Comments on: Modern "Fitness"

By: westerndog

westerndog — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:12:46 +0000

Respectfully, for an esteemed scientist this is full of anecdotes.
While “functional” is the rage, I cannot locate any decent long term studies that is demonstrative of improved fitness or sports skills vis a vis gym work.
Second, those truncated machines provide excellent training:inclement weather, time efficiency, and allowing more focused training-ie really dialing in heart rate and pace work.
In 2009, a Naval officer on a carrier in the Persian Gulf trained 100% on a treadmill and indoor bike, then went on to finish Kona(Hawaii Ironman championships) in the top 25% of his age group.(that’s 2.5 mile swim/125 mile bike/26.2 mile run-all of indoor equipment and swimming laps around his boat)
Most of the runners and triathletes I train with use the indoor trainers for at least 50% of their cycling and 25% of their running.
We all do quite well for a bunch of amateurs.
We have experimented with all outside, but most of us feel machines have a place- reduces injury, is more time efficient, and probably saves lives (ie bike vs car vs concrete).
Many triathletes swim on an indoor ergometer, some almost exclusively.

In a society crumbling under an obesity epidemic, don’t be so quick to disparage alternative methods of calorie burning.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:37:21 +0000

@Jahluve – Well, that depends on whether you’re asking about sailing, shinkendo, hockey, or cycling? I have about as much sports clothes as I have regular clothes. I don’t have any running shoes.

By: Jahluve

Jahluve — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:19:42 +0000

Hi,
Please Jacob, can you share what your sports attire is? Do you spend on good value running shoes for instance?
thanks,
dar

By: Jacob

Jacob — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:31:09 +0000

@Roger – http://earlyretirementextreme.com/the-inexpensive-home-gym-part-2.html

By: Roger

Roger — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:01:44 +0000

So when are we going to get Part 2 of the Inexpensive Home Gym?

By: FreeUrChains

FreeUrChains — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 08:15:59 +0000

Only the very wise Spartans and Samurai knew this concept very well.

By: chucks

chucks — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 02:09:02 +0000

I think you’re overgeneralizing here and also need to distinguish between bodybuilders and “people who go to the gym often”. Most bodybuilders are incredibly strong and the vast majority of their exercises are not on soft padded machines. Squats, deadlifts, snatches and other compound, free weight exercises predominate. Generally if two “equivalent” exercises are available, bodybuilders typically eschew machines in favor of the more natural motion. Quite a few bodybuilders have also had pretty decent runs as strongmen/powerlifters- Arnold Schwarzenegger comes to mind: http://castironknowledge.blogspot.com/2010/10/arnolds-powerlifting-history.html

Also, bodybuilders are scored on symmetry and proportion and typically try to keep muscle groups within range of one another. I’d also dispute that the sole goal of bodybuilding is to get big- reducing bodyfat to remain as lean as possible plays just a great a role in most body builders routines, and they’ll frequently drop to as low as 1600 calories or so a day to cut to such levels.

In a way, I see bodybuilding very much like frugality- delayed gratification, learning to do without (processed crap consumed by the mainstream, periods of very low calories in bodybuilding/ going without the luxuries that “everyone” needs, living on less), and in the end being better off as a result of enduring all these things.

What you say might be fairly true of mainstream fitness fads, but serious bodybuilders are much different.

By: “suck it up or suck it in” «

“suck it up or suck it in” « — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:02:18 +0000

[...] Modern “fitness” [...]

By: mjmcinto

mjmcinto — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:52:52 +0000

“My bet is that most people would have a hard time putting their shoes on right now and running 10 miles. No no, there will be all kinds of excuses”

You nailed me, I can’t run 10 miles any more – and now its time for my excuse…my knee can’t physically take running anymore. Though I have no problem hoping on the bike and riding 70+ miles and the only issue would be one of hydration if its really hot (even when trying to stay hydrated, when temps are 95+ I’ll lose over 4 pounds during a 70 mile ride)

By: SillySneakers

SillySneakers — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:44:42 +0000

Love the analogy!

By: cato

cato — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:20:44 +0000

I do “burpees” on a daily basis and find them to be a great workout. They are a great exercise for both the beginner and the advanced novice. The exercise concentrates on your core, which is most important..IMHO..Best of all you can do them anywhere at anytime. I also installed a simple pull-up bar in my house, but beside that have no exercise equipment and do not attend a gym.

I agree that true “strength” should be measured under real-life situations. Cut away all the bravado and gadgetry. Some of the strongest people I have known had never set foot in a gym.

By: firefighter jeff

firefighter jeff — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 04:18:24 +0000

In my line of work the most fit are the ones that are strong but with a lot of endurance. The litle guys that can run a marathon tend to be weak in strength and the guys that can lift a car run out of gas pretty quickly. It’s funny how the general public will view one of our huge guys and think he’s the real deal when in reality it’s the 180 pound average size guy that gets the job done for any kind of extended operation.

By: Ralphy

Ralphy — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:33:37 +0000

I remember this being one of the posts that first drew me into this site. When I was younger growing up on a farm, hot summer weather meant it was time to bale hay. You’d spend all day for several days stacking hay bales about 1/3 your body weight onto a wagon, then unload those same bales in the barn or shed. Most farmers would cut hay three times over the summer/fall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6s2IbD61Ak&feature=related

After you finished helping your parents, you’d get to go help various neighbors bale their crop. Not surprisingly, the farm kids of the school district tended to be pretty decent athletes.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:23:11 +0000

I hate riding in the rain. If we didn’t have a car and it rained more than a few weeks a year, I would get a beater bike. Actually, if we didn’t have car, I’d get a cargobike of some sorts.

By: Steve Austin

Steve Austin — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:53:45 +0000

I’ll nitpick: regarding that precious bike of yours…although I admire how well you wish to maintain it, and can certainly relate to being too lazy to clean it, you might wish to consider that particular attitude towards your bike an intangible liability. You could get a beater bike on freecycle/craiglist at no to little cost and use it for your inclement rides. Yes, you’d have to store a second bike, so you’d have to compare that cost to the savings you’d get of still being able to roll during all wx. I also admit that the occasional 5 mile walk is useful, too. Everyone draws their line somewhere: I have trouble riding in snow and ice, but I thrive in the rain.