I've just about given up on the excercise thing.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’ll admit it - I’m naturally scrawny, self-conscious about it, and have been determined to change it. The trouble is, I just can’t.

For years I bought into the “total fitness” idea. A good diet and healthful excercise are important to good health, but I think I’ve actually spent decades going in the wrong direction.

I don’t want to admit it, but I think strength training may have been a huge mistake. I understand (and believe deep down) all the arguments in favor of it, and I think they’re valid for most people. It helps with bone density, increases and maintains muscle mass (duh), and generally stitches everything together better. You become more resistant to impact injury, your joints are supported better, and stuff like that. Done properly, strength training also has significant cardiovascular benefits.

But it just doesn’t work for me. I have to work far too hard to maintain any kind of conditioning. For years I managed to keep my body weight right at 190 pounds, but that came at the cost of hours of daily effort. I thought it was worth it, though, because I felt great. Unfortunately, nearly a year ago I hurt my shoulder and had to drastically curtail my workouts, and within six months I lost twenty pounds. Since then I’ve been able to claw my way back up to about a buck-eighty, but it’s been a long hard slog and it’s discouraging to know that if I stop this grueling schedule I’ll be a toothpick again in no time.

This morning I had an epiphany. I just don’t need to do this any more. I don’t play professional football and I don’t fall down a lot or anything. Hell, when you get right down to it I don’t even really need to look good at this point, because I’m married and she’s stuck with me. All I really plan on doing from now until I die is a sensible cardio program just so I don’t keel over from angina before my time. Besides, while I’m not quite forty years old, I’m sure as hell not twenty anymore either.

I’ve resigned myself to being a pasty (I also don’t tan well ), sickly looking punk. I’ll do what I have to do for my health, but otherwise my gym rat phase is over.

I guess I’m sort of begging for some validation here. Somebody please tell me I’m doing the right thing.

2

OK by me. Maybe try pilates?

3

Hmm. Hard to tell without pictures. :wink:

You know, some girls actually like scrawny boys…

4

The key is too stay healthy. You can’t do that by not exercising at all but taking a long walk everyday is a lot more rewarding and less sweaty than hours at the gym.

So, you’ve got my vote to stop the foolishness, eat your veggies, accept the body nature gave you and just keep it up as best as you can.

5

Naturally scrawny, 190 lbs… how the heck tall are you???

I would recommend keeping at least a minimal amount of some kind of non-cardio training in the mix… say, every ten minutes on the elliptical or whatever, drop and do 20 pushups and 50 crunches, then get back into the cardio. You don’t need to be able to bend horseshoes with your eyebrows, but being able to take the lid off a peanut butter jar without breaking a sweat can be handy later in life.

6

I agree. Keep up with the kind of exercise you need for your health, but stop fighting against your natural body type.

Life is too short. Be healthy, be happy. Relax.

7

I should have been more clear.

I had to work like hell to maintain 190. When I stop working out I shed muscle mass like a duck sheds water. My “natural” body weight seems to be about 170, and I’m 6’2".

8

Mmph. Mr. Lissar has just gotten up to 180, and he’s doing class at the dojo three hours almost every night. Some of us girls actually like skinny, tall, and pale. I do, very much.

I will generously donate you ten or more pounds of fat, if you’d like them.

I also think you should post pics, Lazy Internet American Husband.

9

If you’re lifting weights for hours every day, you’re not strength training. You’re doing really inefficient cardio. :slight_smile: Seriously, I do maybe 2 or 3 hours a week and I’m doing fine.

But good on you for the healthy dose of perspective. At the very least, it sounds like you need a break for a bit.

10

Okay, that makes sense. The guys I train with who are your height are all over 250. So, yeah, that’s kinda scrawny.

11

ex, your Canadian wife is right. Some of us prefer the tall slender build to Mr. Universe types. Just make sure you don’t wear your pants up under your chest and you’ll be allright.

12

By Lucifer’s beard, dude, some of us are trying to get down to 190. (I’m 6’0", 215.) Unless you’re prepping for a fight or something, why worry about getting all that muscle? Better to be on the scrawny side than the fat side. And strength training ≠body building. There’s nothing wrong with a little light weight lifting.

13

I think I saw this on a Hallmark card the other day.
I agree that hours every day is too much. Work out to keep your health benefits and don’t worry about perfect muscle tone. Some strength training is still good though. You also might find that in the next decade you finally start to keep weight on as your metabolism slows down.
I have found that now that I have other reasons to work out, namely my health, instead of just my vanity, I am more consistent about it and it is more enjoyable. I don’t freak out if the scale goes up or down 5 pounds because I know this is a lifestyle now and not a means to a smaller (or in your case bigger) size.

14

I think you’re on the right track. The only suggestion I would make would be to add some simple exercises like pushups, crunches, and pullups to your routine. They won’t make you huge, but they’ll help keep your upper body toned.

15

The concept of different body types: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph might be useful here. The theory, which has no real scientific basis but has been around long, says people com in three bodytypes: tall and thin; medium build and muscular, and short and round. Apparently, they each need different training and diet.

16

Tell you what Ex, you just come on down to Albeeeny in the south next summer. You can excersize to your heart’s content paddling your float over to the floating cooler and back. :smiley:

17

That sounds like a perfect opportunity to try a different kind of circuit training concept.

Paddling to the cooler, followed by 12 oz curls, then a few reps on the cocktail shaker, and maybe flipping a few burgers if I don’t get too tired.