciggies, i roll my own lol

and i know exactly what you mean, i have a few bits of equipment in our spare room but it is a drying room for the winter haha

i admit i do love the feeling i get when i'm actually exercising, but i tend to forget that feeling when i really don't fancy doing anything at all on that day haha

[notadog]

I decided to get fit this year due to my age (45) and realising that your preps aren't worth diddly if you're out of shape! I haven't really followed a plan, but use the MyFitnessPal app along with Endomondo to track my food and exercise. I lost 10kg (a stone and a half) in four months and I go to the gym 3 times a week. When I started, I couldn't run very far, because it killed my knees and shins. This week I started running after using an arc trainer (like an elliptical) for a couple of months. On my first run I managed 5Km in 33mins (11 min mile), without stopping. I probably should have built up to this more slowly, but I survived! A few months ago, I wouldn't have been able to run for five minutes! My target is to do 5km in 25mins, but that will probably take some time to achieve.

I've also been doing some weight work, but need to lose another 4-5kg before I seriously look at doing proper weight work (can't lose fat and bulk at the same time). It really helps to have someone to be motivated with, in my case both my wife and I have been cutting back on calories and exercising together, which has helped enormously.

Core strength is probably the most important thing I need to work on, because everything else really hangs off that and reduces your chance of injury - i just hate doing core work, because I'm so bad at it, but it will come! My wife does pilates and it has given her amazing core strength, if that's something that interests you.

[metatron]

As a former fatty, then thinny, then fatty, now within my BMI for the last three years. Fitness can be a bit of a pain, ultimately it comes down to diet, but excise has a big part to play. Right now I go to the gym as often as I can, which is about four days a week. I do a mix of cardio and weight training.

I've learned that if I pay for a gym membership the fact that it is costing me money, I'll go use it even when I'm knackered after a long day at work. I go hiking and take the dog on long walks in the warmer months, but realistically, if your heart isn't pounding and you aren't sweating its not doing that much. Its like 90% what you eat, 10% what you do.

[Deeps]

As a former fatty, then thinny, then fatty, now within my BMI for the last three years. Fitness can be a bit of a pain, ultimately it comes down to diet, but excise has a big part to play. Right now I go to the gym as often as I can, which is about four days a week. I do a mix of cardio and weight training.

I've learned that if I pay for a gym membership the fact that it is costing me money, I'll go use it even when I'm knackered after a long day at work. I go hiking and take the dog on long walks in the warmer months, but realistically, if your heart isn't pounding and you aren't sweating its not doing that much. Its like 90% what you eat, 10% what you do.

I've always found it the other way, when I was young I could eat and drink everything I wanted (and I did ) and as long as I was training I was burning it off. Even now if I up my phys slightly I start to lose weight and I'm not watching what I eat at all. Maybe just a case of different strokes for different blokes.

[undomesticdiva]

As a former fatty, then thinny, then fatty, now within my BMI for the last three years. Fitness can be a bit of a pain, ultimately it comes down to diet, but excise has a big part to play. Right now I go to the gym as often as I can, which is about four days a week. I do a mix of cardio and weight training.

I've learned that if I pay for a gym membership the fact that it is costing me money, I'll go use it even when I'm knackered after a long day at work. I go hiking and take the dog on long walks in the warmer months, but realistically, if your heart isn't pounding and you aren't sweating its not doing that much. Its like 90% what you eat, 10% what you do.

I've always found it the other way, when I was young I could eat and drink everything I wanted (and I did ) and as long as I was training I was burning it off. Even now if I up my phys slightly I start to lose weight and I'm not watching what I eat at all. Maybe just a case of different strokes for different blokes.

or blokesses-cheeky! haha i was like that when i was at school, i had a good metabolism and lost a lot of weight in my teens, i'm coming up to 23 and i'm still quite slim, but i have that midsection which is still quite stubborn, but as long as i do some form of cardio most weight tends to stay off (so far! fingers crossed)

[Arzosah]

Women's midsections ... sigh ... I'd suggest toning exercises for your whole core, like these: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/ ... exercises/

Not just your abs, but your side and back muscles too. I don't do these enough, but I do do them, or slight variations, but it would take an essay and still not be helpful

[Deeps]

As a former fatty, then thinny, then fatty, now within my BMI for the last three years. Fitness can be a bit of a pain, ultimately it comes down to diet, but excise has a big part to play. Right now I go to the gym as often as I can, which is about four days a week. I do a mix of cardio and weight training.

I've learned that if I pay for a gym membership the fact that it is costing me money, I'll go use it even when I'm knackered after a long day at work. I go hiking and take the dog on long walks in the warmer months, but realistically, if your heart isn't pounding and you aren't sweating its not doing that much. Its like 90% what you eat, 10% what you do.

I've always found it the other way, when I was young I could eat and drink everything I wanted (and I did ) and as long as I was training I was burning it off. Even now if I up my phys slightly I start to lose weight and I'm not watching what I eat at all. Maybe just a case of different strokes for different blokes.

or blokesses-cheeky! haha i was like that when i was at school, i had a good metabolism and lost a lot of weight in my teens, i'm coming up to 23 and i'm still quite slim, but i have that midsection which is still quite stubborn, but as long as i do some form of cardio most weight tends to stay off (so far! fingers crossed)

Way to make me feel old, my daughter is 23. I've got bad news for you, if you're worried about your 'middle bit' it doesn't get any better with age. As long as you're happy within yourself that's all that matters. As I said before I'm no stranger to the hot dog stand and I'm as happy as a pig in 5hite. If there was a magic wand, I'd be all slim and stuff but if it requires effort on my part then I'll give it a miss.

[undomesticdiva]

Women's midsections ... sigh ... I'd suggest toning exercises for your whole core, like these: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/ ... exercises/

Not just your abs, but your side and back muscles too. I don't do these enough, but I do do them, or slight variations, but it would take an essay and still not be helpful

I know right? lol Thanks for the link, i'm going to try some of those tomorrow , i may have passed out somewhere haha
Back is pretty strong, as i'm adding weight to my rucksack when we go walking/hiking and upping the weight a little more each time