rsmurphy wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2024 4:25 pm At the end of class we had to hold a plank stance for two minutes. The teacher wasn't aware my bones had also turned to noodles, so I rested on my knees in a push-up position while everyone stunted on me with their awesome planks. She said I did great for a first-timer.

Yeah, don't feel bad. Bodyweight stuff can be deceptively hard, requiring a lot of hand, forearm, core strength and stability. No one is good at planks until they start doing them. Just keep it up, eat and sleep well, and take note of where you are after a few weeks.

I've been trying to do yoga consistently (on top of stuff I'm already doing) since the start of the year. I never felt like it "did much" in the past but that's not the right attitude. An active lifestyle doesn't mean always going 10/10. Flexibility, balance, and focused breathing benefit daily life as much as anything else. Plus it's nice having something you can do later in the day and not amp yourself up too much, and also a good restorative day activity.

penningtron wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2024 8:10 am Bodyweight stuff can be deceptively hard, requiring a lot of hand, forearm, core strength and stability. No one is good at planks until they start doing them. Just keep it up, eat and sleep well, and take note of where you are after a few weeks.

Not being able to get into a pushup position startled me because back when I was a bit leaner and more physically active I would do 40 pushups daily - 20 in the morning and 20 at night. I think I was just physically kaput. I hope I was just physically kaput.

I've also been considering yoga but I think quieting one's mind is key to reap its benefits whereas I feel like I go days without being connected to it outside of basic survival mode.

rsmurphy wrote: Not being able to get into a pushup position startled me because back when I was a bit leaner and more physically active I would do 40 pushups daily - 20 in the morning and 20 at night. I think I was just physically kaput. I hope I was just physically kaput.

Yeah it's different in the context of a class. Sure, if you do nothing else that day, 40-50 pushups is pretty doable. But after a bunch of other high intensity exercises doing even 10 can be tough (and I'll often have to take it to knees by the end).

In a world of raw planks, be a sleek coffee table.

Nice work on the quitting and committing, Randall.

I got a diabetes diagnosis about 2.5 years ago, turned things around fast through nutrition and insulin/meds, kept up with that very well for the first year, then started loosening it up, and am now back on drinking beer daily and taking too many liberties with sweets and late-night snacking. Problem is I feel good like that, more relaxed, but I can't afford to keep on this course, mild as it is. My long-term blood sugar levels have been good up till now, though they've ticked up a tiny bit over the past year, but the cumulative effect of the drinking and snacking will likely become more serious if I don't act. Time to quit the beer first. That generally leads to quitting the snack binging. We shall see.

I am less than 60 days out from my first 21K Obstacle Course -- a Spartan Beast. Depending on the day, I might feel excitement or dread about what I've signed up for.

Negative: My ongoing tendonitis in my shoulders went away for a while after injections, but is slowly returning. I have another injection scheduled for a few weeks from now, but I am limited with upper-body training in the meantime. And I have no idea what this means for the longer-term. Guess we'll see how things are by the end of summer.

Positive: I am slowly becoming a functional runner. Ran 11+ miles yesterday, which is my longest run to date. I'm not fast or pretty, but I'm getting it done without injury so far, so I'll take it.

Onward.

Long-shot: Ages ago, probably on the old forum, there was a thread about trying to intentionally build callouses. Pretty sure FM steve had a suggestion of some brown tincture he or Todd would sometimes apply to soft hands right before tour to accelerate callous development. Whether I'm remembering correctly or not, if anyone has any tips for this, besides the obvious "do lots of pullups and farmer's carries", I am all ears. Thank you kindly.

[EDIT: The stuff I was thinking about was tincture of Benzoin. Ordered.]

After a couple of false starts I've finally decided to join a boxing club/gym. The only workout clothes I own is a pair of gray sweatpants used for sleeping/lounging, designer sneakers, and band t-shirts. Proper gear feels appropriate but I'm clueless where to start, especially with footwear. From perusing a few Reddit threads I gather that regular workout clothes should suffice but even then I'm not sure where to start: shorts or sweatpants, running shoes or something specialized. Basically any advice is super welcome and I thank you in advance.

Also hoping to hear from some amateur boxers in terms of what one can expect and/or one's experiences. The foci is getting into shape and self-defense.

No idea what works best for boxing, but proper athletic wear is almost always the better choice. Sweating in cotton kinda sucks. Lined athletic shorts will keep your junk in place.

As far as shoes go, I wouldn’t invest in specialized anything until you’ve been at it for a while. There’s also a ridiculous amount of variety in running shoes, and it’s not just snake oil.

Alternatively: loincloth.

Wood Goblin wrote: Mon May 26, 2025 8:36 am Sweating in cotton kinda sucks. Lined athletic shorts will keep your junk in place.

Last year I took a few movement/dance classes in those sweatpants and designer kicks. It wasn't fun but I was super cute.

There’s also a ridiculous amount of variety in running shoes, and it’s not just snake oil.

Right! But which ones? I've never owned a pair of athletic shoes. Just do it, I guess.

Alternatively: loincloth.

If only I could wear Pen Rollings.

Where do you even buy workout clothes

rsmurphy wrote: Mon May 26, 2025 8:02 am running shoes or something specialized.

I have never boxed but I imagine running shoes are not the way to go. Having watched enough boxing I'd think you want something that you can "roll" a bit more with, shoes with more fluid fulcrum possibilities. Look up "boxing shoes" and you'll see what I mean.

Have fun and do report back.

I have gotten to a point at which I can no longer run, too many knee problems likely from year of running uneven dirt trails. So now I walk up and down a pretty steep hill for an hour almost daily, have been swimming too. Working on a V shaped back. I'll never get there, but I'll feel good trying.