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

My DD has set me out a training plan (downloaded from tinternet) so I can be ready for my 10k in just under 8 weeks.

Plan up to the 10k is as follows:-

Day 1 - Stretch and strength (did Jillian 30DS L1 yesterday but this is probably not ideal);
Day 2 - run (week 1, today was 2.5 miles, and then gradually building up);
Day 3 - Cross training (thinking Jillian 30DS L2 unless I can get to the gym);
Day 4 - run with conditioning (week 1 is 2 miles, then gradually building up) - not decided on specific conditioning yet - maybe I could do 1 mile warm-up then sprint/recovery, then a mile steady.
Day 5 - rest day
Day 6 - 40 mins cross train - gym? rowing; cross trainer; bike; otherwise DD has suggested an insanity workout
Day 7 - easy (long) run. 3 miles this week, building up by half a mile a week.

Should give me a good mix of exercises whilst I slowly increase the running distance and once I build up my 40 min plus sessions perhaps some of my belly flab will melt away.

Carrot You may just have super abs
But check that your body is in a straight line from shoulders to heels, see pics.

Leaning on your hands: works the shoulders more
Leaning on your forearms: concentrates on the abs. Make sure your bum is not sticking upwards. You should have a nearly horizontal line, shoulders to heels.

Thanks BC. I will persevere! I've had 2 sections, so core not what it used to be. Also, when I go down, my elbows go out (my body makes a T shape) not back like they are supposed to.

I can go all the way down, just not get back up. Either that or I can only do a shallow dip.

Was chatting with my sis today about it - she thinks the fact that I'm 4 stone heavier than her has something to do with it. She is a featherweight!

Shred, leg raises and plan done today - pleased with myself.

Hi Maz! Nice to see you back on these threads again.

When I first started press ups I couldn't do a single one properly. I would dip about 2 inches, and be unable to go any further. It was only when BC told me to start them off by lying down and pushing myself up that I began to get the hang of it. Now I can rattle off 50 in a minute!

Mind you, I've had no problems such as you describe! [shudder]

Any advice on how to reduce calf size?
In the last year my jeans still fit fine around the waist with no extra notches on the belt, but they are really tight around my calves (thanks to all the running I presume). I used to have lovely slim calves but no they resemble those of a premier league football player

Nope, I presume that's muscle !
Just be proud to be strong. I have a lot of muscle and I am proud to be scary
If there is any calf fat in that 2kg you (still ?) want to lose, then the lower weight will help.
With your low body fat and long limbs, your leg muscles are probably clearly defined
My upper body is, but most women need to be 12-15% for leg muscle definition and I wouldn't feel well at that level.

Thanks Bigchoc - I'll learn to love my calves in that case and buy only trousers with a little lycra in them in future

Thanks for all the comments about exercise motivation - I've even avoided this thread as part of my exercise avoidance.

That said I've also started the squat challenge and doing kettlebells for arms/upper body. Only short sessions but I guess anything is better than sitting on the sofa! I've become reacquainted with seldom used thigh muscles that are not happy about the squats, walking down stairs has been a painful experience this week!

By the way, I'm another one with big calves even when I'm slim. I blame all the ballet classes I did as a child.

Well done, Stripy
Short intense sessions often work better with IF than longer steady state sessions, so you definitely are getting benefits.
I recommend you add a few mins rope skipping. Building up to even 5 mins is a really good cardio workout.

How are you doing with 10k, granny and the plan your dd downloaded for you ?

Hi have just started on 5:2 but going well so far - have a question about HITT.
I have quite bad knees and lunges and squats skipping all seem to give pain? Any alternative?

Well the squats have been abandoned for the last week so I'm back to day 1

MsDeer my DH has bad knees but finds them worse the less exercise he does - cycling seems to help. I had knee surgery couple of years ago on my right knee (had a tear of the meniscus which needed nibbling out to stop it tearing further). I am very very careful with lunges and cautious with squats - correct form is very important. If I do lunges then I do them slowly and so personally wouldn't incorporate them into HIIT.

Bigchoc Probably going to do a bit of swapping round of the plan but it's going okay so far (although 30DS level 2 is evil). I do a FB report for her after each day's exercise so it keeps me focussed. Ran just over 6.5 km on Saturday so am beginning to feel a little bit more confident. Have yet to do today's exercise though - is a FD for me and I spent 2 hours this afternoon chopping down shrubs in the garden and cutting them up so feel like I've had a workout already.

MrsDeer With knees, I'd try to gradually build up the muscles supporting the knee with less stressful exercise like cycling / spin / exercise bike and swimming (crawl, not breast stroke, for knee problems).

Tip has some good knee exercises, I think, as she had dodgy knees too.
< YOOHOO tip ! >

For HIIT or Fat Blasts:
. punching the air optionally with light weights
. burpees
. march on the spot, bringing knees up high
. pressups
. tricep dips on a step
. situps or any other abs exercise, e.g. side hip raises, leg raises
. kettle bell exercises, using an ordinary dumbbell if you don't have a kettlebell
. exercise bike

Hi there MsDeer
If your knees are giving you pain, ease back on them.
Knees are one of the most complicated joints and metal replacements for them are still not properly designed.

It depends what your actual injury is, but the most common are
hyper extension so that the little tendons are too loose .... test by sitting on the floor with your legs out straight in front of you, feet flexed. How far can you lift your heels off the floor?

I used to be able to do 4 inches ... its not a good thing.

damaged patella the back of the patella is no longer properly connected so that it can slide round to the side without warning

torn ACL often repaired by surgery but the surrounding weakness is still there

So, you need to build up the teeny muscles up the sides of your knees that hold the joint into alignment - lots of balancing, walking backwards, minimal impact, even more balancing

lunges : never carry weights and do them slowly

squats : rotate your feet a fraction to find the angle that puts the least pressure on your knees and get your bum BACKWARDS so that your shins stay as upright as possibl

For everybody doing squats: bring your bum right back, as if you are having an emergency pee on a grubby public loo and don't want to touch the eat.
See the picture of that nice young man squatting, my post Tue 26-May-15 11:19:41

But don't go as far down if your knees hurt, only as far as is pain-free

Hi all! I am new to the thread and new to 5:2.

First FD today. Started fast at 9pm last night and planning on fasting till 1pm today (except a little bit of milk in tea which I can't function without)! So kind of 16:8.

Planning short HIIT (jumping jacks, burpees, high knees, squats, lunges) and an Ashtanga yoga sessions today. Nothing too strenuous as I'm a newbie. I have a it of weight to lose but also concerned about visceral fat.

Welcome, ForEverything (your NN really isn't one that lends itself to being shortened to an acronym!) - sounds like an excellent start!

I did a tabata mix again this morning- first set various step-ups, second set squats and lunges, third set abs and fourth various planks. Helps that DD and DH are both out (he's taken her to her english lang gcse and is waiting to bring her home as she has 3 subjects tomorrow!) - the step-ups are a bit noisy and I think DH might worry that I'll damage the furniture so I avoid doing that when he's in. It also helped that we had to get up at 'schooltime' - I'm an owl with a bad tendency to stay up too late and then sleep in when DD isn't at school. Working from home with people in california makes it far too easy to let my day slip round and waste the morning.

Has anyone done T25 with the 5:2 diet, what have your results been? I have been doing this programme for 6 weeks with good results losing inches, although not many pounds. I started the 5:2 diet last week. I have around 9lbs to loose. Outside my bmi by 2lbs .

Haha well observed Errol, it's actually from the Ian Brown song F.E.A.R. - every line of which (apart from "you got the fear" I think) spells fear! Clever innit? Not that I'm particularly fearful, just love the song!

Anyhow, I massively digress. Sounds like you've managed a great workout. I can sympathise with having to take advantage of the empty house. I think my jumping jacks must have sounded like a rather boisterous elephant to the neighbours!

And thanks for the welcome!

Welcome, Reason Your short bursts of HIIT should help burn visceral fat, especially if you can do 30+ mins afterwards of something less energetic.

Welcome, Nake99 If you are losing inches, that is probably fat and the scales should catch up soon.
Most folk can't lose by exercise alone - weight loss is usually at least 80% determined by what you eat & drink. So, 5:2 should help lose weight.

Nake If you run fasted, have a double espresso (black, no sugar) 10 mins beforehand. It often helps mobilise fat for burning.

Oh great tip thanks bigchoc.

Yesterday I did HIIT sesh in the morning and a 20 min yoga sesh in the evening, though I did have a 45 min - 1 hr walk in between (slow walk with buggy). Next time I'll play around with the timings so I can do the 2 together.

So, just a newbie query for you wise ones; I ended up eating slightly LESS than 500 cal yesterday. Still fasting atm as trying 16:8. Hope this is ok and I'm not overdoing the fasting... Have had about 500 cal overall since 9pm on Monday evening. Is this ok? I feel pretty good atm. No headaches or anything. Planning on having a pita bread with chicken and hummus at 1pm or 12.30 depending on how things work out with my DD's naps and feeds.

Reason A walk after HIIT, or after the more strenuous forms of yoga, is a good combination.

An FD is about 36 hours, because of the 2 sleeps, but you can certainly lengthen it a few hrs, if you feel ok
So, 500 cals from 9pm Monday to lunchtime Wednesday is not unusual on 5:2.