Do you consider yourself and athlete...?

eminenz2

eminenz2

Cathlete
even if your only sport is working out to your home DVDs as opposed to an organized or more public sport like biking, soccer, tennis, or other fitness things you usually do outside?

I don't think I'm and athlete. I think it's because I'm not willing to go places "good-pain"-wise or take risks (like 400 walking lunges) that might get me hurt or injured, although it might possibly increase my fitness.

I guess I'm basically a wuss - doing the minimum, that is! haha!

Susan L.G.
 
I consider myself an athlete because I run. However, even if I didn't run, I think I would consider myself "athletic". I can jump high, run fast and far, lift weights, etc.

As an aside, my SO says I have an "athletic" build. I always figured that was a euphemism for "chunky".
 
<As an aside, my SO says I have an "athletic" build. I always figured that was a euphemism for "chunky".>

I think an athletic build means defined muscles, which I love!

I used to consider myself as athletic when I was younger and ran track and played softball. I still bike hard and fast and lift weights and do advanced cardio but that's about as "athletic" as I am these days. My grown sons think I run like "a girl", whatever that means - ha!
:)
 
Yes. I consider myself a weightlifter. It's an Olympic sport, I figure that qualifies weightlifters as athletes.
 
Hello Susan,

I don't consider myself an athlete. I have joined athletic clubs in the pass and, in my experience, they can be a dreadful bunch. For me, it's more important to be fit and healthy. My attitude is 'I exercise to live. I don't live to exercise'. For them, it's about being superman or superwoman, it's always pushing yourself to your limits i.e their aims is to run the marathon or doing 300 push ups. It's a bit extreme.

I honestly would never bother with exercise if I was doing a job that was more active, not desk bound for 8 hours a day. Or if I can eat whatever I want and not put on weight.

Considering that they liked to boast about their acheivements, I saw quite a few who didn't look 'cut' or 'buff' like some of our workout friends on this forum. I swear most of you are probably fitter than them!

Yen
 
Not every gym goer is like that. I'm one & I'm pretty sure I'm not dreadful (although not entirely positive), I don't boast, I'm not extreme (well maybe I'm a little extreme) & my only goal is to have an intense workout that I enjoy. Quite frankly, I barely notice anyone around me unless it's a hot guy.
 
I think this is an interesting question. I don't consider myself an athlete, nor do I consider myself athletic. Maybe that holds me back from becoming fitter, eventhough I qualify as an advanced exerciser. This is something to think about. Oh, and I do run and I do weightlift at the gym, so mmmmmmmmm. What would have to happen for me to think I an athlete?
 
I would say that you are an athlete if you compete. Do you compete in races or weight lifting competitions? If you compete regularly as opposed to running the marathon once a year e.g. running 5K, 10K, 10 miles, 1/2 marathons more than once a month. There's also criterias once you do enter competitions i.e. your finish times because not everyone who runs are athletes; they are called 'fun runners'. I have used mostly running as that is mainly where my experience and knowledge lies.

Can someone contribute some more to this? I am sure there are other factors that I have missed out.
 
>I would say that you are an athlete if you compete. Do you
>compete in races or weight lifting competitions? If you
>compete regularly as opposed to running the marathon once a
>year e.g. running 5K, 10K, 10 miles, 1/2 marathons more than
>once a month. There's also criterias once you do enter
>competitions i.e. your finish times because not everyone who
>runs are athletes; they are called 'fun runners'. I have used
>mostly running as that is mainly where my experience and
>knowledge lies.
>
>Can someone contribute some more to this? I am sure there are
>other factors that I have missed out.
>
>

I agree with how you percieve an athlete. Athletes compete. Are trying to break records (recorded/documented, not just personal). Have coaches. Have others watching their progress. Have fans. etc.
I'm athletic, but not an athlete.
 
When I was a kid, I was always playing pick up games of baseball, basketball and touch football with the neighbor kids, boys and girls. In highschool, pre title 9, the only girls sport available was basketball, but I did almost all the intramurals like floor hockey, softball, and volleyball. In college, and a couple years after, I played volleyball. I love team sports and wish there would have been more available for me in high school. I think I would have loved playing soccer and if there was an "old lady" league around here, I'd join in a minute. So yeah, I guess I once thought of myself as kind of an athlete. My DH refers to me as a "rough, tough breed of woman."
 
RE: Do you consider yourself an athlete...?

I didn't used to, but after running 6+ races this summer (and placing at least in my age group for most of them) & am about to complete my first marathon this weekend, I think so!

I agree that I think to be considered an athlete you'd have to actually compete in some sort of athletic event. But from working out w/ Cathe, you're definitely athletic!! I don't think you have to take pain-wise risks to be considered an athlete though. You need to be smart in your training! Just my opinion though!
 
RE: Do you consider yourself an athlete...?

I looked up the definition of "athlete" on online and this is what it said.."a person who is trained or skilled in exercise, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina".

I don't know if people would describe me as an athlete but I feel like one sometimes. Although I don't compete in anything now I was raised playing softball and was on the track team in high school.

When I think of an athlete though I do think of athletes that compete in races, sports, etc. We all may considered athletic but not athletes.
 
ath·lete
n.
A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts.

Athlete, me.... Ah.... No....:)
 
I do, for a variety of reasons.

1) I was one in high school (letters and everything!), so that mentality has stuck with me,
2) I still do competitive type activities - run in races (5k, 10k, 1/2 thons, and hopefully a marathon someday soon), and I'm now focusing on trying my hand at triathlons, and
3) In all of my workouts, I'm always striving for performance increases - reps, sets, endurance, etc. It's not just about maintaining or improving general health and fitness. For me, it's a competition with myself, to see how much I can be. That sense of drive and competitiveness is athletic, in my opinion.

m.
 
I'd say no. I workout with CAthe 6 days a week in the am, and then do nothing really physical the rest of the day. Even if I ride my bike or play sports with the kids, I don't think that counts.
I'm good with that though. As long as I CAN play sports with the kids, I'm good:)
Deanie:)
 
I say you/we are all athletes! I compete with myself every morning when my body is tired from a previous workout and I just don't feel like it. If I do the workout then I WIN! If someone is passing out donuts at work and I don't eat one I WIN! To me, being an athlete is more about conquering your own feelings that keep you from reaching your goals. I just don't feel competing against others is the "real" definition of an athlete. So yeah, I say we are athletes!
I consider Cathe and the gang world class athletes, so if I can just barely keep up with them, then who can say I am not an athlete :)
 
Yes I'm an athlete. I just find I keep changing what I compete in.

In high school I did springboard diving and swimming 6 days a week.

In University I played intramural sports (waterpolo, broomball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, floor hockey, indoor soccer, flag football), swam and played squash.

In my 20s I competed in karate tournaments, played broomball and volleyball. I also was head coach for synchronized swimming.
Two years ago I did triathalons for the first time.

Now I'm honing my dancing skills and have danced on stage in front of an audience twice. This summer I did extreme mountain biking in the rockies for the first time and had a complete blast.

When I work out at home (step aerobics, kickboxing, weights, circuit) I compete against myself.

My husband and I were tossing the softball around this summer and he was startled at how much stronger my throws have become (regular weight lifting for 4 years seems to have made a difference).

I'm more fit that the majority of my friends and more importantly can keep up with my 5 year old and 7 year old at the park.

I don't think pain is part of the equation just going for that extra push up, faster speed, more height ...

I just don't understand why some people don't want to move at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top