Getting in Shape

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Durandal

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Okay guys so...

Recently, I've decided I really want to start exercising and get physically stronger after I recently hurt my back rather badly, with sprained muscles that kept me out of commission for several days.

Deciding to myself, that the pain involved with hurting yourself due to being out of shape is BULLSHIT and simply not worth it(because seriously OWWWWWWW), and that also knowing that being in better physical shape will also just make me overall healthier and less prone to illness, I decided to change that.

Some problems face me

Affording a gym subscription is simply impossible for me for starters, and I do have family members who own training weights, and a nice treadmill, the ultimate problem that assails me is...

My lack of knowledge in general about the subject, how does an adult 24 male who's never seriously exercised in his life, go about doing so in a manner that will build your body up properly, and safely, find out about it?

Part of he issue is, the internet is in this case, rather unhelpful for me, because I don't know what sources of information are good, or even accurate, how do you find out? I don't know anyone to talk to, and as far as I know if I want to talk to a someone who professionally really knows this stuff, like a trainer or a physical therapist, in order to talk to them, I'd need to pay money.

So yea, I really just don't know what to do, any advice for me folks?
 
As someone who's in the near exact situation I can empathize with being overwhelmed by the amount of things thrown at you. With a friend who's practically the poster boy for NEETs and MGTOW while doing nothing but getting fucking ripped, it's worse.

You don't need expensive equipment or fancy training regimens to get yourself into good shape. Especially considering you've a recent back injury I suggest talking to your physician about what sort of light physical activity you can do.

As a regular 4chan lurker I started on /fit/ by reading this. Beginner's Health and Fitness Guide

It's practically everything you need in one place and it explained a whole lot to me that I simply didn't understand.

But I must stress. Start small. Smallest you can get. That back injury is serious business no matter how minor.
 
I didn't state anything about needing fancy gear, I stated I have some and that I dunno how to use it :P
 
Fitness • /r/Fitness

StrongLifts 5x5: The Simplest Workout To Get Stronger

Starting Strength



You're welcome.

You can do it, bruh. Lift hard, lift long, work your macros, and may the gainz be ever in your favour.
I know I can do it, and I am DEFINITELY motivated by the desire to have a body that doesn't get injured easily, and one that doesn't feel like SHIT all the time

The only thing holding me back right now, is ignorance

So far the help is great guys, thanks
 
I know I can do it, and I am DEFINITELY motivated by the desire to have a body that doesn't get injured easily, and one that doesn't feel like SHIT all the time

The only thing holding me back right now, is ignorance

So far the help is great guys, thanks
I'm not a gym rat, or the most knowledgeable of bros, but if you have any questions, start asking! I'll answer what I know!
 
If you need any advice or have questions, just PM me. I am about to graduate with my Kinesiology degree and I am going become a Strength and Conditioning Coach. I will be taking my personal training cert exam within the year.

I am also a college athlete so I don’t mind helping out.
 
a what degree
 
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics, is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms.


Kinesiology, therefore, may be understood as a system of natural health care which combines muscle monitoring with the principles of Chinese medicine to assess energy and body function, applying a range of gentle yet powerful healing techniques to improve health, wellbeing and vitality.

Not really Chinese but I grabbed those off Google. Easiest way to explain it. I study how the body moves. I have a specialization in Exercise Science.
 
Here are some things one of the Sergeants said to do.

Do push ups till you can't do anymore, then keep doing them on your knees, then once you collapse, go to the wall and keep doing them

THEN sit ups ^^
50 normal sit ups
50 sit ups with legs on the ground
50 sit ups on leaning on one side
50 sit ups leaning on the other side
And I forgot what the last 50 was supposed to be

And for running... Well run XP No special trick for running other than running.


EDIT___________________________________________________________________

A starting point that doesn't (Shouldn't) put any strain on your back is
For arms would be the air bench press (Standing up if you can) Primarily where you keep putting your arms up and down like you're lifting a bar (But not) How many? I'm not sure really. You'll start feeling your arms REALLY feeling the burn after a while, but if you keep going after that, you don't even feel the burn anymore. That's what I was forced to do, and at that point I felt like I coulda kept going till I was bored. So experiment a bit with that. Learn how it feels at the moment, afterwards, and the next day perhaps.

As for your core muscles. "Kinda sit ups" are sit ups where you just lift your head off the ground over and over (No need to move your back)
I feel it in my stomach, and maybe neck. I don't feel anything with my back when I do it so that should be good.
 
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Okay guys so...

Recently, I've decided I really want to start exercising and get physically stronger after I recently hurt my back rather badly, with sprained muscles that kept me out of commission for several days.

Deciding to myself, that the pain involved with hurting yourself due to being out of shape is BULLSHIT and simply not worth it(because seriously OWWWWWWW), and that also knowing that being in better physical shape will also just make me overall healthier and less prone to illness, I decided to change that.

Some problems face me

Affording a gym subscription is simply impossible for me for starters, and I do have family members who own training weights, and a nice treadmill, the ultimate problem that assails me is...

My lack of knowledge in general about the subject, how does an adult 24 male who's never seriously exercised in his life, go about doing so in a manner that will build your body up properly, and safely, find out about it?

Part of he issue is, the internet is in this case, rather unhelpful for me, because I don't know what sources of information are good, or even accurate, how do you find out? I don't know anyone to talk to, and as far as I know if I want to talk to a someone who professionally really knows this stuff, like a trainer or a physical therapist, in order to talk to them, I'd need to pay money.

So yea, I really just don't know what to do, any advice for me folks?
All I will say to this is that you should start exercising by doing the basics(Push-ups, Sit ups, minor arm lifts etc). Before you can go into more difficult stuff then your body needs to be conditioned first so take it slow but be consistent with your work-outs. I'd say work - out every three days and work in sets...not just until you can't do anymore. Also, have a goal with each work-out since it allows you to push yourself farther when you have a set objective rather than just doing it until you're tired. Drink water between each set and be sure to take a short breather while you're at it. I probably should've mentioned this earlier but before working out, warm yourself up with some minor exercises(Jumping jacks, etc). Doing so increases your heart rate and allows you to put in more effort into working out than you would be able to do in your normal state. Of course you have to be careful with the way you do warm up exercises or else you'll tire yourself out before you even get to the main dish.

Lastly, for each work-out you plan on doing, go and look at a video on how someone else does it before performing the exercise yourself. But don't just look at one person doing the said exercise, look at multiple people and use good judgement to determine whether or not you think they are doing it correctly. If most of the people you watch work - out in this manner and only a few work-out in another manner then chances are, the few people who work-out differently are doing it incorrectly. However, don't just rely on that because there may be cases where the fewer people are doing it correctly and the majority might get you injured so be very critical in your judgement.

Note that I'm not an expert in this particular field so my suggestions aren't a sure thing but I see them as the building blocks for you want to go.
 
Here are some things one of the Sergeants said to do.

Do push ups till you can't do anymore, then keep doing them on your knees, then once you collapse, go to the wall and keep doing them

THEN sit ups ^^
50 normal sit ups
50 sit ups with legs on the ground
50 sit ups on leaning on one side
50 sit ups leaning on the other side
And I forgot what the last 50 was supposed to be

And for running... Well run XP No special trick for running other than running.
Pushing yourself that hard is bad on the body mate
 
Pushing yourself that hard is bad on the body mate
Well then work yourself up to that point ^^ Start with 20 of each or something.


I know what it's like to be out of commission for a long time (7 or so years in my case)
You wanted a free way to get stronger, I gave one. Are the numbers too much for you? Then modify it and do less. The biggest obstacle to getting stronger is saying "I can't do it" Instead of saying "I can't do it" say "Let's find a way to build myself up to a point where I can do it" My biggest goal for the now physically is to become just as fast as I was before my injury. That ain't gonna happen through normal household means.

Getting stronger is interesting. The very method of getting stronger is your muscles tearing, and then healing. The "Burn" you feel while exercising is your muscles tearing, and an acid of sorts. It's a process of destroy, and build up. It only becomes bad for your body if you do it continually with no breaks in-between, where you're tearing already torn muscles, and keep tearing to a point where it's destroyed. Your body may be sore the next day, but that's not bad for your body. It's good. The soreness you feel is simply your body healing, replacing and filling in the previous weak muscles and making it better than before.


@Windsong
"WTF you just read" is a way to get stronger. I don't know why you think it's that crazy XP When I was in elementary, most of us were doing inbetween 100 sit ups- the max 120 sit ups. 250 different types of sit ups with a vague rest inbetween every 50 really isn't that much. Elementary kids can literally do it (And was expected to) so young adults can definitely do it. Right away?
 
You're so full of shit that a septic tank looks appealing.

Kids in elementary school have recess and basic physical education. Nowhere do they make kids do that kind of strenuous workout. 100 of anything is incredibly taxing. How do I know? Oh I dunno. I clean for two coaches and have worked with many more.

Maybe if you read his post about having a back injury you'd realize how foolish you sound. He's looking for advice, not to work until he is sent to the ER.

I've been in agreement with other people for a while now without the need to voice my concern. But once again your advice is dangerous and completely out of line for what's being asked.

And tagging me for a rating? Grow up and quit posting before someone tries your garbage and gets hurt.
 
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If you want something similar to what Pharoah posted, do "The Murph". Time yourself. And every time you do it again, make the time shorter.

The Workout - The Murph Challenge
 
"WTF you just read" is a way to get stronger. I don't know why you think it's that crazy XP When I was in elementary, most of us were doing inbetween 100 sit ups- the max 120 sit ups. 250 different types of sit ups with a vague rest inbetween every 50 really isn't that much. Elementary kids can literally do it (And was expected to) so young adults can definitely do it. Right away?
You're so full of shit that a septic tank looks appealing.

Kids in elementary school have recess and basic physical education. Nowhere do they make kids do that kind of strenuous workout. 100 of anything is incredibly taxing. How do I know? Oh I dunno. I clean for two coaches and have worked with many more.
Lol really, I was gonna say.

When I was in elementary school, they required us to do... 8 sit-ups as part of our warm-up? 10? I'm not too keen on specifics, but it was somewhere around there.

But yeah, this is elementary school PE we're talking about here, not fucking boot camp. Hell, even high school PE is mostly only about playing a handful of different sports at a super-casual level, not this kind of shit.

Even the standardized fitness tests (which were... state-level? I think?) maxed out at the highest possible score at like 50 sit-ups if I'm not mistaken, and that's a fitness test, something that's supposed to push you to your limit, not a routine workout that you're expected to do every day. If your kamikaze workout routine works for you then that's fine, but don't act like that shit is expected from fucking elementary school students, cuz it's not.

And even if your workout plan would be a good suggestion for someone in peak physical condition, it is not good advice for someone with a back injury. Like, seriously. Think before you suggest that kind of thing.
 
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When I was in elementary school, they required us to do... 8 sit-ups as part of our warm-up? 10? I'm not too keen on specifics, but it was somewhere around there.
Only 8 or 10???? O.o Wish my gym teacher was that considerate for warm up -.- And I wasn't talking about warm up, I was talking about those test. Most my class did the max 120 sit ups, and because of that, my gym teacher expected it.

maxed out at the highest possible score at like 50 sit-ups
For Washington, when I was in elementary, it was 120. Some time in early middle school, it went down to 80. Then in highschool, it swtiched to these kinda sit ups, and stayed at 80. The test got easier and easier as time went on. I was under the impression it was like that everywhere, not just Washington.

Think before you suggest that kind of thing.
I did think. You don't get stronger by lazying around and kinda exercising. You get stronger by pushing yourself. What I gave him was something for him to do when he's ready for it, build up to that point.

With his back injury, do those kinda sit ups, and air push ups, where you put your arms in the air, back down, and back up fairly quickly and over and over. you'd think that would do nothing, but after a few minutes of doing those, you'll start feeling it.

Maybe if you read his post about having a back injury you'd realize how foolish you sound. He's looking for advice, not to work until he is sent to the ER.
Yeah, i know he has a back injury. But like I said, modify it a bit.
Do those odd kinda sit ups that don't strain the back much (If at all) yet still work out those muscles.
If ground push ups are too much for the back at the moment, then don't do those. Something interesting are air pull ups. Do enough of those, your arms really start feeling it, and it has no strain on the back.

Eventually (And hopefully) his back heals, that's when he can start doing more. And if simple work outs are too much for his back in the now, then he can wait till his back is healed and THEN start doing more basic things.

He did ask for advice, and I gave it. He doesn't have to follow it exactly, and it may be best he doesn't. But it may be a good idea to modify it so it's not as intense, yet still makes a difference to make him stronger.

I've been in agreement with other people for a while now without the need to voice my concern.
Irrelevant for this topic. Don't try and start a fight ^^
 
@Hunter of Shadows Don't take his advice and you're golden.
Speaking of needing to "grow up" >.<



Take that Murph the other person here posted challenge for example. I can't do 100 pull ups. Instead of freaking out like "THAT'S INSANE!!!!!! HOW COULD YOU SUGGEST SUCH A THING!!!!!!!"
It's better to be like
"O.O Okaaayyyy... How should I get to a point to be able to do 100 pull ups? Maybe a few a day? Lets find out what muscles pull ups use, and then use less intense work outs to get those muscles stronger." Then after research and doing those for a while, you'll find that you can do say 5 pull ups as compared to 0 before. Then from there, you can start doing actual pull ups as training instead of that less intense version.
 
Speaking of needing to "grow up" >.<



Take that Murph the other person here posted challenge for example. I can't do 100 pull ups. Instead of freaking out like "THAT'S INSANE!!!!!! HOW COULD YOU SUGGEST SUCH A THING!!!!!!!"
It's better to be like
"O.O Okaaayyyy... How should I get to a point to be able to do 100 pull ups? Maybe a few a day? Lets find out what muscles pull ups use, and then use less intense work outs to get those muscles stronger." Then after research and doing those for a while, you'll find that you can do say 5 pull ups as compared to 0 before. Then from there, you can start doing actual pull ups as training instead of that less intense version.
I don't think it was the number that was the issue as much as the idea of pushing oneself way past their breaking point -- which is especially bad advice for someone recovering from an injury.

Doing more and more over time in order to work your way up to bigger things makes sense. It's kind of the basic idea behind how exercise and getting in shape works.

I think it was more the "exercise until you drop and then keep going" vibe that your initial post gave off that rubbed people (including me) the wrong way.

...And also, you know, acting as if elementary school students should be expected to do that because, damn, what the fuck was up with your gym teacher?
 
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