Our Physical Fitness

[Bullgrit]

The thread on our comfort being naked in public got a lot of people suggesting they are in poor physical shape. There was an old thread where many folks talked about their exercise regimens. Rather than necromance that thread, I figured we should have a new one.

Do you have any fitness/exercise/workout regimen? How's it going?

In that old thread, [MENTION=177]Umbran[/MENTION] mentioned training for a "Run for Your Lives" zombie run -- Umbran, did you ever do that? How'd it go? Fun?

Anyone else have fun workouts? Anyone do Crossfit? I'm somewhat curious about that.

Bullgrit

 

[Morrus]

10K steps per day has been standard for me for a long time. I try to keep to 1200 calories per day; but I don't worry about it if I'm going out.

 

[Umbran]

The "Run For Your Lives"* was a lot of fun.

Once, my wife was having a conversation with someone about exercise. At the time, she was doing various workout videos - mixed aerobic and strength training stuff, and yoga. Someone asked her about running and she said, "I'll run when I have monsters chasing me." Well, then that friend of hers found out about the RUn For Your Lives, and my wife had to eat her words a bit. I just needed exercise, and it sounded fun, so I joined her.

It is a 5k course. The time we ran it, there was a *lot* of ankle-deep and more mud. There were obstacles (walls to clamber over, Normandy barriers, logs over water, and so on). You also wore a belt with three flags (like those used in flag-football, attached to the belt with velcro), and there were people on the course playing zombies (in full costume and makeup) who tried to take your flags.

We did *not* train to actually run the entire course. That would require a really dedicated cross-country, "Tough Mudder" trail runner type of person. We trained to be albe to walk when we could, and sprint when we had to.

To that end, we used "Couch to 5K" as a training base, and that worked really well for us. We had access to an indoor track, so we could train through the winter. Our basic goal was, "Be able to run for half an hour without stopping", and we had the upcoming event as a motivator. These things all helped set us up for success. Lack of a goal or motivator can really kill an exercise plan.


*There are "Run for Your Lives" events around the country. See http://www.runforyourlives.com/ for more information.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Wife is doing Couch-to-5K and has just started a TRX class (plus her dog agility training).

I do light calisthenics/strength plus a 5k run 4-5 days per week, strength/weights 1-2 days per week, and yoga + Bosu 1 day/week right now. I'm going to try a TRX class this weekend at my wife's recommendation; I really need to add some more strength and balance/flexibility to my program.

I haven't done a Run for Your Life or Tough Mudder, but I have done Warrior Dash. It was fun, but not really unusual.

 

[Janx]

Wife is doing Couch-to-5K and has just started a TRX class (plus her dog agility training).

My wife likes the Couch to 5K, but only gets about half-way through before sickness or injury (not incurred from the training) interferes so she has to stop, get better (3 months to get over a cold) and start over. Exercise is hard when the universe conspires against you.

 

[Kramodlog]

2 and half hour of gym, 4 days a week, to gain muscle mass. An hour and a half of bikram yoga (hot (109 degrees) yoga) 4 times a week, to burn fat, stretch and gain flexibility. Around 2,000 calories a day, mostly from proteans. I eat 2 or 3 chickens a week and lots of horse meat.

I'm 158 pounds now. I want to go down to 150 pounds and then go back to 175 pounds of pure lean meat.

 

[Morrus]

2 and half hour of gym, 4 days a week, to gain muscle mass. An hour and a half of bikram yoga (hot (109 degrees) yoga) 4 times a week, to burn fat, stretch and gain flexibility. Around 2,000 calories a day, mostly from proteans. I eat 2 or 3 chickens a week and lots of horse meat.

I'm 158 pounds now. I want to go down to 150 pounds and then go back to 175 pounds of pure lean meat.

General wisdom is bulk then cut, not the other way round. Using excess calories to gain muscle weight but not fat weight is next to impossible. The opposite is much easier.

 

[Umbran]

My wife likes the Couch to 5K, but only gets about half-way through before sickness or injury (not incurred from the training) interferes so she has to stop, get better (3 months to get over a cold) and start over. Exercise is hard when the universe conspires against you.

We got sidelined by colds during our winter training. And if it takes you an entire season to get over a cold, yes, that's going to put a crimp in your exercise plan. However, if it takes three months to get over a cold (as opposed to getting over bad flu, or bronchitis, or coughing asthma that you didn't know you had), that suggests to me that some other things going on may be getting in the way.

 

[Janx]

We got sidelined by colds during our winter training. And if it takes you an entire season to get over a cold, yes, that's going to put a crimp in your exercise plan. However, if it takes three months to get over a cold (as opposed to getting over bad flu, or bronchitis, or coughing asthma that you didn't know you had), that suggests to me that some other things going on may be getting in the way.

yep. Presumably it's bronchitis or whatever being triggered by the cold. The net effect is, get cold symptoms (coughing) and it lasts for 3 months.

Or twist an ankle.

Or hurt her back.

Or starts a medical thing that requires restricts her to light duty

It's nuts. She actually gets into really good shape and enjoys it when she's on a roll. But each time, hits a setback and that resets everything.

 

[Dog Moon]

I'd actually lost about 60 pounds over the course of a year and a half. Then I sorta didn't go anywhere. It was mainly through stopping drinking soda and very limiting of my junk food. Amazing how doing that can make a person lose weight instead of gaining.

Now I'm trying to focus a little on eating better portions of healthier foods, but with some fun stuff. I also started doing the Insanity Fitness a couple of days ago. And soon I should be starting a job that is only about two miles away. Can either walk or bike that for additional exercise. So I'm hoping that by doing all this stuff I will be getting in better shape and will feel more comfortable with my body.

Cause I'm one of those people that posted in the other thread about being in poor physical shape.