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Squats can boost brain activity [video]

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Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a pretty strong claim. Actually that's kind of an absurd claim since yoga is calisthenics. Can you be more specific as to what you mean?

> yoga is calisthenics While yoga-as-meditation seems to have a long in India: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga#History Yoga-as-exercise was a much more recent phenomenon started by Westerners: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_as_exercise > Goldberg is the author of The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West. Her book traces the modern Western practice of y…

[deleted]

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a pretty strong claim. Actually that's kind of an absurd claim since yoga is calisthenics. Can you be more specific as to what you mean?

> yoga is calisthenics While yoga-as-meditation seems to have a long in India: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga#History Yoga-as-exercise was a much more recent phenomenon started by Westerners: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_as_exercise > Goldberg is the author of The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West. Her book traces the modern Western practice of y…

Did you read your sources?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatha_yoga

lol

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny because I did yoga for years and I've never felt better since doing olympic weight lifting and other forms of strength training.

Same. I find yoga and most stretching to be a waste of time. You can do mobility work with strength exercises. Nothing transformed my life more then serious strength training. Everything from sitting behind a desk to running uphill is a hundred times easier. I'm sure you can achieve the same strength with yoga, but it seems to me its very inefficient. You can do strength training 2-3 times a week for an hour and it j…

Counterpoint. Yoga, and body weight training may as well have done nothing compared to how amphetamine has helped me.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on what you want to accomplish. For me a 30 minute session of yoga is much harder than an hour of strength training. Also, they achieve different things, Yoga strenghtens your mind and your body, you touch every part of the body with yoga, weight lifting misses some of them.

What? A good weight lifting routine which incorporates squats, deadlifts, dumbbell rows, bench presses and little more, will absolutely strengthen every single part of your body. As for mind benefits, I can't speak to the scientific evidence of either, but in a physiological level I don't see why weights should be any worse.

Weight lifting doesn't train balance, whole-body coordination or flexibility as much as yoga or calisthenics would.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#115
post #22
post #18

My theory is that anaerobic exercise, like squats, uses up ATP in the muscles. To replenish the ATP, muscle cells pull glucose from the bloodstream thus lowering your blood sugar level which leaves you feeling relaxed. If done prior to sleeping it can help you sleep through the night rather than wake up at 2am. There may be other benefits as well. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

I think at least one study has shown that strenuous exercise before sleep is not good for your sleep.

This has been my personal experience as well.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#116
post #6

Funny how people become obsessed with specific movements, specific exercise styles, etc. I’ve done it all including becoming obsessed with Mark Rippetoe and the derivatives, cardio like running and mountain biking, swimming 2km a day (80 lengths) etc. The one thing that has absolutely transformed my life is yoga. No more back pain, insane strength I never had, no more injuries from eg lifting a 100 lbs propane tank a…

Yep, and I’m not doing real yoga. I’ve been doing DDP Yoga, yes the wrestler, for 3 years now. Same results as you. I also lift often and I’m almost ready to add jiu-jitsu to the mix. This winter I’ll be ready to begin.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've no skin in the game but 30 mins a day of yoga and 2-3 hours a week of weights aren't hugely different.

They have really different outcomes though. There's absolutely no way you can stress the nervous system and build muscle and bone density as efficiently as with lifting weights. Calisthenics, which is what Yoga is, body weight exercises, can never achieve the same results. You can come close in a lot of ways, one legged squats etc, but ultimately, you cannot work your back and your core as effectively as with a 1.5x…

> There's absolutely no way you can stress the nervous system and build muscle and bone density as efficiently as with lifting weights.

I'm not sure about that - have you looked at the strength required for some of the exercises people do on gymnastics rings? Things like ring planches, maltese, victorian cross (once thought to be impossible) etc.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#118
post #6

Funny how people become obsessed with specific movements, specific exercise styles, etc. I’ve done it all including becoming obsessed with Mark Rippetoe and the derivatives, cardio like running and mountain biking, swimming 2km a day (80 lengths) etc. The one thing that has absolutely transformed my life is yoga. No more back pain, insane strength I never had, no more injuries from eg lifting a 100 lbs propane tank a…

Funny because I did yoga for years and I've never felt better since doing olympic weight lifting and other forms of strength training.

Same. I went from yoga to Mark Rippetoe and, while I had difficulties for a long time due to trying to learn the lifts on my own, in the end the squats and deadlifts have benefited my body much more than yoga.

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a pretty strong claim. Actually that's kind of an absurd claim since yoga is calisthenics. Can you be more specific as to what you mean?

> yoga is calisthenics While yoga-as-meditation seems to have a long in India: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga#History Yoga-as-exercise was a much more recent phenomenon started by Westerners: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_as_exercise > Goldberg is the author of The Goddess Pose: The Audacious Life of Indra Devi, the Woman Who Helped Bring Yoga to the West. Her book traces the modern Western practice of y…

Sure, but we're talking about physical health here. The religious/spiritual/mental thing is separate. You can also meditate while you lift, no? :)

Re: Squats can boost brain activity [video]

#120
post #65
post #6

Funny how people become obsessed with specific movements, specific exercise styles, etc. I’ve done it all including becoming obsessed with Mark Rippetoe and the derivatives, cardio like running and mountain biking, swimming 2km a day (80 lengths) etc. The one thing that has absolutely transformed my life is yoga. No more back pain, insane strength I never had, no more injuries from eg lifting a 100 lbs propane tank a…

I'd wager that folks just get obsessed with what worked for them. Really, even more acutely, they become obsessed with what they are currently doing. I can't tout any of the claims I see online about exercise helping, well, anything. I do like my bike rides, though. And, the odds are stupid high that one of the first things you will learn about me, will include the type of ride I prefer.

Indeed. And I'd wager that what works on them is not even constant, but varies with time, experience, body composition, etc.

If you start from zero, doing anything a little bit improves your body, but it's also very easy to overdo it and break your body. If you then switch the activity, your body is already much stronger and better prepared for a new activity and is not as likely to break.

Maybe the lesson is that variation is the key? Do all sorts of physical activities and switch them occasionally?

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