Things I wish I knew 5/10 years ago

Patsy167

...or to come at it from a different angle, What have you changed your mind on over the years?

Can be as general or specific as you like on any area of Fitness, Nutrition, recovery, and mindset.

It's a question that often gets asked on various podcasts and interviews. The sample size is always N=1 so responses are always very insightful and don't have to be cold hard facts or generalities that need to apply to everyone.

Thought it might be a nice light and fun way of learning from other Boardsies

Alf Veedersane

Deep Heat is not for groin injuries

Patsy167

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Deep Heat is not for groin injuries

Painful life lesson!

Cill94

Good idea.

Probably the value of training with people that are stronger than you.

Forgot about this after I left school and have only recently realised what a positive effect it has on my lifting.

Patsy167

Keep your identity small

I used to be always searching one perfect sport, exercise, nutrition program that would be my identity for life. I have only recently realized the error in my ways on this. Rather than black or white thinking, I put everything on a grey scale.

I'll readily switch things up when something has run its course. Sticking to a few key principles rather than rigid protocols. I've bounced between every type of exercise and keep nutrition very flexible. It's saved so much wasted energy previously and keeps things interesting!

Dtp1979

I wish I could go back to a younger me and tell me to start deadlifting and squatting and that It’s not bad for my back.
I’d also tell me that Taking protein Straight after a workout isn’t important

Man with broke phone

Deadlift squat and bench and pullups.

Eat good clean food.

Everything else is just somebody trying to make some money out of you.

2 fast

Don't go to gyms that offer quick fixes, go to someplace that provides proper nutrition and shows you how to lift weight properly

D'Agger

Going to the beach and getting in the water even for a few minutes will do wonders for recovery and your mind after hard sessions. Wish I started doing it as frequently as I do now while I played football

Reps4jesus

Stop going to failure on everything the whole time.
Focus on the big lifts, 15 different variations of flys arent gonna make much of a difference to me

Alf Veedersane

Respect recovery.

I used be an awful spa for going into the gym on off days and training away because I had time despite the fact that the volume and intensity of the program was based on the number of training days.

Who'd have thought that I'd have less niggly injuries and get better results from it?!

Also, mobility. It's not stretching for 3 minutes before you start lifting. Left it far too long before investing proper time in it...lying on a foam roller being the totality of it for too long.

Black Sheep

If I could go back 10 years, or better yet 20 years, I would take responsibility for programming my strength training out of my own hands and get a coach.

Between 20 and about 35 I basically trained myself, and although I was following some classic programs I didn't make the progress I could have.

..It's a bit like the saying that the lawyer that represents himself has a fool for a client.

ILoveYourVibes

pilates works ..you don't need a gym ..that is for socializing ...running won't ruin your knees ...

As for lifting weights ..you don't need to compete with the guys ..don't take advice meant for a guys body ..find your own form in fact ..don't take advice for anyone elses body you are an individual

pre workouts are not drugs ..and won't give you a heart attack..

Not all calories are equal ...

Don't eat refined sugar too much its the devil...(im a slave to sugar!)

As you get older the health issues associated with being unhealthy are dire and serious.

You are not obsessive if you exercise every day..in fact you should.

Macy0161

I'd probably have to go back further than 10 years, as I was already making changes and had decided on calorie tracking/ deficit and incremental and sustainable changes to my diet and not to go a diet.

• Importance of sleep and recovery.
• If following a plan, take the rest/ recovery days.
• Fuel workouts and recovery, even in an overall deficit (don't diet on the bike in my case).
• It really is calories in v calories out - keep the faith in that and your calculations, even if a particular week you don't see expected results!
• Depriving yourself of foods you enjoy just leads to binging - everything in moderation.
• Stick with proven, peer reviewed science. Not just one off studies that may show a link/ benefit of avoiding/ doing something.
• Linked to the above, diet regimes/ methods are the new religion. People are so invested they'll ignore science

scilover

...reducing your weight is so hard when you're older.

DoctorEdgeWild

If I could go back 20 years, I'd convince myself to take up bodybuilding sooner, get on stage sooner and maybe stand a better chance of placing higher!

Would also teach myself how to get that food in no matter what obstacles the day presents.

The chan chan man

Full body workout is king!

Patsy167

The chan chan man wrote: »

Full body workout is king!

What exercises, set/rep schemes, & frequency do you use?

Cill94

Don't listen to the crossfitters telling you Paleo is the healthiest way to eat.

Also don't do the paleo diet. You'll never be able to stomach sweet potato again.

Kevhog1988

Dont worry that your the fattest person on the team/in the gym just keep turning up.

Patsy167

Kevhog1988 wrote: »

Dont worry that your the fattest person on the team/in the gym just keep turning up.

Was talking to someone at the weekend who said they found gyms intimidating as it made them self-conscious and her trainer had advised her to follow the 18-40-60 rule - "When you’re 18, you worry what people are thinking about you. When you’re 40, you don’t bother yourself with people’s opinions. When you’re 60, you realize that nobody was thinking about you to begin with"

paleoperson

Black Sheep wrote: »

..It's a bit like the saying that the lawyer that represents himself has a fool for a client.

ah now hang on...

completedit

Realise the importance of genetics.

iguana

You don't necessarily have to just accept and learn to live with pregnancy damage. There is actually quite a lot you can do to minimise much of what mothers are told they are powerless about. I spent 6 years needlessly "accepting" the damage on my tummy area most of which was gone 6 months after I found my sporting hobby. It's really messed up that we teach people helplessness about something that we might actually have a lot of control over.

On that note, I wish I'd known 20+ years ago that women should maintain a strong core. I injured my back when I was 20 and suffered various levels of pain from that injury for 20 years. I went through numerous rounds of physio, saw many doctors including specialists. Took lots of medication including courses of steroid injections. And 20 years later, by complete chance I learned that a strong core would alleviate the pressure on my back and completely eliminate the pain. And once that pressure was off my back, I'd be able to dramatically increase the strength and flexibility of my back muscles. It's absolutely insane to me that over years and years of treatment not one single medical professional told me to strengthen my core.

ThunbergsAreGo

Running is not boring and can in fact be great for your mental health.

Would have avoided it like the plague - but have got into it over lockdowns - a good podcast and off I go

4Ad

iguana wrote: »

You don't necessarily have to just accept and learn to live with pregnancy damage. There is actually quite a lot you can do to minimise much of what mothers are told they are powerless about. I spent 6 years needlessly "accepting" the damage on my tummy area most of which was gone 6 months after I found my sporting hobby. It's really messed up that we teach people helplessness about something that we might actually have a lot of control over.

On that note, I wish I'd known 20+ years ago that women should maintain a strong core. I injured my back when I was 20 and suffered various levels of pain from that injury for 20 years. I went through numerous rounds of physio, saw many doctors including specialists. Took lots of medication including courses of steroid injections. And 20 years later, by complete chance I learned that a strong core would alleviate the pressure on my back and completely eliminate the pain. And once that pressure was off my back, I'd be able to dramatically increase the strength and flexibility of my back muscles. It's absolutely insane to me that over years and years of treatment not one single medical professional told me to strengthen my core.

I do alot of running but due to lower back and hip pain I decided to do a core strength exercise routine for runners last night, crippled this morning !!

Should of done it ages ago !!

ThunbergsAreGo

4Ad wrote: »

I do alot of running but due to lower back and hip pain I decided to do a core strength exercise routine for runners last night, crippled this morning !!

Should of done it ages ago !!

Mind sharing?

4Ad

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

Mind sharing?

https://youtu.be/b3zpfb1PZVk

The Run Experience 10 minute Core Exercise.

Patsy167

I thought this was well worth a read. A few home truths that were like a dig in the ribs. Painful to read but much needed as a reminder when I find myself thinking over action.

https://www.reddit.com/r/naturalbodybuilding/comments/fob7rr/10_things_ive_learned_in_my_almost_20_years_of/

Cill94

Something I wish someone had told me when I started training.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHlBMn7j0KH/

Alf Veedersane

Focus on the process more than the outcome.

Just thinking back, I was often far too concerned with the ultimate outcome rather than the process that would decide that.

When I switched that mindset, it made training more enjoyable because I could just focus on what I was doing and trusted that it would ultimately bring the results I wanted.

Dave 101

Cill94 wrote: »

Something I wish someone had told me when I started training.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHlBMn7j0KH/

Dan John has his rule of 5 similar to the above

3 will be ok
1 bad
1 great

Which I think are better ratios

bladespin

You can't train your way to a 6 pack.
Weights are great and Cardio is horrible and awful and unnecessary Nutrition is king.
Log everything.

Alf Veedersane

Dave 101 wrote: »

Dan John has his rule of 5 similar to the above

3 will be ok
1 bad
1 great

Which I think are better ratios

I think it was H****y who used to refer to the DJ rule of 1 in 5...to expect 1 in every 5 workouts to suck in some way.

iguana

I must be weird. 99.5% of my exercise is an absolute and utter joy that leaves my body and brain buzzing. A couple of times a year maybe I can't quite get my head into what I'm doing for some reason and then it's just kind of ok. But joy is my constant.

Alf Veedersane

iguana wrote: »

I must be weird. 99.5% of my exercise is an absolute and utter joy that leaves my body and brain buzzing. A couple of times a year maybe I can't quite get my head into what I'm doing for some reason and then it's just kind of ok. But joy is my constant.

Both Paul Carter and Dan John are talking about it in a different context. It's not so much the physical and/or mental enjoyment.

80% of the time you'll hit your numbers and it will feel like it should.
10% of the time you'll hit your numbers and it will feel awful...everything will feel heavy. Or you don't hit your numbers because it just feels heavy.
10% of the time you'll hit your numbers and it will feel easy and you feel like you could PR if you wanted to.

That's not the same as saying it's only enjoyable 10% of the time.

Cill94

Yes the post is purely about performance. I've had many a day where I felt like ****e and ended up PR-ing, and vice versa.

Patsy167

iguana wrote: »

I must be weird. 99.5% of my exercise is an absolute and utter joy that leaves my body and brain buzzing. A couple of times a year maybe I can't quite get my head into what I'm doing for some reason and then it's just kind of ok. But joy is my constant.

What form of exercise are we talking here?

Mellor

iguana wrote: »

I must be weird. 99.5% of my exercise is an absolute and utter joy that leaves my body and brain buzzing.

The more competitive the mindset, or the more you push the limits, the more often you'll feel something didn't click. I think it'a more about the standards that you hold your self to, than the buzz you feel.
If you just train without a care, then there no self-critic weighing you down.

Probably depends on type of sport too.

Black Sheep

I think enjoyment and training are linked, but certainly for a significant amount of workouts I am not 'enjoying' training even though I never get tired of seeing the results.

In order to train I have to make a number of 0530 starts at the moment. I'd be lying if those sessions are pleasant, due to the timing alone.

Then there is programming that is physically challenging enough that enjoyment is hard to experience in the moment. In particular I did a program last year which had me doing heavy sets of 8 squats as part of it. There was a point where, having added weight week after week, I was approaching failure. But I knew myself that I was in that zone where if I failed it was going to be because of the horrible grinding feeling of that heavy 3x8 rather than actual mechanical failure.. I would 'quit' rather than fail if I stopped. I knew I had a few more weeks left of microloading. So I kept at it. It wasn't enjoyable, but certainly if you read the likes of Paul Carter then these are exactly the workouts that will drive real progress.

Bit like life really.. I think we overrate pursuing happiness. I reckon the real point of life is to do things that are profound and meaningful. That's not quite the same thing as focusing on enjoying life.

Mellor

Black Sheep wrote: »

In particular I did a program last year which had me doing heavy sets of 8 squats as part of it.

In low rep progressive workouts where you are hitting a rep or load PR most sessions. So there are small mental wins along the way. But high reps near max squat sessions are just grim. Session after session of struggling with a weight that's like that you usual last warm up set.

How do you find the good/bad session balance works in jiu jitsu. Huge scope for variance in how good you feel you did there.

Black Sheep

Mellor wrote: »

How do you find the good/bad session balance works in jiu jitsu. Huge scope for variance in how good you feel you did there.

I would say that as with lifting I don't look to enjoy all my training sessions, or even most of them, I take it as a bonus. In general I've just mentally committed to the overall process and the results of it, I don't give myself the option of not training. I've taken long layoffs before, and they never worked out well unless they were mandated by injury.

It helps that my friends are my training partners, can't imagine stopping because you wouldn't disassociate with your friends.

Getting purple belt was a significant milestone for me. It was like getting over a hump, and deciding it was actually easier to carry on to the end than stop.

iguana

Patsy167 wrote: »

What form of exercise are we talking here?

Mainly skating. With strength, gymnastic yoga and active flexibility to compliment.

Mellor wrote: »

The more competitive the mindset, or the more you push the limits, the more often you'll feel something didn't click. I think it'a more about the standards that you hold your self to, than the buzz you feel.
If you just train without a care, then there no self-critic weighing you down.

I don't think so. I just accept that, as with anything, progress isn't linear and I won't always do better one day than I did two days before. Sometimes I'll achieve something and then be unable to do it again for 6 weeks for no reason I can discern other than I'm too in my own head. I'll sometimes go significantly backwards due to injury or illness. Sometimes, I'll realise I didn't have the correct form and when I focus on better foundations, I end up way behind where I thought I was, but that's ok because I know that in the coming weeks or months, or next year I'll be able to get past where I had plateaued. Sometimes I have what I assume is an easy goal but realise I'm many steps away from it, have to work through those and in the process crack something else that had eluded me.

If I get pissed off with myself because I didn't achieve a particular goal I set in the timeframe I wanted, especially if someone else I know managed it easily. Then I think about it, realise all of the improvements I have made in the same space of time and be proud of those instead. I don't expect to just keeping getting better and achieving more every single time because that's not how this kind of achievement works. But I do derive near constant pleasure from it.

Mellor

Black Sheep wrote: »

Getting purple belt was a significant milestone for me. It was like getting over a hump, and deciding it was actually easier to carry on to the end than stop.

I may have missed that in the other thread. Congrats. I think that's the general epiphany at purple. Attrition rate is much lower from there.

iguana wrote: »

I don't think so. I just accept that, as with anything, progress isn't linear and I won't always do better one day than I did two days before. Sometimes I'll achieve something and then be unable to do it again for 6 weeks for no reason I can discern other than I'm too in my own head. I'll sometimes go significantly backwards due to injury or illness. Sometimes, I'll realise I didn't have the correct form and when I focus on better foundations, I end up way behind where I thought I was....

... I don't expect to just keeping getting better and achieving more every single time because that's not how this kind of achievement works. But I do derive near constant pleasure from it.

I still think you are kinda talking about something else. It's not about not maintaining linear progress, you simply won't do that in any skill or activity. Or hitting targets or goal, sometimes they just weren't possible. Setback due to injury is again very different. Not being where you thought you are is perception, not performance.

Taking yoga/flexibility as an example. The days when you hit a pose you never could. Or the days when you can't hit a post that you always did are what they are talking about. These are the outliers and most days are the normal days.
They may not be as obvious in something like yoga, and it's very dynamic, with no clear pass or fail line.
Compared to weight lifting where every time you lift a bar you have to set a weight that you believe you can lift. And when you can't, the fail is obvious.

Again, completive aspect plays a part. If you do gymnastics/or skating for fun, its easy to care less about the bad days. But for a Olympic level athlete, days where you miss moves you should easily hit are a huge frustration.

Patsy167

iguana wrote: »

Mainly skating. With strength, gymnastic yoga and active flexibility to compliment.


That makes sense. The context and target audience for the "rule of 5" mentioned is key. The Author, Dan John mainly speaks to those who are fairly serious about weightlifting. Here's his background - "An All-American discus thrower, Dan has also competed at the highest levels of Olympic lifting, Highland Games and the Weight Pentathlon, an event in which he holds the American record"

iguana

Mellor wrote: »

I still think you are kinda talking about something else. It's not about not maintaining linear progress, you simply won't do that in any skill or activity. Or hitting targets or goal, sometimes they just weren't possible. Setback due to injury is again very different. Not being where you thought you are is perception, not performance.

Taking yoga/flexibility as an example. The days when you hit a pose you never could. Or the days when you can't hit a post that you always did are what they are talking about. These are the outliers and most days are the normal days.

We're absolutely talking about the same thing. But maybe it's that I feel like I'm constantly progressing. I have really ambitious goals, but every goal I have is built on so many tiny improvements that I feel week on week. So while I''m really, really far off so much of what I want to do, I know I'm still constantly learning. It maybe helps that I skate in a number of different disciplines and each kind improves the others, so I'm always getting better at something even if it doesn't always look obvious.

Mellor wrote: »

They may not be as obvious in something like yoga, and it's very dynamic, with no clear pass or fail line.

Compared to weight lifting where every time you lift a bar you have to set a weight that you believe you can lift. And when you can't, the fail is obvious.

I do gymnastic yoga for skating. If I try to lean my body backwards in a hydroblade, hold a split while rolling or do a handstand at the top of a ramp any failure is just as obvious.

Mellor wrote: »

Again, completive aspect plays a part. If you do gymnastics/or skating for fun, its easy to care less about the bad days. But for a Olympic level athlete, days where you miss moves you should easily hit are a huge frustration.

I'm not sure any of us here are Olympic level athletes? I'm not sure why that would apply to me more than any of the rest of the posters here?

Alf Veedersane

iguana wrote: »

We're absolutely talking about the same thing. But maybe it's that I feel like I'm constantly progressing. I have really ambitious goals, but every goal I have is built on so many tiny improvements that I feel week on week. So while I''m really, really far off so much of what I want to do, I know I'm still constantly learning. It maybe helps that I skate in a number of different disciplines and each kind improves the others, so I'm always getting better at something even if it doesn't always look obvious.

It's not about progression. People can still be progressing and have those days where the weights feel heavier than they should and hitting your number is a lot harder than it normally is or you don't hit the number on that day.

That isn't the same as not progressing...it's just how the lifts feel on a given day.

Most days the weights feel as heavy as they should. The routine days.
Some days they feel light.
Some days they feel heavy.

The rule of thumb being that 1 session in 5 you might well have a day where the weights feel heavier than they should and so you just embrace it as a fact and get on with it.

iguana

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Most days the weights feel as heavy as they should. The routine days.
Some days they feel light.
Some days they feel heavy.

The rule of thumb being that 1 session in 5 you might well have a day where the weights feel heavier than they should and so you just embrace it as a fact and get on with it.

And isn't that just as enjoyable? In fact if the weights feel heavier, there can be a better sense of achievement afterwards. I only do weights specifically a couple of times a week, and mainly just upper body to strengthen the areas that need it. But I always feel pretty great throughout and afterwards.

Maybe I've just got a better playlist to lift to!:P

Patsy167

iguana wrote: »

And isn't that just as enjoyable? In fact if the weights feel heavier, there can be a better sense of achievement afterwards. I only do weights specifically a couple of times a week, and mainly just upper body to strengthen the areas that need it. But I always feel pretty great throughout and afterwards.

Maybe I've just got a better playlist to lift to!:P

Why would you need a playlist to distract you when you enjoy the activity so much?:p

Alf Veedersane

iguana wrote: »

And isn't that just as enjoyable? In fact if the weights feel heavier, there can be a better sense of achievement afterwards. I only do weights specifically a couple of times a week, and mainly just upper body to strengthen the areas that need it. But I always feel pretty great throughout and afterwards.

Maybe I've just got a better playlist to lift to!:P

You're still missing the point.

It's not whether it is or it isn't enjoyable or whether or not there is a sense of achievement afterwards. They are completely separate.

iguana

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

You're still missing the point.

It's not whether it is or it isn't enjoyable or whether or not there is a sense of achievement afterwards. They are completely separate.

So what is the point then?