Q and A thread for May 2016
SideSteel
Posts: 11,068 Member
Hey!
Purpose of this thread is to handle quick questions that don't involve multiple page answers.
Got any questions?
Fire them below!
Purpose of this thread is to handle quick questions that don't involve multiple page answers.
Got any questions?
Fire them below!
0
Replies
-
I tweaked my knee a week and a half ago while chasing my toddler. It feels fine to walk, but bearing weight while bending at the same time (squats, stairs) feels like I'm being stabbed in the front of my kneecap. I've been doing the standard RICE-type things, but I'm not sure if it's getting any better since I haven't tested it. How much longer should I let it disrupt my training before seeing my doctor? I hate to waste her/my time if she's just going to advise me to wait longer for it to get better on its own.0
-
jessiefrancine wrote: »I tweaked my knee a week and a half ago while chasing my toddler. It feels fine to walk, but bearing weight while bending at the same time (squats, stairs) feels like I'm being stabbed in the front of my kneecap. I've been doing the standard RICE-type things, but I'm not sure if it's getting any better since I haven't tested it. How much longer should I let it disrupt my training before seeing my doctor? I hate to waste her/my time if she's just going to advise me to wait longer for it to get better on its own.
If it were me I'd base that on how bad it hurts and how rapidly it's recovering.
If you still have SHARP pain after a week and a half I would go get it looked at.
1 -
What's the best way to determine BF% if you don't have calipers? The online calculators are all over the place. I'm 5'4" - currently at 183.8lbs (female) - my scale says I'm at 38.4% - and yes, I've heard scales aren't all too accurate either. Any ideas? Thank you!!!
0 -
tiffanylacourse wrote: »What's the best way to determine BF% if you don't have calipers? The online calculators are all over the place. I'm 5'4" - currently at 183.8lbs (female) - my scale says I'm at 38.4% - and yes, I've heard scales aren't all too accurate either. Any ideas? Thank you!!!
Unfortunately there really isn't a great way to do it.
But if I may ask, what's the reason you need to know it?
0 -
tiffanylacourse wrote: »What's the best way to determine BF% if you don't have calipers? The online calculators are all over the place. I'm 5'4" - currently at 183.8lbs (female) - my scale says I'm at 38.4% - and yes, I've heard scales aren't all too accurate either. Any ideas? Thank you!!!
Unfortunately there really isn't a great way to do it.
But if I may ask, what's the reason you need to know it?
I'm not sure where to put my goal weight - or if I should even have a goal weight. I seem to carry my weight pretty well - no one believes I weigh anything close to what I actually do. I thought maybe a BF% goal may be helpful/beneficial.0 -
tiffanylacourse wrote: »tiffanylacourse wrote: »What's the best way to determine BF% if you don't have calipers? The online calculators are all over the place. I'm 5'4" - currently at 183.8lbs (female) - my scale says I'm at 38.4% - and yes, I've heard scales aren't all too accurate either. Any ideas? Thank you!!!
Unfortunately there really isn't a great way to do it.
But if I may ask, what's the reason you need to know it?
I'm not sure where to put my goal weight - or if I should even have a goal weight. I seem to carry my weight pretty well - no one believes I weigh anything close to what I actually do. I thought maybe a BF% goal may be helpful/beneficial.
I understand your logic, but body fat percent is very hard to measure accurately
Additionally it's really hard to accurately determine how you Will look or will feel at a goal weight.
I don't think it's necessary to have a goal body fat percentage provided that you focus on the process.1 -
I understand your logic, but body fat percent is very hard to measure accurately
Additionally it's really hard to accurately determine how you Will look or will feel at a goal weight.
I don't think it's necessary to have a goal body fat percentage provided that you focus on the process.
Okay that makes sense. I appreciate the advice for sure.
As far as goal weight goes - I'm currently aiming for 135 as a blind "pulled a number out of nowhere" goal. Do you think that is a reasonable goal?0 -
You won't know until you approach that target, but I don't think it's far off.1
-
-
How's Sara?1
-
How do you manage calluses?0
-
0
-
0
-
_benjammin wrote: »How do you manage calluses?
Sorry I totally failed to reply to this one.
I quite literally do nothing about them. They eventually fall off or I end up chewing on them.0 -
_benjammin wrote: »How do you manage calluses?
Sorry I totally failed to reply to this one.
I quite literally do nothing about them. They eventually fall off or I end up chewing on them.
I use my wife's Amope Pedi electronic roller/sander device. Hold it on the calluses and watch the skin dust fly
0 -
0
-
_benjammin wrote: »How do you manage calluses?
I have seen some gross results when someone tears a callous, and as a lady I must say that I don't really want hands on me if they feel like steel wool. They can seriously feel sharp and I am not into that.
Like cajuntank, I use one of these Amope Pedi devices sometimes (I purchased for my feet and thought - huh, why couldn't I use this on my hands?!).
They are sort of pricey, though, so the cheaper option would be to buy a pumice stone (you can find these near the cosmetics in most department stores, in the same area as nail clippers, or in the pharmacy area near the shoe inserts, foot odor treatments, etc). Keep it in the shower, and before you get out, rub the pumice over your callouses in a circular motion to exfoliate the dead skin. Do this a couple times a week. It won't completely remove the calloused skin, but it will smooth it down a bit and take off the parts that seem more likely to tear.1 -
I've been contemplating a pumice stone but will look into the pedi thingy too. Thanks0
-
Found that regular maintenance helps too...when you wash your hands, while still damp (this is the key), massage a thick moisturizing cream (not lotion) onto the areas...0
-
I'm jealous of your callous forming abilities. My hands are baby soft no matter what.0
-
This. I earned every one of them! Mine are smooth though, no rough edges so no problem.0 -
I joined MFP on April 28 (5.35 feet; 123 ibs; 27.5 inch waist). I lost 4 ibs in three weeks (I weigh weekly); today, my scale showed a 0.5ib gain (119.5 ibs). My waist, however, shrank another 0.25 inch (now 27 inch/68cm). Should I continue my fitness routine (cardio every day; strength training 2-3 times per week), or make any adjustment? Thank you very much for advising me.0
-
haoshencai wrote: »I joined MFP on April 28 (5.35 feet; 123 ibs; 27.5 inch waist). I lost 4 ibs in three weeks (I weigh weekly); today, my scale showed a 0.5ib gain (119.5 ibs). My waist, however, shrank another 0.25 inch (now 27 inch/68cm). Should I continue my fitness routine (cardio every day; strength training 2-3 times per week), or make any adjustment? Thank you very much for advising me.
If it were me I'd give it at least two weeks.
I have my clients weigh in daily and take an average so we can establish a weekly average weight, then we compare changes in the average.
Doing so tends to smooth out day to day fluctuations and give you a better idea of the trend.1 -
haoshencai wrote: »I joined MFP on April 28 (5.35 feet; 123 ibs; 27.5 inch waist). I lost 4 ibs in three weeks (I weigh weekly); today, my scale showed a 0.5ib gain (119.5 ibs). My waist, however, shrank another 0.25 inch (now 27 inch/68cm). Should I continue my fitness routine (cardio every day; strength training 2-3 times per week), or make any adjustment? Thank you very much for advising me.
If it were me I'd give it at least two weeks.
I have my clients weigh in daily and take an average so we can establish a weekly average weight, then we compare changes in the average.
Doing so tends to smooth out day to day fluctuations and give you a better idea of the trend.
I do this. When I feel like I'm getting nowhere, I pull up my stats from a month ago and can see that my losses have slowed, but not stopped. It IS a little tough to see -4lbs a month when I was averaging 2-3 a week 6 months ago, but I chalk it up to getting closer to my goal weight.
Goal weight? I'm struggling with the idea of a number lately. I'm still about 15# "overweight" according to my BMI, but I feel good. I look good (I'm taller and pretty proportionate). I'm fit enough to do the things that I originally wanted to do (keep up with my kids at the park, run, ride my bike, etc). I know people are starting where I'm considering stopping, but I kinda like the idea of focusing more on my strength and functional fitness over the summer and less on the stupid scale.
Any advice?0 -
haoshencai wrote: »I joined MFP on April 28 (5.35 feet; 123 ibs; 27.5 inch waist). I lost 4 ibs in three weeks (I weigh weekly); today, my scale showed a 0.5ib gain (119.5 ibs). My waist, however, shrank another 0.25 inch (now 27 inch/68cm). Should I continue my fitness routine (cardio every day; strength training 2-3 times per week), or make any adjustment? Thank you very much for advising me.
If it were me I'd give it at least two weeks.
I have my clients weigh in daily and take an average so we can establish a weekly average weight, then we compare changes in the average.
Doing so tends to smooth out day to day fluctuations and give you a better idea of the trend.
I do this. When I feel like I'm getting nowhere, I pull up my stats from a month ago and can see that my losses have slowed, but not stopped. It IS a little tough to see -4lbs a month when I was averaging 2-3 a week 6 months ago, but I chalk it up to getting closer to my goal weight.
Goal weight? I'm struggling with the idea of a number lately. I'm still about 15# "overweight" according to my BMI, but I feel good. I look good (I'm taller and pretty proportionate). I'm fit enough to do the things that I originally wanted to do (keep up with my kids at the park, run, ride my bike, etc). I know people are starting where I'm considering stopping, but I kinda like the idea of focusing more on my strength and functional fitness over the summer and less on the stupid scale.
Any advice?
So first of all without knowing you better my advice will be a bit more general and less specific and possibly less accurate but having said that I'd make the following statements:
- You should evaluate how you feel about your body.
- I think it's usually a great idea to focus on fitness related metrics.
- However, you can focus on fitness AND still have body composition goals.
- You could always bring calories to maintenance and change the goal to "don't gain weight". This can be quite helpful and you can always re-evaluate in ~4 weeks or so. You might feel differently about things then.
0 -
I set up a DUP program for myself, squatting 3x per week, deadlifting twice, Benching 3x (along with some upper hypertrophy work and decent amount of glute work).
Anyway...my question is about the Squat. I start the week with 5x5, then 6x3, then 4x8. When I stall out on 5x5 how should I adapt? 3x5?
Oh, and if I may ask about the deadlift. I decided to take out the hypertrophy dead lift because I really don't need to be deadlifting 3x per week. Do you think that is the best rep/set range to delete from my programming if I'm going to let one go?0 -
What are your goals first of all, do you have an idea of intensity or %RM or RPE on those individual days?
How are you progressing from week to week?0 -
What are your goals first of all, do you have an idea of intensity or %RM or RPE on those individual days?
How are you progressing from week to week?
Goals are to get stronger, along with a bit of hypertrophy. Last week I started with 70% of my 1RM for Power (6x3) and Hypertrophy (4x8) sets and 80% of my 1RM for Strength sets.
This is only my second week on the program. Yesterday was my first session for the week and I added 5lbs to all lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, hip thrust), keeping the sets and reps the same as last week. I play to progress this way until I can, then possibly deload.0 -
haoshencai wrote: »I joined MFP on April 28 (5.35 feet; 123 ibs; 27.5 inch waist). I lost 4 ibs in three weeks (I weigh weekly); today, my scale showed a 0.5ib gain (119.5 ibs). My waist, however, shrank another 0.25 inch (now 27 inch/68cm). Should I continue my fitness routine (cardio every day; strength training 2-3 times per week), or make any adjustment? Thank you very much for advising me.
If it were me I'd give it at least two weeks.
I have my clients weigh in daily and take an average so we can establish a weekly average weight, then we compare changes in the average.
Doing so tends to smooth out day to day fluctuations and give you a better idea of the trend.
I do this. When I feel like I'm getting nowhere, I pull up my stats from a month ago and can see that my losses have slowed, but not stopped. It IS a little tough to see -4lbs a month when I was averaging 2-3 a week 6 months ago, but I chalk it up to getting closer to my goal weight.
Goal weight? I'm struggling with the idea of a number lately. I'm still about 15# "overweight" according to my BMI, but I feel good. I look good (I'm taller and pretty proportionate). I'm fit enough to do the things that I originally wanted to do (keep up with my kids at the park, run, ride my bike, etc). I know people are starting where I'm considering stopping, but I kinda like the idea of focusing more on my strength and functional fitness over the summer and less on the stupid scale.
Any advice?
So first of all without knowing you better my advice will be a bit more general and less specific and possibly less accurate but having said that I'd make the following statements:
- You should evaluate how you feel about your body.
- I think it's usually a great idea to focus on fitness related metrics.
- However, you can focus on fitness AND still have body composition goals.
- You could always bring calories to maintenance and change the goal to "don't gain weight". This can be quite helpful and you can always re-evaluate in ~4 weeks or so. You might feel differently about things then.
Interesting perspective. Definitely something worth considering.
Thanks! You're always so darn helpful.1 -
haoshencai wrote: »I joined MFP on April 28 (5.35 feet; 123 ibs; 27.5 inch waist). I lost 4 ibs in three weeks (I weigh weekly); today, my scale showed a 0.5ib gain (119.5 ibs). My waist, however, shrank another 0.25 inch (now 27 inch/68.5cm). Should I continue my fitness routine (cardio every day; strength training 2-3 times per week), or make any adjustment? Thank you very much for advising me.
If it were me I'd give it at least two weeks.
I have my clients weigh in daily and take an average so we can establish a weekly average weight, then we compare changes in the average.
Doing so tends to smooth out day to day fluctuations and give you a better idea of the trend.
Thank you so much for your insightful advice! A related and pressing question: I will soon start a two-month trip across five countries without access to a scale. Is there an alternative that you would recommend for me to monitor my weight? Should I by all means pack a sewing measuring tape?
Your general guidance on how to stay fit while traveling would also be greatly appreciated!
0
This discussion has been closed.