4 ms·

Yeah I'd also be surprised if many programmers weren't climbers as well. Those two activities are basically my favorite two things to do, and I believe they com

Yeah I'd also be surprised if many programmers weren't climbers as well. Those two activities are basically my favorite two things to do, and I believe they complement each other very well. Much like programming, it gets harder the better you get at it.

Jtsummers 11y ago
Climbing seems (outsider here) to provide a good combination of technical and physical challenges. I've been getting back into martial arts (BJJ and, now, wrestling, hopefully boxing soon) and have found the same thing there. Ballroom dance, again, provides a nice combination of physical and technical challenges. I think that's what appeals to programmers (and similarly technically inclined folks) about these hobbies and sports. You learn some basics, you develop the skill and strength to perform them, and then you start applying the knowledge in new and more creative ways to solve the problems you face on the boulder, in the ring or on the dance floor.
- presidentender 11y ago
  Where do you find wrestling as an adult?
  - Jtsummers 11y ago
    The MMA gym I attend for BJJ. The owner was a wrestler in HS and college. There are a bunch of students (younger men than me) who have some background in wrestling (HS, college or both, some still in that) so he started a couple wrestling sessions a week for them. Also, some of the MMA guys wanted to learn a bit of wrestling to add to their skill set if they didn't have it already. EDIT: Random plug, though this probably won't apply to anyone here: Rush MMA in downtown Macon, GA.
larrik 11y ago
In SV, maybe, but I don't know about too many other places.
- thedufer 11y ago
  It's picking up in NYC, too. Brooklyn Boulders is full of developers.
etrautmann 11y ago
in SF and silicon valley, its functionally the millennial generation's golf-equivalent networking sport. An interesting observation is that very few of these climbers ever end up climbing outdoors.
- DarkTree 11y ago
  I can see that. I'm on the east coast so I don't have that exposure, but I've seen the demographic of gym climbers change over time. It's a shame though, because outdoor climbing is why I love it. It's more challenging, you are often camping in nature, and it takes you to beautiful scenery almost always.
cabinpark 11y ago
When I was at Waterloo almost everyone I knew at the climbing gym was some combination of engineering, physics, mathematics, and computer science. This doesn't surprise me since bouldering problems, as discussed here, are puzzles, akin to programming puzzles, where the solution is often some clever trick that, once known, makes a problem easy.
- Eric_WVGG 11y ago
  Yup. After a lifetime of failed attempts at “getting in shape” or finding some sort of exercise regiment that I could stick to, bouldering finally worked — because it’s not boring.
  - cabinpark 11y ago
    What I love about bouldering is it is very easy to mark progress. You can get higher on the wall or do a move. Very motivating. You can see it. I find that in the gym, progress is measured by moving the rod one weight down or adding another plate on the bar. Not a very visual thing.

Jtsummers 11y ago

Climbing seems (outsider here) to provide a good combination of technical and physical challenges. I've been getting back into martial arts (BJJ and, now, wrestling, hopefully boxing soon) and have found the same thing there. Ballroom dance, again, provides a nice combination of physical and technical challenges. I think that's what appeals to programmers (and similarly technically inclined folks) about these hobbies and sports. You learn some basics, you develop the skill and strength to perform them, and then you start applying the knowledge in new and more creative ways to solve the problems you face on the boulder, in the ring or on the dance floor.

presidentender 11y ago
Where do you find wrestling as an adult?
- Jtsummers 11y ago
  The MMA gym I attend for BJJ. The owner was a wrestler in HS and college. There are a bunch of students (younger men than me) who have some background in wrestling (HS, college or both, some still in that) so he started a couple wrestling sessions a week for them. Also, some of the MMA guys wanted to learn a bit of wrestling to add to their skill set if they didn't have it already. EDIT: Random plug, though this probably won't apply to anyone here: Rush MMA in downtown Macon, GA.

larrik 11y ago

In SV, maybe, but I don't know about too many other places.

thedufer 11y ago
It's picking up in NYC, too. Brooklyn Boulders is full of developers.

etrautmann 11y ago

in SF and silicon valley, its functionally the millennial generation's golf-equivalent networking sport. An interesting observation is that very few of these climbers ever end up climbing outdoors.

DarkTree 11y ago
I can see that. I'm on the east coast so I don't have that exposure, but I've seen the demographic of gym climbers change over time. It's a shame though, because outdoor climbing is why I love it. It's more challenging, you are often camping in nature, and it takes you to beautiful scenery almost always.

cabinpark 11y ago

When I was at Waterloo almost everyone I knew at the climbing gym was some combination of engineering, physics, mathematics, and computer science. This doesn't surprise me since bouldering problems, as discussed here, are puzzles, akin to programming puzzles, where the solution is often some clever trick that, once known, makes a problem easy.

Eric_WVGG 11y ago
Yup. After a lifetime of failed attempts at “getting in shape” or finding some sort of exercise regiment that I could stick to, bouldering finally worked — because it’s not boring.
- cabinpark 11y ago
  What I love about bouldering is it is very easy to mark progress. You can get higher on the wall or do a move. Very motivating. You can see it. I find that in the gym, progress is measured by moving the rod one weight down or adding another plate on the bar. Not a very visual thing.