Nutrition, Diet, and Exercise: Notes, Goals, and Resources (these people just keep talking about crossfit)

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are you training for a race?
Nope, just general fitness to keep the cardio up for weekend mountain biking. The endurance run I *was* training for got canceled so just tryna keep it up. Plus, in September I'm riding mountain bikes from Sacramento, CA to Reno, NV for a buddy's bachelor "party" (this is his idea of a bachelor party, bikepacking and camping, I can think of less wholesome activities) so trying to avoid completely grenading myself at altitude! Gahhhh!
 
Nope, just general fitness to keep the cardio up for weekend mountain biking. The endurance run I *was* training for got canceled so just tryna keep it up. Plus, in September I'm riding mountain bikes from Sacramento, CA to Reno, NV for a buddy's bachelor "party" (this is his idea of a bachelor party, bikepacking and camping, I can think of less wholesome activities) so trying to avoid completely grenading myself at altitude! Gahhhh!
Whoa! That's a dream getaway. Friends, activity, and nature! Good luck with all of that and be careful in the heat.
 
I have been doing my running in the evening, which I've never consistently done. I'm hoping it pays off. We usually train in the mornings and then get to a race at 9 a.m. and die because the sun is up.
 
JK fitness journal update:

So. TFL. I tried to stretch it and it got super achy from that, so I totally ignored it when I was on vacation to see family the past two weeks. TFL didn't respond at all to rest, still the same ache/same place, so my plan is to do super light weight/workouts at the gym and let the trainers know beforehand so they don't think I'm skimping.

Went to the gym last night. Haven't worked out in two+ weeks. Deficit deadlift, 4x7, only went up to 137lbs to be nice to myself. Accessory was four rounds of 10 of: weight step up, weighted Cossack squat, and single arm kettlebell swing (10 each arm). This is where the TFL kinda started acting up. Weighted step up I only held one dumbbell, 25lb, and I could feel my hip twinge/my step not be as stable when I stepped using the left around the third round in. Cossack squats I did one round with a blue kettlebell and HOMG the left hip was not happy when I squatted in that direction/it was a twinge pain and not an ache pain. Told the trainer and he said to drop the weight, widen my stance, angle out my feet more, and not go as deep, which helped a ton and I was able to complete. The single arm kettlebell...didn't hurt the hip at all, so IDK?

Conditioning was ****. 40/30/20/10 reps scenario (for distance it was 400m/300m/200m/100m) for the following: sit-ups, dumbbell snatch (split per arm), and bike/rower/ski. I used the bike for my distance, because I figured the rower would...not make the hip happy. Sit-ups were just hard because it was so much. The dumbbell snatch was...interesting. I went super light because of how many reps we were doing and got heckled by one of the other trainers (I was using a 10lb dumbbell vs. my normal 25lb). Snatch was good when I was using my right arm, but when I used my left arm...I think the reaching down between the legs forced the TFL to stretch super hard on that side, and I def felt a ping. Happy I was lower weight so that way I could just kinda do a strict press on the way up instead of using my hips. Also kinda limped a little, but it went away after I drove in the car, so I might have pushed it a little.

After a shower, I slapped a couple of those salonpas pain reliving pads near the area (2) before bed. Woke up this morning and the area doesn't feel any worse, and doesn't really feel any better, so I think I'm just going to keep working out at a lower weight and see what 'triggers' the TFL twinge. It mostly seems to be movements where I do a super deep hip angle (like the Cossack squat) or reach across/down movements, which moves the torso and the TFL together.
 
I assume you meant the 75 Hard?

Tbh, I would attempt it, but the cold showers + 2 workouts a day is what would make it a no-go. I can barely do my hour of exercise a day, and I need sleep, so that's healthier for me. I wish you the best!
hmmmm
 
I have not gone to the gym since Friday. I want to try and do a 'reset' in August where I reduce/cut out all alcohol, get back into a gym mentality, and try to be more conscious when I meal prep.

Right now I'm trying to eat down my pantry, since I realized I had a ton of stuff just squirreled away. My plan for that is eat as much of my pantry as possible and then only buy 'for the week' on Saturday or Sunday so I can meal prep. It's just hard to meal prep for one...because sometimes I think a meal with last two days and it'll last for four, and other times I'll think a meal will last longer, and it'll be like two meals.

*sigh*

Being healthy is much harder than I thought.
 
My big meal prep problem was that if I only did it one day a week, the proteins would already start to turn by the end of the week, and nobody wants to eat funky steak/chicken.
 
My big meal prep problem was that if I only did it one day a week, the proteins would already start to turn by the end of the week, and nobody wants to eat funky steak/chicken.
That's the situation I'm going through. Like, if I meal prep on Sunday, would things still be 'okay' to eat later in the week? Especially if a meal I though I could finish it two servings takes 5+. I def had to throw out stuff that I was like...this tastes bad.
 
USDA says 3-4 days on chicken and beef before it becomes suspect unless you freeze it first, which, IMO, defeats the point of meal prepping.
 
But veggies and grains can hold for longer, so I think a lot of meal preppers cook those in big batches and then only have to cook the proteins day of. That being said, meal prepping is not my strong suit. Meal planning is!
 
My wife meal preps. Actually, she doesn't really "meal prep". She just cooks enough for dinner to have leftovers 2-3 times over, which is great the first 1-3 days, but by the 4th-5th day I have a choice between 2 or 3 different leftover meals, but I can't remember which meal is on it's 3rd day or 5th day or whatever. For example, I just opened my lunch and I'm looking at some kind of soup/chili and I don't remember when it was made or if it was even kept "frozen" at some point. To play it safe, I'll just eat the crackers and fruit she packed. It's great weight control!
 
I'm researching a lot more 'one pan' meals. Like, I don't mind prepping steak the day before in a marinade or chicken, it's just figuring out how to cook it where I don't need to do crazy amounts of prep all the time? Not going to lie, this is what kills me because if I'm going to all this effort, why wouldn't I make a huge amount of steak/chicken/meat? Which then is my downfall because I'm a single person.

I think I'm investing in protein powder again. It's just...simpler sometimes.
 
Okay! Went back to the gym last night. Sumo deadlift, 5x6 every 1:30, only went to 185lbs this time. Having not done a sumo in a while, and over-correcting my form over the shorter time period, I figured I should stay a little lighter. Accessory and conditioning were timed last night, which also made it easier to get into the swing (versus completing rounds). Accessory was front rack forward lunge (w/ barbell), bent over rows (w/ barbell), and Cossack squats (I went light and used a 15lb dumbbell since the weird TFL thing flares when I Cossack). Conditioning was a 'pick two exercises' from a list and do them :30/:30 for ten rounds, so 5 rounds each. I did chin-ups/pull-ups and kettlebell squat (but super heavy kettlebell). It's weird. The TFL doesn't hurt if I'm in a deep squat, it only hurts when I bounce out of it.

After the gym, super tired, so I made some enchilada filling using whatever I had left in the fridge (poblano, jalapeno, bbq chicken, onion, etc). Then I threw like 5 of those little salonpas pain relieving patches on the tfl/area that was achy after a shower. Woke up this morning and, knock on wood, it actually feels a little bit better? Resting did nothing, and I think stretching the specific area just aggravated it, so I'm going to just try and do my workouts 'like normal', stop babying it, and just throw a ton of heat patches on it after the gym instead of just doing one patch in a specific area. JK = Licensed health professional
 
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