Idle Workouts

[Erkki]

Someone had to create this oxymoronic thread, might as well be me. I guess this thread is for physical exercise advice or something.

 

So, I started working out regularly about a month ago. At first I wanted to do more and more until I was doing at least 1 hour of exercise every day, sometimes 2,5 hours. I managed to do this with only 1 day of break for two weeks but then I was really tired for the next week. And now I used easter to get 2 days rest without any exercise, just laying on the couch.

 

What's the best way to take breaks from exercise? My primary goal at the moment is to lose weight, but I'm afraid at least half the things I do have me going above the fat burning heart rate.

[Twig]

Hi I'm fat! Today I began week two of the Couch to 5K program. Last week I did nothing but that, but this week I want to try to do something on the off days. Like sit-ups and push-ups and such. I don't know nothin' about excercise so I'm taking it all in stride. 

 

I'm trying to eat better, too, which I similarly know nothing about. I'm keeping track of caloric intake, and that's about it. I had eggs and toast for breakfast this morning. I wanted bacon but I couldn't find it even though I was informed there was some in the freezer. Dang.

[feelthedarkness]

I've been working out regularly for years, with the personal goal of getting kind of built. I started at 5'11 175, and my goal was to work up to a leanish 200, though i've leveled off around 190. I'm in good shape for 37, but not great, and my workout is pretty basic. 
 
It sounds like you overdid it. Rest can't be under rated. A good workout tears muscle fibers and they need time to heal. I lift every other day, Mon/Wed/Sat. I wish I did cardio twice a week, but I usually only get once, on Sundays. Nutrition is also a critical part of this, and I strongly opposing "dieting." 
 
This is a great site to check out exercise forms: http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html
 
This is my routine, it takes 30-45 minutes:
 

I always do 80% of my max weight, 3 set of 6-8 reps. All exercises are super set, working opposing muscle groups, with a 2 minute break between super sets.

Sat: Chest/Tricep
flat bench with bar / v-bar pushdown
incline bench with dumbell / dips
flys / bent over cable extension with rope

Mon: Biceps/Back
barbell curl on a brace / pull ups (palms out)
cable curl with rope / dead lifts (be careful! you can wreck your back!)
dumble curls (20 reps) / seated row

Wed: Shoulders / Legs
squats / military press
shrugs / front raise
15 minute stairmaster thing, hard and fast

[tegan]

I need to make more effort to excercise. I want to lose fat without gaining muscle. I try to walk for at least twenty minutes a day, but that can get a little dull.

[prettyunsmart]

Alternate thread title: Sweaty Thumbs.

 

I was going to ask if anyone has something like the Couch to 5K thing for getting up to a 10K/Half Marathon. I've been hovering around running 3-4 miles 4 days a week or so, but only occasionally sneaking in something a little longer. I know I should try to go farther, but I need some structure to do it. 

 

Yes, I could just google it, but I figured if anyone has a program they've used and liked that might be better than just trying out whatever the first search result is.

[Twig]

I saw the "after c25k" section while googling c25k originally here: http://www.c25k.com/ but I didn't really look into it too much.

[Badfinger]

I need to make more effort to excercise. I want to lose fat without gaining muscle. I try to walk for at least twenty minutes a day, but that can get a little dull.

 

You want muscles! Muscles are awesome. I cannot stress this enough: The "gain muscle/I don't want to look like a bodybuilder" thought process is a myth. The ladies (and men) who are in bodybuilding competitions that look like they've grafted extra muscles onto their bodies somewhere are like 99% certain to be taking hormone supplements at the very least. Sensible eating and reasonable resistance training are the best ways to lose fat. Muscle mass also takes more cellular maintenance than fat, so by increasing that you increase your base metabolism just to maintain your current weight. 10 pound bicep curls and squats are not going to make you turn into a muscle homunculus I promise! Just that resistance training is extremely beneficial and has almost none of the negatives imagined in that vein.  I also hope this doesn't sound pushy (anything I post in here), or suggest that they're things you HAVE to do, so hopefully it doesn't read that way. If stuff does, smack my posting hand please.

 

 

 

The healthiest way to lose fat without resistance training is probably adjusting one's diet (not dieting). Apropos that while I was reading this thread I got this email because it was also what I was thinking about posting in here.

 

http://www.swolept.com/posts/how-to-trick-your-brain-to-give-you-abs-the-story-of-the-evil-shrimp#.U1VmZfldUpU

 

The quick and dirty is

 

1) drink water. It is good for you and helps you feel full (it is not a meal replacement but is a good other-drink replacement)

2) eat veggies! Beyond the fact that vegetables have an incredible amount of nutrition via needed vitamins and minerals, their main function here is to help you feel full. They have lots of fiber, and fiber in your stomach tells your brain that it's full of food so you stop feeling hungry in a way that a bag full of chips doesn't.

3) good protein. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are just about the most boring protein in the world that's good for you if you don't do anything interesting with them, but it's not like they're the only things. Lean beef (trimmed sirloin, flank steak, skirt steak), eggs!!, lean cuts of pork, almost all fish and shellfish, shrimp especially.

 

Thinking about meal construction is fun. Actually this is reminding me that along with the alcohol thread we should totally have a food and cooking thread. But thinking about how a meal goes together is both delicious and healthy. I am definitely going to have fajita night soon. What's a fajita? Flour tortilla (carbs), chicken breast (protein), peppers and onions (veggies), and some avocado (fat). Full healthy meal in a handheld package. A steak, baked potato w/butter or sour cream (ugh) and a salad is a healthy meal! It just needs to be a 6 oz steak, a small potato, and the salad should be (almost) all veggies and a healthy dressing. I'm thankful my brain was born to know that mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch, and bleu cheese are horrible nasty things so I don't have to cut them out of my diet.

[pabosher]

Yeah! #geeksinsneaks!

 

I work out three days in a row, then one day off, pretty religiously. Swimming in the morning at 7am - it varies, but somewhere around 1.5k, with 500m warmup, 300 preset, 300/400 main set, and then a cool down - and then gym workout in the evening at about 5pm before dinner. Love it.

[Twig]

I'm thankful my brain was born to know that mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch, and bleu cheese are horrible nasty things so I don't have to cut them out of my diet.

Do you just hate everything that's good in this world?

 

I bet you even like ketchup, you monster.

[feelthedarkness]

You want muscles! Muscles are awesome. I cannot stress this enough: The "gain muscle/I don't want to look like a bodybuilder" thought process is a myth. The ladies (and men) who are in bodybuilding competitions that look like they've grafted extra muscles onto their bodies somewhere are like 99% certain to be taking hormone supplements at the very least. 

 

They're also taking in thousands of calories post workout. (elite athlete and olympians can get in the 8-10k range) I second everything in the post! everyone should hit the weights! I WISH you could accidentally get all muscular. 

[Twig]

I don't have money for a gym or for free weights at home. My ideal workout would be swimming every day because I love swimming more than any other physical activity, but that's just not doable in my current situation.

 

Anyway, I have a question about running. After I finish C25K, I wanted to get to the point where I could run every day. Not a huge workout like it feels like right now, but just a few miles every day, and maybe stretching that out every other day. Does that go against the idea of making sure to take a day off? Should I just not run every day? I'm nowhere near that point, yet, but no better time to ask than now.

[Badfinger]

Do you just hate everything that's good in this world?

 

I bet you even like ketchup, you monster.

You know what food tastes like without a layer of mayonnaise or ranch on it? The actual delicious ingredients! My ranch corollary is that anything with ranch on it ceases to taste like anything but ranch. That's boring food. Ketchup is ok. Much better homemade.

 

I actually do like bleu cheeses, I just don't like bleu cheese dressing so call me a liar there. I am a food monster, I won't dispute this. I also have the gene (or lack the gene? or just have the good sense?) that makes cilantro taste like soap. I was such a picky eater as a child. I did not like any "sauces". Chinese restaurants were a nightmare. I ate spaghetti completely dry. I have apologized to my parents profusely for all of that since then.

 

Anyway my point is those are just added calories with no nutritional benefit. You can put sour cream on your potato but that's fat for a meal and you should adjust accordingly.

[pabosher]

I don't have money for a gym or for free weights at home. My ideal workout would be swimming every day because I love swimming more than any other physical activity, but that's just not doable in my current situation.

 

Anyway, I have a question about running. After I finish C25K, I wanted to get to the point where I could run every day. Not a huge workout like it feels like right now, but just a few miles every day, and maybe stretching that out every other day. Does that go against the idea of making sure to take a day off? Should I just not run every day? I'm nowhere near that point, yet, but no better time to ask than now.

 

I don't know for sure, but I feel like 3 days on, one day off, is a good rep. The first day will be a little tougher after the day off, middle day will feel strong and you can go further, and day 3 you can push yourself hard because you know you have that day off.

[prettyunsmart]

I don't have money for a gym or for free weights at home. My ideal workout would be swimming every day because I love swimming more than any other physical activity, but that's just not doable in my current situation.

 

Anyway, I have a question about running. After I finish C25K, I wanted to get to the point where I could run every day. Not a huge workout like it feels like right now, but just a few miles every day, and maybe stretching that out every other day. Does that go against the idea of making sure to take a day off? Should I just not run every day? I'm nowhere near that point, yet, but no better time to ask than now.

 

One thing to think about is how your shins/knees feel if you are running every day. I usually try to alternate days running and biking because I get pretty rough shinsplints and knee pain if I don't. Ultimately though, it just comes down to what you feel like you can handle. You want to push yourself, but not cause any long term damage. 

 

EDIT: Yeah, I only do cardio because the bros at my university's gym freak me out, so I don't want to go in the weight room with them.

[Twig]

Yeah three days on, one off is probably ideal. I like the sound of that. I'll see how I feel 8 weeks from now when I can theoretically run the 5K.

 

You know what food tastes like without a layer of mayonnaise or ranch on it? The actual delicious ingredients! My ranch corollary is that anything with ranch on it ceases to taste like anything but ranch. That's boring food. Ketchup is ok. Much better homemade.

 

I actually do like bleu cheeses, I just don't like bleu cheese dressing so call me a liar there. I am a food monster, I won't dispute this. I also have the gene (or lack the gene? or just have the good sense?) that makes cilantro taste like soap. I was such a picky eater as a child. I did not like any "sauces". Chinese restaurants were a nightmare. I ate spaghetti completely dry. I have apologized to my parents profusely for all of that since then.

 

Anyway my point is those are just added calories with no nutritional benefit. You can put sour cream on your potato but that's fat for a meal and you should adjust accordingly.

You know what food tastes like with a thin layer of mayonnaise or ranch on it? Delicious ingredients with another delicious ingredient on top! I vote you take a vow of silence as punishment. ):

 

I also ate spaghetti dry as a kid, to be fair. I loved it, and for some reason I hated the sauce. Now I can't do it without sauce.

[Erkki]

Is there an alternative to the couch to 5K program when I'm not starting exactly from the couch? Maybe I could skip the first week or something? For years I've been thinking of starting running but each year gave up after a couple of attempts and went back to bicycling. A program like this could help but what if I wanted to keep doing the other exercise I'm doing as well?

[juv3nal]

After shifting from working in an office (wherein my commute involved about 10mins walking each way) to working at home, I've recently given Zombies Run and The Walk a try. I started with Zombies Run and it beat me up so much it was about 3 days before I felt up for it again, so I downshifted to The Walk. The Walk I've been at for a week and have managed an average of 60 minutes of walking a day, so that seems to be working ok.

 

There's some gamey elements to Zombies Run (you're upgrading a base and stuff) whereas The Walk is basically a first person spy story radio play that unlocks sections after you've walked for set amounts of time. It's pretty easy to stick it in your pocket and just do the walking by pacing back and forth the same 5 feet while watching something on tv.

 

I figure that once I complete The Walk, I'll maybe be in a bit better shape to have another crack at Zombies Run. Weirdly, Margaret Atwood has a voice cameo in Zombies Run.

[prettyunsmart]

Weirdly, Margaret Atwood has a voice cameo in Zombies Run.

 

I don't know if that is my favorite or least favorite thing ever.

[Blambo]

Oh cool people are exercising! I swim competitively so I haven't actually thought about dryland stuff until recently; I basically had to relearn running after ten years. My offseason couch-to-exercise path was just doing the weird sprint-jog-sprint alternate thing for about one or two miles a day, eventually working in light abdominal stuff at week two.

 

I tried (only half of, admittedly) the Bruce Lee thing while I was doing crosstraining, and I don't recommend it unless you're willing to uproot your life and offend your tastebuds. I really, really hate muesli.

[Merus]

I play Zombies Run - I used their 5K app, which I thought had an excellent C25K program, as the program's not strict about whether you're running or walking for a good half of it.

 

A friend of mine has gotten into combination running-obstacle course races, and is dragging me into one in May.

[pabosher]

I realise I didn't actually post my gym workout:

 

Start with a 2k jog, increasing in pace until sprinting at the end (usually about 18kpm)

 

A set on the Adrian James workout 6pack app. Genuinely great stuff, highly recommended. Currently doing a 17pt workout with 50s on, 30s off.

 

Bench press w/ dumbbells - currently using 16kg, with 3 x 8-10 reps.

Incline fly machine, working the chest (I don't quite understand the weight, as it works on resistance rather than strict weight) - again, 3 x 8-10

Kettle bell squats, then raising the kettle bell above my head - 20kg, 3 x 8-10

 

Lunges w/ dumb bells, again 16kg, with a bicep curl after every lunge, 3 x 8-10

 

My gym has these crazy things called TRX rows, which are basically straps that hang from a pull-up bar. You adjust their length, hold onto the handles, lean back as far as possible, then essentially do an upside-down press-up, pulling yourself into the straps. The further back you go, the harder it is. 12 of these, immediately into 12 pressups - 3x through.

Stiff-legged deadlift, simply raising and lowering the weight bar (30kg) to your waist then down to your ankles, simply by bending at the weight. 3x 8-10

MTS row machine - 50kg, 3x 8-10

 

Crunches on a swiss ball - 3x 20 reps

Plank for 60 seconds

Hanging knee tucks, 3x 12

 

Between each set I leave no longer than a minute, and I try to do the same between exercises, tho this is difficult sometimes when setting up machines (particularly the incline fly).

[dibs]

On week 5 of couch 25k. It's more of a burn than earlier weeks, especially with the hill I have at the start (if I start on the downhill I will never make it home, it is brutally steep). I think ill stall out and keep at week 5 untill I can do each one comfortably.

[Twig]

I tried to do some basic workings outings this morning before breakfast and almost died. LITERALLY INCHES FROM DEATH.

 

Crazy how little strength I have for sit-ups and push-ups and squat things.

[pabosher]

I tried to do some basic workings outings this morning before breakfast and almost died. LITERALLY INCHES FROM DEATH.

Crazy how little strength I have for sit-ups and push-ups and squat things.

Do it again tomorrow! And the day after!

Then rest. You'll get better

[Badfinger]

I tried to do some basic workings outings this morning before breakfast and almost died. LITERALLY INCHES FROM DEATH.

 

Crazy how little strength I have for sit-ups and push-ups and squat things.

 

You can do it! When I re-started, I could not do 5 push ups. Now I can do multiple sets. We're talking only a few weeks, it goes fast. If you are convinced you cannot do a good form full pushup (guilty, at points in my life), do modified pushups. Either do them from your knees, or bend at the waist and do them that way. Or if you increase the incline, that makes them easier as well (ex: hands on the 2nd or 3rd stair of a staircase, feet on the ground). You don't need to prove to yourself or anyone else you're a Cool Dude, you just do what you can and you'll improve yourself.

 

 

 

Pabosher the lunge/curl combo sounds like hellish death. I looked up the TRX rows, and they seem cool but so hard. You know what I've never been able to do in my life? A pull up. I look like I should be able to build good upper body strength, but I just have never managed it. I'm currently doing about what you're doing for the dumbell press, but I have to cut it basically in half for biceps. It's crazy.