Physical Fitness

Fish Boy

Fish Boy

Joined
Aug 2, 2014
Messages
369
There doesn't seem to be a physical fitness thread. If there is one, please direct me posthaste.

What do you do to stay physically fit? Do you go to the gym, jog, lift weights, or simply do as I do — perform as many pull/chin ups as physically possible at 2 in the morning?

Generally speaking I'm fairly weak — apart from my performance in the aquatic environment — but I can do a fair amount of pull/chin ups. My 2 a.m. pull up jams usually consist of a set of twelve chin ups, followed by two sets of four more chin ups, followed by eight pull ups.

I'd like to start running long distances, but I'm afraid if I start I'll lose motivation. Any tips for how I can maintain the motivation to run every day?

Please share your fitness experiences.
 
I swam in college and high school, I still swim but not as often. I scuba dive frequently and do bjj at least 3 times a week. I absolutely hate running but it's necessary to keep my cardio in check for my other activities. I just do a short distance at least 5 times a week. Usually between 1 and 2 miles depending on how sore I am from the other stuff usually takes 15 minutes or less so it's not a huge time commitment for the great benefit. It gets easier if you stick with it the hardest part is just getting there once I'm at the park it's fine but that pre run is grueling with all the doubt and laziness, but as soon as I finish up in always glad I did it. Invest in some good shoes that you use only for running and replace them every 250-300 miles. Remember to stay hydrated and eat as clean as possible, although it's easier said than done. I love burgers.
 
Last edited:
legato1 said:
I swam in college and high school, I still swim but not as often. I scuba dive frequently and do bjj at least 3 times a week. I absolutely hate running but it's necessary to keep my cardio in check for my other activities. I just do a short distance at least 5 times a week. Usually between 1 and 2 miles depending on how sore I am from the other stuff usually takes 15 minutes or less so it's not a huge time commitment for the great benefit. It gets easier if you stick with it the hardest part is just getting there once I'm at the park it's fine but that pre run is grueling with all the doubt and laziness, but as soon as I finish up in always glad I did it. Invest in some good shoes that you use only for running and replace them every 250-300 miles. Remember to stay hydrated and eat as clean as possible, although it's easier said than done. I love burgers.
Click to expand...

I'm a very strong swimmer, but not "competitive" speed. I intend to join a competitive team soon, so hopefully that will change fast. I scuba dive (long surface swims and equipment hauls can be quite the workout) and do my pull ups. I should probably start running and swimming soon, I need to get in very good (especially swimming) shape because my ultimate goal in life is to partake in military search and rescue. I've heard the two main killers in the various indoc courses are, in order, the pool and the runs.

I will get some good running shoes. Hydrationwise, do you suggest water bottles or something more along the lines of a CamelBak?

I also love burgers. Once in a while won't kill you, eh?
 
First I would ask you what is your goal? weightloss, endurance training, cardio vascular fitness, functional strength or just getting straight up swole'.

I like circuit training. Its a good combo of cardio vascular fitness and functional strength and is easy to do with little or no equipment.

Here is an example workout...

Run .25 mile on the treadmill then do 25 pushups, 20 four count flutter kicks, then 20 goblet squats with whatever weight dumbell/kettlebell challenges you, but doesn't smoke you.

I will repeat this ten times. Thats 2.5 miles, 250 pushups, 200 4ct flutter kicks and 200 squats. Its a killer workout.

I would suggest only doing 6 cycles the first time you do it, just to figure out what you can handle.

You can get creative with this type of workout and tailor it to your needs, or do it one day with just upper body exercises like pushups, pullups, dips or weighted movements. The next workout could be core stuff such as planks, situps, leg levers, flutter kicks or crunches. Then the next one, you target legs. (Lunges, squats, pliometric jumps or whatever else you like.

You can look at youtube and find tons of good body weight exercises to do in this type of workout.

Another way to do this workout is run a .5 mile instead of .25 mile and only do 4 or 6 sets. This style of workout focuses on running and cardio more than muscular endurance. Just get creative. Have fun and dont get bored. Feel free to PM me with any questions.
 
Riz2530 said:
First I would ask you what is your goal? weightloss, endurance training, cardio vascular fitness, functional strength or just getting straight up swole'.

I like circuit training. Its a good combo of cardio vascular fitness and functional strength and is easy to do with little or no equipment.

Here is an example workout...

Run .25 mile on the treadmill then do 25 pushups, 20 four count flutter kicks, then 20 goblet squats with whatever weight dumbell/kettlebell challenges you, but doesn't smoke you.

I will repeat this ten times. Thats 2.5 miles, 250 pushups, 200 4ct flutter kicks and 200 squats. Its a killer workout.

I would suggest only doing 6 cycles the first time you do it, just to figure out what you can handle.

You can get creative with this type of workout and tailor it to your needs, or do it one day with just upper body exercises like pushups, pullups, dips or weighted movements. The next workout could be core stuff such as planks, situps, leg levers, flutter kicks or crunches. Then the next one, you target legs. (Lunges, squats, pliometric jumps or whatever else you like.

You can look at youtube and find tons of good body weight exercises to do in this type of workout.

Another way to do this workout is run a .5 mile instead of .25 mile and only do 4 or 6 sets. This style of workout focuses on running and cardio more than muscular endurance. Just get creative. Have fun and dont get bored. Feel free to PM me with any questions.
Click to expand...

Weight loss is no problem, as I currently weigh very little at around 130 lbs at 5'9". I don't want to get big, my main goal is endurance.
 
I just carry around a reusable bottle with me at all times and am a big fan of the nuun tablets. I try to get 1oz per lb I weigh daily plus replacing what I sweat out. I drink a lot of water so I use minimum half a nuun tablet a day to prevent hyponatremia. Just ease into what ever you decide to do, the last thing you want is to burn yourself out and injur yourself right at the start and loose your momentum and motivation. Start by just making the activity of your choosing a non negotiable part of your daily schedule, doesent have to be a big block, just work your way up and keep your eye on the prize. +1 on the circuit training, unless your the type of person who just loves running or swimming your going to get bored quick. Circuits can keep it interesting and are a great workout.
 
I actually run a fitness blog that's geared to absolute beginners....I put it up primarily because I answer questions on Yahoo Answers all the time and I got tired of writing out the same old thing over and over again. "Will lifting weights stunt my growth?" .....That sort of thing. So I can cut and paste as needed.

I've actually been studying exercise physiology for a long time....Started out as the literal 98-pound weakling (remember those "Charles Atlas" ads?) when I started high school. I was so embarrassed by my performance on the just-mandated PT test (1960) that I decided to turn things around.

I think of my main PT Guru as Leonard Schwartz, the late physician who invented the "Heavyhands" system. His two books were chock-full of exercise physiology information and from them I learned the basics of the Aerobic vs. the Anaerobic systems, muscle-fiber chemical metabolism, VO2 Max, the aerobic training ranges, interval training, and all that good stuff.

As Schwarz pointed out...."Fitness" covers a lot of ground and folks have different ideas and needs depending on activity and body type and all that.
My recommendation for most folks.....Several hours of aerobic activity per week (folks say "cardio" now but that's just slang) coupled with at least some kind of resistance work for general maintenance of muscle mass and bone health, especially for women.
Exercise is strongly fad-driven....But the basics, a pair of running shoes or a bike, and a basic set of weights (or other resistance devices) is pretty hard to beat.
More specific training for specific activities, of course. A martial artist in training is not going to get along with walking around the block a couple of times a week.
Here's my blog if anyone wants to look, as I say it's geared to beginners:
http://bikewer22.blogspot.com
 
I do the "30 day shred" series, parts 3 and alternat with 20 minutes of brisk running and weight training. IMHO, exercise combined with "controlled diet" is the key to being physically fit, since it is not just how you look externally, but also how healthy your internal organs are. Do I have six-packs? Hell no. Has my self-confidence boosted since I look and feel physically fit? Absolutely. My lifestyle is sedentary (keyboard commando).
 
It sounds like your young so you could do a good amount of exercise but be careful not to over do it. You can't go wrong with running, weights and calisthenics. That is what we did in the army and it works. Now I am 50, so I need more recovery time between workouts, but I try and workout every other day. I run (treadmill) and lift weights. As mentioned above, circuit training is great too.
 
The thing to understand about fitness is that it is not a X-week program you purchase off the shelf. It is a lifestyle.

My personal benchmark is to work up a sweat 3 times a week.

To that end I've tried a lot of stuff

  • Olympic lifting
  • Running
  • Swimming
  • Crossfit
  • Rock climbing
  • Hiking
  • Gymnastics
  • Rugby/Soccer
  • Bodyweight circuits
  • Bike riding
  • Cross country skiing - Nordic walking
  • Martial arts
  • Manual farm work
  • Manual lumberjacking

I'm not that interested in competing. Everything in moderation as they say and a competitive environment is not a controlled environment. Overdoing it leads to injuries.
I stopped the crossfit and rugby because they were causing more problems (injuries!!!) than fixing.

Of course the more important component of fitness and health is diet and rest. You are what you eat and most of your development happens while you are resting. The body is a wonderful thing. While you rest it adapts within the limitations of your diet to the stresses placed on it.
 
Last edited:
sideways said:
The thing to understand about fitness is that it is not a X-week program you purchase off the shelf. It is a lifestyle.

My personal benchmark is to work up a sweat 3 times a week.

To that end I've tried a lot of stuff

  • Olympic lifting
  • Running
  • Swimming
  • Crossfit
  • Rock climbing
  • Hiking
  • Gymnastics
  • Rugby/Soccer
  • Bodyweight circuits
  • Bike riding
  • Cross country skiing - Nordic walking
  • Martial arts
  • Manual farm work
  • Manual lumberjacking

I'm not that interested in competing. Everything in moderation as they say and a competitive environment is not a controlled environment. Overdoing it leads to injuries.
I stopped the crossfit and rugby because they were causing more problems (injuries!!!) than fixing.

Of course the more important component of fitness and health is diet and rest. You are what you eat and most of your development happens while you are resting. The body is a wonderful thing. While you rest it adapts within the limitations of your diet to the stresses placed on it.
Click to expand...

Swimming is probably one of the activities I focus on most. I'm not interested in competing either, but when have you ever heard of a non-competitive swim team? I like having teammates and accountability. You can ignore letting yourself down but you can never ignore letting a teammate down.
 
Last edited:
study-motivation-hacks.jpg


:D
 
I'm not sure how old you are but you can find a swim club in your area, look into U.S. Masters swimming, the accountability is good I know it's definintly easier to make it too the pool of your with a team.
 
I have a hyperactive thyroid which never allows me to weight more than 160 lbs regardless of how much I eat.
Though I'm strong for my size, i should be around 180 at 5-10"

I do a lot of pushups sit ups and stretches (stretching is important).
Also for about 20 minutes a night, i swing my 2 lb fixed blade in various stab and hack motions, switching footing often. No more weights for me, knives are heavy after 5 minutes of swinging.
 
So, reading your post, it sounds like you want to improve your running while at least maintaining your other fitness capabilities. I had a similar goal and found the "navy seal warning order" which seemed to be fitness guidance for seal potentials. I did the running part ( skipped the rest) and was pretty surprised how well it worked. All of my other metrics ( swimming, pull-ups, push-ups, lifting, etc) maintained or improved and I went from running 1.5 miles at 9min pace to running 5 miles at an 8 min pace. If that sounds like it matches your goals, then, as it worked for me, it may work for you. Just google it. I did mix in some old school Crossfit and some swimming, but the real improvement was the running( always a weak point for me) and I was very surprised by my own progress. Again, if that matches your goals, then try it. If you have different goals, then find something else. The Internet has tons of fitness plans and one of them will be perfect for exactly what you want to accomplish. Set goals and work towards them. Compromise is for the uncertain.
Another point to make has to do with "overtraining ". I read an article years back ( sorry can't point you towards it) and the focus was the fact that overtraining is 100% mental and 100% real. If you think your program will burn you out,then you will burn out was the idea But it also pointed out that mentally pushing yourself past what you think your limits are is hugely important.
Ok that's enough. Look that stuff up if it sounds like it'll help meet your goals and get to it. Also skip the burgers. They are awesome, but there aren't enough in the world for you to be a champ and the rest of us to be happy.
 
I just want to add that running is bad for your joints in the long run (no pun intended).

Swimming is far better on your joints, and the rest of your body.
 
Sabb8pro2 said:
So, reading your post, it sounds like you want to improve your running while at least maintaining your other fitness capabilities. I had a similar goal and found the "navy seal warning order" which seemed to be fitness guidance for seal potentials. I did the running part ( skipped the rest) and was pretty surprised how well it worked. All of my other metrics ( swimming, pull-ups, push-ups, lifting, etc) maintained or improved and I went from running 1.5 miles at 9min pace to running 5 miles at an 8 min pace. If that sounds like it matches your goals, then, as it worked for me, it may work for you. Just google it. I did mix in some old school Crossfit and some swimming, but the real improvement was the running( always a weak point for me) and I was very surprised by my own progress. Again, if that matches your goals, then try it. If you have different goals, then find something else. The Internet has tons of fitness plans and one of them will be perfect for exactly what you want to accomplish. Set goals and work towards them. Compromise is for the uncertain.
Another point to make has to do with "overtraining ". I read an article years back ( sorry can't point you towards it) and the focus was the fact that overtraining is 100% mental and 100% real. If you think your program will burn you out,then you will burn out was the idea But it also pointed out that mentally pushing yourself past what you think your limits are is hugely important.
Ok that's enough. Look that stuff up if it sounds like it'll help meet your goals and get to it. Also skip the burgers. They are awesome, but there aren't enough in the world for you to be a champ and the rest of us to be happy.
Click to expand...

I found the BUD/S Warning Order. This seems to match my goals, I'll try out the running and swimming portions.
 
HwangJino said:
I just want to add that running is bad for your joints in the long run (no pun intended).

Swimming is far better on your joints, and the rest of your body.
Click to expand...

That would be why I don't run. My knees are more than bad enough already from the excesses of youth.

Bicycling, whether stationery or road biking, is also much lower impact than running.
 
sideways said:
I'm not that interested in competing. Everything in moderation as they say and a competitive environment is not a controlled environment. Overdoing it leads to injuries.
I stopped the crossfit and rugby because they were causing more problems (injuries!!!) than fixing.
Click to expand...

Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing. Moderation is for cowards.

Hahahaha, I'm only kidding. Kind of...

I love that super sore feeling you get after a workout and having to hobble around after a football game or practice. Those little injuries make it fun! The key part is that none of them last long though. One of the perks or being a teenager I guess, hahaha.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top