The Sports/Fitness Thread

What a time to necro this thread!
I've been using a different sort of interval training plan to get back into running: couch to 5km. Currently on week 5, which is hard in my tropical weather and sweat-happy body.
The background to this is that my country shut down gyms as part of 1.5-month effort to stamp out a recent spike in cases. I was making good progress at the gym until then, so I needed a programme to keep me from losing all the gains.

Wonder who else has started exercising recently?

 

The couch to 5k program is a great way to get started.

I have my issues with it, but it avoids the biggest mistake new runners make which is to overdo it. So many people do too much too fast and end up injured or simply hating the sport because it's so miserable.

Glad you found it, and keep up the good work!

 

Last fall I got the idea in my head that I wanted to be able to run for an hour continuously. Running has always been pretty difficult for me, and I was out of shape after not having gone to the gym for 9 months, so I looked at the couch to 5k program to get me started. I followed it for a while, then started adapting it to fit my goal, and after running 3-4 times a week from Nov-April I made it to being able to run 10k in an hour without any walking. Now I'm working on getting faster. My advice for anyone starting out with shin and foot pain is to do tons of calf stretching. I was getting really bad pain and cramps in my left arch, and shin splints in both shins so I went to an orthopedic doctor thinking I needed insoles. She said I just needed calf stretches, she showed me a couple that I do every night and both problems have gone away.

 

Working from home for the past year has not been kind to my health so I've decided to start working out again earlier this year. Workout is structured in such a way that I can do daily without fatigue. If I start feeling sore I'll either drop sets or weight depending on what I'm doing and reevaluate.

Like you I've been doing interval sprints of 30/30 or 60/60 for sets of 5 at a time since the beginning of March. This is very effective for my case as I've always hated long distance running and disregarding warm up it takes as little as 10 mins to get a workout in so it is very easy for me to slot this in on a work day. I would occasionally switch it up with a 5 mile run but for the most parts interval is my go to.

Apart from running, I've also recently started to use 16k kettlebell for swings if I've got time. Why 16k? This weight is enough for me to get a decent workout without getting sore from lactic acid build up which means I can do this daily. Currently I'm doing 15-20 swings for 10 sets with 2 mins rest between sets. In between sets I've also added ring dips or push ups. Swings primarily to work the glutes, hamstring and back and dips to work the upper body mainly chest and triceps. Rest here is key.

Started @ 165 and has since dropped to 156. Goal for now is to get below 150 so still got ways to go.

 

This week will be 1 yr doing CrossFit. I haven’t lost any weight but I went down a couple inches in pant size. After recovering from acute tendinosis in both arms, I’m starting to work on my pull ups with the goal of being able to do the Murph workout in a year. I’d also like to do a century on the bike but I haven’t ridden much for a few years.

 

Surgery last summer plus super sedentary through the holidays and winter and stress drinking due to stuff wrecked my body. Getting back into it has been tough. Just power walking for now with some body weight exercises to get the joints used to movement again. I was able to get into good enough shape to hike a mountain by power walking and increasing weight in my backpack so I will likely do that again. I don't really care about my weight per se (have been chubby since childhood), but I want to get healthy enough to do the things I love again.

 

My GF and I are going to try this together: https://www.theconqueror.events/fuji/

We hiked up Mt. Fuji together for my 38th birthday closing in on 5 years ago (where has the time gone?) so this is a nostalgic way to challenge ourselves. Also going to go back to intermittent fasting. Not sure what it did for me the first go around besides make me hungry all morning because I was also on a keto diet at the time, so we will see if it can help me with my energy levels.

 

First off, I'm not a coach, just sharing some things that have worked for me.

for endurance training, getting yourself into fat adapted energy burn is crucial. at minimum, fat adaptation takes 6 weeks of fasted workouts. Push thru the bonk, it's not real.

Second, the time-in-training-zone is crucial. You're never going to be able to go 4 hours at Z2/e during a competition if you've never done that before during your training stimuli. It sucks, but you gotta do the work.

Basically, your training stresses should mirror your goals.

 

This is another benefit of intermittent fasting - a morning or lunchtime endurance workout can routinely be done fasted.

 

that's also one of the faster ways to be keto. Skip breakfast and workout to lower blood glucose. Then follow up with a high fat meal.

Something that took me a long time to figure out is that you should eat for recovery, not for fuel. Before I always thought I needed to fuel my body before doing a major task. It made intuitive sense so I did it but looking back it caused so many problems. I remember when I had a major tennis match I had a big breakfast just before playing. I had probably one of the worst, most unfocused matches ever that day. I played much better later when I had a consolation match. Other things I noticed is that I would also be sure to eat lunch just before a 2pm lecture and I would constantly doze off. Never really linking it to the pasta I ate and more to my poor sleep. I really struggled with getting any work done until it was late at night and I 'forgot' to eat dinner since I needed to finish my assignment.

It makes sense as a primal argument too. People went out to hunt whenever they were hungry, feasting after the task was completed.

 

Anyone have a rowing machine that they like? Not sure why/how, but I've used some I really like and felt were "effective" - I was tired etc after. Others I felt like I was wasting time sitting there making the thing go "whrrrrr"

From what I've been told, it's b/c the body naturally prioritizes the food and digestion. Starts with the blood leaving the rest of your body and brain and going to the stomach / GI tract for digestion. I forget the rest but long story short body basically becomes pre-occupied and doesn't want to play tennis.

I will eat before major tasks, but will make sure it's not too much or anything that the body can digest through too quickly (i.e. a lot of simple carbs) as it will cause a spike and then I'll be hungry / distracted again.

 

I have a Concept2 (model D i think? Looks like they rebranded/named it the RowErg). I believe these are the gold standard. It’s nice and sturdy; though, it’s quite large and a little loud. But it’s superior to the few other rowers I tried. And you can adjust the resistance as well.

 

My 2 cents after the last 18-ish months.

I am not the typical sports/fitness person that goes to a gym or sports club. I am a dork, employed in a physically demanding job where knowing how to not f**k up your back and knees is vital. Yes, I am talking about hospitality.

(As a kid I was not much into sports. I was into achieving goals. If my goal was to out-smart and out-strength idiots I had to study and do push-ups. Simple as that.)

Until December I frequented a gym, a rather good one but I was fed up with the "stay subscribed, we have more future perks/discounts" and I cancelled the membership in March.

I have always been training at home. Since my teenage years I studied all kinds of sports and disciplines and incorporated aspects I needed in my own set(s). Either way in The Hague from 2019 I went to the gym to improve my stamina and strength because well I am aging. (After 21 your body start to wear out bit by bit.) In February 2020 I started serious strength training with a colleague who happened to be a personal trainer. I paid her to laugh at me and I made serious gains.

Until September 2020 I seriously worked on power training. My focus was my around my back. In short I worked on posture, core, shoulders, arms, legs and techniques to spare my back. Yeah I can lift more things, the strength reserves are awesome.

In October 2020 I moved to Amsterdam. Given the Covid-19 measures gyms were sometimes open, sometimes closed. Too annoying therefore I focused on my old sets, mixed casthenics and some strength training aspects.

One example:

• One of my best friends told me about pull-ups. So I started doing pull-ups in December 2020.
• December 2020: 15 pull-ups per day.
• January and February 2021: 18 pull-ups per day.
• March 2021: 21 pull-ups per day.
• May 2021: 21 to 24 pull-ups per day, sometimes more.
• For June 2021: steady 24 pull-ups per day.
• For July 2021: move to 28, stay consistent for two months.
• Yes I know pull-ups, especially controlled slow pull-ups hurt but the gains are worth it.

A good exercise routine is nothing without some kind of effective diet. I avoid processed sugars and deep-fried food. There is still some butter, cheese, meat and dairy in my diet. I mainly drink water, juice, tea and (still) too much coffee. I focus on eating light and just enough to adjust my body and mind to less than ideal situations. I am still tweaking/improving aspects here and there. If I have to, I can still work long shifts on coffee and water alone. Not that such a condition is healthy, it is just a gear/mode which is most useful when times are tough.

If I can run a 10km in a few years without serious aches I will be very pleased.

 

PreCovid, I had a YMCA membership and would try to go 3x a week. I didn’t have a plan I just did what I was in the mood for and that’s a shitty approach. Most days I’d do some elliptical machine and maybe some bench press and butterflies trying to tone my upper body a bit. I wasn’t in horrible shape, and I’d tell myself that I was in a better position than probably 75% of guys in their 50s, in the US, but that’s not saying much.

Then the gym closed for about 3 months as COVID hit. I sat too much, ate and drank too much. I decided that I needed to get serious when gyms reopened or my remaining time alive was going to be miserable. My dad died at 60 due to lifestyle choices, and I didn’t want to continue the tradition. My first thought was to hire a personal trainer and find a different gym.

Instead of hiring a trainer, in a moment of insanity I decided to do a free trial session at a CrossFit gym. I was out of breath during the warmup and the workout was brutal, some of the movements I could barely do with just the empty barbell. I kept telling myself, it’s only an hour. It’s only an hour.

I signed up anyway, figuring if it killed me id go quick instead of a long decline from inactivity. It was really hard the first few weeks because I was so sore.

What’s kept me interested was the variety. I don’t know what the workout is until I walk in. For me that was the magic formula. I had to find a way to not get bored if I as to stick with anything.

Anyway, I didn’t intend for this to sound like a CrossFit advert, but just to make the point that you gotta find something you can do for the long term. It’s a lifestyle change. Same with any type of diet change. If it’s too hard you won’t be able to stick with it. Ease into it if you need to. Start slow if you have to, even if it starts with a short walk, hike, or bike ride.

 

I've always had a goal of doing splits. If I have a consistent daily stretching routine, does anyone know how long it will take to go from zero flexibility to splits?

 

Depends on your body. Ask a yoga/dance/gymnastics instructor/trainer how to gently and properly warm up and stretch your body.

If you are still in good shape it can be a matter of weeks. Whatever you do, listen to your body.

 

I really like this video. He is not just somebody. His flexible body lands him his paychecks...

 

I agree completely and think it's really thinking about workouts and eating as a lifestyle and so consistency matters a lot. When I used to have to go into the office, I used to be able to bike and so I built a bit of a workout into my daily commute. Sometimes I would take the long way home to get some extra time in the saddle. Granted, this doesn't specifically work for everyone, but finding a way to incorporate it more into your daily routine helps.

I've been working remotely since even before the pandemic. I'm also "lazy" in that I generally don't like to travel somewhere to workout and I hate being in a gym (would much rather be outdoors). So I run because it takes a minimum of effort to get ready to do that (no additional equipment other than clothing required) and can pretty much do it from anywhere. I blocked out my lunch hour in my calendar (otherwise co-workers were often tempted to book meetings at that time) and I can get in a run and still have time to eat something before my next meeting. Through the pandemic, I actually was able to lose 10+ lbs. that I had gained due to some injuries, illness, slacking off during the winter, etc.

To make fitness gains, you do also have to continue to push yourself a bit more. In running, there is a guideline that says don't increase your weekly long run or your total volume by 10% from week to week. This is very general advice and is generally very conservative. When I was younger, I could easily scale my weekly and weekend long run mileage. I'm old now and trying do so now can much more easily result in overuse injury or getting sick (overextertion weakening my immune system?). I find now that I may have to hold a certain volume for weeks until my body adapts. So you do need to try to understand your body enough to push it just the right amount.

Lastly, I would also mention recovery as others have also mentioned. This includes food and rest. When I was young, I always thought more was more, but your body doesn't make it's gains when you work out, it makes gains when you let it recover from a workout. This includes rest such as a good nights sleep or a nap, but it also includes some slack time in your weekly workout schedule. I always take a day off of running right after my long run and the next days run is usually pretty relaxed still. Even most training programs will also have you build your distance/volume for 3 weeks and then have every 4th week as a recovery week with reduced volume/intensity.

 

I really think this is as why I had a strong preference for sports over regular exercise. Every single game is different. Plus I have a tendency to think of things very short term. I just think about the next point. Whereas if I have a set of 5 x 10 reps, finishing one set just makes me think "I have another 4 left to go!"

Thanks! This is a good video. There's another I found that I really liked that convinced me that maximizing your flexibility doesn't need to be super intense. Just 30s easy stretches is good enough if you do them often.

 

In the last year I really learned a lot about stretching and warm up. Seems like common sense, but my idea of warm up was to just take it easy the first minute or so and gradually ease int it. As I get older I see how important a proper warmup is with a variety of stretches and stuff to get my heart rate up. Not just to not get injured, but my performance is just so much better with a focused 5-8 minute warmup. I had to get past the mentality of trying to conserve energy for the hard parts. But I'm still trying to get the balance right when going for max PR weight. If I spend too much time doing lighter sets I get to my max and sometimes there's nothing left or I run out the clock.