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The Exercise & Fitness Thread: The Struggle Is Real

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Cheers Jim! 

Gotta spend some time this weekend figuring out how to get into a calorie excess given I never really sit still. But I'm looking forward to trying some recipes I've had saved for a while that I've not been able to have. 

On that note yesterday I had my first bit of bread, wine and non-cottage cheese for four months (other than two pieces of bruschette and a glass of wine back in mid-June) so that was fun. 

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I've been going back to the office a bit more regularly now, twice a week, which makes it possible for me to hit the heavier weights a bit more often (as well as biking 11 km each way). Usually I've been doing back squats in sets of 10s and landed on about 70 kg but wanted to go a little heavier yesterday so went for sets of 6. At 80 kg I just couldn't do anymore than 5 reps, though. That's well below what I would have expected since that was relatively easy for me a couple of years ago. Oh well. But I am a bit surprised at me being able to do 10*70 kg but only 5*80 kg!

Besides squats, I also try to do as many pull-ups as I can muster in the time I'm in the gym (about 25 minutes). I can't do that at home at all.

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Sigh. Got some pains in my left arm, seems to be coming from where the biceps joins the elbow: "distal biceps tendon". I noticed it when I carried my young one around, I usually have him on my left arm and it started hurting a month ago. Now, adding a bit more regular pull-ups and perhaps not warming up as much as I should, I feel it a bit more. So I'll be taking a break from pulling too much the next month. Yay! :( 

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I can confirm that the struggle is still real. Pelotoning twice a week (down from 5 times per being a dad) and not able to find much time for weights at all. 
 

Peloton saved me over lockdown. I shudder to think the size I would be without it. 

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My PT is away after tomorrow until the new year but thankfully he's giving me the keys to the gym although I'm going to have to rely on myself which could be a problem!

He's also leaving the country around the end of January and at that point I'm truly fucked.

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My PT is away after tomorrow until the new year but thankfully he's giving me the keys to the gym although I'm going to have to rely on myself which could be a problem!
He's also leaving the country around the end of January and at that point I'm truly fucked.
Do you still get to keep the keys when he leaves the country?

If so, it sounds like a win to me.

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1 minute ago, bob said:

Do you still get to keep the keys when he leaves the country?

If so, it sounds like a win to me.

Given he's taking the equipment with him I don't think it'll help much. 

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12 hours ago, Raining_again said:

@Ashley jeeeeez you look amazing!

Thank you! 

It's changed a bit since then as I'm trying to bulk up and still trying to get the balance. But it's a process eh?

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On 03/12/2021 at 9:30 AM, Ashley said:

Thank you! 

It's changed a bit since then as I'm trying to bulk up and still trying to get the balance. But it's a process eh?

no doubt about it.  bulking without getting fat is so tough lol

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I recently learned that the world records for most push-ups in an hour was over 2000. That's totally crazy but it got me thinking - how many can I do in an hour?

No, I haven't tried that but I just finished a variant of it. I set myself to do 5 push-ups every minute on the minute for an hour but I diverged from that plan at the last moment, just going for 300 push-ups as fast as possible. So I did 60 times 5 push-ups and 5 air squats (just to add some legs to it), it took me 34 minutes and 23 seconds. Had a small break at about 18:40 which I didn't include because. Ihad to check on my son who was sleeping. I think that's actually quite fine. My arms are quite heavy now, though.

Generally, being on paternity leave gives me a bit more time to do some actual training now. My son sleeps about two hours in the morning so gives me about an hour to exercise and then an hour to do something else (at the moment just picking up older TV-shows that I haven't had the chance to see). 

Edited by MindFreak

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On 02/12/2021 at 11:50 AM, Ashley said:

My PT is away after tomorrow until the new year but thankfully he's giving me the keys to the gym although I'm going to have to rely on myself which could be a problem!

He's also leaving the country around the end of January and at that point I'm truly fucked.

My last session with him was the end of last month (he's now leaving in a week or so but needed time to pack up the equipment etc). Got a new PT in the end who was his PT previously. It's obviously a different relationship but it's been going okay. At the moment I'm doing 10 sessions a month (2 one week, 3 the next) but I might just bump that up. 

He's got me on a partial stretching partial weights routine for a few weeks because my body is stiff. 

Still not used to having to share space/equipment though, that's not fun. Thankfully it's usually pretty quiet but this morning there was only one other person in there and we both wanted the same dumbbells so we alternated but I miss having private space. And never understood why gyms don't have multiples of the smaller weights. 

I've also been a bit ridiculous and joint two gyms. One is a muscle bros kind of one which I use for weights and the other is more of a health spa thing which I use for stretching days and for the pool/sauna to unwind and socialise with a friend that goes there. Figured why not eh. 

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I have signed up for the Nijmegen 4 days Marches (apparently better known internationally under the dumb name "walk of the world") for the first time. Over 45000 people from various countries come to Nijmegen to walk 50 km (30 miles) on each of the 4 days of the event.

https://www.4daagse.nl/en

There will be a draw, in April I'll hear if I can actually participate. The event itself is in July.

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Paternity leave is good for my physical condition. I've had the time to actually do some weights now, last I did front squats, 5*10 reps at 60 kg which is pleasing. Bench press is at 50 kg for 10 reps. I don't have more than 60 kg though so it's hard to become stronger. Endurance is good, though.

Also set a new record on the rowing machine today. Did 5732 m in 20 minutes today, up from my previous best of 5719 last year.

I can't go out running at the moment because I have to stay near my son (who is the reason for my leave so that's fair enough) but found out that there's 600 m around the block which I can run in about 2:10 so I've been doing intervals - 1 run, 1 minute break, 8 times. Good for gaining speed.

However, I went out on a run yesterday with my oldest son (4.5 years), he was on his bike. Worst run ever, he talked the entire time and I had to push him the entire 4.9 km! I had hoped he would speed up sometimes and push me a little but he didn't. On the contrary, he sometimes just stopped pedalling and let me push him forward. Lazy son of a .. well, no. 

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I'm going to start trying to cycle to and from work, picked up my bike from my mother-in-law and cycled home

I need to sort out some better clothing (then get changed at work), and a seat cover but hopefully it goes well.

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Cycling to and from work is pretty effective exercise, generally, of course depending on the distance. 

If it goes well for you, you should probably buy a bigger bike. It looks a bit small for you. :)

Biking to and from work is currently the only exercise I get, that and walking a bit. After going back to work (and working from the office) after my paternity leave has given me less time to exercise "properly", and I'm too tired in the evening to lift weights at the moment. Of course, I do bike about 23 km a day, 17 of those at high speed but I do miss rowing and running for cardio. 

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It's a 6km journey each way, need to work out how long it will take. Google says 20 minutes, buy it took me that long to do a shorter route. Although the route to work will have fewer roads to cross, as most of it will be along the prom. It'll probably get quicker as I get used to a bike more (today was the first time in over 10 years), especially learning how to use the gears.

 

My legs are actually quite short, so I think a bigger bike would be too tall 

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Manged three days last week, carried on today, still pretty tough. I do think I will need a new bike, there's a charity near me that I'm trying to contact that is selling some upcycled ones that have been fully serviced, or possibly look into the cycle to work scheme (my workplace is part of it).

When the weather is nice, it's a lovely route

FUHimAMXsAEVeJ3?format=jpg&name=large

 

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Yikes. 

Went for a run today, and it was terrible. Just didn't have the energy for it,  and it was hot and humid outside,  though only 25 degrees but it felt like more. Managed 6.38 km with a few breaks in 28:26 minutes so there is room for improvement. 

I don't run regularly anymore. Since getting back to work and not working from home, time and energy for running and exercising in general is just not there. I bike to work every day,  8.7 km and I usually do that in about 20 minutes so it's not like I don't exercise but the route has a few stops and biking doesnt help running that much. 

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Running is getting better again. Did 6 km yesterday in 25:28 minutes so not that bad. Could do with more stable pace but that might come.

Also started trying to do 50 burpees as fast as possible. Every day when I get to work, after the bike ride (just barely 9 km) I go to the gym and do the 50 burpees. Started three or four weeks ago and started at about 2:44. My goal was then 2:30 but recently smacked that with 2:27 so now I'm aiming for 2:20. Yesterday I did it in 2:24 so the descent is slowing down now. It helped a lot to lose the shoes, though.

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Hit 2:18 today. However, I need to replicate that as I could have miscounted, shaving 6 seconds off my previous PR is a bit suspicious. 

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For some reason, after going to the gym for about 2 years now, my osgood-schlatter in my left knee has decided to flare up, making it painful to walk and lie with my leg flat. This was in August so haven't been to the gym in a month. I've bought an ice pack which doesn't seem to have reduced the swelling. I've bought a knee sleeve and some straps which seem to do some good, and I'll be going to the gym tonight with my legs strapped to see how they handle it.

absolute pisstake...

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On 4.10.2022 at 10:42 AM, EEVILMURRAY said:

For some reason, after going to the gym for about 2 years now, my osgood-schlatter in my left knee has decided to flare up, making it painful to walk and lie with my leg flat. This was in August so haven't been to the gym in a month. I've bought an ice pack which doesn't seem to have reduced the swelling. I've bought a knee sleeve and some straps which seem to do some good, and I'll be going to the gym tonight with my legs strapped to see how they handle it.

absolute pisstake...

All advice I know about is to continue exercising but be careful about it. Slow movements like squats with light weights should help. If it hurts, rest and go lighter with the weights. But I guess you know this. :)

So, I hit 2:14 on 50 burpees today. I positively know that I didn't skip any burpees in my counting so really pleased with that. I don't think it's possible for me to go much lower now as there simply are some physical conditions that I can't adjust. Like my height and length of arms and legs. People with short legs and arms are simply able to do burpees faster. 

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