I've lifted pretty consistently for the past 10 years. Its gotten to the point for me that I feel like I'm lazy after a day or two off. I think people generally need to get their bodies conditioned to the point where if they dont exercise (bike, run, lift, w/e) it makes them FEEL a lack of something in their life. I feel like this can only happen overtime.
Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
231–240 of 242 posts
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#232Exercise is like keeping a feather aloft with your breath. At any point, you can choose to stop, or blow again. Blowing works for a short amount of time, you see some short-term results, and then you're back at the head of the loop. Basically... like most anything that takes effort you either have to make "the switch" and make it be a defining characteristic of who you are, or it will never matter more than a passing…
> Just keep showing up. Once your social circle includes healthy active people you'll go do healthy outdoorsy things to stay with them. Would those people not resent you for showing up and making them lose?
Social leagues are all about goofing off together. Of course everyone still wants to win--social or not it's still a sport--but at that level it's really about getting you off your couch.
Finding more obscure sports can help, too. For example there was recently a guy on the news desperate for people willing to play bicycle polo. "If you can ride a bike, come play with us we'll show you how to play!".
Even if you join an amateur competitive league you'll still be fine because you'll sit on the bench during "real" games but you'll play during practice until you're needed or better than the alternative.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#233The AMT tax bill!!! What, this wasn't about exercising stock options? :)
For me, getting myself to exercise is about having a goal. I'll get bored of a routine. Right now, it is to lose the weight I gained from working at a startup that offered free lunch (literally full applebees meals for lunch and dinner) On top of that, I'm currently assessing if a 6pack is attainable or worth attaining.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#234Earlier quoted context omitted.
In my opinion weight lifting shouldn t be done until 18yo unless you re a professional athlete. Chances are you will get injured sooner or later since your body is not fully developped for it. Also gaining muscular mass at a young age can cause metabolism issues later (after 30), gaining weight easier and such. Studies show it might also stunt your growth in height. Practicing sports only till about 18 then slowly mo…
> Also gaining muscular mass at a young age can cause metabolism issues later (after 30), gaining weight easier and such. I've always heard the opposite. Do you have a source for this?
Not really, but have seen plenty of real-life examples.
Main point is you can NOT gain muscular mass at that age unless you take supplements or start eating protein foods like crazy! Both will mess up with your metabolism, do you agree? I m not saying going to the gym for exercising is bad per se, just early mass gain.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#235Earlier quoted context omitted.
Starting strength is terrible. I think the most popular programs (5x5, starting strength) are popular because good marketing and not necessary because they are actually good. Both SS and 5x5 are just insane (in the bad way). They make you squat almost for every workout and I think that is terrible as it a) doesn't let enough time for the body to recover, b) for folks that body form is not ideal for squatting, c) over…
a) You recover by eating and sleeping. b) Anyone can squat. How do you think people use the toilet. c) It works the body in precisely the way our physiology is.
This. If you start with a 'usual bro-split' where you work out each 'muscle-group' once a week, you won't see anything like the progress you'll see on SS or SL5x5 if you're a complete beginner.
Even at an advanced beginner/intermediate stage it's still better to work each 'muscle-group' twice a week.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#236Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is a fairly boring example of the typical mind fallacy. Or, the typical body fallacy, if you wish. I exercise and it doesn't have any significant effect on "feeling like shit" for me. I sometimes lose mental clarity from exercise, feel more tired, have less energy. The benefits are absolutely not obvious in my case. Unfortunately, this fallacy seems to be present every single time this topic is brought up. It's…
If you exercise and are more tired, then you need to eat more. And stay off the sugars and carbs.
This was the case (being tired by training), and eating properly, in the proper time before exercies, was what totally changed the situation, for me.
Not sure about the carbs though (except sugar, which I try to avoid taking in excess).
I read up that before e.g. running, 3-4 hours before, I eat a heavy full-component meal, and 1-2 hours before, I eat something lighter, with mostly carbs. The effect is light night and day compared to when not thinking about the eating. Can't be reiterated enough, I think.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#237Having a kid really killed it for me. I was very active before fatherhood. Hopefully things will change for the better in the next few months.
I don't sleep well because I tend to my kid a couple times a night and have a hard time falling back asleep. This causes me to not only go to bed later than I'd like, but also have broken sleep. I'd wager that I get an average of 2 hours less sleep every day since becoming a father. This DESTROYS my motivation to do anything in the morning except ingesting caffeine and going to work.
When I go home from work, I have to pick up my kid and watch her alone for a few hours. I've tried to lift weights, take her to Jiu Jitsu with me, etc, but she just cries a lot and gets into things. This kills any kind of joy I usually get from exercising, so I basically stopped for now.
To stick with it, pick an activity that you like to do. I feel a lot of people really don't like going to gyms to begin with. They like the results they get, but don't enjoy the act of doing stuff like running or using an exercise machine (I don't anyway), so they stop after a while. Most people think that doing "gym stuff" is what they need to do to get into shape, because it dominates our society so much. There are gyms all over the place with TV/radio ads, and infomercials running all the time marketing the newest fitness gadget, supplement, or routine. I've stuck with Jiu Jitsu for over 10 years because I actually enjoy it.
Sometimes obstacles get in the way. For me its been fatherhood, a work schedule that isn't conductive to attending Jiu Jitsu classes, lack of transportation, and lack of funds. These have all caused me to take breaks from exercise. Its always very hard for me to start up again once conditions improve, but once I start again the momentum picks up quickly.
Another interesting side effect of doing activities you like is it starts to influence other aspects of your life. I started eating healthier because I wanted to get better at Jiu Jitsu, whereas when I was going to the gym to lift weights I didn't care if I ate some nasty fast food lunch. I didn't care as much about getting better at weight lifting or running as I did about Jiu Jitsu.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#238Earlier quoted context omitted.
>You can accomplish most of the same things as SS by doing the dumbbell equivalents of the exercises. "Most" With 50lbs dumbbells? After 1 year of starting strength 50lbs dumbells won't be enough. After never working out before and eating at a calorie deficit I was able to lift these weights after a year of SS. 165 Bench 300 Deadlift 105 OHP 200 Squat 150 Rows "Most" isn't accurate. 80/20 isn't accurate because you a…
I've got a pair of adjustable dumbbells which go up to 85 pounds, and that's enough for me (315 bench 495 deadlift 195 OHP 385 squat 255 rows). I just do higher reps for the exercises which are hard to overload on. Get creative with the exercises (split squats instead of back squats), go to failure, and the training effect should be similar.
I'm curious how you got to a 495 lbs deadlift with two 85 lbs dumbbells?
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#239I'm lazy, I also have a condition which prevents me from breaking down glycogen to produce energy.
One limits my ability to get started. The other limits my ability to continue once started which is demoralizing and adds to laziness in future.
Re: Ask HN: What keeps you from exercising?
#240Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you exercise and are more tired, then you need to eat more. And stay off the sugars and carbs.
This was the case (being tired by training), and eating properly, in the proper time before exercies, was what totally changed the situation, for me. Not sure about the carbs though (except sugar, which I try to avoid taking in excess). I read up that before e.g. running, 3-4 hours before, I eat a heavy full-component meal, and 1-2 hours before, I eat something lighter, with mostly carbs. The effect is light night an…
I agree... I always eat before exercising.
I would, however, caution on a carb-heavy meal pre-workout. Studies have shown:
1) Consuming carbs pre-workout reduces the fat burned during workout.
2) Consuming protein pre-workout helps preserve muscle protein during exercise.
3) Consuming carbs pre-workout restrains growth hormone release.
4) Carbs elevate serotonin which increases exercise-related fatigue.
5) Higher fat meal will allow more free fatty acids for muscles, and will increase intramuscular triglyceride levels.
All this stuff is from the best book out there: Natural Hormonal Enhancement by Rob Faigin.