A question regarding gym

[caesar13]

Do you think going to the gym is just a fad? Why can't someone go exercise in nature? Don't you think they're comforting themselves by going to a gym and doing their exercises in an air-conditioned room? Isn't that what's implied when Muhammad Ali said that he's going to count the pushups only after he gets tired?

If you think I'm arrogant, that's correct, and that's intentional. I, this time, want to look at both sides of the coin.

[Thought Art]

I think there is a lot of value of going to a gym. The lay out, equipment, the ease of access, the facilities. It’s not a fad in my opinion. Gyms have a lot of useful things in them. 
 

However, you are free to exercise however you wish. 

[HMD]

Going to the gym is not just a fad as it provides a controlled environment for exercise, which can be beneficial for individuals with specific health goals. However, exercising in nature can also be an excellent way to stay fit and connect with the outdoors. Muhammad Ali's comment suggests that true exertion and fatigue can only be achieved through pushing oneself to the limit, regardless of the setting.

It's important to note that everyone has their preferences and motivations for exercise. Some people find the gym environment motivating and comfortable, while others prefer the natural beauty and fresh air of outdoor workouts. It's not fair to generalize or judge someone's choices without understanding their reasoning.

As for arrogance, it's always good to consider both sides of an argument and maintain an open mind. It's possible to have a strong opinion without dismissing opposing viewpoints. Ultimately, the most important thing is to find a form of exercise that works for you and supports your overall health and wellbeing.

[The Mystical Man]

The gym is my new meditation hut.

[something_else]

I mean nature doesn’t provide you with 100kg weights to bench press

Nor does it provide you with a community of other people who are trying to improve their fitness either, which is pretty good for motivation

[r0ckyreed]

Watch Rocky 4. 

[Consept]

Im a regular gym goer but ive strained my neck meaning gym at the moment isnt as useful for me as i can only really do cardio. So ive been walking a lot more in nature, which is great and i enjoy it but ultimately without the gym equipment i wont really be able to build any muscle. So to answer your question it depends on what you want to do and what your aims are for exercise, if youre looking to just do cardio and get fit you dont really need a gym, whereas if youre looking to build muscle and do resistance training then you will absolutely need a gym. So no the gym will not be seen as a fad unless they find something better that can do what the gym does for you. 

[Carl-Richard]

Nothing beats the feeling of smashing out a heavy set at the gym. Plus there are usually saunas there and free soap  

There are limitations to bodyweight exercises. There is a difference between doing 30 reps of push-ups and 6-12 reps of a bench press for example. The more reps you do per set, the more it turns into an endurance exercise and less a strength/muscle-building exercise. Endurance training is quite systemically taxing, and it causes a different physiological response than maximizing the recruitment of muscle fibers, and frankly, I generally prefer the latter over the former by how it makes me feel. It's probably because heavy weight training increases testosterone levels while heavy endurance training increases cortisol levels (which is inversely associated with testosterone levels). Some people prefer endurance training though, so you have to find what you like.

You can go very far without a gym membership if you're smart and use things that are available (like this clay pebble brick thing I found at our family cabin), but the gym is both more optimal and more convenient for achieving the best results when it comes to strength/muscle training. Besides, gym girls 

Edited March 5, 2023 by Carl-Richard

[Jannes]

In theory you can train your whole body without any equipment. (minus maybe a ring or pull up bar) 

In the gym this is just a lot easier and less risky to do. 

[Emrie]

How do I squat 100kg in nature?

Gyms provide all the equipment for all the exercises that I simply don't have in nature.

[Jannes]

1 hour ago, Emrie said:

How do I squat 100kg in nature?

Gyms provide all the equipment for all the exercises that I simply don't have in nature.

pistol squats, sprinting up a hill, max effort jumps maybe, .. 

The gym is convenience and efficiency but not necessary. 

[Michael569]

19 hours ago, caesar13 said:

Do you think going to the gym is just a fad?

definitely not, however, it is possible to go there for a variety of reasons, some of which can be pretty shallow. I'd say the aesthetic part is just a cherry on the cake compared to some of the deeper long-term benefits of resistance training. 

19 hours ago, caesar13 said:

Why can't someone go exercise in nature?

nobody is forcing you to go to the gym stop playing a victim. If you hate it, then don't go. Plenty of ways to get exercise outdoors. 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Michael569

[caesar13]

@Michael569 Haha, my father does it

[Danioover9000]

@caesar13

On 3/5/2023 at 4:52 PM, caesar13 said:

Do you think going to the gym is just a fad? Why can't someone go exercise in nature? Don't you think they're comforting themselves by going to a gym and doing their exercises in an air-conditioned room? Isn't that what's implied when Muhammad Ali said that he's going to count the pushups only after he gets tired?

If you think I'm arrogant, that's correct, and that's intentional. I, this time, want to look at both sides of the coin.

   Gym is interesting. If you look at the history, and think holistically based on the stages of development, cognitive and moral development, personality types and traits, states of being, life experiences and other lines of development in various areas of life, and ideological indoctrination most people go through that informs their entire worldview, then the development of fitness, athleticism and gyms becomes more interesting. For example, one point most western gyms lacked complex resistance machines, dumbbells, fancy rope bands, and other pieces of equipment with progression in mind. It used to mostly be barbells, and weighted plates, which dictated the types of workouts possible, which are mainly compound exercises, some gyms had racks with bars to do maybe body weight exercises like pull ups and their variations. This limit to technological development, with the tool sets (barbells, weighted plates, racks) informed the incentive to value certain types of fitness routine, which made old school versions of powerlifting, strongman and body building possible and valuable by the technological epoch of that time. Then, with the invention of steroids, and enough capitalism, came the fitness industry that capitalized on artificial supplements and diet, and advertising their additional equipment because look at the other body builders using steroids, and the muscular results, which then created more incentive to pursue that type of fitness program, and soon it became less popular to keep on doing old school types of fitness programs in favor for faster, newer results, which has it's own knock on effects to various areas of life going forward.

   Personally, I don't go as much as I've figured out my own fitness training, but gym is useful if you have specific goals and targets for your physical training routine. Also, if you are the type with procrastination/laziness issues, or other negative emotions/states/thinking, then the gym environment can be used and leveraged by you to commit to your training.