[vijay_nair]

Four years ago I went looking for the fastest way to cut down my weight and ended up comparing different modes of running on Wolfram Alpha. Turns out increasing the incline was the most effective at burning energy, almost 3X or 300% at 30° incline¹ which is bonkers.

I couldn't mod my treadmill to get any significant amount of incline but quickly landed on the idea of using my staircase and thus began a 4 hour regimen (10:30 pm to 2:30 am) of running up and down 25 steps 120+ times. It was highly effective (96 kg to 83 kg) but I blew out my knees and right ankle after 4 months of this, forcing me to stop. It also was a problem when my neighbour's wife kept peeking through their door to let me know they didn't appreciate all that clacking at 1 in the morning.

4 years later I'm holding onto the same level I reached back then (84 kg) and I'd love to do it again and get it down by another 10 kg in an intense two-month sprint. But I get cold feet every time I think about it.

I'm taking Vit. C now to boost collagen so my joints should fare better the next time I try it. The lawyer and his wife have also moved out which is another annoyance taken care of. Whether I can resist the urge to push hard after seeing the results is the question.

¹https://imgur.com/a/DAvovYA

[lm28469]

It sounds very tough on your joints, did you consider swimming ? Cycling ? Rowing machines ? It's not all about the numbers, the only diets / workouts that work are the ones you can keep as a lifestyle.

[vijay_nair]

Swimming ticks all the right boxes for me but the nearest pool is a bit far from here and I wasn't sure about the quality of water and general upkeep.

If those variables can be controlled swimming is definitely the best way to get a full-body workout without taxing the joints. Just the fact that I don't end up a sweaty mess with an extra load of laundry after each workout is a major win for me. Only problem is I don't trust the people running the pools here.

Edit: Tried cycling for a few years but it ended up not being safe early in the morning with a few politically-motivated murders on my route.

My current workout is just lifting weights + mountain climbers¹. Hasn't rocked my world but they do help me maintain status quo.

¹https://youtu.be/nmwgirgXLYM?t=40

[vijay_nair]

Something I remembered just now that was actually one of the reasons I was glad I stopped when I did: do be careful racing up and down the stairs in 20 seconds multiple times a day as the article suggests. I was constantly having low-grade anxiety one of those days I'd slip or trip and end up maimed or worse.

There are several simple HIIT routines on YouTube that can keep you gym fit without getting you killed. I like this one¹ but there are plenty others.

¹https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkaYafQ-XC4

[scottlocklin]

4 hours a day of stair running? That's completely bonkers. I used to stair run for 20 minutes ... and it kicked my butt in my 20s.

FWIIW, buy a kettlebell and take glycine/eat bone soup.