I'll continue to add more stuff to this writeup as I think of things. I welcome any additions/changes/comments so feel free to msg me or add your own material.
Have a good workout!
So: I feel obliged to point out that you can still get great results without a giant time investment in the cardio part of your workout. I saw a study recently at www.fitnessonline.com where women did just 2 minutes of warmup and 8 minutes of cardio (at 70% or better of their target heart rate) along with a light weight training routine for three days a week. On average, they lost 3 pounds of fat, and gained two pounds of muscle in just 2 months. Mind you, that's not just 3 pounds, but 3 pounds of fat. They noticed a definite decrease in their cellulite, as well. Not that I have much cellulite; I'm just saying. It doesn't take much to make a big difference.
Let me qualify that. I work in an evironment that requires people to work in shifts. In other words, I am surrounded by individuals who for some reason (probably financial) like to sit up all night and monitor computers.
The diet of a number of these people consists of pizza, McDonald's, soft drinks and cigarettes. Before you go all out and start pumping iron, you need to be aware that what you fuel your body with will have an impact on your energy levels.
Feel like a lethargic blob all the time? Try eating fruit instead of Big Macs, drink water instead of Coke. Cutting fat from your diet is not enough, you need to be wary of your sugar intake.
I've lost around 10 kilograms in the last two months or so without even trying simply by making this simple change in my diet. I only slightly altered my exercise program of martial arts and running.
As a collegiate athlete and cs/math double major, I am frequently appalled at the level of slovenliness and torpor that many of my fellow students allow themselves to sink to. I suspect that if they knew the physical pleasure of having a fit, balanced body and lifestyle, they would change their habits.
How many time have you seen someone walk into class after a big programming assignment comes due, with a jumbo coffee and a dippy grin on their face, proud that they've "pulled an all-nighter." Usually this is because of some delusion that they've "conquered the night," or done something similarly heroic, instead of just catching up after weeks of laziness, harming their health, andn usually doing sub-standard work.
Procrastination is like masturbation; it's a lot of fun, until you realize you're fucking yourself.
Solution: make a point to work out every morning, before classes or work. Don't skip; if you skip more than three or four sessions per year (aside from your scheduled day off per week), you are kidding yourself about your level of commitment.
Commitment to an athletic schedule clears up this particular immaturity. When you have to be up and sweating at 5:45 a.m., the books close no later than midnight, and you make time for a nap midday. You separate the chaff out of your day, getting enough sleep becomes a habit, and your scholastic/career work doesn't seem so all-consuming.
Pizza, burritos, fast-food and treats from the vending machine. Typical geek fare, yet people wonder why they are getting sick all the time, when they go days without coming face to face with a fruit or a vegetable.
Solution: do aerobic exersise five or more times per week, and keep track of your performance. You will notice a difference in your capabilities between a pizza-and-beer diet and one composed of lean meats, loads of good carbs, dark salads, and fruits (five a day).
After a few weeks of aerobic work (like 60-100 minute sessions on a bike, running, rowing on the ergometer, jumping rope, or whatnot), most people crave bananas and bagels instead of Mars bars and Jolt; your body is telling you what it needs.
This comes in a few flavors. Many geeks don't feel comfortable around or attractive to the opposite sex. A lot have a negative body image.
Physical achievement can do a lot for geeks and their confidence. Many of us grew up as "98 pound weaklings", or on the other end of the spectrum, were overweight. And later in life, as a reaction, we create and adhere to a culture that is indifferent to physical exertion at best, and downright hostile to it at worst.
Solution: set some goals, and achieve them.
"I'm not intimidated by this person/project/paper/speech; I know I can achieve what I need to. I can run a 38 minute 10k; I'm a tough cookie, I don't buckle."
Secondly, I have heard many arguments about dehydration in relation to swimming. Neophyte swimmers often feel that since their workout is in water they will not dehydrate. But, they often forget about the substance that turns hair green, or chlorine, along with whatever other substances may be present in the water. These substances will leech the swimmer of liquids and will cause the body to close pores to incoming substances, while still allowing sweat to pump out. This will lead the swimmer to dehydration. This is something to be watched out for by coaches especially, making sure that if one of the swimmers does have an intake of fluid during the workout, moderatly as not to cause cramps.
Introduction
The following is designed to get one in to excellent physical shape while not turning it in to a second job. It is especially useful for people who want to feel connected to their bodies as well as look good naked.
OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER: Make sure your body can actually handle any exercise before you start this. Check with your doctor before you begin if getting dressed is the most exercise you've ever done and/or your diet consists of items primarily from the top of the food pyramid.
OPTIONAL DISCLAIMER: Use your head. Pay attention. This is a guide. Mix and match the following concepts to your own schedule and pace. Make sure you have fun.
Overview
The three aspects to develop are strength, endurance and flexibility. Each are valuable and necessary. Each has a little carry-over effect with the other.
Strength training primarily develops your muscles and connecting tissue. This provides a way to do useful things well in to old age such as lifting lawn mowers in and out of cars and carrying a SO over the threshhold on your 37th wedding anniversary.
Endurance training builds the heart, lungs and oxygen-supply systems so that you can enjoy doing the things you love longer and more often.
Flexibility training ensures that the strength and endurance systems being stressed and improved also remain supple and injury free. You can keep doing what you're doing 'cuz your doing it.
Together they form a pulsing braid of physical capability. Just imagine how wonderful it will feel to deadlift 200 pounds 20 times, run effortlessly for five miles and still place your palms flat on the floor next to your feet (with your legs straight, of course).
Ready? Let's begin.
Strength Training
These are the suggested exercises:
Squat or deadlift (alternate each workout) standing overhead press (sometimes called the military press) chin ups dips barbell rows sit-ups
That's it. Perform only one set of each exercise. Each set will consist of 15-20 reps for the squat and deadlift and 6-10 reps for everything else. Do situps until no more can be completed.
The key here is intensity. You must work hard enough so that you fail at close to the desired rep. In this context, failure is good. It shows you the next barrier you must break. It may take a few sessions once you start to find that resistance. Once you find it, work against it until the movement reverses itself.
To illustrate, here's what one set to failure looks like doing the standing overhead press:
Bend over, grab the bar and clean it to shoulder level. Using perfect form and controlled movement, press the bar overhead and lower. Reps 1-4 are no problem. Five and six are tougher. At seven the heart is pounding and the arms are shaking. Eight slowly, barely makes it up, but the rep remains in control. Nine is the impossible rep. It moves perhaps an inch from the shoulders but no more. Push, push, push as long as possible until the weight comes back to the shoulders. Carefully place the bar back on the floor. Feel the blood roar in to your shoulders and arms. Feel your lungs reach for air. Feel like the Incredible Hulk because last time you could only do seven.
Now nine is what you must make next time. When the desired reps can be performed in control with perfect form, add more weight - 5 to 10 pounds for the squat and deadlift, 2.5 to 5 pounds for everything else. Continue in this pattern for a few years and amaze yourself with how strong you've become.
Endurance Training
Much simpler from an execution standpoint. Just get out and shake yer bones a few times a week for at least a half-hour. The longer the better. Pick something you like to do. Run. Ride a bike. Swim in the ocean. Pop in a Grateful Dead tape and dance for the entire second set. As long as you are moving and breathing hard, you're doing OK. If at the start all you can do is a brisk walk for that half-hour, that's fine. Just keep going, and try tossing a jog in there every so often.
After you're comfortable with the 30-minute minimum, try going either further or faster. The issue is one of time. If there is time during the day, set aside an entire morning or afternoon for your chosen activity. Some extremely interesting insights/ visions/ sensations may occur when the 4-,5-,6-hour range is reached. Otherwise, if your schedule or inclination will only allow that half-hour, simply do what you do harder and faster. Long sprints, hill climbs and racing motorboats and cars are all viable options.
Flexibility Training
Of all the different theories on attaining flexibility, the only one that will be briefly discussed here is ashtanga yoga. However, to call this vigorous form of yoga mere exercise ignores it's astounding benefits. yogabum has a more thorough description of the practice. Suffice it to say that consistently performing ashtanga yoga will benefit you physically, emotionally, intellectually and, if you allow it, spiritually. Beryl Binder Birch's book Power Yoga is a good start. If the previous topics are of no interest, at least do this.
How often to do these? As often as you want. The human body was made to be used vigorously. The following is the bare minimum schedule (which seems to work well for extremely busy people):
Day 1: strength (lift weights) Day 2: endurance (run, swim, dance, etc...) Day 3: flexibility (ashtanga yoga or your choice of flavors) Repeat ad infinitum.
A Few Words On Diet
Just a few. Promise.
Take off all your clothes and look in the mirror. Be honest. You know if you need to lose some weight or gain some weight or if you just need to redistribute the weight you have.
Now examine what you eat every day. Is breakfast just a faint intention sometimes satisfied by a vending-machine cinammon bun and a Mountain Dew? Do you substitute Cheetos for salad? Does dinner consist of mass-produced boxed or bagged items that you eat in your car or in front of the TV? If so, you know you need to eat better, fresher, more wholesome foods. You know this. You're not an idiot. There's plenty of information available on creating a good diet. Read it.
Also, what color is your pee? If it is not clear several times a day, you need to drink more water because essentially your body is pumping sludge.
Summing Up
The above activities as well as a proper diet will promote a positive change in your body. As you begin, try not to have a fixed idea of what you want your body to become. Let it evolve through your effort. Do this as a lifelong journey, an adventure in which your body becomes a vehicle for exploration both physical and spiritual. But most of all, have a good time.
As described in incarnadine's write-up, if you are either that 98lb weakling, or that overweight slob, you obviously have different goals before doing any sort of workout.
If you are going to the gym to simply increase your muscle mass, and become the next Schwarzenegger, you will want to be eating a fair quantity of protein rich food before your workout, and the duration of the day, which will significantly help you build muscle. It would be wise to invest in some form of protein shake; it is a hell of a lot easier then having to cook-up a steak, or having ingest large quantities of cheese before going to the gym.
Of course, if you are on the other side of the weight spectrum, you should be doing your workouts on an empty stomach. Research has shown if you do a workout on an empty stomach you are more likely to be burning off your fat reserves, then the energy you've just consumed. Optimally if weight-loss is your goal, the best time to workout is right when you wake up. Lets say you are not a morning person, then just don't eat three hours prior to your workout. Doing more cardiovascular work is a more efficient method to losing weigh then just doing weight training. Remember to keep well hydrated at all times; as metioned in previous write-ups, your body often confuses hunger with thirst. Be smart, do not starve yourself from the nutrients your body need to function during the day. Following your work-out you should have a shower (people disobeying this rule has become a popular trend lately, so I thought I'd include it), and have a well rounded breakfast after your workout to keep you from passing-out three hours into work, but do not stuff yourself full, or you'll just end up falling back to sleep.
Most of my education on fitness has come from years of experience as a competitive swimmer, and reading Body for Life, by Bill Phillip. I really suggest reading it if you plan on making a significant change in your fitness level.
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