The digital monsters have successfully infiltrated the weight room. As a result, the gym experience has been experiencing a rewiring. Today, l present you the digital gadgets with the highest impact on the way people train.
1.MP3 Players
Back in the day, portable media players were highly “unportable” compared to the modern personal mp3 stations.
Exercising with a Walkman on your belt was not exactly practical. Thankfully, today’s mp3 players are small enough and allow the execution of crazy stunts.
Nowadays, it’s hard to go to a gym without seeing a horde of humanoids lifting with their mp3 players pumped to the max. Most strangers in the gym no longer talk to each other. And if somehow a dialog occurs, it is usually limited to – “How many sets do you have left on this machine?”
Most lifters shut down all external connections and just juggle the songs in their mp3 players, which are, of course, ripped from motivational bodybuilding videos on YouTube. People rely on the power of sound vibrations to elevate their spirits and “kill it” in the gym.
Truth be told, a powerful song can really improve your workout and help you get those extra reps. Music is a drug after all, isn’t it?
The abuse of mp3 players in the gym may result in an anti-social behavior, but that’s not always a negative. The portable players allow you to mute the annoying conversations in the weight room.
Every gym has a small crew that never stops talking. The members are always discussing politics and sports. Most of the time, the discussions are boring, value deprived and never reach working solutions. I guess we should thank the creator of the digital media player Kane Kramer for saving us from the extra noise in the gym.
It’s interesting to note that the popular bodybuilding trainer Vince Gironda banned all music in his gym. His belief was that listening to music results in distraction and wishful thinking that prevent the muscle constructors from engaging in productive workouts oriented towards the creation of a beautiful physique.
Note: Rumor has it that Gironda was fine with music during cardio.
To summarize: Mp3 players are a very useful tool when training. They can help you hide from an unpleasant environment and energize your training sessions. However, there are times when you have to turn the little box off and get out of the shell.
2.The Smartphone – a Smart Helper or a Soulless Box?
For some, it may be hard to imagine, but 15 years ago there were no children born with a tablet or a smartphone in the hands. Today, there are teenagers who literally walk while texting on their smartphones. Naturally, this attention hungry device has entered the gym too.
The smartphone allows the muscle constructors to take flattering selfies and upload them instantly on social media. This act results in the ultimate ego orgasm. After all, what is the point of doing anything “heroic” if others can’t congratulate you?
Honestly, l understand why the pros are doing (money), but what about the average person? I am sorry, but in most cases, we are talking about a severe slacktivism.
Nevertheless, smartphones can be useful if used correctly. For example, they are a good way to time your session, keep a log, film yourself to examine your exercise form…etc. But how many of us are actually doing that? Very few.
It seems that the smarter the phones get, the dumber the people using them become.
3. Turn on the treadmill TV – let the brainwash begin
It’s getting harder and harder to escape from the TV. It’s everywhere – in stores, malls, buses, cars, hospitals…etc. You can try to run away from the BIG BROTHER, but as long as you reside in the human world, you will get caught.
Modern gyms have a TV in front of every cardio machine as if people go there to watch movies instead of to train. It seems that system does not love people alone with their thoughts.
4.Heart rate monitors
Apparently, “civilized” people need special devices to know when a workout is intense. Many brainwashed fitness ninjas are afraid to make a step without a heart rate monitor analyzing the status of their cardiovascular systems.
Honestly, most people don’t need heart rate monitors to measure the intensity of their workouts. Those watches may look cool, but progress does not require them. Unless the data is gathered for medical reasons, you will do just fine without this gadget.