Why do people spend so much time at conventional gyms looking in the mirrors? Why do people like to read their magazines while riding their elliptical machines? Why do people spend more on workout outfits than they do on getting qualified instruction?
That's the obvious reason, Paul. But seriously, why do people feel it is acceptable to waste their time and act like jackasses? Nobody would go to their jobs and behave like that.
Look, just because I like to check out my guns while I'm curling doesn't give you the right to call me a jackass. I am a beautiful person and I don't see anything wrong with flaunting it. That goes for wearing Lululemon hotpants at work as well.
And people read magazines on the elliptical because they need an excuse for why they forgot to turn the resistance up from zero: "Oh, that 'Ten Minute Workouts' article in 'O' was just so fascinating I didn't even notice! And did you hear that Jennifer Garner has a STALKER?? Wow, my butt cheeks are tingling! That elliptical is incredible!"
... written by Peter,
November 21, 2008
Keeping with the theme of the questions I'm going to be a little bit obtuse here
I think at least part of the motivation for why people work out is because they want to look better. Our society is one that places value on personal appearances so people assess their progress partially based on how their appearance changes over time. Looking in the mirror is also a good way of watching and correcting your form while you lift (no everyone can afford to have a personal trainer at their side for every workout).
Why people read most magazines at all is somewhat a mystery to me but if you enjoy magazines then it helps pass the time of an otherwise boring event. Same reason people watch tv while they workout. High intensity workouts are not for everyone. it takes a certain type of personality to enjoy pushing yourself until you throw-up others would rather ride the eliptical and enjoy some reading and I give them more credit than those on the couch enjoying some reading.
More on outfits than qualified instruction? who do you workout with? even $500 worth of gym clothes buys you about 7 hours with a personal trainer. I'm assuming you've been to a conventional gym. would you call the trainers there qualified instruction? search on google for gym, exercise, fitness, health, workout, personal trainer. crossfit won't be near the top for any of those results.
Sadly, the health and fitness industry is overwhelmed with totally unrealistic promises and overhyped crap. If you're the average person with no previous fitness experience and limited knowledge I would imagine that its very hard to evaluate which gyms are the best or which workouts will get the best results.
Fitness isnt an exact science and people's fitness goals aren't all uniform so its tough to figure out what is best for you. Every yahoo who can bench-press his own body weight and pass an online test or attend a weekend seminar calling himself a personal trainer and proclaiming that he has unlocked the secret to being huge, staying ripped, and still eating whatever you want only confuses the masses further.
If you think people are wasting their time and acting like jackasses I doubt its intentional (in most cases) why not lets help them instead of hating them. I bet we'll be happier too
Happy Birthday, Keith!!!!! written by David Osorio,
November 21, 2008
Best of luck to you and Sam in the coming year of CFV
... written by justin"thor",
November 21, 2008
I like to read Hustler on the Eliptical... Keeps everyone on their toes!
I agree with you, Peter, that being in the gym trying is better than being on the couch.
I was perhaps a bit harsh calling them all jackasses, but certainly some of them are. I've seen some real ridiculous stuff going on in conventional/globo gyms.
I am not trying to hate. I would like to understand better what goes on in people's heads. Remember I am old and out of touch with the kids today. I am curious to know why people keep buying into the hype and the myths about working out. Why would people rather not sweat when they workout? Why do women fear getting strong?
I am not advocating that everyone do Crossfit. I am not trying to hate on everyone that does the ellipctical. I seriously wonder what goes on in their heads when they decide they are turned off to sweat and effort and hard work.
Education written by Jonathan Silverman,
November 21, 2008
Why do people like to read their magazines while riding their elliptical machines?
From Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe: "Furthermore, barbells require the individual to make these adjustments, and any other ones that might be necessary to retain control over the movement of the weight. This aspect of exercise cannot be overstated- the control of the bar, and the balance and coordination demanded of the trainee, are unique to barbell exercise and completely absent in machine-based training."
In other words, they are reading magazines because they are not practicing all the ten components of fitness as identified by CF! In other words, people are reading mags on ellipticals because they are uneducated about a true definition about fitness.
Why do people spend more on workout outfits than they do on getting qualified instruction?
As we proved earlier, people are uneducated about what fitness is. One who knows what fitness truly entails, will realize one needs a coach because a coach helps you with form and learning new movements.
Well, um, hard work sucks. written by Ewen,
November 21, 2008
In fact, all forms of work suck, to some extent. (Have you never seen people slacking off on the job? Hell, how much am I being paid to type this drivel?) Even people who claim to love hard work usually whine when they are forced to work hard on something they don't enjoy or don't consider useful (enough). You can't equate "hard work/I love this stuff" with "hard work/F*ck this I'm outta here". And for many people, the payoff from physical effort simply does not justify the discomfort they would have to endure to get certain results. Much like for many people (not necessarily the same people, mind you), the payoff from getting a Harvard MBA or working 80-hour weeks isn't worth the effort.
The downsides of working out hard or even working out at all include time spent, money spent, pain, boredom, and lack of results. This is where CrossFit can have an impact, by convincing those who are still sitting on the fence, hoping for results but not quite sure they want to commit to achieving them, that they can in fact reach their fitness goals. CF gives you shorter workouts, variety, good value for your money (that can be a tricky one but has already been explained at length elsewhere), and above all, RESULTS. Oh, and truckloads of pain dumped on your sorry ass --but you learn to love it and ask for more.
I believe CrossFit trainers, as businesspeople and fitness advocates, need to focus on those borderline cases, the ones with a spark just waiting to start the fire that lights the fuse that sets off the bomb that brings the house down YEAH BABY!
Let the globogyms deal with the fitless masses. They're not your target audience.
Hard Work has nothing to do with it! Education.. maybe Sex. written by Jonathan Silverman,
November 21, 2008
Listen Ewen,
It's true there's hard word involved but that is not the reason people don't do CF. It may just appear so.
They don't do CF not because of the hard work, but because they don't understand why they are putting up with this hard work. Purpose is essential for motivation. You take away a basketball and suddenly ppl are just running up and down a court for no reason and it's a punishment drill, put the ball back in there, and it's a game. People don't do CF because they don't get that dose of education over what fitness really is, with that dose of hard work.
However, in the thread on Why do You CF on the messageboard, ppl did say to look good naked. Maybe non-CFrs don't care about being naked so much. Don't know.
... written by chris,
November 21, 2008
people are lazy, and they dont want to work hard. The whole design of modern gyms is based on the idea of making fitness easier, non-threatening, safe and more palpable to people otherwise completely adverse to working hard. Hard work is a rarity today in many areas. You put safety, leisure, marketing and vanity together and there you go, todays globo gym. And its not human nature, its marketing. I think crossfit is so popular because it appeals to a place within all of us that strives for the best, which flys directly in the face of the marketing shoulds, ought to's and gonnas that the majority have bought into. Crossfit snaps people out of this uptopian magazine spread, and forces them to realize that yes, life is brutal and you must embrace it.
By the way, old man... written by Ewen,
November 21, 2008
Happy appropriately numbered workout!
... written by Brett_nyc,
November 21, 2008
DUDE! Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Fat Coach! written by Kurt,
November 21, 2008
Am looking forward to stopping by and seeing the new place. Also looking forward to getting my ass handed to me by one of your workouts that require things like balance and flexibility. Come on, who really needs that weak sh#t?
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I am curious to know why people keep buying into the hype and the myths about working out. Why would people rather not sweat when they workout? Why do women fear getting strong? 
