Exercise and Fitness: Keep the Car Running

[Iskaral Pust]

I'd do both in the same session.

I agree. I exercise just for general fitness and I like to run a fast 1-2 miles (varying from 7mph to 11mph) on the treadmill and then lift weights. I'm sure that steals some energy from my lifting and reduces my potential but it means my heart is pumping hard throughout a 90 minute workout -- that's ultimately more important than bench pressing an extra 20lbs.

Swimming keeps causing shoulder pain. My left shoulder is sore for 2-3 days after each swim, especially if I try to raise my arm. I breathe only on my right arm stroke, so technique must be the culprit. This is sore enough that it's ruining my sleep for a couple of nights and keeping me out of the gym for a couple of days. Has anyone else had this problem? I'll experiment with my technique to see if I can reduce this.

[sperry]

Can anyone recommend resource to develop a simple, but vigorous workout routine using mostly free weights? A book would be fine.

I've been working out a lot lately, but I don't really have a plan, and as such, I cut corners and am lazier than I would be if I was actually checking boxes off a list for each workout.

And repetitive is good for me. I'm not worried about getting bored with a routine, just looking for an actual routine.

[peterbound]

Yeah I hate not being able to play when I'm injured, concussion's especially bad because you feel like you could play. Probably best to follow the doctors advice though with all the stuff about how bad it can be that's come out in the last few years.

You've only been injured once playing rugby Peterbound? That's not a bad effort.

I blasted my elbow pretty bad playing in an RAF sevens selection tourney. Fuckers never been the same since then.

But ya. My noggin was the worst sustained injury.

[baxus]

Had a bit of pain in my left shoulder yesterday during practice.

It wasn't that bad, and only hurt during incline bench pressing at which time I paid special attention.

Still, it was not pleasant.

We're thinking of adding group yoga classes once a week to our rowing training schedule.

The main reason? Most of us are stiff as boards and too often we cut stretching short and stuff like that.

[HairBearHero]

Can anyone recommend resource to develop a simple, but vigorous workout routine using mostly free weights? A book would be fine.

I've been working out a lot lately, but I don't really have a plan, and as such, I cut corners and am lazier than I would be if I was actually checking boxes off a list for each workout.

And repetitive is good for me. I'm not worried about getting bored with a routine, just looking for an actual routine.

Unless you're a pretty high-level athlete, it's hard to go wrong with something like Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5. 5-3-1 is also decent but a little more advanced.

EDIT: Baxus, we do the occasional yoga class as a crew, it's a good idea. Particularly helps our recovery/catch.

[baxus]

EDIT: Baxus, we do the occasional yoga class as a crew, it's a good idea. Particularly helps our recovery/catch.

I assume it would help with balance in the boat as well.

[HairBearHero]

I assume it would help with balance in the boat as well.

It provides some benefit to core strength, but not a huge difference. The main benefit is flexibility - particularly hamstrings and calves/achilles.

[baxus]

@HairBearHero:

Benefits in flexibility would be very welcome at this point of the year.

We've been off the water for a month or two now, and all the gym and erging sessions are not helping with it.

I'm looking forward to yoga in rowing practices very much and expect it to be hilarious at first :D

[HairBearHero]

@HairBearHero:

Benefits in flexibility would be very welcome at this point of the year.

We've been off the water for a month or two now, and all the gym and erging sessions are not helping with it.

I'm looking forward to yoga in rowing practices very much and expect it to be hilarious at first :D

At 1.93 and 120kg, I'm not a particularly natural yogi, but I struggle through it because I perceive some benefit. You get over feeling silly pretty quick - everybody else (except for that one annoying flexible individual who's nailing it) looks exactly as stupid and is too busy trying to blink the sweat out of their eyes to notice you.

[baxus]

At 1.93 and 120kg, I'm not a particularly natural yogi, but I struggle through it because I perceive some benefit. You get over feeling silly pretty quick - everybody else (except for that one annoying flexible individual who's nailing it) looks exactly as stupid and is too busy trying to blink the sweat out of their eyes to notice you.

I'm significantly smaller than you (1.80m and ~80kg) and still not a particularly natural yogi. :)

The level of clumsiness I felt when I started doing yoga is something I'd never encountered before.

And that's coming from someone who took up ice skating at the age of 21 and tried playing ice hockey a few years later. :lol:

Yesterday training session was a bit longer run.

We usually do this in this huge park in Belgrade, and a rather hilly one.

We have several tracks we run and the one we went with is 11.2km long with 358m climb.

Three of us did it in 1:01:36 or 5'30" per km.

When we run in a larger groups we usually do it in 1:07:00-1:10:00 so this is a great result.

The best part is we agreed to try and get that under an hour mark.

[Starkess]

Yoga is weird for me because I am quite flexible but have an atrocious sense of balance, so some things are super easy and some are omgimpossible and there seems to be very little in between!

I am super frustrated. After losing 12 lbs over 4 months, I've gained FOUR in the last week. Yes, I ate quite a bit Thanksgiving weekend, but not that much! I log ALL of my food and while I overate it was only about 500 calories excess for the week. Not four damn pounds. Hoping it's just water weight and random fluctuation, but feeling mighty pissed at myself for ruining all my hard work--especially before my bf gets home! Gonna go back to a -500 daily goal for the rest of the month and maybe up the workouts (right now I am only working out 2-3 times a week).

[lessthanluke]

I won my comp today :) and also broke my foot ha. I need to retire.

[baxus]

I won my comp today :) and also broke my foot ha. I need to retire.

I don't know whether to offer my congratulations or commiserations so I'll have to go with both. :thumbsup: :(

In injury free news, we've had that yoga class I mentioned earlier and it was fun.

On occasion it was downright hilarious, like when a friend keeled over. :lol:

Hopefully, enough of us will be up for making it a regular weekly thing.

[HairBearHero]

Nice work Luke.

[ithanos]

Bah! I hate calluses. Actually I don't mind having some calluses on the hands, kind of a badge of honour - though I do think they look rude. Its developing the calluses in the first place that I hate. I talked to my old workmate who runs our gym and he showed me the seasoned calluses on his hands and joked about having to clip them every now & then. Shit I hope he was joking - eww!

Oly lifting club is going well and I'm starting to get comfortable with my bar work and the grips involved. But because I have a layer of fat still in my palms there's some pain to endure while I develop a thick skin :) Do gloves protect the palm & fingers as well as provide decent grip? I'm guessing they would since I found gloves quite useful when I was doing a bit of cycling. May have to invest in a pair - or just bring out my cycling gloves a try them.

[baxus]

Oh boy, do I hate doing multiple sets of short distances on the rowing machine.

I thought I hated doing 4*2000m last Saturday, but we did 5*1500m today and I hated that one even more.

[Melphis Amekia]

I had Shaun T's Insanity program workout recommended to me and I'd like to ask you guys what do you think of it? Has anyone here been through it?

[ljkeane]

I had an away game for rugby yesterday. It was bloody miles away at a club up in the Pennines and it was bloody freezing. All the puddles round the pitch were frozen solid, it started hailing halfway through and they were a bunch of horrible niggly bastards, all knees, elbows and sly digs. On top of that I split my eye getting punched and had to drive home with blood dripping down my face. All in all the kind of game which would have been shit to lose but we won by a couple of points so it was awesome. My favourite game of the year so far, a proper game of rugby.

[baxus]

I had an away game for rugby yesterday. It was bloody miles away at a club up in the Pennines and it was bloody freezing. All the puddles round the pitch were frozen solid, it started hailing halfway through and they were a bunch of horrible niggly bastards, all knees, elbows and sly digs. On top of that I split my eye getting punched and had to drive home with blood dripping down my face. All in all the kind of game which would have been shit to lose but we won by a couple of points so it was awesome. My favourite game of the year so far, a proper game of rugby.

Wow, now if THAT description doesn't make people love rugby nothing will. :lol:

[Crom Dubh]

Anyone else here do combat sports? I've been kickboxing and boxing for about three years now, though somewhat inconsistently due to college ad graduate school. Won my first kickboxing fight in April though, which was cool. Recently found out I need hernia surgery though, which is a bummer. I was about 217 lbs. before I started training, I got down to 165 lbs. after about six months, and have stayed around there since. I'm 6"1', so I'm quite a bit healthier now obviously :D Haven't been able to train nearly as much as I'd like due to graduate school and hernia bullshit, but getting back into now that the semester's wound down.

Anyone else train or compete?