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We’re all just temporarily abled

blog.jim-nielsen.com

171–180 of 537 posts

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#171
Peter Attia explores the same notion in his recent book called "Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity". I haven't finished the book yet, but the key point so far is that our modern medicine, as he calls it "Medicine v2", is in need of an upgrade to v3. Most people expect to become frail or senile in their late years, but it doesn't need to be that way.

This new type medicine will focus on preventing injuries like that of Jim Nielsen's knee, as well as illnesses. For example, blood sugar levels considered normal have increased over the years as the general population got fatter. If your levels are measured 125 mg/dL, maybe you'll get a suggestion to change your diet. But if they're 126 mg/dL, suddenly this is viewed as serious and you're prescribed medications.

Attia argues that there's too much focus on putting out fires like treating a stroke, but not nearly enough prevention and almost no individual long-term course correction for patients. He also argues that we have all the tools to collect the data and to make it possible. The book also delves into the science of "the 4 horsemen of death" as he calls them: atherosclerotic disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease and the type 2 diabetes with the related metabolic dysfunction.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#172
post #90

This reminded me of 5 daily remembrances from Buddhist cannon. 1. I am sure to become old; I cannot avoid ageing. 2. I am sure to become ill; I cannot avoid illness. 3. I am sure to die; I cannot avoid death. 4. I must be separated and parted from all that is dear and beloved to me. 5. I am the owner of my actions, heir of my actions, actions are the womb (from which I have sprung), actions are my relations, actions…

how depressing. what do they have to say about what joy to derive from life?

I don't see that as depressing at all. I find that once you accept that human life and health aren't limitless, it allows you to enjoy every day a lot more than when you think that the days are unlimited. Everything you do and own exists in this time and space which you also temporarily occupy - enjoy it while it lasts, because it will end at some point. It's not depressing, it's more like giving you permission to enjoy life and material things to the fullest while you can.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#173
post #68

His privilege is showing more than he knows. Some people are born with disabilities. If you are lucky , you get to be temporarily abled. And oblivious to how fortunate you are until it leaves you. And then you get to gripe about "getting old" or whatever and kvetch about what you lost. Some people never had it. And never will.

I feel very conflicted when seeing young people who are out of shape. They have the best possible potential for increasing fitness due to fast recovery. An investment that pays massive dividends in a very very short time. A fit body pays back on so many levels it is a paradox why would anyone not be fit.

Paradox? Declining to experience torture several times a week in perpetuity is not a paradox. I have never ran a mile, not when I was young or today; not all of us have the genes that release happy chemicals from physical exertion.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#174
post #118

One of the best things I ever did was get strong through a basic barbell training program called Starting Strength. Squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, chinups, eat, sleep. It really is that easy. Highly recommend it for anyone interested. 1. Any back pain I had disappeared completely. 2. When I have to lift something awkward (eg, furniture), I don't injure myself. If you can deadlift 200KG, awkwardly leani…

I powerlifed for years, with a truly excellent coach for much of that time. For what it was worth, she was Starting Strength certified and a successful international masters competitor. She fixed a subtle problem with my deadlift using nothing but the wrinkles on my T-shirt; my recovery improved dramatically. At 40, I was stronger than I was as a high school wrestler. I loved lifting. I remember casually picking up a…

Man I wish somebody told this to a young me (although I probably wouldn’t have believed them).

Once you start making gains it does become addictive especially if (like me) you have some uh let’s call it mental health challenges.

After sustaining a number of injuries I finally learned to stop looking at the numbers, to stop comparing myself on exrx or symmetric strength. I just go to the gym and have fun. I still do the major movements but I always make sure to leave a little in the tank. I always listen to my body first and foremost. If it doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t feel right.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#176
post #118

One of the best things I ever did was get strong through a basic barbell training program called Starting Strength. Squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, chinups, eat, sleep. It really is that easy. Highly recommend it for anyone interested. 1. Any back pain I had disappeared completely. 2. When I have to lift something awkward (eg, furniture), I don't injure myself. If you can deadlift 200KG, awkwardly leani…

I powerlifed for years, with a truly excellent coach for much of that time. For what it was worth, she was Starting Strength certified and a successful international masters competitor. She fixed a subtle problem with my deadlift using nothing but the wrinkles on my T-shirt; my recovery improved dramatically. At 40, I was stronger than I was as a high school wrestler. I loved lifting. I remember casually picking up a…

I partially agree - pushing limits is plain stupid given enough time, every single time injuries happen, to everybody out there. If they say not to them they are either lying or just begun the sport recently.

I have different approach, with similar result so far to those bodybuilders without actually doing it - don't lift your max, but do it with free weights as much as possible, in good form (the most important bit long term). You don't need to look ridiculously bulked, say well-defined is more than enough, even for women's attractivity. Those massive muscles always hide very unhealthy eating habits (ie > 200g of protein every day will mess up your organs and joints badly over decades) and tons of injuries, plus they are very hard to maintain if you actually want to be happy in your life and do other stuff.

I strongly recommend removing some weights and adding repetitions, you can still reach failure threshold if you want, but in much safer way. Easier to maintain perfect form for each exercise too. You mention lifting heavy stuff in weird positions - that's recipe for injury regardless of age or shape, rather just be a bit smarter with lifting.

What is much better to be able to have some stamina - weightlifting on the limits alone ain't going to give you much of that (saw more than once a ripped guy who didn't do any cardio trying to make >1000m altitude difference hike, well he struggled a lot, on a way up and then knee pain started say in the middle of descent).

There are tons of things apart from main, most visible muscle groups that you really want to train - small stabilizing muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint flexibility, and stamina for all of those. Body is a complex and interconnected system, no point overdeveloping just few main parts for the show or mirror look, rather work on everything.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#177
post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I 100% agree. You mention some pretty scary KG numbers there though (but we’ll done)! I just wanted to mention to readers that even squatting a ‘measly’ 50KG or deadlifting 30KG can immensely help with back pain and the physical challenges everyday life throws at you.

These numbers seem off? Everywhere I look online even the numbers for untrained men are higher than that. I just came back to the gym, am the weakest person there, slightly weaker than 'untrained' numbers on the internet and I can do more. 0. https://www.strengthlog.com/deadlift-strength-standards-kg/

Numbers are really personal. At 60kg I found it really easy to get strong enough to deadlift even 120kg, cited as between intermediate and advanced on that table, despite in no way being an even intermediate lifter. More like novice at best.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#178
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I powerlifed for years, with a truly excellent coach for much of that time. For what it was worth, she was Starting Strength certified and a successful international masters competitor. She fixed a subtle problem with my deadlift using nothing but the wrinkles on my T-shirt; my recovery improved dramatically. At 40, I was stronger than I was as a high school wrestler. I loved lifting. I remember casually picking up a…

What's the plan to stay injury-free? I don't know any bodybuilders.

Lift hard but do let life get in a way.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#179
post #118

One of the best things I ever did was get strong through a basic barbell training program called Starting Strength. Squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, chinups, eat, sleep. It really is that easy. Highly recommend it for anyone interested. 1. Any back pain I had disappeared completely. 2. When I have to lift something awkward (eg, furniture), I don't injure myself. If you can deadlift 200KG, awkwardly leani…

I powerlifed for years, with a truly excellent coach for much of that time. For what it was worth, she was Starting Strength certified and a successful international masters competitor. She fixed a subtle problem with my deadlift using nothing but the wrinkles on my T-shirt; my recovery improved dramatically. At 40, I was stronger than I was as a high school wrestler. I loved lifting. I remember casually picking up a…

That's why I appreciate starting strength. It's a novice program and the gains come fairly quickly and easily. Rippetoe himself in Practical Programming makes the point that after the novice phase, you need to assess what your goals are and program accordingly. A football player will have different goals from a runner, who will have different goals from the general sedentary public.

I myself am pretty happy with where I'm at and don't plan on trying to squat 300KG. I appreciate there's a higher risk of injury pushing myself to my limits. And the amount of investment (time in the gym, getting a coach or learning enough to program for that level) is not worth it.

I'm not suggesting that everyone goes and tries to become a powerlifter. I'm just suggesting that for anyone who isn't strong and is looking to become strong quickly, Starting Strength is the best method in my opinion. And as others have pointed out, going from a 20KG to an 80KG squat will make a huge improvement to your life, and is very manageable for pretty much anyone.

Re: We’re all just temporarily abled

#180

> 1 in 5 people currently have a disability. 100% of people will have some form of disability in their lifetime. That would mean no one will ever die in their best abilities. I think that is a claim that can easily proven wrong, for any reasonable definition of best abilities.

I think if you went even more pedantic you would come back again to the idea that it's right, the idea being that someone dies an untimely death, fine, but it takes like 5 minutes for them to die and several of those minutes they are technically disabled. So then you get ultra pedantic about, maybe that doesn't make sense if you are vaporized over a timescale less than a human reaction time, 100ms or so, and probably…

Sure in some sense, and we can always be over pedantic in any topic. Maybe I felt in the trap here, though I still feel that the sentence is over selling the author point, which is not the end is the world either.

What I mean is, from what I get, the author point is that we shouldn't disregard people with permanent disabilities, as it's a faith we will all eventually reach.

While I agree with the ethical goal of not disregarding people with some disabilities, I wouldn't take the path of founding that on average human faith.

All the more the point is not how long will we agonize in an obviously near death situation, but how comfortably and socially integrated we can live once we have some disability, taking for granted that yes we will all necessary have the luxe of such a situation.

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