The Sports/Fitness Thread

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by OJneg, Oct 21, 2015.

  1. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    My stretching routine is typically at the end of my workout. I'm already warmed up and it's part of my cool down.

    I never do static stretches before exercise as it has been shown to increase the chance of injury. What I usually do is I spend 10-30 min of light jogging to get warmed up. Then I do dynamic stretching (leg swings, high kicks, etc) for my major muscle groups for another 15 min. I haven't had any major injuries since I started doing this.
     
  2. enginerd

    enginerd New

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    Same here with static stretching. I stretch after a workout or sometimes during a longer one, but always only when muscles are warmed up already.
     
  3. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    Because of the world situation i became even more accustomed to training at home. I only have a 2,5x2,2m (ish) space but it's enough for a few basic things. I am still awaiting availability of other components like free stands and a multi-bench. I leave some pics:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
  4. ergopower

    ergopower Friend

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    Yes and, it has been shown to decrease performance. Muscles have some inelasticity, and when you stretch to close to the extension limit, for some period of time the muscle will not contract as forcefully.
    Ryan Hall (only US male to run < 60 min 1/2 marathon; US male marathon record holder) had a website that described a lot of workouts but also had videos showing some pre-run routines and after-run stretching. I couldn't locate it with a quick Google. I think at the time he was sponsored by Nissan? and might have been a website they created. I remember they did some skipping, and a good bit of lateral movement for warmup. That makes sense for endurance events; as your main running or cycling muscles tire, you will increase the use of other muscles like hip flexors and adductors.
     
  5. edd

    edd Almost "Made"

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    What do you guys use for headphones/earphones when working out? I think I've used the more common ones but am curious to see what else might be out there. Here's what I've tried:
    • Airpods Pro: If these weren't at risk of falling out, they'd possibly/probably be my go-to since they have relatively good sound quality and the option for ANC and transparency modes.
    • Jabra Elite Active Active 75t: I use these the most. The ability to have ANC & HearThrough mode makes them quite versatile. Simultaneous connections to 2 devices is handy as well. The downside is the sound quality is noticeably worse than Airpods & Bose, and the sound drops for a 1 second or so every 10-15 minutes.
    • Bose Sport Open Earbuds: These (along with the Airpods) are the best sounding of the bunch. They're great if you don't need ANC since they're completely open, but they're the least comfortable since the body of them is rigid plastic & sits on the back of your ear. It takes a good 30 minutes or so before I develop a hot spot, but they haven't become uncomfortable to the point where I've taken them off mid-workout (up to 90-120 minutes of continuous wear).
    • Poly/Plantronics BackBeat FIT 3150: These are the most comfortable of the bunch & they're open-back, but they're also by far the worst sounding things I've ever laid ears on; they're a completely muddy mess, but acceptable for non-music applications (which is what I listen to most of the time I'm working out). Unfortunately, Poly recently pulled the plug on their Backbeat FIT line of headphones, so these will no longer be made, but you can get a good price on them now ($60 or so) while they're still available. In the past, I used an earlier version (similar to the 2100) where the earbuds are connected. Those sounded just as dreadful.
    Because I end up spending a lot of time running on a noisy treadmill these days, the Jabra's are what I end up using most of the time. When I don't need the ANC, it's a toss-up between the Bose & Backbeats.

    (Yes, I've wasted too much money on these things)
     
  6. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    So far my experience with stretching has been all over the map. For about a year I had a pretty significant bout with sciatica, to the point where I mostly couldn't walk and was up to about 20-24 advil a day, pain was probably 7-8/10 almost all day long and I had started loosing feeling in my right toes and calf muscle. GP couldn't figure out what was going on so I got on a waitlist for a specialist. In the meantime, I went to a Chiropractor. He got me on a full chiro and PT plan (as much as my insurance would pay for, at least, which is kind of bullshit, but that's another story). By the time I could get in to the sports physiology specialist (about 3 months after seeing GP) symptoms where pretty much gone and I was through with mitigation and into remediation. So, usual caveats as I'm not a doctor/lawyer and I haven't stayed in a Holiday Inn, but here was my experience. (oh, also, bear in mind I was kind of dummy and kept riding my bike ~8 hours a week through all of this - riding was literally the only time where I wasn't in pain).

    Long story short: everything is connected. You've gotta get the big muscles in a happy place before you can get into and do focused work on the smaller muscles. And you have to get the smaller muscles happy so as to not create imbalance in the big muscles. So, (in my cyclist biased perspective) glutes, hams, calves, before hip flexors. The bigger the muscle, the longer the stretch reps; the smaller the muscle the shorter the reps. Much like a "runners high" there's a certain point where you know you're getting beyond the superficial myofascial release. It's about flushing out "bad juice" in the tissues. And it usually triggers a dopamine response when you're doing it right.

    Next, beyond stretching is manipulating the muscle fibers to ensure you don't really need to stretch: rolling!!! I f'ing hate rolling. It is figuratively the 10th level of hell if you're doing it right. Proper rolling is done within 30 minutes of starting or finishing a workout, but really, any time is fine. Also, hydrating before and after rolling makes a surprising difference. Your body is working to get rid of all sorts of bad juice that's been pent up in your muscles and water is the answer. You'll piss all the bad shit out. Just keep rolling whatever muscle you're working until it stops crackling and the fibers don't offer much resistance.

    Lastly, if you're lazy, you can pay a massage therapist for some deep tissue/sport massage therapy. It shouldn't be pleasant, especially stuff like trigger point. But it works, at least for me. The first time I did trigger point was kind of mind blowing. (Edit, funny story about the first time I did trigger point: my MT asked me if I wanted to try TP to work a specific tight spot in my right ham. She warned me it could be quite painful. I was more worried I was going to kick her though the plate glass window behind her, because "i'm a big tough cyclist"... when I told her that she said, "honey, I learned trigger point on ballet dancers, and they could all kick your ass.")

    I think my biggest takeaway from going to a wholistic wellness based PT schedule was coming to terms with the concept that (at least, as an amateur endurance athlete) we are all recovering from some kind of an injury - none of us are 100%, and we haven't been 100% since the day we were born. We wear high maintenance meatbags that, although they positively respond and adapt to stress, need upkeep given repeated stress.

    Sorry for the long-winded response...
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2021
  7. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    After a few models, the only ones that actually stay in place while i work out and don't give me hotspots are the Powerbeats. The problem with them is not having ANC, so they work great at home and while outside but if the gym is blasting music it definitely makes it a less optimal experience.
     
  8. JustAnotherRando

    JustAnotherRando My other bike is a Ferrari

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    Is that a plywood deadlift jack, and if so where did you get it?
     
  9. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    Yeap it is! Unfortunately it's no longer in sale but there is another product that is great. Today I would buy cysa deadlift jack. Its a Polish company and it looks great!
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2021
  10. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

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    A couple of workout related side issues I've experienced in the last year....

    I had acute tendonosis in both elbows and forearms. I figured it was because I was old and trying to lift heavy shit, (like my body from the ground) but I couldn't do pull ups and had to modify push ups past the first ten or so reps. My shoulder mobility was also crap. A guy at the gym recommended I go to a clinic in town to fix me up. This clinic was basically specialized chiropractors that dealt with sports injuries and it turned out I had "adhesion". Adhesion is when you get an injury or overstress and collagen builds up to repair the injury. This collagen acts as glue between the muscle fibers and then cause muscle pain, joint pain, limited mobility, etc. So if you have these issues, see if you can find someone in your area that deals with adhesion. After about a half dozen sessions my situation improved to where the issue is gone. Except still working on my shoulder mobility.

    What do you guys know about Kratom? Its a leaf grown in Asia that you can take straight as a powder or in a smoothie or tea. I have a friend who suffers from schitzophrenia and seizures due to repeated head trauma and he ha been able to cut his meds in half because of it and has been taking it for about a year. Some of the benefits include a calming effect, pain relief and some strains help with insomnia. Some people even use it to get off of prescription pain killers.

    It has a very very mild effect. It doesn't get you high, but more like a feel good 1/2 beer effect. I started trying it about a month ago in tea. For me it has the same effect as popping an ibuprophen and helps with muscle aches. Sometimes I'll have a little after dinner instead of a beer. Its legal in the US except there are a couple of states that made it illegal. If you try it, it's important to get the pure leaf powder from someone like superspeciosa.com. You can find it in capsules from other places but sometimes those have other stimulants in them to try and get you high. So the pure leaf powder is the way to go. Its cheaper too.
     
  11. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

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    This is a bit of a detour but still fitness related. What do you guys recommend for a waterproof, Fitbit style watch? It has to be waterproof to a useful level, like 5 meters or better. Also heart rate, step counter is mandatory and calorie and sleep monitor would be nice but not required. I’d like to keep it under $200.

    I’m currently using a Samsung Gear S3 Classic that I’ve had for a few years. I don’t really have any complaints other than it’s not waterproof and it’s a little

    I’ve heard that the new Apple watches are waterproof but I use an android phone and have slowly been escaping the Apple ecosystem. I’ve looked at he Fitbit website but couldn’t find mention of being waterproof.

    Do you guys have any suggestions?
     
  12. ergopower

    ergopower Friend

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    I have kind of a love/hate relationship w/Garmin. I've had 3 of their multisport watches and a couple bike computers; each time I chose Garmin because it had the features I wanted. User interface is generally not as slick as some others, and I've had one watch and one bike unit fail (maybe 4 years each?). A Vivofit 4 will do what I think you are describing for $80, and there are some larger ones still in your price range. Edit: Venu 2 SQ $150
    I also routinely wear an Apple Watch while running and riding to have contact and for Spotify on the run. Don't carry my phone for either activity. I tried it as a running watch and I hated it. The native app sucks and I couldn't find one that was as easy to use as a Garmin to track lap or interval time, avg pace, etc. So yeah, when I run, I'm the dork with the watch on each arm.
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2021
  13. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    I currently use a Xiaomi for $30. It tracks steps and can do heart rate. It supposedly waterproof but I never tested it. I'm using this until I get an Apple watch
     
  14. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    My GF has been using this for a couple months now: https://ouraring.com/ - Somewhere she found a deal on it and it was right around $200.

    Looks like it does everything and is water resistant to 300+ feet:

    [​IMG]
     
  15. edd

    edd Almost "Made"

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    any reason why you don't just want a Fitbit? I love my Fitbit Charge 3, and it seems to have what you're looking for. The Charge 4 is only $99 right now. The reason why I prefer it over fancier watches/trackers is: 1) the battery lasts a full week (this is after 1.5 years of constant use & working out 4-5 days/week), so it's good for sleep tracking, and 2) it's very lightweight.
     
  16. OJneg

    OJneg The Most Insufferable

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    I have had my Garmin Forerunner 735XT for a few years now and it's rock solid. I got it for triathalon training, but it would be a damn good every day watch too (I use a dedicated quartz watch for EDC). Battery life has held up, if you wear everyday and aren't recording events it will go over a week. And I am amazed with how fast it does charge (<15min), which is very useful when you forget to charge and you want to do a long morning activity with it. Would definitely recommend, especially if you're a multisport guy.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2021
  17. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

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    Thanks for the recommendations guys. I’ll do some research on these.
     
  18. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    Mr David Sinclair is out with his own show, at last:
    It is a series worth taking a look into.

    Bonus:
    Sorry to exaggerate, but this is pure GOLD (pretty much all of A Hubberman is):
     
  19. Cspirou

    Cspirou They call me Sparky

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    I want to stress how important varying activities is

    Years ago my primary form of exercise was cycling during commute. I thought this was enough from me and from a general energy use standpoint I was fine. One day my friends wanted to go on a hike and I thought I had no issue since I regularly cycled uphill and I figured walking uphill was easier than cycling.

    Well flat surfaces and downhill was fine, but walking uphill completely killed my calf muscles. I wasn’t out of breath or tired, just had a lot of pain. Turns out with cycling I primarily use my quadriceps but very little of my calves, definitely not flexing my ankle much.

    As a kid I know I was much more flexible. I didn’t know how things could just deteriorate like that without me noticing. But I’m pretty it happened when I started doing less leisure activities and more desk activities.

    So now I’m thinking about some regular lifestyle changes I can incorporate that are a form of feedback of general mobility and health. One thing I thought of that might seem odd is more console gaming. PC gaming is primarily at a desk and the dangers of excessive chair sitting are well known. As a kid playing on an NES with short cables meant sitting on the floor. Not knowing at the time but I was in a lot of passive stretched positions. Another thing is that floor sitting is a bit uncomfortable which is kind of the point. Every 20 min I need to shift positions or get up and move to feel better. At a desk you need to set reminders to do that which I find less effective.

    So I wanted to ask what are some things people can do regularly that are a good form of regular feedback? We often don’t notice things until a doctors visit or you need to buy bigger clothes. Here are some things I have thought of:

    -more floor activities
    -keep certain items (car keys) you regularly access in a difficult to reach spot
    -go without a shopping cart sometimes
     
  20. sheldaze

    sheldaze Friend

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    I know exactly what you're describing, and my switch was less dramatic than yours. I was an avid runner years ago, and thought trail walking would be easy. It wasn't - it still pushed a different set of muscles than what I used to run fairly flat trails. I think you hit it when you talk about alternating sports and incorporating floor exercises. I wish there were jungle gyms for adults - playing on the kids equipment a few weeks back with my niece, I had forgotten how hard it was to crawl around and lift and move myself with my arms. I was able to later show them (niece and nephew) how to jump rope, which wore them out faster than it did me. But I felt that the next day!
     

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