getting in shape

S

sasha

Joined
Feb 28, 2006
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I hope you guys dont mind me asking on here. Its just that there is more knowledge on here then anywhere else. You guys tend to say it the way it is. Bottom line is i need to get back in shape. In the last few years i gained 30lb i dont have half the stamina i used to have before. Story is i used to be very much into martial arts. Ended up hurting both knees to the point i couldnt walk much. So very little hiking and working out and started to gain weight. I also have the luck that of hurting my self everytime. Bottom line is i got a bad right ankle and bad left knee. Some of you mentioned Versaclimber as the best way to work out. I found one on craigslist for a very very good price. Or am i better off joining a Gym??? My goal is lose weight and build stamina. I know that while im doing this i would also build strengh. From you guys in the know what you sugest is the best way. Oh im also 42 eat healthy dont smoke or drink but gained weight from lack of working out.

Sasha
 
For your goals, I'd go with low impact. I prefer exercise bikes, but you might want to seriously consider swimming. It wouldn't hurt to do some weightlifting also - the more muscle you have, the quicker you burn fat by raising your metabolism, but cardio should probably be your primary emphasis. Find something that you like. I like bikes, and hate treadmills. Most people are the other way around.
 
Sasha I spent a good deal of my adult life working as a personal fitness trainer..I am also pretty much a life long martial artist..injuries suck.. Personally I would start a mild callesthenics routine coupled with long brisk walks for a few weeks just to get your body back into the groove.. after that you can decide on equipment, but I think based on the injuries you describe and elliptical machine would probably be your best bet..(although I don't like them or any machines for that matter) but it sounds like you need to get your groove back and boost your metabolism. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat.. Best of luck in your search
 
I know this story! After 9 years and finally a black belt in shotokan, I tore my ACL and had to quit for a long time. I'm finally getting back into it now, though I'm hardly kicking. The feeling I had back when I took martial arts is starting to flood back over me and it feels great. After my ACL surgery, and the re-injury (not torn but something is funky) I had to be careful working out. I've bumped up my cardio with an elliptical thing at work. I really like it because I am still getting the full motion of running, more or less, but without the jarring effect on my knees. I really feel that may be the ticket to burning lots of calories but still healing well. Ask an ortho dock, and try that out and see how it treats you.
 
If you do decide to try machines, join a gym first and try theirs out to see what results you get before buying something that may not work as well as you thought it would. Knee and ankle injuries means walk as much as you can before even thinking about a heavier program.
 
I love cycling, it's the one exercise that doesn't seem like exercise for me. With the knee and ankle injuries you might try it, it's low impact and getting on a bike is often part of PT for knee surgery.
 
I personally HATE gyms...That is unless you have a work out buddy then they arent that bad. I would much rather set my own time and place for work outs...longs walks, swimming and stretching every day for 15-30min...it will make a difference..
 
Having tried a ton of different exercise routines, I keep coming back to the basics...crunches, leg lifts, push-ups, heavy bag, and dumb bells. You'll tone up, and done without breaks and rapid reps, you'll get cardio.

For the dumb bells I do curls, shoulder and back butterflies, military presses, and shrugs.

Granted, you wont work your quads or calves much, but you'll exercise your traps, lats, pecs, abs, upper thighs, shoulders, back, biceps, triceps, forearms...

You'll have under $150 in a bag and bells.
 
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Its hard for me to stick to bikes or treadmills or some of the machines out there as i get bored very fast. Martial arts are easy to stick to cause you must use the brains and you cant get bored. I used to walk 4 miles each night which took me an hour to do. I stoped walking as my motorcycle fell over 3 weeks ago with me on top of it. Ended up tearing some muscles in the leg. Im just prone to accidents. Joe i had a brown belt in shotokan karate with master Nashoyoma(sp) He was the first gen Shotokan master. Then got a second degre black belt in San soo kung fu. Shotokan was one of the hardest work out ever. Even compare to other arts. Well atlist the way this guy was teaching.

Sasha
 
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go outside everyday. find trails. hike em. take a friend or two, and the dogs. every day. Fresh air, outdoors vs stinky sweaty gym.......


you cant play with knives or practice bushcraft in the gym.......
 
Ketogenic diet and HIIT cardio.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

There is no faster or more efficient way to melt bodyfat, period.


If you need help planning diet, there are great sites like Redpoint Fitness out there that can spit out complete menus and meal plans for you, once you enter your current stats and fitness goals.
As you will need to eat at about 500 cal / day below maintenance for effective fat loss, it is vital that you know exactly WHAT your maintenance level caloric intake is, and WHAT and HOW MUCH to eat to hit your needs, in the correct ratio of fat / carbohydrate / protein. Some do this intuitively. Those that don't, (like me) need a plan for optimal results.
Remember too - undereating can result in no fat loss and no progress, just as much as overeating. Have a solid plan and the dicipline to stick with it, you'll be amazed at what you can achieve in a month or two of honest effort.

Good luck to you!
 
Yep. Martial arts are the way to go. Try a different one, Sasha. Some of them don't stress deep knee bending or much kicking. My knees are grindy (is that a word?) from 28 yrs of various martial arts. I can't do the deep stances but the Wing Chun fluid movements are easy on me and they give a great workout. I stretch and do lots of pushups too.
Diet also plays a HUGE role! Look into one with a fair allocation of all foods and stick with it-don't fall for the fad diets, they will bore you eventually. Oh, and I'm 43 years young!
 
HIIT is awesome, just watch the knees.

Cycling, hiking, weight training, an above all else diet. 90% of weight loss is diet. The right foods will help give you the power and energy to get up and take care of the job.

Check out the Abs Diet. Its the best eating plan Ive come across. I lost 50 lbs last year doin it, and it is a very ballanced diet.
 
Color me confused, but a guy with bum knees and an ankle probably cant hike, jog, or spint?
 
Yes, he can, but slowly, building up to it. I had gotten into trouble with my own knees at one point and decided it was my own fault, slacking off on something I liked a lot -- bicycling. After a couple of months of riding around, I was back in shape.

Jogging or sprinting might be pushing it at first, but depending on how bad the injuries still are, hiking is a good idea.
 
Yeah, I would lean toward cycling personally...and not on a machine because, like you, I get bored.

I would just pick places you want to have a look at and start riding there in the evenings, say 3 times a week. Start with places 10 minutes away, then 20 minutes, and so on. Try to get there fairly quickly but don't go crazy on it, especially at first.

The cycling will be good for your knee, and after you've been doing it for a while you can start looking for hills to climb and trails to ride.

Every time I get myself hospitalized for a knee or an ankle, they make me ride bikes for physio so it must be a good way to get working on those joints.
 
I haven't ever done it, but I hear good things about yoga. There is a style of yoga where it is performed in 90 to 100 degree F rooms and you break a mean sweat; Bikram or hatha or like that. Apparently the views can be pretty outstanding, thereby providing you some motivation.:thumbup:
I've also heard you may unsuspectingly squeeze off a fart in a crowded room whilst doing yoga, so be forewarned.
 
try something low impact like tai chi. I had a friend who used to scoff at people doing what he thought was stupid, slow pointless movements, until he tried it. It can be quite tough, and some of those chinese guys are hard as nails and fit as anything.
 
First off, talk to your doctor. After a long period of sedentary life, you want to make sure the ticker is up to the challenge.

Next, and I am not being a smarta$$ here, people tend to overcomplicate things. EAT LESS, DO MORE.

Don't stop eating, start eating less. Don't try to run a marathon, do some type of low impact cardio like cycling or swimming. After a week or so, eat a little less, do a little more. After another week or so, eat even less, do even more. Keep eating less and doing more until you are at your target weight. Then you will have a lifestyle that supports your desires.
 
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