Help Bells Get in Shape for a Job

[Bells]

So... finally i have a shot at a decent job.

I'm looking at a position as an Safety Assistant on a very nice company that mostly focus on Training and coordinating Private Fire Brigades for shoppings, malls and larger companies.

If i manage to pass the current stage of the process i still have a individual interview ahead of me and then a 2 week training course that ends with a Physical test (basically a watered down version of a Fireman's Physical test)

So, even though i'm oveweight my health is great and i have not a single issue to worry about besides my actual weight. regarding the course, i'm already studding to prepare for it.

...the physical test worries me.

I can do about 10 simple push ups, 50 sit ups, i can walk for 4 hours without burning out, and i'm way faster than people would think i would be due to my height and weight (i can lift up to 180Kg with my legs and i have 180cm).

My problem is this... i'm not very good at running. I can dash real fast for a good 100m, but i'm not very good on doing many laps on constant speed or longer distances.

And there is the Push up bar.... i don't think i have the shoulders for it. I've never done it before and i'm supposed to be able to do at least 10 push ups...

So, considering that i get trough all the stages up to the physical test, i'll have until the end of February to prepare myself the best i can. I plan on changing my diet and doing less Wii and more weight work, but i don't think that covers it.

So, any tips? I'm mostly worried about the Push up bar... and i'm not looking to ace the test (i know i really can't in such short time). But i would like to get the best result possible.

[Corel]

So, any tips? I'm mostly worried about the Push up bar... and i'm not looking to ace the test (i know i really can't in such short time). But i would like to get the best result possible.

Basic answer: Do pushups. If you have a month until testing, you should be able to increase that number a good amount. You get crazy gains the first month, after that it becomes a wee bit harder.

Pushups on bars are a bit different to that of using the floor. If you can't find anything to emulate the bar, try doing them on your knuckles. Do you think grip will be a problem?

If you think your shoulders are a major problem elevate your legs on something like a chair so the shoulders are worked more. I would say if you can do 10, I would stick to the traditional pushup to practise with, but keep in mind changing hand position and elevation can work different muscle groups harder.

Is 10 your maximum repeition? If so try doing 3 sets of 6 repition with a 30-40 second rest inbetween instead of 10 in a row.


My problem is this... i'm not very good at running. I can dash real fast for a good 100m, but i'm not very good on doing many laps on constant speed or longer distances.

What exactly is your trouble with longer distance running? Is it that you are winded and get stitches quickly? Legs start burning too much? Quite a few people struggle on longer distant running because they exert themselves too much, or have not so stellar breathing technique.

Edit: Regardless what you do, rest the day or so before the test. For reals.

[Bells]

Sorry, i might have mispoke... i'm talking about this one

http://www.ottawa.ca/city_hall/careers/fire/guide/cpat_4/index_en-4.jpg

I never did this before

[Corel]

Ah! I see! Easy to confuse.

Not going to lie to you; pull ups can be a bitch for many people. Quite a few people can barely do 1, (One proper one that is, as in arms starting from straight and chin over the bar) if that. If you've never done it before prepare for pain! It works pretty much works nearly all the upper body muscles.

Find yourself a bar to pull yourself up on. If you can't manage 1 pullup start by standing on a chair/jumping to the top and then lower yourself slowly until your arms are straight, stand up again on the chair and repeat.

Pull ups predominantley work the Latissimus dorsi (Or Lats, those large muscles in the middle of your back.) If you can't find a bar try doing some rows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent-over_row) at quite a high weight; your test is going to have you lift your body weight, so make it count.

Be sure to work other parts of your upper body (including abdominals) as the pull up also utilises this.

Random note: Chin ups are when you have your palms facing towards you, and pull ups have your palms facing away. Chin ups make use more of biceps whilst pull ups use the lats. Just making sure we have the correct terminology here!

[bluestarultor]

Here's an idea for the pull/chin-ups: do you have a sturdy shower curtain bar that's built into the walls? Use that if you think it can support your weight. Test it first, of course. No need to end up on the floor with a bar through your ears.

I personally did a bit of this a couple years back, but I had a short, acrylic bar at my disposal (cubby shower) that probably could have held up a cow.

[Sir Pinkleton]

My only suggestion might be to run a great deal before the test, if you're having a problem with it.

One option I've heard of, to get better at sprinting, is to go on a walk. from one light pole to the next, sprint. Then, walk to the next light pole. And then repeat this process of sprinting and walking. That's what the runners at my highschool did, anyway.

But I'm no expert about the human body and exercising it.

[Funka Genocide]

yeah you're not going to be able to go from 0 to 10 pull ups in a month.

But basically, just do approximations of the exercise until you can do the actual exercise, then do it until you can do 10. You might be a freak of nature and churn your way to 10 in a month, but it's highly unlikely.

Someone said rows, those are good. Also, doing lat pulldowns with high weight, low reps. Once you're doing those with more than your body weight, you should at least be able to churn out a few pull ups.

Work your way up to 1, then keep doing it until you get more comfortable. I personally think 1 month is too short a time frame, but 2 months seems feasible. Then again I am by no means an expert, I'd suggest getting a personal trainer but I mean, you're doing this to get a job so that you can afford things like a personal trainer I'd assume, which makes my advice moot.

Just keep working out and who knows! Maybe you'll do it in time!

As for running, you'd be surprised how quickly you can acclimate your body to distance running. It really is all about overcoming that initial hurdle of "what the fuck is going on" your body experiences when you do something new. Concentrate on even breathing, maintaining a constant pace (even if it feels really, really slow) and running for a set period of time, not distance.

If you can jog for 20 minutes, you're at a good starting point to progress.

and walking has very little to do with jogging. I always find it funny when people cite their amazing walking abilities as a measure of good health. The human body is designed to walk long distances, unless you are seriously obese or crippled you can pretty much walk forever, it's basic physiology. Moving at a faster rate of speed brings your body out of homeostasis (which is pretty much maintained while you casually stroll along) and puts pressure on your various biomechanical systems which is not at all extant while walking. In terms of energy consumed per distance traveled the two activities are approximately analogous, but running is more a matter of biomechanical efficiency than total energy used.

Also, sprinting is an anaerobic exercise and so has very little to do with jogging as well.

If you're serious about improving your physical condition, you should be honest about your current level of health. You are likely very unhealthy, don't sugar coat it, use it as motivation to improve.

[Sir Pinkleton]

About the jogging thing:

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/4459/3509504985b618a10348b.jpg (http://img136.imageshack.us/i/3509504985b618a10348b.jpg/)

So technically, long distance running is what you should be best at. :p

[Hanuman]

I've done extensive research, and I've got a simple plan for you, and I'll bold everything that needs serious attention.
1) Buy new runners, go to your local sports or running store and ask for the attendant to help you buy a pair of shoes, the right shoes WILL make the difference here.
2) Keep super hydrated, max 1.5L/hour and 6L/day, any more and it can be bad for now.
3) More fiber, scrub that sticky goo outta your engine, astringent foods also help here but you should not overdo the acidy-astringent foods if you plan on running heavily or your joints could damage.
4) Feet straight, knees face first 2 toes. Never deviate.
5) Change your diet to a 2CARB:1PROTEIN diet, exercise all day, eat small meals but often, have protein every meal, have MEAT every day, after a muscle building workout have at least 100g of high GI foods and protein as the high GI foods in conjunction with the BCAA levels in the meat will boost your insulin spike for maximum muscle growth.
6) STRETCH ALL MUSCLE GROUPS 30 SECONDS EACH, STATIC.
7) The best results I've seen come from PT PYRAMID training, a standard in military fitness programs http://www.military.com/military-fitness/fitness-test-prep/pt-pyramid
8) When running do a warmup of walking first, then run at a pace you can speak at, when you can't speak properly then stop running and continue to walk, then run again when you're able.

Running Muscle Training
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mZ0mPBaC-w

Post-Run Stretches
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71A8wuXqiSM

Everything Else
http://www.exrx.net/



Do pushups. If you have a month until testing, you should be able to increase that number a good amount.Don't count number, keep in motion and keep track of duration on a watch on the floor or something. They aren't going to test you in #pushups unless they have a standardized timing and count for you.

[Corel]

yeah you're not going to be able to go from 0 to 10 pull ups in a month.

But basically, just do approximations of the exercise until you can do the actual exercise, then do it until you can do 10. You might be a freak of nature and churn your way to 10 in a month, but it's highly unlikely.


Yep, concur exactly with this. The average improvement I've seen in people is going from 1 to about 3 or 4 in a month. (Which isn't too crazy, seeing as what gains the body develops the first time you properly start exercising your body.


Work your way up to 1, then keep doing it until you get more comfortable. I personally think 1 month is too short a time frame, but 2 months seems feasible.


Yeah, the first time you attempt pull ups most likely you're going to kill all your muscles from how new and exciting this all is, which will probably deter you from doing it from a while. Shame it's such a short terms notice.

Oh, and a tip about pullups, look upwards and over the bar and imagine that you "feel light". It will help.

Also to add to the running, if you're maintaining a slow pace make sure you're not exerting yourself more than you should be. Imagine your legs are pendulums and that they only need to move slightly to actually get anywhere. I would advise against music, as you will want to find your own natural rythm with running and correct any mistakes you feel. Music can intefere with this sometimes.

Oh, and if when you are jogging it starts to become unbearable there is no shame in slowing down to a walk for 30 seconds to a minute and starting to jog again. Stick with it.

We wish you all the best of luck in the fitness thing. Just some friendly advice; it never gets easier, you just get more used to the pain! Bwhaha!

[Jagos]

Running

Pretend someone stole your bike.

... What? Ok, I'll help you out. I keep a low count of body fat. For one, I walk a lot of places. Secondly, I jog in the mornings. Before I go to school/work, I'm wake up early to jog at least 30 minutes a day. I'll spend 5 minutes jogging, 10 minutes walking, 2 more minutes jogging, then the rest of that time walking.

Even if it's just in place, I've always been under the impression that your heart has to work harder than what it can now, which is why I would recommend high stepping or (if you have stairs) walking up and down stairs of some sort similar to the Rocky movies. A little bit every day will take you a long way.

Good luck on the test man!

Just some friendly advice; it never gets easier, you just get more used to the pain!

Pain is just weakness leaving the body. ;)

[Funka Genocide]

bah, it totally does get easier.

like you'll be on mile 8 and thinking "huh? how the fuck did I get downtown?"

just need to stick with it.

[Corel]

bah, it totally does get easier.

like you'll be on mile 8 and thinking "huh? how the fuck did I get downtown?"

just need to stick with it.

Mm, perhaps I should have said that in regards to lifting any amount of weight, as one should always be pushing themselves. Which is not at all related to what Bells asked for!

What's the terrrain around you like Bells? Is it flat or inclines abound?

[Eldezar]

we can only assume he turned off the internet and is now on his third pull-up.

[Azisien]

I'm actually picturing Bells right now doing one-finger push-ups with five cinder blocks on his shoulders and a drumstick of chicken in his mouth.

[Bells]

First of all, thank you all a LOT for your help, it really does help out quite a bit!


What's the terrrain around you like Bells? Is it flat or inclines abound?

It's a kind of a mixed bag really... my house is located in a huge farm-turned-village just outside the limits of commercial downtown. So it's a lot of red clay roads and some brick roads.

However, the connection between this part of town and the "center" of the town is a 10-15 minute drive highway that is always going up or down.

A friend of mine told me that if my problem is keeping my breath while running i could try to power walk singing out loud, i tried, i don't really think it would work...

we can only assume he turned off the internet and is now on his third pull-up.

The only exercise routine i do on a weekly basis is some basic Boxing routines with a 5Kg weight on each hand. It basicaly works to keep the body flexible and nimble, but not much more than that. I also don't have anything in my house that i can pull up to.

Another person suggested me to do basic push ups but with my feet higher than my head (like, on my bed, with my hands on the floor) would that do any good?

I'm actually picturing Bells right now doing one-finger push-ups with five cinder blocks on his shoulders and a drumstick of chicken in his mouth.

Replace Chicken with Blueberry Pancake-Wrapped Sausage on a Stick, Dipped in Baconnaise Light and we have a deal here!

[Corel]

It's a kind of a mixed bag really... my house is located in a huge farm-turned-village just outside the limits of commercial downtown. So it's a lot of red clay roads and some brick roads.


Bah, to be honest I detest running on concrete unless I'm wearing my super comfy shoes. Track or grassland is much more pleasent on the feet. I would mix up the flat and inclines anyway into the run. They are fun!


A friend of mine told me that if my problem is keeping my breath while running i could try to power walk singing out loud, i tried, i don't really think it would work...


Mm, singing would disrupt your breathing cycle (Which should be kept at around 3:2 (http://www.mamashealth.com/run/breath.asp)) so I don't really see the benefit doing that.


The only exercise routine i do on a weekly basis is some basic Boxing routines with a 5Kg weight on each hand. It basicaly works to keep the body flexible and nimble, but not much more than that. I also don't have anything in my house that i can pull up to.


To be honest I would advise you to try crank that up to at least twice a week, three to four depending on how intense it is. This is not even counting your fitness test coming up!


Another person suggested me to do basic push ups but with my feet higher than my head (like, on my bed, with my hands on the floor) would that do any good?


Push ups on an incline will work your shoulders more than a regular push up. The basic pushup positions are;


Pushups with hands wide; more pressure to the pectorials.
Pushups with hands close together (like in a diamond shape); more pressure to the triceps.
Pushups with feet on an incline; more pressure to the shoulders.
Pushups with hands middle distance; a more balanced working of muscles.
Pushups on one arm; more pressure on tricep (obviously) and core stabilising muscles in your back.


Please note that the above pushups work the same muscle groups (Pectorial, Tricep, Deltoid, etc) but the balance will change.

Although you said in your OP that you are worried about your shoulders, I would still mix it up with the above list (Except the last item). Reason being that you will be working the deltoids anyway with the other pushups and from personal experience working that muscle can be a bitch; especially if you end up hurting it.

[Hanuman]

I'd stay away from diamond and extreme incline pushups for at least the first 3 weeks as they tend to be hard on the elbows if your not used to high intensity pushups... in fact I've seen lots of people who can do 30+ pushups and 0 diamonds.
The alternative is to place your hands on an inflatable exercise ball and do pushups off of that, it gives you a whole bunch of muscle control as well since you have to maintain balance.


A friend of mine told me that if my problem is keeping my breath
You can do breathing exercises in the morning if your diaphragm wears out too quickly, but generally you just need to raise your max oxygen rate through regular running, but not to the point of exhaustion or fatigue.

Did you have, or do you currently have asthma?

[Bells]

Not at all, I'm pretty healthy overall... actually my one major bad habit is drinking sodas often!

I'll start planning this week, by friday i should see if i got to the next stage of the process. I'm great on individual interviews so i'm pretty sure i can manage that... guess is should start making the body more used to training rhythm

[Gregness]

Ditch the sodas Bells. Not only are they a source of excess poundage which will make the running and pullups harder just out of sheer mechanics, the sugars and everything else in the sodas basically nulls the hydration you would otherwise be getting from them. I'm not saying that having a soda every once in a while is catastrophic, but if you're drinking three or four a day, then cutting those to one or two a week is probably the single best thing you can do for your health (assuming you're not a smoker/drug addict).

About your exercise proper: how much you stress your body in your workouts is probably the least important aspect of a proper workout routine. The most important thing is just to be as consistant as you possibly can. There's this temptation to skip a workout if you're busy and then just make up for it later by doing this two hour marathon workout, but a half hour a day is more benificial all around. Really, as soon as you get outside (or wherever) and get your sweats on, you win.

[Bells]

Yeah, Sodas overall are my one great nemesis! i don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, don't do drugs... i even prefer salads and food with little or no oil, heck, i don't even eat butter for over 7 years now...

Let me take advantage of you guys a bit further ... i was thinking about setting my routines for the afternoon, usualy with 2 sets of 15 with 2 minute break, and then 3 sets of 10 with 1 minute break between each.

That's for basic push ups and also weight work for the arms and shoulders, also now instead of a 10 minute walk to school i'll jog there.

I dunno seems a solid start to me....

[Corel]

Let me take advantage of you guys a bit further ... i was thinking about setting my routines for the afternoon, usualy with 2 sets of 15 with 2 minute break, and then 3 sets of 10 with 1 minute break between each.

That's for basic push ups and also weight work for the arms and shoulders,


Different exercises will have different reps in them, depending on the weight you're handling and how good you're at it. If you can do 15 with little effort do more (Or add more weight, depending on what your goal is). Most of your exercises should have at least 3 sets.

From the sounds of it you have access to 10kg dumbells or something? Anything other equipment you could get ahold of?

Hmm, do us a quick test. Do as many pushups as you can right now. Keep good form; body straight, ass down and lower yourself not too fast and until your nose is just above (if touching) the floor before rising again. Let us know how many you can do in a row before your body decides "Nope, I've had enough".

From this point on you should be doing that many minus one or two rep for your sets. If you can do 15 in a row before your body caves in your reps should be at around 12 or 13. Don't be suprised to see this increase as you get better at them.

Either way the 2 minute rest seems a bit excessive. I would say perhaps 40 seconds to a minute and a half but really it's when you feel confident to do it again.

Even better don't take a break and mix it up. So for example you do a set of pushups, immediantely to leg raises or sit ups and then to pullups or curls etc. This will give you ample time for that muscle to recover and making better use of your time.

The work out should really last at least 20 minutes, minimum I say. However saying this anytime is better than doing nothing. If it's this long only you will have to do this frequently through the week.


also now instead of a 10 minute walk to school i'll jog there.


A 10 minute walk translated into a job is about what, 3-4 minutes? Pick a longer route so you are running for about 30 minutes.

We might seem to be asking very precise questions because we are picky, we just want optimal results for your goals.

Edit: To drive what Lev said, food food food! Very important. I made a post of this in fact for generic information. (http://forum.nuklearpower.com/showpost.php?p=880647&postcount=18)

[Ryong]

I'm totally also going to follow this thread. I'm pratically the same as Bells, except for age and I think he's a bit heavier than me...But the deal is, my arms suck.* I can't do push-ups ( I can do the legs-higher-than-body version, though ) and my diet is probably 20/60/20 protein/carbs/fat. Maybe even less protein. I used to walk-nearly-run for 45 minutes to the gym, do a bunch of exercises, walk-nearly-run on the threadmill for 40 minutes then go back home, same walk. I believe my calorie intake is around 2000 kcal, but given it's mostly carbs...

* = Back when I used to go to the gym, I could do, say, 3 sets of 15 pushdowns with 15kg. Every other arm exercise was around that. For comparision, I did leg extension with 45kg and leg press with 350kg, full-range.

[Jagos]

I can't do push-ups ( I can do the legs-higher-than-body version, though )

Honestly, do the push ups however you can. Not everyone can do on-the-floor pushups immediately. All this says is that you have different muscles that are particularly good with this exercise. Do what you can when you first start.

What I did to increase my push up count was just do them every other day. I'd go to 50 as soon as I can. Usually I would hit ~25 before I'm tired, take a 30 second break, then hit the other 25. Every week, I'd increase that number. I've since regressed on my number (busy studying) but I can get back to my old number of 100 when I focus on 50, break, 50. Just remember to take more protein so you're feeding your muscle and you should be good on those

[Bells]

Hmm, do us a quick test. Do as many pushups as you can right now. Keep good form; body straight, ass down and lower yourself not too fast and until your nose is just above (if touching) the floor before rising again. Let us know how many you can do in a row before your body decides "Nope, I've had enough".
[/URL]

Yikes. My bad!! Didn't saw this update...

So, i just did this test and i got 6 Push ups before my left arm failed on me and i touched the ground.

However, i do have my shoulders slightly sored from an exercise i did with my dumbbells earlier. It's from back to my days where i did Judo and karate... our teacher would give us these muscle exercises... he called this one the "Da Vinci" but i'm sure that's not the real name...

http://hilarygardner.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/man-leonardo-da-vinci1.jpg

Basically what it is, it's a series of repetitions where you lift the weights higher each time. Starting with a full horizontal spread with your arms, and lowering them back to your waistline, and then lifting a little further, and by the count of 10, both Weights should touch above your head.

two things about this one.

1) It hurts like a bitch, a BITCH i say
2) It does very little for the arms, but MAN i can feel every part of my shoulder working with that one...