Equality Lust is Envy by Another Name

The following is from http://www.cafehayek.com/
Income-Earning Man
Posted: 03 Aug 2010 06:41 AM PDT
Here's a letter to the Los Angeles Times:
Like Michael Smith, I don't suffer from the "Progressive" itch for income equality (Letters <http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-0802-monday-20100802,0,7397435.story> , Aug. 3). Not only does achievement of such "equality" require the state to treat people unequally, obsession with income equality also reflects a Scrooge-like fetish for money.
Consider a man who spends long hours at the gym. He does so for the same reasons that another man spends long hours at work: to gain an advantage and a sense of achievement. Are gym-man's broad shoulders, bulging biceps, and ripped torso appropriate objects of envy by couch-potato man? Is this envy a social problem demanding government action? Should gym-man be scorned as greedy for working extra-hard to improve his physique - extra-hard work that likely wins gym-man disproportionate access to attractive mates? Should government force gym-man to share his beautiful babes with couch-potato man? Should gym-man's muscles, or natural good looks, be taxed?
If we recognize that envy of other persons' physiques is a sentiment deserving only ridicule, why do so many "Progressives" excuse - or even positively approve of - envy of other persons' monetary assets?
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Actually, of course, a person's going to the gym is less beneficial for others than is that person spending time earning income in the market. Working out and getting buff is closer to a zero-sum game than is profitably tranforming inputs into outputs for sale to consumers."

I take issue with Dr. B's analysis at the end.  Proper physical training keeps people healthier, longer, and out of nursing homes and motorized scooters longer, and more productive, longer.  What is 'proper' training?  The kind that results in strength and mobility gains.  There's a good, better, best continuum in my opinion.  First is - do anything!  That's good.  Next is to use weights and functional movements with the assistance of a trained coach - squats, deadlifts, presses, cleans, pullups, etc.  All of these movements are foundational to the human genome and result in better strength gains than any amount of machine based training, soft round ball rolling, or jogging - these movements are "no side effect prescriptions for health and wellness."  "Best" is to combine functional movements with a randomized programming schedule, while working out in a CrossFit gym with your friends and a CrossFit trainer.  There you will buoy your sole with the warmth of camaraderie, while gaining increased work capacity for short, medium and long duration efforts, and high, medium and low work output rates, and with a variety of training modes - weights, body weight work, and monostructural efforts such as running/rowing/cycling.  CrossFit and similar styles of training are the cure to the health care crisis.

CrossFit - Thank You

My CrossFit autobiography was published today in the CrossFit Journal - journal.crossfit.com - Forty Years in the Fitness Wilderness - and the Editor, Daniel Freedman, did a fantastic job helping me pare down the original morass of ideas, experiences and observations into something that I think is "Journal worthy." Thanks Daniel, and Mike (Warkentin).

So much was pared that I knew I wouldn't have time to say thanks in the article to the folks who have made my time in the "land of Cindy and Murph" (thanks to whomever at the CFJ came up with that line - I love it) so rich - aside from the sweat, pain and humility Cindy and Murph bring - so, in no order at all, thanks to Barry, Joey, David P, Jakers, Buck, John F, Mike B, Nicole, Dave C, Freddy C, Carrie, Brian M, Mary Conover, Bingo, Karen, Dale, Dr. Glassman, Jeff and Mikki, Cyndi, Nichole, Debbie, Jay, Chris, MAS, Mark Maz, Mary R, Chuck, Jenni, Pat, and Jon - and the 100s of other folks that have made CrossFit the transformation force it has become. I've forgotten some names while sitting here - hopefully I've been able to communicate my gratitude to all of you at some point after my escape from the Fitness Wilderness.

I thank Greg and Lauren so often it bores even me, can't even guess how bored of that they are (and it still seems inadequate), but I thought of a way to put thankfulness into practice while listening to Greg speak (and watching the impact on the crowd) at the Ramona cert last weekend. I think the best I may be able to do is to learn to be the best trainer I can be. Greg and Lauren's creation is giving a new lease on abundant life to so many people, and the basis of that is giving us functional human movement. This is a challenging task, given all of the maladaptation we experience from a life lived in chairs. Being able to pass that gift along, by working to develop our the coaching craft, might be the most potent way we can give back. Even if there's a better way to give back to Greg and Lauren, I don't think they'd feel slighted if we all pursued 'coaching as 'thank you'.

If there's any bigger thank yous that I could owe, it's a continuous thanks to Mom and Dad for their example of living a good life and to Janet, who's gone much farther than supporting my CrossFit adventure, she's joined me. She's even invited me to coach her, it would be an effort to give me a better compliment than that.

I believe it is self evident that if fitness were left to the government, CrossFit would never have been known. I don't know of any simpler or more elegant lessons for those in favor of liberty.

CrossFit - thank you. Paul