I can see both sides of it. On the one hand, I think people can make excuses for not having to work hard. For instance, one of my friend's sister is training to become a personal trainer. She had told my friend that she shouldn't use the elliptical because it "makes your heart rate go high and you shouldn't do that." So my friend decided to only use the elliptical once a week because it's now "dangerous." I also think of the myth of the "fat burning zone" that I have seen trainers (some, not all) spout off. Oh yes...who doesn't want to push themselves to the point of - gasp - actually having to work at exercise? Sounds good to me! And by the way, that WAS me for the first 2 years I got into exercising!
Now that exercise is a daily part of my life, I can see times where I have "over trained" because I look at progress in terms of distance/time/overall average heart rate and maximum heart rate. But really, it's all about listening to my body. I can tell when I need to rest when I've had two bad runs in a row and feeling utterly wiped out for the rest of the evening after I've finished running. Like nelie, we also went hiking this weekend and by Sunday night, I was starting to feel it... I'm still feeling it today! But I decided to run yesterday anyway, just to see how tired I really was. Turns out, I wasn't over trained or tired at all and had my best 5k time to date.
I just think, above all, listen to your body. You know it best, and sometimes it's a live and learn experience, but eventually, you'll figure out how much your body can handle.
Interesting responses! The only reason I mentioned my DH and his experience was that he went from no activity to huge amounts of sustained activity without intermission for months at a time. So my point was that most trainers recommend, say, 3 sets of 15 reps at 10 lbs for your biceps, then you take a day of to rest, then you repeat so you don't over-exert yourself. But people will, at 40, take a landscaping job that requires you to consistently move heavy loads day after day after day. They won't lift a bag of gravel three times, then say "I have to rest because I've worked my biceps for today". And nothing untowards happens except that they get fit and ripped after a month or two.
Maybe if we just went for it and worked hard consistently, we would be in better shape quicker than if we do one set of leg presses and wait for a day to "heal".
This also brings up the issue of functional fitness. Which is better for your conditioning -- sitting on a bench and lifting a 10lb dumbell using your bicep, or hauling a bag of gravel up some stairs? When you hit the weights, you are exercising your muscles but you are doing it in an isolated way. Even if you stand, you are working a bit more but are still static. If you haul a bag of gravel, you've activated all SORTS of muscles, including your core muscles, accessory and opposing muscles for stabilization and your balance.
It brings to mind a friend who was a serious weight trainer and bodybuilder (she won the provincial natural bodybuilding championships a few years ago) but when it actually came to DOING something, she was surprisingly weak! She used to laugh about this, saying that she had "gym muscles", not REAL muscles. I could haul more stuff around than she could, but she could sure do a chin up! Which is better? What do YOU want?
It just makes me wonder about the "traditional" forms of exercise. On this forum, under Exercise, you see PRIMARILY runners and lifters. That's it. The message is that there aren't any other forms of exercise, and if you want to exercise, running and lifting are the "holy grail". Especially since there are a fair number of personal trainers on the site who understandibly have this mindset -- get a trainer, run or work up to running 3 times a week, lift weights, work your upper and lower bodies separately, give adequate rest time, and so on. But there isn't alot of discussion about functional fitness (save for a sticky!), nor about how to improve your daily living through improving your activity, activities/exercises that improve your balance to prevent injury, nor about exercise for the sheer fun of it through different activities. And might this be somewhat counterproductive? I mean, if the mindset is run/walk your way up to running and lift weights, and you just don't enjoy this nor have the $$ for a gym, one might get discouraged, since this is apparently what you "have" to do to get fit. Somewhat demotivating, no?
Just thinking aloud!
Kira
So my point was that most trainers recommend, say, 3 sets of 15 reps at 10 lbs for your biceps, then you take a day of to rest, then you repeat so you don't over-exert yourself.
I don't think most trainers say that and if I had one that said that, I'd find a new trainer.
There has been a lot of talk about functional fitness these days and we talk about it quite a bit in the weight lifting forum. There are quite a few stickies on functional fitness. The New Rules of Lifting for Women is a great book as well that I'd encourage anyone to look at if they are looking for a complete training program that is more functional.
Crossfit (which I would love to join) is all about functional fitness and 'different' kinds of workouts. The good thing is you don't have to join a Crossfit 'gym' to get a crossfit workout, they have tons of good resources on their website.
I also see all sorts of exercise mentioned around here from biking, running, swimming, hiking, yoga, pilates, various forms of exercise videos and of course weight lifting which comes in various forms itself. I personally love kettlebells and highly recommend them because of the benefits they provide.
I don't belong to a gym, I don't have a trainer but I do workout.
I'm remembering this from college anatomy (about 20 years ago), so if the information isn't current, or I don't get this absolutely correct, I'm sure somebody can correct it.
Any way, we were taught that the justification for "time off" recommended between working one set of muscles, is that rest is required for muscle tissue to grow (not so much to just to strengthen the muscles you have). If you're not lifting very large weights, or are not wanting to "bulk up," then the time off is less crucial. Even "resting" doesn't mean you need to take days off from exercising. Many weight lifters, especially those wanting to "bulk up", will cycle - they will, for example, work upper body one day, and lower body the next.
So whether you need to rest or not, and for how long, really depends on your goals. If you want cardiac fitness/stamina/endurance, you would work at an intensity you can maintain for at least 20 minutes. If you want strength/muscle bulk, then you work a muscle group as hard as you can tolerate in only a few reps, and then rest that muscle group (not necessarily all of them) between sessions.
This is why you'll often hear in weight lifting that for toning you want smaller weight/lot of reps for toning, and for muscle building (bulking up), larger weights/fewer reps.
It just makes me wonder about the "traditional" forms of exercise. On this forum, under Exercise, you see PRIMARILY runners and lifters. That's it. The message is that there aren't any other forms of exercise, and if you want to exercise, running and lifting are the "holy grail".
Kira
I respectfully beg to differ. I, for one, not only run but also do strength training, Pilates, Yoga, swim, kayak, bike, and hike! Not to mention the occasional belly dancing or Zumba class. I aim for overall health, well-being, strength AND stamina to be able to do any and all of the above plus daily life activities and projects. I hope we're not sending the message that running and lifting are the only/best exercise modes.
Although it's true that a lot of the discussion revolves around running and lifting, there are certainly many here with other passions. And to me, that's what all of the exercise is FOR ... to be able to have active adventures and pursue our dreams.
If you're only reading about running and lifting, maybe you're only reading limited places? I do step aerobics, yoga, cardio videos...there are entire threads about different circuit training programs (like 30 day Shred) and video game fitness (like those for the Wii). I just popped into the Exercise Accountability thread and saw a wide variety of activities listed on just the first few posts...cycling, spinning, yoga, walking, swimming, elliptical, boxing, and pilates. Even those who do run also do other things...which is good! So keep exploring the Exercise forum and you're sure to find lots of other activities out there.
Going from zero fitness to heavy exercise in a short period of time will, probably, get you more fit in that period of time, but will also make you more prone to injury. Some people here would rather go slowly and reduce the risk of injury. Others (me included) choose to ramp up more quickly, and DO end up injured as a result of not taking appropriate rest (including one rotator cuff injury for me, which took FOREVER to heal and took away a lot of the gains I'd made in muscle strength). Sure, not everyone who ramps up quickly will get injured, and not everyone who goes slowly will avoid injury, but you move the odds toward not getting injured if you rest, don't overdo, and increase your exercise slowly.
I appreciate what you guys are saying! Today's perusal of the Exercise! threads that are active today are: running vs elliptical (I would like to get into running)
my fitness coach
cycling C25K (couch to 5k) 1000 miles ramp up before 5K
runners: it's june
Wii active how many steps in a mile
Seems that the vast majority involve running or walking to running! I guess that since I don't run or walk to run I pretty much don't see alot here. I've posted re: Yoga -- not much response at all! I just find it interesting because there doesn't seem to be much discussion about people doing other activities, that's all.
I also perused the stickies, and here are some quotes: So, if you want to burn a lot of fat, make sure to prioritize weight training and higher intensity cardio. The benefits of weight training.
How to pick a trainer.
And from Fundamentals for Fitness: MUSCULAR STRENGTH - a minimum of two 20-minute sessions per week that include exercises for all the major muscle groups. Lifting weights is the most effective way to increase strength.
I guess all that I am saying is that it seems that as a society, we DRIVE to a gym to SIMULATE all those activities which, quite frankly, could be done directly! We DRIVE to a gym, and then simulate walking on a treadmill. Why not go for a walk from your front door? We DRIVE to a gym and then simulate cycling on a stationary bike! Why not jump on your bike? We DRIVE to a gym and simulate lifting things by pumping weights! And I think that alot of us do this because we are doing what the fitness industry says we SHOULD do. Get a trainer! Work upper and lower body parts on different days! Get 24 hours in between workouts for muscular healing! Get on the elliptical for 20 minutes!
I'm just saying that more overall activity and actual stuff rather than simulated exercise could be a good idea! And sometimes it helps to challenge our belief system once in a while. Maybe one COULD move a whole lot more without any damage! Maybe one SHOULD bike to work, instead of drive to the gym so that they could simulate cycling! Perhaps a good day or two of dethatching the lawn is more effective than 3 sets of biceps curls...
I'm just saying that more overall activity and actual stuff rather than simulated exercise could be a good idea!
I agree. But it's the American way to reduce and isolate. We want nutrition in a pill, and the gym is like activity in a pill. But of course, that's an over-generalization too. As posted, many people do many things. And it can be hard in this society to build a lifestyle that includes enough activity without "exercising." Also, many personalities really enjoy participating in a defined sport. Still, I think what you're saying is excellent food for thought.
Running and walking are easily accessible activities so I can imagine there are a lot of people here that do them. Most of the runners/walkers here that I know don't run/walk at a gym. I know many are outside exercisers when possible.
Have you looked in the exercise videos section? There are all sorts of exercise videos discussed.
Have you looked in the weight lifting forum?
The stickies their include "Kettlebells", "Train for functional fitness", "Machines vs Free Weights", etc.
I don't drive to any gym. I walk and hike and if I run it is outside. I also bike and swim. I do weights at home, kettlebells are a good portion of my weight training.
Of course if someone wants to utilize a gym to get their workouts in, I don't have an issue with that. I think whatever works for the person is good for them. I used to have lots of fun when I did go to a gym between attending classes and using the various equipment.
I also believe in general increasing overall activity is good. I walk my dogs but don't consider that part of my exercise. Sometimes I'll walk at work to take a break. I park my car far from the front door of my work. I generally park far away from store entrances. I'd love to bike to work but I'm encountering some obstacles and I've even wrote to my city planners about recent transportation construction and the lack of bike trails.
I don't drive to a gym, either. I walk and walk/run on alternate nights, always outside because I enjoy it more and I don't own a treadmill. But I certainly don't look down on anyone who goes to the gym to do these things on a treadmill; not everyone lives in a friendly little country town where walking around town is safe. I own an elliptical machine for wintertime exercise and I won't apologize for that; in the winter, it's dark before work and it's dark afterwork. Add several feet of snow for about 4 months on top of that and outside walking isn't very productive. Shoveling snow is about my only outside exercise in winter. I choose to walk and walk-to-run because that gives me the most bang for my exercise buck. I did love yoga when I was doing it--at a class I was taking at the gym. Again, I honestly don't see anything wrong with that.
As others have said, for most of us in the US, life is kind of set up to encourage inactivity. To stay fit, most of us need to seek out activity. Yeah, I could buy a lawnmower that doesn't have auto-propel, but you know what? I'm not going to. I like my auto-propel lawnmower. That doesn't make me weak and/or lazy. I can still lift huge bags of potting soil.
But gyms aren’t just costly and unpleasant, they are also unnecessary. Beesley adds: “Some people are attracted to the gym as it’s a positive statement: ‘I’ve joined the gym’. But for many of them it turns into a nightmare that seemed like a good idea at the time. But the truth is you can exercise anywhere.”
If you feel motivated to exercise, the best place to start is not your local gym. We are not short of green space in this country, and you have everything you need to get fit and stay in shape by exercising exclusively in the great outdoors, especially during the summer months. And it’s free.
Of course, some exercise is better than none. And if the gym is an activity that you LOVE, then you ROCK! I spent I don't know HOW many years thinking -- ok, I'm losing weight, I have to join a gym and go 3 times a week, because this is what is DONE. And every year I did it. Because this is what was done when on a health/fitness plan. I had the trainer assessments (in the past 7 years, I've checked out 5 trainers!) But I really rethought this concept when my funds ran out last year. I started to challenge that "sacred cow". I started to wonder WHY I was driving to the gym to walk on a treadmill. Why not just walk? And after ALOT of thought, I couldn't help but think that the concept of joining a gym is necessary as part of weight loss is IMHO a product of the fitness and diet industry -- you know, the magazines that offer "10 easy routines to get a flat belly" and so on. And then I started thinking about how my grandparents and aunts and uncles just did what had to be done. They are all very long-lived, extremely active and didn't ever have a gym membership. Just made me think, that's all. And I was wondering how demotivating it is to some to start an eating plan, and then feel that if they DON'T go to the gym they are somehow failing. And wouldn't a great message be to increase overall activity, and that taking the stairs is just as good as driving to a gym and simulating stair climbing? Anyways...sometimes it is GOOD to have one's "sacred cows" challenged, no?
Kira
ps. I got sport snowshoes for Christmas, and was out on them ALL the time -- having 6 months of snow (I'm further north than poor Ms Windchime! Here our first snow last winter was in early October, and our last snow was in mid-April!) here was amazing! For my birthday (also in a winter month) I'm going to try indoor rock climbing!!!
Hear hear for the non-gym exercise fans!! I have a gym membership because my husband spends half his time playing racquetball, and I do enjoy going with him sometimes to swim or take a spinning class, but it's not the focus of my exercise. My GoWear Fit lets me know how much I'm burning no matter what I'm doing, so doing laundry or walking to the grocery store totally count as part of my "exercise" for the day, as well they should! I also run and do higher-intensity stuff outside, but looking at my charts, there's really a LOT to be said for anything you do that gets you up off the couch. Yesterday, with friends in town, I spent the day wandering around the zoo, then walked to and from a local bar for dinner (2 miles round trip). My total calorie burn for the day was 1,000 calories higher than if I'd sat on the couch or in an office the whole day, and there was no "effort" involved in any of that, I was just having fun with my friends. It'd be great if we could take back some of the exercise stuff from the gyms and fitness guru's... there's a lot of activity to be had just in our regular lives!
When I started at my highest weight to seriously try to lose weight, I was coming off a knee injury. I couldn't walk, I basically hobbled. I luckily had a gym membership that was $5/month.
The gym was a bit of a life saver, I could use their pool, I could use the exercise bikes and I could use the weight lifting machines. I eventually progressed from the weight lifting machines and as I got better, I could eventually use the elliptical. I credit a good portion of my initial weight loss on the gym. I really loved going there.
I started dating my husband and did a lot of workouts at home. I was able to add him to my membership for $15/month and we went for a while but he decided he didn't like spending time in the gym (basically, he felt like he had no down time during the day between working long hours and the gym).
I had lots of positive experiences from the gym so I think they can be a good thing. I don't think they are necessary but they can be a good thing, depending on the need of the person and their goals.
For instance, one of my friend's sister is training to become a personal trainer. She had told my friend that she shouldn't use the elliptical because it "makes your heart rate go high and you shouldn't do that." So my friend decided to only use the elliptical once a week because it's now "dangerous." 
I also think of the myth of the "fat burning zone" that I have seen trainers (some, not all) spout off. Oh yes...who doesn't want to push themselves to the point of - gasp - actually having to work at exercise? Sounds good to me! And by the way, that WAS me for the first 2 years I got into exercising!
