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Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

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Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#31

Post by latortuga »

mrtron wrote: post #20
patio11 wrote: post #8

I do about 40 minutes of biking a day (commute to train station) and try to get to the gym twice a week for about 30 to 45 minutes. Since biking is enough cardiovascular exercise for anybody I mostly do weights at the gym, and typically (when I have an extra 15 minutes free) some yoga for stretching. I recommend the chalice lift for a good all-purpose hacker exercise. Go over to that big set o' one-hand weights the f…

That lift looks far too complicated and awkward for a noob to weightlifting. If you want to start weight lifting go really simple to avoid any problems early on. Squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press. Do everything with barbells to start if possible, if not go with dumbbells. I do agree 5x5 or so is the way to go - especially starting out as this will allow you to go with heavier weights. Don't go to failure,…

Lunges are also a really good choice starting out - you can modulate the intensity with super easily - change how low you go, add weights, put your arms in the air, do intense rep sets, add kicks, etc. Lunges are a great exercise.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#33

Post by latortuga »

Brushfire wrote: post #7

p90x. But I dont strictly follow their schedule, I usually do it 3-4 times a week. You can do half of their workouts anywhere, and the other half with a pullup bar and some free weights.

I've been doing P90X for about 2 months now (entering phase 3 this week). Before P90X, I did almost zero physical activity - I didn't play sports in high school and in college the best I did was ultimate frisbee maybe once a month. I haven't been following the diet plan which is probably a mistake but I've seen fairly steady weight loss and muscle gain - for the first time in my life I can do pullups (I'm up to 2!) and pushups! It's an intense program and will (absolutely will) wear you out if you're out of shape but my fitness is soaring and being able to keep up with a game of bball or frisbee is extraordinarily gratifying.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#34

Post by staunch »

First 30 minutes is machines/free weights then 45 minutes on the treadmill jogging.

Mon/Tue and Thu/Fri 6:30AM -> 7:45AM before I go into the office. I have to do it before I go to work, so that I never miss any days due to working late. I don't allow myself to ever miss even one day, to keep the habit in tact.

I forgot how much more alive I feel when I exercise until I started again after a long break.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#35

Post by yan »

Mostly every day. I go climbing two to three times a week, two to three hours each time. I try to run every other day, 3-4 miles, and I try to make it out to the gym twice or so a week. Nothing's that consistent except the climbing, so I hope to make it into a proper regimen. Last half year or so I've been going to the gym/running about twice a week but nothing on a schedule.

However, I have set definite goals for climbing and have a 5K and a 10K in May, so that's something specific to train for.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#36

Post by erlanger »

lowe wrote: post #4

with exercise i've found benefit as a function of time to be crazy non-linear. there's a much bigger difference between 0 minutes and 20 minutes spent exercising than between 20 and 40 or 40 and 60. so when i'm busy, i do what i can, keep it short, but never cut it out. i try to do something every other day at least. it clears my head and resets my stress. i like to run. simple. no gym membership. no complicated/expe…

I'd like to add that I believe basic calisthenics to be superior to weight training for most people. Whereas weights are designed to exercise specific muscle [groups], I think that activities like sit-ups and push-ups work muscles in such a way as to deliver more real-life benefit. They certainly expose you to less risk than weight-training and can deliver a full workout without much planning, a requirement when using weights.

In my opinion, most people lifting weights do so for superficial reasons, (not that there's anything wrong with that). I feel more practical strength when using a conservative calisthenic workout than I do when I used to lift weights, although my physique was more impressive when lifting. Note that I had proper guidance when lifting weights.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#39

Post by rudyfink »

Seven hours a week, assuming golf doesn't count as exercise.

My commitment to myself is to spend at least a half hour a day on average doing something. This is an antidote to being a professional sitter. The doing something was a response to having trouble with sticking with other plans.

For the last several months I have been doing. Four hours - weights and biking/running/swimming. Three hours - stretching and body weight exercises.

Before that it was almost entirely rock climbing at a gym.

Re: Ask HN: How much do you exercise a day/week?

#40

Post by scott_s »

erlanger wrote: post #36
lowe wrote: post #4

with exercise i've found benefit as a function of time to be crazy non-linear. there's a much bigger difference between 0 minutes and 20 minutes spent exercising than between 20 and 40 or 40 and 60. so when i'm busy, i do what i can, keep it short, but never cut it out. i try to do something every other day at least. it clears my head and resets my stress. i like to run. simple. no gym membership. no complicated/expe…

I'd like to add that I believe basic calisthenics to be superior to weight training for most people. Whereas weights are designed to exercise specific muscle [groups], I think that activities like sit-ups and push-ups work muscles in such a way as to deliver more real-life benefit. They certainly expose you to less risk than weight-training and can deliver a full workout without much planning, a requirement when usin…

If you do a bodybuilder-style lifting workout, it will target specific muscle groups. But if you're doing squats, cleans, deadlifts and their variations, you're using many muscles, sometimes your whole body. The transfer is going to be the same.

You are exposed to more risk (I'm recovering from a minor strain in my lower back from deadlifts - I'll be more conservative next time), but I think in the long run, the rewards outweigh the risks.

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