RMN SWOLE

I actually got a treadmill about a week ago and have it set up in front of the computer area so I can just pop on a YT video and watch while walking. Since I've been on medical leave I've put on a few so I decided to try and get back in shape and this seems an easy/fun way to do it.

I've never really been into exercise for the sake of exercise so I'm not really knowledgeable about a lot of stuff, but I gather water in and of itself is a no-no since electrolytes need to be replenished if you're doing a lot of walking/running? I think I read that somewhere, anyway. So what would be best, if you know? For not outright dying while pushing a walk?

(For the record, I can't do longer walks because my condition gets agitated if I do too much exercise. It's why I had to stop my volunteering - the work was about standing around and bending a lot and I've abdominal issues so... it's wasn't great.)

I've been doing 10-20 minutes, rest for an hour, then another 10-20 minutes, since I've not really got anything else going on atm. Before I got this cold/flu/bug thing I was doing that about 5-6 times a day. Too much? I'm just doing what feels right to me. ^.^;

Coincidentally, I've been on a diet for a while.

Before, my routine was strictly upper-body building as opposed to an all-around schedule (I'd post it here, but it's been outdated for weeks), but since my muscles are more properly toned now, I've begun to balance it. My major goal is simply to get into shape and lose my gut, which I'm doing a decent job of so far. I'll probably keep going at it for a few more months or so and hopefully by then my stomach will be all but large.

The most consistent part of my exercise routine is jogging; I go around my block at least 2-3 times a day (usually, I just walk the third time, but I'm planning on changing that soon) since endurance has always been my biggest issue. Now I can be physically active for a fairly long time without working up much of a sweat, which is a large improvement from my condition at the beginning of the year.

Also, fuck sports drinks; bottled water all the way, man.

In general, I try to keep the fitness level up fairly decently. Like, not overly exercising but not a tub of lard. Unfortunately, I injured myself in high school playing rugby and blown my knee out pretty heftily. It makes doing a lot of exercise incredibly difficult (like, if my knee goes during the workout, I'm looking at a week or two on painkillers just to be able to walk), but I still try to keep walking and when I have to go to the corner store, I run there and back if possible. It's a short distance, but a good hundred yards or so, so it's a nice quick burst work out.

Unfortunately, my appetite from that same period never died and my love of alcohols have increased since then (he says after his fourth beer). It's caused a bit of weight gain which I'd like to get rid of (it's not a whole lot in truth, given my height) and having a sedentary job doesn't help. I try to keep my intake of the bad stuff down, and I've got a pretty protein heavy diet (meat and protein shakes... meat and protein shakes er'day), and it all keeps my weight fairly balanced, but I'd like to be a little bit better. I always wanted to work on the parkour thing, but my body's just too broken to be able to do it anymore. =(

The only problem I seem to have is that I spent pretty much 90% of my time, about 10 – 15 hours average per week, focusing on my lower body by either walking carrying a bunch of heavy bags of groceries around for two hours (saves money on gas), playing basketball or soccer in the park (about an hour on average) or using the spin bike if it’s absolute crap outside. And although I enjoy doing these exercises and my legs look like giant tree trunks, I’ve been telling myself over and over again to tone all that down and focus on the upper body more by using the weights at home and the rower that we have (which I’ve used a lot before in the past). I dunno, I guess I just prefer going outside chucking a ball around while diving on grass and pavement more than just being at home doing weights as I kinda miss doing that stuff when I was younger.

Nutrition is, overall, pretty good; I don’t drink, don’t go to fast food restaurants, very seldomly eat pizza or chips, and I haven’t touched a drop of pop in quite some time. I used to eat a ton of ice cream in the past, but have managed to widdle it down to just having an ice cream sandwich once in a while to compensate for something “bad”. I guess if I can just focus on spending as much time as I do on my lower body with my upper body – then I should be pretty good. :D

author=CashmereCat
Can someone tell me if that's a thing? Like, being too small so that body weight exercises is the best thing to do? Or should I go straight to big weights?

Well, you can definitely be small enough that it's a bad idea to try lifting big weights, but if you have regular physical functionality, there's really no point at which it's just a bad idea to lift external weights at all.

You can do a lot of good exercises, and get quite strong, working just with body weight. But a regimen of just pushups, situps and squats (which I used for a while in my teens too) isn't very balanced, since you're not working the muscles that oppose the ones you use in those exercises. If the muscles you use to push (like in a pushup) are strong, but the ones you use to pull (like in tug-of-war or a pullup) are weak, then you'll be more prone to injury.

You can do real beginner workouts at a gym, and it's also good to have a separate place you can go to work out which you don't use for anything else, because it makes it much easier to stay motivated and on task when you're there. So don't avoid going to a gym because you feel like you aren't ready for one yet. But you don't strictly need a gym to put together some effective workouts (there have been times when I've used a mostly-abandoned playground as a workout spot,) so you might get your workouts outside a gym to save money.

If you're not that familiar with exercise though, going to a gym is probably safer, because there will be other people to give you advice on form and such and watch to make sure you don't do anything where you're liable to hurt yourself (it would definitely be a mistake to think that if you don't start doing exercises with big free weights, you're safe from the risk of injury.)

author=LockeZ
Computers have made fitness obsolete.

LockeZ, the major problem I see with you and your posting habits is that you seriously don't know when to shut up about things. That statement wasn't funny, it looks like a lame attempt at humor and it adds nothing to the discussion. Considering that some of your statements even incite flame wars on this board (I'm not going to name off specifics for the sake of not reviving old shit storms), I HIGHLY recommend that you actually start ascertaining whether every topic/post is WORTH your reply.

If someone is insulting you in a post, just don't reply to them; someone posted about the death of their loved one and you think it's bull? Just don't post! The saying "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" really applies here.

... Sorry, I just needed to get that off my chest.


On Topic: I rarely go outside and work out, even though I kind of want to. I mainly look towards my mother in regards to advice on fitness, since she was a part of that whole scene at one point.

I think what many people don't realize is that you really don't need to go out of your way in order to stay fit. Getting up and doing regular walks, learning about healthy meal choices, just doing something that doesn't involve sitting on your butt all day actually leads to a healthy lifestyle. I think a lot of new addictions, such as the obsession with apple products, have given people less of a reason to go out and do anything physical.

author=Ratty524

author=LockeZ
Computers have made fitness obsolete.

LockeZ, the major problem I see with you and your posting habits is that you seriously don't know when to shut up about things. That statement wasn't funny, it looks like a lame attempt at humor and it adds nothing to the discussion. Considering that some of your statements even incite flame wars on this board (I'm not going to name off specifics for the sake of not reviving old shit storms), I HIGHLY recommend that you actually start ascertaining whether every topic/post is WORTH your reply.

If someone is insulting you in a post, just don't reply to them; someone posted about the death of their loved one and you think it's bull? Just don't post! The saying "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" really applies here.

... Sorry, I just needed to get that off my chest.

(this reply intentionally left blank)

Electrolytes are useful whenever you've sweat a lot. They aren't NEEDED, but they're useful when you've lost salt via sweat, period. If you sweat profusely while walking, electrolytes and water are better than water. If you run a marathon and you are somehow only a little sweaty, water is more than good enough. You won't die if you don't drink electrolytes, but you will rehydrate slightly faster. Also, Gatorade is delicious. I fuckin' love orange Gatorade.

I feel like this topic is just filler until Mog can post a picture of his abs.

author=Kaempfer
Electrolytes are useful whenever you've sweat a lot. They aren't NEEDED, but they're useful when you've lost salt via sweat, period. If you sweat profusely while walking, electrolytes and water are better than water. If you run a marathon and you are somehow only a little sweaty, water is more than good enough. You won't die if you don't drink electrolytes, but you will rehydrate slightly faster. Also, Gatorade is delicious. I fuckin' love orange Gatorade.

Rehydration is just... re-hydration. Restoring lost water. Getting electrolytes won't speed it up. Restoring electrolyte balance is a different matter entirely, but people normally get plenty of electrolytes through food, so unless they're losing an exceptional amount, getting more from drinks won't help at all (and it's definitely not the case that you can never have too much.)

If you're trying to lose weight though, stuff like gatorade is actually pretty terrible because it's so loaded with sugar. You could use it to help recover when you're trying to put on muscle, but I'd always prefer a shake or something with some kind of protein source. Also I am frankly dumbfounded that anyone can stand the taste of gatorade because it is basically sweat plus sugar plus the most horribly artificial fruit flavorings known to man.

wow, what to say :)

Hurt my back in Vietnam, started with compressed discs and severe muscle spasms.
Over the years I was not too bad even though I did office work and sat all day but going to and home from work, I walked so it was not bad.
Then I moved and needed a car to get around. THAT was my downfall, no more walking and I did not realize what was going to happen.

Now I've had bariatric surgery, lost 75bls but because of my back still can not exercise.
Hoping to lose enough so the back pain eases up and I can exercise.
We have a workout room where I live and even a trainer so maybe I can get skinny like the rest of you :) haha

PS How the hell do you stop drinking soda ?? I drink diet Sunkist orange soda like water :(