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Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

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Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#121

Post by lwerdna »

car wrote: post #103

Indoor rowing on a Concept2 rower has been my solution to keeping in shape. I usually row for 30-40 minutes 3 times a week at a low load. It’s a compound exercise, working the legs, core and upper body muscles (87% of all muscles supposedly) while sparing the joints. Also very convenient, no need to get dressed like for the gym or running. It took months to get up to speed with a lot of initial back pain, but the str…

I too have benefited recently (since 3 months) from rowing, and started by simply emulating Dark Horse rowing on a laptop set to the front/side of the machine. I really like Rowalong channel now, because he gives effort instructions in terms of your best 2k pace. For example, he'll say "2k+18" for the next interval so if your best 2k time had average 2:00/500m pace, then row currently at 2:18 pace. Compare to Dark Horse who might say "Go at 75% effort" which suffers from subjective self reporting.

If you haven't seen it, https://rowinglevel.com has tables for various distances and ages. It intimidated me at first (these times are fast!) but reaching beginner and novice when they once felt completely impossible is a good feeling.

> It took months to get up to speed with a lot of initial back pain, but the strength gained has done away with back issues I used to have.

This has been my biggest benefit as well.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#122

Post by schwartzworld »

> I don't like wasting time by getting to the gym, getting from the gym, and waiting for my turn for the equipment.

I know you said you don't want to rely on the weather, but I became a runner because of the above point. I just want to put on my shoes, take off from my front door and then wind up back at home. I can take my whole workout on vacation with me by packing a pair of sneakers and running shorts. Incidentally running in foreign locales is a rare pleasure I never expected.

You don't have to do it every day to get in running shape. 3-4 days a week at 30 minutes a day is plenty. Take it slow and don't push your limits too hard, which is the mistake most new runners make. A program like C25k can help.

Rain is obviously a big factor, as is the cold. Your body temp goes way up when you run, so with proper clothes the biggest obstacle to running in any >30 degree weather is convincing yourself to go outside. I live in Boston and it's pretty rare to have an entire week of unrunnable weather. During harsh winters I have joined gyms to use their treadmills or indoor track, but this is an act of desperation for me because I don't do it every year.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#123

Post by tomkarho »

Bought a treadmill recently and been using it almost every day. That takes away the hassle of "going" to the gym since it's already there and significantly reduced the barrier of entry for me.

The best part is that I can use it while working since I partly work remote so I can walk while coding. Especially when I am in a 2 hour meeting where my contribution totals to five minutes.

Bonus: combined my walking with lifting dumbells after a while.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#125

Post by nanomonkey »

artemonster wrote: post #79
gardenhedge wrote: post #8

I would say Kettlebells. I would say some kettlebells exercises like swings would compliment your Boxing training while being different. They will also take up very little space in your home in terms of storage and working out. Also, walking is outside and dependent on the weather but I would really recommend walking daily to counteract sitting.

Which weight to start with for a 90kg guy with little experience and poor shape?

This will go against the normal advice, but I suggest getting a 25lb kettlebell to learn the movements, and then move up from there. 32lbs tops. The key to kettlebells is proper form and explosive movements. You'll steadily get hooked on the activity and want a larger one, but it's always nice to have a lighter weight to learn a new movement on. When you grow out of it entirely you can pass is on, or loan it out to folks so that they can try it out.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#126

Post by basicallybones »

If you want to get in very, very good shape at home in a set amount of time, do an exercise program like P90X3.

If you simply want to feel better and remain functional, I recommend cardio (pick your favorite) plus yoga/stretching/full-body core work. Your goal simply is to feel good, which means (1) most days, stretch thoroughly enough to relieve aches and pains, (2) go for runs to alleviate stress and anxiety. Focusing on feeling good also gets you doing low-effort, high-benefit activities like simply standing up regularly and doing a sun salutation or two.

Or you could do 12 sets of biceps a week and eat 30 grams of protein every three hours.

I will also add: I think the oft-repeated advice about "go do big lifts at gym" is bad for most people. Yes, it makes you stronger. However, those exercises are likely to cause injury at some point if done regularly for decades. They also do not really matter irl, unless you fantasize about deadlifting a car off someone in a moment of crisis or something.

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#128

Post by jmholla »

I've had quite a bit of success with HIIT bodyweight training. I love that exercises are short (especially initially where exercises can be less than ten minutes) and you can do them wherever you are since you're equipment is you (and maybe a pull-up bar). My site of choice is: darebee.com

Re: Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

#129

Post by machiaweliczny »

yeahboats wrote: post #116
traverseda wrote: post #111

VR boxing. High cardio, works a reasonable amount of muscle groups. 30 minutes should be plenty, and there's other VR stuff you can try although none quite as good for fitness. Buy one of those cheap ocules headsets and if you don't like it or get bored you can probably get most of your money back by selling it. And yeah the facebook integartion stuff sucks but there aren't really any other options in that price rang…

Do you have one that you recommend? The two I've seen are Creed, and one whose name currently escapes me but is cheaper. The latter I have heard is a more "authentic" experience, while Creed is more of a game.

Try „Les Mills bodycombat”. I am pretty fit and have trouble with medium level. Best cardio on VR.

For more fun „Pistol Whip”, also great

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