13hirteen Member

Easy option: Run or cycle to and/or from work and class. Slightly more equipment-intensive option: Get into weightlifting. You can get an amazing workout into half an hour and - particularly if you do big compound barbell lifts (squat, deadlift, press) - it's the most efficient all-round exercise you can do. That said,…

I started liking them once I started doing them with barbell on my back. You could alternatively do split squats. In essence, everything's better with barbells. :)

I started liking them once I started doing them with barbell on my back. You could alternatively do split squats. In essence, everything's better with barbells. :)

I've recently succeeded in getting up to 2g of protein per kg of muscle mass (I'm into powerlifting, hence the high desired level), mostly be eating cottage cheese. LOTS of cottage cheese. I've also found protein powder to be useful (I use a casein based one).

I usually lift two - three days a week, although this gets switched around a fair bit to accommodate triathlon training or any other fitness challenges I have going on (I'm a Fitocracy member and enjoy mixing it up). I'll usually do one day of upper body, one lower, and one combined. At the core of those are the big three:…

Where are you getting most of your calories? If it's mostly coming from fast-burn carbohydrates, there's a good chance that you'll be left hungrier once their energy burns off. Try getting more protein instead - shakes can be good (blending 40g casein-based protein powder with a splash of milk and a couple of hundred grams…

I definitely will. I also have it pencilled in for a cycle/run phase of triathlon training to take advantage of the empty streets. It's going to rock so hard. :)

Looks fantastic. Bumping for future reference.

That's so great! Congrats! If you're looking to add distance, Couch to 5K (C25K) is what turned me from a hardened non-runner last year into someone who's run competitive races and is now training for a triathlon.

I wear gloves for kickboxing and it's not comfortable to wear my HRM's watch unit underneath. I moved it further up my forearm instead. It's okay during drills and bag work, but I wouldn't wear it during full-on sparring, TBH.

Dammit, the last time I lost was when someone in the crowd at Bloodstock festival in August announced their loss. Damn you! Been playing since the late '90s/early 2000s, when it was mentioned on an e-list I subscribed to concerned with memetics (a subject I still have a strong interest in). Actually managed to go several…

Yeah, the fitter you are, the more readily you sweat. :) The trick isn't so much which deodorant you apply but when you apply it - basically, if you're using an alum based anti-perspirant, you have to apply it to DRY skin (so when you've just got out of the shower is entirely the wrong time), otherwise the alum salts which…

Congrats! Took a quick peek at your photos and the transformation is amazing - you've got this whole pointy elfin face thing going on in your most recent ones. :)

I buy it. According to my HRM, I can easily burn 300kcal doing around 35 minutes of strength work (mostly classic composite lifts using an Olympic bar and some supporting work), and I don't even lift that heavy. If you put your all into it, strength work burns a lot, and the more developed your muscles are, the more it…

An easy gluten-free option is corn pasta - delicious, too, as are buckwheat and rice noodles. As far as breads go, amaranth bread is a personal favourite - there's at least one brand sold in most branches of Tesco. (I should note that I don't suffer from coeliac disease, but have a couple of friends that do, so research…

I'm half Cypriot, so my favourite iced coffee variant is a Frappe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frapp%C3%A9_coffee), black, with half a teaspoon of brown sugar or unsweetened but with skimmed milk.

Just compared it to stats from my FT4. The FT4 estimated a 38 minute hilly cycle ride at 335kcal, while your site estimated me at 317kcal, so not too far off. It'll probably be more accurate for consistent exercise - my rides include a couple of hills that send my heart rate rocketing for a couple of minutes, some…

Take a rest day or two. The pain sounds like your muscles healing and growing to fix the microtears resulting from your recent exercise. They need a little bit of time to fix themselves. Eat plenty of protein to fuel the repairs, too. I've just done something similar with regards to my strength and cycling training (a day…

It is harder when you don't have much to lose in the first place. First off, don't worry too much about 500g fluctuations - I know it's frustrating; my weight fluctuates by up to a couple of kg from day to day. I use daily weighing to work out overall trends, but that's not for everyone. Secondly, and I know it's an…

Holland and Barrett sells the Meridian Naturals almond butter.

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/cup-to-gram-conversions/detail.aspx This chart might be handy, too, if you want to get a general idea of what equates to what. That said, I must admit that US cups still seem to be a bloody weird measurement, even with context. :)

I experimented with the idea of waterproofing, but I've found that I prefer to run/cycle/get rained on in my usual lycra running leggings and a light top (I use my wicking one - even if it wicks the wrong way, it doesn't get as waterlogged as my thicker cotton t-shirts). My skin's waterproof and the clothes dry fast, so…

I've been doing leangains-style 16/8 IF for a couple of weeks and I'm liking it a lot. Current progress notes at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/KatThirteen/view/intermittent-fasting-progress-report-discoveries-150697 if anyone's interested/curious. I'd also welcome beginner-grade tips and comments. My current main…

Strength training burns calories (and thus fat) just like any other form of physical exertion. However, it also stimulates your body to invest the food it gets into repairing and growing your muscles - protein's best for this, so it becomes your priority food group if you're eating for strength. Muscle burns more calories…

I'm doing NROLFW's exercise routine (just starting Stage 2) with my own dietary choices (I'm veggie, so the food programme in the book isn't too well designed for me anyway). I've made sure I eat as much protein as possible (which still isn't as much as I'd like... see vegetarianism, above) and ALWAYS try to eat back my…

I have a couple of favourite snacks to help with that one - pancakes made with milled hemp protein powder, an egg and a banana are handy for protein, and if you're after dense calories, I often grab a corn thin and spread it with almond butter and a little honey.

I don't exactly suck it in consciously, but I've always tended to do a lot of exercises that strengthen my core muscles; a well-conditioned core keeps your stomach taut and "sucked in" without any effort on your part. A good habit to get into is to pull your stomach muscles in when you're doing any exercise, particularly…

I started doing leangains style 16/8 IF a couple of weeks ago (fasting 10pm - 2pm, although I'm still settling into the schedule) , and it suits my natural eating patterns so much better than forcing myself to eat five times a day. I've not been able to train as much as usual this week due to work scheduling, but I also…

I made a personal record 62.5kg barbell squat on Monday, the first day of my period, with fairly severe cramps. I took a couple of ibuprofen beforehand, but it's the lifting that totally drove the cramps from my mind and body. You'll be fine. Go lift stuff.

How about Creepy Doll by Jonathan Coulton? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTSkWnKs9rM