Exercising and such activities

[sgt. pepper]

This thread is about physical activities, it can involve anything of the sort, like gymming, martial arts, gymnastics or whatever you want. What do you do, how often, is it fun, is it hard, and so on.

I go to the gym two times a week and to the Muay thai-place three times a week, and both are fun (of course :)). In the gym i do a full body workout (it works well since i don't go there that often) and stretch like a madman since i'm not very limber, which you need to be in most martial arts. I've been going for quite a while, the stuff i hate there are all the exercises involving the front of the thighs (it fucking HURTS when you focus on that area :knockout:) and the stomach (mostly since my muscles there are far behind most of my other muscles :whoops:).

Muay thai is fun and hard, it's a no-nonsense kind of martial art when compared to Karate and the other more "philosophical" martial arts, but it still has some customs to give it flavour. It makes use of many different parts of the body in the techniques, and all in all it's a great workout and fun too. If you are interested in martial arts or boxing but don't know what to choose, definetly look up Muay thai and try it. I just started a couple of months ago myself but there's plenty of techniques to learn, so it never gets boring.

So, what do you do?

[Shamu]

I do pilates a few times a week and I also ride horses (as a sport, not for trail riding, though that works you out as well).
That's about it. Both are a lot of fun, especially horse back riding. Pilates is pretty difficult, but I love it because it gives you long lean muscles, instead of bigger bulky ones and it's also given me better posture.

[sgt. pepper]

I want bulky muscles, i guess i want to compensate for being short. :P But i've been ill the last few weeks, so i've lost some bulk. :(

[Shamu]

Yeah, I haven't done any of my pilates exercises in a few weeks, mostly because of the holidays, so I feel a bit...yucky. I need to kick my own butt and get going on that again. Fortunately, I have a session with my trainer on Monday, so that should help jump start that again \o/

[Myrsilus]

I work out 3-4 times a week, focusing on specific body parts on each day. Recently, I've been doing various pull ups every day in order to increase my upper body strength even more. If I can't even pull up my own weight, I'm pissed. I also do abs every day I work out since they're so hard to develop.

That's not to say I neglect my legs; I focus on at least one leg muscle group each day, whether it be quads, hamstrings, calves, hip abductors, etc.

I've been growing and gaining muscle thanks to everything I am doing, and I intend to intensify training when I can get an assessment at my gym. Once I am ready, I'm going to add a lot more cardio to my routine in order to top off the package brilliantly. Right now I am more focused on building mass and overall strength, so I'm sticking away from cardio for right now.

Eventually I intend to visit a boxing gym. I really want quicker reflexes and stronger punches, and I know boxing can help me there. I'm fine with the leg attacks I know right now, since most are quite damaging and practical enough (I'm not doing so many high kicks anymore).

I love what I am doing right now. And yes, I am also working out to be sexier. I'm quite vain, actually. Big whoop, wanna fight about it?

[sgt. pepper]

I can't speak for anyone else, but no i don't want to fight. :) I also work out to be sexier and get confidence, so that maybe i will catch someones interest. By the way, there are elbow-attacks in Muay thai. Is there anything cooler? :innocent:

[Soli]

I can touch my toes! Like um, this clip I found: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dcVXgm2d50 It's sort of excersice-ish? I do it everyday to make sure I still can and didn't forget how to overnight. :yes:

I don't do anything daily or organized like going to a gym. :P I do practice my clarinet everyday, so I guess I excercise my mouth, lungs, and fingers. XD

[ZaichikArky]

well my new years resolution is to go to the gym 5 times a week. We'll see how that goes -_-. Starting monday! When I go to the gym, I used to never do weights, but after having my arm muscles become sore after minimal exercise, I think it's necessary.

This is a stupid question, but what is pilates? I have heard the term thrown around before. It's stretching, right? Like yoga? Sounds interesting.

[Anders]

Wow Fujin, it seems like you're really enthusiastic about your training schedule. That's really quite wonderful. I would advise you to include at least some cardio in with your weight training routine. Besides the muscular endurance and toning you get from running, you also work muscles that are difficult to work otherwise. If you're not into running or biking, take a treadmill up as high as it goes (elevation wise) and take a brisk walking speed (say 4.5-5 mph). You'll have less stress on your knees and you'll keep your heart rate up in the target zone. Plyometrics/ medicine ball exercises may also help tone abdominal muscles and core strength.
If you want to be sexy, learn to play Clarinet. It's a proven fact that Clarinet players make the best lovers.

[Cherub Rock]

I keep my girlish physique by playing basketball at the gym when at home and ultimate frisbee at school.

[Shamu]

This is a stupid question, but what is pilates? I have heard the term thrown around before. It's stretching, right? Like yoga? Sounds interesting.

Pilates is like...resistance training mixed with yoga. It basically teaches you how to use your body correctly when exercising. We mostly do Stott Pilates at the studio.
http://www.stottpilates.com/
We've even got the Dallas Maverick's coming in to our studio to train (that's how I know some of the guys), so it's not just a "girly" thing, like a lot of people think. Apparently, a lot of athletes are starting to do pilates because of how it makes you use your body and makes you more aware of how your body moves and revolves around your core (basically makes you use the hell out of your abs, but in a good way).

EDIT: this link might be more helpful
http://www.stottpilates.com/WarmUp/en/index.html

[sgt. pepper]

well my new years resolution is to go to the gym 5 times a week. We'll see how that goes -_-. Starting monday! When I go to the gym, I used to never do weights, but after having my arm muscles become sore after minimal exercise, I think it's necessary.

This is a stupid question, but what is pilates? I have heard the term thrown around before. It's stretching, right? Like yoga? Sounds interesting.

If you are going to go that often, you would be wise in concentrating on different musclegroups each time. Muscles need time to heal, and if you work them too much and too often, they wont grow. And don't try to work out with heavier weights than you can handle, start small and increase steadily and you'll be a beefcake in no-time (ok, maybe not no-time, but you'll see changes pretty quickly, and that's always an incentive to keep on going).

Sorry to bother you if you already knew this, just trying to be helpful. :)

Edit: And if you want to build strong and big muscles you should work out with weights so heavy that you can do between six to twelve reps, and twelve is the absolute maximum. Anything above that would be cardio-territory, and avoid that when trying to build muscles unless you know what you are doing.

[Stephy]

Haven't done any activity lately (besides wrestle and play fight with my sisters). Been so lazy. On vacation.

I joined up for Tai chi, yoga, and cardio kickboxing though starting in Feb. I did yoga off and on throughout the past two years and did Cheerleading which IS tough. >:\ Its hard! Due to injuries (cheer leading :'( ) though I can't stretch my left leg too far or I feel intense pain. I can't even do a simple split or back hand springs anymore. Not even the simplest of simple: a cart wheel! Extreme pain when I try :(. Sucks badly. :gloomy:

I kind of take advantage of my metabolism. I know I won't gain weight and how it's very quick. So I don't worry about eating too much or exercise, but I am out of shape for doing that (although my body has this natural tone to it. It's so odd. o_o Not that I'm complaining or bragging, mind you).

[悲しいパンダ]

So, um...one of my new years revolution is (like many people) to lose some weight. Anybody know anything I could do as a beginer to start off exercising? I have a treadmill and a stationery bike, so I guess that can help.
Wait! Did I just answer my own question? Oh what about strength training? Any excersizes (SP?) for that? Also, I'd like to be more flexible. One last thing, um...can they be ones I could do at home. since I'm not a gym kinda gym. (yes, I have low-selfesteem)

[Stephy]

Make sure to do a some stretching and warm ups before exercise.

[Myrsilus]

Wow Fujin, it seems like you're really enthusiastic about your training schedule. That's really quite wonderful. I would advise you to include at least some cardio in with your weight training routine. Besides the muscular endurance and toning you get from running, you also work muscles that are difficult to work otherwise. If you're not into running or biking, take a treadmill up as high as it goes (elevation wise) and take a brisk walking speed (say 4.5-5 mph). You'll have less stress on your knees and you'll keep your heart rate up in the target zone. Plyometrics/ medicine ball exercises may also help tone abdominal muscles and core strength.
Oh definitely, Anders. I went through my whole life being skinny and rather weak (Add the fact I am only 5'5), and just when I get out I decide to make the change. A little late, but not too late ever, right? It's good to finally have a strong body to be happy about, and I just want to keep going.

I already do cardio in my routine, but what I am saying is I plan to make more time for it once I reach a good place in mass. I run a little right now, but soon enough I'll be running a lot more. I even plan to do some sprinting for explosive strength. I am aware of the problems with running too often, so I'll also be looking to other avenues of increasing endurance. Biking sounds like a great idea. There's a lot to remember in working the body in different ways, so little tips here and there definitely help.

Recently I discovered the brilliance that is the body ball. This thing is so ridiculously effective at working the abs since it forces you to keep balance and extend to lengths normal sit ups and crunches can't make you go. I recommend this to anyone, but be sure to not fall over or hurt your back.

[Nannou]

I walk and bike almost everywhere.

I go to the gym 4 times a week, mixed cardio and weight training.

I dont wanna be buff, I don't wanna look like a meatsack. I just want to be healthy. Plus the gym cures boredom really well.

Oh and I go out dancing on the weekends. That's a workout right there (if you've ever been out with me heh)

[Pierrot le Fou]

I quit the gym and picked up beer-drinking competitively instead (the competition is between my wallet and my stomach, to see which gives up first).

I do, however, bicycle 2.5 kilos to work, and 2.5 kilos from work, which totals to absolutely no excercise. And every morning at work we have 5 minutes of calisthenics, which, too, are quite nothing in the grand scheme of things.

However, I am considering quitting beer for a month, and swapping to booze, like gin and tonic, or just shochu on the rocks, as I will undoubtedly lose about 400 billion calories that way, and perhaps regain sight of my toes without slouching.

Yes, friends, you too can aspire to be a mid-20's gent with a killer body and legs that could pass as trees for small children and the really-really stupid.

I quit the gym because, well, it gets really f'ing hard! Lifting my body weight? HA! Like THAT'S ever gonna happen! Sorry, I get over halfway there, and figure, 'So I can just round up, right?' and that's the end of that. Plus I neglect my legs, because they're really big, and then they become fatty, because bicycle riding does shit, then I decide to use the machine, and start doing leg presses with the max weight on the machine, and find 10 times to be easy, and think to myself, "My God I have big thighs" and cry into a tub of Ben & Jerry's resting my elbows on my monster thighsicles.

It's tough being me. Beautiful. Fit. With the strength of ten beer-imbued men.

[japanat]

I walk 20ft from my front door to the classroom door, then climb 1 flight of stairs 6-7 times/day. Unfortunately, that has been all for the last year (I have a stomach hiatal hernia, which made certain -most- movements painful), so I have really bloated.

But, I've been given approval to exercise again. I'll be walking 5 days/wk and lifting 2-3Xs/wk, to start. The town gym is only 100yen per visit. Use the exercise ball sparingly. No time to join any martial arts, although I'd love to learn Aikido (I'd probably kill myself, starting at 43...).

[Rear Admiral Grapefruit]

I'm wanting to get into doing some regular exercise, but right now being a university student i get very little spare time on my course, i'm in 9-5 most of my 5 days a week and do uni work over most weekends, so finding time isn't easy considering travel times and sleep aswell. I'm hoping to perhaps atleast start doing 2 days a week, ie saturday and sunday, weights saturday, cardio sunday and let it regenerate throughout the week.

Right now i'm convincing my brother to join with me because he's done the gym alot before and he'll be able to show me the quickest way to get some results! i've done some stuff at home before, i was going pretty regularly last year for a while on some free weights exercises and i got a noticable improvement in my strength but then life got to me and i suddenly couldn't get in the mood to do them anymore.

But, with renewed vigor, i wanna get into some exercises and build up my general fitness, right now my heart rate can hit 200 pretty damn easily, and that is NOT good at all, i think 220 is supposed to be heart attack time, so i'm gonna try to work my resting heart rate down and i'm hoping to do some upper body exercises to help improve my constantly slouching posture and generally add some muscle mass, also need to work my thighs down to a leaner state, atm they're pretty fat thighs so i when i sit down i need that extra spread space also known as bollock room, which i don't often get when my trains get crowded with people.

[Spaatz965]

After 12 years of virtually no exercise (save for the occasional bike outing), I've gotten into Karate. Go three times a week...prior to the holiday I was also practicing/exercising every weekday morning. I'm slowly working back into waking up that early :D.

Basically, I'm trying to work off 30-40 lbs, increase my stamina, reduce stress and all the usual suspects. Since I started back in July I've gone from about 5 push-ups to about 30. Not bad for a 38 year old :).

Skipped my lesson today. We were warming up on free standing heavy bags (the ones with water in the base) during Thursday's class. I did a couple of spinning back kicks...the right foot connected with the bag very nicely...the left foot (my left leg isn't as flexible) I didn't get up to the bag and connected with the post holding the bag. Ouch. Was using a cane all day yesterday but am able to move around without it today. Don't think I broke anything, but will have my doc check it on Monday.

[sgt. pepper]

Yeah, kicking with the left leg when you're right-legged is hard. My left-legged kicks are lousy.:whoops:

[Fred]

I go to my martial arts class about 5 times per week and the classes are strenuous. However, I do not think of my martial arts classes as a substitute for an exercise program. When I train my martial arts, my focus is on my martial arts training, not on improving my upper body strength or increasing my stamina or some other focus. I go to the gym in the mornings before work in order to improve my fitness. Currently, my goals are to run 3 miles, do 60 sit-ups in one minute, and 60 full, slow push-ups.

[ZaichikArky]

If you are going to go that often, you would be wise in concentrating on different musclegroups each time. Muscles need time to heal, and if you work them too much and too often, they wont grow. And don't try to work out with heavier weights than you can handle, start small and increase steadily and you'll be a beefcake in no-time (ok, maybe not no-time, but you'll see changes pretty quickly, and that's always an incentive to keep on going).

Sorry to bother you if you already knew this, just trying to be helpful. :)

Edit: And if you want to build strong and big muscles you should work out with weights so heavy that you can do between six to twelve reps, and twelve is the absolute maximum. Anything above that would be cardio-territory, and avoid that when trying to build muscles unless you know what you are doing.

Okay thanks for the tips! I have heard that it's unwise to do weight training every day because muscles need time to relax. I'm very worried about pulling a muscle >_>. I can do cardio every day and my muscles can handle it, but I am very unexperienced with weight training. I sometimes have to find an employee to show me how to use the machine. There is a butt machine that I've been using and I still can't figure out if I'm doing it correctly XD.

I'm not really concerned with building big strong muscles. It will be nearly impossible for me anyway because I'm not male. I just want leaner muscles that don't strain as easily. I am primarily concerned with my arms. After skiing, with more aggressive use of the poles, my arms are sore above any other muscle group. The same thing happens when I do the cardio machines. My legs are pretty strong, but my arms and upper back have a long way to go. My upper back gets sore with exercise too.

[Ceirnian]

Don't forget core strength (abs/lower back). Very very very important.

[sgt. pepper]

Okay thanks for the tips! I have heard that it's unwise to do weight training every day because muscles need time to relax. I'm very worried about pulling a muscle >_>. I can do cardio every day and my muscles can handle it, but I am very unexperienced with weight training. I sometimes have to find an employee to show me how to use the machine. There is a butt machine that I've been using and I still can't figure out if I'm doing it correctly XD.

I'm not really concerned with building big strong muscles. It will be nearly impossible for me anyway because I'm not male. I just want leaner muscles that don't strain as easily. I am primarily concerned with my arms. After skiing, with more aggressive use of the poles, my arms are sore above any other muscle group. The same thing happens when I do the cardio machines. My legs are pretty strong, but my arms and upper back have a long way to go. My upper back gets sore with exercise too.

Ok, I thought you were male so my tips were for growing big muscles. You might want to get a second opinion on everything I said because I don't know much about growing lean muscles, sorry.

[japanat]

Most women cannot get large, bulky muscles w/o special diets and hardcore lifting. Lift 2 times a week, doing full circuits at 60% of your 1-rep max, you'll tighten up and improve muscle strength and endurance. In the future, you can try to work particular muscle groups in particular, for sculpting your figure; but for now, just work on general fitness.

Look up RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) calculators on the net, figure out your daily calorie expenditures, then eat slightly (maybe 100-200kcal) above your needs. This will let you add a small amount of muscle. Don't go negative on your calories if you want to build muscle, but don't go up to 500kcal over unless you want to build greater muscle (and don't want to lose much body fat).

[Kass]

If you want to be sexy, learn to play Clarinet. It's a proven fact that Clarinet players make the best lovers.

I'm sure you have testimonials to back this up. ;)

I have a crosstrainer in my home and I do 42 minutes a day, five times a week. Yes, I know 42 minutes is a wierd number, but that is the length of an hour-long TV show without the commercials. I pop one of my DVDs of either of my two favorite shows in and go until one episode is over. I don't get bored staring at a wall, the time passes quickly and I get to see my show. It also means I can work out in whatever ratty old outfit I want and not have to worry about being seen looking like crap.

To make sure I get a decent workout, I make sure I do at least 1.5 miles at a speed of 8.5 mph or better. I average just under an 8-minute mile. I also do half my workout going backwards, which works different muscles in the legs.

[akitaka]

Sgt.Pepper: Lean muscle is gained from lighter weights, high reps. In fact, you can do most groups as often as you want if you do it correctly; you shouldn't be feeling super sore after two days (which is how long it usually takes for muscles to catabolise enough to hurt). Also, you need to do plenty of aerobic exercise; just watch runners and cyclists, who are totally reliant on lean bulds to perform well.

Kass: 8.5 mph is pretty high. Make sure your hear-rate doesn't max out, or you're going to counter-act endurance by rigid heart muscles. I was told by a trainer at the college gym in that it's better to keep 3/4 of your max capacity and run longer, than max out for a shorter period of time. Then again, as long as it works for you...bravo for being consistent :-)

==
As for myself, I run in the morning, 1 mile alone, and 1 mile with the dog (he's an overgrown papillon). It's not much, but my endurance sucks.

Between the miles, hack-squats, dynamic leg stretches (all ranges), jump-rope for the calves, then a cool-down jog. Isometric (tensing) leg stretches for left, right, and middle splits (3 inches from middle splits!). Cool-down jog. A few minutes of walking around to ease the heart down to resting rate. Overall, it takes me an hour to finish up.

I'm still adjusting the squats, rope, and isometric stretching so that my muscles don't hurt a lot later; after reading some awesome text by Stadion publishing, I now know better than to re-damage worked muscles.

[Kass]

That isn't really high for me. I can hit up to 10mph for short periods of time. I watch my heart rate (the monitor is built into the machine) and I make sure I have a good warm-up period and cool-down period afterward. Also, speed on a crosstrainer isn't quite the same as speed on land. You can go faster because of the type of motion of your arms and legs. It isn't a running motion and you use your arms, so you have more of your body working toward the speed than if you were just running. I couldn't run an 8-minute mile to save my life.

When it gets to be too easy to do the time, I bump up the resistance level. My distance and speed drop and I build back up again.

I love my crosstrainer because it works arms and legs, is a no-impact exercise and it is in my home. I hate jogging and running. It is the most abusive non-contact sport there is. It damages your feet, ankles, shins and knees. It's an almost guaranteed way to ensure you have arthritis in your knees later in life. The cardio workout from it isn't even better than almost all other low-/no-impact aerobic exercises.

[akitaka]

Woops. I missed that by a mile; they're kind of like the bicycle machines, only with handles and you're in a sort of 'jog' position, right? It's been ages since I last used one.

But yes, running can be very, very bad granted that you don't have the right shoes, choose to run only on asphalt/concrete, and/or let your dog pull you around (causing an imbalance in weight = joint stress).

It's a little dicey for me, since the issue is that I need an aerobic workout that lets my hip joints go in full motion, with the same reasoning for gymnasts being prohibited from biking. When you build muscles on a limited range of motion (such as peddling, where legs are always bent), they shorten.

Running keeps the posterior leg muscles from doing this to a good extent; I observed this a few months ago when I used to go biking. My left leg could no longer go into full-splits, even with a warm-up. It took another month to get that flexibility back.

[Trump]

Running gets my heart rate up much higher than any other machine I've tried. I'm not saying that is a good thing though. From what I've heard you should try to sustain the activity for around 20 minutes to get a decent work out and a high heart rate doesn't make that easy.

I did run an 8 minute mile once. I wanted to see if I could, and I was pretty tired afterwards =/ Considering that a 10 minute mile was really hard for me 5 years ago, I'm happy. I've been spending most of my time on ellipticals (when not doing weights) and I swear the calorie counts on those things are crazier than Tom Cruise when he jumped on the chair on that talk show.

[Kass]

Woops. I missed that by a mile; they're kind of like the bicycle machines, only with handles and you're in a sort of 'jog' position, right? It's been ages since I last used one.

You're getting closer. Mine is an elliptical crosstrainer. No sitting. You stand and "walk/jog" and the foot platforms move with you. The motion is much closer to running without all the damage of slamming your feet onto the hard ground. You also do the handles. Mine has stationary handles if you want to give your arms a break and has adjustable resistance. I started with low resistance and built up my time. When it got to where it was comfortable to do the 42 minutes, I increased the resistance. That usually means I have to drop back on time. I build back up at that level and repeat the process.

But yes, running can be very, very bad granted that you don't have the right shoes, choose to run only on asphalt/concrete, and/or let your dog pull you around (causing an imbalance in weight = joint stress).

Or run too far during your workouts or run too often or run regularly over a long period of time. I've yet to meet anyone who ran on a regular basis who hasn't had problems, whether it is developing arthritis, having arthroscopic knee surgery, shin splints, ankle injuries or the like. More than half my college track team while we were in school has had one of their knees scoped in subsequent years due to the damage they did--and they ran on cushioned tracks. One of the guys in my office gets regular cortisone shots in his foot because of the damage he did. The benefits just don't outweigh the costs to me. A few of my friends who run marathons cheerfully endure the cortisone shots, surgeries and buy all the most expensive shoes to keep running. More power to them.

If you limit your exercise to one type of activity, your muscles will shape to do that activity most efficiently. That's why swimmers have incredible shoulder muscles, little waists, narrow hips and lean, powerful legs. The best swimmers, guys and gals alike, all have a "T" shaped body--broad at the top and narrow the rest of the way down. It's also why they blow out their rotator cuffs more often than any other injury. I swam competitively for years and can't count how many friends I had blow out a rotator cuff. I was never in the elite class of swimmers and didn't feel the desire to work out so hard that I did permanent damage to myself. I was happy just being good, healthy, uninjured and also having a life.

Variety and a proper stretching routine in conjunction with your aerobic and anaerobic exercise can prevent that narrow muscle development. Good trainers will always recommend a variety of activity to improve overall health. I also make sure I walk as often as possible and stretch. I also include other activities, but those are none of your business. ;)

Trump, I don't use the calorie count on my crosstrainer for anything other than always making sure I burn the same amount or more each day. When you go from machine to machine, the count varies a lot.

[Shamu]

I just got my ass kicked by my Pilates trainer today. I'm so tired ><
But it was an awesome, fun workout and it felt great!
I highly recommend pilates to everyone that can afford it (it's very expensive =/).
Not only am I building long, lean muscles and not bulky ones (and getting a really nice rear end :karate: ), but I'm becoming more flexible as well, since yoga is incorporated into some of the floor exercises.
I've started taking my dog for walks now too, since the weather has been nice down here.
I'm hoping to have a kick-ass body by summer time.
Now to get my horse back into shape...><

[Fred]

I am not particularly in favor of lifting weights. Like anything, weight lifting can be done well or poorly and I think it is possible to experience a number of benefits from weight lifting. In fact, depending on the person and on the desired results, weight lifting may be the best option. However, what I think tends to happen is that people over-train specific muscles to the detriment of their overall strength and structural stability. They become strong without becoming powerful, meaning their strength lacks functionality and endurance. There are also many people who fixate on the amount of weight they can lift to the point where they let their technique suffer. Of course, these people tend to hurt themselves.

I like doing exercises that use my own body weight for resistance. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, and bridges are some of the things I like to do. When I want to change my routine or simply increase my resistance, I use resistance bands.

Lately, I have started jogging. I am not fond of jogging and I do not do it well, but it is something I want to be able to do. I have set myself the goal of being able to run three miles within three months. After that, I am not sure what I will do. I would like to go swimming, but my wife is expected to give birth at the end of March and I do not want to make plans until I have a clear sense of how that will affect the way I balance my priorities.


I think Yoga can be great for overall health and strength. I do not have any direct experience with Pilates, but I like what I have heard.

[jihei18]

As I work longish hours and have a crazy commute, I'm not the exercise nazi I used to be. My cardio is the 20 minutes walking it involves getting to my job, and an hour-long bhangra class once a week. I used to do 10-minute workouts from cablevision, but until they get my on-demand fixed, that's out.
I miss my 10-minute workouts, I managed to do lunges, which I used to avoid like the plague.

[xtine]

Running was one of my worst fears. Even though I was never fat or anything, I never got to exercise or play sports as a kid (my parents owned a store, so when I wasn't at home or at school, I would have to be there with them and help out) so I was always the slowest or near slowest runner in grade school.

In high school I did marching band to opt out of PE (which was a sucky program anyway). So I never had much physical fitness, until college. As a freshman I started karate, and I got really into it for a year and a half. It hurt in the beginning, but I eventually was able to stretch out more (my friends claim cardboard bends easier than I do, I can't touch my toes, etc) and actually participate in a sport and get some exercise.

I took a break of not doing much after that until I did college marching band for a fall season that was really intensive. Lots of marching training that's probably equivalent to light jogging, as well as upper body movement as I played trombone, and gained some endurance for moving/marching quickly on the field as well as playing and moving the instrument around.

After marching season was over I decided to overcome my fear of running with a help of a friend. I could barely do 1/4 a lap on the school's track & field track without stopping or wheezing. But my friend encouraged me and I just kept at it, sides hurting but just kept going. It was more important to just keep going even at a very slow pace to keep the heart rate going.
In two weeks I was able to jog 5 laps without stopping, and not feeling that bad or sides hurting anymore. I running every other day and I saw fast improvements.

So anyway, I'm beginning to put more focus into exercising since lately I've been really energetic, I sleep well, and I'm much happier to boot. (Thank you endorphines!) Even though I run on a cushioned track, I keep hearing about all the potential knee injuries so I want to eventually just get a gym membership and use the elliptical. I also sort of want to get into light weight lifting to build more lean muscle, but that's probably far off until I honestly seriously get into exercising (right now I'm just running a couple times when I feel like it during the week than having any hardcore interest or schedule).

I'm also trying to work my endurance and stamina since that is also something I lack. I can't even do one pushup! So I've been doing tons of those fake pushups with your knees on the floor to slowly build enough endurance to be able to do pushups. I can do situps/crunches like no other, however.

Oh, and has anyone used one of these Powerballs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerball_%28exercise_tool%29)? They are rather neat, it's such a fun toy and recently I've been using it to build wrist muscle. It's also good because I'm always on the keyboard for school and work and it prevents carpal tunnel. It'll also help to relieve stress when I play trombone or the drums.

[Trump]

Well, as a message to everyone who wants to just focus on cardio, please also do light work with weights. Cardio gets the blood flowing to your heart and lungs, but weights really help focus on getting blood to other parts of your body. It helps improve your overall circulation. I'm not saying you should go grab the heaviest weight you and lift and pump some iron. Just focus on some areas of your body other than cardio too for a more complete workout.

[akitaka]

Kass: Good point on the range of activities. Wushu athletes (at least in China) are notorious for having blown their knees, elbows, and ankles. Pros always wear braces, and the best footware; because they do it, hard, every day. Maybe this break from the sport will spare me the same injuries as you had done with swimming (which I imagine gave you god-like lung capacity). But sheesh. Cortisone shots.

jihei: You're already doing great. Consistency, consistency, consistency. And amazing hair.

Trump: Exactly why I've added some light upper-body work to keep the circulation in balance. For some, I suggest isometric bands/ropes, which do great without risk of injury or loss of challenge. Personally, I stick to body-weight routines.

xtine: Great story. You're going well, but if you want to get flexible, you'll want some knowledge on how it works; place a Borders order for "Stretching Scientifically" by Stadion publishing. You'll be touching toes in at least 2 weeks. And those powerballs are freaken great; I played with one at a therapy shop and felt my forearms go on the verge of exploding :-)

[Kass]

I don't know about god-like lung capacity, but I can regulate my breathing much better than the average person. Coming up for a breath does slow you down in swimming, but so does lack of oxygen. Lung capacity, like strength, has to be maintained. My stamina now is nothing like when I was competing. The ability to regulate your breathing stays with you though.

Sprinters have the lowest breath to stroke ratio. For the short distances, say a 50m (length of the pool), an elite swimmer might take one or two breaths for the length of the pool. The goal is to hammer away and get across so fast, you don't need a breath.

Middle-distance swimmers (200-800m--though some think the 800m is the start of long distance. Depends on who you ask) will take more breaths per lap, but often kick into sprint mode on the last lap or two. The smoothness of your stroke and how you glide through the water matters more than in a sprint.

Long distance swimmers (1000m or more) are the ones you see taking a breath at regular intervals, often every 5 or 7 laps. You can tell they are tired if they are breathing every other stroke. If they are breathing every stroke, they are about exhausted. Why the odd number? You want to alternate which side you come up for breaths on so that you move in more of a straight line through the water. Always breathing on one side causes you to pull in that direction and you spend energy staying on course that you could be using to go faster.

Endurance is more important for long-distance races. Regular breathing helps that. Like marathon runners, distance swimmers try to kick it up the last few laps, but they don't do it like sprint and middle-distance swimmers do.

Swimming is one of those sports where it is as much about reducing water resistance and drag as it is strength, style and stamina. The sport has gotten very technical. The strokes are analyzed and every little thing that can be done to be smoother in the water is tremendously important. Guys shave off their body hair, etc. and it does make a noticable difference considering some races are decided by 1/100th of a second. You don't think the girls wear those ugly latex caps willingly, do you? ;)

We used to work out wearing four swimsuits. There was more drag and you had to work harder, then when competition came around and you were only wearing one suit, you went a lot faster.

I'm considering starting yoga to balance my crosstrainer workouts. Well, that and I can always do with something that is supposed to reduce your stress level and calm you down. Not that I have a lot on my plate or anything. Just ignore the bald patches where I pulled out my hair. Really. It wasn't stress. No, not at all.

[yogi]

Fuijin:Big whoop, wanna fight about it?

> Yes.

@ sgt pepper. Muay Thai is the shit for making you fit. I did it for a month, but i kept injuring myself from training too hard. So I took a brake and now its been like 6 months, and Im starting to get soft.

Don't train to hard. :karate:

And one day you may look like this. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/kilianjay/3.jpg

(not really he trains 6 days a week 6 hours a day)

[andrewt]

hmmm..
:hphone: :karate: :bang: :hat: :meditate:
whew, what a workout.... oh... wait.

triathlon's been a fun way to train... my weeks fill out kinda like this...
bike 5 times a week - ~150 miles
run ~4 times a week (assuming no injury) ~20-30 miles
swim 4 times a week... ~ 15-20k

it burns calories, and the competitions are fun and very well organized. The difference is night and day when compared (contrasted) to martial arts competitions. So I finish most tri's quite satisfied (not necessarily with my performance, but with the overall events, and how well they are run).

[akitaka]

Triathlon athletes will be more fit than 'martial artists' 9/10 times. Most practicioners really neglect their conditioning, especially in cardio. Also, the mentality between triathletes and martial artists is much less biased...so I could definitely agree to how fun they must be.

So how are your joints/bones? Any issues to be concerned of?

My impression is that of all athletes in non-contact sports, triathletes train the hardest. Sure, Lance Armstrong burns 10k calories a day, but he's working less muscle groups. And he doesn't have to deal with shin splints -_-

[4letterwords]

Help me... I need some good cardio work outs without any running or jumping involved (fucked my knee up)...

[akitaka]

Some from the top of my head: swimming, (elliptical) cross trainers, cycling, shadow-boxing, giggity....

[Fred]

How specifically did you fuck up your knee?

Can you swim or bicycle. Do you go to a gym that has equipment you can use?

[andrewt]

Triathlon athletes will be more fit than 'martial artists' 9/10 times. Most practicioners really neglect their conditioning, especially in cardio. Also, the mentality between triathletes and martial artists is much less biased...so I could definitely agree to how fun they must be.

So how are your joints/bones? Any issues to be concerned of?

My impression is that of all athletes in non-contact sports, triathletes train the hardest. Sure, Lance Armstrong burns 10k calories a day, but he's working less muscle groups. And he doesn't have to deal with shin splints -_-

Actually Lance was an elite triathlete before he decided to just focus on cycling... and if he goes back to triathlon... he could be elite / professional without much effort compared to the rest of us mortals....

my joints and bones are much better now. =)
Only problems i get in tri are from doing too much too soon...

From MA - i got shin splints, stress fractures, tore my MCL... etc.
I'm sure that sounds familiar to you. where did you train btw?

[4letterwords]

How specifically did you fuck up your knee?

Can you swim or bicycle. Do you go to a gym that has equipment you can use?

A range of things... I was in gymnastics for most of my life (11 years) and I broke my knee when I was about 12... then last winter I was playing basketball and slipped and not only lapsed the break but dislocated my knee cap... after about 3 months it was ok, stiff but ok but this winter I was climbing down off my bunk bed and I fucked it again some how... now its like every other day I feel like I need crutches just to walk... I would see a doctor but I dont trust them and they cost a lot of money... first two doctors took a look at my swollen knee and said nope not broken, charged my parents hundreds of dollars and then sent me home unable to walk... Chiropractor found the break.

[Shamu]

Not to beat a dead horse >_>, but seriously check out Pilates, Neko. Physical Therapists are using it now to help rehabilitate patients and we also get quite a few people come through that are suffering from things like MS, Arthritis, etc...It works your entire body without hurting it, because your trainer goes through and gives you a postural analysis to see exactly how your body is built/what it needs and revolves your routine around that.
Again, not to keep repeating myself, but Pilates is \o/
It's what ballet dancers have been using for years to get their nice bodies and help keep in shape.

[blank slate]

After seeing this thread I thought it would be a good idea to go out for a nice run. Everything was fine until gravity decided to be a bastard and drag me down. I messed up my hands, my left arm, and my left shoulder pretty bad. A good bit of blood was lost.

[Y.T.]

Hmm. In summer, I run on average 10 kms 2.5 times per week. It takes me ~ 44 minutes.
Usually non-stop. The time sucks, I know. Though I wonder whether I would run faster if it were a race.

In autumn, I run less often but usually longer, pausing after 20 mins or so... mostly so I can figure where the fuck I ended up (as I run in the city, on sidewalks, and I like to find new routes).

I also cycle a lot during summer. I like to ride fast, pedalling so hard that my leg muscles hurt. (... try riding at 33 kph on a mountain bike.. ).

Cycling is good for people with knee trouble. At least some people who have injured joints.
Even beneficial, at least for my mother who busted her knee while vaulting in high school.

I liked to do pull-ups. Then I busted one of the small, useless muscles around the solar plexus, and it started to hurt, so I followed the recommendation of my personal physician (mum), and decided to start again next summer. I was over-enthusiastic while doing crunches. I'll probably end up like the lady I used to have in my avatar. I like arm-wrestling and am surprisingly good at it, considering that I am slim... so one day I'll take on someone really strong and end up like this guy...
http://67.19.222.106/horrors/graphics/losearm.jpg

[Trump]

Hmm... are you going for super strength with no control? To me it is great to be able to do a push up, stop halfway, and then continue. It's damn hard though.

[Y.T.]

Nah. I'm not strong. I can do 10-12 pull-ups.. but then I am light (75 kgs.. 166 pounds)..
and maybe 15 push-ups easily*. Not more... pretty lame. But I can't really train push-ups, since my hands hurt a lot after doing them (I have trouble with blood circulation, so they don't heal well).

But what little strength I have I like to apply without any regard for my own safety... or health..

*easily as in quickly. Then my upper body muscles get exhausted. They suck when compared to my lower body ones....

[akitaka]

Actually Lance was an elite triathlete before he decided to just focus on cycling... and if he goes back to triathlon... he could be elite / professional without much effort compared to the rest of us mortals....

my joints and bones are much better now. =)
Only problems i get in tri are from doing too much too soon...

From MA - i got shin splints, stress fractures, tore my MCL... etc.
I'm sure that sounds familiar to you. where did you train btw?

Har. Lance Armstrong: endurance god. He really ought to try it out; he's rich enough.

What MA style did you practice to get shin splints? While torn MCLs and stress fractures aren't uncommon (due to stupid training methods), I can't think of a martial arts style that runs enough to get splints aside from pro kick-boxers and maybe hardcore Taekwondo competitors.

I'm a Wushu guy, so my issues are in my lower back (from over-exerting aerial movements), and have a risk of injuring knees and ankles (from jumps, high-low stance transitions, landings). So far, I've dodged the latter two, and hope to keep it that way.

Another few months and I'll be strong enough to do a 720-xuan feng jiao, which should be at the 1min. mark in this practice video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PSKjnt1EfI

[Fred]

4letterwords - How well does your knee align? How intact is your cartilage?

[Kass]

Not to beat a dead horse >_>, but seriously check out Pilates, Neko. Physical Therapists are using it now to help rehabilitate patients and we also get quite a few people come through that are suffering from things like MS, Arthritis, etc...

Pilates are great for a lot of things, but it doesn't provide a cardio workout. It is fabulous for toning, conditioning and flexibility.

For cardio, if you have problems with your knees, 4letterwords, look into low-/no-impact aerobics classes (they are everywhere) or swimming. There are also water aerobics classes that are excellent if you have joint problems. Swimming is recommended for cardio for a lot of people with a variety of injuries.

[andrewt]

Har. Lance Armstrong: endurance god. He really ought to try it out; he's rich enough.

What MA style did you practice to get shin splints? While torn MCLs and stress fractures aren't uncommon (due to stupid training methods), I can't think of a martial arts style that runs enough to get splints aside from pro kick-boxers and maybe hardcore Taekwondo competitors.

I'm a Wushu guy, so my issues are in my lower back (from over-exerting aerial movements), and have a risk of injuring knees and ankles (from jumps, high-low stance transitions, landings). So far, I've dodged the latter two, and hope to keep it that way.

Another few months and I'll be strong enough to do a 720-xuan feng jiao, which should be at the 1min. mark in this practice video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PSKjnt1EfI

torn mcl was from xuan zi zhuang ti... landing was overrotated -> all weight went to the right leg... etc etc. I guess that should answer the other question as well.
Any sport where you're constantly pounding on the legs puts the shins (along w/ the rest of the body) at risk... whether you're running, jumping, etc.

[Myrsilus]

To me it is great to be able to do a push up, stop halfway, and then continue. It's damn hard though.
I like doing that, too. Recently I've been adding the clap at the end of the pushing part of the push up. It builds power thanks to the harder and faster contractions. You should try it out.

[Trump]

I just used pushups as an example. You can do that with almost any weight exercise. I also like to do weights with the full range of motion. Gets the blood flowing really well.

[sgt. pepper]

Fuijin:

> Yes.

@ sgt pepper. Muay Thai is the shit for making you fit. I did it for a month, but i kept injuring myself from training too hard. So I took a brake and now its been like 6 months, and Im starting to get soft.

Don't train to hard. :karate:

And one day you may look like this. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/kilianjay/3.jpg

(not really he trains 6 days a week 6 hours a day)

That's Buakaw Por Pramuk, right? I was less than 10 fucking centimeters away from him at K1 in Stockholm.:D I could have reached out and touch him if i wanted, but i didn't want to be all fan-ish and gay.

[japanat]

Pilates are great for a lot of things, but it doesn't provide a cardio workout. It is fabulous for toning, conditioning and flexibility.

For cardio, if you have problems with your knees, 4letterwords, look into low-/no-impact aerobics classes (they are everywhere) or swimming. There are also water aerobics classes that are excellent if you have joint problems. Swimming is recommended for cardio for a lot of people with a variety of injuries.Very good advice. Even water walking can make you suck wind. Put your hands in the water and push against it. If that gets too easy, hold an empty, closed 500ml bottle under water in each hand (this will work out your arms and shoulders as well, thus increasing calories used).

With your type of knee injury, I would not recommend running or riding at all; not w/o talking to a doctor first. My son and I go to a top-notch orthopedist (seikei-geka　整形外科); I have old skiing injuries and my son is a soccer player.

I also like to do weights with the full range of motion. Gets the blood flowing really well.Anything less than full range-of-motion does not build the full muscle and leaves the exerciser much more prone to training injuries, as well as reduced flexibility.

[akitaka]

torn mcl was from xuan zi zhuang ti... landing was overrotated -> all weight went to the right leg... etc etc. I guess that should answer the other question as well.
Any sport where you're constantly pounding on the legs puts the shins (along w/ the rest of the body) at risk... whether you're running, jumping, etc.

You're a wushu bear? Holy jesus-of-cheese on a stick. Which school did you train at?

But yeah, I guess you've got a point. My instructor focused a lot on basics, than jumps, so the injury types between you and I have some contrast. Only earlier in 2006 did I start sharpening everything up and practicing nandu on my own; it was tiresome to see everyone else plough along. God knows how many bruised hips I got from xzzt drills in my back yard.

Trump: Ditto on the bit about full-range of motion. This is why pure-weight body-builders can't run worth beans. Not that I'd tell them in their faces :karate:

[Kass]

Just stand out of arm's reach and run right after you say it. They've no flexibility and no stamina. You'd be out the door before they took 10 steps.

When I was in my lifeguard training in college, I was partnered with a guy who was a body builder. He was hot, had incredible blue eyes, was really nice...and he sank like stone the minute he stopped swimming. His pace was slow and I thought he'd die when we had to swim our mile test. Pulling him off the bottom of the pool was a prize-winning PITA too. I might as well have been pulling 150 pounds of bricks up.

All that being said, I was cool with it because he was hot. Really HOT. And I got to see him in a swimsuit everyday. And when we practiced rescue techniques, we had to put our arms around each other.

[Y.T.]

The guy has no balls. Therefore, he gets replacement hormones. Replacement testosterone.
Which, naturally, begs the question whether he gets what he would get if he had his own, live balls, or gets slightly more. Which might, or might not give him a slight edge.

Given that he probably uses various drugs besides getting HRT .. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he did use some sophisticated, tailor-made doping that's hard to detect because of his medical condition.

[Neon Pink Shoehorn]

Recently I discovered the brilliance that is the body ball. This thing is so ridiculously effective at working the abs since it forces you to keep balance and extend to lengths normal sit ups and crunches can't make you go. I recommend this to anyone, but be sure to not fall over or hurt your back.

I sit one one of these rather than a computer chair. It's great!

[Trump]

I need a chair with a back or my lower back starts to hurt unfortunately. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to work out your legs (quads specifically) and still be able to walk normally the next day?

[Fred]

Consistent exercise should help.

Also, listen to the messages your body is telling you. If you do work out your legs consistently and are still having such pain that you can not walk normally, then something may be wrong with your technique or your legs.

[akitaka]

^QFT

Do not workout until muscle failure if you're trying to get healthy/sports condition. That's the worst thing you can do to ruin both flexibility and overal structure; besides, your joints will be killing you with pain a few years later.

Builders do it because they're builders; bigger is better. But for utility, performance, and longevity, working out until you're tired/sore is not healthy. This is why yoga and pilates has had their success; they condition based on your capabilities.

I suggest you do a light aerobic workout to start off, then do body-weight/machine work outs in reps/sets (say, 15 reps x 4, with 10-20 second break in between). Do another light aerobic workout to cooldown, followed by relaxed/dynamic stretches.

Meter your condition the next day; are you sore?

If so, lower your reps per set by, say, 3. This is what I'm doing right now as per Thomas Kurtz' excercise guidelines, and I have to say, I don't feel like quitting like I did last year when I only ran for two weeks before getting lazy.

I consider my legs fairly strong (at least explosively), and I was surprised to see how badly my strength was in static strength; doing squats at 25 reps x 4 gave me dead legs along with the 2-mile runs. I'm doing 5 less than that, and the difference is surprising; no soreness, so I can stretch much better and not hamper my routine.

Personal observation, folks.

[Fred]

Another comment is that you should be careful not to work out one group of muscles exclusively. That kind of imbalance can lead to injury as well

[Y.T.]

You mean we shouldn't ...
*gasp*

[Fred]

gasping is ok

[andrewt]

You're a wushu bear? Holy jesus-of-cheese on a stick. Which school did you train at?

But yeah, I guess you've got a point. My instructor focused a lot on basics, than jumps, so the injury types between you and I have some contrast. Only earlier in 2006 did I start sharpening everything up and practicing nandu on my own; it was tiresome to see everyone else plough along. God knows how many bruised hips I got from xzzt drills in my back yard.

Trump: Ditto on the bit about full-range of motion. This is why pure-weight body-builders can't run worth beans. Not that I'd tell them in their faces :karate:

i spose most coaches will focus on basics... a lot of people differ on where to draw the line on actual basics of course..

but either way... the reason i had shin problems wasn't from skipping basics: i was a few years in when i tore my MCL. After that took a few good months to heal, it apperas i came back too quickly for the shins.
i trained at a few schools in houston and in austin as well.

altho it was certainly fun, i'm pretty glad to be removed from the personalities and drama that appeared to be quite common.

anyhow, where did you train? =)

[andrewt]

The guy has no balls. Therefore, he gets replacement hormones. Replacement testosterone.
Which, naturally, begs the question whether he gets what he would get if he had his own, live balls, or gets slightly more. Which might, or might not give him a slight edge.

Given that he probably uses various drugs besides getting HRT .. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he did use some sophisticated, tailor-made doping that's hard to detect because of his medical condition.

actually he has 1 testicle.
he had HRT during cancer treatment, but not after...

he would be prohibitted from takin testosterone hormones by cycling association.
if he had taken testosterone, it SHOULD have shown up on any drug tests he had to take at the tour. (maybe he had better stuff than what the tests could find-you never know, ).

that being said - testosterone does not give you good endurance, it gives you strength. his heart efficiency isn't quite replicable simply by doing drugs.
There are a good number of pro cyclists aside from lance that have access to the same things as Lance, but don't have the same endurance or abilities.

[akitaka]

Another comment is that you should be careful not to work out one group of muscles exclusively. That kind of imbalance can lead to injury as well
Yeah...which is why I feel obligated when including arm workouts in my schedule. I want god-like legs and middle splits, and less weight on the upper body for better jump height. Having a six-pack and generally lean body is enough for me, even if my build isn't exactly robust.