Most important part of physical fitness (In your opinion)

[JayCo]

About four years I got pretty big into fitness after breaking my ankle, and of course, I mainly focus on strength based training. Because, Ooga booga me like lifting heavy circles and putting them back down. But, I do try to have a more rounded training regimen with some cardio/endurance training.

Practically I'd say strength endurance is most important, because whats being able to lift 200lbs if you can only do it for 30 seconds. Although I've been told 30 seconds is too much sometimes.

But I wanted to hear from the people who have more experience on the topic. Whats most important, and more importantly, whats more sustainable as you get older? Also I wanna hear what your guys workouts look like and if you have any tips and tricks to pass along to anyone who stumbles across this thread.

 

[armalitesheepdog]

Endurance. If SHTF that what you will need most.

 

[JayCo]

Endurance. If SHTF that what you will need most.

Yeah this was my thinking too.

 

[Sylvain]

To me the most important is being able to lift yourself, not lift heavy things.

There's a reason why pretty much every police/military organization in the world uses pull ups and pushups to judge someone's fitness level.
They dont make candidates lift weight.

If you can't do many pull ups you're either too weak or too heavy, or both. Simple as that.

You will need to move your body around your until life, the sooner you stop the sooner you get stuck in a wheelchair as you get old.

Thigh muscles are the most important muscle group as you grow older. If they are weak you can't move around, can't work, can't have a social life etc.

Simple things like daily squats, taking the stairs all the time (I never take elevators even if I go to the 8th story), walking as much as possible (park far away from stores etc) will help you a lot as you grow older.

I see a lot of dudes who go to the gym but avoid doing any exercice during the day ... they don't take stairs, take their car everywhere ... then train legs for 20 minutes at the gym.
If they used their legs during the day they would have a 3 hours free workout.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

The older I get the more the answer is flexibility and injury prevention.

Yet I continue to suck at it because it doesn't feel good, it's harder to measure, and you don't look any better in a bikini once you're done with it.

Adulting sucks.

 

[tim87tr]

The older I get the more the answer is flexibility and injury prevention.

To this I'll add stretching or yoga, biking, hiking, swimming, stand up paddle board, body weight exercises and manual labor.

 

[JayCo]

To me the most important is being able to lift yourself, not lift heavy things.

There's a reason why pretty much every police/military organization in the world uses pull ups and pushups to judge someone's fitness level.
They dont make candidates lift weight.

If you can't do many pull ups you're either too weak or too heavy, or both. Simple as that.

You will need to move your body around your until life, the sooner you stop the sooner you get stuck in a wheelchair as you get old.

Thigh muscles are the most important muscle group as you grow older. If they are weak you can't move around, can't work, can't have a social life etc.

Simple things like daily squats, taking the stairs all the time (I never take elevators even if I go to the 8th story), walking as much as possible (park far away from stores etc) will help you a lot as you grow older.

I see a lot of dudes who go to the gym but avoid doing any exercice during the day ... they don't take stairs, take their car everywhere ... then train legs for 20 minutes at the gym.
If they used their legs during the day they would have a 3 hours free workout.

So you're saying more of a calisthenics style workout. Which makes sense, the most practical weight you're going to move is yourself. Although I have seen that lifting weights helps keep your bone density up. So like anything in this world, a healthy balance is needed.

I also love that you touched on doing little things throughout the day to keep yourself healthy, I always park at the back of the parking lot and always take the stairs, sometimes my friends get mad at me lol. I do gotta say I lack in the walking department, I work a desk job most days, so I find it hard to get my steps in.

 

[JayCo]

The older I get the more the answer is flexibility and injury prevention.

Yet I continue to suck at it because it doesn't feel good, it's harder to measure, and you don't look any better in a bikini once you're done with it.

Adulting sucks.

I've heard a lot of people answer flexibility in the past, and yeah I suck at it too. Even stretching everyday I feel like I'm no better.

And curse this modern lifestyle putting a dent in my banana hammock body.

 

[smokingman]

So you're saying more of a calisthenics style workout

No,no he is not lol. He is saying if people stopped taking the easy way every time(elevator vs stairs ect)...they would not need calisthenics.

You can always hike. I have done a few hikes.

 

[JayCo]

No,no he is not lol. He is saying if people stopped taking the easy way every time(elevator vs stairs ect)...they would not need calisthenics.

You can always hike. I have done a few hikes.

Well he was talking about pull ups and push ups, and then went on to talk about making decisions throughout the day to better your health. I took those as two separate thoughts.

But yes more hikes and just getting out and getting some sun would be a huge improvement for most.

 

[smokingman]

Well he was talking about pull ups and push ups, and then went on to talk about making decisions throughout the day to better your health. I took those as two separate thoughts.

But yes more hikes and just getting out and getting some sun would be a huge improvement for most.

Hiking is the only thing I can think of were you constantly use your upper and lower body(w/poles) moving at a good pace while carrying a load on your back for days at a time. It will test your flexability,balance,as well as strength. You get some sun,but I was hardly tan at all after doing the AT. You spend most of your time under a canopy of leaves when hiking. *side note I did situps and pushups on cold mornings as a warm up.

 

[Sylvain]

So you're saying more of a calisthenics style workout. Which makes sense, the most practical weight you're going to move is yourself. Although I have seen that lifting weights helps keep your bone density up. So like anything in this world, a healthy balance is needed.

I also love that you touched on doing little things throughout the day to keep yourself healthy, I always park at the back of the parking lot and always take the stairs, sometimes my friends get mad at me lol. I do gotta say I lack in the walking department, I work a desk job most days, so I find it hard to get my steps in.

Yep, most of what I do is calisthenics. Pull ups, chin ups, push ups, squats etc.
You don't need any equipment (besides maybe a pull up bar at home) and you can do them anywhere.

Sometimes if I'm waiting in a building at work I will go on foot to the top floor. Like up and down to the 6th floor couple of times. Instead of sitting 20 minutes in the lobby.
You can do pullups on stairs as well ... if nobody is around. Because it looks weirder than going up and down the stairs 10 times.

You can get several short workouts everyday like that, in less than the time required for you to drive to a gym.

 

[foszoe]

The older I get the more the answer is flexibility and injury prevention.

Yet I continue to suck at it because it doesn't feel good, it's harder to measure, and you don't look any better in a bikini once you're done with it.

Adulting sucks.

Are you a Supple Leopard?

 

[Sylvain]

No,no he is not lol. He is saying if people stopped taking the easy way every time(elevator vs stairs ect)...they would not need calisthenics.

You can always hike. I have done a few hikes.

Yes, this.
But I do both during the day.

I find ways to include several short workouts during my day.
It can be parking 3 blocks away from my destination and walking there the rest of the way.
Taking the stairs a few times even if I'm going to the ground floor anyway.

Having an active lifestyle should be your workout.
Instead of doing nothing all day then finding 30 minutes to go to the gym at the end of the day, to do less than you could have been doing the day.

It's not uncommon over here to go for a walk after a meal at a restaurant, if you go out with friends in the evening.
If actually a custom in some regions.

 

[JayCo]

Yes, this.
But I do both during the day.

I find ways to include several short workouts during my day.
It can be parking 3 blocks away from my destination and walking there the rest of the way.
Taking the stairs a few times even if I'm going to the ground floor anyway.

Having an active lifestyle should be your workout.
Instead of doing nothing all day then finding 30 minutes to go to the gym at the end of the day, to do less than you could have been doing the day.

It's not uncommon over here to go for a walk after a meal at a restaurant, if you go out with friends in the evening.
If actually a custom in some regions.

I admire your workout ethics. Definitely makes me realize I can squeeze in a little extra fitness throughout the day. Currently I go to the gym on my lunch breaks at work. But even just getting up from my desk every hour or so and walking around would be a good boost.

 

[Sylvain]

I admire your workout ethics. Definitely makes me realize I can squeeze in a little extra fitness throughout the day. Currently I go to the gym on my lunch breaks at work. But even just getting up from my desk every hour or so and walking around would be a good boost.

You can walk around, do squats at your desk, push ups etc.
I do squats in the morning in front of my coffee machine while I wait for the coffee to be ready.
It adds up. It's just a dozen of quick squats but that's over 300 a month ... extra on top of other things I do.
Takes no extra time and I usually check my messages on my phone as I do.

Or in front of my toaster. As many squats or pushups until the bread pops up.

I have never went to the gym. We don't have much gyms over here anyway ... but somehow people are more fit than in the US.
It's all about the lifestyle.

 

[Leo]

Nothing matters at all if you don't have a cardio vascular system that supports it. Sometimes we mess it up, sometimes it is a genetic issue.

Lifelong Asthmatic and heart disease since 2012. You cannot count on what you used to do, that goes away pretty quickly. I was running 5K's and spending a lot of time with physical activity as late as 2006. Lifting my weight was never a problem. I was trim and ate clean.

Right now it takes 1 hour and 40 minutes a day of walking rapidly enough to add 20 points to my heart rate just to slow the deterioration down. Goal of 5 plus miles a day, seven days a week.

No cardio health, no quality of life, no matter what you can bench press.

 

[Leo]

It's all about the lifestyle.

Part of our lifestyle issues can be slothfulness, part is nutrition.

I am convinced that our food manufacturing has robbed the majority of nourishment from our foods. I feel far more satisfied from a good plate of fresh, high quality food, than I do from large portions of processed food, no matter how tasty it is.

 

[Thor]

Getting down on the ground into a firing position then getting up again without needing a stopwatch (in minutes) to time you would be nice.

 

[Minnesota Hoosier]

I would say another important thing is to know your limits, I tore my rotator cuff and wasn't really able to use my arm for a good 6 months. Pushing yourself to new limits is good but dont push your self too far.