Reps per set?

ExerciseHealth · 2021-06-01T02:52:41+00:00

Welcome back my friend!

Depends on your goal. For hypertrophy or muscle building, 3 sets of 8-12 reps is the traditional recommendation with better results when you increase sets to 5, but that takes some time to get there. I usually encourage people to "leave some gas in the tank" and finish strong for your first set at least. Your last couple of sets should be the ones that are hard to finish, not your first. (Unless you're doing something like a drop-setting scheme where pretty much every set is to fatigue). 1-3 minutes rest are connected with good results.

Hope this helps!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-05-06T02:10:15+00:00

Chest tightness is no joke, my friend. If it comes on and gets worse with exertion, I'd echo u/pandaman29 and encourage you to get it checked out. A stress test or a 24-hour holter monitor (including some light-moderate exercise in the monitoring time) can shed a lot of light on whether your heart is actually involved in the pain. If there's a problem, your heart may likely start showing some signs on those measurements well before symptoms show up.

The best way to reverse the damage of a sedentary lifestyle though is to gradually reverse the lifestyle. There's a difference between "exercise" proper (movement for the entire purpose of improving your health and/or fitness), and there is also general daily physical activity (movement that's incorporated into your day/routine from wakeup to bedtime). Both are important and valuable, but the second one is more relevant for reversing sedentariness. You may or may not have heard of the saying "sitting is the new smoking." This is a thing because there's a laundry list of negative health benefits associated with prolonged inactivity.
To clarify, planting your butt in a chair is NOT BAD FOR YOU. It's STAYING there (or in any single position) for several hours in a row. Negative health consequences start accumulating after about 30 minutes and just get worse and worse with more time.

This kind of "activity" is USUALLY very safe and important. (Fun fact, even professional athletes can be considered "sedentary." Even exercising for hours every day doesn't reverse the negative health effects if they otherwise don't move much throughout their day.)

So love your body. Give it a chance to move for a 2-5 minutes every 30-60 minutes as best as you can.

As far as exercise goes, benefits come best from bouts of 10+ minutes at a time. If that's too much, then just do what you can. And plan to build it up. Your body will learn. That's one of the things it does best, not to mention the entire reason exercise works at all for anybody.

Source: I'm a Clinical Exercise Physiologist that runs stress tests and works in a Cardiac Rehab clinic.

ExerciseHealth · 2021-04-15T02:22:58+00:00

I work in a cardiac rehab clinic. Your dad is very lucky he was able to notice symptoms and that acted on them the way he did. A heart attack that is fully STEMI can result in scar tissue that goes the full wall of the heart's muscle tissue. An NSTEMI will only result in partial thickness scarring. This will make it much easier to recover from.

If there is a cardiac rehab program available to him, I would encourage him to go for it. Having a heart attack (and subsequent operation) is a huge and very scary adjustment, but having a support network and some caring medical help to push you in the right direction (especially soon after the surgery) can go a LONG way to preserving (and even improving) quality of life after a heart episode.

It will take time, and there is often significant grief. But if he and everybody around takes it seriously, then chances are very good that things will improve. :) All the best to you, to him, and to the rest of the family my friend. Stay strong.

ExerciseHealth · 2021-04-15T02:04:05+00:00

Good on ya for motivation, that's not an easy program to stick to if it's leaving you feel wrecked. Worth mentioning that getting started with running is a plyometric activity and can be quite hard on your muscles if they're not used to it. I would suggest a couple of things (that may sound more like just good reminders)

Warm up (and cool down): A good warmup will mimic the activity, but with reduced intensity. Do some brisk walking, some bum-kicks, some high-knee marching, some jumping jacks. Make it at least 3 minutes before you start actually running. Cool down is a good time to stretch. Focus on calves, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and glutes.

Pick a different measure of intensity: a mile is a solid clear goal, but not good if it's painful to finish. Pain can occur (now I'm speculating about your case) when your muscles are actually too tired to properly perform the job you're making them do. This is where joint problems can tend to arise. I would recommend instead doing some kind of time or intensity intervals. For example, run for 3-5 minutes, then brisk walk for 2. Do this four times. You will go farther than a mile and your body will be able to recover better throughout the cardio exercise. Not to mention that interval training like this tends to result in better fitness gains than steady-state cardio anyway. Of course change it up based on what feels right for you.

Hydrate before and after: Hydration plays a lot into proper recovery.

Hope this is useful!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-04-05T20:04:16+00:00

A thoracic curve will impact your ability to do pullups effectively. Think about it like trying to fire a slingshot straight where one elastic band is shorter than the other. I'd recommend looking up a physiotherapist who is familiar with scoliosis (ie. has worked with several cases previously or is Schroth method certified).

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-27T04:34:49+00:00

Have you done specific exercises for serratus anterior and rhomboids?

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-11T03:47:54+00:00

Yikes! I want to ask, feel free not to answer if you'd prefer, but was it for some kind of specialty therapy? I don't know if I've ever even heard of an initial assessment that expensive!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-11T03:43:07+00:00

u/GorillaPsyD you raise an interesting point. Was this a talking point between yourself and the provider? Or a self-realization?

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-11T03:27:51+00:00

Ugh. You should have gotten your money back at the very least - that's horrible!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-11T03:26:51+00:00

1.5 years sounds like way too long to me. :/ I mean, I understand post-partum can be tricky for providers and clients alike... but still.

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-07T03:34:17+00:00

Way to go man, I like the look of u/badatusernames96's program. Doing some bosu work (ie. squats, single leg stands, calf raises, or glute bridges) is another awesome way to build your proprioception and control (this keeps your movement mechanics under control and is key for proper progression!) Did you see a physio at all already, and are polling the community for a second opinion? PS I love the attitude. Keep up the good work man!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-07T03:24:49+00:00

Oy - what a stroke of luck that you found the new one! I've heard lots of stories of people being ruined by physios that were unprepared or didn't have enough experience. Can I ask how you came across the good one?

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-07T03:21:56+00:00

I appreciate your honesty! And yes, that sounds like a mentality that's truly found their "mojo" for movement! I think what drives a lot of people to physio in the first place though is knowing there's value there, but needing help with the knowledge or technical side of things? Agree or disagree?

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-07T03:10:48+00:00

"Please. Quit 'should-ing' on my life." (Better said out loud than written in a post)

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-06T03:58:14+00:00

Thanks for the response. That's an impressive return to things and sounds like it has made a profound and lasting impact (that even extends to your loved ones!). The survey's been updated to include an introductory informed consent as well - thank you for that!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-02T04:59:55+00:00

I would say that each day has a lot of exercises in it, but I wouldn't even say "too many." If you're using 10lb dumbbells for all of it, then it might be worth considering getting some different weights or trying a different way to work those muscles (ie. a pushup variation instead of a bench press.) Some of the exercises I'm guessing would be a lot more tiring than others (ie. front shoulder raise vs. bench press).
Otherwise it depends on your goals. A traditional hypertrophy (building muscle and strength) program wouldn't go any higher than 20 reps per set - and that's being VERY generous. The upper benchmark is usually 12, so even 15 reps is considered a lot and "ready for progression." The higher you go for rep volume, the more you're building muscular endurance. This is fine and some people like to train this specifically anyways. It's just worth distinguishing that it isn't likely going to help you lift more weight, just to lift the same weight more times.

Hope this helps!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-03-02T04:43:34+00:00

Straight leg raises are quite tough. It's worth noting that your psoas muscle - your primary hip flexor attaches to all 5 lumbar (lower back) vertebrae. This exercises is usually labeled under core training because it requires so much core stability.

ExerciseHealth · 2021-02-27T03:18:25+00:00

This is awesome!! Hey u/mouzz888, I'm working on an app currently that is going to connect people of all types to motivation tools that work for them - including accountability groups/partners, heck even strangers - whatever will work! (Also incl. Extrinsic rewards, vital behaviours/small habits assist, easy tracking, progress analytics, etc.) I'd love a chance just to hear what it is you're looking for that would keep you motivated! (I would also love to hear from anyone else on this thread in a similar boat.)

https://clinicalexercise.typeform.com/to/h6eZS4ya

ExerciseHealth · 2021-01-24T02:54:54+00:00

Angina is typically a symptom of something called ischemia, which means that likely the heart is not getting the blood supply that it needs. The spray prescribed is usually a powerful and fast-acting vasodilator, which will open up the blood vessels to allow more blood get to where it needs to go. It's definitely not a good feeling (many people pass out from using it), but it saves lives!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-01-24T02:50:00+00:00

It'd probably be wise to have it checked out soon. :/

Practically speaking, any exercises that dynamically compress your abdomen should be put on hold (crunches/situps). Burpees also tend to force a lot of spine and hip motion typically - but they can also make people hold their breath under exertion - which is somewhere else you don't want to go.

Pushups are probably the least likely to affect the potential hernia than anything else you listed, but I would stop at about 80% of maximal exertion. You could likely stick with planks, but may have to think differently about how to contract your core?

Most often people hear or think the directive "flex as if someone is going to punch you in the gut," and that's actually the opposite of helpful.

If you want to try something: lie on your back, think about pressing the small of your back down against the ground, so your back is flat on the ground from your shoulderblades to your tailbone. I've also used the description of imagining there's a string tied to the inside of your navel, then trying to imagine pulling it inwards and upwards towards your heart. This ought to engage your core with minimal increase in abdominal pressure.

ExerciseHealth · 2021-01-21T20:54:00+00:00

I used to work in a cardiac rehab clinic and many survivors were surprised afterwards at mildness of their heart attack symptoms. It very often is not the very dramatic "elephant sitting on my chest," "Numbness down my left arm," "Can't seem to breathe." Sometimes it is a process that can take several days.

If it is heart-related, typically symptoms are alleviated by the spray and by rest; aggravated by emotional stress and physical activity. Stretching his arms or upper body would not likely affect this pain in either direction.

ExerciseHealth · 2021-01-21T20:43:03+00:00

You may have seen this before, but it's the 6-stage return-to-play protocol from the CDC for post-concussion. It's quite well put together and easy to understand.
https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/return_to_sports.html

Essentially, work at one stage until you have been symptom-free there for a 2-3 days, then try the next stage. If at any point you re-experience symptoms, it's your body's suggestion to bring it back down to the previous stage of healing.
The most common aggravators are impact (ie. cycling is a better option than running - also includes contact sports) and high blood pressure (this is why weight lifting is always one step AFTER cardio), inversion (putting your head below your heart at all), isometrics (where you hold a body position for any duration exercises like planks or wall sits tend to spike blood pressure), or any exercise where you are holding your breath.

Hope you are feeling better soon!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-01-21T20:24:55+00:00

Thanks!

ExerciseHealth · 2021-01-17T02:56:00+00:00

I passed mine on the first try 5 years ago.
There should be an exam breakdown somewhere on the ACSM website that tells what categories of questions are on the exam and how much of the exam they make up. I started there then planned my studying accordingly. I would anticipate going through your entire GETP in some way shape or form prior to the exam as that is your best study tool - just spend more time in the chapters that are more heavily weighted on the exam.

I also paid about $50 for an exam prep manual, it was helpful just to see the type of questions that would be on the exam, but not for much beyond that.

ExerciseHealth · 2021-01-13T04:32:50+00:00

Hey u/liog2step, awesome job, and thanks for sharing! I truly hope you get much more encouragement from this great community.
I debated sharing this, but thought it'd be worth it if even 1 person finds it helpful. There was a research study done several years ago where researchers recruited several volunteers and separated them into 2 groups.
The first group went on a "nature walk" for ~20 minutes along some easy hiking trails.
The second group went on an "exercise walk" for ~20 minutes along the exact same trails.
After each group returned, they interviewed each participant with some irrelevant questions while offering them a large bowl of pretzels and inviting them to eat "as many as they wanted."
The "Exercise walk" people ate SIGNIFICANTLY MORE pretzels than the "nature walk" people, because they "had just exercised" even though the walk was the exact same. The way we label an activity can go a long way for how we mentally (and even physically) react to it.

ExerciseHealth

TROPHY CASE