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How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

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Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#61

Post by zebraflask »

tejohnso wrote: post #42
zebraflask wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Might be unclear wording on my part. I was thinking about the fitness and nutritional sites, forums, etc. you find when you Google on this topic. A lot of them try to persuade you to follow some pretty complicated or restrictive dietary plans, or expect you to monitor every last thing you eat. When it comes to diet, I am an unashamedly lazy man. Lifting the weights is tough enough as it is. I'm not going to live on o…

Absolutely agree with keeping the diet simple. People like to focus on measuring macros and get hyper focused on hitting someone's idea of perfect balance that won't make the slightest difference unless you're a high level athlete. The obvious, simple changes are going to make a huge difference for the average person.

At the end of the day, I think it's helpful to remember that this sport consists entirely of picking up heavy things and then putting them back down again.

Just a little joke, there.

Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#62

Post by fuwafuwa »

deskamess wrote: post #27

Do we always need additional/external weights, or are there any body weight exercises that can target your bones? Perhaps leg bones are easier since the body weight goes through them. How about upper body (like shoulder area) and the spine?

Stretching indirectly helps with bone health by improving joint activation and range of motion. If you're getting an increased ROM that's generally better for the bone than if it's stiff and limited.

Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#63

Post by cctan »

ec109685 wrote: post #11
garraeth wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if you are operating with a calorie surplus, you'd need to eat an optimal mix of nutrients to maintain extra muscle. Most people (most likely) cannot simply ramp up amounts of what you currently eat. For example, if you suddenly require 5000 c/day, you cannot simply eat more pizza, MT Dew, etc. You have to eat 5000 c/day of nutrient rich food. Your muscles do not only require calories. This is actually very hard…

Which nutrients are pizza missing for building muscle? The problem with pizza is that it is way too easy to over indulge, but I don't think it is lacking "nutrients".

I think the cholesterol and salts will be bad for your health, no?

Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#64

Post by pmoriarty »

trentmb wrote: post #60
shahbaby wrote: post #55

One thing I wish I realized earlier in regards to strength training: It's very easy to do at home if you have the space for it. You don't need an expensive machine. A used power rack and bench can be found for cheap. I now get my workouts done in the amount of time it would've taken me to drive to/from the gym. Listen to whatever music I like. Don't have to worry about other people. Don't have to worry about weather.

One can get pretty far with just a pull up bar and gymnast rings.

For many exercises, you don't need any equipment at all.

Push-ups, squats, burpees, l-sits, planks, and a whole ton of isometric exercises can be done at home, without needing any equipment.

Check out r/bodyweightfitness[1], their Recommended Routine,[2] and r/isometrics.[3]

[1] - https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/

[2] - https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommend...

[3] - https://www.reddit.com/r/Isometrics/

Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#65

Post by ramparrt »

nikofeyn wrote: post #57
ramparrt wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not really very useful. Most serious but recreational cyclists are limited in terms of available training time and recovery. When faced with the option of spending their limited time on the bike or in the weight room with the objective of going faster, the bike is almost invariably the right answer. The reason for that is that watts/kg and watts/cda are the 2 basic determinants of how quickly a cyclist can get a…

there is hardly a sport where strength training and conditioning is not useful.

That is a true statement, however when the objective is getting from point A to point B and those 2 points are >1km apart strength is rarely a limiting factor for cyclists. Available training time and recovery rate are however. Many of the benefits of gym based strength training can be achieved on the bike by performing on bike sprints all the while maintaining specificity. The modern, generally accepted principle is that weight training for cyclists is not the best use of training time.

Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#66

Post by nandemo »

jseliger wrote: post #47
gutnor wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if I made that comment already on HN. But I was watching a documentary on some amazonian hunter-gatherer tribe. All the men from teens to elders looked like gym models. It never struck me until I was in my 30's - but really I have the body of a sick individual and the guy on the gym adverts is actually what the human body looks by design, not some sort of aspirational dream.

All the men from teens to elders looked like gym models. It never struck me until I was in my 30's - but really I have the body of a sick individual and the guy on the gym adverts is actually what the human body looks by design, not some sort of aspirational dream. I've seen comments like this before, and they're valid, but I've also seen evolutionary biologists and/or anthropologists point out too that many if not m…

I don't get it; I mean, I understand the idea of selection bias but what does that have to do with grandparent's point?

OK, a relatively large percent of hunter-gatherers die due lack of antibiotics & other modern medicine. But gp isn't claiming it'd be a good idea to return to a full hunter-gatherer lifestyle. They're just observing that "this is what a biologically normal, healthy homo sapiens looks like". And if you go to the gym you might replicate that -- presumably without incurring the fate of short-lived hunter-gatherers.

Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#67

Post by DrScump »

brandonmenc wrote: post #36
randlet wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'd probably see nice returns in your cycling if you started doing heavy barbell squats too.

Maybe. afaik, most elite cyclists do not squat. I'm guessing endurance and low body weight are more advantageous to the sport. I'm sure there are studies. Can anyone else chime in?

I can see how fast-twitch fibers are less important for endurance athletes. For cyclists, only climbs and sprints would benefit much.

Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#68

Post by rwnspace »

zebraflask wrote: post #61
tejohnso wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely agree with keeping the diet simple. People like to focus on measuring macros and get hyper focused on hitting someone's idea of perfect balance that won't make the slightest difference unless you're a high level athlete. The obvious, simple changes are going to make a huge difference for the average person.

At the end of the day, I think it's helpful to remember that this sport consists entirely of picking up heavy things and then putting them back down again. Just a little joke, there.

I hope HN doesn't mind tangentially related Dylan Moran skits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlLpCh-lE54

Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#69

Post by frobozz »

donretag wrote: post #24

"The average American flat-out loathes strength training. While about half of people do the recommended amount of aerobic activity each week, only 20% also do the muscle-strengthening moves that work major muscle groups." That definitely sums up myself. I am a cyclist. My totals for this week are 147.1 miles with 15,497 feet of climbing (I do nothing but mountains, flat is boring!), but if you ask me to do 10 push up…

That quote from the article isn't at all surprising.

The aerobic recommendation is 2.5hrs of brisk walking (i.e. 7 to 8 miles, e.g just over a mile a day). You'd have to be pretty dedictated to a sedentary lifestyle not to manage that.

On the other hand, you have to think about doing the equivalent of 1 set of 12 reps to exhaustion on each major muscle group twice a week.

Re: How Strength Training Changes Your Body for Good

#70

Post by zebraflask »

rwnspace wrote: post #68
zebraflask wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At the end of the day, I think it's helpful to remember that this sport consists entirely of picking up heavy things and then putting them back down again. Just a little joke, there.

I hope HN doesn't mind tangentially related Dylan Moran skits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlLpCh-lE54

Isn't that the same guy who did the Black Books show?
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