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Fitness Weekly Discussion
What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?
I just installed a pull-up bar at home, and now I do a set of 6 total pull-ups very time I go past it. Once this gets easier, I’ll be increasing the count. :)
That’s a good idea, hopefully not placed too near a high-traffic room like the kitchen or I feel sorry for your arms!
I definitely struggle towards the end of the day, but the nice thing about repetitive exercise is that you can select the appropriate amount of reps for your skill level then build up from there slowly.
Nice one, there is actually a name and a technique for this if you want to optimize it, it's called Greasing the Groove, because training this way (often, low rep) really improves strength because of neurological adaptation aka your brain gets better at moving the muscles around.
Indeed, mind and body working together with practice. Many skills in life can be mastered by practicing in manageable portions.
I set myself a couple fitness goals, some with time tables, some as general.
I've managed to run for 30 minutes uninterrupted, getting me to a little for 5k in distance. This was my first goal when the pandemic started. I wish I kept my schedule better, but i am relatively satisfied with my cardio.
The next cardio goal is 10k in one session. I've managed two 5ks 12 hours apart twice now, but haven't attempted the full thing.
Unfortunately for (body)weight training, i haven't worked hard at it. We recently installed a swing set for my kids, and there is a bar perfect for pull-ups, so I've started down that path. Currently im doing reverse pull ups to build the muscle groups since i can't do any pushups at all yet. The goal is 5.
I'm hoping once i can scrounge up some money, i can get a adjustable dumbbell set and start with the basics there.
This is awesome to hear! I'm glad you're making forward progress, and hearing about people's journeys of getting started always makes me smile. Do you think that it might be smarter to try upping it to 6 or 7 kilometers before jumping right to 10? I know that personally (if I was to take up running again) I could bust out a 10km run right away... and then I would be incredibly sore and probably not want to put on my running shoes for another year. I believe that you could as well, but it might not be the wisest choice to push yourself so much further than your current maximum right away.
Just some thoughts, I hope you keep on this path that you're on because your kids are watching you and they're going to learn how to exercise from seeing you do it!
The area i run gives me a nice ability to modulate my distance. Technically my last 5+5 was a 4+6. And my current maximum is 7.5. really for me to get to 10k, i need to repeat my 7.5 a couple more times, and then i think i would push for the full.
I'm also somewhat constrained because my fitness goal is further down my priority list, meaning a dedicated 1.5hours is hard to come by.
Hey man. Every little bit counts. Take care of the little things and the big things will come. This was my soccer coach's advice and it works for everything in my opinion. Set the goal, but the little steps and daily goals you take keep you in the path. If you go all out you'll have a higher chance of failure than making the small decisions over time that have a greater impact.
Good luck on your journey back.
Sure is. I played a lot of soccer at a very competitive level. Got burned out stopped all exercise for 5 years. Put on about 40-50 lbs. When I started back up I pulled so many muscles. Then I just started really easy. Walking, light weight lifting. Eating a little healthier but not perfect. Then started working out harder, running, eating, started drinking less. Occasional fasting. Lost 20 lbs in about 4-5 months. Then started lifting heavy. I'm sure you'll get there, just small steps at a time and good sustainable adjustments.
I got a nice pair of running shoes to help motivate me to get back out there and whaddya know, it worked lol. I only ran a mile and it took me out a bit. I have a hard time mentally allowing myself to walk while I run. When I ran in my late teens/early twenties, it was always a point of pride for me that I wouldn't walk, that I'd always keep running. But I'm older now and haven't ran in a bit so I'm focusing on grace for myself.
I've also been focusing on longer/more lift sessions, trying to incorporate more specific arm or leg workouts that make sense and are possible. I have a pair of power blocks for my weights and I'm happy with what I can do with those.
A frustrating couple of weeks for me - last week I felt generally fatigued (had a lighter week planned anyway) but was better towards the end of that week so went for a bike ride. Must have tweaked my back somehow during that so this week have been limited again by a bad back so have just been doing a bit of walking! Planning to run tomorrow, but currently a bit of a heatwave in the UK so will see how I’m doing at the end of a hot work day.
Set backs and breaks are normal. I've been working out for 13 years now. I still have off weeks. Most important thing is do at least a little bit like you did. On the days you feel good, put in the effort.
Keep going.
I know how you feel regarding the heat wave, I had to take it easy too even though I didn't want to. Hay fever is also peaking which might also give some fatigue, and the heat. Don't push that back too much, better to take it easy now vs rehab for a month.
Back on the cardio grind! I’ve done my first proper winter of bulking which went well but now I’m just cutting down ready for the summer. Not to mention part of my cut is, not only to see those abs, but I seriously want to start doing more pull-ups as I couldn’t do more than one on my bulk due to my body fat.
Absolute pain in this heat but it does sure feel good once you’ve done it. I’m only doing 20 minutes to start off slow but it does get addicting once you’ve gone a few days in a row - not to mention that awesome feeling after. Rowing machine seems to be a favourite at the moment but I’ll probably go on the stationary bikes when I get bored of this!
Approaching my 50s and bearing witness to the consequences of a life lived without concern for health or wellness, I've been working to develop a routine practice of a structured calisthenics program 2-3 times a week. I've been at it on and off since last October (with a brief intermission due to an injury in February) and I feel like I finally dialed in the important factors. I'm basically following the old RR found in the FAQ over at r/bodyweightfitness with a couple of modifications. This is supplemented with ~8k-10k steps a day for some cardio.
Improvements I've seen:
Some of the things I've struggled with are:
Finding time for calisthenics - In the beginning I was trying to get up at 5:30am but this was just not sustainable and it led to many missed days. I've landed on fitting in 40 minutes immediately when I get home from work which has been working so far.
Diet - I've also had difficulty dialing in the right amount of calories and protein. I aim for ~150g of protein which requires eating a lot, which also means carefully balancing calorie intake from other sources. Add to that the difficulty in zeroing in the targets so you are eating enough to produce muscle growth while not producing excess fat.
Sleep - I've tried nearly everything to get consistently good nights sleep. I've quit alcohol, eliminated caffeine after lunch, wear a sleep mask, use white noise, and keep the bedroom cool. No blue light after 9 and keep a consistent sleep/wake schedule. Relaxation exercises before bed. I've also used various supplements which I've more or less given up on. But despite all of this, I regularly go through phases where I sleep a pretty solid 7-8 hours a night for a week, and then have 3 or 4 day of very poor sleep. Still working on this TBH.
So, in my experience, getting involved in resistance training is one of the most important things you can do for your health and appearance. Both in the short and long term. 40 minutes a day 3 times a week is your only time commitment and if you choose calisthenics, the financial barrier to entry is very low. I wish I'd started sooner.
Hey at least you started and that's awesome. I started with bodyweight too, slowly adding things that expanded my possibilities and one day I hope to have a proper home gym.
You may not have started sooner but think about in 20 years what a big difference it's going to be.
I spent over a decade as a Meat Manager in a grocery store. It was fairly physical work, on my feet all day, and early morning (5am to 6am start times). Did that for so long, I never really needed to hit the gym. But I started a new career and it's work from home. Well, while I have a naturally high metabolism, it didn't prevent me from losing my definition and getting a little more padding in the midsection. My wife has been work from home as well since the pandemic started, and also was feeling the effects.
We committed at the start of the year to a minimum 3 days a week, 1 hour each day, at the gym. Half the time on cardio, the other half on some various lifting. We don't follow any set program, just noodle around with stuff we like as long as it keeps us active and it's been working out super well! We both have a lot more energy, experience so much less pain (both our backs were fucked), and I'm actually looking pretty good and defined! It's an insane confidence booster for us both, and it's certainly translated to more frequent and fun "activities" in the bedroom.
Cardio is very important to overall health. I wouldn't throw away lifting as it also has very key benefits for overall skeletal, ligament, and muscular health. Most people do one or the other when really both is key. Lifting doesn't need to be weights. Just body weight. Push ups pull ups, squats. With booking it's important to build hamstrings to counter the quad heavy exercise as without strong hamstrings you're looking at back injuries. Keep it up.
I'm a slag who says I'm going to work things out, have been skinny and relatively fit without much effort throughout my life.
Have recently hit midlife and the roundness is creeping more than I like, and am working both on motivation and discipline to do something I've never really had to do... And that working to stay more fit, while working towards a different diet that I've not bothered with.
It's a wild change. I like the weight I have, I dont like where it went.
I need to find the motivation to do the needfuls.
I'm at a bit of an impasse when it comes to the intersection of exercise & consumption.
This past winter, I went through a real critical time of being acutely aware of what I was consuming and where it was coming from (often not awesome places), and I have been trying to maximize my capacity for turning calories into positive change. I've exercised before and it makes me feel good, but nowadays I kind of wonder to what end am I exercising - am I just burning calories uselessly and contributing to the heat death of the world in my own little way? If most exercise is effectively wasted work, then why would I? (because it makes me healthier and more productive as a human)
So, I guess I'm trying to move forward with light exercise and practical labour. I'd love to get back into yoga, and I think that it's in the cards for me. Aside from that, I might try finding ways to work with my body and call that my exercise. Also - biking instead of driving.
With the help of a bunch of people in another post, I now got my heavy bag, boxing wraps, and 16oz gloves! I am now in the YouTube school of boxing -- Tony Jeffries channel is great. I know that nothing replaces a real coach, but I have some martial arts experience and am doing this mostly for fun and mental health. I am looking into gyms nearby, but being around people is hard for me, so I really don't know if and when I'll be able to participate in one. My best friend happens to be a good kickboxer so we're going to train sometimes.
It's really fun! Doing simple combinations (and some taekwondo kicks for good measure) is awesome, and I'm glad I listened to people and got the 16oz gloves instead of 14 or 12 ounces. It really lets me throw some heavy punches comfortably without being a bother at all. I thought it would feel too removed from impact, that's definitely not the case.
Boxing is a good workout, I feel like I'm sweating after 3 minutes.
The only thing I don't like right now is that the bag is swinging way too easily, a single full-force punch makes it fly. I know the bag is supposed to swing, I just think it's a bit much right now. So I looked up how to make it heavier, I'll just buy some sand at the material store and put it in a few zip-lock bags wrapped in duct tape at specific positions as I saw on YouTube.
At this stage in my life, I'm devoting more and more of my time accessory exercises while believing my big lifts (deadlift, bench, squat) probably won't be getting higher. I'm talking heel drops for my tendonitis, single leg movements, banded movements like spanish squats and exercises to strengthen peroneal, etc. My goal is to continue playing my sport of choice as long as possible and it requires so much more focus in the gym than when I was in my early 20s.
That said, I love that everyone is active in my area no matter their fitness level. However, I cannot stand when people occupy designated spaces to do motions that aren't appropriate for that area. I'm talking people doing curls inside the squat rack, burpees on the olympic lifting platform, or using plyoboxes as shelves for their phones/bags/waterbottles/etc. If no one is around, do whatever you want but using a space inappropriately while people stand around waiting just is bad gym etiquette.
I'm meant to be training for a half marathon in Sept, and struggling to keep to my training plan. I find it super hard to be motivated to force myself out in the evenings, but have found getting up a bit earlier in the morning and getting out before work is better. But now the runs are each 4 mile+ thats getting tricky too.
I started playing squash about 3 years ago with no real experience in any racket sports and I LOVE it, and usually play once or twice a week. I think having a court booked and a friend to meet works wonders for sticking to it (compared to my running struggles!)