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Indulge me for a humorous anecdote.


Norm Peterson

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OK, so, backstory, Norm's doc tells Norm he needs to get in better shape, so Norm joins a gym for the first time in his life. And now I get what people talk about when they talk about guys who skip leg day. Kinda had an idea before but now I really get it.

 

Anyway, I've been going to the gym and there's this guy who is absolutely massive in the upper body but his calves are ... fairly ordinary. Unimpressive. Forgotten. Massive upper body, though. Massive. Like absolutely massive. Unbelievably jacked. He probably benches 400# on a light day.

 

And when he's lifting barbells and dumbbells and doing arm stuff, he's always wearing a tank top to display his absolutely massive upper body muscles. But I noticed the other day when he was doing some leg stuff, he had this bulky, loose-fitting hoodie on. Obviously doesn't want to draw attention to the contrast between his upper and lower, right? Yeah. Anyway, as a side note, he got off a leg machine and just for kicks I went over to see how much weight he was pressing and it was like less than what I do. chortle snort. In fairness, my legs have done more work and moved more weight on a daily basis over the last several decades than most people who go to the gym a lot. But I digress.

 

Anyway, so the other night, he's there working out doing legs. He's got his hoodie on concealing his upper body because he has the legs of a chicken. And this young lady enters the gym. Even as women in gyms go, she was astonishing. In the face, I'd give her maybe an 8. Nine on a good day. But from the neck down, she was absolutely flawless. I mean like freak of nature. Not muscular at all, but toned, swimsuit model-worthy. Astonishing. Like everyone in the gym, man, woman or child, would stop what they were doing to take note that this exceptional creature had entered the ecosystem.

 

And from my perch on the treadmill, I see chicken leg guy suddenly remove his oversized hoodie and, y'know, it's just time to go work those triceps, y'know? Like just kinda over by where this young lady is now doing some bicep curls. I mean, a man's gotta work his arms once in a while amiright?

 

And I don't think she noticed him. At. All.

 

I'm still laughing. Just had to share.

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Gyms suck.  Good on ya for doing what it takes to keep your ticker tickin'.

 

I started having those conversations with my doc about 5 years ago, which was eye-opening.  I was young (early 30's), and not overweight to the eye when fully clothed and walking down the street.  Heck, by American standards I was still considered thin.  But talking through family history and lack of activity level, the doc made it clear I needed to be doing more than my sedentary desk jockey life was giving me.  I tried running (horrible) and gym (even worse).  I landed on disc golf as a hobby that was pretty enjoyable, got me outside, and got the heart rate up a bit if I jogged between shots.  That got me back in the habit of at least SOME form of aerobic activity 3-4 times per week.  Fast forward a couple years and we moved to Utah and now I have a mountain trailhead 1/4 mile from my front door.  Hiking and biking keeps me way more active than I ever dreamed of before, and it's incredibly enjoyable. I logged over 1,000 miles on my mountain bike this year with over 150,000' of elevation gain.  And you know what?  I love it.  I will never step foot in a gym again because I have found the activity that keeps me healthy and happy at the same time.

 

I guess my point in that is, good for you for doing the gym thing.  But if you find yourself going less and less frequently because you hate it, then find some form of aerobic activity that you don't totally hate.  Because if you actually like the activity, you are way more likely to go do it on a regular basis.  Best of luck, Normy.

 

Oh, and maybe tell Mr Hoodie "nice legs" next time you pass within earshot of him.

Edited by aphilso1
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5 minutes ago, HuskerFever said:

Arms: Bicep Guy wins

Legs: Norm wins

Cardio: Norm wins

 

This Bicep Guy sounds like a real one-dimensional winner...

 

Let me tell you, I amazed myself on the legs. Legit amazed.  I don't know what an empty hip sled weighs but Norm did 10 reps of 5 plates plus 25# on each side the last time I did the hip sled. By my math, that's 500 pounds. Plus the sled. And I felt like I coulda done more. I told the guy I was working out with that at this rate, maybe I'll be able to dunk again LOL

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1 hour ago, aphilso1 said:

Gyms suck.  Good on ya for doing what it takes to keep your ticker tickin'.

 

I started having those conversations with my doc about 5 years ago, which was eye-opening.  I was young (early 30's), and not overweight to the eye when fully clothed and walking down the street.  Heck, by American standards I was still considered thin.  But talking through family history and lack of activity level, the doc made it clear I needed to be doing more than my sedentary desk jockey life was giving me.  I tried running (horrible) and gym (even worse).  I landed on disc golf as a hobby that was pretty enjoyable, got me outside, and got the heart rate up a bit if I jogged between shots.  That got me back in the habit of at least SOME form of aerobic activity 3-4 times per week.  Fast forward a couple years and we moved to Utah and now I have a mountain trailhead 1/4 mile from my front door.  Hiking and biking keeps me way more active than I ever dreamed of before, and it's incredibly enjoyable. I logged over 1,000 miles on my mountain bike this year with over 150,000' of elevation gain.  And you know what?  I love it.  I will never step foot in a gym again because I have found the activity that keeps me healthy and happy at the same time.

 

I guess my point in that is, good for you for doing the gym thing.  But if you find yourself going less and less frequently because you hate it, then find some form of aerobic activity that you don't totally hate.  Because if you actually like the activity, you are way more likely to go do it on a regular basis.  Best of luck, Normy.

 

Oh, and maybe tell Mr Hoodie "nice legs" next time you pass within earshot of him.

 

I'm the same.  I started riding a bike about 20 years ago and love it.  It is really therapeutic and much less impact on the legs than running.  This summer I put in over 2,000 miles.  My normal routine is to walk the dog a couple miles and then go ride.  (dogs can help keep you active as well)  The problem for me is I'm a wimp when it gets cold so I put the bike away and hit the Y about 3/4 times a week during the winter months.  I hit the hours when it is not very busy and ride for about 20 minutes (inside trainers are boring) and then do a quick work out.  You really have to make time and plan to exercise but I'm lucky as the wife is also big into exercise. 

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24 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

I'm the same.  I started riding a bike about 20 years ago and love it.  It is really therapeutic and much less impact on the legs than running.  This summer I put in over 2,000 miles.  My normal routine is to walk the dog a couple miles and then go ride.  (dogs can help keep you active as well)  The problem for me is I'm a wimp when it gets cold so I put the bike away and hit the Y about 3/4 times a week during the winter months.  I hit the hours when it is not very busy and ride for about 20 minutes (inside trainers are boring) and then do a quick work out.  You really have to make time and plan to exercise but I'm lucky as the wife is also big into exercise. 

 

I fat bike in the winter so I have sorted out all the various clothing needs to stay warm, but not so warm as to sweat too much.  Merino wool is your best friend for winter biking, as are overshoes (basically scuba material to insulate and keep your feet dry).  Worth keeping in mind if you ever want to keep pedaling longer into the cold months. 

 

Out of curiosity, what kind of biking do you do?  Here's a picture of my winter bike...assuming I figured out how to attach correctly.

Ogden Canyon.webp

Edited by aphilso1
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Part of my daily workout regimen is ten minutes on the hydromessage table.  If you haven't had the pleasure...you are really missing out.

And Norm, I knew you were watching me...but not that closely.  The reason I don't lift heavy leg weights is my chronic back issue.  Soo, my legs aren't up to speed at the moment 😕 

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57 minutes ago, aphilso1 said:

 

I fat bike in the winter so I have sorted out all the various clothing needs to stay warm, but not so warm as to sweat too much.  Merino wool is your best friend for winter biking, as are overshoes (basically scuba material to insulate and keep your feet dry).  Worth keeping in mind if you ever want to keep pedaling longer into the cold months. 

 

Out of curiosity, what kind of biking do you do?  Here's a picture of my winter bike...assuming I figured out how to attach correctly.

Ogden Canyon.webp

 

I just have a hybrid Trek bike, so mostly around town and trails.  I have never tried the fat tire bikes but I assume it is quite the workout.

Edited by Navin R. Johnson
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3 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

I just have a hybrid Trex bike, so mostly around town and trails.  I have never tried the fat tire bikes but I assume it is quite the workout.

Yeah, plenty of rolling resistance on those wider tires.  Definitely a workout.  But I actually think winter fat biking would be some of the best riding in the Omaha/Lincoln area.  Would be pretty fun to hit a golf course that is snowed/iced over.  I have hypothetically wondered what I would do if I ever moved back to Nebraska.  I think I would probably sell my mountain bike but keep my fat bike.

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4 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

OK, so, backstory, Norm's doc tells Norm he needs to get in better shape, so Norm joins a gym for the first time in his life. And now I get what people talk about when they talk about guys who skip leg day. Kinda had an idea before but now I really get it.

 

Anyway, I've been going to the gym and there's this guy who is absolutely massive in the upper body but his calves are ... fairly ordinary. Unimpressive. Forgotten. Massive upper body, though. Massive. Like absolutely massive. Unbelievably jacked. He probably benches 400# on a light day.

 

And when he's lifting barbells and dumbbells and doing arm stuff, he's always wearing a tank top to display his absolutely massive upper body muscles. But I noticed the other day when he was doing some leg stuff, he had this bulky, loose-fitting hoodie on. Obviously doesn't want to draw attention to the contrast between his upper and lower, right? Yeah. Anyway, as a side note, he got off a leg machine and just for kicks I went over to see how much weight he was pressing and it was like less than what I do. chortle snort. In fairness, my legs have done more work and moved more weight on a daily basis over the last several decades than most people who go to the gym a lot. But I digress.

 

Anyway, so the other night, he's there working out doing legs. He's got his hoodie on concealing his upper body because he has the legs of a chicken. And this young lady enters the gym. Even as women in gyms go, she was astonishing. In the face, I'd give her maybe an 8. Nine on a good day. But from the neck down, she was absolutely flawless. I mean like freak of nature. Not muscular at all, but toned, swimsuit model-worthy. Astonishing. Like everyone in the gym, man, woman or child, would stop what they were doing to take note that this exceptional creature had entered the ecosystem.

 

And from my perch on the treadmill, I see chicken leg guy suddenly remove his oversized hoodie and, y'know, it's just time to go work those triceps, y'know? Like just kinda over by where this young lady is now doing some bicep curls. I mean, a man's gotta work his arms once in a while amiright?

 

And I don't think she noticed him. At. All.

 

I'm still laughing. Just had to share.

Did you tell her to look at his legs?

 

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1 hour ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

I'm the same.  I started riding a bike about 20 years ago and love it.  It is really therapeutic and much less impact on the legs than running.  This summer I put in over 2,000 miles.  My normal routine is to walk the dog a couple miles and then go ride.  (dogs can help keep you active as well)  The problem for me is I'm a wimp when it gets cold so I put the bike away and hit the Y about 3/4 times a week during the winter months.  I hit the hours when it is not very busy and ride for about 20 minutes (inside trainers are boring) and then do a quick work out.  You really have to make time and plan to exercise but I'm lucky as the wife is also big into exercise. 

 

Winter is by far and away my favorite time to hike.  As long as winds are calm I can go out in temps as low as single digits with just a fleece and a hat and feel just fine.

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1 hour ago, Huskerpapa said:

Part of my daily workout regimen is ten minutes on the hydromessage table.  If you haven't had the pleasure...you are really missing out.

And Norm, I knew you were watching me...but not that closely.  The reason I don't lift heavy leg weights is my chronic back issue.  Soo, my legs aren't up to speed at the moment 😕 

 

This guy's upper body was much more massive than yours, if you can believe it.

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11 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

OK, so, backstory, Norm's doc tells Norm he needs to get in better shape, so Norm joins a gym for the first time in his life. And now I get what people talk about when they talk about guys who skip leg day. Kinda had an idea before but now I really get it.

 

Anyway, I've been going to the gym and there's this guy who is absolutely massive in the upper body but his calves are ... fairly ordinary. Unimpressive. Forgotten. Massive upper body, though. Massive. Like absolutely massive. Unbelievably jacked. He probably benches 400# on a light day.

 

And when he's lifting barbells and dumbbells and doing arm stuff, he's always wearing a tank top to display his absolutely massive upper body muscles. But I noticed the other day when he was doing some leg stuff, he had this bulky, loose-fitting hoodie on. Obviously doesn't want to draw attention to the contrast between his upper and lower, right? Yeah. Anyway, as a side note, he got off a leg machine and just for kicks I went over to see how much weight he was pressing and it was like less than what I do. chortle snort. In fairness, my legs have done more work and moved more weight on a daily basis over the last several decades than most people who go to the gym a lot. But I digress.

 

Anyway, so the other night, he's there working out doing legs. He's got his hoodie on concealing his upper body because he has the legs of a chicken. And this young lady enters the gym. Even as women in gyms go, she was astonishing. In the face, I'd give her maybe an 8. Nine on a good day. But from the neck down, she was absolutely flawless. I mean like freak of nature. Not muscular at all, but toned, swimsuit model-worthy. Astonishing. Like everyone in the gym, man, woman or child, would stop what they were doing to take note that this exceptional creature had entered the ecosystem.

 

And from my perch on the treadmill, I see chicken leg guy suddenly remove his oversized hoodie and, y'know, it's just time to go work those triceps, y'know? Like just kinda over by where this young lady is now doing some bicep curls. I mean, a man's gotta work his arms once in a while amiright?

 

And I don't think she noticed him. At. All.

 

I'm still laughing. Just had to share.

Norm I didn’t know that was you at the gym… I will make sure to wear my red hoodie next time😉

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