Exercise and Fitness Thread

[Kutie Pie]

I was never very good in PE to begin with (except in a few sports), so I'm not a fan of exercise, personally. I don't know if it's because I'm not very flexible, my small stature, or what, but I was always struggling in PE. (Seriously, I freakin' hated doing those stretching-machine thingies. The back of my knees tense up and hurt like hell whenever I do leg stretches, which is why I can't bend over to touch the ground without bending my knees. My father's seventy-one-year-old mother can do it without issue, that's how bad it is for my mom, my brothers, and I. It's a nasty effect from having a grandmother who contracted polio as a baby.)

I will, however, go on walks with my brothers sometimes. We started doing that... if not last year, sometime in 2010. We would just walk around picking up cans so we can get some cash from the recycling places and save them for Disneyland (which we went to this summer). Ever since we got our PokéWalkers, we were more than willing to go out for walks because Pokémon. After we went to Disneyland, we've kinda stopped going on walks. And especially now that my brothers are working and the schedules are sporadic, I've kinda just given up. I'm not in bad shape, anyway. I've always been pretty thin (though I've gained a small muffin top since I began living with my grandparents xD, I like poking it) I'm of a healthy weight for my size (always remained around the 100-pound mark), and I'm not terribly ill or achy or anything. Besides, we got Wii Fitness that we'll pull out every once in a while for the heck of it.

 

[Zenotwapal]

I lift weights six days a week for around half an hour each day. I've been using this schedule for a couple months now, but I've been lifting for close to two years. What bothers me is that while I have built some muscle, it's not even close to how much most people who lift have. My guess is because my body is not fully grown yet and I'm still relatively young, so hopefully I will start to bulk up.

Also, does anyone know if it is true that your growth is stunted by weight lifting? I used to be pretty tall, but ever since I started lifting my growth has gradually decreased and I am now of average height, but again, it may just be because I haven't finished growing yet.

What muscle gain you get from the training mainly depends on what exercises you do, how you perform those exercises, how heavy weights you lift, what and how much you eat and genetics. With unfavorable genetics, it doesn't matter how ideal your training is, you still won't get as strong as those with better genetics.

The growth is not stunted by weight lifting, but your spine can be slightly compressed after a few years of doing squats, resulting in getting slightly shorter.

There ya go. No it does not stunt growth
the spine compression is temporary though, I am pretty sure.

Believe it or not I actually take exercise pretty seriously. I run about 5miles on average a day excluding weekends where I may or may not take a break. I think the primarily reason I do not see big muscle mass gains is because I eat so much carbs and probably need to intake more protein. Even with bumping up the weights curling and the like have physically only left me more toned.

People tell me more reps for tone and more weight for mass. Idk if that holds true for everybody though.

More reps (10-15) at light(er) weight equates to tonign, yes. While less reps (5-8) at heavier weight will give you more mass and more strength.
I go for less reps for strength because of the sport I am in.

 

[SugarFreeJazz]

The back of my knees tense up and hurt like hell whenever I do leg stretches, which is why I can't bend over to touch the ground without bending my knees.

That's a normal pain when you're doing stretches. If you stretch consistently and push through the initial pain, it'll become much easier and, well, obviously, you'll become more flexible. If standing stretches hurt too much at first, it might be easier to start with sitting stretches.

 

[Ludwig]

There ya go. No it does not stunt growth
the spine compression is temporary though, I am pretty sure.

It's not temporary. I know people in their 40s that have gotten slightly shorter (about 1 inch) from doing squats weekly during many years.

 

[Zenotwapal]

It's not temporary. I know people in their 40s that have gotten slightly shorter (about 1 inch) from doing squats weekly during many years.

Well granted, this is over the course of many years. Not quite an immediate occurrence.
Though the "oh squats will stunt my growth" is not even a issue.

 

[Kutie Pie]

That's a normal pain when you're doing stretches. If you stretch consistently and push through the initial pain, it'll become much easier and, well, obviously, you'll become more flexible. If standing stretches hurt too much at first, it might be easier to start with sitting stretches.

I've tried multiple times, I honestly hurt in the back of my knees whenever I do leg stretches. My brothers have this issue, my mom has this issue, even my cousins have reported this. My grandmother had polio as a baby, and she still suffers from the symptoms. There's reported cases of children and even grandchildren of polio survivors having similar symptoms of polio without having contracted it. One of the symptoms are aches and pains in the joints, and that's what I have. I've always had aches in the back of my knees, and occasionally in my elbows, and I can't run for very long without getting tired out quickly.

Looking this up, I think this is Post-polio syndrome. I hear there are ways to treat this, but I don't know what those are. I've been finding interesting articles about it, though. It's a pain (ha) to deal with when it presents itself, which is rare these days since I graduated high school, but I'm not one to complain. Even then, as long as I'm not over-weight or having heart problems, I'm fine with what I do. Seems to work for me just fine.

 

[Lluc]

I exercise quite a bit. I walk and run a lot so it helped me get in shape. I race my little brother a bunch of times so that's more running. My physical education class helps me get in shape quite a bit. I am in a pretty good shape if I do say so myself.

 

[Chaos Rush]

Since I'm too occupied with homework after school, I get up at 5am on school days every day and go weight lifting.

And is there any way to get the same benefits of doing squats without compressing your spine? (besides leg press)

 

[725roy]

I play tennis about 3-4 times a week outside of school when the season isn't going on.When it is happening, it it's 3+ hours a day, every day. In school for Pe, I have running on Monday/Tuesday, weight training on Wednesday/Thursday, and friday I do more running. I've slimmed down so much since 3 years ago. My BMI used to be like 22.3, and now it's 19.2

 

[SugarFreeJazz]

I've tried multiple times, I honestly hurt in the back of my knees whenever I do leg stretches. My brothers have this issue, my mom has this issue, even my cousins have reported this. My grandmother had polio as a baby, and she still suffers from the symptoms. There's reported cases of children and even grandchildren of polio survivors having similar symptoms of polio without having contracted it. One of the symptoms are aches and pains in the joints, and that's what I have. I've always had aches in the back of my knees, and occasionally in my elbows, and I can't run for very long without getting tired out quickly.

Looking this up, I think this is Post-polio syndrome. I hear there are ways to treat this, but I don't know what those are. I've been finding interesting articles about it, though. It's a pain (ha) to deal with when it presents itself, which is rare these days since I graduated high school, but I'm not one to complain. Even then, as long as I'm not over-weight or having heart problems, I'm fine with what I do. Seems to work for me just fine.

Ah, I didn't know that was a thing, actually. It sounds a lot like arthritis.

I decided to look both of those up for clarification, and it turns out that symptoms of post-polio are arthritis and heart conditions, among a long list of other things. Oy, that sucks. Sounds like you're making the best of it though, which is good to hear.

 

[Akwakwak]

I mostly do interval training with some weight and resistance(I came up with my own work out regimen), but I have recently become interested in isometrics.

 

[Ludwig]

Since I'm too occupied with homework after school, I get up at 5am on school days every day and go weight lifting.

And is there any way to get the same benefits of doing squats without compressing your spine? (besides leg press)

If you can do squats with the extra weight but without putting a barbell on the back of your neck, the spine shouldn't compress. This can be done by holding a dumbbell in each hand to get the wanted weight. There also are some machines that puts the weight on the top of your shoulders so that your trapezius muscle holds the weight, but otherwise are like squats. (Pic: link)

 

[SmeargleRocks]

I've been a little hesitant on exercising lately, I plan to start on boxing within the next month, if I can find a place that does boxing in Massachusetts that is -_-

 

[Dragalge]

I'm not really the exercise person but I manage to keep my health in good progress so I can avoid diabetes and such.

 

[TheSirPeras]

I love exercising, I'm really young though (14). I have a routine and all (200 push-ups mondays, wednesdays, fridays with breaks and as many sit ups as I feel like + fitness (machine workout, weights) on tuesdays and thursdays). On weekends I don't really work-out, should do though. What I really can't get myself doing is get a good "diet", and find myself eating unhealthy stuff more than healthy stuff -.- I'm still trying to improve though. I've asked my mom to stop buying some of the unhealthy things I used to buy and she stopped, so I guess that's a plus. Anyways, I really like exercising xD

Oh and for anyone that needs motivation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsSC2vx7zFQ

 

[Ludwig]

Oh and for anyone that needs motivation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsSC2vx7zFQ

I was expecting a Rocky Balboa training montage.

 

[Celestial Moth]

i partake in yoga

 

[ScytheSwipe]

I'm about to do an ab workout. Feeling pretty bad about myself this holiday season. As much as i thought I wanted to bulk up after I gained the weight I actually feel worse.

 

[tayetayetv1]

I only excercise during football conditioning during the summer only (Thank god).But i eat to much **** sooooo. Ya

 

[Doux]

i partake in yoga

See, now that's what I've been trying for some time now. It's pretty neat, I like how afterwards I never feel completely spent like I do when I, say, run. I've gotten much more flexible, and that's great, but now I have a different problem.

I have no endurance. My cardiovascular system has got to be garbage because I never stick to running. Yoga is easier to stick to because most of it just feels godly...some of those stretches will relax muscles you didn't even realize were tense before! It's incredible. D: Running on the other hand...I get exhausted quickly, and afterwards I don't feel all limp and noodly, I feel tense and suffocated.


I have a problem with the backs of my calves tightening when I'm running uphill sometimes, not sure why that happens because a few of my friends run track and field and they never have that problem.

One of them recommended a foam roller, and I don't own one but I use my can of hairspray and that seems to help...pretty much anything cylindrical rubbing on your muscles seems to be good. xD

Do any of you that run/walk for extended periods of time have any 'secrets' to keep from tightening up so badly? Or do you consider that part of the 'experience'?