Getting into shape

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lukethedrifter
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Re: Getting into shape

Post by lukethedrifter »

I really like the Jacob’s Ladder cardio machine. As a firefighter it’s particularly appropriate to the sort of stuff i need to do.
Don’t see them too many places though.

Freed Roger
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Re: Getting into shape

Post by Freed Roger »

lukethedrifter wrote:I really like the Jacob’s Ladder cardio machine. As a firefighter it’s particularly appropriate to the sort of stuff i need to do.
Don’t see them too many places though.
Our gym has one, and I am about the only user.
Near the end of my gym workout, so core/legs are fatiqued already, and it is a [expletive]. Typically I do 3 x 2 minute
intervals.

TBH, I can't do it some days, and opt for some easier cardio (elliptical, or jog home).

Also, lately been pushing weighted sled around, working the fast twitch muscles.

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JCShutout
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Re: Getting into shape

Post by JCShutout »

Grats FB! I agree with what others have said, finding a consistent workout/plan is key.

Don't be afraid of just going on a brisk walk if you're tired or burnt out. As you said, something is better than nothing. For weight loss, walking an hour a day will help a lot. Especially good on days when your body is tired and needs a "rest day". And even if you don't get your hour. 20 minutes is better than 0. Hell, 5 minutes is better than zero. Everything counts.

About a year ago I committed to trying to just do an hour of physical activity per day. (I was finding excuses to skip tkd and bodyweight workouts.) Just gotta do something. Had a lot of days where I just walked for an hour, or for two half hour stretches. That got me used to consistency and my body kind of got used to wanting to do something physical every day. I still have one day a week where my "workout" is a brisk walk, or a series of walks (I've lately pushed it to 2-3 hours/day on those days, but only after a lot of build up, and a job with way less stress and a guaranteed hour lunch and afternoon break - free hour for walking in that 75 min as I eat quickly)

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Fat_Bulldog
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Re: Getting into shape

Post by Fat_Bulldog »

JCShutout wrote:Grats FB! I agree with what others have said, finding a consistent workout/plan is key.

Don't be afraid of just going on a brisk walk if you're tired or burnt out. As you said, something is better than nothing. For weight loss, walking an hour a day will help a lot. Especially good on days when your body is tired and needs a "rest day". And even if you don't get your hour. 20 minutes is better than 0. Hell, 5 minutes is better than zero. Everything counts.

About a year ago I committed to trying to just do an hour of physical activity per day. (I was finding excuses to skip tkd and bodyweight workouts.) Just gotta do something. Had a lot of days where I just walked for an hour, or for two half hour stretches. That got me used to consistency and my body kind of got used to wanting to do something physical every day. I still have one day a week where my "workout" is a brisk walk, or a series of walks (I've lately pushed it to 2-3 hours/day on those days, but only after a lot of build up, and a job with way less stress and a guaranteed hour lunch and afternoon break - free hour for walking in that 75 min as I eat quickly)
That's awesome. I'm going to try to do 1 to 2 workouts a week where I push it to about 2 hours. Other days will be limited to 1 hour as I don't have enough time as it is with 2 kids.

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Swirls
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Re: Getting into shape

Post by Swirls »

Current update:

Right around one month remaining until the Star Wars half marathon in Orlando (Sunday April 7). Training is fine so far. Yesterday was my (as of now) longest run ever at 7.0 miles. Next Sunday will be 8.0 miles.

Stamina has always been a problem, but more than that was always circulation. I could never go more than maybe 1/4 of a mile jogging before my calves would cramp up. That appears to be partially tied to stretching/circulation but moreso proper hydration beforehand and during (and taking magnesium pills). It is still kind of an issue, but I think I've finally solved both with my current running plan.

Much like HIIT, I am currently doing 30 seconds of brisk walking (4.0 mph on the treadmill) and 60 seconds of jogging (5.5 mph on the treadmill). This has been pretty sustainable so far, although yesterday at about mile 5.5 I had to do a couple 60 second intervals of walking rather than just 30. It equates to exactly a 12 minute mile.

Not super fast, but sustainable for me it seems. And more importantly I haven't had problems with my calves locking up since I'm not running for an extended period or distance each time. Disney's cutoff is a 16 minute pace, as the park has to be re-opened by 9am (the race begins at 5am I think). There will be photo ops at each mile marker, so if you're going to do those then Disney recommends (I think) a 14 minute pace or better in order to still finish within the mandatory 3:30 requirement.

If I can continue my 12 minute pace, I will be fine. I've still got another month to build up more stamina with longer runs (the training plan basically goes up one mile each Sunday topping out at 10 or 11 miles with the last week being a rest week), and at the same point, I will likely try to incorporate some extra jogging time in a few spots (bumping up the 60 seconds to 90 or something) or perhaps increase the speed to 6.0 mph instead of 5.5 mph.

Weight loss has been pretty slow but steady. Down to 195 from 201 that I was at the beginning of the year. I think I can get down to 190 before the race without much issue.

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Re: Getting into shape

Post by Freed Roger »

Keep at it Swirls. When training for distance, some training schedules don't have you do the entire race distance in training. i.e. for a half your training may top off at 10. I think it is important to do the full distance ahead of time -at whatever pace

Physically it may not do much in short term -but mentally you have cleared the hurdle. You know it is do-able and race day is more enjoyable. Two weeks out from race day if possible.

You probably have considered you may not be acclimated to heat. Be sure to have a plan for hyddating and electrolytes etc. I have read about Badwater participants (the awful ultra in death valley in summer.) that hack into acclimation with sauna sessions.

Sounds like you have a run walk plan, which is good. Good to have a strategy. I make one up a strategy arbitrarily -even for training runs -kind of a placebo empowerment thing.

For long [expletive]- I've only toyed with this run walk regime of my brothers - he has a goal per mile pace. say for simplicity 10 mim miles. He runs first full mile -say he he hits a mile in 9:30, then walks to 10 min mark. then runs until he hits 2 miles and walks to he hits 20 min mark. He says he feels like he can do this forever, because he banks quite a bit under that 10 min mile pace. I rarely do it, because I am almost always in hills and if I am walking, its going to be uphill rather than when the watch tells me.
Last edited by Freed Roger on March 4 19, 11:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Getting into shape

Post by Freed Roger »

I have had calf issues quite a bit. Some times it is cramping, also have had it pop on a run, like a hamstring pull but only in the calf. (i think it actually can be torn)

Get some compression socks. I normally don't run in them, but for afterwards. when I feel the issues coming on, I wear them at night, to work etc.

Epsom salt baths -also good recovery.

Prevention - I think I have a tendency to over utilize those muscles by overstriding and then trying to get push off. It is easy to have this happen, as mentally when trying to move quickly my brain focuses on feet, when really I want the feet to land right underneath , and just flow along. More of the power should come from the core.

..Not to mess with your head on stride form, I believe the biomechanics are diff for everyone.

Lastly, maybe some deconcentric/stretching excercise. instead of calf raises -do heel drops -in stairwell with something to hold onto edge your heels out with toes on stairs and do some slow lowering and raising back up. switch up angles of the toe pointing inward or out as well.

write the alphabet with your big toe. Elastic band -some good exercises you can google for.

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Tim
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Re: Getting into shape

Post by Tim »

197.0 Sunday
Relapsed
Not happy, but still feeling great working out 6 days a week
Tackling the diet harder this week. Wife is on board

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Tim
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Re: Getting into shape

Post by Tim »

Drinking beer over the weekend in Clemson didn’t help

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Jocephus
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Re: Getting into shape

Post by Jocephus »

i've drank 2x in the new year. 4 bud lights on 2/7 and 2 vodka tonics on 3/1. was thinking it'd be cool if i could count all the times i drank in 2019 on 2 hands but i'm sure when the hot summer comes i'll have more but maybe not. booze often just sounds so unappealing anymore. though not sure how much impact that gives me on physical health, etc.

if i've been doing 30 mins cardio and 30 mins weights daily, had and continue to have success with it would it be wise(r) to do 1 hour of cardio 1 day, 1 hour of weights the next, back and forth? would that be mroe efficient and maybe see further results? that's where i don't know. the current plan (30 and 30) has worked for me so hate to break that and not feel/see results, etc.

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