Cubing workout

[Sean Lev]

So I've been needing to lose weight lately so I've been trying to work out. Alongside eating properly, working out isn't easy to get into the habit of doing. So, I decided to try these.

Planks
1. Find a puzzle your average time is about 30 seconds(for some a 3x3 may work, but if you are in the sub 25 range, I would recommend a different puzzle)
2. Scramble the puzzle
3. Go into a plank
4. Solve the puzzle
5. Rest

This keeps your mind off the pain of the plank while improving your speed on the puzzle. After a while, you may want to change it up and move to 4x4 or other puzzles.

Another idea for aerobics is get a large puzzle(I use my gigaminx) and do the same thing on an exercise bike.

Not only will your new six pack impress the ladies, but you can show off your genius ability to solving puzzles too.

 

[5BLD]

I am not one who wants to lose weight but don't you find it hard to speedsolve while in a plank? My fingers begin to tingle if I try to move them after planking for a long time (i tried 4x4)
Exercise bike or treadmill is easy ofc, except on treadmill you gotta watch out not to stop running (ouch).

 

[Mike Hughey]

For a year or two, I did most of my 6x6x6 and 7x7x7 solves for the weekly competition while stairstepping. Very effective multitasking. Eventually I discovered I could even do big cubes BLD while stairstepping, but I don't recommend that unless you're very comfortable with the stairstepping - too easy to become disoriented while blindfolded and possibly hurt yourself.

 

[applemobile]

Forgive me, but what is a plank?

 

[Mikel]

Plank

Not to be confused with Planking

 

[Cubic]

Not only will your new six pack impress the ladies...

You won't get a six pack doing planks, but you will strengthen your core.

To get a six pack you'll need to get rid of fat around your midriff - which means plenty of cardio workouts. Once the fat is gone, your abs will start to show through. At this stage you may want to make them bigger, but better than this would be to cut them which requires lots of high repetition exercise. You could do loads of sit-ups and crunches, but I would recommend Ab Ripper X from the P90X DVDs. For mass-building and ripping, Ab Ripper X performed with a kettlebell!

So, for great looking abs, here is my three step guide:

1. Low fat, high protein meals
2. Kettlebells for cardio
3. Ab Ripper X for cutting

Use your cube during Ab Ripper X if you can see through the sweat.

[I've been using this method for about 16 months - superb results!]

 

[KCuber]

we need to make a cubing workout video. We can use stackmats instead of yoga mats, do wrist, finger, and neck stretches,(my neck gets sore after cubing for a while) and use timers to time how long to do the stretch for.

 

[Ickathu]

You won't get a six pack doing planks, but you will strengthen your core.

To get a six pack you'll need to get rid of fat around your midriff - which means plenty of cardio workouts. Once the fat is gone, your abs will start to show through. At this stage you may want to make them bigger, but better than this would be to cut them which requires lots of high repetition exercise. You could do loads of sit-ups and crunches, but I would recommend Ab Ripper X from the P90X DVDs. For mass-building and ripping, Ab Ripper X performed with a kettlebell!

So, for great looking abs, here is my three step guide:

1. Low fat, high protein meals
2. Kettlebells for cardio
3. Ab Ripper X for cutting

Use your cube during Ab Ripper X if you can see through the sweat.

[I've been using this method for about 16 months - superb results!]

I just do bicycles, around 100 each leg split between 2-3 sets. (not bicycling - bicycles. The things like crunches and sit-ups and russian-touches combined) and long planks. As in, 1:45. And then rest for a minute and going again as long as I can, and, if I do say so myself, I've got quite the six-pack. Not like a model (before anyone says this, I'm not gay I just know several people who are models [cousin, friend, etc], and I see all their pictures on FB.), but it's pretty decent. Everyone who's seen it drops their jaw. And people who punch me in the stomach injure their knuckles occasionally.

But this is a cool idea. It's much more efficient than doing nothing while I plank. Ya know what's really hard? One handed pushups + OH cubing. I can't even do a OH pushup, so I don't think that I can do that any time soon, but I'm sure if you had really strong arms you could do it. Or sometimes when I go for a run I'll take a cube and do it blind, so I'll memorize it at first and then just not look at it again while I'm solving it, since blindfolding yourself when you are running on a road with cars is probably not very smart.

 

[shelley]

Don't you find it hard to cube and run at the same time? I feel keeping your hands in a fixed position in front of you hampers your posture.

I've tried cubing between weightlifting sets before. Holding heavy weights can mess with your finger dexterity so it's not as good for speedsolving practice, but a blindfold solve or two is just the right amount of time between sets.

Still trying to work out how to cube while climbing... I don't think that's going to happen

 

[CarlBrannen]

I think this is a great idea. One of the things I like to do at the gym is cardiovascular weight lifting with the machines. The ones that exercise your legs are perfect for cubing.

 

[Mikel]

Don't you find it hard to cube and run at the same time? I feel keeping your hands in a fixed position in front of you hampers your posture.

I've tried cubing between weightlifting sets before. Holding heavy weights can mess with your finger dexterity so it's not as good for speedsolving practice, but a blindfold solve or two is just the right amount of time between sets.

Still trying to work out how to cube while climbing... I don't think that's going to happen

If you had a void cube, you could put a rope through it and attach it to yourself. While you are climbing you could take a break and OH cube with it maybe? I'm not much of a climber myself, so I don't know the logistics.

 

[Ickathu]

Don't you find it hard to cube and run at the same time? I feel keeping your hands in a fixed position in front of you hampers your posture.

Yeah, it probably throws off my running form. I guess I could also try OH Blind or just normal OH though. That way I get some OH practice of just turning quickly and I do something while I'm running.

I've tried cubing between weightlifting sets before. Holding heavy weights can mess with your finger dexterity so it's not as good for speedsolving practice, but a blindfold solve or two is just the right amount of time between sets.

Still trying to work out how to cube while climbing... I don't think that's going to happen

I do that sometimes. I'll try to do a blindsolve while I'm stretching beforehand or afterwards, or even just a normal solve.

 

[Mike Hughey]

Definitely cubing between sets weightlifting. I've done lots of the weekly competition that way over the years. Especially megaminx, pyraminx, clock, magic, master magic, OH, and feet. Also sometimes 4x4x4 or 5x5x5. And when I'm done with the weightlifting session: multiBLD! (Sometimes I scramble all the cubes between my last two sets.)

 

[Anthony]

if I do say so myself, I've got quite the six-pack. Not like a model (before anyone says this, I'm not gay I just know several people who are models [cousin, friend, etc], and I see all their pictures on FB.), but it's pretty decent. Everyone who's seen it drops their jaw. And people who punch me in the stomach injure their knuckles occasionally.

Height and weight?

 

[That70sShowDude]

I just do bicycles, around 100 each leg split between 2-3 sets. (not bicycling - bicycles. The things like crunches and sit-ups and russian-touches combined) and long planks. As in, 1:45. And then rest for a minute and going again as long as I can, and, if I do say so myself, I've got quite the six-pack. Not like a model (before anyone says this, I'm not gay I just know several people who are models [cousin, friend, etc], and I see all their pictures on FB.), but it's pretty decent. Everyone who's seen it drops their jaw. And people who punch me in the stomach injure their knuckles occasionally.

But this is a cool idea. It's much more efficient than doing nothing while I plank. Ya know what's really hard? One handed pushups + OH cubing. I can't even do a OH pushup, so I don't think that I can do that any time soon, but I'm sure if you had really strong arms you could do it. Or sometimes when I go for a run I'll take a cube and do it blind, so I'll memorize it at first and then just not look at it again while I'm solving it, since blindfolding yourself when you are running on a road with cars is probably not very smart.

No offense, but 6 packs don't really count as being impressive if you're skinny. I'm not sure how big/strong you are, but I'm just judging this from your WCA picture. Models generally don't even look like they lift. And 6 packs aren't all that matter. A well developed back, chest, or legs are 500x more impressive. Shedding fat is extremely easy. Building muscle is the hard part.

 

[CarlBrannen]

Muscles versus skinny depends on who you are. I can build muscles just by looking at weights, no need to lift, LOL. But losing weight would require massive impulse control. Other people are the reverse.

 

[Ickathu]

Height and weight?

lol it still counts...


5' 11"
120 lbs

You could say I'm a tad bit (ya know, maybe ~20 lbs) underweight.

No offense, but 6 packs don't really count as being impressive if you're skinny. I'm not sure how big/strong you are, but I'm just judging this from your WCA picture. Models generally don't even look like they lift. And 6 packs aren't all that matter. A well developed back, chest, or legs are 500x more impressive. Shedding fat is extremely easy. Building muscle is the hard part.

I know, but they're still abs of steel as well, as commented on by my karate instructor. My chest muscles are pretty pathetic, but I'm working on it by doing >100 elevated feet push ups a day.

 

[That70sShowDude]

lol it still counts...


5' 11"
120 lbs

You could say I'm a tad bit (ya know, maybe ~20 lbs) underweight.




I know, but they're still abs of steel as well, as commented on by my karate instructor. My chest muscles are pretty pathetic, but I'm working on it by doing >100 elevated feet push ups a day.

If you were that size and didn't have a 6pack, I'd be surprised. Are you anorexic(lol)? You're actually wasting your time and don't even need to do ab exercises, b/c you'll still have them. Remember, the only way to build strength or muscle is to gain weight. The only way to lose fat and have 'defined' muscles is losing weight. Btw, I bodybuild, see the link in my sig.

 

[Anthony]

Height and weight?

5' 11"
120 lbs

lol it still counts...

Does it really?

If you're the type of person who's willing to work for a physique to be proud of then you're already on the right track. I definitely think you'd benefit much more from trying to put on muscle at this point rather than attempt to make your six pack even more defined. I was right around where you are now (5'11 125) this time last year, and I look and feel so much better now that I've put on 40 pounds from eating heathfully and starting to lift. Listen to Mike the man Kotch, you won't regret it.

 

[That70sShowDude]

Oh and btw, you always want to have a lot more pulling volume (back) than pushing volume (chest). If you don't, it'll create rounded shoulders, discomfort, muscle imbalances, and general posture imbalances. Anything where you push is hitting the anterior delts (front of shoulder) and anything where you pull is hitting the posterior delts (back of shoulder). People are way too obsessed w/ the mirror muscles (chest, biceps, abs, quads), when they should really be concerned w/ areas such as back, hamstrings, triceps, and lower back. It provides much needed support. If you don't have a stronger posterior chain (back half of body), life's gonna suck.