2020 fitness goals

[*zap*]

The problem is trying to gain strength and lose weight at the same time.

Some suggestions:
Eliminate all processed foods.
30% or more of your macros from good unsaturated fats.
Protein/fats after lifting will get you faster recovery time, I like almond butter/walnuts/good eggs.
If I am trying to get stronger and can keep my body fat % static I feel that's good. Small/incremental drops in bf% due to more cardio while increasing strength is very good and will add to your endurance. If your hitting both hard you will need plenty of good fats for recovery.
If your hitting cardio/strength hard you need a good amount of rest and I believe that amount increases as you age.

I started dropping processed foods a year ago....gradually over a period of nine months and with a large amount of carbs from natural foods daily/no cardio I dropped 30#. Strength went down initially but one year after starting that I am stronger than I ever have been. 63.5 years on this earth.
If you can maintain an aggressive as possible strength/cardio/rucking program, get proper nutrition and proper rest it will all come together gradually....

 

[Hot_Rod51]

Some suggestions:
Eliminate all processed foods.
30% or more of your macros from good unsaturated fats.
Protein/fats after lifting will get you faster recovery time, I like almond butter/walnuts/good eggs.
If I am trying to get stronger and can keep my body fat % static I feel that's good. Small/incremental drops in bf% due to more cardio while increasing strength is very good and will add to your endurance. If your hitting both hard you will need plenty of good fats for recovery.
If your hitting cardio/strength hard you need a good amount of rest and I believe that amount increases as you age.

I started dropping processed foods a year ago....gradually over a period of nine months and with a large amount of carbs from natural foods daily/no cardio I dropped 30#. Strength went down initially but one year after starting that I am stronger than I ever have been. 63.5 years on this earth.
If you can maintain an aggressive as possible strength/cardio/rucking program, get proper nutrition and proper rest it will all come together gradually....

Fantastic advice. Thanks.

I know it's a long game, culture change. I've written the book on quick results and losing ground even more quickly.

I all but eliminated fast food a few years back. I might drink 3 or 4 sodas a year. Minimal sports drinks... you get the idea.

I need to take the next step and do what you suggest in removing all processed food. The old saying "stay out of the center of the grocery store."

It's a real battle. I have a love/ hate relationship with food. I can lift and get stronger all I want, but to slim down and maintain is tough.

I need to really evaluate what I'm eating regularly. Write it down and start eliminating things from my diet.

Thanks again.

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[*zap*]

I did a gradual elimination of processed food over 9-10 months. Substituted fairly large amounts of blueberries for help with sugar cravings and still lost weight, 2# of blueberries a day for a while and now I eat about 1.5# a week. That was a lot of sugar but it was natural food. I have absolutely no issues with maintaining a natural food/low sugar diet currently. When your working to become stronger and more fit you need good nutrition and an all natural food diet can provide that with very adequate daily caloric intake and you will still drop weight until you get to mid teens for body fat % and then you need more strict dieting to drop the BF% farther. Cardio helps but you cannot outrun a bad diet.

 

[Hot_Rod51]

Cardio helps but you cannot outrun a bad diet.

Best advice anyone can hear.

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[Lowndes]

Get in the best shape of my life by November - I’m a long way from that right now.

 

[Outlaw99]

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but eliminating beer and alcohol goes a long way for the process and your goals. There’s a lot of carbs and sugars involved that your body still can’t out run, even with an otherwise “clean” diet. I’m not suggestion everyone has to, but it’s rather dependent on your commitment and overall goals.

 

[Medusa7MM]

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but eliminating beer and alcohol goes a long way for the process and your goals. There’s a lot of carbs and sugars involved that your body still can’t out run, even with an otherwise “clean” diet. I’m not suggestion everyone has to, but it’s rather dependent on your commitment and overall goals.

How did you do this!?

 

[Outlaw99]

How did you do this!?

I didn’t put alcohol into my mouth and swallow it

 

[cuttiebrownbow]

Goals

Currently - 5'9" 200lbs and pretty darn strong for soon to be 32 year old who goes to the gym at 5am in the morning. (lost 10 lbs since Christmas but that was turkey, christmas cookie and booze weight so doesn't really count)

Weight - drop to 185 by August
Cardio - Run 2/3 times a week while increasing speed. Would like 2.5 miles in 20 minutes as average from June through September. (for me I find I have joint pain in hips/knees if running long distance but working on speed has worked out quite well for cardio and being painfree and less injury prone)
Strength - Continue current weight plan by building strength into June using workouts of 1-1.5 hours 3 times a week before work. Tapering off heavy weights from june through hunting season.
More Cardio - Incorporate use of Stairmaster by June to break up runs once running goal is met and replace some strength training time as that becomes less focused.
Core - recommit to targeting core with at least one exercise every day of week in gym. (5-6 days a week)
Flexibility - continue to stretch after workouts and work on becoming more flexible in hips, back and shoulders

 

[twall13]

End of January Report-

Running Miles: 95
Hiking Miles: 18
Total Trail Miles: 113 of 1400 Goal for the year
Elevation Gain: 15,900 of 175,000 Goal
Weight: Down to 181, so 6 lbs. to go to get to 175

I'm a few miles behind pace for the year but I should make that up when I can get some Mtn. Biking in. Trail miles are always more grueling and difficult with snow on the ground...

 

[mtwarden]

^Nice work!

My end of January report ~ 165 trail miles, the highlight of those miles was a snowshoe trip into the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness- a two day/one night 30 mile loop- fantastic!

I think I got two solid strength training sessions in each week in January, with the exception of this week with only one- still making gains w/ the Wendler program, albeit slower gains than previously. Going to probably try his 5 forward, 3 back routine- I'm going to finish this 5th phase and then will use the training max from phase 2 and then move 5 forward

 

[East2West]

Gotta lose the 15 lbs I gained last fall while enjoying too many Costco Danishes and festive beers. I knew this was going to happen as I was slacking on my fitness while dating a gal. I have a Concept2 rower and hit that for either a 5K, 500cal, or 10k row. Tuesday I broke my 500cal row time by nearly 1 minute and last night I broke my 10k time by about 35 seconds. I've been cutting calories to about 1500 (does not include calories burnt from cardio) based on a calculation of my base metabolic rate minus 500cal. Need to add some weight training back into things and will likely do a 2 day week lift alternating cardio 3 days a week. Saturdays and Sundays are reserved for social cardio (XC skiing, snowshoeing, and downhill skiing) or ice fishing.

I have backcountry snowshoes now and will start snowshoeing as much as I can. I downhill ski however tend to have a couple beers so calories expended tends to be lower than consumed on those days.

I will likely schedule a few 1/2 marathons for late spring and early summer. Goal is to be around 220-225 when summer hits and maybe aim for about 200-210 at elk season which is about 30lbs less than I am currently. That should be pretty easy if I keep active in the summer and stay out of the breweries

The C2 is definitely an ass kicker!!! Have you tried a 2k test yet?

 

[jfs82]

Last season being my first hunting was a bit humbling. I live at basically 0ft elevation and when I got out morning one at 5k ft, climbed the first drainage gaining about 1400ft more, with about 30lbs on me; I puked. Did'nt slow me down for more than 30 min or so to make sure I was hydrating still (95 degree midday) but still showed me I needed to make changes to not be so limited in the future.

I have a history or pretty high end athletics but now am in my late thirties, 3 year old, full time work, grad school at nights and the fitness is not there anymore. I can't lift real seriously anymore after a lot of injuries from years of MMA and power lfiting (Torn ankle ligaments, torn knee ligament, dislocated ribs that pop out real easily, cracked vertebrae) so the plan now is: 125 squats and pushups every other day... 3-7 mile hike with a pack 3 of 4 weekends a month... 20-60 min walk on my lunch break 3-5 days a week as schedule allows. Been easy keeping up with it so far since it supports something I care about on a few levels. Down 12 lbs since the start of December and don't find myself getting winded in any serious level on my hikes. I'd love another ten lbs off between now and Aug.

I do wish I had some way to address the elevation part of it because I've always been sensitive to high elevation, I've thrown up with major headaches every single day one of backpacking at elevation I've ever had. But I'm hardheaded and sure as hell not going to avoid it.

 

[crmiller84]

January stats. Not the start to the year that I wanted, but the one I got done.

Getting a jump on February though with 12.5 miles yesterday and 11 this morning, along with a calisthenics workout each day too.

Keep after it!

 

[Ross]

Pretty close to on track for 1500 boots miles at 110...and 30k elevation gain.....better go for some flatter hikes swapped from my polar to one of the garmin instincts for the most part like it better but not as easy to track elevation gain totals from what I see Odin helps keep me motivated....yesterday’s walkabout

 

[MThuntr]

The C2 is definitely an ass kicker!!! Have you tried a 2k test yet?

Yes although it's been awhile. My last 2K was right at 7:10 with the machine resistance set at 5. If I warm up (this will burn out your lungs) and push it to 10 I can probably beat that. The pace is incredibly painful and I could never sustain that work.

Since I'm using this mostly as cardio I go for the longer rows although admittedly I've not been eating well the last week.

 

[atomicathlete]

Some good exercises to add to your training here:

5 Exercises to Train for Backcountry Hunting

If you want to effectively train for backcountry hunting in mountainous terrain, you need to train specifically for the demands of that pursuit. You are not a runner training for a marathon. You are not a powerlifter training to raise your lift total. You are not a Crossfitter training for a...

exomtngear.com

90 second Jump Lunge test with 25lb bells is a great one for younger guys!

 

[mtwarden]

another month in the books

121 miles (286 for the year), I'll take that considering I lost a week to the flu

finished another Wendler cycle, bumping my squat and deadlift max by 10 lbs and bench/overhead press by 5 lbs

highlights were a snowshoe trip into the Elkhorns with Tiny Elvis and a backcountry ski trip into a cabin with a buddy

 

[twall13]

Nice job @mtwarden.

Here's my report:

190 running miles
32 hiking miles
6 mountain biking miles
228 total trail miles of 1400 goal
Total elevation gain 32,000 of 175,000 goal.

I'm tracking pretty close to where I need to be and feeling pretty good. I'm also down to 176 lbs. so almost to my 175 goal.

Now for the fun part, I did a Murph this morning after realizing I won't have time to do it tomorrow. It was my first time ever attempting that workout and it was enlightening. Going into it I was hoping to be under 40 minutes figuring easy 10 minute miles plus 20 minutes to do everything else. I was worried about doing that many pushups and pullups so close together but as it turned out I struggled more with the squats. Not that it slowed me down, just that my legs started to tighten up and even cramping a bit and the squats were definitely more painful than the pushups/pullups. Maybe that was from doing a tough 7 mile trail run yesterday but I actually think it was more a factor of not being well hydrated and the fact that I apparently need to do more squats on a regular basis. All that said, I completed it in 35 min. 11 seconds and feel pretty good about the time. Anyone who can do a Murph in under 30 minutes has my serious respect.

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[P Carter]

318 miles, 3,780 pushups so far. Avg of 37 per week running with a few bike rides and hikes mixed in. Very happy so far with consistency, no tweaks or budding injuries, 2x strength with weights and 2x body weight strength training as well on most weeks. So far so good! Mileage should ramp up as bike commuting weather starts to hold up.