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Exercise tips for sedentary geeks

floyde

floyde

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 7, 2005
808
1
Monterrey, México
After 24 years (that's my entire lifespan) I've finally gathered enough courage to start working out :eek:. So, to sum up my problem: I'm clueless about this, and I fear I might give myself a heart attack :p

I was hoping that the more active MR members could give me some basic tips on the proper way to exercise. I don't have time to go to a gym so if you could suggest ways to work out with home-made devices i'd greatly appreciate that. This is what I've got so far:
e386bike150.jpg

(That's not me btw) And this:
weights.jpg

And that's it... I also have a few questions:
  1. How often should I exercise?
  2. How much time should I spend working out?
  3. Do I need to warm up before riding the bike or will starting slow do the trick?
  4. Should I exercise before or after a meal?
  5. Should I exercise in the morning or at night?
  6. How can I lift weights without hurting my hands? (I play guitar and piano and I want o keep doing that)
I'm mostly doing this for health benefits, but If I can get tips on how to get washboard abs and prominent rear-cheeks then I'd appreciate that too :D
 
Walk at a fast pace 45 minutes a day and you will be astonished at how many poinds will come off - after that, get a subscription to Men's Health and to the core strengthening routines in there - they are very good.
 
I would suggest finding an active sport that you'll like. You could try gettin down a routine, but I always found that boring. If you really want to get into that, try picking up a fitness magazine like "Men's Fitness" or sumthin, it always has great exercises and stuff, easy to learn stuff, targeting certain areas.

I usually just play basketball, and run. I don't lift any wieghts or anything, it's just to boring for me.
 
eating right & lifting weights are 80-90% of proper weight loss. cardio helps, but its more of a supplementary activity...

If you starve yourself and do too much cardio, you'll end up being "skinny fat" and not looking very healthy-- even if you really do weigh only 150 lbs. cardio can be severly catabolic (muscle eating) if you're diet is not in order.

here's a great thread on menshealth.com discussions: So you want to lose Fat.

Good luck, I've lost 30 lbs (of almost all fat) since january. 225 -> 195 and feeling great.
 
-floyde

I suggest you do both Cardio and Strength Training.

Suggested equipment for the basics:
Running shoes for the Cardio
Why: Cheap solution, run or walk.

Set of Bowflex/Nautilus SelecTech Dumbells (Nautilus is $100-$150 cheaper, same stuff) for the strength training.
All the dumbells you'll ever need, just don't drop them (weights skins will split that way - only catch)

Excercise:
Two phases:
Phase 1. The Ramp-in from sedentary: need this so you don't in fact kill yourself (e.g. coronary heart attack)
Phase 2. Main Sequence Workout

Phase 1: Ramp-In
Three days a week, separated by one day for healing. Recommend Monday-Wednesday-Friday
Work out in the morning, right after you get up (getting up is the HARDEST part)
Stength Training:
10 reps X 4 sets pushups
10 reps X 4 sets bicep curls - 1/2 the wight you think is your maximum. You're just starting out - you don't wan to tear anything.
1 min rest between each set - get a sports stopwatch if you can.

Cardio:
Do as iGary says, 45 min brisk walk - very pleasant. Distance doesn't matter here time does.

You will be sore for a few days, but you will notice that after a few workouts, you won't be anymore. this means you can begin to push the weights up a bit.

When you feel you are ready, after about three to four weeks, time to go to Phase 2: Main Sequence...

Phase 2: Main Sequence
Keep the Three days-a-week, separated by one day for healing pattern. M-W-F
Work out in the morning, right after you get up
Stength Training:
8 reps X 4 sets Bench Press with Dumbells - say 80% your maximum
8 reps X 4 sets Bicep Curls - 80% your maximum.
8 reps X 4 sets Chest Fly - 80% maximum.
8 X 4 Latissimus pullups - 80% maximum.
Don't be fooled at the beginning of the workout because the weights feel light - if you get the weights right - you'll barely be able to complete the last set. Contract the muscle, pull the weight slowly, when the rep is fully pulled, stay there - 'cramp' the muscle, then slowly release back to zero.
1 min rest between each set

Cardio:
Run a mile. When you can run a mile straight without having to walk sometime in it, go to two, three, get to five if you can.

I think that, if you look at yourself in the mirror when you can be running 5 miles, you'll be there. Don't read too much about your weight, you'll have gained muscle, and muscle is really heavy.

Diet:
Increase you protein intake. I prefer NitroTech Whey protein from GNC (Chocolate flavor :p )
 
Start going out and dancing at least 3 times a week. No 45 minute sissy dancing. Be the first one on the dance floor and the last one off! No water breaks! No bathroom breaks! Meaning at least 3 hours each night. The pounds will drop off, you don't need a gym membership, you don't need to learn anything, and it's fun as hell!

Worked for me :). You're 24, a great age to do such things.

e
 
iGary said:
Walk at a fast pace 45 minutes a day and you will be astonished at how many poinds will come off - after that, get a subscription to Men's Health and to the core strengthening routines in there - they are very good.
Click to expand...

as if that's why you subscribe to men's health, Gary ;).

e
 
1) start very gradually, with weights and cardio, then
2) work up to three times a week, 30 minutes or more, then
3) target your workout, but realize that:
a) you still have to give your body a whole, total workout
b) don't skip out on unpopular regimens like legs and back

i am a part time techie and have dealt with weight issues...wow, surprise...but to get fit and take off weight, gradually is best and the old standard of exercise and balanced, lower calorie intake, is still the best way to go

for long term, avoid fad diets like atkins and grapefruit diets, and others, that promise impossible results
 
Hi.
Trust me on this one. I've been involved in rowing (seriously demanding sport) all my life. The BEST adjunct to any get-fit regime has been the Canadian Royal Air Force 5BX plan .

It takes 12 minutes a day, doesn't need any special equipment and I know that it can take anyone from unfit through to international-level (equals Olympic) of fitness.

No axe to grind here, but I have trained myself and top-level crews with this scheme and --- it works.

Good luck! :)
 
iGary said:
Walk at a fast pace 45 minutes a day and you will be astonished at how many poinds will come off
Click to expand...

Right on.

Of course, I read that as "Get a dog!"
 
Wow, thanks a lot guys! Lots of useful tips. patrick0brien's and UKnjb's routines seem particularly interesting, but I guess it'll take me a while to be able to handle them. In the meantime I'll try to find my former college roommates' Men's Health magazines, they used to get them all the time.

I guess if I succeed in this, eventually I'll be able to walk across the country, heck, I might even walk all the way down to the Patagon and become a cult celebrity :cool:

scem0 said:
Start going out and dancing at least 3 times a week. No 45 minute sissy dancing. Be the first one on the dance floor and the last one off! No water breaks! No bathroom breaks! Meaning at least 3 hours each night. The pounds will drop off, you don't need a gym membership, you don't need to learn anything, and it's fun as hell!
Click to expand...
I'd do that but I really suck at dancing, I have no rythm whatsoever. Besides, I need to have at least 6 beers on me to even consider dancing, so I guess that goes against the whole purpose, hehe (unless someone knows an exercise routine that involves beer :D )

rye9 said:
What type of results do you want? Do you want to gain weight, gain muscle mass, lose weight, etc.?
Click to expand...
Well, I'm technically overweight, but I'm sure I won't have that much trouble loosing those few extra pounds. My real purpose is to be fit so that I won't have to use a cane by the time I'm 30. I would also like to gain some muscle mass as I currently have 0 :eek:
 
scem0 said:
as if that's why you subscribe to men's health, Gary ;).

e
Click to expand...
And I thought it was the discount coupons for the prostate exams. :(

---

As far as this topic goes, if the thought of removing the batteries from all the remote controls in the house doesn't shock you -- congrats.

All depends if you want something low tech like using gravity assisted exercise, or want something along the Bowflex line.
 
floyde said:
I'd do that but I really suck at dancing, I have no rythm whatsoever. Besides, I need to have at least 6 beers on me to even consider dancing, so I guess that goes against the whole purpose, hehe (unless someone knows an exercise routine that involves beer :D
Click to expand...

I don't buy it! If you have fun doing it that's all that matters. I thought the exact same thing as you until I moved to New York and decided to get out of my shell and go for it. I thought I was a bad dancer and that I didn't want to embarass myself by dancing in public for a long time. I avoided the dance floor at all costs.

Go and dance! And let yourself have fun! Once you start enjoying yourself the rest comes naturally. I get told that I'm a good dancer when I go clubbing pretty often, and once upon a time I thought I was bad. Even if I wasn't told that, I'd still go, it's so much fun! It's also great exercise.

I think it would be very healthy for you physically and healthy for your confidence to dance. Do it! :)

e
 
If you live near a climbing gym you could try rock climbing. Regular exercise regimes bore me greatly (lifting, running mindlessly, etc.), whereas rock climbing is a huge workout on muscles you've never used before, plus it incorporates cardio (depending on how hard you push yourself and for how long), BUT you're always looking for new routes and moves and things you can try. Everything you do is a workout, but there's some intelligence behind it.

Look into it! :D
 
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