Exercise Routines!

[fishieFDR]

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What are some of your exercise routines during stressful times/heavy loads?
I have never been to the gym and I've tried everything else for focusing.

 

[Microglia]

That's a healthy way to reduce stress and increase focus!

My advice: Start slow. Do light-moderate cardio every other day and light weights on the off days. Take 1-2 days a week off. As things feel easy, up the ante. The vast majority of people starting an exercise routine without guidance hurt themselves by increasing intensity too fast, so be sure to increase by incrementally and only after at least a couple weeks or more at the old weight. Also, be sure to get a book or watch some videos on proper weight technique so you know how to do each exercise properly.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0736092269/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1401457172&sr=8-1 is a good book if you're just starting weights.

 

[el_duderino]

Lift at the gym 2-3 times a week and have something fun and active you enjoy doing, such as hiking, racquetball, cycling, whatever.

 

[masaraksh]

anything but lifting. sooo boring.

i go running.

 

[el_duderino]

Running is 100% torture. I'll never understand how some people like it. There's nothing wrong with it if you enjoy it, but progressive resistance training is realistically one of the best things you can do for your health and quality of life.

 

[NickNaylor]

Running is 100% torture. I'll never understand how some people like it. There's nothing wrong with it if you enjoy it, but progressive resistance training is realistically one of the best things you can do for your health and quality of life.

Robbins seems to disagree. Cardio seems to have cardioprotective effects while resistance training alone promotes pathological remodeling.

This made me a sad because I love lifting but hate cardio. I'll admit though I didn't look this up any further than what Robbins told me.


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[el_duderino]

Robbins seems to disagree. Cardio seems to have cardioprotective effects while resistance training alone promotes pathological remodeling.

This made me a sad because I love lifting but hate cardio. I'll admit though I didn't look this up any further than what Robbins told me.


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Lifting as your only form of exercise is ill-advised, yes. Moderate levels of cardiovascular activity a couple of times a week are basically a given IMO. The mistake I see people make is to understand that to mean "go running" or "hit an elliptical" or something even if they hate it. I think the psychological benefits of finding some active pursuit that one enjoys are immense, and bashing your head against a treadmill two hours a week if you hate it isn't going to do much for your quality of life.

 

[NickNaylor]

Lifting as your only form of exercise is ill-advised, yes. Moderate levels of cardiovascular activity a couple of times a week are basically a given IMO. The mistake I see people make is to understand that to mean "go running" or "hit an elliptical" or something even if they hate it. I think the psychological benefits of finding some active pursuit that one enjoys are immense, and bashing your head against a treadmill two hours a week if you hate it isn't going to do much for your quality of life.

Definitely agree. It's all about finding something you enjoy.


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[IncognitoGuy]

Lifting as your only form of exercise is ill-advised, yes. Moderate levels of cardiovascular activity a couple of times a week are basically a given IMO. The mistake I see people make is to understand that to mean "go running" or "hit an elliptical" or something even if they hate it. I think the psychological benefits of finding some active pursuit that one enjoys are immense, and bashing your head against a treadmill two hours a week if you hate it isn't going to do much for your quality of life.

Balance. I used to hate running/cardio in general but taking it easy and working it into my lifting days + some off-days, as well as other cardio (cycling, spinning, cross-training, etc.) helps break the monotony of pounding the pavement/treadmill and now I'm slowly coming to enjoy it.

And I'll add it hasn't reduced my gains at all. I've been able to PR throughout the process.

 

[Pacna]

What is your goal, OP? Do you want to bulk up? Do you want to train for a marathon? Lose weight?

It's difficult to give you advice as there are few routines that would cover all of the above (maybe crossfit? Never tried it myself).

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

Just bike/walk to work/school every day and take out bread, beer, and soda from your diet. It has made a miraculous different in my health over time. Look at it this way, some of the healthiest countries in the world (France, Japan, etc). The people just live healthier lifestyles. It is not a diet you need to be on, or an exercise routine, it is a genuine lifestyle that you live. Biking instead of driving, gardening on the weekend instead of sitting on a couch, tennis in the evenings instead of sitting on the computer. Those are the types of changes that can really make a difference on the long term scale. Same with food. Its not like you have to eat celery and cottage cheese every meal for the rest of your life, but I think because of the cost of foods, as a culture we end up with wayyy too many carbs (too much bread and potatoes) in our diets. And I think because of commercialization, coke and beer is the go-to drink, far too often. But that is not to say, some days I dont get lazy, and some days I dont drink beer haha, you have to live a balanced life.

I also agree with finding something you enjoy. If you dont have anything you enjoy, when in doubt, try racquetball. Get a friend, watch a couple youtube videos, join up at the YMCA and go crazy. I have played and taught a lot of sports throughout my life and none compare to racquetball. It has plyometrics (jump training) and you are essentially sprinting for an hour without realizing that you are sprinting. I first got into racquetball between my sophomore and junior year in college. Not only did I lose the freshman 15, I lost 35 other pounds that I didnt need. And I felt like I could run like a horse haha.

 

[deleted407021]

Aikido. Nothing like executing a nice hip throw or even being on the receiving end. It's like a whole body stretch.

 

[fishieFDR]

What is your goal, OP? Do you want to bulk up? Do you want to train for a marathon? Lose weight?

It's difficult to give you advice as there are few routines that would cover all of the above (maybe crossfit? Never tried it myself).

Loose a few pounds and toning up would be great, but I'm all in it for the stress reduction/increased focus. I assume cardio is best for this?

 

[el_duderino]

Not really. Lifting while losing weight makes you retain the most lean mass, and lean mass is where tone comes from. And of course, you need a calorie deficit to lose weight.

 

[The Buff OP]

What are some of your exercise routines during stressful times/heavy loads?
I have never been to the gym and I've tried everything else for focusing.

I gotta know first if you are a male or a female to give you some advice. Do you have any back problems or anything that would hurt you if you were to do weight resistance training?

 

[fishieFDR]

I gotta know first if you are a male or a female to give you some advice. Do you have any back problems or anything that would hurt you if you were to do weight resistance training?

Female and nope. But very beginner. 😕

 

[fishieFDR]

Not really. Lifting while losing weight makes you retain the most lean mass, and lean mass is where tone comes from. And of course, you need a calorie deficit to lose weight.

No more late night trips to 7-11. 🙁 Haha I wonder how much food actually impacts our focus/stress levels. Anyone have actual experience with changing diets -> better mental health?

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

No more late night trips to 7-11. 🙁 Haha I wonder how much food actually impacts our focus/stress levels. Anyone have actual experience with changing diets -> better mental health?

Absolutely, I personally have, and I know people that went on the paleo diet. One guy was in pod school and he said that his grades started improving, simply because he wasnt as tired anymore. Like the way he put it, he linked it to like having caffeine. Lets say you have a coffee... later in the afternoon you will start to get sleepy because you need more coffee... thats how it is with a lot of food, especially carb heavy food, you have an energy crash similar to caffeine. That tiredness really can have an effect on your mental stamina the same as physical.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

3 days a week, 5x5 sets/reps. Getting stronger is fun.

 

[el_duderino]

No more late night trips to 7-11. 🙁 Haha I wonder how much food actually impacts our focus/stress levels. Anyone have actual experience with changing diets -> better mental health?

Well I went from 215 lbs to 150 lbs through diet control and exercise, and have maintained that loss for 10 years. I know I feel better when actively controlling my food intake, but I think that's much more a result of feeling better about myself than the food itself being "better." I eat plenty of fast food and ice cream, but I control the intake and make sure I'm ending the day with appropriate nutrient intake while making sure I get a few servings of veggies. Sometimes I'm better about it than other times, but I keep at it and my health has improved tremendously. My LDL/HDL ratio has gone from 4.07 in 2006 to 3.61 in 2011 to 2.69 in 2013, and my trig/HDL ratio has gone from 2.0 to 0.8 in the same span.

Stick to the basics: control calorie intake, get a reasonable amount of protein and fat, eat your veggies, do something active a couple of times a week, and do some progressive resistance training. If you want to fit in pizza and ice cream, then by all means do so. The name of the game is sustainability and compliance. The best, most pure diet and exercise routine in the world is useless if you only stick to it for two months.

 

[The Buff OP]

Female and nope. But very beginner. 😕

Okay. Well to begin with, a nice fasted cardio in the morning is really good to get your mood going for the rest of the day. When I do morning cardio I get super hungry after it (duh) and I eat some oatmeal with fruit. Bananas are awesome to enhance your mood to a positive way. Cardio could be a jogging, walking on the treadmill (incline), riding a bike (if you have a mountain bike put some resistance to it), swimming, and the elliptical at a gym. I would of put stairs, but that exercises stresses me out lol. Weight training form is easy to learn by watching instructional videos on YouTube. For beginners I would do weight lifting 3x a week. Most ladies want tone legs, nice stomach, big glutes, and some arm definition (no flabby arms). Each of these body parts should be trained in different days, but you can do abs workouts after your other workouts are done. You get this mental focus and relaxation when you put your headphones and you lift.

No more late night trips to 7-11. 🙁 Haha I wonder how much food actually impacts our focus/stress levels. Anyone have actual experience with changing diets -> better mental health?

Food does impact your mood a lot. If you eat fried food or anything that is junk food you will feel full for hours and lazy. If you eat clean and with portion size you will get hungry often, but that will help your metabolism fire up. I a;ways advice people not to jump on diets if they are not use to eating really healthy. 90% of beginners can't even stick to their new diet for 2 weeks straight. I would start by changing your whole lifestyle and little by little get rid of bad binges in your life until you have got use to eating more healthy meals.

 

[el_duderino]

Okay. Well to begin with, a nice fasted cardio in the morning is really good to get your mood going for the rest of the day.

Might work for her, might not. Personally, when I try to do fasted morning cardio my performance is absolute trash and I feel like dying. So I don't do fasted cardio in the morning. It doesn't matter what time of day cardio gets done: what matters is that it gets done. If you prefer running in the evening, run in the evening. If you prefer moonlit cross-country skiing, do moonlit cross-country skiing.

If you eat fried food or anything that is junk food you will feel full for hours and lazy.

Maybe you do? I don't. How particular foods make a person feel is an extremely individual and variable thing. One size does not fit all when it comes to satiety.

 

[Theafoni]

Swimming, you'll get a nice body pretty easily. Does you school have a rec center? The ymca or any other fitness centers is a good place to start, they have trainers there that'll give you decent advice.

 

[Valar Dohaeris]

No more late night trips to 7-11. 🙁 Haha I wonder how much food actually impacts our focus/stress levels. Anyone have actual experience with changing diets -> better mental health?

Absolutely 100%. Most of my morning meals are high in protein and fat: meat and eggs or some variation of that. After my workout, I throw in carbs during the evening (big fan of brown rice and Greek yogurt). Veggies anytime of the day. Water to drink, milk at night before I go to sleep. Everything in moderation.

The first couple weeks were an adjustment, but now I feel great. I've got energy, don't have problems focusing and most importantly, for me at least, I can fall asleep almost instantly (really can't stress how much I struggled with that).

I still eat pizza if I'm craving it and if I'm out with friends, I drink. The next day, I'm back to eating clean and all is well.

 

[The Buff OP]

Might work for her, might not. Personally, when I try to do fasted morning cardio my performance is absolute trash and I feel like dying. So I don't do fasted cardio in the morning. It doesn't matter what time of day cardio gets done: what matters is that it gets done. If you prefer running in the evening, run in the evening. If you prefer moonlit cross-country skiing, do moonlit cross-country skiing.

Fasted cardio is better to lose fat because your body will use fat as an energy source.

Maybe you do? I don't. How particular foods make a person feel is an extremely individual and variable thing. One size does not fit all when it comes to satiety.

Brah, you just did not say that. When has eating junk food been healthy for anyone? I have talk to several people with bad eating habits they all claimed to be lazy, stay full for hours because of their large meals, and water retention (cause of all that sodium). I live and breath bodybuilding. Do you?

 

[txlonghorn2314]

Lots of sex.

 

[el_duderino]

Fasted cardio is better to lose fat because your body will use fat as an energy source.

Brah, you just did not say that. When has eating junk food been healthy for anyone? I have talk to several people with bad eating habits they all claimed to be lazy, stay full for hours because of their large meals, and water retention (cause of all that sodium). I live and breath bodybuilding. Do you?

Daily fat oxidation is a product of calorie deficit, all else being equal. If you do fasted cardio you might lose a couple more grams of fat while doing the cardio, but you'll lose a few grams less later in the day.

Compliance, sustainability, and performance are the name of the game. Even if fasted cardio in the morning resulted in a small difference in total fat oxidation, it's all for naught if performance or compliance suffer. It's much better to go play racquetball for 2 hours after eating pizza than it is to hit the snooze button and skip your morning run.

I eat fried food and don't feel full and lazy for hours.... but then again, my eating habits aren't bad. Fried doesn't mean bad, and junk doesn't really mean much of anything. Is a Snickers junk? How about when I eat a Snickers halfway through a 15-mile hike? Foods aren't inherently good or bad by their nature; it's the nutrient intake at the end of the day that matters. I just went to McDonald's and slapped a McDouble patty+cheese in between two McChicken patties as buns (no bread) and ate it with a side salad. Was that junk? I feel fine, and it fits just fine into all my nutrient targets for the day.

It doesn't matter if you eat all your food in one meal every day, or if you eat bananas and bacon after you run in the morning, or whatever. If you're getting the right nutrients and you're happy doing it, then it works.

Like I said: the purest, cleanest, most efficiently-timed diet we can construct with current knowledge is totally worthless if it's not adhered to. Compliance, sustainability, and performance. The exercise and meal timing that works for you does not work for everyone.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

Bro science rules all.

 

[Shazam243]

@The Buff OP Do you have any suggestions for morning cardio that I can do in my apartment/small room efficiency? (something not super strenuous, but will get the blood flowing)

Male, skinny, <150lbs.

 

[The Buff OP]

Bro science rules all.

That's my occupation. Check out my profile. 😉

 

[The Buff OP]

@The Buff OP Do you have any suggestions for morning cardio that I can do in my apartment/small room efficiency? (something not super strenuous, but will get the blood flowing)

Male, skinny, <150lbs.

I wouldn't worry about getting more skinnier. Height? Can you afford a gym membership? I would start hitting those weights and do a bulk season.

 

[Shazam243]

I wouldn't worry about getting more skinnier. Height? Can you afford a gym membership? I would start hitting those weights and do bulk season.

5 10. Not really trying to lose weight or bulk up, just something to maintain active/get me pumped/give me a bit more energy throughout the day.

Edit: Undergrad gym is included I think. But, if I can do something in the morning without going to the gym/still stay in my room, that'd be much more preferable.

(That makes me sound super lazy, lol)

 

[el_duderino]

5 10. Not really trying to lose weight or bulk up, just something to maintain active/get me pumped/give me a bit more energy throughout the day.

Edit: Undergrad gym is included I think. But, if I can do something in the morning without going to the gym/still stay in my room, that'd be much more preferable.

(That makes me sound super lazy, lol)

Have you considered taking up some sort of non-gym activity? In my experience not many people stick to any sort of "exercise in my apartment in the morning" thing for long. Join an ultimate frisbee team, play tennis, start cycling, that kind of thing.

 

[DielsAlder]

I do a lot of running, whether on the treadmill at the gym or around my campus. I know nothing about weight lifting so I cannot comment. Also, I play a lot of soccer in my free time. Those activities are pretty effective for relaxing and keeping your mind off heavy work loads.

 

[gettheleadout]

Fasted cardio is better to lose fat because your body will use fat as an energy source.

Eh...

@The Buff OP Do you have any suggestions for morning cardio that I can do in my apartment/small room efficiency? (something not super strenuous, but will get the blood flowing)

Male, skinny, <150lbs.

Burpees.

 

[The Buff OP]

5 10. Not really trying to lose weight or bulk up, just something to maintain active/get me pumped/give me a bit more energy throughout the day.

Hmmmm... plyometrics, my friend. AKA Insanity workout videos.

Edit: Undergrad gym is included I think. But, if I can do something in the morning without going to the gym/still stay in my room, that'd be much more preferable.

(That makes me sound super lazy, lol)

Are you scare of going to the gym?

 

[The Buff OP]

Eh...

Oh boy, you better get that lead out, bro. 😉

 

[DoctorWhoo]

It doesn't matter if you eat all your food in one meal every day, or if you eat bananas and bacon after you run in the morning, or whatever. If you're getting the right nutrients and you're happy doing it, then it works.

Like I said: the purest, cleanest, most efficiently-timed diet we can construct with current knowledge is totally worthless if it's not adhered to. Compliance, sustainability, and performance. The exercise and meal timing that works for you does not work for everyone.

I agree with the last statement... but I think your first statement takes it to an extreme I don't agree with. Basic science would tell us that 1 large meal for the day is not going to yield the same (or even comparable) results as a properly spread diet. I agree that if you are trying to do a perfectly portioned "80" meal a day diet, your compliance rate may become so low that you are gaining no benefits... but in my mind these nutritional and exercise ideals are things to be asymptotically approached. First you get yourself in the gym, and maybe you cut out pizza and soda from your life. A couple months down the road, maybe you start balancing your carb protein ratio a little more and start actually getting on a running schedule. Next thing you know, you are @The Buff OP (which I imagine took many years of hard work).

Point being, at any point in that process you can stop if you notice it affecting your happiness or compliance. But completely going against the body of health and fitness knowledge seems like a very poor tactic for getting in shape, even if it maintains your compliance. We all know how complying to a poor MCAT study plan ends... and a poor health and fitness program yields similarly dissatisfying results.

 

[frosted_flake]

No more late night trips to 7-11. 🙁 Haha I wonder how much food actually impacts our focus/stress levels. Anyone have actual experience with changing diets -> better mental health?

I just started a pretty intense work out routine, and I have been eating very well along with this new exercise routine. However my job is not the best for eating well and I had macaroni and cheese for lunch (it is a mistake I won't make again) and I feel like ****. My body hates me right now, I have a migraine and I feel sluggish.
Food in my opinion has a huge influence on the way I feel!

 

[speedyxx626]

I agree with the last statement... but I think your first statement takes it to an extreme I don't agree with. Basic science would tell us that 1 large meal for the day is not going to yield the same (or even comparable) results as a properly spread diet. I agree that if you are trying to do a perfectly portioned "80" meal a day diet, your compliance rate may become so low that you are gaining no benefits... but in my mind these nutritional and exercise ideals are things to be asymptotically approached. First you get yourself in the gym, and maybe you cut out pizza and soda from your life. A couple months down the road, maybe you start balancing your carb protein ratio a little more and start actually getting on a running schedule. Next thing you know, you are @The Buff OP (which I imagine took many years of hard work).

Point being, at any point in that process you can stop if you notice it affecting your happiness or compliance. But completely going against the body of health and fitness knowledge seems like a very poor tactic for getting in shape, even if it maintains your compliance. We all know how complying to a poor MCAT study plan ends... and a poor health and fitness program yields similarly dissatisfying results.

Personally, I count my calories and I can gain and lose weight at a controlled and steady pace depending on whether I'm trying to bulk or cut down weight. I can tell you from personal experience that meal frequency is almost completely irrelevant when it comes to controlling weight. Some people like to eat 8 meals per day and are fine with it and others can actually fit everything into a couple hours towards the end of the day and are fine with that too. Your mood throughout the day is where a difference really comes into place (personally I need carbs to function) and some other people are fine without many carbs until later on in the day.

As for cutting out soda and other junk food, it really isn't necessary as long as you're able to consume them in moderate quantities and fit them into a diet where your calories consumes throughout the day don't stray too far from a certain amount of calories. Completely cutting out food that people enjoy is where they screw up and then go binge eating because their cravings get the best of them.

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[el_duderino]

I know a number of people who have been wildly successful on intermittent fasting plans involving one meal a day.

I could not do it, not by a long shot.

 

[speedyxx626]

I know a number of people who have been wildly successful on intermittent fasting plans involving one meal a day.

I could not do it, not by a long shot.

I do IF and it's the best for me because I much prefer eating 2-3 larger meals than snacking/eating small meals through the day and always being hungry. I'm prepping for a physique competition and I know people that are on all kinds of diets. The general consensus among everyone that competes however, is that calories over anything else determine will whether or not someone is going to gain or lose weight and not so much if they eat only veggies, brown rice and boneless chicken breast like some people would make you believe.

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[DoctorWhoo]

I do IF and it's the best for me because I much prefer eating 2-3 larger meals than snacking/eating small meals through the day and always being hungry. I'm prepping for a physique competition and I know people that are on all kinds of diets. The general consensus among everyone that competes however, is that calories over anything else determine will whether or not someone is going to gain or lose weight and not so much if they eat only veggies, brown rice and boneless chicken breast like some people would make you believe.

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I'm a former varsity wrestler, I know a lot about weight gain and loss from study and experience. The philosophy of your physique competition friends is a short term game, and by no means an optimal way of life.

I know a number of people who have been wildly successful on intermittent fasting plans involving one meal a day.

Good scientists certainly respect the anecdotal short term study...

 

[DoctorWhoo]

Sorry for taking this a bit off topic, carry on 🤣

 

[EMDO2018]

The older you get, the more you have to lift to maintain the same amount of muscle mass, and the more cardio you need to do to not get fat.

 

[el_duderino]

I'm a former varsity wrestler, I know a lot about weight gain and loss from study and experience. The philosophy of your physique competition friends is a short term game, and by no means an optimal way of life.


Good scientists certainly respect the anecdotal short term study...

If you have links to studies that show a problem of some kind with IF, please link to them. I haven't thoroughly researched it because I don't do it, but the people I know who do are largely highly scientifically literate and do a lot of journal reading. I'd be surprised if there's strong evidence against it.

 

[speedyxx626]

I'm a former varsity wrestler, I know a lot about weight gain and loss from study and experience. The philosophy of your physique competition friends is a short term game, and by no means an optimal way of life.


Good scientists certainly respect the anecdotal short term study...

I can assure you that you haven't had to cut weight the kind of weight that I have. It is very possibly a way of life for anybody, takes no more than 2 minutes out of the day to log what I eat but I can see why any other person wouldn't want to do it.

What I'm getting at is that a person doesn't need to eat these extreme diets and cut out everything they like to eat like many people end up doing because they think it's "healthy". I'm getting close to finishing a cut now (30lbs) and I've been eating ice cream and oreos everyday.

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[el_duderino]

I'm getting close to finishing a cut now (30lbs) and I've been eating ice cream and oreos everyday.

 

[speedyxx626]

There's so much BS out there in the fitness/diet industry. I'm one of the few people that has sifted through all that and has found what actually works (think my oreos and this bag of checker's in my hand would agree).

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[el_duderino]

There's so much BS out there in the fitness/diet industry. I'm one of the few people that has sifted through all that and has found what actually works (think my oreos and this bag of checker's in my hand would agree).

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There are plenty like you but they are just generally vastly outnumbered by the crazies. Well, to be fair, a lot of people have found something that works but what they do is a pretty small subset of what is necessary. Clean eating, paleo, IF, Atkins, whatever. They all work because they adhere to basic principles: get the right number of calories and the right amount of nutrients, within certain ranges.