Current Events > Arnold says if you have 1 hour a day to spare, you can work out.

(+) Yeah! (+)

But here's the thing. It's not about sparing an hour of your day to work out. It's about having enough energy to use that hour to work out. Does Arnold not realize, he's an outlier with a fuel tank larger than normal? If I'm feeling tired, there's no way I can lift where I feel an adequate burn; it's just a futile attempt that only brings diminishing returns. I'll end up wasting an hour and have nothing positive to net.

Arnold is starting to sound like "red pill" logic to me now. I might as well categorize his self motivation quotes on the same level as every other toxic stunad with pension for machismo.

Thing is that exercising does give you more energy. Also what you eat makes a whole lot of difference. A balance meal will help you avoid big sugar spikes and crashes that make you feel sleepy later on. Also avoiding coffee since its robbing you of your future energy.

Iamdepressed posted...

If I'm feeling tired, there's no way I can lift where I feel an adequate burn; it's just a futile attempt that only brings diminishing returns. I'll end up wasting an hour and have nothing positive to net.

I don't really agree here.
Also, working out can be more than lifting weights.

Also, it became easier for me when I got to the point where guilt from not working out > tiredness and laziness.

Most lifestyle advice is useless because of differences in people's genetics, environment, work, finances, personal history, obligations, etc that all adds up to completely different lived experiences. People tend to be very solipsistic when it comes to understanding lifestyle which leads to so much judgment and shame in the world.

An hour a day is a luxury tbh

It's kinda hard finding the energy to work out after a physically active job. I really wish I had more energy to lift more than I do, but it's a struggle. Plus there's all the other things you have to do in life so finding time is tough as well.

But just doing anything is better than doing nothing, and it gets easier as you do it more.

Your workout doesnt need to be a full hour of heavy weights. It can be a 30 minute walk, a light jog, some push-ups, etc. This is a defeatist mindset that you have.

ssb_yunglink2 posted...

But just doing anything is better than doing nothing, and it gets easier as you do it more.

Your workout doesnt need to be a full hour of heavy weights. It can be a 30 minute walk, a light jog, some push-ups, etc. This is a defeatist mindset that you have.

TC's assessment about finding the long term energy to consistently apply that hour to exercise lines up with how gym attendance bares out in data. Millions of Americans start the new year optimistic with a resolution to get healthier and a gym membership, but then taper off in attendance over time. Suggesting the issue is not defeatism or the initial hump but commitment and renewing motivation.

I've been working out everyday since Jan 1st 2019 and I only workout about 10-15 minutes a day and it's really made a huge impact on my health and cardio/stamina. I just do pushups and sit ups, a little weight lifting and walking/jogging on a treadmill and that's it. Every single day.

Granted I have no job or any other responsibilities.

I started out not being able to do 5 pushups and now I can do a single set of 120-140.

People make up so many excuses to not do basic exercise, it's fucking insane

I lifted for an hour today

There's a difference between feeling like you don't have energy, and actually not having energy. Your body is a great liar, still operating on logic from prehistoric times. "OH I'm not moving much, must be something bad with supplies, better run on low energy"
No, body, modern living is just sedentary.

coyot posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/6/684ae920.jpg

Sites all fucked up

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There's struggling to figure things out and there's just giving up.

It's sort of a catch 22 in the sense that the worse shape you're in, the harder it is to get started.

But even if you're lacking in energy, even a little exercise helps. It doesn't have to be intense, but bit by bit you can claw yourself out of the hole.

It will absolutely suck shit at the start though, but it's worth.

I agree with Arnold. Sometimes you just need a gentle push, that's what makes workout partners awesome.

It's more like two hours because you have to actually travel to the gym, then deal with getting ready and cleaned up.

Squall28 posted...

It's more like two hours because you have to actually travel to the gym, then deal with getting ready and cleaned up.

If you only have an hour, I wouldn't bother going to the gym at all. Home calisthenics is more than enough to be healthy and lean. Assuming you don't eat like shit.

I tend to feel re-energized when I start working out.

Although, occasionally in the middle of a dark winter day, where it's cold and I didn't sleep much the night before, it does feel really difficult to workout. Thankfully it doesn't happen often. The gains are more important :D

Then Arnold can lobby to make a day 25 hours long.

Nutrition and motivation are also important.

You don't even need an hour. Try 5 minutes of Dan John's ABCs with 2 kettlebells. You'll want to look it up, but an ABC is 2 cleans, one overhead press, and 3 squats. Bam, full-body workout.

Don't want to pay $20-50 for 2 kettlebells? 5 minutes of burpees with a squat at the bottom, no equipment required.

Everyone has the time - it's the effort that they don't want to go through. It's also easy for me and fitness people to be condescending about that, which turns people off, so I always start with the 5 minute time. Just give yourself 5 minutes of feeling like hell. It'll be over soon and then you can reflect on what just happened and if you have the energy to keep that up regularly.

By the way, effort is more important than raw numbers. No matter how you're feeling or how tired you are, give a hard effort relative to THAT.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I couldn't agree more and you're only the second person I've ever seen espouse this. You don't have to like working out. I find it far more helpful to be honest about that and acknowledge I only like the results, not the process itself. I'm far more liable to be consistent this way because I'm in no danger of sensing I'm in a lousy mood and skipping training because of that.

^ Yeah, I agree with you two. More often than not, I don't want to lift, I don't want to run, but I do it anyway. We only have this body and this life, don't ruin it.

Pow_Pow_Punishment posted...

You don't even need an hour. Try 5 minutes of Dan John's ABCs with 2 kettlebells. You'll want to look it up, but an ABC is 2 cleans, one overhead press, and 3 squats. Bam, full-body workout.

Don't want to pay $20-50 for 2 kettlebells? 5 minutes of burpees with a squat at the bottom, no equipment required.

Everyone has the time - it's the effort that they don't want to go through. It's also easy for me and fitness people to be condescending about that, which turns people off, so I always start with the 5 minute time. Just give yourself 5 minutes of feeling like hell. It'll be over soon and then you can reflect on what just happened and if you have the energy to keep that up regularly.

By the way, effort is more important than raw numbers. No matter how you're feeling or how tired you are, give a hard effort relative to THAT.

This
At the beginning of my weight lifting journey, I even started out doing one not ideal compound lift every other day. Took less than 10 minutes. I still was able to build a minor amount of muscle doing a shit job of working out. You'll never get anywhere if you don't start

While there are issues/circumstances that people have, a bit of mental fortitude can overcome a lot. I've seen dudes in wheelchairs working out. Everyone has their demons in life, and if you give it a shot, working out consistently can help.

Now this is just a me thing, but working out takes longer than an hour. Its 15 mins there, 15 back. About 40 minutes cardio and then like 30-40 lifting.

bsp77 posted...

^ Yeah, I agree with you two. More often than not, I don't want to lift, I don't want to run, but I do it anyway. We only have this body and this life, don't ruin it.

This, make me the 4th person who agrees with you guys

Gonna tag this so I can chime in when I'm not v drunk

He's right. I can get in a good 30 minute HIIT workout on my treadmill. An hour should be plenty.

pinky0926 posted...

Gonna tag this so I can chime in when I'm not v drunk

I'd like to hear a drunk pinky rant

I also recommend lying to yourself. I already advocated for 5-minute workouts, which are great because the rest times in a traditional workout are a LOT of filler that you can remove; you obviously won't be able to lift heavy without any rest times but the training stimulus through sheer intensity will still be there. However, if you're having trouble dragging yourself to do 5 minutes, tell yourself you'll do it for just 1 or 2 minutes so you get SOMETHING done. There's a very good chance that you'll keep going for the full amount of time since you've already started.

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Gonna be real, it's for hard for me to agree on all points. I run a business and sit on two boards and have time to find 5 hours a week to exercise.

OudeGeuze posted...

Gonna be real, it's for hard for me to agree on all points. I run a business and sit on two boards and have time to find 5 hours a week to exercise.

Exactly. I sometimes work 48-56 hours a week and I can 100% find an hour to workout everyday if I wanted to.

Pow_Pow_Punishment posted...

I also recommend lying to yourself. I already advocated for 5-minute workouts, which are great because the rest times in a traditional workout are a LOT of filler that you can remove; you obviously won't be able to lift heavy without any rest times but the training stimulus through sheer intensity will still be there. However, if you're having trouble dragging yourself to do 5 minutes, tell yourself you'll do it for just 1 or 2 minutes so you get SOMETHING done. There's a very good chance that you'll keep going for the full amount of time since you've already started.

Sometimes you just need the motivation to put on the clothes and drag yourself to the car. Once you get started, it's much easier to just keep it going for the session. Especially for those early morning workouts

OudeGeuze posted...

Gonna be real, it's for hard for me to agree on all points. I run a business and sit on two boards and have time to find 5 hours a week to exercise.

That's nice. I sleep five hours a night and still can't find the time.

There's a misconception that workouts/exercise needs to be extensive and strenuous in order to actually work, but that's not particularly true. Being active at all and doing some kind of exercise even if you're tired is healthy and will produce results.

Consistency is really the key. I do a few sets of crunches every day and that lasts about 15 minutes maybe? Some exercise us better than none.

The greatest feeling you can get is:

T H E
P U M P

https://youtu.be/eWjS424YN_k?si=MjSge97_x7TTLAs8

lifting that burger into your mouth isnt exercise.

Honestly you don't even have to go to the gym. Just walk for 30 mins to an hour, if you are sitting most of the day do chair exercises, or just some pushups, jogging/marching in place , sit-ups, and stuff like that while watching TV. Heck, you can do sit-ups, pushups, and some leg exercises in bed before you go to sleep or after waking up. Do calf raises while you brush your teeth or standing around waiting. If you start exercising and during it you still feel sluggish, then your body probably doesn't have the energy.

I can't because my body always hurts and working out will only make it worse before it ever provides any benefits

My two cents, since you asked @Asherlee10

An hour is a good all round time to set aside for exercise, but that's not to say you need to spend a full 60 minutes just lifting weights. Throw in a warm up and some cardio and time flies.

I realise what's really being asked here is whether someone always has the energy to exercise, and the answer is basically...no. But equally, maybe you need to find a level of exercise where it's not a huge mental or physical burden.

Countless people get super motivated and inspired to start working out, go in way too hard and then burn out in a couple of weeks or months. If that happened to you, you almost certainly overcommitted, to a point where you could only carry out your goals when your motivation was at an all time high. The way I see it, you should find a level of exercise that you can do even on a low day. It should be a tonic for your low energy, not a poison. It should make you feel energised, not take all of your emotional strength to carry out.

I highlight emotional strength because generally that's the real issue. If you were being chased by a tiger you would find the physical energy to start running. The actual issue is that your heart is just not in that 10k run you promised yourself you would do, and that's probably because you've set "exercise" up in your mind as this huge ordeal that will ruin your day.

This is what Pow Pow is talking about when he says go in with the view of doing 2 minutes of exercise. Mentally that's a lot more achievable that overcommitting to a big 1 hour routine you're not prepared for.

If anyone wants a long-form talk in this topic, check this out. It's a little corny at points, but the overall message is very good. You have to build up a tolerance for exercise so that it takes little to no mental energy to carry on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8K7ifs2Db4

thronedfire2 posted...

I can't because my body always hurts and working out will only make it worse before it ever provides any benefits

I used to say and experienced the same thing but it eventually got better and I did get the benefits.