NorCal Gym Thread
 

Sup fellow NorCal twin owners!

Since there was a slight interest about what gyms we go to in another thread, I decided that it would be best to create a new thread about gym/health/fitness. We can use this as the official thread for anyone who has diet tips, lifting techniques, special deals pertaining to this topic, eating habits, current goals, progress, supplements, ideas, etc.

I guess I'll start off with myself.

Recently got back into the gym after like a 5 month break in September 2013. (I guess you can consider this as my unintentional "bulking" phase :lol: ) First 3 weeks I just ate "clean." Then I decided it was better to count calories and macronutrients to make sure I was on track. And now I had just started Intermittent Fasting. (10-21-13) Definitely "losing all kinds of fat." Anyways, post away!

As always, take care everybody!:burnrubber::thumbup:

-Johnny

Awesome, a gym thread! My body is ready!

I can only share what's working for me. I've been eating 90:10 Paleo for the past 6 months and having incredible results.

I also do Crossfit workouts 4-5 days a week. I've been doing Crossfit for about 2 and a half years. I'd like to stop, but honestly, I can't find anything that works quite as well, as quickly. I like the variety of the workouts and the great encouraging people at our local CrossFit gym. The workouts are vicious, but it's like a bad addiction. I know if I stop CrossFit, I'd have to change my eating habits and watch calories more. :-P

I wasn't very fit 4 years ago. I was a very weak 274 lbs. at 5'9". I'm now at 185 lbs. and stronger than I've ever been.

I love hearing people getting into fitness! Whatever works for you, and gets / keeps you fit, DO IT!

:respekt:

Great thread.

currently not gyming it lately but it is in the plans.

Just been eating healthy and staying active. Enough to keep my weight in check but not enough to get fit.

Hey man, congrats on the weight loss! I personally haven't done any cross fit workouts, but I can tell that it's very intense :-p

What I've learned is that diet is much more important than the actual workout. Think the ratio is 70% diet, 30% activity? Anyways, good job man! Keep it up :D

Holy crap Tom. thats crazy.

I used to work out with a trainer about 3-4 years ago and was just under 180 and the strongest I had ever been. Moved off for college for a couple years and then commuting stopped me. We would do some crossfit workouts like Annie (for warm-up), filthy 50, and Murph. It is a sick addiction as I loved feeling that freakin spent. My favorite workout though was Fight Gone Bad by far.

I just started back up with him last week and am looking to drop hopefully back down into the 180-185 range which is about 40 pounds for me right now. I am not great with food habits so it'll be small steps that way. I wasn't eating that great back then but better than I am now by a long shot.

Figure this will be one of the better driver/weight reduction mods. Lol

I used to just go to the gym and just lift for a while but then started on that 531 program. my max's increased pretty steadily and I loved it! couldn't sandbag any day since I was writing it out haha. wanted to cut so I switched to the intermittent fasting and it worked pretty well! got rid of that pouch that was always there. takes a lot of discipline but after around 3 or 4 months I stopped because I hated seeing all my max's drop so much :sigh: now I'm back to just going to the gym to lift since i've moved back to the bay. Probably going to start 531 again really soon.

btw, can someone explain macronutrients??
:thanks:

Ride a bike I'm 5'8 128 pounds




...Can't lift many large things though

Good job man! Yeah I know what you mean by max's dropping when you're in that cutting phase, haha. Macro-nutrients are essentially fats, carbs, protein. Pretty much it. What people have been doing is figuring out how much of each they should consume in a day. For example, I consume 60g of fat, 150g of carbs, and 200g of protein on a daily basis. Of course you're not gonna hit these numbers spot on everyday. But somewhere around that range is good enough. You can research more online and find a calculator to figure out what your "macros" would be. :thumbsup:

I hope you meant 20g because no matter how much you work out your body can only metabolize like 1/5th of that and the excess be peed out. Superfluous amounts of protein will also decay your kidneys over time...

*unless you are a committed body builder weighing over 200 lbs.

i started working out 3 months ago. I'm 5'11, started at 200lbs and lost 50 lbs after 6 weeks by keeping saturated fats and sodium to a minimum, and cutting out carbs from my diet. After the 10th week, I realized how small I looked and started bulking up since then.

Although I don't look like it, I actually try to hit the gym at least 5x a week. Used to be 310 lbs but have since gotten down to 245 from the past 6 or so years, it was definitely a long term change. Have done the whole range, from working with a trainer to "insanity" at home, even went the pre-prepped meals route (which was kinda nice, no cooking or dishes!)

I don't really attribute the weight loss to any workout or diet in particular, it was more eating right and finding what you like enough that you will stick with it. For me, it was prepping to do a sprint triathlon, so I go swim & spin class during the week, with jogs in between/weekends (I'm still a big guy, so my joints take a beating). Been maintaining 245-250 now for the past year or so, so unfortunately, I think I've plateaued, but on the good side, I have not gained the weight back, so I must be doing something right :D

My tips are to just keep active in whatever youre doing, with working, or hanging out with friends. Just dont take the lazy way. Smarter choices are always encouraged when eating. You dont have to overanalyze, most smarter decisions can be done on the spot. Exercise atleast 4-5 hours a week if you arent physically active in 2-4 sessions! 2 years ago I was 5'5" 180 lbs and today I stand 5'5 160lbs with more muscle and a lot less fat. I wasn't monitoring anything like crazy and went to the gym on average 2-3x a week.

The hardest part for me was portion control and fighting cravings. I realized first 2 weeks are the hardest because the stomach and mind is adjusting and once you are on a roll its' cake after that.

Holy cow! huge fist bump to @steezypenguin for creating this thread. I know I'm in the right place. Haha I too did the IIFYM diet and it worked really well for me but i didn't like how you could basically eat whatever you wanted as long as it fit your macros. Good luck with that, we should hit the gym some time.


With that said, I have been working out for a while now. I think I started during my Senior year of high school at 280lbs haha. I now sit at a lean 215lbs, not where I want to be but far from where I used to be. I'm currently preparing myself to compete in either a physique or bodybuilding show. I train at the City Sports Club off of Coleman or Brocaw in San Jose. If you want to train with me, feel free to PM me!! Also, if anybody has questions about lifting, diet or even supplements, please don't hesitate to ask me or the other buff dudes in this thread!:w00t::w00t:

Good job on the caveman diet! I had AMAZING results on that! keep it up!

check out IIFYM.com good luck!

What do you guys think about BMI numbers?

From online resources my BMI should between 19-25 but I'm 27/28 or so.

5'9 and 180lbs

For me to get down to the lower end of the scale, 19-20 ish I would have to get my weight down to 135-140. Which is CRAZY! Haven't been that weight since high school and I was super skinny then.

No I really do consume around 200g of protein daily. A fair amount of protein will be burned for energy. It can also be stored as various different types of tissue in the body. Cells, muscles, skin, hair, etc. It can also be stored as fat. You'd actually be surprised how much protein is used. Also, I can understand why you believe that "superfluous amounts of protein" can decay your kidneys over time since protein is a large molecule that needs to be filtered by your kidneys and liver. But studies have shown that there is no evidence that diets with excessive protein intake have any linkage with renal disease. But if someone has a pre existing condition, that's a different story :)

IMO, I'd focus on body fat percentage than BMI since BMI's can be unreliable. For example, a person with a BMI of 30 who has a body fat % of 25% is healthier than a person with a BMI of 20 who has a body fat % of 35%

I used to lift all the time in high school and college, and I got pretty beefy at one point. Kind of got over it once the whole "fitness trend" blew up again recently (think instagram gym selfies with #fitness #eatcleantrendirty #gymmotivation).

For the sake of variety, I'm now into calisthenics (ghetto gymnastics...?). I do 80% of my workouts on horizontal bars using my own body weight and I gotta say, it's giving me a leaner--though not as yoked--physique. A plus is that you don't even need a gym membership; just find a park with some monkey bars and you're good :p

The best part is working toward different movements, e.g. front levers, muscle-ups, triple clap pushups, etc. I'm currently aspiring to master the human flag. It's a nice change from solely trying to increase the number of pounds that you can hoist :iono:

Olala a gym thread.. Very nice

Great reading everyone stories and tips. I use to be a total gym rat at least 5x a week (lift and cardio), played and coached lacrosse. After I started school and new job I had to cut back a lot from stress and time restrictions. I was a spinning addict for awhile.. I moved here in april and contined my membership at golds gym in south bay if anyone is interested in a gym partner :) I would love to go more as a routine rather than sporadic but my work schedule is whack with 12 hour night shifts! Still trying to adjust...

My favorite site for nutrition and work out info is http://www.t-nation.com. Hope this helps! Keep up the good work everyone!

My biggest tip to anyone with life goals or fitness/health goals is to set an attainable goal, and everyday work towards it slowly without obsessing over the end result. If you keep telling yourself you want to achieve this, in your daily life you'll start to get in the habit of changing towards it.

I work out 3-4 days a week at the ocean 24 in daly city.

Lifted weights since I was a freshman in high school.. havn't really stopped since. Currently bulking up- I have a contest with my friend for a steak dinner for whoever reaches 160lb first (i'm gaining, hes losing)

Here we go! Well, I started hitting the gym back in 2003-04 when I use to weigh a merely 125 pounds. At only 5'6", it's pretty bad IMO. Along with going to the gym, I started taking whey protein with 2% milk every day. Fast forward to now, I try to stay at 150-155 pounds. I've gotten to around 165 and I looked more "round!" It's easier for me to bulk up than lose weight, oddly enough.

As far as my routine goes, I target each muscle group each time I step foot at the gym and end it with 15-20 minute cardio. For some reason, I'm more satisfied with not looking like a 'roided out gym rat that's very bulky.

I go to the Cal Fit on Laguna Blvd in Elk Grove. Hit me up if any of you are members.

Milk was the key to bulking (at least for me).

I was 165 freshmen year of college, then I started running and doing martial arts again, dropping me to a lean 140. Got lazy and went up to 150. Started working, and started lifting. Metabolism skyrocketed, and I started losing weight again. So I cut cardio (what a terrible idea...) and ate a ton. Finally hit my target of 155, and started doing Cardio again. Feels great, and milk is what is keeping me from dropping.

Been lifting for about 7 years.

Lift at Golds in Santa Clara 2-3 times a week, Crossfit 2-3 times a week and some form of cardio at least once a week. :party0030:

It's great to hear from a fellow crossfitter!!!! I train out of CSA Crossfit in Dublin

CF FTW!!!!! You know what I mean. :happyanim:

:w00t:

Crossfit Merced here. DeJager is our head coach. If you made it out to watch regionals, we were that loud, rowdy group the announcer mentioned.

Ohhh nice thread!!

I've been off and on with going to the gym for the past 4 years, but Jan 1, 2013, it was my New Year's resolution for a healthier lifestyle. Since then I've lost about 50lbs. I've also got really hooked on going to the gym and lifting. I don't lift that much.. yet, but I'll get there. Lol I finally got to bench the bar and hopefully will be adding some plates next week :happyanim: I hate chest days, but love leg days. Haha I go every morning before work at the 24 hr in automall or union city, and weekends try to do hikes or run trails. Did Warrior Dash a couple weeks ago and will be training for Tough Mudder for next year.

My biggest struggle is my love for food, I love making it and consuming it. But at least now I do pick smarter choices, but still working on my slips here in there.

Way to go MizzKiMi! I missed Warrior Dash this year. A little bummed, but didn't have a choice. I'm also going to Tough Mudder next year. There is a group of us from our gym that like to go together. Such a blast. :party0030:

:) shall we do tough mudder together? maybe we can form a NorCal 86 drive team for that. Mud race is fun, and if we all roll in in an 86s :) that would be so cool!

I signed up this year for Spartan Beast in Monterey but had to drop out due to schedule conflict.
I think upper body will definitely kill me... when i started out training for spartan, i can't even do a push up or burpee @-@

Im sooo lazy about going to the gym it's not funny. I can literally drive myself to the gym, then end up texting on my phone in my car for a hour and then just drive away lol.

So what's a good gym in the bay area? I checked out the UFC gym in Concord, thought it was pretty nice but no swimming pool of course. What about 24 hour fitness? I don't like working out during rush hours times, too many people.

Sick thread, I workout anywhere from 5 - 7 days a week at Citysports on Brokaw. Every once in a while i see a fellow frs/brz there. But never know who it is. I've been working out for a good 5 years now. Did cross country and track for 4 years in high school and got tired of looking so skinny... so during my senior year/ going to college. i began lifting alot. I still do a lot of runs here and there. I'm 5"5 went from 120 to 135 (plateaued) and still trying to gain to be at least 140. Strictly no supplements. Just graduated from SF state and working full time in SF. but still make time to workout almost everyday, no excuses!

ANY FELLOW TOUGH MUDDERS?! I did two so far and will be doing one every year.

Also doing the Mens Health Urbanathalon 11 mile run in SF on Nov 24th

sounds like you need some motivation:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=3&theater



You're either going to be lazy and not click the link or you're going to put a little bit of effort towards your goal.
Click the link. Then go to the gym.
Music by: Rob Bailey & The Hustle Standard

I like the 24 hr supersport gyms. I had Planet fitness before and that was whack. I heard City Sport was good, but I don't like their hours. I like beating the rush and before work so 24 hour fitness works great plus they got tons of locations which works for me since I work in 2 different locations.



@t0mmyd - Im training for my first one, any tips? When I did warrior dash it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I probably should have trained more up hill since that really killed my time.

Yeah, I've had a membership at Planet Fitness before when I lived in Virginia. Hate to sound snobbish but it definitely was not a very motivating environment, not with that stupid alarm that they there.

Haha yeah I think they call that the clunk alarm or something dumb. I thought of getting a membership there because it was cheap but decided to stay where im at.

I was thinking the same thing, we should get the entire Norcal 86 club together for tough mudder:happyanim:

that sounds about right in the winter :-) still funny thou how many of us actually did it *hand raised*

@MizzKiMi we have one more in for tough mudder :)

So the date is April 12 and 13 in Patterson, CA.

Pick the date and count me in :) I will make it to the finish line, as long as u don't consider time is a factor. :party0030:

I dunno if i'm more concerned about the ice pool or the electric shocks :iono:

@doggieboy09 joining?
@t0mmyd will u help us train?