Exercise and Fitness - Citius, Altius, Fortius!

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

Amazing Luke!

I have "Essential Yoga for Inflexible People" dvd. I wasn't very flexible either (mostly because I was really fat) Looks like some of the dvd in on youtube

I like the dvd...even used the breathing thing with my son to help him relax and get to sleep quicker.

I'll be doing the sunrise one on the 4 days I don't have a morning workout.

Picked up a 10lb bumbell at a yard sale this weekend (made me very happy. just 50 cents). Today is the "Shred it with Weights" Only time I felt the 10lbs was too heavy was with what she called wind mills (I'd call them "sidebend with a press"). Feeling very good about this! Feeling strong!

eta: talking to my karate instructor the other night and I mentioned how it has been a long time since my knees hurt after class. She said that every pound of weight lost takes 3 pounds of pressure off the knees. Looked this up and it is true. One more reason to keep the weight off!

[Datepalm]

At least the yoga classes i've been to were very easy on the inflexible. The instructor always gave a variant to anything really convoluted, etc. People build up flexibility somehow, after all. (I'm really flexible and sometimes i've even been told to pull it back a little in yoga, because I'd be kind of compensating with being flexible for actually doing the position right - and when I did pull back whole new areas of interesting effort and pain would turn up.)

[Inigima]

How accessible are the beginner yoga classes? Asking as I am reallllly inflexible. Would I be better off getting a dvd and doing it at home?

Check out the classes in your area and talk to the instructors, but generally:

1. I do advise classes at least to start, especially if you're concerned. It will help keep you from developing bad habits that you'll have to unlearn later, and stave off injury.

2. Speaking of which, people do hurt themselves occasionally doing yoga, mainly because they try to do something they aren't capable of. Listen to your body and if something doesn't feel right, don't do it. Be especially careful about inversions or anything else that might be a strain on your neck.

3. Some asanas may be very difficult; there are often modifications available to you to make them less strenuous, until you work up to doing the full version. These are totally fine.

One reason having an instructor is great is that you can ask questions if something doesn't feel right. I ask questions of mine regularly.

[Inigima]

Went for a bike ride on the NCR Trail today. Snapped these pics while I was out.

http://imgur.com/a/CJvzu

Cut my time by 25%. (I am generally very slow.) Did the first leg (~7 miles and change) without stopping. For me this is big progress.

[Greywolf2375]

had the Murph WOD interrupted by my 2 year old needing to make sure I was ok. Finished that one then did Vasselian to make up for the interruption.

[deleted01]

Started walking again in the last few weeks, now the weather has picked up and uni is over for the summer. I fully intend on going for a walk almost every day. The walk is usually about 1-2 miles, but I do intend on building it up and going further.

I'm going to mention it to my doctor when I next see her, and ask to be referred for some more physiotherapy for my hip. Since I've been walking more, I've noticed that I walk wrong - in an attempt to take the weight off my hip, I put more strain on my back. My boyfriend and I spent a day down by the seafront last week, walking around, and my back hurt for two days afterwards. This is not cool for a 22 year old. It's so frustrating sometimes. But I'm absolutely adamant that I will lose weight, tone up, and get healthier - it's starting to really get on my nerves.

My main concern is getting more exercise, as my lifestyle can be pretty damn sedentary. But diet-wise, I'm going to continue to make small changes. Less sugar, less carbs, and more healthy snacks. My meals are generally fine, but we bake cakes in this house far too often :laugh:

[MerenthaClone]

Just chiming in to mention that, for people unable to regularly exercise, bouldering at a climbing gym can be a great way to squeeze a decent full-body workout into an hour or so. Because of work, I can't have any kind of regular exercise schedule or, really, go to the gym after work, but a quick climb can do wonders.

[Inigima]

Bouldering owns and also I'm gassed within about 45 minutes.

I kind of suck at bouldering.

A pro to bouldering: you don't need a harness or carabiners or a belay device. If you want to boulder regularly and you don't intend to do roped climbing, you'll want climbing shoes and probably a chalk bag, but that's it. Forever.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

So it has been 7 months since I started this new path! This is the longest I have ever done any program.

Progress update, this time from the measuring tape:

Chest: -4 inches (10cm) (mostly in the back fat!)

Upper arms: -1.5 inches (3.8cm)

waist: -8 inches (20.32cm)

hips: -6 inches (15.24cm)

thighs: -2 inches (5cm)

calves: -.5 inches (1.27cm)

For a total of 26 inches (66cm) of fat gone

I only have waist and hip specific goals: 30 inch waist (6 more inches) and 38 inch hips (4 more inches)

For the arms and thighs, I just want less jiggly fat on them. Hard to say how much that would be as I am developing muscles as I lose fat. If I had to guess, I'd say about 1 inch on the arms and 3 or 4 inches on the thighs.

For the chest, just less back fat, still have 1-1.5 inches I can pinch back there.

My calves are (according to one of the young guys in my karate class) "solid concrete" :lol: so not much needs to be lost on them

[baxus]

Great progress, Lany!

Congrats!

I've started gaining weight over past few months.

It's nothing alarming, I'm talking about 4-5kg only and my weight is not increasing any more.

It's just that I feel much better when I'm not carrying those few kilos around.

Next week I'll be going back to my rowing practices after work and that should help.

[Starkess]

That's awesome, Lany!

My weight, after steadily increasing over the past 2 years despite anything and everything, has finally plateaued. Right back where it was before I lost all the weight during my divorce. It's disappointing to me, but I guess I just need to accept that this is my body's "baseline" weight. It's a BMI of 19.8ish (at my lowest I got down to 18.2), so at least it's in a healthy range. But after seeing myself thinner it is hard to look past the pudge and muffin top now, especially when I have struggled with my body image for years. It is somewhat helpful to remember that even when I was at my lowest weight, I still had the love handles and hated my pudge, so I might as well enjoy the cookies, dammit. I was looking back at my measurements today and saw that in November 2011 I was at 26.5/38.5 for my waist/hips and now I am at 28.75/40.5. I also have this body shape (double or violin or high hip) and it drives me insane, but there's really nothing to be done about that.

Anyway. Today was a measurement day so I am feeling all frustrated about that.

In better news, I found a track on the base near my apartment that I can use. I went over there and did an interval workout (straightaways, 5 laps) last week. Kind of kicked my butt but I know it was a good change from just doing distance running. I like distance running but I know it is not the best bang for my buck health and weight loss wise. (Especially with my hip bothering me so much lately.) Going to try to work in one interval workout a week.

[peterbound]

Ugh. Had a rough week of hero wods (murph, Alexander, and McGhee) followed by a horrendous active killer exercise yesterday. Dragging bodies and applying tourniquets does not a happy fire fighter make. Especially when my legs hurt like they do.

[Gwydden]

Ok, guys, I need help from people more savvy in the fine art of achieving physical fitness than I am. In about a week I begin my summer vacation, which only promises to be slightly less uneventful than usual. So to avoid long hours contemplating what to dedicate my sudden torrent of free time to I've decided to take up a number of activities. Such as, let's say, a much more intense workout program, which would seem to be quite beneficial for a number of reasons.

Thing is, I really don't have a proper notion of how to go about it, so I'd like suggestions around which to plan said program. I'm the epitome of slim handsomeness, so I'm not really looking to lose weight. I'm thinking something that would take up one or two hours a day, since I actually revel in being sore, sweaty, and exhausted and I've got time to waste. Also I'd like something as overall body inclusive as possible, to avoid the difficulties brought about by my current ten minute sessions, where my arms have gotten disproportionately thicker than my forearms.

Any suggestions?

Any grammatical or spelling errors, blame my phone. And my brother. And DotA.

[Inigima]

What if anything do you do now and what are your goals?

[Gwydden]

What if anything do you do now and what are your goals?

I don't do much. Pretty much just push ups, five rounds as many times I've I can manage in each. As I said, it rarely takes more than ten minutes.

Currently I'd like to invest my time in something, so I don't mind time consuming. I wasn't kidding when I said I like feeling sore and sweaty. I know I do because I used to work out a little more until I was forced to interrupt it like a year ago.

There's a health and general fitness angle to it, since I've noticed I suffer significantly less from colds and asthma and generic exhaustion the more I work out. And there's a body building angle to it, since I'd like to increase overall muscle mass as well as body width and length (you could say I'm a little too slim) as well as some stomach flattening, for minimum friction.

Nothing extreme, though. I picture myself as more of a Cheshire than a Laszlo. Err, I guess that only makes sense if you live in my head. Let's just say that, in terms of body type, I'd rather be an Andrew Garfield than a Chris Hemsworth, hmm?

[Inigima]

Do you have access to free weights?

[Gwydden]

Do you have access to free weights?

Not currently, but it can be arranged.

[Inigima]

Weightlifting is the obvious answer if you want to get bigger. It's also contingent on eating more food -- you don't get bigger without giving your body building blocks. You need to eat the right stuff, though, mostly lots of protein. Increasing your potato chip intake will not help much. At least, not with the kind of growth you want.

I'll leave the specifics on a program recommendation to the people who do it. Bear in mind that some things, mostly diet recommendations, are controversial. Some people love paleo, some hate it. (I don't do either, although I think some of its proponents are nuts.) Some people love Crossfit, some don't. (I don't.)

This is not something you can do every day -- no exercise is. You need to give your body time to recover and rebuild. I don't lift currently, but I do lots of other exercise (running, cycling, rock climbing, yoga, calisthenics, etc.); sometimes you can do that other stuff on the off days, but occasionally you'll still want a rest day, and it doesn't matter if it's a different activity if it works the same muscles.

[baxus]

As always, I'd suggest swimming.

You can get a hell of a workout, it's very relaxing and injury risks are very low.

You don't need much equipment - swimming trunks, goggles, maybe a kickboard and paddles and you're all set.

[peterbound]

Starting some strongman'ish stuff today. Should be horrible.