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A message from another couch potato trying to improve oneself :) You don't need to go to the Gym. What you need to do, is to take ownership of your body and yo
by fsloth 10y ago
A message from another couch potato trying to improve oneself :)
You don't need to go to the Gym. What you need to do, is to take ownership of your body and your health regimen. You don't need any complex mechanical stuff to do that. Bodyweight exercises are more than enough for regular folks and you can do them at home. Research. See what works for you. These guys have a terrific supportive attitude and great do-at-home courses to get you started https://gmb.io/ https://gmb.io/
Aerobic: Do a run per week and walks on other days around your house. If you want to compress that time and are ready for some pain, do interval runs (research Tabata exercise).
You don't need the gym. Gym is marketing bullshit by an industry that attempts to monetize basic human functions. The only reason gyms are packed with exercise machines is because it's the cheapest way to offer some sort of structured conditioning without expert guidance. I.e it's the most profitable model for gym owners. It's not as good as free weight exercises (unless you are after some specific athletic goal, I think) for any sort of thing.
I found buying an activity bracelet with onboard pulse meter motivated me considerably. Polar A360 was good enough for me, but I'm sure there are better alternatives.
- cpursley 10y ago> Gym is marketing bullshit I totally disagree. While you can absolutely get fit without a gym, it's difficult to serious build muscle mass without lifting weights.
- Angostura 10y agoBut we're talking about health, not muscle mass.
- danielbln 10y agoAlso, you don't need a gym to use weights. A few dumb-bells and a pull-up bar are cheap enough and easy to stow away at home.
- kerbalspacepro 10y agoBeware of the Diderot effect once you buy those, though!
- fsloth 10y agoI don't think we disagree. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to a gym if you like it, nor that the equipment there is non-functional. I'm saying, it's not necessary for health benefits. The context of the discussion was the claim that one needs to go to a gym to maintain a healthy regimen of exercise, which I vehemently oppose. In this context the main goal of exercise is longevity and staying healthy as possible through senescence. I don't think there is any conclusive evidence of how much muscle mass is needed for better longevity. My long bet is that regular farmers walks with enough weights are enough for that (combined with some body weight exercises like pull ups). I don't need the gym for my farmers walks. I have a few rubbery bikes handles strapped to 40 kg weights which I lug around outside my house. I have a pull up bar at home. Done. No need to go to gym. This is partly a lifestyle choice - I don't enjoy exercise, but I've seen relatives go in a bad way after they forgot to take care of themselves for a couple of decades. I want a regimen that provides sufficient benefits, with as few excuses not to do them as possible.
- stupidhn 10y ago>it's difficult to serious build muscle mass without lifting weights. Who said anything about building serious mass? There are many, say, professional fighters who do very little weight training and they look exceptional (literally). You want to get in shape, you don't need a gym. Do hard work for 30 minutes a day. Work that makes you sweaty and tired. Run, sprint, pushups, burpees, anything. You will get in shape. If you don't believe it, try it for a couple months.
- 3131s 10y agoWait until you get an injury. Professional fighters might be an exception because the type of workouts they do (like grappling) recruit many different muscles, but there's a reason that nearly all sprinters for example train with weights. If you don't do any weight training, definitely make sure to cross train with a variety of activities to avoid becoming imbalanced. That said, you only need a rack, a bar, a bench, and some plates to get the best possible workout with weights. Doing squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, and olympic lifts is all it takes to become extremely strong and hardened against injuries. Machines are totally unnecessary. And I'm not even so sure about fighters. Which fighters do you have in mind that explicitly don't do weight training?
- stupidhn 10y ago"Which fighters do you have in mind that explicitly don't do weight training?" The fighters at my gym. I guess I can't say for certain what the pros do or do not, but I assume some of the competition amateurs I see are doing the best they can. And they look like it. And I know that guys like Conor McGregor have made statements about doing purely "functional exercise". I'm sure some pro fighters weight-train, because it has obvious benefits. It's also hard to sustain muscle in a cardio-focussed sport. I'm definitely a weight-training advocate, as well. I'm a believer that in order to "get stronger" you have lift heavier and heavier things. That's only really feasible at the gym. I try to get there a couple times a week. On the other hand, so many people who are starting out try to get some heavy duty "system" in place before they feel they can begin. I see these people at the gym; there for 2 hours, putting everything in their phone, not even working up a sweat. It's not that complicated; just do work.
- tsomctl 10y agoSo buy a bar bell and weight bench off Craigslist or Amazon and stick it in your garage. Free weights are cheap, and better for you than machines.