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Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

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61–70 of 94 posts

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Find a competent trainer - gyms that teach Olympic Weightlifting are going to have higher caliber trainers than the typical commercial gym full of 'personal trainers.' There's a massive technical aspect to learn that puts a more scientific spin to appeal to people like us.* * You're on HN, right?

Training to be better at something that you will never do for real is somehow depressing, especially if you only do it in a gym. Run or ride a bike, at least you have a chance to do something useful instead of moving a weight for the sake of moving a weight

If you sit up and sit down regularly, that's a squat.

If you pick up heavy stuff off the floor, that's a deadlift.

Put something on a shelf, it's a press.

These items are less a problem in your 20s, 30s and below, than above.

More muscle mass means more hormone production, which otherwise declines with age.

And weightlifting leads to higher bone density and stronger tendons.

Now are you sure it's not useful, moving a weight for the sake of it?

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#62
post #49

I think we are making a grave mistake by associating going to the gym and exercise with lifting weights. Let me explain. I think what most people should be doing is calisthenics. I’ve been lifting weights for over a decade, but only started calisthenics two years ago. Personally, I feel calisthenics gives you a much stronger and durable body over all compared to lifting weights. It also strengthens your joints and co…

Do calisthenics have the same effect on bone density(that is, increasing bone density and decreasing chances of developing osteoporosis) that lifting weights does? I agree with your point generally though that the best exercise routine(or diet) is one that you stick with and progresses you towards your goals.

Calisthenics is weight lifting.

It just so happens that the weight you are lifting is your own body's weight rather than weights external to your body.

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#63
post #54

What would be a natural way to find if you're taking enough protein? If my sleep patterns, digestion, stomach, bowel movement, muscular recovery are fine, am I taking enough protein in accordance with my workout regimen? Or could it be that I may be absolutely fine but still taking less protein than the one my workout requires and hence building up less? Edit: by natural I mean without using scales, going just by how…

Define "natural" - meaning you don't want to track what you eat? If that's the case, if you simply eat 4-8oz of some sort of lean protein with every meal, 3-5 meals a day, your protein intake will be adequate.

Yes but protein is expensive and I don't want to take excessive either. (assuming I'm financially constrained)

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#64

Protein is good, but not too much from meat: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27479196 > CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: > High animal protein intake was positively associated with cardiovascular mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, especially among individuals with at least 1 lifestyle risk factor. Substitution of plant protein for animal protein…

Thanks. Do you know of any naturally-high-in-protein plant-based source that isn't soy (i.e. tofu etc) or hemp? Asking cos I've had a hard time finding protein dense plant based alternatives, and as a vegetarian, it's really hard to get a lot of proteins from plant-based sources without processed stuff like Vega etc. I do eat quinoa but 1) it's very expensive and 2) you have to eat 2 or 3 cups of cooked quinoa to get…

Plant sources tend to have a higher ratio of calories to protein, so it's tough if you're limiting calories. Chickpeas, eggplant, and tahini all have protein; Trader Joe's Eggplant Hummus has all three, but somehow manages to claim a lower calorie-to-protein ratio than any of its ingredients (not sure how that can work). Mushrooms are good too. Also seitan if you don't mind something a little more "processed".

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#65
post #58

But can't eat the protein all at once: Research by McMaster University’s Dr. Stuart Phillips and others has found that if you eat more than 20 to 30 grams of protein at a time, you don’t get any further anabolic boost. Any extra protein is simply burned for energy; unlike carbohydrate or fat, you can’t save it for later. https://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/why-and-when-you-...

It's not as black and white as that article makes it seem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJpdPYedWjc

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#66

Protein is good, but not too much from meat: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27479196 > CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: > High animal protein intake was positively associated with cardiovascular mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, especially among individuals with at least 1 lifestyle risk factor. Substitution of plant protein for animal protein…

Thanks. Do you know of any naturally-high-in-protein plant-based source that isn't soy (i.e. tofu etc) or hemp? Asking cos I've had a hard time finding protein dense plant based alternatives, and as a vegetarian, it's really hard to get a lot of proteins from plant-based sources without processed stuff like Vega etc. I do eat quinoa but 1) it's very expensive and 2) you have to eat 2 or 3 cups of cooked quinoa to get…

pea protein is a very cheap vegan source

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#67
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Define "natural" - meaning you don't want to track what you eat? If that's the case, if you simply eat 4-8oz of some sort of lean protein with every meal, 3-5 meals a day, your protein intake will be adequate.

Yes but protein is expensive and I don't want to take excessive either. (assuming I'm financially constrained)

pea and whey proteins are cheap, less than $1 / serving

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#68
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is amusing, because in this context the bodybuilders are fundamentally doing science. They have experiments (aka, exercise and eating regiments) that, as I understand it, are repeatable, and consistently produce the desired outcome, at least in terms of sculpted muscle and body fat.

Modern bodybuilders don't have incredible life spans, either, so they face the consequences.

That is mostly because all modern competitive bodybuilders use large amounts of PEDs.

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#69

I think we are making a grave mistake by associating going to the gym and exercise with lifting weights. Let me explain. I think what most people should be doing is calisthenics. I’ve been lifting weights for over a decade, but only started calisthenics two years ago. Personally, I feel calisthenics gives you a much stronger and durable body over all compared to lifting weights. It also strengthens your joints and co…

"Grave mistake" is a hyperbolic criticism, considering your only arguments for calisthenics revolve around strength based on personal anecdotal evidence, and a personal, subjective view of aesthetics.

I've tried calisthenics and lacks in many areas. For starters, it woefully neglects the legs. Pistol squats and bridges are not nearly as taxing as barbell squats and deadlifts, though bridges have the added benefit of working flexibility. Push ups and pull ups quickly reach a plateau with 1 arm variations, and at that point you're no longer doing calisthenic movements but training like a gymnast.

Calisthenics seem to be most effective at building strength for the core (pikes, leg raises, planks) and the shoulders (if you have the coordination to do hand stand push ups).

Barbell training should not be avoided. I've also had serious injuries, such as a broken humerus as a child, where rotator cuff and deltoid muscles atrophied to an extreme level; and those joints are now stronger than ever because I weight trained in specific movement patterns that are difficult to replicate with calisthenics. And I say this as someone who has also been lifting weights for over a decade and has competed in both powerlifting and bodybuilding.

Re: Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40

#70

I think we are making a grave mistake by associating going to the gym and exercise with lifting weights. Let me explain. I think what most people should be doing is calisthenics. I’ve been lifting weights for over a decade, but only started calisthenics two years ago. Personally, I feel calisthenics gives you a much stronger and durable body over all compared to lifting weights. It also strengthens your joints and co…

"Grave mistake" is a hyperbolic criticism, considering your only arguments for calisthenics revolve around strength based on personal anecdotal evidence, and a personal, subjective view of aesthetics. I've tried calisthenics and lacks in many areas. For starters, it woefully neglects the legs. Pistol squats and bridges are not nearly as taxing as barbell squats and deadlifts, though bridges have the added benefit of…

It sounds like you didn’t use gymnastic rings.

I agree it doesn’t target the legs as much, and that’s one area where weightlifting helps, but unless you are doing the most complicated version of many calisthenics exercises (i.e. human flags, v-sit, iron crosses, dragon flags...) then you are not quite at the plateau.

It’s easy to neglect other things with barbell training. You need to train your flexibility, you need to train under instability, you need to strengthen connective tissues. Also you need to work straight arm strength and straight leg strength, not just bent, and they are not interchangeable.

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