ATL +1

[Down]

-Sean

I live in Atlanta for now as a student at GT, and spend time kayaking, caving, and climbing- I've picked up running recently, and bike a decent amount of time. I think I stumbled here from a "art of non-conformity" post. After reading a bit, I realized that some parts of the groups mentality I'm not sure if I fit into (I don't much care for lifting or any workout that isn't an activity in it's own right (I hash- I don't run, I race in ally cats - I don't bike) but that's just me.

I am interested in healthy eating, and constantly questioning it, along with trying anything that makes me uncomfortable.... and trying to keep myself to a dead line (so the 30 day challenges are enticing)

[Alethea]

You sound like prime NF material to me! I absolutely approve of your philosophy. We all have things we like and don't like, and good on you for figuring out what you like and doing it regularly! The only real advantage of regular strength-routines vs activities is strength routines are more methodical and covers all your muscles evenly. The advantage of activities over gym-work is that you get real, functional fitness, develop skills and it's way easier to stay interested.

Personally, I say stretch every day, work out a few times a week, and do what you love the rest of the time.

What to you is healthy eating?

[Down]

Healthy?

Thinking about it honesty, knowing that the grease that sits in a pan after your cook bacon probably isn't the best thing to digest- I've gone back and forth about carbs, and usually agree I shouldn't eat them extensively, but don't hold down to any strict diet - spinach is good , and I love Peanut butter (which I might be wary of saying after reading someone's goals) - but it's a great energy source and I've survived on it for a day when I ran out of everything else.

I like the idea of practical fitness of form, most of what I enjoy is through activities, like Steve's latest post (caving) is really quite stressful on the body and some caves make you crawl for twenty minuets in 1'' space - and it's a work out, but to be proficient in that area is almost a matter of just being there more ( I cave so I can cave more instead of I'm in the gym so I can cave more)

Though since I've been running, I've begun to question stretching, it doesn't seem to have significant outcomes in the end (I've never been seriously injured) - though I do stretch my lower back after biking, and fore arms for climbing

[Plex]

Howdy Down,

Mmmm peanut butter. I have found that cashew or almond butter is just as good (cashew is better for spreading) if not that thick taste.

There are two different types of stretching, dynamic and static. Static is what we associate most with the word, isolated flexibility moves. Dynamic stretching comes more from warming up the muscles with some non vigorous exercise that gradually allows range of movement and full on muscle capacity. Both types can be important to strength training as stretching keeps muscles from being tight and allows for further growth.

The 30 day challenges are amazing and I think functionally they work to introduce people to new things. (E.g. I think I may hold onto a paleo diet for a while, I like the feeling of just eating whenever I get hungry and not worrying about counting calories because everything is good)

[Alethea]

Here is the thing. Consider your muscles to be elastic bands. They expand, they contract, they pull large amounts of weight with them. If you have a tight, inflexible elastic band, it cannot contract very far, or with any degree of strength. It doesn't expand easily. If it tries to pull too much weight, it snaps. THAT is why you stretch.