Sports General

I'm sure a few of us enjoy moving their body in their free time. >Some questions to get the discussion going: What sports do you do? How do you train? What do you eat? Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? How do you keep yourself motivated? What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport?

>What sports do you do? Not a sport; a martial art. Shaolin Kung fu. >How do you train? The sun is really harsh so I practice in the evening. I mostly train flexibility and agility (while, being SKF a "hard" martial art, the usual focus is on strenght and damage resistance). I usually do some calisthenics, some stretches, and then just train a couple taolus (katas in japanese) and I finish with a Qi Gong routine >What do you eat? Eggs and grain in the morning, rice in the afternoon, a lot of raisins, and sometimes stuff like almonds >Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? >How do you keep yourself motivated? It's the only thing that's worth anything in my life. >What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport? Get a teacher. You could learn online, yes, but you will probably miss several details that only a teacher could spot and point out the proper way to do it. And as with anything in life, get your fundamentals down, and then practice them some more. Don't mind about all the flashy stuff, you have to get your foundations first and foremost.

>What sports do you do? Cycling , did a bit of everything while in school though. >How do you train? In the winter I run in snow in the yard, the rest of the year I just ride. I do want a stationary bike but I do not have the room for it. >What do you eat? Anything but junk food is fine, I avoid HFCS and artificial sweeteners too whenever possible (it is even in stuff that is supposedly healthy for you!). Unless you are trying to lose weight, are travelling many miles, or are in competition, there is no real need to worry about food a whole lot other than eating healthy and avoiding garbage. Hydration is far more important. Drink water (not soda or other flavored garbage) before, during and after. Although not necessarily food, I avoid doing lung damage any time I can, which includes avoiding people who smoke. >Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? I used to when I was younger although it wasn't anything serious, just for fun and primary transport now. >How do you keep yourself motivated? The sensation of speed is enough, especially racing cars downhill. If I get bored I just change routes. >What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport? Don't go "all-in" right away. Start off with a cheap used department store bicycle from a yard sale and learn how to repair it yourself. Only when you are a competent bicycle mechanic should you buy anything of value. Invest in a good bicycle lock, although be aware that thieves will still steal parts anyway if your bicycle has any value. A helmet is optional unless you will be riding in traffic or you have no confidence in your ability (or its mandatory where you live). Unless you are a racer, lycra is pointless and just makes you look stupid, anything that will not get stuck in the chain is fine. Do not be afraid to try different bicycle styles to see what suits you best, personally I own 3 (all used department store models) and enjoy each one for different reasons. Do not fret over the small stuff (what tires to use, what lubrication to use, what gear ratios, etc) unless you are a full blown competitive racer. A can of "green slime" is invaluable if you are dozens of miles from home and get a flat without a spare tube, although it does add a non-trivial amount of rolling weight to the tire. Tracking your route with GPS also is rather silly unless you have specific goals in mind that do not involve showing off your e-peen on the internet. Memorize your route beforehand and always have at least a rough plan. A cell phone is handy though in case you break down or are a witness to an automobile accident (happened to me more than once). Find a friend or relatives who also enjoy cycling, it is more fun than going alone all the time even if you have to slow down for them to keep up.

>sport Climbing >training Practice and then practice some more, mostly indoors because easier access. Focus on stamina by repeating easy routes (or whatever the term is in english) as many times as possible. >food Whatever, just cook it yourself, that's basic human decency (or get someone to cook it for and then reciprocate), and be reasonable, cheese is great but you need some vegetables too, they taste great if you learn the right recipes. And if you drink soda daily you're dead as a person to me. Also get drunk after climbing, not before. >competitive or fun For fun, but I have taken part in competitions because it's a good occasion to discover new walls and meet nice people. I've met climbers who were not nice people, but that's really the exception, and I've never seen a wall that didn't have something to offer. >motivation Climbing is really my n°1 passion in my life, just being at the foot of a wall is enough to get me jumping around in excitation. Still, climbing outdoors is absolutely essential, even as a remote prospect in the future that I'm training for. >beginner tip Again, start outdoors, 'cause that's the real beauty of climbing ; you, the rock, the sun, the smell of thyme growing in a hole, and the birds flying under you. And start with someone who knows what they're doing, you don't want to fall to your death. SAFETY IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING. Again : SAFETY IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING. People die every year climbing, and it's (almost) always THEIR FAULT, for forgetting some stupid thing like a knot at the end of their repel rope. Climbing is very obviously the best sport in the world, but BE SAFE, I cry every time I hear about those accidents and I don't like crying, and I especially don't want a lainon to die like this, there are so few of us. I'm getting emotional, sorry, I'll stop there.

>What sports do you do? I do triathlon, so swimming, cycling and running. I'm currently only doing the short distances but I'm striving to improve my endurance to the point where I can finish the longer ones as well. >How do you train? I swim at a local triathlon club with a coach and run and cycle mainly on my own. I try to get 4-5 units of these per week. In addition, I try to do strength training but mostly end up not really doing it because it's just not as fun as the other stuff. >What do you eat? Like the other lains in this thread, I feel that it's important that I prepare my food myself and use mainly fresh ingredients. I also drink protein shakes after swimming and strength training. I still haven't really figured out what to eat on the road. I'm currently using energy gels but I'd prefer something cheaper and possibly self-made. >Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? Just for fun. I try to enter 1-2 events per year but more as a measure of my progress and a training goal. >How do you keep yourself motivated? During the summer, when the sun is shining and it's warm, motivation isn't that much of a problem. In the winter, I just need to force myself sometimes. Running in the cold before the sun is up isn't always fun, but I also don't want to loose progress. Picking out an event and training specifically for that also helps me a lot. >What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport? Triathlon 101 (pdf related) is a very good introduction. It isn't as long winded and intimidating as a lot of the other books on the subject.

>>1524 I knew I had some photos somewhere.

>What sports do you do? I've done cycling before, now I hike and shoot. >How do you train? Practice, do some basic exercises on almost daily routine with push ups, pull ups and walks >What do you eat? Mostly meat with vegetables, rice and beans >Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? For fun >How do you keep yourself motivated? It's something that I enjoy and helps me to deal with all the stress of daily routine >What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport? Practice is worth gold, but never without some background info and theory, find other people with experience that can teach you, read some stuff about, but also don't keep too much onto the books and practice what you learn.

>>1513 >What sports do you do? Artistic Gymnastics >What do you eat? Bowl of dried oats and milk in the morning. Usually a banana, some toast, and yogurt for lunch. Sometimes a can of tuna if I'm in a rush. >Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? Competitively >How do you keep yourself motivated? By doing competitions. Even though I dislike how nervous I get, it keeps me going and pushes me to try harder and do better for the next comp. I'm lazy as fuaark but when I have comps breathing down my neck, it gets me going >What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport? If you haven't gotten into gymnastics at a young age, it can be very difficult to get started. That's not to say it's impossible, and you can even get into competitive elite gymnastics if you put in a drekk ton of work. However you must know, that you will never be the best if you didn't start before puberty (and for most people that's fine). With that said, gymnastics can also be done just for fun. I highly recommend anyone who wants to get a good, lean, balanced body type, while doing fun (but also difficult) skills, should contact their local gym club and ask if they have an adult class available.

>>1513 >What sports do you do? Inline skating >How do you train? Training in cool weather when it's not looking like rain or too hot. Mostly the early months. Winter is the best time since It doesn't snow. >What do you eat? Whatever I feel like mostly. Been trying to eat veggies and produce more to keep my weight under control. >Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? Fun. And I hate the people at the local rink. How do you keep yourself motivated? I love skating with music in my ears. And I enjoy early mornings watching the sun come up. What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport? Ditch the factory wheels and bearings and get something better. And take care of your skates!

Anyone interested into HEMA?

>What sports do you do? Brazillian Jiu Jitsu >How do you train? You get on the mat and roll. >What do you eat? I cook most of my own food, mostly stews and broths because it's my comfort food. I really need to diversify my pallet for competition reasons though. >Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? Kind of both. >How do you keep yourself motivated? Each day I put in the gym I get better and I find myself harder to kill. >What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport? Be humble and get ready to get rekted. Not everybody is out to hurt you; if they are it could be your fault if you're not used to being relaxed since someone is trying to break your limbs or choke you out. Keep showing up and you'll get better one day.

>>2421 I did FMA for a while until my job schedule changed. Was interested in it since I like the long sword work.

>>1513 >What sports do you do? I run >How do you train? I put on my running shoes and walk to my local park, which has a lot of nice places to run. I then switch between running bits and walking bits, usually around twenty minutes of running for every five minutes of walking >What do you eat? Usually potatoes, greens and a piece of meat. when I'm in the mood I make jambalaya or stews >Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? just for fun, and to keep myself from sitting inside all day >How do you keep yourself motivated? these days I don't really need to, usually. I run with a friend sometimes, so that gives me a bit of positive social pressure >What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport? get good shoes, my first ones sucked, and that soykaf hurts. most important tip I can give is go outside and have a blast

>What sports do you do? Judo >How do you train? Going to the dojo twice a week. Also doing some exercises at home. >What do you eat? Nothing special. Sometimes healthy, sometimes more unhealthy stuff. >Are you doing it competitively or just for fun? For fun and self defense. I rarely go to tournaments though. >How do you keep yourself motivated? I was fat. Then I started judo. Now I'm not. Also more strenght and endurance (both physical and mental) >What tips would you give people trying to get into your sport? Just try it out. Most dojos will let you have some sessions for free. Judo is actually pretty usefull for self-defense. You don't have to be compatetive to join. But I've done this sport for almost 10 years and I want to try something new. Anyone here have a suggetion? Preferably something cheap and something you can do alone. I know running and exercising fit these criteria, but maybe someone here has any other suggestions? Can be a niche sport.

>>2644 Are you looking for another combat sport or another field of exercise entirely? Boxing is pretty affordable, and you don't need to spar with the pro-fighters to stay in. From what I've heard from a close friend who did it for years, some gyms rather feel you out for at least 6 months before they let you gear up and in the ring. Others may have different views and will let you spar on the first day; just don't sue them or be obnoxious and you'll be fine. You can always hang up a heavy bag and start striking.

I'm starting to prepare for certain events I picked out for myself and am trying to make my training more specific for the skills I need to perform my best. In doing that, I've rediscovered how much of a mess the information on training is. Coming from a math and CS background, I find the literature on it hard to read because it often seems more like a bunch of anecdotes rather than solid, factual knowledge. Do you try to optimize your training or just do it by intuition?

>>2752 personally, a bit of both. if I'm wondering if I'm doing a specific thing in a sub-optimal way, I'll look it up, preferably consulting multiple sources. that usually gives me an idea of how I should think to solve whatever problem I have. but yeah, I agree sources are messy. this is probably partially caused by how a lot of things regarding sports are different for different people.

>>2752 This brings back some bad memories. I've trained pretty hard for half my life, so there is some pretty bad information out there, but there is solid advice as well. However some of the literature isn't too difficult, and experience can be a great teacher as well. But use your discretion, and seek out multiple sources, as I've actually been injured due to someone else's bad advice. People's bodies are also different. I've had power lifting coaches tell me they have athletes who win lift meets in their weight division, yet they smoke cigarettes, drink beer, and eat junk food. Similarly, not one of the high ranking BJJ practioners or MMA fighters I've met have such careless diets. I've experienced performance drops whenever I eat junk food prior to training, even if it was the morning of, and now it's in the evening. Good luck man.

Does anyone here have recommendations for books on strength training without equipment? I want to strengthen my upper body but because I'm so weak, I have a hard time with a lot of the classic exercises.

>>3203 Convict Conditioning is okay

>>3203 There's this subreddit focused on calisthenics that had a recommended routine. https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommended_routine

>>3203 There's also Solitary Fitness, by Charles Salvadore, the prisoner Tom Hardy Played in "Bronson", but the file is too large to post. I'll wait until we have a Volafile or an equivalent again.

After an on/off relationship with yoga for many years, I decided I was tired of being a scrawny dude in pain all the time, so I've formalized a BWF routine and do it three times a week, with a small yoga routine and an increasing repertory of stretches on either end. My third workout routine was supposed to be yesterday and was pushed to today, but school restraints prevented either from coming to fruition, so I'm going to do it when I wake up, and will push back my MWF to TuThS. So far so good, I've been delightfully sore as long-suffering muscles are regretfully thankful for giving them some use. Once I do this for a few weeks I plan on getting my kettle bell chops down and incorporating or switching to kettle bell routines. I also intend to inject meditation as a daily practice, but baby steps.

>>3209 Thank you so much, this is exactly what I was looking for.

>>3223 Since you're looking for BWF workouts, here are three from a wonderful book I have: The Men's Health Big Book Of Exercises. These are quick crops from phone photos, but hopefully you'll find some of them useful. The exercises are all easy to ease into. I'm >>3222 and am doing the first routine at the moment. You'll have to look up each exercise.

>>3224 to clarify, if you're not able to find the BW variation of the exercises listed, it simply means to do it without weights, and either fold your arms across your chest with your hands on your shoulders; interlace your fingers behind your head; or place your hands on your hips. If you're not able to find the exercises after searching I can take photos of the guides if you'd like.