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  #31   ^
Old Fri, Feb-10-12, 23:04
LaZigeuner's Avatar
LaZigeuner LaZigeuner is offline
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Posts: 5,065
 
Plan: ZULCA!
Stats: 353/279.2/175 Female 64 in.
BF: For now...
Progress: 41%
Location: U.S.
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Gym today:

16 minutes on the elliptical trainer
almost 9 pushups (8 were good form, last was sketchy)
45 non-consecutive seconds of leg lifting

It's been too long. I don't actually think I've lost strength. Instead, I've lost the mental ability to "keep going". I stopped on the elliptical merely because I was bored. I used to be able to imagine the muddy mountain, or the short and old lion chasing me lazily up or down the mountain, or through the swamp, etc. Today, I chatted with Dad for 10 minutes while he was on the machine next to me, then managed 6 minutes on my own until "I'm bored" set in.

I have a strong motive for doing....anything, really. I need to lower my insulin, and I've got my carbs as low as I can go comfortably. I know that weight lifting, sprints, and long walks will improve insulin resistance. I have seen the results with my glucometer, when my BG goes from 100 before the exercise session to 75 or 80 1 hour after.

The problem is prioritization of studying over exercising. But that's unproductive, because at this point, exercising helps my studying more than more studying!

So I've got to rearrange my priorities.

I'm working on that this weekend.
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  #32   ^
Old Sat, Feb-11-12, 12:35
Sam Knox's Avatar
Sam Knox Sam Knox is offline
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Posts: 47
 
Plan: My own
Stats: 211/179/175 Male 6'3"
BF:
Progress: 89%
Location: Richland, Washington
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"I have seen the results with my glucometer, when my BG goes from 100 before the exercise session to 75 or 80 1 hour after."

Zig,

I don't mean to be nosy, but are you pre-diabetic, diabetic, or otherwise have problems with blood sugar control?

The reason I ask is that there are ways you can shorten your time in the gym and get the same results, but some of them require a great deal of caution if your blood sugars are dodgy.

Sam
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  #33   ^
Old Sat, Feb-11-12, 14:19
LaZigeuner's Avatar
LaZigeuner LaZigeuner is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 5,065
 
Plan: ZULCA!
Stats: 353/279.2/175 Female 64 in.
BF: For now...
Progress: 41%
Location: U.S.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Knox
"I have seen the results with my glucometer, when my BG goes from 100 before the exercise session to 75 or 80 1 hour after."

Zig,

I don't mean to be nosy, but are you pre-diabetic, diabetic, or otherwise have problems with blood sugar control?

The reason I ask is that there are ways you can shorten your time in the gym and get the same results, but some of them require a great deal of caution if your blood sugars are dodgy.

Sam


Hi Sam,

Thanks for stopping by. I am not diabetic. I am not pre-diabetic (though I was getting close, according to last June's blood tests). I do have a problem with blood sugar control, in so far as I'm ~200 lbs over weight.

But I don't get hyperglycemic or hypoglycemic, right now. All of my blood sugars have been between about 85 and 105, with some minor deviations. I used the glucometer for ~6 months to track how different foods affected me, testing right before a meal and then 1 hour postprandial. Now I just test first thing in the monring and last thing before bed, as I've noticed it provides a very good incentive for me not to get lazy with my eating in the middle of the day when I want to keep working, for example, and just grab a fast handful, instead of making/eating something more appropriate for my weight loss goals.

I love learning about new (to me) ways to be more efficient. If you're interested in sharing any info you think might be relevant or helpful to me, I'm listening.

~Zig
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  #34   ^
Old Sun, Feb-12-12, 12:56
Sam Knox's Avatar
Sam Knox Sam Knox is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 47
 
Plan: My own
Stats: 211/179/175 Male 6'3"
BF:
Progress: 89%
Location: Richland, Washington
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I'd be happy to do that.

You can replace moderate-intensity continuous aerobics with high-intensity intervals:

After warm-up, 30 second sprints to at least 90% maximum heart rate (MHR) between 3 minute rest periods at ~50% MHR. Start with 4 intervals and progress by increasing the number of intervals, lengthening the sprints and/or shortening the rest periods, to tolerance. (Six of these intervals is roughly equivalent to 2 hours at ~80% MHR.*) No more than 20 minutes per session and no more than 3 times/week.

I prefer a recumbent stationary bike, but an elliptical trainer or stairclimber will work just as well. Treadmills scare the bejeebers out of me. Rotate machines for variety, and if the machine you're using has a built-in interval program that approximates the numbers above, that'll work, too.

For resistance training, focus on squats, push-ups, and pull-ups. Sets and reps are largely a matter of personal preference, but this is the most time efficient:

After a general warm-up, warm-up for each exercise with one set of 6 reps at ~50% of the exercise weight, then one set with a weight that causes failure at 6-8 reps. Three minutes or so between exercises. (Doing squats to failure is a little dicey. If you don't already know how to set-up a squat rack, ask one of the gym's trainers to show you. If you still don't feel comfortable, use a Smith machine. If squats don't agree with you for any reason, substitute a machine leg-press.) Whatever you decide to do, don't do it more than twice a week.

In general:

Warm-ups are especially important for low-carbers because one of the things they do is increase circulating levels of free fatty acids that can be used for fuel, so take at least ten minutes to warm-up. Also, there is some evidence that a good warm-up can reduce DOMS. Cool-downs are important, too. When exercising, muscle contractions help pump blood. If you just stop, it puts additional strain on the heart. I like to stretch after, as well. Flexibility is a good thing in general, but mostly it's just a nice way to end the session.

You probably already know that as you increase intensity you also increase the amount of glucose used for fuel. One of the advantages of interval-training and short weight sets is that it minimizes the amount of time you spend in "sugar burning mode". This spares glycogen stores.

If you decide to go with the interval training, it wouldn't hurt to check blood sugar immediately after. Sprinting can cause transient hyperglycemia independent of insulin levels, especially in women. Blood sugar levels above 140mg/dL are too high, in my opinion. http://aworldlymonk.wordpress.com/2...and-t2d-hit-me/

One possible caveat: If you're hypertensive, you should modify the exercises to minimize blood-pressure spikes.

You can combine interval-training with with upper-body resistance training in any order, depending on preference and tolerance, but avoid combining interval-training with lower-body resistance training. How often you go to the gym is up to you, but you shouldn't be there more than an hour per session, or 3 hours a week in total.

Anyway, this is just a general outline for you to work with. If you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them, either in your journal or in private so as to avoid boring the crap out of everyone.

Sam

*http://jp.physoc.org/content/575/3/901.full

Last edited by Sam Knox : Sun, Feb-12-12 at 13:11.
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  #35   ^
Old Mon, Feb-13-12, 15:25
Sam Knox's Avatar
Sam Knox Sam Knox is offline
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Posts: 47
 
Plan: My own
Stats: 211/179/175 Male 6'3"
BF:
Progress: 89%
Location: Richland, Washington
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Zig,

I just looked back at your journal and discovered that you're doing bodyweight squats.

In that case, ignore what I said about the squat rack, smith machine, etc.

You might save some time by adding weight to your squats, but what you're doing is fine.

Sam
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  #36   ^
Old Mon, Feb-13-12, 23:10
LaZigeuner's Avatar
LaZigeuner LaZigeuner is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 5,065
 
Plan: ZULCA!
Stats: 353/279.2/175 Female 64 in.
BF: For now...
Progress: 41%
Location: U.S.
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Sam, thank you so much for your suggestions. Today I've had a migraine (first in years) and am going to bed early. But I've taken your long post and distilled it to some bullet points. And in doing so I have a few questions that I'll post tomorrow (Tuesday). I really appreciate your time and generosity.

Zig
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  #37   ^
Old Tue, Feb-14-12, 13:23
LaZigeuner's Avatar
LaZigeuner LaZigeuner is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 5,065
 
Plan: ZULCA!
Stats: 353/279.2/175 Female 64 in.
BF: For now...
Progress: 41%
Location: U.S.
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Knox
After warm-up, 30 second sprints to at least 90% maximum heart rate (MHR) between 3 minute rest periods at ~50% MHR. Start with 4 intervals and progress by increasing the number of intervals, lengthening the sprints and/or shortening the rest periods, to tolerance. (Six of these intervals is roughly equivalent to 2 hours at ~80% MHR.*) No more than 20 minutes per session and no more than 3 times/week.


I have a question about the 3-min rest period. It takes a while for my heart rate to go back down. I crunched the numbers, and have gotten it up to 90% MHR beefore (according to the handgrips on the elliptical trainer), but I know (just from memory) that getting it back down to where it was when I started (which is usually above 50% MHR, anyway) takes a while, if it even comes down that far). So if my heart rate can't get down to 50% MHR during the 3-min rest period, what should I do? I've been thinking just keep doing what I'm doing, and my recovery time will (hopefully) improve.

Quote:
After a general warm-up, warm-up for each exercise with one set of 6 reps at ~50% of the exercise weight, then one set with a weight that causes failure at 6-8 reps. Three minutes or so between exercises. (Doing squats to failure is a little dicey. If you don't already know how to set-up a squat rack, ask one of the gym's trainers to show you. If you still don't feel comfortable, use a Smith machine. If squats don't agree with you for any reason, substitute a machine leg-press.) Whatever you decide to do, don't do it more than twice a week.


2nd question: What's a general warm-up? I've been hopping on the elliptical and using the 1st ~10 min as my "warm up"---just manual, no program, no extra or lowered incline, no added resistance. Like a faster-than-strolling walk up a gentle hill, basically. It gets my heart rate up, though, and usually I can't talk very evenly during it, if that helps.

Quote:
If you decide to go with the interval training, it wouldn't hurt to check blood sugar immediately after. Sprinting can cause transient hyperglycemia independent of insulin levels, especially in women. Blood sugar levels above 140mg/dL are too high, in my opinion. http://aworldlymonk.wordpress.com/2...and-t2d-hit-me/


3rd question: This is re. blood sugar checking. Am I comparing a before, a during, and an after, or just checking that I'm never over 140 mg/dL? IOW, should I take a before exercising, immedately after exercising, as well as 1-hour after exercising?

Which leads to question #4: When does "immediately after" refer to? Before cooling down? After cooling down but before stretching? Or after I'm done stretching?

Quote:
One possible caveat: If you're hypertensive, you should modify the exercises to minimize blood-pressure spikes.


I'm not hypertensive, so I'm not going to worry about this for now. Is that safe?

Sam, thank you again so much for you time and advice. I really appreciate it!

~Zig
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  #38   ^
Old Tue, Feb-14-12, 16:53
Sam Knox's Avatar
Sam Knox Sam Knox is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 47
 
Plan: My own
Stats: 211/179/175 Male 6'3"
BF:
Progress: 89%
Location: Richland, Washington
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So if my heart rate can't get down to 50% MHR during the 3-min rest period, what should I do?

Three minutes at 50% MHR is just a reference point. The duration and intensity of the rest periods are entirely up to you. Take as long as you need to perform the sprints successfully. As you progress, you should be able to shorten the rest periods. Work toward six intervals in less than 30 minutes. (In the study I cited, for example, the cyclists just pedaled against no resistance for four minutes.)

Also, the sprints only have to be long enough to reach 90% MHR, not maintain 90% MHR.

What's a general warm-up?

A general warm-up elevates heart rate and body temperature. A specific warm-up targets the muscles to be used in a particular exercise.

For most aerobic exercises, the general and specific warm-ups are the same. You just begin the exercise at a slower pace.

Specific warm-ups are usually only necessary for resistance exercises. Doing one set at a lower weight as a warm-up improves performance during the exercise itself and reduces the risk of injury.

For you, ten minutes on the elliptical at a low setting is sufficient for interval-training. For resistance exercises, ten minutes on the elliptical then one set at a lighter weight for each exercise.

3rd question: This is re. blood sugar checking. Am I comparing a before, a during, and an after, or just checking that I'm never over 140 mg/dL? IOW, should I take a before exercising, immedately after exercising, as well as 1-hour after exercising?

Which leads to question #4: When does "immediately after" refer to? Before cooling down? After cooling down but before stretching? Or after I'm done stretching?

Just checking that you're not over 140 mg/dL. Ideally, you should check it as soon as you climb off the machine because, short of wearing a CGM, that will give you the best idea of blood sugar level during the exercise. Otherwise, the sooner the better.

Also, if you're comfortable with the readings after a few sessions, you can test at your discretion.

I'm not hypertensive, so I'm not going to worry about this for now. Is that safe?

Generally speaking, all exercise elevates blood pressure in the short-term but lowers it in the long-term. If you're not hypertensive now, modifications to your exercise program are not indicated. Whether or not it's safe for you to exercise is a question best answered by your doctor. If he/she has cleared you to exercise, that's about as safe as it's going to get, other things equal.

Sam

Last edited by Sam Knox : Wed, Feb-15-12 at 13:47.
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  #39   ^
Old Thu, Feb-16-12, 00:06
LaZigeuner's Avatar
LaZigeuner LaZigeuner is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 5,065
 
Plan: ZULCA!
Stats: 353/279.2/175 Female 64 in.
BF: For now...
Progress: 41%
Location: U.S.
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Sam, thank you very very much. I've made myself a 1-page cheatsheet to take to the gym, and am eager to get going. Thank you!!!

******************************************

Tuesday 14-Feb-12: Went with Dad to gym. Headache still very present. Did warm-up on ET for ~10 minutes, then just stretching and leg lifts while Dad "played". So ready for head to stop hurting.

Wednesday 15-Feb-12: Went for 45 min. walk with mom. Headache became milder during the walk but quickly returned afterwrd. Heat on my neck helps it, so it must be a tension headache. I've never had one last this long, though.

I've organized my days so MWF will be the new sprint regimen, and TTh (or TSa, haven't decided) will be the new lifting regimen. That means tomorrow I'll either take another walk, or get to start the weights again. Right now, I feel like I **might** be able to hobble tomorrow. But a good night's sleep may work wonders, who knows?

PS: In case anyone wonders, I want to go to the gym this many days because I work from home and also am taking classes online, so study at home. I'm sick of being home so much! The gym gives me a good excuse to get out of the house and get something done that moves me forward in my pursuit of my goals.
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  #40   ^
Old Thu, Feb-16-12, 10:50
Sam Knox's Avatar
Sam Knox Sam Knox is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 47
 
Plan: My own
Stats: 211/179/175 Male 6'3"
BF:
Progress: 89%
Location: Richland, Washington
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You're welcome, Zig.

One last thing: I'd consider the schedule you set out to be the most you'd want to do in a week. If it works for you, that's great, but there's no shame in a strategic retreat. Focus on quality, not quantity. Recovery time is at least as important as time in the gym.

If you're really pressed for time, once a week for both the interval-training and resistance exercises will maintain your fitness level.

I'll be keeping an eye on your log. Feel free to ask questions.

Anyway, good luck!

Sam
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  #41   ^
Old Thu, Feb-16-12, 12:17
LaZigeuner's Avatar
LaZigeuner LaZigeuner is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 5,065
 
Plan: ZULCA!
Stats: 353/279.2/175 Female 64 in.
BF: For now...
Progress: 41%
Location: U.S.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Knox
... consider the schedule you set out to be the most you'd want to do in a week. If it works for you, that's great, but there's no shame in a strategic retreat. Focus on quality, not quantity. Recovery time is at least as important as time in the gym.

If you're really pressed for time, once a week for both the interval-training and resistance exercises will maintain your fitness level.

...


NOTE TO SELF: this is good advice. I tend to make grandiose plans that are the equivalent of "biting off more than I can chew". I also tend to assume I "should" recover more quickly than I do. So ZIG: PAY ATTENTION. (Fortunately gym journal is not so long yet that I can't review it somewhat regularly. )
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  #42   ^
Old Fri, Feb-17-12, 19:55
LaZigeuner's Avatar
LaZigeuner LaZigeuner is offline
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Posts: 5,065
 
Plan: ZULCA!
Stats: 353/279.2/175 Female 64 in.
BF: For now...
Progress: 41%
Location: U.S.
Default

No headache today! So I went to the gym (Dad wigged out ... again! Oh well, it's his choice).

I did the following, in order:
  1. 10 minutes on the elliptical, warming up, on incline 10 (half of possible incline), resistance 1.
  2. 30 seconds of sprinting, followed by 3 minutes of non-sprinting, on incline 1, resistance 1. I felt ready to go by 3 minutes, in spite of the fact that the elliptical hand grips registered a heart rate that was still too high. So since I felt ready to do, I did.
  3. I did 3 sets of sprints like this.
  4. For the 4th set, I did a 30-second "sprint" (much slower than earlier!) raising resistance to 20 (max), like sprinting through the mud. It kicked my ass. So I'll do it again.
  5. 10 minutes of cooling down on the elliptical (got bored during this time, was counting minutes, seconds, nanoseconds).
  6. 60 total seconds of leg lifts
  7. 10 good-form pushups from knees
  8. about 5 minutes of stretching, which felt really good, I have to say.
Overall, we were there about 45 minutes (Mom decided to come with, to keep me company; at first I was grateful, but she's noisy and distracting and chatty, so I gently told her I'd go alone when Dad wigs out---she understood ).

I had originally intended only to do sprints, but felt like doing leg lifts and pushups as well. I hope it doesn't mess up my plans as to distribution of exercises per day, for next week. I don't think it will.

I was very disappointed that I forgot to check blood sugar at all. I've made a note for the front door to grab the glucometer when heading for the gym. I didn't remember it until after the second sprint, and again right now!
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  #43   ^
Old Mon, Feb-20-12, 19:54
LaZigeuner's Avatar
LaZigeuner LaZigeuner is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 5,065
 
Plan: ZULCA!
Stats: 353/279.2/175 Female 64 in.
BF: For now...
Progress: 41%
Location: U.S.
Default

The gym was closed today. According to my scheme, today was supposed to be a "sprint" day. So I took a walk (in the pouring rain! ... where's my halo again?):
  • 10 minutes of strolling to warm up
  • 30 seconds of walking as fast as I could, then 3 minutes of strolling
  • repeated that 4 times
  • made the mistake of letting Mom talk me into doing it twice more
  • so did a total of 6
Unfortunately for me, we did 5 of them in one direction, and only 1 going back to the car. So after the one, we had a good 30 minutes' walk to get back to the car.

ETA: overall total length of this walk by the time I'd hobbled back to the car was 75 min.
By that time, I was so exhausted. My left knee kept trying to bend backward, and I kept stumbling over my left foot.

So I asked Mom to help me remember that I need to stick with my plan from the beginning of the session, instead of changing it because I feel good at the moment.

Also NOTE: if I have to do sprints during a walk again (or if I choose to do so for whatever insane reason makes some kind of weird sense to me), split the number of sprints in HALF for each direction of the walk. Please.

About the sprints themselves: I am so used to holding onto the arm rails on the elliptical that I felt almost like I could trip and fall during the walking sprints today. I think it was for that reason that I didn't go as fast as I do on the elliptical. The walking sprints didin't make me pant as hard, which I assume is a proxy for heart rate. But I definitely feel them in my legs.

Just realized I forgot to stretch. Dammit. I'll do some now, maybe it will still help.
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  #44   ^
Old Tue, Feb-21-12, 19:20
Sam Knox's Avatar
Sam Knox Sam Knox is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 47
 
Plan: My own
Stats: 211/179/175 Male 6'3"
BF:
Progress: 89%
Location: Richland, Washington
Default

Zig!

First rule of fitness training (that, yes, I failed to mention): Don't hurt yourself!

No point in getting a day in if it means missing a week.
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  #45   ^
Old Tue, Feb-21-12, 22:16
LaZigeuner's Avatar
LaZigeuner LaZigeuner is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 5,065
 
Plan: ZULCA!
Stats: 353/279.2/175 Female 64 in.
BF: For now...
Progress: 41%
Location: U.S.
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Knox
Zig!

First rule of fitness training (that, yes, I failed to mention): Don't hurt yourself!

No point in getting a day in if it means missing a week.


Okay, duly noted! I will take this to mean it's okay that I held back in terms of speed on the walks, since I did not feel confident walking fast like that, in terms of balance. As my balance, fitness, and confidence improve, maybe doing sprints during walks will become an option I gladly exercise.

I'll also take it to mean that I was right that I should have stuck with my original workout plan, instead of making the on-the-fly modification due to feeling-goodness.
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