no problem... here to help...

just a couple things to start...

if i understand right, you take 1 flax cap 3x daily = 3 flax caps a day... you need more than that... but that gets expensive... better than flax caps... you have cheaper, more nutritious options... you can buy fresh flax (grind it up in a coffee grinder - and store in a freezer for 3-5 months...) or you can buy flax seeds already ground (again more expensive, and make sure this is stored in the freezer too)...

the benefit of flax is the amazing source of fibre it provides... plus omega 3... you can put this in oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, protein shake... whatever... adds a bit of a nutty flavour and very good for you... forget the caps... plus again, you need more than that amount... and by the way, this (along with exercise) greatly increases your HDL cholesterol... this is the good cholesterol that to a point negates the bad cholesterol. so important.

you don't just want flax... you can do the tablespoon to 2 tablespoons of flax granules/day... you also want fat from other sources... like those i mentioned in the previous post... and make sure to make that the fat source of your meal (remember every meal = fat, protein, carb combo)

regarding weight training.... there is definitely stuff you can do with your limited equipment... a lot of pilate and yoga exercises are very good too... look up "yoga plank" online... you should be doing those regularly and there are many versions to that... look up more isometric exercises online... i can always help you out with more info, it's just time consuming right now to explain online (without diagrams)... you may want to invest in an exercise ball ($20) and if you want to go nuts... the piece of equipment i would choose on a deserted island - a bosu... look up bosu online... i can easily do a one hour workout with that and make it a cardio and resistance workout... bosu's are about $200 (cheaper if you buy it in buffalo)...

aim to get stronger, feel better, and increase your stamina... if you want to lose weight too, let that happen as a side effect... and if you don't already know your cholesterol and/or other important blood values, you should ask your doctor for a test... then 3 months from now, go for another after trying out this new lifestyle and see how much you will have improved.

and of course, i'd love to hear developments, and always open to more questions/concerns... good luck with this, and hope it gives you more energy for the little ones.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. Great info.

I will make sure I have a rest day during the week. I am a stay-at-home dad with a 3yr old girl and a 16 month old boy. They keep me pretty busy so I rarely have time to get to a gym.

Body Type

I'm not sure about the lean body mass stuff, etc. To be accurate, I am 67.5 inches and 175 lbs.
I'm pretty sure I have a large frame. I measured at this site http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/fsz

Equipment I have access to at the moment:

Stationary bike
Treadmill
Pull up bar

The minimal equipment is the reason I'm interested in body weight exercises.


Cardio:

I will change my cardio workouts to reflect your suggestions. I could throw another cardio exercise in there or change my intensity like you suggest.


Resistance:

Taking an honest look at my resistance training, I notice I don't have a good plan. I've been doing pushups, pullups, dips (on a homemade thing), situps, body weight squats. I know I can be more consistent with my resistance plan and also add some variations to my exercises while including more muscle groups. (this plan is probably the area that needs most improvement, haha)


Nutrition:

I think you're right about not eating enough. Lately, I've been lacking in energy to even do my exercises. I have also only been eating 3 meals/day with that yogurt at night. Today I've been eating every 3 hours and feel much better!

I do take a flax seed oil gel cap 3 times/day. I will start adding variety with those other sources you mentioned. Looking in the pantry, I notice I need to buy more whole grain foods. Those white pasta and rice foods don't fill me up for long.

I also plan to have a protein snack before bed. That is something I wasn't doing.



I really appreciate your advice. I will start (have already started) giving it a try. I'll update you periodically if you like with how it's going.  :)

it's a really big question you've asked, but I'll try to get as much as I can into a post... and yes, this is exactly why this thread is here... i may say things you already know... but i just don't know your knowledge base...

1. you give details of your weight/height, what's important here to be accurate is your lean body mass vs fat mass... but i'll keep an average number in mind since I don't know your body type...

2. do you actually do your cardio/resistance 7 days/wk? if so - stop. you can do cardio up to 6 times a week, but you also have to change it up... getting in other types of cardio too (not just running or biking) is desirable, but if you feel most comfortable with these two... or if this two are most accessible, there are ways to make it more effective....

FREQUENCY -  INTENSITY - TIME these are the 3 important ingredients to cardio which you can play with...
change up your intensity... 

example:
day 1, decrease your cardio time to say 40 mins... 5 mins of that will be warm up... 5 mins cool down... and do a super intense 30 mins... work at least at 85%+ intensity (85% of your max heart rate... on a scale of 1-10 you will feel like you are at least an 8.5)...

day 2, do your full 60 mins, but do intervals... super intense for 3 mins... easy relaxed for 1 min... super intense 3 mins... relaxed 1 min... (interval training is key key key in cardio improvement and metabolism boosting)... 

day 3, 60 mins cardio as usual... 

day 4, 10 mins cardio, 5 mins resistance, 10 mins cardio, 5 mins resistance, until you hit 60 mins of cardio... 

and so on...

resistance training is just as important as cardio... for what you're looking to do 3-5 days a week is sufficient, but it needs to be done effectively... and unlike cardio, which burns calories in the moment and may increase calories burning throughout the day (interval training especially)... resistance training can permanently increase metabolism... for every pound of muscle you build your body will burn (on avg) an extra 50 to 100 calories/day... it can take 6 weeks to build a pound or two of muscle... everybody is different... hormones affect this too... 

(note: muscles can do one of three things: increase in size, decrease in size, remain the same size)

it's good that you use your body as resistance, but you need to have an actual plan that targets all muscles in a certain way to create balance... this not only creates proper body symmetry and more efficient muscle building, but this also helps to prevent injury... 

day 1, legs, or legs/biceps
day 2, chest/triceps, or chest/back
day 3, back/biceps, or biceps/triceps
day 4, shoulders/core or core/balance

none of the above combos are definitive... there are many things you can try... in fact, your resistance workout should be change every 6 - 8 weeks or so... 

also, i don't know if you have access to equipment, what type of equipment, etc... gym or not, things can be worked out... if you need more specifics... let me know... i wasn't very specific with resistance... i don't know what you have access to...

nutrition: if you are working at a good intensity, you are not eating quite enough food... or at least not enough required nutrition... if you eat too little calories your body will shut down and slow down burning calories as a defence mechanism... (note: if you are a stressed person, your body can also store fat in your stomach with an increase in the hormone cortisol)

3500 calories = 1 pound so if you go negative 3500 calories in one week, you will lose one pound of fat... you are probably looking at burning 3/4 pound a week... if it's only a few pounds you want to lose... just know, there's no such thing as spot reducing... the oldest fat on your body is the toughest fat to lose... cardio burns calories in the moment, weights burn them later so to speak.... but your body will choose to burn the fat from where it wants... a million sit-ups may strengthen your abs, but won't necessarily get rid of stomach fat

water: 2 litres a day and you're a superstar... looks like you drink a lot - parfait

eating intervals: you need to eat at least every 3-4 hours (some people 2 - 4 hours)... otherwise your body starts to shut down

omega 3, 6, 9 essential fats: can't stress this enough... your diet seems too low in fat... fat is important... crucial even... if it is good fat... good fat actually helps to burn fat (especially stomach fat - cortisol fat)... nuts, almonds, walnuts (the best), pistachios, brazil nuts... you need these... flax seed oil... salmon... avocado... grape seed oil... walnut oil... olive oil....omega 3 eggs... think of your body as a furnace... furnace will not burn without these fats... your body will store more fat, because it is deprived of these

pasta/rice/carbs: aim for whole grain everything... white pasta, white rice, white bread... these breakdown quickly in the blood stream, spiking insulin... making weight loss more difficult... making you hungry... and most important... not delivering nutrients properly throughout your blood... brown rice, spelt pasta, whole grain pastas, barley, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) are much better options... fill you up too

each meal should be balanced: carb, protein, fat... 40% 30% 30% is a "zone" like diet ratio... but try that, see how it works for you... 

before bed: having a little protein snack right before bed is a good idea to help the body build and restore overnight... just a little boost... if you are indeed working out before bed, you do need to eat after you work out.. you should always eat within 30 mins after working out... a workout loses its effectiveness if it this is not done... and your next day's workout will be better if you do this. 

i know some responses may seem a bit vague, but without more details, i can't be much more specific.

making this changes however will definitely increase your energy and stamina... especially adding the healthy fats...

this info is tried and true... scientifically validated... and comes from a certified personal trainer and nutrition and wellness specialist... enjoy. 

Are players who are past their prime yet still play allowed to post here?  ;)

I have been trying to improve my fitness/nutrition for a bit now with very minimal results. I figured I'd toss some info in here and see if others had some ideas on how I can improve. If this isn't what hockey54 wants in here, I'll be happy to remove this post.

Details:

Male - 33yrs old
ht: 5'8''
wt: 175

Exercise/day: 30 mins of running or biking twice for daily total of an hour
                    pushups, situps, body-weight squats, pullups

Average calories per day intake = 1575

Typical breakfast: 2 egg beaters with a morningstar© sausage patty and water
Typical lunch: 1 morningstar© chicken patty, 100cal. bun, 5 strawberries, water
Typical dinner: 5oz fish with rice/vegggies or a serving of pasta, water (we're all italians, lol)
Typical after dinner snack: 1 light yogurt, water

I don't eat anything after 7pm, go to bed at 11pm, and get up at 7am. I admit the meal with the most calories usually is my dinner, but I do exercise before bed.

To my untrained eye, the above looks fine. To my mirror my gut has about 5 extra pounds of fat.
I'd also like to increase my stamina during a shift. Do I need to add some anaerobic in for that?

It's been so long since I "trained" as a younger player that I don't remember all the stuff I have to do. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jeff