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How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

nytimes.com

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Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#31

Post by peteretep »

Kpourdeilami wrote: post #3

for me personally the biggest benefit of weight training has been the discipline it gives me. Once I stick to my gym plan, everything else in my day falls to its place. Knowing I have to be in the gym every other night from 10 to 11:30, gets me to get my chores done quickly before 10 and not waste time on Reddit/Netflix all night. I also listen to audio books between sets to make a better use of my down time For anyo…

While I'd always recommend barbell training, I actually got my start from a dead simple book called Body For Life, and I still think it makes a great beginners plan.

Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#32

Post by 0815test »

hueving wrote: post #27
fortran77 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure. Even though I don't want to admit it, I'm sure I, along with many others, would have more confidence in a fit, muscular person than an out-of-shape slovenly one.

I'm the opposite for hardcore engineers. An in-shape, muscular person looks like they have dedicated a non-trivial amount of time to not software. I presume most people that look like that just see writing software as "a job" and won't be as capable of fully owning anything more complex than small portions of a complex application.

> An in-shape, muscular person looks like they have dedicated a non-trivial amount of time to not software.

Hitting the gym can actually be pretty complementary to writing software or doing other sorts of engineering in the best possible way. For example, many people are psychologically messed up due to some sort of mental "baggage" that basically shows up as a somatic fight-or-flight response, albeit generally in an in-set, chronicized form rather than a literal stress reaction. This can place a significant cap on both your executive function and your self-perceived mental acuity. Hitting the gym is an excellent, time- and cost-effective way to work that stress out of your body and mind!

Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#33

Post by leet_thow »

imesh wrote: post #26
leet_thow wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the social comparison note, I don't regret 8 years of constant training in the least, however I do suspect that if you do add a lot of musculature to a tall frame it can be a bit intimidating in engineering cultures where most men are out of shape and view the activity as "meatheadish."

I beleive it's all in your head. I used to feel very self conscious in my CS classes about looking like a meathead, but I can't point to in instance during schooling or career where that feeling was confirmed by someone's actions/words.

Before I trained an engineering manager literally said offhand a candidate was "to big," during my training I had a small framed junior engineer do a 180 and become adversarial after I talked about my training and goals at a group lunch and in interviews I've sensed discomfort from men with small frames as well. It really is instinctual.

In the manosphere subculture it is called getting "mogged" as in Alpha Male Other Guy and in forums where they speak freely it is an acknowledged phenomena.

Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#34

Post by dirtyid »

leet_thow wrote: post #15
dirtyid wrote: post #9

Serious lifting or athletics in general necessitates cultivating competent time management, planning skills and self control/discipline. Even more so if you roll into dieting for maintaining weight class or generally aesthetics. Once a lifter exhaust all novice and easy gains which doesn't take long, it's down to planning multi week/month long meso cycles, trouble shooting and learning about about your body, refraini…

On the social comparison note, I don't regret 8 years of constant training in the least, however I do suspect that if you do add a lot of musculature to a tall frame it can be a bit intimidating in engineering cultures where most men are out of shape and view the activity as "meatheadish."

That comment is more directed towards the increase in eating disorders, body dysmorphia and negative thinking when comparing progress online. Particularly in men. 5 years ago, 5plate is a solid deadlift, now junior women are pulling that. And it's causing very brittle minded people grief and others to push too hard ruinously when it's clearly not in their cards. Not to mention predatory fake natties schilling nutrition supplements, photoshopped photos etc etc. The gap between the average joe and top 0.01% is increasing as participation increases. I'm sure expectations will normalize with time, but I've noticed a distinct increase in unhappiness among people who spend too much time on bodybuilding/powerlifting instagrams due to increasingly unrealistic expectations. That's not unique to lifting culture overall, but it's a salient development for a niche sport that rapidly gain popularity.

Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#35

Post by 01100011 »

leet_thow wrote: post #15
dirtyid wrote: post #9

Serious lifting or athletics in general necessitates cultivating competent time management, planning skills and self control/discipline. Even more so if you roll into dieting for maintaining weight class or generally aesthetics. Once a lifter exhaust all novice and easy gains which doesn't take long, it's down to planning multi week/month long meso cycles, trouble shooting and learning about about your body, refraini…

On the social comparison note, I don't regret 8 years of constant training in the least, however I do suspect that if you do add a lot of musculature to a tall frame it can be a bit intimidating in engineering cultures where most men are out of shape and view the activity as "meatheadish."

Thank you for saying this, as I was about to post something similar. I came to the valley about 8 months ago, and switched from hiking to lifting because of time constraints. Since getting big, I've felt more and more out of place. I even caught one of my bosses referring to me as a 'bro' when he didn't realize I had dialed in to a meeting.

Now, granted, the current crop of engineers I work with are some of the most stereotypically nerdy folks I've ever encountered. Back in San Diego, the engineers I worked with were usually surfers, extreme skiers, advanced cyclists, or some other "alpha" pursuit. The "alpha" engineers in the valley that I've encountered so far... are generally pale, skinny, socially awkward and not very friendly.

(Edit: Quotes around 'alpha'. Added 'engineers' after second 'alpha'. I thought I edited out the second usage of 'alpha' because it's really all engineers, but keeping it because it still works.)

Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#36

Post by dirtyid »

peteretep wrote: post #30
dirtyid wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For a subsect of a subsect of the population - those who genetically respond well to training and drugs. The general consensus on gear is you shouldn't start until you're familiar with the nuances of training (3-5 years). Particularly when it comes to ligament health- it's very easy to outstrip recovery ability when progressing fast on gear. That doesn't stop people from being reckless. Plenty of people on gear who d…

> Plenty of people on gear who doesn't have the basics dialed in and get poor result. I don't believe this is true. I read a study (that I can't source right now) essentially suggesting something like: Training +gear: 9kg of muscle gained Training -gear: 5kg of muscle gained No training +gear: 7kg of muscle gained No training -gear: 0kg of muscle gained All that said, I'm left with the same conclusion as you, which i…

Normal gear raises your genetic limit by ~5-10%, 7kg of leanmass is a great result for untrained people to inoculate against everyday challenges hence my endorsement for larger role in general population who can't be bothered to train. For serious trainers who you can pack on a lot more lean mass than that, whereas ignorant gear users gains + gear bonus might leave some pretty easy gains on the table by training stupid. Genetically exceptional folks aside. That's not to say gear doesn't confer a massive benefit in the short run. But it doesn't give you the knowledge for long term progress, and if one is not willing to be educated on the basics for lifting/nutrition, they're probably not responsible enough to use gear safely. Anecdotally, gear/dark side seems to be a one way street for most users, it's a lifelong commitment with real medical side effects, "rushing" it without understanding the consequences is a bad approach especially when most people reach 95% of their genetic ceiling withing 3-5 years without gear.

Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#37

Post by kornish »

hueving wrote: post #27
fortran77 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure. Even though I don't want to admit it, I'm sure I, along with many others, would have more confidence in a fit, muscular person than an out-of-shape slovenly one.

I'm the opposite for hardcore engineers. An in-shape, muscular person looks like they have dedicated a non-trivial amount of time to not software. I presume most people that look like that just see writing software as "a job" and won't be as capable of fully owning anything more complex than small portions of a complex application.

Totally disagree. "If you want something done, give it to a busy man."

Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#38

Post by 01100011 »

leet_thow wrote: post #33
imesh wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I beleive it's all in your head. I used to feel very self conscious in my CS classes about looking like a meathead, but I can't point to in instance during schooling or career where that feeling was confirmed by someone's actions/words.

Before I trained an engineering manager literally said offhand a candidate was "to big," during my training I had a small framed junior engineer do a 180 and become adversarial after I talked about my training and goals at a group lunch and in interviews I've sensed discomfort from men with small frames as well. It really is instinctual. In the manosphere subculture it is called getting "mogged" as in Alpha Male Othe…

I think there is something that is inherent to 'nerd culture', at least of a certain generation, which instills a feeling of otherness and persecution by 'alphas'. I was a socially awkward nerd in high school with few friends. I left feeling like I was persecuted and had a large chip on my shoulder towards 'normies'. It wasn't until years later that I realized most of it was in my head and self-inflicted. There is a lot of media out there pushing the 'jocks throw nerd in a trashcan' meme. I grew up in places where you'd have thought things like that would have gone on, but in hindsight I don't remember much of it. Sure, the cool kids didn't value intelligence, but they weren't persecuting anyone for it.

I get the impression lots of other nerd types have a similar chip on their shoulders, whether from real trauma or imagined. As I have become more fit and more outgoing over the years, I find it's harder to connect with other nerds, perhaps because I don't share the same victimhood fantasy, or maybe I just seem unapproachable to them? I don't know, but I definitely feel more apprehension than when I was a fat guy with bad posture and ill fitting clothes.

Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#39

Post by 01100011 »

mycall wrote: post #16
dirtyid wrote: post #9

Serious lifting or athletics in general necessitates cultivating competent time management, planning skills and self control/discipline. Even more so if you roll into dieting for maintaining weight class or generally aesthetics. Once a lifter exhaust all novice and easy gains which doesn't take long, it's down to planning multi week/month long meso cycles, trouble shooting and learning about about your body, refraini…

I'm curious how lifting would compare to other core activities, like hiking or lumberjacking.

Hiking isn't generally something that builds mass. Hiking promotes a lean frame that isn't going to intimidate anyone.

Re: How Weight Training Might Change the Brain

#40

Post by leet_thow »

01100011 wrote: post #35
leet_thow wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the social comparison note, I don't regret 8 years of constant training in the least, however I do suspect that if you do add a lot of musculature to a tall frame it can be a bit intimidating in engineering cultures where most men are out of shape and view the activity as "meatheadish."

Thank you for saying this, as I was about to post something similar. I came to the valley about 8 months ago, and switched from hiking to lifting because of time constraints. Since getting big, I've felt more and more out of place. I even caught one of my bosses referring to me as a 'bro' when he didn't realize I had dialed in to a meeting. Now, granted, the current crop of engineers I work with are some of the most…

I think you are likely on to something with this and your comment below. Testosterone has been decreasing steadily in men over the years and sitting in front of a machine all day probably doesn't help. And yes, the "jocks vs nerds" meme likely contributes to the mentality we are sensing.
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