For BG fitness fanatics, a question..

[Mizango]

Used to the Buffalo thing, but yeah the weather in DC and NC arent that much different. But yeah, in this weather (I run in the mornings, 5:30am) I usually wear a tshirt under my long sleeve shirt and shorts and hit the old dusty trail and it does me fine. Its windy and a little chilly when I begin, but when im done and hot as shit I don't want to be so bundled that I am sweating profusely and setting myself up to be sick.

[shaddix]

Need to keep your face and hands warm, as those being cold will bone your heart rate. Looks goofy but when I used to run I would wear a ski mask, gloves, a t-shirt and shorts. Something to cover your mouth is a bonus.

[Draylo]

I've been using resistance bands for working out. I'm not hardcore or anything but I feel they aren't doing it for me that much anymore. I am interested in buying a free weight set and doing my exercises w/those, any suggestions on what I should buy? I use p90x work outs, I dunno peoples opinions on those but using a gym isn't possible for me atm. My only option is to work out at home. Just looking for a free weight set that anyone can recommend for me, preferably cheap too!

Nobody can suggest some? ;(

[Cream Soda]

Define cheap

[Osede]

@Draylo
The only thing I can suggest are the adjustable weight dumbbell and pullup bar. But with just the resistance band, you already can perform different type of workout. Unless you want to really bulk up, then you need to go to real gym to do it. Else, these are enough for toning.

On side note, it is so hard to get ride the fat on the side of the waist. Seeing those fat keep staying there just make myself feel so fat. Even though I already feel alittle satisfy with my abs so far

[Draylo]

Cheap as in ~100-150. I don't wanna be huge, just bigger than I am now lol. I am pretty sure what I wanna achieve can be done at home, I can't do the gym due to several reasons. Just want a decent free weight set that I can order online, so any direct links or names would be nice. Pullup bar would be nice too, I heard of a few. I have one but it hooks onto the door and that doesn't work for me.. the door frame too small/not sturdy, would rather one that works where you put it against two sides of the door frame instead of directly ontop.

The resistance bands aren't too bad but I feel like I'm not getting a lot in when I do it with them. Maybe the one I'm using is too big or something but I barely feel it.

[shaddix]

Good free weights are very expensive, buy used off craigslist locally. You'll probably have to wait patiently for good deals to get everything you'll need for 150 bucks.

[Draylo]

What is the average price then? That much for few free weights 10~50 lb? Don't need a ton of weight for exercises I'm doing.

[shaddix]

dunno if this is a good price retail but it's where I would order from if I was going to buy new.

http://www.roguefitness.com/store/plates.php

[Draylo]

Wow 5-50lb dumbells $650, guess I'm stuck with the resistance bands.

[shaddix]

craigslist man! You can get a good power rack for like 70 bucks if you are patient. Why no gym!?

[Draylo]

I will check out craiglist then. No gym because I don't have a car and my schedule is pretty busy atm w/2 jobs and school. I hate gyms anyway, I always feel uncomfortable lol I'd rather do this at home.

[Maaglin]

Get thicker bands? Use larger loops? There's a lot you can do with bands. P90X shows a lot of variation using them, so I'm not really sure what your problem is with them.

[Elesirdur]

It's starting to get cold outside, what kind of stuff is best for running in that weather?

Pulling this from the last page, but here are a few suggestions.

Keep your running fabrics, especially your base layers, technical fabrics. Cotton will stay really damp and can chill you very badly when it's cold out and you start sweating (or when it rains). I live in a pretty mild place, though winters are damp (none of that dry cold you get out East) and often windy so it's sometimes hard to stay comfortable.

I wear a technical singlet (more of an armless workout shirt) under a long sleeve technical shirt. Pair of gloves, a hat (either cap or toque) and some running shorts do me fine. Given that you're in a pretty cold place you might want to look into a pair of leggings. They keep you very warm and if they are of the compression variety I do find that I run a bit more comfortably than in sweatpants. If you're in frostbite territory then a balaklava would be good, though you might find breathing to be a bit annoying.

You might want a windbreaker or anorak when it's windy or rainy, but they don't do much for warmth. An alternative is a zip-up or a hoodie, though you might find that too cumbersome when you're running for more than 45 minutes or an hour.

Oh, and if you're looking for running gloves Nike makes a mens pair that has some soft fabric over the thumb (and only there). It's for wiping your nose when it runs due to the cold, seriously - they also sell winter construction gloves with these, a total godsend when you're framing and its windy and near/below freezing.

And don't forget some high-vis or reflective elements. Grab a pair of reflective armbands so motorists can see you, it gets dark too fucking early for afternoon/evening running.

Is 8 min mile/average even close to respectable? I know it's not a good time.

Edit: Instead of conventional stretching, is past parallel squats with just the olympic bar a good way of stretching out the leg muscles prior to a run?

8min/mi is decent, though if all you're doing is a mile then you should probably be able to get it down close to 6:30 if you just want to concentrate on short distance speed.

As for stretching before a run, well since you are doing such a short distance I would say yes, a warm-up is needed. Some bar-only squats would be good, but a brisk walk for 3-5 mins would do just fine too. Best to stretch well after the run (or so says the runners I know - there seems to be quite a bit of contention about pre-run stretching)

I'm not sure what your running goals are, but maybe try and increase your time and distance over just speedwork. Run 8 minutes, walk 2, then run 12 minutes, walk 3, and then run 8 more minutes at a slower pace. Keep that kind of routine up and work your way up to running for 30 mins non-stop and you'll get a good improvement in your leg muscle endurance and aerobic cardio endurance too. Or be a fucking boss and do hills. Hillwork is absolute hell but you really learn to use your hip flexors and your quads to pump.

Laaast running thing. I've been told by some run leaders in my run clinic that a 90 strides/minute cadence is widely considered to be the optimal (highest efficiency) running cadence. Take a watch and time 30 yourself over 30 seconds counting each stride with one foot strike. You should have close to 45 strides/30 seconds for an optimal cadence. This works equally well for warmup and recovery periods where you take shorter strides, and when you need to run faster or at a more regular pace just elongate that stride a little. Sticking to the 90/min helps prevent you from making your footfall too far forward when you want it just ahead of your centre of gravity. Try it out, I've been doing it for a week or two and I've seen improvements in my endurance and speed.

[richardd]

miz got me on a bison fetish. im gonna make them into hamburgers when i come back from la fitness baby! im trying this recipe lol. http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/gr...n_burgers.html except im not eating the bread. im just gonna use some thick pieces of leafy spiced romaine lettuce instead

i got the list already made when i go to whole foods later, but lucky for me i have most of the ingredients already

[Headspace]

Tried body weight squats in my room just now, no idea what to do to fix it lol. Can't get my hips to get to/pass 90 degrees, and when I come up I feel it in my back. Not a pain, just idk, i feel it in my back lol.

[shiarua]

Tried body weight squats in my room just now, no idea what to do to fix it lol. Can't get my hips to get to/pass 90 degrees, and when I come up I feel it in my back. Not a pain, just idk, i feel it in my back lol.

Sounds like you need to stretch out, go get a massage, go to a chiropractor or all of the above

[Weiing]

Tried body weight squats in my room just now, no idea what to do to fix it lol. Can't get my hips to get to/pass 90 degrees, and when I come up I feel it in my back. Not a pain, just idk, i feel it in my back lol.

Maybe you should get that checked? Just sayin'

[Headspace]

I'm just not that flexible I guess lol

[Atreides]

have you tried holding on to a chair/bed and squatting that way to get into the proper position? that will get your flexibility up, and if you're still not able to get into position bracing yourself you probably do have some sort of biomechanical problem