F O U R T H E Y E

Today I went out for a bike ride - the first one I quite a long time. Since it's now spring (here in Oz at least) I figured there are no longer any valid excuses for not getting off my ass and back into shape. This thread I have create so that I, and anyone else can share their exercising habits, tips, achievements, etc.

Todays venture was only a small one - about 8km around suburbia. Nothing too huge, no large hills but a nice creek to ride along. I plan to get back into condition so that I can ride 100k again.

Off-topic posts will be deleted!

I run every weekday and go to the gym 3 of those days.

I had stopped working out for about 10 years until I picked it back up 3 and a half years ago. The day I restarted is the day I quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey. Worked like a charm.

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I have been keenly interested in health for the last 10-12 years or so. I had some issues with allergies and that started me on the road to reading food labels. I am now almost obsessed with getting the most nutritional bang for my buck when buying foods. A proper exercise plan eluded me for most my life... I was never overweight or out of shape per se but I would never consider myself overly fit. Skinny and underweight was more like it. I was always active but not really pushing my fitness. However the last 2 years I have been pretty steady(3-5days/week) going to the 'gym'. I never thought I would be doing that but I do and I find it fun albeit exhausting at times. I can't really find the drive and motivation to exercise at home by myself so I go to group classes where everyone does some variation/modification of the same routine. The class motivates me and spending the money also pushes me to go because I am frugal and hate wasting money. I'm sure some of you will say that paying for a membership is a waste of money but for me it isn't. I look at the money spent as part of my health care program and if I spent it on weights and kettlebells for home it would be wasted because they would just sit there sort of like 'health insurance', it sits there and does little for you but costs a lot. So the gym and proper food choices are my main health insurance.

Exercise has to be fun for me otherwise I probably won't do it so it's important for me to get it in my head that it's fun. I make it into little competitions with other people or the clock. I find the competitiveness motivating even though it's not at all about winning or beating others, it's the friendly pushing of others to be your best that gets me through the workouts.



Last year I participated in a Tough Mudder race that was pretty fun. It's basically an obstacle course set over a distance of about 12 miles through lots of mud. Good times! One thing that I would like to do that I heard about on this forum is a Rogaine race... that sounds like a good time as well.

Let's see what else do I do for exercise....... oh, I climb towers as tall as 600m and hike hours to make jumps.

basejumper wrote: Last year I participated in a Tough Mudder race that was pretty fun. It's basically an obstacle course set over a distance of about 12 miles through lots of mud. Good times! One thing that I would like to do that I heard about on this forum is a Rogaine race... that sounds like a good time as well.

Rogaines are great - you should get into that. Only one more left this year, and it's a short metropolitan one I'll probably do with my daughter.

hellboy wrote:

basejumper wrote: Last year I participated in a Tough Mudder race that was pretty fun. It's basically an obstacle course set over a distance of about 12 miles through lots of mud. Good times! One thing that I would like to do that I heard about on this forum is a Rogaine race... that sounds like a good time as well.

Rogaines are great - you should get into that. Only one more left this year, and it's a short metropolitan one I'll probably do with my daughter.

They are rare in the US. I would love to have a variation that could incorporate some jumps into it! Need to participate in one before organizing one I guess

basejumper wrote:
They are rare in the US. I would love to have a variation that could incorporate some jumps into it! Need to participate in one before organizing one I guess

Not sure having jumps in a rogaine would make much sense, but you are free to choose some challenging terrain if you like - the path you take is up to you!

Ravenpig wrote:I run every weekday and go to the gym 3 of those days.

I had stopped working out for about 10 years until I picked it back up 3 and a half years ago. The day I restarted is the day I quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey. Worked like a charm.

I'm glad that worked out for you, but I can see that being disastrous for other people.

I'm eating (and crying) while I read this thread.

The gym rang today to ask me why I hadn't been of late. They only care because its membership renewal time.

Kittaan wrote:I'm eating (and crying) while I read this thread.

You should try doing those things while jogging or riding a bike.

In reality, I am finally doing what I said I'd do just about every year (New Year's Resolution style) prior: Doing at least an hour of exercise every day. Coincidentally, it started in January, and I haven't missed a week yet. Despite a broken thumb (modifications were required, but I got through it) and a pretty fucked up shoulder from white water rafting (same, I modified and kept it going).

I've been exercising fairly regularly for the past few decades, but not often making it happen every day for extended periods. It has now just become part of my day, and I somehow find a way to make it happen, where previously many excuses got in the way.

Never felt better, so I think I'll be able to keep it going long term.

The weather here has been too appalling to do anything for the past five months. The best I can manage is to walk as quickly as I can every morning and evening to and from the train station so I don't get caught in the rain. Adds up to about 20 minutes of exercise a day.

Consider I eat like an absolute champ, I'm not too worried about my health. Probably back to a home work-out and weekly day hiking when it's not freezing and/or terrible weather. Also Tai Chi again if I can find somewhere close and cheap to do it with others.

Elliptical/tread 4 days a week does me good cardio wise. Calisthenics and light weights keep me where I want to be strength wise.

It's tough fitting in a crazy gym schedule when you have a family, so I do 90% of it at home. Invest in decent equipment and you are good to go. Eventually I will get back to hitting the pavement but for now, machines are just fine.

Diet wise just trying to eat smart. fresh, non processed. low sugar foods. I am human so I do indulge at times, but it's all in moderation. Eating healthy has been a rough road for me, but the last 5 years I've dedicated my time to learn and change what I truly put in my body. Especially when drinking.
In my early to mid twenties I didn't give a fuck and ate everything and anything. Things happen, and I had to make changes to try and live a long healthy life.

There is no way I can spend 12-15 hours a week in the gym, it just doesn't suit my lifestyle. But kudos to those that do.

I'm lucky to find more than 30 minutes a day to exercise.

BlackHole83 wrote: There is no way I can spend 12-15 hours a week in the gym, it just doesn't suit my lifestyle. But kudos to those that do.

hellboy wrote:I'm lucky to find more than 30 minutes a day to exercise.

The belief that the longer you workout the healthier you will be is a myth. The only reason you should spend 12-15hrs working out is if you are trying to gain mass and still that amount of time is a bit crazy. If you are just looking to be healthy you really do not need more than 60 minutes a day 5-6 times per week.

It's quality not quantity and you need a good mix of stretching, strengthening and cardio.

A very good book I recommend called The Immortality Edge covers, among other things, an exercise routine that throughout all the levels only takes max 55 minutes once per week(other days are shorter) and the beginning stages takes 15-20 minutes per day. You build up to doing the longer woukouts. This book was based on Nobel prize winning research that dealt with Telomere(end of chromosomes) length. This telomere length was found to be related to longevity. Over time these telomeres shorten with every replication of DNA. Certain things speed up the process, some things slow it down and still others have been shown to actually lengthen the telomeres!

Anyway, what research showed was that we need to do things that are aerobic and anaerobic in our exercise routines. Long story-short is that by going into oxygen-debt(anaerobic) our bodies/muscles adapt and build tolerance, strengthen and release HGH(human growth hormone). HGH levels have been shown to account for up to a 10% increase in telomere length among many other anti-aging benefits.

So how does Anaerobic work? Short burst of High energy.
Here is an example from the book of what is recommended to start and also a random routine chosen that is more advanced. There are 4 levels, each one consisting of 6 weeks. You can jump into any of the levels or weeks you want to if your fitness level is high enough. You also can choose what your activity is such as running, biking, rowing etc.

Level 1 week 1 Thursday
5-10 minutes stretching
5 minutes cardio
30 second burst @ 60% effort
90 seconds at slow pace without stopping
30 second burst @ 70% effort
90 seconds at slow pace without stopping
End with 5 minutes stretching

Total time = ~20 minutes

Level 4 week 1 Thursday
5-10 minutes stretching
5 minutes cardio
30 second burst @ 80% effort
90 seconds at slow pace without stopping
30 second burst @ 90% effort
90 seconds at slow pace without stopping
30 second burst @ 100% effort
30 second @ moderate pace
30 second burst @ 100% effort
30 second @ moderate pace
30 second burst @ 100% effort
30 second @ moderate pace
30 second burst @ 100% effort
30 second @ moderate pace
30 second burst @ 100% effort
30 second @ moderate pace
30 second burst @ 100% effort
30 second @ moderate pace
End with 5 minutes stretching

Total time = ~25-30 minutes

As you progress you can add resistance training and other things to increase your fitness level.

Last year I bought a one year membership at a gym, bought protein powder, PWO and all that shit. Went to the gym about 20 times before I realized I hated it. Never went back.

I just don't like to exercise, I don't "need" it.

Ettan wrote:Last year I bought a one year membership at a gym, bought protein powder, PWO and all that shit. Went to the gym about 20 times before I realized I hated it. Never went back.

I just don't like to exercise, I don't "need" it.

Totally understand that... you really have to make it something you 'need' otherwise it just doesn't happen. That's why I make it as much fun as possible. I need fun in my life!

One other thing that helped me was to educate myself as much as possible on how things work in our bodies. If you understand how the body works and processes things and you know that certain things are detrimental in those processes then you have to consciously justify why eating unhealthy or half-assing or not doing any exercise is the decision you want to make at that time. If you don't really know how things work then it's way easier to blow it off as not that bad.

UndKeineZwEier wrote:Last minute I started reading Basejumper's post, read the first paragraph, immortality edge and all that shit. Went to the second paragraph before I realized I hated it. Never went back.

I just don't like to read long ass posts, I don't "need" it.

I at least broke it up instead of a solid block of text!

Here is the gist of it...

Short burst of High energy.

hellboy wrote:Off-topic posts will be deleted!

We have enough joke threads on this forum. Let's attempt to keep at least thread on topic.

Ettan wrote:Last year I bought a one year membership at a gym, bought protein powder, PWO and all that shit. Went to the gym about 20 times before I realized I hated it. Never went back.

I just don't like to exercise, I don't "need" it.

The only thing I liked about the gym was the regularity of exercise, and the fact that paying for it gave me more motivation to go. The whole concept of weightlifting and body building I find quite boring though. I think it's more useful to have general fitness with a particular goal in mind. To ride 100km for example, or run a marathon or something.

Plus, getting outdoors when the weather is good is the most enjoyable way to exercise.

I agree with you. I used to be a footballer, then I started with thriatlon. I really enjoyed that.

Today:
Weights
10x2 Split Jerk
then

10 Barbell rollouts
50 Double unders or 150 singles(jump rope)
25 Push ups
50 Squats
25 Sit ups
Do this twice for time
My time = 9:17

[BBvideo 560,340][/BBvideo]

I've done exactly no exercise since my last post

I took last week off because I had very little free time. The little time I had I used for sleep.

I'm back on track this week so far though.

hellboy wrote:I've done exactly no exercise since my last post

I've put in (at the least) a combined 40 hours since my last post in this thread (Sept 22nd). Yoga (every day), aerobic/strength/crossfit (2/3 x week), biking and hiking (mostly weekends). Not including the hours training soccer with my kid because it's mostly his effort, but I do get pretty winded chasing down balls and drilling with him.

Ravenpig wrote:The little time I had I used for sleep.

Plenty of time for sleep when you're dead. Which I'm much closer to than you lot.