Resolutions for programmers (2012) • Hacker News Board

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#161

Post by magnetised » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:35 PM UTC

richmt wrote: post #48

On the health note, the single most beneficial thing I did for myself this year was to start lifting. 6 months ago I started committing 3 days a week to a strength training program which I've strictly followed since. Making gains in the gym has motivated me to sleep better and eat better which both have had huge effects on every aspect of my life. Not only that, but the exercise has helped a ton with anxiety I've had…

From personal experience I would urge everyone to start with some form of Yoga.

It's less easy to quantify your progress than with weight lifting (whose easy conversion into numeric growth I wonder isn't one of its attractions when you're a data-driven kind of person) but has further reaching benefits beyond basic physical strength.

After 3 years of fairly regular yoga practise (3-4 sessions a week), even when combined with a fairly poor diet/lifestyle alongside it (way too much fun), left me feeling stronger, fitter, calmer, more centred, more energised* than I ever had before.

For those of you who, like me, are put off by the more 'hippy' aspects, I'd say it's a question of finding the right teacher rather than writing off the entire practice (my teacher at the time was nicknamed 'El Sargento' for her, shall we say 'strict' approach -- she taught Iyengar yoga with is a lot about details. This didn't suit everyone but suited me down to a tee).

There is an awful lot of pseudo religious bollocks that surrounds it but within that there's a really solid method for improving the quality of your life.

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laoq1eeIUxQ

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#162

Post by steinsgate » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:35 PM UTC

The first thing programmers (or any group of people) need in order to improve their lives is a reason to improve their lives. The blog says "go analog" or "improve your health" or "learn a new programming language" etc. But why should I, or anyone for that matter, go analog, improve their health or learn a new programming language? For fun? If it's for fun, the list should have been called "Fun activities for programmers". This all new "improve-yourself-without-any-context" new age movement doesn't make any sense to me.

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#163

Post by gradys » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:37 PM UTC

alfapla wrote: post #150

richmt wrote: post #48

On the health note, the single most beneficial thing I did for myself this year was to start lifting. 6 months ago I started committing 3 days a week to a strength training program which I've strictly followed since. Making gains in the gym has motivated me to sleep better and eat better which both have had huge effects on every aspect of my life. Not only that, but the exercise has helped a ton with anxiety I've had…

Don't want to be the negative guy, but sometimes I wonder why people would spend their physical energy on gym equipment while you may just as well learn a construction skill that leaves a tangible result and has some use in the real world - like bricklaying, plastering walls or wiring electricity. Just my 2 cents, if you enjoy your gym all the better for you. But I also think that many people give up because they fin…

I think the primary difference is efficiency. You won't gain strength as quickly doing construction as you will following a strength training program. If your goal is to gain as much strength as possible with the lowest time commitment, doing exercises and using equipment specifically designed for strength training is the better move.

That said, not everybody has exactly these goals, so if learning construction skills is more appealing to you than spending time in a gym, by all means.

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#164

Post by alextgordon » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:41 PM UTC

oskarth wrote: post #128

mysterypie wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I urge everyone here to take up lifting Everyone I've spoken to got into lifting because they think it gets girls. They won't admit it directly or perhaps realize it themselves, but a series of questions leads to women: Of all types of exercise, why weights? -> So then why do you need to be toned? -> OK, then why do you need to look good in a T-shirt, or at bars, or in your profile pic? -> Because women like it. Pr…

Perhaps this is more a function of your social group than anything else. Of the three people I know that got into lifting (including myself, one woman and two men, all in long-terms relationships at the time), none did it to "get girls", but in order to be stronger (as opposed to just looking strong a la hypertrophy/bodybuilding). Why be stronger? Many reasons, but it boils down to health and being strong enough to d…

For men, cardiovascular health is most important aspect, heart disease being the largest cause of death[1].

While lifting weights is better than no exercise at all, it is not that effective. There are certainly many people who enthusiastically lift and are still fat and unhealthy. The same cannot be said for running enthusiasts.

Anyway, it's your right to do whatever form of exercise makes you happiest, but if someone is legitimately concerned about their health, they should start by running/cycling, etc.

[1]: http://visual.ons.gov.uk/what-are-the-top-causes-of-death-by...

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#165

Post by briHass » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:42 PM UTC

kbutler wrote: post #133

mysterypie wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I urge everyone here to take up lifting Everyone I've spoken to got into lifting because they think it gets girls. They won't admit it directly or perhaps realize it themselves, but a series of questions leads to women: Of all types of exercise, why weights? -> So then why do you need to be toned? -> OK, then why do you need to look good in a T-shirt, or at bars, or in your profile pic? -> Because women like it. Pr…

Happily married for 20 years. Definitely not doing it to "get girls". Health, longevity, stress reduction, facilitate physical work and recreation, etc. Did some resistance training a few years ago - felt good, lost fat while doing it. Shifted to cardio for a few years with an employee sponsored cardio-centric wellness program. Experienced a gradual fat gain and knee and back pain, although I was running 20-30 miles…

For deadlifts, you might want to look into a hex bar (aka trap bar.) It moves the position of your hands to directly in line with your shoulders, which greatly reduces the shearing force placed on your spine.

As a tall guy, it feels much more natural and 'safe' for me. I've also switched to doing more warmup sets for my deadlift with increasing weight ranges. If any of those lighter weights feel 'off' that day, I abort the heavy sets. I also avoid testing my 1RM frequently...I'm content to add 5 pounds every time I can get through 3x5 at my heavy sets weight. I'm in my mid 30s, so safety is the name of the game for me.

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#166

Post by jazzyk » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:43 PM UTC

pavel_lishin wrote: post #97

cabinpark wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was very lucky, growing up, to be the son of a sports medicine doctor because, from birth, healthy eating and exercise and their benefits were grilled into my brain. Unfortunately I see too many people in my job (academia) who don't exercise despite the huge potential benefits to their productivity and life. So this makes me wonder: what is it about exercise that turns people off? Is it a communication issue? Is it…

For me it's a combination of things. 1. Convenience. If I have a gym in the building I live in, I'm about 10x more likely to use it. If it's a block down the street, I might go once a week. If it's two blocks down the street, it might as well be in Algiers. 2. Knowledge. I don't know how to lift weights, and I'm afraid I'll do it wrong and end up injuring myself. Apparently even running isn't trivial to do without po…

You are entitled to your opinion, of course. Two things though:

"Knowledge." - no need to ask strangers. Everything is just a google away. There are plenty of YouTube videos which show proper form (but read the comments, because there are a few which are actually terrible). bodybuilding.com is a treasure of wisdom.

"Working out isn't fun". If someone told me 10 years ago that I could not wait to go to the gym and lift heavy objects, I would be rolling on the floor laughing. Go figure.

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#167

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:46 PM UTC

richmt wrote: post #48

On the health note, the single most beneficial thing I did for myself this year was to start lifting. 6 months ago I started committing 3 days a week to a strength training program which I've strictly followed since. Making gains in the gym has motivated me to sleep better and eat better which both have had huge effects on every aspect of my life. Not only that, but the exercise has helped a ton with anxiety I've had…

[deleted]

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#168

Post by clessg » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:47 PM UTC

henrik_w wrote: post #45

gregdoesit wrote: post #10

I would put stay healthy and invest in your health (chair, standing desk, exercise, food) as the #1 for any programmer for next year, and the years after. It's all too easy for us to forget about the long lasting effects of sitting in front of a computer that are hard to later undo.

Get ergonomic keyboard and mouse (laptops are terrible ergonomically), and get a break program to remember to take breaks. I didn't, and was fine for over ten yeares, before I started to have bad RSI problems. I managed to get well, but it took a lot of effort and time: http://henrikwarne.com/2012/02/18/how-i-beat-rsi/

> get a break program to remember to take breaks.

I really like Awareness[0]. Stand[1] is good too, but I prefer having 5 minute breaks every 15 minutes, which Stand doesn't allow.

[0] http://iamfutureproof.com/tools/awareness/ [1] https://getstandapp.com/

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#169

Post by j_s » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:48 PM UTC

Yhippa wrote: post #135

richmt wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see stronglifts 5x5 recommended a lot on sites like reddit and generally disagree that beginners should start out with it. From what I've read online, the 5x5 structure often leads to quicker stalling in progression for some than doing 3x5 like starting strength has you do for squat, overhead, and bench. Also, some people really don't need to start as light as SL will have you starting on. Anecdotally, a friend of…

Do you know if Starting Strength is available in eBook form anywhere? I can't seem to find it.

http://amzn.com/B006XJR5ZA

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/starting-strength-official/i...

Re: Resolutions for programmers (2012)

#170

Post by jonesb6 » Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 5:48 PM UTC

richmt wrote: post #122

slaunchwise wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're new to weightlifting, this is a simple, effective entry point: http://stronglifts.com/5x5/ You use 5 compound exercises and work out 3 times per week. Recommendation is to start as light as possible.

I see stronglifts 5x5 recommended a lot on sites like reddit and generally disagree that beginners should start out with it. From what I've read online, the 5x5 structure often leads to quicker stalling in progression for some than doing 3x5 like starting strength has you do for squat, overhead, and bench. Also, some people really don't need to start as light as SL will have you starting on. Anecdotally, a friend of…

I'd counter that even though 3x5 leads to faster progression, in beginners it will lead to poor form.

I don't think beginners should be pushing a high squat number if they don't squat properly. This goes double for more "dangerous" lifts like deadlift etc.

As someone who started early in life, I'd recommend a "workout progression" of 3x10 -> 3x5 -> 3x8 -> 3x5, with the 3x8 usually representing a "cutting" cycle (caloric deficit focusing on fat loss, with lifting thrown in to maintain current number as much as possible). First you learn form, then push for numbers, then push for leaner muscle, then push for numbers again.

To each his own, but form is important!