Gym Thoughts
Posted: Fri 17 August, 2018 Filed under: 2017/18, Domestic, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Health, Thoughts, Weigh Less, Weight Loss 2 Comments »Following on from earlier posts this week, I’m back to figuring out a gym routine, what works for me, and what will keep me going. (If anything does)
At the moment I’m working first on “just” getting into the habit of going. Without that, it’s far too easy to give up again, so it’s my first goal. It’s hard work, because I simply never feel that endorphin-rush that most people talk about when it comes to gyms and heavy exercise. That makes everything tougher, because the “rewards” I get for going are only statistical – reduced weight (hopefully) and improved strength (which I can track and see in an app or spreadsheet) with none of that emotional/hormonal/endorphinal backup.
Initially, I’m using a gym that’s very close to my office – even fewer possible excuses than usual! On my first visits, I’m not hugely taken with the place, but we’ll see how things go. It’s different to other ones I’ve been to, which may also account for my current feelings, but time will tell on whether I stick with it.
There is another gym that’s easy to access from my office – but it’s about a mile away. It’s the one I was using before, and is one of the new breed of “always open” gyms. (And also cheaper than the current one, but that’s less relevant) I don’t know which one I’ll end up using, but for now it’s more about the routine, the habit, than anything gym-specific.
Ideally, once I’ve established myself a routine/habit, I’ll be able to work on a decent exercise regime as well. (I’ll be doing that from the start, of course, but the routine is the key) I’ll be keeping track of that on the Fitocracy app (or some other equivalent, but I’ve used Fitocracy before)
For now, it’s all just a process, and I’m planning to work on it alongside other things (which will be written about elsewhere/elsewhen) so we’ll see how it goes.
Despite the evidence of this week’s posts, I’m not going to become some kind of gym/health/fitness obsessive – but there’ll be other posts on the subject over the next few months, as I see how things go…
Without wanting to be one of ‘those’ guys, can I ask what type of exercise you are doing? Cardio or weight based?
I used to do the cardio (treadmill, row, cycle etc) thing, with a few fixed weight machines at the end. Never really stuck.
Now I’m doing free weight based stuff first and foremost, with some body weight exercises to compliment (think burpees, pushups etc) I actually enjoy it because I’m measuring how much I can lift, rather than ‘how long can I last before I die’. One is ‘survival’ one is ‘achievement’ and I think I get a better feeling of achievement with the ‘achievement’, plus I think endorphins are easier released with heavy lifting, cardio can have you spinning for a while with no real release…?? (not science, just IMO).
Yeah, at the moment it’s cardio as per your thing.
I would like to get to free-weights, and I’m starting to work with a few of those. Once I’m settled into a routine of going to the gym, I’ll sort out some sessions with one of the trainers so I know more about what I’m doing.