The Fitness Thread!

[Fish Of Doom]

So, what do you guys do for fitness, if anything?

 

I lift weights and train martial arts, mostly, although I've been known to sprint randomly when bored of walking, and I trained parkour for a bit.

 

So, yeah, fitness thread. Share methods, articles, etc, discuss their merits, ask questions, post motivational stuff, the works. Also, any of you guys active on fitocracy?

[Nonek]

Rugger, weights, fisticuffs.

[Gorgon]

Bought a subscription to a gym. Used it once in the last month. I'm a slob.

[Hurlshort]

Ice hockey mostly. I will go for a run if I am not getting enough ice time. I need to get to the gym more, but my kids keep me pretty busy.

 

 

[WDeranged]

Bought a subscription to a gym. Used it once in the last month. I'm a slob.

 

I once got locked into a year long gym membership and never went, not once...I'm a slob but on the bright side I use my bike every day, my town is just a series of steep hills so just getting around keeps me reasonably fit, I am pudgy though, really damn pudgy, and I smoke

[Humanoid]

Not nearly as much as I should, but primarily cycling, as much for practicality as for the enjoyment of it. Have a ~25min commute to work over somewhat rolling terrain which I'd guess is the main factor in maintaining my fitness levels. It's spring now though and I have bad allergies which don't combine to make it a good enjoyable experience, in other seasons I'd go on the occasional 50k or so leisure ride. Solo only, unlike many who make it a social activity, a ride for me is a solitary thing.

 

Indoors I mostly stick to my rowing machine - used to use the turbo trainer with my bike before I bought the rower, but have mostly retired it now.

[WDeranged]

Indoors I mostly stick to my rowing machine - used to use the turbo trainer with my bike before I bought the rower, but have mostly retired it now.

 

For some reason I love rowing machines, they're the only thing in a gym I can use for long periods without getting bored, looking forward to receiving a hand me down soon, apparently heavy duty

[Humanoid]

I've only had mine for less than half a year, but it's a big investment, yeah. Decided I may as well go for quality instead of half-measures and went for the Concept 2 rower which seems almost universally recommended.

 

 

I probably have another big fitness-related expenditure coming up too - I have two road bikes, one a fairly basic steel one with entry level parts and mudguards which I use as my commuter, and an alloy bike with mid-range parts that I use for leisure. Unfortunately the latter's frame has developed a crack around the seat tube collar area, which means at the very least replacing the frame. I don't actually know much about bike assembly so it's a bit of a problem, but I'm interested in learning, so what I might do instead is to pick up a new carbon bike sometime in the next few months. Once that's sorted, I'll pick up a mid-range alloy frame and in combination with stripping the old broken frame, learn how to build up a bike from scratch.

[AGX-17]

I started poor-people weightlifting (use whatever grippable objects and surfaces you have available,) and lost about 45 lbs. this year. Would ride my bike (probably not in the league of JSawyer and his centuries,) if it hadn't exploded. Wish I had one of them fancy-pants carbon fiber electro-bikes for long-distance travel.

Edited October 21, 2012 by AGX-17

[Raithe]

I end up trying to fit in bits of general exercise around my daily routine. Do 60-100 squats as I clean my teeth, whenever I've done x around the house then do a quick 20-3o pushups. Just try to get it all into a habit and scattered around what I'm doing normally rather then try to set up an hour or so to do a complete block of exercise all at once with no distractions.

That and walking, and some general play with the dogs. I have a couple of free weights as well that I try to use for various shoulder/arm work and clutching at times when I do situps.

 

I try to get in the odd bit of Iaido practice at home as well, but although thats martial arts, it doesn't really fall into heavy workout type...

[Gfted1]

Unfortunately the latter's frame has developed a crack around the seat tube collar area, which means at the very least replacing the frame.

 

Maybe a hose clamp could hold you over?

 

...and lost about 45 lbs. this year.

 

:highfive:

 

 

Me, I dont do anything. I used to take the dog for a walk after work but then over the summer we had this string of 15-20 days of 100+ F heat. It was durning one of these days when I looked down at her, she looked up at me, our eyes locked, and in that very moment an understanding was forged that we would never ever do this BS again.

[Farbautisonn]

once or twice a week, I work out in a gym. But really, if you want to get bang for your buck, get a part time job in construction or demolition. Youll see results alot faster than in a gym and youll get paid to do it.

[Fish Of Doom]

once or twice a week, I work out in a gym. But really, if you want to get bang for your buck, get a part time job in construction or demolition. Youll see results alot faster than in a gym and youll get paid to do it.

 

hehehehehe. nice. true, as well, much as many fitness experts will try to make you believe that it's impossible to work out like that

 

alternatively, you could simply hit the gym every day (and eventually, BOTH daily gym going AND manual labor :D)

[ShadySands]

Daily walk/run with the dog and a personal trainer once a week. I have a decent gym in my building that doesn't see me nearly as much as it should but I'm trying for 3 times a week (even though I'm struggling to hit twice most weeks) If work ever slows down I might try for daily but it's hard to get in a routine with my current schedule

[LadyCrimson]

Occasional bike ride, hikes in wooded parks, aerobics/dancing, and some strength type stretching (some particular exercises to strengthen weak knees and upper back). Nothing very regimented. I try to maintain a minimum but ... yeah, I'm lazy. When I was younger I was more active so being in great shape was just a result of interest activity. As those interests gradually waned and a few injuries piled up, so did my fitness level decline. But I'm not totally decrepit yet.

[Roxane]

I'm going at the gym 3 times a week, either group classes or solo weight lifting and cardio machines. Then, it's either walking or, durin winter, cross-country skiing. Last winter was abysmal for it so I'm hoping that we'll have enough snow for that this upcoming winter.

[Humanoid]

Unfortunately the latter's frame has developed a crack around the seat tube collar area, which means at the very least replacing the frame.

 

Maybe a hose clamp could hold you over?

 

If only my frame didn't have a weirdly shaped silly proprietary seatpost collar (not even a clamp really) it may even have been repairable, but alas. Lesson learned I guess, less fancy tubing next time.

[Humanoid]

Browsing bikes in the $1500-2000 region right now and have a few candidates. Just doing a quick straw poll for aesthetic purposes (though options on other aspects welcome of course) amongst you lot for my own nefarious interests (and because I am an easily influenced sheep).

 

http://www.wiggle.co...xp-athena-2012/

http://www.wiggle.co...rion-1105b-105/

http://www.wiggle.co...5-8avio-athena/

http://www.wiggle.co...e-ultegra-2012/

 

 

Mirror mirror on the wall, which is the fairest of them all?

[Gorth]

Browsing bikes in the $1500-2000 region right now and have a few candidates. Just doing a quick straw poll for aesthetic purposes (though options on other aspects welcome of course) amongst you lot for my own nefarious interests (and because I am an easily influenced sheep).

 

http://www.wiggle.co...xp-athena-2012/

http://www.wiggle.co...rion-1105b-105/

http://www.wiggle.co...5-8avio-athena/

http://www.wiggle.co...e-ultegra-2012/

 

 

Mirror mirror on the wall, which is the fairest of them all?

Well, the first one is listed as no longer available... sort of eliminates if from the competition, doesn't it?

 

[Gorgon]

There really ought to be a common standard for measuring gears. 10 speed or 7 speed in my experience only means that there are that many of them. Many manufacturers make them purposefully low so they don't create too much stress on the, what's the word for a crank shaft on a bicycle, and that way they don't get as many claims on the insurance/mandatory guarantee. It ought to be presented as an equation. How many Newton applied per revolution translates into which speed on average terrain factoring in accelleration. Average that out and call those standardized increments 'gears'. You only really need about 5 or 6 if the increments are chosen well.

 

 

 

I wonder if it would be possible to come up with an automatic gear system for bicycles. You could have a small computer for the gears powered by a dymamo.

[Humanoid]

Well, the first one is listed as no longer available... sort of eliminates if from the competition, doesn't it?

 

If the shipping destination is changed to Australia, it becomes available - looks like it applies to all Wilier brand bikes. Guessing what's happened is that the shop no longer has the rights to sell them in the UK, oddly enough.

[Humanoid]

There really ought to be a common standard for measuring gears. 10 speed or 7 speed in my experience only means that there are that many of them. Many manufacturers make them purposefully low so they don't create too much stress on the, what's the word for a crank shaft on a bicycle, and that way they don't get as many claims on the insurance/mandatory guarantee. It ought to be presented as an equation. How many Newton applied per revolution translates into which speed on average terrain factoring in accelleration. Average that out and call those standardized increments 'gears'. You only really need about 5 or 6 if the increments are chosen well.

 

I wonder if it would be possible to come up with an automatic gear system for bicycles. You could have a small computer for the gears powered by a dymamo.

 

Triples (typically 53/39/30) have kinda fallen out of fashion in favour of compacts (50/34) for partly that reason, the 34 tooth ring is usually low enough for inexperienced climbers while still being able to retain the mechanical simplicity of two chainrings instead of three.

 

Dynamos are pretty much something that won't be accepted nowadays due to the increased friction. Electronic shifting has recently been introduced for high end componentry, but not in the way you set out - it simply uses a battery-powered motor to shift the chain instead of the traditional method of cables pulling it from cog to cog.

[argan]

Go to the gym twice a week, and train martial arts three to four times a week.

[Nepenthe]

I'm thinking of moving to Sweden and finding a gym called "FIT TAN". You're all invited!

[Fish Of Doom]

necro-ing a little to share an interesting link:

 

http://examine.com/

 

from the website itself:

 

We are a compendium on supplements and nutrition. We analyze scientific research to separate the facts from the myths when it comes to supplements and nutrition.

 

it's structured like a FAQ, and all the pages have sources (sometimes a lot of them), which is always a plus for those inclined to corroborate data.