Less Is More: The Official Becker Fitness Thread

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I've been out of the gym for a few months - dealing with some family stuff, but I went last night, and boy could I feel it.

Mostly did cardio, but I am also going to skip beer for as long as I can (my biggest source of empty calories).

I'm looking forward to this damn snow melting so I can run in the neighborhood, but I guess I will have to resort to shoveling snow for the time being.
 
My 6 year old is enjoying kettlebells as well. Who says workout time can't be family time?

[video=youtube;MrCxIGHJ8fM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrCxIGHJ8fM&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
TheWambo said:
Every time I have tried to fast in the past it has completely fk'd my metabolism for at least a few weeks sure I drop a lot of lbs over the fast period but something about my body chemistry make me pile on weight like no tomorrow after I stop fasting (maybe my intervals are too long or two short, my understanding of IF is shaky at best). that being said I know that this method has and does work for a few guys I know.

What I do is sort of similar in spirit. 3 weeks of high intensity training (strength training and high intensity cardio) combined with a very clean diet, followed with a week of moderate intensity training (endurance training, plyometrics, low intensity cardio) with a more relaxed diet. Not a nutritionist or personal trainer by any means, but this has worked for me pretty well over the past year and a half I've been doing it. I started at 215 lbs after my senior year of high school (summer 2011), I was down to 150 over the summer (2012) but I was pretty low on muscle mass too. Right now I'm hovering around 165 and feeling a lot fitter. My lifting IRM's have roughly doubled since I started: Bench 180, Deadlift 300, Squat 210; I'm working on breaking out of a plateau right now but other than the past month I've seen slow steady increases in strength, endurance (cardiovascular and muscular), increase in muscle mass, and visual decrease in body fat (haven't had it accurately measured but I'm around 12%, at a conservative estimate).

When you boil it all down the bare bones of getting in better shape are irrefutably a decent diet and physical activity. No matter what approach you take It's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication, but the end result is well worth it in my opinion. Your biggest obstacle is your own mind.
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Something i recently learned is that when your liver and stomach are clogged or not functioning at their full capacity they do not absorb nearly as many nutrients from food. You get the calories but not the good stuff. This happens i believe from poor diet and excess of bad foods. You can "cleanse" your body to clear your system from a number of diets. I do not know if this is the cause but this results in a lot of obese people gaining the weight back that they have just managed to lose.
 
Almost forgot about this thread...

I finally joined a gym a month and a half ago and have been getting in 2-3 times a week, mainly doing cardio on the bike, but have added a little machine weights too.
 
At 6'3", I am a bit of a zaftig fellow weighing in at 265lbs, at last check.

Now part of the reason for this, aside for my love of bacon and cheese on just about everything, is that I work a desk job and the only real judo I do recently is teaching, so not much play. Since I still want to compete, albeit in the Old Man, er Masters divisions, I need to get under 100kg (220 lbs) if I don't want to be playing a 375 pounder at 265. So I started going to the gym and will probably be starting another martial art. Perkiti Tersia here I come. I am figuring with the gym, cutting out all but meats and veggies, and starting a new knife base MA, I think I could be down to my Army weight is 215lbs. Only time and drive will tell.
 
Just 2 months ago I decided to start running. At the beginning it was painful and arduous. I could barely run for 1 minute. Now I can run 3 miles in less than 30 minutes, non-stop. I did an 8 week intro to running program and it went by quickly. I believe I have dropped 15-20lb and now weigh 200lb at 5"11'.

I expected the running to become easier, well... it hasn't. Being in running shape just means you can withstand more of the torture that is running. ;)
I can't really tell if I feel better all the time, but strenuous hikes are completed with ease now.

Now to add strength training to my routine. :)

Quick pointer, buy proper running clothes. Chaffing and raw nipples are no fun.
 
CDKJudoka said:
At 6'3", I am a bit of a zaftig fellow weighing in at 265lbs, at last check.

Now part of the reason for this, aside for my love of bacon and cheese on just about everything, is that I work a desk job and the only real judo I do recently is teaching, so not much play. Since I still want to compete, albeit in the Old Man, er Masters divisions, I need to get under 100kg (220 lbs) if I don't want to be playing a 375 pounder at 265. So I started going to the gym and will probably be starting another martial art. Perkiti Tersia here I come. I am figuring with the gym, cutting out all but meats and veggies, and starting a new knife base MA, I think I could be down to my Army weight is 215lbs. Only time and drive will tell.
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I've been debating going back to compete. I was an extra light in college (<=132 lbs), but haven't had any consistent uchikomi in over a decade. I get in some randori, but more often than not we start on our knees in the BJJ academy I attend. If you compete, post some pics! Maybe it'll motivate me to work on my dan.
 
Qeth said:
I've been debating going back to compete. I was an extra light in college (<=132 lbs), but haven't had any consistent uchikomi in over a decade. I get in some randori, but more often than not we start on our knees in the BJJ academy I attend. If you compete, post some pics! Maybe it'll motivate me to work on my dan.
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Will do. I am hoping to be competing by the end of summer, beginning of the fall. My Olympic dreams may be shot, but I can still play. :D I started BJJ recently which has improved my newaza greatly. I can now play purple belts without getting subbed (too easily). I just gas out when playing most of them.
 
Great idea for a thread, I'm late to the party though.
I put on way to much weight and not enough exercise. Two months ago I got serious about watching my diet closely and working out, cardio and weight training.
I'm 5'9" and when I started two months ago I weighed 210. I'm at 192 now, 18 pounds gone in two months! and it's made a world of difference being stronger and lighter:thumbup:
I'm shooting for around 175. I'm half way there! I'll try to remember to post my progress on the second half of this journey.
 
I'm somewhat lightwheight at 176 lbs and 5ft 9", but trying to gain lean muscle mass.
Luckily i'm stronger than ever though. Did some 1rm testing yesterday and finaly managed to do a 450 lbs deadlift (closing in on my goal of 3 times my body weight) and a 165 lbs bench press. (My ultimate bench press goal is 2 times my body weight)

However my goals being tied up to my weight is an evil circle. When i get stronger i allso get bigger and heavier. So i'll have to gain even more strength, that will probably add more body weight, and that will............. you get my point. I'll be stuck at the gym forever.
 
Welp, failed week 6 day 1 column 3 of pushups stuff hard. Need to drop to week 5, I guess. Or I guess I could do the lower tiers of week 6. I think I'll just do week 5 though, and then see about week 6. Slow and steady improvement would suit me fine. I can bench double my body weight, but can't do a small number of pushups? That's depressing...
 
Anyone into kettlebells? I stumbled upon this website recently. I wants.

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Demonbells dot com.
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
Welp, failed week 6 day 1 column 3 of pushups stuff hard. Need to drop to week 5, I guess. Or I guess I could do the lower tiers of week 6. I think I'll just do week 5 though, and then see about week 6. Slow and steady improvement would suit me fine. I can bench double my body weight, but can't do a small number of pushups? That's depressing...
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I tried 100 push ups just now, was NOT a walk in the park. A fudge ton of pushups seems harder nowadays than when I was a lad.
 
Qeth said:
I tried 100 push ups just now, was NOT a walk in the park. A fudge ton of pushups seems harder nowadays than when I was a lad.
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I'm on week 5 right now. So far I've increased my max from 30 to about 55-57. I still have a bit to go but I'm amazed by how good the system works.
 
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