Exercise/Fitness Log

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George the original one
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by George the original one »

"The US didn't launch those Tomahawks at Syria, this guy threw them"

Toska2
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by Toska2 »

I don't think that sort of fitness is ere. I'm leaning on longevity rather than strength or endurance. Absent years of body mechanics training and physical training, it's highly likely that I will injure myself attempting to imitate. I know too many former military people that are hobbled by the experience. No thanks.


As for my current fitness. (5'9" 160lbs)
20" three step jump vertical
8 minute mile for 5 miles, climbing and descending1200'
50 push ups nonstop
Leg press 450lbs (can't do more because pressure on lower back)
40+ second handstands
Can curl up from "Crow" to headstand but lowering is shaky.


I'm working on core next. My yoga teachers are laughing when they get to "rowing the boat" (legs up , chest up, body in a v; now lower both to 6" above the ground & repeat)

Chad
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by Chad »

The only exercise he does that has a chance of causing lasting damage is when he slides his arms way out in front of him from the push up position. That might put enough stress on the shoulder joints to be an issue, but even then as long as you don't train through any pain it's probably not long-term detrimental.

The hobbled military people are probably hobbled because they had to/were forced to work through injuries, obvious overuse, etc., as opposed to the actual workout. It would seem to be the nature of the job, more than the workouts. Kind of like if a construction worker who works out develops arthritis or some other hobbling ailment. It was probably the work not the workout, as discomfort, bad form, etc. can be removed from the workout but not the work.

The same can be said of former NFL players. The workouts that cause future health issues it was the practices and games they played through with injuries. They have almost constant low level injuries that don't get to properly heal for months due to the practices and games.

FrugalFred
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by FrugalFred »

I've made a lot of progress just by doing this aesthetics-focused routine twice a week:

3 incline bench
3 chinups
3 overhead press
4-5 lateral raises
4-5 suspension band face pulls
3 bicep curls
3 tricep pushdowns

The raises, face pulls, and pushdowns are all done rest pause style. Everything else is done reverse pyramid, with long rest periods and low-medium reps.

I might add some some minor ab and leg work down the line, but right now all I care about is reaching my genetic potential on those muscles that have a real visual impact (delts, upper pecs, lats, and arms).

Call me vain, but let's be honest here: the vast majority of people lift in order to attract the opposite sex. And last time I checked, no woman has ever slept with a man for his squat numbers.

FBeyer
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by FBeyer »

FrugalFred wrote:
Sun May 28, 2017 2:12 pm
...Call me vain, but let's be honest here: the vast majority of people lift in order to attract the opposite sex. And last time I checked, no woman has ever slept with a man for his squat numbers.
If you're looking to please superficial people, you're going to get what superficial people have to offer. ;)

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jennypenny
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by jennypenny »

So...I fractured my wrist. (I know, don't say it.) I'm having trouble running because my hand swells while I run and the cast gets really tight. Any idea how to avoid that without having to run with my arm in the air like I have a question?

Also, any ideas on how to do upper body workouts without using my wrist? I thought maybe I could attach ankle weights to my biceps somehow? It hasn't been an issue up to now because I also hurt my rotator cuff when I hurt my wrist, but that's healing nicely and I think my ortho will lift restrictions on that tomorrow.

Chad
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by Chad »

Do you do MMA fights on the side? How do you get hurt so much? :) Maybe exercise bands would be helpful if you have some place to anchor them. They aren't super expensive either.

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jennypenny
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by jennypenny »

Haha ... I'm like the anti-wolverine.

Got a removable cast today, so that solves the swelling problem. I asked the ortho about modified upper body exercises. He kinda yelled at me and then said I could do any yoga that didn't involve putting pressure on the arm. That's something, I guess.

Chad
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by Chad »

Doctors always seem to be ultra conservative with stuff like this. So many seem to treat everyone like they are about to die and all you have is a broken wrist.

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jennypenny
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by jennypenny »

Wow, I'm a little rusty at the yoga thing. And as soon as you tell yourself "don't put your arm down" you can't help but do so. Multiple times. :roll: I found a 'chair' yoga thing online for people who are barely mobile but it reminded me of the days when I *was* one of those people so I turned it off. Too depressing. I'm back to air boxing and those stupid arm circles they make you do in grade school. I'm lifting with the other arm a little, but I don't want to look like that guy in Lady in the Water.

jacob
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by jacob »

After much hesitation, I acquired some rubber coated dumbbells so I could start on Insanity Asylum (I've been sitting on the DVDs for two years). I'm prone to acquiring sporting equipment that's too esoteric to unload easily, clubbells, kettlebells, rings, swords, running backpacks, ... and my strategy was that this has gotta stop. But I was getting bored with regular Insanity, so it was time.

Asylum is even harder than the other two. Unlike Insanity which is based on three sets of 4x30-45 second exercises with 30 second breaks between the sets where you're supposed to take a break whenever you need it; or Max30 which is typically three sets of 30 seconds with very few breaks and you're supposed to push yourself being your previous best, Asylum is closer to set after set of 1 minute without breaks. Compare it to the "pure cardio" workouts of Insanity as far as the format goes.

While the other two have a fairly low footprint and no requirement for equipment (although you'd be highly advised to wear shoes!), Asylum is $@#$@#$! larger. It uses a agility ladder. First I made my own out of duct tape and paint sticks only to find that I had to move it around constantly depending on whether I had to do a plank along the ladder or perpendicular to it to the left or to the right or in the middle or in the end. If you use a ladder which never moves like in the DVDs, you need a floor space of 12x18 ft plus a safety buffer to avoid jumping into furniture. If you don't have that much space, you'll be moving the thing around constantly trying to figure out how to about drop-kicking the couch when you do a plan :? However, I realized that the tiling in our living room is exactly the same dimensions as the ladder, so now I just lay out some paint sticks to simulate a ladder and guide the eye. You'll also be on the floor a lot, so sweat and slipperiness is an issue. I started wearing gloves just to contain it! :shock:

(Doing it in 80F and 60% humidity doesn't help either I suppose.)

TL;DR - You need much more space. If you're in a 1bd/1ba apartment or something ... it's probably not going to happen .. or you'll need to figure something out. I'm pretty sure there would have been no way in our old apartment least the entire living room had been turned into a dedicated gym .. and that would have been a hard sell to DW.

The ladder is useful because it makes it a lot harder to slack or cheat. E.g. on in-out abs ... previously you could just do whatever .. now there are zones so 18", 36" or 54" inches. I like that. I noticed in particular that the different incentives between Insanity and Max30 lead to a much slackier form in Max30. If you wanna do jumping jacks at 80rpm, form is inevitably going to suffer as range gets limited. Limbs simply can't move that fast. Also contrast and compare power jumps.

Also requires a jump rope for the warmup. As part of the warmup, it's presumed that you can do double-swings for 1 minute straight(*) as a matter of course, just to illustrate the level. While I find myself yawning during Insanity warmups, Asylum warm-ups are enough to send me out for the count a few times.

(*) Standard warmup is something like 5 minute straight of jump roping .. Not the regular stuff, but high knees, double swings, criss-cross, hop squats, ...

Also required are dumbbells (As mentioned), bands, lines/cords, and a pull-up station. It's possible to substitute lines for the DBs and pull-up station and exercises are given for that ... but it's certainly not the same effect. BTW, I got 25lbs dumbbells. I figured that would be light enough w/o being shameful. Nope ... 20 or even 15 would probably have been better. You're not doing silly biceps curls as much as you're doing Insanity moves with weight, at Insanity speeds.

Seamus
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by Seamus »

My Mon-Fri routine:
6-10 miles total on my bike (commute + errands).

45 minutes of either ultimate frisbee or pushups, pullups & sprints (currently I get in 100 of each + 4x400m).

Either a kettlebell workout (farmer carry, snatches, goblet squats, swings, farmer carry back) or I go to the climbing gym.

I try to do yoga too. I'm very un-flexible.

I'm 6 feet 2 inches, 160 lb.

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jennypenny
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by jennypenny »

If you didn't see FBeyer's journal, he recommended a book called Move Your DNA. I read it last night and it was worth a read. I'm still mulling it over but I wonder if I should cut back on the exercise time and build in more purposeful movement like Bowman describes in the book.


I added VSL #3 to my regimen. Wow, what a difference ... mental as well as physical. I have celiac with constant stomach issues and persistent anemia, so maybe it's making more of a difference for me than it would for someone else? Not sure, but I'm very happy I tried it. I only need 2/day in a small cup of yogurt to feel the effects. I read that taking it with yogurt 'feeds' it, making it more effective.

bryan
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by bryan »


jacob
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by jacob »

https://www.livestrong.com/stronger/ Free 8 week program (haven't done/tried it)

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jennypenny
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by jennypenny »

I don't like yoga but I know it's a good way to incorporate stability/flexibility training, which I need it now that I'm getting older. I found this site and I'm working my way through her beginner program. I like it. She's not intimidating (mostly because she doesn't look like one of those zero-bodyfat pretzels) and I like that her site has short and long videos because sometimes this is my only workout and other times I'm incorporating it into another workout.

https://www.youtube.com/user/lesleyfightmaster/featured

SustainableHappiness
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by SustainableHappiness »

@jennypenny, as a lifelong soccer player with tight hip flexors causing 1 billion problems (the pain tends to just float around my core). Finding and accepting yoga/consistent dynamic and static stretching routines has been the primary reason I have been able to play/exercise without mucho mucho pain. Glad you've found a site that works for you. I've found success is having a single decently well-rounded routine (takes about 30 minutes) that I do every day off high intensity training with specific stretches added after if I feel the need. The beauty is because yoga poses can always be improved or tweaked I have yet to get bored of this (same routine I've been doing for a few years off and on).

It consists of a bunch of sun salutations -> warrior 1, 2, reverse, 3 -> pidgeon -> cat/cow -> twists of some sort -> additional stretching as desired

I've also had a lot of fun in the past couple months adding our baby into the routine, i.e. place him underneath me or beside the mat and then everyone has a good time. Some studios actually sell this (with socializing) as a service in "Parent and Peanut Yoga"...adorable.

bryan
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by bryan »

Went to a dance class this week. Basically hip-hop, dancehall, soca, etc. Most of the class was choreography (which I suck at), but most of the rest was more exercise e.g. promenading repeatedly across the room doing different movements. Pretty fun but I was the only guy there which is always slightly awkward.. Not a great value if just considering it for the exercise (you could just turn up the radio at home and do a bunch of jump squats and flail around a bit), but will probably go again in the future since it's pretty fun.
jennypenny wrote:
Thu Nov 30, 2017 11:35 am
I don't like yoga but I know it's a good way to incorporate stability/flexibility training
SustainableHappiness wrote:
Fri Dec 01, 2017 11:14 am
@jennypenny, as a lifelong soccer player with tight hip flexors causing 1 billion problems (the pain tends to just float around my core). Finding and accepting yoga/consistent dynamic and static stretching routines has been the primary reason I have been able to play/exercise without mucho mucho pain.
Are there any studies on increase in flexibility caused by practicing yoga, versus other things like dynamic stretches followed by sports or ballet, etc? Even statistical census studies like there are for VO2max? I've always been a bit skeptic about yoga but the personal accounts I've heard are basically unanimous. I mean it makes sense that practicing movements requiring flexibility makes you better at being flexible.. just curious to see the physiology of it.

jacob
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by jacob »

@bryan - Of course there are studies :geek: What else would people with sports degrees be doing? :mrgreen: As far as I understand, the debate between static and dynamic is still ongoing. I, therefore, conclude that it's similar to dieting in what works best for some people is not what works best for others. I see far more instances of static stretches than dynamic these days ... but I do remember it being the other way around 30 years ago.

What seems to have changed is that flexibility is no longer considered an absolute positive good (in the more is better sense) but rather something that must be optimized for one's sport or physical lifestyle for lack of a better word. Stretching routines, overall, seem more idiosyncratic and autobiographic than scientific. Every sport and every trainer seems to have a different idea.

Most sedentary humans tend to be stiff as a board and would universally benefit from being able to touch their toes (or be able to at least see their toes from a standing position :roll: ), but it's debatable whether being able to do a full split helps rather than hurts the safety of, say, an offensive lineman. Strength (over the full range of motion) must be considered along with flexibility insofar you want to use it for more than just contortion. Otherwise => Injury!

If you think of muscles as rubberbands on opposing sides of whatever bone (e.g. quads on the front, hamstrings on the back), then more flexibility translates into looser rubberbands. A looser opposing band means faster motion because there's less resistance from the opposing side. Very useful for kicks and punches. (Reason why fighters talk about being muscle bound---an undesired quality). Also running. BTW, this is also mental/neuron dependent.

A tighter band, however, means you can preload or load up tension. Think of winding up to throw a ball. If the muscles involved here are too loose, you won't be throwing as hard. However, be too tight for a "requested" range of motion---say when falling on your ass---and that's when tear happens.

Scott 2
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Re: Exercise/Fitness Log

Post by Scott 2 »

This is an interesting podcast, where two yoga instructors talked about all the damage over stretching has done to them:

https://www.jbrownyoga.com/yoga-talks-p ... ill-miller

Often the people doing fancy stuff were flexible to begin with. Many of the "best" yogis are former dancers - skilled at making the shapes from day 1.

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