Topic: Treadmill

[Plastique]

I also notice that the first 2 intervals are harder to do and take longer to get the heart rate up.  I have no idea what that means.

I guess it's just your efficiency and energy decreasing with subsequent work.

[Cognoscento]

For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, and preferably, it should be spread throughout the week.

http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/chapter4.aspx

Obviously, any exercise is better than being sedentary but I think those guidelines may be more for mantaining some kind of minimal baseline fitness level. I believe if you really want to get into "athletic" shape, you're going to need to do more.  Especially if you are adding weight loss as a goal. 

Because of this statement, I started do 30 - 60 seconds out of every 5 minutes of full blast on the elliptical.  I fished out my heart rate monitor now that it's back in a normal range to make sure things stayed okay.  I get my heart rate up to 170bpm and then let it drop back down to 150.  I notice as soon as the intense interval is up, I wonder why the hell I do such evil to myself, but then 5 minutes later, I'm ready to kick my ass again.  It's like a mini emotional roller coaster, which is way better than the utter boredom that is in the gym cardio.  I also notice that the first 2 intervals are harder to do and take longer to get the heart rate up.  I have no idea what that means.

The great thing about this workout is that it starts to fool your brain into thinking your "cruising" pace is really your "recovery" pace.  If you keep doing this, you'll notice that your actual"cruising" pace has become substancially faster.  You are also getting more neuro-muscular speed in your legs.  Your natural cadence and turnover will tend to be faster.  It wasn't too long ago that 8mph was a dead sprint for me.  Now I catch my breath and get my HR down at that speed LOL.

[seaotter]

Yeah, but running a mile every day is not really enough to qualify as "exercise".  That is only like 7-10 minutes.  I'm pretty sure that one has to be in an aerobic state for 40-60 minutes to really get any benefit. Go run for an hour every day.  Then you can drink 6 cokes. 

Well, thanks. What would you call it? Fun?

Up to an hour, and now I burn four hundred calories and get to reward myself with 750 calories of coke. New math? 

[Cognoscento]

Well, thanks. What would you call it? Fun?

Definitely not fun.  I have to run at least 3 miles before it starts getting fun.

Up to an hour, and now I burn four hundred calories and get to reward myself with 750 calories of coke. New math? 

Well stop drinking the damn coke!

My point is - whether or not you drink the coke is irrelevant.  If you ran an hour a day that's 2800 calories burned in a week (using your 400 cal estimate - which I think is low.  The average person should burn 500-700/hour running)  That's almost a pounds worth of calories to subtract from your weekly calorie budget.  Now if you cut out that can of coke every day, you're making a pretty big caloric dent in your usual diet.  Stretch this routine out over a year and you would start to see some real differences in weight and fitness.

[seaotter]

The average American doesnt exercise at all.

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2008/06/18/less-than-a-fifth-of-americans-exercise-on-average-day/

To your second point, ahhhhhhhhhh! That's my point cut calories to lose weight and exercise for fitness.

[Karyn]

The average American doesnt exercise at all.

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2008/06/18/less-than-a-fifth-of-americans-exercise-on-average-day/

To your second point, ahhhhhhhhhh! That's my point cut calories to lose weight and exercise for fitness.

That's depressing.

edit:  out of the 7 people in my office, two of us exercise, though 5 of us have gym memberships.  The other person that exercises does not have a gym membership, he just runs 5 miles a day. The two of us that exercise don't own cable television, everyone else does.

[Cognoscento]

To your second point, ahhhhhhhhhh! That's my point cut calories to lose weight and exercise for fitness.

In my second point, at least half of the caloric deficit is attributed to the exercise.
But you're saying that exercise is ONLY for fitness and diet is the ONLY way to lose weight. My point is that although you can achieve weight loss solely through diet - for many, especially in our culture of excess and over processing, that is untenable. You can also achieve weight loss solely through exercise, but that takes tremendous effort, is difficult to sustain and would dramatically affect your social life (trust me on this one). It is better and more effective to find some reasonable combination of the two because it is something that can be sustained as a lifestyle over long periods of time.

I am a prime example of controlling weight solely through exercise.  My diet for the past few years has remained more or less fixed.  The only time I've had to change it was when I had to increase my caloric intake to maintain my weight.  In the off-season I gain 20 pounds.  When I'm at peak training I lose 20 pounds.  I eat for fuel and recovery.  I'm not saying it's the only way to do it, or even the right way to do it - but it is possible.

[seaotter]

Yes it's only for fitness. I think they did a study that proved the you can't burn any calories through exercise. 

Btw I'm a prime example that you don't have to do anything to control your weight. I've done nothing but eat whatever and drink too much and my weight has fluctuated five pounds over or under the weight I was in the ninth grade.

[pandamonium]

I just think that exercise is an incredible supplimental tool to help achieve an overall improvement in lifestyle, health, weight and overall fitness.  Look at it this way- If you needed to eliminate 1000 calories per day from your daily diet by only eating less, you would have to eliminate a prettly large portion of what you're used to eating.  In terms of will power, this can be extremely difficult to maintain for very long.  However, if you do an hour of moderate exercise every day (let's say 70% max hr on an exercise bike) you will burn 500-700 calories making the amount you have to cut out of your diet less.  For some, that would be eliminating 2 large cokes.  Much easier in my opinion and you get cardiovascular fittness as an added bonus.

As a personal anecdote, I lack the will or power to deny myself the things I would need to deny myself in order to be on something resembling the popular idea of a diet. I consume 2300-2500 calories in a normal day. I have a fairly active job (lots of walking, lifting, stairs, walking, thinking, more lifting), and I ride my bike everywhere. I'm slowly working myself into being more active when I'm not at work. It's difficult, as I'm habituated to a sedentary lifestyle. But for me, it's either do more or eat less. I'd rather do more.

I haven't weighed myself in years, but I am wearing pants 1 size smaller than I wore six months ago. Unfortunately, this is weight I gained back after losing it. One more pants size and I'll be at my current lowest record for pants size. *crosses fingers*

[pandamonium]

Btw I'm a prime example that you don't have to do anything to control your weight. I've done nothing but eat whatever and drink too much and my weight has fluctuated five pounds over or under the weight I was in the ninth grade.

No, that's a prime example of having enviable genetics. I hate you.

[seaotter]

Btw I'm a prime example that you don't have to do anything to control your weight. I've done nothing but eat whatever and drink too much and my weight has fluctuated five pounds over or under the weight I was in the ninth grade.

No, that's a prime example of having enviable genetics. I hate you.

I don't have hair. Chagrined shrug.

[pandamonium]

Btw I'm a prime example that you don't have to do anything to control your weight. I've done nothing but eat whatever and drink too much and my weight has fluctuated five pounds over or under the weight I was in the ninth grade.

No, that's a prime example of having enviable genetics. I hate you.

I don't have hair. Chagrined shrug.

And you spend less on shampoo.

[seaotter]

Btw I'm a prime example that you don't have to do anything to control your weight. I've done nothing but eat whatever and drink too much and my weight has fluctuated five pounds over or under the weight I was in the ninth grade.

No, that's a prime example of having enviable genetics. I hate you.

I don't have hair. Chagrined shrug.

And you spend less on shampoo.

More for beer! Yeah youre right it's awesome!