5:2 / IF Exercise & Fitness Thread Number 3: Advice and information for those following Intermittent Fasting .... and anyone else too

[BigChocFrenzy]

Why Exercise ?

Maintaining a normal bodyweight and taking regular exercise are 2 major areas of life which we can address to improve our health.

Regular exercise helps reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, some cancers, osteoporosis, dementia, depression.

Increasing your % muscle and / or reducing your % body fat lowers the risk of death from all causes LowerRiskMuscle

Regular exercisers gain the greatest benefits over their lifetime and they can minimise biological aging, i.e. "Bend the Aging Curve BendAge

Recent Research showed that lack of exercise is twice as likely to lead to premature death as being obese (BMI 30 -35)

Body Fat, Exercise & Diet
People who maintain their weight through diet alone without exercise are likely to have major deposits of visceral fat (the more dangerous kind around organs), even if BMI is ok.

They are TOFIs (Thin Outside, Fat Inside)

A MRI study found that:
45 % of women and nearly 60% of men with “healthy” BMI, had excessive levels of visceral fat i.e. clinically overweight

A Can J Card study showed visceral fat can be burned off via exercise, even if weight is unchanged (increased lean mass)

Hormesis

Hormesis, see Mattson , BlackSwan and Stronger is cutting edge science for nutrition & fitness.

Its principles are that alternating between “extremes” - e.g. feast & fast (5:2 / IF) , intense training & rest (HIIT) - makes the body more resilient.

The intermittent stress of lifting an extreme weight or performing at high speed for a short period pushes the body to overcompensate and prepare for an even greater future challenge HormesisTrain , Hormesis-Edge , and AntiFragile
The following recovery period avoids damage from over-stressing.

Fasted training

i.e. training on FDs (Fast Days), seems to increase the benefits of both training and IF.
Most experienced exercisers soon manage fasted training without loss of performance for sessions of up to 90 mins.

TYPES of Exercise

Main types: Aerobic, anaerobic, flexibility.

All exercise will burn fat, the more intense the faster the fat burn

Anaerobic
e.g. HIIT (see below), sprints, strength training
. Shorter training period
. Increases the RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) for up to 48 hrs
. Soon increases fitness
. May help correct insulin metabolism issues & target abs fat.

Aerobic
e.g. walking, running, cycling, swimming
. Longer training period
. May burn more calories during exercise, if it is lasts much longer than HIIT, but burns fewer afterwards
. It is easier to do for the less fit

Flexibility, Stability, Relaxation
e.g. yoga, stretching

The best exercise routine is one you enjoy and is sustainable.

HIIT cardio and resistance training / weight lifting are especially recommended to boost the effect of 5:2/IF, to increase weight loss, reduce body fat, retain muscle and maintain TDEE / BMR.

HOW to Exercise

If you are a very overweight unfit beginner:
. Check with your GP before starting exercise
. Start by walking 5-10 mins twice per day, gradually increase
. Try walk intervals: alternating 1 min faster pace, 1 min normal
. Build up to a brisk 30 mins daily walk and you will significantly improve your health & fitness
. Swimming is also good, preferably crawl or back stroke for less strain on back & joints.

Everyone Else:
Whether you join a gym or train at home or in the park:

• Train as intensively as your time, health and fitness level allow.
• Do not remain in your comfort zone, or you will not improve. But stop immediately if you feel any sharp pain.
• You are supposed to drip sweat and pant heavily !

Efficiency / Intensity: This Study proved that at speeds of 5mph or faster, running will burn more calories per mile than walking

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

HIIT is an exercise strategy which alternates brief intervals of high intensity exercise with less intense recovery periods

. Very time-efficient, producing the greatest fitness benefit in the least time (the advantage of hormesis)

. Increases both aerobic and anaerobic endurance

. May improve insulin metabolism, very important for health and abs fat.

. Reduces risk of heart problems more than doing lower intensity SteadyState , pp. 31-34.

HIIT can be applied to cardio or to bodyweight exercises, at home or gym.
Most gyms offer HIIT classes, e.g. spinning, circuit training, CrossFit, Tabata, Fartlek (=HIIT with irregular intervals)

FAST Exercise

"No time" to exercise ?
Or want to boost fitness & fat-burning metabolism

Dr Mosely developed a FastExerciseProgram to complement his 5:2 WOE
His Fast HIIT and strength routines can significantly improve metabolism & fat-burning capability

Other scientists like Tabata have developed routines now wisely incorporated in training.

HIIT Fitness Blasts

A few mins per day, 3-5 days per week

START with 2 mins warmup then EITHER

Sprint or Rope-skipping intervals
. 1 minute sprinting / skipping @ max effort +90 secs jogging to recover
. Do 5 intervals

OR

Fast Blasts
Choose from:
Running, stationary bike @ low resistance, rope-skipping, burpees, jumping jacks, spotty dog, punching air or bag, step-ups, swimming, squats, lunges, pressups, tricep dips, situps ... or any combination you like.

Choose type of Blast:

4-minute Blast
. 4 mins @ 90% effort

OR "Tabata" = 8 x intervals of 20 secs @ 100% effort + 10 secs recovery @ rest or slow speed
( FreeTimerApp )

OR 2 x20-sec intervals=
. 20-sec @ 100% effort
. 2 mins walk to recover
. 20-sec @ 100% effort

END any HIIT or Fat Blast with a few mins cooldown walk / jog

RESISTANCE Training / LIFTING

Helps retain muscle mass during weight loss and hence to maintain TDEE.
Lift at home / in the gym weights area / in a pump class.

It is best not to train the same muscle groups 2 days in succession, so have rest days, or cardio, or train different muscle groups on different days.
Try to build up to weight training for 30-60 mins twice per week.

Reps = the number of repetitions in a set of lifts
Sets are separated by brief rests
E.g. 3 sets of 12 reps = 36 lifts
Breathing: Inhale before lifting, exhale while lifting. Don't hold your breath.

WARNING
Do not lift massively heavy barbells, more than bodyweight, unless you are really fit with good technique.
Women who have given birth and / or are aged 40+ have a higher risk of pelvic floor / prolapse injuries when lifting heavy than young non-mums.

Press ups
Video

• The best upper body exercise
• Keep attempting one full pressup rather than doing several dozen girlie ones with your knees on the floor
• Once you can do one pressup, you will soon be able to build up to 5, then 10 etc.
• Tip: keep the abs rigid, so strong abs are as important as strong shoulders & arms
• Hand Release Pressups are good to build up strength for full ones
• Also build up via inclined pressups IncPress , see bottom of wiki page
• To increase the number of pushups IncNum

ATG Arse To Grass bodyweight squat

• The best exercise for the large muscle group in bum and thighs
• Basic principle: It is like having a pee on a public loo - get your bum down low and pointing to the rear, but not actually touching the seat

-Lean back on your heels, so that weight is on them, not on your toes

• Bring your arms forward
• Keep your back straight, but angled slightly forward, not vertical
• Squat down as far as you can without knee pain or hunching your back
• Push up from your heels, exhaling.

Pullups

• Very few women can do full ones, but assisted ones build excellent muscle
• Work the same muscles with the much easier Australian pullup / InvertedRow

If you have access to dumbbells / barbells, then for maximum effect, work the large muscle groups:
Squat BentOverRow (press button "female")
BehindNeckPress (press button "female")
DeadLift

To increase Strength
Lift as heavy as you can, low reps, with 1 minute rest between sets e.g. 5 sets x 5 reps each, i.e. totalling 25 lifts

To Build Muscle
Lift lower weight, 3 sets x 8-20 reps, i.e. totalling 24-60 lifts

To Build Endurance
Lift lower (NOT Girlie) weight for 3-5 mins, preferably without pauses

BUM / GLUTES
Squats & lunges are excellent
Also this 2-min bodyweight workout especially for women, targeting the bum:
WorkYourBum

ABS
Choose the exercises & number of reps for your fitness level

The plank
. Start at 2 x 15 secs. Build up to 2 x 45 secs
. Advanced:

1. Use TRX slings, picture 2

Side plank + hip raises
. If you can, keep the side of 1 foot plus 1 forearm on the floor, free arm straight up in the air, picture 3
. Easier - free hand on your hip. Easier still - keep calf & knee on the floor, instead of bent at the knees
. Start at 3 sets of 3. Build up to 3 x 30

Leg raises
. Lie flat on your back, with legs bent to 90 degrees
. Lower the legs one at a time to 1" above the floor (straight leg if you can) then raise again
. Start at 3 sets of 3 each leg. Build up to 3 x 15
. Advanced:

1. Lower both legs at the same time

Situps
. Hands forward to really work abs & avoid pulling the neck
. Alternatively, cross your arms over your chest
. Start at 3 sets of 3. Build up to 3 x 30
. Advanced:

1. Raise legs to 90 degrees & bring them towards you when you situp (double crunch)
2. Legs nearly flat on the floor
3. One leg bent at 90 degrees, the other held straight 1" above the floor
4. Hold a weight disc / dumbbells / barbell above your head

Angled Situps
. Lie on your back and rest one ankle on the opposite knee
. Angled situp so your opposite elbow touches the knee
. Keep the other hand be in the air by your knee, or alternatively supporting your head - do NOT pull on the neck
. Build up to 3 sets of 20 each side
. Advanced:

1. with dumbell
2. Situps with legs rotated 90 degrees to the left, resting on floor. Then repeat set with legs rotated to the right, on floor
3. Lie on the floor, rotate legs 90 degrees to the left. Raise and lower legs like that, keeping back on the floor. Repeat set with legs on other side
4. Keep legs raised & rotated to the left and do situps (double side crunch) Repeat with legs raised & rotated to the right

AVOID OSTEOPOROSIS

To retain bone strength and avoid a painfully disabled old age, start now:
Ideally weight-bearing exercises that load the bone along its length of these types:

Impact exercise E.g. walking, running, jumping, skipping rope, step class, hitting a heavy punch bag

Lifting: squats, press-ups, bench press, overhead press etc

Squats are much better for osteoporosis than lunges, also for knees:
The weight in a squat is transmitted down along the spine, through the hip, and down along the bones of the leg, whereas in a lunge, it is transmitted across the shinbone and puts pressure on the knee joint

Cycling normally does NOT increase bone density, as it does not load bones along their length. Osteo

KETTLEBELLS Kettle
Beginners:
. Two-handed swing
. Sumo Deadlift
. Turkish Getup
. Swing
. Clean and Jerk
. Press

Improve GRIP STRENGTH GripStrength , GripBuild

RUNNERS

. Sprinting improves fitness
. Regular 5 - 10 km runs burn significant fat, especially fasted

Running illustrates the "J or S-curve" effect, where increasing exercise improves health, up to a certain point, after which health worsens e.g. MayoClinic , RiceUni , JMed :

. Running 20 mins improves immune system

. A run of 90+ mins may weaken the immune system for up to 3 days.
With insufficient recovery periods, the damage is cumulative.
Elite runners have immune systems that handle that strain

. Long races 20k+ may cause micro-tears to the heart muscle in some runners, hence a 2-week recovery period is recommended.

CALCULATORS:
Calories Burned for specific exercises: ExerciseCals
Fitness Calculators: 52FastExercise
Estimate fitness age: FitAge
Estimate Vo2Max iTunes App: Vo2APP
Running Calories burned: RunningCals
Running Standards: Age-RelatedRunCalculator
TDEE 24hr activity times & body fat TDEE-Detail

Hi Fabian, welcome to the thread. I'm sure BC will be along with some pertinent advice for you.

About 5:2, there's no need to go straight to 500 cals - I began with 1200 cals twice a week, and I lost weight on that. Why not just dip your toe in the water and take it very gently?

Hi Fabian You can ease in gently to 5:2, e.g. with 1000-calorie FDs like the BFers do, regardless of whether you BF.
The most important aspect is to make the NFDs (non-fast days) sensible, which for us means eating around TDEE (see main thread OP), just meals, no snacking between.

Walking is an excellent start. You can build up to 10k steps daily, until you feel ready for something mote strenuous.
Do "walking intervals" at least 3 days per week, to improve your cardio fitness:
. 5 mins walking at normal pace to warm up
. 1 min brisk walking (as fast as you can)
. 1 min normal walking pace, to recover
. Repeat the 1 min brisk / normal intervals 5 times
. Continue the rest of your walk at normal pace
Over the next few weeks:
. Gradually increase the number of your intervals to 10
. and move towards 1 minute brisk / 20 secs recovery
. until you can walk very briskly for say 20 mins without recovery breaks.

Abs - postnatal
Before working on your abs, first check amount of separation:
(Ignore twee mumsy title page ! )

1.	Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet soles on the floor.
2.	Place one hand behind your head and the other hand on your abdomen, with your fingertips across your middle —parallel with your waistline—at the level of your navel
3.	With your abdominal wall relaxed, gently press your fingertips into your abdomen.
4.	Roll your upper body off the floor into a "crunch," making sure that your ribcage moves closer to your pelvis.
5.	Move your fingertips back and forth across your midline, feeling for the right and left sides of your rectus abdominis muscle. Test for separation at, above, and below your belly button, measuring by fingers width.

If you have more than a three-finger separation between your abs, seek advice from your HCP.

Postnatal Abs - Rebuilding Core
Only if you have less than three-finger separation.

Beginning
Do ONE of these on 3 non-consecutive days per week, only progressing onto the next exercise after you have mastered the current one

1. Heel Slides (picture 1)
   . Start at say 3 each side
   . Build up over the weeks to 20 each side, then move onto

2. Single Toe Taps (picture 2)
   Important: keep your lower back still all the time.
   . Lie on the floor with knees bent, feet on the floor
   . Keep one leg still and slowly lower the other foot down to the floor (keeping knee bent) and back up again
   . Start at 3 each leg
   . Build up to 10 each and move onto intermediate exercises

Intermediate
Do all of these on the 3 days:

Single Leg Extension (picture 3)
Important: keep your lower back still all the time.
. Lie on the floor with knees bent, feet on the floor
. Keep one leg still and slowly extend the opposite leg out straight, parallel with the floor but about 2" above it.
. Return the leg to the starting position.
. Start at 5 each leg
. Build up to 20 each

Plank (picture 4)
Important: keep your back straight, no bum in the air !!
Good form is far more important than how long you hold it
. Start at 5 secs. do it 3 times
. Build up to 2 x 30 secs

Yoga Boat (picture 5)
. Start at say 4 seconds
. Build up to 30 secs

Squats (picture 6)
Important: Keep weight on your heels, bum back, back straight
. Only go as deeply as is comfortable for your knees & back (don't strain)
. Start at 4 squats, quite shallow
. Build up to 2 sets of 8, deeper

Yesterday did 530 p/ups in 21.30. 200 in sets of 25, then went down to sets of 22.

Had a FI checking my form today - I wanted to see what my form was like at the end of a set compared to the beginning. So I did 64 in a minute. His verdict was that my bum was a bit too low - he recommended I strengthen my core by planking, mainly. So tonight I did 2x60 secs plank plus one 60 sec plank with my feet up on the first step.

He also suggested I spread my hands a little wider so I can get down a little further.

What else could I be doing, BC?

B&W Difficult when I can't see you after 60 pressups !

Lower Back / Core:
I suggest you forget the inclined plank (doesn't help form, imo, just increases injury risk) and build up to these on non-consecutive days:

• 3 x 60 sec standard forearm plank
• 3 x 60 sec hand plank (because this is the pressup position you need to optimise)
• 3 x 60 sec Yoga Boat (see my post below for Florian)
• Lower Back / Straight Leg Deadlift Use your heaviest weight or kettle (30 kg ? but do NOT swing) Do 3 x 20 reps

Pressup Position:

• Some PTs are quite anal about getting down to an inch above the floor, but this is unnecessary and considerably increases risk of shoulder injury.
  Imagine a fist placed sideways on the floor. Ideally, the middle of your chest should just touch this.

• Hands should be slightly wider than shoulders, in line with the middle of your chest, not too far forward - so that you work chest, shoulders & triceps together.

• Turn your hands outwards slightly, so your fingers point outwards, up to 45 degrees - it keeps elbows and arms in a better position to both maximise strength and minimise joint stress.

• Try to put your weight on the outside of your hands, not on the bottom of your hand / wrists - this helps reduce wrist stress / injury

• Engage your abs all the time, so that your body remains in line throughout the upward & downward motion

Good technique illustrated here:

Thankyou so much for all the information, I checked for stomach muscle separation a few weeks ago and I think I am ok but I will check again later before I start doing any exercises.
My good intentions have been slightly derailed by half term this week, it makes such a big difference to the daily routine and my available time and energy.
I am going to focus on exercise only for a few weeks as this is the most important thing to me. I have read that benefits of exercising include regulating the appetite and making healthier food choices so hopefully this will help when I am ready to start thinking about what to eat as well.
I hadn't thought of starting on a higher number of calories, I will definitely do this when I am ready to incorporate 5:2 as the thought of 500 terrifies me at the moment .

Hi all just checking in with my (small scale, slow) progress.

You are a very inspiring fit bunch on here!

Still doing daily walks, two if time, some fast pace interval walking mixed in. Also alot of cycling since Easter. Month by month feeling fitter. Still 5;2ing, much weight lost, much weight still to lose.

Gradually building up inclined pressups, step ups and sit ups or are they maybe stomach crunches?! (legs bent towards chest style as can't do full sit up yet).

On BCF's advice just tried my first Fast Blast this morning - felt good -will continue with them too. Presumably I could do that a couple of times a day, 5 days a week ?

Have to be very careful not to overdo high impact exercise as have a long history of injuring self when overweight and trying to up the exercise.

One question I have for anyone else who has lost/is losing alot of weight, are there any particular exercises that help avoid ending up with saggy skin where once there was fat - for me that would be especially abdomen and upper arms?

Got a long way to go to a healthy BMI but loving getting there bit by bit.

Well done Clear, you are progressing well!

I've just done 3 x 15 second planks!!!

No more than 10 seconds between them, am amazed! Going to try doing that daily for now, and then maybe up to 20 seconds in a week or so? It was nowhere near easy, the last one hurt from the second I was in position so its going to take a little while to be comfortable like it!

Great progress with the exercise, clear, MrD Well done

MrD See if you manage daily or every other day. Do have at least one day per week rest without any abs work.

Clear Noone should do more than ONE Fat Blast in a day, or more than 5 days per week.
If you have a problem with high impact - understandable as your joints are carrying a fair fit extra, then stick to walking / cycling / swimming, leave jogging for later.

Any of these low impact exercises would suit either Fat Blasts or longer less intense sessions:
Upper body - Pressups, punching in the air forwards rapidly, tricep dips on a step, lifting light weights (small plastic bottles of water) - e.g. deadlift or standing press
Abs - situps / crunches, side plank with hip raises, then see 3 pics for: reverse crunches, bicycle kicks, scissor crunches
Legs / bum - squats, lunges, hip bridge up & down, donkey kick, toe taps (lying on your back), side saddle leg lifts, or on your side, Pilates "swimming"

clear re: skin
You are losing weight at a sensible rate, with plenty of nutrients, not on a crash diet.
You are losing at a rate your body can cope with, not forcing it by extreme measures.
and you aren't 75 yrs old ==> your skin elasticity should cope.
MrD has lost over 50 lb and afaik her skin looks fine. Yonks ago, when she asked the same question, I recommended a daily massage with birch oil

Clear - BCF is right- I had a worry the same think it was before Christmas, so far I've zero signs of any excess skin - and I've only remembered occasionally to massage! Will do it more often as I get lower probably to stay on top of it, but as the losses slow it feels like that is because my body needs to take longer to let the skin catch up - so when I have a couple of weeks static it doesn't bother me now, just feels like the right thing

Going to try daily on the plank maybe 5 days a week - fingers crossed!

Thanks BCF and MrD!

Nice to see everyone making good progress!

With 2.5 weeks to go, I've decided to take it easy on the run-up - in that I'm only exercising once every 3 days. I might go for the full hour tomorrow, doing sets of 20. It would be nice to get the full 1200 under my belt, then I can relax and just maintain for a couple of weeks.

I did 500 in sets of 25 on Saturday, quite comfortably, then settled into sets of 20 for a hundred or so.

Crikey, I thought the target was 1000 ! Which would be brilliant; 1200 is totally amazing

A dress rehearsal is an excellent idea - which reminds me:
wear exactly the clothes (including socks, underwear) and shoes you intend to wear on the day. Some issues only show up when you do it for real

Hi all
I have managed to exercise every other day since the Sunday before last. I am very pleased with that, my last 2 attempts to start exercising ended after 1 or 2 sessions.
The first week I did 3 30 minute walks with 5 x 1 min power walk 1 min recovery and I went swimming once.
This week I have already been swimming once and am aiming for 3 30 minute walks with 6 x 1 min power walk 1 min recovery - 1 session done so far.

I have also added some arm exercises after walking, they are very simple exercises that just involve me lifting my arms in the air in a variety of ways but I can only do 10 of each at the moment.
I also do the abs exercises after walking, I found the heel slides easy so have moved on to the heel taps, can only do 5 at the moment but can feel the progress every time I do them which is very encouraging.

The biggest thing for me is to keep it up and make exercise a regular habit.

Good luck Breadandwine with your press up challenge, you and BigChoc are both so inspiring, I will remind myself to reread this thread if I feel my motivation slipping (along with the list of 50 reasons to exercise that I have printed out).

Thanks, Fabian and well done to you!

The best sort of exercise is the one you can stick to. Every time you exercise makes it easier for the next time. And eventually it becomes a habit!

I did my dress rehearsal the other night - 1200 press ups in 59.20. It wasn't particularly tough, except that the last 3 or 4 of each set were a bit of an effort. I intend taking it easy for the next 2 weeks, don't want to sprain anything.

"the last 3 or 4 of each set towards the end were a bit of an effort."

Well done, Fabian That's really good progress with the walking and the abs too The swimming makes a nice all-body cross-training.
You are obviously getting stronger all the time - that's one of the good things about being an exercise newbie: you can make great progress really quickly and feel so much fitter.

I recommend you do add one Fat Blast to your routine, starting say at 3 days per week, building up to 5 days over the next few weeks.
What this could be:

• Do your arm exercises for 20 secs
• Rest 10 secs
• Repeat these 20/10 intervals twice
• Over the weeks, build up to 8 intervals of 20/10 This really accelerates fitness. It can also help to correct any insulin metabolism issues you might have.

Now you need to make exercise a habit:
most habits take a full month to become permanent. So stick to it and you'll have achieved a real healthy lifestyle NSV

Excellent rehearsal, B&W
Light exercise for the next fortnight is very sensible.
I suggest just a few sets per week, to keep your muscles in shape, but do have a restday every other day, to give them maximum repair / rebuild time.
Good luck !

Fantastic dress rehearsal B&W!

I'm up to 3x 20 seconds plank! The last few seconds of the last one I felt my core giving out and had to really push it back up into position but I did it! Another week or so at that point I think before I try and increase further.

Fabian, sounds like you are progressing well too!

Excellent progress, MrD You are getting fitter all the time

Thanks, MrD - once you put yourself out there, it all becomes possible. I forecast a 1 min plank for you in the not too distant future!

I did my last practice session tonight - 600 pushups in 30 minutes. I honestly feel I can keep up the 20 p/ups every minute for a lot longer than one hour. I'm doing the sets of 20 in about 16-17 seconds - even the later ones - so I reckon I'm in fine shape.

I intend to stick to 20 pushups every minute throughout the hour - except when it comes to the last lot, I'll just keep on going, to see how many I can do in the last minute.

How would you prepare for this challenge, BC? I know you're a proponent of a double expresso before vigorous exercise - does that equate to a strong mug of instant, say 2 tsps instead of one?

BTW, the total raised so far is approaching £500, very happy with that!

BC?