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Q: Do you exercise at all in China? Yes, you...you lazy SOB!
Well, Summer is just around the corner and when you go the beach you usually see two types of Chinese people:
1) Porky - Not usually obese but obviously much fatter than normal Chinese people. Sometimes these guys get confused with "strong" because Chinese aren't really used to seeing muscular large men (talking like U.S.A. bodybuilding)... maybe took a little bit more than a liking to MacDonald's and KFC.
2) Sticks - These are the other side of the spectrum. Extremely thin, 100 pounds soaking wet, a strong breeze will blow them over. Favorites foods include "rice" and "more rice".
You will rarely see some full figured fit women (will not often anyway) or decently sized muscular Chinese men. I figure most Chinese don't like working out much... and when I do see them in the gym... they don't work out hard.
I go to the gym and do a good combination of weights and cardio. For the past month or so, I been going to the gym in the morning (weekdays) for about 1.5 hours and then working out in my home gym (evenings) for another 45 minutes each day. Just trying to break some previous personal records and get in shape for some trips.
So what about you? Do you exercise at all? What kind of exercise do you do? Got any goals for the Summer? Or are you just a lazy sloth bastard?
I do aerobics in my room - a friend of mine at home allows me to SKYPE into her morning class at the weekend.
It is a bit of a challenge at times.
My nearby gym was full of pot-bellied gawpers so i gave up going there.
I also occasionally exercise my wit, as i see many other posters here do 
I do exercise regularly, workout, cardio, bedtime, couch potato, skirt running, the usual stuff 
Dongbeiren (you can actually check the validity of this one!):
Eorthisio (or Lothario - I am too think to drunk about look for whating to)
:
been here 3 1/2 years.... bought 3, 1 year passes to a gym and pool.... used each for a little less than half the year and then faded away......I am on the, let's try it again part of the cycle right now....and around and around we go.
Sinobear:
Pro-tip: Stop taking vitamin B supplements then peeing in the pool - they won't kick you out every time the water goes all orange.
BHGAL:
I thought fluorescent piss was a sign of virlity and true health......not so?
I don't think this post was meant to be condescending in any way. Let's face it, going to the gym is one of the few healthy things you can do here. It's either that or getting drunk everyday. I much prefer the former myself. After not consuming the alcohol here for a significant time my body doesn't react very well to it. Anyway, I have gone to the gym pretty religiously in the U.S. But I've dropped off it a bit here simply because I didn't need to do the gym as religiously considering the down tick in nutrition I was getting. There's no need to work out in any full capacity of you aren't getting the proper nutritional requirements ( protein protein and more protein) I tend to get three to four days a week and then five days a week every now and then.
Hey Mr Bear..... You've had a breakdown, right?
Can you swallow? Touch your nose with your tongue? Do you find yourself masturbating on public transport and wonder how you got there?
Any Psycho Killers down your way?
icnif77:
Touching? It looks more like 'smelling'
.
Next pic should tell you, if feet wash was necessary.......
I'm actually exercising right now. Elbow up, elbow down, elbow up, elbow down...... And so on, like that.
And in the morning I'll jump on my bike and flog myself all the way to Jinglong.
I used to be a pretty serious runner. In that I would run between 12 and 30k six mornings a week. Did that for about 15 years. Almost always after I'd had a hundred grogs the night before.
And now I'm broken. But not dispirited.
As for the gym, forget it mate. The gym is for poofs. Get outside and play with a ball. Wrestle with some bastard.
When we got a new progressive coach in our footy club a good while ago and he suggested we do some sessions in the gym I almost swallowed my tongue. Fuk that, we're footballers I said.
And as the other buggers were bulking up there was me with my silky ball skills. Running around and doing circle work. And on game days getting hammered.
Eventually I retired. Gymless. Still proud of that one.
Eorthisio:
The problem is gyms in China are full of Chinese doing anything there except working out, they have a gym membership to show face "hey look, I take care of myself", in fact they go there and sit on a machine chatting on their phone and taking selfies "working hard" for one hour and half then go home.
jetfire9000:
Gym is for poofs... And yet the second sentence is " play with a ball." Play with a ball? That earns a 10.0 of poofiness on the poofy scale, right above Afros and those pet dogs that are so popular here.
'Wheels of Fire' and......yes, some yoga in the morning and go out to run maybe twice or thrice in a week...
Too many pictures. I just ran a thumbs down train on most of them, hope others can do the same... A pic or two is nice but there is a point where it's overkill if the thread itself isn't specifically dedicated to that.
jetfire9000:
Oh? Thanks. My power level just so happens to be over 9000 btw
jetfire9000:
Haha thanks. You seem to admire me though! Anyway you know what they say, Strength and honor ( source: gladiator)
No need for followers if you're strong enough, boom.
jetfire9000:
I don't consider thumbs downing in accordance to my recommendation to be synonymous with having a following. "Having followers" in my opinion is more like having an active fan base of people that do as you say whenever you say it... as opposed to a single forum page. Therefore I was confused by the choose of words of this particular self describing " EU passport holder." Oops, my bad. Plus the " you are powerful" is almost the exact same Chinglish I hear from nice meaning Chinese guys who want to say I'm built. Anyway, the stuff about my power still holds true!
icnif77:
Photographer who supposed to take pics of my wheels with camera stood me up yesterday.
There is one pic missing: 'me holding the 'beast' above my head with one hand'.
I would probably ask her for one more: 'me in numismatic mood', picking up the coin of the floor.
However, my face won't be visible, because shoot can't reveal the age of the coin, and must be taken behind my back.
'Numismatic pose' for all you gym fans.
royceH:
I'm not a downvoter, but you just got one. I'd never previously clicked that you were a wanker. But I have now.
Suggestions to ease you into life....
1) Lighten up on the masturbatory behaviour.
2) Go out and eat and drink with no fear.
3) Throw your camera away.
I think it's tough for average people to afford enough protein to really pack on serious muscle. You see lots of construction guys not an ounce of fat on their bodies and i'm sure are pretty strong and scrappy but can't weigh more than 140 lbs.
What on an average salary here can you get significant protein? None of the staples here have it.
Just rice, oil, veggies and a little meet. Most people here are skinny but weak and doughy from all the simple cheap carbs.
jetfire9000:
Oh, it's definitely not as impossible as you would think. It's more of an aggravation though. Most of the " get big on a budget" groceries can be bought here too - think chicken, eggs, brown rice, and oats. Then add in a few filler snack type foods like almonds or peanuts... Peanut butter, milk. And if you're lucky you can hit a scoop of powder at least once. That can cover a decent amount of protein already. Just hitting 140-150 grams a day I can out lift about 95 % guys here on any lift for any body part ( which is impressive if you consider that a lot of them already focus their strength in their upper body) Milk and chicken cost more here than they do in the u.s but they are far from being expensive. The biggest issue you will have with protein is mental resolve. You won't be able to diversify your intake much unless you've got real culinary skills.
expatlife26:
Yeah but get "big on a budget" is still talking about even a modest western budget not the 3k/mth your average 20 something is going to be making.
Eggs and chicken breasts might be relatively cheap but they're still more way expensive than the cheapest things. Almonds and peanut butter are luxuries here...again not for us but for people who consider themselves on a budget
I agree that if some average guy here wanted to make their life priority getting bigger and was willing to spend 100% of their disposible income on it they could make some progress. But they don't seem to want to do that.
jetfire9000:
Ah, well eggs definitely aren't expensive even for the average guy here. In chain supermarket stores they are already less than 1 rmb per egg. In the open air markets outside they will be cheaper most likely. Chicken is probably pretty expensive if you're only getting 3 k a month ( 13 rmb per Jin in a large city) but you don't need to buy much of it to make gains if you're only 130-140 pounds to begin with. Eating noodles outside usually falls in the budgets of most people - I'm sure eating a half a pound of chicken with rice would just as easily. Almonds are expensive even for me , but peanuts are cheap as dirt. They have a lot more fat in them than almonds, but the ectomorphic body types which prevail here need a higher amount of calories for muscle building anyway. Finally the chinese approach bodybuilding from a kind of classic approach which focuses on upper body development and not so much lower body. They could do fine with getting lower amounts of protein, than say a guy who trains everything.
The biggest financial stretch would be making the first payment on the gym card - gyms are not cheap here. However if the 3k per month person in question could pony up for that initial payment then the rest wouldn't be difficult at all to pull off. this is just a simple explanation and there are even more possibilities for making the food finances pan out to be cheaper - think of all of the times chinese share meals with other family members and you can see some situations in which the person doesn't need to pay for a meal - or if they're a student then they have access to subsidized cafeteria food. Keep in mind the average guy isn't trying to make a weight of 180 lbs at 5 percent body fat.
royceH:
What the hell are you blokes talkin about? All this stuff seems pretty funny to me. Didn't you ever go outside and play with a ball when you were a kid?
Be careful with all this shit or before you know it you'll get a compulsion to start shaving your body hair.
jetfire9000:
Definitely so Royce, the predominant " ball sport" where I'm from is American football. I tried getting into hockey but all I could do was play field hockey with my siblings and that didn't last long. I was into organized sports though and football is one that requires players to pack some real power (unlike futbol). So yup, I started lifting at a very early age and have accumulated a lot of knowledge about it. It stuck ever since then but the benefits have since then really diversified into other areas. I'm definitely not shaving my legs although if you're in China and hairy like a werewolf you'd be better off doing that for the women. Body hair is seen as sorta gross here.
my right biceps gets a crazy workout all day from holding an 12kg 8 month old baby. he's still flopping around, needing my full concentration to prevent falling. my 14kg 2 year old is much easier to hold.
too tired to work out. i wish i had sat in ergonomical positions when i played video games in my childhood. my lower back is shot, and so is my energy reserve.
royceH:
Great you have the lovely children. Cherish them now for they will soon be too big to hold up.
Fuk video games. What's with that shit? How did they become so popular?
Jogging late at night is my favourite, no cars, no people, much less pollution in the air, heaven.
gym 4 times a week
day one -chest and triceps
day two-back and biceps
day three -shoulders
day four-legs
jetfire9000:
Have an up vote for working out. Maybe it was a slow news day in China, cause this thread seems to have become the outlet for the daily negativity from the gloom and doom crowd.
I also don't think the incentives are there for local guys to get big so they don't make it a priority.
Think about it. If you're one of those people just scraping by. Like working some retail or super low level office job for <3K/mth even if you had a really solid body would it really move the needle on your sex life? The protein alone would take up most of your disposable income.
You get big and then what are you going to do? I don't really think Chinese girls are going to care until you get to a level of financial security which that guy isn't going to be able to offer anyway.
I probably know less about Chinese girls from experience than any guy on this site because i'm not really into them. But I don't think that a chinese guy can just be really good looking and fit and just kinda sleep around based on that alone. Go to the club or a college party, not spend any money but end up getting a blowjob from some party girl just on the strength of being sexy. Or even just getting a girls number at starbucks. I just don't think that happens here.
I think sexy/powerful here is much more just your rank in the system than anything personally about you.
You never see 1 on 1 fights here, if you're getting jumped by 6 guys it won't matter if you lift or not.
So what's the point? Spend all your time and money working on something that doesn't really do much for you.
Robk:
Oh you don't know about the neglected Chinese housewives that chase the young, handsome guys in shape?
It's a BIG thing here. They call them wolves (like we call them cougars).
They usually go after the gym trainers or the hair salon guys.
Oh, to answer your question. I have a home gym w/free weights and stuff. Hit the weights 3 times a week. Don't run anymore but I also cut out rice/pasta/bread so still pretty lean. I'm not super strong or anything. But definitely fit.
Can we change this to a "Crazy sh*t you see/hear in the gym" thread... to make it more interesting? I'll start with my "cast of characters"
1) "The yeller" - this fella makes sounds as if he is being tortured after each rep. (yes each rep). Annoying as fooook.
2) previously called "Mr. Hyperactive", but now called "spiderman" since he likes to wear a shirt saying so. This fella jumps around to different stations and does i fast set of whatever. He also likes to do handstands on various things including the floor, the bench, on up ended dumbbells (ya, it think its dangerous, but he doesnt seem to think so).
3) Mr. Let-my-kid-try. Is not a person, but rather people who come in from time to time and let thier 2 to 4 year old either run around and do whatever, or go with them to try stuff out. Ive seen some pretty dangerous situations from these shows, but luckily no fingers or lives have been lost (yet).
4) Mr Sit-up. Hes the one that takes up the bench press bench for sit-ups...for around 45 minutes to an hour. I just love this guy. I wish he would go to the USA so someone could toss him out the 3rd story window to get the hint.
5) Mr bench press on smith machine with very light weight. Whats the point of using the smith machine again? Oh, we are in China and they dont learn jack shiite.
expatlife26:
oh god, I invested in a home gym because the locals have zero concept of gym use or etiquite.
See some little turd post up on the pec fly machine for a damn hour. There are a million good chest exercises, but I like the reverse pec fly to hit the rear delt.
A gym just isn't something that works well here.
Sinobear:
You forgot Mr./Mrs/Ms. Vanity:
My wife's uncle is a still-closeted homosexual. He goes to the gym for two reasons:
1) Vanity ("Do I look bigger today? Do I look bigger than last time? Do I look younger/older?)"
2) The sneak-peek in the locker-room. He can't bring himself to come out and has (in all his 37 years) had exactly zero male or female partners. He needs his masturbation fuel, though, so he goes to the gym six times per week. Just think, gym regulars, YOU may well be the fantasy of my wife's uncle tonight. Sleep well.
Robk:
I met a new character today.
Mr.tough metrosexual - The gym worker that beats up his female co-worker.
Talk about being brave, strong and showing the best of the han men!
jetfire9000:
Lmao at all of these - I've encountered them all here... Anybody notice guys wearing the super tight under armor shirts with either a superman or a captain America design on them? That's so hilarious.
I go to the gym because if i didnt I would go insane,it helps with stress and being here in China.
after a good workout I feel good.
I have also made some gym friends as well.Im 48 years old and I can keep up or do better than the the younger guys in the gym.
http://www.shenzhenstuff.com/video/me-at-the-gym-6
http://www.shenzhenstuff.com/video/me-at-the-gym-tricep-push-downs
http://www.shenzhenstuff.com/video/me-at-the-gym-30kg-preacher-curls
Robk:
Looks pretty good. I love the guy curling next to you when you are doing the tricep extensions... it's like just the bar and 2 kg weights lol.
Props to you, especially at 48!
silverbutton1:
Cheers! Im 47 and can say the same for my gym. Im 204 lbs, and just did a 1 rep 365 dead lift with no wrist support. the Chinese men present were simultaneously impressed and envious.
Well, I was at the gym today and of course... the awesome, friendly and professional staff were doing what they do... beating on the women.
And they wonder why all the women flock to foreigners?
Cause they are the only ones standing up for your women! That's why!
I posted the event here.
ScotsAlan wanted a correction on his true visage (much to the chagrin {big word! Big word! Hurt! Hurt!!} of the "'Roidbots":
I no longer drink beer, it's bad for my health. I only drink whiskey now.
