Hobbies

[Space Cowboy]

Outside of the standard nerd fare that most members already mentioned, I like collecting vinyl records. OwO It hasn't even been a full year since I first started, but I currently have 28 LP's (those big discs that contain an entire album) and 12 45's (the smaller ones that only have one song on each side). And there are so many reasons why I love it. Firstly there's the obvious bit about the audio quality. Digital music is made out of zeroes and ones -- just pieces of the original sound. Hundreds of pieces per second, sure, but mere pieces nonetheless. Analog recordings capture the whole sound, so, if you have a nice high-quality disc... oh, I can't even describe it. The sound is really something else. I admit that a lot of the discs I have are a bit old and worn-out and don't produce the most high-quality sound anymore, but, even some of the fuzzier ones still have that... something that you can only get from vinyl. It's... hard to explain.

But, if I'm being honest, the sound thing is just one of the reasons why I love vinyl. A lot of it comes from the fact that it just feels so much more personal and intimate than digital recordings. Vinyl's fairly delicate compared to something like a CD: it'll bend and scratch easily, you have to keep dust off of it in order for it to sound right, the grooves get worn out over time, etc... but, in a weird way, I feel like that just makes you value it so much more. There's effort that goes into keeping these things in good shape, and that effort pays off. And then, even when the discs have imperfections (like a lot of mine do, as they're old and I bought them used), that just makes them so much more... yours. That is your copy of that particular album and you know it because of all the flaws that wouldn't sound quite the same on someone else's copy. It's weird but it's just... so much more personal. Even when a disc has imperfections, there's just so much more of a connection there than if it were an item on a digital playlist. I think that's why buying vinyl is so much fun, too. You're not just looking up a song online or whatever -- you're browsing through a whole bunch of records to see what sort of treasures you can take home.

And then, of course, it's just so much more atmospheric to have a record player in your room than to play music off your computer... Oh! And then there are the gorgeous sleeves that some of these come in -- and all the other fun little details that you can find in all that packaging. Admittedly some of them don't have a ton to offer, but others... man, there's an art to it.

I probably talked for a lot longer than you wanted but man I just love talking about this stuff. I wish I'd discovered it sooner. OwO"

It's also way hotter and more atmospherically sexy to pop out a vinyl record as your "guest" sips at the glass of wine you just poured them.

 

[Kagayours]

It's also way hotter and more atmospherically sexy to pop out a vinyl record as your "guest" sips at the glass of wine you just poured them.

No joke: I honestly love to make sure I have a record on when I know there'll be guests over, especially when I'm away at college and my roommate has more of a social life than I do. Even if she invites people that I don't even know or if someone's just quickly stopping by before they both head someplace else -- I still love it when people take notice of the record player, because it just makes me feel like I'm giving off the impression that I'm classy as all hell. *shades* Even though I'm really just a huge dork but ya know it's nice to feel cool sometimes.

 

[Brovo]

What's your rotation on your lifts?

I do M-W-F, T-Th are cardio days (45 minutes on the bike since I got terrible feet).

I do almost all core on lift days, and alternate the exercise group every other day. Day 1 (Monday) would be Squats, Bench Press, then Rows. Day 2 (Wednesday) would be Squats, Overhead Press, then Deadlifts. Day 3 (Friday) would be a repeat of Day 1. Sat-Sun are rest days. That next Monday would actually be what I did on Wednesday the week before, Wednesday would be what I did Monday/Friday. So on, and so forth.

I have bench, bar, and dumbbells as well. I alternate what I want. I also have a curl bar, but I'm focusing on core right now (SQUAT ALL DAY ERRDAY). Cardio days I do do wrist exercises with the dumbbells though. Dem forearms.

Chest & Back Mondays. Tuesdays are Plyo. (It burns, it burns!) Wednesdays are a wild card. (Whatever doesn't hurt yet? Go target that.) Thursdays go to Yoga. (Because Yoga is shockingly harder than it looks. mfw.) Fridays I'm still experimenting to find a sweet spot, but it's looking like more chest and shoulders + core. Saturdays are leg day: Don't skip leg day. Leg day is love, leg day is life.

Though I really should focus on my core more. So I might punt Wednesdays to core, idk. It was only about two weeks ago that I kicked up from 15 minutes a day to an hour a day, because 15 minutes was no longer enough and I wanted to challenge myself.

If you have any tips, I certainly wouldn't mind them.

 

[Space Cowboy]

Chest & Back Mondays. Tuesdays are Plyo. (It burns, it burns!) Wednesdays are a wild card. (Whatever doesn't hurt yet? Go target that.) Thursdays go to Yoga. (Because Yoga is shockingly harder than it looks. mfw.) Fridays I'm still experimenting to find a sweet spot, but it's looking like more chest and shoulders + core. Saturdays are leg day: Don't skip leg day. Leg day is love, leg day is life.

Though I really should focus on my core more. So I might punt Wednesdays to core, idk. It was only about two weeks ago that I kicked up from 15 minutes a day to an hour a day, because 15 minutes was no longer enough and I wanted to challenge myself.

If you have any tips, I certainly wouldn't mind them.

Best solid tip I can give you, which I recommend you follow, and most others will recommend too (particularly if you're a beginner) is to SQUAT. EVERY. DAY.

It's not just a leg exercise, it's solid core. Probably the single best lift you can do as well. Just make sure you're doing them right. If it means getting someone to physically check, to looking in a mirror and watching Youtube videos, do what you gotta do to go ass-to-grass just right.

From there, watch your macros and micros. I'd recommend you down a protein shake following every workout, because dem amino acids.

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutri...6&sr=1-4&keywords=optimum+nutrition+chocolate

Above is my favourite protein powder. Mix it with milk or water. Water for less fats, but let's be honest, fats from milk can be good for you too (I personally use almond milk).

Try to work in as many of those workouts that I listed: bench press, military/overhead press, and deadlifts in particular (AND SQUATS, DAMNIT!). They're all compound exercises that work more than one muscle at a time, which is superior to single muscle exercises (like curls, for example). In the end, you will absolutely become stronger, faster. Single-target exercises (like ones that specifically target your back) come later with advanced musculature.

Also, deadlifts are for Gods among Men.

Sorry if I'm talking shit you already know. I just find this stuff to be PARAMOUNT. This is stuff Arnold makes sure people know about!

 

[Brovo]

I already do the protein shakes. The rest of this is useful information though.

Now, one day, I too shall become muscular as fuck.

I can already hear my muscles crying.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Maybe with enough working out you'll all learn how to move your own muscles. :3

 

[Space Cowboy]

I already do the protein shakes. The rest of this is useful information though.

Now, one day, I too shall become muscular as fuck.

I can already hear my muscles crying.

Also when you squat everyday you get an ass even men stare at.

 

[Boba Fit]

I play football, and played competitive paintball, but retired. NPPL and PSP was rough.

I obviously RP. :)

Weightlifting and Conditioning as that will soon transition from a hobby to a profession.

I used to DJ and mix music but I have since retired from that as well.

 

[die_Sprachkenntnisse]

@Cosmos go for it you'll love it :3

@Kaga-kun dude, I envy you so much! For a long time have I wished for a record player so I can start a vinyl collection. Sadly all the ones I've found locally are in such a horrible shape and since I live on a ridiculously tight budget, I haven't even dared to acquire one. I'm afraid I wont have the $$$ to take care of it ): It's really awesome that in a year you already have so much! For me it's Gameboys original dmg and cbg (I haven't been able to move on to gba yet >_<) This year while rummaging in my old room (at my mom's house of course) I found my dmg and my bro and I's cbg (I use to have a pretty neat collection dmg, cbg, gba, gba-sp, nds and nds-lite but you know sometimes mom's don't see value on old "junk" we keep around so she threw them away T-T some time after I moved out... WTF MOM!!! ) Now I spend the little I can refurbishing and modding them also buying games for them, cause retro gaming is the best! That's why I get it when you said vinyl is special, the same for me and retro cartridges, there's just something about opening them, cleaning and replacing missing bits a pieces like batteries or screws it makes it so much personal like you say and you learn so much about this stuff it's amazing. Right now I'm waiting for my new cbg screen to arrive in the mail so I can start refurbishing my cbg (the screen was totally wrecked for some reason ): ) I never thought I would find so much joy in buying screw drivers either xD I'm also in the process of bringing back to life my n64 (nintendo fag here xDDD) so cheers mate!

 

[Kagayours]

@Cosmos go for it you'll love it :3

@Kaga-kun dude, I envy you so much! For a long time have I wished for a record player so I can start a vinyl collection. Sadly all the ones I've found locally are in such a horrible shape and since I live on a ridiculously tight budget, I haven't even dared to acquire one. I'm afraid I wont have the $$$ to take care of it ): It's really awesome that in a year you already have so much! For me it's Gameboys original dmg and cbg (I haven't been able to move on to gba yet >_<) This year while rummaging in my old room (at my mom's house of course) I found my dmg and my bro and I's cbg (I use to have a pretty neat collection dmg, cbg, gba, gba-sp, nds and nds-lite but you know sometimes mom's don't see value on old "junk" we keep around so she threw them away T-T some time after I moved out... WTF MOM!!! ) Now I spend the little I can refurbishing and modding them also buying games for them, cause retro gaming is the best! That's why I get it when you said vinyl is special, the same for me and retro cartridges, there's just something about opening them, cleaning and replacing missing bits a pieces like batteries or screws it makes it so much personal like you say and you learn so much about this stuff it's amazing. Right now I'm waiting for my new cbg screen to arrive in the mail so I can start refurbishing my cbg (the screen was totally wrecked for some reason ): ) I never thought I would find so much joy in buying screw drivers either xD I'm also in the process of bringing back to life my n64 (nintendo fag here xDDD) so cheers mate!

Yeah, the amount of maintenance required for one of those things can be scary. I was honestly shocked when I found out just how many delicate parts might need to be replaced. @_@ Thankfully I haven't run into any issues like that (yet). I remember asking when I bought it about how I would go about replacing the needle and how I would even know when it needs replacing, but he said that it takes a good number of years before they need to be replaced and that I shouldn't need to worry about it. Trouble is, I have no idea how much wear this particular needle had already endured when I bought it, so I have no frame of reference here. Everything I've tried to look up online for how to tell when it needs replacing all say things like "you'll know because it sounds different", but, seeing as how this is the only needle I've ever had... yeah. Oh, and then a lot of them say things like "just look at your needle and see if it's worn down" and I'm like... look where??? This thing is nearly microscopic and I can almost never get a good look at it. The only times when I'm certain I can see anything at all is when I can get the light to hit it the right way, but then, that's not very good for examining its sharpness...

Aaaanyway, if anything does happen where I know something's wrong, I'll probably just take it in to have a professional look at it and deal with the costs then. XD But yeah, I managed to get this thing for only TWENTY DOLLARS. OwO I got the player and most of the discs I have so far from a super tiny mom-and-pop shop that keeps giving me random discounts for no real reason.

Sorry to hear about all your old games that got thrown out. >.< I have a small handful of retro games, too, but I don't collect them with quite as much fervor. XD I mostly just hang onto them because I can appreciate the value of an old game. Oh, and nostalgia is a big part of it, too. Unfortunately, when I was a kid, I used to always sell my old games at places like Gamestop as soon as I got tired of them, so I'd have more money to buy newer games. I'm regretting a lot of it now, though -- there are so many games I want to re-play from my childhood that I wish I'd hung onto. :/

 

[Oswin]

Art is a big escape for me these days. I still take commissions from time to time, but largely I can draw for my own pleasure, which is a really nice switch. (Because I can draw what I want and not what someone else wants me to. Getting paid to do art is nice, but it can be really draining when you can only ever find time to do work and not simply draw because you feel like it.)

When I'm not drawing/painting, I enjoy reading and writing. (RP, obviously.) I was teaching myself violin and French, but both hobbies got put on pause when I moved and I haven't had a chance to pick them back up again.

 

[Hellis]

Saturdays are leg day: Don't skip leg day. Leg day is love, leg day is life.

Every day is leg day. NO exeptions.

Also, nice to see fellow gym talkers. You never know what to expect around these parts.

The stuff I try to keep up with now that I have a job:

Gym,
Larp,
Leather working,
The usual fare of running table top stuff.

 

[Finhawk]

Besides RPing, I draw and paint. I'm a sucky artist though but I guess the fact that I enjoy producing shitty drawings is the most important part.

Geocaching is my newest obsession though. An Internet buddy of mine kept talking about it around the time I moved about four months ago so I decided to give it a try. If I had known how utterly addictive the hobby is, I would've reconsidered. It's too late for me now. Though it's currently cold as fuck and the snow makes some caches unfindable so I've somewhat calmed down for the winter.

Geocaching isn't just consuming my precious time without giving anything back though. The caches are often times placed near things that are worth seeing and visiting. Since I had just moved and was a complete n00b in my new city, geocaching is the thing that got me familiar with most of the places. I mean, if it wasn't for this lil' hobby, I would've probably just used the same routes to get to the university and the nearest grocery store. :,D The finding the cache part is pretty darn awesome (especially if you've been searching for over an hour :p) but the search and the places are great as well. And thanks to geocaching, a lazy piece of shit like me is willingly going outside and getting at least some exercise.

And I enjoy lying face down on the floor. Yes, that's a hobby now.

 

[Windsong]

@Brovo

It's to the point doing any workout is becoming more enjoyable than chore-like. Which according to some is the tipping point between giving up and sliding back, or getting fit.
Problem is I'm terribly inconsistent with my days and what I do.

But woo, 15 pounds down.

 

[Brovo]

But woo, 15 pounds down.

Keep going, and you will succeed! This is already a great achievement.