Well, what do you expect from a website called “Ford Muscle?” Still, it’s an interesting take on why it’s a good idea to turn your garden variety Ford into a fire-breathing, gas-guzzling, tail-happy monster. “Our hobby is comprised mostly of motivated individuals that choose productivity and participation over fantasy football, the sofa, and ESPN,” polemicist Jon Mikelonis maintains. “In our ‘sport’ we bend, twist, lift, kneel, squat, roll, struggle, and overcome forces, but most importantly our hobby requires us to be off the couch. Sure, a lot of us enjoy watching sports but the fact that we choose to physically rebuild, modify, or restore cars, automatically puts us in a class outside of those who spend their leisure time idly watching, measuring, and comparing somebody else’s successes and failures.” Mikelonis takes it outside. “While there’s no formal validation or research that working on your car qualifies as exercise, many parallels can be made with gardening and yardwork, an activity that has been studied, researched, and touted as legitimate exercise.” Justin will be happy to learn that the article ends with a discussion of the evils of high fructose corn syrup. And did you know that commenting on TTAC may help maintain brain function? Now if it only didn’t raise your blood pressure…
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And just how often while working on their cars do they get their heart rates 25% or greater over their resting heart rates for more than a couple of minutes at a time?
And how many beers did they consume whilst working on their cars that totally negate any potential calories they would have burned?
It’s good they are moving a little more than usual, but sustained movement and sustained increased heart rate through physical activity goes a lot farther – in their example yard work – pushing a lawn mower is going to require a longer period of sustained physical activity than most, if not all activity required to fix a car. I’ve worked on my cars most of my life and my yard takes a whole lot more effort and energy to mow than repairing or working on any of my vehicles ever has.
Orian:
My heart rate/blood pressure raises every time I take a wrench to my Stang. I can’t think of a mod that has gone on smoothly. Don’t forget about the subsequent increased heart rate/blood pressure when you look at your credit card statement and notice how much you’ve spent on said mods.
And just how often while working on their cars do they get their heart rates 25% or greater over their resting heart rates for more than a couple of minutes at a time?
I don’t think the authors intended to convey the notion that auto mechanics is an aerobic exercise. However, I have always maintained–from personal experience and knowledge of others in the trade–that it is indeed a very effective form of isometric exercise with the result of developing a good bit of upper body strength. And any activity beats no activity in every instance.
And we live in a day, I believe, when the number of sports-crazy couch potatos greatly outnumber gearheads. Our collective girths attest to that quite eloquently.
And actually, if the cars being wrenched see track duty, you get quite the workout in the pits as well. I kept in great shape as a teen changing tires and repairing the stockcar on race day. Cardio is only a factor in THAT case, but weight training occurs no matter what kind of wrenching you do.
Remember that Boys Club motto from the 70’s? “You can’t hold a gun or a knife with a boxing glove“.
They could do a variation on that…
“You can’t hold a plate of nachos and a beer while trying to remove the timing chain off of a Mustang.“… or something to that effect.
My legs get sore every time I wash the rims on my car. That kills me. Wrenching? Not so much. Plenty of sweat, but I don’t feel it afterwards. Of course I’m not taking the engine out or anything. Most I’ve done is change the exhaust and cat and driveshaft.
I’ll buy that it’s better for you than sitting on the couch. At least so long as you are careful about protecting yourself from chemical exposure and flying bits of stuff.
Protecting yourself from chemical exposure?
Are you nuts? I do it FOR the chemical exposure!
“I love the smell of brake cleaner on an oil-soaked morning…”
I definitely get sore working on the Polara. Lifting out old cast iron intakes and such definitely falls into the weight lifting category, not to mention trying to break old bolts loose everywhere you look. Or doing an exhaust system while on jackstands, working on your back about 5 inched from everything. But, it sure is fun!!!! No alcohol consumption involved — that’s a bit dangerous to say the least (except when washing).
As for the chemicals, well, netrun beat me to the punch:
“I love the smell of hydrocarbons in the morning…..”
@ Orian:
My constant swearing alone keeps my heart rate up. I also find, a great way to get the most exercise out of your wrenching is to have the wrong tools for the job. Removing the rear end? Put the car on jackstands a mere 2′ off the ground. Undoing a hex nut that is rusted in place, which also requires you to lie on your back at a weird angle under said 2′ of clearance? A 6″ long ratchet wrench that you can only articulate 5-6 degrees at a time will get that heart pumpin!
Don’t forget those wrenching sessions where you complete the job only to realize you made a mistake and have to take it all apart AGAIN!
Yeah, I’m all for stuff that gets us off the couch.
Got cabin fever today. The weather is beautiful and I want to be OUTSIDE working on my car!
Orian,
Most elite athletes rely on anaerobic activity to build muscle and eliminate flab. Putting yourself on a Stairmaster on level 1 doesn’t do anything. And you strain pretty hard working on cars in the Rust Belt.
Where did this extra hex nut come from? Oh, well, it still starts.
It’s not what you do, it’s how fast you do it. Try working on your car at the same speed a pit crew would during a race.