GlibFit 4.0 – Coronavirus Edition LVI: 4 Types of Fitness

by | Apr 11, 2021 | Fitness, GlibFit | 93 comments

I have been writing this column for over a year and realized we have never covered how many types of fitness there are.  Shockingly, the government has pretty well categorized it.  Hilariously, the government has this aimed at older folk.  Take a good look at all the kids shut inside due to lockdowns.  It ain’t their grandparents who need the exercise.

For those who can’t be bothered to click the link, the categories are:

1. Endurance
2. Strength
3. Balance
4. Flexibility

I’m not convinced flexibility is a form of fitness.  When I think of fitness it is being in motion. But I’ll definitely say flexibility aids any athletic pursuit and helps prevent injury.

I think every regular commenter has shared what they do for fitness.  How many of you have considered, much less done something, about the categories your main mode of exercise doesn’t cover?  I’ll start you off.  I run and jump rope for endurance.  I go to the gym for strength training. I stretch after conditioning workouts and sporadically in the evening on my lifting days.  I really should be better about it.

I don’t do a thing for balance and am starting to wonder if I should.  Maybe get a wobble board or something like that.  I’m curious what any of you do to work on balance.  

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

California’s covid numbers are way down and staying down.  Our absolute numbers are a fraction of Michigan’s.  When I think how mismanaged this state is, I can’t even imagine what Whitmer has done to screw up her state worse than California.

The past two weeks I have said the plandemic is over in California due to our numbers falling off a cliff.  This week Newsom made it official. I guess the answer to my question about how he would milk it is by drawing this out to June 15th instead of just opening up a la Texas.

I received an email from Sir Digby this week.  He says hello and wants everyone to know he is alive and well. This week’s music choice is for Sir Digby.

About The Author

Chafed

Chafed

I'm looking California but feeling Minnesota

93 Comments

  1. Annoyed Nomad

    When we were snowbirding in Florida from Jan-Mar, we would sometimes attend Yoga on the Beach, which is held on Venice Beach daily. It’s basically balance and flexibility (with a bit of strength) for seniors. Some of the yoga definitely helps with balance.

    Also, since we didn’t have a gym for workouts, I brought an adjustable kettlebell. Part of my workout helped with balance: lunges and one-legged romainian deadlifts.

    • Annoyed Nomad

      And….first!

  2. Tulip

    I stand on one foot when brushing my teeth. Left in the am, right in the pm. That’s my balance practice.

  3. Gustave Lytton

    Wish Sir Digs the best as well.

    California’s covid numbers are way down and staying down. Our absolute numbers are a fraction of Michigan’s. When I think how mismanaged this state is, I can’t even imagine what Whitmer has done to screw up her state worse than California.

    Governors’ decrees, or absence, has very little to do with the numbers, and other factors including individual actions have more to do with it. But while their actions may not move those numbers, the govs can certainly screw up many other facets of life along the way.

    • Chafed

      I’m starting to wonder about that. Specifically, I wonder if states that remained more open had greater spread and therefore greater herd immunity now. Related, did greater earlier spread make it more difficult for variants to emerge and/or spread in those areas? I don’t know the answer but it would be useful to know.

      • Francisco d'Anconia

        I can find no pattern to any of it. Some jackboot states/countries do well, others not. Some with lax rules are doing well others shitty.

        Which leads me to believe that the pandemic will run its course and all the tyrannical measures have amounted to exactly jack-shit.

      • Plisade

        The consistent inconsistency is the tell. The numbers are not to be trusted. Hence my dismissal of them all, and belief of only my personal experience, which tells me the hysteria is unfounded.

  4. Annoyed Nomad

    As for my Glibfit 4.0 goals:
    Have only completed 1 of the 20+ weightlifting workouts goal (hope to get #2 done today)
    Haven’t completed any of the 10+ HIIT workouts goal (need to focus on this)
    Have lost 1.5 lbs of the 10+ lbs goal (have been good on diet and regular 3 mile walks)
    Have lost a quarter inch of my 1+ inch off my stomach goal (diet & walking made that happen)

  5. DEG

    It’s good Sir Digby is well.

    My balance is not what it used to be. Mobility is something I need to keep working on.

    Weight is 267.8 lbs at 26.9% bodyfat. That weight drop is kinda big. I didn’t believe it when I saw it.

  6. Gender Traitor

    Would improved muscle tone be under any of these categories, or is it its own thing, and mainly falling under the same “looking better” header as weight loss, rather than “fitness” per se? My “Butts & Guts” class is primarily geared toward toning those areas, though the instructor throws in some aerobic components pretty regularly, dammit.

    I’m also concerned with retaining and improving flexibility, especially in my one wonky shoulder. Now that I’m swimming again, my backstroke (I’m hoping) helps address that. I go to yoga classes at the Y occasionally, though I still believe that yoga is immensely improved by incorporating wine sipping between asanas.

    • Chafed

      I’m guessing improved muscle tone falls under strength.

  7. westernsloper

    *Waves at Digby*

    My flexibility is shit and probably half of my problem as far as working out goes. My balance has fallen off with age and it pisses me off to the point of cursing. I am stretching pretty regularly now and it is helping.

    The music choice reminds of this.

    I watched a bit of this today. There is some jump rope in there for ya Chafed.

    You guys ever wonder when you are sans tan line BBQ’ing in the back yard if it will be the moment the Google sats take a picture of your property? I do.

    • Chafed

      That was impressive.

      I recommend more naked time in the backyard to avoid tan lines.

  8. Hyperion

    Needz moar Glibfit

    Someone send Fatty Hogan some of that Glibfit. His face has gained 50 lbs since last week.

    • Francisco d'Anconia

      I don’t say this too often, but from what I’ve read, that seems like a pretty good piece of legislation from the Democrats.

  9. Tundra

    Chafed!

    I would use Mobility in place of Flexibility, as it’s really more about keeping the movements greased and groovy.

    For strength I lift three times a week, big four (squat, bench, dead, OHP) plus some chins. For endurance I walk every day at a good pace (keeping below the MAF threshold) and play 90 minutes of hockey once a week (my HIIT work). I don’t do any specific balance work, but it is a nice side effect of lifting heavy things (plus the hockey, of course). Mobility is my weak area. I was doing stretching/yoga several times per week when the gyms were closed and it really makes a difference in my joints.

    This was a rough week in the gym. Tweaked my hammy/adductor on Monday (still hit my lifts, though!), felt shitty on Wednesday but gutted it out and literally dropped a bunch of reps on Friday. Very discouraging. I was gonna skip hockey on Friday night, but I was pretty pissed about my gym work so I went anyway. And of course had the best game I’ve played since we started up again. WTF?

    Oh well, time to regroup and get back after it. Have a great week Glibfitters!

    • IRBE

      For the hammy/adductor use some Absorbine Jr. The smell alone will take you back to a kinder-freer time.

  10. IRBE

    Hi Chafed, Thanks for this edition and greetings from NOCal. Beautiful hiking weather here. Plenty of nuclear-provided-sustainably-sourced potential vitamin D.

    Great topic this week! As I have gotten older, I am less interested in strength, and more interested in balance and flexibility. With endurance, I have stopped running but I hike more distance, which has led to way few injuries and less time needed for recuperation.

    G-fit update: Sleep was just OK… Food was pretty good. I went OMAD for the week… Hike mileage 37 miles. Wim Hoff/meditative “ancient man” techniques; I had a fair week. Weight is held steady at 177 ish. Did limited MIIT…but did some yard work, which on a hill makes for some next day soreness in weird places…

    Goals: Still not at goal weight max (175 ). Still not dead from Covid…

    Re Vaccines—My Take: There are 2 types of regulated medical products. Experimental and market authorized (approved). These vaccines are EUA (Emer Use Authorized), which means they are experimental. Experimental drugs are studied in clinical settings that use very strict protocols for consent, entry, exit, follow-up and control. I believe the EUA allows sponsors to not follow typical clinical protocols. For instance, with EUA if there is an adverse event the sponsor is not responsible. Which is completely different than clinical protocols where were the sponsor is responsible for medical care associated with their experimental medicines. I guess it might be difficult for a sponsor to pick up the bills for 62MM people vaccinated if there are short or long term adverse events.

    As for efficacy, these vaccines seem to provide statistically significant differences in protection as compared with placebos in published trial data, but to say they are 95% effective is patently deceiving and true benefit is likely to be less than a fraction of percent for healthy adults and far less for children. Adverse event data is not provided or responsibly analyzed for short term effects and completely missing for long term effects. There is some data to indicate that immunity shortly after immunization leaves compromised patients more susceptible to infection…which is unusual and need answering IMO.

    For me, there is too many questions left unanswered with vaccination to recommend it to my immediate family, especially my sons (20 & 22); if they intend to procreate. My mom has taken the vaccine with no adverse reactions, even though she had confirmed Covid and recovered. She did so, because she was required if she wanted to continue Eucharistic ministry to those in hospital. She never listens to me.

    After a year of Covid, my county has 750 COVID related deaths. Prior to the vid , deaths per annum for flu and COPD were 400 and 700, respectively. I am trying hard to determine extraordinary impact…for morbidity.

    De todos modos, ¡tenga una gran semana y sáltese una comida o tres!

    • westernsloper

      I am trying hard to determine extraordinary impact…for morbidity.

      Yup.

    • Chafed

      Hi IRBE. Do you have a link for the efficacy stats? I thought I read something similar but assumed I misunderstood it. It was be shocking if these vaccines only added a single percentage point of disease immunity.

      • IRBE

        No…it was linked earlier this week but I can’t remember who Gustav maybe. My recollection was that efficacy % was based on difference btw active and placebo of those that got infection. Something like 40 in placebo and 4 in active out of 28,000 (active and placebo). Placebo (0.28%) versus 0.028% active. So taking a small percent of another percent over a small total from a very limited time (12-20 weeks…maybe) gets you government pandemic = 90% Efficacy.

        –not a biostatistician…but I know a couple and they are some the weirdest people I have ever met.

  11. The Late P Brooks

    California’s covid numbers are way down and staying down.

    Must be the masks.

  12. Mojeaux

    I’ve lost 9 pounds the last 3 weeks. I’m bound for far more and faster as long as my ulcer is acting up. I just had 2 Tums for lunch.

    • Gender Traitor

      You’re not supposed to do it THAT way! 🙁

      • Mojeaux

        Tell it to my innards. They’re driving this train.

      • TARDis

        It probably won’t work for you, but Omeprazole is my friend. I went from 6-12 Tums/day to 1 Zantac-75, to 2 Zantac-75, to 1 Zantac-150 to 2 Zanatc-150. Now Zantac (Ranitidine) is banned, after I used it for more than a decade. I’ve been paying ridiculous prices for over the counter until last year when my GI doctor prescribed Prilosec to me. $12/90 days.

      • Mojeaux

        Yeah, I am supposed to take omeprazole and I have a perpetual rx for it. Taking it versus not taking it is a catch-22 because I have almost as many problems with it* as I do without it.

        In any case, I tripled up on it a couple of days ago. It should calm down in another couple of days.

        *I low carb and I lose weight like freaking magic. Omeprazole interferes with my ability to digest meat and fat (not enough stomach acids), so if low carb, I get nauseated. On the other hand, my ulcer gets chewed on by the same stomach acids that can digest meat and fats. I feel so much better physically and mentally on low carb that I think the ulcer is almost worth it—then it comes back.

      • TARDis

        I tripled up on it a couple of days ago

        I don’t understand. Not a doctor for sure, but that sounds dangerous. I thought it was a slow release thing. When I forget a dose, I just suck it up until the Prilosec starts working. Double dosing gives me pain.

        If I went on a caveman diet, I know I could drop it. In fact I would probably have to. But, I’m not giving up beer and bread and pizza while I live.

      • Mojeaux

        When I went to the ER for it a couple of years ago (when I found out I had one), they put me on a Protonix IV drip to stop it from bleeding almost immediately. Since I take the lowest dose of omeprazole anyway, I didn’t figure taking the top of the dose range would hurt and might work more quickly.

      • TARDis

        taking the top of the dose range would hurt and might work more quickly.

        Maybe. But I think it would be more forceful, but not sooner. I don’t know.

      • Ask your doctor if BEAM is right for you

        Moje, do you mind if I ask whether the docs checked to see if you had an H. pylori infection? My eldest bro suffered from stomach ulcers for decades until they finally determined that he was infected, and cured him within a matter of weeks.

      • Mojeaux

        BEAM, I plan on seeing a doc about that. Someone suggested that to me a while back and I just haven’t gotten around to it.

  13. IRBE

    OT sort of, Re: Californication. My bar-hopping sons, who use Uber/Lyft, were complaining that the cost of rides home have gone up 50-60%, with twice the wait times. This is a result our historic Proposition–yeah voters!. Seems, the combination of extra regulations and guarantees has reduced drivers and increase fares. We f*ck-regulate-manage everything wrong here…

    • Plisade

      But is it still cheaper than a DUI?

      • Nephilium

        I’m going to guess yes. Even one New Year’s Eve when the girlfriend and I got slammed with surge pricing to get home (about 10 miles), the cost of the ride was still an order of magnitude cheaper then the cost of an OVI.

      • Plisade

        There was a (drunk) time when I toyed with pursuing the business idea of selling DUI insurance in self serve kiosks in bar restrooms.

  14. J. Frank Parnell

    I bought one of these a few months ago to work on my balance. Mostly just standing on it – which was surprisingly difficult at first, but I got used to it after a few tries – and I’ve done pushups on it a few times.

    This weekend I finally got back to the beach to try to surf, which I notice covers all four fitness categories. I didn’t get a lot of surfing time in myself since I was mostly helping my 10yo get back into it, but I think Flexibility is the thing I really need to be working on, since I’m having problems getting my legs between my torso and the board when I try (and fail) to stand up.

    • westernsloper

      I can not tell you how many times I have thought of buying one of those. And looking at the price holy shit I need to get in the balance board manufacturing business. Surfing covers all categories. It is my most envied sport especially when using a kite while doing it.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        Try the Big Parafoils without a Board, I get lifted off regularly, Big power, Big fun,

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        I fly a 7 foot Delta, and a 3 meter Parafoil, and at 130 lbs. I get lifted a lot,

      • westernsloper

        My trainer kite is a 3m. I am not even sure how many kites I own. I have no problem flying a kite and ya, the big ones lift ya (and getting lifted on terra ferma is a bad thing). It is the doing it while on a board thing that fucks me up. When you get that down I will be impressed. Besides the trainer, I own one other foil kite. The rest are LEI’s. All are old now because I have not dabbled in that sport for at least 6 years. I have a Naish kite from 2000 around here somewhere. Damn near drowned myself with that one. Or was it the Grunt? Can’t remember. Safety releases where not so big back in the day.

  15. Yusef drives a Kia

    Endurance, and low impact Aerobics, I played 39 holes yesterday, and 35 today, and taught a Pretty lady as well,
    /Glib Strong!

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      and 16 miles in 2 days, for fun,

    • westernsloper

      23….. Girl squats.

    • DEG

      Nice gallery.

      Unfortunately, it reminded me of the gym which instead of bringing up thoughts of hot women in the gym, instead I remembered that my gym is undergoing renovations this week. The gym will still be open but the staff told me to expect a shit-show due to blocked off areas.

  16. Nephilium

    Weight has basically stayed stable this past week, no new lows on either weight or body fat. Got in rides four days, averaging around 16 miles per day. I’ve found a new nemesis hill that I need to build up to and defeat before the year is over. The hybrid bike needs some work done on it, so it’ll be just the road bike for the next couple of weeks. The weather is looking to be shitty and rainy for this week, so I probably won’t be able to get in that many rides. I’ve plotted out some nice 40 mile routes for when the hybrid bike is back in action (mix of road and crushed limestone, which would not treat the road bike well).

    Flexibility isn’t an issue for me. I was planning on getting ready to introduce some resistance training back into the schedule in the next month or so (when I hit the 195 lb goal) to get back to having some upper body strength workouts. Leg muscles, endurance, and balance are already covered in the cycling.

  17. DEG

    Whoa. I just received an e-mail from the Recall Gavin campaign.

    According to the e-mail, it’s official. There will be a recall election.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Now do Whitmer, please…..

      • DEG

        I think all of the Whitmer recall petitions are dead. Someone will have to start a new one.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        Chippers, Wood,
        /sorry Preet,

    • DEG

      I’m looking for something official from something outside of the Recall Gavin campaign. Nothing. Interesting.

      • Plisade

        Is that sign like when you crack open a fortune cookie and there’s nothing inside?

      • Plisade

        Toché!

      • Plisade

        ?

      • UnCivilServant

        Screw Micro-aggressions, I’m going to go watch Charlie Chan movies.

      • Gender Traitor

        Where can you find those now?

      • Gender Traitor

        Mike Rowe can aggress against me any ol’ time he wants.

        And good news: His Six Degrees show is popping up tonight on The Discovery Channel at 10 p.m. EDT tonight – a welcome digression from an apparent Naked and Afraid marathon.

      • C. Anacreon

        I actually watched all 8 hours of the uber-woke HBOMax reboot just because I was waiting for the classic Perry Mason ending (mild spoilers ahead!).

        Bad news, they even managed to destroy that, with a totally unsatisfying finish. Meanwhile, they managed to check all the boxes, including making the well known characters into different races and sexual identities, all of thosefrequently shown being oppressed, and all the white men were either the bad guys or weak losers. Perry himself is a total fuckup who’s barely able to figure out how to tie his own shoelaces.

        So I was craving 1950s-1960s tv Raymond Burr Perry Mason; thankfully they’re available on demand for free from the Sundance channel. After watching a few, very satisfied….yes, they are formulaic and about as complex as a Minute Mystery, but Burr is great, it’s fun to see mid-century downtown LA, and you have to love everyone smoking cigarettes inside homes and offices. Nice nostalgia.

      • Ted S.

        You should watch the Warner Bros. Perry Masons from the mid-1930s. The Case of the Curious Bride has one of Errol Flynn’s first appearances as the murder victim.

    • Urthona

      Gavin will easily win that recall election though. I think he could be caught murdering puppies on videotape between now and then and still win.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      A Zoidberg “hooray!” ?

      Nice of you to take such interest in the other end of the country. NH civics sounds charming and Newhart-ish.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        Cali politics? Marxism on steroids, I’ll hide up here thanks,
        /Such a beautiful place,

      • DEG

        I’m on their mailing list because I donated to the campaign.

        I donated to just about every fundraiser or legal defense fund related to fighting the lockdowns that I could.

        Whenever the next edition of Too Local news runs, you’ll see there was a little drama at the three day House voting session.

  18. LCDR_Fish

    Well, FWIW, this is 2 weeks in a row I’ve managed 5 solid weekday workouts – which is a first for me since my Cville gym shut down last Feb. I’m only weighing myself on Monday mornings when I get up – which is probably good and bad for recognizing steady progress (my diet is steady all week, but varies a lot more on Sat/Sun). OTOH, my protein heavy diet has started regulating more regularly…in a manner of speaking. Normally if I go on and off, the first week or so is bad either way (not as bad as 3 days of MREs, but pretty bad).

  19. The Late P Brooks

    Seems, the combination of extra regulations and guarantees has reduced drivers and increase fares.

    Completely unanticipated.

    Nobody could have foreseen such an outcome.

    • IRBE

      …BUT it saved ride share businesses in California that would have close down due to the Legislature outlaw of a business model that uses slave labor. Now we have taxi service in an app for the same price. Progress!

  20. Yusef drives a Kia

    I hooked up with a few players, and every day at 4pm, we play, and the friendly competition has made us all better players, this Summer is going to see us in amateur tourneys, and we will show what the small town boys can do, for much fun, great exercise,

  21. Yusef drives a Kia

    1. Endurance, got it
    2. Strength, don’t need it
    3. Balance, Never an issue
    4. Flexibility, all I need, I can twist,

  22. Yusef drives a Kia

    Sister made a pot of Pintos, so fucking good, Easter Ham, slow cooked, Yum,

  23. zwak

    I seem to be sitting at approx 195. Which, on the one hand, bugs the hell out of the 130 pounder I was when I graduated high school. But, on the other hand, I do recognize that in the 32 years since then I have quit smoking, on my second wife (who loves cooking), and have The Diagnosis. All of which helps keep the weight up. But I do work out most weeks, just not this last one.

    Why you might ask? Because I had a steroid injection in the L5-L6 disk and I threw my back out two days before that. Now I am running around with legs that feel like they are made of one piece, no joints and creaking every time I get out of a chair. Because of course I am having a flare-up at the same time.

    Son of a bitch!

    Oh, and I also forgot to put a bid in on an antique English shotgun, and it went much cheaper than I expected. Oh, well.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Learn 2 Disc, you will appreciate the exercise, and it’s fun,
      / No i won’t stop promoting the Game,,

    • DEG

      Those cortisone injections are a bear. I went through a round of three for my disc herniation. The doc I used didn’t use local anesthetic. On one hand, I can go home faster and there are fewer side-effects. On the other hand, it really fucking hurts. On the gripping hand, the combination of the X-ray machine with the pain I’m feeling better helps the doc get the medicine in the right spot.

      Best wishes on your recovery.

      Sorry about the shotgun.

    • westernsloper

      That does not sound good. My MRI showed extreme herniation (all over the L region) and Doc recommends injections. I am weary.

      • zwak

        This is post one round of injections, followed by surgery, and then a couple of years pass. Most of my issues are complicated by Multiple Sclerosis, so teasing out which one is affecting any given issue is very complicated, to say the least.

        But, on the bright side, the wife is totes down with me retiring at 50!

  24. The Other Kevin

    Strength + endurance. Which are currently on hold while I get treated for elbow tendinitis. Haven’t been to th gym or hockey for 2 weeks, and it will be at least one more. Good news is my PT is on the case. He’s very good.

  25. Tulip

    L0B0t – thanks for the back in time dinner shows!

    • Tonio

      I assume you’re familiar with Danny MacAskill.

      • EvilSheldon

        Danny MacAskill is a living natural treasure.

      • westernsloper

        *Does the dead chicken thing across chest*

        Yes he is!

    • Hyperion

      Jeebus. That ridge he’s on about half way, one slip there is certain doom.

  26. robodruid

    Just did chores outside all day.

  27. TARDis

    Gained 1.5 pounds. Oh well. But I did a 2.8 mile walk last Thursday followed by a 5.5 mile hike on Friday. The hike was great. We only saw 4 people going out, and just 7 coming back. Most were standing in the river fishing. The scenery was great.