consistancy troubles

Having a training partner is the only way I have found to keep anything close
to real consistency.

JSiau10 wrote: does anyone have any good tricks for keeping in the habit of going to the gym? I love going, and I mean to go twice a week, but I have trouble keeping to it.

Why do you have trouble keeping to doing something you love? 

1)  Scheduling it like an appointment for anything else--you don't break it.

2)  Having a plan of what to do, even if somewhat general.  Each workout doesn't have to be a balls-to-the-wall session.  Consistency is more important.

3)  I kind of hate being really sore, which is what any interruption of a week or more inevitably creates.  Consistency is what keeps that from happening. 

4)  Another way to keep up my energy expenditure so I can still enjoy eating somewhat while maintaining my weight.  You gentlemen probably don't worry as much about these things unless you're under 190-200 class.  But even WITH exercise, I get about 2000-2200 cals per day to maintain (not easy to do).  So I make sure I get my workout in so I get to EAT to match.

Being a person who falls into a somewhat middle "gray" zone of people who don't easily find training partners, I find I have to rely on myself for overcoming the internal/external barriers that would keep me from lifting.  I decided that I had to keep going for myself despite the availability of any possible training partners.

celtuckian wrote: Secondly, going to the gym has to be an integral part of your day, like eating or going to work or taking your kid to school.  It is something that is just done as a matter of course.  It should be something that you just do.  Twice a week is more of a distraction than a regular part of the day.

+1!  Consistency: exercise is something you do every day, like brush teeth, eat, feed dog--whatever similar activities that you do.  Does not have to be the same kind of exercise each day; but exercise itself happens each day unless you're dead, unconscious, have an acute illness with symptoms below the neck, or are physically restrained (strapped to) in bed by a physician.  If none of those apply, then make it happen.

Some people can consistently work out 3 times a week and stay with it.  For many others, however, working out feels like some kind of "penance" (for the Christians/Catholics among the readers) and off days become some kind of reprieve from it.  Those people need to just make exercise a matter-of-fact part of the day.

The title of one research study I cited in my dissertation really summed it up: "Just Do It, Before You Talk Yourself Out of It".

Does the same thing happen with going to work?  I suspect it doesn't and therefore your excuse doesn't hold water. 

Read Brian and Teresa's posts again, and make it a part of your schedule like they stated, cause it's clear you don't love it as much as you think you do. 

one word.  DISCIPLINE. 

Youre really not committed I would say.

If you aren't naturally motivated and need something to keep it up, I would say a partner is the worst thing in the world. Then you tie your motivation in on an external factor. No bueno.

What you need is a PLAN.

"I'm going to get up and go to the gym tomorrow!" is not a plan.

"Shit, if I don't get up tomorrow, I miss my week 3, day 2 squat session." is a plan.

I know some guys train "by feel" but I think the majority around here have a pretty freakin good idea what they would be training 4 weeks from now on a Thursday if they were asked.

Come up with an 8 week plan. Reps, sets, weights, cardio, stretching, you name it. Stick with that plan.

Once you get the habit formed and get some instincts, you can train a little looser. For now, keep your freedom limited. It's Boot Camp. Remove the thinking process from it all together. The Piece of Paper is your master now.

Wow, I have to agree with Craig, Mule and 17/20. I just don't get not having
the motivation to train. I worked all night the last 2 nights. I took a nap this
morning, got up and trained like my life depended on it. Ask yourself some
real questions about why you do this sport. Yes, throw for sure but the
weight training is needed for improving performance on the throws for most
of us. So, if you want to throw well you should be hard wired to lift.

Bill

hard-wire (härdwr)tr.v. hard-wired <snip> 3. To determine or put into effect by physiological or neurological mechanisms; make automatic or innate

D. Haakenson wrote:   I suggest that at your level, Josh, throwing is vastly more important than lifting.

Most of the time I would agree with this statement, but Josh's base strength is so low, that at a minimum throwing and lifting should be 50/50 imo. 

D. Haakenson wrote: Having read Josh's training log and seen him throw, I think its fair to say that his log does not indicate what his strength levels are. In fact I think the only thing his log indicates is that he is not aware of his strength.

Perhaps.  I have not seen him throw so I can only base my advice on what he said and what he lists in his training log, which seems void of any discernible programming, despite receiving advice.   

D. Haakenson wrote: At this level almost anything you do is going to make you improve;

Agree. 

D. Haakenson wrote: Throw until you come to the realization that you have improved as much as you can without lifting. Then the desire to become stronger will have become an intrinsic desire rather than one thrust upon you.  The power of desire is way more important than going from a 50kg back squat to a 100kg back squat.

More that one way to skin a cat I suppose...just not the way I'd recommended learning to throw heavy stuff far, is all I'm saying. 

I have to go with Haakenson on this one. Throwing WILL make you stronger, and if you're just starting out then technique is way more important than strength anyway.

As far as motivation goes, you have to really enjoy training to stick with it.  You and Craigor are guys who love lifting weights and being strong - you're weightlifters who throw.  A lot of guys, including me, would never see the inside of a gym if we weren't doing the games. I'm a thrower who lifts, and I really want to clear 17' next year after I turn 40. So it's back to a winter of front squats and power cleans for me.

Do what you love, and it'll never feel like work.

this thread title gives the presumption it will be about poo, meh, if you replace the a with an e.

disappointing.

Josh, I didn't lift at all during/between my first and second seasons.  That was because I was doing HG as a distraction of sorts...something to do to take my mind off of the fact that I was totally burned out on what I really loved to do, which was to sail, solo.  So I threw 1-2x a week and I got  somewhat stronger and better.

So, because I didn't lift weights, I'm a substandard specimen cum excuse for a human being?

After I did the 2008 Transpac  and sold the boat I was left with  a vacuum in my life.... what to do?  I had started HG, so I stuck with it. That next season I discovered that I wanted to do significantly better. So I lifted semi-regularly in the gym. I discovered that this gym time wasn't so bad, I  kind of enjoyed it.  The next year I wanted to do even better so I spent the entire off-season, like clockwork, in the gym 3 x a week.  For this 2011 season I had definite goals, I KNEW I had to get stronger, so this past winter I lifted religiously 3x a week AND threw all winter.  While this past season was not a breakthrough season, like 2010 was, I still improved in several events.

Now I have to decide what I want to do for next year, 2012. I have to set priorites and goals.  I'm pretty sure I want to go to the MWC, and I'm not gonna go there halfassed, so I expect I will be working hard this offseason.  I might get to go to Scotland and throw at 3-4 Games there, and I know I'll be throwing the 56, so I'd better build some strength this offseason, eh?

But 2013?  I don't know.  Maybe I'll ramp it back quite a bit. Who knows?

What makes me hit the gym?  A.) the desire to throw better... B.) the certain knowledge that as I age, I'm going to lose strength and speed and I want to be hiking the mountains and riding my bike and XC skiing when I'm 75 years old. If I want to do that, I had better stay active.

Those are my reasons.

You have to find your own reasons.  If you don't find reasons that motivate you to get in there, then that's fine despite the chest-thumping going on in this thread about skinny weaklings.  "Not going to the gym" is not a terminal character flaw, 85% of the population of North America doesn't visit  the gym and lift weights.   it's fine, now because you're in your 20's.  I will tell you that it won't be so fine when you're in your 50's and 60's.  When the day comes that you have to help your dad in and out of his wheelchair, you will suddenly understand why it's a freaking good idea to do some squats and box jumps.

There are some big, strong guys saying hard things to you in here. That's because they have strong priorities, and their priorities, which are very important to them, are probably VERY different from your priorities....*I Think* ...

Nobody can help you set your priorities.  If other people seem to judge you on your decisions and your priorities, then that's THEIR problem.  This is YOUR life.

I will say this, though.
 
 Quit asking for advice and moseying around half-committed.  If you are happy doing this as a low-key recreational activity, then you don't have to justify it to anybody. Just DO it...at whatever level you want. It's YOUR life, you make YOUR decisions.  Go read Steve Job's quotes about following your own heart.

But knock off the training log and all the questions and so on, and whining about motivation and all that.  Just stop it. If you don't want to ramp up the lifting and HG, then I'm for sure not going to judge you on that decision.  Other might, but I sure won't.   But IMHO  you come  off looking like an ass if you keep asking questions and getting advice, and posting here etc. etc. etc. and then never DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

Do it, or do not. Your choice.  Your life.

Alan

C. Smith wrote: Most of the time I would agree with this statement, but Josh's base strength is so low, that at a minimum throwing and lifting should be 50/50 imo.

Or I could have just read the entire thread more thoroughly and just said "this".

As a relative NooB in this sport, I have recent first hand experience in being weak and un-conditioned...  There is a very important factor that I haven't seen mentioned. 

There is a certain amount of strength and mobility required to do the events and not seriously injure yourself. 

Throwing will make you stronger for throwing, but it will NOT build your body in a balanced and symmetric manner.  I can personally attest to what happens when you start improving your throws and DO NOT have a WELL BALANCED strength base with GOOD MOBILITY...  Let's just say my A.R.T. guy has made over $4k off my insurance this year...

There is also a minimal amount of strength and mobility required to throw FAR (I'm not there yet).  From what I see, technique can take you farther than strength (with the risk of injury increasing as you improve).  My offseason this year (start of my 3rd year throwing) will be improving mobility and strength/power with a healthy dose of technique. 

Were I starting over again I would still focus on:

Squat
Deads
Presses
Rows

However I would give MUCH MORE EMPHASIS on MOBILITY.  Build the strength gradually and correctly.  Do the proper accessory work and spend a good amount of time each day on MOBILITY...  I'm still a mess as far as mobility goes, but I'm way ahead of where I was last year.