NationStates Jolt Archive

So, as some of you have surmised from past threads, I'm a rather well-fed person.

Not big enough that I can't ride a roller coaster, mind you... but it's getting harder.

I'm also in my early 30s and would like to get my body healthy now, before I start having real problems as I go into middle age. I figure at this point I have plenty of time IF I get started.

So I was sharing these thoughts with a friend of mine a couple weeks ago and he mentioned that he had a Bowflex he's not using and that I was welcome to have it. I hesitated at first, because I always understood the Bowflex to be a weight training device, and what I need is more cardio stuff for weight loss. He said it can be used for both. So I accepted his gracious offer.

So my question is: Has anyone here used a Bowflex for cardio/weight loss? Got any tips?

Huh bowflex, I don't even know wot one is(and I'm too lazy to google it) don't waste ya money on shit, just go out running.

Consume fewer calories than it burns up using it.

i doesnt matter if you can use it for cardio or not, you need to do weight training as well.

getting in shape makes you burn more calories no matter what else you do.

plus you look better sooner. losing weight take a long time, adding some muscle tone makes you look better and feel better in a matter of weeks. it gives you the early success you need to keep going.

The Bowflex isn't going to be great for cardio. It's primarily about weight training, as you surmised, and the "cardio workout" you get from it will be the same workout you'd get from lifting weights.

However, there's no reason why you shouldn't include weight training in your routine if you are trying to burn off fat.

If your only goal is to lose weight, that's a very different story. But I suspect that, like most people who want to "lose weight," you actually want to lose FAT. You're interested in dropping flab, maybe losing some inches of girth, but you'd be fine with replacing fat with muscle.

Muscle is more dense than fat, remember, so if you trade a pound of fat for a pound of muscle then you can end up losing girth even though you haven't lost weight.

Muscle also burns more calories. Fat is storage, but muscle is active, energy-requiring tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the more energy will be burned to fuel it. Building muscle can therefore be extremely handy if you're trying to get rid of fat stores.

I don't know anything about the Bowflex, but I make the following suggestion: Don't overdo it. I'm still nursing a knee injury from running Friday.

Someone needs to remind me that going from 2.5 km on Tuesday to 5 km on Friday is not "gradual."

The Bowflex isn't going to be great for cardio. It's primarily about weight training, as you surmised, and the "cardio workout" you get from it will be the same workout you'd get from lifting weights.

However, there's no reason why you shouldn't include weight training in your routine if you are trying to burn off fat.

If your only goal is to lose weight, that's a very different story. But I suspect that, like most people who want to "lose weight," you actually want to lose FAT. You're interested in dropping flab, maybe losing some inches of girth, but you'd be fine with replacing fat with muscle.

Muscle is more dense than fat, remember, so if you trade a pound of fat for a pound of muscle then you can end up losing girth even though you haven't lost weight.

Muscle also burns more calories. Fat is storage, but muscle is active, energy-requiring tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the more energy will be burned to fuel it. Building muscle can therefore be extremely handy if you're trying to get rid of fat stores.

Good points, and you're absolutely right weight isn't the relevant issue, health is. And yeah, I am interested in restoring the muscle mass I've lost over the years after I switched careers from auto mechanic to computer programmer.

Now to mention the wife would love it ;)

I also want to set a better example for the kids. (Incidentally, I saved the info you gave me a few months ago regarding BMI calculation. T hanks again for that.)

Maybe I should start a blog and include photos of my progress to help motivate others who might benefit from it...

So, as some of you have surmised from past threads, I'm a rather well-fed person.

Not big enough that I can't ride a roller coaster, mind you... but it's getting harder.

I'm also in my early 30s and would like to get my body healthy now, before I start having real problems as I go into middle age. I figure at this point I have plenty of time IF I get started.

Eat sensibly, do endurance exercise, and do weight bearing exercise. That's all you need to keep healthy. Continue that routine into your fifties and beyond ( a long way off, I know ) and you can live well into your eighties.

I'd recommend joining a gym or health club, you'll get a better variety of choices for exercise and possibly access to a nutritionist for some help in meal planning.

I don't know anything about the Bowflex, but I make the following suggestion: Don't overdo it. I'm still nursing a knee injury from running Friday.

Someone needs to remind me that going from 2.5 km on Tuesday to 5 km on Friday is not "gradual."

Duly noted... owch.

I kinda wish we had showers at work... I work only a couple miles from where I live and it would be great to bike or jog to work in the morning. Problem is I don't want to be sweaty all day :(

Eat sensibly, do endurance exercise, and do weight bearing exercise. That's all you need to keep healthy. Continue that routine into your fifties and beyond ( a long way off, I know ) and you can live well into your eighties.

I'd recommend joining a gym or health club, you'll get a better variety of choices for exercise and possibly access to a nutritionist for some help in meal planning.

I tried the health club route but failed miserably. I get bored easily when my mind isn't being stimulated and that's hard to do at a club. I tried reading a book while using life cycles and such but it just wasn't working. My approach now is to do something where I can have a TV or whatever I want on while I'm exercising.

Here's another approach my wife and I have discussed... getting a dance pad for the PS2. (Seriously....)

I don't know anything about the Bowflex, but I make the following suggestion: Don't overdo it. I'm still nursing a knee injury from running Friday.

Someone needs to remind me that going from 2.5 km on Tuesday to 5 km on Friday is not "gradual."

Don't forget that the maximum recommended prescription dose of Advil (Ibuprofen) is 3200 mg a day -- that's four tabs, four times a day. That will fix just about any minor ache or pain.

I tried the health club route but failed miserably. I get bored easily when my mind isn't being stimulated and that's hard to do at a club. I tried reading a book while using life cycles and such but it just wasn't working. My approach now is to do something where I can have a TV or whatever I want on while I'm exercising.

Here's another approach my wife and I have discussed... getting a dance pad for the PS2. (Seriously....)
I was thinking about classes... The gym I used to go to (quit because work finally installed gym stuff ) had some neat classes. The one that I liked the most was "spinning", a very rigorous cycling exercise... Doing things in group makes it a little easier to push it and a little harder to loaf.

Same gym had a trainer that used to be in the Royal Marines... Because of my history with the USMC, we got along well. He cussed at me for being lazy and I cussed back at him for being British.

Good points, and you're absolutely right weight isn't the relevant issue, health is. And yeah, I am interested in restoring the muscle mass I've lost over the years after I switched careers from auto mechanic to computer programmer.

Now to mention the wife would love it ;)

I never gained the "Freshman 15" as many people do, but I hit a huge problem during my senior year of college because it was the first time I was grocery shopping and preparing my own meals alone. I must have gained 30 pounds in a semester.

Over my first couple of years in grad school I started relearning how to be a healthy human. It's a pain in the ass to figure out, a pain in the ass to get started, but surprisingly easy to maintain once you get in the habit. It's pretty self-reinforcing, because once you start feeling better it's easy to remind yourself how much you want to keep feeling good!


I also want to set a better example for the kids.

Absolutely a good idea. One of the problems I had is that neither of my parents was really into playing sports or anything, so I never learned to associate physical activity with fun. We'd sometimes take bike rides or go to the park, but mostly "fun" was intellectual stuff. Which is fantastic and great and absolutely to be encouraged, but it also is great to include some physical activities so your kids have positive associations with that kind of thing.


(Incidentally, I saved the info you gave me a few months ago regarding BMI calculation. T hanks again for that.)

Glad I could help!


Maybe I should start a blog and include photos of my progress to help motivate others who might benefit from it...
It certainly couldn't hurt. One thing that bugs me is that most people who are visible representatives of "fitness" are actually pretty abnormal. They're fitness gurus who can spend 100% of their time thinking about fitness, or rich folks who have nothing better to do than obsess over their bodies. That's not really helpful to the average person, who has a non-fitness-related job, a family, and interests other than working out.

I found it much more helpful to talk to people who were more like me. People who weren't obsessed with being ripped and toned, but rather were interested in making reasonable adjustments to their lifestyle in order to improve their health. Yes, I know that I'd be far more cut if I ate a SUPER STRICT DIET and WORKED OUT 5 HOURS PER DAY, but that shit ain't gonna happen. I'm also not going to shell out a hundred bucks a month for supplements, or magical pre-made foods, or some kooky new Weight Loss System.

I was thinking about classes... The gym I used to go to (quit because work finally installed gym stuff ) had some neat classes. The one that I liked the most was "spinning", a very rigorous cycling exercise... Doing things in group makes it a little easier to push it and a little harder to loaf.

Same gym had a trainer that used to be in the Royal Marines... Because of my history with the USMC, we got along well. He cussed at me for being lazy and I cussed back at him for being British.

LOL

Actually that's a pretty good idea... I hadn't thought of taking classes...

But the idea of a personal trainer reminds me of last night's "How I Met Your Mother" episode where this big guy gets a personal trainer who is a women about 1/3 his size. She's very petite and cute but as soon as he starts to complain about getting tired she says "Do you smell something?" He says no, and she says "Well I do. I smell a bitch in my gym." At which point she transforms into a drill instructor.

Good times.

Here's another approach my wife and I have discussed... getting a dance pad for the PS2. (Seriously....)
Dance Dance Revolution is a serious freaking workout, I tell you what. My friends and I used to play that hardcore, and I'd end up drenched in sweat by the end.

Absolutely a good idea. One of the problems I had is that neither of my parents was really into playing sports or anything, so I never learned to associate physical activity with fun. We'd sometimes take bike rides or go to the park, but mostly "fun" was intellectual stuff. Which is fantastic and great and absolutely to be encouraged, but it also is great to include some physical activities so your kids have positive associations with that kind of thing.


That's been a big issue with us because my sons and I mostly game together... like EverQuest II and stuff. Fortunately, the apartment we just moved into has tennis courts and we do have some rackets...


It certainly couldn't hurt. One thing that bugs me is that most people who are visible representatives of "fitness" are actually pretty abnormal. They're fitness gurus who can spend 100% of their time thinking about fitness, or rich folks who have nothing better to do than obsess over their bodies. That's not really helpful to the average person, who has a non-fitness-related job, a family, and interests other than working out.

I found it much more helpful to talk to people who were more like me. People who weren't obsessed with being ripped and toned, but rather were interested in making reasonable adjustments to their lifestyle in order to improve their health. Yes, I know that I'd be far more cut if I ate a SUPER STRICT DIET and WORKED OUT 5 HOURS PER DAY, but that shit ain't gonna happen. I'm also not going to shell out a hundred bucks a month for supplements, or magical pre-made foods, or some kooky new Weight Loss System.

The name escapes me now but there's this guy who represents the "Fitness Made Easy" program. This guy has great muscle tone but his torso is very lean-except his pecs. They look like they were stripped off a guy 3 times his size and glued onto his chest. Very strange...

How a guy like that is supposed to motivate average people is beyond me, because we will *never* be that ripped. My skin will never be tight like that. I'm alright with it, mind you... but the effect is that he's not much of a role model for someone in my position.

LOL

Actually that's a pretty good idea... I hadn't thought of taking classes...



Taking classes helps as it gives a routine to get into, which makes it easier to continue. It also helps to be doing an activity that is interesting in its own right as exercise for its own sake is pretty tedious and therefore harder to keep up.

Dance Dance Revolution is a serious freaking workout, I tell you what. My friends and I used to play that hardcore, and I'd end up drenched in sweat by the end.

AWESOME

Dance Dance Revolution is a serious freaking workout, I tell you what. My friends and I used to play that hardcore, and I'd end up drenched in sweat by the end.

There is also Wii fitness coming out soon
http://ezinearticles.com/?Wii-Fitness-With-The-Wii-Fit&id=671318

There is also Wii fitness coming out soon
http://ezinearticles.com/?Wii-Fitness-With-The-Wii-Fit&id=671318
WHY am I only learning about this NOW?!

**hug Wii**

It's just the gift that keeps on giving.

Wii Sports (which comes with the system) can actually be a decent work out, depending on how you play. I like to just goof off with the training program for hitting home runs, because it's like going to the batting cage :D.

I found it much more helpful to talk to people who were more like me. People who weren't obsessed with being ripped and toned, but rather were interested in making reasonable adjustments to their lifestyle in order to improve their health. Yes, I know that I'd be far more cut if I ate a SUPER STRICT DIET and WORKED OUT 5 HOURS PER DAY, but that shit ain't gonna happen. I'm also not going to shell out a hundred bucks a month for supplements, or magical pre-made foods, or some kooky new Weight Loss System.

I don't know if I can mention the name of the community I joined that's like that (y'know, normal people who aren't named Hans or Franz and aren't here to PUMP --- --- --- YOU UP!) and actually live in the real world where no one has time to work out all damn day unless they play professional sports. But suffice it to say, they're out there, and so are health clubs like that.

And maybe take a vitamin/mineral supplement, especially if you're like me and actively refuse to drink milk.

You could easily use the bowflex for a seated row, which is one of the best cardio exercises, as it uses every muscle group. Sit facing the unit, put it on a lighter weight (10, 20lbs). Pull yourself as close to the machine as you can (knees bent, back bent, arms extended). Push away from the machine...extend the legs first, then the back (to about a 45 degree angle), then pull the arms into your chest. Rinse, Wash, Repeat.

I heard from a personal trainer once that you have to do weight training with any weight loss plan or after you lose your fat you will have a horrible figure. Walking is a good start on cardio exercise, until you get into enough shape to do something more strenuous. Walk faster than normal, like you are trying to get to a concert before it starts, but slow enough that you can still talk without trouble.

While I prefer using free weights to build up stabilizing muscles and concentration, the bow flex seems to be much friendlier to people who haven't spent the last seven years weight training for a sport. I've seen a lot of nasty accidents due to careless use of free weights too. Severed thumbs, broken feet, etc. Have to be very careful with that stuff.

Cardio is absolutely necessary though. Even if it's just walking around the block, or taking the stairs.

I never gained the "Freshman 15" as many people do, but I hit a huge problem during my senior year of college because it was the first time I was grocery shopping and preparing my own meals alone. I must have gained 30 pounds in a semester.

That's interesting. I never gained the Freshman 15 either. It wasn't until my junior year that I started to put on fat, mostly because I stopped my martial arts training almost entirely. By my second semester of senior year, I had cut back on my food intake and started working out enough to lose most of it.

But since I've been doing my own shopping and preparing my own meals, I've actually lost about 15 pounds. Which I found out when I went to the doctor last week. I only weigh 228 now! I wasn't expecting that. I am starting to do more weight-bearing activities to help me regain a little weight, but I know I have to be careful of training myself into a box.

I ended up having a horrible time trying to learn DDR and trying to re-learn how to roller-skate. Why? Because my long years of martial arts training left my muscles with very ingrained muscle memory that doesn't change easily when trying to learn new stuff. Since then, I've had to make my training more variable and free-form so I don't get too habitual.

But I suspect that, like most people who want to "lose weight," you actually want to lose FAT. You're interested in dropping flab, maybe losing some inches of girth, but you'd be fine with replacing fat with muscle.

Muscle is more dense than fat, remember, so if you trade a pound of fat for a pound of muscle then you can end up losing girth even though you haven't lost weight.

i have this problem that i actually want to lose weight. muscles are great and everything, but the wasting away heroin look appeals to my still 16 self image. plus, i was better at rock climbing back then. goddamn body mass...

One thing that has already made a huge difference was my cutting back on the Coke/Pepsi. I used to drink around 5 cans a day. Now I'm down to maybe 1 or 2 and I've already lost like 12 lbs. (In about a month's time.)

Problem is that despite that, my pants still feel tighter than they did. My friend tells me it's water weight gain. (I've replaced the cola with about 1/2 gallon of water a day.)

Does that sound right?

i have this problem that i actually want to lose weight. muscles are great and everything, but the wasting away heroin look appeals to my still 16 self image. plus, i was better at rock climbing back then. goddamn body mass...

It's quite possible to be overly muscled. I don't know if you actually are, but there's nothing wrong with losing excess muscle if it's restricting your activity.

The quickest way to lose it is to just stop exercising.

One thing that has already made a huge difference was my cutting back on the Coke/Pepsi. I used to drink around 5 cans a day. Now I'm down to maybe 1 or 2 and I've already lost like 12 lbs. (In about a month's time.)

Problem is that despite that, my pants still feel tighter than they did. My friend tells me it's water weight gain. (I've replaced the cola with about 1/2 gallon of water a day.)

Does that sound right?

It sounds right, but I wouldn't know for sure. I stopped drinking sodas when I was sixteen, so it's been a while since I made that switch. I can't remember if drinking more water did that or not.

All those exercise machines are practically scams.

Duly noted... owch.

I kinda wish we had showers at work... I work only a couple miles from where I live and it would be great to bike or jog to work in the morning. Problem is I don't want to be sweaty all day :(

if you use the bike and don't drive to fast you won't be sweaty, the idea is to move as much as possible without getting exhausted. Swimming would also be nice, it's very safe, you get out less sweaty than you got in, it trains most muscle groups and above all it's fun (to some).

*goes swimming* (seriously)

One thing that has already made a huge difference was my cutting back on the Coke/Pepsi. I used to drink around 5 cans a day. Now I'm down to maybe 1 or 2 and I've already lost like 12 lbs. (In about a month's time.)

Cutting out sugar, and particularly cutting out soda, can make a huge difference for a lot of people. Most of us don't really keep track of our liquid intake the same way we watch what we eat.

Also, keep in mind that one shot of hard alcohol is generally about 100 calories. I know a lot of college kids who couldn't figure out why the hell they were gaining weight when they were eating the same way they always had, and it turns out they were drinking an extra "meal" or two every day!


Problem is that despite that, my pants still feel tighter than they did. My friend tells me it's water weight gain. (I've replaced the cola with about 1/2 gallon of water a day.)

Does that sound right?
It's certainly possible, particularly if you're changing your diet around. Your system will need to recalibrate to your new intake, and you may find yourself retaining or losing water more than you used to.

In particular, caffiene is a diuretic (makes you have to pee). If you have cut out soda, this might mean you've also cut out a lot of your caffiene intake, and this could impact how much you pee. Hence, your body's system for getting rid of water is needing to adjust.

Water is a limiting reagent in many digestive processes. This means that if you are dehydrated, your body won't proceed with some digestive steps, and will end up storing more fat because it can't fully break down food into fuel. [WARNING: That was a big oversimplification. :P]

Even if you feel like you are "gaining water weight," DO NOT cut down on how much water you drink. Especially if you're exercising a lot.

It's quite possible to be overly muscled. I don't know if you actually are

i'm not. i just wish my body-build was different than it is.

i'm not. i just wish my body-build was different than it is.

Fair enough.

That's interesting. I never gained the Freshman 15 either. It wasn't until my junior year that I started to put on fat, mostly because I stopped my martial arts training almost entirely. By my second semester of senior year, I had cut back on my food intake and started working out enough to lose most of it.Mine is even more strange. I didn't gain a pound, but when you look at me, I clearly put on some fat (not much, but enough that my face had fleshed out a little). A few weeks of weight training was enough to drop it.

I ended up having a horrible time trying to learn DDR and trying to re-learn how to roller-skate. Why? Because my long years of martial arts training left my muscles with very ingrained muscle memory that doesn't change easily when trying to learn new stuff. Since then, I've had to make my training more variable and free-form so I don't get too habitual.
I'm not sure exactly what did it to me, but I have very strong muscle memory. Again, it doesn't really make sense: I swim, run, ski, and snowboard...all activities that don't have too hardcore muscle memory, get I developed certain ones very powerfully.
I can't ice skate worth a damn anymore because of it.

One thing that has already made a huge difference was my cutting back on the Coke/Pepsi. I used to drink around 5 cans a day. Now I'm down to maybe 1 or 2 and I've already lost like 12 lbs. (In about a month's time.)Cutting out soda is a huge one. Cutting out all candy can do alot for some. Fried foods (even if you still go to McDonalds, get the grilled chicken instead of "crispy") is another one. Limiting processed foods can help too.
I also found that one thing you can do is eat a later lunch and dinner (dinner around 8 or 9 PM). This will help to end those "pre-sleep" snackings.


All those exercise machines are practically scams.
Bowflex (and several others) are actually really good.

Bowflex will help you build muscle. Muscle uses allot of energy even if 90% of the time is does sfa. Burning energy results in weightloss. Therefore, Bowflex results in weight loss.

Just to add a pinch, but I'm thinking that when one says "weight loss" these days, they mean "size reduction" more than "weight reduction." Looking leaner and weighing leaner are two different things - the latter, however, takes much more time.