[pct-l] What do others do to get/stay in shape

[Brick Robbins]

I'd like to point out that there are 3 general types of fitness

1)Cardio/Pulmonary. Your lungs/heart will start to get fit in 2-3 weeks.

2)Muscle fitness. This starts to improve only after 6 weeks, but you
may notice improvement sooner due to increased neuro muscular co
ordination.

3)Connective Tissue - Tendons, etc Ligaments. These need 2-3 years to
get stronger.

One you achieve the fitness, it takes about the same amount of time to
begin to lose it

Typical scenario for a new athlete:
He pushes himself really hard at first, but his racing heart and
painful lungs keep him safe for 3 weeks. Then he injures a muscle, and
gets sidelined. After a 4-6 week recover for from the muscle injury,
he starts back slower, and more carefully. After 6 months or a year,
he's feeling strong and starts training even harder. He strains a
tendon and gets sidelined. After 2-3 months recovering from the tendon
injury, he starts back again, more careful. For every decade over 20,
add 25% more recovery time for injuries. Hopefilly he now knows how it
feels to get close to an over use injury, so he can avoid them in the
future.

For the 3rd type of fitness, consistent training over a long time
period is needed.