Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cardio

Help me introduce some variety into my at-home cardio

t0astie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:45:41 -0800

I’m looking for some more simple cardio exercises, like burpees and stepping, that will raise my heart rate but can be done in a small space, with minimal impact on my knees. Limitations: knees messed up, so can't do jumping jacks, skipping or anything high impact. Very little space and no DVD player or games console means no exercise videos or fitness games. Limited cash means no fancy equipment.

Currently: Have a staircase and I've been i) walking up and down as many times as I can, as fast as I can ii) doing step-ups a-la Step Aerobics. So say, 10 steps on left leg, swap to right leg, ten steps, swap back. With lots of 80s-style arm pumping, natch. In the teeny space I've cleared for exercise in my wee room, I can just pull off a burpee. I've started doing those too. Tonight!

Some background: I do also go outside to exercise, and have lots of variety in things I can do outdoors, so that's not a problem. As well, I do bodyweight exercises and some simple yoga indoors. Again, there's loads of of different bodyweight stuff to do, and I add new yoga poses after weekly classes, so that's fine. But I'm stumped and kind of bored with my at-home cardio given the limitations I have.

My fitness level is: unfit. I can't run for the bus without getting out of breath. I've had a checkup and I'm fine to exercise though, there's no underlying issue. Just lack of exercise.

AskMe, what else can I do inside, with little space and dodgy knees, to up my heart rate?*

Aside from the obvious, most fun answer, that is.

How to improve my workouts while visiting family?

mizrachi — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:54:21 -0800

What's the best way to take my workout routine to the next level while spending ten days with my family? As it is, I do cardio six days a week and perform a very basic weightlifting routine every other day. I've seen gains and I'm getting stronger and more muscular but I know there's more I could do.

Since the chances of eating poorly and working out less while visiting family on Long Island are great, I've decided this visit would be a good time to push myself more than ever.

I'm considering: crossfit, a personal trainer, a revised, more difficult workout routine, an increase in my weights and time on the elliptical, etc.

What would you recommend?

FUNNY HEALTH TITLE

Team of Scientists — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:16:05 -0800

I'd like to lose the bit of fat that has been with me for as long as I can remember. What should I include in my diet/workout regimen? Some background: I am male, 6'0", 25 years old, and I weigh about 180 lbs. I am in decent shape right now, and I feel pretty good about myself, but I think I'm ready to experiment with a highly disciplined lifestyle to see what kind of results I can get.

I have a bit of belly fat that seems as if it won't ever go away. My goal is to drop my body fat percentage to a point at which this pudge finally disappears.

For the first 6 months of this year, I had been eating relatively healthy and lifting weights regularly with no cardio. In June, I dropped the weights and began swimming 5 days a week for 50-60 minutes each session.

I really enjoy the swimming, and I'd like to continue it, but I'm not sure if I should be supplementing my cardio workout with some more strength training. I was thinking of simply adding about 20 minutes of calisthenics to the beginning of each swim workout (think pushups, pullups, dips, etc.) to maintain some muscle mass. Does this sound like it would be more effective than simply swimming every weekday? What kind of workout regimen would/did you adhere to in order to lower your body fat?

Now to perhaps the most important part: my diet. I have recently been eating well (lean proteins, veggies, fruit for the most part), but I have no set routine. This results in me occasionally settling on some Panera or Qdoba for meals. I'd like to structure my diet so that I know what I am eating at what time each and every day. One caveat: I don't want to drive myself insane by eating the same bland crap every day. Is there any way to do this? I think I'd be satisfied with the same lunch/breakfast/snacks every day, and if I could just have a different dinner each day of the week, that would be just fine. Also, in the interest of saving some time, I'd like to stick with the three main meals of the day with snacks in between instead of, say, 7 small meals throughout the day.

How many calories should I be consuming, factoring in my workout regimen? What kind of foods should I include in my diet? High protein? High/low carbs? Any healthy and delicious entree suggestions?

I enjoy omelettes for breakfast as a cheap source of protein. I think I could go on a spinach and feta omelette or something similar every day for a while. I love asparagus, broccoli, sweet potatoes, apples, cheese, cottage cheese (these are many of the staples of my current diet). I'm sure I can work most of this into my diet, but how? Also, I currently drink a smoothie consisting of a banana, 5 strawberries, 3 spoonfuls vanilla yogurt, a scoop of whey, and some milk after every workout. Should I keep this?

Is there any other advice AskMeFi can offer that I might have overlooked? Apologies for the long post, but I know you MeFites are a generous source of health information.

Looking really silly vs Superior workout?

dino terror — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:10:49 -0800

Swimming cardio filter: for front crawl where I gasp a breath every 3 strokes, does it make much difference for cardio that I am holding my breath vs being able to breathe freely as I would be able to with a special swimmer's snorkel (the snorkel goes up the middle of your forehead rather than being attached at the side). Anyone got any science on this?

Why is this workout better that this other one?

smelvis — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:38:01 -0800

What's the benefit of multiple sets of one exercise at a time vs. one quick set of several exercises repeated? The guide I'm following lists the following as a good weight-loss workout:

5 min. cardio, then one quick set of about 8 different exercises (bench press, ab crunchs, squats, etc.), then repeat twice.

I've always heard that you should do one exercise at a time, 3 sets of 10-15 reps. What is the benefit of one over the other? I'm in good shape, outside of a my middle-age tire around my belly, and want to lose 5-10 lbs.

I would like to start working out during my lunch hour.

heeeraldo — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:47:19 -0800

Help me plan a lunch-hour workout. There's a gym in my office building, and I've decided to use it on my lunch break, which will mean I spend less time puttering around malls downtown, I bring lunch more often, and I get in to better shape.
I'm not too worried about cardio, as I am doing the 6 weeks from couch to 5K thing.

The gym itself is decently equipped with free weights, cardio machines, a bunch of the not-free-weight machines and a couple of balance balls/yoga mats.

I'd like to figure out a routine or a number of them I can rotate through (which is better?) for four workouts a week which take up no more than 30-40 minutes altogether, as I need time to eat, change, shower, etc.

Thanks in advance, gang!

How do I get my cardio fix without shrinking too much?

fructose — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:34:51 -0800

What are some good cardio workout videos for someone who is not trying to lose weight? I'm looking to get back in shape cardio-wise for my health, and like to workout at home with videos. I currently do Pilates and yoga, which are great for strength and flexibility, but don't really get my heart pumping. The only video I have that works well for this is a Cardio Pilates video, but it's pretty short and since I like to do Pilates other days, would like something different. It seems like all of the cardio videos I see at stores and on places like Netflix are geared toward people who are looking to lose weight/burn fat. I don't need/want to lose any weight, and I can't afford to burn too much fat (I've been slightly underweight/low body fat % my entire life because I can only eat small amounts of food at a time and have a fairly fast metabolism to boot, but I'm going to try to add a little more to my diet if I can handle it).

Any suggestions for cardio videos with 30 min+ workouts geared towards people who are mostly after the heart and lung benefits, rather than any sort of weight-loss goals?

How does conditioning work in sports?

wastelands — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:33:33 -0800

Uh oh! He's "out of gas"! How does conditioning work in sports like MMA and boxing? In the color commentary for UFC, you often hear them say a fighter is "out of gas." The fighter appears slow, tired, and doesn't move much.

My question: is this expression literal? I mean, does it mostly have to do with oxygen intake? And how do you deal with this problem... just do a crapload of cardio exercise before fights to improve your lungs? What exactly do they mean when they say "conditioning"?

Is drinking Red Bull before a cardio workout a dumb idea?

Senor Cardgage — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:06:43 -0800

Is drinking Red Bull before a cardio workout a dumb idea? For the last year, I've been doing a pretty strenuous weightlifting regimen on my upper body mondays, wednesdays and saturdays. I would like to start doing cardio/ab work on the remaining days. Mainly I want to add cardio in as a means to get my own natural energy/stamina levels up so that I wont have to rely as much of caffeine or energy drinks throughout my day or (more importantly) when I go dancing on the weekends.

I am 34, naturally pretty energetic anyway and have very little body fat. What my hope is it that cardio will give me a marked increase in energy.

Now, here's the conundrum: when I do my lifting regimen, I usually have a sugar-free Red Bull beforehand just to get my wherewithal up. If I do this for cardio (say the running incline machine) will this be like "cheating", and will it lessen my gains? Is it a bad idea to mix Red Bull and cardio anyway?

Note: this may be a really dumb question, but humor me.

Exercise Plan?

snap_dragon — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:35:50 -0800

I have three days a week and approx. 1 hour 15min. I am about 30 lbs over weight but eating healthy. I know I need to do cardio and I like weights. Anybody have a workout plan that they can suggest for 3 times a week? (I hope to go 4 eventually but this is the time I have). The only exercises I cannot do are military presses do to a rotator cuff issue. So with this limited time and stretching thrown in, what is your advice/opinon? Feel free to share with me your workout program. I am in okay shape but still in the walking stages of cardio. I am rather strong but am not looking to get more muscular....rather to get lean, if possible. I would hire a trainer but cannot afford it at this time.

He ain't heavy, he's my brother...

Spyder's Game — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:17:18 -0800

Low Metabolism Filter: I am coming to the end of a very low calorie diet. I have been careful to be healthy about it, and I have lost 30 (!) lbs. What do I need to know so I don't put it all back on again? Details inside. I am a 37 yr old 6' male who started off at around 215lbs. After reading a lot (including previous MeFi questions) and at the urging of my doctor, I went on a pretty low calorie diet (doctor recommended - MeMail me and I'll tell you which one). After a month, I had lost 20lbs. About two weeks after that, I reached 187lbs. And I stayed there. After another month, I'm down to about 183. My goal is to get down to 170.
In addition to the eating less, I've been exercising more. I walk about an hour (about 3.5 to 4 miles) pretty vigorously 5 or six times a week. I am planning on trying to do a little running (1-2 miles) and some elliptical training (30 min) a few times a week. I also take a multivitamin at least once a day, to make sure I'm getting all the vitamins and minerals my body needs.
'Kay, here's the question: What do I need to know so that I won't gain all this weight back? Things I do know:

1) My metabolism has slowed WAY down, most likely. Taking in a lot less food does that. My plan is NOT to go back to overeating like I was doing, but to gradually work more calories into my diet. Small meals, and more of them, over a few weeks, until I feel like I'm maintaining my weight at ~170-175.
2) Weight training will put on muscle, which will make me weigh more. I'd like to go back to doing some decent weight workouts. I know this will put on a little more weight, and I'm fine with that. It's really a more toned/less flabby look that I'm after. I'll continue my walking/cardio workouts to help keep the weight off. Although, I'd like to scale it back to more of a maintenance 3-4 times a week, if possible.
3) Healthier foods = better. I already eat a lot of chicken, rice, etc. I'll add in more veggies and fruits as I up my calorie intake. I occasionally splurge and have pizza or pasta or stuff that rhymes with "spice dream", but it's not my regular fare.

So, basically, is there anything that I'm missing? I'm sure there's a lot I don't know, having never done this before. The main goal is that I really REALLY don't want to get fat again, after working hard and being pretty disciplined over the last two months to get here. I now have a LOT more energy (hence the nightly walks) and I look much better, and friends have been very complimentary (like they're supposed to). So what else should I do/know to make this weight loss story a success?! Thanks in advance.

Staying Fit While Traveling in Europe

gm2007 — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:41:18 -0800

Going on vacation to Germany and Italy for 2 weeks. Looking for ways to try to stay fit while traveling. We will be staying with friends in Germany and may have access to a Gym, but will be staying in a house in Italy with no gym access. Any ideas for this? Possibly equipment that I could take that would assist?

Couch to 100k?

procrastination — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:17:35 -0800

Is there a good program to follow to build endurance and cardiovascular fitness on a road bike? I have read previous questions (this seeming the most relevant), but was hoping to find something that was highly structured like the couch to 5K program for runners. How do I do a couch to 100k? I have a nice new road bike and time over the summer.

Fight or flight?

SamuelF — Tue, 20 May 2008 07:36:08 -0800

I've put on 20 pounds since I started my full-time desk job a year ago, and the time has come to get myself back in to shape. Research has brought me two preferable possibilities: a few days a week, either start taking Krav Maga classes (during my lunch break), or start commuting to work by bike instead of driving (15 miles each way). I have no experience with either, live in Boston, work north of Boston. Help me pick the right path. Basic stats: 23 year old male, 5'6" 170lbs, up from my normal weight of 150lbs. No physical ailments or disabilities. The way I see it, both options have their pros and cons:

Krav Maga
Pros: Indoor / no weather concerns, learn to kick ass.
Cons: Hard to find a good trainer nearby (I work in Burlington, MA), more expensive than biking in the long run.

Biking
Pros: Save money on gas, less pollution, will be able to use more often than fighting skills.
Cons: 15 miles is a long way to bike, weather could lead to a long rainy ride home, will take longer to get up to speed (no pun intended), bike shorts are awkward.

I'm leaning towards biking, but I'd have to get myself in to shape before I could even consider doing 30 miles of biking a day. If you're a biker / Krav Maga'er, I'd like to hear about your experiences. I'll answer any questions that could help figure out an ideal activity. Basically, I need a good physical activity with an emphasis on cardio that I can work in to my existing schedule without taking too much of my free time. Building muscle is not something I'm interested in, I just want to lost fat and get my heart and my body in good enough shape to survive until scientists can grow new body parts for me from my stem cells so I can live forever. Mmm, test tube spleen...

Bonus option: I even considered Wii Fit, but I probably wouldn't find the time or the will to pull myself away from Rock Band. Open to consideration, though.

heart health & my new diet

luriete — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:30:34 -0800

I am 37, 5'9", 185 & just had a minor heart attack. Diagnosis: diffuse coronary disease. I swim several times a week, and eat well. But I have questions about my new diet, the one that will help me lose 30 - 50 lbs in 2 years, as my cardiologist wants. Since the angioplasty & 3 stents, I'm changing the way I eat - eating more whole grains and fruit, hardly any meat. I am taking fish oil (1750 a day) plus my plavix and other drugs. My cholesterol is not particularly high, but my blood pressure was (I haven't smoked in 5 years and even then I never smoked more than a pack a week).

One thing a friend said was to eat lots and lots of sushi, which I love. I know that shellfish is high in cholesterol, but what about my favorite - unagi? It's very fatty, but is that the good kind of fat or the bad kind? I looked up how much fat was in it, but it didn't tell me if that fat was OK - are fish fats better than meat fats, or is it just a case of them being less bad for me, but not actually good?

I think I can do this new way of eating - lots of low-fat middle eastern, no salt, very little animal grease. But I am looking for other suggestions for interesting dishes and things I can order in restaurants that will keep me from getting bored of green salads when my friends are eating steaks and chicken wings (my favorite junk food!). Are turkey meatballs from trader joe's OK? I like them.

Anyway, just wondering if people could share their favorite low-fat recipes & tips for eating safe in restaurants. I have reservations at Incanto in SF in 2 weeks so I hope there's stuff I can eat there... :(

I'm starting everybody else's new years' resolution in May... help?

twiggy — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:59:22 -0800

I've just signed up for a gym membership for the first time in my life... Due to metabolism, I'm not fat, but I'm still really out of shape... what should I start with? I signed up because there was a huge discount for this place's grand opening and I really should be getting exercise. However, the reason I can afford it is because of the discount. That means I can't really pay for personal training sessions (something like $75 a piece)...

I'm pretty thin, save for my belly which is finally starting to grow ... guess I'm finally old enough that the metabolism is slowing down...

I've lived a sedentary lifestyle for years now, with office jobs that have had me behind a computer all day, and my main hobby being poker -- yay for more sitting!

My main goals are to just be in healthier shape and to hopefully trim down this weird belly that's sitting on a skinny dude's frame. It would be nice to bulk up, but right now that's tertiary to the other two goals.

Some questions:

1) I imagine I'd puke if I tried to run a mile in less than 8 minutes right now. Pathetic, but probably true. What exercises should I start with? Do I want to focus on cardio 'til I'm in decent enough shape to run a couple of miles -- then add in the weightlifting? Or should I rotate between them both right away?

2) I've been having mildly annoying lower back pain when I bend down that gets better, then comes back, then gets better, for the past 8 weeks or so. It's not enough that I've gone to a doctor, because it seriously only hurts a little bit. However, does this make doing cardio stuff before seeing a doctor a stupid idea?

3) My diet isn't terribly unhealthy. However, any recommendations in this realm if I'm looking to eventually get rid of this belly? Is diet even relevant beyond "burn more calories than you take in"?

Fighting Blubber—The Gym Reassurance Questions.

wildrain2008 — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:06:36 -0800

Fighting Blubber—The Gym Reassurance Questions. INFORMATION:
=================

Background: So here's the deal, during late high school and early college I hit the gym on and off for a month or so, always breaking my routine and never getting the the exact point that I wanted to reach—which was getting cut like B. Lee but with a bit more mass.
After college work left me drained so even though I had time to hit the gym after.. I rarely did.

Negative Result: The result of not hitting the gym was not so much as getting overweight (I have a relatively fast metabolism) but rather the addition of blubber... that fat over the 6 pack and the love handles and especially Gluteus Maximus.

Resolution: After a year I switched jobs (on my new job 5 months now) and I've forced myself to get back into shape—watching my diet and resurrecting my gym routine. My current weight is 190lbs, I guess that's not so bad for a guy who's 5'11. But there's definitely has room for improvement from what I've read.

The Stalling: So I've been hitting the gym 3 days a week for almost 2 months now. My routine involves 30 mins of jogging or stationary bike, followed by 45 mins to an hour of weight lifting.

Weightlifting Routine breakdown:

Bench Press: 3 sets/ min 127lbs max 157lbs
Lat Pull Down: 3 sets/ min 90lbs max 100lbs
Sitting Bicep Curl: 3 sets/ 22.5lbs
Tricep Pull Down: 3 sets/ 40lbs
Dumbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets/ 30lbs
Butterfly: 3 sets/ 110lbs
Shoulder Machine: 3 sets/ 70lbs
Glutes Leg Press: 3 sets/ 260lbs
Abb Death Circuit: 3 sets of: hard medicine Ball leg lift, large medicin ball crunches (lying on top), standing oblique lifts (45lbs each side)

Positive Results: I've noticed definition on my body in general and the showing of the 3pack lol upper abbs.

Again my goal still remains to: to get cut up but have a bit more mass than just the average kung-fu fighter lol.

QUESTIONS:
=============

I know that 2 months at the gym is a short time for me to expect major results, but I would really love to get rid of the blubber that is still covering the results that I'm trying so hard to improve (aka the muscles and the tone that is slowly appearing.. again very slowly lol).

1. How many moths do I have to wait to see substantial results aka the evaporation of this darn flab?

2. Is there anything I can do to improve the weight loss but not damage my other goal (building mass)?

3. My brother after a year of swimming completely transformed his body, would adding maybe 1 or 2 days of pool to my overall routine damage or improve the results I'm striving towards?

END NOTES:
============
I told myself this time that I'm never quiting gym again.. and it looks like I've caught the gym bug as I get antsy (like an addict) towards the end of my work.. to get back into the gym.. :)

Andy advice is always helpful.

I wanna get physical, physi....huffhuffpuffpuff* aw screw it

Cat Pie Hurts — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:36:46 -0800

Sexcellent solutions for strengthening sexual stamina? Or, what's the best exercise to help me be not so tired during non-solo sexytimes? I'm an obese 35 year old male and my sexual stamina is just awful these days (well, as of 6 months ago, really). I've always been obese, but I used to be a pretty acrobatic boudoir superstar. Recently, by third or fourth thrust, I'm out of breath, tired, get crampy muscles and have to stop frequently. I'm focused purely on keeping at it and wind up getting nothing from intercourse other than stressed. This makes for no fun for any party involved.

I know the answer is cardio, but what does that really entail? I've spoken with my doctor, and the only info she's really given me is that she thinks 160bpm is a good target to get to while working out, but I know nothing about length of workout, etc.

Over the last year, I've really taken my health in hand: quit smoking a year ago, started a fantastic diet of my own devising two months ago (and am seeing incredible progress: down 30 pounds in 5 weeks so far) and have begun light exercise (brisk walks, a mile and a half at a time).

So, Mefites, please help me figure out a good exercise routine that will a) significantly contribute towards weight loss and toning and, more importantly, b) help me to oil up the sex machine* and make it run without sputtering!

*Even I can't believe that I actually said that.

Tour-de-France vs. quickie workouts: Which is better?

Unicorn on the cob — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:02:00 -0800

1 hour workout vs. 3 hour workout... which is more effective for weight loss and weight loss only? A friend and I are unable to agree. We all know the key to weight loss is, more calories burned than consumed, correct? A friend of mine, who has lost 100 lbs. in a year, asserts that you NEVER should do more than an hour of cardio and that HIIT workouts (20 minutes or so) three times a week are even more effective than a regular hour, say, on the elliptical. He also asserts that working out any more than that will do nothing for you.

I say, well, if you eat 1600 calories in a day, and work out for three hours, burning 1000 calories or more (say, rowing machines, walking, alternating jogging and walking, stationary bike, etc.), you will have a 1000 calorie deficit and your body will only have 600 calories to run on, assuming you are vigilant and not making assumptions about the total calories burned. I also am asserting that professional athletes can work out up to 6 hours a day, 7 days a week, so if you are in shape, the time dedicated should not be an issue.

Assuming you eat every four hours except while sleeping, and are performing mostly cardio with weights and toning exercises (lunges, squats, pushups, free weights) thrown in every other day, and your only goal is to lose weight... why wouldn't taking the time to burn more calories be BETTER for weight loss? Is there some magical point at which this stops working?

My doctor AND a nutritionist have both told me that cutting below 1200 calories per day will put my body into shock. Exercise, from what I can see, is the only way to raise my calorie deficit. However, there has been much debate on MeFi whether or not exercise can truly impact weight loss. Please help me understand this better.

Personal aside: When I wanted to maintain my weight, I worked out an hour every day and was perfectly happy with that. My weight never went any lower. I have been working out regularly for at least eight years and am in reasonably good shape; I am not proposing to work out to the point of injury, only to the point of a significant calorie deficit.

Controlling weight with heart problems.

bunnytricks — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:38:15 -0800

How does one keep their weight down when to exercise is to risk sudden heart stoppage? Two years ago I lost about 70 pounds through diet and exercise. I did a good job of keeping it off until a couple of months ago when I was stricken with cardiovascular problems and have since been in and out of the hospital with a BP of 70/50 and a week erratic heartbeat with no diagnosis on the doctors part. Today I'm quite a bit better but even light walking will send my heart rate to around 145. Yesterday, after being recruited to help push a car. After 20 seconds of moderate effort my HR approached 200 and my knees buckled. Cutting calories isn't really an option as I only take in about 1200 a day. Is there any sort of exercise I can do that keeps off the pounds but won't send my heart into a death spiral?

Rowing machine for a small area?

jbickers — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:58:49 -0800

Please recommend a good rowing machine for a small space. I hate cardio but need to do more of it, and I've identified the rowing machine as a device that I might enjoy (and it seems to give a great workout). But I've got a small space to work out in. Could you please recommend a good rowing machine that folds up and tucks away easily when not in use? (Note that I'm not joining the team, so it doesn't have to be a world-class, top-of-the-line. Just want the basics.)

Alternately, I suppose I'm open to any other great cardio machines that work well in a small space, tuck away easily and don't cost a fortune.

Crunches + Cardio. What more?

Phire — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:58:08 -0800

Are crunches and cardio three times a week going to get rid of undesired excess fat? And how soon can I expect results? I'm not fat or overweight by any measure, but my belly (and thighs) are definitely screwing with my self esteem big time. I'm eating well - little to no junk food, very little refined sugar and very little grease, but my sedentary hermit student's lifestyle has led to about 20 lbs added in the past two years or so, which I'd really like to lose.

What I've started to do is about 100 crunches a day. Since crunches apparently only tone abs and don't actuall do anything for the excess fat, I've also started cardio (DDR, specifically, 5-7 feet) for about 25 minutes three times a week. (I walk on average 45 minutes a day for classes and club activities)

Should I be doing something else? Should I be doing cardio more often? How soon can I expect results?

I'm 5'4" and 125 lb, but have the typical small Asian body shape, so the extra 20 lbs.. not fun. Or funny.

Cardio for gimps

the luke parker fiasco — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:07:38 -0800

Are there any good bare-bones cardio workouts I can do while staying off an injured foot? I've got a tendon injury in my left foot that makes it painful to walk, run, or do much that involves flexing/putting weight on it in any significant manner. I've tried foregoing the cardio portion of my exercise for a couple of weeks, and had the inflammation recede, but it always comes back once I start again, so I assume I'm not giving it enough time to heal.

I usually either jog or run stairs to get my requisite cardio in, but now this exacerbates the injury. Is there an alternate cardio workout that can be done in which the injured area can be avoided?

The twist: I don't have access to a gym, pool, bicycle, or any manner of specialised equipment. Basically just a balance ball and whatever you'd find in your standard apartment. (Hence my question; I've seen these threads, but the former doesn't address cardio specifically, and the latter focuses mostly on swimming as an alternate activity.)

cardio + shivving=dead?

Bookhouse — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:35:42 -0800

Would getting a person to exercise before stabbing them cause them to die faster? In the nonfiction book Mexican Mafia (pretty good read, by the way), there is a story about the Eme deciding to kill one of its members who is in prison. The killers asked the man to play a game of basketball. After the game is over they stab him in the chest, the idea being that his raised heart rate will cause him to bleed out before the guards can get him medical attention. The man does die, but would the exercise really cause him to bleed more?

I'm not planning on shanking anybody, by the way. I want to use this in a short story, but I want to make sure it makes sense first.

Help me work out, in.

Ambrosia Voyeur — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:35:01 -0800

How do you make a home-based workout work for you? When I go to the gym, I pretty much only use the elliptical (an adjustable incline type so I get butt-work) and a mat for crunches or leg lifts. I think when I move out of this teeny apartment, I would like to buy my own elliptical, as it would pay for itself in a few years.

What are some strategies for guaranteeing good home workouts? How do you minimize distractions, stay comfortable (I'm used to a lot of air flow, and I workout sweaty hard) or keep the honeymoon going with in-home fitness routines?

I think one thing I'd like to do is have a small tv in the same area so I can do dance video workouts there some of the time, too.