Q and A thread - Angus is peppered.

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Replies

  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    What Strength program would you recommend for a woman who...

    - Doesn't really love going to the gym and would prefer shorter, more frequent workouts than long ones
    - Is a strength-training/weight-lifting newbie worried about form and looking silly and won't have a spotter
    - Would like to focus on recomping and general health, as opposed to bulking

    I tried Stronglifts 5x5 a while ago, it was okay. I'd be open to revisiting it but I'd prefer some additional dumb-bell stuff. I also tried Strong Curves but TBH, some of the moves were kind of confusing to me (they didn't feel like they were working out any muscle groups) and some of them felt too silly to do at the gym.

    I would want to identify what movements you find embarrassing or silly and I'd remove those up front so that you're as comfortable as possible when exercising, so that your adherence/enjoyment of the program remains high.

    Another thing to consider is that strength can be defined in different ways. For example as a powerlifter I may be biased towards defining strength as "one repetition maximum strength in the squat, bench press, and deadlift" but this isn't a universal measure of strength, it's a measure of strength in the skill of the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

    And so these are just things from a philosophical standpoint I'd identify.

    You say you want to be strong -- strong in what way? This will affect programming decisions.

    Thanks for the response! As for 'silly', I didn't really enjoy doing glute bridges and lying clams LOL. I know nobody really gives a crap about what others are doing at the gym, but I just wasn't comfortable. I don't mind squats, deadlifts and any assortment of dumbbell exercises. Bench presses just make me nervous because I can barely lift the bar alone.

    As for what exactly I want out of the program... not sure. I guess, mostly aesthetics. I'm sitting at 150lbs and 5'7", hoping to lose another 10lbs before focusing more on recomp. Basically lowering body fat and gaining a little muscle. Plus the health benefits that come with regular strength training (reduced back pain, better bone density, etc.).
  • Mithridites
    Mithridites Posts: 600 Member
    Hello, I would appreciate the benefit of your experience. I started Jamie Eason's Livefit trainer in late summer as part of my recovery from severe sesamoiditis. It's been great, even though I still have to limit my running, holding off on rope jumping and slowly ramping up some moves like lunges. I also have a couple of herniated disks in my lower back that I don't want to re-injure by rushing into heavy compound lifts. I'm a 37 y.o. female and strated this process at 182 pounds with very poor muscle tone. I'm now at 168 pounds and the musculature is noticeably improved, as has my cardiovascular endurance. The program I'm now following with abovementioned modifications is coming to an end. I like using an app to log my workouts. What program would you recommend? Thank you for your time.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,213 Member
    Some background, then a couple of questions.

    I'm a li'l ol' lady late bloomer athlete (rower) who started rowing at age 46 (or was it 47? ;) ?) after a sedentary most-of-life. These days, at 62, I'm not much competing anymore, but still working at technical improvement, speed improvement, endurance improvement . . . in season (I live in a place with Real Winter). I know how to do this.

    In the off season, roughly late November until maybe April(ish), I flounder a bit. I have some weight training education/background, but don't love lifting. I try to do some challenging/progressive volumes on compound lifts, with added accessories to counter rowing muscle imbalances, especially around the shoulder.

    If I can keep it going until I feel that nice, taut, worked-out, getting stronger feeling, I can usually persist through off season and make some strength progress. Sometimes, I can keep going with upper body compounds/accessories in rowing season. (Rowing hard OTW 4 days a week, spin class 2 other days, is about all the lower body volume I can tolerate happily in season, at this point, physically & time-wise.

    In off season, I also try to swim - rowers need to swim - even though I dislike it lots. So, maaaaybe once a week, hour-ish?

    Sometimes, I do the Concept 2 holiday challenge - 200k rowing machine between Thanksgiving and Christmas eve, which is a bit less than 50 minutes x 6 days for me as 4 x 10' with water breaks and a cool down. This is looking plausible this year; I'll hit halfway today or tomorrow. (BTW, this is + the twice a week spin classes, which go all year.)

    I have a few minor issues to work with: Mastectomy radiation scar tissue that causes some upper left chest tightness; bits of OA here and there; torn meniscus in one knee that doesn't like impact or torque (no running!); borderline osteopenia from cancer drugs.

    I'm 5'5", weight upper 120s (narrow build), BF % guessing mid-20s, decently strong but unbalanced muscularly. My CV fitness is adequate: RHR around 48, HR drops fast if I don't push hard in spin/row, can hold 140s/150s (on a tested max of 180bpm) without much post-exercise energy penalty in that 4x10' rowing stuff).

    Diet's OK, I think: 100g min protein (ovo lacto veg), usually more; 50-60g & more fats, good share of it MUFA; usually 5-10 servings veg/fruit, maintenance cals low 2000s net.

    My main goals at this point are having fun and staying independent & out of assisted living facilities as long as possible, but I like being strong and improving my rowing.

    Questions:

    1. Do you have any suggestions about how I should focus my efforts and training, in general, but especially in my off season; and

    2. I'm thinking about trying a personal trainer, probably with a lifting focus, after the Holiday Challenge nonsense is over. Do you have any advice about how to interview/assess candidates in the context of my having some physical issues, but being an opinionated old coot who wants to stay safe but thinks these young pups tend to underestimate us wrinklies' capabilities? (I did read what you wrote above about programs . . . including those for granny, BTW. ;) )

    Thanks in advance!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Some background, then a couple of questions.

    I'm a li'l ol' lady late bloomer athlete (rower) who started rowing at age 46 (or was it 47? ;) ?) after a sedentary most-of-life. These days, at 62, I'm not much competing anymore, but still working at technical improvement, speed improvement, endurance improvement . . . in season (I live in a place with Real Winter). I know how to do this.

    In the off season, roughly late November until maybe April(ish), I flounder a bit. I have some weight training education/background, but don't love lifting. I try to do some challenging/progressive volumes on compound lifts, with added accessories to counter rowing muscle imbalances, especially around the shoulder.

    If I can keep it going until I feel that nice, taut, worked-out, getting stronger feeling, I can usually persist through off season and make some strength progress. Sometimes, I can keep going with upper body compounds/accessories in rowing season. (Rowing hard OTW 4 days a week, spin class 2 other days, is about all the lower body volume I can tolerate happily in season, at this point, physically & time-wise.

    In off season, I also try to swim - rowers need to swim - even though I dislike it lots. So, maaaaybe once a week, hour-ish?

    Sometimes, I do the Concept 2 holiday challenge - 200k rowing machine between Thanksgiving and Christmas eve, which is a bit less than 50 minutes x 6 days for me as 4 x 10' with water breaks and a cool down. This is looking plausible this year; I'll hit halfway today or tomorrow. (BTW, this is + the twice a week spin classes, which go all year.)

    I have a few minor issues to work with: Mastectomy radiation scar tissue that causes some upper left chest tightness; bits of OA here and there; torn meniscus in one knee that doesn't like impact or torque (no running!); borderline osteopenia from cancer drugs.

    I'm 5'5", weight upper 120s (narrow build), BF % guessing mid-20s, decently strong but unbalanced muscularly. My CV fitness is adequate: RHR around 48, HR drops fast if I don't push hard in spin/row, can hold 140s/150s (on a tested max of 180bpm) without much post-exercise energy penalty in that 4x10' rowing stuff).

    Diet's OK, I think: 100g min protein (ovo lacto veg), usually more; 50-60g & more fats, good share of it MUFA; usually 5-10 servings veg/fruit, maintenance cals low 2000s net.

    My main goals at this point are having fun and staying independent & out of assisted living facilities as long as possible, but I like being strong and improving my rowing.

    Questions:

    1. Do you have any suggestions about how I should focus my efforts and training, in general, but especially in my off season; and

    2. I'm thinking about trying a personal trainer, probably with a lifting focus, after the Holiday Challenge nonsense is over. Do you have any advice about how to interview/assess candidates in the context of my having some physical issues, but being an opinionated old coot who wants to stay safe but thinks these young pups tend to underestimate us wrinklies' capabilities? (I did read what you wrote above about programs . . . including those for granny, BTW. ;) )

    Thanks in advance!

    This was incredibly thorough and also enjoyable to read.

    1. If you're asking about focusing your efforts in terms of how to structure things for the goal of rowing, truth is I wouldn't know enough about the sports specific demands in order to help you structure that, but the info on the main page of this blog looks pretty solid from a theoretical standpoint as it pertains to periodization for sports specific applications. http://strengthcoachwill.com/2015/07/17/the-basics-of-strength-training-for-rowing/

    So what I mean is, even though I am not certain what the sport specific demands are, I can tell you that the general explanation of periodization and the fitness/fatigue model are good on that site, and I SUSPECT the programming will be reasonable based on that.




    If you're asking how to remain focused because you become somewhat disinterested or indifferent to the off-season training, I'd suggest the following things: a) Use programming that has a built in progression plan not only for progress but for the sensation of productivity. You might have a greater investment when you see tangible results in the form of getting stronger if that makes sense. b) Identify the outcomes you want from training and from there, identify which tools to use to get there as far as exercise selection. THEN, select the ones which are most enjoyable to you. Just for example, a powerlifter MUST perform the barbell back squat. But perhaps an endurance athlete looking to strengthen his or her legs would choose a goblet squat if it's more enjoyable or easier to learn (both valid reasons).


    2. So I've only hired one personal trainer before. I've worked with a couple of different online coaches but it was primarily for my own education as a coach rather than hiring them to coach me as an athlete. And so my answer to this question is somewhat biased from the trainer perspective. Consider that bias when you read my answer.

    I think you should look for the following characteristics with a personal trainer:

    a) Do they ask you questions about your goals and do they provide evidence that the resulting choices they make are a result of your answers to those questions?

    b) Do they demonstrate the ability to listen to you when you offer feedback or opinions?

    c) Do they care about you?

    d) Do they allow you to question their methods and do they attempt to explain why they are choosing to do what they do?

    e) Are they willing to say "I don't know" when they don't know something rather than making up an answer?

    f) Do they consider your limitations when it comes to exercise recommendations?

    Anyway, those are my initial thoughts.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,743 Member
    I think it's great of you sharing your knowledge. I have 10 more lbs to lose.I've always enjoyed salty taste as opposed to sweet my whole life but this winter I've been eating "sweet treat" every day, I do about 2-4Tbl of cool whip I mix in with my yogurt or put on my unsweetened applelsauce & last week I discovered sugar free maple syrup I put in sometime , I still have all my regular meals of protein & veggies etc but is it ok (not harmful) for me to be eating these sweets every day?I'm not diabetic . My question may sound naive to some but before, I rarely ate any kind of sweets
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,213 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Some background, then a couple of questions.

    I'm a li'l ol' lady late bloomer athlete (rower) who started rowing at age 46 (or was it 47? ;) ?) after a sedentary most-of-life. These days, at 62, I'm not much competing anymore, but still working at technical improvement, speed improvement, endurance improvement . . . in season (I live in a place with Real Winter). I know how to do this.

    In the off season, roughly late November until maybe April(ish), I flounder a bit. I have some weight training education/background, but don't love lifting. I try to do some challenging/progressive volumes on compound lifts, with added accessories to counter rowing muscle imbalances, especially around the shoulder.

    If I can keep it going until I feel that nice, taut, worked-out, getting stronger feeling, I can usually persist through off season and make some strength progress. Sometimes, I can keep going with upper body compounds/accessories in rowing season. (Rowing hard OTW 4 days a week, spin class 2 other days, is about all the lower body volume I can tolerate happily in season, at this point, physically & time-wise.

    In off season, I also try to swim - rowers need to swim - even though I dislike it lots. So, maaaaybe once a week, hour-ish?

    Sometimes, I do the Concept 2 holiday challenge - 200k rowing machine between Thanksgiving and Christmas eve, which is a bit less than 50 minutes x 6 days for me as 4 x 10' with water breaks and a cool down. This is looking plausible this year; I'll hit halfway today or tomorrow. (BTW, this is + the twice a week spin classes, which go all year.)

    I have a few minor issues to work with: Mastectomy radiation scar tissue that causes some upper left chest tightness; bits of OA here and there; torn meniscus in one knee that doesn't like impact or torque (no running!); borderline osteopenia from cancer drugs.

    I'm 5'5", weight upper 120s (narrow build), BF % guessing mid-20s, decently strong but unbalanced muscularly. My CV fitness is adequate: RHR around 48, HR drops fast if I don't push hard in spin/row, can hold 140s/150s (on a tested max of 180bpm) without much post-exercise energy penalty in that 4x10' rowing stuff).

    Diet's OK, I think: 100g min protein (ovo lacto veg), usually more; 50-60g & more fats, good share of it MUFA; usually 5-10 servings veg/fruit, maintenance cals low 2000s net.

    My main goals at this point are having fun and staying independent & out of assisted living facilities as long as possible, but I like being strong and improving my rowing.

    Questions:

    1. Do you have any suggestions about how I should focus my efforts and training, in general, but especially in my off season; and

    2. I'm thinking about trying a personal trainer, probably with a lifting focus, after the Holiday Challenge nonsense is over. Do you have any advice about how to interview/assess candidates in the context of my having some physical issues, but being an opinionated old coot who wants to stay safe but thinks these young pups tend to underestimate us wrinklies' capabilities? (I did read what you wrote above about programs . . . including those for granny, BTW. ;) )

    Thanks in advance!

    This was incredibly thorough and also enjoyable to read.

    1. If you're asking about focusing your efforts in terms of how to structure things for the goal of rowing, truth is I wouldn't know enough about the sports specific demands in order to help you structure that, but the info on the main page of this blog looks pretty solid from a theoretical standpoint as it pertains to periodization for sports specific applications. http://strengthcoachwill.com/2015/07/17/the-basics-of-strength-training-for-rowing/

    So what I mean is, even though I am not certain what the sport specific demands are, I can tell you that the general explanation of periodization and the fitness/fatigue model are good on that site, and I SUSPECT the programming will be reasonable based on that.




    If you're asking how to remain focused because you become somewhat disinterested or indifferent to the off-season training, I'd suggest the following things: a) Use programming that has a built in progression plan not only for progress but for the sensation of productivity. You might have a greater investment when you see tangible results in the form of getting stronger if that makes sense. b) Identify the outcomes you want from training and from there, identify which tools to use to get there as far as exercise selection. THEN, select the ones which are most enjoyable to you. Just for example, a powerlifter MUST perform the barbell back squat. But perhaps an endurance athlete looking to strengthen his or her legs would choose a goblet squat if it's more enjoyable or easier to learn (both valid reasons).


    2. So I've only hired one personal trainer before. I've worked with a couple of different online coaches but it was primarily for my own education as a coach rather than hiring them to coach me as an athlete. And so my answer to this question is somewhat biased from the trainer perspective. Consider that bias when you read my answer.

    I think you should look for the following characteristics with a personal trainer:

    a) Do they ask you questions about your goals and do they provide evidence that the resulting choices they make are a result of your answers to those questions?

    b) Do they demonstrate the ability to listen to you when you offer feedback or opinions?

    c) Do they care about you?

    d) Do they allow you to question their methods and do they attempt to explain why they are choosing to do what they do?

    e) Are they willing to say "I don't know" when they don't know something rather than making up an answer?

    f) Do they consider your limitations when it comes to exercise recommendations?

    Anyway, those are my initial thoughts.

    Thank you. This is helpful and thought provoking. I'll check out the site you linked, and do some thinking on the rest. Thank you for your time & insight!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Evamutt wrote: »
    I think it's great of you sharing your knowledge. I have 10 more lbs to lose.I've always enjoyed salty taste as opposed to sweet my whole life but this winter I've been eating "sweet treat" every day, I do about 2-4Tbl of cool whip I mix in with my yogurt or put on my unsweetened applelsauce & last week I discovered sugar free maple syrup I put in sometime , I still have all my regular meals of protein & veggies etc but is it ok (not harmful) for me to be eating these sweets every day?I'm not diabetic . My question may sound naive to some but before, I rarely ate any kind of sweets

    Provided that you meet the following conditions:

    1) Your total calorie intake for the day lands in a reasonable spot for your goals. In other words are you able to reach or maintain a healthy bodyweight with your dieting habits?

    2) The amount of added sugar in your diet does not cause you to become deficient in other needed nutrients. In other words, is your consumption of added sugar such a high portion of your diet that it's pushing other needed nutrients off the table?

    Those would really be my main concerns with added sugars in the diet.

    And for most people I think it's the first one that causes issues. Foods high in added sugars tend to be very highly palatable and lower in satiety. They also tend to be high in energy density (calories per unit volume).

    And because of all of this, foods high in added sugars tend to be hypercaloric, which causes fat accumulation which leads to obesity and the potential of associated negative health outcomes.

    I've obviously gone into more detail than you probably require based on what you've provided, but these are the things I'd concern myself with and so that's why I'm laying it out like this.

    If you are eating reasonably as far as calories and nutrients (cliffs: eat fruits and vegetables and lean proteins most of the time) you're probably doing fine and you probably don't need to eliminate the cool whip.

    Plus, we at least have some evidence that dietary flexibility can be a good thing: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10336790

  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,743 Member
    I appreciate it. I have it for a snack, don't substitute it so I will keep an eye on the macros.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,242 Member
    Evamutt wrote: »
    I've been eating "sweet treat" every day, I do about 2-4Tbl of cool whip I mix in with my yogurt or put on my unsweetened applelsauce & last week I discovered sugar free maple syrup I put in sometime

    Because measuring a "tablespoon" of cool whip is "interesting", I bring to your attention that each 1L (1000ml) tub contains approximately 300g of cool whip and that 15ml is approximately 4.5g.

    So you would be adding 9g to 18g of various kinds of cool whip to make your 2-4tbl treat. Which does not sound excessive! (regular, 25% and 95% fat free cool whip all come to about the same weight per tub--not that I would have measured or anything)
  • susanmc31
    susanmc31 Posts: 287 Member
    I have been lifting for about 5 years on and off (off was when I was pregnant and on mat leave with my two kids). I found when I wasn't lifting that my muscle definition would decrease and I would have no visible 'tone' when I flexed my arms. It only seemed to take a week of strength training for the 'tone' to come back although I have lost a lot of strength. I always thought if you aren't using your muscle that it would atrophy to a point. So I don't think that in a week I have built up any new muscle but I have that tone or tightness in my muscle returns fairly quickly. Is that just from water/fluid buildup in the muscle? Does this make any sense? I'm working on a low amount of sleep :blush:
  • j_hulen
    j_hulen Posts: 1 Member
    First, thanks for doing this! I love the insight and you have a great way of articulating that you know your stuff.

    Now for my background:
    I am 22(M) ~180 lbs and I have been doing almost exclusively cardio for the last 3 years. In that regard I am very healthy, I have a very low resting heart rate and pump out 30-45 minutes of high resistance cardio a day, no problem. This was always to maintain my weight, but in the last 6-7 months I have added a 3-4 days of weights to my routine. I was able to trim down at my heaviest to where I am currently, and ended up looking a lot less skinnyfat. I overall look more "toned" but I'm lacking some volume I would like. Not looking to get huge, just a happy medium between stick figure and jacked. Optimally I'd like to stay around this weight, but look better.

    My questions are as follows:
    1) Is there a good indication of when I should bulk/cut to meet this end? Body fat %? As someone who was formerly very overweight I am terrified to quit my "permanent cut" lifestyle.
    2) In terms of increasing size (talking upper body here) what is the best approach in terms of training/diet? I'm talking routine - high reps vs high weight, and diet - just controlling calorie surplus/deficit or also changing macros significantly. I can say I don't factor macros in very much currently, but I have plenty of whey at my disposal :P.

    Thanks!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    j_hulen wrote: »
    First, thanks for doing this! I love the insight and you have a great way of articulating that you know your stuff.

    Now for my background:
    I am 22(M) ~180 lbs and I have been doing almost exclusively cardio for the last 3 years. In that regard I am very healthy, I have a very low resting heart rate and pump out 30-45 minutes of high resistance cardio a day, no problem. This was always to maintain my weight, but in the last 6-7 months I have added a 3-4 days of weights to my routine. I was able to trim down at my heaviest to where I am currently, and ended up looking a lot less skinnyfat. I overall look more "toned" but I'm lacking some volume I would like. Not looking to get huge, just a happy medium between stick figure and jacked. Optimally I'd like to stay around this weight, but look better.

    My questions are as follows:
    1) Is there a good indication of when I should bulk/cut to meet this end? Body fat %? As someone who was formerly very overweight I am terrified to quit my "permanent cut" lifestyle.
    2) In terms of increasing size (talking upper body here) what is the best approach in terms of training/diet? I'm talking routine - high reps vs high weight, and diet - just controlling calorie surplus/deficit or also changing macros significantly. I can say I don't factor macros in very much currently, but I have plenty of whey at my disposal :P.

    Thanks!

    Great questions.

    1) You could make a theoretical argument for remaining somewhere between about 10 to 15% bodyfat based on how changes to insulin sensitivity could affect nutrient partitioning. If I'm being brutally honest, I wouldn't be able to go into great detail or quantify how important this is as it's not something I have a deep enough knowledge on.

    But more importantly I think we need to look at what is practical vs what is theoretical. People who had obesity who are now at a healthier weight tend to have a very hard time (emotionally/psychologically) with intentional weight gain, and rightfully so.

    Having coached a few people in this situation I can tell you that more often than not, you're better off thinking of it in terms of "eat at maintenance or JUST A LITTLE BIT north of maintenance" rather than viewing it as "bulking". And I'd take the rate of weight gain well on the slow end. In fact, if I have someone in this situation and they have a month where they gain half a lb or 1lb, I'm not increasing calories, I'll stay right there.

    If you are happy with your body there's nothing wrong with eating at maintenance and focusing on training. If you do decide intentionally gain weight, I'd keep it NO GREATER THAN 2lb per month in terms of average weight gain, and as far as when to stop I'd say whenever you start to feel like you're putting on too much body-fat and no longer completely comfortable with your body.


    2) Calories will depend on rate of weight gain but anywhere between 0 and 2lbs/month. I would get at least 1g/lb LBM in protein as a minimum. Many people just use 1g/lb bodyweight and I think that's fine for people who are not overweight. There's A LOT of room for preference with fat/carb distribution, but for a rough range, 20 to 30% calories from fat is probably going to fit most people and stick the remainder into carbohydrate. THat's sort of "napkin math" on how I'd set that up and then within that you'd watch for diet adherence/satiety and performance measures to see if anything needs to be tweaked.

    From a training standpoint you should be making progress on your lifts over the course of weeks and months, you should be training everything at least 2 times per week (each main muscle group gets stimulus at least twice/week), you should be doing enough volume to promote hypertrophy but not too much to impair recovery.

    Here is a very rough set of guidelines on training volume:
    https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/optimal-workout-volume/
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Bump
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Giving this a new years eve bump -- I'll pop in a few times today if anyone has anything to add to the thread.
  • Kfrase83
    Kfrase83 Posts: 42 Member
    I would love to hear your take on protein intake. I was recently told by a Gastroenterologist that my constant hunger, even at night, doesn't require a scope or further bloodwork (which I guess I should be thankful for), and instead I should try increasing my protein intake. Here I was strangely hoping for an ulcer.
    I average about 50g protein/day, am an ovo-vegetarian (I don't eat red meat or fish, just chicken, turkey and eggs), and Mon-Fri do a 30 minute Fitness Blender workout involving cardio and bodyweight exercises. I realize 50g isn't much, but I don't know how to get more protein in when I don't have a lot of wiggle room on calories here: 1440. Thanks!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Kfrase83 wrote: »
    I would love to hear your take on protein intake. I was recently told by a Gastroenterologist that my constant hunger, even at night, doesn't require a scope or further bloodwork (which I guess I should be thankful for), and instead I should try increasing my protein intake. Here I was strangely hoping for an ulcer.
    I average about 50g protein/day, am an ovo-vegetarian (I don't eat red meat or fish, just chicken, turkey and eggs), and Mon-Fri do a 30 minute Fitness Blender workout involving cardio and bodyweight exercises. I realize 50g isn't much, but I don't know how to get more protein in when I don't have a lot of wiggle room on calories here: 1440. Thanks!

    You'd definitely benefit from eating more protein. How much do you weigh?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Kfrase83 wrote: »
    I would love to hear your take on protein intake. I was recently told by a Gastroenterologist that my constant hunger, even at night, doesn't require a scope or further bloodwork (which I guess I should be thankful for), and instead I should try increasing my protein intake. Here I was strangely hoping for an ulcer.
    I average about 50g protein/day, am an ovo-vegetarian (I don't eat red meat or fish, just chicken, turkey and eggs), and Mon-Fri do a 30 minute Fitness Blender workout involving cardio and bodyweight exercises. I realize 50g isn't much, but I don't know how to get more protein in when I don't have a lot of wiggle room on calories here: 1440. Thanks!

    Not to take over @sidesteel’s thread but I plan all my meals and snacks around my protein. Breakfast is almost always plain Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder and berries. Usually at least 40 grams of protein for 300-350 calories.

    If I don’t make breakfast protein heavy, I never meet my goal for the day.
  • Kfrase83
    Kfrase83 Posts: 42 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Kfrase83 wrote: »
    I would love to hear your take on protein intake. I was recently told by a Gastroenterologist that my constant hunger, even at night, doesn't require a scope or further bloodwork (which I guess I should be thankful for), and instead I should try increasing my protein intake. Here I was strangely hoping for an ulcer.
    I average about 50g protein/day, am an ovo-vegetarian (I don't eat red meat or fish, just chicken, turkey and eggs), and Mon-Fri do a 30 minute Fitness Blender workout involving cardio and bodyweight exercises. I realize 50g isn't much, but I don't know how to get more protein in when I don't have a lot of wiggle room on calories here: 1440. Thanks!

    You'd definitely benefit from eating more protein. How much do you weigh?

    Currently 145, 5'4".
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Kfrase83 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Kfrase83 wrote: »
    I would love to hear your take on protein intake. I was recently told by a Gastroenterologist that my constant hunger, even at night, doesn't require a scope or further bloodwork (which I guess I should be thankful for), and instead I should try increasing my protein intake. Here I was strangely hoping for an ulcer.
    I average about 50g protein/day, am an ovo-vegetarian (I don't eat red meat or fish, just chicken, turkey and eggs), and Mon-Fri do a 30 minute Fitness Blender workout involving cardio and bodyweight exercises. I realize 50g isn't much, but I don't know how to get more protein in when I don't have a lot of wiggle room on calories here: 1440. Thanks!

    You'd definitely benefit from eating more protein. How much do you weigh?

    Currently 145, 5'4".

    If you are trying to lose weight, it's probably benefit you for aiming for around 90 to 110g of protein. Not only should it help with fullness, but will also help maintain the muscle you have. Also, resistance training helps maintain muscle as well.
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    Kfrase83 wrote: »
    I would love to hear your take on protein intake. I was recently told by a Gastroenterologist that my constant hunger, even at night, doesn't require a scope or further bloodwork (which I guess I should be thankful for), and instead I should try increasing my protein intake. Here I was strangely hoping for an ulcer.
    I average about 50g protein/day, am an ovo-vegetarian (I don't eat red meat or fish, just chicken, turkey and eggs), and Mon-Fri do a 30 minute Fitness Blender workout involving cardio and bodyweight exercises. I realize 50g isn't much, but I don't know how to get more protein in when I don't have a lot of wiggle room on calories here: 1440. Thanks!

    I eat 1500 calories per day and eat between 90g and 160g protein (working on hitting the higher number more often than the lower number) so it is definitely very doable on 1500 calories. I can't imagine taking in only 50g - that can easily be taken in in one meal. greek yogurt, chicken, protein shakes, eggs, egg whites, etc.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Just saw that this thread was recently bumped -- I pretty much agree with the replies you've already received.

    Consider that you may not be able to get from your previous habit of 50g/day all the way up to 100+ since it requires some significant changes to food habits which not everyone can pull off in one swoop like that.

    Having said that, I would consider using a protein supplement if you're not opposed to it, I would consider looking at sources of protein that contain little to no fat simply because these tend to be lower calorie sources. Greek Yogurt and egg whites are good options for example.

    Increasing your protein from low calorie and protein dense food options should substantially blunt hunger.
  • Kfrase83
    Kfrase83 Posts: 42 Member
    Thank you all! Took a week off from logging, but will get back at it and make a concerted effort to pack in more protein. Not opposed to supplementing at all, actually having a shake now! :smiley:
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    Ha @SideSteel

    Happy to read from you. I wonder how far someone is able to get in building a bit of muscle, and with that a bit more strength and muscle endurance with interval-type bodyweight exercises. That's all I can do at the moment, with no jumping (my lower neightbour would hate me) and no chance of fixing a pullup bar or similar (walls and door frames are too instable). At the moment I'm doing old bodyrock workouts, and honestly, I enjoy the fun-factor of them which is important as well.

    After about a month I at least have visible shoulder muscles, and a very round and present bum - at least when I flex it. But of course I cannot always flex it.

    I know about convict conditioning, and startbodyweight, but I find those rather dull even though a progressive programme would be better.

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Ha @SideSteel

    Happy to read from you. I wonder how far someone is able to get in building a bit of muscle, and with that a bit more strength and muscle endurance with interval-type bodyweight exercises. That's all I can do at the moment, with no jumping (my lower neightbour would hate me) and no chance of fixing a pullup bar or similar (walls and door frames are too instable). At the moment I'm doing old bodyrock workouts, and honestly, I enjoy the fun-factor of them which is important as well.

    After about a month I at least have visible shoulder muscles, and a very round and present bum - at least when I flex it. But of course I cannot always flex it.

    I know about convict conditioning, and startbodyweight, but I find those rather dull even though a progressive programme would be better.

    As far as building muscle you need to provide a progressively demanding stimulus with adequate training volume.

    There are many ways to progress an exercise other than simply adding weight. With body-weight you can add repetitions, you can add sets (which adds to the total work volume), you can modify the exercise technique to increase the relative difficulty (one example of this would be going from a wall pushup to a knee pushup to a full pushup in that all of these involve pressing muscles but the exercise becomes more demanding going through that progression and so this could simulate added resistance).

    And then of course you can switch from bilateral to unilateral versions of some bodyweight exercises to also increase demands.

    As long as you are doing enough work and creating enough of a challenge you are providing the stimulus to build muscle (of course you also need building blocks to create that muscle).


    For Strength -- it depends on how we measure strength.

    You will certainly get stronger at the movements you are training, and I'd expect some carryover to exercises which have similarities to the exercises you currently do.

    But just for discussion purposes we tend to have different ways of measuring strength, in that some gym goers might use the leg press to measure lower body strength whereas most powerlifters would use the squat to measure strength, and someone who can leg press 800 might not be able to squat 200 because of the substantial difference in skill requirements between the two.

    And it doesn't make one measurement more valid than the other, it's just that we tend to define strength in terms of whatever exercise we use to get us stronger.

  • Terebynthia
    Terebynthia Posts: 75 Member
    popping in to say thank you for the Convict conditioning recommend, looks like an amazing read! :)
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    Thanks @SideSteel

    Yes, I try to make things more difficult for me all the time. I'm not quite there yet for proper pushups but I throw in a few one armed ones every now and then, or wide or narrow. With legs I try to do one-legged squats. At the moment I can at least go down slowly on one leg. Not up yet but I'm sure I'll get there eventually. So yes, I do divert from the workouts by using my own level. I make changes anyway for when skipping or otherwise jumping is involved.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Thanks @SideSteel

    Yes, I try to make things more difficult for me all the time. I'm not quite there yet for proper pushups but I throw in a few one armed ones every now and then, or wide or narrow. With legs I try to do one-legged squats. At the moment I can at least go down slowly on one leg. Not up yet but I'm sure I'll get there eventually. So yes, I do divert from the workouts by using my own level. I make changes anyway for when skipping or otherwise jumping is involved.

    Explosive movements aren't required at all for hypertrophy or strength, but they do get you better at skipping and jumping and changing directions rapidly, so if those fit your goals then it is important but otherwise not so much.
  • amh927
    amh927 Posts: 33 Member
    What are the best ways to strength train when you have limited ability to lift. I had a major surgery on my ribcage so I’m not supposed to lift more than 30 lbs ever. For exercise I’m mostly just walking but I would really like to get some core and arm strength back.

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