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If this board ever has a get together, I vote we get out the table tennis and pool tables!

Strange how theres a lot of us doing it... although I'd be willing to bet it's more of a general thing that people around the world do.

"So what do *you* do to maintain your physical fitness? "

Along with taking supplements, I attempt to maintain a regular routine with free weights, with a concentration on building mass. Try to avoid consumption of red meat, and that seems to help alot. Don't drink any water out of the tap whatsoever; all our water is of the distilled variety. We try to get the majority of our groceries from the health food store to minimize the possibility of various types of chemical contamination, and it does cost a little more, but not a whole lot. I like to look at it as real inexpensive life insurance.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are separate, and not in one pill, as they can be antatonistic to each other once released in your digestive tract (which wastes your money), and also we take the vitamins and minerals at different times to maximize absorption, which is a critical issue with supplements. We don't buy the oxide or sulfate varieties of mineral supplements; they are either chelated or we don't buy it, as it's a waste of money otherwise. Incidentally, fully chelated mineral supplements are difficult to locate; however Nature's Plus has some good product, namely Dyno Mins and Ultra Mins. Recently we've also begun experimenting with megadoses of nicotinic acid in order to normalize cardiovascular function and efficiency. This version of niacin acts to help dissolve the dreaded arterial plaque, which if you live in the united states, you almost surely have some somewhere in your body.

Speaking of arterial plaque, we also avoid consumption of any hydrogenated oils (which are everywhere in the supermarket, including margerine). It is believed that this class of artificially modified oils are the main cause of coronary heart disease in the western world. That class of artificially mangled molecules also do very bad things to your brain capillaries, which is another reason to sidestep that particular poison.

Another important thing to do is to place a premium on the value of antioxidants. One of the most powerful classes of antioxidants in existance today is a set of chemicals known as polyphenols. One excellent source of polyphenols is green tea; consequently, I tend to drink alot of it, typically on combination with ginseng, which makes it taste better. The antioxidant value of polyphenols is much greater than that of vitamin E or C, although I take those supplements as well.

Table sugar is another everyday household item that we don't buy anymore; we get a variety of sugar called fructose, commonly called fruit sugar. The reason? Table sugar has undesirable effects on the average physiology; namely, it overstresses insulin functions, blowing out the gland responsible for insulin production or causing it to malfunction in those individuals who are genetically weak in that area. In other words, it promotes diabetes. When table sugar is consumed, it stays in the bloodstream for longer than it is supposed to, since the body is not as readily able to handle it as it is fruit sugar. The result is an insulin spike; which not only stresses your insulin functions, but also causes other metabolic stresses, along with increased fat deposition. Bottom line: dont eat it.

Fructose is 1/3 sweeter anyway; your body is genetically better prepared for that chemical than it is the other. Insulin spikes do not occur with fructose, as it is removed from the bloodstream with much greater dispatch than table sugar.

But I digress. Working with free weights is the most enjoyable phase of the physical workouts; I don't get as much out of the aerobic part, although I realize it is a necessary part of any routine.

A vice? Coffee. And perhaps one other thing, although I don't really think that it's a vice....

[ 06-13-2001: Message edited by: Eldric ]

[ 06-14-2001: Message edited by: Eldric ]

i am a serious weightlifter, but i don't give a rat's a$$ about diet. i don't have a sweet tooth, so my diet really isn't a problem, but i eat tons of greasy and fatty foods. but fat is an essential part to truly putting on muscle. it is impossible for the body to produce testosterone without fat. that is why any kid who grew up as a vegetarian is usually incredibly scrawny and nonpubescent. i have several devout hindu friends, actually janists, who don't eat any meat at all, and they weigh around 100 pounds each. and the average heighth of an east asian went up around 5 inches in the past coupel decades since the introduction of beef into their mainstream diet. so, lots and lots of beef for me. it gets expensive, but damn it tastes good.
i don't believe in supplements at all. if my body cannot attain levels on its own then it shouldn't go there. and considering i can outlift just abotu anyone around who is steroid free, i don't think supplements do enough to justify the high costs. i do buy protein drinks if you count that, but i don't count it.
i run for health reasons, about 3 miles every other day, and i hate every single second of it.
i used to train in hap ki do, but a lack of anyone to train with caused me to stop.

oh, i also do 16 ounce curls at my local bar on most nights.

Goodness, @Eldric. You make me feel positively...unclean.

We've just about given up red meat, avoid butter, salt, and polysaturated fats. But you make me feel like a philistine since we take ordinary capsulated vitamins!

Do you have a genetic inclination to diabetes, incidentally?

And what do you think of aspartane?

Originally posted by fable:
<STRONG>Goodness, @Eldric. You make me feel positively...unclean. </STRONG>

I assure you, fable, that certainly was not my intent. And also, in matter of fact, we have not given up on meat totally, we just chose the lesser of two evils; we tend to substitute either ham or pork (roast) where we would normally eat red meat. For instance, if we grill hamburgers out, we will call up our meat guy at the market and get him to grind us up a boston butt roast.

Originally posted by fable:
<STRONG>We've just about given up red meat, avoid butter, salt, and polysaturated fats. But you make me feel like a philistine since we take ordinary capsulated vitamins!

Do you have a genetic inclination to diabetes, incidentally?</STRONG>

Some in my family have been known to have a predisposition to heart disease; so yes, alot of these things I do are somewhat fear based, as you suspected. However, my primary fear is a more general genetic predeliction to death.

My response is a measured and balanced approach to all (controllable) aspects of living, instead of mindlessly following one doctrine, or cramming whatever down my gullet in blind hormonal ectstacy, in absolution of any frontal lobe based dietary awareness. In my opinion, one is worthy of much more with regard to one's potential; it's evident you yourself have already given thought to these matters; I commend you, for most that I encounter have not, and do not have plans to do so.

<STRONG>

And what do you think of aspartane?</STRONG>

That's tough. I've little empirical evidence accumulated on it, as I initially heard reports (unconfirmed) that it did have negative effects on short term memory with certain individuals. As I had already replaced sucrose sugar at that time with fruit sugar, I made the decision to not put my brain at risk.

It's always tough to judge any man made or modified chemical, as the chemicals that were here before the advent of our technology were chemicals that our species evolved with over a period of four or so million years. Our ancestors of course go back over a billion years, so our DNA includes the ways and means for dealing with many types of chemicals found in nature. That truism, however, does not hold true for man made/altered chemical structures, and given the complexity of our systems, we may be able to compensate within the powers of our genetic scope or maybe not.

You have to judge the risk for yourself within these guidelines. I made the decision it was too much of a risk.

With regard to the subject of fats; we have more or less replaced our fats with oils high in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. For cooking we use avocado oil, which is another fat that has been demonstrated to help flush arterial plaque. It is not feasible to completely eliminate all unbeneficial fats from your diet; I realize some are going to get through in the course of our meat consumption and occasional eating out; I understand that. But we do excercise what control we can, simply because we are capable of this level of control and because we do care.

I play tennis and have done so for as long as I can remember. I have a little eating problem I eat and I eat and I eat all day long but since I am 2 m. high I am still skinny as hell not much to do but let age sneak up with it's fat intensions

Pool + Garcia = Total disaster!

Originally posted by Eldric:
<STRONG>Brothers! What we do in life....echoes in eternity. --- Maximus Decimus Meridius </STRONG>

Just had to point out something that bothers me about your sig. I liked Gladiator a lot but it had more historical inaccuracies then just about any movie I’d ever seen. One of which is Maximus’ name. Maximus was a common enough cognomen (a sort honorary nickname like Lionheart) but the movie lists it as his praenomen (a private first name). It would be very inappropriate for soldiers, gladiators or other people who weren’t intimate family or loved ones to address someone by their praenomen (the closest analogy I think of is calling a guy snookie or something to his face). His name should have been Decimus Meridius Maximus instead (or some other variation). I could bore you by going on about how SPQR (meaning "Senatus Populusque Romanus", the Senate and People of Rome) was something no Roman citizen would tattoo himself with in the 2nd century, or how many of the weapons, armor, and tools seen in the movie were several centuries too advanced. Gladiator is still a great film despite having a lot of historical inaccuracies (which admittedly only a minority of the population care about).

Originally posted by Kayless:
Just had to point out something that bothers me about your sig. I liked Gladiator a lot but it had more historical inaccuracies then just about any movie I’d ever seen.

LOL!! Point taken. Probably the only thing historically accurate about this sig is that it matches verbatim what Russell Crowe said in the move.

***SNIP****

(the closest analogy I think of is calling a guy snookie or something to his face). His name should have been Decimus Meridius Maximus instead (or some other variation). I could bore you by going on about how SPQR (meaning "Senatus Populusque Romanus", the Senate and People of Rome) was something no Roman citizen would tattoo himself with in the 2nd century, or how many of the weapons, armor, and tools seen in the movie were several centuries too advanced. Gladiator is still a great film despite having a lot of historical inaccuracies (which admittedly only a minority of the population care about).

Again, you make excellent points; and believe me, I have suffered through the same paradoxysms as yourself! I'm delving into an excellent book presently titled "The Archaeology of Weapons by R. Ewart Oakeshott; and I'd be curious to know which weapons and armor you believe were anachronistic.

But when you are starving for some kind of man style heroic adventure, what's a guy to do? Plus, how many bios of roman gladiators are lying around, waiting to be made into movies? I know for a fact that there were probably many a hero who earned his right to survive in the colosseum. If you don't have their life story, what's the next best tribute to their accomplishments that you can think of?

The only alternative is a fiction. And while I agree with you about the accuracy of the film, it also carried a message about the dichotomies of the human spirit. All Maximus really wanted was to return to his family, and take up his responsibilities there; basically a pacifist's life. Yet, the story tells how he is drawn into a much baser existence by the lesser qualities within the characters around him; and also, how he deals with that existence. For me, the film carried a spiritual as well as a heroic message. As with everything else in life, I just take the bad with the good, and concentrate on the good.

P.S... Fable, I apologize for diverting from your topic...

[ 06-14-2001: Message edited by: Eldric ]

Ave! Not at all: it was pleasing to read such stuff instead of the usual references to (as an example) "Julius Caesar," when his praenomen was Caius. I'm glad to see other people on the board are as manic about this, too.

Vehemence's Random comment number 218:

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

Ask not what you can do for fitness, but what fitness can do for you


Naa - I'm no healt freak, so I just play squash 1-2 times a week and bike just about anywhere I go.

What I do for fitness: hiking, biking, dancing. I also like kayaking and an occational free climb when I get the opportunity.

What I do against fitness: Eating anything - and a lot of it too - except endangered species. (Happily, I'm also a fast metaboliser, otherwise my waist measure would reach to Australia.)


I have been doing classical dancing and alpine climbing for many years. I also used to train figure skating and swimming and I've spent many hours at gyms although I hated every second of it. Knee injuries made me quit both the dance and the climbing, so now I'm growing fat and stiff (Ie my rib cage doesn't hang over my stomach anymore and I can't comfortably lift my legs above my head.)

[ 06-14-2001: Message edited by: C Elegans ]

I do Karate 3 times a week, and I mow my OWN lawn. I've read moving one's lawn is as healthy as going to a gym. I'm also on a swim team so i swim everyday in the winter and 3/4 days a week in the summer.
@fable: Where exactly do you live in NJ? I live here/there too.

Mountainbiking, inlines and running for me. Gyms during winter. It's great to work out a lot since you can eat absolutely everything without worrying about putting on weight. I've trained a lot of martial arts, soccer and horse riding as well as a bit of swimming and fencing while younger. Now, when working in Stockholm (40 min of train x 2), there simply ain't enough time for any "collective" form of training. I usually work out pretty late at night, especially during summer.

HA HA! EXERCISE! ME?! NOT!

well let me see. i work(and live for 6 mo a year)on aplatform where i have to run up and downs stairs all day. it is @90 steps from the bottom to the top. i make the trip 1-5(or more,we also have to go up to the top of a similar platform everyday to make our rounds) times a day, a lot of our equipment involves climbing ladders to get up on several time a day. we muscle around 55 gal drums regularly.

at home, i get much of the same as gwally. i'm busy chasing and playing with my 2 and a half year old son. does sex count as a work out?

Originally posted by leedogg:
<STRONG> does sex count as a work out? </STRONG>

Sometimes, sometimes.

i see you lurking , fable!

Originally posted by fable:
<STRONG>So what do *you* do to maintain your physical fitness?

[ 06-10-2001: Message edited by: fable ]</STRONG>

I lie down until the feeling passes

Originally posted by Mr Snow:
<STRONG>I lie down until the feeling passes

</STRONG>

hi Mr. snow- welcome to Gamebanshee!