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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've always been mostly healthy/athletic so this isn't too drastic, but I figured I'd share it here. About four months ago I started doing push ups at home every morning after seeing a post about it on the other website. The idea is to do some push ups every morning and eventually work your way up at a very slow pace, think 3 push ups a day for two weeks, then increase it to 4 push ups a day, and some time later increase it to 5, and so on.
Four months in and I can now do 21 proper push ups without getting so much as getting out of breath. I know 21 push ups isn't much, but doing 21 push ups effortlessly seems incredible to me. Maybe this time next year, I'll work my way up to 71 push ups a day with no effort.
Reading this inspired me to go do some pushups hahaha.
I had previously worked my way up to 4 sets of 12 pushups, but I've been slacking for a few months. I just tried and could only do 5. I think I will try this, thanks!
Just keep doing a small number of pushups per set. Get in the habit of doing pushups daily You don't need to be doing 45 next Saturday. That will certainly help.
As you can see in my original comment, I've been doing it for over four months now and I'm only on 21 pushups a day. Someone may think "22 pushups is nothing, a 7th grader can do that." But doing 21 pushups every day is good enough for me and in three weeks, I'll be at 22 hopefully!
This is similar to how I got started, I do sets of 25-30 at a time and try and do around 100 throughout the entire day. I found that once I was doing pushups dependably, that made me more interested in other exercises too. As in, I'm doing these pushups, might as well get some dumbbells for other muscle groups.
Same, though from your username, what time you going? I'm in Oro Valley/Tucson and it's hot as hell atm heh. I joined a buddy in getting a gym membership and have been trying to go 2-3 times a week for an hour or two which so far has been working. I just got back from a trip in Europe and was struck by just how easy and convenient it was to walk 2-3 miles a day and get anywhere in the city I needed via public transport. Having a car seemed utterly unnecessary and I felt healthy walking everywhere.
That's a little harder here in the desert, but I really want to keep up my activity levels.
Haha, yeah, if I stayed in Europe for an extended period, I would at minimum get a motorcycle or like a little Vespa.
What's your diet like? Switching to a majority plant-bssed intake will absolutely obliterate your high cholesterol in no time.
Nearly 3 years ago I looked at my family members barebones at home workout equipment (Olympic barbell, 205lbs of plates, 30lbs dumbbells and an adjustable bench). I decided I was going to get buff. I refused to buy more equipment until I knew I was committed to the craft. A year in I changed my workout schedule to 6 days a week accumulated some serious lifting gear. (Power cage with pulley system, way more plates and dumbbells that adjust to 90lbs)
I’ve optimized my program to 30mins a day, 6 days a week. It’s a modified push-pull split that includes a little legs each day. If you hate leg day you would love this split!
I take a rest week every 6 weeks and lol forward to getting back in the gym each time!
That's sick man, keep it up!
Do you have your routine somewhere? I have been looking around for a nice routine on the 30-45min range with heavy weights, because mine always end up on the 60min+ side.
I use these two work out plans and just rotate them every 6 weeks:
Best work out plan for natural lifters, part 1
Best workout plan for natural lifter, part 2
Thanks a ton for this. I'll put this in practice after I read it through!
I've been leaning into yoga HARD, because I am job hunting and it is so. damn. discouraging. I still cried for a while anyway. There's only so much it can help.
My posture has improved a staggering amount, which feels fantastic. I have some hypermobility issues in my joints, so the increased stability makes me feel less injury prone. I'm looking forward to continuing benefits as I get stronger.
Yesterday I went on a run after sitting in a 3 hour long work meeting. I was eager to get out so as soon as the meeting finished I left my apartment and started running, no stretches or warm up. During the run both my knees locked up but I pushed through because I was determined to finish. Big mistake… now I’m suffering, can barely climb up the stairs without my knees giving out 😩
I did something similar a couple months back. Went out for a jog with one of my kids; felt pain in one knee and thought I’d just push through it. I struggled with stairs and couldn’t move at more than a slow walk pace for several weeks afterwards. Darn you, old age!
Thanks for the tip. I've stubbornly avoided all forms of supplements until very recently, but a lot of little things like sore elbows and knees have been preventing me from exercising the way I want to. I have started wondering if I do need some help. I'll read up on glucosamine and chondroitin to see if that will be the trick I need. :)
Give it some rest, see how it goes. It sounds like you’re doing too much too soon. Have you looked into programs like couch to 5k?
I’m actually a pretty avid runner and feel pretty good about my weekly running routine (been doing it for over 3 years now without much issue). I think it was just being dumb and jumping in with super cold legs and not listening to my body when it was telling me it wasn’t ready.
Sorry for assuming you were new to running! I would not wager that just jumping in with "cold" legs is what led to this. These types of things to tend to happen over time and not just all of a sudden.
No worries! Definitely possible. I’ll see what happens today when I go for a run after doing a proper warmup 🤞
Peloton rolled it a new feature on the treadmill called lane breaks. It was out on the bike but it’s now on tread. I tried it last night as I just wasn’t feeling like a traditional run after squatting. It’s a game where you adjust the incline to switch lanes and run within certain ranges to score points. Gamification enabled me to run a bit when I really wasn’t up for it so there’s that…
This is about two months of meeting with a trainer once a week and working out at home 5 days a week. Drastically changed my diet as well to lower carbs and remove as much meat as possible as well. I am trying to get healthy but not necessarily a number on a scale or a BMI.
Two herniated discs within 6 months of each other laid me out for a while in 2020/2021 and I was also dealing with some very destructive eating and activity habits. I was up to 415 at the highest and pre-diabetic. I have made some real progress since January. I'm no longer pre-diabetic and I am starting to build muscle and lose fat steadily. Trying to keep the long goal in mind since there is no quick fix here.
I'm a pretty avid mountain biker, but broke my scapula at the beginning of May so I've slowly been picking up my routine exercises recently. I knew I was going to feel like this, but it's so frustrating to be set back so far in the cardio/strength departments right in the middle of the season. I was riding my bigger, squishy bike to give my shoulder a break, but it's too heavy to be enjoyable on my local trails. Got back on my hardtail and started to have fun.
I haven't had this big of an injury before and it took a ton of reflection and reanalyzing my relationship with the sport to be able to enjoy it again.
I aggravated a muscle strain that occured due to deadlifting... By deadlifting. Pain was awful early this morning. So annoying--finally found an exercise I enjoy and I've hurt myself already. Smdh, thought my form was good but clearly not
Deadlifts are one those exercises that could make you feel like a beast or ruin your week/month. My best advice is to quit the set once you begin to feel fatigued. I’ve injured my self in similar manner trying to reach a desired rep count at any cost!
I exercise regularly--cardio, lifting, flexibility. Most of it isn't fun for me though. Deadlifting, however, definitely is. That's good advice honestly, and something I follow in everything else lol
I wish you a speedy recovery! Don’t be afraid to do some at home PT to get the strain sorted out. I can’t tell if it expedited the recovery but it def made me feel better about not dead lifting for a bit lol
Im currently on a lower body lifting break also because of deadlift related strain. Check out squat university for form tips! I think my hips were too high and my tempo was too fast.
Ahh, my tempo is definitely too fast, but at least it matches my breathing! I'll take a look, thanks!
Week 5 of my program after an extended interruption (2 years). After 3 weeks I feel the adaptions coming online and RPE is dropping pretty quick. Bench is coming along well very close to previous max, but it is the lift I did most often during my hiatus. Deadlift and Squat are also moving really well about 15 kilos off previous max.
Body weight isn’t really changing but I expect it is because of recomp. Clothes are beginning to loosen around my midriff and get tighter elsewhere.
I have been continuing attending Kendo practice. I have been working on a strong "seme" and only recently have I realized a way to thinking that allows me to be more confident.
Prior, I had been more passive or timid in my approach, anxious about "losing" and doing more reactive kendo. Now, I think about stepping in as taking or staking territory between my opponent and myself. I take that spot on the court and it's my job to defend it. It's silly, but it gets me into that more aggressive mindset that I think is necessary for good kendo.
Carrying on with my cut, down from 205 at the start of the year and nearly at 185. I'm going to keep going until 175 or until I can't grab love handles anymore. Still doing PPL 2-3 times a week and running twice a week. Did a 6k tonight and it was fucking hard, I knew going in it would be tough, but I pushed through.
I am trying to get to 165-170 or so from 195, at 183 now! Doing full body workouts mainly and some GTG thrown in to improve pull ups and some other movements. Certainly put on some muscle in the last few months but not leaning out as fast as I could be. Recently start to track calories and eat a bit better and seeing progress already, looking a bit leaner. Need to get a bit more cardio in, been walking a lot more!
Nice, sounds like it's going well! I'm doing GTG for pull-ups too as they're a weak spot for me.
I track calories very strictly with lose it, with a calorie budget that lets me eat a bit more on the weekend.
How tall are you? I'm 6'4", so 165 is probably the lowest I could go before it starts to get unhealthy.
Yeah it is going well, some set backs here and there, never a linear thing for me. I think tracking more strictly and cleaning up the diet a bit will certainly speed up my cutting process. I feel a lot better after I adjusted macros to add more carbs, really helped with energy and even mood.
I am about 5'10", in college I was around 160-165 while being decently strong but not super lean, just want to be comfortable in my own skin again is the goal, no other specific goals.
Agreed with u/Zion. If your partner is starting from zero you don’t need to emphasize stretching if you’ll primarily be lifting. There are benefits to stretching but not stretching isn’t going to increase her exposure under load.
Goals with her should be making it fun and celebrating successes. Just have her get used to handling a bar or operating the machines. Fitness has a big learning curve in developing spatial body awareness and interpreting the signals your body gives you.
If you want to have a good gym experience with her I would recommend have some days you lift independently and days you go with her. You can go as hard as you want solo but then go light and feel the vibes when with her. This is generally how I lift with friends who have different fitness goals.
Yeah exactly. You can’t expect your partner to have the same fitness goals as you do. Just as you are trying to find the routine that works for you, they are as well. My partner and I run together 3 days a week on a couch to 5k garmin watch program, but I also go to the gym to lift 2 mornings a week and do a longer hike once a week. She’s someone who always hated running, but since we’re starting slow, she’s started to look forward to days that we run. Make it fun with your partner and she’ll increase the intensity at her own pace.
For one, stretching before lifting doesn’t guarantee you to not get injured and in some studies showed increased injury rate. For someone who doesn’t even know how to properly stretch they would be much better served by cardio focused warm up such as 10mins at moderate pace on the elliptical (better for the joints than treadmill). If you’re dead set on weight training with your partner, stick to the machines until you build your neural drive and confidence lifting weights.
Secondly, when it comes to weight training just doing warm up sets in the same working reps range with 50% working weight is sufficient. You’re looking to “grease the groove”.
If you’re focused on weight loss you need to focus on diet, no one could out work a bad diet (calorie in , calorie out) with a focus on high protein to increase the thermic effect of food.
Be easy on your partner, remember you’re their to support her. She will become discouraged if things get too hard too quick !
That makes sense. I do some stretches as well because of injuries as well. But your partner should be going so light that there is no risk. If she buys-in she will either find her own regiment or begin copying yours when she is ready.
I'm climbing/bouldering 2 or 3 times a week (indoor) and slowly getting a hang of climbing 6c's.
The only issue I keep on having is that I'm on overhangs not able to keep my feet from cutting... and I don't know how to fix this yet
I miss the climbing gym... Used to work in a different city (and different job) so had to commute daily, but there was a positive - the climbing gym was literally next door.
Now WFH and I forgot what walls even look, let alone feel like.
I'm trying to get back into the gym habit! I was going regularly since late last year but stopped the last few months. Easing back into it with treadmill (walking forward on an incline as the main workout, and walking backward for warmup and cooldown), pull-ups, and light weights :)
This week I feel like I was able take my (indoor) bouldering to the next level, so I'm pretty chuffed about that. I've been hovering at v4-5 for a year now but within the last month I was able to tame three v6's! My usual gym does grade pretty soft so I'm not going to advertise myself as a v6 climber but it's all relative and the numbers are going up.
It's getting to a point where climbing feels like it's evolved from a hobby to a passion. I'm now spending my free time watching bouldering competitions and climbing documentaries. If you haven't tried it before, give it a shot!
A few things.
PPL (push pull legs) 3 days a week, Monday Wednesday Friday.
Cardio every day. Can be running, swimming, or biking.
I try to walk at least every other day for about an hour.
20:4 fasting 4x a week.
Meal prepping! Makes eating healthy so much easier when the healthy food is right there.
Planning on restarting (again) Hybrid Calistenics basic program. Went from walking and taking the train to work from working at home. Between sitting on ass for work then sitting on ass for writing/playing games Im getting weak.