Let's talk about working out

I know that a programming board composed mostly of 16 year old nerds in their parents' basements isn't the best place to discuss this, but I know there are some people around that can get involved in this.

I used to go the gym pretty frequently and be in reasonably good shape, but I've gotten lazy in the last couple years. Lack of time, having a girlfriend and relaxing, or being generally lazy can be blamed for this. Since I don't possess the first 2 anymore, I've decided it's time for me to get my fat ass in gear. My apartment complex has a free gym, after all.

So what do you guys do?

Today I alternated between a few sets each of preacher curls, pull downs (I think they're for lats? Where you bring the shoulder width bar down to your chest), inclined press, and tricep pulls. Between each of these, I did a couple minutes on the exercise bike. Afterwards, I ran about a mile or so. The whole thing only took me a little more than a half hour, but I kinda want to ease into it and not hurt myself. I'll probably figure out more stuff to do tomorrow, since the gym's got a pretty good sized machine with most of the stuff I remember doing.

>So what do you guys do?
I used to run quite a bit, but now I get my exercise almost exclusively from the climbing gym near where I work. It's a lot more fun than a treadmill. :D

You don't think people would get suspicious if a 23 year old man was wandering around an elementary school playing on the monkey bars?

Oh, not that kind of climbing gym.

I used to mountain bike a lot.
I moved to Boston, though, and biking (although there are no mountains) is still my favorite. It works here provided you don't mind the MASH themesong, "Suicide is Painless" running through your head as you dodge drivers who think they'll get extra points for each biker they successfully turn into a smudge on the pavement. It's good exercise, though.

>> Between each of these, I did a couple minutes on the exercise bike. Afterwards, I ran about a mile

My sources tell me the cardio workout should come first. You should get your heart rate up before starting weights. I usually run for 15-20 minutes then do 40-45 minutes of wieghts. Only takes an hour and i get a pretty good work out. I try and get down to the gym 3-4 times a week.

If your at all like me, jumping right in to this stuff will be disaster. If you have a good days workout you might think "This will work pretty good" but then you will be so sore the next week you wont be able to do anything.

I would suggest taking a brisk walk around your neighboorhood and some sit-ups/pushups every day. Then when you get back into shape you can start the more physically demanding excersises.

> I would suggest taking a brisk walk

Whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm not that out of shape. I ran a 5K a few months ago (considerably slower than I used to, but still).

Oh no a whole 5 kilometer? We used to do 6 milers for morning PT :)

Now, well now I don't do much. I should really get back into swimming, would love to do another mile swim. My goal is to go see a doc find out what I should / should not do with my knees and start doing some weights/swimming. Maybe fix the bike up and start biking again but that might have to wait till the spring now.

> Oh no a whole 5 kilometer? We used to do 6 milers for morning PT

So did I when I was in high school and running :mad:

Leave me alone you big mean Marine.

Actually running is the one thing I really really really DO NOT miss :)

I remember once in school (Marine tech school not High School) there was a 5k run for Earth Day and we were given a choice, pay $5 and do the run but get most of the day off or not and work the day helping out for the event. Well once they told us that 5k is about 3.2 miles we all put in our 5 bucks since thats only .2 miles longer then a PFT run :)

Edit: oh and it was a formation run so its like a 30/35 minute pace so its not like we even were running that hard.

I actually hate working out. The only workout really I get is from my Martial arts class. I've been studying Sil Lum Hung Gar kung-fu for about 6 years. That gives me all the aerobic workout I need. And with the stances, pushups and various other "weightless" exercises. I'm alright.

What I really enjoy doing is stretching. I get a high from it. Before And after I "work out." Lots of ppl neglect this, but it is equally important.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Govtcheez

> I would suggest taking a brisk walk

Whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm not that out of shape. I ran a 5K a few months ago (considerably slower than I used to, but still).

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Oh ok, i was confusing you with me :p

The only thing I really do with weights are things for bicep/tricep. Otherwise I do tons of running, push ups, chin ups, sit ups, crunches, stuff like that, primarily for army rotc but just in general that's the type of stuff I do.

When you say you want to get your fat ass in gear, do you mean you want to lose weight, get strong/gain muscle mass, or both? If you want to lose weight, eating less, eating right, and doing cardio is the right thing to do. I highly advocate running or biking, as they have many decent side effects (helps you think better, helps you sleep at night, builds your immune system, gives you an excuse to eat more, increases sexual desire/performance, you feel good after accomplishing a good run or biking outing, plus literally hundreds of other benefits).

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Thantos

Oh no a whole 5 kilometer? We used to do 6 milers for morning PT :)

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I've noticed a certain 'gradient' towards running...if you don't do any running at all, even starting up and forcing yourself to do say, oh, a mile or two can be excruciatingly difficult, but once you get built up you can do what seems like endless amounts of long distance running. I recently did an 8 mile run, and it seems like a lot, but it actually wasn't *that* bad, and I enjoyed it. But when you are out of shape, it seems like a total mind game. I really prefer running 8 miles to being yelled at by drill sargeants.

edit
were you in marines by any chance? 6 miles seems like something they'd force you to do. I did the 8 mile by myself at a track (so I could easily measure my distance), but for ARMY ROTC the most we do is 4 miles, and of course the marine ROTC they do more. If you were in marines, was it enlisted or for officer school? I was about a hair's width away from enlisting instead of going to college, and had I known there was a marine rotc I'd be in that instead of army.

> When you say you want to get your fat ass in gear, do you mean you want to lose weight, get strong/gain muscle mass, or both?

I'm probably about 20-25 pounds overweight, and I'd like to not be. Also the gaining muscle thing would be good.

edit: Yeah, Thantos was/is a Marine.

Well, good luck

First off

>>as you dodge drivers who think they'll get extra points for each biker they successfully turn into a smudge on the pavement

What... don't I? I'm fairly certain I do... Theres really only one way to find out. :)

But on the working out topic: I work out at my buddies free gym every other day. Its been kind of slack lately, but then again I am a carpenter and get my share of exercise every day at work anyways. I find that a) If I'm not working out with someone else, then I don't stay motivated nearly as long, and b) I like to do a full on, serious, sweat-it-all-out, feel-the-pain kind of workout. Thats the only way I enjoy it enough to keep going back. Plus if I can feel the soreness, I at least feel like somethings working.

FYI, you shouldn't work out every day. Or if you do, you need to alternate what muscles you're working to ensure that you're not taxing the same muscle every day. If you don't give a heavily worked muscle a day of rest, it wont build the proper mass that you're requesting of it. Its fine to do cardio as much and as often as you want. What you're eating is also very very important. Working out uses a whole lot of energy and you should definatly look into what and when you should be eating to supply it.

But for now I'm going to do some bicep curls... I think a Sleeman Honey Brown Lager is the ideal weight for the evening.

I used to go to the local gym where I live 2-3 times a week. That changed about 18 months ago, because the gym changed, drastically, and for the worse. Half the machines were "out of order" the heating/ventilation/cooling system was basically turned off, the floor was covered with crud etc. etc.

Why pay a fortune to go to a steaming hot, filthy smelly room to find out that your planned regime for the day is not possible because the machines aren't working?

So now I am limited to badminton, and some free weights that, as I type, are by my left foot. I use them while waiting for my projects to compile - mostly shoulders and arms.

Do push ups! lol

It's interesting because if you only do workouts as you wait for projects to compile, as you develop longer projects, you'll be able to say that programming more actually got you into *better* shape!

or you could just use an old P1 100mhz computer as your compile farm, then you'll be forced to work out for hours

System is slow enough as it is, 2.53GHz system clocked at 1.9GHz in order to keep the damn Northbridge stable.

I do scrambles (non technical climbs [no ropes needed]) in the Rocky Mountains [I love being Albertan...mountains own] in the summer. This summer I got up the Middle Sister outside of Canmore (on the 3rd attempt...othertimes I ended up on the...wrong mountain..)
And in the winter I go skiing. :)