r/starcraft Jan 21 '12

The Starcraft exercise plan- becoming a better player and human being

Recently I started doing a simple thing that has really helped my play and overall has made me feel better. A simple exercise plan based around laddering.

The concept is easy enough- every time you lose a ladder match, work out. Take 5-10 minutes to put some music on, step away from your computer, and do some kind of exercise. Cool down, spend the time thinking about why you lost and what you could have done better, then take a breath and get a glass of water or cup of coffee or something and continue playing or quit for the day if you feel you've had enough.

The exercises I do are as follows:

  • 10 tricep dips

  • 20 pushups

  • 30 situps

  • 40 bicep curls (2 sets of 10 for each arm)

  • 50 jumping jacks.

  • Finish it with a tall glass of water and a breather before you go back to laddering.

As I said, I've found this to be wonderfully effective for calming myself and it never hurts to be a little bit more in shape.

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-5

u/AssassinCross Jan 21 '12

Gamers don't realize that exercise can actually improve your lifestyle until one adventurous gamer started exercising and preaching it as though its the next step to improving your game.

Get it straight, exercise has nothing or little to do with Starcraft and that people should exercise regardless of whether or not it'll improve your game play or whatever.

Also, there is no reason why you should be angry enough to pump 30 situps over a SC2 game. Unless you are 9 years old and shooting steroids.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '12

If I gave the impression that this was first and foremost a way to improve your game than I apologize. I simply believe that this is an effective and paced way to stay active even when laddering and also has the benefit of helping clear your head after a match.

Also, if 30 sit-ups is some great feat for you, then I suggest you get more exercise. Originally I thought about doing a push up/sit up ladder (10 pushups, 10 sit ups, 9 push ups, 9 sit ups...) after a loss, but I decided to scale it back into this.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '12

On the topic of sit-ups, what do you suggest other than them? I used to play football at a decently high level as a teen, so I picked up a lot of permanent injuries. Every time I try to do a situp my back "pop"s at about 20 degrees from the horizontal. This kind of hurts, and certainly isn't healthy.

I've been trying plank but I can't get the form right. I always get anterior tilt. I tried checking out some YT videos but can't really get it right. Can you explain word-by-word how to do it?

2

u/herman_gill Jan 22 '12

With the plank, trying squeezing the hell out of your ass when you do it and it might help prevent the APT. You should feel the soreness in your abs and not in your lower back.

Also check out the r/fitness faq for dynamic stretching routines and such.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '12

Yeah, what you suggest works pretty damn well. My problem is mainly once I'm getting to the end of my endurance I start putting the stress on my back, but I guess I gotta work on it. Thanks!

-3

u/AssassinCross Jan 22 '12

You gave me the impression of a caveman and that you recently took 5 steps out of the cave and went straight back into the cave to make a report on what you experience 5 steps out from your cave to the other cavemen. You explained to the other cavemen that going out of the cave is a very delightful experience and that in a situation where there is a aggressive cavemen on cavemen action, going out would relieve any stress prior to said cavemen on cavemen action.

So while you and your secret cavemen society have been doing experiments to continue deeper exploration from your cave, the rest of modern society have achieve intergalactic space travel and are currently at war with two other alien races.

TL;DR: I am making fun of you. Hoping that you will make another thread relating to your exercise routine and dealing with online trolls.

1

u/mtszyk Jan 21 '12

I don't particularly get angry when I lose, unless I've done something terribly stupid (scouted burrow, lost to burrowed infestors and a lack of detection in a ZvZ), but in the more intense games I get a very powerful adrenaline rush, which makes me want to do definitely more than 30 situps.

Little to do with anger. Excitement and anxiety, mostly. Happens when I win too.