Getting (back?) into physical shape?

I'm aiming at getting back into a decent physical shape, mainly to reduce the risk of back and joint problems when I get older (and to get rid of some I already have), but also because it looks good :)

A couple of weeks ago, a member on a Swedish roleplaying site made a thread about loosing weight, and that brought up the topic of exercise. A couple of guys over there recommended the book "Convict Conditioning", by Paul Wade, which is a calisthenic training program (use your own body weight). We are most likely to have a thread going over there to help each other to stay motivated. I plan to add the cardio from "The Marine Corps 3Xfitness program", by Martin Cohen.

My question is, is there anyone who are interested in having a thread going here as well?

To add some more thoughts on the subject, without drowning the first post to much, here are a bit on how and why. :)

Back in my late teens, I considered myself quite weak as I only could do 40 shoulder wide pushups. Now at 41, I'm not even close to half that number.

Walking to and from work for almost 3 years now, 30 minutes in each direction, as given me a good base strength in my legs. But I still lack the strength to get down into seiza (the Japanese sitting position used in martial arts), and up again, in a correct motion.

It is not that much that I'm not in the same shape as I was back then, but that I have seen the amount of back and joint problems of people my own age and the generation above me. Not counting all the other problems being out of shape can bring. My grand dad, when he was 70, was in a better shape than I ever been.

I have tried to get back into some form of exercise quite a few times over the years. But I generally end up with an injury, catch a cold, change in work schedule, or something else that throws in a wrench.

So what I have been looking for is something that doesn't require a gym, and that slowly builds up so all those small muscles that protects the joints, muscle attachments, tendons, etc keeps up.

The "Convict Conditioning" book fits that by having the philosophy of that you shoul start at step one, and doing it for at least a month before going to step two, just for those reasons. That program is six exercises (pushups, pullups, squats, leg raises, hand stands and bridges), each divided into ten steps. The first step of pushups is to do them against a wall, and one are to do 3x50 before it is time to go to the next step. So unless there is a medical problem hindering someone from training, it doesn't matter how out of shape one is. Being out of shape just mean it will take longer to get to the higher steps.

The "Convict Conditioning" book lacks something for cardio. "The Marine Corps 3Xfitness program" book however has cardio and built roughly around the same philosophy. While don't have the "start from step on", and only have three exercises for strength (pushups, pullups and situps), it do have each broken down in several steps in the same way and do have cardio.

"The Marine Corps 3Xfitness program" do have a quicker progression and you are to find what step you currently are at and start from there; but it don't progress as far as the "Convict Conditioning" book. The first step for pushups is also against a wall, and the first step for running is (if I recall correctly, its been a while since I last read it) "walk 50 steps and then rest before walk 50 steps again." While I'm not going to start from step one, this time I will probably start one or two step below where I think I should start, so I don't get knee problems again.

Both are slow and methodical system that focus on a functional, fit for fight, body. So if someone is looking for a quick fix to swelling body builder muscles, this is not it.

Then, considering that we have someone here who ran a marathon in a desert, it is quite possible we can get quite a few hints if he can wrap his head around the problems of us mere mortals :D

If someone has other ideas or thoughts on getting into shape, I would love to hear them :)

Stop averting your eyes! That is so annoying.

I'm not familiar with either of those workout programs, but I do like the fact that they call for an initial self-assessment and proceed from that point. Do they mention the need for rest? At beginner level, it's important to give muscles time to recover from the last workout. I'd recommend 3 workouts a week for at least a month or two, then add one every couple of months. If you're determined to work out every day, do different muscle groups (arms Monday, legs Tuesday, abs Wednesday, etc).

Learn how to stretch. Proper stretching is critical to avoiding injuries. Taking a yoga class would be ideal.

Drink lots of water. Not soda, not beer, not power drinks, not coffee, not Earl Grey hot or cold; those are all diuretics (things that make you pee and leave you more dehydrated). Gatorade is OK, but you should drink at least as much water as Gatorade with your workout.

Expect your progress to be slow. There's no quick fix to make you Superman overnight. And don't think you can get back in shape and go back to what you were doing; fitness is a lifestyle change and if you don't maintain it you will lose it again. But once you get the good habits established, it's not hard to continue.

Thank you :)

Stretching is something I tend to neglect, so yoga definitely would be worth checking out. But to my understanding, there are quite a few variants.

Using water to quench thirst is a good advice, exercising or not. Then drinking other things after, if one want to, for the taste.

Both brings up the need to rest in between. However, "The Marine Corps 3Xfitness program" just spend a paragraph on it, stating a muscle needs 24-48 hours to recuperate (not sure of the original phrasing, as I have a Swedish translation). "Convict Conditioning" have 48 hours, and actually suggests that someone new to exercising should have a 72 hours rest (just two times a week), and goes more into why. Well, it do have an option to exercise for several hours per day for someone experienced, but clearly states it is a bad strategy for building strength and just is something to alleviate boredom when there is nothing else to do.

"Convict Conditioning" also goes more into theory in general, and different ways to structure the training. The biggest drawback of the book is that the author seems to have a chip on his shoulder about weightlifting and in my opinion selling body weight training a bit to hard. I saw someone mentioning on the Net that it would be possible to dig up the information for free, but that the book was worth is as it was collected into one place. Lets see in a couple of years if I agree :)

Yoga seems to be a jungle of variants and options, without even considering the skill level of the instructors... :eek: Guess I will have to read up quite a bit before checking up some of the places nearby.

Talk to the people at the different yoga places, tell them your situation and your goals, and you ought to be able to narrow down your choices.

I prefer to read up a bit, so I can reinterpret what they are saying, and ask the right questions. Otherwise, I might look over a competent instructor because their newagesque vocabulary, and buy into that good sales pitch from someone who has techniques that will lead to joint problems or worse.

But as I'm looking for something that I will be able to continue to do for the next 40-50 years, taking a couple of weeks to gather some extra information don't sounds to bad :)