Fitness and Nutrition VIII

Andrei79

Registered User
Jan 25, 2013
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Here's a subject we don't usually discuss in this thread: Blood pressure.

A month ago, I won a home blood-pressure machine at a networking meeting. Finally set it up yesterday and tried it out on myself and was terrified when it read 151 over 74. Low dystolic (the 2nd number) but high systolic (the 1st number). I'm well into my 50s, but I'm slim and a regular runner, so WTF?? Those numbers -- specifically the 151 -- put me in the Stage-1 Hypertension category and would mean I need meds. A quick Google read-through informed me that these readings are extremely variable and to take it a few times for more accuracy. So five minutes later I took the test again and sure enough, it was down to 141 over 78. Still high. Five minutes after that 137 over 80. I felt like I was studying for an exam, trying to relax, trying better posture, inching towards a passing grade.

At that point I was stressing out over the damn thing and decided, screw this, I'm going for a run. I'm not being held hostage by fear. Ran about 3 miles outdoors, worked up a good sweat and, most important, didn't keel over with a heart attack. Cleaned up and relaxed for an hour, then took the stupid test again. 125 over 81. Normal range, and actually lower than average for my age (blood pressure typically creeps up with age).

Lessons learned: Blood pressure shifts radically with body position, time of day, diet, and of course state of mind. Spikes are normal throughout the day. What's important is the average over a few readings. Lower is better, and in fact the yardstick for optimal BP has been lowered to anything below 120/80. So my 125/81 would still be considered "Prehypertension", although many doctors are disputing the value of attaching that label to numbers that were considered fine until recently.

My other lesson is that while a certain level of denial is okay, running/exercising isn't a panacea. Earlier yesterday, before going nuts with the BP machine, I'd had home fries and had snacked on chips. Have to be a bit more aware of diet, despite my presumed good health. Most of you in this thread are a lot younger than me, but don't assume you can exercise your way past a lousy diet or genetics. Heart disease is often a cumulative effect of years of bad choices.

I think you were just stressed.

Take it when you've been calm and relaxed for a while. The 120/80 is probably closer to your normal.
 

Mrb1p

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Dec 10, 2011
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@Mrb1p would you take test by itself or in combination with arimidex, clomid, hcg, etc?


What about the lateral pulldown?
I have no idea what I would take, but I wouldnt go for anything crazy. Id have to be more informed.

Lat pulldowns are obviously a good overall hypertrophy tool for the back but theres nothing like straight shrugging for the depth of muscle IMO.
 

Mrb1p

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Ive skipped legs for like two times in two weeks (2/4 sessions) and god going back to full volume is absolutely killing me. Its crazy how fast de-training hits me.
 

Mike Mike Caron

Registered User
Aug 29, 2010
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Do you guys do cold baths?

I actually always take cold baths during heat waves, helps a lot for récupération and also makes you forget it's hot out there for the next hour and half after the bath.

I took one this winter after jiu-jitsu, bad idea to do it with cold water coming out of the frozen ground, couldn't do anything for the next hour.
 

Mrb1p

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Do you guys do cold baths?

I actually always take cold baths during heat waves, helps a lot for récupération and also makes you forget it's hot out there for the next hour and half after the bath.

I took one this winter after jiu-jitsu, bad idea to do it with cold water coming out of the frozen ground, couldn't do anything for the next hour.
I don't have a bath but I do cold showers just because my ass is boiling all the time
 

DAChampion

Registered User
May 28, 2011
29,782
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Do you guys do cold baths?

I actually always take cold baths during heat waves, helps a lot for récupération and also makes you forget it's hot out there for the next hour and half after the bath.

I took one this winter after jiu-jitsu, bad idea to do it with cold water coming out of the frozen ground, couldn't do anything for the next hour.

I take cold showers. I don't feel good about wasting all of that water.
 

Mike Mike Caron

Registered User
Aug 29, 2010
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Isn’t hot and cold together needed to be therapeutic? Like the Finns who love to alternate cold showers and saunas, I think that’s been proven to be beneficial.

I know that when I go at my father's place and I do cold pool and then hot spa, it feels really great.

I can tell that I took cold baths after going back to squatting and I wasn't soar at all.
 

Lshap

Hardline Moderate
Jun 6, 2011
27,276
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Montreal
Isn’t hot and cold together needed to be therapeutic? Like the Finns who love to alternate cold showers and saunas, I think that’s been proven to be beneficial.
I went to a naturopathic doctor a few years ago; she recommended ending a shower with a few seconds of cold water. The hot-cold thing. She was extremely good-looking so I assumed she was onto something.
 

DAChampion

Registered User
May 28, 2011
29,782
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I went to a naturopathic doctor a few years ago; she recommended ending a shower with a few seconds of cold water. The hot-cold thing. She was extremely good-looking so I assumed she was onto something.

I wonder if her genes played a role in her good looks.
 

Edgy

Registered User
Nov 30, 2009
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I went to a naturopathic doctor a few years ago; she recommended ending a shower with a few seconds of cold water. The hot-cold thing. She was extremely good-looking so I assumed she was onto something.
:laugh: Solid reasoning.

On a separate note:
Thoughts on sports massages to help alleviate hamstring issues? Got a half marathon coming up and it's bothersome to run on a tight hamstring.
 

Shabs

Registered User
Nov 16, 2017
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:laugh: Solid reasoning.

On a separate note:
Thoughts on sports massages to help alleviate hamstring issues? Got a half marathon coming up and it's bothersome to run on a tight hamstring.
For massage, use a foam roller.

But personally, I find stretching is best - I mean min 30 mins everyday good stretch - for tight hammies.
 

Edgy

Registered User
Nov 30, 2009
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It only occurs to me afterwards that my sarcasm isn't always clear in writing. :laugh:
You wouldn't be the first man to be "persuaded" to do something by an "extremely good looking"woman. :laugh:
 

HBDay

Registered User
Jan 28, 2013
2,945
1,465
@Mrb1p

Thought you might be the guy to ask.

I've recently started taking my weight training more seriously than ever before. But I've only been doing core and upper body. I've put on more than 10 pounds of muscle in a pretty quick time frame, so I've had to obviously add legs.

I've got about an hour a day to spare.

What is my best work rest split. How many days off should I take. I've been doing upper body every other day and like I said I've had great results but I'm frustrated with the addition of leg day i maybe can't do upper every other day?

Any advice appreciated
 

Mrb1p

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@HBDay

Well that would depend on a lot of things. Mainly, what are your goals ? General health? Strength ? General good looks ? Getting better at lifting or what ever ?

You have a few alternatives really and it's really a case by case situation.

Mainly you'll want to choose between centering your training around
A) Movements (Squat, bench, dead, OHP, Clean, Jerk, Snatch, etc. (Generally used in lifting sports or to get stronger, but still great IMO for general health, muscle building.)
B) A body part. (Typical bro-split that encourages muscle growth at the expense of the rest.)
C) A push/pull/legs day
D) A crossfit style training where you train movements and incorporate cardiovascular training and what not.

Personally, I'm a big advocate of A. Training movements and getting better (Not only stronger, but better technically.) yields, IMO, the best results of all. Why ? Basically better neuromusclar pathways, better technique, stronger body, and barbell training is IMO the best muscle builder. Also, getting stronger on a movement gives you something to look up to, instead of just looking at the mirror and chasing the pump, chasing that big PR is always motivating, at least, to me. It can be hard to motivate yourself at the same time, because when you chase PR's, you're mostly training harder than when you chase that dere pump.

If this isn't what you're looking at and what you care about is just looking good (Again, IMO, the better choice is still A), but you can have adequate results with bro splits or push/pull training too.

So you either organize your days as
Monday tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday SundaY
A) Squats Bench Off Deadlift Bench Off/Squat Off
B) Legs Pec/Tri Back Shoulder Off
C) Push pull Off Leg Push Off Off
D) Xfit off Xfit off Xfit Off Off

when you've chosen what you'd rather do, we can talk exercises, MRV, Rest days, etc.

If you want the simplest approach, push/pull/leg is probably the one to go with, its also the easiest to navigate as it requires only 3 days and its simple to understand.
 
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Mrb1p

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Dec 10, 2011
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On another note, Im stagnating in squat and Bench but Ive never felt so strong on my deadlift. I think I benefit from reduced volume for deadlifts but my bench and squat suffer. Im so slow out of the hole on squats. Even at 225 my speed out of the hole is painfully slow. I can still hit double that weight or so, but god Ill need to work on that really hard.
 

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