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I think PE is predominantly for torture.

Weather crap, cold and miserable? Pitched of churned up mud frozen into a flesh grating surface? Perfect time to force the unwilling to play Rugby. And don’t bother calling out the talented lads for High Tackles. Not to mention sweltering hot summer? Everyone into the brick wall, steel roof sports hall to play basketball without air conditioning

It was the cross-country runs I really hated.

Crispy78 wrote:
It was the cross-country runs I really hated.

I loved running cross country. Our coach never commented on the fact that there were a few of us who consistently got really bad times and always finished just after the female runners.

I remember running Varsity before I was in High School, and coming in dead last at a big run. The 14 people I was ahead of got DNF (Did Not Finish).

My problem with cross country was it was always an all or nothing. You went from regular sports games where you mostly had to jog around the pitch as practice and could then mill around on the pitch a bit; to suddenly several mile runs for a bit.

Again it was one of those situations where the non-sporty individuals just suffer because its too much all in one go and not regular enough to build up actual performance or endurance.

Honestly I recall sports was 2 big several hour long sessions a week and looking back I'd have made it 1 hour per day. Sure that's bad for those who want big games, but for actual building people up with physical fitness it would be far superior as you'd get that little-and-often element.

Then just let all the kids who want to do big matches and games play on the after school events*



*which is another funny thing because sports was backwards. If you performed well you got MORE sports practice and if you performed poorly you got LESS because you weren't expected at the after-school-team-practices.

We used to do long runs as part of our rowing training - something like 5-8 miles. They would just be on a random route round the streets near our school. A couple of times I was so far behind the pack I literally had to ask passers-by 'which way did they go?'...

Much as I clearly hated PE at school, and not without reason?

It’s a shame it was so badly organised. Because I do enjoy the buzz you get after an exercise session. And given all the mad chemistry going on in a spotty ‘Erbert’s teenage brain, I can’t see it having a negative impact.

Well, I didn't like PE either really but then I hated School all the way through. My last two years I was able to take weight lifting as a class but I squandered that. I was unhappy.

Looking back I should have taken it in the morning and again at the end of the day but that's just me being old and wishing I had done something for myself instead of taking so many art classes which were completely worthless.
It's funny too because I was doing Martial Arts classes after school and, again, I wish I had done more of that.

I need to let that stuff go and not think about it anymore.

We were out of town today. Hope to get into the gym tomorrow. I'm trying some new stuff that seem promising.

PE is a good concept, but it's too disorganized to be productive.
Forcing everyone to at least slow jog around the track for the period would have been a better use of time than what we had, which was basically the athletes beating up on the non-athletes for a minute.

I've read a lot of conflicting stuff on the internet lately. How many calories is a 45 year old male supposed to consume in an average day? No strenuous exercises - just a typical day of living.

 Lathe Biosas wrote:
I've read a lot of conflicting stuff on the internet lately. How many calories is a 45 year old male supposed to consume in an average day? No strenuous exercises - just a typical day of living.

There isn't a number

You'll find a load of variations because basically what you need to eat varies considerably based on your own body and the way it processes food; the foods you are eating; the activity and style of life you lead; the nature of the actual food itself and a bunch of other things.

Any references you'll find will either be generic or will state "average intake for person living X style of life". Even within those there will be variations on the numbers. So you might find a rough range of values at best.



It's like how the BMI "kind of" works as a rough indicator but will still fail on specifics - eg many sporting people, esp weight lifters, boxers and so forth will rank as grossly overweight on the BMI even though they are perfectly fit and healthy




If you want specifics you really have to talk to your doctor/dietician/exercise coach person etc.... Ergo you have to go to professionals and get feedback based on your specific situation to get a rough idea what would be a healthy amount for you

2,500 apparently. And that’s been pretty consistent advice all my life.

Which I’ve personally ignored.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
But, I do need to consider improving my diet.

I like veggies and healthy, but decent quality ready meals (like Asda’s Bistro range) are just convenient.

Will dig out the Wok, and brush up my stir fry skills.

Eating better begins tomorrow. Like, for real.

Weekly shop ordered, no snack foods, limited processed foods. Not exactly low fat, but lower on preservatives and sodium.

Ordered bits to make Shakshuka, a tasty vegetable stew, which you add eggs to near the end, allowing them to poach. Only takes about 20 minutes beginning to end.

Also gonna pack my gym bag tonight, ready for my first visit tomorrow after work. Can confirm bag is now packed. Should also probably dig out a hair tie, just in case. Don’t want my marvellous locks getting tangled in any gizmos.

No particular goal in mind, just eating better and being more active, see what shakes out.

And as I review my exercise sets for tomorrow? Remember, fellow “thinking about joining a gym” folks? Nobody cares that you’re gonna struggle. Nobody is going to laugh at you. Nobody is going to negatively judge you. We all start our fitness journey somewhere, and from varying start points. Get your headphones, load up a motivational playlist, and start improving fitness.

In case anyone is interested? Half hour or so work out. Has a planned warm up and cool down. Exercises for tomorrow are…

Incline Walk. 1.5% at 4-6kph for 4m, then 3% at 4-6kph for 4m, followed by 6% incline, 5-7kph for 4m. As I’ve quite long legs (6’2” height) I’ll likely go for the higher end of the speeds/

90 secs rest

Goblet Squat. 3 sets of 20 reps with 45s rest in between

Push-ups. 3 sets of 12 with 45s rest in between

Oblique Crunches. 2 sets of 30 secs, with 30 secs rest in between. Should burn 225kcals during it.

App is a real gem here. Not only sets the exercises based on your goals and described fitness level, but has gifs showing the appropriate form.

Missions successful.

Exercise plan changed, to a combo of treadmill and exercise bike. Burned around 300 calories.

Dinner I made Shakshuka. Slice an onion and a bell pepper (any colour), sweat in a pan with some olive oil and cumin seeds, adding some smoked paprika once it starts cooking down. Tip in a tin of chopped tomatoes, bring to a simmer and let those flavours get to know each other. Crack in two eggs, and stick it in the oven for 10 minutes.

I also added some garlic powder (didn’t have fresh) and some green chilli’s to pep it up.

I’d definitely be in calorie deficit for the day if I hadn’t finished off last night’s ’goodbye fatty’ pizza.

App has a fair amount of floor exercise, with little to no equipment needed. So for jumping jacks, squats, walk out push-ups and that? I’ll do at home on Not Gym Days. Keeps my hand in, and should help improve cardio fairly quickly.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
App has a fair amount of floor exercise, with little to no equipment needed. So for jumping jacks, squats, walk out push-ups and that? I’ll do at home on Not Gym Days. Keeps my hand in, and should help improve cardio fairly quickly.

Kill Jumping Jacks. There's better cardio out there and they are bad for your knees.

My old Navy Doctor buddy found me alternatives.

 Lathe Biosas wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
App has a fair amount of floor exercise, with little to no equipment needed. So for jumping jacks, squats, walk out push-ups and that? I’ll do at home on Not Gym Days. Keeps my hand in, and should help improve cardio fairly quickly.

Kill Jumping Jacks. There's better cardio out there and they are bad for your knees.

My old Navy Doctor buddy found me alternatives.

I don't do jumping anything anymore. Hurts my Knees and I already have back issues. It's a huge no-go for me.
I found the leg press machine to be really good for cardio. I know that sounds odd but between the number of reps and the weigh I will be huffing and puffing by the time I'm finished. I don't do that for cardio but I have seen the benefit. Ellipticals are my of to we have one that works in tree stages based on how wide your stride it. The first stage makes it more like a stair climber the next two are more like what you might be used to. I can't really even use a stationary bike anymore because it bothers my knees.

If I could pick one callisthenic and actually do it, I'd do burpees. I've heard nothing but good things about that. I know they suck to do. Used to be able to do those.
I was doing inclined walking on a treadmill for a while. a 2.5 pace at top incline for at least 30min post work out. Meh, I could take it or leave it as long as I have an audio book it doesn't bother me.

The big thing for me was finding some Under armor shoes. I'd never work that brand and it'd been a bout 12 years since I last bought running shoes. They feel really good on my feet. The brand I used to buy felt like boards under my feet by comparison. Just bought a second pare having worn the first pare for a year. 70 bucks, not really a bad price they're still in very good condition. They're not street shoes unless we're out of town for the day.



I've just added weighted crunch's to my workouts. It's a machine, I'm not on the floor. It feels like it's actually working correctly. So that's 2 for the abs every visit. I'll try to stick with that for the year.

Ordered some 5kg dumb bells for home workout stuff. And a yoga mat for more comfortable floor exercises.

Saturday morning regular 2.5km jog to Parkrun and helped set up at 6am for 7am start. Then did 2.5km loop of the course (we do it twice in the run) to swee for any obstacles or mud/water.
Feeling a bit tight and not sure how I would go.

Took off 7am and ran 18:07, dropping 12 seconds from my PB for this course and 1 second off my best time for Australian Parkruns that I did a month ago on a dead flat course (my home course is quite hilly).

Absolutely blown away.

Jogged home and signed up for a 15km trail race in town on the Sunday.

Sunday morning turn up, we go first, then the 10km and then 5km with x3 5km loops of trails up and down the escarpment (my town is on the edge of the Great Dividing range).

Took off with the lead pack. In the lead at 1km and 15km and 466m elevation later 1:20:01 and won by 4 mins over a professional runner.
Know I could have easily dropped another 5 minutes if there was someone up with me to push.

Pulled back this week in training, it was the perfect shake out weekend with severe intensity rather than a long race.

I'm trying to shift more to trails and longer runs but we are in a 10 day rain patch so rather than do the trails I aim (likely Friday) to just run up and down a steep hill for 20km to really prime my legs for the race, now in 7 weeks....

From this point forward it is tring not to get injured and fine tuning for race day.

Also, quick grumble, as it wouldn’t be me without a grumble.

Don’t mind the teenagers using the gym. But if they could just stop fannying around on the equipment and do some sets, that’d be great. Also, put a damned padlock on your damned locker. Took me ages to find an empty one!

5kg Dumb Bells have arrived, and I’ve done some basic exercises with them this evening.

Mainly focussing on my left arm, as despite being a Lefty, it’s markedly weaker than the right due to a window inflicted wrist injury from the Nineteeeeeen Niiiiiiiineties.

Doing reps of 12, going from bicep curls, to vertical push, and lifting out to the side. Which I’m sure have proper proper names, but I don’t care.

Ashkerly, on weights? How to select the right weight for a workout?

I know enough that “don’t just go for the most you can live, that’s how you spazz yourself”. And if memory serves, stamina and resilience can be built with even pretty light stuff, as it’s the repetition that does the work.

But beyond that? And I’m not saying it’s right? I’ve not a Scooby. Any thoughts?

Everything I know is that with weights its basically repetition that does the most work rather than intense weight. The intense weights are almost more showing off for bodybuilders and the like. It's pushing to the max but when they work out they do so with much lighter weights and more reps and more sets of reps

More or less my understanding of it.

5kg I can work with, and I’ll tell you in the morning how I feel. But may also get a lighter pair as well.

So if its the first time in forever chances are you'll be in pain tomorrow. Off-days to recover are important and when you start its going to be a case of having those gaps to help your body recover between the sessions and as you go you'll build up to being able to do more and more.

Keeping a written record can help as it can help you stay focused; work on local improvement and also mean you don't miss days that turn into weeks.

So, arms were and are fine. So that’s nice, and I guess means 5kg is about nice for repetition.

My legs though? Curse those stretches! Like a Chaos Dwarf Sorceror or Eldar Farseer, seems I was partially solidified. But definitely better today. Sufficient I can go get another work out in. And as our big supermarket is across the road from the gym, good time to go get more fruit and veg.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Second gym sesh done.

Did a quick bit on the treadmill to warm up, then on with the programme.

Seated Row was weird. I had no problem doing it, but I think I was too tall for the machine. The pad is meant to be chest height, but even on the seat’s lowest setting, I remained hunched over the machine. Did maybe 6 of the 12 minutes.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlfit was a doddle. Absolutely no bother there whatsoever.

Leg Press Machine. 3 sets of 10, again pretty much a doddle. My legs have remained oddly muscly from a lot of cycling in my yoof

Barbell Shoulder Press. Not too bad, but need to find the right weight for it.

Definitely feels like I’ve had a workout, especially across my back. So that’s nice.

Next visit Sunday, I think. I would go tomorrow but I’ve got a tattoo booked.

Wonderful part two.

I've added barbell shoulder presses but don't do those regularly yet. Back work will be wear you out. You'll know you did it. The seated row ? was that like a rowing machine as in boats or the seated rowing machine as in weight lifting?
I've tried the "rower" for cardio and it is all about form. The seated rowing machine for weightlifting is a goto for me I do that a few times a week. I have one guy who comes to the gym I will work in with occasionally and he used to be a power lifter so they work is good but I get more rest working with a partner than I would on my own. Funny though I can almost keep up with him on the seated row but I don't know that he'd working his hardest either. Nice guy but I think it's a little timid. He's almost my age so the conversations are good.

I'm adding the hex bar dead lift today. I need to see how that goes and I am planning to add squats. I want my legs to get bigger and it feels like it's slow going. Ya, I'm 47 and all that. I figure one day a week for each of those for a while.

I also need to get back to doing pull ups. I've skipped them for about a month.

And the ab stuff is working I only did one of the two on Wednesday. I ran into some breathing issues before my workout was over. I don't know what brought it on. It's warming up I'll be back to a gallon of water a day by this time next month.

Seated Row is more akin to weight lifting. There’s a pad in front of you, and you pull the weights. As you’re seated, I presume it’s isolating your back muscles more, as you don’t get a boost from your legs.

Next programme is predominantly floor work. That I think I’ll do mostly at home. But rather than just go to the gym for a couple of exercises, I’ll do more treadmill and cycling, get a wee cardio boost.

The gym company’s app really is solid, as you get a looping gif of the appropriate form, which massively helps. And is indeed how I know the Seated Row wasn’t right for me,

I swear I’m already feeling the benefits of the increased exercise and keeping an eye on my food. The Happy Chemicals are setting in, and my skin feels clearer. But, that could be us finally getting something resembling Sun as much as the better nutrition.

The lasses kept looking at me too, which felt a bit weird. Probably my long hair more than anything. Certainly ain’t my body, because if it is indeed a temple, it’s a semi-ruined one, probably infested with pigeons.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Seated Row is more akin to weight lifting. There’s a pad in front of you, and you pull the weights. As you’re seated, I presume it’s isolating your back muscles more, as you don’t get a boost from your legs.

Ok, I was confused because you mentioned doing them to time and not sets and reps.
I like the seated row.

App gave me a 12 minute set, which I did half of. Mostly because I was proper hunched over, and not at all in the position the app prescribed.

After fighting with a billhook that was just a little bit too heavy for me for a few weeks, I ended up sore in a most unusual place- where my collarbone meets my ribcage. It's a new one for me, so I stepped it back down to a lighter weapon on the regular (straight 7'6" glaive with no head), but I'm delighted that it's usable, even if a bit slower and more awkward than I'd like. Within a week, the discomfort resolved. For now, I'll probably drill with it once or twice a week, just not make it my primary until I've grown stronger.

By next year's Gulf War, I'll be a menace with it.

I thought I misread the last post. Then I read it again.

Are you apart of the SCA?

I just had trouble imagining how much room you need to train with a bilhook or glaive...