Never been to a gym
#51
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Very few people are physically fit. But I do agree with your second statement:
Mark Twight defines fitness as "the ability to accomplish a task". I always liked that. Elite runners and cyclists are very good at the task that is important to them. They may not have a good balance of fitness, but I would say it's incorrect to call them unfit.
Mark Twight defines fitness as "the ability to accomplish a task". I always liked that. Elite runners and cyclists are very good at the task that is important to them. They may not have a good balance of fitness, but I would say it's incorrect to call them unfit.
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Having said that, since the goal of lifting generally isn't cardiovascular health, it is possible to push yourself pretty hard without being out of breath for much of the time, or working up a significant amount of sweat.
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Lifting weights, like every other form of exercise, requires us to push ourselves out of our comfort zone in order to improve. Most people don't do this, just like most people aren't doing difficult intervals in the exercise bikes or treadmills (or posting on forums like this seeking to learn). It's very common to see someone talk about how they "add muscle too quickly" but, seeing them in the gym, it's clear they aren't doing enough to build any muscle at all.
Having said that, since the goal of lifting generally isn't cardiovascular health, it is possible to push yourself pretty hard without being out of breath for much of the time, or working up a significant amount of sweat.
Having said that, since the goal of lifting generally isn't cardiovascular health, it is possible to push yourself pretty hard without being out of breath for much of the time, or working up a significant amount of sweat.
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I'm at the gym three days a week. I have a pretty good rotation of exercises that is servicing me well. The worst part though? Getting up at 5pm to make to the gym in the first place.
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I don't get out of breath - breathing heavy but not out of breath- the occasional times I do weights nowadays, but there's always sweating. I would break a sweat just doing a half hour stretching routine (which I don't do either any more LOL), so I don't know how you'd avoid it without spending most of the time resting. At least work hard enough that the fan doesn't chill you!
#56
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I'm a cheapskate and don't have time or motivation to go to a gym. Obviously my main exercise for fun is riding my hybrid or fatbike :-)
but for indoor exercise i do the following on the cheap:
- I do all those exercises in front of a TV or computer while watching stuff. That way I use the time I waste on watching stuff.
- I looked up all kind of dumbbell exercises and bought a set of bowflex dumbbells for $250. They are nice in a way they don't clutter the rec room up too much.
- I downloaded free yoga (search for mel studio or others) and do those on the floor. in addition I do crunches , push ups etc. all stuff that doesn't require equipment. so in theory i could do that when I'm traveling.
With that I believe I can train every muscle. Maybe not to Schwarzenegger level, but good enough for me. sure, there is better equipment, but they don't necessarily train better. The best exercise is the one you actually do :-)
Many people spend a lot of money on gym memberships and home equipment just to barely use it.
but for indoor exercise i do the following on the cheap:
- I do all those exercises in front of a TV or computer while watching stuff. That way I use the time I waste on watching stuff.
- I looked up all kind of dumbbell exercises and bought a set of bowflex dumbbells for $250. They are nice in a way they don't clutter the rec room up too much.
- I downloaded free yoga (search for mel studio or others) and do those on the floor. in addition I do crunches , push ups etc. all stuff that doesn't require equipment. so in theory i could do that when I'm traveling.
With that I believe I can train every muscle. Maybe not to Schwarzenegger level, but good enough for me. sure, there is better equipment, but they don't necessarily train better. The best exercise is the one you actually do :-)
Many people spend a lot of money on gym memberships and home equipment just to barely use it.
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Not at all....Detach from all the silliness that's around and ignore the distractions... Focus on your own goals, do what's important and go home..
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I am not a pro cyclist, I don't race or compete, cycling is not a sport for me.... Cycling is one of the activities which I happen to enjoy and I just ride for recreation and commute. Cycling alone doesn't meet my fitness needs that's why I feel a need to do other forms of exercise.
The health benefits of weight training and resistance training are well documented. It's more than just about looks...It's never a bad thing to have a little extra strength and muscle, extra speed, agility and athletic ability... plus it makes me feel great mentally.
I started running a few years ago, because couldn't regain my fitness (for the sports I want to do) with playing anymore. I always had refused to run without purpose like some kind of ball present, or in group training. After a while when I had some endurance I really enjoyed it, a great start of the day. But I'm lucky, I live next to a park, which used to be a defensive wall so there are also some stairs that I could use for a more anaerobic exercise. But even without the stairs it seems so much better than running on a threadmill in a gym. And playing a 1.5 hour game, that feeling is much, much greater and it still is physically more demanding. For me the gym is like the last resort, if there are really no other ways to get fit you have the settle for just physical exercise, without any of the things that can make it really fun.
Or, you know, they're like me and they hate participating in organized or social sports, and they live in a climate which limits them to winter sports that they loath much of the year if they want to do an outside activity.
I know I get a better and more intense workout at a gym than I would schmoozing with my "team" half the time.
Not all of us are jocks, and we don't aspire to become them. We just like being fit.
I know I get a better and more intense workout at a gym than I would schmoozing with my "team" half the time.
Not all of us are jocks, and we don't aspire to become them. We just like being fit.
10 pull ups of any kind is not so easy at my age, near 60. I'll check it every week or two, or three, and doing that I've worked up to 9 and I was pretty proud of that. I can only do the "proper" ones a day or two after a set of "partial" pull ups - if I start straight in doing them right it feels like I'll strain the elbows.
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I'm going to weigh in on the "10 pull ups" thing. IMO a cycling equivalent would be maybe be an FTP of 3-3.5 w/kg. It's pretty good, and a it will make you faster than most of the people you see riding on the MUP in your neighborhood. A lot of people will ride for years and never achieve this. But, there are thousands of Cat 1 racers who could drop you while holding a pleasant conversation with their buddies.
I suspect most healthy males who aren't old or overweight could achieve this within a year of dedicated training.
I suspect most healthy males who aren't old or overweight could achieve this within a year of dedicated training.
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Some people log their workouts with their phone, and the weight machines at the gym I started to go to have those QR Codes that link to a description of how the thing works and how to use it properly.
My oldest kid is very old-school; he uses a little notebook. He is in shockingly good shape now. I think perhaps a paternity test might be in order.
They don't have TV screens. I think I would have refused to join if they did. IMO, TV should only be turned on during natural disasters or the Tour de France.
My oldest kid is very old-school; he uses a little notebook. He is in shockingly good shape now. I think perhaps a paternity test might be in order.
They don't have TV screens. I think I would have refused to join if they did. IMO, TV should only be turned on during natural disasters or the Tour de France.
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I'm sure some people sweat more than others, I'd never sweat from stretching. But if you're doing something like low rep sets with long rest periods (like if you were peaking for a competition) you'd sweat a lot less than doing, say, sets of 8-12 with a moderate amount of weight and a 2-3 minute rest between sets.
#62
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My wife and I are members of the Y. She uses a trainer, the machines and pool. I tend to use the machines and some free weights...and usually push my limits at least one session a week (to the chagrin of many of the other retirees). We go to the Y despite having a fairly complete home gym...it seems to motivate us more.
After doing this for >30 years, I know to back off when my joints report back the next day. I do have a daily base set of things I like to do, but mix it up with other machines/lifts because I can or because the joints say so. Seems to work. I do not see a correlation to improved biking ability though...may need to increase leg days.
After doing this for >30 years, I know to back off when my joints report back the next day. I do have a daily base set of things I like to do, but mix it up with other machines/lifts because I can or because the joints say so. Seems to work. I do not see a correlation to improved biking ability though...may need to increase leg days.
#63
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This pic brings back memories. We had to be out by 7am because the football team needed it. The girls basketball team only had a few hours a week because of football and some missed dinner in the dorm cafeteria because that was the last hour open to them before it became public hours.
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I've been to a 'gym' or two throughout the decades--wife's guest passes, university weight rooms, friends gyms, etc., but I've never had a paid membership myself at any point in my life. Weights have always been part of my fitness routine, whether it was playing team sports in my teens, twenties, and thirties, or doing the endurance sports later on. I bought my first Olympic BB set 30 years ago, built a set of racks and benches out of wood and worked out in my parents garage, even in the cold of winter. So, yeah, I've always believed that being 'fit' at any sport had to include some kind of weight training routine.
If you want to get fit on the bike, you train on the bike. If you wanted to get fit at running then you run. And you can get fit at these activities with lifting an ounce of weight. However, while lifting weights isn't necessarily going to make you faster at either, it may help you to stronger and be able to train for longer, or stave off injury to allow you to continue to train hard, thus making you faster that way.
If you want to get fit on the bike, you train on the bike. If you wanted to get fit at running then you run. And you can get fit at these activities with lifting an ounce of weight. However, while lifting weights isn't necessarily going to make you faster at either, it may help you to stronger and be able to train for longer, or stave off injury to allow you to continue to train hard, thus making you faster that way.
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Nope, no sweaty gym for me. Don't need to show off for the females. I like my Man-Cave, my butt on my bike . No fees. I have had to take a few Cardio Stress test lately, on the treadmill and another scheduled soon, that is pure torture , to my legs. KB
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That's exactly what I do too... Every time I workout I write down my exercises, sets and reps on a piece of paper. The only electronic device I use is a stop watch to keep track of my rest periods between sets. About once per month I'll strap on a heart rate monitor.
#67
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I think this really boils down to individual needs and motivation. Some people, like myself, need to get out of the house, whether it's to the gym or on my bike, to feel like they are committing to a workout. Others are content to do it at home. I'm not going to criticize anyone for employing a completely different strategy than I am. If it gets you off the couch and putting out an effort, it's all good.
Sweat is a terrible measure of calories burned, btw. I know there are days when I do the exact same routine that left me dripping two days before, and stay relatively dry. I suspect it's a better measure of ambient temperature and humidity.
I'm also not really thrilled with this idea of labeling people as "fit" or "not fit" as if those are absolute terms. One of my favorite people to talk to at the gym is a guy in a wheelchair with barely any use of his legs. A few times a week, he gets himself on an elliptical machine and does about 15 minutes working both his arms and legs. Just getting himself on that machine is a huge accomplishment, and I'd put that up against 10 perfect pull-ups any day.
Sweat is a terrible measure of calories burned, btw. I know there are days when I do the exact same routine that left me dripping two days before, and stay relatively dry. I suspect it's a better measure of ambient temperature and humidity.
I'm also not really thrilled with this idea of labeling people as "fit" or "not fit" as if those are absolute terms. One of my favorite people to talk to at the gym is a guy in a wheelchair with barely any use of his legs. A few times a week, he gets himself on an elliptical machine and does about 15 minutes working both his arms and legs. Just getting himself on that machine is a huge accomplishment, and I'd put that up against 10 perfect pull-ups any day.
#68
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No gyms for me. Those places are breeding grounds for influenza, noro, rhino, and MRSA. I have plenty of clean options at home for all the exercise I need.
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#69
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Here is a fitness test I found. I'm not vouching for it's accuracy, its just a novelty. You don't need to answer the second set of questions, but you really need to be honest.
HOW FIT ARE YOU,REALLY? As long as you have a healthy immune system and take normal precautions there's nothing for you to worry about. Even germaphobe like myself can survive the gym with the proper precautions.
Last edited by KraneXL; 12-31-18 at 07:22 PM.
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Here is a fitness test I found. I'm not vouching for it's accuracy, its just a novelty. You don't need to answer the second set of questions, but you really need to be honest.
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I'm 55 and it says I have the fitness level of the average 34 year old.
I take this to mean the average 34 year old is a sedentary morbidly obese slob.
I take this to mean the average 34 year old is a sedentary morbidly obese slob.
#73
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This may have been mentioned above, but what you do should match your either goals or preferences. I like lifting and riding so I do both.
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Thread title: Never been to a gym. First sentence:
More time at the gym than the college, methinks.
In other news, this
places my 49 y/o self at the fitness level of a 26 y/o.
I'll take it.
More time at the gym than the college, methinks.
In other news, this
Here is a fitness test I found. I'm not vouching for it's accuracy, its just a novelty. You don't need to answer the second set of questions, but you really need to be honest.
HOW FIT ARE YOU,REALLY?
HOW FIT ARE YOU,REALLY?
I'll take it.
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
Last edited by Fahrenheit531; 12-31-18 at 09:17 PM.
#75
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Yeah, the pull up thing is no measure.
I could never really do them very well despite being quite good at technical rock climbing but for a lark did 1000 pushups one day. That was simply 20x50 while at work.
I don't hit the gym in the summer, preferring to just be active but do in the winter to focus or compensate. Last year I did a lot of focused spinning to increase my cadence and core and this winter I am swimming to augment trail running when it's too crappy outside.
If were to measure general fitness I think I would focus on cardio and core more than a particular extremities strength. Good cardio and balance/flexibility gives one a foot up on many activities.
I could never really do them very well despite being quite good at technical rock climbing but for a lark did 1000 pushups one day. That was simply 20x50 while at work.
I don't hit the gym in the summer, preferring to just be active but do in the winter to focus or compensate. Last year I did a lot of focused spinning to increase my cadence and core and this winter I am swimming to augment trail running when it's too crappy outside.
If were to measure general fitness I think I would focus on cardio and core more than a particular extremities strength. Good cardio and balance/flexibility gives one a foot up on many activities.
Even when I was training as a bodybuilder, I couldn't do pull ups ... IMO, that's a silly measurement.
I can cycle long distances, run reasonable distances, row, cross-country ski, snowshoe, hike up mountains, canoe, lift weights, do yoga, but because I can't do pull ups, I'm not physically fit??
Physical fitness is made up of 4 main components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, muscle endurance, and flexibility.
I'm probably weakest in the "flexibility" category, but I do work on that from time to time.
I also think that there's an element of practicality that has to be considered. Can I do the things I want to do with my level of fitness? If not, then something needs to improve.
So for me, one of the things I need to do on a fairly regular basis is to walk longish distances carrying a moderately heavy backpack. It's a transportation necessity for me and I can do that. So in that regard, I'm fit enough for my practical purposes.
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