The Workout Thread

[Chicken.]

Just now, Jägermeister said:

I've heard that, it's a bit the other way from where I live though.  

I should also mention that I'd like a 24 hour place as my school/work schedule is going to be wack for 6 months.  My biggest peeve about Club 16 was it's 5pm close on weekends.

Goodlife near Burquitlam I have heard good things about but never been there myself, I think it is 24 hour

 

[Jägermeister]

Just now, Chicken. said:

Goodlife near Burquitlam I have heard good things about but never been there myself, I think it is 24 hour

 

Yeah, I've heard similar things but only from a couple friends who I would consider casual gym goers, so their likes/dislikes are probably a bit different from mine.

If anyone here goes there I'd love to hear what you think.

[diesel_3]

Damn, I was almost afraid to click on this thread!

I used to be fairly active in here!

 

Since getting out of the Military, I have been on a crazy fitness journey with it's ups and downs, trial and error....At one point I had reached a total of 100LBs weight lost. I was playing men's football in Alberta when I was in the Army, so I kept myself big to play on both sides of the ball on the line, once I moved back to BC, I didn't need that anymore. I was in unreal shape but then totally botched a good, slow bulk...My inner fat kid took over!

 

I was down to 176LBs at one point (Probably a little too small for my frame) I'm back up to around 235LBs and would be most comfortable maintaining around 200. I don't have a long battle because I can gain and lose weight fairly easily. It's getting a bit harder now as I get older, but i'm mostly worried about how my body has been breaking down. I have undiagnosed chronic back pain, I was too hard-headed to get some medical documentation when I was in the Army once my back pain started because we were supposed to 'suck it up, buttercup!' and now i'm paying for it! 

 

Over the last couple of years I have now developed sports induced asthma, so now when I play hockey it feels like i'm breathing through a pin hole. I know that losing a few pounds will help that, even though the cold air in the arena doesn't help very much.

 

I am trying to find something I can do that's low impact, I have heard Yoga is unreal, I'm not a jogger (Find it painfully boring) and my normal routine just consists of a basic 5x5 because I love compound movements, I don't lift heavy anymore, don't try and go for my 1RM, I am one bad back injury away from really being hooped, so I try and keep my squats down a bit.

 

Not really sure why I wanted to type all this out? Not really a venting session but more to maybe try and get myself to take some responsibility for the last couple of years and to pull my head outta my rear and figure it out?

 

I have the perfect opportunity right now to change my life (again) I am not working and probably going to University to become a History Teacher, So I have nothing but time...I just need the focus and energy!

 

What do you guys mostly do when you have lethargic days and don't want to go to the gym? Pre-workouts and Stims kind of make me feel nauseous, Maybe I just need to 'suck it up'?

[HI5]

11 hours ago, RRypien37 said:

I know the feels. I started beginning of April from a dirty bulk of 221 pounds. Currently intermittent fasting and down to 207 as of today. Hopefully I won't have to drop to anything lower than 195ish...

Oh man, IF gotta be tough. I'm one of those people who just has a habit of eating or snackin every 2-3 hours. 

I plan on just adding 20-30 135bpm steady state cardio post workout when I see a stall in fat loss. 

 

5 minutes ago, Jägermeister said:

Yeah, I've heard similar things but only from a couple friends who I would consider casual gym goers, so their likes/dislikes are probably a bit different from mine.

If anyone here goes there I'd love to hear what you think.

Goodlife isn't bad for the fact it's Canada wide and about half of them are 24/7. It really depends what your looking for as this is the type of gym that is very busy. You'll see fresh gym noobs, average gym goers, roiders to senior citizens. They really go hard at promoting the "post workout selfie" in their advertising. All locations ive been to have a dry sauna, not wet and no pool if that's something your looking for. 

 

All in all maybe try a 5 day trial, cause it's not the gym for everyone. My previous gym closed down and I was able to get a corporate deal at Goodlife as theirs one near my work and my home. Many employers offer the corporate deal, so check with yours cause its just over $400 for the year and includes towel service. I think regular is like $70-$80 a month. 

 

[taxi]

25 minutes ago, diesel_3 said:

Damn, I was almost afraid to click on this thread!

I used to be fairly active in here!

 

Since getting out of the Military, I have been on a crazy fitness journey with it's ups and downs, trial and error....At one point I had reached a total of 100LBs weight lost. I was playing men's football in Alberta when I was in the Army, so I kept myself big to play on both sides of the ball on the line, once I moved back to BC, I didn't need that anymore. I was in unreal shape but then totally botched a good, slow bulk...My inner fat kid took over!

 

I was down to 176LBs at one point (Probably a little too small for my frame) I'm back up to around 235LBs and would be most comfortable maintaining around 200. I don't have a long battle because I can gain and lose weight fairly easily. It's getting a bit harder now as I get older, but i'm mostly worried about how my body has been breaking down. I have undiagnosed chronic back pain, I was too hard-headed to get some medical documentation when I was in the Army once my back pain started because we were supposed to 'suck it up, buttercup!' and now i'm paying for it! 

 

Over the last couple of years I have now developed sports induced asthma, so now when I play hockey it feels like i'm breathing through a pin hole. I know that losing a few pounds will help that, even though the cold air in the arena doesn't help very much.

 

I am trying to find something I can do that's low impact, I have heard Yoga is unreal, I'm not a jogger (Find it painfully boring) and my normal routine just consists of a basic 5x5 because I love compound movements, I don't lift heavy anymore, don't try and go for my 1RM, I am one bad back injury away from really being hooped, so I try and keep my squats down a bit.

 

Not really sure why I wanted to type all this out? Not really a venting session but more to maybe try and get myself to take some responsibility for the last couple of years and to pull my head outta my rear and figure it out?

 

I have the perfect opportunity right now to change my life (again) I am not working and probably going to University to become a History Teacher, So I have nothing but time...I just need the focus and energy!

 

What do you guys mostly do when you have lethargic days and don't want to go to the gym? Pre-workouts and Stims kind of make me feel nauseous, Maybe I just need to 'suck it up'?

Lol...Yoga isn't for everyone. Especially those from a powerlifting background. I tried Yoga and found that years of powerlifting and muscle development meant I was too tight to get into any of the proper positions. So although it would have been a good way to increase mobility and supplement other forms of work outs, I was not getting any real benefits cardio/calorie burning wise from Yoga. 

 

I'd just suggest keeping things simple. Keep up with the powerlifting, but restrict calories slightly. Add 20 mins of running onto the end of your workouts, which should occur at least 3-4 times a week. 

[diesel_3]

5 minutes ago, taxi said:

Lol...Yoga isn't for everyone. Especially those from a powerlifting background. I tried Yoga and found that years of powerlifting and muscle development meant I was too tight to get into any of the proper positions. So although it would have been a good way to increase mobility and supplement other forms of work outs, I was not getting any real benefits cardio/calorie burning wise from Yoga. 

 

I'd just suggest keeping things simple. Keep up with the powerlifting, but restrict calories slightly. Add 20 mins of running onto the end of your workouts, which should occur at least 3-4 times a week. 

Ya, I'm a firm believer in IIFYM, it works for me, I have done IF which was a perfect choice for me at the time because I would get up and go without even thinking of breakfast but now I like to weigh/count calories and be a shade under my TDEE.

 

I'll stick with the lower weights, I actually like doing big incline walks on the treadmill, throw some music on and get all my thinking done haha.

[DoughtysCheck]

49 minutes ago, Jägermeister said:

Yeah, I've heard similar things but only from a couple friends who I would consider casual gym goers, so their likes/dislikes are probably a bit different from mine.

If anyone here goes there I'd love to hear what you think.

my girlfriend goes there so I join in here and now when we have time to work out together, otherwise I'm at the SFU gym.

But in my experience, the dumb bell area is very small.

They have 6 squat racks with at least 1 always open, I believe 4 benches, 1 incline, 1 decline bench. They have hack squat machine which is dope as a secondary leg movement. Honestly, they have lots of machines as well

 

Only problem for myself is the lack of stretching equipment like mobility bands and foam rollers

[diesel_3]

1 minute ago, DoughtysCheck said:

my girlfriend goes there so I join in here and now when we have time to work out together, otherwise I'm at the SFU gym.

But in my experience, the dumb bell area is very small.

They have 6 squat racks with at least 1 always open, I believe 4 benches, 1 incline, 1 decline bench. They have hack squat machine which is dope as a secondary leg movement. Honestly, they have lots of machines as well

 

Only problem for myself is the lack of stretching equipment like mobility bands and foam rollers

I bought a pack of mobility bands from Amazon with different resistances for like $12, they are a thing of beauty.

[HI5]

Live report from Goodlife Fitness: 12:09PM -- All 6 squat racks, 2 Smith machines, 4 flat bench presses and 2 incline benches in use. Dumbell area full of landmines. 

 

&^@# this &^@#ing gym

[-DLC-]

47 minutes ago, diesel_3 said:

I bought a pack of mobility bands from Amazon with different resistances for like $12, they are a thing of beauty.

I bought the Cher fitness ones many moons ago...actually had one snap on me!  I've never used another one since...  

[Tortorella's Rant]

10 minutes ago, HI5 said:

Live report from Goodlife Fitness: 12:09PM -- All 6 squat racks, 2 Smith machines, 4 flat bench presses and 2 incline benches in use. Dumbell area full of landmines. 

 

&^@# this &^@#ing gym

Don't people have jobs? Anyway, I do Great West 90 minutes before close. 99% of the time what you want to use is available. But, yeah, keep it quiet and don't tell anyone.

[-DLC-]

1 hour ago, diesel_3 said:

Ya, I'm a firm believer in IIFYM, it works for me, I have done IF which was a perfect choice for me at the time because I would get up and go without even thinking of breakfast but now I like to weigh/count calories and be a shade under my TDEE.

 

I'll stick with the lower weights, I actually like doing big incline walks on the treadmill, throw some music on and get all my thinking done haha.

Buy a step!    You can tailor a workout to your own intensity level, cart it outside, it's a great piece of inexpensive equipment ($30 at Canadian Tire) that is so versatile.  My original one lasted over 20 years, until it got rained on/ruined.  I put on the tunes and go out on my deck and it's a great way to work out at your own pace.  I loved it so much I got trained to instruct in step and it's been my go to for years.    

 

The varied degrees of intensity go from simply stepping up/down, to adding knee lifts, kicks, hamstring curls, etc.  You can then increase intensity if desired to jumping on/off the step, repeated knees/kicks, etc.  You can also incorporate squats and lunges into the workout.  

 

So limitless in how you can use it.  Hell, you can even do this using a log at the beach.

 

My go to TV program was The Caribbean Workout (a bit more advanced), but there are plenty of YouTube videos demonstrating various moves/workouts.  You can basically do your own...just find a couple of exercises and string them together.  Then add variations as you learn.

 

 

[Jägermeister]

1 hour ago, HI5 said:

Oh man, IF gotta be tough. I'm one of those people who just has a habit of eating or snackin every 2-3 hours. 

I plan on just adding 20-30 135bpm steady state cardio post workout when I see a stall in fat loss. 

 

Goodlife isn't bad for the fact it's Canada wide and about half of them are 24/7. It really depends what your looking for as this is the type of gym that is very busy. You'll see fresh gym noobs, average gym goers, roiders to senior citizens. They really go hard at promoting the "post workout selfie" in their advertising. All locations ive been to have a dry sauna, not wet and no pool if that's something your looking for. 

 

All in all maybe try a 5 day trial, cause it's not the gym for everyone. My previous gym closed down and I was able to get a corporate deal at Goodlife as theirs one near my work and my home. Many employers offer the corporate deal, so check with yours cause its just over $400 for the year and includes towel service. I think regular is like $70-$80 a month. 

 

Based off this post, your other post, and what others have told me, I definitely think I'll err on the side of caution and try a trial lol.

[diesel_3]

32 minutes ago, debluvscanucks said:

Buy a step!    You can tailor a workout to your own intensity level, cart it outside, it's a great piece of inexpensive equipment ($30 at Canadian Tire) that is so versatile.  My original one lasted over 20 years, until it got rained on/ruined.  I put on the tunes and go out on my deck and it's a great way to work out at your own pace.  I loved it so much I got trained to instruct in step and it's been my go to for years.    

 

The varied degrees of intensity go from simply stepping up/down, to adding knee lifts, kicks, hamstring curls, etc.  You can then increase intensity if desired to jumping on/off the step, repeated knees/kicks, etc.  You can also incorporate squats and lunges into the workout.  

 

So limitless in how you can use it.  Hell, you can even do this using a log at the beach.

 

My go to TV program was The Caribbean Workout (a bit more advanced), but there are plenty of YouTube videos demonstrating various moves/workouts.  You can basically do your own...just find a couple of exercises and string them together.  Then add variations as you learn.

 

 

I actually have a little box I made years ago when I used to do more plyo based stuff for step ups and box jumps, it usually kicks my ass when I put forth the effort with it, crazy how doing some steps can torch your legs the next day haha.

[Sean Monahan]

For those south of the Fraser who might be looking for s gym- I joined Elevation Fitness last September and I love it. Huge space, well equipped, and almost never too busy.

[Wonder__Bread]

1 hour ago, Sean Monahan said:

For those south of the Fraser who might be looking for s gym- I joined Elevation Fitness last September and I love it. Huge space, well equipped, and almost never too busy.

Starting a new job and won't be able to work out till primetime (5-6 PM), how busy is elevation fitness around those times? To give you an idea of the equipment I use I'm basically doing incline bench, deadlifts, squats, some dumbbell exercises, pullups, rows, and HIIT bike at the end of every workout. My main concern is getting the bench, the squat rack and the pull up bar, how many of those does elevation have? 

 

I'm currently going to the community center gym in Cloverdale and it seems like no matter when I go someone is using the bench/squat rack. Also, any one have any experience with anytime fitness? Specifically the one in Cloverdale? 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Wonder__Bread

[I.Am.Ironman]

9 hours ago, diesel_3 said:

Damn, I was almost afraid to click on this thread!

I used to be fairly active in here!

 

Since getting out of the Military, I have been on a crazy fitness journey with it's ups and downs, trial and error....At one point I had reached a total of 100LBs weight lost. I was playing men's football in Alberta when I was in the Army, so I kept myself big to play on both sides of the ball on the line, once I moved back to BC, I didn't need that anymore. I was in unreal shape but then totally botched a good, slow bulk...My inner fat kid took over!

 

I was down to 176LBs at one point (Probably a little too small for my frame) I'm back up to around 235LBs and would be most comfortable maintaining around 200. I don't have a long battle because I can gain and lose weight fairly easily. It's getting a bit harder now as I get older, but i'm mostly worried about how my body has been breaking down. I have undiagnosed chronic back pain, I was too hard-headed to get some medical documentation when I was in the Army once my back pain started because we were supposed to 'suck it up, buttercup!' and now i'm paying for it! 

 

Over the last couple of years I have now developed sports induced asthma, so now when I play hockey it feels like i'm breathing through a pin hole. I know that losing a few pounds will help that, even though the cold air in the arena doesn't help very much.

 

I am trying to find something I can do that's low impact, I have heard Yoga is unreal, I'm not a jogger (Find it painfully boring) and my normal routine just consists of a basic 5x5 because I love compound movements, I don't lift heavy anymore, don't try and go for my 1RM, I am one bad back injury away from really being hooped, so I try and keep my squats down a bit.

 

Not really sure why I wanted to type all this out? Not really a venting session but more to maybe try and get myself to take some responsibility for the last couple of years and to pull my head outta my rear and figure it out?

 

I have the perfect opportunity right now to change my life (again) I am not working and probably going to University to become a History Teacher, So I have nothing but time...I just need the focus and energy!

 

What do you guys mostly do when you have lethargic days and don't want to go to the gym? Pre-workouts and Stims kind of make me feel nauseous, Maybe I just need to 'suck it up'?

A lot of times improving your hip mobility will relieve some tension on the lower back. I find success with hip flexor stretches (done properly) and stretching the ext. rotators of the hips such as piriformis etc. The pigeon stretch is good for this or the figure 4 stretch if you don't have the mobility to perform pigeon. I have also found success with yoga but as someone else mentioned it is not for everyone as some positions can be too aggressive (although the blocks and straps usually help alter the exercise to suit people better) and also very dependent on the studio/instructor.

 

You could still perform squats but I would probably stay away from back squats if your low back gives you problems. Light front squat or goblet squats might be better suited - again assuming you have enough hip mobility.

 

I suggest looking into some of Dr. Stuart McGill's work. He is THE back guy. I went to one of his conferences a few months ago and it was excellent. I find that his everyday back maintenance/health routine of the Bird Dog, McGill Crunch, Side Plank helps a lot of people (I would add glute bridges in there as well). The man is a legend and possesses the stache that beats all staches. Paul MacLean esque. Anyway, I think some of his resources will point you in the right direction. 

[CaNuCkSLoUiE23]

I switched to GoodLife last summer, loving it so far. (Surrey location)

 

Got the basic 24-hour membership for $40 a month. It's usually packed after 7PM since there are lots of people signed up for the $3 a week membership which is from 8PM-8AM. However, the place is somewhat empty during the day. Lots of free weights and tons of cardio machines. 

Edited April 25, 2017 by CaNuCkSLoUiE23

[Sean Monahan]

4 hours ago, Wonder__Bread said:

Starting a new job and won't be able to work out till primetime (5-6 PM), how busy is elevation fitness around those times? To give you an idea of the equipment I use I'm basically doing incline bench, deadlifts, squats, some dumbbell exercises, pullups, rows, and HIIT bike at the end of every workout. My main concern is getting the bench, the squat rack and the pull up bar, how many of those does elevation have? 

I haven't often been there during prime time but from my experience it's still very workable. Compared to the rec centre in delta it's practically dead.

 

They have two flat and two incline benches, 4 squat racks, 4 platforms, and probably 6-8 adjustable benches. Dumbbells go up to 100 which kinda sucks if you're a strong guy but oh well (personally it's fine for me). There's 3 pull-up bars on the cable columns and two other wall-mounted pull up bars that are probably 10 and 15 feet long each. They have a pretty solid collection of bumper plates too. The biggest thing I like about the gym is the space. It's a big facility and it has a turf area that's 25 yards long and maybe 15 wide? Great for farmers walks and sleds and whatnot.

 

Really the only knocks I'd have on the gym is that there's no rowing machine (not a huge deal as there's still plenty of cardio equipment) and the cost- I'm paying 52 per month. That said, I paid 48 at the rec centre in delta and elevation blows that gym out of the water so I don't mind the cost.

[Wonder__Bread]

1 hour ago, Sean Monahan said:

I haven't often been there during prime time but from my experience it's still very workable. Compared to the rec centre in delta it's practically dead.

 

They have two flat and two incline benches, 4 squat racks, 4 platforms, and probably 6-8 adjustable benches. Dumbbells go up to 100 which kinda sucks if you're a strong guy but oh well (personally it's fine for me). There's 3 pull-up bars on the cable columns and two other wall-mounted pull up bars that are probably 10 and 15 feet long each. They have a pretty solid collection of bumper plates too. The biggest thing I like about the gym is the space. It's a big facility and it has a turf area that's 25 yards long and maybe 15 wide? Great for farmers walks and sleds and whatnot.

 

Really the only knocks I'd have on the gym is that there's no rowing machine (not a huge deal as there's still plenty of cardio equipment) and the cost- I'm paying 52 per month. That said, I paid 48 at the rec centre in delta and elevation blows that gym out of the water so I don't mind the cost.

Yeah I'm paying 50 at my rec centre gym so chances are we might see each other in the near future and not even know it cause elevation fitness sounds great. What sold me is the turf area, as a soccer player it'd be extremely convenient to have a place to work on my agility and do some sled pulls along with other more dynamic exercises. I also checked out their website and they have sport specific programs which would be great if the cost isn't too high (have to inquire about the price unless you know anything about it?).  Thanks a lot for the write up man, it's greatly appreciated.