padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
Yhey go to the gym or whatever to keep fit but it's a pale imitation... in fact it's not even that. The great thing about truly enjoying a sport is that you go and have fun...when you have to stop you lose the fun... and then you realise, as part of a cruel double-whammy, you've lost that incidental fitness too, so you have to replace the exercise with some boring grind in the gym; the beautiful game replaced with lifting bits of metal and jogging on a conveyor belt, instead of the infinitely pleasing magic of turning someone inside out and leaving them grasping at the air in the wrong place you're supposed to be content with beating your own personal best on the rowing machine?
No shots, Rich, but it really makes me sad to hear people talk about the gym and fitness in this way because - again, no shots - it comes from a place of almost total ignorance

"Lifting bits of metal" is in fact a sport - multiple sports, actually (powerlifting, weightlifting i.e. Olympic lifting, Crossfit, etc) - that many, many people, including myself, find "infinitely pleasing magic" in. One of the absolute best feelings on earth is crushing a new PR (personal record) on a deadlift or etc, after months/years of hard work, putting in the work week in week out, being consistent with not only your lifting but your nutrition, hydration, rest, assistance work, working on technique. Mastering a new skill or movement - whatever someone's level, whether it is their first strict pullup, first muscle-up, walking on your hands, whatever - is similarly a great feeling.

There's nothing wrong with team or individual sports - the opposite, they're fucking great - but the idea that you need to shit on other forms of physical activity as evidence of their greatness is, like, misguided at best.

Again, nothing personal here. I am, obviously, passionate about fitness, and I just think that was a particularly bad take.
 
Last edited:

padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
Also, rowing is awesome. I have done an awful lot of it over and the years and it's one of those things that you hate until you put enough work in that you get decent enough to hate it less, and so on.

Any cardio machine that adds in some kind of resistance - assault bike, ski erg, etc - is like that, really, as are tbh plenty of other movements. Burpees are a prime example.
 
Last edited:

padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
One final thing I'd note is that, just like sports, fitness becomes more interesting and less boring the more you know what you're doing. The more movements you can do perform well the more variety you can introduce.
 

Clinamenic

Binary & Tweed
Have you developed an at-home routine @padraig (u.s.) ? I'd be curious as to your recommendations. Lately I've gotten into a groove with a 20lb dumbbell, finding different angles/positions to lift it, doling out reps over the course of the day, rather than a concentrated session. But maybe that is suboptimal, not sure.
 

version

Well-known member
One of the absolute best feelings on earth is crushing a new PR (personal record) on a deadlift or etc, after months/years of hard work, putting in the work week in week out, being consistent with not only your lifting but your nutrition, hydration, rest, assistance work, working on technique. Mastering a new skill or movement - whatever someone's level, whether it is their first strict pullup, first muscle-up, walking on your hands, whatever - is similarly a great feeling.
The sense of agency that comes with realising how much you can affect your own body is really satisfying too, seeing physical changes as a direct result of what you've been doing.

Everyone knows it's possible to lose weight or to put on muscle, but to actually put it into practice and see the results firsthand is something else. A similar feeling to coming up with an interesting idea or building something. You suddenly realise you yourself can actually do things, that you aren't just a passenger or spectator. You have the ability to shape and create.
 

DannyL

Wild Horses
Just to echo what Padraig said, I find it hard to express how genuinely exciting I find going to the gym and working on a good program. I'm still with Marcus Filly, who is in a phrase, THE TRUTH. I've progressed in overall fitness, strength and body composition since doing his stuff and have had the enjoyment of learning lots of challenging new movements with much more to come. I found it absolutely transformative in lockdown - it became the focal point of my day and kept me sane, in short.
 

DannyL

Wild Horses
Have you developed an at-home routine @padraig (u.s.) ? I'd be curious as to your recommendations. Lately I've gotten into a groove with a 20lb dumbbell, finding different angles/positions to lift it, doling out reps over the course of the day, rather than a concentrated session. But maybe that is suboptimal, not sure.
I would say invest in a few kettlebells if you can? I was lucky enough to get given a set early in first lockdown. Their shape means that there are lots of interesting unilateral movements that become possible. If you want a program, Marcus Filly's Persist has a minimalist track for at home training. I could post a sample workout if you like?
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
No shots, Rich, but it really makes me sad to hear people talk about the gym and fitness in this way because - again, no shots - it comes from a place of almost total ignorance

"Lifting bits of metal" is in fact a sport - multiple sports, actually (powerlifting, weightlifting i.e. Olympic lifting, Crossfit, etc) - that many, many people, including myself, find "infinitely pleasing magic" in. One of the absolute best feelings on earth is crushing a new PR (personal record) on a deadlift or etc, after months/years of hard work, putting in the work week in week out, being consistent with not only your lifting but your nutrition, hydration, rest, assistance work, working on technique. Mastering a new skill or movement - whatever someone's level, whether it is their first strict pullup, first muscle-up, walking on your hands, whatever - is similarly a great feeling.

There's nothing wrong with team or individual sports - the opposite, they're fucking great - but the idea that you need to shit on other forms of physical activity as evidence of their greatness is, like, misguided at best.

Again, nothing personal here. I am, obviously, passionate about fitness, and I just think that was a particularly bad take.
You're right it definitely does come from a place of ignorance. I can't remember when or why I wrote that but it doesn't seem to be something I am particularly invested in defending. I think I prefer sports such as squash, football etc while most people here prefer weightlifting etc and that's fair enough. I will say that the few times I went on the rowing machine I really enjoyed it. It's just a different thing.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
In fact, kinda guilty of what I moaned about other people doing there - taking my own experience, assuming it to be the general one and then insisting that it was The One True Way... hoist by my own petard and bang to rights.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
One final thing I'd note is that, just like sports, fitness becomes more interesting and less boring the more you know what you're doing. The more movements you can do perform well the more variety you can introduce.
True. In general... except, I find with some things i, just in one personal sense, find the opposite true. There are some things which, for me, become less interesting as you get good at them and cross a line from their being random fun things to something you take seriously. That moment when you change from celebrating every time you get it right to assuming you'll get it right and thus cursing when you get it wrong. But this could be just me and it only happens for me with certain things... hobbies that become serious and competitive after you started them precisely to get away from that. Not sure I'm capturing this correctly but maybe those who also get this feeling will know what I mean.
 

version

Well-known member
Hold up, is version jacked?

My world has been turned upsidedown
I'm not jacked, but I'm not exactly scrawny or out of shape either. I got really out of shape during lockdown and ended up skinny fat then eventually got back on it.

I haven't exercised in a couple of days atm, but I did five in a row last week and try to at least every other day.
 
Top