Hope this is an acceptable post. I've seen posts before encouraging fitness as part of the prep work for the coming storm. Partially because of this, and partially because we're going on a beach vacation in September, I've been working on my fitness more intensely. Sorry this is a little long.
So I started with increased dog walking. Dogs were very happy with this, but the downside is doggos tend to get distracted with interesting scents along the way, and because the walk is supposed to be for them, I indulge them. But it breaks the stride and makes the time spent less effective for me.
I then started walking on my own in addition holding light weights (2-3lbs). We live on a gravel/dirt road that has moderate hills. About .7 miles in either direction to the first neighbors' driveway. Dog walks and my personal walks tended to be one round trip in either direction, so about a mile and a half. On a good day, I'd do both so would get roughly 2.8 miles of walking in, and I felt it.
I decided it might be more enjoyable for my solo walks to have some music and that's where part of the hack comes from. It occurred to me that marches are made for marching, so maybe that would help me walk. I was in marching band in HS and college, so I knew how music can help the distance be a little more tolerable and it's also likely why militaries have incorporated it for centuries, but I was never in control of the music. So I went to youtube and downloaded some marches - mostly military, Sousa, a few German ones (nobody does marching like the Germans). Turns out that marches have come so far from marching that the recorded tempos are typically way to fast to be useful. I did find one German march that was about right and conveniently repeated with 6 stanzas. For the first experiment, I just looped that constantly.
Downside is I now have fealty to Der Fatherland, but the upside is I was able to do a full loop in both directions - 2.8 miles total, double my normal walking distance in a single stretch. I was tired, but less so than when I did the 1.5 mile loop. So I was onto something.
Found a program called Audacity (I use linux, there are probably other similar apps) that lets me tweak the tempo without changing the pitch. Most of the mp3s I downloaded had to be slowed by 6-10%. Unfortunately, I haven't found software capable of giving a BPM calculation so I have an objective measure, so I'm still tweaking, but a couple of the MP3s are dead on now, at least for my body and my terrain.
So here's the hack. I'm sure I'm not the only one to figure this out, but there seems to be some sort of kinematic zone, around 60bpm based on some research this morning (or multiples thereof). Probably varies slightly by person and by terrain, and whether you hands are free (I walk holding 3lb weights). But, when you hit that zone, something amazing happens. You end up walking a full stride with complete arm swings and there's something magical and mechanical when you get it right, and the music sort of holds you in that zone without you having to think about it. I won't say it's effortless, but it feels like you could do it almost indefinitely. I just came back from a 2.8mi walk with enough tweaked tunes to get me into that zone for the entirety. I feel like I could go do another loop. It's really amazing to me.
I'm sure you don't have to use military marches - probably any music will do if you can get it adjusted to the right tempo for you. I hate to say it, but Rap/HipHop, if you're into that, might be a good candidate due to it's rythmic base.
This has made a huge (Yuge!) difference for me, enough that I felt it worth sharing. Getting into that zone is actually a slight high I look forward to every morning - would have never said that before about the idea of walking almost 3 miles. If you're looking for a way to improve your fitness, this may help you get over the hump. Hope it helps a Fren somewhere.
So would a 44 mag. In each hand suffice for weights? Because that's the only way my wife is walking without the dogs.
I've contemplated walking with my pistol, although probably in a waist holster.
We do have the occassional bear and you never know when a rabid critter will wander out of the woods. Biggest danger would be a snake, but I've found that hitting one of those with a bullet is incredibly hard, and probably dangerous on a gravel road with the richocet. Actually took an old single-shot shotgun and cut the barrel down (legally) to get a nice spread to use as a snake gun. I guess I'm drifting off topic here...
Most of the rabbid animals around here wear clothes.
I don't want anything hampering my awareness of the world around me when I am out in it. Keeping sharp, means using all your senses to detect trouble. Why let your guard down by muting one of your most important senses.
Why listen to any music, any thing artificial. Listen to your breath, feel the rhythm of you, and bring your step in rhythm with what you feel in your body.
Yeah, but that doesn’t work for everyone.
"and you never know when a rabid critter will wander out of the woods"
You mean rabid "zombies" wandering out of parking lots right?
You could run with a rifle at port arms kek. Really get you pumped up like this full metal jacket n shit!
OMG 101st Airborn all over again!!!
"ARE YOU GOING TO DIE ON ME PRIVATE PYLE? THEN DO IT NOW!"
Carry 2 pistols then. One with a decent caliber and a .22 with snake shot.
Judge loaded with .44 long colt
Judge loaded with .410
Is snake shot bigger than rat shot? Because rat shot, I have my doubts would really hurt rats. Mice, maybe.
Or a simple AR at 7lbs at arms length.
For snakes?
I know what I would use! A new freaking address.
Song BPM may be a tool you'll like.
https://songbpm.com/searches/0dee6bf2-2abc-44d3-9f66-3f8b60e34224
Great post OP.
Thank you. That looks like it will be very useful once I get tired of marches (only a matter of time I suspect)
You could put "Stayin' Alive" on a loop. Probably the right tempo, and if you have to give CPR along the way it will help.
Oh yeah Staying Alive works for marching. I saw several of these last year on YouTube. It was something I had to watch over and over.
https://youtu.be/QbC6dLG_dQY?si=YrEuFmu-cWfrGajf
LOL! That was cool. That is a good song to walk/march to.
What if the person has no arms and no legs? Would they be worth saving?
depends if it is this guy or not:
The Black Knight
Merely a flesh wound.
I was thinking of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRmXXprZ3yc
That would really be cool if you could search for songs by a specific BPM but I didn’t find that feature on there.
Yeah, I was looking for that too.
If the data exists, perhaps another website has it.
man just invented listening to music while exercising. wild times
Wait until he finds out there is even a subgenre called "gymcore".
Can you provide an example or two? Is it electronic? If so this needs updated apparently!
Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music
For those unaware, this is one of the very most impressive things on the internet.
https://music.ishkur.com/
The post he’s sharing is playing with BPM. I think there’s maybe something deeper here. I once had a coworker who told me that music, all music, is actually math. He was a big music guy. He enjoyed debating, I actually convinced him about political issues that he leaned left on, after I brought facts and receipts, over to the right. As far as I know, he’s still a Bernie bro.
Carrying weights while walking is called Farmers Walk, except we do them over much shorter distances carrying weights in the double or triple digits range and don't use fancy music. It's even used as part of strongman competitions.
Fitness isn't this complicated though, gym bros figured things out decades ago, the only thing scientists have contributed is figuring out why certain things work.
Possible its just me. I've always hated walking. Even with music.
But something about having the right tempo feels like I've stunbled into some sort of resonance for my body. Almost like I'm working with my body rather than against it. Its turned drudgery into the high point of my day.
It's interesting to me that you hated it for so long. I've always found taking walks/hikes to be quite enjoyable, like I like bicycling more (going faster is generally better/more interesting) but I like walks and how they are more reflective, you can really examine the wildflowers or the clouds or whatever. On a bicycle you can look at some stuff but not in such detail/depth, and on a motorcycle any like scenery observations or whatever are more like little mental snapshots. Walking or hiking is much more immersive in what all's around you vs. immersive in an admittedly quite enjoyable activity/task.
I guess I more specifically hated walking for exercise. We have 20+ acres of woods and I walk through them quite a bit, but it's not strenuous at all if I want to lose weight and get in better shape.
I have to hit the road for that and maintain a reasonably steady and determined stride before it starts to show up in sweat equity.
Ahh gotcha.
I personally find natural bodies of water very mesmerizing, and used to walk along a riverside pathway almost daily.
I don’t remember how many miles it was, but I do recall it being 20K steps
I'm a Linuxfag too. Good for you! I migrated in February 2000 an haven't looked back.
I love liquid drum and bass - it’s extremely sophisticated and not distracting, beautiful melodies and chord progressions and I love female vocals which is in a lot- currently my favorite artist and dj is Alpha Rhythm who does a podcast every Sunday https://youtube.com/@AlphaRhythm?si=FuMlr_nXyxfmx1X9
However this is by far my favorite mix, I’ve listened to it probably a thousand times and it’s my go to when I need to listen to something good https://youtu.be/KOX67QP75ZY?si=gq354wPHkXRAh2qp
And then he released another excellent mix a couple of years ago https://youtu.be/5zqsB95ke2w?si=HORgSNxNMmCSQi8Y
But to each his own
Founds the fellow DnB head.
DnB was my first love with electronica. Liquid Funk is great for when I'm in a chill mood, but wanna keep moving, but watch out if I'm behind the wheel and something more aggressive and tech-stepish is on. I turn into a madman bobbin his head down the highway at 100MPH!
Drum and Bass in tha place! BOOOOOOOOOOOH!
I had not heard of "Liquid" D&B. Yeah, diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.... I like some D&B but this is like progressive trance D&B. And I cannot do progressive trance, even though by category it's second only to breakbeat in my vinyls collection (it was a phase).
THIS for me is how drum & bass should be.
The Orb - Thursday's Keeper
Dogs like obedience and discipline. You decide when the dog gets to stop, not the dog. When you're on the walk, their job is to walk. You as the leader are responsible for not letting them get side tracked.
THIS.
I wouldn't shit you - you're my favorite turd - but this actually pleases me more than anything else on the internet today.
I used to run half marathons (knee issues). There is something incredibly relaxing about finding yourself in a great rhythm as you run and just going. I would do it after work to clear my mind or just allow my mind to think about whatever the heck it wanted to.
When I ran in high school, we always ran with no music. The cross country coach wanted us to learn to synchronize our movements and breathing and to focus on our form. After 5-7 mins of joking while we got warmed up, we'd all settle into the run and just go. So, I learned how to listen to my body without music and it didn't take long to synch up arms, legs, and breathing so you ran efficiently. None of our meets had music either. They were all out at a state park or some rural place. It's a great way to run.
I discovered music in "fun runs" when I would go to bigger cities and run with 15,000+ other people. They'd always have music along the whole run. Nashville absolutely lived up to it's name as Music City, for example. It very much depended on the song and how it hit. Sometimes it would mess with my stride and I'd have to ignore it, but man, when the music synched up nicely, and the bass matched me stride for stride, I'd easily find myself running 10-20s per mile faster and feeling strong as hell while I did. **
In fact, there's a pretty big demand for this kind of thing. You can find tons of Spotify playlists and the like that have music specifically curated for running and synched to certain bpm to match your stride's cadence. So, if you ever get bored of old school marches and want to move on to something more modern, there are mountains of playlists for you to check out on whatever music service you use.
I'm glad you found something to help you enjoy exercising. It's a game-changer in terms of how it makes you feel just to be able to move and move well. Scientifically proven to improve mood, promote a healthy (not overeating) appetite, improve immunity, and help stave off viral infections too!
**As an aside, if you ever lift weights, they'll tell you you can always lift more than you think you can. You have to train your mind to push past the mental barrier that says "I can't anymore" and just do more. There is more the in the tank. This was the same, but for running. The music acts like endorphins and takes the mind off of pain and puts it on performance.
Like OP I like marching music specifically the bagpipe marches.
What you said in your first few paragraphs about running with no music was right for me. I only did 5 miles every other morning. I loved it, woke up at 5:30am get a quick coffee and warm up and run.
Just watching and controlling my breath was so peaceful, like meditation and I always had a better day at work, less stress, on my running days.
Find the harmonic “pace” and you are effectively “surfing” on an energy wave. Running at a harmonic allows a sustained pace while using less energy because you are resonating with matter itself. This is the secret that the Kenyan runners are using.
I get some great inspiration when walking the Dog.
Healthy spiritually too.
Just put this on a loop. This cadence will get you through anything: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzo8ke7q7q0
Electronic and Metal
German industrial. So amazing.
Keep up the good work! Thank you for sharing your tip.And, may you be blessed with a wonderful vacation this September.
Thanks Fren. I'm in my mid 50s and I feel more fit than I have for probably 20 years. The last few days after discovering this little trick has seen my endurance soar. Really feel great.
May even try stepping up to running in a week or two.
Keep on keeping on! You are doing great.
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C6&q=hydrogen+rich+water&oq=hydro
There’s this old war film from ww2 called “why we fight” theres this marching song that starts playing when it shows the nazis marching. It is based af. It will be in your head fir days if you hear it. Then the U.S. military is shown and the music kinda starts sucking. That always annoyed me about that film. Other than the obvious propaganda and cabal disinfo. Look it up probably on pooptube
I've used this site when I was a fitness instructor back in the day. You can make your own mix set to whatever BPM you're looking for (I can tell you that 132 bpm is close to a 16 minute mile). There are different genres (70's, Country, etc). You pay for the sons you want, but it's minimal. https://www.powermusic.com/clickmix.html
Body mechanic- that old early eighties dance song. I imagine Trump dancing when i hear it.
Poland: (Sweats Nervously)
I might try this when winter comes. Right now, walking in 33°C temperatures (feels like 37°C) is somewhat unappealing. I really like the idea of setting the tempo.
Good job fren…. I too started my own regimjne last February…. I cut caloric intake and started walking at first, then jogging beginning this summer…. Needless to say i dropped 35 lbs in 6 mos, with an ultimate goal of 60lbs by next February (the year goal). For all you friends out there that wanna drop weight… its all about reducing calories …. (This is the hard part as food , sugar, alcohol can truly be a hard pattern to break free from). Good luck all and great job on your journey orangetastic1
When we walk, my wife and I always are sure to carry my S&W. It is like my American Express, I NEVER leave home without it!
Great post. I use thrash metal frequently when I'm on our treadmill. This just makes me want to go fast. Would you mind linking to your selections on boobtube ? I'd like to try ze aryan marches
Showtunes type music works too. But I do it in my head. So no carrying around sound equipment. More than once I've found myself matching Mary Poppins' Spoonful of Sugar to heart rate for walking (and driving, actually. It makes the mile markers go by faster.)
I've wondered about that. One of the tunes I have is "Over There", which is sorta from 'Yankee Doodle Dandy", although it predates the musical - as pretty much all the music does in that instance.
I'm not sure why, but every Youtube vid I've come across has one of three recordings of "Over There" and they're all pretty lame. It's like the song has faded away, which is unfortunate. I think Yankee Doodle Dandy would be a good tune if slowed to a marching tempo as would Give My Regards to Broadway but I haven't found any suitable recordings yet. One of the little issues is that it's very easy to slow an entire tune down by a percentage, but if the tempo varies within the tune, it's pretty difficult (although possible) to isolate it and tweak differently.
Suspect you're right about Spoonful of Sugar. May do that for round II.
Lol like I said, I just sing it in my head. Earworms can go at any tempo and any key. But someday I'm sure I'll end up with alzheimers' and start throwin' mashed potatoes and applesauce at nurses' heads to that tune. Gotta change it up once in awhile lol
Some of the music by The Cars might be suitable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5-rdr0qhWk
And maybe Peaches En Regalia by Zappa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGQxI0G6mKk
The Who
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NzLs-xSss0
I absolutely love to walk, and have to wear my knee brace. I listen to a mix of my favorites and can walk a lot, provided the weather is nice. It's a great destressor.
Keep it up!
The "zone" of walking is indeed unique, and there's science/formulas to it and everything. Basically your body's dimensions etc.
I am beanpole build, and my natural pace is very fast to boot. If I hike with someone short, and try to go their pace, it actually ends up physically hurting it's so non-optimum (and as you've discovered, you find your own optimum naturally). So especially downhill I'll tell ppl OK I'll wait down there but I have to just go my pace - a compromise just won't work since I'm at such an extreme.
Try Ott. He is a genius.
I've heard good things about that one actually. What are a couple/three good starting points/things for an older head (into 90s stuff, Orb, Prodigy, older Aphex Twin - think Digeridoo, On - Warp - Autechre etc, lots of more underground things from that period - serious collection of 90s breaks for example etc) to check out?
Edit: And I don't necessarily mean the most-accessible. Kind of a list of 2-4 of his best/most interesting things.
I haven't heard a song of his I don't like so thats a tough question. Some of my favorites are Mouse Eating Cheese, Squirrel and Biscuit, and Queen of All Everything.
Heh, thanks - yeah just doesn't click for me. One of those "I see the talent etc" but subjectively doesn't grab me type artists, but I'm glad I finally investigated at least.
I was a huuuuuge evergrowing Orb fan until I realized that they were sending extremely nasty symbolism. Still pissed. I made some music in a similar style.
My take on that is more like they are telling us what's going on.
That’s what I told myself until they released the sequel to Little Fluffy Clouds with Lee Perry and the video featured a satanic symbol while Perry said a phrase Jesus Christ said to declare that He is God. Then I started trying the two hypotheses and unfortunately the fit was vastly better for the black hat hypothesis. This was years before Q, and things I have learned here have only strengthened that conclusion. Wish it weren’t so.
Hmmmm I will have to investigate said video/version....
I was right about which collaboration but had the song wrong. Here’s the disgusting thing I referred to, I forgot that it started with the “OK” 666 all over the place. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p3YHGLTck7Q
I'd say the "OK" "666" falls apart when a 4th one shows up. The whole thing is just sort of reggae/voodoo nonsense really, which I guess you can take as blasphemous if you want to take it that seriously.
Now, whether LX is an industry slave is debatable - like I say some stuff seems that way but they've been pointing out various stuff (e.g. MK Ultra etc) for many years. I mean look at the track "SALT" for instance.
You are free to (and clearly) disagree, but my take is abandoning the Orb over this video from one of their more mediocre efforts is a pretty huge evergrowing overreaction.
Thank you for the tips! We need to stay strong and positive. I don't think most people read the daily chat.
“Martial” music
Inspirational fren! Thanks for sharing, best of luck with it all.
Would you mind putting the marches/songs on a Dropbox, OneDrive, GoogleDrive, etc somewhere for the rest of us to download? I'd appreciate it.
I always recommend people check out NF. Q drop 2811 has a video with his music.
u/#q2811
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LIzKEc4n_w
Great lyrics, no cursing, a counter to Eminem’s filth, and if anons listen closely and think about the lyrics as if Q wrote them there are comms in almost every line.
You are resonating at a harmonic frequency of matter. There are numerous of these I have found running as well. Move your frequency of motion up or down to try to hit them. The higher ones appear to be more energetic, but you are effectively riding a self-sustaining energy wave.
I suspect energy is being pulled from the environment, but I’m still studying it. Note that this is what long-distance runners are doing, and if you watch marathons on video you can see them “switch frequencies” usually up. But they run at a steady beat because it is on a harmonic. (See harmonic response and natural frequency resonance for further study).
I wear a weighted vest walking up steep inclines. When I start going up the highest one, I find singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic really drives me up that hill.
I walk about 5k every morning before the sun comes up, with a pistol in my waist band (not for the weight)
Reading about increasing my walking speed, the best advice I found was increasing steps per minute. My initial assumption was that stride length was more important.
I usually listen to podcasts (RealAF) and I didn’t have to worry about matching beats, or finding a click track. I got a metronome app that would let me play my podcast, and adjust the volume of the taps relative to the podcast. It should work with audiobooks too, if that’s your jam. I worked my way up to 140 bpm which keeps me at about a 15 minute mile.
I do ruck sometimes too (35lb backpack) but I have to lower my bpm.