Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.
- 241
- 3
What is this place?
This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a
court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to
optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.
The weekly Culture War threads host the most
controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are
appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy;
if in doubt, post!
Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts.
You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.
Why are you called The Motte?
A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently,
it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey",
originally identified by
philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial
but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens
this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for
the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired
propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."
On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.
New post guidelines
If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it.
A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts
such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a
submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).
Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or
significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.
If in doubt, please post it!
Rules
- Courtesy
- Content
- Engagement
- When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
- Proactively provide evidence in proportion to how partisan and inflammatory your claim might be.
- Accept temporary bans as a time-out, and don't attempt to rejoin the conversation until it's lifted.
- Don't attempt to build consensus or enforce ideological conformity.
- Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
- The Wildcard Rule
- The Metarule
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Aight. I'm moderately serious about getting back into shape before I get shipped out, but also unwilling to fork out the exorbitant rates any of the nearby gyms are asking for a short subscription.
So far, I've been doing push-ups regularly, but I'm on the lookout for other exercises I can do with just my sizeable body weight and random furniture. Also at my disposal, a set of 10 kilo dumbells that have somehow lost the restraining nuts, so they'll have to be taped into place. Anyone got suggestions above and beyond what YT or reddit might throw at me?
Define "in shape" for your purposes.
Beyond bodyweight stuff or improvised equipment; running is free.
The problem is, I'm not fond in the least of running, especially in the tropical heat, and believe me I've given it a very good go in the past.
For me, in shape means having a significantly more defined upper body, with particular emphasis on the shoulders, biceps and forearms, though the last seem to be hard to build from calisthenics alone, not that I'd say it's impossible. My legs are fine, running about in the hospital is good for that much at least.
This advice may not be helpful, but I hated running for decades before a bit of advice got me running daily: go for endurance, not speed or distance. Just set a timer to 9 minutes and commit to running for that 9 minutes, at whatever speed is necessary to make it the full 9. Jog as slow as you need to, just don't stop. Then walk back.
It really worked for me: I'm amazed at how much my endurance has grown. This from a guy who previously labelled running as his least favorite form of exercise.
More options
Context Copy link
What you need is some kind of pull up bar. With a place to do pull ups and a place to do dips, download Jeff Cavalier's ab app and you can build a great upper body.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
Beyond what YT and Reddit throw at you? No, the lack of information is not the problem, the overabundance of it is.
Do squats and find a pull-up bar.
That and insistence on "You absolutely MUST do these extraneous things in addition to the few exercises required to actually get into better shape".
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
https://youtube.com/@bodyweightmuscle
Best gains I had was applying this consistently.
Looks right up my alley, I'll give him a look, thanks!
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
https://www.hybridcalisthenics.com/programs for body weight exercises tailored to what your current level is, from "elderly person recovering from a fall and can barely get off the floor" to "one arm pullups and one leg squats."
Thank you. I'm hopeful I can start of a tad bit ahead of the "I've fallen, and can't get up" stage, but one arm pull-ups are a mile away haha.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link