Ahh I've been waiting for this one! Great piece (and thank you for the shoutout).
The "no excuses" concept is especially sinister when you consider the impacts this new administration may have on so many barriers to exercise — I'm extremely skeptical that things are going to improve economically for working-class people, many of whom already have to work so hard and so much that they don't have time or energy left for exercise; one can only imagine that the childcare and family support systems are going to get even worse; who the hell knows whats going to happen to our healthcare infrastructure. It all feels very rugged individualism-coded and not at all realistic.
Obviously I too am a HUGE fan of exercise, and if this motivation is sustainable for folks (or even if this specific motivation itself is short-lived but inspires people to try a new form of exercise that they may end up sticking with because they enjoy it or get something out of it), that's great. And of course exercise is a wonderful antidote to stress. And feeling stronger and taking care of yourself are excellent things, especially during difficult times. But this idea that it's going to be what saves us… yikes.
Very good points. This reminds me of the continual discussions on why people do martial arts. There's a lot of marketing around learning an art for self defense but the reality is that there are few situations where martial arts will be useful, especially if you are new/not training for a black belt. If someone is bigger, stronger, surprises you or has a weapon then there won't always be much you can do.
The best instructors are the ones who admit this and primarily focus on other reasons for doing martial arts (for movement, strength building, or spirtual reasons depending on the practice).
True. However, any training that builds strength, agility, speed, and defensive knowledge shouldn't be discouraged. Boxing skills, as exercise, is likely more useful than martial arts if people are thinking about personal safety.
Seriously though, it's such a great disservice to everyone, I believe, when gyms promise the acquisition of life-saving self-defense skills and further inflate any siege-minded folks' delusions of grandeur. It drives me up a wall to witness a gym's marketing take on an embattled, self-serious flavor that exploits this particular audience. I'll say the quiet part loud: people will go to great lengths to not own a firearm sometimes. Take from that what you will. But my mini-diatribe aside, acquiring a more honed sense of embodiment through fitness or also combat sports/martial arts is incredibly, incredibly empowering for an individual. Imagine what access and encouragement of such embodiment practice can do for the empowerment of a community.
What about free starter programs? I'm not willing to throw money down the drain again for another plan that isn't actually designed for a total beginner. Stronger By the Day and Couch to Barbell are behind paywalls that limit their accessibility to people who are actual beginners with beginner, low-to-newbie motivation and a lifetime of exercise trauma to combat.
Good question. I will look more into this for you. I do know that Hampton Liu has some good (free) YouTube videos for true beginners that show accessible progressions: https://www.youtube.com/@HybridCalisthenics/videos
I’ve been using the Boostcamp app which is free. They have lots of beginner programs you can search for and follow. A good starter program I did and liked was Functional Strength 101 by Justina Ercole
“Not to downplay the seriousness of the result of the election, but I think it’s much more likely that you’ll need exercise to shore up the other areas of your life than it is you’ll need it to do hand-to-hand combat.” Amen! I completely agree that wanting to protect ourselves and others is a noble reason to get into, er, fighting shape, and I hope that people (including myself) stick to their health/fitness goals, but let’s also hope the real staying power is the cumulative positive effects it has on our lives, not the lure of heroically brawling in the street.
I co sign that Casey’s program is chefs kiss for beginners. It’s so simple that it’s not intimidating at all if you’ve never been to a gym or weightlifted.
There are so many reasons to exercise outside of "so I can fight off a Nazi" (which lets be real, if you're an unarmed woman, which seems to be the most common demographic here, you won't be able to even if you're super fit) that are guaranteed to impact your life.
I just don't really believe that someone who hasn't been compelled to exercise by any of those reasons is genuinely going to start for political reasons. To me it just seems like someone trying to prove how maximally appalled they are by the election results
There has been a fitness commitment bump in my life but probably not for the reasons listed. I am calling it self care and pouring my grief into my workouts. I have declared that I want to be more “selfish” and care for myself.
Thoughtful take and argument for exercise as a moral imperative.
Without too much further thought I do believe in exercise as a moral imperative, but funnily enough it only seems like a moral imperative in modern sedentary society. It used to simply be an obligation to live!
Another interesting take, Mikala! Substack is my only social media, and I hadn’t seen this there, so I might not have otherwise. Thanks 😊
In response to one of the specific tweets you included (I think the second one…? although it’s not letting me scroll up from this screen, so I might be wrong): I find it fascinating that this person’s goals—learn to farm, learn self-defense, arm him or herself, find religion—not to mention the fact that he or she has decided not to rely on the government anymore to take care of things—is perfectly aligned with (I would guess) millions of voters with whom he or she would disagree.
I don’t say this to downplay or throw shade on the reaction—I think it’s the healthiest take anyone can have on government, no matter who’s in charge, and it’s one I’ve come to, thanks to 20 years of voting and then being disappointed (even if my guy won). I did a little cheer in my head when I read it, like, Yeah! Welcome aboard! I wonder if the original poster will be surprised to see the breadth of politics among the other people with that same mindset.
Rosalind, that tweet comes from Tracy Clayton, a Black woman. 91% of Black women did not vote for Trump. I'd encourage you to consider why they didn't, despite any areas in which your interests and theirs intersect.
I appreciate your response and agree that taking the time to understand all perspectives is, of course, valuable. Respectfully, though, I think you're sidestepping my point which is to celebrate the breadth and diversity of people who have (for whatever reason) decided that the federal government is not their savior and anyone who (again, for whatever reason) joins that group.
Ahh I've been waiting for this one! Great piece (and thank you for the shoutout).
The "no excuses" concept is especially sinister when you consider the impacts this new administration may have on so many barriers to exercise — I'm extremely skeptical that things are going to improve economically for working-class people, many of whom already have to work so hard and so much that they don't have time or energy left for exercise; one can only imagine that the childcare and family support systems are going to get even worse; who the hell knows whats going to happen to our healthcare infrastructure. It all feels very rugged individualism-coded and not at all realistic.
Obviously I too am a HUGE fan of exercise, and if this motivation is sustainable for folks (or even if this specific motivation itself is short-lived but inspires people to try a new form of exercise that they may end up sticking with because they enjoy it or get something out of it), that's great. And of course exercise is a wonderful antidote to stress. And feeling stronger and taking care of yourself are excellent things, especially during difficult times. But this idea that it's going to be what saves us… yikes.
Very good points. This reminds me of the continual discussions on why people do martial arts. There's a lot of marketing around learning an art for self defense but the reality is that there are few situations where martial arts will be useful, especially if you are new/not training for a black belt. If someone is bigger, stronger, surprises you or has a weapon then there won't always be much you can do.
The best instructors are the ones who admit this and primarily focus on other reasons for doing martial arts (for movement, strength building, or spirtual reasons depending on the practice).
Fascinating point about martial arts, I didn't know that
True. However, any training that builds strength, agility, speed, and defensive knowledge shouldn't be discouraged. Boxing skills, as exercise, is likely more useful than martial arts if people are thinking about personal safety.
SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!! --sincerely, a grappler who just likes to dick around with friends
Seriously though, it's such a great disservice to everyone, I believe, when gyms promise the acquisition of life-saving self-defense skills and further inflate any siege-minded folks' delusions of grandeur. It drives me up a wall to witness a gym's marketing take on an embattled, self-serious flavor that exploits this particular audience. I'll say the quiet part loud: people will go to great lengths to not own a firearm sometimes. Take from that what you will. But my mini-diatribe aside, acquiring a more honed sense of embodiment through fitness or also combat sports/martial arts is incredibly, incredibly empowering for an individual. Imagine what access and encouragement of such embodiment practice can do for the empowerment of a community.
What about free starter programs? I'm not willing to throw money down the drain again for another plan that isn't actually designed for a total beginner. Stronger By the Day and Couch to Barbell are behind paywalls that limit their accessibility to people who are actual beginners with beginner, low-to-newbie motivation and a lifetime of exercise trauma to combat.
Good question. I will look more into this for you. I do know that Hampton Liu has some good (free) YouTube videos for true beginners that show accessible progressions: https://www.youtube.com/@HybridCalisthenics/videos
Couch to Barbell is only $20 and starts you off with household items before even going into a gym. It's very much for the actual beginner!
$20 a month is not "only."
it's not per month?? it's a flat $20 ebook download.
I’ve been using the Boostcamp app which is free. They have lots of beginner programs you can search for and follow. A good starter program I did and liked was Functional Strength 101 by Justina Ercole
“Not to downplay the seriousness of the result of the election, but I think it’s much more likely that you’ll need exercise to shore up the other areas of your life than it is you’ll need it to do hand-to-hand combat.” Amen! I completely agree that wanting to protect ourselves and others is a noble reason to get into, er, fighting shape, and I hope that people (including myself) stick to their health/fitness goals, but let’s also hope the real staying power is the cumulative positive effects it has on our lives, not the lure of heroically brawling in the street.
Yesss
I co sign that Casey’s program is chefs kiss for beginners. It’s so simple that it’s not intimidating at all if you’ve never been to a gym or weightlifted.
There are so many reasons to exercise outside of "so I can fight off a Nazi" (which lets be real, if you're an unarmed woman, which seems to be the most common demographic here, you won't be able to even if you're super fit) that are guaranteed to impact your life.
I just don't really believe that someone who hasn't been compelled to exercise by any of those reasons is genuinely going to start for political reasons. To me it just seems like someone trying to prove how maximally appalled they are by the election results
1000% this
I loved this. And I immediately thought of Casey Johnston’s LIFTOFF when I was reading it. Really excited to see it was already mentioned.
There has been a fitness commitment bump in my life but probably not for the reasons listed. I am calling it self care and pouring my grief into my workouts. I have declared that I want to be more “selfish” and care for myself.
Thoughtful take and argument for exercise as a moral imperative.
Without too much further thought I do believe in exercise as a moral imperative, but funnily enough it only seems like a moral imperative in modern sedentary society. It used to simply be an obligation to live!
Another interesting take, Mikala! Substack is my only social media, and I hadn’t seen this there, so I might not have otherwise. Thanks 😊
In response to one of the specific tweets you included (I think the second one…? although it’s not letting me scroll up from this screen, so I might be wrong): I find it fascinating that this person’s goals—learn to farm, learn self-defense, arm him or herself, find religion—not to mention the fact that he or she has decided not to rely on the government anymore to take care of things—is perfectly aligned with (I would guess) millions of voters with whom he or she would disagree.
I don’t say this to downplay or throw shade on the reaction—I think it’s the healthiest take anyone can have on government, no matter who’s in charge, and it’s one I’ve come to, thanks to 20 years of voting and then being disappointed (even if my guy won). I did a little cheer in my head when I read it, like, Yeah! Welcome aboard! I wonder if the original poster will be surprised to see the breadth of politics among the other people with that same mindset.
Rosalind, that tweet comes from Tracy Clayton, a Black woman. 91% of Black women did not vote for Trump. I'd encourage you to consider why they didn't, despite any areas in which your interests and theirs intersect.
I appreciate your response and agree that taking the time to understand all perspectives is, of course, valuable. Respectfully, though, I think you're sidestepping my point which is to celebrate the breadth and diversity of people who have (for whatever reason) decided that the federal government is not their savior and anyone who (again, for whatever reason) joins that group.