Insecurity

[Cartman1997]

I’m having a slight issue with insecurity. So I’m trying to get my body in shape and I happen to use a gym. Someone I know uses Calisthenics and they are really in good shape. In some cases, that person and I don’t always agree on things when it comes to fitness and in some ways, I feel like they look down on me for going to the gym. They wanted me to do strictly calisthenics and I do a little bit of it here and there. Can anyone give me some insight or advice? Thank you, brothers and sisters.

 

[Eric13]

Well what do you want to accomplish with exercise? Who cares what that persons goals are. You’re in the gym for you. Not anyone else. That’s what will determine what practices you should do.

Is weight loss apart of this as well?
I must point out, when it comes to body recomposition of any kind, it starts with the diet and is refined in the gym. So you get to an unhappy place with your body from poor choices. So a lifestyle adjustment is needed for permanent change.

Tell me your goals and I can help you out.

 

[Power of Justice [JG]]

Nobody will make fun of you for going to the gym if you are out of shape , and if someone is just ignore them and know that through your will power you can change that. As for Calisthenics its excellent for developing core body strenght which is way better than giant biceps that are effectively useless apart from "looking good". It may be awkward in the beginning especially with stuff like pull ups but if you do quality over quantity you will see much progress as 1 correct pullup is much better than 5 wrong ones.

 

[Cartman1997]

Well what do you want to accomplish with exercise? Who cares what that persons goals are. You’re in the gym for you. Not anyone else. That’s what will determine what practices you should do.

Is weight loss apart of this as well?
I must point out, when it comes to body recomposition of any kind, it starts with the diet and is refined in the gym. So you get to an unhappy place with your body from poor choices. So a lifestyle adjustment is needed for permanent change.

Tell me your goals and I can help you out.

I’m just trying to lose weight, get in shape and not feel so ugly about myself. I know if I can drop this weight, it would solve majority of my problems. It would definitely help me out with yoga too because yoga is a little hard for me since I never had done yoga in my life until I dedicated 7 months ago

 

[Cartman1997]

Nobody will make fun of you for going to the gym if you are out of shape , and if someone is just ignore them and know that through your will power you can change that. As for Calisthenics its excellent for developing core body strenght which is way better than giant biceps that are effectively useless apart from "looking good". It may be awkward in the beginning especially with stuff like pull ups but if you do quality over quantity you will see much progress as 1 correct pullup is much better than 5 wrong ones.

I’ve seen what’s calisthenics can do and it’s amazing to see. I just don’t want to feel like I should be shamed for going to the gym and doing some calisthenic exercises at the same time because I also have the app. I switch from both from time to time. I know some people are really anal about just sticking to one or the other.

 

[Eric13]

I’m just trying to lose weight, get in shape and not feel so ugly about myself. I know if I can drop this weight, it would solve majority of my problems. It would definitely help me out with yoga too because yoga is a little hard for me since I never had done yoga in my life until I dedicated 7 months ago

If you’re just trying to lose weight and get in shape, possibly calisthenics are your best bet. That along with cardio training and conditioning work. You can use weights for different conditioning work, but for straight exercises it doesn’t make much sense unless you want to gain muscle quickly.

Really the main thing you’ll want to focus on is diet. You’ll have to find a way to get a nutrition plan together you can stick to that is healthy and low in calorie. The weight won’t drop unless you’re at a calorie deficit. I don’t want to sound condescending or anything, just don’t know where you’re at in understanding of all this so I’ll try and break it down a bit.

I explain this often to people looking to lose weight, cause it’s important. When you’re losing weight this happens cause your body isn’t getting enough energy. This has nothing to do with nutrients. You can have a healthy or unhealthy diet and still lose weight. So because of this, your body has ways of responding. Limiting different systems and hormones behave differently. So what happens is going on a long diet wrecks the body. Then when you jump off, you gain the weight right back. So weight loss diets should be done in rounds, so to speak. A few weeks on, a few weeks off. Even some people do 3-4 days on, a couple days off. And back. It’s easier on the mind and body.

So the nutrition will cover your weight loss and for getting in shape, it’s probably best to find a good program you enjoy that you feel the movements are things you wish to grow and expand with. Training the body in ways you personally want to see improvement, but also has balance. Pushing yourself enough each workout, to see gainz, but not so much, you’re overtraining. A simple guideline is 30-60 min, 3-4 days a week. With an RPE (rate of perceived exertion) around 7-9 out of 10. 10 being max effort.

 

[Aquarius]

Nobody will make fun of you for going to the gym if you are out of shape , and if someone is just ignore them and know that through your will power you can change that. As for Calisthenics its excellent for developing core body strenght which is way better than giant biceps that are effectively useless apart from "looking good". It may be awkward in the beginning especially with stuff like pull ups but if you do quality over quantity you will see much progress as 1 correct pullup is much better than 5 wrong ones.

I’ve seen what’s calisthenics can do and it’s amazing to see. I just don’t want to feel like I should be shamed for going to the gym and doing some calisthenic exercises at the same time because I also have the app. I switch from both from time to time. I know some people are really anal about just sticking to one or the other.

You should just really do a program that is a mixture of both. Search for the fitness and bodyweightfitness subreddit on reddit, those places have a lot of info for someone starting out.

 

[Power of Justice [JG]]

Stick to whatever works for you , if weight loss is what you are looking for then do that , muscles will come naturally , but diet is just as important if not more than the actual workout

 

[curio]

I’m having a slight issue with insecurity. So I’m trying to get my body in shape and I happen to use a gym. Someone I know uses Calisthenics and they are really in good shape. In some cases, that person and I don’t always agree on things when it comes to fitness and in some ways, I feel like they look down on me for going to the gym. They wanted me to do strictly calisthenics and I do a little bit of it here and there. Can anyone give me some insight or advice? Thank you, brothers and sisters.

If all you want is to get from A to B then it doesn't matter if you walk, climb, crawl, skate, ski, bike or drive there, or any combination thereof. Just that you're getting from A to B.

Lots of people on both sides(moreso in calisthenics world from what I've seen) really invest their egos into their chosen method of transportation and look down on the other methods, sometimes even the people that practice them, just like in any other aspect of lifestyle. Or life, for that matter.

It just is what it is. Hang around the gym long enough and you'll probably find a clone of your calisthenics friend but with his high horse being weightlifting. If you find they have useful advice then take it and throw out what doesn't feel good but don't let them decide what's best for you, only you can do that. If you enjoy lifting for some things and calisthenics for others then that's great, that's what really matters: doing something that you enjoy; because if you like it then you're more likely to stick to it and improve on it. Regardless of what any supposed expert says about what is "best" to do.

However, there is a caveat,

Nobody will make fun of you for going to the gym if you are out of shape , and if someone is just ignore them and know that through your will power you can change that. As for Calisthenics its excellent for developing core body strenght which is way better than giant biceps that are effectively useless apart from "looking good". It may be awkward in the beginning especially with stuff like pull ups but if you do quality over quantity you will see much progress as 1 correct pullup is much better than 5 wrong ones.

I’ve seen what’s calisthenics can do and it’s amazing to see. I just don’t want to feel like I should be shamed for going to the gym and doing some calisthenic exercises at the same time because I also have the app. I switch from both from time to time. I know some people are really anal about just sticking to one or the other.

If your calisthenics friend is on your case about inconsistency and not just arbitrarily trying to get you to just do calisthenics then you should listen.

Consistency really is key to making progress with fitness. If you're just bumbling about with no real plan or routine then you're not gonna get very far. You'll need to come to a decision about exactly what sort of exercises you're gonna do, when & how you're gonna do them and which are gonna be body or weight based because the inconsistency of haphazardly jumping from new exercise to new exercise will keep you from measuring progress and refining your technique, and progress that can't be measured effectively doesn't exist.

 

[Cartman1997]

Thank you, everyone! Your advice helps a bunch!

 

[Paladin of Khepu]

I’m having a slight issue with insecurity. So I’m trying to get my body in shape and I happen to use a gym. Someone I know uses Calisthenics and they are really in good shape. In some cases, that person and I don’t always agree on things when it comes to fitness and in some ways, I feel like they look down on me for going to the gym. They wanted me to do strictly calisthenics and I do a little bit of it here and there. Can anyone give me some insight or advice? Thank you, brothers and sisters.

If all you want is to get from A to B then it doesn't matter if you walk, climb, crawl, skate, ski, bike or drive there, or any combination thereof. Just that you're getting from A to B.

Lots of people on both sides(moreso in calisthenics world from what I've seen) really invest their egos into their chosen method of transportation and look down on the other methods, sometimes even the people that practice them, just like in any other aspect of lifestyle. Or life, for that matter.

It just is what it is. Hang around the gym long enough and you'll probably find a clone of your calisthenics friend but with his high horse being weightlifting. If you find they have useful advice then take it and throw out what doesn't feel good but don't let them decide what's best for you, only you can do that. If you enjoy lifting for some things and calisthenics for others then that's great, that's what really matters: doing something that you enjoy; because if you like it then you're more likely to stick to it and improve on it. Regardless of what any supposed expert says about what is "best" to do.

However, there is a caveat,

Nobody will make fun of you for going to the gym if you are out of shape , and if someone is just ignore them and know that through your will power you can change that. As for Calisthenics its excellent for developing core body strenght which is way better than giant biceps that are effectively useless apart from "looking good". It may be awkward in the beginning especially with stuff like pull ups but if you do quality over quantity you will see much progress as 1 correct pullup is much better than 5 wrong ones.

I’ve seen what’s calisthenics can do and it’s amazing to see. I just don’t want to feel like I should be shamed for going to the gym and doing some calisthenic exercises at the same time because I also have the app. I switch from both from time to time. I know some people are really anal about just sticking to one or the other.

If your calisthenics friend is on your case about inconsistency and not just arbitrarily trying to get you to just do calisthenics then you should listen.

Consistency really is key to making progress with fitness. If you're just bumbling about with no real plan or routine then you're not gonna get very far. You'll need to come to a decision about exactly what sort of exercises you're gonna do, when & how you're gonna do them and which are gonna be body or weight based because the inconsistency of haphazardly jumping from new exercise to new exercise will keep you from measuring progress and refining your technique, and progress that can't be measured effectively doesn't exist.

I had said to her what I heard from what I asked Thoth( as I was lucky he wasn't too busy). He said "calisthenics is useful to a very large degree but it doesn't stop there solely as the ultimate type of fitness. Practicing calisthenics is simple and effective if you are trying change the body composition to a leaner you. However the goal is still to be fit. Weights and those enthusiasts that like that are entitled to that. It doesn't mean one side is bad or good. Both have their place. The best fitness goal is a strong one that encapsulates both types of fitness. Work one thoroughly, then expand to the other, incorporating your previous workouts with the newer ones. It's that simple."