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Squats can boost brain activity [video]

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Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#61

Post by pcmoney »

shortsightedsid wrote: post #38
londgine wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there are 2 types of yoga that I found. one focusing on strength and flexibility, like you talked about. and one that feels like meditation, with a pagan ritual to the sun. when looking for a yoga program, how can I specify the former?

Unfortunately type 1 is a classic case of cultural appropriation. Yoga is fundamentally a spiritual exercise that aims to strengthen not just the body. Therefore, practices like Surya Namaskara are not just a series of exercises for strength and flexibility but also a must for spiritual improvement.

Taking the parts you like from something and leaving the parts you do not is not cultural appropriation.

Any culture can redefine anything they want from other cultures. Just like most western yoga studios are LGBTQ friendly and many Hindus are not.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#62

Post by p1anecrazy »

mmaunder wrote: post #33
londgine wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there are 2 types of yoga that I found. one focusing on strength and flexibility, like you talked about. and one that feels like meditation, with a pagan ritual to the sun. when looking for a yoga program, how can I specify the former?

I'd encourage you to try the 3 week yoga retreat I mentioned on the beachbody app (I'm not affiliated - I run a cybersecurity biz). It isn't a specific flavor of yoga - it's a nice mix of strength, balance - and the meditation you get for free. Yoga was created to get you into a meditative state through a series of movements that incorporate breathing. Do the movements with breath and you're already meditating.

Can you please link to it? Can‘t find it on AppStore

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#63

Post by jbm »

robomartin wrote: post #59
mmaunder wrote: post #6

Funny how people become obsessed with specific movements, specific exercise styles, etc. I’ve done it all including becoming obsessed with Mark Rippetoe and the derivatives, cardio like running and mountain biking, swimming 2km a day (80 lengths) etc. The one thing that has absolutely transformed my life is yoga. No more back pain, insane strength I never had, no more injuries from eg lifting a 100 lbs propane tank a…

You mentioned Rippetoe (Starting Strength). Did you leave it because you found flaws/issues with the program or you simply chose to switch to yoga. I am about to start lifting again after being away for a couple of years. Back then I was training at a Starting Strength certified gym. I also did a seminar with Mark. For me this was an eye opener. Up until I was introduced to his book I failed at anything having to do…

People on the fitness Reddit have it out for Rip since they feel his beginner's program is not suitable for intermediate and advanced lifters.

I used it for about 6 months and I followed a couple of other programs (5/3/1 was the longest at nearly an year and a half). The emphasis on squat / deadlift / press / bench has all paid off years later and the only time I really learn a new movement is when I'm doing an isolation exercise.

I DO think the attitude Rip has towards movements like rows, Romanian deadlifts and machines (especially cable machines) was bad for my mindset, but I learned a lot by having my field of vision narrowed; I find a lot of the other criticisms of him to be irrelevant to his beginner-focused exercise program.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#64

Post by jimt1234 »

dehrmann wrote: post #20

I disagree with doing a crossword puzzle (or other mentally stimulating activity) mid-squat if you're working with any interesting amount of weight. Once you're at a weight that's challenging, things get potentially dangerous, and the last thing you want to be thinking about is what's a four letter word for a small quantity of whiskey.

toot?

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#65

Post by taeric »

mmaunder wrote: post #6

Funny how people become obsessed with specific movements, specific exercise styles, etc. I’ve done it all including becoming obsessed with Mark Rippetoe and the derivatives, cardio like running and mountain biking, swimming 2km a day (80 lengths) etc. The one thing that has absolutely transformed my life is yoga. No more back pain, insane strength I never had, no more injuries from eg lifting a 100 lbs propane tank a…

I'd wager that folks just get obsessed with what worked for them. Really, even more acutely, they become obsessed with what they are currently doing.

I can't tout any of the claims I see online about exercise helping, well, anything. I do like my bike rides, though. And, the odds are stupid high that one of the first things you will learn about me, will include the type of ride I prefer.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#66

Post by [deleted] »

songzme wrote: post #9
mmaunder wrote: post #6

Funny how people become obsessed with specific movements, specific exercise styles, etc. I’ve done it all including becoming obsessed with Mark Rippetoe and the derivatives, cardio like running and mountain biking, swimming 2km a day (80 lengths) etc. The one thing that has absolutely transformed my life is yoga. No more back pain, insane strength I never had, no more injuries from eg lifting a 100 lbs propane tank a…

I want to try Yoga after seeing this. could I just find any youtube instructors and follow along, or is it important to find "the right ones"? How would you approach starting out (must be online, wife won't let me leave the house because of covid)?

[deleted]

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#67

Post by jimt1234 »

Funny, back in my powerlifting days, I used to get asked a lot about "plateauing". My advice was almost always the same: do squats. The conversation usually went like this:

- I'm benching all the time, but I can't get past 275.

- How often do you squat?

- Huh? I'm talking about bench press!

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#68

Post by techstrategist »

p1anecrazy wrote: post #62
mmaunder wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd encourage you to try the 3 week yoga retreat I mentioned on the beachbody app (I'm not affiliated - I run a cybersecurity biz). It isn't a specific flavor of yoga - it's a nice mix of strength, balance - and the meditation you get for free. Yoga was created to get you into a meditative state through a series of movements that incorporate breathing. Do the movements with breath and you're already meditating.

Can you please link to it? Can‘t find it on AppStore

they may be referring to the Bodybuilding.com Bodyspace app which has many fitness routines.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#69

Post by justrudd »

robomartin wrote: post #59
mmaunder wrote: post #6

Funny how people become obsessed with specific movements, specific exercise styles, etc. I’ve done it all including becoming obsessed with Mark Rippetoe and the derivatives, cardio like running and mountain biking, swimming 2km a day (80 lengths) etc. The one thing that has absolutely transformed my life is yoga. No more back pain, insane strength I never had, no more injuries from eg lifting a 100 lbs propane tank a…

You mentioned Rippetoe (Starting Strength). Did you leave it because you found flaws/issues with the program or you simply chose to switch to yoga. I am about to start lifting again after being away for a couple of years. Back then I was training at a Starting Strength certified gym. I also did a seminar with Mark. For me this was an eye opener. Up until I was introduced to his book I failed at anything having to do…

I’ll give you my 2 cents about Starting Strength. And please remember this is a sample size of n = 1. Other people (including yourself) will obviously have very different outcomes.

TL;DR - starting strength got me to the strongest I’ve ever been.

It got me stronger than I’ve ever been in my life. I’m 45 now and started when I was 32. I went from 180ish pounds to 230ish pounds in 19 months. I went from squatting the bar (45 lbs) to squatting a bit over 500 (502.5 was my personal best). Deadlift went from 135lbs to 612lbs (I bought those half pound and 1 pound change plates to carry with me to the gym just so I could say I was always adding weight to the bar).

So I think I was strong. I wasn’t competing in powerlifting strong (although I did compete. And in my age group I could usually at least place), but I was strong.

I was also completely out of shape :)

If you follow Starting Strength as written - the training and the diet - you will get strong, and unless you’re blessed with an amazing metabolism, you’ll get “fat”. At my strongest, I was obese according to my BMI. I couldn’t walk up 3 flights of stairs without getting winded.

To the Starting Strength crowd (back then; maybe it’s changed), the only cardio you needed was enough lung capacity to maintain bracing for a set of 5. Anything more than that would “kill your gains”.

So stick with Starting Strength? Absolutely if you’re getting back into it. Beginner gains are awesome. But don’t follow the program to a T. Do real cardio (not just more squats. not just high intensity. Do the slow and steady stuff as well). Do mobility work (yoga is good). Do corrective work (also known as pre-hab. I find Indian clubs and maces are phenomenal for shoulder health). And realize that if you talk to a true zealot of the Starting Strength world, they will tell you aren’t following the program and all the other stuff you’re doing is “killing your gains”.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#70

Post by smolder »

BurningFrog wrote: post #53
mmaunder wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd actually encourage everyone here to avoid classes. There has been quite a bit of controversy around instructors exploiting students for money or otherwise. The culture is a bit zany. And there's pressure to become an instructor which requires spending more money. But primarily, classes are inconvenient. Do it on your own and you can just roll out of bed and straight onto the mat, and 30 mins later you're done and…

How do you know what to without an instructor though? I was not born with an innate knowledge of how to do yoga :)

Instructional videos, or even a book, which is very likely to have illustrations.
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