OddSquid Member

Did it last year and signed up again for this year's race. My tips: 1) Ignore the hype. It's not nearly as bad or as intense as it sounds. That's just part of the marketing. 2) Focus on the running. Although every course is different, there are long stretches of nothing but trail running. 3) And speaking of trail running,…

To me, the quickest and most obvious answer is that you're in better shape than he is! So challenge yourself more. :) And yes, sweat is meaningless in terms of output of effort. It can be anything from temperature tolerance to hydration. Too many variables, and you're doing nothing but treating yourself unfairly by using…

And conversely, you can also use the chair to assist yourself up for every rep. It'll be tempting to use your legs to push off, but you'll know when you're doing it. The goal is to work slowly at it so that you need your legs less and less. But there's no shame in doing it, and it can also be a safe alternative because…

I haven't tried a 1-mile sprint yet (I should.....). Yesterday's 6-miler broke down to an 8:30 pace. I'm 38, male, and have been seriously running for only about a year now, so I'm getting into this rather late :)

Sorry to bust some bubbles, but BMI applies to most average people who are not athletes. To say that BMI is skewed based on lean body mass is true, but for it to get to that point for most of us as average people, we'd have to be athletes. Sorry, but the average person isn't going to be "converting" fat to lean that…

There is nothing that an Ab-Whatever 5000 can do that properly executed ab exercises on the floor can't do, except take your money while you smile and say "thank you." :smile: It is the job of every marketing division to make consumers THINK their products are better than the last one.

This. Yes, it does suck. Injuries need time and rest in order to heal. But let me counter this with a rhetorical question: how long will you be laid up if you ignore it and aggravate the injury even worse than it is now? How much less activity will you be able to do if a muscle tear becomes blown ligaments and torn…

To answer the original question, I think "please don't be a Pink Dumbbeller, please don't be a Pink Dumbbeller...." And when/if she goes for something that isn't the 2.5 lber to do curls or presses, I smile to myself and return to what I was doing. If she does, then she's out of my memory like any of the other men & women…

It's not as bad as you think it will be. :smile:

That seems so backwards to me! :) I'd imagine that staring at the same wall for 30-40 minutes would just get dreary! My motivation in running is because I'm training for a half-marathon and a full marathon. But without that, the scenery and the challenges of uneven ground keep me going

5 lbs. isn't a significant difference as far as appearance goes. To change one's appearance from Average Person to that of Impossible Model With Armies of Trainers Makeup Artists And Post-Photo Session Editing, one needs to spend a lot more than just two weeks on a temp fix. Unless a person already has a low body fat…

What I do: practice "aloha" while driving on the highway, ever since I got back from a trip to Hawai'i last month. There are enough *kitten* on the road too self-absorbed in their phone calls or wanting that brief sense of victory by beating you to the merge point in the lane ahead. Driving that fast and recklessly MIGHT…

Truly. If it ends in "-ate" and consists of more than 4 syllables, it's probably not good for you anyway :) So we all know that "fat = flavor." No gettin' around that, so all we have left is to just stay strong and do the right thing. But the kicker is that the "right thing" doesn't necessarily mean "abstinence." Order the…

Considering that most news sources are moving to sensationalism to sell themselves, I've learned not to put much faith or stock in TV news or newspapers anymore. Whatever health/fitness info they provide are going to be geared toward the average person and very, very briefly just to fit it into the time slot. Details will…

kamsue, be careful with your nutritional intake. P90X and Atkins weren't meant to go hand-in-hand because carbs are quite a necessary part of the equation just so you have enough quick-burning energy to get through the workouts. It's why the nutrition guide is written the way it is.

The quick answer is "yes, you WILL be missing out if you have the DVDs but not the guides" because all of your questions and more are answered in the guides. The materials explain WHICH disc to use on WHICH days. The books are more than just "P90X RULES RAH RAH RAH!!!!" that most reading materials that accompany workout…

Low-fat chocolate milk has approximately the same ratio, is cheaper, easier to get, and is less of a hassle.

Tae Bo can offer some good cardio workouts without straining the ankles -- it would mean skipping the kick moves, but there are plenty of punch/block-based moves that, when performed with intensity and focus, can work up a sweat. I know that it's easy to bag on Tae Bo, especially by experienced martial artists, but it's an…

Yes. Look at my photo gallery. The before/after of me is the first round. "Before" -- the pic with the blue shorts -- was taken Aug. 1, 2009. The "After" in the red shorts was in late October. That was 18 lbs. lost and a whole lot of strength gain. On Day 0, I couldn't do a single chin-up. By Day 90, I was able to do 10 in…

imagymrat, THANK YOU! Preach on, sister.

"as accurate as possible" is about as accurate as you're going to get :) So many things can affect body weight and composition, and food and exercise are only two of the many things. Hydration, stress, environmental, hormonal, etc., etc., etc. Even in the #,### calories consumed, WHAT those calories consisted of can make a…

It's the Japanese thing. At a gym, you're there to WORK. You're TRAINING. This is SERIOUS. :smile: (and for the record, I actually AM Japanese; just born, raised, and living in the States so familiarity with Japanese geography is nonexistent but I do know my people :wink: )

Sounds like a plan. Each muscle group ideally should get 48 hours to rest and recover.

Tell your guy friends that BB&B does actually sell electronic gadgets, too. That should appeal to the Y chromosome. Especially some of the bartender stuff. Oh, and if you casually call it "Blood Bath & Beyond," that might catch their attention too. That appeals to the part of the Y chromosome that requires guns,…

What's important is what you'll stick with. If it's easier to start out with 2 30-minute sessions, go for it. But understand that as long you do stick with it, eventually, you will need to make a decision as your body gets accustomed to the workload and starts to adapt. That'll determine whether you can increase the…

The only woman in P90X who can do unassisted pull-ups is Dreya Weber and she's not a typical woman with whom to compare. She's in athletic condition (and she's also the model pictured on all the P90X promo materials), just like I can't compare myself to Adam (from the Yoga, Core Synergistics, and Ab Ripper X discs)…

+1 My first thought when reading the original post was "not eating enough." Your body has already broken down what it can for fuel during and after the run, and a day later, if you haven't adjusted your intake to compensate, you're not refueling enough to get by. Your storage tanks have been emptied!

It'd be REALLY worthwhile to verify it manually every so often. Depending too much on electronics can really skew one's perspective (I work in info-tech and fix computers all day everyday -- there's no such thing as a 100% reliable electronic device).

Probably not as much as a guy walking in heels, since we're not used to it. Of course, a guy wearing heels would probably burn more calories just trying to stay upright, turn, take a few steps, stumbling, etc. :smile: In any activity, familiarity breeds efficiency. So if you're accustomed to wearing heels, you're not going…

My wife keeps a stack of them in the glove box of my car in case we're ever out and feel the need to stop in there. All too often, we found ourselves talking about replacing a kitchen gadget or two while out at lunch, and decide to stop in only to regret not having any of the coupons with us, so she just stuck them in…