Going to quit the Gym

[ElectricEgregore]

I'm really glad I managed to stick to the gym,
or lets just say commit to a movement routine.

Now around 2 months later I suddenly have a strong gut feeling of quitting this bs.
What are we? Some plebs artificially slaving us away in a box?
Full of the toxins people sweat out, polluted gear everywhere, especially since the global plague?

If I want to torture myself I might as well see the world while doing it (cycling, hiking)
or learn a skill like climbing or martial arts?

Also yoga or swimming... all of these are more rewarding that being locked up with some
narcissist/low self esteem body dysmorphia hybrids that compensate their 9 to 5s?

Why do you think it is that the truly powerful people in this world are never jacked,
just the semi ultra wealthy new around the block ones like Bezos or Hormozi do this
self torturing thing...

I must say the cheap option of using the sauna and my knowledge about the connection of
mitochondrial energy production in correlation to muscle mass made me go there again.

And I was kind of proud to stick to it, see my muscles grow pretty fast,
even some surface level girls looked twice.

But who are we? Some bred and abused horses?
Some catalog stickers?

I might as well just do 50 burpees every few days and have the same effects.
I will go for cycling and more natural things while saving time and money.

What do you think?

Do you also think it might be not you but the gym that's the issue of not sticking to it?

 

[HoldAll]

When trying to get fit, most people will think of gyms as the go-to solution, and I think that's short-sighted. I've only ever had a gym membership for supplementary training or for days when I couldn't make it to the dojo on time. Sometimes I'd sit among all those weights and think, "This is ridiculous. We've invented all sorts of machines to do the heavy lifting for us, and now we're doing it ourselves all over again? It would be ok if I were stacking sacks of wheat or something useful but raising a barbell over my head only to bring it down again? It's like performing pointless physical labour, only without being paid!"

I think it's more rewarding to learn and hone a specific skill like in the martial arts you already mentioned (I've written how to get started in my Forum Journal) or play some team sports where you can chase a ball around. There's a sport for every mentality. Some like steady uniform movements and prefer running and cycling while others would just get bored and prefer disciplines instead where it's short high-intensity bursts that matter, as in soccer. I never could be one of those iron pumpers; I'm less interested how my body looks and more in what it can do, like maintaining my balance during complex maneuvers - nice pecs, bro, but can you turn a cartwheel?

Like I wrote in my post: there has to be some emotional investment in every human endeavour, otherwise it will just peter out over time. Peer pressure is another major factor that's more or less absent in the gym where strangers may secretly compete with one another but never directly as in races, sparring, or (amateur-level) contests.

 

[Robert Ramsay]

When trying to get fit, most people will think of gyms as the go-to solution, and I think that's short-sighted.

Gym employee: Sorry sir, but to cancel your membership you have to come in & fill out paperwork.
Me: sigh FINE. Where are you located?

 

[ElectricEgregore]

I never could be one of those iron pumpers; I'm less interested how my body looks and more in what it can do, like maintaining my balance during complex maneuvers - nice pecs, bro, but can you turn a cartwheel?

That is exactly it. Functional strenght vs gym strenght.

I mean one can use the gym as a supplement so to speak - for me it was a mental thing and I used the gym sometimes to get into a new routine pattern. Also our gym here is the cheapest option to use a sauna regularly, for 30€ you can basically go everyday compared to 30€ for using it once anywhere else lol.

I also was training JuJutsu for 8 years until my late teens, I always had the self sabotaging belief of "having to become fit enough to go for martial arts again". And I guess it's still not overwritten with something productive yet. I guess that is due to the hefty polarities of swinging between full on degeneration (i had my smoking drinking etc phases) and being a sporty machine. Bit of a polarity that my parents also embody, I'm pretty much both in one. The pendulim does not swing as hard as before and I managed to not consume stuff often, not drinking since years, and my only real interest in substances are nootropics, psychedelics and biohacking/antiaging and health related things now.

For me it was a good start to use the gym for some months very regulary, I will use the sauna 2 more times and maybe even the gym a few times before my contract runs out in 2 weeks. Maybe I missed some day and I'll have to use it another month.

But I'm very much looking foreward to checking out the climbing/bouldering halls, the martial arts available in my area - which would be krav maga in my town, the city next to here has shaolin kung fu and what I find very interesting the Kali/Silat Gayong (indonesian kung fu, Kali has more to do with weapons - but make sure to check out Silat Gayong - very unexpected attacks and counters no ordinary attacker will be able to deal with).
I think HoldAll is in the picture, weren't you the originator of the divine martial arts thread?

I always admired shaolin kung fu, due to its integration if qi gong and martial qi exercises.

Post automatically merged: May 13, 2026

I had this conversation with this funny short bulky buy with typical fighter ears that always makes half the gym laugh walking by.
By having a chat for more than 5 minutes the last time I was there something was triggered inside me - he basically was having this weird mockery humour towards me that was just a little too much (like estimating because I was thinner and taller that i would not make it through the boxing training of his) - I always found boxing borderline entertainment wrestling by the way, who does not use his legs lol)

And then what made it extra weird was the part where the other gym employees were talking free church and mosque type stuff & I asked just because we had walpurgis/beltane if he knew about the older tradition or the events in the area with a big bonfire - he got a lil borderline monotard and said something in the lines of "aS lOnG aS iT's NoT sOmE pAgAn StUfF" later on in the conversation. funnily enough that was the last day I went there, it gave my feeling of "too many simps leaving spike traces with their sweat everywhere" a little too much fuel.
Yeah the mono-missionary thing got really strong again...

Post automatically merged: May 13, 2026

I guess I was too secluded for a while to remember that you can't ever talk things that are even just a little out of the ordinary with most people...

 

[PedroM]

Why not do it at home?

 

[alhaqq]

I have some thoughts about this as I came up in a family of hardcore lifters and was a pretty serious powerlifter (not very good, but very serious, lol) in high school and college.

My best buddy and I still train today but far far less intensely. We use the phrase “brushing your teeth” for it and I think that is the golden rule of working out. It’s a perfect analogy: You have to brush your teeth, we all accept that. You have to move your body, ideally every day but realistically a couple times a week. No one expects to get praised for brushing their teeth. Likewise you should expect no lauds for doing your basic duty towards the flesh vessel you live inside. Conversely, no one brags about brushing their teeth. Likewise you should never make working out a conversation with others or bring it up more than is necessary in conversation (if you think it would be weird to talk about brushing your teeth that much, you are talking about fitness too much).

In my humble opinion that framework is the best compromise that keeps you out of annoying and performative gym culture, but also keeps you off the couch moving your body and staying healthy. It is rare to find people in the reasonable middle zone between “yeah man this WOD is going crazy, let me take off the pump cover and bounce my pecs around” and “I havent seen the inside of a gym since high school” but this mindset does the trick for me.

 

[darangal]

DONT QUIT THE GYM, you can if you want to but having access to weights is suuuuuper good for you, if you have the disposable income just set up a home gym because strength training is not something you should avoid because of the extreme health benefits, I am not an endorser of bro science but I do firmly believe that lifting weights with proper rest and nutrition is a key component of a sustainable, enjoyable, and healthy life, (also in my experience provides boosts to occult practice, libido, and charisma with fucking everyone)

 

[speculumphilosophi]

I'm really glad I managed to stick to the gym,
or lets just say commit to a movement routine.

Now around 2 months later I suddenly have a strong gut feeling of quitting this bs.
What are we? Some plebs artificially slaving us away in a box?
Full of the toxins people sweat out, polluted gear everywhere, especially since the global plague?

If I want to torture myself I might as well see the world while doing it (cycling, hiking)
or learn a skill like climbing or martial arts?

Also yoga or swimming... all of these are more rewarding that being locked up with some
narcissist/low self esteem body dysmorphia hybrids that compensate their 9 to 5s?

Why do you think it is that the truly powerful people in this world are never jacked,
just the semi ultra wealthy new around the block ones like Bezos or Hormozi do this
self torturing thing...

I must say the cheap option of using the sauna and my knowledge about the connection of
mitochondrial energy production in correlation to muscle mass made me go there again.

And I was kind of proud to stick to it, see my muscles grow pretty fast,
even some surface level girls looked twice.

But who are we? Some bred and abused horses?
Some catalog stickers?

I might as well just do 50 burpees every few days and have the same effects.
I will go for cycling and more natural things while saving time and money.

What do you think?

Do you also think it might be not you but the gym that's the issue of not sticking to it?

It pays to be in shape but you don't need to spend a lot of time in the process. I now train outdoors, high intensity, low sets and twice a week. This is what Roger Bannister did and he broke the four minute mile, training half an hour at a time. The rest of his time he studied. Apparently, the half hour Roger trained was pretty intense but he got results. These days people do too much then get discouraged. Cycling, by the way, is fine. Very healthy to do.

 

[ElectricEgregore]

I always liked body-weight stuffs and martial arts or hiking and biking more.
Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees
Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees

Post automatically merged: Aug 19, 2026

Also there is the paradox of bodybuilding vs. actual fitness.
Actual functionality. Actual strenght. Have a look at isometric holds for example, or
well, martial arts conditioning (also not always healthy).
We are always playing a game between good for the mid vs. good for the body here.
I prefer to find something that ticks both boxes. Burpees are NOT.
Maybe to get started, preferably maybe with some grip thingy for the pushups,
similar to vertical ergonomic mouse for the computer.

Isometric holds is so much more healthy and more into the direction of actual strength because
you do not wear out your joints and sheet.

Do the horse stance for 30 min and tell me how much easier you hike up mountains stairs and
hills of slain enemies. The lifts and all that bouncy stuff is for posers and posettes that
achshually have OF accounts to promote ackshually.

QI GONG AND ACTUAL STRENGTH AND WALKING/HIKING A LOT
AND GOOD SLEEP AND GOOD FOOD AND GOOD BOOM BOOM!
MAYBE EVEN HOLD YOUR SEED WHILE BOOM BOOM!

WATCH BIRBS AND PET A CAT!

 

[jjaxx]

I'm really glad I managed to stick to the gym,
or lets just say commit to a movement routine.

Now around 2 months later I suddenly have a strong gut feeling of quitting this bs.
What are we? Some plebs artificially slaving us away in a box?
Full of the toxins people sweat out, polluted gear everywhere, especially since the global plague?

If I want to torture myself I might as well see the world while doing it (cycling, hiking)
or learn a skill like climbing or martial arts?

Also yoga or swimming... all of these are more rewarding that being locked up with some
narcissist/low self esteem body dysmorphia hybrids that compensate their 9 to 5s?

Why do you think it is that the truly powerful people in this world are never jacked,
just the semi ultra wealthy new around the block ones like Bezos or Hormozi do this
self torturing thing...

I must say the cheap option of using the sauna and my knowledge about the connection of
mitochondrial energy production in correlation to muscle mass made me go there again.

And I was kind of proud to stick to it, see my muscles grow pretty fast,
even some surface level girls looked twice.

But who are we? Some bred and abused horses?
Some catalog stickers?

I might as well just do 50 burpees every few days and have the same effects.
I will go for cycling and more natural things while saving time and money.

What do you think?

Do you also think it might be not you but the gym that's the issue of not sticking to it?

I think the issue is the gym environment, scene and content creators.
But I think it’s essential to have a strong body and disciplined mind. It really teaches you how to being patient and consistent will bring you the desired results. Teaches you about doing the invisible work, because it’s not like you’re going to the gym and your muscle is gonna instantly grow, it takes time. Depending on how focused you are it can be meditative, once you get to a certain level you become aware of certain muscles you didn’t even know you had, and you start training more intentionally.
It might be hard at the beginning, but if you understand that the benefits are more than superficial, I think it’s worth thugging it out.
I’d try changing the gym you’re going to, or time, or workout with a friend. I used to go to EoS fitness but that place is packed with superficiality and lots of distractions I must admit, so I signed up for a local gym, and now it’s just me and 3 other older dudes working out.
Anyways I hope you reconsider it and give in to the gym life haha

 

[speculumphilosophi]

I am getting on in years. I used to do bodybuilding but eventually my hips and knees started to ache a lot.
These days, I discovered sandbag front squats. Two 20 kg bags, hugged to the chest and then as many full squats as possible. I like to really go hard like Roger Bannister did so I can wrap the session up quickly. The lighter weight is easier on joints. For upper body one arm pushups, chin ups, parallel bar dips and then pressing the sandbag. I only hit a muscle group once per week. The cat is in the habit of lying below me when I do the pushups and he likes to watch the session.

 

[Soror Epihania]

I always liked body-weight stuffs and martial arts or hiking and biking more.
Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees
Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees Burpees

100 percent agree. I don't lift aside from a few barbell exercises every now and again. Mostly it's asanas, body weight exercises, cycling, and boxing and that keeps me in fantastic shape. The body, with good nutrition and sleep, has everything it needs to train and maintain itself.

 

[speculumphilosophi]

In my area there's a lot of joggers. Jogging seems very popular although generally the overall population looks far less healthy than in the 1970s. This could be due to fast food and less home based cooking.
One snag with jogging is it's great for cardiovascular fitness but doesn't build much muscle, and lean muscle tends to burn calories.
Today was amusing as I had a guy half my age join in on sandbag squats. He did quite well but confessed it nearly killed him. It seems, therefore, my system of brief, high intensity, high rep training is working well and it doesn't take more than 40 minutes, to complete, once per week.

 

[ElectricEgregore]

I am getting on in years. I used to do bodybuilding but eventually my hips and knees started to ache a lot.
These days, I discovered sandbag front squats. Two 20 kg bags, hugged to the chest and then as many full squats as possible. I like to really go hard like Roger Bannister did so I can wrap the session up quickly. The lighter weight is easier on joints. For upper body one arm pushups, chin ups, parallel bar dips and then pressing the sandbag. I only hit a muscle group once per week. The cat is in the habit of lying below me when I do the pushups and he likes to watch the session.

Sounds like good exercise - still i would recommend looking into the mentioned isometric holds and these exercises that do not wear out the joints getting older - might prevent future pain just strenghtenig the muscles by holding the positions and for example strentching regularly -
lika combination of yoga type exercises and some bodyweight sones like for example the one where you lie on your stomach lika a seal and
lift up and hold arms and legs + variations to train the whole back of the body without much strain (I recommend next workouts whole back workout with no equipment on youtube as example for some parts of it).

At least as far as I have seen it - many chinese ladies and gentlement that do qi gong, or also yoga teachers that live in a nice environment with enough sun etc, that move and stretch regularly and so on are like 30 years behind or more with aging when they are in their 90s.
Just thought I'll answer that in regards to the wearing out joints topic.

100 percent agree. I don't lift aside from a few barbell exercises every now and again. Mostly it's asanas, body weight exercises, cycling, and boxing and that keeps me in fantastic shape. The body, with good nutrition and sleep, has everything it needs to train and maintain itself.

Pretty similar to my idea of movement. I have some kind of preferrence for hiking - i also love cycling bit it also wears me out too much - hiking can get unhealthy too at some point of for example long distance, like some medieval and other period peasants lol - but in general you also might know that long walking seems to be the most healthy and efficient to keep body fat down and help to keep "brown fat up" - I think long walks and "forest bathing" like the japanese terpene researchers and so on call it - might be the best stuff with controlled sun exposure - the interesting fact is did you know one can get brown in the shade on sunny days? Learned that from a very tan naked old man.

For it was key to optimize my hiking setup - or basically shoes and socks with some equipment additions that allow for extended perios of hiking - my setup is kind of perfect when I finally add my hiking poles to live what I preach in regards to joint s and bodyweight.
After some injury I started with barefoot shoes and semi barefoot - foot shaped zero drop shoes like the altra lone peak trailrunning shoes - in combo with some socks that guarantee zero blisters. This alone helps grow great buttocks and trains the little muscles in the legs while being able to wak for long periods of time. If you already knew that lease that that as advice for all the rest that wasn't aware.

In my area there's a lot of joggers. Jogging seems very popular although generally the overall population looks far less healthy than in the 1970s. This could be due to fast food and less home based cooking.
One snag with jogging is it's great for cardiovascular fitness but doesn't build much muscle, and lean muscle tends to burn calories.
Today was amusing as I had a guy half my age join in on sandbag squats. He did quite well but confessed it nearly killed him. It seems, therefore, my system of brief, high intensity, high rep training is working well and it doesn't take more than 40 minutes, to complete, once per week.

Very true, I do not envy runners besides their mental strength in this regard - also pretty recent research shows exactly that - in these biohacking circles and those that watch andrew huberman and so on it's common knowledge that the most healthy form of exercise seems to be strength training and less intense endurance like swimming and hiking and yoga etc. I mean one has to decide if he wants to be prey and run or a predator and train with weight lol.

I mean our bodies are kind of designed to walk long distances, be fast in short sistances - to build and work around all day to fall asleep and rest other days completely in a way. So I would try to keep the balance that way, kind of inspiring myself by that, not trying to mimick the working life of a construction worker in the developing world without need, but also not molding away on the mattress too.

I think a part time shaolin monk is a good thing for the more crazy ones of us that want supernatural abilities and fitness while
looking like a regular guy and nice naked.