Exercising With a Purpose

RubyRunner14

hey guys... I'm looking to maintain (finally!) in November and I'm planning on establishing a 3-5x a week workout schedule. The problem is, I have no motivation to workout other than 1) it keeps me lean and 2) I get to eat more food. My schedule is also limited, facilities are 20 mins away and I have school. I kind of like running but doing it 3-5x a week and I'll be a little stick in the mud really fast, even if I change courses every day. There are some sports I like doing (frisbee, soccer, parkour, lifting) but I don't have friends or a nearby local club that'll do it with me. I am low on funds so joining a full-blown team is not likely.

How do you guys manage your workout schedule? Where do you search for other locals that want to do the activity, too?

ChrisLindsay9

You have a lot of reasons of which I don't think there's going to be simple solutions. You'll likely have to commit some resources either time or money in order to do what you want.

How thorough have you looked for local clubs and organizations that have activity-filled events? For example, have you checked out Meetup.com to see if there are any clubs or groups that do activities you might enjoy? What about rec sports through your city, county, or local school? You can also check out Craigs List to see if any teams/groups are looking for members. If push comes to shove, maybe start a Facebook group, promote the heck out of it, and if you get some members, maybe organize some outings?

Just throwing some ideas out there that you may not have considered, because I'm hoping you can find some ways to get that activity in your life. Good luck!

JoRocka

I'm coping this- because it kind of sums up what I normally type- so I'm sorry that's long.
clubs- sports- all fun.

I work 4 jobs- and I love working out on top of that. I keep busy.
lifting- something to be done in 30-45 minutes with a condensed program. has good goals- gaining strength is always a perk.
helps with sports if you go that route... check out obstacle course runs too- something fun to train FOR- end goals and what not.

strong lifts or starting strength or new rules of lifting are great programs to start.

rule #1 about lifting
you will not bulk unless you are eating a calorie surplus

rule #2
there is no such thing as toning.

Check out those programs- I can't access the gold's gym one at work- but really want you want to see are compound lifts split 2-3 times a week.

What are compound lifts and how do I know which ones they ares Jo?

What excellent questions!!!

Compound lifts are lifts that use your whole body- rather than isolating specific muscles- they do more to raise your heart rate and get essentially the most 'bang for your buck' they are exceptionally helpful for developing 'muscle tone' and general over all strength and mobility (very important as well)

The following are examples of compound lifts
> Squats (any type- back- front, zercher, jefferson, overhead)
> Dead Lift (any type- straight leg, traditional, romanian and single)
> Bench- (full arch- not flat back- incline/decline qualify but as you change the angle - you change the target and becomes less whole body)
> Over head Press- strict over head press- not a push press- which includes a 'bounce'

walking lunges, hammy raises, pull ups, push ups, rows are also excellent additions to these lifts.

you can start getting into power lifting- clean's jerks' and snatches- SUPER fun-but stick with the above lifts for now-

Examples of NOT compound lifts (I.e. isolations)

bicep curls
tricep press downs
leg extensions/curls
ab/aductors
flys (although fly is wicked fun- it's still not compound)
90% of the shoulder stuff you people do is all isolation stuff too

something to know. If you chose to curl. DO NOT CURL IN THE SQUAT RACK. this is lifting rule NUMERO UNO for gym etiqutte- it's rude- and ignorant- and all sorts of things. just don't do it.

Second rule.

PUT YOUR WEIGHTS AWAY. RACK THEM.

if you can lift them- you can re-rack them. seriously- also- super rude to not re-rack them. and for the love of all things holy- put them back not where you found them- but where they GO- i.e 10's in the 10 slot- not the 70's in the 10 slot- so rude- so annoying.

hopefully that was helpful- let me know if you have more questions- good look on starting to lift- lifting iz ze awesome.

seriously- it's awesome.

cwolfman13

Exercise just has to be a part of your life...just like your school, work, brushing your teeth, etc. You can't think of it as something "extra"...it just has to be a part of what you do on a routine basis. I can also tell you this...it is vital for maintaining a healthy weight...it is far more important to get your fitness on for maintenance than it is when you're trying to lose.

I hit the weight room 3x per week and that is my primary exercise and what I enjoy the most. On non-lifting days I tend to just take my bike out for 30 - 60 minutes depending on what I have time for...I go for a maintenance run of 2-3 miles maybe once per week. I also just walk a lot. You don't have to kill yourself with exercise, but you need to get some fitness in.

AmyRhubarb

If you want to keep running entertaining, download the Zombies, Run! app - I think it's still half price ($3.99), and it's got an ongoing story through two "seasons" - 23 episodes in season 1 and 40 in season 2 - keep ya busy for awhile. It's entertaining, and nothing spices up a run like having to sprint from zombies several times. :bigsmile:

FrnkLft

Well for one thing I'm glad you realize that there's more to exercise than running/jogging. I think this perception really keeps a lot of people out of the gym, because we don't all enjoy it.

I agree with Chris, I mean you're just going to have to find something you like. I strength train, and I love it. I think what you need to do is find something that you can do and enjoy, completely independent of your weight loss goals.

For instance, I weight train to get stronger, and I would do it just to hit bigger numbers, regardless of anything else. I am looking to integrate some cardio though, I just want to have some more conditioning. But my goal is to always be able to run a mile, not more, and speed doesn't matter to me lol So that's what I do, deficit, maintenance, or bulking.