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[metalhead79]

I have a natural tendency towards being pudgy. Even now, with careful adherence to diet and a good weight lifting program I can't seem to drop below ~20% body fat.

I take my fitness and diet very seriously. I want to live into my 80's and I want to be healthy when I get there. I don't want to be one of those people taking 500 different medications and always feeling like shit because I was too goddamn lazy to cook a meal from scratch, eat a few less carbs, or go lift some weights.

 

[matthieuC]

Social Media IMO. Everyone wants to one-up everyone.

 

[NekoFever]

Wait what? And I thought people here in germany are fat....

What is considered overweight? BMI over 30?

25+ is overweight

30+ is obese

 

[SeanR1221]

Because getting HUUUUUGE is the goal, bro.

 

[terrisus]

The default state is overweight here, as we see above, and the culture pushes you in that direction 24/7.

& the rest of the country is 70% overweight

Seriously, came in here to say this, most of the country obviously doesn't care about "fitness" at all - "extreme" or otherwise.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

I clap after I drink a really great protein shake. Is this not normal outside of America?

 

[arab]

i wonder how many crossfit idiots are also above doing manual labor for a living?

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

I'm mexican. But I do clap after eating my gorditas and chiles rellenos, then I frisbee my sombrero upwards and a pack of chihuahuas retrieve it for me.

I've always wondered, how do you guys handle your crunchwrap supremes?

 

[Purple Cheeto]

The whole notion of pushing your physical limits — popularized by early Nike ads, Navy SEAL mythos and Lance Armstrong’s cult of personality — has attained a religiosity that’s as passionate as it is pervasive.

Cross Fit is a God Damned Cult.

 

[Dan]

American adults are overworked, overscheduled, and stressed. This leads to weight gain from lack of sleep, eating convenience food, and stress-eating. We also lead incredibly sedentary lifestyles. Most people drive to work, sit/stand in the same place all day, drive home, and sit at home until they go to sleep.

Getting into a moderate workout routine to stay in decent shape is hard for many to stick with. Sure, you can start with good intentions but life inevitably gets in the way and then you're off the wagon again.

The extreme fitness programs (P90X, Insanity, Crossfit, fitness "boot camps") are designed to appeal to people who have limited time (are you HARDCORE ENOUGH to do this crazy workout at 4:30 AM before work?) and who see the only way to stay in shape as committing to a hardcore fitness regimen.

And they might be right until our society changes in fundamental way that allows people to live more healthily. I'm talking shorter work hours, better workplace benefits, a better work-life balance, universal healthcare, lesser reliance on cars, and a healthier relationship with food.

So in other words, it's not gonna happen.

I think that's pretty accurate, obviously for only a percentage of the population since there is no shortage of people refusing to participate in even mild fitness. I also think a factor is people with certain personality traits doing this stuff so they can satisfy their narcissism and vanity by ceaselessly updating Facebook with their progress. It also ties into the competitive thing that someone else suggested.

Where is this from?

It's a commercial for Jockey underwear.

 

[adamYUKI]

This country takes everything to extremes and turns everything into a competition. It's not surprising that exercise fell victim to this as well.

...Best to say, all things in moderation?

My sentiments exactly.

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

It's just another flavor of consumerism.

 

[PS3GamerKyle]

... And chant USA USA after their workouts?"

After a good workout, I like to clap

 

[Alienous]

When you see the antithesis of "extreme fitness" frequently, every day, I'm sure that makes being extremely fit a more covetable goal.

 

[Amentallica]

After a good workout, I like to clap

This is definitely done after bench pressing with a lot of people I've seen. "OH FUCK YEA HELL YEA WOOOOOO" *CLAP CLAP CLAP*

 

[KingGondo]

I think that's pretty accurate, obviously for only a percentage of the population since there is no shortage of people refusing to participate in even mild fitness. I also think a factor is people with certain personality traits doing this stuff so they can satisfy their narcissism and vanity by ceaselessly updating Facebook with their progress. It also ties into the competitive thing that someone else suggested.

I agree. There's also an element of religious zeal in many of these workouts as well: "you're not just working out: you're dedicating yourself to becoming a better person!"

 

[lmpaler]

This is definitely done after bench pressing with a lot of people I've seen. "OH FUCK YEA HELL YEA WOOOOOO" *CLAP CLAP CLAP*

When you break a huge milestone and overcome that mental wall with a big lift like that, there is rarely a better feeling of accomplishment. The first time I squatted 315 lbs. I was beside myself internally, I kept cool until I got to my car, but man I was proud because mentally I was always a bit intimidated by adding what I thought to be a HUGE amount of weight and squatting it(I roll solo so I have no spotter unless I ask).

Now I warm up with it and it is whatever, but when I hit 315 on my flat press I will be excited too.

And of course hitting that milestone made me want to push harder and farther and now I am up to 405 lbs for squats and deadlifts and I want to keep going and going. I want my 405 to be my 315 warm up kinda thing.

It is all subjective to the person I suppose

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

It's the marketing honestly.

And social media memes.
Nothing puts me off from working out than those before and after pics every fitness buff posts. Especially when it's followed by a sexist comment if the subject is a girl. We already have a problem with body image.

 

[Muppet of a Man]

I honestly feel like there is a greater need for natural movement training, things like the MovNat fitness system, rather than Crossfit and the like.

Here is a good article that explains the philosophy and purported benefits of natural movement training:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/09/12/a-primer-on-movnat/

Training to regain lost mobility, most of us being part of a world full of office workers, is really where we should be focusing our fitness efforts. Training for extreme strength and work capacity (endurance across the 3 energy systems) is of much less use to most people than being able move (and thus function) in an anatomically ideal way.

Things like Crossfit focus on work capacity rather than fitness to perform an everyday physiological function even though they claim to be doing "functional" training. Crossfit, focusing so much on work capacity (especially via HIIT, tabata, Metabolic Conditioning, and the like) also does not consider the recovery aspect of general preparedness as much as it should. Crossfit type training very often can lead to adrenal burnout and repetitive stress injuries.

It seems much more applicable to everyday living and general long-term health to be able to regain mobility like that of a child rather than strive for the unsustainable attributes of an elite athlete.

 

[bodyboarder]

Awesome.

 

[impetuous_silly]

I work out just to feel some semblance of control over my life.

 

[SuperEpicGuy]

Why not join a roofing crew for a few hours instead? Surely, there’s a tunnel somewhere that needs digging, or at least some hot tar that needs pouring.

The thing is the people that exercise do it and get it over with because they have to (not out of pleasure) most of the time. So going to a gym and getting your 1 hour in is much easier than having to go sign up for some tar pouring thing and then wait until it's time and go do it. Way too much work.

 

[Toa TAK]

It's a commercial for Jockey underwear.

Amazing. "You're not humanity!"

 

[Joey Fox]

This isn't just in America. I've got a couple of friends who are very, very deeply into fitness and indulge in it religiously. I don't tend to discuss the nature of their apparent zealotry because they're my buds and i don't mean to offend them, and quite honestly that fear comes from me sort of understanding that they are, like the article said, striving to atone deep and ancient threads of self doubt but can never seem to find the solace they need. I also have very strong opinions on anthropocentrism and don't want to offend them with them. But sometimes i do worry.

That said, nothing so far has been problematic, other than the utter dismissal of other hobbies, but that's far from worrying tbh.

But you're a time traveler. Just because it happens in your time doesn't mean it applies today.

 

[gutter_trash]

vanity + narcissism + competition = ultimate doucheness

 

[Wilsongt]

No crossfit gifs?

People like to be fit because if they are not they are fucked their whole lives. Beauty and perfection is everything apparently.

 

[lmpaler]

No crossfit gifs?

People like to be fit because if they are not they are fucked their whole lives. Beauty and perfection is everything apparently.

You can go far in life on just that though

 

[Trey]

Extreme working out is the ideology of american exceptional applied to fitness. Being edgy, being better.

 

[TAJ]

It's a nice thought. Construction can be an incredible workout depending on what you're doing.
Five years ago I rewatched Commando and all I could think during the opening was "Pfft, I could carry two of those logs, up twenty floors of stairs.".

 

[potam]

breaking news: americans are douchebags and we like to brag

realest of the real talk: those spartan runs and shit are soooooooooooooooooo fucking dumb. They've somehow figured out how to get people to brag about running a couple of miles (in sections)

 

[Zoned]

I think one of the reason for high obesity rate is the junk food. It is cheap, easily available, and saves time than healthy alternatives. Now if only we could have a control on fast food chains then things might be different. But then again, healthy food items are costly than let's say 1.99$ chicken nuggets from burger king.

 

[speculawyer]

How are Americans, whom are stereotypically fat/obese, also fascinated with extreme fitness?

We clap a lot to lose weight.

Spoiler

I don't understand that meme.

 

[GorillaJu]

Been reading more and more how harmful it is to run your body into the ground doing crazy workouts and running 10 miles a day and shit.

I'll take my pussy ass yoga and a few scenic jogs a week, thank you very much.

 

[Rei_Toei]

I think one of the reason for high obesity rate is the junk food. It is cheap, easily available, and saves time than healthy alternatives. Now if only we could have a control on fast food chains then things might be different. But then again, healthy food items are costly than let's say 1.99$ chicken nuggets from burger king.

I don't live in America (Netherlands) but it seems to me junk food is getting cheaper here then it used to be. I remember when Domino's and Pizza Hut first came to Europe, they were more expensive then the cheaper Italian pizzarias we already had everywhere. Believe it or not but for a while they managed to present themselves as a new, superior and therefore more expensive alternative. Nowadays a basic Domino's pizza is €4. Same with doner, a basic wrap/sandwich will set me back €1,50 to €3,50. Frozen pizza in the supermarket with close to 1000 calories comes as cheap as €2. The only healthy alternative to this are the outdoor food markets, but those aren't easily available for everyone.