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The Sedentary Life Of A Dev: Staying healthy in the workplace?

polycounter lvl 13
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Mask_Salesman polycounter lvl 13
Being rooted to our desks day-in day-out is the nature of our jobs. But how long can we last in such a sedentary career. What can we do to battle against this slow death sentence heh.

How many solid hours do you spend at your desk? How often do you take breaks? And for how long? What do you do in those breaks, exercise, stretch? Does your studio have good or bad views on employee health, Crunch vs Longevity?

I'm interested to know how everyone deals with it, what your average work day is like. What you do personally to stay healthy?

And whether your studio contributes to aiding or worsening your health aswell:

- Some places can be all about crunching long continuous hours, fueled by caffeine and snack food. Often well past clocking off time.

- Others can be more health conscious/family type focused; sensible hours, fewer crunches for shorter durations. Encourage physical activities as a team.


It's possible to stipulate that these can relate to the type of people working there; Younger newer upstarts can love the 'work hard play hard', 'burn the midnight oil' lifestyle. Where as more experienced devs with families will want/need more sensible work hours. I've heard some crazy tales from both ends of the spectrum ranging from slave labour to inhouse gyms :poly101:

While this older thread (Quality of life vs. crunch) has some nice discussions on the subject, I created this thread to preferably culminate a larger focus on what we all personally do to try and stay healthy at our workplace.



I'm no model but I'm becoming more aware. For me I find I can easily go 4 hours at my desk without noticing, I try to force myself every 2 hours as a minimum to do some stretching and exercise. mainly anything to get the legs pumping, or just 20minutes away from my desk as apposed to just getting up for a drink or whatever.
I generally eat healthy meals, lots of veg - no junk food although I can be pretty lazy with cooking, I still snack throughout the day on fruit or biscuits. I drink a ton of water and consume lots of tea. I try to avoid too much caffeine.
Interceptor is very much a crunch instead of sleeping indie company, being around 30 people all 20s-30s.
Aslong as you meet milestones you can however manage your own time, taking breaks as you see fit. Which combats nicely the long hours.

That all may sound good but I've noticed a serious lack of exercise being at a pc for so long over the past 5 years, instead of becoming overweight I find myself at the opposite end being a frail skinny white boi now. I spend all day at my desk, trying to up my exercise too much often results in straining a muscle and having to recover thus almost nullifying the progress haha. still wanting to do personal art in the evenings but after a whole day at a desk my body just wants to get away from it at that point haha.

I used to skate alot which kept me super healthy, but breaking my limbs isn't good for an artist so I gradually got out of it. Now I'm litually too weak to do such a strenuous hard impact sport straigh off the bat again. I need gradual progressive exercise to work upto something like that again I guess. Which is my ultimate goal, to find a healthy balance between desk and body.
:poly142:


So what do you guys do to stay healthy in the workplace? Even better, do you work together to stay healthy at work?




.

Replies

  • LordSebbington
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    LordSebbington polycounter lvl 6
    I work from home so it's not necessarily applicable to studios but I do hourly pushups, low rep, started at 3. I've been slowly building up.

    I'm also starting seated leg raises for abdominal strength and I've put a no fuss pull up bar on the door. Every time I walk through I have to do one mandatory pull up. I used to climb and be quite strong but I've got the upper strength of a kitten now so even one is pushing it but I'm improving quickly.

    One thing that helps to monitor my time is the Pomodoro technique. There's free apps everywhere for it. 25 minutes work, 3 minute rest, rinse, repeat.

    It helps me keep track of the day. I can happily burn 4 hours without realising and that isn't necessarily a smart way to work. It keeps me asking if I'm using my time in the best way.

    Also, finishing my work day when I'm supposed to. The extra 1-2 hours at the end of the day to polish things up equate to a full work day by the end of the week and again, it's not a smart way to work.

    I'm not super strict with this stuff but it keeps me looking in the right direction.
  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    i have a 5kg kettle bell hanging from each wrist by a bungie cord while i work.
  • PixelMasher
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    PixelMasher veteran polycounter
    One of the benefits of working here at ubi is they have a decent gym in the studio. so I try to hit that shit hard 3-4x a week after work to get my swoll on. I also try to go for lunchtime walks in the sun to get some color to my pale skin, and attempt to eat relativley decent.

    Latley I have been all about pimpin' my lifestyle, and being fit, jacked and eating healthy have massivley boosted my energy, confidence and generally makes me feel a lot better than being alittle slug sitting at a desk all the time not doing anything. It can be hard to be motivated sometimes but pushing through that is what creates good habits, not the new years resolution hit the gym for a week or 2 and then quit.

    heed this advice ;)

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ7cVDgZQdg"]You May Now Approach The Bench - YouTube[/ame]
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0WxyKGD7sU"]Rookie Mistakes In The Gym - YouTube[/ame]
  • Torch
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    Torch interpolator
    Spend a lot of hours at me desk, I recently started doing intermittent fasting 5:2 and I find it helps a lot, makes you feel more alert and helps your body feel better.

    Going to echo the whole excercise thing as well as mentioned by others - been trying the Shaun T insanity workout which is great even if you don't have much time during the day, just half an hour - 40 mins at least and it will get you sweating like a bastard!
  • Geezus
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    Geezus mod
    One of the benefits of working here at ubi is they have a decent gym in the studio. so I try to hit that shit hard 3-4x a week after work to get my swoll on. I also try to go for lunchtime walks in the sun to get some color to my pale skin, and attempt to eat relativley decent.

    Latley I have been all about pimpin' my lifestyle, and being fit, jacked and eating healthy have massivley boosted my energy, confidence and generally makes me feel a lot better than being alittle slug sitting at a desk all the time not doing anything. It can be hard to be motivated sometimes but pushing through that is what creates good habits, not the new years resolution hit the gym for a week or 2 and then quit.

    Fellow SWOLBROTHER here... I'm a little over a month into my new lifestyle. I hit the gym 6 days a week, for an hour. I've recently added an additional hour, later in the evening, 3 times a week, too. Although, I'm fortunate enough to work at a place with a decent gym. I coach roller derby on the side, so my nights and weekends are often full of skating (I look glorious in my booty shorts).

    If you can't get to the gym, give yourself time to get up and walk around, stretch, etc. Also, if you drink soda, work towards cutting that shit out. So many devs sit at their desk and pound Mnt Dew/Energy drinks. Believe it or not, we run better on premium and I guarantee that you'll have more energy by just being a little bit more active and eating healthy food.

    Hydrate! Get yourself a good water bottle and drink tons of water from it. I recommend the [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Contigo-AUTOSEAL-Bottle-32-Ounce-Charcoal/dp/B003KZKDIG/]Contigo.[/ame] You won't see me around the office without it.
  • Torch
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    Torch interpolator
    Geezus wrote: »

    If you can't get to the gym, give yourself time to get up and walk around, stretch, etc. Also, if you drink soda, work towards cutting that shit out. So many devs sit at their desk and pound Mnt Dew/Energy drinks. Believe it or not, we run better on premium and I guarantee that you'll have more energy by just being a little bit more active and eating healthy food.

    Amen to that, when I was at Sega I'd always see people knocking back cans of Relentless everyday, that shit is so bad for your insides XO
  • ikken
    > Also, if you drink soda, work towards cutting that shit out. So many devs sit at their desk and pound Mnt Dew/Energy drinks.

    adding to this point - if you're sipping on cola, coffee or any caffeine containing liquid during the day and make it a habit, be aware that regular caffeine intake is elevating your cortisol levels over time, which will contribute to chronic fatigue, sugar cravings and, possibly, suppression of immune system;

    it also slows down bone formation, and, if you're often drinking coke, that one contributes to calcium loss, which will lead to long-term osteoporosis and slower healing process if something happens to your bones in the future. it's also not good for both teeth and gums, because our bones and teeth actually lose calcium over time, and soda accelerates this process.

    and, it contains a shit load of sugar.

    if you absolutely can't make it without fizzy stuff, mix orange/apple/cherry juice and carbonated water 1:2, and make sure to get some sort of calcium supplement.
  • EvanL
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    EvanL polycounter lvl 11
    Sounds like you're eating all right. I'd strongly recommend picking up a sport. It makes exercise so much more fun especially if you apply the same passion and thirst for self-improvement you have for game art.

    It'll be rough at first and incredibly discouraging, but the long term rewards are worth it (in my opinion). If you're having a tough time physically, some outdoor running and resistance training goes a long way, otherwise as long as you keep playing consistently, it'll come. If you're having trouble keeping up with others skill wise, just use your head and do the same thing you do for self-improvement with game art. I think most sports on the amateur level, you can more than make up for any physical disadvantages with smart, intelligent play.

    Even if you don't pick up a sport, I would try finding away to make exercise fun and most importantly rewarding. You'll more likely to stick to it consistently.
  • Geezus
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    Geezus mod
    Torch wrote: »
    Amen to that, when I was at Sega I'd always see people knocking back cans of Relentless everyday, that shit is so bad for your insides XO

    I've often thought of making some sort of music video based around the sound of cans opening around the office.

    I honestly had no idea just how dehydrated I was until I cut the soda, a few years back, and started drinking nothing but water. Only recently have I increased my water intake and man... it makes a huge difference!

    The problem with all of this is finding the balance between informing someone and not sounding like a pretentious prick. Everyone knows they need to eat better and be more active, but rarely do people want to be reminded by someone else.
  • Count Vertsalot
    I have a weird suggestion. Eat baby food for snacks. Sounds gross, but it has all the nutrients you get from veggies and fruit without having to prepare the veggies and fruit or worrying about refrigeration. You don't even need a spoon anymore since most come in squeezable pouches these days. It's also extremely fast and clean to eat. It doesn't taste bad at all. It tastes like fruit and it lets me eat stuff I hate like broccoli. It's also cheaper than buying all the ingredients separately. A pouch is less than $2 and you can buy in bulk on Amazon.

    http://ellaskitchen.com/ellas_range/stage-1-baby-food/

    Also, stand up. I have my Cintiq on an adjustable ergotron arm so I can sit or stand while working.
  • PixelMasher
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    PixelMasher veteran polycounter
    The worst is when I see super heavy people here at the studio with tons of empty diet soda cans at their desk. its still renforcing your need for sweet shit lol. brute.

    amen on drinking more water, whenever im properly hydrated I can hit it 2-3x as hard at the gym before I start to tire, run longer and generally have more energy. also, I recently had the person in charge of ergonomics come and setup my desk so my posture isnt fucked, and neck and wrists are not being destroyed. so many people in this industry have rediculously bad posture, body language and what I like to call "turtle neck syndrome" where the head juts forward and the neck is pushed at an odd angle.

    get that stuff taken care off, and join mine and geezus's MOTHAFUCKIN' SWOLL PATROL.
  • poly_bob
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    poly_bob polycounter lvl 3
    Torch wrote: »
    Spend a lot of hours at me desk, I recently started doing intermittent fasting 5:2 and I find it helps a lot, makes you feel more alert and helps your body feel better.

    I've been really interested in fasting. Been thinking about trying 6:1 to test out. Would it be okay to lets say, go to the gym or being active on the day of your fast?

    I do brazilian jiu jitsu. I find it fun and always keeps me interested. with the added benefit of making me overall healthier. I find the gym boring. I recommend taking some a class where you can learn some sort of skill.
    Parkour would be awesome.
  • Geezus
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    Geezus mod
    get that stuff taken care off, and join mine and geezus's MOTHAFUCKIN' SWOLL PATROL.

    SWOLBRAHAM LINCOLNS!

    ...i'm sorry.
  • Hazardous
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    Hazardous polycounter lvl 12
    Yeah my life is pretty damned sedentary!

    I play with our dog / cat as often as I can, ( i dont mean standing in one spot throwing a ball either, more like running around, rolling around on ground etc. ) and get out in the veggie garden too. I like the idea of parkour, might look into something along these lines when i get back to New Zealand.

    Its all too easy for me to go 4 hours or more without stopping. once im in the zone man thats it, food, drink everything gets forgotten haha.

    I juice a lot of fruit veggies, and eat 3 / 4 fairly healthy meals a day, + protein shake & vitamin C, flax seed oil and B12 suplements because I only eat meat occasionally. I've always been a skinny kinda dude.

    Junk food is pretty low, havent had a sodas in about 2 years, and fast / microwaved food is completely out of our diets.

    One thing I do want to do, is seriously build myself a proper 'workstation' that will in all likelyhood be a standing station, with perhaps a nebuchadnezzar style matrix chair with cintique arm built into it for those laid back moments. Standard sitting posture at a desk is just not working for me at all, posture gets worse the further in the zone I become.
  • wester
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    wester polycounter lvl 13
    Go to the gym for lunch instead of eating out. Our long hours at work are inevitable so you should honestly use it to your advantage.

    I usually go to the gym every other day at lunch for an hour. It's about a mile run so I run there, get my SWELL ON, then run back. When I get back I throw food I cooked the night before in the microwave and eat up. If you want to be in shape and stay in shape you'll find a way to make it happen. I definitely still drink the occasional soda :X But I'm trying to cut them out quick!

    ....mmmm soda. brb

    random funfact. I saw a couple at the gym the other day with a shirt that said "SWOLE MATES". I almost died.
  • J0NNYquid
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    J0NNYquid polycounter lvl 5
    I've been a runner since middle school so getting out an exercising has just always been something I've done, but since I got a job where a majority of my day is spent sitting, I have had to change my diet significantly. I try and eat a full, well-rounded breakfast as often as I can. More energy throughout the day. I also stopped eating after 8 pm. At first I went to bed hungry, but after a while I got used to it, plus you wake up starving and it forces you to eat a big breakfast. As far as lifting goes I just do pushups/situps/squats when I wake up and before I go to bed. Seems to work.

    Other than that, lots of water and kale(if you're not eating this regularly, you should, it's insanely cheap, and delicious).

    @Haz, I had the same problem with my posture, towards the end of the day I resembled an amorphous goo puddle in my chair. I switched to an exercise ball chair and I love it. It forces you upright(though it's still possible to slouch). Another added bonus is that it tires you out, so you're forced to get up and move around from time to time. I'd recommend trying one.
  • MattQ86
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    MattQ86 polycounter lvl 14
    http://www.hundredpushups.com/

    It's like level grinding for your upper body.
  • Torch
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    Torch interpolator
    poly_bob wrote: »
    I've been really interested in fasting. Been thinking about trying 6:1 to test out. Would it be okay to lets say, go to the gym or being active on the day of your fast?

    Yo bob, you'd be better off reading the book by Mosley than me trying to give you advice on it - [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fast-Diet-Intermittent-Fasting/dp/1780721676"]The Fast Diet: The Secret of Intermittent Fasting - Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, Live Longer: Amazon.co.uk: Dr Michael Mosley, Mimi Spencer: Books[/ame]

    If you're doing jiu jitsu that's even better, a lot of athletes advocate fasting during certain periods of training. Some people are concerned that it will be detrimental to their health or it will be really distracting, but there are a lot of pros to it. Also it doesn't require cutting calories everyday and can help form more realistic goals, rather than "I need to lose a stone by this month". It needs to be more of a lifestyle change, more so than "I won't eat chocolate for a few weeks and see how it goes" :D

    I'm the same with the gym, I figure why go running in a box when you can go out in the open.
    Hazardous wrote: »
    Yeah my life is pretty damned sedentary!
    I like the idea of parkour, might look into something along these lines when i get back to New Zealand.

    I gave some thought to this as well and would love to try it out, but would probably struggle getting off the ground as I'm a big git. I keep imagining trying to vault over a wall and landing doing the splits, crushing the twins XO
    Hazardous wrote: »

    Standard sitting posture at a desk is just not working for me at all, posture gets worse the further in the zone I become.

    Have you tried Lumbar support? I had the same problem sitting and working for a long time and because I slouched, the lower back would get all kinds of messed up. Picked up one from Poundworld recently and it does the trick!
  • Steve Schulze
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    Steve Schulze polycounter lvl 18
    Parkour is the sort of thing you want to start when you're young and springy. I did a few classes a while back but had to stop because even doing things correctly it'd leave my knees and ankles in an awful lot of pain, and I'm someone who's reasonably fit, does a lot of walking and isn't very heavy.
  • Zipfinator
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    Zipfinator polycounter lvl 9
    Geezus wrote: »
    I honestly had no idea just how dehydrated I was until I cut the soda, a few years back, and started drinking nothing but water. Only recently have I increased my water intake and man... it makes a huge difference!

    I completely agree with that. Back in my WoW days in high school I'd sit at my computer all day and drink 8-16 cans of soda a day with maybe a Gatorade and no water. Although I still sit at the computer most of the day, I drink 120-200 ounces of water a day which is a ton for getting no exercise and maybe drink four 8 ounce glass bottles of soda a month.
  • ExcessiveZero
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    ExcessiveZero polycounter lvl 6
    Kettle-bells, it helps you think sometimes really, a quick 10 minute set between working, I walk a lot too, try and get out once a week to photograph for concept, reference texture library etc.

    Cold showers in the morning (activates hormones) ZMA at night to boost testosterone, also gives you good energy through the day, and a good diet cutting out most carbs.

    sometimes I do some Jiujitsu classes or kickboxing on my punchbag, health is way too important to put on the back burner, the key to life is balance, I really believe if you neglect your body and have poor health you will feel shitty, you feel shitty, you create low quality work.
  • Snefer
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    Snefer polycounter lvl 16
    Bah, the gym in ubi montreal is crap, so tiny and not enough weights! : D
  • Lazerus Reborn
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    Lazerus Reborn polycounter lvl 8
    MattQ86 wrote: »
    http://www.hundredpushups.com/

    It's like level grinding for your upper body.


    This works wonders. Try to do 10 pushups ever 1-3 hours. Takes 2 mins tops and you'll see a noticeable improvement. I set alarms on my phone to go off for when i should do them.
  • J0NNYquid
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    J0NNYquid polycounter lvl 5
    ^+1 for the 100 pushups plan, I went through it once(didn't get all the way to 100, though it WAS for lack of trying :)) but it's such a small amount of time required to do it, and you work so many different muscle groups. For someone that despises lifting, this was the easiest route for me to take.
  • crazyfool
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    crazyfool polycounter lvl 13
    Pushup pros in the App Store is really good. I hadn't realised what a proper proper push up was until I tried it haha, I was dong the fast lazy ones where aslong as you go up and down it counted haha. For these you lay your phone on the floor and then have to touch your chin or nose to the phone so you are getting really deep. I used to do 50 lazy push ups easy haha so was surprised how hard it was, I'm at about 20 now of the gut wrenching hard ones haha. Another good app is myfitnesspal to just keep an eye on your diet and set goals for weightloss and if you are eating too much salt, carbs, fats etc.

    I've started jogging aswell as there's not much you can do whilst in working hours, I do 2 miles every 2 or 3 days and its getting longer every time I go out. So far I've learnt that if its windy then don't go running haha, if its super hot then don't go running haha, if you are tired then don't go running haha. I really enjoy it though which is funny as everyone else I know hates it haha. Main thing though is watching your food and realising that if you eat at work then you are gonna have a harder time burning it off, I'm lucky my lady is on a diet too so making meals we both like is really good.
  • PixelMasher
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    PixelMasher veteran polycounter
    Ive also started cutting back on beer, feel way less bloated and trimmed some of the fat from retty much drinking sugar and carbs. Still enjoy a pint on a terrace a couple times a week, but for going out to bars/clubs switched to vodka sodas, helps not have a hangover due to very little sugar and also adds some hydration.

    I try to limit drinking to nights like friday an the weekend when im not working out to keep my testosterone production solid.
  • cholden
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    cholden polycounter lvl 18
    This is a very common theme on the CrunchCast as well as my blog, specifically this recent entry http://chrisholden.net/blog/7_Methods_of_the_Healthy_Desk_Dweller.htm
  • Norron
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    Norron polycounter lvl 13
    I second Polybob's approach. I also do BJJ and Judo for fun and just to stay fit. Finding something that's very active that I had an interest in was perfect. it's a skill I can develop too so I feel fulfilled in my offtime.

    Granted it requires a good amount of time investment and whenever a crunch rolled around I would find it hard to sneak out at 5 to make class times.
  • poly_bob
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    poly_bob polycounter lvl 3
    Kettle-bells, it helps you think sometimes really, a quick 10 minute set between working,

    Cold showers in the morning (activates hormones)

    Yes! Kettle bells are awesome. And I tried the cold shower awhile back. Not as bad as you would think. You kind of get used to it. Gonna try it again. Thanks for reminding me :)

    Did you also read Tim Ferriss' book?
    Torch wrote: »
    Yo bob, you'd be better off reading the book by Mosley than me trying to give you advice on it - The Fast Diet: The Secret of Intermittent Fasting...

    Thanks I'll check that out. I just watched his Doc. Interesting stuff.
    if anyone is interested here's a link.

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvdbtt_eat-fast-live-longer-hd_shortfilms?search_algo=2#.UbPqNfm1FrW
    Norron wrote: »
    I second Polybob's approach. I also do BJJ

    Cool. White belt, 3 stripes.
    You?
  • Norron
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    Norron polycounter lvl 13
    poly_bob wrote: »
    Cool. White belt, 3 stripes.
    You?

    White 4 here and Judo orange.

    Zhoo Zhitz!
  • Lamont
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    Lamont polycounter lvl 15
    I would recommend getting into a sport. Makes getting into shape fun. Even if the goal is to not get into shape, eating good is most important. Eating when hungry, drinking more water and having proper snacks (like grapes, or fruit) around helps.
  • D4V1DC
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    D4V1DC polycounter lvl 18
    Great thread awesome to read all the goals.
    Just wanted to add when your getting bored with the routine of exercising (which you will, if you don't plan ahead.)
    I figured out a cool little system in adventures of becoming healthier and stronger make 3 exercising routines and make each new cycle harder and set a final "achievement" goal.

    So an example would be:

    week 1 (or 3 week cycle)
    incline Push ups (if new)

    week 2 (or 3 week cycle)
    regular push ups

    week 3 (or 3 week cycle)
    decline push ups

    Goal for me right now is:
    Handstand Push Ups (Epic) I'm 31 so little bit harder for me.

    3 week cycle means after 3 weeks of those move onto the next one.

    ^ Pretty much do that for anything and everything else, if I listed a full body routine this post would be huge.
    But you get the idea just cycle after the third week, and maybe add a new exercise for that body part on week 1 or week 3 and eliminate the starter exercise. (Basically progression)

    For the discouraged, I've taken 6 months off through out my adventures it is hella hard to fight cravings so it is not like it wasn't hard but I would just say to myself I am glad I didn't take that beer, or eat Mc Donalds, ect. ect. I do still eat sort of bad but it is not an every day or week thing, once a month or two as a reward but I am finding that things aren't as tasty as I thought they were.
  • Dylan Brady
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    Dylan Brady polycounter lvl 9
    been doing kettlebells for the past six months (before I moved out here to toronto)
    never enjoyed a workout as much as I did with kettlebells.
    Its important to have a good selection, so you can change weights for each exercise and push yourself each time.
    Still struggling to find a diet that doesn't leave me exhausted during the day. I would literally be falling asleep at my chair come 2-3 PM.
  • slipsius
    Dylan, in terms of diet, you want the following.

    Breakfast - pure protein. NO CARBS. Your body doesnt need carbs that early in the day. If you arent much of a breakfast person, a protein shake does wonders.

    mid morning snack - some sort of veggie. I usually go for 10-15 baby carrots.

    Lunch - protein and carbs. You`ll want 4oz of protein and carbs. So a nice big sandwich. Subway. chicken and rice. something like that. Lunch is when your body needs the energy from carbs the most, and it will help you get through the day.

    Mid afternoon snack - Fibre fibre fiber. An apple with the skin on is PERFECT for that time of day.

    Dinner - Protein, veggies, fruit, salad. No carbs. Generally you dont want to eat carbs after 4pm because your body doesnt need it anymore, and will just store it as fat. But you want 4oz of protein (chicken or turkey or something), then the rest of your plate is fruits and veggies and salad. Whichever you want to have.

    After dinner, if you find yourself hungry, have more protein. Dont go for the chips or sweets or anything. an extra chicken breast or protein shake works wonders and will fill you up. But before you have a snack, drink some water. Your body could be mistaking dehydration for hunger. So have a glass of water before you jump to the fridge.


    You dont have to follow that exactly, but once I started following that eating routine, I noticed I had more energy at the end of the day, AND I was sleeping better, which also helped with the more energy.
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 18
    My legs are shot so I'm starting to run in the pool, I haven't started anything super serious yet.
  • Kwramm
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    Kwramm interpolator
    don't really have a plan other than: no snacking, no soda, no liquor (beer or wine together with the food are okay though). Stick to fish / poultry (if there's no bird flu going on here) over red meat. I don't have a car so I walk if I have to. And I stopped smoking loooong ago. If you do, better stop doing that before working on a diet plan.
  • slipsius
    Btw, there's already a thread about this sort of stuff, though its focused more on weight loss. But still lots of great tips in there.

    http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84478&highlight=belly+club
  • Amsterdam Hilton Hotel
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    Amsterdam Hilton Hotel insane polycounter
    eat a bunch of plants and then some animals and walk to work or whatever
  • Ruz
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    Ruz polycount lvl 666
    frozen+meringue+cake.jpg

    mmmm lovely cake
  • Lloydyy89
    This is a cool thread. I've but on a lot of weight since I've started Uni/Working in a studio. In comparison to my old job (scaffolder) this was a big lifestyle change. Thanks for all the tips y'all!
  • Torch
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    Torch interpolator
    Ruz what are you doing XO
  • Desperad0
    I'm on a 3D animation modeling program, and because I'm someone who's from a painting and illustration background, I didn't even know what edge loop is at first. Because of that I spend almost 12 hours Monday to Saturday sitting, mostly at the same desk, either in lectures or trying to catch up to the average class standard of skill level. I usually take 1 day off every other week to do laundry and stock up on food. I rarely go outside of the class room/campus or bed room. It's definitely not healthy, because I ended up seeing a counsellor due to stress.

    Even though there is a gym literally 3 minutes walk from my building, when there is so much to catch up in skill level, I'm always feeling afraid of being left behind if I take even 1 hour off.
  • Nysuatro
    Stretching, dancing, drinking water, eating lots of vegetables and fruit, I walk everywhere, trying to spend lots of time outside, 5-15 min morning and evening exercises, not overeating (best tip ever!), no sodas, max 2 coffees a day, keeping amount of snacks very low, take enough walking breaks at work ( every hour), ...
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