Fitness Catch-All

Finishing is finishing.

The UK's first major gym operator, DW Sports, has gone in to administration, because of the Government's lockdown.

Most of the gyms will re-open again, because the company is going through administration, not liquidation. But this is still ominous news.

My gym is in a mixed residential/commercial area, but I think it's clientele skews heavily towards employees of the businesses in the area. And they definitely are not back in their offices yet. if their employers decide not to open offices until next year, then I can see a wave of cancellations of membership, and therefore more closures.

Got my spicy Phoenix Rack assembled this morning between conference calls.

Fire!

Started running with my wife (a distance runner) in September on her short runs and then decided to try going further. Three weeks ago I ran 10 miles. Last week I ran 12 miles. Yesterday I dropped back down to 10 (doing a 10 mile race in 2 weeks) but was able to do it a full minute per mile faster (just under 11 minutes per mile). My wife was going 16 but at mile 9 I asked if I could go ahead and I was able to do the last mile at under 9:30 (I knew I was close to an 11 minute mile total and wanted to get under).

NOICE!!!

Run Evilhomer run!

My gym closed again today. Supposedly to reopen on 2nd December.

That might happen. But even if it does, there'll be a heavy toll on the people that work there. One of the PT lost most of his clients in the first lockdown; he isn't sure if he'll continue. One of the other staff had to give up an apartment and move in with family hundreds of miles away, because they couldn't make the rent on their furlough money. Grim times.

It felt like a funeral today...

Completed a 5k this morning on the treadmill. Maintained a 4 degree incline but had to reset my expectations of pace and went with 11:25/mile. My problem of late at faster paces, I hit a mental hurdle around the half-way point and then I start bargaining with myself "Hey, 2.5 miles might not be 5k, but it isn't that bad, and a damned bit better than 0 miles, maybe I'll revise my target downwards....Hrm...two miles, screw it I'm done"

I do that exact same rationalization all the time with cardio.

What has worked, for me, has been to put better structures in place to preempt my brain getting in the way. I love structure (when I automate it) so YMMV:

- Time limits instead of volume limits. If my workout is 60min I'm much more likely to ignore thoughts of stoppage at 45min and just back off pace to get to done.

- Distractions to keep my mind away from thinking about the pain/annoyance/boredom of cardio. Music is ok. Podcasts are good. TV is better. Watching sports is best. I could watch an entire half of football on my indoor trainer and not even mind notice I just did 90min.

- Permission to cut things short. I'm not a professional athlete. My livelihood doesn't depend on a fanatical commitment to "finish the fight" with every workout. If I completed 75% of my cardio workouts 90% of the time I'd be doing AMAZING. Life is short; don't make the perfect the enemy of the good.

- I choose cardio I like/prefer. Spectrum for me goes from running to HIIT to indoor trainer (see: TV) to swimming. This means I pretty much never choose running...which means I've actually been getting my cardio in!

What strategies do you all use?

I have struggled to stay inspired on treadmills for the longest time. Last year I discovered watching live concerts (especially opening of sets) on Youtube while running. There's an energy to it that keeps me motivated. If you're a music person who struggles to find the energizing playlist, I'd recommend trying it out next time.

Live concerts are a great idea!

I try to keep myself focused by using videos with workout routines. Early in the pandemic, I started doing P90X, which I had used before, years ago, when I was traveling a lot for work. It helps to just pop the disk in my PS4 and know that this is the workout I'm doing today -- I don't have to make any decisions about it. I also like that I don't need much equipment for it: some resistance bands, a yoga mat, and a yoga block.

I've definitely struggled with motivation during the pandemic. I was pretty good at working out most days in the early part of the pandemic, and fell off as the school year started and some other responsibilities (I coach a college mock trial team) disrupted the routines I'd set earlier. But I've noticed how important exercise is for my mental & emotional health, especially during this time of isolation, and I really want to get back to it regularly. I could use an accountability buddy, I think.

I defy every kind of structure I put in place for myself, except one that seems to work. I give myself a time limit that’s modest, and decide that as soon as that time comes ‘round I can stop with no guilt. Any extra time is a bonus.

There’s some psychological trick where I make it easy to reach a goal so then I feel free to do as much or as little more as I want. I don’t like being told what to do and least of all by me. This tactic very frequently results in me doing extra time.

One other thing I'd add: if you genuinely enjoy the activity, it makes it a hell of a lot easier to "work out."

I have yet to meet the BJJ practitioner who doesn't want to roll or the golfer who doesn't want to do 18. I know a LOT of swimmers who can't stand being on the pool deck and have all kinds of rationales to get their ass into that cold, cold, morning water.

Top_Shelf wrote:

One other thing I'd add: if you genuinely enjoy the activity, it makes it a hell of a lot easier to "work out."

This is 100% true for me. I look forward to going for a run every day. I love spending time by myself in my own head, especially if I can get out onto a trail or a very quiet area.

I have tried a bunch of other workouts but there is nothing else I could see myself doing on such a consistent, long-term, basis.

With that said, running on a treadmill is the worst.

Top_Shelf wrote:

- Time limits instead of volume limits. If my workout is 60min I'm much more likely to ignore thoughts of stoppage at 45min and just back off pace to get to done.

- Permission to cut things short. I'm not a professional athlete. My livelihood doesn't depend on a fanatical commitment to "finish the fight" with every workout. If I completed 75% of my cardio workouts 90% of the time I'd be doing AMAZING. Life is short; don't make the perfect the enemy of the good.

Thanks so much for this, btw. I've adopted these two things and so far, it's worked out really well. Thirty minutes on the treadmill instead of a distance goal and permission to go at a pace that lets me achieve that, including telling myself I have permission to slow down during those thirty minutes if I need to. Let's be honest, I'm 55 and just trying to maintain a level of physical activity that keeps me from dying young. I don't need to try and compete with 25 year old me when I could run a heck of a lot faster.

Top_Shelf wrote:

One other thing I'd add: if you genuinely enjoy the activity, it makes it a hell of a lot easier to "work out."

I have yet to meet the BJJ practitioner who doesn't want to roll or the golfer who doesn't want to do 18. I know a LOT of swimmers who can't stand being on the pool deck and have all kinds of rationales to get their ass into that cold, cold, morning water.

I'm like those swimmers. I've been weightlifting for going on 18 years now and I'm sick of it. I absolutely cannot stand it anymore, but it is something I have to do. So it is always a rolling series of justifications for every set I do.

Anybody here do Wendler's 5-3-1 Strength training? I am thinking of running it for a few months and I was wondering if anyone here had some experience with it.

UpToIsomorphism wrote:

Anybody here do Wendler's 5-3-1 Strength training? I am thinking of running it for a few months and I was wondering if anyone here had some experience with it.

Yeah, I did it as an alternative to 5x5 for a year+. I liked it - it felt like "not enough volume" in the moment, but of course that meant a less drawn-out session, and it certainly didn't feel like not enough by the day after!. I liked the fact that every lift included a "heavy" set - that felt like capping each lift with an "achievement unlocked" ding (even though it's only every four weeks that you're actually shooting for a 1RM). I liked the flexible approach to accessory lifts - that lets you inject some variety and keep it from getting stale, and moving the load away from any developing sore spots before overuse sets in.

Downsides - the fact that you're pushing for a 1RM means you're going to need a spot, which is a problem if you've built your own garage gym or hate asking for spots from strangers.

Jonman wrote:
UpToIsomorphism wrote:

Anybody here do Wendler's 5-3-1 Strength training? I am thinking of running it for a few months and I was wondering if anyone here had some experience with it.

Yeah, I did it as an alternative to 5x5 for a year+. I liked it - it felt like "not enough volume" in the moment, but of course that meant a less drawn-out session, and it certainly didn't feel like not enough by the day after!. I liked the fact that every lift included a "heavy" set - that felt like capping each lift with an "achievement unlocked" ding (even though it's only every four weeks that you're actually shooting for a 1RM). I liked the flexible approach to accessory lifts - that lets you inject some variety and keep it from getting stale, and moving the load away from any developing sore spots before overuse sets in.

Downsides - the fact that you're pushing for a 1RM means you're going to need a spot, which is a problem if you've built your own garage gym or hate asking for spots from strangers.

I had a similar experience. I believe that powerlifting programs like 5x5 of 5/3/1 are great to a point. Great for building a foundation of strength but the linear progression of the program has to end somewhere. I stopped the program pre-COVID because I got burned out on training at public gyms and having to rely on strangers for spots. At my age also, the elevated risk of injury from 1RM training just wasn't worth it. YMMV if you are a youngster with regular training partners.

I have a home gym now, built around kettlebells and bodyweight training.

Cleans. Love them. There are so many ways to clean with a kettlebell. Incorporate them into legs, shoulders and ab work too.

In regards to treadmills:

I just can't get used to them and they drive me nuts. Outside I run close to a 7:20 min mile for 5k and usually don't have problems making that a 7:40 8K with a mask. Get on the treadmill I struggle to run 9 minute miles, so usually slower than that, and barely make 5k. I think it is that I'm adapting my run to the treadmill instead of my body determining the run pace at any given time. Having no destination certainly makes the motivation harder. The kicker is that the non-cardio part of the workout is worse because some of the muscle groups seem to be used much less.

If it's not cold and rainy combined I'm running outside. With the right gear I can make it down to about 20 degrees dry or 50 if its raining. It has also been easier running outside with a mask when it's been colder out.

Cross-posting from the GOTY thread - I included a Fitness GOTY cos my VR headset has been my cardio gym...

FGOTY (Fitness Game Of The Year)

As luck would have it, in the winter before the pandemic hit, I decided to quit my Crossfit gym because I couldn’t sync the class schedule with my family’s schedule. As a result, I’d already gotten a long way down the road of figuring out home workouts by the time that was the only option left on the table. VR became an increasingly big part of that, and has been my predominant mode of fitness of most of this year. I’ve acquired most of the big hitters (pun fully intended) in the space and I think there’s a lot of goodness to be had here.

1. PowerBeatsVR
2. Beat Saber
3. Pistol Whip
4. Synth Riders /Audio Trip / Dance Collider
5. Ring Fit Adventure
6. OhShape
7. BoxVR
8. Hot Squat 2
9. Creed: Rise to Glory

Spoiler:

IMAGE(https://www.powerbeatsvr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PowerBeatsVR_Mixed-Reality-Screenshot-4.jpg)
1. PowerBeatsVR – Another “hit the stuff that’s flying at you” VR fitness game, but this one is potentially the most strenuous VR fitness title I’ve yet found. Crank it up to Expert and it’ll kick the ass of even the most talented beat fencer.

IMAGE(https://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/a2W2b8p_460s.jpg)
2. Beat Saber – it’s the elephant wearing a VR helmet in the room. There’s a very good reason why Beat Saber is the one fitness game every VR owner has – it’s a downright brilliant rhythm game. As you climb the difficulty levels, it morphs into a fitness game as well, and by the time you reach the lofty heights of Expert+, you’ll be bringing a sweat-towel, a fan and a two gallon water bottle.

IMAGE(https://www.vrfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Pistol_Whip_Screenshot7-1024x576.png)
3. Pistol Whip – You think you’re playing a rail shooter, but no-one told you that it was sneakily a game about squats. You’ll get a good core and lower body workout dodging all those bullets. There’s a rhythm element to the scoring (score higher if your shot is on the beat) that opens up a layer of strategy beyond just “shoot all the dudes” if you’re into the scorechase. Which I am.

IMAGE(https://cdn.dribbble.com/users/291483/screenshots/11632147/media/21100dcabd8116e942e3a313d82faff4.png)
4. Synth Riders /Audio Trip / Dance Collider – These three are basically all the same VR rhythm game where you punch and dodge stuff that’s flying towards you and tightly choreographed to music. They’ve all perfectly capable, but none of them quite capture the exuberance of your Beat Saber. They’re not far off, mind you, and to varying degrees, the choreography feels a heckuva lot more like dancing than the elastic-wristed flailing of Beat Saber. If I was going to pick one of the three to recommend, it would be Synth Riders, but not by a large margin.

IMAGE(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/u6v3UPXeFKQ/maxresdefault.jpg)
5. Ring Fit Adventure – brilliantly novel bit of fitness kit. Not a lot of game there, but enough to provide a nudge to keeping a fitness regimen going. Perfect timing arriving right before quarantine times. Downside, with my kid’s bedroom next to the living room, it was too stompy to do after bedtime, but I picked up a second dock for my downstairs office.

IMAGE(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2DdSIgg8Msg/maxresdefault.jpg)
6. OhShape – if you ever saw that Japanese game show that was remade for American TV as Hole In The Wall, this is that. If you haven’t seen it, imagine a wall moving towards you, with a person-shaped hole cut out – you position your body in VR into the shape of that hole so you fit through it. Now imagine another hundred of those walls, all with different person-shapes. It’s a surprisingly exhausting workout.

IMAGE(https://i1.wp.com/www.vrfitnessinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/boxvr-playlist-manager-plugin.jpg?fit=800%2C512&ssl=1)
7. BoxVR – At first it feels like a lame slow knockoff of all the other VR rhythm games where you punch stuff that’s flying towards you, but missing customizable difficulty levels that allow you scale the intensity with your fitness level. But once the penny dropped that the emphasis isn’t on lightning reactions so much as really considering your form with each punch and putting full force into each one. And that’s the key, you’re in full control of the difficulty by choosing whether to limply slap at the targets, or to leather the crap out of them with explosive hooks and uppercuts.

IMAGE(https://vrgamecritic.com/images/games/bg/1564-main-bg.jpg)
8. Hot Squat 2: New Glory – do squats. Then do more squats. Keep doing squats until you either die or your quads explode. It’s dumb and simple, but it’s an amazing way to finish off a VR workout with a mega-set of air squats. All the proceeds go to charity too, so toss a few bucks at it and get that booty shredded!

IMAGE(https://media.playstation.com/is/image/SCEA/creed-rise-to-glory-screen-03-ps4-us-12oct18?$MediaCarousel_Original$)
9. Creed: Rise To Glory – I got so involved in a boxing match in this game that I ended up losing track the limits of my VR space, and picked a fight with some drywall. It took 2 full months for my knuckle to heal. On the other (less bruised) hand, it’s a testament to the robustness of both the Vive wands and the Index controllers that both have survived multiple drywall incidents.

Addendum: Occasionally, I'll go out for a run, and it's been astonishing how effective jumping around in my basement with a nerd helmet on has been at maintaining fitness. Running 5 miles pretty effortlessly after not running for 6 months was a shocker.

Anyone have any tips on tracking calories easily? I've tried a few apps which make it easy to either scan barcodes or look up restaurants, but we mostly cook at home. How the heck do I estimate calories for things we make at home? (Especially recipes with several ingredients.)

How many calories is a piece of my meat loaf? A serving of roasted garlic string beans? Salads with various different fixins? Or soups with 400 ingredients?

Even if I use a jarred tomato sauce for instance, do I just guesstimate a "serving" off of the label?

I don't need to track every last calorie. I'm just looking to track meals for a bit to see where I might be going over. I tend to go overboard and be a perfectionist* with things and have tried/quit tons of apps over the years. I just want something relatively frictionless that I can take 10 minutes at the end day with.

(*My instinct is take every single recipe we cook at home, plug every ingredient into a calorie calculator and add it to a spreadsheet to reference later on. This already seems overwhelming as I type this, and I already want to quit!)

PaladinTom wrote:

I don't need to track every last calorie. I'm just looking to track meals for a bit to see where I might be going over. I tend to go overboard and be a perfectionist* with things and have tried/quit tons of apps over the years. I just want something relatively frictionless that I can take 10 minutes at the end day with.

I think the intent is worthy, but the goal quixotic. Trying to track every calorie, especially in home cooking, is probably not attainable without some serious headaches. I've tried this in the past, and for myself I recognised that it came from trying to obtain a sense of control. As I'm sure is true of many people, I find some comfort in putting things into spreadsheets and trackers. The reality is that such efforts rarely last more than a few weeks, especially if one has perfectionist tendencies and inevitably misses some entries.

I would suggest that portion-size, rather than ingredients-based calorie counting, is a more sustainable method. This is especially true since most of us enjoy portions that are entirely too large. Perhaps consider reducing the *amount* of what you cook and/or consume, rather than worrying about calories. Use a weekly abdominal girth measurement (rather than weight, which varies significantly with fluid status and doesn't account for muscle/fat composition) as your guide as to whether your efforts are resulting in gain, loss, or maintenance. Body composition really is a matter of calories in/out, with influence from muscular exertion.

Most of the weight-loss, dietary, and exercise research is *really* bad. Bad to the point it's difficult to draw supportable conclusions, and certainly not good enough to be given the weight it is given in glossy fitness magazines and websites. Accordingly, I ignore pretty much all of the fad diets and try to rely on known principles: a reasonably varied diet; avoidance of excessive portions; and regular exercise.

In theory, anyway. I've kind of sucked at that recently, and it's showing. Time to get back on the wagon.

When I've tracked calories in MyFitnessPal, I didn't so much worry about accuracy but consistency. It's estimation all the way down, but if I make judgements in roughly the same way I'm at least proportionate in my estimations. I lost a little weight doing this method, in the Before Times.

For entering home cooked food, do the best you can, but be conservative with it so that you're tilting the inevitable errors in the right direction.

For me, that meant entering my home cooked meatloaf as a 1.5 serving of premade meatloaf that already had information in the app.

Good ideas. Thanks all!

I've used myfitnesspal and chronometer apps. Had similar challenges as listed above. But one big benefit i observed was macronutrient tracking. My early meal plans as it turned out were very lacking in healthy fats.

Would just chip in with a quick personal success story on home-cooking and portion control. Lost 70lbs over the course of 16 months with little to no change in diet (decreased my carbs a bit) but decreased portions. Using smaller plates and bowls (Walmart Corelle plates are great and cheap!) and not going back for seconds. Instead of a large plate use a medium plate. You'll mentally feel "fuller" because you can load your plate and eat it all.

My partner and I have spent the fall slowly pulling together small home gym. We've got an adjustable bench, a set of adjustable dumbbells up to 52.5lbs, 3 kettlebells (16kg, 24kg, 32kg), a plethora of resistance bands, and a TRX setup. It's been great lifting weights and just feeling the burn but pretty quickly outlifted the dumbbells so we started looking for a barbell and plate set. Managed to find a local steel manufacturer who has transitioned to making plates and secured a full set of 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 45 plates and a barbell for around $340 USD which in this climate feels like a steal!

$340 for 215lbs is a crazy good deal in Covid Times. Nicely done.