Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with workingout

Ways to make working out less boring and torturous?

cmgonzalez — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:16:53 -0800

I hate working out. It's incredibly boring. I've tried music, and it does help to a degree, but it's not enough. I don't have anyone to work out with. Last time, I put my towel over my head and drowned out outside sensory input as much as possible and was able to perform better. But that makes the boredom much worse. My gym ( I can't afford to switch nor do I have the discipline to drag myself outside to run or something) plays loud, crappy radio. They have a few flat screen TVs for everyone to watch, but there's no sound, only captions. I do bring my own music, but as I don't want to damage my hearing, it's sometimes drowned out a bit by the gym's radio. The crowds kind of bug me too, especially when people are yakking away on the phone or chatting very loudly.

Enter putting my towel over my head. I found that killing a lot of the outside sensory input helped me focus more. But it also took away the distractions I like, like the TV.

So how do I beat the boredom and get through my workouts, especially long stretches of cardio (yes, I know about HITT, but it seems rather dizzying, and I have lowish blood pressure, so jerking from one thing to the next can make me feel sick). I've searched and found this, but I prefer mental stimulation to true zoning out. I think that's why I find working out so boring - it's not mentally stimulating.

I enjoy playing sports. There's a mental component and a kind of battle going on there along with the physical. Can't afford to join a league at the moment.

And the whole trying to focus on how your body feels thing doesn't work, because I hate how I feel when exercising - sweaty, in pain, breathing heavy, struggling against something.

Yes, I'm aware that in time, it would feel like less of a struggle (my health will improve, etc), but that doesn't help NOW. I need suggestions for now not for how good I'll hypothetically feel in the future.

I have tried a couple of the gym's classes. They're more fun than a piece of cardio equipment, but I find myself unable to really keep up a lot of times, except with yoga.

My current player is music only, so can't bring along my own video yet. I generally dislike audiobooks, and possibly wouldn't be able to really hear them over the background radio. Podcasts may help if they are entertaining and not people rambling. I am considering trying some Pimsleur lessons, but once again, the radio may be an issue.

Generally, some music does help make me feel better. I sometimes break it into "okay, just one more song" , or "two more songs", or "you've done it for 10 minutes already, only 20 more to go".

What can I try? What has worked for you to be less bored, more mentally stimulated, or make time feel like it's not dragging while working out?

Acid reflux on an empty stomach?

You Should See the Other Guy — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:17:06 -0800

Seriously affecting my morning workouts: gas or acid reflux in the mornings, before anything is eaten and only water has been drunk. WTF? So I generally go to bed at 12 or 1 and have my last meal, which is small (salad, fruit salad, or veggie wrap) at about 1030, when I get home from work.

I wake up at 8, drink a few cups or water, and go to my workout, which is across town, for 930. I do my warmup fine, but about 5 minutes into my proper workout, I start burping, or feeling like I have to burp, which of course affects my activity and breathing, throwing everything else off (I do crossfit, in a group of people, under a clock).

How can I stop this problem? And why is it happening?

Note that after asking a few people about this, each recommended eating something. I tried that; it didn't work and just made me feel like I was gonna barf.

Rock Climbing in Brooklyn?

thenuts — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:55:18 -0800

I am stuck in New York because of work, can anyone recommend a rock gym in Brooklyn. I normally climb at New Jersey Rock Gym so something similar would be awesome but I am willing to make some concessions as a one time thing. Thank you all.

What are your favorite high-protein, low-fat, quick and easy recipes?

Pontius Pilate — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:33:57 -0800

What are your favorite high-protein, low-fat, quick and easy recipes? In looking through the archives, it seems like people have given some great advice with regard to good protein bars, protein shakes, and the like - however, I haven't found much in the way of actual cooked meals. I'm trying to eat healthier and exercise about 4x a week (mostly lifting), but am finding it difficult to get the recommended daily dose of protein of 1 - 1.25 grams per pound of weight.

So - if anyone has good high-protein, low-fat, quick and easy recipes, let's hear them: ground beef, chicken, salmon, whatever you got! The best would be something that's palatable, could be cooked in large quantities and kept in the fridge for a while, and not requiring particular culinary skills. Thanks, all!

Hunger. The physical kind. (Not, like, metaphysical or spiritual or vampire or anything.)

Rudy Gerner — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:42:46 -0800

What does it mean that on days when I'm not exercising I'm constantly hungry? I run every other day. For example, one day I'll run 3 miles, the next day rest, the next day run 4 miles, the next day rest, the next day 3 miles, etc. On days when I run I am not so hungry--I mean, moderately so at the normal times. On my rest days, it's like I have a hollow leg and can't get enough food in me. I presume this means that I'm not eating enough of something but I'm not sure what. I also am not sure if that presumption is accurate.

The way I eat now, as point of reference: I tend to graze throughout the day (3 meals plus 2-3 snacks between). My diet now is lots of vegetables and fruit, whole grains (oatmeal and tortillas mostly; I rarely have rice or bread); a good amount of fish, some chicken/turkey. I try to eat good fat (nuts, avocado, etc.) but my guess is I'm not getting enough of that. In general I try to eat as much unrefined and unprocessed stuff as I can.

Thoughts or feedback? Any suggestions on healthy but filling (and yummy!) snacks would be great. I don't think I've found a great way to toe the line between maxing out on calories and undoing my exercise and getting enough of what my body wants/needs.

Good iPhone workout log application?

jagalt — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:40:09 -0800

Good iPhone workout log application? I am trying to find an iPhone application that would let me keep track of my workouts, preferably as I am doing them, and there's just too many in the store to make sense of. I'd like to be able to:

- Create custom workouts (weightlifting and cardio)
- Keep track of my weight
- Sync and backup to my computer / online service

I am fine with purchasing an app, so it doesn't have to be one of the free ones. If anyone has had any personal experiences with any of the apps and can recommend anything, it would be much appreciated!

Why should I not run after lasik?

krautland — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:20:04 -0800

Why should I not run after lasik? I finally signed up to get (femto) lasik later this month and the docs told me not to go running/working out for two weeks after getting the procedure. I forgot to ask them why.

any ideas?

Or I could quietly jiggle

Polychrome — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:51:09 -0800

How can I work out in my apartment without bothering my neighbors? I've struggled with ways to stay in shape for a long time now, and finally I found something that worked and that I had stuck with every day for the past week: workout videos. I was so happy that I finally was getting in a sweaty workout every day and I was feeling really good about myself, until my neighbor just knocked at my door a few minutes ago demanding that I "cut out all the stompin." I apologized and told her I hadn't realized, and she huffed off without saying anything. I don't want to bother my neighbors (I know how annoying it is when the same lady and her family blast motown into the wee hours of the night all weekend so that I can't sleep) but I really want to work out. I hadn't considered noise to be a problem because, aside from the occasional blasting music, I have never heard a peep from my neighbors; I've also done my own workouts before without complaint (but never stuck to it for more than 2-3 times a week), but the building seems very well insulated. I am in a corner apartment on the second floor of three.

So how can I work out in my apartment without bothering this lady? I would really prefer to continue working out in my apartment, and it also really bothers me that I shouldn't be able to do something like that in my own home. I considered going down and asking her if there was a good time for me to do this, but I am a little intimidated of her. This lady was severely ticked off. I don't think she really ever leaves her apartment and I work all day.

Also, I am sure people who suggest this mean well, but I do not want to join a gym. I have several reasons for this that you might want to dispel (cost, location, time, fear of working out in front of other people, lack of knowledge of equipment, etc. etc.) but the bottom line is that even if I got a gym membership, I wouldn't go. Going for runs or bike rides around here also isn't a very viable option (biking was actually my first choice before I started this) as I live off the highway with no running/biking area. The workouts I've been doing are cardio/strength, but I'm willing to change them as long as I get in a good, sweaty workout. I need to do something that I will stick with for now and that is working out at home, so any ideas?

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"?

How often and how hard do I have to work out to maintain my current fitness level?

slenderloris — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:00:48 -0800

How often and how hard do I need to work out in order to maintain the level of aerobic fitness I have right now? For about a year now, I've been working out for an hour (40 minutes of cardio plus 20 of strength training) about 4 times a week. During the last 6 weeks of 2007, I really stepped it up---about 8 hours a week instead of 4. I definitely noticed improvements just over those 6 weeks---by Dec. 31, the cardio was easier, I was able to finish all the strength sets using 8 lb. weights instead of 6 lb. ones, and I noticed increased muscle definition, especially in my arms and calves.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can really keep up that pace over the long term. It really took up a lot of my free time. For now, I'd like to hang on to the benefits I gained, but not spend so much time working out. What is the minimum I can do to maintain my existing level of fitness for a while until I feel ready to do another hardcore stint?

How quickly can you lose you ability to run?

rglass — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:07:08 -0800

Am I losing muscle? Because of my very hectic schedule, I haven't been able to go to the gym for the last 5 weeks. Previously, for a couple of years, I'd been doing cardio 6 days a week (running 3-4.5 miles/day on the treadmill). I've lost a couple of lbs. in the last week and I'm wondering if this might be muscle. Since I'm not exercising but eating healthfully, I wouldn't have expected to have lost 2.5 lbs in one week. Could this be muscle and how quickly am I going to lose my ability to run 4.5 miles? If I don't work out for several months, how quickly will I be able to build back up?

How do I switch from losing weight to building muscle?

Pontius Pilate — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:56:29 -0800

Switching from losing weight to gaining muscle. What do I do? I'm a 5'10 guy in my early 20s. After about 2 months of doing daily cardio and limiting my calories to ~1,500 a day, I got down from 185 to 165 pounds, which is about what I had aimed for when I started. At this point, I'd like to switch from losing weight to building muscle mass, and I have a slew of questions.

I am assuming that since I'm aiming to increase muscle mass, I'll need to up my caloric intake. What should I aim for, and what is the right fat / protein / carb ratio for weight training? How can I avoid simply putting the weight I had lost back on and instead build up my muscle mass? How many times a week should I try to work out, and about how long should each session be? Should I go for fewer reps with more weight? Do I need to bother with protein shakes, etc., or should I just concentrate on maintaining at least a semi-healthy diet? Should I still keep doing cardio on a regular basis? Any other general tips / suggestions for beginning weight training?

Oh, and since I'm a total noob about this, any good web sites or good books you could suggest would be much appreciated as well. Thanks!

Why, this isn't an input/output problem at all

schroedinger — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 06:01:57 -0800

Why aren't I losing weight? I'm doing everything right (aren't I?). Extensive explanation of weight-loss methods inside, so this is a doozy. So I embarked on a weight-loss program about three weeks ago. I'm 5'6', 162 (now), 26% body fat. I'm pretty healthy, but I'd like to trim 10 or 12 pounds to take the weight off my shins, improve my biking, and help me tame the elusive pull-up. Here's my program:

Weight:
Taken every morning as prescribed by the Hacker's Diet, entered into PhysicsDiet.

Workout:
I work out about an hour and a half a day, six days a week.
Couch-to-5K: 3 days a week, ~20 minutes
Interval training: 3 days a week, ~25 minutes (~15 minutes of warm-up followed by 10 minutes intervals)
Intense bodyweight exercise: 5 days a week, ~60 minutes or more
Capoeira: 1 day a week, ~90 minutes (plus whatever practice I work in)

Diet:
Tracked nigh-obsessively with Fitday and entered into PhysicsDiet. According to these journals, my average intake is 1500-1600 calories per day, while I burn an average of 2600 calories per day. I eat six small meals, aiming to finish before six or seven at night unless I have a late-night workout in which case I eat a little protein and complex carbohydrates afterwards. I aim to eat at least 100 grams of protein a day to preserve muscle mass while I'm cutting the fat. I drink water (though probably not as much as I should).

So, the nutrition experts predict I should have lost about six pounds by now. What do I get? Two pounds, probably less than that since some of it is water weight lost during the Red Tide. I mean, sure, I feel great, and I'm getting stronger, but I highly doubt I'm gaining muscle mass quickly enough to compensate for the amount of fat I should be losing. It's not like my clothes are fitting any looser.

Now, I could simply enjoy the working out and getting stronger, and I've definitely done that in the past. But this time I really would like to cut down some of the body fat. So what's up, Metafilter?

Ah yes. I'm on Ortho-TriCyclin Lo. It hasn't made me gain weight, but could it be preventing me from losing it? C'mon, it's can't be the birth control, right? That would be lame.

Working out hard without working up food

EastCoastBias — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:55:19 -0800

How can I ensure that I don't puke (or get nauseous) when I start working out with a trainer? Between my own past experiences and even watching "The Biggest Loser", while working out pretty hard, folks will just stop what they're doing to puke, then return to what they were doing.

I'd like to work out hard, minus the regurgitation part.

I've been working out with my own program, but I'd like someone to push me a little harder so I can get some good results.

Does anyone have any ideas on things I should eat / should not eat beforehand? Give myself an hour or two of not eating before working out? Any ideas?

Can I work out when I'm sick?

BuddhaInABucket — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 15:07:03 -0800

Can I still work out when I've got a cold? How much exercise is too much when you're sick?

How to create a skullcap of hair

schroedinger — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:31:21 -0800

I've just started regularly attending Brazilian jujitsu. Please help me find the perfect hairstyle so my locks of love don't become locks of I-am-totally-going-to-choke-you-to-death-with-your-own-braid! I'm enjoying it quite a lot, but my hair is not. Any hairstyle I try comes out after a good five minutes of grappling--braided ponytail, "Mickey Mouse" buns, double braids. Give another five minutes, and the whole this is an awful matted mess. Not to mention there's the very real danger of getting strangled by my own hair.

My hair is past-shoulder length, thick, and soft--all very nice for anything that doesn't require a restrained hairstyle. Short of cutting it (I'd rather not, I'm growing it out for Locks of Love), does anyone have any ideas on what hairstyles would be best for this? I'm horribly uncoordinated, so all my attempts at french-braiding have failed miserably.

Ideally it would keep my hair untangled and tight to my skull for the duration of a two-hour practice, with minimum fixing needed.

I need help to bulk clap me up!

antifuse — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 03:47:14 -0800

What are the best supplements to take to make it to that "next level" of muscle-mass gain? Ok, so I've been working out for the last 5 years or so... I've seen pretty good gains over the years, sticking with a fairly high intensity/low reps program. I'm a typical hard-gainer, at 6'2 and 175-180lbs I still look pretty skinny (although much better than I looked 10 years ago, at 6'2 and 135 lbs).

However, I'm finding that I've plateaued (plateaud?) over the last year or so, and no matter how much I lift and eat I am unable to gain any more healthy weight. Yes, I've changed up my routine to be doing different lifting exercises, and made sure to up my weights steadily as well. Any time that I put on weight, it tends to be in the gut area, and that's not particularly useful for me :) I'm doing cardio with my lifting, but not an overly large amount (5 minutes high intensity warmup, 5 minutes medium intensity cooldown).

I'm looking to try changing up my supplement intake. Right now, I'm on a fairly generic multivitamin (MultiBionta) and I'm switching from Maximuscle ProMax to Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey.

What I'm interested in knowing is, what else should I be taking in to help gain size? I don't really want to take creatine, as I've heard that not only do you lose the size you gained if you stop taking it, but I also heard it can be really bad for your liver/kidneys (one of the two). Is glutamine important? Should I try different/stronger multivitamins? I notice that this vitamin I'm on doesn't make my pee go neon yellow like previous GNC-branded multivitamins have, but I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Is there anything else I'm missing that I should be considering?

Help me get my booty into shape, without killing my knees!

barnone — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 12:18:37 -0800

What qualifications should I look for in a personal trainer? What do the ACE certifications actually mean? I'd like to hire a trainer for a few sessions, but I really don't want to hurt myself or hire a nut. Please help me sort through the options! I've had some substantial health issues in the past few years. I'm now in a place where my apartment has a gym, I'm healthy enough to exercise on a regular basis, I'd like to lose some (fat) weight and build muscle, lower my BMI, increase cardio capacity and generally not hurt myself doing it. I know that I can do some of this on my own, and I have, but I'd like someone to kick it up a notch and show me some safe ways of working out without aggrevating my problem areas (knees, mostly).

So, I've started looking into local personal trainers - but they have a bewildering amount of acronyms, bogish-looking qualifications and fitness mumbo-jumbo on their sites and ads. I don't know anyone who uses one in the area, so I can't ask for personal recommendations; even then, I'd like to know what *I* should be looking for in a trainer. What kinds of questions should I ask them? What is a good qualifying degree or program, if there is such a thing? I've seen people hire trainers who push them too far too fast, resulting in an injury, and then physical/mental set backs as they recuperate. I'd like to avoid that -- how do I find a well-trained trainer?

More specifically, if I may, I found someone that looks relatively decent with the following qualifications: "Three certifications from the American Council on Exercise (ACE): Personal Trainer, Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant, Clinical Exercise Specialist. Also certified by the American Academy of Health, Fitness & Rehabilitation Professionals (AAHFRP) as a Medical Exercise Specialist." Does that mean anything?

I'm in Durham, NC if anyone wants to recommend a local trainer, but I'd really like to learn how to differentiate among the options for the future, as well. My left knee and my back thanks you in advance, dear MeFites!

Pilate my Body

schroedinger — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 11:59:56 -0800

Please recommend a good Pilates book with a focus on mat exercises. I've done Pilates before so I have a pretty good idea of many of the moves, but I can't fit the classes into my schedule so I'd like to do them at home. Among the thousands of Pilates books out there, are there any ones that are recognized as masters in the field? Extra points for clear illustrations and/or explanations of the moves, and gradiated exercises so I can adjust the difficulty levels as I go. I don't have any of the fancy equipment (nor does my gym), so a focus on matwork would be great.

I'd prefer a book to a tape or DVD as I don't have the facilities for the latter and the book is more conducive to working out while traveling.

Does anyone have any experience with the PHI Pilates instructional manual? Is it any good?

Weight training, veins, bodyfat, and more

dead_ — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 08:34:34 -0800

Why do some people have veins that pop out of their biceps and shoulders, while others who work out don't? A little background: I've been working out for years, and for the first few I was mainly a runner. I had 4 - 6% bodyfat and ran half-marathons and 10ks. I weight trained daily, combined with my running regimen.

For the past year, however, I've cut the running down a lot and have been on a strict weight traning program that has bulked me up from 175 to 200lbs.

What I don't understand, is why I can't seem to get that cut look (neither as a runner, nor as a lifter) where the veins stand out. Is it a purely biological thing? Is it related to bodyfat? Please enlighten me.

Help Baby Get Back

Mean Mr. Bucket — Sun, 06 Feb 2005 10:12:00 -0800

What's the best activity for a good looking butt? Is it running or lunge exercises, maybe something else?

Tell me everything about going to the gym

zeoslap — Tue, 01 Jun 2004 06:34:53 -0800

Okay here's a question. The other day I stepped on the bathroom scales and the number displayed was a tad on the high side, by about 15-20lbs, so my first thought was 'Yeesh, I should join a gym'. However on further reflection, having never set foot in a gym since my traumatizing school days joining one seems like quite a scary prospect. So my question is.. What's the deal with gyms? What's the ettiquette, what do you need, will all these fit gym types be chuckling at my pathetic flabby assed efforts, are the showers still those bloody communal type affairs I shudder to remember back in school?