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Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

liamrosen.com

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Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#61

Post by matwood »

aci wrote: post #59
matwood wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First off, great job! Working out really doesn't take that long. Most studies have shown that a typical non-steroid using weight training session only needs to last 45 minutes to an hour. After that time period, unless you consuming calories during the session the results you can get drop off dramatically from diminishing returns. I agree that the biggest hurdle with people going to a gym is the intimidation factor.…

"I want to tell them how awesome it is that they are doing it, but am never sure if that's the right thing to do some stranger lol." General heuristic: If you are not sure, if it is right to approach a stranger, just do it. Really. Talk to them next time. And don't end your sentences with "lol", please.

I go back and forth on things like lol. It's hard to convey in writing when something should be take lightly or as a joke. Without the standard facial cues of smiling it's easy to take something the wrong way.

And in general your heuristic is correct, but the gym is an odd place. I'm pretty social, but would prefer no one talk to me while working out. I'm usually so busy watching the clock and focusing on the task at hand that I don't want to seem rude to someone by having to eventually ignore them to finish my workout.

Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#62

Post by rsheridan6 »

earlyresort wrote: post #7

I can swear by this - I've lost almost forty pounds since New Year's by cutting out the danishes, making my own lunches, and going to the gym regularly for weight lifting and cardio. The only thing I'd add - working out is time-consuming, and getting started at a gym is both hard and intimidating. Gyms themselves are counting on you to stop going - that's how they make their money. If you're having trouble getting st…

I've taken to printing out something I was going to read anyway (like lecture notes) and reading it on the treadmill while brisk walking at 4.5 mph or so. Going to the gym isn't time consuming anymore - I just get two things done instead of one. Obviously that wouldn't work for real running or weightlifting, but it's better than no exercise (which is what I was doing).

Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#63

Post by matwood »

yummyfajitas wrote: post #52
matwood wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You picked a trainer the right way. If you know what you need to be pushed and motivated then look for that in a trainer. They each have their own styles and personalities just like anyone else. When it comes to random complements it's really me projecting my anti-social tendency while at the gym. I'm there for one reason and it's to work out. I put headphones and generally don't talk or interact with anyone the enti…

I think speaking to others at the gym is somewhat cultural. In lower middle class neighborhoods of Jersey City (JSQ), you can talk to others. Ask for a spot or advice on form, tell them "bad form, watch out", whatever. In Manhattan gyms (at least the 2 or 3 I've used), no one talks to anyone else. Ever.

You might be onto something. In my old city I used to go to an older gym with mainly people who wanted to workout and get strong. The bars had rust on them and the crowd was all very friendly, not big family friendly but they would all say hey when you showed up.

My new gym is a big box gym. It's super nice, and I keep telling a friend of mine that really it's too nice. The people aren't very friendly, but I think that's because there are so many more people working out here that you rarely see the same person enough times to form any relationship. Plus, many people are there to just hang out and act like they are working out. One time I actually overheard a guy ask another guy for a spot and the guy told him no and then walked over to another bench and just sat down. I was stunned and in all my years of working out had never seen someone not help another when asked.

Even in their most competitive days I couldn't imagine Arnold telling Lou no if he needed a spot.

Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#64

Post by rue »

warpwoof wrote: post #25
liedra wrote: post #5

This is a great article, makes me want to get off my bum and do some exercise :) One thing I'd like to know is, for women, yoga and pilates and all that seems to be quite fashionable these days, but they don't tend to be either cardio or weightlifting -- what sort of effect do they have on the body?

Things like yoga will stimulate the body and build strength to a degree, but that is a much less efficient way to get in shape, in my opinion. One of the reasons compound lifts moving heavy weight are so important is the effect they have on your entire body. Doing heavy squats recruits nearly every muscle in your body. But it doesn't just stimulate those muscles, it also stimulates your central nervous system. Doing…

Yoga is perfectly good for "getting into shape" and there are several varieties with emphasis on strength, especially static strength.

(Of course, "in shape" means different things to different people. I prefer endurance/cardio, many others think more in terms of strength/musculature.)

As a gross oversimplification of the body types attained, yoga == Bruce Lee, weights == Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#65

Post by listic »

I really hate it how many people when talking about health talk about losing weight. It somehow undermines credibility of other things theys say.

What if I don't need to lose weight? What if I actually need to eat more? Haven't you thought about it, mister?

Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#66

Post by rue »

scott_s wrote: post #57
warpwoof wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Things like yoga will stimulate the body and build strength to a degree, but that is a much less efficient way to get in shape, in my opinion. One of the reasons compound lifts moving heavy weight are so important is the effect they have on your entire body. Doing heavy squats recruits nearly every muscle in your body. But it doesn't just stimulate those muscles, it also stimulates your central nervous system. Doing…

And doing full squats with your bodyweight on the barbell 20 times (1 set of 20) is like hollering at your body with all of your lung capacity to get in shape.

Dunno if this is really a useful line of thinking for a beginner. I wholeheartedly agree with the advice of not overdoing it from the article.

Particularly squats. Nothing better to wreck your knees or back than squats done with too much weight and/or poor technique.

Excercise causes muscle damage which rest heals up (and results in stronger muscles). Aside from the obvious over- or understimulation, you do have some control over the type of stimulation…the two archetypes are the high-rep/low-weight and low-rep/high-weight with slightly different results.

Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#67

Post by scott_s »

rue wrote: post #66
scott_s wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And doing full squats with your bodyweight on the barbell 20 times (1 set of 20) is like hollering at your body with all of your lung capacity to get in shape.

Dunno if this is really a useful line of thinking for a beginner. I wholeheartedly agree with the advice of not overdoing it from the article. Particularly squats. Nothing better to wreck your knees or back than squats done with too much weight and/or poor technique. Excercise causes muscle damage which rest heals up (and results in stronger muscles). Aside from the obvious over- or understimulation, you do have some…

I assumed people would understand anyone who does this is not a beginner.

Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#68

Post by eru »

freescale wrote: post #56
matwood wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with machines and that most enforce 'bad' form. Every person has their own natural motion that a machine simply cannot match. The best way to learn a free weight exercise is to simply start doing it without any weight. Start squatting and dead lifting with just your body weight (use a broom handle to simulate the bar). Once you get that down start adding weight. There is a very little that a machine will…

As you and others have mentioned, deadlifts, squats, presses, and bench press are the most effective and time efficient. Don't waste time on bicep curls and other isolation exercises. Good form is vital though, so get 'Starting Strength' by Mark Rippetoe. There are plenty of exercise books available, but this is the only one I know of which will spend 50 pages explaining the proper form for the squat. There's even a…

I also got the "Starting Strength" book. It's very thorough on the technique of all the basic lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, power clean).

It doesn't they very much about programming (i.e. how to and how much to increase the weights you lift), but you can get advise on these from other sources.

Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#69

Post by thompo »

liedra wrote: post #16
dhimes wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plyometrics are an excellent substitute if you can't get to weights. These are basically calisthenics with explosive movements. For instance, squats where you explode upward into a jump and try to bring your knees to your chest, or push-ups where you explode upward and clap before catching yourself build strength (and stress the bone, which seems to be beneficial in preventing osteoporosis). Also, adding sprints to t…

Oh, that's a great idea. I could possibly even do those inside if it's raining out! I'll look these up. Thanks very much!

In an earlier post of mine, I made reference to the Cosgrove Evil 8. If you're looking for something that you can do inside, these would be great for a beginner to do with a broomstick. It would give you an opportunity to learn a majority of the most important (and basic) compound lifts without being intimidated by a gym atmosphere. It would also give you one hell of a workout in a relatively short amount of time, something great for doing at home.

Being able to perform each of these lifts properly would make you more knowledgeable than MOST people at your average ballys or 24 hour fitness, and that should give you plenty of confidence to start busting your ass at the gym.

edit, here's the link [cosgrove evil 8]:

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_train...

Re: Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

#70

Post by c0riander »

liedra wrote: post #5

This is a great article, makes me want to get off my bum and do some exercise :) One thing I'd like to know is, for women, yoga and pilates and all that seems to be quite fashionable these days, but they don't tend to be either cardio or weightlifting -- what sort of effect do they have on the body?

Obviously yoga and pilates are gentler (and thus less dramatic in their results), but for me it comes down to a question of what's sustainable for me. For whatever reason, I'm far more comfortable and excited to spend several hours a week doing pilates than weightlifting, so I think I see a better result (because I would find excuses not to do weightlifting). Not that they have to be substitutes for one another, either.
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