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Exercise for Geeks?
An anonymous reader asks: "A bunch of friends and I have been wondering for a while how to stay fit (and additionally, how to bulk up). While common suggestions include team sports, few of us are able to get together and play something outdoors since the weather here is abysmal. We would like to know how you geeks stay fit individually in your homes, and are there any ways to do so (while building up muscle) that don't involve expensive equipment? Thanks."
Well, you can lift weights for strength training (because all that sitting in front of a computer really affects your upper body posture); swim for flexibility training; on weekends you can go hiking and/or biking with your buddies -- that helps improve general endurance, and is a lot of fun, especially if there are beautiful mountains near where you are.
None of these are particularly expensive, but they do require you to get out of your home -- I think exercising is a lot more effective when you do it with a friend, because you tend to slack off more when you are on your own ("Oh, I feel tired today, I'll just go tomorrow" versus your buddy dragging you to the gym).
I especially enjoy group outings, because then you get to have fun while getting a good exercise. So do try to be more social in your exercise activities, and you'll benefit greatly.
Bush Lies Watch
The main problem with geeks, besides our spaghetti arms, is our Beer/Pop Bellies. You can get the 8 min abs DVD from half.com for like $10. If you use this coupon code, you'll get $5 off any order over $10: BUCK17014537 unless, of course, somebody comes out with 6 minute abs. then you're in trouble. Nobody's going to come out with 6 minute abs! You can't get a good ab workout in six minutes!
Most people buy equipment and let it rot in the closet. I had done this a number of times in the past myself. However, a year ago I decided I was sick and tired of the situation - and I had been watching Bowflex ads. I did some research on the Bowflex and most magazines and reviews spoke well... so I broke down and bought their least expensive model.
Does it work? YES! When my partner and I started to use the Bowflex... at the most I could press and curl was 15 pounds (per arm) - pretty pathetic. Now I'm up to curling 80 lbs per arm (160 lbs total weight) and rowing 90 lbs per arm. This after about 9 months of use where we use it every other day for about 20 minutes.
My arms have muscles now... and I feel much better and want to keep going. (my partner actually has abs showing now... but I need to lose more weight before mine start to pop out)
The other important thing is to try to get outside and hike/swim etc... as well. Being in Hawaii, this is easy year round, but for those of you in other climates you will have to substitute other activities during the nasty months.
As per bulking up... avoid all the mixes/drinks/drugs that aid you in doing this. Build your muscles the natural way.
Bottom line? The equipment doesn't matter... what DOES matter is that you STICK WITH IT. To do that... get a partner who has the same goals in mind (it doesn't hurt either, if your partner is in better physical condition than you... since it gives you more motiviation to reach their body).
Oh yeah... and put a picture of a big fat man on your fridge :)
As a geek who also has a social life and (what the women call) a hard body, let me let you in on the two secrets to staying in shape.
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:)
Excercise and Food intake.
The first thing that I would do if I were you would be eliminate soda's. I still drink coffee in the morning as I probably only get 3-4 hours of sleep a night (thank you WebObjects), but because I eliminate soda, I have kept off tons of weight when I see the geeks around me slowly adding a gut. That is just a start, and you may want to change other eating habits as well. I have found that because I no longer drink pop (at 170 calories a can x 5-6 cans a day) I save almost 1000 calories. That leaves me enough room to pig out occasionally. Also if you excercise your metabolism will speed up, allowing you to burn off more calories, even when you are just sitting there.
I personally work out maybe 30 minutes a day, with 10 minutes of warm up streching and 5 minutes of cool down streching. That is 45 minutes a day. Yes, it sucks, yes it takes time out of my day, but YES I LOVE the eventual benifit. As an aside, I have more energy, and feel better about myself. As an aside, streching is VERY important. You will be stiff and sore the next day, and get burned out on working out IF YOU DON'T STRECH OUT. If you do the soreness is kept to a minimum.
The workout program is simple, but I know that you may want to taylor this to your own. I run two miles, which I can do in 10 minutes, then I work out my upper body and abs, and I alternate between the two of them. I have free weights at home and a curl bar (the bar was $30 at play it again sports, the weights are about 40 at wal-mart) As a person who has obnoxiously strong legs (I used to race bicycles long ago) I run with leg weights on, but that is something that you may not wish to start out on.
There are a couple of books which I use as a guideline to help me out, and I recommend them highly.
They are the "Stronger Abs and Back: 165 Exercises to Build Your Center of Power"
I am finally getting close to a rock hard 6 pack thanks to this book alone. WOW.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/08801155
The Body Sculpting Bible for Men
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/15782608
Great book, hints on eating correctly, and hints on using what you have to achieve what you want.
Strength Training Anatomy
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/07360418
This book is very good if you wish to get into a gym and you really want to know which excersices work what. It has diagrams and walk throughs of dozens of machines and free weights, and shows you drawings of what muscles it works.
I have been working out for 4 months now. I have lost 15 pounds, went from 14 to 7% body fat, and really started toning up. I have found that it has really done a lot more than just make me look better. I hope that you find what you need and start working out yourself.
Blah Blah Blah.
That I need to get in shape as well. I am a large person, and I knew that all that sitting in front of the computer downing Dr. Peppers and pizza slices was not good. The first thing I did was give up drinking Dr. Pepper, cold turkey. In one summer, from not drinking Dr. Pepper (I drank water and iced tea occasionally instead), I lost 27lbs, just from not drinking 300 wasted calories.
;)
Then I started to work out. I do a lot of cardio exercises to get my heartrate way up. Thats when you start to loose a lot of weight. And it can be fun to. Find an exercise bike, get a good book/magazine, and start reading. In an hour, you will have lost a ton of calories, exercised a lot, and finished 50+ pages in your book. There really isn't a downside. If you can't get a book, find a TV. Two episodes of The Simpsons and you are done. Thats it.
After I do cardio, I go lift weights extensively. Mainly upper body since the cardio takes care of the lower body. In just 3 weeks of doing weights, I've increased my bench max from 115lbs to 155lbs. Its that easy (wow I sound like a piece of SPAM).
The last thing to do is aerobics, especially kickboxing. Its fun, its really a good exercise, you get your heartrate up, and usually there are tons of dainty, hot chicks in the room with you.
At any rate, just eat right and work out is what it comes down to. You don't have to look like Ahnuld, but then again, you don't have to look like Jabba.
Hope this helps. -Vic
Dyna-Flex PowerlBall Gyro. It makes cool lights and it is also meant to eliminate the main physical problem we are all exposed to: carpal-tunnel.
I can't even describe how quick my fingers fly on the keyboard and mouse after using it.
It also provides a very cool way of tracking your progress with data that looks almost like process utilization metrics.
Sorry if I sound like a comercial but I love it.
There have been some excellent articles and discussion on this subject over the past few months over at kuro5hin:
I've found the articles very informative and well-written. They include references to more information (books, web sites).
As a side note, I find the topic of this Ask Slashdot a little funny. Geeks aren't some separate species; they're humans, and can eat and exercise the same way as all of the other humans. :)
--Bruce
There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't.