The Forum diet club

[Lory]

But push yourself to the level of it being painful.

Pushing though pain sounds like a good way to injure yourself.

Does cardio and weights really have to be painful.

If you simply want to maintain your current level of fitness, then there's no need to push yourself.

But, if you want to 'improve', the only way is to push yourself to do slightly more than's comfortable, otherwise you'll forever remain at the same level.


I'm not suggesting you push through 'every pain', there's different sorts of pain, some pain is good/normal pain, which you get when your muscles ache from tiredness and also, when you ache after exercise, which shows you've worked hard.

But of course, there's 'bad pain' which would include anything like a bad back, twisted ankle, torn ligaments etc, of which you should definitely not ignore and should seek proper medical advice.

Hopefully, if people do the exercises 'correctly' they won't get any of the latter!

[Astro]

But push yourself to the level of it being painful.

Pushing though pain sounds like a good way to injure yourself.

I questioned my NHS Physio about this on Wednesday.

It might not apply to other people though, (turns out I have genetically shallow hip sockets, right side worse than left, and was born like that)

1. He said if you feel a sharp pain, that means the muscles are telling you they are not happy.

Go and sit down and rest for a while and see if it goes away.

If it does resume dancing.

2. If it's an ache type pain, do some stretches and carry on dancing.

3. Walk for 10 minutes after dancing before sitting in a car, bus, tube as the muscles will cramp.



For pains that come on after dancing - and the next day

1. If it's a sharp pain rest. then try some gentle stretches.

2. If it's an ache, stretch the muscles.

3. Wait till pain has gone before resuming dancing.

[Jive Brummie]

I'm not suggesting you push through 'every pain', there's different sorts of pain, some pain is good/normal pain, which you get when your muscles ache from tiredness and also, when you ache after exercise, which shows you've worked hard.

But of course, there's 'bad pain' which would include anything like a bad back, twisted ankle, torn ligaments etc, of which you should definitely not ignore and should seek proper medical advice.

Good point.

Quite often, those new to the gym think that any sort of fatigue induced muscular soreness = pain = bad = never going to the gym again. And it absolutely amazes me. I remember a PT client I had some time ago and part of my programme involved doing a fitness assessment with each new client to establish where we were starting from. The assessment was specific to the client and their percieved ability. About 3 minutes in to the workout, she exclaimed horror at the apparent sweat eminating from her brow...as she'd never perspired in the gym before!!! To me that's a pre-requisite!

Muscular soreness fits into the slow aching type of pain (often referred to by trainers in the Pain Gate Theory), and then the fast acute (or sharp) pain.

If you genuinely think it is muscular fatigue through repetition....carry on! If it is sharp acute pain...stop straight away.

If you're not too sure which is which...you will when you experience them. D.O.M.S, (Delayed Onset Muscle Sorness) is something a lot of people experience after a tough workout (or if you try something new in the gym). It tends to develop 24 to 72 hours after the training event and can (unfortunately) sometimes last for up to a week, (in severe cases). Although there is not a specific pin pointed reason for it to occur, it seems to be more associated with the lowering phases of weight training, i.e. when you lower the weight under control (known as eccentric loading of muscle).

The aches and pains do subside after some time and then they quite often become a target in that regular gym goers don't believe they have worked hard enough unless they experience DOMS. (Not necessarily true)

Have fun chaps and enjoy your training.

JB

[Lory]

The aches and pains do subside after some time and then they quite often become a target in that regular gym goers don't believe they have worked hard enough unless they experience DOMS. (Not necessarily true)

That's me I'm afraid, I kind of enjoy the pain, in a sadistic kind of way, as it reassures me I'm working hard enough.

My gym has released a new timetable today, inc. some completely new 'mini classes' to be held in the actual gym. (the bit with the machines)
Each one is only 15 minutes long and I 'think' are designed to be used as either an 'add on', to your regular class('s) or maybe as an add on to your usual gym workout?

I was looking for a way to step up a level again, so hopefully these might be an answer!
I'll find out tomorrow

[Filthy Monkey]

That's me I'm afraid, I kind of enjoy the pain, in a sadistic kind of way

Yes, I remember that from Saturday night. Dare I go on...?

[Lory]

Yes, I remember that from Saturday night. Dare I go on...?

Moving on....

Why does your avatar remind me of a certain recent photo of you and another forumite?

[Filthy Monkey]

I'm sure that neither myself or Cruella have any idea what you're talking about!!!

[stewart38]

Or she may be shocked into realising how unfit she is and it may spur her to continue? Hopefully!

We've got a new lady who joined the gym recently, I'm not sure how old she is, probably only in her early 30's but she's very big and extremely unfit. She does the aerobics classes, using all the 'low impact' options and sometimes she takes a break but is encouraged by the instructors, to just try to keep moving her feet.
I often wonder whether to offer a bit of encouragement but its hard to know if it'd just come across as condescending?
But one thing i'm really sure of is, as some of us have chatted about it, is that, everyone 'want's' her to do well and we're all hoping she sticks with it.
We'd like to let her know but one never knows how things will be taken?

As it is at the moment, I just make sure I say Hi

But unfortunately, its very true, there is no gain without effort and a bit of pain!

I think everyone leave in August, its been SO quiet at the gym recently

How do you measure ‘fitness’ im sure this 70yr old was ‘average fitness’ for her age

Ie able to get in a car go down a gym and move her arms about

Could she run a mile in 6 minutes I doubt it

You girl maybe a bit unfit

The average dancer will be above the average ‘fitness’ level

The point with this lady was it was clear she was struggling to keep up in the class

[Lory]

You girl maybe a bit unfit

Oi cheeky!!

[Lory]

How do you measure ‘fitness’

anyway, in the absence of JB, I'll have a stab at answering this...

I think it comes down to a combination of many factors..

Resting heart rate...

.. plus 'more importantly' your 'recovery rate' - That's how quickly after exercise, you recover to your normal resting rate.

plus how long you can maintain exercise at your 'optimum rate' (thats when your running or cycling etc)

Plus your Blood pressure

Plus your BMI (or percentage of body fat)

I think all this is probably measured against your age and height etc ...

and I suspect there's more to it than that but i'm no expert!

[Lory]

My gym has released a new timetable today, inc. some completely new 'mini classes' to be held in the actual gym. (the bit with the machines)
Each one is only 15 minutes long and I 'think' are designed to be used as either an 'add on', to your regular class('s) or maybe as an add on to your usual gym workout?

I was looking for a way to step up a level again, so hopefully these might be an answer!
I'll find out tomorrow

Well, I tried 2 of these today, the first one at 9am, is called the 'Breakfast club', there was a whole TWO of us in attendance, plus the instructor, Wow but it was still quite good.
We didn't use any machines, as I'd expected but we did use some equipment, such as heavy weighted balls, which we played 'catch' with but added some, squats when we caught it and jumps as we threw it etc
I enjoyed it, as it was interactive, although the other girl was annoyingly useless.
Lesson 2, at 9-15 was called V-core and as you can imagine, was to do with core strength but in reality, it ended up being an 'abs' workout, with a few added 'superman holds' (from a kneeling position, you lift one leg straight out to the back and one arm out to the front and balance)
After that, I continued with my normal 1 hour Body Pump class, followed by a 45min aerobic/conditioning class and finished off by doing some stretches on the 'Power plate'

But I'm taking the day off tomorrow

I'll definitely try to get there in time to do some each week, hopefully more people will start to join in!

[dave the scaffolder]

Aye aye sport fans me 32" jeans are now hanging off me so I am well on the way to a 30" waist.

All I am doing now is dancing, stomach exercises and workin on building my arms up a bit more. Must say I am well chuffed with the weight falling off me at the moment I have not actually weighed myself for a few months but judge my weight loss by my shrinking waistline.

Mind you have been told by a few people that I should not lose much more weight, but I am becoming a bit obsessed with it at the moment.

DTS XXX XXX

[dave the scaffolder]

Another funny thing happened to me just now.

I run out of fags so I popped over to Sainsburys to get some, and whilst walking from the car to the store I became all cold and shivery again, happened to me on the way to Bedford freestyle a couple of weeks ago, having purchased said fags came home and realised the only thing I have had to eat yesterday was 2 sausage sandwiches and a bag of peanuts last night at Letchworth dance. Nothing eaten yet today.

The thing is I tend not to get hungry anymore I just get a bit cold and shivery when I have gone all day without eating.

Now is this normal? This not getting hungry, until you have gone nearly 2 days without food?

I just had 2 mini pitta breads with the remains of the sausages from yesterday and now I am as full as an egg, very strange this. I once went 5 days without sleep on a sargeants course in the army, after 5 days you start to hallucinate and must be pulled out of combat as you become a danger to your mates.

DTS XXX XXX

[Jive Brummie]

Dave,

Are you snacking throughout the day? Specifically on sweet or processed foods?

Do you eat high fat foods early in the day? (not necessarily a bad thing...don't worry)

Are you trying to control calories? Realistically, if you are burning food as energy throughout the day doing your thing, then that requires replenishment, plus a little bit extra. This is to ensure you don't fall into starvation response (mentioned before about metabolism slowing down and the body storing the fat content of food eaten...but ultimately it leads to chronic fatigue and the 'digestion' of muscle tissue and bone (kinda)).
I s'pose one could argue that if you are feeling cold and shivery your body could be specifically trying to maintain blood flow to the deep internal organs, hence cold skin and extremities (something called vaso-constriction), I'm no doctor (by any means, and so am just postulating, good word eh, but the lack of food and possible 'starvation response' along with the cold and shivers could be related??? Might be worth checking out.

Lory...

you're pretty much bang on with your interpretation of fitness. Ultimately fitness is relevant to the individual. So if Mrs Smith wants to be fit to walk up the stairs in her house without getting breathless, and she trains in such a way that helps her achieve this...she is fit.

How you measure fitness, is again individual. Lory you mention you measure your workouts by the feelings of muscular soreness, others push themselves until they experience nausea...everyone is different. Fitness itself has many manifestations. Muscular endurance, strength, power, speed, size, cardio vascular ability, proprioceptive improvement, balance, alertness...well, bascially...there's loads to it. What a person determines as being important to them, means that once their goal is reached, they are fit for purpose.

JB

[dave the scaffolder]

JB baby I eat nothing thro the day, unless I am scaffolding, then I eat a sensible amount. Have tried not eating and scaffolding and ended up fainting all of the time.

I am just in the period now of if I get hungry and just work thro it I tend not to feel hunger again until i start fainting, then I eat and am ok. Am actually thinking to run a little experiment and see how long I can go without food before it starts to seriously affect me.

I will have to pick a period when I am not working otherwise I will not be able to work, I reckon I could do 5 days before I give up and eat.

I have also dramatically increased my training programme and now do a lot of stomach and arm work to try and speed up losing my little belly and improve my arm size.

Will let you know when I run my experiment and how I get on with it.

DTS XXX XXX

[Lory]

I became all cold and shivery

~snip~

the only thing I have had to eat yesterday was 2 sausage sandwiches and a bag of peanuts last night at Letchworth dance. Nothing eaten yet today.


Now is this normal?

Dave, I'm not being funny but the first thing that struck me when I read this was, my god, the mans eating CRAP.. Your probably lacking in Vitamins and minerals and thats why your feeling cold and shivery!
Get some fruit and vegetables down your neck, before you become properly ill!