Weight Loss and Fitness 2013

[MindFreak]

I'm not interested in calories in any way; I don't exercise to lose weight as I'm already low in that regard - 180 cm, 66-67 kg, and a BFP at about 9.2. I do HIIT because it's the best way to get (and stay) in shape. It's better for your heart than steady-state cardio, recent research suggests. And it's way more fun! It's excruciatingly hard mentally but afterwards you just feel great.

 

Also, don't mix up speed and power. Speed is measured in km/h or RPM while power is measured in watt. Try for yourself, do one sitting (say, 10 minutes) at a semi-low speed. Then do the same distance at high speed. Obviously, you get to the same point faster at higher speeds (RPM!) but you should burn about the same amount of calories if you haven't touched the power.

Edited August 20, 2013 by MindFreak

[Fierce_LiNk]

If a difference in speed doesn't make a difference why do you do HIIT?

 

(genuine question)

 

I'd also imagine that the clue is in the name. High intensity, so you're working the body more as it's more taxing/requires more power.

[Jon]

Everyone jumps on the HIIT bandwagon nowadays and yes it is very useful. However there are also studies that would advocate steady state cardio for certain things. I've done both and while HIIT is good for things such as weight loss and condition the body to worker hard at faster speeds it cannot replicate endurance. I don't care what people say 20 minute HIIT sessions cannot condition the body to withstand the rigours of long distance events.

 

Now I know this is not what HIIT is designed for but some so called 'experts' like to proclaim it as the second coming for fitness work and it's not.

 

If your going by distance, then you'll obviously burn the same, it's just going to take a shorter time if going faster (Though you could then argue that through EPOC, you'll burn more in the long run because you're working harder.) As for what @Charlie is saying, you don't do HIIT by distance, you do it by time. So working at one speed for 10 minutes and then a much faster speed for the same amount of time will create a disparity the calorie burn. Don't mix up time with distance.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Jon

[Raining_again]

^^ what he said

 

 

Though LISS is boring as fuck, it has its place.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Everyone jumps on the HIIT bandwagon nowadays and yes it is very useful. However there are also studies that would advocate steady state cardio for certain things. I've done both and while HIIT is good for things such as weight loss and condition the body to worker hard at faster speeds it cannot replicate endurance. I don't care what people say 20 minute HIIT sessions cannot condition the body to withstand the rigours of long distance events.

 

Now I know this is not what HIIT is designed for but some so called 'experts' like to proclaim it as the second coming for fitness work and it's not.

 

If your going by distance, then you'll obviously burn the same, it's just going to take a shorter time if going faster (Though you could then argue that through EPOC, you'll burn more in the long run because you're working harder.) As for what @Charlie is saying, you don't do HIIT by distance, you do it by time. So working at one speed for 10 minutes and then a much faster speed for the same amount of time will create a disparity the calorie burn. Don't mix up time with distance.

 

You wouldn't be using HIIT to become conditioned for long distance events, though. (I know you touch on this a little, but still). What it does though is help for much shorter bursts. I have zero to no interest in jogging or running for a prolonged period of time, but doing HIIT for 20 mins or so would make much more sense to me. (as it is, I get most of my cardio from the likes of squash and skipping)

 

Different exercises and training methods have their usages, though. Some things work better than others for certain people. If you were training for a marathon, although HIIT may help in some way, you'd really benefit more from running longer distances or for a prolonged period of time.

 

I'd say do a sport of some kind, like football and then you could always supplement it with some additional running if you wanted. Best of both worlds. (unless you're playing in goal)

Edited August 20, 2013 by Fierce_LiNk

[MindFreak]

I think we can agree that mixing it up is best in all regards. Even long distance runners (10+ km) get better results from HIIT (and heavy weight lifting!) but obviously you need to train for it to be able to run for a prolonged period of time without damaging the body.

[Ville]

I really need to get to a gym or start playing some sports. Need...variety.

[Ashley]

Urgh why are London gyms so expensive? Was considering joining The Gym Group until I read some reviews.

 

Think I may sign up for the one at South Bank Uni as that's down the road from me currently, and only about 15-20 minute cycle when I move. Going to check it out on Friday.

[Jon]

I'd love to have a gym at home. Whenever I say that to people they imagine a warehouse full of equipment. All you really need is a squat rack, a bench and a Dumbbell rack.

[Fierce_LiNk]

I'd love to have a gym at home. Whenever I say that to people they imagine a warehouse full of equipment. All you really need is a squat rack, a bench and a Dumbbell rack.

 

Deciding to have my own equipment at home was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It doesn't cost a great deal either aaand you don't really need that much space/room. I do all of my weight exercises in the bedroom.

 

Like you said, you'd only really need a bench, a barbell/dumbbell bars and some weight plates. The squat rack/stand I bought didn't cost me a great deal, either. What's also brilliant is that you can keep building it up over time, buying mats and foam rollers and more plates, that sorta thing.

 

I'd really recommend it if you can. The benefits far outweigh the downsides. No having to wait around for equipment, no having to walk/run/cycle/drive to the nearest gym, no having to hog dumbbells when you wanted to super-set and have guys look at you awkwardly, being able to take as much or as little time as you needed.

 

In short, I'm a massive fan of the idea. Do eet, brah.

[Jon]

Deciding to have my own equipment at home was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It doesn't cost a great deal either aaand you don't really need that much space/room. I do all of my weight exercises in the bedroom.

 

Like you said, you'd only really need a bench, a barbell/dumbbell bars and some weight plates. The squat rack/stand I bought didn't cost me a great deal, either. What's also brilliant is that you can keep building it up over time, buying mats and foam rollers and more plates, that sorta thing.

 

I'd really recommend it if you can. The benefits far outweigh the downsides. No having to wait around for equipment, no having to walk/run/cycle/drive to the nearest gym, no having to hog dumbbells when you wanted to super-set and have guys look at you awkwardly, being able to take as much or as little time as you needed.

 

In short, I'm a massive fan of the idea. Do eet, brah.

 

If only I had the room brah, I'd struggle to fit a medicine ball in my bedroom, let alone any dumbbells

 

Definitely a future ambition though!

[Ashley]

The lack of room isn't my biggest concern, it's the fact I move every few months

 

Plus I work from home as well, so going out to the gym is a good way to not become a hermit.

[Jon]

Deciding to have my own equipment at home was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It doesn't cost a great deal either aaand you don't really need that much space/room. I do all of my weight exercises in the bedroom.

 

Like you said, you'd only really need a bench, a barbell/dumbbell bars and some weight plates. The squat rack/stand I bought didn't cost me a great deal, either. What's also brilliant is that you can keep building it up over time, buying mats and foam rollers and more plates, that sorta thing.

 

I'd really recommend it if you can. The benefits far outweigh the downsides. No having to wait around for equipment, no having to walk/run/cycle/drive to the nearest gym, no having to hog dumbbells when you wanted to super-set and have guys look at you awkwardly, being able to take as much or as little time as you needed.

 

In short, I'm a massive fan of the idea. Do eet, brah.

 

If only I had the room brah, I'd struggle to fit a medicine ball in my bedroom, let alone any dumbbells

 

Definitely a future ambition though!

 

 

Sack what i just said Flink, you've inspired me. Been out with the tape measure , IT'S POSSIBLE.

 

Thinking about what I do in the gym, don't really need more than a Bench, Rack and Dumbbells.

 

Any good sites for equipment?

[Fierce_LiNk]

If only I had the room brah, I'd struggle to fit a medicine ball in my bedroom, let alone any dumbbells

 

Definitely a future ambition though!

 

Sack what i just said Flink, you've inspired me. Been out with the tape measure , IT'S POSSIBLE.

 

Thinking about what I do in the gym, don't really need more than a Bench, Rack and Dumbbells.

 

Any good sites for equipment?

 

LIVE THE DREAM, BRAH.

 

If you want, I can post a picture of the space that I work in at home. Give you a rough idea of what you can achieve.

 

I bought pretty much everything of mine from Amazon. I did buy my original starter set from Argos, but that was literally just a cast iron York set, with light weight. Altogether it's about 70KG, but it's a combination of 1.25kg, 2.5kg, 5kg and I believe a few 10s. Everything else is from Amazon.

 

I have got standard weights, but you might want to think about Olympic. I didn't really think at the time that I'd be doing my own home gym stuff, so the weights were really just to supplement the stuff I was already doing at the gym. It was only after I bought a bench and the squat stands that I thought, "hmm, could have gone Olympic."

 

There's also the likes of Powerhouse-fitness, fitness-superstore, you could probably find some odd bits and bobs off gumtree and ebay if you fancied going down that route.

 

I managed to get this bench for cheaper, but I swear by it. It's a lovely bit of kit. You could spend more and get a better one if you fancied it, but if you're on a budget you'll love it. The only downside is that it won't go completely 90degrees.

 

This is the squat stand that I have. Pretty cheap, so it has served me well. You might want to look at others, but I like this as it saves space and it's affordable. If you've got the space and money, you could go for a better set, but I'm a fan of it.

 

There's tons of weights you can get from Amazon, so you're set there. You could even use Flubit to get your products from Amazon at a slightly cheaper rate, saving a few quid. I love my cast iron set.

[Jon]

LIVE THE DREAM, BRAH.

 

If you want, I can post a picture of the space that I work in at home. Give you a rough idea of what you can achieve.

 

I bought pretty much everything of mine from Amazon. I did buy my original starter set from Argos, but that was literally just a cast iron York set, with light weight. Altogether it's about 70KG, but it's a combination of 1.25kg, 2.5kg, 5kg and I believe a few 10s. Everything else is from Amazon.

 

I have got standard weights, but you might want to think about Olympic. I didn't really think at the time that I'd be doing my own home gym stuff, so the weights were really just to supplement the stuff I was already doing at the gym. It was only after I bought a bench and the squat stands that I thought, "hmm, could have gone Olympic."

 

There's also the likes of Powerhouse-fitness, fitness-superstore, you could probably find some odd bits and bobs off gumtree and ebay if you fancied going down that route.

 

I managed to get this bench for cheaper, but I swear by it. It's a lovely bit of kit. You could spend more and get a better one if you fancied it, but if you're on a budget you'll love it. The only downside is that it won't go completely 90degrees.

 

This is the squat stand that I have. Pretty cheap, so it has served me well. You might want to look at others, but I like this as it saves space and it's affordable. If you've got the space and money, you could go for a better set, but I'm a fan of it.

 

There's tons of weights you can get from Amazon, so you're set there. You could even use Flubit to get your products from Amazon at a slightly cheaper rate, saving a few quid. I love my cast iron set.

 

Yeah man some pics would be great.

 

Had a browse on power-house, racks and benches can be gotten fairly cheaply but the barbels and weights are pretty pricey. Will have a look at where you've suggested.

 

 

Powerhouse have that for £199.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Jon

[Fierce_LiNk]

Yeah man some pics would be great.

 

Had a browse on power-house, racks and benches can be gotten fairly cheaply but the barbels and weights are pretty pricey. Will have a look at where you've suggested.

 

This is where you'll need to make a hard decision between standard and Olympic. Standard is not bad at all, especially if you get some kind of starter kit that will come with a barbell and dumbbells (the bars for that, anyway).

 

What you leaning towards? I'll do the pictures tomorrow for you.

[Jon]

This is where you'll need to make a hard decision between standard and Olympic. Standard is not bad at all, especially if you get some kind of starter kit that will come with a barbell and dumbbells (the bars for that, anyway).

 

What you leaning towards? I'll do the pictures tomorrow for you.

 

Amazon have got a York olympic bar for £60. Space is at a premium so the smaller bar might be the better option, though i'd need to get more plates, since the bar would be a fair big lighter.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Amazon have got a York olympic bar for £60. Space is at a premium so the smaller bar might be the better option, though i'd need to get more plates, since the bar would be a fair big lighter.

 

60 quid seems like a good price for that.

 

Yeah, you'll end up needing more plates for the standard. Also, it's worth bearing in mind how heavy you're likely to go. If you're going to go above 180 for anything, you might want to look at just going for the Olympic set. Standard bars are good up until a point, but their capacity will be much lower than that of an Olympic. The last thing you want is the bar breaking or bending within a few months of use.

[Jon]

60 quid seems like a good price for that.

 

Yeah, you'll end up needing more plates for the standard. Also, it's worth bearing in mind how heavy you're likely to go. If you're going to go above 180 for anything, you might want to look at just going for the Olympic set. Standard bars are good up until a point, but their capacity will be much lower than that of an Olympic. The last thing you want is the bar breaking or bending within a few months of use.

 

I'm use to lifting with Olympic bars too. It's just trying to find the right combination of plates. Seems to be hard to find adjustable dumbbells with any great weight. They all seem to be 20kg sets, I was kinda aiming for at least 20kg per Dumbbell.

[Fierce_LiNk]

I'm use to lifting with Olympic bars too. It's just trying to find the right combination of plates. Seems to be hard to find adjustable dumbbells with any great weight. They all seem to be 20kg sets, I was kinda aiming for at least 20kg per Dumbbell.

 

Something like this would be a start. I'm sure York will do something like this but I can't seem to find one atm. Will look properly tomorrow.

 

These are decent. Sets of 10KG weight plates.

 

4 x 2.5kg

 

4 x 5kg

 

2 x 20kg

 

So, you could get some of those dumbbells and add a 10kg plate either side. Maybe get some spring collars, too. They are cheap as fuck, so you're alright there. Ideally, you'll want a mixture of different weights. You could probably get away with having 4 x 2.5 (in case you want to use them for dumbbells, so 2 2.5kgs per dumbbell), 4 x 5kg and then make up the rest with 10s, 20s and maybe even above that.

 

25kg plate for £35 quid. You'll need two of those.

 

So, doing a bit of math:

 

2 x 25kg will be about 70 quid.

We'll say 2 lots of 20 for 53quid.

They've also got 2 x 15kg for £43

Then maybe some 10s which are about 15 on Amazon each. So, four of those is 60 quid.

4 x 5kg is £30

4 x 2.5kg is £15

and we'll say some 1.25s, too. 8 x 1.25kg for about £15

 

All together you'll have about 190-200kg of weight, you'll have variation (everything from 1.25kg all the way up to 25kg plates) and you'll have a lot of weight to get you through most things.

 

Price wise, that's about £280 for all of that. My advice, prioritise. Build it up slowly. Also, it's worth bearing in mind that you could find this stuff cheaper elsewhere and that you may or may not like this particular brand. But, as a ballpark number, it's roughly what you're looking at, probably at a minimum, too.

[Jon]

The one benefit of using a standard bar over an Olympic would be the ability to use the same plates on the barbell and dumbbell.

 

All this thinking is harder than working out

[Fierce_LiNk]

The one benefit of using a standard bar over an Olympic would be the ability to use the same plates on the barbell and dumbbell.

 

All this thinking is harder than working out

 

That is a benefit, but you can also get the dumbbells that can be used with olympic weights. They might be a bit more expensive, though. But, they are out there.

 

If you're on a budget, standard is the king. But, if you really think you are going to lift heavy, (160kg+), then I'd go for olympic, personally. Also, check out the weight limits on things such as squat stands and any racks that you buy. It often gets overlooked, but they'll have a recommended maximum load.

 

It's tough starting from scratch, which is what you doing. But, long term, you'll reap the benefits. You'll never have to pay a gym subscription ever again. If you think about how much the average gym costs, say £30, you'll be paying around £360 a year for just that. For that price, you can get yourself started up and you'll save year on year. Plus, those weights will be yours and will be yours for life.

 

One other thing, check out Bodybuilding.com's forums. I believe that they have their own section for home gyms. Have a browse on there and see if you can find any bargains, although it will mostly be American-focused.

[Charlie]

I don't have my own home gym but.... If you're planning on working out at home for years to come then buy the good equipment now so you won't need to rebuy it a year or so down the line.

 

Also Gumtree could be could for benches/weights.

[Jon]

So.

 

http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-100kg-olympic-rubber-radial-barbell-kit-with-6-bar.php

 

with

 

http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-cf376r-half-cage.php

 

and

 

http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-cf325-fid-utility-bench.php

 

That rack is a bit more expensive but it's far superior and has pull up handles too!

 

Would try and find some olympic sized dumbbells like you mentioned @Fierce_LiNk. Is it worth getting some sort of mats for flooring? i'm just thinking for deadlifting, since I don't want to disturb everyone in the house.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Jon

[Charlie]

Great prices. How are the reviews?