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What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

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Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#171

Post by HudsonMauer »

rfnslyr wrote: post #167
crazygringo wrote: post #154

For anyone interested... if you want good posture, if you want to really be in shape, there are a million fads out there, but the best book by far is "Starting Strength" [1]. (It's also one of the best-selling on Amazon.) It essentially focuses on just the squat, deadlift, press, bench press, and (later) power clean, devoting around forty pages to each , and explains why you really don't need much else. They're quite…

I can vouch for Starting Strength. If your body sucks, read this book. A lot of it will go over your head, and you don't need to read every single page, but once you start, really focus on nailing the three lifts. I went from 45lb on the bar for all lifts to: 350 squat 475 deadlift 260 bench 290 powerclean 180 snatch 225 c&j 315 front squat (the last 4 lifts are because I starting getting seriously into pure olympic…

How is your c&j 290, but your powerclean 225? Squat clean for the c&j (judging by your front squat numbers)?

Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#172

Post by coldtea »

enraged_camel wrote: post #153
coldtea wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Yes, life is short. Therefore you should avoid things that will make it even shorter. The second doesn't derive from the first. If anything, "life is short, so don't obsess about its duration" is a better guideline. > I always hear stuff like "whatever man, you only live once." It seems so irrational to use that to justify bad habits. If you only live once, should you not try to increase the length and quality of t…

If you equate quality with pleasure, sure. If you equate quality with lack of subsequent pain and discomfort, no.

If you value "lack of pain and discomfort", death would be a very good deal.

Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#173

Post by uberstuber »

If you sit all day the couch stretch [1] helps a lot to undo the shortening in your hip flexors. 2 min a day each side. Really painful if you sit a lot.

Kelly Starrett has a lot of great information about mobility.

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-ZX...

Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#174

Post by epa »

rfnslyr wrote: post #167
crazygringo wrote: post #154

For anyone interested... if you want good posture, if you want to really be in shape, there are a million fads out there, but the best book by far is "Starting Strength" [1]. (It's also one of the best-selling on Amazon.) It essentially focuses on just the squat, deadlift, press, bench press, and (later) power clean, devoting around forty pages to each , and explains why you really don't need much else. They're quite…

I can vouch for Starting Strength. If your body sucks, read this book. A lot of it will go over your head, and you don't need to read every single page, but once you start, really focus on nailing the three lifts. I went from 45lb on the bar for all lifts to: 350 squat 475 deadlift 260 bench 290 powerclean 180 snatch 225 c&j 315 front squat (the last 4 lifts are because I starting getting seriously into pure olympic…

Before anyone runs to the gym to buy a membership to copy the above, what rfnslyr did takes intense dedication and focus and he likely has very good genetics. Compound exercises that SS teaches are the best method for gaining overall body strength and mass. Just remember that working out is 75% nutrition and 25% lifting. If you don't eat right you wont make gains.

Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#175

Post by rfnslyr »

HudsonMauer wrote: post #171
rfnslyr wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can vouch for Starting Strength. If your body sucks, read this book. A lot of it will go over your head, and you don't need to read every single page, but once you start, really focus on nailing the three lifts. I went from 45lb on the bar for all lifts to: 350 squat 475 deadlift 260 bench 290 powerclean 180 snatch 225 c&j 315 front squat (the last 4 lifts are because I starting getting seriously into pure olympic…

How is your c&j 290, but your powerclean 225? Squat clean for the c&j (judging by your front squat numbers)?

Whoops, my mistake, other way around. Squat clean for the c&j yes.

Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#176

Post by moo »

I think a previous HN article of a 10 minute routine of body weight exercises is a better program for many than a weight lifting routine for cardio and maintaining body weight. I think body weight exercises are often overlooked. Pullups, situps, pushups, pistol squats. Also add a jump rope for little weight, portability, and requires little space. I don't see too many fat runners, gymnasts, or cyclists. Power lifters, Olympic weight lifters often have a lot of fat with muscle. I like a pyramid type routine of starting with 1 pullup, 2 pushups, 3 situps, and repeat doing multiples ( ie then 2 pullups, 4 pushups, 6 situps, ...). For jumping rope remember to alternate the weight bearing foot like a boxer, jumping with both feet together takes more energy and I find lactic acid builds up faster.

Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#177

Post by beedub13 »

jcmoscon wrote: post #143
oh_sigh wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

c25k isn't HIIT(high intensity interval training). It is just IT. HIIT would be more like (sprint for 30 seconds, jog for 30 seconds) * 8

Also, take a look at Tabata exercises. It's basically 20 seconds of HIIT and 10 seconds of rest. 10 minutes of it and you are sweating a lot!

I will second this. There is a Tabata class at the local YMCA. They have great modifications for beginners to advanced.

Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#178

Post by kyllo »

crazygringo wrote: post #154

For anyone interested... if you want good posture, if you want to really be in shape, there are a million fads out there, but the best book by far is "Starting Strength" [1]. (It's also one of the best-selling on Amazon.) It essentially focuses on just the squat, deadlift, press, bench press, and (later) power clean, devoting around forty pages to each , and explains why you really don't need much else. They're quite…

Yes. While I have nitpicks with some of the form advice that Rippetoe gives, I think his book is meant for, and very good for, any beginner to strength training and powerlifting.

2 years ago I was pretty weak and had a lot of lower back and knee problems. I did Starting Strength for about 6 months (as a beginning linear progression program, it's not meant to be done longer than that) and then I switched to Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program which is a more intermediate program with cyclical progression and monthly deload weeks.

In that time, I have gained over 20 pounds of muscle mass, added over 100 lbs each to my max squat and deadlift, my posture is much better, and my back and knee problems have almost completely gone away.

Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#179

Post by rfnslyr »

epa wrote: post #174
rfnslyr wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can vouch for Starting Strength. If your body sucks, read this book. A lot of it will go over your head, and you don't need to read every single page, but once you start, really focus on nailing the three lifts. I went from 45lb on the bar for all lifts to: 350 squat 475 deadlift 260 bench 290 powerclean 180 snatch 225 c&j 315 front squat (the last 4 lifts are because I starting getting seriously into pure olympic…

Before anyone runs to the gym to buy a membership to copy the above, what rfnslyr did takes intense dedication and focus and he likely has very good genetics. Compound exercises that SS teaches are the best method for gaining overall body strength and mass. Just remember that working out is 75% nutrition and 25% lifting. If you don't eat right you wont make gains.

> If you don't eat right you wont make gains.

The golden rule (unless you're in highschool and rancid with hormones).

It really does take dedication. I had every day, every meal planned, at what time, at what time i wake and sleep, etc.

Allocate X amount of meals you are comfortable with eating per day (I like to eat four). Buy 7 x 4 containers. I like to eat two snacks a day too at work. 2 small containers x 7. So I got containers, 28 large, 14 small (for yogurt + fruit).

Protein - lean meat (beef, chicken, turkey, salmon, various fishes)

Fat - honestly just straight olive oil poured into my meal, makes it all nice and wet and makes it go down easy.

Carbs - anything carby, though I abided strictly by sweet potato for carbs. I want more carbs? Weigh out more sweet potato mashed, so easy for carbs. That and bananas are my two go to source.

4 meals a day, 4000 calories. 1000 calories/meal. 1 meal consists of 3 macros. Fat has 9cal/g, carb has 4cal/g, protein has 4cal/g. 75g pro, 100g carb, 30g fat. That's per container. Now I have 4 of those for every day + 2 snacks of whatever I want (this was my "cheat" meal, so fruits or some sort of yogurt, or some celery to be dipped in nutella, etc, something to keep me sane).

That's all there is to it. Then gym 3x a day, and monitoring my sleep with Sleepcycle every night and sleepyti.me.

Exercise hacking! I might do another full year of strict dieting and lifting while documenting it all.

Re: What happens when you sit at a desk for 13 years and also exercise

#180

Post by stinos »

dtf wrote: post #99
stinos wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if you're serious, but having spent the last winter without central heating due to rather unfortunate renovation works timing, I'm really not sure this is a good thing. There were several consecutive weeks where the temperature inside would never rise above 10degrees celcius as we only head a small petrol burner. At night the condensation froze on the walls (outside temperatures of -10 degrees celcius). Sure…

Semi-serious :-) I've worked in a number of cold, sometimes freezing locations in the depths of winter, although not quite as bad as your situation by the sounds of it. Push-ups and exercise does keep you warm and sharp though, should you need it. Sadly there's no quick fix for the opposite situation, when your mind turns to glue in the summer heat.

totally agree on the summer heat - you can always get warm with enough effort, getting cold without external help is simply impossible (I think?)
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