Hey comrades-

Here’s my set-up:

-Rowing Machine

-Pull up bar

-20 lbs kettlebell

-Yoga mat

-Access to (shared gym space) a cable machine, treadmills, and a weight-bench w/ free weights

I’m re-establishing a fitness routine - my previous routine was mostly body-weight exercises and long ass jogs. This time I’d like to make use of the equipment listed above.

One problem I’m having is that the equipment in my apartment seems to be hitting all the same muscle groups, so I don’t really have a good “circuit” going. My abs and legs are getting obliterated while my upper body could be doing more. Suggestions on what exercises to add in to balance things out would be welcome.

Aside from that, I’m, not really looking to “get huge” or anything like that - honestly my primary motivator is weight loss. But, I’m fine with building some muscle along the way - so I’m looking for a pretty basic nutrition regiment that isn’t super time consuming and won’t break the bank, either. I’m considering doing the protein power smoothie thing but I’m also just looking for good advice on this because I’m mostly flying blind which will make me easy prey for online marketing regarding “Supplements”. At the same time I don’t want to just blindly not ingest a tried-and-true nutritional staple for fitness-minded people.

I am very comfortable in the kitchen so healthy recipes are definitely also welcome. I’m already eating as much broccoli and bok choy as is humanly possible. Though I do want to lose weight, I’m not looking for a keto diet - a life without carbs is not worth living. I’d prefer to intermittently fast if necessary.

  • joaomarrom [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    2·
    2 months ago

    If your goal is to lose weight, then do your best to start counting calories. That, along with consistent exercise, is how I lost about 45 pounds a few years ago. There’s plenty of calorie counting apps out there, try them out and see which one works best for you.

    That kettlebell is a bit on the light side, or maybe not, depending on your body composition. Either way, it’s a crazy powerful piece of exercise equipment, a whole-ass gym in one item. I highly recommend Pavel’s Enter the Kettlebell video as a great starting point which is actually scalable as you get stronger. Also, even though he’s very much chud-adjacent, I find the Soviet Red Army Comrade shtick he does in the video very entertaining.

    Do try to find some stuff that doesn’t depend on going to the gym, as well. Think of it as your rainy day workout protocol. Maybe get a jumping rope if you have the space to do it at home. Learn how to do burpees and basic bodyweight stuff like proper-form pushups, planks, elastic bands and the like. There’s plenty of cool stuff you can do at home with just bands, a towel, a couple of chairs and a bit of resourcefulness. This is what saved me during the pandemic - I couldn’t go to the gym, started doing calisthenics workouts at home and I’ve been doing them exclusively ever since. Haven’t skipped a single day in nearly five years I reckon.

    In terms of supplements, the only one that I recommend is creatine. The rest is doubtful at best and actively harmful at worst. Creatine is the most widely-studied supplement that’s commercially available, and there’s plenty of scientific literature that shows it’s useful. Forget pre-workout, just drink a nice cup of coffee, it’s cheaper, tasty and just as effective if not more. Obviously avoid Insane Monster Blaster Destroyer Bad Ass Deathwish Heart Attack pre-workout with 2000mg caffeine and taurine.

    I liked intermittent fasting but I don’t do it nowadays. The best advice I can give you regarding diet is to only pick a “diet” if you can see yourself eating like that for the rest of your life. Sure, you can have a cutting phase in which you go really low-calorie, but ultimately I don’t think most people can handle a strict caloric deficit for very long - watch out for the rebound. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.

    Other than that, the key aspect is to just enjoy yourself. Really, at first it was a slog and I had a hard time getting my ass to the gym. Like I said, my rainy day home workout became the key to being consistent, as I had zero excuses to skip a day. Of course, don’t be hard on yourself if you do skip one or two or five, you can always pick it back up until it becomes second nature to you. Doing stuff that you enjoy will go a very very very long way towards motivating you! Nowadays I’d have to make an active effort not to exercise.

    Now go get 'em, glory to the swoletariat!