Fitness & Martial Arts Thread

[Loire]

I did have wads of potatoe and some chicken at three, and intended to eat two hours before, but now I'm sat here.

I read that at, I should drink a protein shake thirty minutes before finished !

[TravelJug]

Can I have two chocolate bars and a cup of tea twenty minutes before a workout? Because that's what I've just done.

Nutrition is a very important component, so if you 'gas' before you have completed your workout this is probably why.

This. Spike is correct. Nutrition is the single biggest factor in exercise. Pre and Post workout is particularly important. Chocolate bars and a cup for tea just won't cut it mate. It causes and insulin spike in the blood and during you're workout you'll more than likely hit an enerdy crash due to the comedown of the sugar spike. Not only that, insulin spikes encourage fat storage.

Eat a meal consisting of whole-grain complex carbs with protein 1-2 hours before your workout and immediately after follow with a shake and banana, or another form of simple sugar such as glucose. If protein shakes are not available to you take a white bread sandwich with a protein source like Tuna or Chicken. I can't stress enoguh the importance of carbs after your workout.

Think of it like a house. The protein is the bricks and the carbs are the workers. Without the workers the house isn't going to build itself is it!? They go in hand. Get it right.

[E-Man]

I think I'll start swimming when I go back up to uni.

Swimming is a good all round, general exercise, right?

[jamcc]

*Point to post on previous page*

Any suggestions/ advice on a budget treadmill? I want to buy one as soon as I can!

I was in the middle of replying to you yesterday then my laptop battery ran out.

Anyway, the gist of it was: It's not the advice you want but you're probably safer doind your sprint training outdoors and save you and your mum alot of money. It'll be better for your knees and ankles outside too. Just invest in a good pair of running shoes. Treadmills are hard for interval training in the sense that it's hard to bring them up and down in speed quick enough for to justify the "intervals."

Yeah I got to agree with this. Budget treadmills = no no. The only ones worth considering are the one's which gym's have and they cost thousands. Get a good pair of running trainers (I recently bought some Asics whilst in the US, and they're very good) instead, you won't regret it.

Agh bugger. I really hate gyms and want to be able to do all my exercises at home. My plan was to have a treadmill in our (growing) exercise room and with the TV in there (and shelter from rain) I'd have no motivational problems! I did have a phase, about 2 years ago, of running on the roads around my place, but they're pretty dangerous. Maybe I need to look around for a better place. I now have my own car so could go to any park I guess.

I have some Asics as well. They are brilliant.

Thanks guys.

[Avon]

Do we need a separate running thread?

Currently running 35 miles per week and will be building up to about 50 miles as I am training for a 50 mile run in January.

Hi everybody! Good to see this thread up and running again.

I wouldn't have thought we'd need separate threads personally. We've got a few people in here who take their running seriously, and they've been an excellent source of information to other less serious runners (like me!), in the same way that the MA practitioners have been to runners and other fitness enthusiasts who want to take up MA. I know from my MA training that I need to do running and weights as well as my MA in order to get myself fit enough, but I would've felt intimidated going in to separate threads for help on each discipline.

Also, 50 miles?!

Should have replied earlier. Yes, I've committed to doing the Thames Path Ultra next Jan 09 which involves running 50 miles in a day and I'm doing this in aid of Cancer Research. My training regime involves lots and lots of running.

http://www.thamesultra.com/

Have been building my base fitness at the moment, have a Marathon planned end Oct as a stepping stone and will then continue to hammer the long runs each week during Qtr 4 so I'm ready for the event.

Also - I also own a couple of pairs of Asics, well recommended.

[Cropolite]

Ok a couple of questions.

So far before a workout, I've been having some Corn Flakes & Brown Bread as my before / after meal . . . How do they rate? I could change to chicken if necessary, but I don't want to get into these Protein shakes.

As for leg-muscle, what's the best way to build it? Jogging / Sprinting / Weights?

[Raedus]

Yeah, is there any chance the guys in the know could post a list of decent foods and/or meals that they eat? I dont really know what contains Whole-grain Complex Carbs (or wtf they are even haha) and mostly im eating mainly what people recommend me such as; Chicken, Tuna, Bananas, Cottage Cheese, Baked potato and spinnach.

[JNR]

Some of the posts in this thread are making me over and over again.

All this bollocks about 'nutrition' is just stupid. Unless you are an Olymipic Athelete eat a sensible diet, exercise when you can fit it in, don't smoke, don't drink too much and eat your greens.



The problem with the state of science in this country is that so long as the 'science' sounds vaguely plausible, people will believe if it comes from the right person or institute. Such as someone selling something. Like the supplement industry that is worth around £30bn. Protein shakes are part of that. I mean for strawberry floats sake, we live in Britain and if you have even the slighest knowledge about what a balanced diet is, which everyone educated to GCSE level science should, you don't need all this protein bollocks, and bulking up on carb and binging on protein shite you hear in the magazines that people sell you.

The reason why they are telling you things that sound impressive, things you werent taught at school, things that will make you bulk up faster, is to sell whatever they are selling.

For the last two years I haven't drank a single protein shake, I've eaten a sensible diet and I can easily run 10k in under 50 minutes and go round my gym on a weight session no problem, free from 'energy level crisis' from 'insulin levels' or other such pseudo-scientific bollocks.

I might also add that I drink too much and smoke. Take that nutrionists.

[TravelJug]

Some of the posts in this thread are making me over and over again.

All this bollocks about 'nutrition' is just stupid. Unless you are an Olymipic Athelete eat a sensible diet, exercise when you can fit it in, don't smoke, don't drink too much and eat your greens.



Your post in contradictory. What you're talking about is nutrition and I whole heartedly agree. Apart from the "bollocks" part. That's "bollocks." You can't outtrain bad nutrition full stop. What part is stupid? The protein after and the carbs before workout? You haven't read too much into this area before have you? It'd be wise to before making such generalisations.

The problem with the state of science in this country is that so long as the 'science' sounds vaguely plausible, people will believe if it comes from the right person or institute. Such as someone selling something. Like the supplement industry that is worth around £30bn. Protein shakes are part of that. I mean for strawberry floats sake, we live in Britain and if you have even the slighest knowledge about what a balanced diet is, which everyone educated to GCSE level science should, you don't need all this protein bollocks, and bulking up on carb and binging on protein shite you hear in the magazines that people sell you.

No one is saying in this thread that you have to but any suppliments! You can get all of your nutritional needs through food obviously. No matter what you say, chocolate bars before a workout just won't cut it. It's all about a good balanced diet like you say, and preparing appropriately for you workouts.

The reason why they are telling you things that sound impressive, things you werent taught at school, things that will make you bulk up faster, is to sell whatever they are selling.

For the last two years I haven't drank a single protein shake, I've eaten a sensible diet and I can easily run 10k in under 50 minutes and go round my gym on a weight session no problem, free from 'energy level crisis' from 'insulin levels' or other such pseudo-scientific bollocks.

I might also add that I drink too much and smoke. Take that nutrionists.

Good for you. However, not having a protein shake has nothing to do with ebing able to run 10k or going round to your gym for a weights session. What is your workout anyway? If you don't want to learn about this stuff, that's fine. Just don't discount it as bollocks before knowing anything about it...

Ever though if you didn't smoke or drink you'd be able to chop a significant chunk off your time?

Ok a couple of questions.

So far before a workout, I've been having some Corn Flakes & Brown Bread as my before / after meal . . . How do they rate? I could change to chicken if necessary, but I don't want to get into these Protein shakes.

As for leg-muscle, what's the best way to build it? Jogging / Sprinting / Weights?

Weights are the best for building leg muscle. Squats are probably the best exercise, use a barbell and it'll work ever muscle in your body. As for the pre WO and post WO food. It'd be better getting some protein in with it on both sides. Drop the brown bread after too. It's not a simple carb.

DOn't worry too much about it lads. Like JNR said (granted, it was stuck somewhere in his rant) a balanced diet is most important.

Yeah, is there any chance the guys in the know could post a list of decent foods and/or meals that they eat? I dont really know what contains Whole-grain Complex Carbs (or wtf they are even haha) and mostly im eating mainly what people recommend me such as; Chicken, Tuna, Bananas, Cottage Cheese, Baked potato and spinnach.

I shall do so later! In work at the min...

[Loire]

My mate, who's heavily into gyming it up too much, said to me last night that I could effectively drink a pint of milk, rather than result to whey for the protein content for the count is near enough the same. Is it worth me doing that just to save money on the protein, or is there other things in whey that are going to benefit me over eating tons of protein?

[Forest]

My sister's boyfriend told me that when he used to train loads he'd devour a whole roasted chicken, the type you get on a rotisserie counter, and a pint of milk. Seems to have worked for him. He's big.

[Loire]

That seems a bit mentalist to me! I used to eat whole roast chickens, but they're about £4 a pop, and around £6 with a jar of Reggae Reggae Sauce!

Can o' beans might do it though...

[TravelJug]

My mate, who's heavily into gyming it up too much, said to me last night that I could effectively drink a pint of milk, rather than result to whey for the protein content for the count is near enough the same. Is it worth me doing that just to save money on the protein, or is there other things in whey that are going to benefit me over eating tons of protein?

Well yeah. Ap int of milk is perfectly fine. You're friend is right. You don't need to get whey protein. Milk is slow digesting protein btw. Just so you know.

[Loire]

Which means what?

[TravelJug]

Which means what?

Don't get too bogged down with this stuff if you don't want to, but it's best to take quick digesting protein after a workout. Like I said though. That's very particular. Don't worry about it unless you want to take it "seriously" so to speak. Get the milk down ya big son. You'll be grand.

[DML]

The best foods to have before and after a workout would be massively appriciated!

[Loire]

Don't get too bogged down with this stuff if you don't want to, but it's best to take quick digesting protein after a workout. Like I said though. That's very particular. Don't worry about it unless you want to take it "seriously" so to speak. Get the milk down ya big son. You'll be grand.

I do take it fairly seriously. It's not the be all and end all, but I want to keep getting bigger, and I've only just shelled out on the whey so I guess I'll be sticking to that.

[TravelJug]

Don't get too bogged down with this stuff if you don't want to, but it's best to take quick digesting protein after a workout. Like I said though. That's very particular. Don't worry about it unless you want to take it "seriously" so to speak. Get the milk down ya big son. You'll be grand.

I do take it fairly seriously. It's not the be all and end all, but I want to keep getting bigger, and I've only just shelled out on the whey so I guess I'll be sticking to that.

If you have whey then take that then! (with water) It'll be better PWO. The protein will be broken down quickly and be absorbed into the muscles quicker. Just what you need after a tough sesh. Slam the milk down you any other time for some slow digesting protein.

[JNR]

The best foods to have before and after a workout would be massively appriciated!

Honestly, I wouldn't change anything before and have a banana after. I always train after work, before my dinner. Traveljug is right when he says carbs before, protein after, but this isn't needed unless you are seriously gym mad. You don't need to change your diet massively to fit around the gym unless you're really serious about looking like a Men's Health Meathead from the covers.

Balanced diet. Don't drink too much. Don't smoke. Eat your vegetables.

I mean, the last diet I read in Men's Health was 6 meals a day and two workout sessions. Which is great isn't it? Sadly I have a job and a social life that doesn't fit in with 6 meals a day and two visits to the gym.

[Loire]

Beans, mate! Can't go wrong with beans. 20 grams of protein in one tin!