Sports & Science: A Balanced Life with Robert

[JustRobert]

In the short time that I've been here, I've noticed that no one has ever started a thread about sports! I don't know why that's so but I for enjoy both science and sports. I like the balance it puts in my life.

Myself, I lift weights several times a week, do cardio, as well as play various different sports -- all for hobby. I was wondering what everyone in here does for sports? Personally, I'd be really surprised to see other lifters out there.

Take it easy,
Robert

p.s. If you want to read a weight-lifting journal, let me know and I'll start one if there is sufficient interest.

 

[DeadWolfe]

I lift weights and do some cardio, but just to stay in shape, and that's it.

 

[chroot]

I'm by no means a body-builder, but I lift twice a week and ride about 100-150 miles a week on my bike.

As a child, my eyesight kept me from becoming good at most competitive sports, so I took up scuba diving and rock climbing instead. I love being outdoors.

I'm not sure why you think few people here are into physical fitness; do you think we're all just a bunch of fat, socially-outcast nerds who play Risk and drink two liters of Pepsi every day?

- Warren

 

[russ_watters]

Dude, you've been here for 4 hours. Do a search...

 

[loseyourname]

There are plenty of sports threads buried around here somewhere, including a couple having to do with weight-lifting. JasonRox and Astronuc are the resident body builders.

 

[devious_]

FOOTBALL BABY.

(Real football, not American football.)

 

[scott1]

Would playing chess, liner algerbra, caclus and programing be consired "sports"?

 

[Mk]

What about competitive computer games? poker?

People post threads regularly about soccer cups.

 

[Moonbear]

Dude, you've been here for 4 hours. Do a search...

The search feature hasn't been working lately.

But, yeah, I was going to reply that Russ and Gokul have both kept us going on football threads during football season. And there have been the biking threads, and the Olympics threads (or was that just making fun of the medals and curling?), and we definitely have a few body builders here, plus others who enjoy weight-lifting, but not for body building.

As for me, I lift, chase and wrestle sheep for exercise.

 

[ZapperZ]

I think spanking quacks would also be considered as a sport, no?

Zz.

 

[Azael]

In the short time that I've been here, I've noticed that no one has ever started a thread about sports! I don't know why that's so but I for enjoy both science and sports. I like the balance it puts in my life.

Myself, I lift weights several times a week, do cardio, as well as play various different sports -- all for hobby. I was wondering what everyone in here does for sports? Personally, I'd be really surprised to see other lifters out there.

Take it easy,
Robert

p.s. If you want to read a weight-lifting journal, let me know and I'll start one if there is sufficient interest.

Im pretty serious about powerlifting. Not competing yet though because of my lack of grip strenght and because my squat is yet far from my deadlift because of years with a bad knee.

Used to focus on bodybuilding but I have ditched that because I don't have the genetics to get anywhere in that sport.

 

[Hootenanny]

I'm signed for a professional Rugby League club over hear in the UK. I usually train six times a week; lifting weights, CV and skill work.

Regards

-Hoot

 

[marlon]

tennis and squash (two times a week when i was in college)

Now, i am not in college anymore :)


marlon

 

[Astronuc]

There are plenty of sports threads buried around here somewhere, including a couple having to do with weight-lifting. JasonRox and Astronuc are the resident body builders.

Azael was a body builder. I think JasonRox does power lifting, but I think he took a break. I believe Jeff Ford is a power lifter.

I actually do weight-training. I work on strength and endurance.

In addition, I run distance (for endurance) and sprinting (for speed and strength).

I also like outdoors like chroot. I prefer real football (aka soccer) or Aussie rules football to American football.

 

[dav2008]

Would playing chess, liner algerbra, caclus and programing be consired "sports"?

Maybe if you're linearly transforming a 200 lb. vector.

 

[Anttech]

Cricket in the summer... some seasons I play rugby in the winter... Rugby outside the 6 nations in Europe is dangeous so I tend not to play now.. The problem is they don't know the rules, and are typically big chaps. Cricket is fun tho ;)

 

[RVBuckeye]

Any hockey fans here? I don't play anymore, but I loved playing it growing up. I nearly started to develop withdrawal symptoms last year when they went on strike. (wish they had a smilie with a tooth missing)

 

[heartless]

I play soccer and do some biking whenever I can, I used to be in a soccer team, well, not anymore,

I'm wondering, why people do weight-lifting?

Thanks,

 

[Astronuc]

I'm wondering, why people do weight-lifting?

Different reasons. Some do body-building - bulging muscles. I never cared for that.

The other reason is strength and endurance. Runners (sprinter) and bicycle riders need strong legs for speed and acceleration.

There are many sports that require strength for optimal performance.

During early years of university, I did construction work (structural iron) and we worked with heavy pieces of steel. Having the strength was beneficial.

And having strength that I do has saved me from serious injury, as well as enabling to work with smaller tools in tight places. In one case, another guy and I were removing a heavy motor (300+ lbs / 140 kgs) from a basement, we had to climb up some concrete stairs. We fastened the motor to a metal bar to distribute the weight. It was a narrow staircase, and I was on the down side. Well about 8 ft (2.5 m) up the stairs, the bar collapsed and the motor came back at me. It happened so fast, I could get out of the way, and I ended up cradling the motor in my arms. Either I go down the stairs with the motor - ending up on the floor with a 300 lb motor on my chest or I get it up. I heaved it and got it upstairs - and I pulled a groin muscle and developed a slight inguinal hernia (which I pushed back in myself). The fact that I had strength save me from serious injury or worse, and I saved the motor.

And there were other cases where I saved myself or someone else from falling, simply because I had the strength.

That and I love to play sports like football (soccer) and Tae Kwon Do.

 

[Ba]

I do football(soccer), biking, swimming. And rock-climbing during the summer.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I'll play almost anything, but my speciality is soccer. I'm on the Milwaukee Bavarians Majors team. Practice just started so I'm pumped about the new season.

 

[Astronuc]

Pattylou posted this elsewhere.

Here's a nice study for more benefits of exercise:

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060225/bob10.asp

Some excerpts:

Out of the variety of neurotrophic factors released during exercise, however, scientists found that one in particular stood out: brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. This protein seems to act as a ringleader, both prompting brain benefits on its own and triggering a cascade of other neural health–promoting chemicals to spring into action.

They studied two groups of healthy mice housed individually in cages that were identical except for one detail: One group of mice had running wheels.

Over the next several weeks, the researchers kept track as the runners voluntarily racked up an average of 4 to 5 kilometers on their wheels every night.

Although both groups of mice swam at about the same speed, Gage and his colleagues noticed that the runners learned the location of a platform hidden under the maze's opaque water significantly sooner than their less-fit counterparts did.

Dissections showed that the runners had about twice as many new brain neurons as the sedentary mice did. When the researchers tested individual neurons isolated from both groups, they discovered that neurons taken from the runners showed greater signs of strengthened connections and cellular learning.

...dissected the animals' brains at 6 months of age to measure the beta-amyloid. They were surprised to find about half as much accumulation of the substance in the runners as in the nonrunners.

Bottom line according to Pattylou: BDNF (Brain derived neurotrophic factor) is produced during exercise, it stimulates nerve development, and effects protection to neurons. It may offer protection against diseases like alzheimers, and may help some patients that have paralysis.

That's good enough for me.

 

[Azael]

I'm wondering, why people do weight-lifting?

Thanks,

That is like asking why people run around after a ball on a field or why people dress upp in armor and run straight into each other
Because its fun and challanging.

Nothing in the world gives a bigger rush than pulling a new one rep max in the deadlift. That is the greatest feeling in the world.

Its very fun to get muscular aswell. It feels good.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Well, i do weight-lifting about 3 or more times per week. I also do cardio on the biobikes like 1 or 2 times per week. I am mostly working on gaining more strength.

 

[Astronuc]

Cricket in the summer... some seasons I play rugby in the winter... Rugby outside the 6 nations in Europe is dangeous so I tend not to play now.. The problem is they don't know the rules, and are typically big chaps. Cricket is fun tho ;)

6 nations in Europe? I thought there were more than that.

I do remember one of my roommates in college used to return from rugby with torn clothes, bruises and scratches - and sometimes teeth marks!

Occassionally someone would get a broken foot, hand or arm, but that was not too common, or a broken nose or torn ear.

Biting the nose or ears is not very nice.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I shoot billiards. That's about the closest thing to a sport I do on a regular basis.
I did however just recent start having to walk home from work at night on a regular basis. Now I walk about three hours straight four nights a week. I had thought it might be good to get the excersize but with the way I hurt from it I'm wondering if I'm doing more harm than good. It doesn't tire me out that much but I'm usually quite sore for a day or two after. Does anyone know if I'll get used to it or if maybe I'm over doing it?

 

[JasonRox]

There are plenty of sports threads buried around here somewhere, including a couple having to do with weight-lifting. JasonRox and Astronuc are the resident body builders.

I am no longer the bodybuilder.

School and work make it so difficult.

 

[Cyrus]

I am no longer the bodybuilder.

School and work make it so difficult.

Me too. I have not been to the gym ALL semester.

 

[Sisyphus]

I'm pretty big into Tae Kwon Do myself. Never really got into any other formal form of exercise.

 

[russ_watters]

I lift and run (and occasionally bike if my shin splints are acting up) but unfortunately, I don't play many sports anymore. Just golf, which is only barely a sport. If I can find adult leagues (or more athletic friends), I'd like to get back into playing sports.

When I was a kid, I did a lot: soccer, swimming, wrestling, tennis, & baseball. I sucked at baseball, though.

 

[scott1]

what exactally are "sports" is it another word for fictinol realsitic video games?
Or is it just another term for math and logic puzzles

 

[heartless]

what exactally are "sports" is it another word for fictinol realsitic video games?

Kinda wondering, how something can be "fictional realistic"?
Yeah, the word "sports" got also another meaning over the last century just like almost all other words. ALthough I think "sports" should be only reffered to physical ones, or at last something like chess. Video games, sex, playing instruments shouldn't be considered sports.

Thanks,

 

[Chi Meson]

The only teacm sport I was any good at was crew (rowing). And that's not the same as other team sports. Anything that involved incorporating other peoples strategy into your own strategy was missing from my brain. I see a lot of other "singular" sport athletes here. Might this be a character trait?

Of course I "appreciate" baseball, and basketball (Hey, I got an MFA from George Mason!) but I am hopeless when playing them. But I'll take any of you on for a half-marathon!

 

[JustRobert]

I'm wondering, why people do weight-lifting?

Thanks,

For me, I started lifting in high school and got some complements. So I never stopped lifting... I enjoyed the compilments too much I guess

Take it easy,
Robert

 

[JustRobert]

I think a big factor for lifting (that non-lifters don't often understand) is that weight lifting has a lot to do with one's mental conditioning. It is a one man sport where you define the goal, and success or failure is completely in your own hands (barring medical scenarios). You can only get mad at yourself if you don't succeed.

Another factor that non-lifters don't often know is that weight-lifting is a knowledge-intensive sport. You have to read lot of books to understand the role of nutrition in building, and more importantly, maintaining, muscle.

Robert