I wrote a rant post in this thread about shit at the gym that annoys me and not clearing the weights kills me. I have squated on the smith machine. It was more for in case my knee gave out.

But I did think of you and our "conversation" last night. I did chest today and I used to warm up with 225lbs and go up from there. Today, I did 225lbs 4 times, coulda got 6 if I had a spotter behind me, not for the help, but for the security. I've had to dump weight or have weight pulled off of me while benching before, so never again. I'll always stop 2 reps short of what I can do. Point is, half of me is upset that I'm not that strong any longer, especially for my size, the other have doesn't give a shit.

There's more than enough room to ride that ass. My jujitsu is bad, awful actually. I have no form, since I've had no "formal" training. I mean, I've watched at least 5 tutorials for moves on ESPN.com's MMA page.


You should weigh yourself at least every two weeks, just to see the progress and help dangle that carrot. Doing cardio will help you "diet off" the weight faster, speed up your metabolism and help your overall health. Think about it. Although, if you feel that way about the gym and have never been a workout guy, save your money on the gym membership. It's not going to change. Paying a monthly membership bill won't motivate you to go. Look on Craigslist, etc and maybe get some basic home equip. A cardio machine, a bench and some interchangeable dumb bells. If you do them for a couple of months, you're golden


60 minutes of cardio 30/30 bike/ellip
200 crunches
8 sets of chest
bench, pec dec

oh you mean severely low self esteem? it's really not all that great actually.


nice. I just found out that I have a stopwatch on my ipod so I'm gonna try to time myself tonight.

I'm covered there, what I need is that engergetic drive to go out and do something about it. So far all I've been able to talk myself into is eating less food and cutting soda completely out of my intake.

I just hate exercise for the sake of exercise. I fucking hate it man.

I work out twice a day, morning and evening, for thirty minutes, every day of the week. I hate every second of it.


I don't know what the point of that statement is, other than I must be at least somewhat insane.

well, 2 miles in 18 min 20 sec. not terrible I don't think considering how poorly I run. think I'll shoot for 17:30 by the end of march. sounds like a good goal.

why shoot for a fast time. Why not just run for 30 minutes or more? Or just run for 3 or 4 miles?

I go for time on the bike and ellip, not distance.

Note: I can't run anymore. Not yet at least, but I never will again for exercise. To rough on the knees, especially those that have had microfracture surgery and cartilage implants, but I digress

also, can a human walk a mile in 12 minutes? I thought I heard that somewhere.

Oh, Good job I mean.

If you consider the wind resistance from your moustache you probably could run much closer to a 16 flat

Just got a membership and am hoping to get into the gym for the first time in a good 2 years this week. ugghhh the initial phase is going to be so demoralizing.

yeah when I do any stationary cardio machine I typically go by time, but since I'm running on a track, I kinda have to go by laps. also, if I were running on the road it'd be a set distance too since you can't really add another 1/4 mile of road and still, you know, live in the same house. I'll probably figure out a way to switch to timed runs after I reach my 17:30 goal though. I'll need something new. also, can't run 3 or 4 miles cause it would just take too long. I'm on a very limited time budget.


DUDE. you wouldn't believe how annoying it is running with this thing. feels like a constant giant booger is trying to fall into my mouth. ridiculous.


LOL LOOK AT THE FAG NEW GUY HAHA.



uh, oh, i mean just get into a rhythm with your workout and you won't give a shit if anybody's looking at you. and here's a hint, the only people that would be looking at you are only looking at you to see if you're looking at them (i.e. douchebags flexing in the mirror).

SHUDDAP!



I'm against weighing yourself as well. Weight can fluctuate so much it's not funny and can be demoralizing. Use a tape measure or an old pair of jeans and notice the improvement that way. I know you hate exercising but I think having a plan and tracking it helps alot with this. The more I workout and get in shape noticing little improvements the more I like it.

My day-

Up at 7, grabbed coffee and started workout at 7:15

Shoulder press (all exercises w/increasing weight)
in reps of 12-10-8-6 then 12 at the 8 rep weight.

I pick a similar exercise e.g. shoulder and do an
additional 12 reps at that weight and do it for all the
exercises.

Continued on with Back, Chest, Tri's then Bi's

I'll admit I was listening to David Cook on the ipod from
AI last year. Not bad actually.

Showered and ate a bowl of bran cereal with lowfat milk. (8:30)

11- no-fat cottage cheese and apple
2- chicken sandwich on wheat
(plan for rest of day)
5-Myoplex shake on ride home
8-Salmon, salad, Baked Sweet Pot (no fat butter)
11-no fat yogurt, maybe piece of fruit

Sat- Cardio

Thought I would add this to the thread posted from a message board I used to frequent and saved the post.

He goes on a little bit abou the muscle vs fat thing but still lots othere good stuff.

___________


Muscle does not weigh more than fat no more than 5 pounds of feathers weighs less than 5 pounds of steel! Think for a moment....A POUND is a POUND no matter if its fat steel feathers or muscle!

Fat takes up more room than muscle, but they weigh the same. If I hear muscle weighs more than fat one more time I think my head will explode...Look at the picture attached. 5 pounds of each...That's why your clothes are looser!!


It's true that percentage-wise, the fat on your body comes off fairly evenly.

That's important to remember when you measure your progress. See, one of the first places you're probably looking for fat loss is on those areas of your body that you think are "too fat." But in fact, that's the last place you should look, because I can guarantee that those areas are still going to look "too fat" for a little while.

Think of it this way. If you have a roll of paper towels (or a cassette tape), and you start to unravel it, you can get a good amount off of the roll before you really see a visible change. But as you get further down that roll, even taking off a little more is very apparent.

The same is true with your body. The first place you're going to see greater definition is at those areas where the fat deposits are relatively thin already. For most people, this is around the shoulders and clavicles. Another reason why this is important is that advertisers often prey on the belief that fat can be "spot-reduced." All the twisty ab-crunchers on the market are perfect examples. Basically, these companies get a fitness model that has followed months or years of weight training, aerobics, and proper nutrition, and have them roll back and forth in one of these things, as if they actually got in shape that way.

Or look at all the books promising to help you lose fat "for your type" - pear shaped, apple shaped, dodecahedron shaped - you name it. It's true, for example, that people who are insulin resistant tend to store more fat in the midsection, and that women tend to store more fat in the thigh area. But so what? If you lose the fat, it comes off EVERYWHERE. If a problem area looks "too fat", training that area with exercise may very well improve the definition of the underlying muscles and the overall form of that area. But it will not accelerate fat loss relative to other parts of your body.

If the body didn't lose fat uniformly, we'd all wobble around like Weebles because our relatively fixed bone and muscle structure wouldn't be able to tolerate the variation. The best way to change the size of your body is through caloric deficits. The best way to change the shape is through resistance training. The one thing you need to achieve a total physique and fitness transformation is to do EVERYTHING - aerobics, intervals, resistance training, cross-training (physiologist Covert Bailey calls these the "four food groups of exercise"), small frequent meals, high-quality protein and carbohydrates, low-glycemic nutrition, proper supplementation, water, and rest.
So again, if you're looking for results in the mirror, look for the first signs of improved definition at those areas where muscle is relatively close to the surface. For most people, this is the upper chest and shoulder area. You should definitely be keeping track of how your clothes feel. Go to the closet and pick out an outfit that's just a little too tight. Put it aside. Waist measurements can also capture fat loss that isn't necessarily evident in the mirror.
Day by day, you're trying to measure your progress in the mirror, on the scale, with calipers, and so on. The problem is that all of the changes are taking place under the skin, along with a lot of other things you can't see, like increased blood volume and fluid retention. Don't place too much emphasis on numbers such as scale weight, fat weight and estimated muscle gain until the changes become significant as a proportion of your body weight. Until then, it's just next to impossible to get a reliable reading, because the tools you are using all have measurement error. A meaningless two-millimeter caliper error translates into about 2.5% bodyfat, and can drive some people to tears. And as I explain on my Q&A page, the muscle gain figure can easily be off by 4% of body weight.
If you're easily frustrated, brace yourself when you step on the scale. Just on the basis of water retention, digestive contents and other factors, your scale weight is going to fluctuate by as much as 3-4% of body weight almost on a weekly basis. If you've eaten a lot of carbs, you'll tend to retain a lot of water for a couple of days. People often freak out about this, thinking they've "gained" 5 pounds because of a single free day. Conversely, people often get excited that they've lost 5 pounds over a few days, and think it's all fat. Then the scale jumps up again, and they get upset and give up on their programs. Please don't take these fluctuations seriously.

Think of it this way. A woman doing relatively well on her fitness program might be losing over 1 pound of fat a week, while gaining a fraction of a pound of muscle. So while she might be on track to lose 12-15 pounds of fat and gain a few pounds of lean muscle over 12 weeks, by the 5th week she might be looking at a scale change of less than 4 pounds. And since that's about the weight of a meal and a couple of glasses of water, she may not even see the scale move at all. This is especially true at high bodyfat levels, where shifts in water retention over a monthly cycle can be quite large. But gradually, the changes are happening anyway, as long as she doesn't give up. For women at high bodyfat levels, progress may not show for weeks at a time. The reason is that your readings will zig-zag within their downward path. If you measure from a peak in weight to a recent trough, you'll be elated at the "jump" in your progress. But other times you'll get a
trough-to-peak reading and be totally frustrated. Don't extrapolate either of these impressions. Chart your numbers and measure progress from peak-to-peak or trough-to-trough.
Why measure waist circumference? Well, insulin resistant individuals often have significant visceral fat deposits in the abdominal area (fat around the organs). This depot is reduced somewhat faster than subcutaneous fat. Often neither the scale nor caliper measurements will capture the full extent of fat loss, and tracking waist circumference using a tape measure can indicate fat loss that may not be apparent otherwise. You might also keep a tight fitting skirt or pair of pants in the closet and just try putting it on every couple of weeks.
Bodyfat percentages of 6-14% for men and 12-18% for women are generally considered "lean". Those lower bounds should be respected. Women with significantly less than 12% bodyfat typically wreak havoc with their estrogen regulation, and put themselves at risk for osteoporosis. Below 6% for men and 12% for women is not healthy (a lot of nutrients rely on fat-solubility to be stored in the body). Conversely, bodybuilders only have to gain a few percent in fat in order to look unfit.
Men generally need bodyfat at about 9-11% to look "cut". That's really when you'll see that "six-pack" in the abdominals (you actually already have a six-pack - everybody does - it's just that you may need some fat reduction to show it). The percentage is closer to 14-16% for women. Physiologist Covert Bailey notes that in women, the thighs typically begin to slim noticeably at about 18% bodyfat. Think of a roll of paper towels. As you unroll it, you can take off a lot of paper and not see much effect. But as you get further along, even taking off a small amount of paper from the roll will thin that baby down to the cardboard. Depending on where you started, it may take more than a few months to get there (which is fine ).
How much muscle gain is reasonable? In general, even a fraction of a pound a week is great, and a pound a week is outstanding. If you calculate that you've gained several pounds of muscle a week, with a similarly dramatic fat loss, you've probably either overestimated your initial bodyfat level, or underestimated your current bodyfat level. As Lee Haney (who has won more consecutive Mr. Olympia titles than anyone in bodybuilding) states "The first year you train steadily, you might be fortunate enough to put on 20 pounds of muscle, but the second year it may be only 10, the third only 6, and the fourth only 4-5. Since it gets harder and harder to make gains in lean body mass, I'm happy with an average of 2-3 new pounds yearly." Muscle gains can be unusually fast for beginners, but be realistic in your goals and progress estimates.
How much fat loss is reasonable? Well, as noted in the calories section above, it's not unreasonable to target fat loss of as much as 1 to 2 lbs a week for women, and as much as 2 - 3 lbs a week for men. But be honest with yourself. You¢ll only get those kinds of results with planned discipline of your food intake and exercise habits.

Muscle does not weigh more than fat no more than 5 pounds of feathers weighs less than 5 pounds of steel! Think for a moment....A POUND is a POUND no matter if its fat steel feathers or muscle!

Fat takes up more room than muscle, but they weigh the same. If I hear muscle weighs more than fat one more time I think my head will explode...Look at the picture. 5 pounds of each...That's why your clothes are looser!!

you'd be a young pup at the gym I go to. Remember, I live in South Florida. Nothing but spanish people and old people everywhere.

I've been reading this thread for a little while maybe I'll try to contribute a little. I have been going 6 days a week for a little more than a month following Randy Reed's bodyforlife program somewhat. I am almost 30, and have been overweight since forever. I'm 6'2", January 5th I weighed 280, I'm down to 247 with a goal of 215 by August.

Anyway today did upper body
Incline Press, Flyes, Dumbbell rows, Lat pulldowns, shoulder press, reverse flyes, hammer curls, preacher curls, tri pulldowns, and tri dumbbell presses. Wow, I bored myself typing that out.

I'm up to about 2 miles without stopping but it takes me over 20 minutes to get there. Trying to improve on distance rather than time at the moment, although I only run for distance once a week, the other 2 cardio days I do the bodyforlife cardio workout that RR has described.

A couple questions:
Is there an advantage to working out with a sweatshirt on rather than just a t-shirt, other than just sweating more? I see guys all the time with sweatshirts, I sweat enough.

After the first workout or two of this program I was so sore that I could barely move the muscles I had worked. Now, they get tired during the workout but the next day I really don't feel too much soreness maybe just a tiny bit of fatigue. Am I not working hard enough, or is this just normal?

Wow, what a great thread, I'm surprised I havn't seen it before. I read through the first 8 pages and found too many comments to continue trying to respond so I just skipped through to the end. Hopefully I'll try to contribute a little bit to this.





You should do a slight cardio early to get the muscles warmed up and blood flowing. That is about all you need this for. It depends on what your workout was for to determine how much cardio you do at the end. If yoru trying to build muscle, I would keep cardio to a more minimum of no longer than 20 minutes. If you want more endurance out of your body, then longer than 20 minutes is alright.




YES. A definte proven fat burner.




I absolutely agree. They always try to show different ways to mix up simple workouts like pushups and stuff to keep it challenging. I love their different food recipes.




This is good if your trying to build muscle. As soon as you can push that last rep of 10 on thelast set, wait just a couple workouts to let your muscles readjust and add weight. You always want muscles pushing.





Creatine helps your muscles retain water yes, but the easiest way to explain it is that creatine helps keep the protein your hopefully taking also in your muscles longer, to speed recovery.




When I was really pushing workouts and losing weight to gain muscle, I would eat 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal in the morning made with water. When it was done in the microwave, I would add a little splash of milk, a cup full of blueberries, and one scoop of protein powder. mix it up and I would feel great all day.




This might be your diet. After a strong workout you shoudl just feel the soreness the next day. If your feeling fatigued you are probably not getting enough nutrients into your body after a workout. If you are trying to lose fat/gain muscle, I would recommend more of a 2-1 protein/carb mix after workouts.

Regarding the sweatshirt thing, it really depends. It's almost hard to explain, raising your body temperature helps you to burn calories, which helps to lose weight. This is really the basis for thermogenisis, the "scientifically proven" way Hydroxcut and other diet pills say they cut fat. Sweatshirts also helps you sweat, retain body heat, which helps you lose water weight. I used to run 3 miles a day wearing a sauna suit under my clothes which would make me drench with sweat, but for all that fluid you put out, your body needs back. You have to take in fluids as you sweat or your body will take the time to rehydrate your body, instead of repairing your muscles. Definitely wear a sweatshirt if you like, actually, just try a long sleeve for a while as a mild transition bridge between the two to see if you like it.

I'm turning a garage into a home gym/games room. So far i've got a punchbag, big tv, sofa bed, pull up bar and a treadmill...wohoo.

OK, so what the hell is the smith machine for if not for squats? I see people doing bench presses under it, but I always thought it was meant for squats. BTW, I looked into it some more and I will no longer be using it for squats, just don't know what it's for?

Also, does anyone use a pre-workout supplement? My cousin swears that it makes a huge difference in how intense of a workout he's able to do with the caffeine pre-workout thing. Anyone have any experience?

Missed Yesterday and I am going to miss tonight! This week has been insane and i might not even be able to make it tomorrow. What do you do when you miss the gym for three days? Is there anything to be done with zero time? I wish I didn't have to work this much this week? ISAL ... oh well I will get in a good workout on thursday. The shoulder is feeling way better so I will check that with some weights when I do go back!

Don't even weigh yourself. If you just have to do it about every 2 weeks minimum. Your weight can flux up to 5 lbs everyday naturally.

Must be all that hot sauce

Glad to see there's been a lot of activity in here. Back from my hiatus tonight and hoping to get up to 4.0 miles in around 30 minutes by the end of the week.

Keep after it, everyone.

I've been every day this week. Doing the HIIT I'm up to 8.5 on the treadmill for my peak intensity and it has gotten to be fairly easy. Feeling pretty good, and I think the protein suggestion from Shark has helped. After I looked into it further, I decided to give it a go, it's kinda hard to get 150g of protein without eating either tuna all freaking day, or ingesting tons of fat, or drinking shakes all day, or having tons of calories as well. Oh well, I eat a chicken breast a can of tuna, and some beans just about every day along with protein shakes after lifting.

If you need motivation to cut fat, there is a thread on bodybuilding.com's forums that should help in that department:

Transformation thread

2 miles, 17:14. pretay, pretay happy with that. and I was actually winded afterward. that was neato.

A pre workout shake is almost as good as a post. It puts nutrients into your msucles when it is straining to push up that last rep and helps to let your workouts go longer because your muscles become drained at a later point. I hear energy drinks pre workouts do great to also help this mainly due to the ingredient Taurine, for some scientific reason I can't remember. Pro body builders eat a cup full of gummy bears pre to give them a little carb spike which I heard helps make workouts more intense.




How much do you currently weigh? Your body can only really process 1-1 grams protein/lbs. The rest mainly is just passed through. Even pro's usually only ingest about 1.5-1 protein/lbs. It is all DIET. Don't worry about ingesting fat, as long as it is GOOD fat. You can eat up to 1/3 of your diet in healthy fats and still lose weight. Your body needs fats for digestion and brain functions. Good fats like nuts, beans, and some fruits are great for your body. Stay away from honey roasted or salted nuts, stuff like that. A handful of almonds is a perfect snack for me in the middle of the day and keeps me satisfied until my next meal.

Awesome. Revise the goal for the end of March? An improvement of over a minute in one week is pretty damn good.

I got 3 miles in 22 minutes last night. The first part of the run was going really, really easy so I think I got overconfident and was pretty well spent by the end. Hoping to get two more runs in this week.

yeah I definitely thought it would take longer than that, especially since that was the first run I did since the last one at 18:20 (can't run in snow. hell, there was still snow on the track yesterday). I think I'm just gonna start trying to beat my last time each time, see how good I can get, then probably add another half mile or so. I'm using my ipod to time the runs, and it saves each one, so I'll have a good record.

That's all I really try to do. Which sort of sucks, because there's a point at which I'll never improve my time. Either that or I'll just keep getting better and set all sorts of world records and end up being photographed while hitting a bong at a party.

yeah that's one of the biggest problems. that's what happened with that cardio/gym class training thing I was doing, I finally maxed out I think, last week in february, so now I have to come up with something new. damn near doubled everything though, so it was definitely a nice improvement. like 73 pushups in 50 seconds or something stupid like that. I'm gonna come up with a new routine today to start next week.

I'd start adding, or even taking away distance on different days. one day try to beat your two mile time, the next try to beat your one mile, then the next try to go four or five miles. something like that. my biggest thing is I have to mix it up every now and again or I just get too bored with it.

Definitely. I have a fairly good idea of where I'd like to get by the end of May and I'm sticking to it pretty well, but I'm definitely going to have to change it up this summer. I'm thinking of doing some intervals maybe, and some step stuff at the football stadium. I'm sure I'm going to hate it.

God job, FAGGOT

PUMP



That's solid.

Nothing wrong with being spent after. After all, that is the point, amirite?

Well, there is that. I think you'll handle the fame well, and by well, I mean bang everything that moves. Guys, girls, boys, girls. There will be no limitations.


I killed myself tonight. 60 minutes of cardio, 30 on the elliptical, finished, dashed right over to the bike, did 30 on it. 200 crunches 4x50. 9 sets of triceps, 9 sets of biceps. I usually don't spend an hour 45 in the gym, but I did tonight. Me tired.

GUESS I'M THE ONLY MAN THAT WORKS OUT AROUND HERE

or the only one that posts about it.

30 minutes of cardio today, 10 sets of legs.

hit the 40lb lost mark today, since January 5th.


I also stopped drinking diet coke last Saturday. Sucks. I am a diet soda fiend. I had caffeine headaches early in the week but they faded. I'm still sad. I don't drink coffee. I'll do it for another week and see if I see it in my weight loss. I miss my diet soda dammit.

I will be drinking beers tonight for the second time this year. Weeeeee

I had one of my best workouts in a long time today. I lifted upper body and increased all of my weights by 5lbs. I was able to complete 4 full sets of 10. My routine usually takes me a little over an hour to finish, but today I finished it in 50 minutes by shortening rests between sets. In honor of TommyGavin my CHEST felt huge when I was finished.

Ron, why are you giving up diet soda? I've always thought that for me diet soda prevents me from munching while water doesn't. I know they say that it can trigger a persons sweet tooth but it's never had that affect on me.

I think it triggers his chicken nugget tooth (ha ha!)




also, i don't work out on the weekends. no freaking way.

I was watching The Biggest Loser, which I hate btw, but they talked about how the caffeine can increase your appetite, how the sweetener can increase your chance to get cancer in the long run and how it's a tad high in sodium. So, I gave it up for a bit. I'll go back unless miracles happen because I have very few vices. I don't smoke, rarely drink, don't get high, I workout and have been eating pretty healthy. I need my diet coke, but I do know that I drink way too much of it. I don't do anything in moderation. So, I cut it completely out probably until the end of March. I'll see how I feel. Right now, I'm drinking a lot of water and some Crystal Light, which has the sweetener. So, baby steps.

You MOTHERFU....

I only did Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week, so I had to go. I might go tomorrow unless I'm really hungover. Much like Love4, I want to rock the chest tomorrow. CHEST

Ya, I gave up soda, I think I haven't had a single soda in about 4 months? Weirdly, it doesn't really bother me I just drink a lot of water and milk now. Also, nothing is more fun than working the ole chest.

Congrats on that weight loss though that's great. I made a bet when I was drunk with some co-workers about an 8k that's 3 weeks away. These other people aren't in great shape, but better shape than I am. Right now I can run 2-2.5 miles without walking but I gotta get that up to like 5 (or whatever 8k is) obviously. Any suggestions? Just run? Try and run more and more distance each week? I'm not really a runner so advice is appreciated.

that is just an awesome graph. super, super stuff.

Yeah, but you probably drank regular soda right? I only drank diet soda. I've heard of people giving up regular soda and sugar based drinks and losing a lot of weight while doing nothing else. What milk to you drink? I don't drink milk, but the one time a month I have cereal, I'll use 1% or Fat free. I haven't had whole milk in well over 20 years.


ANOTHER GUY JUST MADE THE LIST


I'm not the runner on here but if the race is three weeks away and you can only do two miles now, you're effed. I'd say make incremental goals and go for it. You won't be the only one stopping occasionally. Ok, maybe you will be, it's only an 8k.

You were already on THE LIST

No Cinemax After Dark for you tonight. The Dutch Rudder party is OFF

FUCK I take it back!

Whatever Ron, that's probably my greatest contribution to FCP to date so I'll take it. Plus a couple of noodz and I know I'm back on the list.

Nossir

Stuff
Stuffpuppet
Poundtown


Those are your best contributions to date. The graph is solid, but at my expense, rendering it useless to me.

Caffeine is a stimulant, which increases circulation and your body's metabolism, which can increase appetite. It just depends on how heathful your snacking is during those times.

Diet cokes arn't all bad. When I was cutting weight, I would just limit myself to 2 a day, and of only one certain kind. (Dt. Mt. Dew). If we went out to eat and they didn't have it, I would order water.

Weather was low 70's today and felt pretty hot. I put on my sauna suit under some sweats and trieeed running my usual 2.5 mile route. I havn' run in months and it was more of a shuffling my feet waddle. Winter weather cut into my running and working overtime every week really cuts my motivation to come home after 12 hr. day and go to gym. Now that it's warming up again, I'm getting that twitch. I ran about 4/5 of my route and walked, barely breathing. I only gained about 11 lbs since thanksgiving so I feel pretty good about that. Should be easy to transition back into workouts. My suit pants tore down the leg which is probably a good thing, I shouldn't be pushing my body hard at all in the first couple weeks.

Ya, I was a mountain dew fiend, we used to just drink like 3-4 a day. I'm fine with any kind including skim but while i'm bulking I drink a lot of whole milk and just say w/e to all the extra fat it has.

Make love to me


I'm bombed right now

I wasn't bummed about being really tired when I was done, I was just surprised at how well the first part of the run went and then how quickly I faded. Fuck it, I'll just do better this week.

And yes, I'll be banging many things soon enough.





You're an animal. I had a busy weekend and my laptop at home is stupid so for some reason I can't log on to FCP at home right now. I usually only hit the gym once on the weekend for a very light run so it would be pointless to post about it anyway.

Congrats on the 40 lbs, that's significant.








I think I'm the only one here who only runs when I work out but that certainly doesn't make me "the" runner or even somebody qualified to give advice. Basically all I know is how to put one foot in front of the other. When it comes to training for something, I usually just try to run a little further, a little faster by the end of each week.

Unfortunately, the bolded part of Mex's post made me laugh because I had sort of the same thought. If the 8k is three weeks away, you likely won't see a huge difference in your runs by then. But as long as you don't worry about keeping up with others in the race and are content to just take it easy and finish then you can probably run without stopping for longer than you think.

If I had three weeks to prepare for an 8k, I'd probably just use the first week to go about 2-2.5 miles three times a week to see where I'm at. Based on that I would bump it up to 3-3.5 three or four times the next week. Then, the last week I'd probably take one day to just see how long I can make it without dying and just do a few other "easy" runs to rest up. By that point you should have a pretty good idea of what a realistic pace is for the 8k and how much you want to push it during the race.




I quoted this one just because.