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Why do we build foundations for the structures that we build?

Anderkent 12y ago
We do that when it's necessary for stability of the structure, not as a goal to itself. What is strength useful for? (and yes, this is a rephrase of the previous question because of your non-answer)
- Swizec 12y ago
  What is strength useful for, what is strength useful for!? Every man (and woman) should be able to save their own life and possibly the lives of their loved ones -> http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/09/15/every-man-should-be-able-to-save-his-own-life-5-fitness-benchmarks-a-man-must-master/ http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/09/15/every-man-should-be... Strength also correlates with muscle mass (you need them to be strong) and muscle burns a lot of energy, which means you will both be less cold in winter AND be able to eat more food healthily. Food is tasty. Bottom line, strength is good for you.
  - Anderkent 12y ago
    Haha that link is hilarious. You can do 15 pull-ups? Well, then you don't have to worry about any emergencies. It'll save you if you get into a car accident, surely. And yeah, sorry, but 'get more strength so you can eat more' isn't really very convincing.
    - Swizec 12y ago
      It actually might save you in a car crash. Strength makes it less likely to dislocate joints and also makes it moderately likelier that you will be able to pull yourself out of a wreck. Being in good shape also makes adrenaline more useful because your body can actually do stuff. And good cardio form helps with the old ticker not getting tired out too much after spikes in heart rate, spikes also tend to last less time. Furthermore, scares won't give you a heart attack because high heart rate won't be a shock to your body (afaik heart attacks happen when the body gets shocked and things sticking to your artery walls get dislodged and travel to bad parts of your body to form clots). And I guess you just don't like food all that much.
      - Anderkent 12y ago
        Sure, but the subset of situations where it will save you is so small and the level of effort required high enough that you can't really argue that you should become strong because it will help you survive. Don't get me wrong, I agree with exercising in order to be healthy, or to look good, or for fun if that's ones fancy. But the fascination with physical strength that seems to be fairly common boggles me.
        JanezStupar 12y ago
        In realm of physical activity, getting stronger means getting faster, more agile, better precision and increasing ones endurance. And as an added bonus mental state improves as well. An athlete wants to have as good a ratio between mass and strength as possible. Thus when I was pursuing strength I was doing it for the sake of increasing my athletic performance.
- Jtsummers 12y ago
  A moderate level of strength and endurance is beneficial. Longterm, for your health. As you get older maintaining your physical strength becomes more difficult. Starting off with a decent level of fitness as your body begins to decline will put you in a better spot at 70 than someone who struggled up stairs when they were young. Here's a practical one, not being winded at the top of the stairs. I work on the 3rd floor of a building. There's one elevator, it's painfully slow. Most people take the stairs. Every day people pass by my cubicle (near the entrance) winded from their walk across the parking lot and up the stairs. That's pathetic (having been there myself a couple years back, it's depressing too). Have or want children? Wouldn't it be cool to be able to play with them for more than 10 minutes before feeling exhausted? Or to be able to carry them in from the car when they've passed out (or pretended to be asleep), even when they're older than 2 or 3? Ever find your home office has filled with clutter and wanted to clean it out? Being able to carry out a box of trash or recyclables or giveaway stuffs without needing to stop every 10' or carry one item at a time is nice. EDIT: I'm not in great shape, that's been my state for 10 years now. I am, however, in better shape now than most of that decade. Beyond the practical uses of this physical condition, it's helped me out in a number of other ways. I'm more alert. I sleep better (those two are, of course, related). I'm more attractive (hey, no more double chin!) which also helps with self-esteem. My mood is generally better (if you read my post history you'll find a history of depression, I won't say fitness has eliminated it, but it certainly is helping for me). Back to (somewhat) practical uses of better strength. I'm able to help friends with tasks around their homes instead of trying to come up with excuses to avoid it (because I was, for a time, more of a drag in those cases than a help). I can go play laser tag without collapsing at the end (4 years ago, it was embarrassing). Bowling, not the most demanding of games, no longer exhausts my arms (I bowl both left and right handed).
  - Anderkent 12y ago
    Cool, these are some good examples. I'd say though that they're more examples of moderate fitness (someone who regularly exercises should be able to do all that, I think? I mean, I do basically no exercise but can go up five floors being maybe a little out of breath, but not 'winded'. depends on the pace, I guess?), rather than what the article talks about. From the article: > By the ’90s, when the soft curves of Ursula Andress had been replaced by the hard bodies of Cindy Crawford and Elle Macpherson, you still worked out to prepare for the beach or the bedroom. These days, though, you aren’t preparing for fun or romance. You’re preparing for an unforeseen natural disaster, or a burning building, or Armageddon. >“We have sought to build a program that will best prepare trainees for any physical contingency — not only for the unknown, but for the unknowable.” This dark talk passes for welcoming language on the website of CrossFit, the intense, ultracompetitive conditioning program whose motto, “Forging Elite Fitness,” reflects our current fascination with both elite athletes and elite military forces.

We do that when it's necessary for stability of the structure, not as a goal to itself. What is strength useful for? (and yes, this is a rephrase of the previous question because of your non-answer)

Swizec 12y ago
What is strength useful for, what is strength useful for!? Every man (and woman) should be able to save their own life and possibly the lives of their loved ones -> http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/09/15/every-man-should-be-able-to-save-his-own-life-5-fitness-benchmarks-a-man-must-master/ http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/09/15/every-man-should-be... Strength also correlates with muscle mass (you need them to be strong) and muscle burns a lot of energy, which means you will both be less cold in winter AND be able to eat more food healthily. Food is tasty. Bottom line, strength is good for you.
- Anderkent 12y ago
  Haha that link is hilarious. You can do 15 pull-ups? Well, then you don't have to worry about any emergencies. It'll save you if you get into a car accident, surely. And yeah, sorry, but 'get more strength so you can eat more' isn't really very convincing.
  - Swizec 12y ago
    It actually might save you in a car crash. Strength makes it less likely to dislocate joints and also makes it moderately likelier that you will be able to pull yourself out of a wreck. Being in good shape also makes adrenaline more useful because your body can actually do stuff. And good cardio form helps with the old ticker not getting tired out too much after spikes in heart rate, spikes also tend to last less time. Furthermore, scares won't give you a heart attack because high heart rate won't be a shock to your body (afaik heart attacks happen when the body gets shocked and things sticking to your artery walls get dislodged and travel to bad parts of your body to form clots). And I guess you just don't like food all that much.
    - Anderkent 12y ago
      Sure, but the subset of situations where it will save you is so small and the level of effort required high enough that you can't really argue that you should become strong because it will help you survive. Don't get me wrong, I agree with exercising in order to be healthy, or to look good, or for fun if that's ones fancy. But the fascination with physical strength that seems to be fairly common boggles me.
      - JanezStupar 12y ago
        In realm of physical activity, getting stronger means getting faster, more agile, better precision and increasing ones endurance. And as an added bonus mental state improves as well. An athlete wants to have as good a ratio between mass and strength as possible. Thus when I was pursuing strength I was doing it for the sake of increasing my athletic performance.
Jtsummers 12y ago
A moderate level of strength and endurance is beneficial. Longterm, for your health. As you get older maintaining your physical strength becomes more difficult. Starting off with a decent level of fitness as your body begins to decline will put you in a better spot at 70 than someone who struggled up stairs when they were young. Here's a practical one, not being winded at the top of the stairs. I work on the 3rd floor of a building. There's one elevator, it's painfully slow. Most people take the stairs. Every day people pass by my cubicle (near the entrance) winded from their walk across the parking lot and up the stairs. That's pathetic (having been there myself a couple years back, it's depressing too). Have or want children? Wouldn't it be cool to be able to play with them for more than 10 minutes before feeling exhausted? Or to be able to carry them in from the car when they've passed out (or pretended to be asleep), even when they're older than 2 or 3? Ever find your home office has filled with clutter and wanted to clean it out? Being able to carry out a box of trash or recyclables or giveaway stuffs without needing to stop every 10' or carry one item at a time is nice. EDIT: I'm not in great shape, that's been my state for 10 years now. I am, however, in better shape now than most of that decade. Beyond the practical uses of this physical condition, it's helped me out in a number of other ways. I'm more alert. I sleep better (those two are, of course, related). I'm more attractive (hey, no more double chin!) which also helps with self-esteem. My mood is generally better (if you read my post history you'll find a history of depression, I won't say fitness has eliminated it, but it certainly is helping for me). Back to (somewhat) practical uses of better strength. I'm able to help friends with tasks around their homes instead of trying to come up with excuses to avoid it (because I was, for a time, more of a drag in those cases than a help). I can go play laser tag without collapsing at the end (4 years ago, it was embarrassing). Bowling, not the most demanding of games, no longer exhausts my arms (I bowl both left and right handed).
- Anderkent 12y ago
  Cool, these are some good examples. I'd say though that they're more examples of moderate fitness (someone who regularly exercises should be able to do all that, I think? I mean, I do basically no exercise but can go up five floors being maybe a little out of breath, but not 'winded'. depends on the pace, I guess?), rather than what the article talks about. From the article: > By the ’90s, when the soft curves of Ursula Andress had been replaced by the hard bodies of Cindy Crawford and Elle Macpherson, you still worked out to prepare for the beach or the bedroom. These days, though, you aren’t preparing for fun or romance. You’re preparing for an unforeseen natural disaster, or a burning building, or Armageddon. >“We have sought to build a program that will best prepare trainees for any physical contingency — not only for the unknown, but for the unknowable.” This dark talk passes for welcoming language on the website of CrossFit, the intense, ultracompetitive conditioning program whose motto, “Forging Elite Fitness,” reflects our current fascination with both elite athletes and elite military forces.