1711 replies to this topic

[Xaltotun]

About 5 years ago I was around 300 lbs and a 3-pack a day smoker. Over the past year I've dropped nearly 100 lbs, & quit cold turkey. I can thank aggresive exercise, dieting, fencing and other martial arts. However, I have a long, long way to go to look like Ahhnold.

[Konorg]

Greetings everyone, I thought I'd make my presence known after lurking in the shadows for so long. I've been a fan of the Conan films for years, but now I'm trying to get into the books as well as I want to explore the wider world of Conan! 

Back to the topic at hand, can anyone recommend fitness techniques for people on a super budget? I can't afford expensive gym equipment or gym memberships, but I'm after getting as fit as possible for when I go travelling in the New Year.

The idea of having a 'barbarian' physique is vastly appealing to me, I'm just wondering how possible it is for someone who is out of shape to get to that level?

Crossfit looks good but the sheer amount of equipment you seem to need is a bit daunting. 

Regards

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All you need is the following:
1)weightbench
2)Barbell
3)dubbells
4) this book Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik

[Konorg]

Just make sure you keep it going, guys:

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Remember the famous chest of Arnold? With glass on water on it that didn't fall down? Well steroids...

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DUDES!!! is that pic for reals or is it fake?

[korak]

Yeah, I saw that same photo in the Parade magazine in the Sunday paper. He got out of shape quick between Terminator III and running for office. Of course, about three days of eating a pound of oreos each day would do the same thing.

[Kortoso]

Somewhere along the line there was a heart attack. That would do it.

[Winterghost]

Just make sure you keep it going, guys:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Remember the famous chest of Arnold? With glass on water on it that didn't fall down? Well steroids...

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DUDES!!! is that pic for reals or is it fake?

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I've read that this and the other pics turned out to be fakes.

[Winterghost]

I just started a "diet" based off of the book The Warrior Diet, by Ori Hofmekler. The book covers the eatng plan and a workout. The premise is to eat like the anciet Romans and Greeks, who are sparcely throughout the day, then had one big meal in the evening. It's someting like a controlled fast during the day, then you workout, then how pig out.

This isn't like most diets or what most health folks would recoment. However, I've lost nine pounds in the past nine days, and am really enjoying it.

For exercise, I've layed off weights for the most parts these days. I use an eliptical in the bedroom for my cardio, and do pushups, pullups, and body weight and self resistance exercises from the Bronze Bow Publishing books Pushing Yourself To Power and Powerflex. Like the diet, it's something I find fun, which keeps me at it. I'm not interested in big size anymore, I just want to get back into and stay in shape and keep up with my future Conan Jr.'s.

[Borumas]

I really gotta get back into shape myself, currently sitting at around 256lbs, I'm 6'2" with a large frame, and should be around 205-215 (lean and some muscle mass). I had gotten down to 224 but then got married, went on the honeymoon and never got back into the diet so I jumped back to where I had started from. In my early 20's I was in pretty good shape so I want to get back to the way I used to look, feel better, and be more intimidating to my stepdaughter's boyfriends, lol.

I don't want to be buffed out, just toned really, I've always felt bulky and akward so being toned would probably feel more comfortable.

[budgie]

Just make sure you keep it going, guys:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Remember the famous chest of Arnold? With glass on water on it that didn't fall down? Well steroids...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

DUDES!!! is that pic for reals or is it fake?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've read that this and the other pics turned out to be fakes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If theyre fakes then soneones been busy, Ive seen a lot of these sort of pics the last year or so.. I very much doubt it, the mans old and just plain outa shape.. lookk at the skin.. everyrthings heading south rapidly

Budgie

[korak]

Frankly it is hard for me to comprehend why he got interested in politics to start with. That seems to be the opposite of his personal narcissism goals in life. For one thing, to stay at his muscular level, he claims to need at least 9 hours of sleep a night-- that leaves 2 hours to lift weights, and 13 hours a day to run for office. Not much time to run his legendary 3 miles a day! How can anyone be a bodybuilder perfectionist and be a politician at the same time? I never heard of such a thing! Besides, surely he has enough money to last the rest of his life! What motivation does he have? Probably that wife of his is the one who is nagging him on with it.

[Borumas]

Frankly it is hard for me to comprehend why he got interested in politics to start with. That seems to be the opposite of his personal narcissism goals in life. For one thing, to stay at his muscular level, he claims to need at least 9 hours of sleep a night-- that leaves 2 hours to lift weights, and 13 hours a day to run for office. Not much time to run his legendary 3 miles a day! How can anyone be a bodybuilder perfectionist and be a politician at the same time? I never heard of such a thing!  Besides, surely he has enough money to last the rest of his life! What motivation does he have? Probably that wife of his is the one who is nagging him on with it.

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Well remember he was an immigrant to this country that pretty much had nothing when he got here, the freedoms here and people here are what helped to make him successfull. I think he feels that way and serving in politics is in his mind a way to give back to this country and it's people.

[Bonesaw]

The Warrior Diet sounds drastically wrong to me. How can eating a huge meal before bed help you lose weight? Doesn't it just lay there, and turn to fat?

[cimmerianbloke]

No problem about Arnold's form. The dude is in his fifties, married with four kids and has a top job. Don't need to impress the girls anymore... I got out of shape myself after becoming father ( and two in a row, please! ), and I shifted from hardcore bodybuilder to gym enthusiat, as the job became more demanding over the years. No shame, you just have to order and adjust your lifestyle to your priorities...

[Kortoso]

I have three big landscaping boulders in my backyard that I do lifts with: a deadlift/sumo squat, rowing, bicep curls, and clean and press/jerk. They're quite a challenge.

I've heard about this Warrior's Diet. Why would they want to follow the ancient Romans' diet, when you have a healthier diet among the barbarians of that time. Accounts say that they dined mostly on wild fruits, wild game and cheese. Probably a very active lifestyle, since they were engaged in gathering the game and fruit from the forests of Europe.

[PainBrush]

You could always switch to the 'Hun' diet - drink nothing but beer and/or fermented horse-milk together , & your only protien is the slabs of raw meat you hunt on the trail & tenderize by using it as your saddle !! Yumm-yumm . You might need to go see the veterinarian a couple times a year to get de-wormed but you'll grow big & strong & lean . hahaaha

[korak]

I must be a Graeco-Roman at heart, because that is exactly my natural pattern-- eat very light all day, and then after my big workout have my dinner. I eat like a lion and then crash. If you worked out hard the nutrients go to heal your muscles. Your body needs sleep in order to repair itself. I think I will take a look at the Warrior's diet and see what the deal is, since I am that way anyway. I mean, how can I turn down a book called the Warrior's Diet??

[jak]

...  slabs of raw meat you hunt on the trail & tenderize by using it as your saddle !! Yumm-yumm .  hahaaha

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Whewwwww

Now that's twisted, Painbrush. Funny and sick at the same time...

[Conqueror]

My eating pattern... eat a lot all the time!

[Winterghost]

[quote name='Bonesaw' date='Feb 15 2006, 05:59 AM']
The Warrior Diet sounds drastically wrong to me. How can eating a huge meal before bed help you lose weight? Doesn't it just lay there, and turn to fat?

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[/quote

You'd think so, and even the author says it will sound crazy but... If I've not eaten much all day, and then get my metablism fires stoked with exercise, the fires will burn down the fuel I throw on pretty well, apparently. If I ate all day, then had a big meal at night, I'd normally wake up sick to my stomache the next morning with the food indigested. But on this plan I wake up hungry and feeling great. The food is all digested by then and ready to uh-- part ways.

[Swiftsteel]

It's amazing what kind of results you can get from exercise/working out...without going completely 'hardcore' to boot!

For the past two months I've been going to my local Aquatic Centre. For $5.35 (CDN no less!) you can use their gym which is a large, well-equipped facility, and the pool which also gives you access to the sauna/steamroom.

I've been doing about 45 minutes to an hour two to three days a week followed by ten laps (about another half an hour) in the pool. On top of this I've made some small, yet key changes to my diet including cutting out everything like pop, chips, and sweets, as well as upping my intake of fresh meats and fish, fruits (always at least one piece a day now) and vegetables, and lowering my intake of things like potatoes and bread and yes...beer! Not drastically...but just enough to make a difference. I've also pretty much dropped fried foods in favour of grilled or broiled.

So far I've managed to lose about 15 lbs dropping from approx. 185 to approx. 170 lbs. I'm building up my arms, chest, and shoulders, and have almost lost the beergut I had been accumulating for the past five to six years, trimming my waist down from 34" to 32". All of my XL concert shirts are starting to look more like dresses now! I'm also going to have to get new pants soon!

To be honest...I feel great. I'm physically stronger and more flexible. I'm looking better, my energy level is up tenfold, and I have formed new lifestyle habits that are not only easy, but more importantly, enjoyable to maintain. I imagine by this time next year I will have improved my physical condition to an even greater degree. Mentally its also proving invaluable. There's something cathartic about channelling negative emotion into physical release. It really is a cleansing effect.

It's well worth doing and I don't see stopping anytime soon.

Edited by Swiftsteel, 16 February 2006 - 05:32 AM.