In the many articles I’ve posted on this website, I have discussed that there’s more to life than strength training—and I will never stop standing by that. Contrary to what some in the manosphere would have you believe, to train solely for strength is only giving yourself a half-advantage; after all, a man who can deadlift 1000 pounds isn’t all that useful if he can’t walk up a flight of stairs without dying of a heart attack.
With that being said, I wish to make something perfectly clear: while I don’t feel that strength training is the only thing you should do, I do feel that it is the most important thing you ought to be doing. To put quantities upon it, I would roughly estimate that 50% of the state of being “fit” is strength training, with the remaining 50% being a combination of cardiovascular and flexibility/dexterity training.
Simply put, if you’re not strength training, you are not training yourself to be as fit and strong as you can possibly be.
The benefits to your body from strength training and numerous and, if you’ll pardon the expression, diverse (finally, a form of diversity that isn’t inherently terrible!).
Strength
Obviously, the most visible benefit in strength training is that, simply, you will see increased strength and ability—which is to say, the ability to produce and resist external forces. It’s pretty self-explanatory: both the actual muscles fibers will increase in strength, and the central nervous system will become more accustomed to firing muscle units in synchronicity. Or to put it in even simpler terms—if you train with progressively heavier weights, you will become stronger
Hypertrophy
Another benefit for those who desire it is that of hypertrophy—gettin’ swole, in the layman’s. While I personally don’t care for bodybuilding, preferring instead to have functional strength and movement ability…
Finally, the handstand picture I couldn’t take a year ago due to my broken foot
I can in an ascetic sort of way understand the appeal of packing on as much mass as possible, and I do respect the effort and labor that goes into it.
While training for pure hypertrophy does not require quite as heavy loads of pure strength training, doing many repetitions of 75-85% of your max lift will develop your strength far beyond that of the average man, and will give you many of the not-as-visible benefits detailed below.
Increased Cardiovascular Endurance
Yes! That may surprise you, but increasing muscular strength can improve your cardiovascular endurance.
The way this works is that when you have trained your muscles (in particular the appendicular skeletal muscles—i.e., the limbs) to become stronger, you will increased blood circulation to them, and make the uptake of oxygen much more efficient. And with increased circulation and oxygen efficiency, you will by definition have more cardiovascular endurance than you would if you didn’t strength train.
Bear in mind of course that your average weightlifter is not going to be capable of running a marathon fresh out of the gym—you still need to train for the specific athletic adaptation you want (i.e., if you want to be able to run longer distances, you have to train running), but strength training will give you an advantage that the completely unconditioned person would not have.
Weight Loss
Obesity being the massive problem that it is in the wealthy world (and increasingly the developing world), this is obviously a goal that many are seeking to accomplish. As luck would have it, resistance training will help you substantially with that.
To put it very simplify, losing weight requires you to expend more calories than you lose. And when doing the fundamental full-body lifts, the sheer amount of muscles being exerted means you are expending a lot of calories. As if that wasn’t enough, weight lifting stimulates the production of androgens, most notably testosterone, which also stimulate the burning of fat
Bone Strength
Last but not least, resistance training will make your bones and joints stronger, thus enabling you to lift heavier and heavier weights and thus get all of the enumerated benefits above.
The Big Four
So now that you know the benefits of strength training (even if you don’t explicitly want to develop your strength and hypertrophy), the novice might be asking: which lifts should he do?
To get all of the benefits detailed above, you are going to have to do lifts that hit as many muscles as possible. And I think you know what those lifts are…
That’s right, the big four lifts! The squat, the deadlift, the bench press, and the overhead press. You already know the latter two, the former will have articles soon. Keep working at them with proper form, and all of those health benefits will be yours.
Read More: How To Start Training The Front Lever For Strength And Flexibility
I haven’t lifted in 3 months and I feel like crap. Watching your body decay by the day is a disgusting feeling to a man who takes pride in his masculinity. Although there is no excuse to skiping gym , when you go through some serious shit in your life you just can’t pull yourself together.
That’s why you have to pull your shit together. You soldier on.
Don’t know how hard you have it but one must always try to put their put forward in order to move on.
@Lou Skunt @Barbatos @AutomaticSlim
I’m in a situation where I worked hard ever since I was a kid to achieve smth and I lost it all in a couple of mounths thanks to my foolishness (breakup followed by drugs abuse). For the last year I’ve tried hard to make things right but failed miserably at every attempt. Now I don’t even have the desire to fight on anymore. It’s like I’m done with life. I spend my time alone with my thoughts hiding from people.
Hey, I here that. Been there as well. Not so much w/ drugs but certainly with alcohol. But… you’re only 20!!! You can start over any number of times! I have made DOZENS of foolish mistakes and I am still here. And…YOU have given me great advice…despite out HUGE age differences! You are a freaking hard ass! You will get through this shit and go higher than you ever thought possible! It’s OK to be depressed and hide for a while. But when the time is right, and you feel better about things…FREAKING POUNCE!!!
Keep it up and you’ll be the 900 lbs man.
Seriously just take it one decision at a time, one day at a time.
You have to decide whether to be happy or let your misery consume you when you wake up.
I take you have a family. If they are great to you be content with that and go from there. Loving the ones close to that you usually take for granted helps a ton. They become your safety net. Once you have that you can do whatever you want.
One must help themselves first before helping family, then community, then the world.
If I make through all this , I plan on writing an article about a young man’s struggles in today’s West and to thank you all because you guys are often the only people I talk to during my shitty day. If I don’t make it , you probably won’t hear from me for a while. We’ll know in a few weeks or months for sure. I know you can always start over , especially when you are young but there’s quite some difference between us my friend. I am a blue eyed European who happens to hold a third world country’s citizenship. I have to deal with some shitty things you don’t have to. Life ,often, doesn’t give people like me a second chance to succeed. But anyway crying about it is pointless. Let’s wait and see what happens.
I was born in a 3rd world country. Until you die you are given every bit of opportunity. I don’t know where you’re from but you’re in Europe, that shit is Life on EASY MODE.
Think about being an African and constantly thinking of what to eat or drink. Or a dirt poor Asian.
“If I make through all this…”
You WILL make it through my friend!!! I know this and SO DO YOU!!!
“Think about being an African and constantly thinking of what to eat or drink. Or a dirt poor Asian”
True that. I won’t ever have to worry about being hungry or shit like that. But , it’s a matter of perspective really. I left my home country to get rich and make my family proud. My family provided me with a golden opportunity. I for my part , studied hard ever since I was a kid to win a place in a school in the West. I even worked out and built a good body. And then I screwed up royally because of a woman. It feels like a bad joke. If my dream is ruined , it doesn’t matter anymore if I have food or not. Sometimes I wish I was a hungry African hunting in the desert , only having to worry about feeding myself. It would be such a sweet escape from all these responsibilities.
Anyway , thanks for listening to my crap man. It’s really refreshing to about these things with other people once in a while.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aafddc698c81c339562388a016707be72bd262b5b96bca7bf0c2014c4b0962ce.jpg
No ifs, good sir. The only way is forward and up. The demons in the shadows are no match for a man with a purpose.
Deus vult.
It’s just a phase in your life brother don’t worry. Every man goes through that and then emerges from the Ashes like a phoenix, 1000 times stronger . You are not alone and still young. Plenty of time to change everything. You just need to stay healthy and focus nothing else. I am 27 and so happy that I found this community on time. Let us forge our bright future peace
Hang in there, dude. The most important thing for you to do is this: get started. Take inventory on all of the things going through your head that you feel you need to do and start doing them, even if it’s small, inconsequential things that you feel won’t affect your long-term happiness. If it’s within your grasp to immediately change something for the better — you’d better do it.
Are you surrounded by filth and not cleaning up after yourself because you’re depressed? Clean that shit up and organize your living space to perfection — it will make you feel better. Clean up your environment and it’ll help clean up your mind; you’ll be able to think with more clarity when everything around you is properly arranged . It goes without saying that if you’re not bathing, shaving, brushing your teeth, etc., that you need to get on the ball with your hygiene as well.
If all of that is in place then get started on the next steps: workout. Just go do something. Walk briskly, do pushups — do something. Better yet, go to the gym and lift weights. Have the back day from hell. Put all of your frustration into some deadlifts and heavy bent-over-rows. Even if you’re not “feeling it” and you’re just going through the motions, at least you’re doing something.
Just GET STARTED. Do the small things and work on moving forward, and leave your fuck-ups behind you where they belong. You’re going to be fine, man, but the sooner you get started on making yourself fine, the better of you’ll be. Things will fall into place in due time.
Get started.
That is a great quote. One of the best of all time. Rocky to his son.
One thing i envy about people from those countries is how often they smile and embrace eachother. They seem much happier than citizens of europe .
Well David what is a man when you take everything away from him? Always ponder this yourself.
Character is key here.
Will go down as Sly’s best in the modern era. Very moving scene.
If you can start a blog, do. I have a friend who has been blogging for a decade and she supports herself and her husband/new born, living in South Africa. One article she wrote a month or so ago was read by 50 million people (about cancer and BS lying from the government). I am guessing she got paid a shitload from that one article alone. Your whole life is ahead of you. If you can write, do.
Thanks for the motivation. I cleaned up my place yesterday. I plan on finding a job now.
Thank you for the kind words brother.
My english is not that great. If I feel like writing , I will contribute it to ROK. There are some things I want to write about to be frank.
Ah, the credo of the kid brother…..
Don’t you dare give up.
Go to YouTube and search ‘Jocko Willink’ Extreme Ownership and listen to his podcasts.
I could post the links here but I won’t. The act of searching just might temporarily kick you out of your cloud.
Obviously, I haven’t met you and you don’t know me but I’ll be damned if I let one of my brothers here take a permanent walk away from his potential for greatness.
You owe us an article. And I know it’s gonna be a damned good one. Peace.
To your credit, sir, you write better than 80% of the American public who were born and schooled here, but I get it. <3
” I have to deal with some shit things you don’t have to. Life ,often, doesn’t give people like me a second chance to succeed. Actually life doesn’t even give a first chance to people like me , in most cases”
As I recall, you are Albanian living in Germany?
You’re among friends here, man. I don’t think most of us quite comprehend what you are meaning by the quoted text above. We can’t comprehend the defeatism at such a young age when you are at your prime and have a lot of time to bounce back. Not to be nosy, but if you told us a few more details maybe we could make suggestions or boost your self-esteem a bit. My life hasn’t always been easy, and I am in America, where the rest of the world *thinks* we all have it easy. I have had to overcome things that were no fault of my own. Just bad luck, or in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or fucked up people around me.
Life ain’t always easy or fair. And sometimes those of us who have done little or nothing wrong get hosed, while other pieces of human garbage. have easy, comfortable lives.
With your intelligence, masculinity, and conservative/traditional mindset, I think you have a tools to overcome some pretty bad things if you are determined to.
I can’t share much details right now but the idea is that I risk losing my losing my university place as well as my residence permit (I’m on student visa here). If that happens I will have to turn back home and spend the rest of my life in shame for spending all my family’s money and achieving nothing. The worst part is it doesn’t depend on me at this point. I know you don’t have it easy brother , but with an American pass you can start over and over again wherever you want. But I need a visa move somewhere and that costs shit loads of money. Albania is not in the EU and will not be for another 10-15 years, if the the EU survives that long that is. Now Albania is a great place for somebody who has money , but as young man you are screwed there.
I’ve also grown very paranoid. I think the Germans are spying on my “conservative” views. I’ve had problems with the police too. They found weed in my place twice. Although the case was dropped , I’m sure they have my name noted somewhere.
So I can’t think straight at this point brother. I can barely tell the difference between reality and my irrational thoughts. I’m also very tired. I worked a lot for the last year to get things right (I’ve done heavey and shitty jobs and studied hard ) but I’m still broke and miserable. Good luck has abandoned me lately. I just want to sleep now man.
thanks brother
The sun will rise tomorrow.
…
What are you going to do?
…
Is suggest get going with whatever you want to do.
My dude, this stuff is either stumbling blocks or stepping stones.
..
If you get kicked out of school and Germany, all you need is a new plan.
What did you go to school for? Can you get a job related to that?
Or if you truly must leave and its expensive, then get highest paying job you can find(will probably suck), slog away at it until you have enough.
…
Its not even close to over
You can be frank, ill be Hector.
It’s ok man , I’ll probably find some way out. I know it’s bad to be a whiner and very unmasculine. Just thought I’d share some details on my life with my fellow ROK-ers. It’s good to have a conversation with wise men. Take care.
IWNFD
It’s inscribed on the inside of ring I wear. You can not change the past, but you can refuse to let circumstance destroy you. You can refuse to die today by your own hand. You can refuse to let the actions of others determine who you are or change you from who you want to be.
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
– General George Patton Jr
I. Will. Not. Fucking. Die.
Brah, now I understand your dilemma a bit more. Yes, it is a tough spot to be in. And I will agree that if your were an American the same scenario would be easier. We would have more options and opportunities than you have in Albania. Plus we don’t have so much of the family shame thing here, as a traditional/conservative country like Albania. And I forgot your country is not in the EU and you can’t move to other EU places for work or anything.
I’m not down with your weed use. I would not be surprised if German authorities are keeping an eye on you due to your views. As a non-EU visitor with non-PC views, they may be looking for any excuse to kick you out if you can’t hold on to your uni slot and student visa. Yet the let in unvetted, unassimilable fuckers from Africa and Arab countries. Figure that one out.
You seem exceptionally smart and world-wise for your age, and for being from the Balkans region. Especially Albania. Your English is excellent and I’ll bet you know quite a lot of German by now, am I right? So you know 3 languages at a young age and have very savvy and mature views on Western civilization, society, and culture.
Fuck the family shame thing if you know in your heart you did your best. Yeah, going back to Albania will suck, compared to Germany or many countries. But someone with your smarts will figure it out. Be determined. Continue to be the alpha. I know it’s hard, cuz I’ve had to do it too… but accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. Don’t give up, or beat yourself up. You have your shit together. I think you can conquer the things that trouble you now, or that you may face in the future. I would give a lot to be as smart and savvy as you seem to be, when I was your age.
It’s getting better brother. Got an email from school today. They will let me study another semester. I will nail it this time. I’m very aware of the authorities though. I hope they will think I’m too much of a small fry at this point to care.
Yeah I speak German too , although not as good as English. I’m familiar with the Latin languages too. And I don’t smoke weed anymore , it’s been almost a year.
I’m surprised at how supportive the RoK community can be. It’s awesome.
Great news! Study hard, work hard, play hard.
As I said before, you’re a smart dude, and Europe needs more young guys with your masculine and conservative views.
Carry on, good luck, and get back to the gym too! ;-)))
And keep posting here.
Haha thanks man. Take care.
Everything will eventually pass. We all have obstacles, and manage to get stuck in the mud at times. Just find a way to stay focused and never give up on the fight to improve your situation. You obviously understand the benefits of working out… Don’t forget that the weights are Always there, they will Never complain about your time apart and they will Never disappoint.
NB, I went 2 years without working out due to depression — from a female, of course.
This was at 32, and I eventually got back into it after 2 years, and you will too — but not two years! Get back as soon as you are ready! You can do it!
Be thankful Balkaner….. you crashed and burned while you are still young. Now’s the time to pick up the pieces…. for you, for your future.
You have the opportunity now to learn from your mistakes, and avoid them in the future.
Here’s a great story that might pick up your spirits a little.
http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/strength-articles/iron-henry-rollins
Read it ,great story. “Picking up what you’re not prepared to ” part hit me hard. It’s a mistake I’ve made.
I know how you feel. For me the gym has always been a comfort in these times. See, the thing is that the weights have numbers on them. THe dopamine high is great, but when times were hard there was a certainty about weights. How much am I pushing this week, write it down, how much next week, make charts, graphs, plan workouts….the structure and certainty of the whole thing turned the volume down on everything else and kept me away from falling into a hole of booze and violence and self pity many times.
Some days, I go in, do 3 sets of 15 reps of dead lifts, shower, and go home. There’s no day that is too busy to fit that in.
Hey, Balkaner. It’s been a couple days. Hopefully, you’ve discovered advantages over your situation, and are a better man today than yesterday, and better each day. Don’t be discouraged when you have to conceal the manly light of your conservatism in your heart. Remember it’s harder to hide than surrender the beliefs the left would attack. A lesser man gives in. You won’t. I was forced to pick up the pieces of the life I had planned at age 25. I had to divorce, my inheritance lost, my father long-dead. I had to choose employment over college. I lost one year of my life to self-pity. Thank goodness you’re a step ahead. Feel free to blame yourself, as long as it leads you NOT to self-pity, to self-betterment. Men peak in sexual market value with age, but if you want to take full advantage, work those arms, man. There will come a day when you’ll be glad the plan you had for your life failed. No man’s life is a binary until the final page. Up until then, you’re in charge. You owe it to yourself to continue building your body, not because that’s who you were at some time before, but because you MUST NOT stay who you were when you wrote to ROK days ago. May your outlook be up, and your numbers high. Courage!
God bless you brother.
And you, man. Stick with us.
Old guy here (51).
Started getting rotator cuff and serious golf elbow issues 6 years ago, and switch from weights (never the really heavy stuff, but mostly working with 45 lb dumbbells) to mostly body weight exercises like pushups, dips, deep knee bends, etc.. Still do some weights, but much less than before. If any of you know any ways to work through cartilage and tendon issues, and get back to weights, I am all ears. Thanks.
Swimming.
Thanks.
Yeah, that sounds right.
But have to find a pool for that.
I spend 12.5 hours a day (minimum) working & commuting.
Pretty tough to get to a pool after all that. Wish I could, though.
I’m in a younger but similar situation. (43). At the ripe age of 31 I was diagnosed with osteo arthritis. Some b.s. that seems to run on my mom’s side of family I inherited. Had a few knee surgeries, and didn’t want to believe but was told at 31: “You have the knees of a 55 yr old+ man , you’ll be a candidate for complete knee replacements of both knees by 41.” I wouldn’t have believed him until we went over both MRI and X-Rays in detail. At that time, I shrugged it off, basically said FU doc, and went on my marry way. I always dabbled in weight lifting since 16yo, but never maintained momentum to keep it up more than 6 months straight until about 33. From 33-41 I worked out every week, 3-6 days a week the entire time except for some muscle injuries which had me off no more than 1.5-2 months. Injuries total during that time I was off maybe 6 months max. In may late 30s I felt I hit peak strength, and subsequently size as well. I was for lack of a better term, a “meathead” officially.
As it stands I’m a surgical candidate for (2) knee replacements, (1) shoulder surgery, (2) elbow surgeries, and (1) hip surgery. It fucking sucks. Thus, Jan-Feb 2016 I quit lifting. entirely. My theory was to at least give the joints some time to recoup, drop weight (the hardest thing watching that muscle I toiled away for years to gain, just systematically fade away), to knock the pain off the osteo arthritis literally now in every major joint. In 1.5 years since stopped, I’m weaker now than when I was when I focused on lifting as a lifestyle change @ 33. A few other life changes catalyzed my exodus from lifting. Only now, am I just starting to experiment with push ups, low weight bar curls, light abs, body weight squats (still hurts like hell), pull ups if I’m at a jungle gym with my daughter. I actually paid for a year’s gym membership procrastinating I’d get back into it, and finally cancelled the membership (ego killer). So if there was an excuse to skip out on strength training, I can promise you, medical pictures of joints with 1/8″-3/8″ of viewable osteo arthritis and the ensuing bone pain associated it is certainly a sound reason.
I’ve experimented for years with non-narco, non surgical, non-medical script methods. That carried me through my late 30s, but entering mid-40s seems and feels to be a whole new ball game. I’ll bounce back, but not like before, and still not sure when the time for personal commitment to regain any significant strength will align with my demanding schedule. Work once again, in-progress. Never say never.
Yeah, I agree.
Doing something is better than doing nothing. I suppose there is no magic bullet, but stopping altogether is never the answer.
My stopping started as a body recoup test and a lack of time due to more pressing life requirements (a kid, court rulings w/ex, etc. new jobs, yada yada). BUT, it can easily become a crutch. I do a run-test for the knees every 4-6 months. If I can run 2 miles w/o major inflammation (despite the pain which is always there), I’m still salvageable. I didn’t entirely stop ALL exercise, just strength stuff.
You’re better off dead. Life is for the living. So get moving.
“You’re better off dead.”
Oh yeah!
I definitely have though that many times! But I am still here. And I still exercise and stay fit and trim.
I am 51 but people tell me look like 35. I am still here. Not going anywhere for a while.
Do you happen to have a family? If you do, they are lucky to have you man!
Nope…
I am a loner.
An Omega male.
The only thing “lucky ” about my life is that I am an IT consultant with the ability to earn a high income and afford upscale escorts. I bang hot girls who don’t care if I live or die. That is the extent of my “luck”…
It’s something man.
What is?
The money?
I would trade that in a second for a decent, pretty girl that would dedicated herself to me. Ain’t happening, though.
I take you want a white girl!
Well…I am an American of Southern European origin, so…yeah, would prefer my own kind. But a nice East Asian girl would do as well.
Not for any of us bro. Not in the states. I tried for a decade. Pretty girls in the US are never satisfied. Theyll hang out for a few months, drain your bank account, your soul, then get bored and drop you.
Theyll come back after they get herpes or genital warts, old, fat or pregnant, or reach 50 lays, but by then hopefully you wont be interested.
My dad is 65, two divorces, two feminist daughters who hate us and each-other. This was Ohio btw!
Life is so much simpler just hitting and quitting. Freedom. Enjoy it.
Been hitting and quitting (and paying too) for 31 years. Yes, I enjoyed it for a long time, until 45 at least. But as I got older, I wanted more. Thought long and hard about what I missed out. Sure, I am better off than a divorced guy who has been raped by alimony & child support, but still. I wonder. What is it like to have a female give herself to you mind, body & soul??? Some of us get to have that. But not me.
Well if you ever decide to settle down. You will make them happy and proud. At your age, you are just really cementing your legacy.
You’ve done what many of us would like to achieve. But building and maintaining a family akin to a community is what would cement it.
Oh my, another Ohioan with a bunk story. I often thought this state could remain more insular to the social change. Too many mid-sized cities to avoid farm country not being affected too.
Why do you feel you are having an issue with women – is it just the loner aspect so you don’t meet women? You seem to have it together…? Or are the women just fucked up (oh yeah…I am on the ROK blog site…)?
That’s sad though. I can’t believe ALL the women are like that though I can see it I guess. For me, I didn’t want anyone to think I was after money because i don’t care about it so…I connected with a guy who had no money and was beta for 16 years. Strange things we do. It’s like there is no grey area.
The ROKkers are great…. but they do tend to forget the 80/20 rule. About 20% of women are pretty good. Those 20% find a husband, stay married, and have a pretty good life. Roosh even commented on this during his visit to the midwest. By the time the ROKkers have a few bad experiences, those 20% of the good girls are already happily married….. and of course “crazy” is easier to catch than “normal”….. so unfortunately. AWALT+Hypergamy+GoodGirlsMarried tends to tint the viewpoint of my brothers here.
some of my friends retired to latin america. 60 years old, sitting by the beach or mountains with a 35 year old woman, dedicated to making you happy. it’s a shame that this is now unbearably difficult in the states.
The 80/20 rule pretty much applies to everything huh? I wear 20% of my clothing 80% of the time too…
This can be a Catch-22… increasing the strength and development of your muscles takes stress away from the joints, but the process of doing so may result in joint pain along the way.
Before you even start to impose stress on the joints and muscles, get your nutrition bumped up to the highest levels possible:
– Increase your lean protein intake and only consume whole foods.
– Consume large quantities of food with high anti-inflammatory properties (blueberries, strawberries, broccoli, spinach, avocados, olive oils, etc.)
– Avoid any foods that create inflammation (anything processed, alcohol, dairy, etc.).
– Stay the hell away from surgery if at all possible.
– Get as much sleep as possible.
– Drink tons of water.
Put your body in a state that’s more conducive to accepting physical stress. I’m not a big drug guy at all, but if it temporarily suits you, incorporate an anti-inflammatory regimen into the mix (ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.). Look into neoprene sleeves to support the elbows, knees, etc. Old school remedies like Epsom salts and alcohol rubs work wonders as well.
Once you’re running on higher octane fuel and your body is a little rested, by all means, move forward with imposing a little stress on the body. Take it very slow at first and with time and patience, anything is possible. The body has the amazing ability to adapt and recuperate. Take your time to develop the ability to “listen” to you body – it will tell you what it needs. I wish you the best!
There is going to be some pain involved with lifting weights for a lifetime. But you know what? That’s ok. There is also a lot of pain involved with being inactive for a life time. I will take some muscle and joint soreness over being overweight, weak, prone to heart disease and all the other terrible side effects of not bieng in shape.
As for the NSAIDs I try to avoid them. I would rather use ice and eposom salts than that stuff because of the liver involvment. You are 100% right on other things here including water (I drink 2 gallons a day but I also workout and sweat a lot…every person should be drinking at least 1 gallon) and sleep. Avoiding surgery is also sound advice..but only up to a point. At some point avoiding surgery when it is necessary does more harm than good. Having an doctor you truly trust is key.
https://healthcoachcode.com/2017/07/22/natural-cure-joint-knee/ Maybe there is something here you haven’t seen as of yet. Good luck.
There are some good supplements that include glucosamine that are helpful. I am about your age and had similar problems. I use Swanson Vitamins chicken cartilage as part of my regimen.
Being time-challenged is tricky. At our age, you should still hit the weights, but you’ll want to go much lighter and at least five days a week. The cartilage and tendons heal / and strengthen even more slowly after 40, so by hitting them repeatedly your tendons will get stronger, but the lighter weights reduce joint problems.
Checkout http://www.t-nation.com for more tips. Search for “over 40”, etc….
Thanks!
I will be 50 in three months and am at 18% body fat and the best musculature of my life. HIIT strength training less than 25 minutes per workout session. It doesn’t take that long, though I think my results are improved by doing cardio (20-25 minutes) in the afternoon as well so the metabolism stays up most of the day.
My strength training is at a bit of a lower weight, 5 sets of 10 reps at a rapid pace, with only a 10-15 second break between sets. If you are not sweating bullets strength training you’re doing it wrong for the age range.
rapid pace his a mistake i believe. Focus in on slow motion and work on muscle TUT (Time Under Tension). Whatever your current results are, they will be better.
You’re absolutely correct, but I am referring to tendon / cartilage strength. The cardio / muscular fitness comes much faster than the tendon / cart (or bones). I do 20 minutes twice a day weights and cardio, and feel great. 😉
Do you receive an equal cardio effect?
I think your caloric burn is even better assuming you go high volume and super or giant Set it. On top of this the after burn from micro tear repairs burns calories as does the increased muscle density.
I still do cardio (stair climber intervals 1 hr per day) but doing a 3 move superset with high volume (16-20 reps) with time under tension and slow focused reps will get your heart rate up…
Old guy? C’mon Slim, I just turned 46 two weeks ago, you‘re killing me over here… It’s nothing but a number if you maintain your health. I’ve trained seriously for over 25-years, always very controlled and methodical – never been injured in the gym. However, with that said, life definitely happens and I’ve had my fair share of rotator cuff issues, plantar fasciitis, medial and lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), wrist pain, etc. For me, these ailments/injuries have been the result of repetitive stress and or movements which I’ve traced to things I do around the house or throughout my day. Remember, repetitive stress can also be classified as standing or sitting in one place for a prolonged period. Doing something or doing nothing for too long can lead to all sorts of problems.
I’ve injured my rotator cuffs by reaching into the back seat to pick up groceries, sleeping with my arm under the pillow all night, even walking my dogs with them pulling too hard. The rotator cuff is very delicate and it doesn’t take much at all to injure it. I’ve developed plantar fasciitis by working on my yard and standing on the slopes, pronating my feet for long periods of time.
I’ve found that so many connective tissue ailments can be rectified by taking a serious look at your daily activities and modifying them accordingly. For example, my rotator cuff pain was easily alleviated by taking my left arm off the armrest while I was driving and placing my elbow in my lap for the duration of my commute, thus taking pressure off the joint. Also, I found that the way I would open car doors, house doors or even the refrigerator would create pain in the rotator cuff or epicondyle, so I would turn my hand in the opposite direction to open them – problem solved.
You have a multitude of treatments that you can research on the internet, but taking a serious look and paying very close attention to your day to day activities should point you in the right direction. At the end of the day, as long as you don’t need surgery, finding a way to rest or lessen the stress on the affected area as well as an anti-inflammatory regimen always worked best for me.
One last thought… if you have access to a pool, swimming is amazing on so many levels, whether it be for general fitness or rehab – create your own hydro-therapy.
Great advice.
Thanks Lou!
“For me, these ailments/injuries have been the result of repetitive stress and or movements”
– Yeah, the repetitive stuff has killed me. The one exercise that I believe has really hurt my rotator cuffs is “flies”. Did them religiously for over 25 years. They really did the damage, IMO.
Also drop weight down and do more sets with perfect form. Rear deltoid exercises can build muscle to alleviate stress on rotator. Go easy tho.
Thanks. A “muscle therapist”. Had not thought of that. Thanks. Will have to look into that. And the deltoid exercises as well. Thanks for the advice. The rotators are so important for most upper body stuff. Almost impossible to avoid.
I had same problems from flies.
Catch 22 to build shoulder muscle to protect.
Now is better.but often night pain in nyc winter.
Had elbow issues too. From mouse..computer is worse than construction.
A physical therapist is key
look into ART(active release therapy). works wonders. a few are located in manhattan
its not cheap, so it will cut into yer whorein’ budget
More sets and more reps. Massive volume is really key. Want to build muscle and strength start doing 5 or more sets at the 16-20 rep range.
Hahaha!
Then I guess I’ll have to work weekends to make up the diff!
Thanks, I’ll check it out.
Also jeff caveleri from athleneX saved me:
Has a few videos on what NOT to do, such as this:
Also building the shoulder muscles takes much of the load off the rotator cuff ligaments.
And This ››› Sitting 6 hours/day and being idle/stationary degenerates and harms your body worse than smoking ›››
Two tips:
1) Buy a standing desk (mine raises and lowers like in that video ,so I can sit or stand)
2) When I receive a phone call, I step outside and walk around the block while I’m talking. If you can’t do that, walk around your office or to the restroom or something. Make it a habit. Gets your blood flowing again, stops the negative effects of sitting, and burns calories.
See a muscle therapist. They help you break through scar tissue, reactivate muscle fibers that went dormant, which takes the stress off of the bone, joints, ligaments etc. changed my life after a knee problem, but it is very hard work they put you through.
I’ve never had a rotator cuff but I got a hairline crack in my kneecap meniscus a few years back. Doctor said my knee would never be the same and it would be 18 months before it would quit popping out so I walked easy. I never used clucosamine before that so I then ate a small handful with my regular vits every meal. Also I ordered a magnetic knee brace. It was a strap on velcro wrap around, kind of like an ace bandage full of magnets. I had heard tons of radio programs before talking about the magnetic bandage/braces. Veterenarians use magnets on race horses to speed up healing of strained ligaments and cartelage. I was easy on the knee but could bike and walk. After a year or so I could jog. Strengthening the muscles around the knee/elbow also reduces the direct load on the joint when you use it.
Magnetic therapy on horses
On humans
Basic magnetic theory
A torn rotator cuff requires surgery. I saw somewhere a guy who had a magnetic sling over his shoulder, most likely after surgery.
Take it slow and eat cooked pig skin. Pig ears are good, too.
I love pig skin.
Especially in Tomoto Sauce.
I support the collagen replenished the tendons/ligaments/cartilage?
I have to read up on that.
If so, I will be eating much more of it.
Thanks.
I hear vitamin D helps, particularly if you’re not getting out in the sun much or eating dairy.
Yeah, I get sun & eat cheese.
I do take plenty of vitamin supplements.
I have noticed an improvement since I started taking Zinc (50mg) and Magnesium (250mg) about 2 years ago.
When I don’t lift I start feeling serious depression and I feel like shit. Ever since I’ve started it’s been this way. The mental benefits are great too. When you’ve moved hundreds of pounds of weight, all the other bullshit of the day seems minimal.
It seems minimal, because it is minimal. There is no greater truth in life then lifting weights. They never, ever lie.
That’s why dirt poor 3rd worlders are the happiest. The trivial shit we have is bonus to them, yet we don’t see it that way.
How good I feel after a workout is directly proportional to how badly I torture myself during it.
It’s good motivation to push harder.
If I don’t workout I feel that way. Having just had surgery and not being able to workout for about a week is bothering the hell out of me. So I can’t understand people that are satisfied in never working out.
Same with me, plus I drink less and sleep better.
It’s not genuine ‘depression’ but it’s nature’s way of telling you to pump it. I get pissed off at people that try to keep me sitting. I had this in-law that was a fat lard ass and all her family were fat lard asses. When I visited, she tried to keep me sitting and grazing on plate after plate of greasy trans fatty shit that she kept bringing out all day. When I wanted to leave, she gets all pissed off and starts drama. Other family members just sat there and ate the greasy shit. All day they ate plate after plate of vegetable oil soaked shit. She kept the entire household fat and stupified and it was all under threat of her starting drama. I should have plastic baggied the food and hid it in my coat instead of nibble on it. I only ate one or so plates, but I felt tired as shit and dizzy when I stood up and prepared to leave. I pity the fat relatives of mine that are trapped and have to live there. Only one fat household member is healthy enough to work, and they have a plate of doctor’s pills to get their fat ass in gear every morning. TV is the main exercize in the house.
That is the saddest thing I heard
Compared to that horror movies are joke.
hell.
OMG how horrible. I am from the Midwest and we have plenty of that crap but not that bad or you’re just really good at descriptions because I ha elucidate dream (nightmare) quality images in my head. Blech!!
You should have plastic baggied her head with a nice zip-tie.
Good Lord man. Being around that kind of human decay.
Shake it off and eat some whitefish and spinach.
Have you seen anyone about that depression? No joke I’ve it destroy friends.
it´s manly testosterone withdrawal syndrome, once you stop, all the chemicals in water, plastic GMO food and the fucking estrogen soy they put almost in everything start to kill all your testosterone trying to make you a faggot.
Atrazine
I get antsy and a bit irritable. My kids can tell if I haven’t worked out in a few days and suggest I workout. They will also take the necessary steps to enable it.
Always enjoy your articles Larson. Another great one!
No proof or explanation of the ” bones getting stronger from weightlifting ” claim. Is that true?
I just always took it as truth.
Stress on the muscles & bone making both stronger…
If it causes microfractures, it will harden the bone
Pretty sure it has been scientifically established.
https://www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com/perspectives/strength-training-stronger-bones/
It’s a well known and well documented fact that any “safe” weight bearing activities increase the strength and density of your bones (at any age). My wife owned a personal training business for many years and experienced this with all of her elderly clients. I can also attest to this fact with my mother in law (age 78) and my mother (age 81) – both have increased their bone density over the last ten years by incorporating just a “basic” weight training regimen. It’s no joke.
I saw that on the news(when it was real news not the BS today) in the late 1980s, it was a piece about weight training and how it prevents bone loss.
In the diet, bone marrow contains more minerals essential for bone density than the meat. Cainines will instinctively chew the bones and suck the marrow out for the minerals that rejuvinate the bones. Eating the marrow outweighs the meat and flack around the bones by far. Concentrated bone broth/marrow products have hit the market like Alex Jones’ ‘Caveman’ powder
Also bone meal/bone broth soup was a staple with paleo diet.
Marrow and cartilage is TRUE KRATOM.
You see 65 year old Asians still working the fields and look at his plate. They suck that bone dry.
Looks like Alex lost some weight. There are pictures of him in his 20s, looks like he was very active in his youth.
Organ meats are better than muscle tissue. Especially liver. For most people eating organ meat is not very palatable.
Especially hearts, chicken, pig, deer, all high quality protein and delicious when barbecued correctly. No problem with chitlins or liver either.
I bet you eat tiger nuts hoping to get your weenus hard
You’re right about the liver. Do cainines instinctively eat the liver too? OT but there was an infamous serial killer/cannibal from South Korea who ate the livers of his victims. Was it an instinctive nutritional drive??
YOO YOUNG-CHUL was born and circumcised in Gochang S Korea in 1970. He was hung in 2014 for 20 murders where he bludgeoned wealthy women and then removed and ate their livers. The fact that his victims were women makes me think the circumcision had a decisive effect on his maturing. He had keenly developed instincts but he could have purchased cat or dog liver from the market just as well.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SDK1OSjlMEc/magresdefault.jpg
But old ladies’ livers?? Korea has the highest grade of ethnopurity. What on Earth do they need circumcision for in the first place. Something definately warped young Yoo-Chul. His mother? We will never know.
https://splashmans.wikispaces.com/file/view/YooYoungchul.jpg/512186952/308×337/YooYoungchul.jpg
??? Such a nice looking young man. He hated the rich. Nothing unusual about that. Me thinks his mother had something to do with his psychopathy. He needed nutrition from liver yes, and his mum made that point clear obviously. I’m curious what verbatim bedtime stories she told him. She had to be a reptoid brain psycho too.
+1 to bone broth
Yes. Increased blood (oxygen) delivery to the muscles and bones.
Compression builds bone density.
Kratom.
Does it really build muscle and turn back the hands of time? Without the issues of HGH, Steroids, and testosterone?
Yes it does turn back the hands of time, last week Kratom sent me back to 1985. I bought a new Members Only while I was there.
nice
To go with your large orange tinted glasses, thick stache and windowless van?
Hut!
Dammit man! Blowing wine out my nose burns my sinuses (plus it’s a waste of alcohol).
I need more strength training. I’ve always been fit in the endurance category since most jobs I’ve done require lots of running around.The guy doing the handstand shows muscle improvement. The lack of tan on that chest looks right out of the office grind though. The titties scream “look at me”. Put sticky circles over the nipples in a tanning bed so those tits get invisible and match the rest. Needs either chest hair or if chest hair is genetically a no-gro, then that chest needs a righteous red pill tattoo.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7614/17029437731_1a0e668181_m.jpg
Walk around with that tat and shirt unbuttoned and passing pussies will cream down their legs. Women will be slipping and sliding in their own pectin, trying to run towards that tat like someone threw banana peels all over the floor.
Uhhh not all pussy wants that crap, just mostly messed up pussy. But that does happen to be the easiest to bed, so…there you have it. LOL I don’t appreciate contamination of the beautiful temple that houses the soul.
I like that you have standards ma’am.
You’re a dying breed.
BTW have you made any diet alterations – i.e. Eliminating wheat? When I did that, almost effortlessly I dropped down two clothing sizes and the inflammation in my body disappeared, including in my knees.
Modern western wheat strain excess genetic cross breeding has led to the creation of a new opoide protein, gliadin, causing issues with the consumption of wheat due to addiction, that is causing major health issues.
It is quite literally, toxic to our bodies and the increased inflammation is what has led to a host of degenerative disorders (inflammation is the base of almost – possibly all – modern ailments). Ancient grains and non western wheats do not have such issues. (Often when people move away from the US their ailments clear up.)
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2015/05/lose-the-wheat-and-grains-lose-the-inflammation/
The disinformation got to me for a while TBH and marrying a beta liberal didn’t help. We fought like dogs and cats on the political front. Finally got tired of it and bounced back to my natural proclivity.
Nope, still doing the rice and viande and veggies.
Besides not big on bread anyways. Would have from time to time.
I’ve mixed rice and quinoa together, just to increase carbs without bloating myself with rice.
I’m in tip top shape.
Wheat and sugar isn’t ok but people tend to get addicted to it.
Some denominations that chop off their men’s hair and circumcize tend to frown on tattoos. If you observe the message on the tattoo, it is a righteous quote. You could lay your head upon that chest and be saved – – after being savagely ravaged.
No qualms about the message just the form of messenger. <3 Not my thing but it is many women’s – and men’s thing. 🙂
Get a S&W magnum 44 !
Of course many young men are trying to gain weight! We should distinguish between weight loss and fat loss.
thank you bob. I am sitting pretty at 205 now but have about 5-7% less body fat than a year ago when I was at 190 so i look a lot leaner and am much stronger. Unless a person is really overweight or even obese they shouldn’t care about their weight (needing to get to a certain weight for sports weigh ins or body building competition aside). A tape measure, not a scale, should be the bench mark
I’ve always had the opposite issue. 6’4″ and was 300, then down to 220. Got back to 263, been running my ass off these past couple weeks, hope to be 253 in the am. I’ve got a running article written, I need to tweak and upload it.
Ya know Luke, I really am behind most of your comments and articles, but I have to say I think running is the absolute worst for of getting cardio in that it is a) not efficient (time v energy output) b) rough on joints and spine and c) counter productive to muscle gains. I take a rower or a stair climber over running any day. Granted, if you don’t have access to any gym equipment and swimming is not a possibility then somehting it better than nothing, but running is really the bits. Circuit work with weights for 45 minutes or 1 hour doing very intense intervals on a stair climber kicks the crap out of running and has fewer detrimental effects on the body
Add moves like the Turkish get up, dumbell /kettlebell swing, barbell row/ single arm dumbell row and a farmer’s walk to the four mentioned in the article and you’ll have a pretty complete program. Throw in bodyweight pullups on alternate days.
Turkish get up is one of the hardest movies for me. It really is an amazing workout but I struggle with it even after years.
It’s a fantastic move. I always start light and go slow with that one.
you HAVE been to Turkish prison!
You do not have to workout like a Crossfitter or Bodybuilder, but regular weight training, either free weights, nautilus machines, or body weight workouts will help you keep muscle and raise testosterone. And that makes it easier to keep weight off. Of the three, free weights are the best, followed by body weights, and then machines. Some might scoff at Nautilus but its much better than no training at all.
Cardio is useful too but too much can work against you and muscle loss will occur.
Steady State Cardio should be on a list with Kit Kat Bars, Fast Food and Smoking for things to avoid if you want to be healthy. Crossfit is fine, but it is hard admitting to your family you are gay. Other than that, what you say is right. I am a gym rat through and through and work out at a level and frequency that is obsessive…and my body shows it. However, that is my passion and it isn’t for everyone. What is for everyone is some form of exercise. Even if it is 3 days a week for an hour a day with some weights and a little cardio on other days (one should force their body to break a sweat daily).
Swimming is part of a good workout, About a mile before I lift.
Swimming is a great workout. I always neglect to mention it because I have no access to a pool but yes, coupled with lifting swimming is a winner for sure.
No pools in NYC gyms?
There are, but not in mine. I have a universal pass to my gym so I can go to all the branches and some have pools but not the ones in an area that is convenient for me to make swimming a regular part of my day. There is a pool near me but that would just be another monthly bill and I barely have time for what I do as it is.
I am blessed to have my own pool, but it’s outdoors so it’s seasonal. I make use of it every day while it’s warm. Last fall I kept it open to the end of October and by acclimating to the cold water each day I was still swimming when my wife wouldn’t even put her toes in it. It does require a bit of willpower to get in it when it’s that cold, but you not only burn calories like crazy, your metabolism is jacked for hours.
nothing wrong with a little cold swimming. Come up to NYC on New Years day and take the polar bear plunge. Loads of fun.
Hipponax, as you are well aware, HIT is probably one of the better forms of cardio you can engage in. Doing sprints is another good bet. But yesterday I decided to try something new. We like to get in a little range time on Sundays so rather than just shoot, I added some tactical drills into the mix. We set up 2 barricades and 3 silhouette targets at different distances. You run 50 yards to the first barricade, shoot through a magazine, reload, run to the next barricade and engage the targets again. I did this with both pistol and carbine. After six of those in 93 degree heat you are feeling it! Just trying to control your breathing and hold steady takes an act of will. I will admit that it was fun, but I don’t think it’s the kind of “cross-fit” that would lead someone to think you’re gay.
sounds like quite a bit of moving around and the heat must have been killer. I haven’t done that. The closest I have is run parachute sprints which had probably a similar effect on the heart lol
This comment deserves an award. The proper term is crossshit
I definitely agree with thus article, my physical abilities jumped quite a bit when I switched from bodyweight exercises to weightlifting.
The big challenge for many people is that barbells and plates are being phased out of places like Planet Fitness… because having those would require actual trainers who know what they’re doing to do actual work.
Actual work being the opposite of planet fitness’ business model.
Just got a hip replacement. It’s the Big Two for a while.
I’m gonna submit and article to RoK on the best and most practical way to be successful with women. Here it is:
“Lift weights. Stop jacking off.”
The end. The rest of the article can be about kratom.
+1
This is very good advice. Even if you only work out twice a week, you can still make decent gains over time. The”big four” are an excellent starting point. I like the StrongLifts 5×5 routine which adds bent barbell rows. If that’s too hard on your lower back, then pull ups are a great alternative (I do both).
If you are just starting out then pick up a copy of Mark Rippetoe’s book “Starting Strength”. He covers body mechanics and proper form thoroughly which is essential for injury prevention. It would have saved me a lot of pain and recovery time if I had been in possession of this information when I was young.
Rippetoe also has a website:
http://startingstrength.com/
Realize, he is all about maximizing strength, so you won’t find anything about balancing with cardio etc.
That’s a good point. The main reason I brought him up was the detail he goes into concerning form. Getting in the gym and hitting the weights is important, but if you do it wrong (especially when you get into heavier weight) you run a real risk of injury. I screwed up my lower back big time doing squats wrong back in my twenties. Over thirty years later I read Starting Strength and realized I was doing them wrong for years. I had a guy in the military show me how to do squats wrong. So I ended up never achieving my full potential on squats because I was legitimately afraid to increase the weight.
The website has some videos and articles. So, it is a pretty good resource in addition to the book.
I will check it out.
Indeed. I am in my late twenties and I had never lifted before, I can not believe I was never told about this.
Younger guys, make the most out of it!
You’re still young. Get on it
If properly trained, executing any of the big 4 + a few other important lifts (barbell row, deadlift variations, etc) would burn continuously calories for 48 hours after training.
Yeah. I have to be careful to lift early in the morning. If I work out in the evening doing the big lifts, I can’t get to sleep before midnight! They definitely kick my metabolism into high gear.
Yep, training too late will hurt your Cyclidean? Cycle (I think I spelled that wrong). Gotta get your sleep with healthy heart rate!
I think you were looking for “circadian rhythm” which is in fact “cyclic”. You made a new word! But, yes I knew exactly what you meant. And that is very true since recovery depends on restful sleep and is every bit as important as the workout itself.
I am not a fan of SL though I won’t shit on it if you like it. I will say that if you are feeling the rows at all in your lower back you do need a form check. Those rows should be hitting (and isolating) your upper back
I understand completely and I don’t follow SL exclusively. In fact Jon’s recent sponsored post highlighted a combination of hypertrophic as well as strength based conditioning. I (as a hard gainer) already figured that out on my own (it just took me over 30 years, lol). I realize that the bent rows should target my upper back, and I have good form, but…I have some serious “battle damage”, from my late twenties from doing stupid shìt, that ain’t goin’ away. So I have to be careful with my lumbar region and pull ups are a good alternative (plus most of my contemporaries can’t even do one). At almost 58 I’m bloody well pleased to be able to do what I do and look good too! But thanks for your input. If I ever have occasion to get back up to NYC I am certainly going to let you know and look you up.
Please do!
There’s a simple trick to hack the bent over row. Do dumbbell rows lying flat on a long narrow enough bench. Don’t curve your back. There is almost no risk of irritation or reinjury unless you’re still recovering from a herniated disc or what not. This is the way it should be done from the beginning. I have hurt my back and so has my dad and I break in cold sweat when I see the stupid shit even advanced bodybuilders do in videos like Arnold in the 70’s standing straight legged on a pedestal and with arms stretched down and holding more than 300 pounds. Impressive strength but there’s no need to subject your spine to this kind of daredevil abuse.
Larsen, thanks for dropping great knowledge week after week. The comment count may be lower on your articles, because there’s not as much to debate, but your articles are always useful and motivational. You are truly helping out your fellow man.
Thank you.
I have to agree that a balanced training regiment is the only and best way to be optimal. That’s why swimmers/jiu jitsu fighters, golfers, sprinters all lift and do aerobic/anaerobic split training. One must have both equal focus on power/strength/conditioning as much as dexterity/speed/skill/technique.
Found this article on Infowars, right at the time I was developing a new regimen after a period of a few months of inactivity (due to work, travel and lame excuses). So true — most of those working out in my circle emphasize cardio, not many doing strength training. I’m now doing 6 days a week, 60-70% strength training, 10% kick-boxing, rest is cardio (“indoor-walking” for 1 hour 2x a week). Feels great. Didn’t realize how much I missed the regimen until I was back into it. . .
Thanks for the terrific article — great inspiration.