Fitness in Philosophy

In the second part of their discussion about human nature, James and Robby continue to investigate the connection between human nature and fitness. They ask and attempt to answer the following questions. What is human nature? Is there an essence to humans that applies across all places and times? What is the balance of nature vs. nurture in human beings? How much of a part of our human nature is f...

In this episode, James and Robby investigate the connection between human nature and fitness. They ask and attempt to answer the following questions. What is human nature? Is there an essence to humans that applies across all places and times? What is the balance of nature vs. nurture in human beings? How much of a part of our human nature is fitness? If fitness is such a natural part of our human...

What makes you engage in fitness? For many people it's the rewards that as a result of engaging in fitness like looking better, feeling better, and performing better. For people who participate in sports it's things like pleasure, points, and prizes. In this episode James explore the idea of rewards and its relation to fitness. They ask and attempt to answer the following questions. What is a rewa...

A prominent feature of any modern society is the notion of punishment or retribution for any wrongdoing. Whether it's jail, fines, public humiliation and ostracism punishment is a central feature of certain aspects of modern society. In this episode James and Robby ask and attempt to answer the following question with respect to punishment and fitness: -What is punishment? -Why do we punish someon...

When the internet first became widely used people assumed that more information is always better. Few people today would take genuinely take that stance especially with the rise and rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation as a result of the speed of the internet. What is misinformation? False or misleading information spread mistakenly or unintentionally What is disinformation? False inf...

In this episode, James and Robby discuss the the concept of information and how it relations to fitness. They discuss questions like: -is all the information we're getting from fitness devices about our health and wellness useful or problematic? -what information with respect to our fitness and health should we pay attention to? -what information can improve the fitness coach/client relationship?...

In Part 2 of their discussion, James and Robby continue their conversation on personal identity and fitness. One of the central, perennial philosophical questions is the question of personal identity. Questions like the following are central to the personal identity question: -Who am I? -What makes me me as opposed to someone or something else? -Am I my body? Am I my thoughts? Am I my continuous c...

In this episode James and Robby discuss the connection personal identity and fitness. One of the central, perennial philosophical questions is the question of personal identity. Questions like the following are central to the personal identity question: -Who am I? -What makes me me as opposed to someone or something else? -Am I my body? Am I my thoughts? Am I my continuous consciousness? -Clearly...

A lot of modern culture is centered around the notion of authenticity or being authentic. But what does it meant to be authentic? In Part 2 of the Authenticity series, James and Robby build on their discussion from Part 1 and attempt to answer the following questions regarding authenticity and its relationship with fitness. What is authenticity? What does it mean to be to be true to oneself? How d...

A lot of modern culture is centered around the notion of authenticity or being authentic. But what does it meant to be authentic? In this episode James and Robby attempt to answer the following questions regarding authenticity and its relationship with fitness. What is authenticity? What does it mean to be to be true to oneself? How do autonomy and authenticity relate to one another? What is authe...

Does modern technology help us in our quest to get fit and healthy? Or is technology a distraction from time-honored principles of eating healthy, moving your body, getting enough sleep, etc.? In a continuation of our discussion from Technology and Fitness Part 1 we ask and try to answer the following questions -Has technology had an overall positive or overall negative influence on the practice o...

Does modern technology help us in our quest to get fit and healthy? Or is technology a distraction from time-honored principles of eating healthy, moving your body, getting enough sleep, etc.? In this episode we explore technology's connection with fitness by asking questions like: -What role will artificial intelligence play in health and fitness in the coming years? -Are fitness devices like sma...

How can we know the right thing for us to do and yet fail to do it? For example pretty much everyone knows it's better to: -exercise rather than not exercise -eat healthy food vs eating processed food -not smoke vs. smoke And yet there are literally millions of people who don't exercise, eat junk food, and smoke. How is this possible? This is the central discussion of this episode. It's an extreme...

In this episode, we discuss the following questions about subjectivity and its connection with fitness -What is subjectivity? -What is the connection between subjectivity and our lived human experience? -What's the importance of subjectivity, things like emotions, beliefs, opinions, feelings, in fitness? -Can our subjective experience of how we feel override objective data in fitness? For example...

In this episode, we discuss the following questions about objectivity and its connection with fitness -What is objectivity? -Why is the connection between science and objectivity? -How does objectivity in fitness help us determine what's real and what's fake? -Should there be objective standards within fitness (for example reaching for a 2x bodyweight deadlift)? -How can objectivity play a role in...

In this episode, we discuss the following questions about business ethics and its connection with fitness -What are ethics and how does they relate to the practice of fitness? -Why are ethics important in business? -What are ethical and unethical practices within the business of fitness? -How can we balance the need of a fitness business for recurring profit with the idea that a fitness individual...

In this episode, we discuss the following questions about simplicity and its connection with fitness -What is simplicity? -Why is simplicity important in our lives? -What is the importance of simplicity when it comes to our health and fitness practices? -Have corporations made fitness, health, and nutrition needlessly complex in an effort to get us to pay for their services? -If we boiled done fit...

In this episode, we discuss the following questions. -Is the way we exercise today ultimately folly/absurd? -What is folly/absurdity? -Which activities that we engage in in life have meaning vs. the ones that are absurd/folly? -Is fitness just a means to an end to a meaningful life? -What's the connection between absurdity, folly, existentialism, and nihilism? The Fitness in Philosophy podcast is...

In this episode of the Fitness in Philosophy podcast James and Robby turn their attention to the concept of meaning and its connection with fitness. In this episode, we discuss the following questions. -What is meaning? -What is the meaning of life and how have philosophers tried to answer this question? -Where does fitness sit in the hierarchy or meaning of your life? -Is fitness just a means to...

In this episode of the Fitness in Philosophy podcast James and Robby turn their attention to the concept of tradition and its connection with fitness. In this episode, we discuss the following questions. -What is tradition? -What are the benefits and drawbacks of following traditions? -What's the connection between philosophy and tradition? -Should one adopt a certain fitness practice because that...

In this episode of the Fitness in Philosophy podcast James and Robby turn their attention to the concept of progress and its connection with fitness. In this episode, we discuss the following questions. -What is progress? -Is progress always good? -Do certain activities that humans engage in involve progress while others do not? -Can there be any true progress in fitness? -Are all the attempts at...

In this episode of the Fitness in Philosophy podcast James and Robby turn their attention to the concept of geography and its connection with fitness. In this episode, we discuss the following questions. -Why do different cultures and geographies have different fitness practices? -Which fitness practices are common to all geographies? -Do the differences or commonalities among geographical fitness...

In this episode of the Fitness in Philosophy podcast James and Robby turn their attention to the concept of evolution and his connection with fitness. In this episode, we discuss the following questions. -What are the basics of evolution? -What deep philosophical questions does the theory of evolution raise for who we are as human beings? -How closely should our fitness practices mirror our evolut...

In this episode of the Fitness in Philosophy podcast James and Robby are joined by special guest OPEX CCP Coach Brandon Wilton. This is the final episode in our series on disagreements in fitness. In this final episode of the discussion we discuss the following questions. -What role does disagreement play in the fitness profession? Does it help move the profession forward or does it hold things ba...

In this episode of the Fitness in Philosophy podcast James and Robby are joined by special guest Brandon Wilton. The topic of the podcast on this episode is disagreements within fitness. They ask and attempt to answer the following questions in the episode: -Do fitness coaches have an obligation to disagree with other fitness coaches and call out bad ideas? -If we disagree with someone in the fitn...