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Post by The Captain on Nov 11, 2024 15:56:49 GMT -5
I'm currently stuck in analysis paralysis. I want to go to the gym, but I also want to tinker on my computer. And I also want to plan out some creative stuff I am working on. And I also want to clean the house. And what usually happens is I exhaust myself as my mind races trying to decide which to do until I get tired and end up on the couch playing video games. So I'm going to play guitar for a few minutes and then go to the gym. Screw it. I'm not getting any younger, and while my age might not go down, hopefully my blood pressure will. This happens to me all the time. I have a pile of comics that I want to get through, a Magic: The Gathering deck I swear I’m going to build, some TV shows that I want to rewatch, my 2025 home budget to prepare, and I want to take a walk while the weather here is still partially nice. Yup, I’m scrolling on the internet and doing none of the above.
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Post by impulse on Nov 11, 2024 16:35:12 GMT -5
Well, I tried. The gym was closed for the holiday. Ironically, my wife and I are considering joining a more family-focused gym with worse hours but more amenities. I'm hesitant to let go of my 24 hour gym that's basically across the street as it's already hard enough to go there consistently. The logic is if we both sign up we are more likely to follow through even if it's a little further.
The gym we are looking into is open today. My location is not.
I feel like I should get 100 calories removed as a courtesy for making the attempt.
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 12, 2024 7:55:03 GMT -5
Well, I tried. The gym was closed for the holiday. Ironically, my wife and I are considering joining a more family-focused gym with worse hours but more amenities. I'm hesitant to let go of my 24 hour gym that's basically across the street as it's already hard enough to go there consistently. The logic is if we both sign up we are more likely to follow through due. The gym we are looking into is open. My location is not. I feel like I should get 100 calories removed as a courtesy for making the attempt. The closer the better. Having a partner is great, it helps to get out of the house.
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 12, 2024 7:59:57 GMT -5
I tried to get a friend to come to the gym once - as I thought it’d be nice to have a friend there with me. But he chose to go to the pub instead…
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 12, 2024 9:03:12 GMT -5
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Post by impulse on Nov 12, 2024 9:57:45 GMT -5
I tried to get a friend to come to the gym once - as I thought it’d be nice to have a friend there with me. But he chose to go to the pub instead… A long time ago in a city far, far away before any of us had kids, my friends and I organized a fun-only "beer run" that was basically a few mile run with stops at all of the local pubs in the trendy downtown area. We created our own runner number bibs and stayed together. I tell you, getting a beer every mile is a great incentive.
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 12, 2024 10:04:08 GMT -5
Sounds like a great idea. Not something I have ever done, but it sounds interesting!
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Post by Doghouse Reilly on Nov 12, 2024 10:04:14 GMT -5
Well, I tried. The gym was closed for the holiday. Ironically, my wife and I are considering joining a more family-focused gym with worse hours but more amenities. I'm hesitant to let go of my 24 hour gym that's basically across the street as it's already hard enough to go there consistently. The logic is if we both sign up we are more likely to follow through due. The gym we are looking into is open. My location is not. I feel like I should get 100 calories removed as a courtesy for making the attempt. I know that most people prefer a gym membership, but I'll advocate for working out at home whenever the opportunity presents. Aside from a variety of dumbbells, I only have two specialized pieces of equipment - A pull-down machine and a dip station/pullup bar combo. Out of those, I only consider the dip station essential, but that's partly because that's always been my strongest exercise and I want to keep it that way. I never owned one, but those door-frame pullup bars seem more reliable than I would have thought. Even if you can't do a pull-up, dead-hangs every day are great. The biggest advantage is that you can play Megadeth as loud as you need to, up to the tolerance of your family and neighbors. My wife recently signed up with a chain gym - Planet Fitness, I think. She's allowed a guest, and I went with her a couple weeks ago. The reason for my visit is that my pulldown station has pulleys between the handle and the weights, so that I need to load more weight than I could actually pull, and I was curious how much I could pull without the benefit of pulleys (I was greatly pleased with the result). I did as close to my full workout as I could while I was there. While the machines are really good at isolation and gave me a good pump, I still much prefer home to the gym. No loud metal. Waiting for machines to free up. Not permitted to grunt (or primal scream if the situation calls for it). And it was difficult to catch a discreet glance of my pump in the mirrors. It didn't feel like a workout.
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Post by impulse on Nov 12, 2024 10:12:14 GMT -5
Sounds like a great idea. Not something I have ever done, but it sounds interesting! It was a lot of fun, and I'd love to do something like that again someday. Sadly, we've all dispersed across the continent since then, so opportunities for get togethers of that scale seem pretty limited these days. I know that most people prefer a gym membership, but I'll advocate for working out at home whenever the opportunity presents. Aside from a variety of dumbbells, I only have two specialized pieces of equipment - A pull-down machine and a dip station/pullup bar combo. Out of those, I only consider the dip station essential, but that's partly because that's always been my strongest exercise and I want to keep it that way. I never owned one, but those door-frame pullup bars seem more reliable than I would have thought. Even if you can't do a pull-up, dead-hangs every day are great. The biggest advantage is that you can play Megadeth as loud as you need to, up to the tolerance of your family and neighbors. My wife recently signed up with a chain gym - Planet Fitness, I think. She's allowed a guest, and I went with her a couple weeks ago. The reason for my visit is that my pulldown station has pulleys between the handle and the weights, so that I need to load more weight than I could actually pull, and I was curious how much I could pull without the benefit of pulleys (I was greatly pleased with the result). I did as close to my full workout as I could while I was there. While the machines are really good at isolation and gave me a good pump, I still much prefer home to the gym. No loud metal. Waiting for machines to free up. Not permitted to grunt (or primal scream if the situation calls for it). And it was difficult to catch a discreet glance of my pump in the mirrors. It didn't feel like a workout. I definitely see the appeal of a home gym, too, and strongly considered building one several times. What kept me from it in the past was the up front cost compared to the sheer cheapness and convenience of chain gyms. It was much easier when I had to go into an office as I would use my lunch time to work out and shower. It was much easier to actually go when I was already away from home and working out was a more appealing option than what I was doing, e.g. sitting in a cubicle. Harder to go since working remotely now 4+ years running. I also worry about the distraction at home. I could work out, or I could sit on my ass and fire up the Playstation. On the other hand, it would be a lot easier to squeeze out some reps if I'm already walking by the equipment. Mostly, the cost and space the equipment I would want is a deterrent. Beyond a normal lifting regimen, I also do a lot of inner and outer leg workouts due to past running injuries. I know you can work those in using various squats, but I like the concentration of machines and more control e.g. less chance of injuring myself. We'll see. When time, space and discretionary funds are no longer a concern, I may build out a home gyn. I do have a few dumbells and a door frame pullup bar, so I can do a little now.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Nov 12, 2024 14:34:15 GMT -5
The only drawback I see with our home gym (we have a dip station, a punching bag, a homemade bench and free weights) is that it's easier to give up when fatigue sets in. I somehow always found more motivation at the gym, having gone through the problem of getting there in the first place and seeing all the other people giving it their best.
On the other hand, at the gym, I don't have the cat helping me and I can't have a Twilight Zone episode playing in the background!
Decisions, decisions...
*Added as an afterthought: a great complement to the tall dip station is a set of rings. Plenty more exercises suddenly become possible.
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 12, 2024 14:40:18 GMT -5
I don’t mind using an exercise bike at the gym I go to, but I have thought of getting one for my home for one simple, self-absorbed reason: to catch up on the bookmark folder full of podcasts (an over-saturated market, right?).
I don’t mind sitting down to watch a TV show or film. But anything audio, such as a news debate or a podcast, well I can’t always find the motivation to sit down and listen to something as there’s obviously no visual hook. Sure, I’ll watch a 3-hour film on a Saturday night - because I can see it - but listening to a 2-hour podcast is harder as, without the visual hook, I just lose motivation and feel I should be doing something more useful.
But using the exercise bike and listening to a podcast would be killing two birds with one stone.
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Post by impulse on Nov 12, 2024 14:59:21 GMT -5
I personally loathe doing stationary indoor cardio. I lack the words to convey how tedious and boring I find it. I'd much rather go for a walk or jog outdoors, preferably with a tree canopy, but that's not always compatible with the weather. If I absolutely must, doing intervals on an elliptical machine is tolerable with music in my ear.
I also love listening to audiobooks or podcasts, but it has to be while I'm doing something else. Sitting around just listening to something without keeping the physical part of my mind busy is a no-go. I went through audiobooks like candy when I used to commute, but now it's mostly while doing chores that don't require thinking.
And one exception to the stationary cardio thing is I'm considering a basic treadmill to plant in front of the TV so I could be strolling while I play games. I think that might work because it's not trying to force myself to exercise by using video games. Rather, it's getting some steps in while I'm playing video games. It might not seem like a large distinction, but somehow it seems different in my mind.
But that's a whole other expense. My wife is interested in the smaller ones that are basically just a walking pad, but I worry the quality on those is trash and/or cost-prohibitive.
Ramble ramble.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Nov 12, 2024 15:03:22 GMT -5
I dislike stationary cardio as well (treadmill or bike). If I have to do it, I prefer a tabata session (lots of them to follow on Youtube).
I summon the huff and puff!!!
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 12, 2024 15:04:26 GMT -5
Sitting around just listening to something without keeping the physical part of my mind busy is a no-go. Indeed. I think we’re on the same page. The only time I get restless is when I am just listening to talk (listening to music is different, I’ll gladly sit down to listen to that). But if it’s non-visual discussion and debate, I think I need to be doing something. I mean, I usually do my chores every Saturday, so having a podcast playing while I clean the kitchen floor and all that is worthwhile for me, but I think it’d be worth me trying to listen to a podcast while using an exercise bike. Outdoor exercise is fine, but British weather can be quite crap, even in the summer. Don’t mind a bit of light rain while jogging, but heavy “Noah’s Ark” rain while jogging is best avoided, I feel…
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Post by Doghouse Reilly on Nov 12, 2024 15:59:26 GMT -5
The only drawback I see with our home gym (we have a dip station, a punching bag, a homemade bench and free weights) is that it's easier to give up when fatigue sets in. I somehow always found more motivation at the gym, having gone through the problem of getting there in the first place and seeing all the other people giving it their best. On the other hand, at the gym, I don't have the cat helping me and I can't have a Twilight Zone episode playing in the background! Decisions, decisions... *Added as an afterthought: a great complement to the tall dip station is a set of rings. Plenty more exercises suddenly become possible. I've always wanted rings, but I don't trust myself to install them without destroying part of the house. I'm lucky in that I have zero motivation problem working out from home. I'm usually looking forward to it. I just wish the stupid dog would have enough sense to leave the basement when I'm playing my music that loud. That's got to be stressful for her. Locking her out of the basement isn't feasible, because one of my exercises is going up and down the stairs with a pair of dumbbells, so I need that door open so I can turn around at the top.
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