While looking up gyms in the area to compare prices, I read an article someone wrote about the worst gym they have ever been to. There are no squat racks in the entire gym, deadlifts and olympic lifts are not allowed, you are not allowed to bring in a water container larger than 20 ounces (seriously), the dumbbells only go up to 80 pounds, and there is a "lunk alarm", an extremely loud and annoying alarm that goes off if it detects grunting, or even HEAVY BREATHING. I am not making any of this up; there are countless people that have complained about all these things at pretty much every location for this gym chain. Apparently, their reasoning for these rules is that they want to discourage bodybuilders, powerlifters, and serious athletes of any kind from joining because they want to create a non-threatening environment for average people.
Lets start off with the fact that certain lifts are not allowed, and that there are no squat racks: Any gym with a rule like that can kiss my balls. Squats, deadlifts, and olympic lifts (clean and jerk, snatch) are the most beneficial exercises you can possibly do with weights. No one in their right mind who knows anything about fitness will dispute this statement. They are compound movements that use several muscle groups at once, which is essential for developing actual strength and not just "gym strength" that doesn't translate to sport performance or help you prepare your body for any strain you put on it throughout your day. These are not just exercises for power lifters and olympians; anyone who plays a sport, or even just regularly has to perform everyday tasks such as moving furniture or picking things up off the ground will benefit from these exercises FAR more than anything else. It doesn't matter if you are the average person who is just trying to get into better shape; these exercises are necessary. If you are weight training and are not regularly doing squats and deadlifts, you are wasting your time.
The rule about water containers is just stupid. Why would a gym possibly want to prevent people from taking large containers of water in? If you are working vigorously, you will need plenty of water. This is either a way to get people to buy more bottled water at the gym, or an extremely stupid and irresponsible way to discourage people from working hard in their gym. Seriously, this rule truly angers me, and I'm not even a member of this gym.
The dumbbells only go up to 80 pounds? I am not a particularly strong guy, and don't lift as regularly as I would like to because more of my time is spent on the mat than in the gym, but not having anything heavier than 160 pounds (one in each hand for squats, since I WOULDN'T HAVE A SQUAT RACK AND BAR TO USE) would be completely inadequate. I honestly wonder if they did this to keep out the serious crowd like they say, or if they just want people who can move 160 pounds to feel like they accomplished something because they lifted the heaviest thing in the room that isn't nailed to the floor. The only good workout I can imagine doing at one of these gyms is to pick up the nearest fat person (there will surely be plenty of them) and squat them instead.
An alarm? Really? Seriously, what the fuck. They don't want people breathing heavily WHILE WORKING OUT? Not only does that keep out the serious crowd as far as lifting is concerned, it also keeps out sprinters and endurance athletes who want to get a good workout on a cardio machine. Not to mention the fact that it literally prevents average people from getting in any real kind of workout. If you are not breathing heavily at any point, YOU ARE NOT WORKING OUT. I'm sorry, but walking on a treadmill for half an hour while watching TV then doing curls is not a workout.
Speaking of curls: they are fucking stupid. The only people who have any use for them are those who care more about filling out their shirt sleeves and impressing shallow girls than they do about actually being fit or strong. If that is not a fair description of your attitude, why the hell are you doing them? And since we're on this subject, FUCK ANYONE THAT DOES CURLS IN THE SQUAT RACK. Whenever I see it, I want to murder them and clean and jerk the body into a dumpster.
The reason I brought all this up is that I feel most people who have a gym membership are wasting their time and money. Why would you pay a monthly fee to walk on a treadmill or lift 10 pound weights? You can easily do that on your own time without a gym. And if you choose to, don't lie to yourself and think you are fit because you can walk for half an hour and lift something that weighs slightly more than a newborn baby.
I completely understand that everyone has to start somewhere, and some people are starting completely out of shape. I admire overweight people that decide to change their diet and lifestyle and try to drop some pounds, or the kid who has never worked out before and has the guts to get into the squat rack while feeling judged by the bobybuilders at his gym. Speaking from my own experience, I know it sucks at first. I'm a thin guy; it's not always the most confidence-boosting experience to try to work out while you're surrounded by guys that are bigger and stronger than you and you can't help but try to judge yourself by comparing your performance to theirs. But when I got over my insecurities and worked out just because it was good for me, I came to really enjoy it. In fact, those guys in the gym that used to make me feel uncomfortable usually turned out to be nice guys, and a few of them helped me correct my technique. If you are trying to get into better shape, go for it, but actually WORK if you're going to call it working out. And don't kid yourself and think you can "work off" a bunch of crappy food, especially since it won't fuel you nearly enough to get through a good workout. You will feel good, physically and mentally, if you set goals for yourself and meet them. Most people, including myself, have a long way to go before being able to say we're really fit. But that's okay, as long as we are working and improving.
1. Squats
2. Oats
3. ???
4. Profit
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
OOOOOOH YEEEEEAAAAAAH!
Those who know me know that I have a soft spot for professional wrestling. I was completely obsessed when I was a kid. And although I haven't watched any wrestling shows since ECW folded, I can still appreciate and enjoy the classics. If you can get over the fact that professional wrestling promotions tried their hardest to keep a lid on the fact that it was staged and take it for what it is, I think many people can appreciate it as a very unique form of entertainment.
Macho Man Randy Savage died in a car accident caused by a heart attack this morning. I was always a fan of his, and was very saddened by this news. When his name comes up, most people immediately think of Slim Jims and Spider-man. Wrestling fans usually think of his over-the-top and energetic promos. While he should be remembered for being very entertaining for those things, I feel his actual wrestling abilities are usually forgotten about. A lot of wrestling fans forget what an excellent in-ring performer Randy Savage was. His match with Ricky Steamboat at Wrestlemania 3 was one of the absolute best ever. They both spent the rest of their careers somewhat in the shadow of that match, but they had plenty of other great moments. If you need other examples of Randy's abilities, just the fact that he was able to coax a great match out of Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 5 should be enough. (Hogan is perhaps the most recognizable wrestler of all time, but he was generally lousy in the ring; anyone who knows anything about wrestling will tell you that) He also had some great moments in WCW with Ric Flair and DDP, just to give some examples.
Randy Savage was one of the all-time greats; over-the-top, hilarious, and endlessly entertaining. It's sad to know we'll never hear another "oh yeah" from him. Rest in peace, Macho Man.
Macho Man Randy Savage died in a car accident caused by a heart attack this morning. I was always a fan of his, and was very saddened by this news. When his name comes up, most people immediately think of Slim Jims and Spider-man. Wrestling fans usually think of his over-the-top and energetic promos. While he should be remembered for being very entertaining for those things, I feel his actual wrestling abilities are usually forgotten about. A lot of wrestling fans forget what an excellent in-ring performer Randy Savage was. His match with Ricky Steamboat at Wrestlemania 3 was one of the absolute best ever. They both spent the rest of their careers somewhat in the shadow of that match, but they had plenty of other great moments. If you need other examples of Randy's abilities, just the fact that he was able to coax a great match out of Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 5 should be enough. (Hogan is perhaps the most recognizable wrestler of all time, but he was generally lousy in the ring; anyone who knows anything about wrestling will tell you that) He also had some great moments in WCW with Ric Flair and DDP, just to give some examples.
Randy Savage was one of the all-time greats; over-the-top, hilarious, and endlessly entertaining. It's sad to know we'll never hear another "oh yeah" from him. Rest in peace, Macho Man.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Nerds
Different people have different definitions of the word "nerd." I define a nerd as someone who is deeply interested/involved in niche hobbies and communities, and usually specifically focuses on one in particular to the point of Serious Business. Serious Business usually refers to something that most people don't give a crap about, but a few people obsess over. Basically anything that nerds are into usually ends up falling into Serious Business territory. This can be both good and bad. To me, it has nothing to do with social awkwardness or anything like that. Being socially awkward makes you a geek. I'm sorry, but shouting to the world that you are a nerd because you read Harry Potter and have a Wii does not make you a nerd; it makes you a Hollywood Nerd. I'll explain the difference.
Films used to portray nerds in a not-so-flattering light. They weren't just nerds; they were also complete geeks. They were unbelievably socially awkward to the point of not having any friends (in many cases, not even other nerds would hang out with them), they smelled, they were out of shape, and they NEVER did anything that could possibly be considered normal or (God forbid) cool. Somewhere along the line, things changed. Suddenly, nerds in film and television were good looking, awkward in an endearing way, obsessed over popular culture instead of niche culture, and were only dateless because OMG GURLS JUST WANT TO DATE A BUFF DUMB JOCK AND NO ONE WANTS THE NICE GUY WTF. These "nerds" being portrayed in film and television are Hollywood Nerds. In reality, most nerds fall somewhere in between the two extremes.
The vast majority of nerds are at least somewhat geeky, but they are not the stereotypical losers that many people think of when they hear the word "nerd." I have met some Hollywood Nerds before, but I honestly wouldn't even call them nerds. Wearing glasses, playing Wii games that all have Mario in the name, and in some cases even calling YOURSELF a nerd does not make you one; it makes you an annoying poser.
If you have never spent weeks trying to track down the one issue of an obscure comic book that has evaded you, if you have never dropped 60 bucks on a video game that was released 2 console generations ago, if you have never trained for a sport that most people wouldn't consider a sport, if you have never completely lost yourself while forming a nearly unbeatable strategy to crush your friends in a war game that no one else gives a crap about, you are not a nerd. Stop calling yourself one.
Pretty much all of my friends are nerds. There are varying degrees of geekiness in our group, but the nerdiness is what binds us. The reason I am perfectly comfortable with saying that I'm a nerd is that nerdiness does not define me; it is part of who I am, but it is not all that I am. With that being said, it is an important part of me, which is why I chose to rant about this.
Those of you who talk about how nerdy you are because you saw the Deathly Hallows part 1 at midnight need to STFU; leave the title of "nerd" to those of us who are the real fuckin deal.
Films used to portray nerds in a not-so-flattering light. They weren't just nerds; they were also complete geeks. They were unbelievably socially awkward to the point of not having any friends (in many cases, not even other nerds would hang out with them), they smelled, they were out of shape, and they NEVER did anything that could possibly be considered normal or (God forbid) cool. Somewhere along the line, things changed. Suddenly, nerds in film and television were good looking, awkward in an endearing way, obsessed over popular culture instead of niche culture, and were only dateless because OMG GURLS JUST WANT TO DATE A BUFF DUMB JOCK AND NO ONE WANTS THE NICE GUY WTF. These "nerds" being portrayed in film and television are Hollywood Nerds. In reality, most nerds fall somewhere in between the two extremes.
The vast majority of nerds are at least somewhat geeky, but they are not the stereotypical losers that many people think of when they hear the word "nerd." I have met some Hollywood Nerds before, but I honestly wouldn't even call them nerds. Wearing glasses, playing Wii games that all have Mario in the name, and in some cases even calling YOURSELF a nerd does not make you one; it makes you an annoying poser.
If you have never spent weeks trying to track down the one issue of an obscure comic book that has evaded you, if you have never dropped 60 bucks on a video game that was released 2 console generations ago, if you have never trained for a sport that most people wouldn't consider a sport, if you have never completely lost yourself while forming a nearly unbeatable strategy to crush your friends in a war game that no one else gives a crap about, you are not a nerd. Stop calling yourself one.
Pretty much all of my friends are nerds. There are varying degrees of geekiness in our group, but the nerdiness is what binds us. The reason I am perfectly comfortable with saying that I'm a nerd is that nerdiness does not define me; it is part of who I am, but it is not all that I am. With that being said, it is an important part of me, which is why I chose to rant about this.
Those of you who talk about how nerdy you are because you saw the Deathly Hallows part 1 at midnight need to STFU; leave the title of "nerd" to those of us who are the real fuckin deal.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
An introduction, and a short list to start things off
My name is Micah Giron. I'm a straight-edge vegan, a martial artist, and a nerd. This blog exists for two purposes. 1. I'm going to make lists. Most of these are going to be "best/worst of" types of lists. 2. I'm going to go on rants about shit I care about. This will not be a daily blog that I update constantly so my rabid fans will know what I had for breakfast or how big the shit I just took was.
Now that that's out of the way, time for a(nother) list. This list is the reason I chose the name of my blog, and because of the subject, it is quite short. Here's my list of video games that were better than bands named after them.
3. Double Dragon
Double Dragon 1 and 2 are still two of my favorite games from the 8-bit generation, and two of the best beat-em-ups I've ever played. I just recently heard a band that goes by the same name, and they fucking suck. Metalcore by the numbers stopped cutting it five years ago, AND they just had to name themselves after one of my childhood games. Those two factors combined make them my least favorite metal band. There are worse ones out there to be sure (Thrash Queens), but naming yourselves after a classic NES game makes your crapiness offensive on a personal level.
2. Clash at Demonhead
It's not even a real band, but I'm including it because I loved Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and the game the band was named after. I hate whatever style of music you wish to lump the band from the film into, so this isn't even a contest. Clash at Demonhead is a great game; it's a near-perfect example of what a classic Nintendo hard action-adventure game should be.
1. Dragon Force
I love Dragonforce (the band), but I love the game far more. That's saying a lot; Dragonforce is an awesome mix of speed, shred, melody, and self-aware cheesy epicness. Dragon Force on the Sega Saturn (a remake was developed for PS2, but never saw a stateside release) is just a totally badass game. If you're into strategy-RPGs, find a ROM of this game NOW. I wasn't quite sure if this should have been included in this list, because I don't know for sure if the band actually named themselves after this game. But I felt like including it because a list with only two entries would have been even lamer than one with only three, and I love the band and game so much that I just had to take the opportunity to gush about them.
Thanks for reading.
Now that that's out of the way, time for a(nother) list. This list is the reason I chose the name of my blog, and because of the subject, it is quite short. Here's my list of video games that were better than bands named after them.
3. Double Dragon
Double Dragon 1 and 2 are still two of my favorite games from the 8-bit generation, and two of the best beat-em-ups I've ever played. I just recently heard a band that goes by the same name, and they fucking suck. Metalcore by the numbers stopped cutting it five years ago, AND they just had to name themselves after one of my childhood games. Those two factors combined make them my least favorite metal band. There are worse ones out there to be sure (Thrash Queens), but naming yourselves after a classic NES game makes your crapiness offensive on a personal level.
2. Clash at Demonhead
It's not even a real band, but I'm including it because I loved Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and the game the band was named after. I hate whatever style of music you wish to lump the band from the film into, so this isn't even a contest. Clash at Demonhead is a great game; it's a near-perfect example of what a classic Nintendo hard action-adventure game should be.
1. Dragon Force
I love Dragonforce (the band), but I love the game far more. That's saying a lot; Dragonforce is an awesome mix of speed, shred, melody, and self-aware cheesy epicness. Dragon Force on the Sega Saturn (a remake was developed for PS2, but never saw a stateside release) is just a totally badass game. If you're into strategy-RPGs, find a ROM of this game NOW. I wasn't quite sure if this should have been included in this list, because I don't know for sure if the band actually named themselves after this game. But I felt like including it because a list with only two entries would have been even lamer than one with only three, and I love the band and game so much that I just had to take the opportunity to gush about them.
Thanks for reading.
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