Shaking up my routine

[Guest]

Hello,

 

So I've read through the bits about chosing a class for the challenges I am about to embark on, and I chose ranger.  That's a good starting point for explaining why I'm here.

 

At 135-140 lbs, I don't need to lose weight.  Maybe convert a little squish to muscle, but that's no the point.   As someone who is bad at turning my brain off after work, and who loves physical challenges, I need to do something new.  A lifelong cyclist, I raced a bit in grad school on the East Coast before moving out to Colorado in summer 2011.  I am one of those lucky folks with nice biking roads in my town.  I get 17+ miles a day to and from work.  The problem is, this becomes routine and doesn't make me tired enough to chill out.  (Also, I have rules about ice and 40+ mph winds, so I carpool when these things occur.)  I am a physicist by training.  I got through grad school by never turning my brain off, but now I need to leave the "how do I fix the broken lab equipment" stuff at the lab. 

 

In an attempt to fix a crunchy left shoulder and reset a bit, I joined a gym at the beginning of February.  I spent the $$$ on a trainer for a while, to fix the sad shoulder.  My trainer was awesome, and it was great not have to worry about getting injured and jeopardizing my bike commute.  I am now ready to embark on my own adventures.

 

Some things I want to do:  Be physically tired.  Be stronger.  I really really want my fixed shoulder to let me do a pull-up from a dead hang.  Be faster.  I think I will not end up doing true power-lifting because I want to keep endurance for riding up mountains.  I chose ranger class because I want to be able to move heavy things and go on day-long road rides.

 

Here, I am looking for knowledge, for exercises to do without writing myself a rigorous routine.  I swing by the gym 2-3 times a week.  My goal is to have fun and get tired without keeping track of tons of numbers.  I know this is counter to how a lot of people "train", but for me this needs to be downtime, not training.  Coming from racing bikes a bit and 9 years of school back-to-back, I want to avoid the numbers game when it comes to planning my workouts.  Nerd fitness appealed to me because it seemed like the challenges, etc would keep me on my toes in a way that stays fun.

 

Other things:  I LOVE to cook.  I am not paleo, but I eat mostly meat and veggies, rice, and pretty much no processed food except for the occassional indulgence.  I eat pizza or take-out once a week.  I take my lunch to work.  I will gladly share recipes and love to have them shared with me.

 

[Ba'sini'on]

Welcome to Nerd Fitness!

 

There is nothing wrong with using your workout to unwind. I to use numbers, but that's because I want to be in the Marines so I have to keep track of how I do. I have never tried it but I've heard a lot of good things with the 5x5 program. It's supposed to improve your strength and is fast. There is also CrossFit, you don't need to go to a specific gym for it, their website has WOD (Workout of the Day). They are diverse so if you don't want to do powerlifting then you can do bodyweight, kettlebells, dumbbells, etc.

 

You'll find a lot of info to comb through over here. Plus if your stuck just start a thread and ask other's opinions.

 

If you need help turning your brain off after work, try asking the Druids for help. They are into meditation and overcoming mental issues. Don't ask me, my problem is lack of focus, I have the attention span of a....

 

Hope your first challenge goes swimmingly!

 

P.S. Do you have any quick recipes that are all around (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)?