cousin_it comments on Open Thread, Sept 5. - Sept 11. 2016 - Less Wrong

6 Post author: Elo 05 September 2016 12:59AM

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Comment author: DataPacRat 05 September 2016 04:18:53PM 1 point [-]

Exercise

In previous attempts at exercising, I've never lost weight; never gained in strength or dexterity; never even gotten a second wind. I've never met any significant exercise goals. But in the long-term, exercise is still worthwhile. So I'm trying something new: Changing my self-conception to Someone Who Exercises Daily. No expectations of any gains, rewards, or second winds. Just someone who slogs through the painful routine each day, every day.

I've picked a routine that can be done anywhere, with no equipment: Burpees, in descending sets (ie, for 15, do 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; for non-triangular numbers, add at the start, ie for 17, do 7, 6, 3, 2, 1), adding 1 per day. (Supposedly, burpees work all the major parts of the body, etc, etc.) If-and-when I make it to 30-descending, I'll consider changing it up.

Today: Did 5 burpees.

Also today: Set up https://twitter.com/DPR_exercise to semi-publicly keep track. (Or, as an RSS feed, http://twitrss.me/twitter_user_to_rss/?user=dpr_exercise .)

Comment author: cousin_it 08 September 2016 12:26:23PM *  0 points [-]

I did burpees for a while. Now I'm not sure what's the point. Sure, you get tired quickly, but you don't feel strong or fast while doing it. Lifting average-heavy stuff for 10-15 reps, or running 100m dashes with short breaks, is much more fun for me because I can go all out and push against my limit of power, not just my fatigue.

Comment author: DataPacRat 08 September 2016 03:20:15PM 0 points [-]

I am, close to literally, starting from scratch, exercise-wise. I've started a thread in the bodyweight subreddit about a better exercise regimen, and am entirely literally in a mall right now looking for some exercise bands to let me do more types of movements in the area I have to exercise in. You could think of the burpees as a placeholder while I work out something better.

Comment author: Elo 09 September 2016 06:46:20AM -2 points [-]

Consider couch to 5k. It's a good basic place to start.

Expect at least 2 months before you are feeling fit. You get to feel progress in the sense of "could run a bit further today" each new run. the two most important things:

  1. You will get hurt. You will injure yourself. If you think you won't you definitely will, and you will have to take rest because of it. It might set you back days or weeks. But it's better to rest.
  2. You actually make gains to muscle and strength on your days off. When the muscles repair and grow back. Because of this - most of the pages on the fitness subreddits will have a 3-4 days a week routine with rest days in between. Rest days are important.
Comment author: DataPacRat 09 September 2016 02:23:46PM 0 points [-]

I appreciate the suggestion, and have added a few bookmarks on C25k to my to-read pile.

Given my experience today, attempting to add some of the warm-up routines from /r/bodyweight's Recommended Routine, I'm afraid that it seems that I have a bit of a ways to go before I'm even at the level of 'couch'. Ah well; I knew what I was getting into when I started this, and am picking up as much theory as I can to adapt pre-existing routines to my circumstances.

Comment author: DataPacRat 10 September 2016 05:39:46PM 0 points [-]

FYI, my current plan is 3 days a week of bodyweight exercises (working up to /r/bodyweight's recommended routine), and 3 days a week of jogging starting with a pre-C25k program. How well that plan succeeds, well, we'll just have to see. :)