How I Ginger Ninja

This post will outline how I keep track of fitness and nutrition while living a balanced life and taking care of what I need to.  First I will detail the gear that I own to help keep track, and then get into my workout routine and what I've done to get where I am now. 

Gear
When I'm walking around or doing any sort of cardio that involves running, you'll catch me wearing my Nike Pegasus shoes.  They are by far the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned.  They make it feel like you're walking on clouds, even if you're walking for distances of 20 miles at a time.   

For lifting weights, which I do 3x a week, I wear Chuck Taylors.  You want a flat shoe when you lift, and these are some of the best to do that in.  

In the middle of may I started to use a pedometer called the Fitbit that I picked up at Best Buy.  I actually bought their scale first, and then saw the Fitbit.  The Fitbit gives you some neat graphs and statistics given you wear it all the time ;)

 

Today I still proudly wear my Fitbit, and have been somewhat responsible for at least 50 people getting this device to keep track of steps as well as guessing caloric burn.  The best part of the Fitbit is that...

 

Websites and routine

...It posts to www.myfitnesspal.com, which is where I keep track of my caloric intake.  Recently I have been very relaxed with my diet as I'm trying to put on some muscle mass and don't want to be too picky about calories.  However, I still like to see overall intake as to not completely overdo it and put on way too much fat along the way. I have been keeping track of calories every single day since Februrary.  There is an iOS, Android, and Windows Phone app for the site which makes keeping track simple and easy.  It never interferes with anything and I've been able to do it every day without issue. 

 

Cardio

Since I have been trying to put on some muscle mass recently, I have not been doing a lot of intense cardio. For cardio I typically walk 3-4 miles a day, run up the stairs at work every so often, play basketball most Fridays, and after lifting I do the exercise bike for 20 minutes.

I was once pretty big... 180lbs and very little muscle mass.  When I decided it was time for a change, I did the Insanity program verbatim for about 3 months while eating at a caloric defitic (-500/-1000 a day). When you're eating that little and doing intense cardio you have to pretty much eat 90-100% clean, which is what I did.  Refeeds/cheat days helped and were nice, but were scarce.  The hard work paid off when I nailed it lowering my weight to 137lbs.  I am now at 144-145lbs and putting on decent muscle mass.

Weight Lifting

I am doing Stronglifts 5x5 until I stall again. When that happens I will switch to a 5/3/1 program. Stronglifts focuses on the Over Head Press, Deadlift, Squats, Bench Press, and Bent Over Barbell Rows. All of those are with a barbell.  I went from just the bar (45lbs) with each lift (since March) to:

165lbs Bench Press (3RM)
210lbs Squat (3RM)
315lbs Deadlift (5RM)
115lbs Overhead Press (3RM)
145lbs Bent Over Row (5RM)

Still in the novice range, but leaps and bounds better than where I was.  There is an iOS app which makes keeping track of this a snap. I lift 3 days a week (Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday) for 30-40 minutes a session.

To log workouts I use www.fitocracy.com. They offer a system which is much like a game where you can level up, do quests, get props from other people and it provides a fun way to log workouts.  Here is an example of me logging my workout from today:

As for my diet, as long as I nail Protein (140g+), and carbs (200g+), I just eat whatever to fill in the calories. When I cut down again starting January I will be back on the strict path.  Enjoying life is nice, though :)

Where to start?

CALORIC INTAKE. If you're serious about feeling better and want to set a goal, figure out how many calories you need to either gain or lose, strength train 1-3x a week, and do some cardio that suits you. It's important that you understand it takes time and to set logical goals (3 months to a year out), so that you do not become discouraged.  Find out what makes you happy, and stick to it!

If you have any questions about anything use the Contact button and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Here are some pictures of me (warning: half naked Ginger alert :P)

Before and After | Today