FH Fitness Thread

[Poag]

Eep, notifications...beeping at me. @Scouse

My fitbit Flex is doing pretty well. Had a couple of issues where the band was breaking after a years use but otherwise the device itself works perfectly. Got it tied into endomondo on my phone for hikes/bike rides etc. The sleep tracking is also excellent..

The Fitbit Aria scales are also still working well, they are susceptible to leaning as are most scales, i've actually gotten a couple of others interested in them now, so 3 other couples have them gracing their bathrooms.

This is the dashboard from Sunday when i went out for a walk....


I dont use the food or water tracking myself, but with myfitnesspal you can track it in fairly easily (i experimented)

Not sure what else you'd like to know.....the silent alarm in the track works well and i find is better than a beeping clock or a light......

 

[Scouse]

stuff

Cool. Looks like you're all-in on the whole shebang. I'm just thinking scales tbh - and was wondering about quality. I couldn't be arsed wearing something when I sleep.

 

[Poag]

The first few nights i didn't liek the band while i slept, but now i dont even think about it tbh. Triple tap once i settle down to sleep and thats it.


The scales are good, i've got the white one. They are sturdy, the four feet are fairly well spaced out so it doesn't tip unless you stand on the edge. They get a little dusty, but then its a flat glass surface in a bathroom :/

You get a kg read out when you stand on them, after its worked out its stuff it'll freeze the KG readout (between 5 and 10 seconds) and then show you the fat %, it flicks between the two for 30 seconds then uploads it.
On my account i can see my weigh in, i can also see who else has weighed in but not what they weighed in at, so its fairly private.

Aside that, its a pair of scales...tells you how much you weigh when you tie it into the website you get some nice long term graphs and trends. You can also plug other sites into it and they'll do some more number crunching magic

Oh and the batteries are still registering as full, donno how many months on but seems to have a fairly low power draw.

 

[Scouse]

nice long term graphs and trends.

That's what I'm after tbh. Will be helpful to me and act as motivation for the missus (who needs it a lot more than I do tbfh).

 

[Poag]

Sadly a website called syncmetrics has recently shutdown.

It did some nice graphing with predictions aswell which was interesting. I've noted that although my weight remains fairly constant (increase of 0.2kg on average over the last year) my daily weigh in swings up and down from the norm by as much as 2kg based on how much i've eaten or drunk in a day.

I use it as a general info rather than motivational piece personally

 

[Chilly]

I fell off the wagon slightly in the last month or so and weightloss stalled as a result. Back on a stricter diet and continuing to lift weights and the weight immediately starts to drop off. Love it. I think I just got complacent, but you have to keep your eye on the ball. I'm getting to the point where I'm almost as big (in terms of muscle) as I want to be, so I think I need to change up my training a bit to shift to more core and endurance work and reduce the amount of weights I do (but not stop, lifting is fucking awesome).

Just need to lose another 20kg and then I'll be a stone cold Apollo. Can't wait. I reckon I can beast it and get it done by the end of november if I put my mind to it and don't fuck about.

I'm currently 110.5kg, started at 155-160 or so (no scales I had could measure me!) and I have a target of about 90, plus or minus a bit depending how I look/feel.

 

[TdC]

good insight chum. I also fell off the wagon. 7kg up from where I was, but I am getting a fair amount of activity in.

 

[ECA]

Gj man.
I got down to 84kg, then bounced up a bit Back on the wagon as well now.

I'm not sure if the ski holidays I took despite slacking off in general helped me put some leg/core muscle on, so I dunno if I was a total fatty bum bum or some of its muscle. :/

 

[Chilly]

It's likely it's mostly fat. You can only put so much muscle on over time, whereas you can easily put on a stone a month in fat if you try

 

[Tom]

http://www.sportstracklive.com/track/map#peowpeowpeowlasers/Cycling/1549625/full

Check out that max HR recovery - 56bpm. Pretty darn chuffed with that!

 

[Scouse]

Check out that max HR recovery - 56bpm. Pretty darn chuffed with that!

Nice speeds on that link. Another day another 100 miles eh?

Done 80 mtb miles over the last two days - 50-odd yesterday around the peak district and 30 today around nottinghamshire. I've no idea what my HR recovery is but I'm gonna find out my weight and %fat soon as I'm about to start setting up my fitbit scales

 

[Scouse]

Well, I think the weight is probably about right (13st 3lbs) but the body fat percentage seems way off (33%? WTF - I'm 6'2" so unless there's zero muscle on me and it's all fat???!)

Do you find your body fat % accurate @Poag / @Yoni ?

 

[Scouse]

Hmmm. Used the "lean" setting. 21.7% now. Seems more reasonable as I'm still carrying a bit of flab. Especially around the belly.

Now I need to figure out my weight targets and do something with my upper body - canoeing would be favourite but I couldn't do it as regularly as I'd want to unfortunately and I'm loathe to gym as I get bored shitless...

Ideas?

 

[Tom]

Nice speeds on that link. Another day another 100 miles eh?

Done 80 mtb miles over the last two days - 50-odd yesterday around the peak district and 30 today around nottinghamshire. I've no idea what my HR recovery is but I'm gonna find out my weight and %fat soon as I'm about to start setting up my fitbit scales

You should definitely buy a HRM, they're pretty cheap now. You really need to know what your heart is doing, if it's recovering quickly enough, if it's racing, etc. A slow HR recovery = danger. Plus it'll give you far more accurate estimates of calories burnt when working out.

PS it was a group ride, much easier to ride quickly when you're hiding from the wind

 

[Scouse]

You should definitely buy a HRM, they're pretty cheap now.

I'd have thought having bluetooth available on my phone (for endomondo linky) would be a big drain on the battery?

How much for a semi-decent one? Seem some for around 20 quid...

Tbh I got pissed off wearing a t-shirt today (so stuffed it in my shorts pocket, I *really* get narked by heat) and I don't like wearing a watch, so I can't imagine wearing a band around my non-existent bicep would do anything but annoy me :|

TBH, I don't know enough about heart rates to do anything other than go "oh pretty" if I saw a graph...

 

[TdC]

turning the keto back on. started friday. thanks for inspiring me to get back on the wagon guys!

 

[Chilly]

turning the keto back on. started friday. thanks for inspiring me to get back on the wagon guys!

I found that when I was only half arsed doing it, I didn't put on any weight (and in fact I probably did lose some fat as I was weight training the whole time and my weight stayed constant). So at least I now know what maintaining can be like, which is pleasant.

 

[TdC]

yeah man, I noticed I only started gaining when I turned off the keto completely. when I was half-arsing it stuff remained balanced. Ive been *really* stressed with work and school the past three months, and gained about 7 kg eating comfort carbs :-/

 

[Tom]

I'd have thought having bluetooth available on my phone (for endomondo linky) would be a big drain on the battery?

How much for a semi-decent one? Seem some for around 20 quid...

Tbh I got pissed off wearing a t-shirt today (so stuffed it in my shorts pocket, I *really* get narked by heat) and I don't like wearing a watch, so I can't imagine wearing a band around my non-existent bicep would do anything but annoy me :|

TBH, I don't know enough about heart rates to do anything other than go "oh pretty" if I saw a graph...

I paid a lot for mine, but this was about 3 years ago. They're cheaper now.

A HRM will show you a lot of things. For instance, sat at this computer my HR is about 55bpm. Standing outside with the bike, around 80-90bpm. Cruising on the bike at 15mph - about 120bpm. Cycling up a moderately steep hill - about 160bpm. Cycling up a very steep hill - 190bpm. Some people use the old "max bpm = 220 - age in years" but that's a load of bollocks. I can hit 200bpm cycling hard up a very steep hill, and I'm not the only one.

But it's knowing the recovery rate that really helps. If your bpm drops by about 40 per minute when you stop exercising, that's healthy. But if it doesn't drop at all, or only by 20bpm, you should be worried, because that's an indicator of a cardiovascular system that's struggling. So I'm pretty pleased about 56bpm, it indicates a very healthy heart.

Mine fits across my chest. I only wear it when cycling/hiking, after a couple of minutes I forget it's there. The battery hit on my phone is negligible.

 

[Poag]

http://www.angelsensor.com/

might interest you guys

 

[TdC]

I found that when I was only half arsed doing it, I didn't put on any weight (and in fact I probably did lose some fat as I was weight training the whole time and my weight stayed constant). So at least I now know what maintaining can be like, which is pleasant.

just had the most amazing sugar addiction cravings. shit's working

 

[Scouse]

http://www.angelsensor.com/

Can't in good conscience back it - Israeli product

@Tom - got any tips for good-quality durable under-the-saddle bags? Don't really mind if it has a quick-release if it's good.

My 3rd Topeak bag has just gone to shit due to a combination of vibrations and stuff that's in it. I know I tool down mountains with a multi-tool, mini-pump (which has also gone to shit due to vibrations - another topeak p.o.s) but I expect a saddlebag to last more than 8 months before splitting open/shaking itself apart and spilling my equipment everywhere

 

[Yoni]

Well, I think the weight is probably about right (13st 3lbs) but the body fat percentage seems way off (33%? WTF - I'm 6'2" so unless there's zero muscle on me and it's all fat???!)

Do you find your body fat % accurate @Poag / @Yoni ?

I lost my fitbit. It will get a wrist version soon

 

[Tom]

Can't in good conscience back it - Israeli product

@Tom - got any tips for good-quality durable under-the-saddle bags? Don't really mind if it has a quick-release if it's good.

My 3rd Topeak bag has just gone to shit due to a combination of vibrations and stuff that's in it. I know I tool down mountains with a multi-tool, mini-pump (which has also gone to shit due to vibrations - another topeak p.o.s) but I expect a saddlebag to last more than 8 months before splitting open/shaking itself apart and spilling my equipment everywhere

Topeak gear is a load of wank. I don't understand why the review sites rate them so highly, I can only imagine that they're rating them on the first day of ownership when they look clean and tidy. Every single piece of Topeak gear I've ever had has, eventually, fallen to bits. Usually the zip handle breaks off, or the plastic clip that holds the bag in place snaps, or the stitching comes loose. They're fucking SHIT. Now contrast that with my SIDI shoes, which have a good 20,000 miles on them, through every kind of weather this country has to offer. They're still fine. Stitching perfect, nothing coming loose, just a couple of bits of shiny plastic that cover the logos have split, but functionally the shoe remains unaltered. A shoe, lasting longer than a bag - that tells me everything I need to know about Topeak.

My advice would be to go to Decathlon, buy one of their cheap and cheerful £5.99 saddle bags (which are actually really nice looking), use it until it breaks, and then buy another. Another option is to get a Brooks saddle and put their bag on the back, but that's probably more than you want to spend (and to be honest, the Brooks bag isn't very big). Put your pump on the frame, mounted on the bottle cage bosses (the cage will still fit over the top).

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-755627-bike-bags-and-baskets

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/brooks-england-challenge-tool-saddle-bag/

I can't rate Decathlon highly enough.

 

[Scouse]

Thanks @Tom. The brooks isn't suitable (it'd be fine if I was commuting, not bombing down Hope Cross). Looks like I'll just have to see how long the Decathlon shit lasts.

So much for being environmentally friendly eh? I despise throwaway commodities but if I'm forced into it then £5 instead of £25 a pop suits me...

 

[Scouse]

Awesome bitch of a day

Hope > Hope Cross > Ladybower > Cut Gate > Langsett and back. Just shy of 37 miles and 4700ft of climb (and concomitant decending). Weather was perfect and I left my beefcake mate at the bottom of "the beast" in a broken wreck as I finished the last 5 miles of ride (then drove round to pick him and his bike up).

Win

 

[TdC]

not bad chumlar!

 

[Chilly]

not bad chumlar!

tdc, we never did our cycling tour of .nl. You still up for that?

 

[TdC]

aww snap, you is right! I have a couple weeks "off" coming up, but I need the time for study stuffs really. let's catch up in a pm dude.

 

[Chilly]

aww snap, you is right! I have a couple weeks "off" coming up, but I need the time for study stuffs really. let's catch up in a pm dude.

studying is so gay