Stationary cardio (treadmills, ellipticals, bikes) is mind numbing.

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entremet

entremet

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This year I got into running for the first time seriously. Before that, I was a swimmer in college, and rode my bike during the spring and summer.

I've lifted since college, but got serious last 5 years, building a nice base of strength following the advice from the Fitness GAF OTs and running Starting Strength.

Before that I was doing shitty isolation work type workouts and never got anywhere. SS's focus on the compound lifts (squat, deadlift, press, and bench) plus learning about calorie surpluses and protein requirements when training help me put on some nice mass.

I later started to add more isolation work on top the compound movements to bring up the show muscles.

But this year, I got into running seriously, on off days. I did a couch to 5k program on my smartphone and started to fall in love with running.

The smartphones apps for these programs are amazing. You put on some music or a podcast and you get a gentle reminder when to run, when to walk, and for how long. Eventually you build your work capacity to run 3 miles without walking, but it takes some time and that's what the app is for.

Years ago I tried the couch to 5k without the app (they didn't exist at the time) and it was annoying having to time yourself manually. These apps time everything for you and give you the cues as well.

Now that's it's getting colder where, I've been doing some work on the treadmill. And man, it is mind numbing.

I've never loved those traditional cardio machine setups at the gym. I've tried watching TV, listening to music and podcasts, but it's just so mind numbing.

The time display seems to crawl as well.

This is a stark contrast to running outside, where you get to have some sunshine, explore your surrounding, mix in hills and speed without having to manually control a piece of machinery.

I have a friend who loves the elliptical, but that's just a boring. And stationary bikes aren't better either.

And forget about the torture mechanism that is the stairmaster.

I guess I'm gonna need to get some winter running gear.

For those who use these machines with regularity, how do you do it?
 
I can usually get a good 6-7 mile run outside with few issues.

But man, I struggle to get to 3 miles on a treadmill. I absolutely hate them.

So yeah, I feel you.
 
phinious said:
I watch tv while I ride my stationary bike. An hour passes before I know it
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But do you feel you're pushing yourself?

I never feel I'm as intense on these machines.

I sometimes do HIIT on bikes, since they're relatively safe for doing that.
 
i can do aerobatics in a plane pretty much infinitely but treadmills make me dizzy. go figure.

maybe try a spin / rpm class. HIIT workout, usually pretty hyper. can be great fun
 
entrement said:
For those who use these machines with regularity, how do you do it?
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I usually just zone out, or I just look at the stupid news that is playing on the tv in front of me. Another way I get through is by singing out songs in my head to pass time. I've lost all of my weight through those machines.. I don't know how I did it, now that I think of it.

I've always wanted to get into running, but I don't know how to deal with my shorts falling down when I do it. No matter how hard I tie the drawstring, they just fall down. It's very much frustrating.

How do you keep that from happening?
 
Well I have bad knees, so I use very low resistance but very high rpm. I do not feel like I'm pushing myself anymore unless I go for longer. I can't spin much faster.
 
M52B28 said:
I usually just zone out, or I just look at the stupid news that is playing on the tv in front of me. Another way I get through is by singing out songs in my head to pass time. I've lost all of my weight through those machines.. I don't know how I did it, now that I think of it.

I've always wanted to get into running, but I don't know how to deal with my shorts falling down when I do it. No matter how hard I tie the drawstring, they just fall down. It's very much frustrating.

How do you keep that from happening?
Click to expand...

shorts that fit
 
M52B28 said:
I usually just zone out, or I just look at the stupid news that is playing on the tv in front of me. Another way I get through is by singing out songs in my head to pass time. I've lost all of my weight through those machines.. I don't know how I did it, now that I think of it.

I've always wanted to get into running, but I don't know how to deal with my shorts falling down when I do it. No matter how hard I tie the drawstring, they just fall down. It's very much frustrating.

How do you keep that from happening?
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Start doing squats. You have no ass.
 
I have a small, feet-only elliptical trainer. I can sit in a chair and do it while I play video games.

Pretty awesome and gets your heart going.
 
Definitely a problem for me as well. Especially in Michigan, considering that for about half the year I have to run inside. So I switched to playing Squash all year instead with a small weight routine added on for after.

I still run sometimes but usually only as a warm-up/cool-down before I play.
 
I need to get back into exercising, but I remember back when I used my stationary bike I had a real hard time finding a TV show that would not annoy me because me tolerance level for bullshit is even lower than usually when working out.

Podcasts is what seemed best to me though. When I start up again now, I might try audio books since I have been getting more into those over the past year.
 
DTU said:
I play games while running. Recently got about 60 hours of MGS V in this way.
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Exercise bike + turn-based game mechanics = easy mode.

A few years ago I played through FF8 and FF7 while cycling.
 
industrian said:
Exercise bike + turn-based game mechanics = easy mode.

A few years ago I played through FF8 and FF7 while cycling.
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It really depends on the game. I was trying to play Rise of the Tomb Raider on my exercise bike but whenever I wasn't running in the game it was hard to keep going at a decent speed. My brain kept saying to go slower or stop.

I'm trying to do Tales of Symphonia now and in battle I get kinda pumped and get going really fast.
 
How do I do it? I remember how much it sucked to be fat. I've always viewed exercise as a means to an end. I dread it all the time but its a necessary evil I put up with.
 
I run Ultra Marathons and use them occasionally for hill sessions but fucking hate doing a long slow steady state run on them.

How cold is it where you live, is it really too cold to run outside?
 
RulkezX said:
I run Ultra Marathons and use them occasionally for hill sessions but fucking hate doing a long slow steady state run on them.

How cold is it where you live, is it really too cold to run outside?
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Not too bad honestly. I just miss the warmer temperatures. It's 39 Fahrenheit now.
 
I play Halo while on the recumbent bike. I burn more calories if I'm losing (rage) and I tend to play SWAT. My K/D ratio drops by about a third because the TV is so far away, rather than the movement.

I also watch HGTV. Let me be clear about something:

Chip and JoJo are THE BEST! Chip will do a stunt, he will never deny you a basement TV room because he found a structural problem, he'll just fix it. And JoJo will make you a gorgeous kitchen, even if she always adds a sliding barn door you didn't ask for.

And Christina and Turok, or whatever he's called, ARE THE WORST. They will paint a shitty house a shitty color and she will point glibly at a granite countertop and say "that." Then they will sell if for a fifteen cent profit because they really aren't very good at this.
 
You dont have to do boring cardio like stationary bikes/elliptical/treadmill etc.
I do alot of cardio, started with a boxing class a couple years back that incorporated alot of HIIT, and let me tell you doing HIIT is more effective, more enjoyable, and more absolutely fucking wrecking your shit than sitting on a damn bike that goes nowhere.

When i do cardio now i do a few different things you may be able to do at your own gym, if they have the right equipment. Includes, but not limited to:

Boxing
Jump rope
Battle ropes
Prowler

10 mins of jump rope is fun, takes concentration, and burns fuckloads of calories. Battle ropes will leave you exhausted after only a few minutes if you do it right.
Even if you dont have any of those, grab a core bag, or some dumbells, and do a small circuit incorporating them. I have a good routine i do with both, 60 seconds of non stop core bag swings, 15 seconds rest, 60 secs of dumbell pushups etc etc. You can be inventive and do fun cardio, instead of half assing it on a treadmill.
 
Anything involving constant repetition is quickly dull to me. So basically all cardio is mind numbing. It's why I have to listen to audio books or watch a show while running.
 
I need the open world and a distance to go. My issue is that it gets dark when I get out of work now. Riding a bile at night can get dicey on unlit roads. I have flashing light and a jacket that has reflective parts to it though.
 
The only thing that would make indoor cardio interesting to me is shooting through a wormhole in virtual reality while listening to crazy trance with weird aliens and funny shit appearing out of nowhere when you hit certain levels of progress in your workout.

Lifting weights is pretty fun though.
 
Picked up a bunch of running tights to run in the cold but with el nino coming i might have to hit the treadmill. I feel your pain op, i cant last more than 30 minute on there before i want to shot myself
 
i only ride the stationary bike 2 days a week. The other days I do my regular cardio. But an hour goes by pretty quickly if you watch tv or use the iPad for me at least. If i was just listening to music and staring at the calories burned and time then forget about it though. That would suck.
 
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