The Fitness Thread

[HalfStep]

As someone who has rubbed successes in rubix's face before, it's quite a great feeling.

[Poison-]

If you guys want to help Rubix, you should be supportive, not rubbing success in his face. I don't think it's going to do any good.

[Reincarnate]

Rubix, stop being a wuss. You'll either have the excuses all your life [...]

I'm the last person on earth that needs this explained to them -- I really do mean that. My problem isn't pushing through failure.

My "excuses" would make a lot more sense if you knew certain things about my upbringing, so I'm not angry at your post and can chalk that up to justifiable ignorance. I've only come to understand in recent months that the abuse I grew up with actually has a *name* for it. This isn't an appropriate place to discuss such things, though. Certain things have a profound influence over the notions of working out/going to a gym/etc for me.

My point is that working out, for me, is a lot more than simply overcoming the struggles of mustering up the energy to go through the motions. There are additional mental costs to work through, and it's not going to work for me unless I have a plan I can stick to at first. "Experimenting" is out of the question for me at this stage. In other words, I need to at least bootstrap the process, which is a more than reasonable request from a novice.

If I have a working plan, I have zero issues sticking to it. I had a plan before (All-Pro) but couldn't do the squats. But the last thing I want to do is suffer for 6 months or more for no reason when it'd take ten minutes for an experienced person to construct a working plan that makes sense and has built-in safeguards against common mistakes.

[Wayward Vagabond]

Being supportive isn't working. The next beat thing is to show him that its possible then rub it in his face. Then he'll be like fuck that shit imma do it too.

[Wayward Vagabond]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

Huh? Why on earth do you want to rub successes in my face?

8==D~~~

[Senip]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

I'm the last person on earth that needs this explained to them -- I really do mean that. My problem isn't pushing through failure.

My "excuses" would make a lot more sense if you knew certain things about my upbringing, so I'm not angry at your post and can chalk that up to justifiable ignorance. I've only come to understand in recent months that the abuse I grew up with actually has a *name* for it. This isn't an appropriate place to discuss such things, though. Certain things have a profound influence over the notions of working out/going to a gym/etc for me.

My point is that working out, for me, is a lot more than simply overcoming the struggles of mustering up the energy to go through the motions. There are additional mental costs to work through, and it's not going to work for me unless I have a plan I can stick to at first. "Experimenting" is out of the question for me at this stage. In other words, I need to at least bootstrap the process, which is a more than reasonable request from a novice.

If I have a working plan, I have zero issues sticking to it. I had a plan before (All-Pro) but couldn't do the squats. But the last thing I want to do is suffer for 6 months or more for no reason when it'd take ten minutes for an experienced person to construct a working plan that makes sense and has built-in safeguards against common mistakes.

We all have our own demons. I could go into the shit that happened to me, which would explain a lot of why I'm the way I am, but it doesn't matter. I sucked it up and did it, rather than sitting around and saying "if I had a plan, I could do it!" hire a coach, do whatever it requires. There's so many people out there that can help you, from low cost like Steve Poynter to moderate like Christian Coronato to freakin John Meadows, who is the coolest coach I've ever met.

The problem is that we, as a forum, are not qualified to make you "a plan". We don't have the training, and we certainly don't have the liability insurance if we tell you to do something stupid and you snap an arm doing some crazy cross fit shit. There are boot camps literally all over the nation where you can go in, and they will beat you into the ground. Look around your area for a boot camp, do it a few times, then just do whatever the hell theyre having you do there on your off days.

[Senip]

Originally Posted by Poison-

If you guys want to help Rubix, you should be supportive, not rubbing success in his face. I don't think it's going to do any good.

I would love to be supportive. But this is what he does. We give him an idea of something to do, or like in Reach's case, make him a plan.

He finds some flaw, some minor issue that doesn't really matter, we tell him, okay, either fix it, or don't do it. Then he stops cold.

I'm literally not the person to be rubbing "success" in someone's face, I am hardly successful. But to not even try because of something like "I cant do this correctly" just blows my mind.

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by Senip

I would love to be supportive. But this is what he does. We give him an idea of something to do, or like in Reach's case, make him a plan.

He finds some flaw, some minor issue that doesn't really matter, we tell him, okay, either fix it, or don't do it. Then he stops cold.

I'm literally not the person to be rubbing "success" in someone's face, I am hardly successful. But to not even try because of something like "I cant do this correctly" just blows my mind.

To be fair, what you're saying is ignorant. That's not why I've stopped.

Again, I'm not really interested in arguing this. I've explained where I'm coming from, so you're free to either ignore my posts, or if you're interested in helping, try to understand that I'm after something quite specific for specific reasons. If you're going to continue to project onto me then there's no point in discussing it.

Trying to discredit the magnitude of my issues by saying "we all have our demons" is borderline rude. Not everyone goes through the same struggles and it makes zero sense to try comparing them across any two people.

[Senip]

I'm...projecting on you? I'm telling you to hire a coach, because we can't help you.

I'm not comparing them at all, I'm saying either you control your issues, or your issues control you.

[top]

so, not to be pushy, selfish, etc. can i get at least some input on my routine?

[Senip]

Whats your routine?

[Reincarnate]

Originally Posted by Senip

I'm...projecting on you? I'm telling you to hire a coach, because we can't help you.

I'm not comparing them at all, I'm saying either you control your issues, or your issues control you.

I'm using the term incorrectly/very loosely, but what I mean by projecting in this context is overlaying your own thoughts/attitudes/experiences about something onto someone else, mistakenly assuming that it's a valid comparison/translation to make.

And you are comparing them. You're saying "we all have our demons / look at me, I worked through mine!" Again, it's that "projection" again. You're right in saying that you either control your issues, or your issues control you -- but you assume that all issues can be controlled by willpower alone. Some things are so deeply rooted that there are physical reactions/implications.

It may very well be the case that I have to hire someone, but I've gotten sufficiently good at a variety of disciplines to know that what I'm asking for doesn't require it at all. My questions are, at their core, extremely basic. I think the problem is that when it comes to nutrition/fitness/working out, there are so many variables to take into account so perhaps there really is no such thing as "basic advice" past a few general heuristics.

And so in some sense I am projecting back: I feel like if I got good at this and had success, I'd be able to look back on this moment and say, "What the heck was so hard about my questions that you couldn't answer them? This is so obvious."

[Senip]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

I'm using the term incorrectly/very loosely, but what I mean by projecting in this context is overlaying your own thoughts/attitudes/experiences about something onto someone else, mistakenly assuming that it's a valid comparison/translation to make.

And you are comparing them. You're saying "we all have our demons / look at me, I worked through mine!" Again, it's that "projection" again. You're right in saying that you either control your issues, or your issues control you -- but you assume that all issues can be controlled by willpower alone. Some things are so deeply rooted that there are physical reactions/implications.

It may very well be the case that I have to hire someone, but I've gotten sufficiently good at a variety of disciplines to know that what I'm asking for doesn't require it at all. My questions are, at their core, extremely basic. I think the problem is that when it comes to nutrition/fitness/working out, there are so many variables to take into account so perhaps there really is no such thing as "basic advice" past a few general heuristics.

And so in some sense I am projecting back: I feel like if I got good at this and had success, I'd be able to look back on this moment and say, "What the heck was so hard about my questions that you couldn't answer it? This is so obvious."

Heh. I understand what you mean completely. But the thing is, that willpower will help.

Man, I hired a coach. I hired someone to help me with everything to do with my fitness. That's your ego, at the core. If you had someone who said "okay, eat this, do this, dont do this, call me if you have questions", you would be so much better off. Fitness is stressful, and the more stress you get, the more cortisol is released and the fatter you get. So why would you not do something that easy, and then just fuckin run with it? Hell, even p90x has a diet plan, thats why it works. They give you a diet, they give you the exercises, they give you no room to second guess yourself.

[top]

Originally Posted by Senip

Whats your routine?

Originally Posted by top

i'm going to post my workout in hopes that somebody will tell me whether or not what i'm doing is a good idea.

weight: 150lbs
height: 6'1"

(what these mean is that i go do this activity once a day for 3 days, then i switch to the next.)
3 mile run - 3 days
hill sprints - 3 days
wind sprints - 3 days
after whatever running activity i do, i come home and proceed to do this workout...
key: * = 1 min, ~ = 30 sec
wide grip pushup*
rest~
v-up*
rest~
mid grip pushup (normal pushup)*
rest~
reverse situp*
rest~
close grip pushup*
rest~
bicycle kick*

repeat workout 2 more times.
after this workout, which i THINK is doing a pretty awesome job, i do...

20 seconds of pushups 10 seconds of rest, i do this until i reach muscle failure.
side plank for 2 min on each side (1 min intervals w/ 30 sec - 1min rest in between)
wall sit 5 min (1 min intervals w/ 30 sec - 1 min rest in between)
squats 5 min (1 min intervals w/ 30 sec - 1 min rest in between)
calf raises 5 min (same rest period, you get it now i assume)

finally, i stretch and have a big, hearty meal.

so any suggestions? or am i doing okay?
edit: i really want to get up to about 165 - 175 pounds, like i was when i went to AIT for Army training..

any help is appreciated, i was just want to make sure i'm not gonna fuck my body up

[Syhto]

i thought he was just explaining the process of success, not rubbing it in anyones face

but honestly, all of the arguing is pointless because 1 side is claiming ignorance and the other side is really is clueless because the first side won't fully explain their situation. and as far as I can tell it's already a lost cause. what gets me is that this is the fitness thread, but every post I see of yours rubix, if I do happen to click, is just saying you can't do it because you haven't honed the process, or can't measure progress. or something.

all I'M saying, is keep looking for new approaches. the road to fitness is definitely a lifestyle and i think we all know that. but believe and work and the results will come. no negativity here, just unadulterated advice. Cut down on carbs and do a body weight program at home, eat lots of vegetables, drink lots of water. The scale WILL move, but if you keep hyperoveranalyzing, it will be hard. And it will continue to be hard until you can somehow wedge it into your mind that you cannot put a working gauge on this; the only real gauge you have is your own being. You are training your body, and your mind, in fact, I'd say it's a journey of conquering your mind. Mind over matter, you can do anything. So you push through the pain, in order to get to that next level, or to improve strength. You push past limits, then your limits increase. But it's not about finding some sort of equation that will make it all work. , at least not right off the bat.

No i don't know what your problem is but I do know how to get in shape, lol. It's called exercise. try it sometime LMFAO jk ok now I'm making fun of you but seriously. Just find a good diet and something that works for you! no need to be afraid of not getting results, because a lot of time it's trial and error. But don't stop, especially building strength, because that will build momentum and help you get to where you want to be.

aka go do some push ups bro

[Reach]

Originally Posted by Reincarnate

I think my fear is going through all the mental toil of keeping myself motivated/overhauling my diet for many months only to find that not much happens. In general I want to know that I'm doing the best exercises I can with what I have so that I'm using time more efficiently. I want to walk out of the gym knowing that I did everything correctly -- that I did the best I could possibly do -- and that everything's going according to plan. Without that confidence/plan, it's nerve-wracking as hell.

I know the counter-response to that kind of argument is "Well, not going to the gym at all guarantees no change. Any time spent is better than no time spent at all." It's true, but also incomplete due to the fact that there is mental upkeep to the whole thing. Motivation's really hard for me, and so I don't like flying blindly -- and there is a legitimately-true cutoff point in my mind where I think, "Even if I lost only five pounds over this planned timespan, that's not worth the effort."

I missed this earlier, so:

I know that fear, because I have the same fear myself even to this day.

That's why you track #s, and from there, above all else you need to be patient. I know last time you tracked #s, and you made progress. However, I think you expected progress faster than you were getting it, and ostensibly gave up instead of continuing onward (in which case you could have lost another 20+ lbs as of today).

I'm being 100% honest with you when I say the exercise doesn't really matter that much. You just need to burn some calories and build a bit of muscle to increase your metabolic rate, and almost any resistance exercise will do this if you stick with it.

The rest is almost entirely diet. You already know how to diet. You have to stick with it.

I guess at the end of the day whether or not it's worth it to you is your decision, not mine, but to me it's obvious you want to change or you wouldn't be posting here. If you're unhappy about something and want to change it, you have to want to put in the work. I know you already know this. You're a smart guy with a top SAT score that went to an Ivy league school. If you put even 1/10th of the effort all of that must have taken into fitness you could probably achieve you goals, but ultimately you have to find your own intrinsic motivation to do it somewhere.

It's easier to give up or half ass it than to do it right. That much I do know, because that used to be me.

Either way you cut it, you know what the end result will be. You'll be in the same situation you are now or worse if you don't change. Or you make the changes necessary to get what you want. The motivation to get the latter has to come from somewhere inside of you.


Also, Senip's advice on getting a coach would probably benefit someone like yourself dramatically. It's no guarantee, you still need intrinsic motivation, but a good coach can go a long way in giving you motivation and setting you on the right path. I'd look into it.

when it comes to nutrition/fitness/working out, there are so many variables to take into account so perhaps there really is no such thing as "basic advice" past a few general heuristics.

Yes, exactly.

[Senip]

Originally Posted by top

any help is appreciated, i was just want to make sure i'm not gonna fuck my body up

That's a lot of cardio. I know you're trying to get in shape for armed forces, so that's good, but you need to make sure you're actually gaining weight, which judging by the fact that you're that tall and that small will be an uphill battle to begin with. Do you have a way to do pull ups? Those, I would argue, are pretty important, especially for an athlete/soldier.

Your diet is going to be more important on gaining, the workout seems alright (minus so much fucking cardio haha)

[top]

Originally Posted by Senip

That's a lot of cardio. I know you're trying to get in shape for armed forces, so that's good, but you need to make sure you're actually gaining weight, which judging by the fact that you're that tall and that small will be an uphill battle to begin with. Do you have a way to do pull ups? Those, I would argue, are pretty important, especially for an athlete/soldier.

Your diet is going to be more important on gaining, the workout seems alright (minus so much fucking cardio haha)

okay, i'll cut down on my runs so i can actually gain weight lol. i had a feeling i was doing too much. i'm pretty sure i can find a way to do pull ups as well. i'll also make sure to eat a lot more food than i normally would. (i usually eat one "average" meal and one big meal after my workout, with munching throughout the day) thanks for your input!

[Senip]

I dunno, maybe IF does that, but it seems to me that the number 1 problem with people that say they're hard gainers is that theyre like "i eat all this stuff!" then you get em to write it down, and they end up only eating like 1k a day or whatever.

[Renevatia]

Originally Posted by Senip

I dunno, maybe IF does that, but it seems to me that the number 1 problem with people that say they're hard gainers is that theyre like "i eat all this stuff!" then you get em to write it down, and they end up only eating like 1k a day or whatever.

That was pretty much exactly how it went down for me...