Over and over and over again I hear it - and almost always from people under the age of 30: Lifting weights is good for you.
Your joints? They'll be fine, they say.
If you do it correctly, you won't get any strength imbalances.
And if you do it correctly, its better than any other form of training.
There is one small problem: There's no such thing as doing it correctly. Not for your whole life. At some point you'll hurt yourself.
Sometimes it's your knees or your lower back. In my case it was my shoulder.
So why will you get hurt? It's because you're lifting the heaviest weights your body can handle, and putting your body in the hardest positions for your muscles to handle - by definition. And you can't keep your form correct every single time.
These imperfections build over time. And what happens is, the most dedicated of weight lifters end up with the most injuries. Every lifter I met over the age of 30 has some injury he's nursing.
But this is all normal to them. Their lifestyle includes constant rehab. You'd think these iron-slingers would try a new kind of training that keeps their bodies healthy in the first place.
Do your body the favor: Get rid of the barbells and dumbells and use your own bodyweight for exercise. Even the toughest exercise have a natural feel to them, and even if your form gets a little sloppy, there's less of a chance of injury.
Best of all, you can get the same benefits in terms of muscle building, fat burning, and energy-enhancing from bodyweight exercise as lifting weights. Without the joint pain. - 16004
Your joints? They'll be fine, they say.
If you do it correctly, you won't get any strength imbalances.
And if you do it correctly, its better than any other form of training.
There is one small problem: There's no such thing as doing it correctly. Not for your whole life. At some point you'll hurt yourself.
Sometimes it's your knees or your lower back. In my case it was my shoulder.
So why will you get hurt? It's because you're lifting the heaviest weights your body can handle, and putting your body in the hardest positions for your muscles to handle - by definition. And you can't keep your form correct every single time.
These imperfections build over time. And what happens is, the most dedicated of weight lifters end up with the most injuries. Every lifter I met over the age of 30 has some injury he's nursing.
But this is all normal to them. Their lifestyle includes constant rehab. You'd think these iron-slingers would try a new kind of training that keeps their bodies healthy in the first place.
Do your body the favor: Get rid of the barbells and dumbells and use your own bodyweight for exercise. Even the toughest exercise have a natural feel to them, and even if your form gets a little sloppy, there's less of a chance of injury.
Best of all, you can get the same benefits in terms of muscle building, fat burning, and energy-enhancing from bodyweight exercise as lifting weights. Without the joint pain. - 16004
About the Author:
Nate Rifkin believes lifting weights is idiotic. He believes you should check out these yoga dvds to get in maximum shape.
