Think the hit sit-com “The Big Bang Theory” meets Arnold’s documentary “Pumping Iron.” It’s the latest craze in working out – it’s nerd fitness. For both aging Trekies and millennials more at home in a chat room then a room full of barbells, a growing number of trainees are turning to geek workouts to get fit. This unique community got a boost when actress Daisy Ridley, Rey from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” posted photos of herself deadlifting. Nerd might be the new cool, but what exactly is it and does it work?
Train Your Inner Superhero
At Nerd Fitness Academy, an immersive online fitness program, trainees tackle a series of self-paced workouts to get super powers or become stronger, look better and lose weight (source). In the world of nerd fitness these workouts comprise quests designed to keep workouts interesting and keep trainees motivated.
The Force is With Your Workouts
Geek workouts use names and imagery to help the nerds relate to fitness. Yoga and boot camp workouts figure in, but you can also try sword fighting and tricking – a series of movements that includes rolls, cartwheels and kicks. Nerd fitness is also about fun so you can try the Angry Birds Workout or my favorite – the Star Wars Workout (source).
The Star Wars Workout:
- Handstands against a wall for time (20-30 sec. for beginners)
- Pull-ups (as many as possible)
- Box or bench for jumps (set of 5 for beginners)
- Table for inverted rows (a kind of assisted row, set of 5 for beginners)
- Dumbell or kettlebell for bent over rows (set of 5 for beginners)
This is a good example of nerd fitness, combining a workout with sci-fi. The workout plan uses Star Wars references including Jedi Master Yoda to teach the handstands (Yoda trained Luke Skywalker with them.)
Do You LARP?
LARPing stands for Live-Action Role Playing. Think Dungeons & Dragons meets the Renaissance Faire. It’s a real-time game, with live combat and improvised interactions, but it is a game, and you have a character to play, a costume to wear, and skills you can use to help yourself progress or level up.
Join Nerd Fitness Rebellion
The geek workout craze could be here to stay. Millennials are a tech-savy group at home online and on social media where nerd fitness communities thrive. Steve Kamb, one of the founders of the movement, is on a quest to make fitness accessible to all kinds of people including those more at home at the Mos Eisley Cantina than at a juice bar. His philosophy for fitness, nutrition and life is summed up with his motto “level up your life.” This is good advice for everyone so here we go.
Mike Phelps
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