Author Topic: Strength & Fitness 2017  (Read 172697 times)

2300

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #150 on: January 11, 2017, 07:45:19 PM »

Follow Sleep Rules > 95% Success Rate!!! (347+ of 365 days)

Do you mind sharing a little more about your sleep issues/rules? I know this is tangential to the strength topic but I personally struggle falling asleep and wonder if you have the same problem and how you deal with it.

Not at all.  Actually I feel sleep is more directly related to strength training because you need some rest for muscles to grow muscles (and not sleeping can make it really hard or not the safest to work out).

My biggest issue is falling asleep too (although falling back asleep isn't very common either).  What works best for me is:
--Routine, make sleep a priority.  Make an effort to do same things every night and go to bed at the same time.
--Note pad by bed to be able to write down any ideas that pop into my head. 
My brain has no off switch and also my best ideas come to me in bed randomly as I'm about I'm trying to sleep...if I don't write it down I'll stay up all night thinking about it so I don't forget.
--No screen time after 9PM--no computer, no TV, no phone, nothing. 
This is public enemy #1 and for some reason even though I know the pain it can cause I do it more than I should.  Face punches (even face kicks) are fair game if I mess this one up!
--Read an old school paper book for ~30min-1 hour, longer if not tired yet.
--If not falling asleep after 20-30 minutes get up and read till literally can't keep eyes open.
--Of course exercise helps as well because it makes you tired (as long as I don't exercise too late which keeps me up).
--This book helped me the most: 
https://www.amazon.com/Say-Good-Night-Insomnia-Drug-Free/dp/0805089586/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484186731&sr=8-1&keywords=say+goodnight+to+insomnia

Other tips and cool science around the brain and belief.  If you believe you have a insomnia, then you'll have insomnia...so now I choose to believe I don't have insomnia and I sleep a LOT better than before.  The last bit of improvement for me comes down to discipline, willpower, and priorities (i.e. prioritize routine over screen time late at night).

--These were cool as well:
https://zenhabits.net/rockabye
http://lifehacker.com/5971884/the-science-behind-sleep-and-how-getting-better-sleep-means-youll-need-less-every-night
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/are-you-making-these-mistakes-with-your-sleep
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/priorities


MsPeacock

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #151 on: January 12, 2017, 04:27:23 AM »
Do you we post updates as we go along in our progress? If so, do we modify our original post or just add a new response at the end of the thread? I want to keep up on other's and my own progress as we go through the year.

I can't wait for better weather - so miss my outside activities!

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #152 on: January 12, 2017, 06:23:32 AM »
Do you we post updates as we go along in our progress? If so, do we modify our original post or just add a new response at the end of the thread? I want to keep up on other's and my own progress as we go through the year.

I can't wait for better weather - so miss my outside activities!

Just update as you go. If you hit one of your goals, just let me know, and I'll get it marked off. I've structured this thing so that the thread itself takes the natural course of conversation and issues, but if you want a snapshot of how people are doing in relation to their goals, just look at the participant tracking post. Editing comments requires me to go back and check, and I don't have the time to go through it all. This thread usually gets pretty long by the end of the year. New comments work best. While I'm not going to implement this as a guideline, both the Uber-Frugal-January and Whole30 gauntlets are now doing a wins and challenges format, which could definitely be of value, but by no means required. Just jumpin with updates, questions, whatever. Check out my next update for how this is done, if you aren't familiar with it.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #153 on: January 12, 2017, 06:30:58 AM »
Wins: So I'm at 100% of my journey goals so far. I've worked out every time my program calls for it. The pain in my shoulder is greatly lessening, and that's nice. Plus, coupled with the fact that I wake up stupid early so I can sleep (I am really going to look through those links 2300 posted), the workouts are giving me a relatively satisfied feeling by the end of the night. On the off days, I've been doing a touch of jump rope (that is freaking hard to do long...I sometimes miss being a kid) and/or walks around the lake at the park near my house.

Challenges: I'm not that great when it comes to making a habit out of working out, so this might be just a perception thing, but I'm not being consistent in the timing of my workouts. This isn't a problem with my currently open schedule, but to me, a habit contains some elements of consistency as far as time goes. The SO gets up and starts her workout immediately. She says she actually wakes up a few minutes into it. I don't want to go that extreme, but I do put it off until after I do some other stuff. Sometimes I've finished my workout by 7:00AM, and other times I get to it around 4:00. I do always do it before I eat breakfast, but I just eat when I'm hungry, so sometimes I actually eat breakfast at 4:00PM. Also, I don't know that waiting to workout until I am hungry leads to the best form. I haven't noticed any issues, but I do know that I'm a bit distracted, and that goes against my idea of full body awareness and enjoyment.

Friar

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #154 on: January 12, 2017, 11:01:44 AM »
I feel your pain Jordan as I'm also struggling to make working out a habit. I am very much a creature of habit and and if I get derailed in the slightest then it throws me completely out of whack.

Monday, for example, work ran late due to some "urgent" tasks that needed completing that day which meant that I was home an hour later than usual. I like to eat dinner immediately when I get in from work because it helps with not snacking. To achieve that goal I batch cook my dinners so that they can be later microwaved in a few minutes.

However, returning home late meant I was more hungry than I should have been. This combined with the fact the the current batch cooked meal takes 45 minutes to heat up resulted in me demolishing an entire pack of shortbread before dinner was out of the oven. Obviously I then proceeded to eat dinner.

I then felt shit because I had eaten way over my target for the day which lead to a bad gym session at the most busy time of the day.

Oh to be FI.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #155 on: January 12, 2017, 06:46:03 PM »
my willpower got tested today...

I'm impressed. I'd be very inclined to give myself a pass on working out after fighting a fire for 3 hours.
Yuuuupp. Congrats, you are 100-500% more badass than me.

Wow. Amazing work ethic. And thank you for your volunteer fire fighting.

Thanks, To be fair it was a pretty easy fire. got there in time to save the house and just had to chop a small hole in the roof around the chimney. I've been doing good on the strength portion of things but I need to get started on my conditioning. I still need to get a baseline mile time but every night its nice enough to run we have crap going on and every other night it's been freezing and windy. back when I ran frequently it didn't bother me to run in the cold. I am pretty sure right now my lungs would freeze up within the first 200 meters. Also I need to start tracking my food. does anybody have any suggestions for a good app or something?

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #156 on: January 12, 2017, 06:48:43 PM »
my willpower got tested today...

I'm impressed. I'd be very inclined to give myself a pass on working out after fighting a fire for 3 hours.
Yuuuupp. Congrats, you are 100-500% more badass than me.

Wow. Amazing work ethic. And thank you for your volunteer fire fighting.

Thanks, To be fair it was a pretty easy fire. got there in time to save the house and just had to chop a small hole in the roof around the chimney. I've been doing good on the strength portion of things but I need to get started on my conditioning. I still need to get a baseline mile time but every night its nice enough to run we have crap going on and every other night it's been freezing and windy. back when I ran frequently it didn't bother me to run in the cold. I am pretty sure right now my lungs would freeze up within the first 200 meters. Also I need to start tracking my food. does anybody have any suggestions for a good app or something?
My fitness pal calorie counter is pretty good. Link is in the resource post. It's not just calories.

MsPeacock

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #157 on: January 12, 2017, 07:13:41 PM »
my willpower got tested today...

I'm impressed. I'd be very inclined to give myself a pass on working out after fighting a fire for 3 hours.
Yuuuupp. Congrats, you are 100-500% more badass than me.

Wow. Amazing work ethic. And thank you for your volunteer fire fighting.

Thanks, To be fair it was a pretty easy fire. got there in time to save the house and just had to chop a small hole in the roof around the chimney. I've been doing good on the strength portion of things but I need to get started on my conditioning. I still need to get a baseline mile time but every night its nice enough to run we have crap going on and every other night it's been freezing and windy. back when I ran frequently it didn't bother me to run in the cold. I am pretty sure right now my lungs would freeze up within the first 200 meters. Also I need to start tracking my food. does anybody have any suggestions for a good app or something?

I like lose it. For some reason I've had trouble making an acccount on my fitness pal. I lost about 20 pounds a year+ ago using lose it. I was able to enter recipes and calculate servings based on the ingredients, which I found helpful.

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #158 on: January 12, 2017, 07:14:46 PM »
my willpower got tested today...

I'm impressed. I'd be very inclined to give myself a pass on working out after fighting a fire for 3 hours.
Yuuuupp. Congrats, you are 100-500% more badass than me.

Wow. Amazing work ethic. And thank you for your volunteer fire fighting.

Thanks, To be fair it was a pretty easy fire. got there in time to save the house and just had to chop a small hole in the roof around the chimney. I've been doing good on the strength portion of things but I need to get started on my conditioning. I still need to get a baseline mile time but every night its nice enough to run we have crap going on and every other night it's been freezing and windy. back when I ran frequently it didn't bother me to run in the cold. I am pretty sure right now my lungs would freeze up within the first 200 meters. Also I need to start tracking my food. does anybody have any suggestions for a good app or something?

I like lose it. For some reason I've had trouble making an acccount on my fitness pal. I lost about 20 pounds a year+ ago using lose it. I was able to enter recipes and calculate servings based on the ingredients, which I found helpful.

Ha. That one is also in the 2015 resource post. Awesome.

hudsoncat

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #159 on: January 13, 2017, 01:28:14 PM »
my willpower got tested today...

I'm impressed. I'd be very inclined to give myself a pass on working out after fighting a fire for 3 hours.
Yuuuupp. Congrats, you are 100-500% more badass than me.

Wow. Amazing work ethic. And thank you for your volunteer fire fighting.

Thanks, To be fair it was a pretty easy fire. got there in time to save the house and just had to chop a small hole in the roof around the chimney. I've been doing good on the strength portion of things but I need to get started on my conditioning. I still need to get a baseline mile time but every night its nice enough to run we have crap going on and every other night it's been freezing and windy. back when I ran frequently it didn't bother me to run in the cold. I am pretty sure right now my lungs would freeze up within the first 200 meters. Also I need to start tracking my food. does anybody have any suggestions for a good app or something?

I like lose it. For some reason I've had trouble making an acccount on my fitness pal. I lost about 20 pounds a year+ ago using lose it. I was able to enter recipes and calculate servings based on the ingredients, which I found helpful.

+1 for LoseIt. I found the interface better (for me, ymmv) than My Fitness Pal.

Grab a buff (or even a thin scarf) to stick across your mouth if you want to run in the cold. DH has some issues with his lungs in the cold, but if he breathes through his buff the cold is much, much less of an issue. Once he is warmed up, even the extreme cold doesn't bother him much. I guess extreme is subjective, but we've done runs at or below 0*F with wind chills in the negative teens with some frequency without a lot of issues.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #160 on: January 13, 2017, 01:40:00 PM »
Following

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #161 on: January 13, 2017, 01:56:24 PM »
Following

You going to post some goals? No pressure, just curious.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #162 on: January 13, 2017, 06:27:02 PM »
Curious what others have found to help with muscle fatigue. I stepped up quite a bit this week and I'm feeling good, but I put in 3 hours on the bike trainer, a few miles swimming, and a couple runs. I am a little sore, but work on rolling my muscles and the heating pad and it doesn't bother me much.  However, what does catch up with me is tired muscles. Ultimately last summer I really overtrained and need some sort of recovery routine  that isn't just sitting on my butt three days a week.

I like to exercise, and aside from that often things come up in my schedule that foul my plans. So I tend to take every opportunity to workout, and then if my plans don't get screwed up, I might not actually get just a reasonable rest day.

Lost four pounds!

adizb

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #163 on: January 14, 2017, 12:07:00 AM »
what a bummer today...

Decided to hit the gym after work, work some legs + cardio with my brother. Was looking forward to it the whole day and when i finally got to the gym, surprise! We cant go, i can but the guest entry for my brother wont work since its past 9pm, apparently those are the rules. Then the guy at the desk says: "dude, do you even go here?" I didnt pay him much attention since i was bummed we couldnt work out, but rude much? yeah i fucking come here to the gym im a member of....

then he adds we can buy a guest pass for one day.. for only $20... ?!?! monthly membership is 9 dollars, but he wants to charge 20 for a single day. wow what a deal... fuck off! we'll just come tomorrow during the day. What a let down... a terrible way to end the day.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #164 on: January 14, 2017, 01:31:13 PM »
Thank you for putting this together, OP. This will be my first time to participate in this challenge.

My Goals:

1. Run the full-length of my 10k in April.
2. Enjoy noticeable progress in each of my end-of-month mirror pictures.
3. Be able to pump out 50 push-ups.
4. Be able to touch my toes with no knee-bend.

Friar

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #165 on: January 15, 2017, 05:15:32 AM »
what a bummer today...

Decided to hit the gym after work, work some legs + cardio with my brother. Was looking forward to it the whole day and when i finally got to the gym, surprise! We cant go, i can but the guest entry for my brother wont work since its past 9pm, apparently those are the rules. Then the guy at the desk says: "dude, do you even go here?" I didnt pay him much attention since i was bummed we couldnt work out, but rude much? yeah i fucking come here to the gym im a member of....

then he adds we can buy a guest pass for one day.. for only $20... ?!?! monthly membership is 9 dollars, but he wants to charge 20 for a single day. wow what a deal... fuck off! we'll just come tomorrow during the day. What a let down... a terrible way to end the day.

I get that "rule are rules" but sometimes you'd think he could have had a bit of common sense and seen that, really, letting a guest in after 21:00 wouldn't be that big of a deal and bent the rules this one time. Still, I suppose if it's a chain gym, and by the $9 a month membership fee it sounds likely, it's probably not worth breaking any rules if it means losing his job.

I totally agree on the rudeness though, there is no need for that.




hudsoncat

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #166 on: January 15, 2017, 06:11:03 AM »
Curious what others have found to help with muscle fatigue. I stepped up quite a bit this week and I'm feeling good, but I put in 3 hours on the bike trainer, a few miles swimming, and a couple runs. I am a little sore, but work on rolling my muscles and the heating pad and it doesn't bother me much.  However, what does catch up with me is tired muscles. Ultimately last summer I really overtrained and need some sort of recovery routine  that isn't just sitting on my butt three days a week.

I like to exercise, and aside from that often things come up in my schedule that foul my plans. So I tend to take every opportunity to workout, and then if my plans don't get screwed up, I might not actually get just a reasonable rest day.

Lost four pounds!

Yay on the four pounds!

I do mostly cardio and end up with tired muscles too... here are my go to recovery things: Hot soak with epsom salts (okay, any excuse for a hot bath), compression socks (Hey, I know the jury is still out, but if they are a placebo, they are a placebo working on my mind), gentle yoga (my rest day each week usually involves a short yoga routine from youtube), and throwing an extra occasional slow, very short run. That last one might seem counter-intuitive, but I sometimes find I actually recover faster if I do a very slow 1-2 mile run on an off day. A guy in my local run club who has been coaching cross country for years suggested it and it really seems to help.

MsPeacock

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #167 on: January 15, 2017, 11:50:27 AM »
Curious what others have found to help with muscle fatigue. I stepped up quite a bit this week and I'm feeling good, but I put in 3 hours on the bike trainer, a few miles swimming, and a couple runs. I am a little sore, but work on rolling my muscles and the heating pad and it doesn't bother me much.  However, what does catch up with me is tired muscles. Ultimately last summer I really overtrained and need some sort of recovery routine  that isn't just sitting on my butt three days a week.

I like to exercise, and aside from that often things come up in my schedule that foul my plans. So I tend to take every opportunity to workout, and then if my plans don't get screwed up, I might not actually get just a reasonable rest day.

Lost four pounds!

Yay on the four pounds!

I do mostly cardio and end up with tired muscles too... here are my go to recovery things: Hot soak with epsom salts (okay, any excuse for a hot bath), compression socks (Hey, I know the jury is still out, but if they are a placebo, they are a placebo working on my mind), gentle yoga (my rest day each week usually involves a short yoga routine from youtube), and throwing an extra occasional slow, very short run. That last one might seem counter-intuitive, but I sometimes find I actually recover faster if I do a very slow 1-2 mile run on an off day. A guy in my local run club who has been coaching cross country for years suggested it and it really seems to help.

Thank you! I tend to do a light swim on days off, but running would be a good alternative. I just ordered a pair of compression shorts. A lot of my muscle fatigue is quads/hams/gluets so I am hoping that may help. Definitely epsom soaks get in the mix when I have the time (I so wish I had a deep soaker tub).

Today I am sleep deprived after hosting a sleepover 10 year old nerdiest birthday party ever for 6 boys. They were Star Wars LARPing into the wee hours. I still managed a mile swim but it was one of those swims where I was fighting the water The whole time.

357 active intensity minutes this week.

Travis

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #168 on: January 15, 2017, 04:20:08 PM »
1/15: 55 pushups in 2 minutes, 3 miles in 26:15, 2 mile time 17:00, plank - 2 minutes, squat - 50 pounds (not including bar).


I am smoked.  Overall the run felt really good except I get this pain in my right hip/groin area after the 2nd mile.  Years ago the docs did every test they could think of, but found nothing.  It only crops up when I'm doing a long run.

Kerowyn

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #169 on: January 15, 2017, 07:59:04 PM »
Finally getting in on this thread! I'm looking forward to the new year of fitness.

I’m doing Yoga Revolution (31-day yoga challenge), so that’s goal #1: complete Yoga Revolution. In the past few years I hardly did any yoga, but I’m really liking how good I’ve been feeling after the yoga practice, so that will be something I focus on in 2017. I like m2’s 100 hours of yoga goal, so I’m stealing that. My goal after January will also be yoga at least twice a week.
 
I failed pretty badly at my roller skating goal last year; I overestimated my initial ability level and then had a joint problem that I blamed on roller skating, so I stopped for a while. I want to get back into that and be more careful about doing my stretches before and after skating.
 
I also want to start riding a bike again (haven’t done it in years). First goal there has to be getting my bike back from my sister.
 
I did achieve my walking goal last year, and I’m hiking in the park by my apartment more often, so I want to keep that up. I love hiking.
 
Thanks for the chat about foam rollers! I have one that I still haven’t taken out of its box, and I need to start using it. It came with a DVD so I just need my husband to loan me his computer for a little while. This plus yoga will probably help with the roller skating and hiking.
 
Clarity on goals:
January:
1.      Complete Yoga Revolution
February-December:
2.      Yoga at least 2x/week for a year total of 100+ hours
3.      Get my bike back
4.      Learn to use my foam roller
5.      Be able to walk, bike, or roller skate to the next milestone on the park path (and back)
 
All goals, especially #5, are subject to change as, like BJ, I’m hoping to make a baby this year (or at least a fetus).

Also, Jordan has me thinking about creating my own Choose Your Own Adventure-style workout, so... yeah, that's fun, or will be if I ever actually do it!

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #170 on: January 16, 2017, 09:09:51 AM »
PerpetualWanderlust and Kerowyn, I've got you both added to the participant tracking post.

I finally received my roller, and I really like it. It doesn't quite hurt as much as I expected for me, but it's too intense for the SO. I'm implementing some general use into my routine, so hopefully having a more consistent warm up will help with the habit forming.

Also, Jordan has me thinking about creating my own Choose Your Own Adventure-style workout, so... yeah, that's fun, or will be if I ever actually do it!

Team, I highly suggest peer pressure in this instance. :) That being said, I sent her directions to the Hero's Journey workout, (the document being in the Google Drive Resources folder) and seeing if she would do it. Since I'm on another program, I can't do it, but I was curious if someone else would. It really seems quite fun. I know that somewhere there were forum posts where people would do the workout for the day, and then expand on the basic adventure, but I don't have the time to find it. I do know the ones I read were super fun. Just curious if anyone else wanted to do it, and provide feedback.

Also, I really hope that Kerowyn posts her workout plan here once she creates it. Not pressuring or anything, but Create Choose Your Own Adventure workout plan would totally be a valid goal *cough cough*. :)

Everyone is kicking ass so far. Doing my Convict Conditioning program, I know I have lost a fair amount of muscle strength, but my weight is slowly going down. Normally, I can drop 30lbs no problem just by stopping drinking and maintaining my daily activity. I've stopped drinking, but my daily activity is way too sedentary. I'll have to fix that. I normally do a fair amount of activity on the weekends, but I need to figure something out during the week. At least the days are getting longer now.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #171 on: January 16, 2017, 10:33:59 AM »
The goblet squats continue to be the ticket- I haven't missed a single day since making that switch. I have continued to do *something* every day- if I don't do a yoga routine, then I go for a long walk (1.5mi minimum, usually 2.5mi). I haven't been doing much for weight lifting other than my goblet squats, because our cold snap persists and the garage is COLD COLD. Touching the bar is miserable. Even DH is struggling with it, and he LOVES working out, and doesn't mind the cold at all- frequently goes without a jacket, etc.

Anyway, going well, glad you guys helped me find a cold weather work around.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #172 on: January 16, 2017, 11:23:15 AM »
I have a ton of work to finish today, and am halfway, and I'm struggling to go to yoga at noon, even though I work a 2-6 work-trade shift at the yoga studio so it make perfect sense, I'll already be there. Please send me your motivation?

Also I'm on a 25-days streak of an hour of working out every day that I would like to continue.


jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #173 on: January 16, 2017, 11:29:05 AM »
Please send me your motivation?

Here you go!

Hedge_87

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #174 on: January 16, 2017, 11:32:20 AM »
I have a ton of work to finish today, and am halfway, and I'm struggling to go to yoga at noon, even though I work a 2-6 work-trade shift at the yoga studio so it make perfect sense, I'll already be there. Please send me your motivation?

Also I'm on a 25-days streak of an hour of working out every day that I would like to continue.

YOU CAN DO IT!

I'm in a similar boat got called in to work for an emergency right in the middle of warming up this morning. I have a meeting at 6 tonight so I am hoping I can get of work and get my workout done before the meeting because I really don't want to do it after the meeting,

EngineerYogi

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #175 on: January 16, 2017, 02:40:04 PM »
I have goals!

30 minutes of activity daily-walking, yoga, weight lifting all good choices
monitor progress weekly-will check in each week with how I've done

I was going to work on my handstand this year since I finally nailed a headstand last year but I need to talk to my doctor first, I'm not sure if handstands and pregnancy are a good idea. ;)

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #176 on: January 16, 2017, 02:44:43 PM »
I did it! I was the last person in the class because the bus was super late due to our never ending snow, but I did it: thanks y'all!

jordanread

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #177 on: January 16, 2017, 03:04:20 PM »
I was going to work on my handstand this year since I finally nailed a headstand last year but I need to talk to my doctor first, I'm not sure if handstands and pregnancy are a good idea. ;)

I'm almost positive that headstands are a way to prevent premature birth...but that just might be gravity. :D I've got you added to the participant tracking post. Welcome back!!

I did it! I was the last person in the class because the bus was super late due to our never ending snow, but I did it: thanks y'all!

Does that make today 26 in a row?

Lagom

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #178 on: January 16, 2017, 08:47:44 PM »
Just posted about this in a journal thread and thought it would be relevant here as well. For those interested in strength sports, there is a great documentary on Netflix right now about Eddie Hall, one of the top World's Strongest Man competitors and the world record holder in the deadlift (at an INSANE 500kg/1100lbs). I recommend it with no reservations. I think even non lifters would find it pretty interesting and compelling.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #179 on: January 17, 2017, 04:12:20 AM »
Just posted about this in a journal thread and thought it would be relevant here as well. For those interested in strength sports, there is a great documentary on Netflix right now about Eddie Hall, one of the top World's Strongest Man competitors and the world record holder in the deadlift (at an INSANE 500kg/1100lbs). I recommend it with no reservations. I think even non lifters would find it pretty interesting and compelling.

Wow, he could deadlift a horse!

I'm way behind over here.  Got to DC and instantly got a nasty cold, barely made it through my first work week and hibernate all weekend.  Did manage to walk about 5 miles yesterday to go visit the MLS memorial.  Will submit my access request for the office gym today though I'm not crazy about the idea of working out there.  Gym near my apartment  is $$ though... I can run for free and have some resistance bands.  Need to get on YouTube and figure out how to use those more effectively.

OK, up too early this morning, but I can breath through my nose again, so time for some stretching and pushups.

Hedge_87

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #180 on: January 17, 2017, 05:28:45 PM »
Update and goals.

Ran my first mile of the year this morning it was.... interesting
Acording to map my run I ran it in 9:30 seconds. I felt extremely of balance through the whole run and my SI joint started aching a little about halfway  (I've had SI problems before). I still think a 7 minute mile is doable by the end the year just got a little farther to go than I thought.

Strength wise I worked up to a 3 rep max last week
Military press 135
Bench press 195
Squat 240
Dedlift 310

I would like to set the goals of
Military press 155
Bench press 225
Squat 315
Dedlift 395

I plan on following wendler  5/3/1 all year to accomplish this. I know I left a little in the tank on the deads and squats so I hope I see some big gains there. I've always sucked at bench though thanks to a 15 ft wingspan.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #181 on: January 18, 2017, 05:06:40 AM »
Can I join in here?   I have a fitness goal for 2017 that I am going to try like hell to meet.  I want to do one pull up and five push ups.   And lower alcohol to three drinks per week.

Backstory:  I am a runner, always have been.  One year ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy.  I was on the treadmill (walking) the day after my surgery, and within 10 days I was back to my regular running mileage.  [pat self on back].  Quickly went back to my old exercise routine of running (GOOD) but no strength training (BAD).

Fast forward 10 months through shitty cancer treatments.  Without realizing it, every day I was favoring the side where I'd had the mastectomy and using the arm less.  Gradually my shoulder seized up. After 10 weeks of hard PT I regained use of my shoulder.   I realize now that I need to do some kind of strength training just to stay healthy and retain use of my arm.  Also -- I'm turning 50 this year.  I should have always done some kind of strength training before now, but just never did. 

I have never in my life been able to do a pull up.  I'm thin and light, but my upper body is terribly weak.  In the past I was able to do a few push ups, but can't do even one now.  And I've been drinking too much to deal with stress.  Gotta rein that in.   I am going to use the experience of the past year to get stronger than ever.  I say -- Fuck you cancer.   
« Last Edit: January 18, 2017, 06:33:42 AM by Trifele »

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #182 on: January 18, 2017, 06:27:41 AM »

I have arthritis in my left shoulder, a slight separation in my collarbone, and I've had meniscus surgery done on both knees, the most recent being a year ago.  In the past I've been great with pull ups, but it's easy for me to strain my shoulder since I've pulled it a few times over the years.  I'm 36 years old, 5'10", and weigh 165 pounds.

I injured my shoulder bench pressing, and followed this program to recover: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drryan9.htm . It's pretty comprehensive. I also will never bench press without rolling out my shoulders with a lacrosse ball. Substituting incline bench press is better for people with cranky shoulders.

Wins: Got in a few days of skiing with my kids, mostly paid for with reimbursement dollars. Increased my very light weights with every strength workout. BF% is going down. Saw some interlocking floor mats at Costco which may be good for my gym floor. Cheaper than horse stall mats, but not sure whether they will hold up.

Challenges: I thought we were logging once per quarter in the thread :-) My goal of 8 workouts/week included 4 per weekend, which is turning out to be optimistic. Not because of laziness, but still, I need to do better at paying myself first, time wise. Weight is holding steady, so I'm going back into eating/drinking at a caloric deficit.

For logging, I use a Google spreadsheet to track weight and cardio minutes over time. I weigh myself once per week, and track 5-week, 20-week, and 50-week averages. I track cardio as 1-week, 4-week, and 13-week averages, and always do a multiple of 7 minutes so the weekly number is a whole number. I'll try to share that doc if it sounds interesting. For strength, I just use Evernote, and copy/paste my previous workout into a new note, then update the order/reps/weights.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #183 on: January 18, 2017, 07:59:19 AM »
Can I join in here?   I have a fitness goal for 2017 that I am going to try like hell to meet.  I want to do one pull up and five push ups.   And lower alcohol to three drinks per week.

[...]

Fuck you cancer.   

Trifele, I've got you added to the participant tracking post. Interesting journey you've been on so far. I'm sure you will do awesome!

I plan on following wendler  5/3/1 all year to accomplish this. I know I left a little in the tank on the deads and squats so I hope I see some big gains there. I've always sucked at bench though thanks to a 15 ft wingspan.

Hedge, does this mean you can mark off your Identify program goal? Your goals are below.

  • Train to be AWESOME
  • Run 1 mile <= 7:00
  • Identify program to follow
  • Log workouts
  • Track nutrition (macros, calories)
  • Military press 1RM/155lbs
  • Bench press 1RM/225lbs
  • Squat 1RM/315lbs
  • Deadlift 1RM/395lbs

flan

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #184 on: January 18, 2017, 08:05:52 AM »
Can I join in here?   I have a fitness goal for 2017 that I am going to try like hell to meet.  I want to do one pull up and five push ups.   And lower alcohol to three drinks per week.

...

Fuck you cancer.   

I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, Trifele :(
Yes, fuck cancer!

Let's get you into the shape you need to be in to counteract that matectomy! I'm cheering you on!

Trifle

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #185 on: January 18, 2017, 08:27:58 AM »
Can I join in here?   I have a fitness goal for 2017 that I am going to try like hell to meet.  I want to do one pull up and five push ups.   And lower alcohol to three drinks per week.

...

Fuck you cancer.   

I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, Trifele :(
Yes, fuck cancer!

Let's get you into the shape you need to be in to counteract that matectomy! I'm cheering you on!

Thanks, Flan!!  :)

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #186 on: January 18, 2017, 09:15:13 AM »
Does that make today 26 in a row?
Today will be 28, or even more exciting: 100% of the days in 2017.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #187 on: January 18, 2017, 10:24:33 AM »
Does that make today 26 in a row?
Today will be 28, or even more exciting: 100% of the days in 2017.

Awesome! Don't you love reframing statistics?

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #188 on: January 18, 2017, 10:39:18 AM »
Thanks for the inspiration, guys! On January 4, I spent an hour or so reading this thread, and then went to the gym.  I've exercised/done something active every day except one since then (damn hangover).  I'm on a roll.  Bonus is that exercising in the evenings interrupts my habit of having a glass of wine after work to relax, so I'm drinking less (another thing I want to focus on in 2017).

The downside is that the stuff that gets me excited about exercising is also ... not mustachian.  Stuff like ordering those new bluetooth earbuds I've been eyeing, or a nicer yoga mat, or more workout clothes (my supply was dwindling, and if I am forced to either do laundry or skip working out, sometimes that's too much of a temptation and I skip working out). I also get excited to do active things that cost money every couple of weeks (went skiing last weekend, am trying out an aerial yoga class this weekend). At least I'm saving money on booze?

ETA: I'll put some actual goals here to track.

- Attend a class at my gym at least 4x/week (classes work WAY better for me than self-directed workouts; I can't decide I'm bored/tired and leave). So far I've been rotating through yoga, spin, and cardio barre, and would like to add some of the toning/weight circuit classes.
- Go on a hike at least 2x/month.
- Try a new activity once a month. This week I'm trying an aerial yoga class. Later this year maybe I'll get brave and try my gym's kickboxing class. I've also been thinking of giving rock climbing a go.
- Make an effort to meet new people/friends in my new city while doing active things. I think this means going to the same classes over and over and being friendly to the regulars. The hike I'm doing this weekend is with a MeetUp group. If anybody is in the LA area and wants to go on a hike, PM me :)
- Eat a lot less bread and cheese and a lot more things that are green/orange (so far, so good - I stocked my freezer with kale and frozen bananas so I don't have an excuse to not make a green smoothie. There is a really good salad bar right next to my work that is reasonably priced for lunch).
« Last Edit: January 18, 2017, 10:49:40 AM by bridget »

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #189 on: January 18, 2017, 10:48:42 AM »
The downside is that the stuff that gets me excited about exercising is also ... not mustachian.  Stuff like ordering those new bluetooth earbuds I've been eyeing, or a nicer yoga mat, or more workout clothes (my supply was dwindling, and if I am forced to either do laundry or skip working out, sometimes that's too much of a temptation and I skip working out). I also get excited to do active things that cost money every couple of weeks (went skiing last weekend, am trying out an aerial yoga class this weekend). At least I'm saving money on booze?
I found that working out is a very mustachian habit if you can resist exactly what you're referring to, which is a problem for me as well. I found that Classpass was super useful at frugally getting my high-end workout kick in (plus you're incentivized to go often in order to make the marginal cost as low as possible). When I was working a stressful political job, I found exactly what you're talking about super-helpful  around booze - working out instead of drinking a whiskey to relax. There's a reason so many workaholics are either marathon runners or alcoholics (sometimes both). Fast comedown = Quick release of stress = ideal for workaholics.

Last year I worked out 5 days/week on average and only had one pair of workout pants for much of the year, plus I wasn't buying clothing the entire year. The thing that I found worked well: 1) hand washing as soon as I get home and then hanging to dry and 2) Clothing swaps! People have SO MANY extra workout clothes they've abandoned they're happy to pass on. They're also quite cheap in most resale shops. Also, if you like the high-end brands for pants (understandable), check out Poshmark to buy them used for 50% or so off.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #190 on: January 18, 2017, 11:11:25 AM »
Thanks for the inspiration, guys! On January 4, I spent an hour or so reading this thread, and then went to the gym.  I've exercised/done something active every day except one since then (damn hangover).  I'm on a roll.  Bonus is that exercising in the evenings interrupts my habit of having a glass of wine after work to relax, so I'm drinking less (another thing I want to focus on in 2017).

Bridget, I've got you added participant tracking post. Glad it's going well for you so far.

Hedge_87

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #191 on: January 19, 2017, 05:27:03 PM »
Quote
Hedge, does this mean you can mark off your Identify program goal?

Yup. I think so.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #192 on: January 20, 2017, 05:58:56 AM »
Quote
Hedge, does this mean you can mark off your Identify program goal?

Yup. I think so.

Got it marked off. Way to go.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #193 on: January 20, 2017, 06:23:58 AM »
The downside is that the stuff that gets me excited about exercising is also ... not mustachian.  Stuff like ordering those new bluetooth earbuds I've been eyeing, or a nicer yoga mat, or more workout clothes (my supply was dwindling, and if I am forced to either do laundry or skip working out, sometimes that's too much of a temptation and I skip working out). I also get excited to do active things that cost money every couple of weeks (went skiing last weekend, am trying out an aerial yoga class this weekend). At least I'm saving money on booze?
I found that working out is a very mustachian habit if you can resist exactly what you're referring to, which is a problem for me as well.

Last year I worked out 5 days/week on average and only had one pair of workout pants for much of the year, plus I wasn't buying clothing the entire year. The thing that I found worked well: 1) hand washing as soon as I get home and then hanging to dry and 2) Clothing swaps! People have SO MANY extra workout clothes they've abandoned they're happy to pass on. They're also quite cheap in most resale shops. Also, if you like the high-end brands for pants (understandable), check out Poshmark to buy them used for 50% or so off.

Great ideas! Yeah fitness does not need to cost anything! Also, depending on season, working out in parks and playgrounds is a great and free place to strength train. You can use the monkey bars to do assisted pull-ups or regular pull-ups.

I think I have purchased 1 pair of shorts and 2 pairs of leggings in the past 4 years? And I have been very serious about gym for 7 years now (4-6 days per week, with a year where I stupidly trained twice per day, type A much?).

My favourite shorts that are still going strong were also my favourite shorts when I played for the high school soccer team. I'm almost 32 years old now. LOL.
I have 4 pairs of shorts, but only 2 of them get a lot of wear. And in the winter I have a few pairs of tights/leggings that I wear sometimes. Yeah muscle bros wear tights too. :P

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #194 on: January 20, 2017, 08:39:07 AM »
So I think that I've figured out something that helps in my routine. I don't know if it was in her journal, but BJ started a conversation somewhere about getting dressed being important for mental health. I find it's also helpful as a mental shifting of modes. So as part of my routine, I'm actually going to use a pair of pants that should flip the switch to 'workout mode'. Pushups in pajamas work just fine, but since I struggle a bit with getting this habit ingrained, I think it might be helpful. Today, considering the date, I actually stayed away from the computer for a bit at the beginning of the day, jammed out to some music, and did the dishes. Caught up on the forums, wrote a post on a blog (not published yet), and now I will switch into my 'workout' clothes and bust out the foam roller and jump rope, and then do my warm up and workout.

Obviously, this is not an uncommon thing, as I believe it's the root of this discussion about fitness gear, but a new thing for me to try.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #195 on: January 20, 2017, 08:40:40 AM »
progress

down to 203ish right now
pullups i'm hoping to hit double digits at my workout over lunch
walking has been on the slacking side mostly due to weather.. .but averaging a little over 2 per week
ab work outs going strong just need to get this flab off the top.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #196 on: January 20, 2017, 08:54:41 AM »

Obviously, this is not an uncommon thing, as I believe it's the root of this discussion about fitness gear, but a new thing for me to try.

Agreed that being in fitness gear helps with the routine. If you don't work out at home, I also do WAY better if I pack my gym bag in the evenings (I usually work out during lunch) so I have no reason not to grab it on the way out the door in the mornings, even if I'm running late. I've also started packing two complete sets of gym clothes in there in case I get ambitious and also want to hit the gym in the evening after work (which has happened once or twice, and it feels great!). If I don't, my bag is just pre-packed for the next day after I pull the sweaty set out.

As much as one CAN exercise on the cheap, I find that a flattering set of workout gear (doesn't have to be fancy or new, just something that looks good on me right now, not later when I'm in better shape) can really increase my mirror lust, which in turn increases my motivation/drive. When I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror at spin looking gooooooood, I kick up the intensity, haha.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #197 on: January 20, 2017, 09:27:33 AM »
As much as one CAN exercise on the cheap, I find that a flattering set of workout gear (doesn't have to be fancy or new, just something that looks good on me right now, not later when I'm in better shape) can really increase my mirror lust, which in turn increases my motivation/drive. When I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror at spin looking gooooooood, I kick up the intensity, haha.
Yea, the "new" workout pants I got are great after my year-long clothing ban makes me feel awesome. Also they're so nice to pet ;) Which is why it's worth it to buy two quality pairs and then not buy anything else!

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #198 on: January 20, 2017, 09:30:08 AM »

Obviously, this is not an uncommon thing, as I believe it's the root of this discussion about fitness gear, but a new thing for me to try.

Agreed that being in fitness gear helps with the routine. If you don't work out at home, I also do WAY better if I pack my gym bag in the evenings (I usually work out during lunch) so I have no reason not to grab it on the way out the door in the mornings, even if I'm running late. I've also started packing two complete sets of gym clothes in there in case I get ambitious and also want to hit the gym in the evening after work (which has happened once or twice, and it feels great!). If I don't, my bag is just pre-packed for the next day after I pull the sweaty set out.

As much as one CAN exercise on the cheap, I find that a flattering set of workout gear (doesn't have to be fancy or new, just something that looks good on me right now, not later when I'm in better shape) can really increase my mirror lust, which in turn increases my motivation/drive. When I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror at spin looking gooooooood, I kick up the intensity, haha.

I cannot explain how awesome it is that other people are using the term mirror lust. I'm probably going to write a bit about my viewpoint when it comes to working out, but in short, I love the idea of minimalist working out. No gym for me, but I do know that's why they have mirrors there. :)

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #199 on: January 20, 2017, 12:35:36 PM »

Obviously, this is not an uncommon thing, as I believe it's the root of this discussion about fitness gear, but a new thing for me to try.

Agreed that being in fitness gear helps with the routine. If you don't work out at home, I also do WAY better if I pack my gym bag in the evenings (I usually work out during lunch) so I have no reason not to grab it on the way out the door in the mornings, even if I'm running late. I've also started packing two complete sets of gym clothes in there in case I get ambitious and also want to hit the gym in the evening after work (which has happened once or twice, and it feels great!). If I don't, my bag is just pre-packed for the next day after I pull the sweaty set out.

As much as one CAN exercise on the cheap, I find that a flattering set of workout gear (doesn't have to be fancy or new, just something that looks good on me right now, not later when I'm in better shape) can really increase my mirror lust, which in turn increases my motivation/drive. When I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror at spin looking gooooooood, I kick up the intensity, haha.

I cannot explain how awesome it is that other people are using the term mirror lust. I'm probably going to write a bit about my viewpoint when it comes to working out, but in short, I love the idea of minimalist working out. No gym for me, but I do know that's why they have mirrors there. :)

Mirrors for our homegym are an eventual 'very nice to have'. Especially for lifting, it is SO nice to be able to check your own form without playing the phone recording game, lol.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!