any exercise freaks out there?

[crankbait2009]

About a year and a half ago or more, I lost a good amount of weight by dieting and staying away from sugar (my worst enemy).  At the time, I lost 50 pounds.  I have been able to keep it all off.  But I'd like to go one step further now.  Although I am still fluffy in the mid section, I am skinny every where else.  (not proportional if you will).  I think the best option for me is to tone and turn all the fluffy in to a tighter package.  Not necessarily looking to lift weights or become the next incredible hulk.

 

I am now tinkering around the idea of resistance bands/tubes.  I am reading both pros/cons, and I THINK the bands would be best, but I am still uncertain.  I like the handles of the tubes, but for what I want to do, the bands might be my best bet.  I realize these wont tighten my stomach, but I can at least use these for other areas

 

Can anyone that has used one or both of them give me some recommendation? Here are the two that I am looking at:

bands

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078JNPPMT/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A2M4BJZLQA9FIQ&psc=1

 

tubes

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078JFSN9Z/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A2M4BJZLQA9FIQ&psc=1

[Jigfishn10]

I just added 2 cable exercises to my workout regimen and use the ones with the handles. My son goes to strength and conditioning for baseball and they use the same along with weights.

 

Bands are nice alone or in conjunction with barbell work. The member that knows about cable work is @Brad Reid. I wouldn't have gotten into them if it wasn't for his input.

 

Congrats on the weight loss BTW, not an easy thing to do and keep off. I'm in my own dog fight with maintaining the weight loss. I fluctuate from 160 - 165, so I'll take that.

 

Good luck.

[crankbait2009]

Since the original post, I have since purchased this kit.  It came in a few days ago.  Seems legit, I've started using it and have had no problems.  I wish there was a second door strap, but I'm making due with the one, for now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XG7N414/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I'd love to say that I was strong enough to lose all that weight on my own with control/exercise, but I'd be lying.  I've been able to maintain with control.  But I certainly needed that initial push.  (I used Idealshape).  But I am only looking ahead now

[Jigfishn10]

Perfect, you got the best of both worlds.

 

No, you lost the weight on your own just by making your mind up and committing to it. Idealshape was just another tool towards the goal.

 

You should be proud of yourself.

[A-Jay]

Congrats on taking control of yourself.

Keep it up.......

I've been working to stay lean for a while now.

It doesn't get any easier as we get older but it's worth even second of effort & every drop of sweat.

As for being an "exercise freak" -  59 years old & guilty as charged.

Good Luck moving forward.

#fitforlife

A-Jay

[soflabasser]

On 4/7/2019 at 5:12 PM, crankbait2009 said:

About a year and a half ago or more, I lost a good amount of weight by dieting and staying away from sugar (my worst enemy).  At the time, I lost 50 pounds.  I have been able to keep it all off.  But I'd like to go one step further now.  Although I am still fluffy in the mid section, I am skinny every where else.  (not proportional if you will).  I think the best option for me is to tone and turn all the fluffy in to a tighter package.  Not necessarily looking to lift weights or become the next incredible hulk.

 

I am now tinkering around the idea of resistance bands/tubes.  I am reading both pros/cons, and I THINK the bands would be best, but I am still uncertain.  I like the handles of the tubes, but for what I want to do, the bands might be my best bet.  I realize these wont tighten my stomach, but I can at least use these for other areas

Congratulations on the weight loss which is no easy feat. It takes a huge amount of will power to lose that much weight, I know this from my own personal experience and from helping others lose weight. Now comes the hardest part which is keeping the weight off for as many years as possible. I would not recommend  resistance bands and would focus more on free weights, calisthenics, and functional cardio (walking, running, swimming, etc). Another recommendation is stay away from PED's, you do not need them and you can live a long, healthy life without them.

[Brad Reid]

20 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

I just added 2 cable exercises to my workout regimen and use the ones with the handles. My son goes to strength and conditioning for baseball and they use the same along with weights.

 

Bands are nice alone or in conjunction with barbell work. The member that knows about cable work is @Brad Reid. I wouldn't have gotten into them if it wasn't for his input.

 

Congrats on the weight loss BTW, not an easy thing to do and keep off. I'm in my own dog fight with maintaining the weight loss. I fluctuate from 160 - 165, so I'll take that.

 

Good luck.

Expander work will do a great job for most people, certainly those who want or need to workout at home.  *** Just a note that my younger brother set 3 national records: the ******, clean & jerk, and total . . . last week at the 2019 Masters Nationals Weightlifting Championships. He'll be off next to Vancouver, I believe that is where it is, for the world meet next.

[Smokinal]

I should get stoned in the streeets for saying this here but, my second passion is bass fishing.

 

 

Just had the first show of the year 4 weeks ago; me on the far right:

 

And another tomorrow!

 

As far as the OP, losing bodyfat is all about calories in vs calories out. You have to eat less calories than you use in a day. Figure your TDEE (use one of the free TDEE calculators online) and eat about 300 cals below that to start. Monitor your weight and adjust from there.

 

About lifting weights; everyone should. Literally, everyone should. Having some muscle mass is proven to be very beneficial as we get older. And you don't have to have the Hulk in mind, competing in mind or even being very muscular in mind. Many people gave the false idea that they will become "too muscular"; believe me, that won't happen! You cannot become "too muscular" on accident overnight. It takes years of very hard, dedicated work to get to the point where you would consider yourself too muscular. A little more muscle mass on our frames helps burn bodyfat, keeps bones stronger as we get older and also helps with cognitive decline.

 

For the bands, there are many, many different movements you can do to get a semi-effective session in with bands but it's certainly much more efficient and effective with free-weights.

 

Great job on your progress so far! And good luck moving forward.

 

 

[NYWayfarer]

I am in the best shape of my life at 53. Since age 11 I have been fat. I reached a  280lb high by age 19. In my early 20’s I was able to get down to 230lbs by cutting out soda. Exercise brought me to an all time low of 180lbs. 

 

I yo-yo’ed foe a long time around the 240lb range. My first breakthrough was downloading an app to count calories. That helped me get to 210lbs and stay consistently at that weight. Second breakthrough was getting my Apple Watch. It helps me track my move and exercise daily. 30 minutes and 10,000 steps helped me get to 190lbs and stay there for the last three years. My sleep apnea is gone which is a real plus.

 

I also did the 22 for 22 challenge for our vets. 22 pushups a day for 22 days. Once the 22 days are up I start again. It literally changed my body over the last three years. 

 

You don't have to be a exercise freak, but you should exercise. 

[Fishing Rhino]

Speaking of old age.  The local Council on Aging has exercise groups for men and women of various ages, and abilities.  None are what I would call strenuous.  The exercises address flexibility, strengthening the muscles that support the various joints, etc.

 

The group I am in meets three times a week, and a certified trainer runs the show.  As an interesting aside, the building that houses the council on aging is where I attended fifth and sixth grade.  Both grades in the same room.

 

The building is situated between a funeral parlor and a cemetery.  

[Harold Scoggins]

A brisk 2 mile run up to the Green Ramp followed with 30 minutes of Rifle PT, then a 2 mile shuffle back to the barracks to cool down. "All The Way!"

[Backroad Angler]

One of the best ways to stay in shape by far is getting out there and running, if not running, walking if you can for 30-45 mins a day. Although myself, I took up lifting about 5 years ago and cardio is the devil now!

[soflabasser]

4 hours ago, JoshFromBolo said:

One of the best ways to stay in shape by far is getting out there and running, if not running, walking if you can for 30-45 mins a day. 

Running is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise and so is walking which many people underestimate as a form of exercise. At my best shape I use to run 1 mile under 5 minutes, 5K under 18 minutes, 10 miles under 1 hour and 15 minutes, and I would still get a great workout by walking 1-2 hours at a brisk pace. In the end the most important muscle is the heart and having big, non functionally fit muscles does nothing to improve a person's health. 

On 4/12/2019 at 9:22 PM, NYWayfarer said:

You don't have to be a exercise freak, but you should exercise. 

Moderation is key when it comes to exercise. Too much exercise can hurt more than help and it is best to think long term than short term when it comes to working out.

On 4/12/2019 at 9:22 PM, NYWayfarer said:

I also did the 22 for 22 challenge for our vets. 22 pushups a day for 22 days. Once the 22 days are up I start again. It literally changed my body over the last three years. 

Pushups are one of the best calisthenics exercises you can do no matter how strong a person is. Once a person can do 4 sets of 20 reps they can start doing various pushup variations for a more challenging workout, such as clapping pushups, one hand pushups feet apart, and if you really want a challenge you can do one hand pushups with both feet together.

[Gundog]

6 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

Running is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise and so is walking which many people underestimate as a form of exercise. At my best shape I use to run 1 mile under 5 minutes, 5K under 18 minutes, 10 miles under 1 hour and 15 minutes, and I would still get a great workout by walking 1-2 hours at a brisk pace. In the end the most important muscle is the heart and having big, non functionally fit muscles does nothing to improve a person's health. 

 

 

I agree about the walking. Most people underestimate how much of a workout walking is. Especially up hills. A hour walking up and down hills can exhaust you easily. 

[soflabasser]

1 minute ago, Gundog said:

I agree about the walking. Most people underestimate how much of a workout walking is. Especially up hills. A hour walking up and down hills can exhaust you easily. 

Walking is awesome no matter how fit you are! Best part of walking is that it is a workout that helps in real life. It won't matter how much a person lifts when they are old what matters is that they are in good enough shape to walk for long periods without being out of breath. 

[Backroad Angler]

12 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Running is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise and so is walking which many people underestimate as a form of exercise. At my best shape I use to run 1 mile under 5 minutes, 5K under 18 minutes, 10 miles under 1 hour and 15 minutes, and I would still get a great workout by walking 1-2 hours at a brisk pace. In the end the most important muscle is the heart and having big, non functionally fit muscles does nothing to improve a person's health. 

Moderation is key when it comes to exercise. Too much exercise can hurt more than help and it is best to think long term than short term when it comes to working out.

Pushups are one of the best calisthenics exercises you can do no matter how strong a person is. Once a person can do 4 sets of 20 reps they can start doing various pushup variations for a more challenging workout, such as clapping pushups, one hand pushups feet apart, and if you really want a challenge you can do one hand pushups with both feet together.

Man we have sorta similar times, my PR's are 

1 mile- 5:40 5k- 19:05 and never raced a 10 mile just in practice lol. Running is a great hobby to have and very rewarding

[soflabasser]

13 hours ago, JoshFromBolo said:

Man we have sorta similar times, my PR's are 

1 mile- 5:40 5k- 19:05 and never raced a 10 mile just in practice lol. Running is a great hobby to have and very rewarding

Those are very good times for those distances. Do you have a thin build or a muscular one? When I ran my sub 5 minute miles I was muscular with a BMI of over 27 but under 8% bodyfat (100% drug free as well). Few people with muscular builds can run a sub 6 minute mile or sub 18 minute 5K. I would bet that less than 5% of people ever run 1 mile under 6 minutes, especially as a drug free athlete. There are people who run sub 4 minute miles but those people are less than 0.0001% of the world's population and they have very thin builds. Have you ran marathons or half marathons? They are very fun to do and I feel running a full marathon is something every athlete should do at least once in their lifetime.

[Backroad Angler]

On 4/15/2019 at 10:30 PM, soflabasser said:

Those are very good times for those distances. Do you have a thin build or a muscular one? When I ran my sub 5 minute miles I was muscular with a BMI of over 27 but under 8% bodyfat (100% drug free as well). Few people with muscular builds can run a sub 6 minute mile or sub 18 minute 5K. I would bet that less than 5% of people ever run 1 mile under 6 minutes, especially as a drug free athlete. There are people who run sub 4 minute miles but those people are less than 0.0001% of the world's population and they have very thin builds. Have you ran marathons or half marathons? They are very fun to do and I feel running a full marathon is something every athlete should do at least once in their lifetime.

This was about 3 or so years when I hit those times. I still run, but I took up lifting after I had a stress fracture on my hip and now I'm pretty big compared to what I was in my running days. Now im about 175 compared to 140 when I ran those times lol. Dang man you know the percentages on the dot! Thats awesome. I have friends that have ran sub 4 1500's, but not a 1600. I was a cross country/track running all throughout highschool so I have friends that took it to college and was able to watch them run. I have plans to, but not sure when. Have you ran either of them? I've had buddies run marathons as well and it just took everything they had lol

[soflabasser]

50 minutes ago, JoshFromBolo said:

This was about 3 or so years when I hit those times. I still run, but I took up lifting after I had a stress fracture on my hip and now I'm pretty big compared to what I was in my running days. Now im about 175 compared to 140 when I ran those times lol. Dang man you know the percentages on the dot! Thats awesome. I have friends that have ran sub 4 1500's, but not a 1600. I was a cross country/track running all throughout highschool so I have friends that took it to college and was able to watch them run. I have plans to, but not sure when. Have you ran either of them? I've had buddies run marathons as well and it just took everything they had lol

The times you ran those distances are very good and you will always have those achievements for the rest of your life. Yes I have ran full marathons and half marathons for the past 11 years now. I love to run since it is good for my health and helps me in all the sports I practice. 

[gim]

Swimming is just about the best cardiovascular activity a guy can do.  Unlike running, jogging, or even walking, there is no damage to your joints or back.  The gym I am a member at just re-opened and it has a saltwater pool too so there's no chlorine which was so hard on my skin/hair years ago.