Hello!

[Jake1989]

Hey everyone, just ran into this website and thought it was hilarious/possibly effective for me. A little about me:

I come from a weird place. I was an NCAA D1 athlete for the first two years of college until I was injured. Since then, I've gotten pretty out of shape, but not terribly so (since I also lifeguarded all through school). I'm looking to get back into tip-top shape that I once was in. The problem? I've had a coach my entire life, and I've realized that without someone constantly on me at practice and dictating what I eat... I have no motivation. I have ups and downs, a month or so up, then I lose it.

Work is a big factor for me that gets in the way. I know this is an excuse everyone uses and that, yes, it's just an excuse, but I work 12-14 hours a day, followed by drinks for networking periods a few days a week, and at least 10 hours of reading on the weekends. Needless to say, I need to be very diligent and efficient in my workouts and goals. (I'm actually typing this at work right now... oops.)

I grew up and competed as an alpine skier, so I have an odd set of skills that most college athletes don't. I'm not particularly strong at all, with the exception of my legs and what's left of my core from competitive skiing. I have knee issues, so I need to be careful a lot of the time with running, which is a shame because the stamina and strength in my my legs, as well as my short stature but abnormally long legs, make me a pretty dang good runner. I don't swim much anymore, but I have great form and could still get back into it. I rock climb/boulder a couple times a week and excel pretty well considering how little I go.

I don't have a lot of experience in the gym, as most of my skiing workouts were built around the mountain... we'd push snowmobiles up the hill before doing squats. However, I do have a lot of experience in bodyweight and plyometric workouts... I just need to get back into them.

I'm built pretty small, and would like to put on muscle, but also don't want to lose my agility and ability to rock climb, run well, surf, etc. Somewhere between an Assassin and Ranger.

Any tips and advise on motivation, or even workouts that are EFFICIENT would be great!

[BambiKhan]

Hi Jake! I'm new too

Work is a total issue for me as well, since its 60+ hours PLUS networking too! I joined the "Mile a day" on here, since it's really just an extra 20 min in the morning, and I'm finding that walk a really good time to organize my day in my head. It's a start! good luck

[Jonesy]

Welcome Jake!

There is a lot of great things hidden within the forums. You should check out the assassin or ranger forums for ideas on what workouts will be efficient. Good Luck!

[Hiraedd]

Welcome to the rebellion, Jake! I'm pretty much a beginner exerciser, so I don't have much to offer advice wise, but you can always check out the "help me develop a workout" section in the forums for some extra input. Good luck with your goals!

[alarep]

Welcome Jake! You will find the support you get on this site will be a big motivation and reporting back to the rebels promotes accountability!

[Jake1989]

Hi Jake! I'm new too

Work is a total issue for me as well, since its 60+ hours PLUS networking too! I joined the "Mile a day" on here, since it's really just an extra 20 min in the morning, and I'm finding that walk a really good time to organize my day in my head. It's a start! good luck

Thanks, BambiKhan. I wish I had 20 minutes to walk in the morning, but with 20 minutes, I'd rather run a couple miles. The problem is the motivation. I should probably just trick myself... if I don't feel like running, I'll just walk, and 50% of the time when I have my shoes on and I'm out the door, I'll probably want to run a couple miles anyway.

Running/walking isn't an issue for me; generally, I love to do it (in short distances or sprint workouts). What I really need the motivation on is body weight workouts.

[Jonesy]

I also joined the morning mile challenge for November and find it a great motivational tool. It makes me wake up early enough that I have time to do my mile, make a healthy breakfast AND get ready for work so I'm not late. Since I've started and I'm not really sure they are related, but I've had more motivation to do additional workouts like the body weight workouts and interval training.

You just need to find what works for you. Don't be afraid to switch things up if you feel something isn't working.