The Red Bull Flugtag ('Flying Day') has become a regular event in many parts of the world. It involves teams of people constructing home-made 'aircraft' (and I use the term very loosely), and launching themselves from a ramp above the water.
Some of them make 10 metres*; most of them manage 2 or 3. That isn't really the point.
Why do people do it?
Good question. The competitors all have reasonable levels of strength, intelligence and foolhardiness. Of these, I suspect 'foolhardiness' is the major component.
Quite simply - they do it because it's fun.
Why do people watch?
I must admit, it feels a little odd to watch an event without the usual expectations. With most things I see, the person who lifts the most, runs the fastest, swims the smoothest etc is generally the winner. In the case of the Flugtag, it's quite different. All competitors have crowd support.
I want to watch one. When is the next Flugtag near me?
I love watching amateur events such as this - where competitors take part simply because they enjoy it. After all, isn't that the perfect thinking behind any sport or activity?
* If you're wondering, the record is an astonishing 60m, set in Austria 8 years ago. Most competitors don't travel anywhere near that distance.
Brilliant device.
If your shoulders aren't quite as flexible as you'd like, grab The Rotater. Love it.
Already got one? Looking for something specific? Swing by the Straight to the Bar Store. It's all in there.
Scott Andrew Bird is a writer, photographer and a guy who just loves this stuff. He's been at home in front of a computer for more years than he cares to remember (OK, 37) and is now making amends for years of many mistakes noted in the De-constructing Computer Guy articles (part 2) on T-Nation.
Blast from the Past : Recovery.A couple of weeks ago we took a look at the many benefits of sleep following a hard session in the gym. This time we'll be peering at the numerous other recovery techniques.
Of course, if you enjoyed these, I'd highly recommend grabbing the Strength & Fitness Newsletter. Delivered weekly, and absolutely free.
(there's also a Daily Update, if you're looking for an even larger dose of training-related goodness.)
, or if you'd like to join the team of Moderators here (I love hearing about everyone's training approaches) - get in touch. And if you've got a fitness competition or seminar coming up, add it to the calendar.
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Cheers.
what we're saying
NB : As well as leaving a comment or two beneath the articles themselves, you might like to swing by the Daily 'Paper' for a somewhat more frequent dose of training goodness.
A dose of Online Personal Training is ideal. Your place, their experience.
As you'd expect, I work with a number of Fitness Professionals myself - including the wonderful Josh Hewett. If you're about to begin your own strength-training journey, swing by his site at :
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the future of fitness
Over the years we’ve looked at the fitness industry from a number of angles - discussing the history, present approaches and potential future trends involved. Fascinating areas.
When it comes to the last part - discussing potential future trends - things get a little, well, unusual. If it’s an interest you share, or you just want to find out the types of things we think are likely, check out the posts tagged ‘Futurism’. And of course, Gymchat 224 (Roundtable) - The Future of Fitness. Superb discussion.
air pollution & health
We discuss air pollution quite a bit on this site - particularly the various health impacts involved. If you'd like to dive in a little deeper, I invite you to check out the following :
We looked at the first edition a while ago, and this second volume looks equally superb. I'm about to dive in to it myself, and you can check out the details (and grab a copy) here :
And for the full list of the Books & DVDs we recommend, swing by the Recommended Books & DVDs page. To check out what we're reading at the moment (and to make suggestions), join us on Goodreads.