Fighting the battle of the bulge

You know..the one caused by too much holiday goodies and many 12oz curls.

Due to Kids, Work and Wife's school schedule, getting out to a gym on a regular schedule is next to impossible.

What exercise equipment does GRM recommend?

I'm looking for at minimum an elliptical as I can't run on treadmills for cardio. (knee's can't handle the impact)

I've got a recumbant exercise bike. Its easier to read or watch TV on it that with a traditional exercise bike.

You can work pretty much every muscle area with a mat, yoga ball and a set of 15 or 20lb weights. They take up a lot less room than machinery too.

running shoes and a watch

If you are really feeling like getting sore - pick up a yoga DVD for "rest" days. I never knew how out of shape I could be until I tried yoga. Holy crap I'm brittle.

But it gets better! I can't believe how flexible I am now... when just a year ago I felt like a frail little old fart. Daily yoga makes me young again. And there are some really good (free) videos on youtube. My goal is to be able to do the splits... almost there

Whatever you do, set up a training log! I certainly can't effectively exercise without it's unflinching motivation.

Working out is great for building fitness, not so much for losing weight. Change your diet - just cutting out sugary drinks and sweet snacks could save you hundreds of calories a day.

http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm

Chin ups, push ups, crunches, squats. Body-weight exercises are great.

Get creative with added resistance. You've got kids, do squats with one on your back. Exercise and family time in one go. Got a flight of stairs? Carry the kid up; race back down; repeat.

Try running backwards. It looks goofy, but is higher intensity and lower impact. A real low-ab workout too.

nderwater wrote: Working out is great for building fitness, not so much for losing weight. Change your diet - just cutting out sugary drinks and sweet snacks could save you hundreds of calories a day.

Only guilty on beer there, but I have a desk job (Computer Network / Systems Administrator). Cubicle exercises?

Thinking more cardio for the weight loss

I wouldn't take my advice but I'll second the recumbant bike. I use one at the gym and it's much easier on the knees. Ofcourse being a fat guy watching Good Eats on a bike I still get some odd looks.

Grtechguy wrote: Only guilty on beer there, but I have a desk job (Computer Network / Systems Administrator). Cubicle exercises? Thinking more cardio for the weight loss

Don't just do cardio, train for muscle tone too. You may not lose weight, but you will trim down. Muscle is denser. If you do body-weight exercises you also won't build heavy bulk.

Do you work in a multi-story building? Do you take the elevator? Try the stairs.

Try sitting on an exercise ball instead of a chair at your desk.

I have a "total gym" set up right by my bed. All I use it for is sit ups, but it help keep the waist line in check tho.

Get a road bike.

They are tons of fun, and damn good cardio. Who doesn't need another way to go fast?

Salanis wrote:

Grtechguy wrote: Only guilty on beer there, but I have a desk job (Computer Network / Systems Administrator). Cubicle exercises? Thinking more cardio for the weight loss

Don't just do cardio, train for muscle tone too. You may not lose weight, but you will trim down. Muscle is denser. If you do body-weight exercises you also won't build heavy bulk.

Tone, trim, and bulk! We have our first winner in fitness buzzword bingo.

Sans being an extreme genetic outlier, you have to eat pretty much 24/7 to "bulk." Trim and Tone are just Women's Health words for low body-fat. Also the go-to descriptors for us 150lb ectomorphs.

nderwater wrote: Working out is great for building fitness, not so much for losing weight. Change your diet - just cutting out sugary drinks and sweet snacks could save you hundreds of calories a day. http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm

I drank, up until the end of November, at least a liter of Dr.Pepper a day. I quit cold turkey, replaced it with water, which was actually a lot easier than I thought, and over the last month I lost exactly no weight. Even before Christmas. I know I should feel better and stuff, but my life has changed exactly none at all from giving up that sugary goodness.

Treadmills, ellipticals, and cardio are a waste of time.

Cut back on food, and hit the weights.

They're simple, and basic, but there is NO substitute for weights.

Streetwiseguy wrote:

nderwater wrote: Working out is great for building fitness, not so much for losing weight. Change your diet - just cutting out sugary drinks and sweet snacks could save you hundreds of calories a day. http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm

I drank, up until the end of November, at least a liter of Dr.Pepper a day. I quit cold turkey, replaced it with water, which was actually a lot easier than I thought, and over the last month I lost exactly no weight. Even before Christmas. I know I should feel better and stuff, but my life has changed exactly none at all from giving up that sugary goodness.

QFT I did the same with a liter+ a day Coke habit - cut it back to at most 12oz a day and had zero weight loss.

I started a running program today designed to take my fat lazy ass from zero to 2 miles in 8 weeks. I did road bike for about a year but a fall with concussion to end my '09 outdoor riding season (yes I had on a good helmet) and increased neck pain on the indoor trainer has kept me off the bike for the past year. Hopefully the running will help me lose the 10 pounds I've found in the last 6 weeks.

RedS13Coupe wrote: Get a road bike. They are tons of fun, and damn good cardio. Who doesn't need another way to go fast?

+1 You get to go fast, and you can use it for transportation. Just don't crash, it hurts really bad. Like broke a hand, lost skin on a knee and opposite arm, was off the bike for 3 months bad.

pigeon wrote:

Streetwiseguy wrote:

nderwater wrote: Working out is great for building fitness, not so much for losing weight. Change your diet - just cutting out sugary drinks and sweet snacks could save you hundreds of calories a day. http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm

I drank, up until the end of November, at least a liter of Dr.Pepper a day. I quit cold turkey, replaced it with water, which was actually a lot easier than I thought, and over the last month I lost exactly no weight. Even before Christmas. I know I should feel better and stuff, but my life has changed exactly none at all from giving up that sugary goodness.

QFT I did the same with a liter+ a day Coke habit - cut it back to at most 12oz a day and had zero weight loss. I started a running program today designed to take my fat lazy ass from zero to 2 miles in 8 weeks. I did road bike for about a year but a fall with concussion to end my '09 outdoor riding season (yes I had on a good helmet) and increased neck pain on the indoor trainer has kept me off the bike for the past year. Hopefully the running will help me lose the 10 pounds I've found in the last 6 weeks.

I cut nearly all pop a couple years ago, still don't drink hardly any, and lost no weight. None. But my cavities haven't gotten any worse!

Joey

http://bodyweightculture.com/

tons of body weight exercise and plans here. You would be amazed at all the exercises you can do on a playground jungle gym. I second a training log. Aim for 2-3 days a week to start and see how you do.

In college I was a giant gym rat. But now, I'm in the same boat. I'm out of the house from 7am until 7-10pm every day and with new kid #2 less than 2 weeks away, my "free" time will be even less. But, I know i need to put the time in to working out so I can be around for a long time for the kiddos and to help me be a better dad.

Netflix streaming has some Yoga DVD's. I tried it and boy did it kick my butt. The "trainer" guy is a total poof, but the chicks are hot.

I'm also going to try running again when it gets warmer. The doc says the knees are OK, just horribly weak and the muscles are imbalanced big time. I thought I had destroyed them with 400# squats and Deads.. Good for me, I guess.

http://www.c25k.com/ <-- Couch to 5k. I'm doing this in the spring with my wife to help me get back in shape and help her lose the baby weight.

Or.

Try the Hundred pushups. http://hundredpushups.com/
It doesn't take much time at all.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: running shoes and a watch

+1

Running helped me go from a reasonably active 195 to 172 (that from a peak above that when many of you met me the first time).

Now that the holiday binging is over, I need to get back at it- and make sure I can do my goal of a half marathon whenever I want to.

alfadriver wrote: Running helped me go from a reasonably active 195 to 172 (that from a peak above that when many of you met me the first time). Now that the holiday binging is over, I need to get back at it- and make sure I can do my goal of a half marathon whenever I want to.

I just went out and did 8 hilly miles yesterday for the first time since before the holiday... I snuck a couple 3 milers between cookie binges but it always amazes me how quickly I deteriorate.

It will be a month of pushing to regain the ground I gave up in the last 10 days.

Two dogs begging for their morning walk are pretty good motivation for me.

Exercise bike and DP gym in my "office" at the house help me when I use it. Getting into a routine is the hardest part. A sinus infection and the Holidays blew up any of the gains that I had made. Two miles on the bike last nite just about killed me.

I am going to try the Kinect I bought my SO for christmas.

We still havent set it up yet, but she tried it at a friends house on new years eve, she said it wears you out.

Probably not the best exercise option, but better than doing nothing at all.