MEN ONLY THREAD part two

[Red1263]

I'm single, and although I wouldn't mind a girl with some extra on her, but if she's not willing to address the issue, or thinks getting fit is dumb/pointless/etc. then that'd really be factored in my thinking.

[JediJem]

I find it interesting (although I do not in any way say this as a criticism) that so many of you relate the importance of SO working out to weight, looks or improving oneself. Looking at it from the other side, being with someone who works out is incredibly important for me not because of how it affects the way they look, but because it's such an important part of my life and I need to be able to share that (just the fact of doing it). My last ex had zero interest in exercise, and really didn't get that aspect of me either, which was definitely a contributing factor to why it didn't work out (pun not intended).

[TheSavageBean]

I'm mostly looking for someone who shares my nerdy interests. I could claim that I care less about her fitness, but I do want her to be at least accepting/supportive of what I do. I'm not really in the market right now though.

[Guest Snake McClain]

i have a somewhat interesting topic in mind. Especially since this is nerd FITNESS (health and body etc)....

Okay so it's no secret that I am a bit fan of pro wrestling. i used to train for and do it. we know this. Well i'm going back in january but...I was thinking about it and I may have come to a personal conviction problem. I feel that my body is the most important thing to me (second to my mental/emotional health of course), and I'm not sure if I should be damaging it the way I will be with pro wrestling. In pro wrestling a person has to literally do the exact opposite of your bodies natural reaction to protect itself. And this is stupid for a lot of reasons.

My question, Men: Should we as health conscious individuals NOT be okay with the idea of activities like this? And if so then what about combat sports? Just curious as I'm starting to wonder if this is a stupid idea. But i'm going to do it anyway. just wondering if i shouldnt be okay with it. lol

[Church]

That's entirely up to you man. I know I personally want to get in shape so that I can do more of the things I want to. What's the point of being in amazing shape if you never do anything with it for fear of causing injury? I say have fun but be smart about it.

[Guest Snake McClain]

That's entirely up to you man. I know I personally want to get in shape so that I can do more of the things I want to. What's the point of being in amazing shape if you never do anything with it for fear of causing injury? I say have fun but be smart about it.

well thats sort of the issue/question. Can a person in pro wrestling "be smart about it"? Everything that is done causes physical harm. so its sort of...a conundrum i guess. but it sure is fun.

[Flex Luthor]

Competing at high level in any sport is tough on the body. I think the question isn't should you do it, I think it's, will you regret not doing? If so then go for it 100%. I'll throw some Jim Rohn out there, “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

[Flex Luthor]

Speaking of relationships I have a question of you men. Given that this is a fitness site do you guys care about the fitness of your SO or if your single are you attracted to girls who do not workout?

Personally I don't have anything against people with a little more on their frame but it's more about what the person is doing about it. Sounds shallow but I'm not finished. If someone does not respect themselves or their body how can they expect me to? As long as someone is trying to improve themselves I find that attractive even if they aren't at a high level of fitness as long as they are trying. I am terrible at putting my thoughts into words so I hope that made sense

I have no problem with people being overweight in any capacity. As long as they're ok with it. The people that complain about being overweight and do nothing about it drive me crazy.

As for the first part. Yes I'm attracted to girls who don't workout, you can't always tell what kind of fitness level someone has by looking. Would I enter a relationship with a girl who did nothing for physical activity? No. Working out is one of the biggest parts of my life and I think if my SO wasn't somewhat similar in that way it couldn't end well. My opinion for now, who knows, it could change.

[Church]

I feel the same. If they're happy with themselves then who am I to judge? But it's the big ones who complain how they "want to get fit but nothing works and it's not my fault. It's a disability."

It's a huge pet peeve of mine, and it makes me so mad.

[wildross]

Snake, well its obviously something that you can't let go of yet, so philosophical questions aside, you need to do it. You seem to be okay with the risks.

wildross - warriors count tons, not reps

[Guest Snake McClain]

Snake, well its obviously something that you can't let go of yet, so philosophical questions aside, you need to do it. You seem to be okay with the risks.

wildross - warriors count tons, not reps

oh. dont get me wrong. i'm going to do it. I just dont know that it's a good idea. lol. Its a good idea for my soul. but my body? well that is another story. Should be interesting.

[dshale]

oh. dont get me wrong. i'm going to do it. I just dont know that it's a good idea. lol. Its a good idea for my soul. but my body? well that is another story. Should be interesting.

I'm 36, over weight, and taking karate. My body is hating me. With all the bumps and bruises aside, I feel great doing it. I have something to strive for and that has me better focused.

[Woodsrider]

What's the sense of being in shape to do the things you need to be in shape to do if you don't do them?

Wow, not sure if that makes any sense.

I got in shape mostly because I'm getting older and I don't want to be hobling around or taking a bunch of medication for stuff I could have prevented. But being in shape has allowed me to do things that I love to do that could potentially seriously hurt me. I race off road motorcycles and being in shape has allowed me to race harder and faster, with a greater danger of injury. Although now, I feel that a recovery would be quicker with my new found fitness levels and understanding of how my diet affects my health. I actually feel safer now racing at higher speeds than I did a couple years ago plugging along through the bush huffing and puffing because I was getting too fatigued.

I say go for it and don't worry about scratching up your new body.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Snake, if you're going to do it, whether or not its a good idea is irrelevant. Only if you consider taking wrestling off the table does the question of whether or not its a good idea have any bearing on your decision making. If you are a pro-wrestler, then be a pro-wrestler. Take care of yourself as much as possible to mitigate the possiblity of injury, but be who you are.

[Waldo]

Speaking of relationships I have a question of you men. Given that this is a fitness site do you guys care about the fitness of your SO or if your single are you attracted to girls who do not workout?

Personally I don't have anything against people with a little more on their frame but it's more about what the person is doing about it. Sounds shallow but I'm not finished. If someone does not respect themselves or their body how can they expect me to? As long as someone is trying to improve themselves I find that attractive even if they aren't at a high level of fitness as long as they are trying. I am terrible at putting my thoughts into words so I hope that made sense

I dunno. This is a very right now way of looking at it.

Many people's level of commitment to fitness will vary over the years from little to none to quite a bit. You have to accept this in yourself and SO, and expect that they do the same.

Likewise, over the years you should tend to trend toward doing and enjoying the same things. Set a good example yourself and chances are eventually your SO will get on board, especially if it clear that you enjoy the journey.

Obviously there are huge differences with this subject between the single/courtship relationship status and those that are married.

[Church]

I say this frequently in various ways on multiple treads, but Waldo is a very wise man.

[Waldo]

I mean, interesting discussion and all from a single guys persective...

The vast majority of people that are fit that are older are "born again". The fire that keeps one fit when young and when single in general carries through adulthood (without long breaks) in only a small fraction of people. Most will need to spend some time going down the wrong path.

One interesting phenomenon I've noticed, and there are MANY here of this type (including me), is that new dads tend to get on a fitness kick and get in shape. It is rare to see anything but in-shape guys when doing toddler things (at the childrens museum or at the little kids park), and most guys you see with younger children are in prety good shape. I'm not sure if this is a phenomenon of this generation in particular or if it has been common for a long time, but it is very noticable. Sure there is some selection bias, the fat out of shape ones are less likely to do things with the kids, but that can't fully explain it. New dads are a fairly large demographic on NF, we arguably outnumber the "time to lose the baby fat" moms, a long standing powerhouse fitness demographic.

[Skip66]

I'll throw some Jim Rohn out there, “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.â€

Great quote!!!

[KillerGriller]

One interesting phenomenon I've noticed, and there are MANY here of this type (including me), is that new dads tend to get on a fitness kick and get in shape. It is rare to see anything but in-shape guys when doing toddler things (at the childrens museum or at the little kids park), and most guys you see with younger children are in prety good shape. I'm not sure if this is a phenomenon of this generation in particular or if it has been common for a long time, but it is very noticable. Sure there is some selection bias, the fat out of shape ones are less likely to do things with the kids, but that can't fully explain it. New dads are a fairly large demographic on NF, we arguably outnumber the "time to lose the baby fat" moms, a long standing powerhouse fitness demographic.

New dads also may benefit from already being in shape and taking advantage of the Mom & baby times. I have seen more "fit" dads in recent years, but in my own experience (personally and what I've seen around me) is that as kids get older they require more of your time. Many dads "fall off the wagon" (whether they were on it in the first place or not) simply because they find it hard to get out running or hitting the weights when they barely have 2 seconds to rub together. Often, any "free" time they have is spent recouping sleep, catching up on chores, or trying to coerce their spouse into letting them touch her again

When the kids get over that 2-5 hump, things get easier, time frees up, and the opportunity to to pursue fitness is becomes available again. Now, I'm not saying it's impossible to stick with it over this period, but from what I see, this is where most dads have a lot of trouble.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

New dads also may benefit from already being in shape and taking advantage of the Mom & baby times. I have seen more "fit" dads in recent years, but in my own experience (personally and what I've seen around me) is that as kids get older they require more of your time. Many dads "fall off the wagon" (whether they were on it in the first place or not) simply because they find it hard to get out running or hitting the weights when they barely have 2 seconds to rub together. Often, any "free" time they have is spent recouping sleep, catching up on chores, or trying to coerce their spouse into letting them touch her again

When the kids get over that 2-5 hump, things get easier, time frees up, and the opportunity to to pursue fitness is becomes available again. Now, I'm not saying it's impossible to stick with it over this period, but from what I see, this is where most dads have a lot of trouble.

I plan on having a dog crate or something in the weight room so I can watch the kid and get my workout in.

All kidding aside, I imagine this phenomenon probably has something to do with the instinct to protect the family and home and once you have a kid, there's some kind of hormonal or instinctual switch that is flicked to make one want to be as strong as possible to succeed in this.

[bgvanbur]

In my college days I worked out a lot and kept a skinny body. In a two year span I graduated, had a kid, started a full time job and got married. By the end of all this I gradually stopped making working out a priority and slowly put on the weight. My wife says I put on sympathy weight with both her pregnancies, but in truth I was just slowly gaining weight for a good while before, during, and after. I don't see a particularly high number of "fit" dads though.

I definitely agree with the "born again" fitness in older people. You need to see the impacts of unhealthy decisions to consciously make regular healthy decisions over long periods of time (as opposed to a "healthy" fad).

[Waldo]

I plan on having a dog crate or something in the weight room so I can watch the kid and get my workout in.

These devices are commonly known as playpens.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I plan on having a dog crate or something in the weight room so I can watch the kid and get my workout in.

These devices are commonly known as playpens.

Knowing the difference can prevent trips to your house by social servcies

[HulmeK]

I plan on having a dog crate or something in the weight room so I can watch the kid and get my workout in.

These devices are commonly known as playpens.

Knowing the difference can prevent trips to your house by social servcies

Apparently our dog crate was not visually appealing. But the kids love it in there. I swear.

[Church]

These devices are commonly known as playpens.

Some say "Playpen" some say "baby-cage" lol.

There's one lady at my gym, who made her kid part of her workout. She can't go as intense as she would on her own, but she does it with her daughter, running, bodyweight exercises, stretching, etc. now she asks her daughter what she wants to do that day and so forth. Really gets the kid into it and teaches her how to do it properly and really installs a love of it in her daughter. That's one of the most awesome things I've seen in a long time