Exercise in the Playground: why do you do it?

[Altair_the_Vexed]

I run. People ask me why. Some people join me to run. Some of them stick around and some stop. I wondered why - so I wrote this blog post. (http://running-the-game.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/why-we-run.html)

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/exercise.png
(XKCD, CC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/)).

I know there are a bunch of people here who are levelling up their physical stats, too - so I thought I'd come ask.

Why do you / did you want to exercise? What makes you want to quit? Let me know - here, or in the blog comments, please!

[Miklus]

Well. I'm a programmer, so I have to exercise on the weekends because that's all the exercise I'll get. You should see some of the people at work. One actually died of a heart attack. Two others have pacemakers.

I usually ride my mountainbake for exercise. You can use the gears to find a pace that is optimal and get some fresh air and sun as a bonus. In the winter I work on my strength.

[Haruki-kun]

I think I exercise as a combination of really liking it, and really liking the effect it's had on me. I feel better about my health and my appearance than I did before I started.

It's hard to explain it to people who don't do it or don't like it because it's something they're mostly not interested in. It's like explaining a big achievement you reached in your favorite videogame to people who don't like videogames at all.

EDIT: Also, physical strength is nice. You stop coming across jars that just won't open.

[Crow]

Helps me in my work. Also I own a gym, so you sort of have to look the part. If I didn't have those, I'm not sure I would do it unless I was single or something. :smallwink:

[Jon_Dahl]

I was diagnosed with scoliosis this week (which is something I haven't been able to completely process in my head just yet), and it's important that I exercise in a variety of ways (mainly my back) on a regular basis in order to stay healthy and to have a painless life.

Mainly this machine is my friend:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AmLMBnL9NDI/UQLaUQMYo4I/AAAAAAAAJr8/RYgRby4WDeE/s1600/IMG_9926.JPG
(I picked this picture because I have to do the movement towards the neck, not towards the chest.)

[JustSomeGuy]

I exercise to:
Pass the time
Test myself mentally
Improve myself physically
To be self sufficient as I get older
Because I am a big fan of eating
Because I used to be a fitness instructor
To see just what results I can get without resorting to 'stereotypical fitness' thongs (half my bodyweight in supplements each day, training 14 hours a week etc)
Because I want to be crazy strong
Because I want to set a good example for my kids
To see my kids grow up and become some super old patriarch lich figure
Because I can't sing or dance

[warty goblin]

I think I exercise as a combination of really liking it, and really liking the effect it's had on me. I feel better about my health and my appearance than I did before I started.

It's hard to explain it to people who don't do it or don't like it because it's something they're mostly not interested in. It's like explaining a big achievement you reached in your favorite videogame to people who don't like videogames at all.

EDIT: Also, physical strength is nice. You stop coming across jars that just won't open.

This. It also makes me think better, sleep better, and generally feel better. A body's supposed to be used after all.

[Helanna]

I tend to really hate exercise. I'm a very, very lazy person.

I did really enjoy biking over the summer, but I was using a really old bike and the brakes went on it, so I had to stop. Maybe next spring I can get a new bike and take that up again.

I also tried the Couch-to-5k running plan, and I was actually beginning to really like it (which was a huge surprise to me, because I've always hated running). But I kept getting really bad shin splints, so that's when I switched to the biking for a lower-impact form of cardio.

[thorgrim29]

I started doing Crossfit almost 2 years ago with a couple of friends, they all stopped going after two weeks but I stuck with it. I like the atmosphere of a group workout, the intensity, and that the box I go to isn't super competitive (I've worked out at other places where the folk were a bit too intense for me). I also like that for the first time since I was 16 I've stopped getting fatter despite not watching what I eat at all (I'm not loosing weight either, but I'm gaining muscle and loosing fat as roughly the same pace). I like that now I can just casually lift 150 or so pounds with no significant effort, and I like fitting in clothes I didn't anymore and bringing my pants and shirts to the tailor because they're too big

[valadil]

I started because I was overweight. Got up to around 340lbs in college.

I continue lifting because I love it. I got down to around 230lbs (I'm 6'4" so this isn't as overweight as it sounds) and I'm pretty comfortable with that. I still go because it's so satisfying.

I lift 6 days a week. This is feasible because I work at a University and can use their gym on my lunch break.

In case anyone is wondering, 110lbs is 4 T-shirt sizes (4XL -> L), 16" off my waist (48" -> 32"), and one wedding ring resizing.

[Cobalt]

Running's the best. I've been at it since 2009, and it's a major part of my identity. I started because I friend invited me to join a running group at our high school. He and a lot of others dropped and/or only came every once in a while, but I was one of the mainstays; I just really enjoyed the feeling it gave me. Later in high school I started really taking foot races seriously, and a lot of it became the competitive factor. Some of the best moments I remember from high school are preparing for and taking part in races, and some of my best friends were fellow runners that competed well with me; in fact, the last week of high school I had a race with the best of my runner friends, and it worked out perfectly-- we had a tie. Last month I had my first race since May, and the excitement is impossible to explain. Doing well was almost secondary; I was so happy to just be doing something I love.

I'm in an ROTC program now, so being physically fit is part of how you shine, but I still mainly run because I love it so much. Even the pre-run stretch is part of the experience for me. I mostly run alone now, but I miss the good ol' group run, and I miss wingmaning it with someone who completely outclasses me for most of the way. Racing against my own times is great though; it doesn't get as lonely as you might think.

[Juggling Goth]

The sheer kamikaze joy of going fast and crashing into people while wearing ridiculous outfits and calling myself something puntastic. But then, I play roller derby.

The triathlons are more because I've always been terrible at sports and also very stubborn, and it's kind of fun to prove I can do it. Clumsy nerd girl does horrifying endurance race, why the hell not? The furthest I've done so far is most of a half-iron - 1900m swim, managed 35 miles of the 56 mile bike, 13.8 mile run. Next year I will go back with a pimped ride (and more training) and there will be a reckoning.

The karate quiets my mind down. For such a stroppy loon I do like the tradition and self-discipline. Also fighting. I like fighting.

[Corlindale]

After a spring with a very succesful training period leading into a summer half-marathon, I've struggled a bit more with time and motivation this fall. At the peak of spring training my long run was 18 km, now I'm down to 6-8 again. My current goal is to get to 10 k three times a week before New Year's, then I'll be at a good starting point for another half-marathon training schedule in the winter and spring.

I like to run because I feel great afterwards and because it helps me think. But I've discovered that a specific goal and a regular schedule are other essential ingredients to keep me going.

I've never had a more succesful training period than spring this year - precisely because this was the first time I had both. I had a program to follow, and at the same time I knew that if I cheated on the program it would cost me on the day of the race.

[JustSomeGuy]

I started because I was overweight. Got up to around 340lbs in college.

I continue lifting because I love it. I got down to around 230lbs (I'm 6'4" so this isn't as overweight as it sounds) and I'm pretty comfortable with that. I still go because it's so satisfying.

I lift 6 days a week. This is feasible because I work at a University and can use their gym on my lunch break.

In case anyone is wondering, 110lbs is 4 T-shirt sizes (4XL -> L), 16" off my waist (48" -> 32"), and one wedding ring resizing.

That sounds pretty underweight to me!

[Castaras]

I used to do karate to reduce stress, and used to swim to reduce stress. Haven't had time or energy to do so recently, so I've been making sure I walk everywhere no matter what, so that I at least get some vague exercise. I don't need to lose weight (I'm underweight currently), more gain muscle mass and keep the endorphins cycling around to keep me happy.

Really need to get back to swimming regularly, or get involved in some sort of martial arts again. So many things I need to get back to doing. Never have enough spoons to do so after my days, at the moment. *sigh*

[Morgarion]

I have some pretty fierce anxiety and depression. Running helps me keep it in check. There's something really rewarding about going three or five miles, coming back, hydrating, cleaning up and treating myself to a beer. I always enjoy it more because it feel like I earned it.

[Kiero]

It's part of my "live to 100 with all my own organs and joints" programme. Also because I'm an exemplar for my children, I have to show that exercise is something you do as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Mostly because I love the feeling of being fit and the buzz you get when training. I find when I'm training martial arts it's easiest to do all my other training activities (gym, running) because they feed into my performance there.

[IncoherentEssay]

I have a bit of an appetite, and out of:
1.) eat as i please without exercising and balloon to the point where i roll instead of walk
2.) attempt to subsist on meals barely fit to feed small woodland critters
3.) eat freely and exercise accordingly
only one is acceptable :smalltongue:.

So i run daily, 11km currently since early january. I started 8 years ago in order to lose weight* for the mandatory military service thing. Now it's such a deeply ingrained habit i find it difficult to skip a day, even if the weather is atrocius. I'd have to actively *try* to quit and don't particularly want to.
Besides looking fit, staying healthy and serving as a form of meditation, running also helps a lot with hiking (allowing me to keep pace while bringing along 'dead weight' like a mahjong tileset:)
http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/5655/9j08.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/713/9j08.jpg/)
Summit of Sokosti, with Luirojärvi in view.
No real shelter from the sun (just some taller rocks), so didn't play a full lenght game.


*didn't like the thought of dragging all 122kg of myself through the woods, managed to shed 44kg. Then i screwed up and regained a chunk of it (curse the cafeteria), still working on some of that.

[Tengu_temp]

That sounds pretty underweight to me!

230 lbs for 6'4" is firmly in the "overweight" category of the Body Mass Index chart. Granted, this might just mean "heavily-built and big-boned" or "muscled", but it's nowhere near underweight.

[Kiero]

230 lbs for 6'4" is firmly in the "overweight" category of the Body Mass Index chart. Granted, this might just mean "heavily-built and big-boned" or "muscled", but it's nowhere near underweight.

That may be so, but BMI is essentially meaningless crap for anyone not at either of the extreme ends.

[LoP]

Body mass index is a pretty wonky measure, but for 6' 4", anywhere from 180 to 220 lbs is considered the "healthy ideal." Specifics will depend, of course, on each individual. But 230 is certainly not underweight for that height but its also not particularly overweight.

[Spiryt]

230 lbs for 6'4" is firmly in the "overweight" category of the Body Mass Index chart. Granted, this might just mean "heavily-built and big-boned" or "muscled", but it's nowhere near underweight.

Lol, seriously?

There's something even more wrong with BMI than I have thought then.

6'4'' is damn tall dude for and person that tall can be still pretty skinny and weight 230 pounds...

[Palanan]

I absolutely hate gyms. (Sorry, Crow.) I hate the arrogance and machismo of the people who so often hang out in them--people who think they can literally walk all over you, just because they have thicker biceps.

And I really don't like working with weights and machines. I don't like being stuck inside with fluorescent lights and a blaring TV, trying to convince my body to go through the umpteenth repetition of some awkward, specialized motion.

What I love is being out and active in the wide open world. I love hiking, especially in steep and rocky places: my favorite trail in the mountains was called "Old Misery" by the park rangers, who rarely attempted it. I climbed it every chance I could. I would pass day-trippers like they were standing still.

And I love mountain-biking: I used to ride 30 miles to unwind after work, and 60 miles on weekends. (Yes, that's pathetic by professional standards, but I love it anyway.) Give me a good bike trail, as few joggers as possible, and I'm close to giddy. Steep hills make me especially happy. Those prissy sporto cyclists might spin past me on level ground, but I dominate them on the uphill grade. :smallbiggrin:

Just this summer I finally got a kayak, and I've spent the past several months slowly working up to a little distance. (Eight miles is my current limit.) I've also been getting to know the cormorants, green herons, and ducks on my local lake, as well as the occasional bald eagle.

Weight is a real problem, though. The sweet tooth is there. And I've been tied very close to home for family medical reasons, so I've tubbified to a distressing degree all this year. Too many meals in hospital cafeterias; too many trips to Schlotzky's.

And I no longer live in an area with decent bike trails, nor with rocky mountain paths. So, I need to find something to do in cold weather, on distressingly level terrain.

[Brother Oni]

There's something even more wrong with BMI than I have thought then.

BMI is a good measure if you know its limitations and applications.

Its main limitation is that it cannot distinguish between tissue types being a mass to volume ratio, so 10kg of lean muscle is the same as 10kg of adipose tissue.
This makes it useful for those with a sedentary lifestyle with 'average' muscle tone and fitness for that lifestyle but completely useless if you have an active lifestyle and/or a non-endomorphic body shape.

Body fat percentage is a much better measure for determining optimal weight to height, but it's much harder to accurately measure.


To answer the OP's question, I've always liked martial arts and my temperament and body shape has made me favour 'hard' styles, so down the gym I went.

These days I'm still working off a long term injury, so fixed weights are about my limit as I can't do much cardio.

[valadil]

Lol, seriously?

There's something even more wrong with BMI than I have thought then.

6'4'' is damn tall dude for and person that tall can be still pretty skinny and weight 230 pounds...

IIRC overweight for my height is 200-240lbs. I don't really disagree with that. Even though I fit in normalize clothes I'm still reluctant to take my shirt off at the beach. Long term I would like to lose some more weight but for now I'm happy to fuel my lifting habit with excess protein.

Anyway you all find my proportions noteworthy. One of my friends is 6'10" and weighs 160. It's kinda disturbing.

[Crow]

I absolutely hate gyms. (Sorry, Crow.) I hate the arrogance and machismo of the people who so often hang out in them--people who think they can literally walk all over you, just because they have thicker biceps.

And I really don't like working with weights and machines. I don't like being stuck inside with fluorescent lights and a blaring TV, trying to convince my body to go through the umpteenth repetition of some awkward, specialized motion.

That's not our gyms. We use gyms like that as a threat and punishment for people who are douchebags. "We appreciate you coming here, but if you do that sh*t again, you're going to have to go back to Fitness 19.". It is surprisingly effective!

At our gym you're not likely to be doing reps of awkward specialized anything, unless you want to be. Chances are, if you're with a coach, you might be trying to blast through a workout designed to mimic what the fighters at the Battle of Hafrsfjord had to go through. Complete with a coach going through a narrative of what is happening in the battle at certain points in the workout.

I only hire coaches that make exercising fun as hell.

[Knaight]

In my case, there's a few things. I genuinely enjoy biking, even in the winter, and given that I enjoy it really can't justify the sort of expense attached to cars (insurance alone would be about the cost of a new bike every year or two, though I don't ride a particularly high end bike). So, I bike places, and get a decent amount of exercise that way. I also enjoy armed sparring, particularly with a spear, which also gets me exercise.

[valadil]

I absolutely hate gyms. (Sorry, Crow.) I hate the arrogance and machismo of the people who so often hang out in them--people who think they can literally walk all over you, just because they have thicker biceps.


Gym culture will vary from place to place. I definitely believe you if you tell me you experienced a gym full of meatheads. I didn't like lifting in college because we had that kind of environment.

But when I started again four years ago, the gym was mostly full of people in their mid thirties who wanted to keep off the weight they picked up when they started desk jobs. Most of them never leave the treadmills.

I still go to a college gym on my lunch breaks. It's got more of an attitude that the gym I just mentioned, but nowhere near what I saw as an undergrad. It probably helps that I'm not the only one working out on his lunch break so I've got a better ratio of mature people to jocks than you'd get at other times. It also helps that I hang out with the powerlifting clique.

[thorgrim29]

Yeah, BMI.... I have a BMI of 40 or so, meaning that if it were accurate I would be spherical. So I tend to discount it. Not that I'm not overweight, but it's more by 50 pounds then 150 (I'm a hair below 6"4 and weight around 330 pounds), I probably should take the body fat test thing, but honestly I don't care all that much. As long as I keep getting thinner who cares what the charts say (also I seem to have weirdly high bone density because every time I get a scan they have to crank up the machine a bit to see anything)

Next step is probably buying a rowing machine or a stationary bike to work on my cardio while I watch tv (running is murder on my shins and my knees are taxed enough with all the squats and lifting I do) on my days off since I only work out 2 to 3 times a week.

[Comrade]

That sounds pretty underweight to me!

Then your idea of underweight is seriously ****ed up.

Anyway, I exercise primarily for the purpose of physical strength, though I can't deny that looking the part plays a role in it as well. And like some folks here have said, I do enjoy the feeling of working my body and the sensation of having actively worked towards making myself strong and healthy.

[Palanan]

One thing I really like, which I don't think anyone has mentioned yet, is the sense of well-earned fatigue.

I love that. I love being completely wiped out, and knowing it's not because I stayed up until 2 am watching Terminator or whatever, but because I pushed myself out of that ground-state lazy zone, and actually burned a few thousand calories. It's a good feeling.

[Hbgplayer]

I don't exercise nearly as much as I feel I should. As in I don't get to the gym more than once every other week or so, but then again, I work three 8 hour shifts per week which is all either walking or riding bicycle, depending on if I'm training people - leaving me to only walking - or which end of my legs are sore. :smalltongue:
I plan to become a LEO here in a couple years though, so I really need to start going to the gym more often to get in better muscular shape. I'm not bad cardio wise. My resting heart rate averages around 55.

[SiuiS]

My body is my only guaranteed weapon. It must be sharp, maintained, and well oiled at all times.

Conversely, I hate the general shape my biochemistry leans me towards, developed minor PTSD symptoms, had a crisis of faith in my moral core and now work a lazy desk job so I quit exercise and martial arts entirely out of a misguided attempt to shun those things which brought me emotional pain. Boy was that stupid of me.

So now I'm exercising again because I know better. And failing at tasks you know better than to fail is morally wrong.



Also, Obligatory Link (http://www.nerdfitness.com)

[JustSomeGuy]

I'm going off memory here, but i'm pretty sure BMI was invented to measure and compare populations, not individuals, and it is pretty poor as a measure beyond that.

I'm sure you all know of the actors and sports stars who fall way over the line, as the example of 'obesity'. Well, believe it or not, there are WAAY more regular folks who are just plain physically active and eat enough to deal with their lifestyle (the sort that get those 'macho manly man' tv shows amongst others). Well, add a normal amount of bodyfat to their weight (because they're not paid to look good or get maximum power:weight ratios and don't have professional chefs catering their needs etc) and it's easy to get a remarkable percentage of a population who are very active and healthy yet from a medical perspective (based on a poor calculation) they are somehow unfit and unhealthy, yet the folks who eat 2 bars of chocolate and 10 coffees a day while sitting on their arse for 18 hours/day are perfectly fine?

Obviously other markers exist to account for this, ie. blood pressure, cholesterol levels, hormone levels etc. but they can slip under the radar for years without any external symptoms, yet the naturally big folks will get the 'lose some weight' advice every time they go, despite it being unnecessary.

There is a much wider 'normal' weight range in humans than BMI permits, and humans have evolved under physical stresses that we don't really see as 'normal' in modern times, yet our bodies will adapt and grow to them nontheless if we move and eat enough.

Mostly though i am just bitter because despite absolutely cruising though the fitness standards and being perfectly healthy in every regard, i was told i HAD to lose a third of my bodyweight to hit the upper limits to join the RAF. I don't spend £100/month on all the latest fancy proteins and creatines etc., i don't eat 6 meals a day, i don't spend 2 hours/day, 6 days a week in a gym, i don't take any supplements at all, i doubt i'd even get more than 1 day/fortnight where i eat over 100g protein a day to be honest, yet somehow i am a behemoth that is simply unnaceptably fat to join the RAF. Despite nearly a decade in the army plus still being in the reserves and not managing to be too fat to move in either of those. /rant!

Also, the little exclamation mark after a sentence normally means a joke all you serious BMI bros.

[Fishmonster]

Ex-gymnast and rower here. why do I exercise? well simply because I love it. I stopped competing a while ago, now its a different type of fun; no longer have to run up a hill because my coach said so, but I do it now just because I want to :smallbiggrin:

don't let Str, Con and Dex be human dump stats. these are things we can all work on the easiest.

[Alad]

Cycling gets me to places without costing money, beyond that I can concur with the earned fatigue, anything which helps me sleep better is appreciated.
And as for what is classed as underweight. I'm somewhere around 6'2 and 150 pounds and I'm pretty sure I'm not classed as underweight... BMI is only good, as was mentioned. when your taking the average of an entire population, because I know a couple of people in better shape than me who would come out in the overweight category. (Ones just built like a truck. plays rugby and the others pretty short but fairly muscular)

[Crow]

Cycling gets me to places without costing money, beyond that I can concur with the earned fatigue, anything which helps me sleep better is appreciated.
And as for what is classed as underweight. I'm somewhere around 6'2 and 150 pounds and I'm pretty sure I'm not classed as underweight... BMI is only good, as was mentioned. when your taking the average of an entire population, because I know a couple of people in better shape than me who would come out in the overweight category. (Ones just built like a truck. plays rugby and the others pretty short but fairly muscular)

Unless you're %4 body fat shredded, I would call 150 at 6'2" underweight. I'd be trying to get my athletes to at least 190-205 at that height, but I think 165 would be pretty decent seeing as you are a cycler and all.

I'm sitting at 5'9", 180-185.

Yeah, BMI is worthless for individuals.

[warty goblin]

The weekend's random period of feeling like I'd been run over by a steamroller finally abated today. I got to go running again, and do my upper body 'workout' as well! Damn I feel fine. Gonna sleep like a rock tonight, so I can get up all bright eyed and bushy tailed for another 9:00 round of measure theory. Well, I'll get up for it at any rate.

[Cheesegear]

Why do you / did you want to exercise?

Because I sit on my butt all day, either in the lab or at home, and I really, really like chocolate. Frankly, I look at my co-workers...And, TBH, they look kind of disgusting. I don't want to be like 'those other nerds' and I exercise. Ultimately, I exercise because I don't want to be fat.

Before that though, I was exercising only as part of my regular martial arts regime, as I got older and my metabolism slowed down, I started gaining weight that wasn't muscle. Again, it's probably all the chocolate. I went to my doctor and he said, if you don't want to stop eating stuff you like, you just have to exercise more (there's more to it than that, but that was the gist). So, I exercise because my diet is atrocious.

I have chronic insomnia, I bought a treadmill instead of sleeping pills. So, I exercise because I can't sleep.


What makes you want to quit?

It's so boring. Lift this metal bar 12 times, then 10 times, another ten times, and then 8 times. Now do that five or six more times, but in slightly different ways. Push the bar off your chest or dead lift it from the floor, etc. Repetitive motor actions turn your brain off. Except for me, it supposedly doesn't because whatever is giving me insomnia (above), keeps my brain turned on even when it doesn't need to be (i.e; While doing repetitive motor actions).

Is there a way that makes weights less repetitive? I doubt it. Since repetitions is what makes weights effective in the first place.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Eh, we've had a discussion on BMI on this forum a few times. Body fat % is a much better way of measuring general obesity level, though it still falls flat if someone doesn't exercise at all (i.e. 5-7% body fat might be amazing on an athlete, but very unhealthy on a twig-thin desk jockey that just plain doesn't eat much).

[Remmirath]

Why do you / did you want to exercise?

Primarily for strength. I have never been particularly weak, but not being strong bothered me greatly. I'm also a fairly restless person -- sitting or standing still all day gets to me, and if I don't get at least a decent amount of activity in a day I start concentrating less well on my other tasks. Some of the things I enjoy doing also are active things that it's good to have strength for, such as stage combat and sparring. I suppose it somewhat has to do with living up to my mental image of myself, which requires me to be at least decently strong. I certainly don't have a problem with looking strong, but actually being strong is more important to me.


What makes you want to quit?

The amount of time it takes. There are already quite a few more things that I would like to do in a day than what I have time for. However, the rest of my day is more enjoyable if I do get exercise, so I've not really ever quite wanted to quit. I also feel much better all around for getting a good amount of exercise, as opposed to the several years I did not about a decade ago, which is another motivator not to stop again.


Eh, we've had a discussion on BMI on this forum a few times. Body fat % is a much better way of measuring general obesity level, though it still falls flat if someone doesn't exercise at all (i.e. 5-7% body fat might be amazing on an athlete, but very unhealthy on a twig-thin desk jockey that just plain doesn't eat much).

It is also more difficult for people to measure the percentage on their own though, is it not? Perhaps that is why it isn't used so often.

[Alad]

Unless you're %4 body fat shredded, I would call 150 at 6'2" underweight.
Ehh I dont know. I dont have much muscle upper body but then again I dont have much fat on me. and I drop in weight if I dont exercise as much. Ahh well I'm happy with how I am at the minute. :smalltongue: (although. I tried putting my info into a calculator and supposedly I'm at an unhealthily low body fat, in so much as you can trust online calculators.)
Its a weird thought that I need to put on more body fat xD "you there boy! eat more fatty food " xD

[JustSomeGuy]

Because I sit on my butt all day, either in the lab or at home, and I really, really like chocolate. Frankly, I look at my co-workers...And, TBH, they look kind of disgusting. I don't want to be like 'those other nerds' and I exercise. Ultimately, I exercise because I don't want to be fat.

Before that though, I was exercising only as part of my regular martial arts regime, as I got older and my metabolism slowed down, I started gaining weight that wasn't muscle. Again, it's probably all the chocolate. I went to my doctor and he said, if you don't want to stop eating stuff you like, you just have to exercise more (there's more to it than that, but that was the gist). So, I exercise because my diet is atrocious.

I have chronic insomnia, I bought a treadmill instead of sleeping pills. So, I exercise because I can't sleep.



It's so boring. Lift this metal bar 12 times, then 10 times, another ten times, and then 8 times. Now do that five or six more times, but in slightly different ways. Push the bar off your chest or dead lift it from the floor, etc. Repetitive motor actions turn your brain off. Except for me, it supposedly doesn't because whatever is giving me insomnia (above), keeps my brain turned on even when it doesn't need to be (i.e; While doing repetitive motor actions).

Is there a way that makes weights less repetitive? I doubt it. Since repetitions is what makes weights effective in the first place.

Reps aren't the be all and end all of lifting - a combined effect of reps, weight, sets and the lifts themselves (according to your goals)

If you don't like high rep sets, do doubles, triples and 5's. you'll still get plenty big and you'll get much stronger too. Of course, you can't just switch the rep scheme and leave everything else the same, you'd likely need to start a new program.

As far as weight/height, i recall a fair few years back watching some MMA guy (Tom Blackledge?) who was about 6'4" or so fighting at a surprisingly light weight, so much so that most other guys in his class were 5'8"-11". Immediate physical advantage! Obviously he was an outlier, and it could easily be argued that athletes pursuing competitive goals aren't always concerned with health, but equally i doubt you could argue he was particularly unhealthy at the time.

Someone else want to tag in for the 'eating fat makes you fat' bit?

[SiuiS]

Because I sit on my butt all day, either in the lab or at home, and I really, really like chocolate. Frankly, I look at my co-workers...And, TBH, they look kind of disgusting. I don't want to be like 'those other nerds' and I exercise. Ultimately, I exercise because I don't want to be fat.

Before that though, I was exercising only as part of my regular martial arts regime, as I got older and my metabolism slowed down, I started gaining weight that wasn't muscle. Again, it's probably all the chocolate. I went to my doctor and he said, if you don't want to stop eating stuff you like, you just have to exercise more (there's more to it than that, but that was the gist). So, I exercise because my diet is atrocious.

I have chronic insomnia, I bought a treadmill instead of sleeping pills. So, I exercise because I can't sleep.



It's so boring. Lift this metal bar 12 times, then 10 times, another ten times, and then 8 times. Now do that five or six more times, but in slightly different ways. Push the bar off your chest or dead lift it from the floor, etc. Repetitive motor actions turn your brain off. Except for me, it supposedly doesn't because whatever is giving me insomnia (above), keeps my brain turned on even when it doesn't need to be (i.e; While doing repetitive motor actions).

Is there a way that makes weights less repetitive? I doubt it. Since repetitions is what makes weights effective in the first place.

This is going to sound silly, but look into yoga and meditation. I can get into exercise not because my brain turns off, but because it is so fully engaged - when it's a hassle just to keep every muscle coordinated enough to pull off the lift with good form (or when you constantly fine turn the position and stretch of an asana to get it just so) is when I am at my best. Fully mindful, fully engaged, all thoughts where they are useful.

I've never been able to deal with "turn brain off" exercise, honestly.


Eh, we've had a discussion on BMI on this forum a few times. Body fat % is a much better way of measuring general obesity level, though it still falls flat if someone doesn't exercise at all (i.e. 5-7% body fat might be amazing on an athlete, but very unhealthy on a twig-thin desk jockey that just plain doesn't eat much).

Yeah. I'm attrociously skinny and rather unhealthy nowadays. I think I had a 500 calorie diet for a while there because I never had the energy to be hungry XD

[Alad]

Yeah. I'm attrociously skinny and rather unhealthy nowadays. I think I had a 500 calorie diet for a while there because I never had the energy to be hungry XD

Jeez... apparently I'm not one to talk. but thats really not healthy at all. I had a friend who functioned like that. he once had to cycle somewhere because he couldent get a lift. we got about a mile before he was sitting at the side of the track feeling like he was gona puke because his body just went what the hells going on ?! (he had eaten like half a sandwich that day. ) sugary drinks and a slow pace and he recovered. but since he has decided to do something involving physical effort regularly xD

[Brother Oni]

i don't eat 6 meals a day, i don't spend 2 hours/day, 6 days a week in a gym, i don't take any supplements at all, i doubt i'd even get more than 1 day/fortnight where i eat over 100g protein a day to be honest, yet somehow i am a behemoth that is simply unnaceptably fat to join the RAF. Despite nearly a decade in the army plus still being in the reserves and not managing to be too fat to move in either of those. /rant!

Maybe they're trying to tell you you're not pretty enough to be a RAF boy? :smalltongue:



Someone else want to tag in for the 'eating fat makes you fat' bit?

I'm not sure what you mean - most of us know nutrition is extremely complicated, but the essential gist that eating more calories than expended makes you gain weight remains the same.

[warty goblin]

I'm not sure what you mean - most of us know nutrition is extremely complicated, but the essential gist that eating more calories than expended makes you gain weight remains the same.
I've decided to stop paying attention to the newest study showing whatever is good/bad/actually killing me, and just eat reasonable amounts of mostly plant matter. Call me back when you can get multiple studies to show the same result.

[Spiryt]

As far as weight/height, i recall a fair few years back watching some MMA guy (Tom Blackledge?) who was about 6'4" or so fighting at a surprisingly light weight, so much so that most other guys in his class were 5'8"-11". Immediate physical advantage! Obviously he was an outlier, and it could easily be argued that athletes pursuing competitive goals aren't always concerned with health, but equally i doubt you could argue he was particularly unhealthy at the time.



Tom Blackledge is 6'0 fighting at 205 pounds, so you must be thinking about someone else.

Anyway, I don't think that most experts really buy into it being any 'immediate advantage'. Being taller is nice, but when it comes at the expense of severely 'undermuscling' that frame, it's generally not advantageous at all.


I'm not sure what you mean - most of us know nutrition is extremely complicated, but the essential gist that eating more calories than expended makes you gain weight remains the same.

I would guess that he thinks about obvious old myth, widely believed probably because fat=fat sounds simple.

Generally, say, 1500 kcal from carbohydrates, especially simple will be blow someone up way easier than 1500 kcal from fat - fat will be way slower, harder to digest, and generally will have completely different effect on metabolism.

[JustSomeGuy]

Maybe they're trying to tell you you're not pretty enough to be a RAF boy? :smalltongue:

Yeah, or the government cutbacks kinda had a knockon effect on uniform supplies eh!



Tom Blackledge is 6'0 fighting at 205 pounds, so you must be thinking about someone else.
Googling is kinda tricky right now, but off my phone it could be Matt Thorpe - definately saw him doing M1 global for team england whoever he was. As for height being an immediate advantage, it allows for longer range strikes, and just where the other guy gets in range for their longer shots you'd be about right for some meaty knees/elbows/hooks etc, and (this was the main advantage i saw in the fight) he could reallytangle himself round the smaller opponent clinching and grappling - his groundwork i recall was crazy mostly because of his stretch armstrong-ing. Was a while back though, could be wrong!

With regards to fat, yeah the simplest breakdown is eating fat doesn't bypass digestion and slip straight around the hips or whatever; although there is obviously a greater kcal (9 vs. 4 i recall, but probably wrong here too, it's been a while!) content, fat is pretty important too - for nerves (the myelin sheath if again i recall right), and cholesterol is the main 'input' of hormone production (pushing it with all this hazy memories of college now, eh!). I definitely have read that of the three main macronutrients, cutting and raising fat had a direct effect on circulating testosterone levels, whereas low fat, high carb/protein diets reduce it regardless of intake (of c/p), and study/s were linked - it was an ex phy textbook, maybe katch-mcardle or one of those types.

But mostly fat=/=fat, yeah!

[Alad]

I'm aware that eating fat does not eqaul fat gained, however the fact that I am apparently underweight is a bit of a ticket to eat greasy food I usually wouldent.
Pizza lunch ahoy :smallcool:
(Its weird. I always thought I was around the bottom quater of ideal as these things go)

[Knaight]

I've decided to stop paying attention to the newest study showing whatever is good/bad/actually killing me, and just eat reasonable amounts of mostly plant matter. Call me back when you can get multiple studies to show the same result.

It's often less a statement by new studies and more a poorly made summary of said studied by journalists with next to no background in math and less in the sciences.

[valadil]

It's so boring. Lift this metal bar 12 times, then 10 times, another ten times, and then 8 times. Now do that five or six more times, but in slightly different ways. Push the bar off your chest or dead lift it from the floor, etc. Repetitive motor actions turn your brain off. Except for me, it supposedly doesn't because whatever is giving me insomnia (above), keeps my brain turned on even when it doesn't need to be (i.e; While doing repetitive motor actions).


Are you using a program or something you made up? If you're not happy with your current one it's probably time to switch.

I use Wendler's 5/3/1 and I love it. It gives me four workouts a week, each focusing on bench, shoulder press, deadlift, and squat. I do 3 sets (excluding warmup) of each of those, for 5, 3, or 1 rep apiece depending on the week. Then I do 5 sets of 10 reps of two assistance exercises that relate to the big lift. Then I'm done, although I usually throw in some conditioning.

5/3/1 is an intermediate program though. It advances your lifts slowly compared to a beginner program. Don't jump the gun on it if your lifts aren't there yet. For a beginner program, you can't go wrong with Rippetoe's Starting Strength.

[Brother Oni]

Generally, say, 1500 kcal from carbohydrates, especially simple will be blow someone up way easier than 1500 kcal from fat - fat will be way slower, harder to digest, and generally will have completely different effect on metabolism.

Well complete bioavailability was assumed, since if you eat something with a calorific value of 1000kJ but with only 50% bioavailability, you're only really eating 500kJ.

While I'll agree with you in broad terms, when you start breaking it down like that, it rapidly gets more complicated.
Take lactose - a simple disaccharide which is easily and readily absorbed by infants. Feed enough of it to someone who's lactose intolerant and they'd probably lose energy from all the vomiting, diarrhoea and other fluid loss.



But mostly fat=/=fat, yeah!

It's all pretty much correct, well remembered. :smallbiggrin:

[Cheesegear]

It's all pretty much correct, well remembered. :smallbiggrin:

Whoa. Whoa. Okay, I did say that it was only the gist. I went to my GP, and I said "Hey, I need to lose weight and I have no intention of changing my diet." And he gave me a number of options; Diuretics, laxative shakes and a few other things that I don't remember. Or, you can pay nothing to nobody and just go for longer runs.

[JustSomeGuy]

Are you using a program or something you made up? If you're not happy with your current one it's probably time to switch.

I use Wendler's 5/3/1 and I love it. It gives me four workouts a week, each focusing on bench, shoulder press, deadlift, and squat. I do 3 sets (excluding warmup) of each of those, for 5, 3, or 1 rep apiece depending on the week. Then I do 5 sets of 10 reps of two assistance exercises that relate to the big lift. Then I'm done, although I usually throw in some conditioning.

5/3/1 is an intermediate program though. It advances your lifts slowly compared to a beginner program. Don't jump the gun on it if your lifts aren't there yet. For a beginner program, you can't go wrong with Rippetoe's Starting Strength.

5/3/1 is solid, yeah. Bought the paper book off amazon, it shipped from Wendler hisself and unless i'm very mistaken it's signed too! Made some good progress with the program, but after a while i realised it wasn't quite right for me - i need more frequency and can cut volume per session accordingly. But it is still a great (and very adaptable) program, and you only learn what works for you by trying stuff out eh! Also, his 'tennets of lifting and life' or whatever he calls them are really one of the most useable bit of the book, like a reusable instant pep talk! I feel a little twinge of sadness seeing what he is having to do these days (Dan John & Charles Staley) too for that matter over at T Nation, it just isn't right and doesn't keep with their mentality/attitudes towards this stuff.

One thing i would say though is that for someone who doesn't like reps, 5/3/1 wouldn't be my first call, what with all the max reps top sets and BBB and all that other stuff that gets bandied about of late that i don't know about (mostly last set first and joker sets, whatever dey is!) Agree with SS too, damn fine place to start if that's what you want (and even if not, still by far the most technical lift analysis).

[Brother Oni]

Whoa. Whoa. Okay, I did say that it was only the gist. I went to my GP, and I said "Hey, I need to lose weight and I have no intention of changing my diet." And he gave me a number of options; Diuretics, laxative shakes and a few other things that I don't remember. Or, you can pay nothing to nobody and just go for longer runs.

:smallconfused:

Did you reply to the wrong person? I was referring to JustSomeGuy's musings on fat and the biological necessity of it.

[noey]

When you're at home you can use this workout (http://homegym-exercises.com/) page. I prefer working at home over the gym. It’s a great time saver to use your own body and your own dwelling. Body weight training is portable and will be with you every time that you travel.

And that's the reason why I'm exercising:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x8SFpfiAzCQ/UgLOJPyTBQI/AAAAAAAAAIs/uF13ISv2gsQ/s1600/270502_344856188977851_1076066050_n.jpg
:smallbiggrin:

[Prince Zahn]

I do powerwalks and occasional running, for the most part. And I fit in some exercise for the triceps as well.
I originally started exercising to support my father and spend quality time with my old man. But he got me exercising and getting more health conscious too. Especially as over time I saw him drop about 60 lbs(!!) only times I seen him as lean as he is now were in my parent's old wedding pictures(granted he was still leaner in those days, but not the point) I see him happier now and it drives me forward, it makes me feel like I can probably get in better shape too! :smallbiggrin:
Sadly it's very frustrating for me since I'm losing my weight achingly slow(lost 2 lbs in the last 3 weeks:smallfrown:). But I guess the good news is my clothes are a bit too big now, I can literally feel my STR and CON scores rising,:smallbiggrin: I haven't gotten ill once since I started, and people respect me for braving the inner desire to let myself go and stuff my face full with fried foods and candy.:smallsmile:

Good health is a battle worth fighting, it's not just about numbers and weight!

[rakkoon]

To get rid of stress, looks and health

I tried not doing any sports for month because I needed to study a lot and I found that it actually stopped me from learning more. I need to get rid of stress by exercising. My wife has often remarked that I leave a bit depressed and come back with a smile on my face.

Secondly, looks. I like it that I have to put new holes in my belts. I didn't like it that my largest pants suddenly fitted without a belt.

Thirdly health. I have bad knees and a bad back. Loosing 20 pounds does a lot to help me reach my forties/fifties/sixties while still being able to stand up.

[RandomNPC]

I've recently started in on the fitness thing, having noticed I've put on a few extra pounds. I'm not crazy heavy, I just don't want to get there, and I wouldn't mind getting a bit of muscle mass. I've even got a friend who's really into fitness and is helping out, but I want a few ideas from other places, I have no idea if he has a bias towards one thing or another, and I want to level my thoughts out.

My main thought is, on a day I'm not hitting the gym or track he gave me a small morning routine, pushups and some free weights, less than a half hour, it's really more of a wake up call to my body than anything else. Thing is my time is more freed up at night, would it be okay to do something like that before bed instead?

Anyone else with other questions, feel free to turn this into a health Q&A.

[Haruki-kun]

Some say working out in the morning is better because reasons. Others say afternoon or evening is way better, because other reasons. Me? I think it's either irrelevant or negligible. What matters first and foremost is that you're doing it.

Whatever works for you.

[valadil]

Do it when you can do it. Working out in the evening is better than not working out. Morning vs evening is a micro-optimization that you can revisit when you're more experienced.

My recommendation is to read Rippetoe's Starting Strength.

[Soris Atham]

I would exercise in the evening, but give myself at least 2 hours before bed. This gives me a chance to wind down. If you have 5-10 minutes during lunch, try walking or two sets of body weight squats.

The important thing is to keep active.

[RandomNPC]

Cool, thanks everyone. I'll look into that book, I didn't think it'd be an absolute "no only do it this way" thing, but I wanted to ask.

[Lorsa]

Don't forget it's actually important to rest. If you have some heavy gym or track days it can actually be useful NOT to work out in between. If you get some normal exercise like walking or riding a bike or something on most days that should be enough.

It also depends how old you are, the younger the quicker the body recuperates after exercise.

As long as you can manage to fall asleep after having done a small workout routine, it matters little if it's done late in the evening.

[Axiomatic]

I do it in the morning, simply because it gets it out of the way, and "I've already done it" is a better feeling than "shiiiiit, after everything that happened today, I still have to go do a 10 kilometer run?"

[valadil]

Don't forget it's actually important to rest. If you have some heavy gym or track days it can actually be useful NOT to work out in between. If you get some normal exercise like walking or riding a bike or something on most days that should be enough.

Rest is important for your performance too. I don't get enough sleep because I have a two year old. He doesn't really care about my gym gains. But I got a week of good sleep while visiting my folks and my back squat shot up 75lbs.


I do it in the morning, simply because it gets it out of the way, and "I've already done it" is a better feeling than "shiiiiit, after everything that happened today, I still have to go do a 10 kilometer run?"

I always feel good after lifting. If I want to maximize the good feels, I should do them earlier in the day so that I'm not sleeping while they're active. Mornings are presently impossible (see: two year old) but I'm able to use the gym at work on my lunch break and that's working real well for me.

[RandomNPC]

I feel good after too, but having to deal with the people at work, I'd rather wait for the end of the day to put myself in a good mood. If I go in happy they drag me down that much further. If I can get that feelgood burn after work it fits better in my schedule and my family winds up happier with a happy me.

[The Trickster]

I exercise because I feel great afterwards. I usually sit around and do nothing when I am at work or school, so going for a jog or what-not helps get rid of all the extra energy I have.

Also, working out releases endorphins, which help when you are stressed or upset. So when I am in a grumpy mood, instead of letting it get to me, I lift some wieghta or something. It helps tremendously.

[Ionathus]

I don't actually spend any real time on dedicated exercise, but I try to live an active lifestyle...that is, always walking or biking instead of driving places.

That said, at numerous times throughout my life I've tried to get just a basic routine of situps/pushups going every day. I always lose it after a while. I don't really pay too much attention to it because I'm still a healthy weight, but I always feel a little twinge of guilt about it.

[Seffbasilisk]

I'd second the advice of not doing it right before bed, having your blood up when trying to sleep is counter productive.

It really depends on what style fits you best. I've had times where it would be just put on a few songs and lift weights until the CD stopped, and I've tried going to the gym, but for me to get a comprehensive workout I tend to need to be playing a sport or something competitive where I'm moving, rather than doing a repetitive 'pick up the weight. Move it. Put it back.'

[Bounty Hunter]

A lot of people prefer it in the morning, so that a bad day at work doesnt give you the 'mental excuse' not to go.

I however, like my sleep, so I sleep in the morning and go for a nice run and such in the afternoon. I also despise the cold and cannot run in it at all, so thats a bonus to waiting for the afternoon.