This is going to seem silly but it's big for me.

[SinnahSaint]

I'm brand new here, fairly new to organized exercising, and I was an underpants gnome for quite a while. My problem is that usually when I hit a roadblock(in anything) I just decide I didn't want to do that anyway and do something else. 

 

This past week I started a bodyweight exercise routine based off the Beginners Bodyweight Routine I found here. I basically cut it in half because I knew there was no way I could do that many push ups, even on an incline. I had thought that my main struggle would be the habit building, the inertia of couch-potato-dom, the "but it'll hurt" or "it takes forever" whining. I was wrong. 

 

I had successfully picked out times that I would have no excuse to avoid exercising and had not yet settled into browsing position. I picked a routine that was short and, with proper stretching, not at all painful even the next day. I had thought Mon, Wed, & Fri made sense with rest days between them and all weekend off... but that's the problem with logic, it has no place without data. I have now done science too it and found out that I am not fit enough to do bodyweight training 3 days a week.

 

Turns out that although I'm not hurting... I was exhausted. I did Monday no problem, Wednesday was ridiculously hard and some of the things I couldn't even finish the set, and Friday no matter how much I tried to psych myself up for it, I knew that attempting would put me in danger of collapsing and hurting myself... so although it hurt my pride, I told myself I wasn't allowed to do it Friday.

 

I didn't want to waver this time. I didn't want to ignore bodyweight training and switch to something like running. I HATE running to the point that I've told people that if they ever see me running more than a block they better catch up because it's probably a bomb. I need to be fit for my life-goal of owning/running a subsistance farm with my future wife. I need this to work. I need to be the person I know I can be. 

 

So instead of running away from pushups, I did something better. I loved myself enough to give myself time to grow. This upcoming week I'll be trying Monday and Friday at the same level. Assuming that works well I'll try to up the reps / sets per day for a while before attempting 3 times a week.

 

Thank you for listening.

[Fatal]

I hear ya. I have had a bad experience with running in high school, where I sprained/twisted my knee twice in the same year, so I pretty much swore off of it. When I'm not as heavy, I'll attempt the Couch to 5k program or something to get me running, because it's something I want to be able to do.

 

For my upcoming 6 week challenge, I have scheduled 6 days of working out (alternating weight lifting and cardio, then a rest day) but it is less about completing them, and more about starting them on a consistent schedule to build a good habit of being active. Hopefully you find a good schedule that works for you so you can stick with it!

[Raincloak]

For some people one day off between workouts is not enough. That's okay.

You may find as your fitness increases (and especially if you tidy up your diet and sleep habits), your recovery time will decrease. Just do what you can and don't soend too many days in a row in the couch!

[SinnahSaint]

Just do what you can and don't soend too many days in a row in the couch!

 

As long as I keep walking home from work (like I have been since the snow melted) I'll be walking at least 30 min 4 days a week. Not sure if that's what you meant, but I very rarely have a day where I don't do anything at all.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

If you don't like running don't run. The body weight workout is a perfectly good way to get started.