The Official Exercise/Fitness Thread v. Run Forest, Run!

[jingle.boy]

I finished month 1 of the “Max Size” program from Athlean-X, and made some noticeable gains on my lifts. I’m gonna take a ‘recovery’ week and do some low key cardio, maybe a couple of light duty lifting sessions, and start month/phase 2 next Saturday.

Awesome job. Sounds like it was a good program. I might have a peek to see if it's something the piques my interest

I bought it last year at Christmas time when he was offering all programs of Buy 1 / get a 2nd 50% off.  I'd put battle ropes on my Christmas list, and mrs.jingle wanted to get them for me, but couldn't find any anywhere.  Turns out, it would've been really difficult to use in the only place in the house I could make it work (I don't have a room big enough to use them in, so the setup would've needed to go thru the doorway to my workout room.  Not ideal.  When I saw these programs on sale, I decided to swap that birthday gift. 

Max Size is really simple - each routine (at least, in month 1) was 2 body parts with one move each.  For instance, push/pull day was incline DB press and BB underhand row.  10x10 of the former, and 10x5 of the latter.  Then week 2, you swap the moves (so the DB press is 10x5 and row is 10x10).  Then week 3/4, you do the same thing, but super-set them (with rest between sets).  Every set has a strict 60 second rest period.  There's also a 'finisher' move for each body part to really get failure/burn fatigue.

It probably sounds complicated just trying to type it up, but the program is very straight forward so far.  I gained 5-10lbs on most of the DB moves (incline press, o/h press, tricep extensions).

[cramx3]

Evermind's park run pic inspired me to go to a local park over the weekend and do some trails while the weather was still nice.  Really enjoyed it, I should do that more often.  Just two different 1 mile loops that I walked.

[Evermind]

Evermind's park run pic inspired me to go to a local park over the weekend and do some trails while the weather was still nice.  Really enjoyed it, I should do that more often.  Just two different 1 mile loops that I walked.

[Chino]

I'm starting to feel myself lose steam. After months of going hard and getting to 92lbs lost, I think I'm finally starting to get tired and hit a wall. It's not helping at all that winter is rapidly approaching. It's raining a lot more often, and when I go outside at 5:30 to start my morning walk, it's in the high 30s/low 40s. I don't mean to be a bitch about it, but that's chilly, and single digit temps aren't far away. It's kind of killing my mood too because I was making really good progress. My 7+ miles a day has become 3.5 because of the weather. I have the treadmill, but after about 10 minutes of that I really start to hate it. 

[jingle.boy]

I'm starting to feel myself lose steam. After months of going hard and getting to 92lbs lost, I think I'm finally starting to get tired and hit a wall. It's not helping at all that winter is rapidly approaching. It's raining a lot more often, and when I go outside at 5:30 to start my morning walk, and it's in the high 30s/low 40s. I don't mean to be a bitch about it, but that's chilly, and single digit temps aren't far away. It's kind of killing my mood too because I was making really good progress. My 7+ miles a day has become 3.5 because of the weather. I have the treadmill, but after about 10 minutes of that I really start to hate it.

mrs.jingle finally is getting back on the treadmill.  We've got a TV right in front of it, and with an Apple TV, there's an app called Happy Trails - a virtual / simulated walking or running video.  1-week free trial; $7.99 / mo after that.  When I get on the exercise bike (I hate the treadmill), I typically like to fire up my concert DVDs... great way to multi-task.

Do other forms of exercise interest you, Brian?

[The Walrus]

I'm feeling Chino's energy right now. I get off work at 5 and the sunset is clocking in at 6:05, and the cold is beginning to get rough in the morning and evening. And since the gym still enforces mask wearing, I'm not about to sign back up for the winter like I had planned to. I guess I'll just bundle up more and hope we don't get much snow. Exercising at home is nice but I want that fresh air still.

[Chino]

I'm starting to feel myself lose steam. After months of going hard and getting to 92lbs lost, I think I'm finally starting to get tired and hit a wall. It's not helping at all that winter is rapidly approaching. It's raining a lot more often, and when I go outside at 5:30 to start my morning walk, and it's in the high 30s/low 40s. I don't mean to be a bitch about it, but that's chilly, and single digit temps aren't far away. It's kind of killing my mood too because I was making really good progress. My 7+ miles a day has become 3.5 because of the weather. I have the treadmill, but after about 10 minutes of that I really start to hate it.

mrs.jingle finally is getting back on the treadmill.  We've got a TV right in front of it, and with an Apple TV, there's an app called Happy Trails - a virtual / simulated walking or running video.  1-week free trial; $7.99 / mo after that.  When I get on the exercise bike (I hate the treadmill), I typically like to fire up my concert DVDs... great way to multi-task.

Do other forms of exercise interest you, Brian?

I wouldn't mind having a quality recumbent bike. It's not so much the exercise of the treadmill that bothers me. I mean, I like jogging outside and all. I just feel like it's not stimulating and there's no reward outside the health aspects. When I'm exercising outside, there's a million different routes I could take. It's an opportunity to hang with my dog, get some air, observe and say hello to my neighbors, see the nurses from the nearby medical facility on their lunch walk every day, have the occasional bear encounter, breathe fresh air, see the sun rise, etc..   

Even with a TV, I just find myself bored beyond belief on a treadmill. It feels like a chore, whereas going outside feels like enjoyment even if you ignore the healthy elements. Twenty minutes feels like an hour, and an hour feels like a work day.

[Evermind]

I'm feeling Chino's energy right now. I get off work at 5 and the sunset is clocking in at 6:05, and the cold is beginning to get rough in the morning and evening. And since the gym still enforces mask wearing, I'm not about to sign back up for the winter like I had planned to. I guess I'll just bundle up more and hope we don't get much snow. Exercising at home is nice but I want that fresh air still.

Yeah it's now officially the season where I leave my apartment and it's dark, I get back from work and it's dark again.

[cramx3]

My thought on things getting stale is to maybe try to change it up.  I've been biking in my basement that the walk outside this weekend felt refreshing and re-invigorating.  I dont know though, I've experienced my own ups and downs.  I think a short break could be OK too, like you've done so well so maybe taking a few days off to change your mindset a bit can help. 

I've found that watching TV shows helps the time go by on my basement bike rides.  Like, binge watch a show but only when I'm on the bike and then I find myself wanting to bike more to keep up with the show, or if I'm tired but there's like 5 more minutes, I push on.  I've watched almost all of this season of Big Brother while biking (there's 3x 1 hour episodes a week) and this is the final week so I've got to find a new TV show for my biking sessions.

[jingle.boy]

I guess that's the rub with a firm correlation between exercise program and the outdoors - when the weather outside is shit and uncooperative, that puts a dent in the fitness plans.  For me, I'm much more centered around weights and HIIT as my primary activities.  Outdoors is nice to have for the latter, and/or a routine that I can do with a single set of DBs.  But otherwise, just switching to bike/treadmill is itself mixing it up for me - so I've got no beefs with that.

Different strokes, or as I like to say .... TASTES^TM

[The Walrus]

I'd like to get some weights but it's not in the budget right now unfortunately. I guess I could do a Herschel Walker and just do 1500 pushups and situps every day

[Chino]

I understand supply and demand, but I can't believe what home weights are selling for right now. What I bought 3 years ago for $200 would be $750 today, minimum.

No joke.

[SchecterShredder]

Another suggestion if you really hate your treadmill is to do harder workouts on the bloody thing. It still won't get you outdoors, but if you don't like boredom, just spend less time on it. If you're walking for an hour right now, try 20 minutes with a good incline. Or what always worked for me back in the day was to do 1 min hard 1 min easy intervals. It makes a workout go so much faster because you're clock watching with a purpose when every minute you have to change something (pace or incline).

[The Walrus]

^^ that always worked for me. 30 seconds sprint, 1 minute rest. 20 cycles is half an hour and you'll be feeling it.

[cramx3]

I split my time between the bike and dumbbell exercises.  Like do 3 miles on the bike (10 minutes) then do a round of weight training and then get back on the bike and so on.  In 30 minutes, you'll have done a solid work out.  If time allows (it usually does on my work from home days) then I come back and do it again.  I have a hard time doing one activity for so long, plus my butt starts to hurt on the bike so I really don't like doing a full hour of just biking unless I'm really trying to push myself that day.

[Evermind]

Still better on the outside though.

I kinda get Brian's point of view. There's no way I'll be running on a treadmill. I enjoy the exercise but mostly I enjoy views and the nature and the overall atmosphere on my runs. That's why I always wanted to get into running/biking. I mean, the treadmill is certainly better than nothing, but I'd rather get warmer clothes and bundle up and still do the outside thing.

I watched a video a few months ago right before I got into running about the running community of people in Oymyakon, a Russian settlement in the north-east. They run the whole year. Here's a quote from the article:

Some years the temperature drops below 0 °C (32 °F) in late September and may remain below freezing until mid-April. In Oymyakon sometimes the average minimum temperature for December, January, and February remains below −50 °C (−58 °F). Sometimes summer months can also be quite cold, but June and July are the only months where the temperature has never dropped below −10 °C (14 °F). Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk are the only two permanently inhabited places in the world that have recorded temperatures below −60.0 °C (−76 °F) for every day in January.

Oymyakon has never recorded an above-freezing temperature between 25 October and 17 March.

I mean if they can do it, I see no excuse to stop doing outside walks at 0°F or -15°С. But watch me take that statement back when my city hits -15°C.

[jingle.boy]

I understand supply and demand, but I can't believe what home weights are selling for right now. What I bought 3 years ago for $200 would be $750 today, minimum.

No joke.

That's because virtually the whole world has to transition their gym membership to a home gym.  Took me 3 weeks to find a place that had plates, but fortunately, they were still legit on their prices.  $500 CAD (includes taxes) for a 275lb set, and a 6' Olympic Bar.

[wolfking]

I think you either have to adapt and suck it up, or as Cram said change it up.  You get stale doing similar things, it's only natural you need to alter things.  Sometimes you have to think about the reasons you are doing what you are doing.  Also keep goals in mind.  Hopefully the drive of your success and progress can keep you powering through those tough times.

[wolfking]

Still better on the outside though.

I kinda get Brian's point of view. There's no way I'll be running on a treadmill. I enjoy the exercise but mostly I enjoy views and the nature and the overall atmosphere on my runs. That's why I always wanted to get into running/biking. I mean, the treadmill is certainly better than nothing, but I'd rather get warmer clothes and bundle up and still do the outside thing.

I watched a video a few months ago right before I got into running about the running community of people in Oymyakon, a Russian settlement in the north-east. They run the whole year. Here's a quote from the article:

Some years the temperature drops below 0 °C (32 °F) in late September and may remain below freezing until mid-April. In Oymyakon sometimes the average minimum temperature for December, January, and February remains below −50 °C (−58 °F). Sometimes summer months can also be quite cold, but June and July are the only months where the temperature has never dropped below −10 °C (14 °F). Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk are the only two permanently inhabited places in the world that have recorded temperatures below −60.0 °C (−76 °F) for every day in January.

Oymyakon has never recorded an above-freezing temperature between 25 October and 17 March.

I mean if they can do it, I see no excuse to stop doing outside walks at 0°F or -15°С. But watch me take that statement back when my city hits -15°C.

During the winter I was much preferring running on the treadmill as opposed to the 5 degree C mornings when I could.  I did that for a bit and was challenging so I think I have a bit of an idea on what you guys are saying.  It was a challenge getting up at 5am and running in the dark and the cold during COVIDCOVID indeed and certainly needed to dig deep.

[SchecterShredder]

I mean if they can do it, I see no excuse to stop doing outside walks at 0°F or -15°С. But watch me take that statement back when my city hits -15°C.

I had a similar conversation with some mtb riding friends yesterday after having to pull teeth to get them to come out for the ride. These 2 guys have been mulling over whether or not to buy fat bikes for winter trails, and I pointed out that if they can't be motivated to ride trails when it's only -5C (as it was yesterday), then there's no way in hell they'd ever ride fat bikes at -20C or colder in January/February.

I will honestly tell you that I'd rather run/walk/cycle/insert just about any other activity in -30C temps than +30C. I can dress in layers if need be for the cold, but once you hit a certain level of heat there's nothing you can do be suffer. Fuck that, I'll wear a jacket.

[jingle.boy]

Nah, not me. I love working out on my pool deck when it’s 30 ish degrees. I’ll put up the umbrella, and do some HIIT in the shade, and get a mean sweat going. Plus, it’s the only place I can skip rope, as I don’t have the ceiling clearance in my workout room.

[wolfking]

Nah, not me. I love working out on my pool deck when it’s 30 ish degrees. I’ll put up the umbrella, and do some HIIT in the shade, and get a mean sweat going. Plus, it’s the only place I can skip rope, as I don’t have the ceiling clearance in my workout room.

For some reason, reading this gave me a real Top Gun beach volleyball scene image in my head.

[jingle.boy]

Nah, not me. I love working out on my pool deck when it’s 30 ish degrees. I’ll put up the umbrella, and do some HIIT in the shade, and get a mean sweat going. Plus, it’s the only place I can skip rope, as I don’t have the ceiling clearance in my workout room.

For some reason, reading this game me a real Top Gun beach volleyball scene image in my head.

[H2]

So at 29, first time in my life - knee pain. F. I think the main cause are in-and-out abs (basically jumping in from a plank, as one does in the first part of a burpee). After triggering this pain a few times, I'm gonna take a two week break, as I've been pounding my body pretty hard these past three months or so. Then I'll figure out what to do next.

[wolfking]

So at 29, first time in my life - knee pain. F. I think the main cause are in-and-out abs (basically jumping in from a plank, as one does in the first part of a burpee). After triggering this pain a few times, I'm gonna take a two week break, as I've been pounding my body pretty hard these past three months or so. Then I'll figure out what to do next.

Are you doing lots of stretching mate?  I've found a lot of simple knee pain can be alleviated by a lot of good quad and hip flexor stretching.

[H2]

So at 29, first time in my life - knee pain. F. I think the main cause are in-and-out abs (basically jumping in from a plank, as one does in the first part of a burpee). After triggering this pain a few times, I'm gonna take a two week break, as I've been pounding my body pretty hard these past three months or so. Then I'll figure out what to do next.

Are you doing lots of stretching mate?  I've found a lot of simple knee pain can be alleviated by a lot of good quad and hip flexor stretching.

When I was running, honestly no. But with Insanity, they've got stretching, which feels substantial. A lot of hip flexor stretching. I think I've just been doing it for too long and too hard. It's not supposed to be a permanent program, and they acknowledge this.

[jingle.boy]

So at 29, first time in my life - knee pain. F. I think the main cause are in-and-out abs (basically jumping in from a plank, as one does in the first part of a burpee). After triggering this pain a few times, I'm gonna take a two week break, as I've been pounding my body pretty hard these past three months or so. Then I'll figure out what to do next.

Are you doing lots of stretching mate?  I've found a lot of simple knee pain can be alleviated by a lot of good quad and hip flexor stretching.

When I was running, honestly no. But with Insanity, they've got stretching, which feels substantial. A lot of hip flexor stretching. I think I've just been doing it for too long and too hard. It's not supposed to be a permanent program, and they acknowledge this.

Yeah, a lot of those plank movements in the program can be punishing on the knees.  Coupled with the amount of jumping, it's a grind.  Better question ( ), what kind of surface are you on?  Do you have nice foam tiles or a good thick mat?  I found that made a huge difference.  Same with the quality of shoes you have.  A couple years ago I was doing it straight on my back deck - no mat at all, and often times with just my 5-finger shoes (which have NO arch support).  Carpeting alone won't absorb much of the shock.

All these little things can add up.

[SchecterShredder]

Not sure if it's because i haven't done any real leg work since the start of road cycling season, but yesterday i did a deck of cards with goblet squats and deadlifts, and I'm fucking devastated right now. I can't even really say i did the deck because i stopped after 25min with a full 1/3 of the cards still neatly stacked, patiently waiting their turn. I'm struggling to bend down to pick anything up from the floor

[jingle.boy]

I'm about to start month 2 of the Max Size program tonight, and I'm (not) looking forward to it.  Chest/Tris tonight, and mother of god does this look like it's going to knock me on my ass.  Quads/hammies tomorrow looks even more of a bitch-slap

[wolfking]

I'm about to start month 2 of the Max Size program tonight, and I'm (not) looking forward to it.  Chest/Tris tonight, and mother of god does this look like it's going to knock me on my ass.  Quads/hammies tomorrow looks even more of a bitch-slap

Attack that shit mate.  Get into it, enjoy it.

[jingle.boy]

I'm about to start month 2 of the Max Size program tonight, and I'm (not) looking forward to it.  Chest/Tris tonight, and mother of god does this look like it's going to knock me on my ass.  Quads/hammies tomorrow looks even more of a bitch-slap

Attack that shit mate.  Get into it, enjoy it.

Here's what I have in store tonight:

Chest:
1a: Floor flyes (6-9 rep max)
1b: Incline db press (6-9 rep max)
<2 sets; super; 2-min rest between supersets>

2: Incline db press iso-hold (at bottom) to failure
<3 sets; 90 second rest between)

3. BB bench press (6-9 rep max)
<5 sets>

4. DB incline bench (bottom 1/2 range of motion; reps to failure) --> Dip iso hold (30 seconds) --> Cable x-overs (perform only crossover range of motion (reps to failure)
<1 set, complete cycle>

Tris:
1a: Kickbacks (6-9 rep max)
1b: Incline db extension (6-9 rep max)
<2 sets; super; 2-min rest between supersets>

2: Incline db extension iso hold (to failure)
<3 sets; 90 second rest between)

3. Close grip bench press (6-9 rep max)
<5 sets>

4. Tri pushdowns to failure; 30 second rest, then 1/5x number of reps (pause when needed, but don't release the bar/rope)

[wolfking]

Chad, do you ever feel following a strict workout routine can be somewhat a distraction to the actual workout?

For me when I'm locked in and in the zone, there is nothing I would hate more than reading a piece of paper or my phone for the next exercise and rep range.  Does it not take any of the impulse and momentum away from the training?  Serious question.

[jingle.boy]

Chad, do you ever feel following a strict workout routine can be somewhat a distraction to the actual workout?

For me when I'm locked in and in the zone, there is nothing I would hate more than reading a piece of paper or my phone for the next exercise and rep range.  Does it not take any of the impulse and momentum away from the training?  Serious question.

Totally fair question.  And I see your point, and how it can be an interruption or distraction.  But no, I've never thought that at all.  For me, I've always found I got my best results when following a program.  I'm no PT, so whenever I try to do things entirely on my own, it seems like I'm winging it with no decent plan, and no understanding of what I should be doing to maximize results and my time.  I basically look at the programs that I've done (p90x, Insanity, the Athlean-X ones I've done, along with a couple of others) as a virtual personal trainer.  I'll gladly take the advice of guys with years/decades of experience in personal training, expert advice, best practices, guidance on form etc... .  I only look at my iPad as a reminder of the movement/rep-range during my rest times anyway, so it's no biggie as far as I'm concerned.  I have a white-board in my workout room where I can write down my results, then input them into the tracker tool after the workout.

The Athlean programs have brief walk-thru videos to demonstrate the moves/sets/timing (they're usually between 4-12 minutes depending on how many movements there are), and I'll watch those before my workout, so in all actuality, there isn't a lot of referring back to my device.  The p90x and Insanity programs were follow-along videos, so that wasn't a chore at all.

That's just me.

[SchecterShredder]

The only time i ever followed a program strictly there were rest intervals between sets, so i would just look up the next move during my last rest interval. But I'm also the type of person who would check every move in the without to make sure:

 a)i know how to do the moves
 b) have the equipment/weights for the exercises
 c) don't need to, or already did, modify/replace any exercises i shouldn't do because of injury or physical limitation (i.e. my osteoarthritis)

Wolf, i will say that anytime i do a new workout that has no rest until the end (usually 6 or 7min of EMOM exercises, followed by a rest interval) i find that m distracted in those last 10 or so seconds of every minute while i look up the next exercise. In those cases though I've probably written then out in large print on paper and taped it to the wall in my gym.

[H2]

I agree with following something strict, but also that loading the phone up is a buzzkill. When I actually went to the gym back in the day (back in March), I kept all my workouts on an index card, so I could quickly check what my new weight would be and so on. It worked well for me.