Are The Majority Of Thais Physically Fit?

[Madivad]

@GreenSnapper and WebBangkok, I only wish...

Generally however, I did just think of something else today, only because it came up again today...

I am NOT fit. I AM overweight - some would say very, others not, I'm borderline. You get the idea, I'm a big boy. But I can Outwalk my misses anywhere. Earlier this year we went to phi phi and after much coaxing I actually got her to do the trek up to viewpoint - I even have the photos to prove it. She did need a lot of encouragement though.

Today, we went up Erawan Falls and only got 5 out of 7 of the tiers completed. She'd just given up. My shirt was drenched from perspiration. I was stuffed, as any guy in my condition would be. But my slender, hardly an ounce of fat on her body and half my weight thai wife can not keep up.

I know being thin doesn't automatically make you fit, and so too does being fat make you automatically unfit. I suppose it's all a matter of perspective.

[thaiIand]

walking even on long treaks dont make you fit.. it just means you can do what humans have been doing for the last thousands of years and that your wife is lazy as hell

Edited September 3, 2011 by thaiIand

[robbo1]

I dont know about being fit but the way that they can squat when they are just talking an Orthopedic surgeon would go broke in Thailand, I dont think to many of them have knee problems :D

[IanForbes]

walking even on long treaks dont make you fit.. it just means you can do what humans have been doing for the last thousands of years and that your wife is lazy as hell

I have to question that statement. It depends of what you call "FIT". Are you saying that only people who can run a marathon are "fit"? Are you saying that only people who can bench press 100 kilos are fit? Most of us are not fanatics about so called fitness. We do enough to get by for the life style we choose. For many people they don't give a hoot about being able to compete in sports or run 10 kilometers. They just want to live a comfortable life. My back will no longer allow me to do much running, but I can walk and climb for hours without getting totally exhaused.

I've hiked to the top of the Mt Erawan falls many times without stopping, but I don't try to compete with some athletic guy in his twenties. I stay in Chiang Mai and several times I've hiked from the city to the top of the mountain at Doi Suthep and back, but I do it on the steep trail instead of the boring road. It is 9 km one way and an elevation change of over 900 meters. But, that doesn't mean I'm "fit". It just means I'm healthy enough to enjoy what I like doing without getting exhausted.

Meanwhile, the mother of the Thai kids I look after can barely make it up the steps to the cave temples near Kanchanaburi. The last few times to Mt Erawan she stayed at the bottom to eat while the kids and I hiked up to the top for a swim.

[IanForbes]

I dont know about being fit but the way that they can squat when they are just talking an Orthopedic surgeon would go broke in Thailand, I dont think to many of them have knee problems :D

:lol:

Now THAT is something I will grant you. My 71 year old knees give out after about 2 minutes, but a Thai can squat all day. If I need to poop in the woods I always find a log I can bend over. I just HATE those squat toilets.

[moe666]

I go to a Thai gym in Chiang mai very basic equipment but you can get a good work out if you know what you are doing. there are a bunch of Thai guys in there who are very buff and some starting out and some in the middle. My girlfriend works at a shop and her boses two sons where going to Califwow every day doing full body work outs and of course always exhausted. I told her tell them just go every other day or work only parts of the body if they insist on going everyday. They optied for the back, chest one day arms, shoulders, and the legs routine and she said they where now doing better.

In Bangkok there is a park on Sukhumvit where many people run and use those stations you see around parks. What i see there is most people just donot know how to exercise to get the most out of it

But you see the same here in the states people just donot study enough and do not understand the basics of exercise.

[Madivad]

Ha! Yeah, I think there's several topics that are merging here, fitness v healthy v flexibility.

That squatting thing, with heals on the floor... Me? Not in a million years!

On a side note, as a kid and into my early adult life I was pretty fit but very underweight (the army changed that and put meat on these bones), but all my life, since my underweight childhood), I have NEVER been able to touch my toes (ie knees straight). I don't think fitness and flexibility have any relationship - except maybe in the very obese. Not sure, but interesting topic.

[bonobo]

<br />I go to a Thai gym in Chiang mai very basic equipment but you can get a good work out if you know what you are doing. there are a bunch of Thai guys in there who are very buff and some starting out and some in the middle. My girlfriend works at a shop and her boses two sons where going to Califwow every day doing full body work outs and of course always exhausted. I told her tell them just go every other day or work only parts of the body if they insist on going everyday. They optied for the back, chest one day arms, shoulders, and the legs routine and she said they where now doing better.<br /><br />In Bangkok there is a park on Sukhumvit where many people run and use those stations you see around parks. What i see there is most people just donot know how to exercise to get the most out of it<br /><br />But you see the same here in the states people just donot study enough and do not understand the basics of exercise.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Most people worldwide do not understand the science of exercise, I think. Even many "trainers" here in Thailand do not understand even the basics.

However, two points:

Even the "experts" disagree with what is good and what isn't. Just go to a fitness forum and see the arguments ensue.

Second, unless a person is injuring himself or herself by poor technique or practices, then any exercise is better than no exercise. So what if a person's curl form is a little off? That person is still working his or her biceps. So what if a person's shuffling jog/walk is not elevating his or her heartrate much? Just moving and elevating it a bit is still beneficial.

[robblok]

<br />I go to a Thai gym in Chiang mai very basic equipment but you can get a good work out if you know what you are doing. there are a bunch of Thai guys in there who are very buff and some starting out and some in the middle. My girlfriend works at a shop and her boses two sons where going to Califwow every day doing full body work outs and of course always exhausted. I told her tell them just go every other day or work only parts of the body if they insist on going everyday. They optied for the back, chest one day arms, shoulders, and the legs routine and she said they where now doing better.<br /><br />In Bangkok there is a park on Sukhumvit where many people run and use those stations you see around parks. What i see there is most people just donot know how to exercise to get the most out of it<br /><br />But you see the same here in the states people just donot study enough and do not understand the basics of exercise.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Most people worldwide do not understand the science of exercise, I think. Even many "trainers" here in Thailand do not understand even the basics.

However, two points:

Even the "experts" disagree with what is good and what isn't. Just go to a fitness forum and see the arguments ensue.

Second, unless a person is injuring himself or herself by poor technique or practices, then any exercise is better than no exercise. So what if a person's curl form is a little off? That person is still working his or her biceps. So what if a person's shuffling jog/walk is not elevating his or her heartrate much? Just moving and elevating it a bit is still beneficial.

Bonobo get starting strenght, 2nd editon basic Barbell Training Mark Rippetoe.

He has an other book about how to train, real enlightening. Must say i wish i read it years ago. I always was a firm believer of split. Now i just do full body 3 times a week. Im having more results that way.

How to define if anyone is fit there is a big difference between being able to lift heavy weights and running. I am sure that my lifting will contribute to mo overall cardio vascular health but it does not do a lot for me when i need to run.I opted for a spinning bike but that still means that if i have to walk or run it i wont be super good.

But just doing something is good for your body and heart. Exercise is not about showing off its about maintaining quality of life and health.

[bonobo]

<br />

<br />

<br />I go to a Thai gym in Chiang mai very basic equipment but you can get a good work out if you know what you are doing. there are a bunch of Thai guys in there who are very buff and some starting out and some in the middle. My girlfriend works at a shop and her boses two sons where going to Califwow every day doing full body work outs and of course always exhausted. I told her tell them just go every other day or work only parts of the body if they insist on going everyday. They optied for the back, chest one day arms, shoulders, and the legs routine and she said they where now doing better.<br /><br />In Bangkok there is a park on Sukhumvit where many people run and use those stations you see around parks. What i see there is most people just donot know how to exercise to get the most out of it<br /><br />But you see the same here in the states people just donot study enough and do not understand the basics of exercise.<br />

<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Most people worldwide do not understand the science of exercise, I think. Even many "trainers" here in Thailand do not understand even the basics.<br /><br />However, two points:<br /><br />Even the "experts" disagree with what is good and what isn't. Just go to a fitness forum and see the arguments ensue.<br /><br />Second, unless a person is injuring himself or herself by poor technique or practices, then any exercise is better than no exercise. So what if a person's curl form is a little off? That person is still working his or her biceps. So what if a person's shuffling jog/walk is not elevating his or her heartrate much? Just moving and elevating it a bit is still beneficial.<br />

<br />Bonobo get starting strenght, 2nd editon basic Barbell Training Mark Rippetoe.<br /><br />He has an other book about how to train, real enlightening. Must say i wish i read it years ago. I always was a firm believer of split. Now i just do full body 3 times a week. Im having more results that way. <br /><br />How to define if anyone is fit there is a big difference between being able to lift heavy weights and running. I am sure that my lifting will contribute to mo overall cardio vascular health but it does not do a lot for me when i need to run.I opted for a spinning bike but that still means that if i have to walk or run it i wont be super good. <br /><br />But just doing something is good for your body and heart. Exercise is not about showing off its about maintaining quality of life and health.<br />

Good point on what is "fitness" Is it the ability to walk up a flight of steps at the local wat? Is it the ability to carry all your groceries from the car to the house? Is it the ability scrub the floor of your home? Is it the ability to lift your luggage into the car trunk? Is it the ability to bend over to tie your shoes?

I feel that fitness is a combination of all the things you need to do in the pursuit of your daily life. And to focus on one area of fitness over the other, while better than doing nothing, is a mistake.

Lifting weights builds muscle mass, something pretty much all doctors deem a good thing. And lifting burns calories and gives some degree of cardio. It also has the benefit of creating a body which burns more calories as a matter-of-fact on a daily basis.

Running/biking burn calories and contribute to cardio fitness. But running alone can lower resting caloric burn, can limit flexibility, and gives pretty much nothing to upper body strength.

Yoga is great for flexibility and stress-reduction, but not much for cardio.

A good diet is vital for fitness, not only for weight management, but also for the body to function properly, but diet alone will not increase cardio nor strength without exercise.

So what is fitness? I have my definition above, but there is a lot of leeway in that. For me, I lift weights, bike, try to watch my diet, and take my cholesterol and blood pressure medication. I should swim and do something like yoga, too, but I don't.

Even with all the fitness in the world, you can drop dead in a second. My very good friend, who can run for 2 hours, almost died on a flight we took from Frankfurt. He got economy class syndrome, and spent two weeks in the hospital. Still, while fitness does not guarantee a long life, it is better to be fit than not.

[robblok]

<br />

<br />

<br />I go to a Thai gym in Chiang mai very basic equipment but you can get a good work out if you know what you are doing. there are a bunch of Thai guys in there who are very buff and some starting out and some in the middle. My girlfriend works at a shop and her boses two sons where going to Califwow every day doing full body work outs and of course always exhausted. I told her tell them just go every other day or work only parts of the body if they insist on going everyday. They optied for the back, chest one day arms, shoulders, and the legs routine and she said they where now doing better.<br /><br />In Bangkok there is a park on Sukhumvit where many people run and use those stations you see around parks. What i see there is most people just donot know how to exercise to get the most out of it<br /><br />But you see the same here in the states people just donot study enough and do not understand the basics of exercise.<br />

<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Most people worldwide do not understand the science of exercise, I think. Even many "trainers" here in Thailand do not understand even the basics.<br /><br />However, two points:<br /><br />Even the "experts" disagree with what is good and what isn't. Just go to a fitness forum and see the arguments ensue.<br /><br />Second, unless a person is injuring himself or herself by poor technique or practices, then any exercise is better than no exercise. So what if a person's curl form is a little off? That person is still working his or her biceps. So what if a person's shuffling jog/walk is not elevating his or her heartrate much? Just moving and elevating it a bit is still beneficial.<br />

<br />Bonobo get starting strenght, 2nd editon basic Barbell Training Mark Rippetoe.<br /><br />He has an other book about how to train, real enlightening. Must say i wish i read it years ago. I always was a firm believer of split. Now i just do full body 3 times a week. Im having more results that way. <br /><br />How to define if anyone is fit there is a big difference between being able to lift heavy weights and running. I am sure that my lifting will contribute to mo overall cardio vascular health but it does not do a lot for me when i need to run.I opted for a spinning bike but that still means that if i have to walk or run it i wont be super good. <br /><br />But just doing something is good for your body and heart. Exercise is not about showing off its about maintaining quality of life and health.<br />

Good point on what is "fitness" Is it the ability to walk up a flight of steps at the local wat? Is it the ability to carry all your groceries from the car to the house? Is it the ability scrub the floor of your home? Is it the ability to lift your luggage into the car trunk? Is it the ability to bend over to tie your shoes?

I feel that fitness is a combination of all the things you need to do in the pursuit of your daily life. And to focus on one area of fitness over the other, while better than doing nothing, is a mistake.

Lifting weights builds muscle mass, something pretty much all doctors deem a good thing. And lifting burns calories and gives some degree of cardio. It also has the benefit of creating a body which burns more calories as a matter-of-fact on a daily basis.

Running/biking burn calories and contribute to cardio fitness. But running alone can lower resting caloric burn, can limit flexibility, and gives pretty much nothing to upper body strength.

Yoga is great for flexibility and stress-reduction, but not much for cardio.

A good diet is vital for fitness, not only for weight management, but also for the body to function properly, but diet alone will not increase cardio nor strength without exercise.

So what is fitness? I have my definition above, but there is a lot of leeway in that. For me, I lift weights, bike, try to watch my diet, and take my cholesterol and blood pressure medication. I should swim and do something like yoga, too, but I don't.

Even with all the fitness in the world, you can drop dead in a second. My very good friend, who can run for 2 hours, almost died on a flight we took from Frankfurt. He got economy class syndrome, and spent two weeks in the hospital. Still, while fitness does not guarantee a long life, it is better to be fit than not.

I am a firm believer of that my dad who is 64, is still real fit. He bikes more then i can dream of. Problem is he is also fat. He does not change his diet. I hope he never reads this as i might loose my inheritance

Anyway we went fishing at Bungsamran and if you catch a few fish there you have a great workout. Many people give up early because its so heavy. But we had a good day and he bagged over 20 fish. He was drenched in sweat and so was I. But in the end he got a real big one and it took him 45-60 min to land.

I worried because he has had heart surgery and i expected him to drop dead. I knew he would not give up. He never does. In the end he got it in so i had a chat with him, and he assured me because of his beta blockers he could not over exert himself (i felt better after that)

But whenever he is in Thailand he will walk as much as me or more. He is fit for sure but not slim. He is also quite strong, i really think regular exercise will give you a better quality of life.

But in the end its all about willpower, i am sure many of those Thais can go the same way but just dont have the motivation or willpower to do so. (rather lazy then tired). I don't believe that we farangs do exceptional things when we walk we just usually dont give up. Maybe because we were brought up walking more then those Thais.

[bonobo]

I am a firm believer of that my dad who is 64, is still real fit. He bikes more then i can dream of. Problem is he is also fat. He does not change his diet. I hope he never reads this as i might loose my inheritance <img src='http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />  <br /><br />Anyway we went fishing at Bungsamran and if you catch a few fish there you have a great workout. Many people give up early because its so heavy. But we had a good day and he bagged over 20 fish. He was drenched in sweat and so was I. But in the end he got a real big one and it took him 45-60 min to land. <br /><br />I worried because he has had heart surgery and i expected him to drop dead. I knew he would not give up. He never does. In the end he got it in so i had a chat with him, and he assured me because of his beta blockers he could not over exert himself (i felt better after that)<br /><br />But whenever he is in Thailand he will walk as much as me or more. He is fit for sure but not slim. He is also quite strong, i really think regular exercise will give you a better quality of life. <br /><br />But in the end its all about willpower, i am sure many of those Thais can go the same way but just dont have the motivation or willpower to do so. (rather lazy then tired). I don't believe that we farangs do exceptional things when we walk we just usually dont give up. Maybe because we were brought up walking more then those Thais.<br />

Ah, but you Dutch do walk and bike. I was in Amsterdam in May, and my three Thai companions were in awe at the number of people biking to and fro. I think you Dutch exercise as a matter of daily life.

My US home is in California, and we don't exercise as part of our life. We don't walk to the store, we don't bike to work. We make exercise an event. We get in our cars and drive to our gyms. We drive to our beaches and parks to run. We drive to our sports. It is a specific event which we schedule and do. And when things get tight, we often skip it.

From what I saw in the Netherlands, and in France and Germany, for that matter, people are far more apt to exercise just in every day living. It is a mindset which others should emulate.

In Thailand, unless you are a farmer or in a job which requires exercise, I think it is the same thing as with Californians. You go to the park to walk or run, you go to the gym to exercise (if you exercise, that is). Exercise is not part of a cultural imperative.

[robblok]

I am a firm believer of that my dad who is 64, is still real fit. He bikes more then i can dream of. Problem is he is also fat. He does not change his diet. I hope he never reads this as i might loose my inheritance <img src='http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />  <br /><br />Anyway we went fishing at Bungsamran and if you catch a few fish there you have a great workout. Many people give up early because its so heavy. But we had a good day and he bagged over 20 fish. He was drenched in sweat and so was I. But in the end he got a real big one and it took him 45-60 min to land. <br /><br />I worried because he has had heart surgery and i expected him to drop dead. I knew he would not give up. He never does. In the end he got it in so i had a chat with him, and he assured me because of his beta blockers he could not over exert himself (i felt better after that)<br /><br />But whenever he is in Thailand he will walk as much as me or more. He is fit for sure but not slim. He is also quite strong, i really think regular exercise will give you a better quality of life. <br /><br />But in the end its all about willpower, i am sure many of those Thais can go the same way but just dont have the motivation or willpower to do so. (rather lazy then tired). I don't believe that we farangs do exceptional things when we walk we just usually dont give up. Maybe because we were brought up walking more then those Thais.<br />

Ah, but you Dutch do walk and bike. I was in Amsterdam in May, and my three Thai companions were in awe at the number of people biking to and fro. I think you Dutch exercise as a matter of daily life.

My US home is in California, and we don't exercise as part of our life. We don't walk to the store, we don't bike to work. We make exercise an event. We get in our cars and drive to our gyms. We drive to our beaches and parks to run. We drive to our sports. It is a specific event which we schedule and do. And when things get tight, we often skip it.

From what I saw in the Netherlands, and in France and Germany, for that matter, people are far more apt to exercise just in every day living. It is a mindset which others should emulate.

In Thailand, unless you are a farmer or in a job which requires exercise, I think it is the same thing as with Californians. You go to the park to walk or run, you go to the gym to exercise (if you exercise, that is). Exercise is not part of a cultural imperative.

True we do use the bike a lot as a mode of transport. Its also because our country is not that big and everything is close together. But when i was talking about my dad and biking im talking 60 km on a day for exercise. Not the general biking he also does.

I actually loved going to the forest and walk around a bit. Here i do that sometimes but its further away.

Here in the village i see most using the motorbike for even the smallest trips. If they see me walk (and i admit use the motorbike too) they ask if the motorbike is broken. When i tell them i like walking i get strange looks.

But i think you are right in your assessment exercise is a cultural thing. But i think it also has something to do with climate.

[brianb1944]

I can also attest to the fact that many young bar girls are not very fit. I've take a few on hikes and they were tuckered out long before I was... and I'm 71.

I think they are as fit as they want to be.

Instead of taking them on a hiking trip try taking them on a shopping trip and see who's knackered at the end of the day

Amen to that brother

[brianb1944]

Fitness does not mean anything unless you link it to an activity. A sprinter is fit to sprint, but totally unfit to run a marathon. A Boxer is not fit to wrestle etc etc. A persons fitness should be assessed by their abiliity to perform the functions necessary,or desirable for them to enjoy whatever lifestyle that they are into.

[robblok]

Fitness does not mean anything unless you link it to an activity. A sprinter is fit to sprint, but totally unfit to run a marathon. A Boxer is not fit to wrestle etc etc. A persons fitness should be assessed by their abiliity to perform the functions necessary,or desirable for them to enjoy whatever lifestyle that they are into.

True, i was saying something similar b4. Anyway there is such a thing as basic fitness and being able to walk a while or scale some stairs.

[IanForbes]

Fitness does not mean anything unless you link it to an activity. A sprinter is fit to sprint, but totally unfit to run a marathon. A Boxer is not fit to wrestle etc etc. A persons fitness should be assessed by their abiliity to perform the functions necessary,or desirable for them to enjoy whatever lifestyle that they are into.

I would agree with you there. I have known some Thai pole dancers who were very fit young women, but they actually liked to dance. Others just stood there and moved a bit. Dancing for hours is a good exercise and will keep the body reasonably fit, but it still doesn't use all the muscles. .

[blazes]

I would confirm what many have said: most Thais whom I have observed will use a motor bike for even the smallest journey.

More to the point (we are supposedly talking about Thais here, not us lot in the gym), I am shocked and appalled by the number of crap Western fast-food outlets that are now spreading all over Asia. Macdonalds, of course, and Pizza Hut and KFC and many many more...and, amazingly, Thais are eating in these diabetic places. Slim as they are, Thais will slowly become as obese as the average American. You can already see the obesity setting in in the face, which are becoming much more rounded and double-chinned.

Add to that the number of jobs, these days, world wide, that involve sitting down all day, and you have a recipe for a disaster in the obesity department.

But good for Weight Watchers business....

[andrewbkk]

My very good friend, who can run for 2 hours, almost died on a flight we took from Frankfurt. He got economy class syndrome, and spent two weeks in the hospital.

Do you mean deep vein thrombosis?

I'm sure that's not related to fitness.

[anterian]

In my area Thai exercise well, in work and play, but eat badly, too much fats and sugar. If the balance shifts and they progress to overweight type 2 diabetes, then they exercise less and get trapped into a vicious circle. So in my village most are averagely fit but about one in five is grossly overweight.

[bonobo]

My very good friend, who can run for 2 hours, almost died on a flight we took from Frankfurt. He got economy class syndrome, and spent two weeks in the hospital.

Do you mean deep vein thrombosis?

I'm sure that's not related to fitness.

I didn't intend to imply it had anything to do with his fitness. My point is that no matter how fit a person is, there is always something which can fell us early. Jim Fix, the famous American runner, died of a heart attack at age 52.

[blazes]

My very good friend, who can run for 2 hours, almost died on a flight we took from Frankfurt. He got economy class syndrome, and spent two weeks in the hospital.

Do you mean deep vein thrombosis?

I'm sure that's not related to fitness.

I didn't intend to imply it had anything to do with his fitness. My point is that no matter how fit a person is, there is always something which can fell us early. Jim Fix, the famous American runner, died of a heart attack at age 52.

To support this observation, read this alarming little news item from the BBC re the increase in strokes among adolescents and young adults. This tends to put this thread in a much wider context...we are talking here of a worldwide epidemic in obesity, diabetes etc. etc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14746370

[Partyondude]

Hnmmm....

Anyone who trains hard core does NOT use CaliWow style facilities

I think Thais, as a whole, are as fit (or not fit) as people in most other countries. What surprises me, though, is that the people who exercise don't seem to really put out much effort, as a whole.

I am very competitive by nature, so when I run, for example, I count how many people I pass versus how many pass me. I have to pass more than pass me on each run. In Washington D.C. in the winter or in Southern California, sometimes I get close to having more people pass me. In Thailand, though, I never even get close to being passed more.

And in the gym, except for maybe three guys, no one lifts close to what I lift, and I am in my fifties. In the US, I am barely in the middle (granted, I lift in a Marine Corps gym there, but still.) On the stationary bikes and other equipment here in Thailand, the standard resistance setting is "1." I can get on a bike five or six minutes after someone else, yet I can match his or her calorie burn within five minutes.

Overall, as I wrote above, I think Thais fitness level is on par with most other places. But for the exercise crowd, in my experience, Thais don't exert themselves as much. Although with Olympic gold medal weightlifters in Thailand, I have to admit that my observations may be limited to CaliWow and more dedicated exercise nuts use different facilities.

[robblok]

Hnmmm....

Anyone who trains hard core does NOT use CaliWow style facilities

Why not ?

You can do Squat / Dead lifts and bench press there. They are the basis of a hardcore training shedule. Thing is there are not that many conviniently located gyms around.

I bought all my gear myself. Got a nice power rack, Olympic barbell, adjustable bench, spinning bike, a pull station, a rack to do dips and some abb work on plus a curl bench, adjustable dumbells. Some bands that can help preforming pull ups better after a long workout.

Though in reality i use my power rack the most for the 3 before mentioned exercises. I follow the 5 x 5 of rippetoe

[bonobo]

Hnmmm....

Anyone who trains hard core does NOT use CaliWow style facilities

I think Thais, as a whole, are as fit (or not fit) as people in most other countries. What surprises me, though, is that the people who exercise don't seem to really put out much effort, as a whole.

I am very competitive by nature, so when I run, for example, I count how many people I pass versus how many pass me. I have to pass more than pass me on each run. In Washington D.C. in the winter or in Southern California, sometimes I get close to having more people pass me. In Thailand, though, I never even get close to being passed more.

And in the gym, except for maybe three guys, no one lifts close to what I lift, and I am in my fifties. In the US, I am barely in the middle (granted, I lift in a Marine Corps gym there, but still.) On the stationary bikes and other equipment here in Thailand, the standard resistance setting is "1." I can get on a bike five or six minutes after someone else, yet I can match his or her calorie burn within five minutes.

Overall, as I wrote above, I think Thais fitness level is on par with most other places. But for the exercise crowd, in my experience, Thais don't exert themselves as much. Although with Olympic gold medal weightlifters in Thailand, I have to admit that my observations may be limited to CaliWow and more dedicated exercise nuts use different facilities.

What a curious statement. Why in the world can't someone train hardcore there?

I believe I train pretty hardcore. But there are others as well. One young man regularly bench presses 4 sets of 8 X 405 pounds. Another lifts that much, even if not 4 X 8. There is a movie/singing star who does a pretty hefty workout as well. And some of the aerobic bunnies really kick butt.

The equipment is really quite decent at Caliwow. I think the trainers are better at Fitness First, but if you know what you are doing, then equipment is equipment. I once spent two months in the California dessert while a Marine where our weights were iron bars with blocks of cement on the ends. And I have read about the fitness culture in prisons, and they certainly do not have the best equipment.

Being a hard core exercise buff has little to do with the facilities and more to do with individual attitude.

[Atmos]

^ I couldn't help it - California dessert looks like this, and is perhaps not ideal for fitness people

California desert less appetising (hot, sand)

**********

anyway, differences between fitness/exercise and what this thread has morphed into - strength

confident I'd out-run, out-cycle and definitely out-swim most people in medium distance events, yet in the gym faced with weights I'd be well behind

I am fit, not necessarily strong in a weights/gym sense

[robblok]

^ I couldn't help it - California dessert looks like this, and is perhaps not ideal for fitness people

California desert less appetising (hot, sand)

**********

anyway, differences between fitness/exercise and what this thread has morphed into - strength

confident I'd out-run, out-cycle and definitely out-swim most people in medium distance events, yet in the gym faced with weights I'd be well behind

I am fit, not necessarily strong in a weights/gym sense

Im just the opposite of you with weights i will out do most. I hate long distances i am reasonable fit.

[aneliane]

Quite right to check with us if the Thai breed is good for your genes perpetration, you don't want to end up with obese half-cast inbreds !

Well you have come to the right place !

[blazes]

^

+1.

I can smoke two packs of cigarettes, have 8 bottles of beer , 5 sangsom and still get it up and come 3 times in a 3-4 hr period.

Come to think of it I'm pretty good with weights specially in the 40-45 kg range.

God help the poor miss who has to put up with the stink that must emanate from your mouth (not to mention other orifices).

[welsh1]

^

+1.

I can smoke two packs of cigarettes, have 8 bottles of beer , 5 sangsom and still get it up and come 3 times in a 3-4 hr period.

Come to think of it I'm pretty good with weights specially in the 40-45 kg range.

God help the poor miss who has to put up with the stink that must emanate from your mouth (not to mention other orifices).

Think the OP might be suffering from .Diarrhea of the mouth syndrome