Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 370 posts

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#151

Post by tel »

wdewind wrote: post #56
gt565k wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think most people will find Strong Lifts 5x5 to be a better choice than Starting Strength, as it does not require power cleans, which are usually forbidden in most gyms. They are both more or less the same though, and focus on compound lifts.

I think the point about power cleans is fair (although if you read the book they aren't really required, many reasons why you wouldn't do them), but the 5x5 progression is way too much volume way too early.

I've been doing 5x5 for about a month now. Everything except OH Press has been tracking very nicely---a bit of challenge but I can always make it through with a focus on form and be prepared for next workout.

But I'd like to understand better your concern about volume. If I face this deficiency, what will it feel like? How should I get around it?

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#152

Post by amm »

Different things work for different people, and there's a LOT of anecdotal evidence on the internet about that "one routine/diet/..." that will fix your health in a month. That's not how it works and it's potentially dangerous.

If you have serious health issues, you need to see a professional. If you just want to improve your overall well-being, focus on diet, sleep and exercise and be consistent about it.

There's many books written by very smart people who have a professional background and who can back up their advice with studies/papers/etc.

Personally, I try to watch my diet, work out 2-3 times a week doing strength and cardio training and try to be in and out of bed at the same time every day.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#153

Post by tel »

eru wrote: post #131
mindcruzer wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe Rip mentions in his book that you can switch out power cleans for bent over rows if you like.

Rip says, "Fuck Rows". Sic! You'd be better off doing Deadlifts only and perhaps add pullups.

Why are rows so bad? I've been doing 5x5 for about a month now and find rows to be what appears to be a good complementary workout.

My gym has bumpers and people do power cleans all the time. Should I consider replacing rows?

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#154

Post by Jemaclus »

About 2.5 years ago I started with the Couch to 5K program to impress a girl. She turned out to be a waste of time, but now I run 3x/week, and I've never felt better. I used to have trouble sleeping, but now I sleep like a rock. I used to feel fat and gross, and now I feel clean and healthy. In the last 2.5 years, I've run 6 half marathons and hundreds of miles to train.

When I'm not training for a half marathon, I run for 30 minutes max. It's enough time to warm up, get the heart rate going, and let my mind zone out. I've worked through so many problems -- professional and personal -- while I'm in "the zone", and honestly, I've never felt better. Running isn't just a physical workout; it's mental therapy as well. The endorphins make you happier, the relief of having completed a workout makes you excited to do it again, and the results speak for themselves.

If you're not physically active at all, I highly, highly recommend the Couch to 5K program (just Google it). I used to hate running, now I love it. Give it a shot. I believe you can do ANYTHING for 6 weeks -- and this is no exception.

My next plan is to start working on strength training to build a little more muscle in my core. I'm starting with a body weight training regimen, so I don't need to go to a gym. (I hate gyms.) The upside is that a stronger core will help me run better and faster, with less chance of injury! And faster means more miles in 30 minutes. Just an all around win/win situation.

Finally, for some non-running advice, I'd say leave work at 5:30 every day and don't check your email when you get home. In my experience, there is nothing that can't wait until 8:30 tomorrow. Did you get an email at 6:15pm? They can read your reply at 9am. Did you get a bug report at 4:45pm? Unless it's critically breaking your app to the point where it's unusable, then it can wait until 10am tomorrow.

Put in your 8 hours, then go home and relax.

Good luck.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#155

Post by makeset »

Kiro wrote: post #57

So everyone is talking about weight training for strength only. I've done StrongLifts and Starting Strength and while it's probably effective for building strength it is also really boring in my opinion. Nothing beats the pump you get from doing some isolated biceps exercises. It's really addictive and makes you hunger for the gym. I would also argue that you release more endorphins when doing hypertrophy training (n…

I've done both for years, and I feel the opposite. Strength training is very quantifiable; hypertrophy hardly is. A bicep measurement changes very slowly over time, compared to 5 lbs. on your squat. I very much doubt that you can actually "see" yourself getting bigger, beyond the post-workout ego fodder "pump" which won't last an hour. But hey, if it keeps you going, more power to you.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#156

Post by dceddia »

wdewind wrote: post #9

Strength training 3x a week. Why strength? Strength is the most generalized adaptation there is. Training to be strong improves every component of fitness: strength (duh), power, agility, balance, flexibility, endurance (all 3 types) and coordination. I would also make the argument that in day to day life strength is the most important attribute of fitness for someone in the western world. The ability to carry a bunc…

I've been doing strength training as well. As a skinny kid during high school weighing ~116lbs or so, it was a shock when I turned 27 and was hit 150lbs. I was getting tired more easily, stairs were harder than they used to be... I decided then that it was time to do something about it.

I use Mark Lauren's You Are Your Own Gym program (book + companion app), and it's been great. The program is 10 weeks long, it's all bodyweight exercises using stuff you have around the house. There are 4 difficulty settings, and program is 10 weeks long. The app is nice because it walks you through the exercises with videos and timers. I feel like I've got a ton more energy and I'm in a more positive mood more often.

Not having to go out to a gym is a huge plus for me. I don't like gyms much, always feel out of place and like I'm competing with other people there. Plus there's the hassle of having to drive there, shower, drive back... it just adds a lot of overhead to something that needs to be as easy as possible to ensure consistency.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#157

Post by jansenvt »

reflect wrote: post #12

I follow a morning routine regularly which includes: -10 Minute Meditation -10 Minute Writing/Journal - business quotes, ideas, etc. -10 Minute Drawing (I'm not good, but the repetition has helped. I bought a book called "642 things to draw" which makes it very easy.) -10 Minute Reading -10 Minute Exercise (simple do it at home exercises) This type of routine is discussed in books like The Miracle Morning by Hal Elro…

I feel like if I tried it in that order I'd doze off during the meditation.

I like this idea though. In less than an hour you are practicing so many things that are good for your mind and body.

I might increase this to 15 minutes and do it directly after my typical morning 1 hour workout.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#158

Post by djb_hackernews »

This thread is already big enough no one will really see this but i'll add it here for my occasional trips down memory lane through my comment history:

I'm 32 and have always been pretty active. I do a lot of indoor rock climbing, 3x/week and for long sessions. I've recently been finishing up my visits with leg workouts (lunges, machine leg press).

I am probably in the best shape of my adult life. Would like to add more cardio.

I stay away from carbs, never drink sodas or coffees or really anything besides water and beer. I dont typically drink alcohol during the week.

One weird thing I do is stomach vacuums pretty much any time I think of them (sitting in the office, walking around, in the car, etc). Most men in my family are pretty thin but have bulging "beer bellies" so I'm trying to postpone that aging effect as much as possible. Hey 40 year old me, hows it looking?

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#159

Post by dragonwriter »

> I guess this is aimed more at older devs and admins who have been sitting at their computers for the last 20 years like me.

I'm one of those! What I've found is key is regular physical activity outside of work -- for me, its working with a trainer about once a week, ballroom/latin/swing dance classes several times a week (including joining a competitive formation team) and social dances about once a week, and -- at least during the workweek -- daily fast walks of at least a mile, usually about two miles, sometimes as much as three.

But it started with the dancing, and at a much lower level. Its not, I think, the specific thing that matters all that much, its finding something that works for you, and that you can be motivated to keep doing. For many people, something you can do with other people that you want to be around is important, because if you spend lots of time at work and then more time doing fitness-related things, you may not have as much time for social activity that's not tied to one or the other. That's one reason dance is great for me -- I enjoy it, my wife and I can do it together, and I like the community.

Diet, hydration, and sleep all have roles, too, though I don't excessively focus on diet dogmas.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#160

Post by imaginenore »

Windsurfing. I've tried many sports seriously - soccer, tennis, mountain skiing, still do bicycling. Nothing beats windsurfing however, not even close.

After sailing for two hours in rough conditions you feel like you did P90X for two hours. But it's a lot more fun.

It's not a cheap sport to start, but it's totally affordable if you're a programmer.

If you live around SF, it has some of the most consistent wind - both in the (safe) bay and out at sea.

Post reply on HN