Programming my body

[Gafi]

Hello everyone!

Some of you might remember me as the most inconsistent person in this community - always disappearing after a period and re-emerging months/years later.
I've been on and off (mostly off) Darebee since early 2016 and now I'm back at it for a while (hopefully a long one) and decided to create an account and a thread on the new Hive.

As a background, I'm a 24 year old programmer from Romania - which means I sit a lot and don't do a lot of physical exercise.
During warmer months I help with farming/chores around the house at least but it's still not the amount of exercise I know I should do.
Last year I bought an exercise bike and I use that as well from time to time, but again not consistently.
Recently I bought a standing desk as well so at least I alternate standing with sitting during my work hours nowadays.

I've always been a bit overweight and in the past year my weight increased a bit (used to gravitate at around 76kgs, now I'm at 80) so my goal is to get rid of some weight but I guess most importantly improve my general fitness - I'm a tragedy at anything involving cardio.

I love this community and I really appreciate everything everyone does - it's one of the best things on the Internet.

Hopefully this new start will be the start of something good

 

[Gafi]

Yesterday (02.01):

Day 1 of 1-Minute HIIT - Level 1
Day 1 of Power Grip Challenge

I decided to begin with something I hate but I know it's helpful so I started a HIIT program (back in 2016 I also did Combat HIIT )
As expected it got my heart pumping crazy fast and my lungs working overtime but it wasn't too terrible.
Today I fell my legs being sore, so at least that shows I went in 100%.

On another note, thankfully I'm in a good place financially so as an appreciation for my return to the Hive I decided to double my monthly donation going forward and donate something one-off sum for today It's not at all something big but I'm happy to be able to help something so amazing stay up.

 

[Fremen]

Welcome to the New Hive

 

[Gafi]

Thank you Glad to be back

Today:
Day 2 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 2
Day 2 of Power Grip Challenge

This one was better, didn't kill my heart as much, but I'm sure I'll feel all my stomach muscles tomorrow.

Speaking of feeling, my calves were burning even during hops on warmup from yesterday's high knees.

It's not always the best feeling to exercise, it's hard and you have to push through it, but I have to admit sometimes it has a charm and I missed doing it a bit

 

[Germanamazon]

Oh I can Attest to that. Exercise is hard! But so rewarding.
I printed out my Programm and challenges and Hunger them up where I look at them daily, almost constantly. It might help younto keep it up to.

 

[aku-chan]

 

[Gafi]

@Germanamazon that's a great idea, thank you

@aku-chan Hi

Today:
Day 3 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 3 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

I hated today, I don't like climbers, it's not just that they are exhausting, but my feet always tend to slip on the carpet. But hey, I got over them

I plan to do the program at Level 1 but with 1 minute rest between the sets
When it's something that I don't hate (as yesterday) I might do Level 2

 

[Germanamazon]

@Germanamazon that's a great idea, thank you

@aku-chan Hi

Today:
Day 3 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 3 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

I hated today, I don't like climbers, it's not just that they are exhausting, but my feet always tend to slip on the carpet. But hey, I got over them

I plan to do the program at Level 1 but with 1 minute rest between the sets
When it's something that I don't hate (as yesterday) I might do Level 2

If your feet slip on the carpet, try doing climbers barefoot. That way you might have more hold

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 4 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 4 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 2

Calf raises are an exercise I actually like and Squats were a lot less horrible than I remember they used to be - Today was quite a fun one actually

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 5 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 5 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 3

Today was a really nice day, all the exercises were fun to do for me.
Even if my muscles still hurt while doing them I'm not out of breath and hating my life

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 6 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 6 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 2


Not feeling my best today - I've had a cold for a while and I thought it's going away but I started coughing from yesterday evening


I don't like jacks as they are a cardio intensive exercise but managed to override the part of my brain that was saying "do only 3 sets" and did today on Level 2. Exhausting but I am happy about that

 

[TheLibrarian]

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 7 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 7 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 2

I still feel the cold - I started coughing from yesterday. I'm taking some medicine now hopefully I'll feel better soon

Today I might not have done the exercises at the speed I really wanted to - I was a bit slower but it still made me tired afterwards

 

[HellYeah]

Healing Vibes

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 8 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 8 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1


Still feeling horrible. Also I am totally useless at push-ups nowadays

 

[Sevalys]

Glad to see you again @Gafi !

against your cold, take care of yourself !

I sympathise with your dislike of jacks - yikes !

 

[Mianevem]

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 9 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 9 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

Today wasn't so bad but I'm still coughing a lot in the evenings so I only did it at Level 1 - trying to hard to breathe might be bad for my coughing

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 10 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 10 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 3

Today I felt better - a lot less coughing and no headache

I was a bit confused about day 10 of 1-minute HIIT, the image for arm raises shows something that I haven't seen before, I did arm raises as in here: https://darebee.com/exercises/arm-raises.html

 

[Mianevem]

I think the one in the picture is only different from the one you linked in that you raise your arms in front of you and not to your sides.

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 11 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 11 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1


Oh god, high knees and similar things. Brutal day, felt like dying the third set, my lungs were on fire

 

[Gafi]

Yesterday there were a lot of unexpected things happening in the evening so I didn't have time for my workout.

Today:
Day 12 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 12 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 13 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 13 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

Same as the last day with climbers - didn't like it and exhausted me

 

[Sevalys]

I sympathise with your struggle with cardio, as you explained in AMA thread... I've got the same problem with the same exercises and can't run. That's what prevented me from finishing some programs in the past, and I'm eager to read what Damer will answer to your question.
I tend to avoid what I hate to keep exercising, and I walk a lot in addition to the workouts I like.

 

[Gafi]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. I know and I want to do this but sometimes it's easy to get discouraged when you don't like a type of exercise. It's a good thing the programs are quite varied.

Today:

Day 14 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 14 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

The squats were ok, the squat hops were quite interesting - first time I meet them. Difficult from both a cardio and a muscle fatigue perspective, but quite fun.

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 15 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 15 of 1-minute HIIT - level 3


My shoulders were burning in the last set, but it was an easier day compared to any of the cardio ones.

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 16 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 16 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

As much as I hate jumping jacks, today was actually ok. Still exhausted and ran out of breath but felt less like dying compared to previous times

 

[Gafi]

On Thursday and yesterday I was really busy, had to drive 180 km to the office and back home so I didn't manage to exercise.

Today:

Day 17 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 17 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

Fairly ok today, I like leg raises and butt kicks weren't so bad.

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 18 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 18 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1


No real reason for this, but I didn't like today. The reverse angels felt weird, laying down for them somehow made it harder to breathe

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 19 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 19 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1
10 minutes on the exercise bike (5 on Level 2, 5 on Level 3)

Today was actually fun, it's a day I wouldn't even mind repeating. Jump squats are interesting.

 

[Sevalys]

The reverse angels felt weird, laying down for them somehow made it harder to breathe

I remember having the same problem doing this type of movements, very unpleasant.

 

[Gafi]

I remember having the same problem doing this type of movements, very unpleasant.

I think it compresses my ribs and my lungs can't expand as well as they should

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 20 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 20 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 2

Another day I liked, arm raises/circles are something I don't find very exhausting and are actually nice. Had to cut short at Level 2 as my muscles were hurting a bit and I don't want sore arms tomorrow as I'll be driving again for 3 hours in the morning

 

[Gafi]

Yesterday I was almost all day away and when I came back home at night I was way too tired.

Today:

Day 21 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 21 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

Ugh, hated it. High knees + some sort of black magic exercise in the form of jump lunges. Intense

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 22 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 22 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 2

Nothing special to say about today, it was ok, bridges and crunches don't annoy me.

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 23 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 23 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

Today was much harder, I don't like climbers or plank rotations. But at least I got it done.

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 24 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 24 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1
15 minutes on the exercise bike ( 10 Level 2, 5 Level 3)
3.5kms walk with my parents through the snow


Today was really interesting, it looks deceptively easy but it's hard. I expected it to be similar to Day 14 (which is squats + squat hops) but today (squat hops + calf raises) feels somehow more difficult, maybe it's how the muscles used in these 2 exercises interact.

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 25 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 25 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 2
2.7km walk

Today was another fun and easy day, upper body centered.

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 26 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 26 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

Jacks, so many jacks of all shape and form. Ugh

 

[Sevalys]

Jacks, so many jacks of all shape and form. Ugh

I sympathize... Yuck !

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 27 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 27 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

Lunge step-ups were very awkward to do as I didn't encounter them until today, but it was an ok day overall

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 28 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 28 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

I used to be more able when it comes to push-ups, now I actually struggle

 

[Sevalys]

I used to be more able when it comes to push-ups, now I actually struggle

You're not alone ! It's always hard to re-start... Don't give up, it will come back !

 

[Gafi]

Today:

Day 29 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 29 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 1

Jump lunges are quite brutal

Thanks for the support

 

[Gafi]

I'm back!

Saturday, Sunday and yesterday were full days for me - didn't manage to do any Darebee exercises but was still active with snow shoveling, walking and dragging the sleigh uphill tens of times.

Today back to the regular schedule:
Day 30 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 30 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 3

And yay! That marks the end of 1-minute HIIT, which was quite an interesting program.
Haven't been on the scale in a while to see how my weight has changed compared to the beginning, but I notice some results from other points of view: I actually feel a bit fitter, I can do some cardio (yes, even climbers and high knees) without running out of breath instantly (i still don't like them and like even 3 sets of those make me tired) and I am sure I would have been a lot more exhausted these past few days walking uphill before.

All in all, happy with how this went even if it took me more than 30 days.


Tomorrow I'll start a new program, I plan to continue exercising, hopefully as long as possible.

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[Sevalys]

 

[Gafi]

Thank you

Today:

Day 1 of Posture Challenge
Day 1 of Calves of Steel Challenge
Day 1 of Reboot - Level 1


Not a nice introduction to Reboot, a lot of high knees At least I am used to them from 1-minute HIIT haha

 

[Gafi]

Today:


Day 2 of Posture Challenge
Day 2 of Calves of Steel Challenge
Day 2 of Reboot - Level 2

Oh wow, this was such a surprise for me. Looking at the exercises, I thought bicep extensions and raised arm holds are easy things and that I can do the day on Level 2 or 3 without much effort.
Boy, was I wrong.
It felt very hard and by the 4th and 5th set my biceps were burning like crazy.

 

[Froud]

I'm back!

Saturday, Sunday and yesterday were full days for me - didn't manage to do any Darebee exercises but was still active with snow shoveling, walking and dragging the sleigh uphill tens of times.

Today back to the regular schedule:
Day 30 of Power Grip Challenge
Day 30 of 1-minute HIIT - Level 3

And yay! That marks the end of 1-minute HIIT, which was quite an interesting program.
Haven't been on the scale in a while to see how my weight has changed compared to the beginning, but I notice some results from other points of view: I actually feel a bit fitter, I can do some cardio (yes, even climbers and high knees) without running out of breath instantly (i still don't like them and like even 3 sets of those make me tired) and I am sure I would have been a lot more exhausted these past few days walking uphill before.

All in all, happy with how this went even if it took me more than 30 days.


Tomorrow I'll start a new program, I plan to continue exercising, hopefully as long as possible.

Good job! Congratulations!