Fitness

[<3]

I used to swim at a reasonable level as a nipper, and all we did in training was a shitload of swimming, with sprints at the end. Obviously there was a bit more to it than that (switching strokes, legs only, arms only, etc), but the gist is we'd just do good technique at a steady pace for most of the two hours, then do a few sprint races at the end.

I guess improving your technique, stamina and strength just automatically improves your speed and aerobic ability. Or our instructor wanted to toss it off while we were doing 16 lengths of butterfly legs.

Yeah I basically did the same thing. The thing is I've only got 30-40 minutes really once I've got to the pool and back and got changed etc. So I guess I'm trying to work out which bits of those sessions are most important.
1) Varying strokes.
2) Concentrating on technique.
3) Sprinting.
4) Isolation (legs/arms).
Etc.

Or, is just doing 40 minutes of one stroke just as effective? Is all that other stuff just designed to trick you into keeping it up for 2 hours?

Anyway, I've just bought myself a watch for timing, and being able to tell the time generally in the pool. £7 yeah.

[Bassmonger]

I'm no expert since all my knowledge is from years ago, but then I guess cluelessness doesn't stop others posting advice in here...

I suppose it depends in what you're trying to achieve, but I think that if you're going for all round fitness, constant swimming with decent technique will do it. I think breaststroke works all your muscle groups the best, but also fucks your knees and is boring, so maybe alternate between that and crawl...and measure your progress by how many lengths you can fit in your slot.

Add waheys yourself.

[<3]

I've tried to increase my lengths and always get to a mile and think "job done". I'm so lazy.

[Bassmonger]

Idle wanker. Now you have your fancy timing device, do 35 minutes or a mile, whichever takes longer.

[Beth]

I need some advice from the runners! How can I avoid/prevent stitches when running? I've had really bad one on my last couple of runs and they've really hurt.

Also, what's best to eat before a morning run? Is it best to eat carbs the night before then have a banana/slice of toast a couple of hours before I go out? I don't really know, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Slow down and concentrate on taking in a proper lungful of air, then exhaling like you're blowing out birthday candles (the wish is optional). That's how to get rid of it, and also a good way of practising breathing deeply to prevent them. You're probably getting them because you're taking quick, shallow breaths, so slow your pace on the next few runs and concentrate on your breathing.

I did this today on my run, and VOILA! No stitch! I also worked on my posture as well, as it's frankly, terrible. I'm running a lot more upright now, shoulders and back are more upright. I know that that's right as my stomach muscles are now killing me after the run today

[nonamethanks]

With isolation exercises though you have more time to watch for good form, you isolate the one muscle so you can make sure you're stressing it properly. Don't get me wrong, I think full body exercises/workouts are great and use them regularly myself, but they're not the most effective to improve strength in areas, they do however tend to work areas that are neglected in most routines.

Again it's about balance, but if you want me to do a power lift that will both give my lower body the same workout as my upper body then you will be searching for a long time as my upper body is nowhere near as strong as my lower, so either way, one area would be neglected.

I do actually do power lifts mind for reasons I said above but they are to stress the twitch fibres in my muscles and I don't expect them to give me any real strength increase, excellent for power though.

Compounds will totally increase strength. I'm not sure what you mean about a power lift that gives both your upper and lower body the same workout. Compounds still focus on a particular area eg bench press for chest, but they also work lots of other muscles like arm muscles. If I've got a choice between doing an exercise that works pecs, delts, tris (via chest press) and an exercise that just works tris (via tricep extension) then I'm gonna choose the former. Obviously an exercise that works several muscles is more efficient than one that works just one muscle. If you focus on compound exercises, the smaller muscles (eg arms) will grow/strengthen by default without the need to isolate them. I'm actually wondering if we're just confusing terms here. For a full body routine I'm talking something like:

Bench press (or push ups)
Bent over row (or pull ups)
Squats
SL deadlift
Military press

Doing that with periodization is probably best so you don't overtrain. It's extremely efficient and it's very simple for a beginner to follow. Or something like the Ripptoe full body (or Bill Starr) where you alternate between Workout A and Workout B:

A
Squat
Bench press
Bent over row

B
Deadlift
Military press
Pull ups

Monday: A, Wednesday: B, Friday: A, next Monday: B... etc. Not a bicep curl or isolation machine in sight. And of course those can be 5x5 or 3x8 or whatever suits your goals. And I guess you can add in some core exercises to those too if you like.

[yeah and what]

Christ sake, I do, do compounds. Fact is you're missing myscle groups in every one of them exercises that you will need to do isolation work on to do. It's common sense that you're mainly doing compound exercises when you use free weights or body weight resistance work. I stay away from machines as a whole.

I know what I'm doing!

[<3]

Clearly not if you're eating bread or rice.

Idle wanker. Now you have your fancy timing device, do 35 minutes or a mile, whichever takes longer.

I'm just going to swim the full 40 minutes - like I said, when I'm swimming to time I'm quite happy carrying on, there's just something about distance. That "well, what difference will 4 lengths make, I've swum a ruddy mile" thought etc.

I'm really excited, my watch was dispatched yesterday. Hopefully it'll come before swimming tomorrow.

[Matthew A]

Picked up my new runners from the post office nearly two weeks ago. Still unworn. Work has just been taking the piss, and I've just moved into a 79 night stay at a hotel in the middle of nowhere without a gym. Nearest gym is 40 mins away, but minimum 12 hour days are making that trip impossible. I really hope this shit imoroves.

[nonamethanks]

Christ sake, I do, do compounds. Fact is you're missing myscle groups in every one of them exercises that you will need to do isolation work on to do. It's common sense that you're mainly doing compound exercises when you use free weights or body weight resistance work. I stay away from machines as a whole.

I know what I'm doing!

You're not missing muscle groups in the example workouts I posted though. That's kinda why they can be called full body workouts. And I wasn't ever talking about what you personally do or don't do. All I ever said is that a beginner (not just someone who has never worked out before, but anyone who hasn't hard-trained for a good few years) doesn't need to do isolation exercises in order to do a good full body workout. I honestly wasn't expecting anyone to argue with that cos... it's true.

[Matthew A]

The full body workouts that are touted all over the internet & magazines are very much designed and used by people who've spent years and years in the gym, and don't want to spend two hours a day working out anymore.

If you're already stacked, maintenance work is pretty easy. It's not to say those workouts don't work, but I'd never suggest a beginner to start doing pull-ups or deadlifts, and certainly not 5x5 or something stupid like that.

These are shortcut workouts, and should be treated as such.

[<3]

Wait, are you arguing with the truth? That's low.

[Matthew A]

It must be tiring to imagine a different point of view when one is always fasting.

[yeah and what]

Christ sake, I do, do compounds. Fact is you're missing myscle groups in every one of them exercises that you will need to do isolation work on to do. It's common sense that you're mainly doing compound exercises when you use free weights or body weight resistance work. I stay away from machines as a whole.

I know what I'm doing!

You're not missing muscle groups in the example workouts I posted though. That's kinda why they can be called full body workouts. And I wasn't ever talking about what you personally do or don't do. All I ever said is that a beginner (not just someone who has never worked out before, but anyone who hasn't hard-trained for a good few years) doesn't need to do isolation exercises in order to do a good full body workout. I honestly wasn't expecting anyone to argue with that cos... it's true.

#

Not one of those exercises will work the bicep effectively, unless you don't mean pull up and mean chin up?

I don't particularly give a shit about my biceps so it doesn't bother me one bit but still, they also only work one part of the chest muscle, serious lack of upper chest muscle work.

Again, compound exercises and full body exercises(not one of them is) are great, but you should mix them into a routine. There is also a distinct lack of decent muscle stressing ab work and upper body work in them. You won't build all round muscle on them alone you will just be 'fit'.

[nonamethanks]

The full body workouts that are touted all over the internet & magazines are very much designed and used by people who've spent years and years in the gym, and don't want to spend two hours a day working out anymore.

If you're already stacked, maintenance work is pretty easy. It's not to say those workouts don't work, but I'd never suggest a beginner to start doing pull-ups or deadlifts, and certainly not 5x5 or something stupid like that.

These are shortcut workouts, and should be treated as such.

Good

I'm not sure what you mean by shortcut workout though. If you mean efficient, then yes.

Not one of those exercises will work the bicep effectively, unless you don't mean pull up and mean chin up?

I don't particularly give a shit about my biceps so it doesn't bother me one bit but still, they also only work one part of the chest muscle, serious lack of upper chest muscle work.

Again, compound exercises and full body exercises(not one of them is) are great, but you should mix them into a routine. There is also a distinct lack of decent muscle stressing ab work and upper body work in them. You won't build all round muscle on them alone you will just be 'fit'.

I never said they were full body exercises! I said they are full body routines. Full body as opposed to split routine. I didn't mean chin-ups, no, but you could alternate them with pull-ups if you want. Both will work the biceps, which are tiny muscles. They don't need shitloads of work or isolation exercises to make them bigger or stronger. Work on heavy compound upper body exercises and you'll see great improvement in your arms. For abs, I already said to add core work to those routines.

What muscles are being left out? If you think an exercise or 2 needs to be added to the sample routines I posted you'd need to have a pretty convincing argument for those extra exercises to be isolation rather than compound. It's not like this is some novel idea that I've thought up all by myself. People on fully compound routines get bigger and stronger all the time. And their arms grow along with the rest of their body. You don't need curls!

This isn't exactly my argument but is good for teh lulz: http://gawker.com/5896518/stop-doing-curls

[Beth]

Best training run so far today. Been working on my breathing and posture to avoid stitches, and the difference it makes is incredible. I managed to run the furthest I've run without stopping so far, and at a reasonable pace too. Massive boost to my confidence.

[Bassmonger]

Bastard old body. Got what I assume is a reasonably bad calf strain at football; felt like I'd been shot, now it's got a weird ring bruise round it, and it hurts to walk.

So much for actually making more effort to get fit.

[yeah and what]

Work through the pain. My legs are always ruined, just carry on with it.

[Bassmonger]

I think that's what caused it. Had a mild strain for weeks, always been able to warm up and run it off. Now I can't even run. That's my excuse anyway.

[Matthew A]

If you've got an injury, and you're over 23, you should really rest it to avoid permanent damage, even if it seems mild.

Finally got back into the gym this morning. Decided I'd do circuits to make up for the lack of training and too much eating/drinking/smoking over the last three weeks. Thought I was going to pass out a few tines. Feel so refreshed now though.

[Bassmonger]

What about if you get a minor injury the day before your 23rd birthday?

[yeah and what]

On a point about your weird bruise, I tore my whole calf muscle when I was 15, freak injury stepping up onto the pavement from the road so about 6', absolutely mental, but I had some weird bruising as well.

RICE it up and it will be better in no time. If you can get on an exercise bike or swimming and it isn't hurting just do that for now.

[Jemma]

I've tried to increase my lengths and always get to a mile and think "job done". I'm so lazy.

I always do this. Absolutely love swimming but get bored too easily and always think a mile is good enough without turning into too much of a prune.

Got my first session at a boot camp in Primrose Hill on Thursday. I'm pretty worried. Firstly because I spent my weekend destroying my body by drinking vodka, eating pizza and pasta, and not sleeping. Secondly because it will probably rain.

[Jammer]

been playing squash constantly in the recent few weeks. never really played much before. i love it. so much more enjoyable then running on a treadmill and means i hardly have to any cardio at the gym anymore. third time playing this week tonight, 5 a side tomorrow and gym friday. think i might have an addiction.

[<3]

Squash is great, the only trouble is you have to play with someone who's either close to or above your skill - if you play people worse than you, you end up in the middle not really running much.