People the work out... I have a question

[Rice Hunter]

I used to lift weights and exercise a lot in college, but now that I'm working and waiting for school to start, I have been side tracked. I get home from working (6:30-4:30) everyday wanting to work out but I'm just too damn tired.

Anyone know of a good way to get an energy boost short of ephedrine and products like red rage, etc.? Maybe some sort of food?

On that thought, what are your views on using ephedrine free products like the new Xenadrine, etc.?

Does anyone know what the heck I'm talking about?

With the new stuff on the market there seems to be a wide variety of stuff to randomly pop in your mouth, but none of their long term effects researched. Just want your opinions and solutions, I realize that we aren't fitness experts here Hope you can help, thanks!

[lx5091]

I never used any of that stuff.....

I suggest you work out before going to work....if you work out properly you will feel more energized and be able to complete your regular work day. I did this for years when I worked as a grunt for Sysco food services! 10 hour days lifting up to 100lb cases all day---of course they had an on-site gym which helped.

[429mustang]

I just read an article about caffiene saying it's a good alternative to ephedrine (mu huang). They said about 200mg an hour (and up to 15 minutes) before your workout should help energy/alertness and stimulate fatloss. Supposedly a lot of people were drinking black/green mixed teas 3 times a day and it was helping, one in the a.m., before workout, and with your last meal. They said there was nothing negative about using caffiene as apposed to ephedrine, you could also take 100-200 mg in pills also. I also feel a big difference when I eat good and drink a lot of water the day I'm going to workout.

[blue00gt]

You just need to make yourself do it. The more you excercise the more energy you will have after a while. Also, once you get into the routine it is alot easier to make yourself go every day.
I stay away from the energy supplements myself.

[Capri306]

I'm with the majority of others here, too. Supplements aren't Magic Beans that are going to energize you, give you more muscle mass, make your shlong longer, etc. Only thing they do is empty your wallet, and with some potentially SERIOUS side effects with a few on the market.

429mustang: I'll retract a bit from the above statement when you're talking about black & green teas. They DO have some proven benefits, though I don't use them for fitness. I like green tea occasionally, but I use it more as an anti-oxidant and light free-radical remover. I like the taste and it's not killing me, therefore: Good stuff!

With the new stuff on the market there seems to be a wide variety of stuff to randomly pop in your mouth, but none of their long term effects researched.

EXACTLY!!!! And you know what? They're not required to do ANY research on their products. As long as they're not selling lead tablets and marketing it as Vitamin C, pretty much the supplement makers have free reign.

It's so simple to get your energy back, most people don't believe it, or think they have to spend huge $$$ to get ahead, so they resort to some form of "Magic Beans."

Here's what I did, and a few of my friends have had great success with it as well. It's common sense, no-BS stuff, but read on.

1. GET OFF THE COFFEE. The caffeine is burning away your energy. Think of it like nitrous: yes, it's going to make you more "awake" now, but in the end, it's burning more gas. If you're tired, you need to be getting better "mileage."

2. WHAT ARE YOU EATING? Get rid of the carbs and learn to just stop eating when you should. Eating until full is not acceptable; your stomach is a balloon (literally!). Not trying to call you or anyone a fat-ash, but this is where most (if not all!) people have a problem. DON'T starve yourself, that's much worse. I've been eating ~95% meat, eggs, and cheese, all of which are carb-free. Look at the labels on stuff, it's easy. Drink diet pop/soda/coke. NO packaged foods, that stuff is killin'-high in carbs!!!

ON A SIDE NOTE: We did a calculation in Engineering Physics to determine how many flights of stairs you would have to run up in order to burn off a single 20 oz. bottle of Mountain Dew. For an *average* 180-lb man, I *think* it was about 137 flights (mebbe higher). Remember: 1 calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temp of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius. One Dietetic Calorie (capital C) is equal to 1000 calories (1kcal). So that 20 oz Mountain Dew REALLY potentially contains 275*1000 = 275,000 calories.

3. GO TO BED. On time, and don't stay up late watching TV. If your day starts at 6:30, I'd be asleep, not just IN BED, by 11:00pm.

3a. TRY H2O. I'm not going to tell you how much, either. Just when you're thirsty, TRY to get a drink from the fountain or tap, not the vending machine. There's some more $$$ in your pocket!

4. WORKOUT. And I mean workout, NOT deathmarch. If you all of a sudden show up to a gym without having been exercising in some time (or ever), and you try running until collapse, you're back to square one. Not only are you going to want to eat more afterwards, you'll be discouraged from trying again.
Get some help from people who work there. That's why you're paying for the membership, right?!?!? You don't have to go every day, either. I go every 3-4 days, and that is fine for most people. Everyone is different, and you'll find your own "pattern."
If on the other hand, life is in the way, you can always do some aerobics or simple weight stuff @ home. Just [b]use[b] your body!!!! Be creative!!!

5. GIVE IT TIME. You're not going to feel better overnight, but the more consistent your schedule is, and the faster you straighten everything else out I mentioned, the quicker you'll notice a difference.

I really hope this helps you out. Really, just do the simple stuff and give it TIME!!! Be persistent, and save your hard-earned cash for a gym membership, instead of spending on pills, fast food, and other rip-offs.

[Rice Hunter]

Thanks for the advice guys! No, I don't think my diet is that bad, I'm about 12% body fat at about 165lbs, just want to get into better shape. Of course, I have read the articles on suppliments and stuff and have opted not to use them. But that's not to say the modern science can't come up with something worth while in a few years, hell, I've developed some pretty interesting things here at GSK (can't tell you what) and I'm young. I was hoping some one could say that they ate a piece of fruit right before or something and found they could have a better workout. Or if they saw dramatic results using hydroxy cut etc, how they feel etc. I get to bed early enough, just my quality of sleep may not be the best.

The reason I asked was because I know I can work out better if I had more energy at the beginning of the work out. I'm looking for a better quality work out, or most days just the motivation to get started.

Thanks again for all your help guys! Any other suggestions are welcome!

[Capri306]

Ah-ha, you hit it! Motivation is key. You're absolutely right, you gotta want it bad enough. Took me a month of groaning and b!tchin' to keep going to the gym. Glad to hear you're not overweight or anything. That's going to make it that much easier on you.

I think I also may have forgotten to mention: be sure to get a complete physical before starting anything. I know, it sounds like your momma talking, but sometimes it's possible there's something going on you don't know about. Better safe than sorry.

Don't worry about having enough energy at the beginning of a workout. Just do it at a sensible time. If you get tired, good! Eventually, you'll break out of that. Just like when I work out, it feels like my arms are going to fall off for about a half hour....then the remarkable feeling of those muscles pulling kicks in. I used the term "beating the crap outta myself" for a while.

Oh, BTW, I'm 22, diabetic, asthmatic, an ex-smoker, and allergic to (almost) everything natural, not to mention a college student. Every condition I have has improved greatly in manageability since starting to work out.

[silver_pilate]

Here's another little something....

Go to a gym where there are cute girls who work there or workout there.

Helps me be motivated to go. Course, it helps that I'm not "with" anyone right now and that I'm always on the lookout.

Sorry, ladies, if it seems sexist.

--nathan

[Stang_Crazy]

Being motivated is the biggest key.

Over the winter, I gave up alcohol and started working out so I could get back into shape for the summer. I only lifted for about 30 minutes every other day. On the days I wouldn't lift, I'd run. I'd workout about 45 minutes after eating dinner so I'd have lots of energy. After my workout, I would have a little snack (apple, low fat yogurt, etc.).

After 3 months, I had lost 3 inches off my waist and lost about 10 lbs. Keep in mind, when I started, I was only 145lbs and a 32" waist. Recently, I've gained some muscle and I'm up to 141lbs. My bodyfat is below 5%. I have more energy throughout the day and not to mention, I feel great!

You just have to motivate yourself to do it. Once you get into a schedule, you'll look foreward to working out each day!

[RBatson]

Originally posted by Rice Hunter
I was hoping some one could say that they ate a piece of fruit right before or something and found they could have a better workout.

Eat some honey before you leave for the gym, instant energy. Bananas are a good source of potassium.