
How do I get in shape? Excercise Hack for Entrepreneurs - wumi
http://davidadewumi.com/2008/10/09/how-do-i-get-in-shape-excercise-hack-for-entrepreneurs/
======
bootload
_"... In OSUT, or the US Army’s basic training for grunts (read: infantry), I
saw guys who couldn’t knock out one push up, run one mile in under 15 minutes,
and knock out more than 5 sit ups, improve so greatly, that by the end of 13
weeks, were doing 40+ push ups, running 3-4 miles 7:00 min/mile pace, and
rocking 50-60 situps. ..."_

And they are also 17-21 y/o who are physically screened for fitness and
physical defects and are closely observed for injury. Busy days and extreme
levels of motivation (bad language & big sticks) also help. Don't go and try
this form of pt, especially pasty faced programmers who's idea of exertion is
moving phone books as monitor stands. Aim for fitness that is achievable that
is maintainable for years to come even with your changeable schedules.

------
wumi
Couple comments to clear things up:

1\. Weightlifting

I said "...have a good strength training program. You don’t need a gym
membership — but it’s easier to use weights than gravity, especially with core
muscles.

I made a comment about lifting weights being a "cop out." A cop out, only in
the sense that it is not a complete work out. I probably could have phrased
this better.

I bench 300 lbs (max), squat 400, and deadlift 500 -- lifting weight has been
a key part of my strength training program -- problem is, strength training is
more than just lifting weights.

For example, instead of doing squats/leg press , or lunges, try running the
steepest hill you can find 10x at full-sprint --30-60 seconds.

2\. 90 min/ day

This comment was meant to suggest block 90 minutes out of your schedule to
work out. Not work out for 90 minutes. If you drive/ride/walk/run to the gym,
that takes time. If you stretch, that takes time. If you need to make a
protein shake after you workout, that takes time.

3\. Get in Shape

The overarching idea hear is simple: physical fitness, however you define it,
is important. I wrote this post to share my own challenges in getting back in
shape, and to encourage those who aren't currently in shape to try it out.

Really, regardless of whether you want to lift, run, bike, swim, et. al, the
idea is to pick something and do it-- make a decision to get in shape, and go
do that activity.

The decision is more important than the specifics, at least in the beginning.

~~~
anamax
> The decision is more important than the specifics, at least in the
> beginning.

Anything that you do is probably better than the best thing that you don't do.

------
kaens
I find most exercise to be utterly boring. Painfully boring. I eat when I'm
hungry and generally keep the same weight, but I have a little bit of pudge
that I wouldn't mind getting rid of.

My solution? I started playing the drums. I like fast, rhythmically complex
music - so I try to play fast crazy stuff. If you've ever heard Lightning
Bolt, that's how I try to play the drums (I'm not quite there yet). It's
entertaining, and it's a pretty full-body cardio workout.

I've lost a good 4 inches on my belt in about the same amount of months. I
look and feel a lot better, and I accomplished it without the sheer boredom
that is most exercise.

Another thing I've been doing is juggling 3 hacky sacks while bouncing them
around with my feet. Freaking fun.

~~~
qqq
Try ultimate frisbee.

~~~
khafra
My personal "fun" exercise is martial arts. There's nothing quite so
motivating as someone swinging a live machete at you, and even the more boring
static stances feel rewarding when you've advanced enough to be able to tell
how they're helping you put your sparring partner on his ass.

------
migpwr
If you're interested in starting a lifting program I would recommend "Starting
Strength" by Mark Rippetoe.

[http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-2nd-Mark-
Rippetoe/dp...](http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-2nd-Mark-
Rippetoe/dp/0976805421)

It includes a good starting program for beginners which is built around the
deadlift, squat and bench press.

~~~
mrtron
And to answer the most common questions about Ripptoe's program:

No you can't remove the deadlift/squat/bench from the program and have it be
effective. You can use dumbbells instead of barbells - however for beginners
this is not ideal, it will complicate things. No, you don't need to do 100
sets of biceps curls, the bench is more than adequate for building arm
strength. You have to eat to put on muscle mass.

When I began working out I did an ad-hoc version of this and it worked great.
Lift heavy, not quite to the point of failure with compound lifts and eat
well.

------
speek
although I agree with most of the stuff he says, weight lifting is definitely
worth doing.

You have no idea how many times I see a guy at the gym and think to myself
"this guy looks like a chicken.". People tend not to work on their lower body
as much as they should.

I'm an ex-rower, so most of my developed muscles are in my legs/back, but it's
very important to lift weights with a very holistic approach.

Your body is your temple, you wouldn't want a weak foundation, would you?

~~~
wumi
speek,

the point of the post is to help people get back in shape, not necessarily so
they don't 'look like a chicken.'

that being said, lifting weights, as i'm sure you know from your rowing
experience, is not a substitute for other forms of exercise (in your case
rowing) but rather a supplement. I've lifted weights for 10 years -- I
certainly find them beneficial, but you can get in shape without lifting
weights, and if you do, should use them as a supplement and not your only
workout.

essentially, i'm saying, lifting weights != getting into shape.

edit: I said " have a good strength training program. You don’t need a gym
membership — but it’s easier to use weights than gravity, especially with core
muscles."

strength training != lifting weights, although for me, this is the easiest way
to do it.

~~~
pius
Lifting is very useful because it actually increases your basal metabolism for
many, many hours after your workout (as opposed to most aerobic exercises,
whose metabolism boosting effects peter out in about an hour). In the long
term, that benefit only compounds due to the increased muscle mass you gain.

If keeping your body in an enhanced calorie burning state even while you're
sedentary isn't an exercise hack, I don't know what is. ;)

~~~
wumi
In the post about strength & training, I was going to discuss this very point.

My point is still that lifting by itself is not a complete work out.

I lift regularly, for a number of benefits, including the one you mentioned.
But to the idea of getting in physical shape, lifting weights (with a good
program) is still secondary to cardiovascular activity.

Besides, the real hack is taking the time spent discussing here and on other
boards, and exercising! ;)

~~~
scott_s
If you're doing Crossfit style sessions, then it certainly is "enough" to get
in shape. There's more to strength training than typical body-building
workouts.

~~~
pius
To be fair, Crossfit's a lot more than "strength training."

~~~
scott_s
Say "strength training and conditioning" and that's exactly what it is.

------
strlen
I've been able to lose ~60 lbs within the course of less than a year (~40 lbs
in first six months, another 20 in the next six months). I've written up my
experiences (in a form tailored to fellow geeks/hackers) here:
<http://weblog.strlen.net/?p=7>

The only thing that worked for me was exercise. Your own mileage may vary (for
what it's worth, this seems to work well for a male aged 18-28 - with older
individuals and women, diet is a greater component).

------
hugh
I've recently more-or-less cut out weight training and started running, mostly
because I've always sucked at running. Within a few weeks of seriously trying
it, I no longer sucked at running and now I'm doing three-mile runs several
times a week, and aiming for a marathon (hooray, arbitrary and possibly stupid
goals!).

Has anyone tried the gyminee.com startup which was mentioned? It looks very
well designed, and I'm thinking of signing up.

~~~
wumi
I have, but oddly enough not to track workouts, but just nutrition. Quick &
easy way to keep track of calories consumed, proteins, carbs, etc.

~~~
hugh
I signed up, and have been using it faithfully for about six hours now. So far
I'm pretty impressed. It remains to be seen whether I'll have the motivation
to actually keep it going though.

As an example of good design, though, it's hard to beat.

------
extension
The most low-effort way to get in shape is to start riding a bike wherever you
go. The fun and practicality of this will keep you hooked. Get a fast bike
that you love to ride and you will naturally push yourself.

Once you are reasonably fit from cycling, you'll have the enthusiasm to start
a more structured exercise routine and stick with it, if you wish.

------
radley
My hack? Simple: just like tech, hire a pro to get you started. You didn't
know C++ without a guide; same goes for fitness.

24 hour fitness is $30/month and this month they're offering a $99 deal for 5
x 25-minute training sessions. (This is the cheapest I've seen anywhere in a
long time.)

You really need 10 x 50 min sessions to get started properly, but if you're on
a budget these guys can at least show you the right machines, routine, and
form to prevent pain and discouragement.

~~~
boots
This is equivalent to hiring an outsourcing firm to teach you how to program.
Most of these trainers will not teach you the necessary fundamentals, provide
a harmful crutch, and for all of this charge money for readily available,
quality information from the internet.

------
geuis
I've been working out pretty regularly for most of this year. 3-4x per week.
I've dropped 30 lbs and am working my way towards 40.

Lifting is _not_ a cop out. And working out outdoors or indoors doesn't
matter. What matters is burning calories.

In half-hour increments of cardio-type exercises, I've found that calorie
burning works in this order of general activities. The # of calories is for
me, based on the amount of activity I've built myself up to. The numbers will
be different for people, based on their personal ability. The ratios are
generally the same, though.

\- Walking: 150-200 calories \- Biking (exercise bike): 250-350 calories \-
Running: 300-400 calories \- Rowing (rowing machine): 400-600 calories

I don't have access to a pool, so I am not able to swim. It probably fits
between running and rowing, but that's just a guess.

99% of the time, I will do biking/rowing/walking-running for the first half
hour. I finish up with lifting. The physical activity gets my blood flowing
and makes me feel better. However, the real payoff as far as getting the feel
good endorphin rush(i.e. getting myself high), is doing weights. Plus, its
just as important to build muscle mass as it is to just burn fat.

Over time I have gotten myself to being able to pull 120lbs at 50 reps with
upper body. I can push about 120 lbs 30-40 times at an overhead angle, and
40-60 at a straight angle from my body. This started from only being able to
do 80-90 lbs about 6 months ago.

For lower body and legs, I've gone from being and to compress and extend with
my legs(squeezing in and pushing out with the legs, mainly thigh area) from 80
lbs to 115 lbs at about 60 reps for each.

I have gone from pushing 190 lbs with my legs(perpendicular squats) to 250 lbs
at about 40 reps, and 20x for each leg at 150 lbs.

Doing the weights is what releases the endorphins into my bloodstream. That's
the payoff. Nothing better than a natural high (yeah, I've done the unnatural
highs and they aren't quite the same).

I was a big kid, then thinned out while in high school. After that, I started
putting on a lot of weight and was very, _very_ heavy in May of 07 when I
moved to San Francisco. I'm now about halfway to reaching my goal weight.

Don't do diets. They don't work. They fail. You will fail. Just start by
working out. Pretty quickly things that have lots of sugar and crap in them
start tasting bad. I used to drink a ton of soda. I drink almost none now. I
drink more wine and some beer than I used to, but only if I go out.

The most important thing to remember is that the change WILL TAKE TIME. I am
by all measurement of the word still "fat". However, I am a lot LESS fat than
I was and am feeling the best I have in 10 years. I'm 28, btw. I have some
muscle tone finally, even though I can only feel it and its not terribly
evident yet. And it feels GOOD.

It will take time. Months. My long term goal is 80 lbs. However, my short term
goals are 2 lbs. If you weigh yourself every day, be prepared to expect your
daily weight to vary by upwards of 5 lbs on some occasions. Don't worry about
it though. Water weight is a bitch to the ego. So don't worry about it. Don't
set artificial goals in your brain, or you're just setting yourself up for
failure.

I personally weigh myself a couple hours after I work out, so about 3x a week
on average. I find that my metabolism has become self-sustaining. If I don't
work out over the weekend and do it on Monday, I'll find that I've dropped a
pound even though I haven't been working out for a couple days. "Woot!" goes
my brain.

My appetite has decreased. I still eat a lot of the same general foods. But I
don't eat junk crap anymore(chips, hotdogs, etc). Not because I really wanted
to, just because they started tasting bad. Depending on the person, you'll
have more or less cravings for certain things, but I've found cravings aren't
really that bad. However, quitting smoking has been a bitch and something not
so easily stopped.

Several things I've realized: 1) I like smart girls with pretty faces and big
tits. I see these girls all over the place, and they're with smart guys that
are in good shape. 2) I'm horrible about setting goals. Fuck that. I'm sick
and tired of setting "personal goals" only to stop caring about them after a
day or so and having this feeling of personally-induced guilt about putting
things off. 3) I sleep because I'm tired. I eat because I'm hungry. I work out
because I feel like shit if I don't.

So those 3 things basically can be summarized as: "Getting into better
physical shape isn't about pushing myself to do something I don't want to do.
That's W-O-R-K. I feel better when I do it than when I don't. That's the
natural recipe for a good habit, and I didn't even have to make a goal of
getting into a habit. It just happens. Plus I want some big DD tits in my
face. I'm sure there's a ratio of pounds lost per female cup size gained that
could be garnered into an equation to further illustrate my point."

Take care, get thin, get girls.

~~~
eru
"It will take time. Months. My long term goal is 80 lbs."

Do you mean losing 80 lbs or getting that thin?

~~~
geuis
Losing 80. Weighing only 80lbs would probably not be a good thing for a grown
man. heh

------
trapper
do { reduceEnergyInput(); increaseEnergyOuput(); } while ( stillFat() );

------
wh
can anyone give some tips that worked on gaining weight ?

~~~
evilneanderthal
compound lifts (look up Starting Strength), and eat everything in sight all
day. 3000+ kcal.

I'm up 18 lbs in 4 months.

------
kingkongrevenge
> Take 90 minutes, same time, same place every day.

Completely ridiculous and counter productive. Half an hour twice a week is
quite sufficient to maintain a reasonable level of fitness if you're doing it
right.

> Get at least 9 hours a day.

Who the hell sleeps 9 hours? Sleep when you're tired. Drink when you're
thirsty. It's not complicated.

~~~
wumi
KKR - the idea here is to get in shape, not maintain a reasonable level of
fitness.

While certainly 1/2 hour 2x/week is better than no work outs at all, it's not
the quickest way to get in shape.

That being said, I do advocate start slowly -- I started just 3 days/week.

~~~
kingkongrevenge
> KKR - the idea here is to get in shape, not maintain a reasonable level of
> fitness.

I am in shape. I ran a 56 400m the other day. That's not competitive, but it's
in shape. I average about 2.5 "workouts" per week, but it's not rare that I go
a week without exercising at all. Nothing I do takes over 35 minutes, except
for long bike rides, which I don't really do regularly.

Unless you're training for an endurance event, you do not need to spend a lot
of time exercising to get into the top 20%. And if you ARE training for
endurance I would recommend against it if your goal is health, because
endurance athletes have health problems.

~~~
wumi
I'll ignore your "endurance athletes have health problems" phrase. Not sure
how you are defining an "endurance event" nor sure if there's any empirical
data to back that up.

The idea of the post, is not for those, such as yourself apparently, who are
already in shape. Rather, it was written for those who are in different stages
of trying to get into shape.

You're essentially arguing that quality of workout is more important than the
quantity. I agree, but I think most people, including yourself probably block
out a certain quantity of time -- by 35 minutes I suspect you mean the actual
minutes you are working out. Great, but perhaps for others there are certain
steps involved -- commute, warm-up, cool-down, stretch, et. al

~~~
bootload
_"... I would recommend against it if your goal is health, because endurance
athletes have health problems ..."_

There is some truth to this statement. Endurance athletes do have the tendency
to train beyond their limit running the risk of damaging cardiac systems for
example. Especially as they age. I can think of 2 Olympic athletes in Aus who
recently had to undergo medical checkups & procedures for this, Mark Tomkins a
rower ~ <http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=736/bio/> and Lisa Curry-
Kenny an Olympic swimmer ~ [http://www.finda.com.au/story/2008/08/24/lisa-
curry-kenny-he...](http://www.finda.com.au/story/2008/08/24/lisa-curry-kenny-
heart-emergency/) Both these athletes probably trained beyond what was
probably good and suffered irregularities in their heartbeats. The risk of
other injuries profiles include
[http://www.google.com.au/search?q=endurance+athletes+and+ris...](http://www.google.com.au/search?q=endurance+athletes+and+risk+of+injury)

------
qqq
What was a "hack" about this?

~~~
deyan
there are no shortcuts - it is simply a matter of discipline and being super
serious about it!

~~~
euccastro
So, why the h-word in the title?

~~~
kaens
Because "hack" has come to mean "method" to a lot of people.

------
quasimojo
if you are doing cardio, you must sweat. this is the simplest rule for knowing
if your workout is effective. its an easy rule to remember and works no matter
what level of fitness you are at.

if you want the single best cardio/toning workout, i cannot recommend the
rowing machine enough. if you think this is a lightweight cardio workout, my
guess is that you have never tried it. the first two minutes are a joke...in
ten minutes you won't think its a joke

otherwise running can't be beat. i do a trail marathon a month on avg. trail
running is the shit.

