posted
Tangential to a few other threads, it seems like there are a lot of weightlifters / bodybuilders on the site. That kind of struck me as odd, as the median intelligence is higher here than in some places, but I've come to the realization that the "meat-head" stereotype isn't necessarily representative of a true population sample.
I was a spindly nerd when I was younger. I didn't start lifting until I got fatter in my late twenties. Now, I love it. It really seems to lend a sense of balance to my life.
Certainly, changing eating habits is a key aspect of bodybuilding. I lift to keep healthy, and research only compounds questions I have. The best science for longevity lies in calorie restriction. I obviously consume more calories when bodybuilding . . . how does that affect longevity? I don't think we know yet.
But I think it's great for anyone to incorporate bodybuilding into their life. When I see that someone else has respect for their health and their body, I feel like I can understand them a little better. It's easy to submit gluttony. It's hard to be healthy. But I feel a lot better now, and I have a respect for others that put in the commitment. It shows a discipline and drive that I don't think is readily recognized by our obese culture.
Posts: 1204 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I added a lifting routine to my workout...back when I actually went to the gym on a regular basis. I really enjoyed it. It was one of the few controllably structured things I was doing at the time that I actually felt like I was making measurable progress on.
Sadly, I never actually put any muscle on because I don't even pretend to understand the diet aspect of building.
I did however take the first step last week. I joined a new gym! I need to get into a regular routine again. I'd like to lose some weight and put some muscle on. I don't have any numbers because it's hard to know how much weight I should lose. I'm 5'8 and my weight fluctuates between 155-160 on a daily basis. I've got the stomach pudge that I'd like to get rid of. I'm not a fan of the huge muscles look, but I'd like to be healthy, and have more of a toned fit, defined look.
I feel like I could get back into a lifting routing, but I think the diet would trip me up again.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
I lift weights four times a week, though it's hard for me to bulk up much do to the intense amount of running and aerobic exercise I do, as well as my job getting in the way. I by no means would call myself a meat head. I am pretty strong for my weight, though. I'm 205 and can bench 8 reps of 275. Last year I was up to 315 before I deployed.
I personally break up my routine, to make sure I'm getting a thorough workout and to avoid wearing myself out. (I do a lot of physical activity outside of my time at the gym) I do legs / back and abs / chest and triceps / shoulders and arms. I switch up the days every week, and do a few random exercises from different muscle groups on any given day to keep my body from getting in a rut. I keep a pretty meticulous logbook, which helps motivate me, and also lets me see how far I've come strength wise.
I don't work out for size, though, but physical perfection. Weight lifting is part of that, I also run, do the Spartacus Workout, and spend half an hour to an hour every day stretching and doing flexibility and coordination training exercises. (pullups, handstand pushups, jump rope, etc.) I guess my eventual goal is to make myself as healthy and athletic as possible.
Posts: 2222 | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Dang, the Spartacus Workout is no joke. Mountain Climbers were the most universally hated exercise in the Navy (only because, unlike the Marines, we didn't do pull-ups).
Posts: 1204 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
I threw up every day for the first week I did the Spartacus workout. It's just beastly. It gives you a good appreciation for just how exhausting hand to hand combat really was, and just how tough those dudes were.
Dead hang pullups (straight up, straight down, no kipping or swinging) take years to become proficient at if you're tall and lanky like me. (short people usually don't have problems with them) Once you get to the point where you can do 30 or 40 in a row, though, they become a great compliment to pushups for daily calisthenics.
Posts: 2222 | Registered: Dec 2008
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