Comment by nikster | Hacker News Reader

Comment by nikster | Hacker News Reader

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Well thanks for confirming the impression I got from my one and only ever experience at a gym: Not only is it boring but its also a huge waste of time. I remember it took me 2 hours until I felt like I had done something - and the best machine seemed to be the chin-up bar. I dont need a gym for that?!

I think for general body health, any exercise is better than none but some are more effective than others. Top to bottom: - Yoga ( ermm... The serious kind. Lots of bs out there) - Strength exercises like in the article - Competitive sports. (I used to fight Tae Kwon Do tournaments) - Casual sports - Biking to work - The Gym

I know some Yogis and they're overall the healthiest, best-shape people I know. Little wonder as Yoga was developed over thousands of years and specifically to heal the body. Maximizing the - amazing - self healing powers of your body. Those basic strength exercises are IMO just the western version of it, a slightly less advanced form. And it'll work better for some, no doubt.

  > Little wonder as Yoga was developed over thousands
  > of years

There is a large amount of bullshit which evolved over thousands of years and is still bullshit. Thousands of years mean nothing. I am not saying that all yoga is BS, but signal to noise is definitely very low.

  > Those basic strength exercises are IMO just the western
  > version of it, a slightly less advanced form.

Uhm. How about learning some basics?

A good gym is a godsend. But what you're looking for isn't going to be one of the plastic-and-chrome palaces but something that's got tons of weights, power cages, chinning bars, adjustable benches, dumbbells in a wide range of weights (200# is a good upper limit, higher isn't bad though you can usually manage with a barbell and landmine), bumper plates and platforms, chalk, glute-ham raise, kettlebells, ergs, foam and PVC rollers. If you see prowlers, ropes, and chains, you're in heaven.

Yoga has its place, however asanas are only a small part of total fitness. "Western fitness" is based on empirical results and studies, while much traditional yoga is founded on mystical explanations (and don't even get me started on Auyurveda). If you explore deeper, I think you'll find that Western fitness has in fact examined and adopted those parts of yoga which are shown to be useful and effective.

A good point, and I would add that if you explore even deeper, you will find that what is usually referred to as yoga in the west is already itself a western adaptation of a very small part of yoga which aims to improve physical (rather than mental) well-being.

You don't see many people at gym yoga classes singing prayers or trying to control their dreams :)

The problem is very few gyms have bumper plates and platforms. Further, many gyms frown upon the use of chalk.

They exist. Finding them may take work.

Many gyms will allow chalk if you're reasonably discrete and neat about it. A rock-climber's chalk bag and sock can usually pass. If not that, there's always liquid chalk.

>Yoga was developed over thousands of years and specifically to heal the body

Yoga is a collection of meditation techniques. The transformation of a very specific form of yoga (Hatha) into an exercise routine is a western development.

> The serious kind. Lots of bs out there

In fact I think that for physical fitness, it would be better to concentrate on western-style yoga rather than the "serious" stuff (prayers, sleep control etc).

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