Weightlifting and long life.

[Banshee Ben]

What are you opinions on weightlifting and long life? My first statement is that eating healthy and doing some exercises are crucial to better later years. Look at Jack Delain. That guy is like 90 and is still full of energy and bouncing around better than a 60 year old. I would think his method of healthy eating, aerobics, and moderate lifting of lower weights and higher reps is the ideal way for the human body. This site is more so on the bodybuilding side of lifting, and also how I plan on training for the next 15 years. My goals are 6' 215lbs and built. My questions would be this.

Eating, well rather bulking all the time and then cutting months later to then repeat. Calories in are calories burned, I don't care about body fat as I can remove that anytime by multiple means. What would concern me is deposits on the arteries. Common knowledge fat people have hears attacks due to clogged arteries, I understand it is much different in our cases but during a bulking cycle arnt you putting more stress on your attires. ( I know it is minor)

Relation to heavy weight lifts on joints verses lower weight lifts. After 20 years of lifting heavy weights how are the joints going to feel. Assuming proper form always.

Your opinions of lifters of the past living condition. This sums up my first 2 questions. I have not followed this sport long enough to know how they are doing nowadays. For example Arnold had a quad bypass a few years back at the age of 60, and have heard other names pop up over the years that have heart problems, or joint issues. I know genetics plays a role and the fact that they are harder on their bodies than regular guys like many of us.

Whats your opinion on bodies on the cover of Muscle and Fitness magazine vs bodies on the cover of Men's Health.

[Songsangnim]

(1)What are you opinions on weightlifting and long life? My first statement is that eating healthy and doing some exercises are crucial to better later years. Look at Jack Delain. That guy is like 90 and is still full of energy and bouncing around better than a 60 year old. I would think his method of healthy eating, aerobics, and moderate lifting of lower weights and higher reps is the ideal way for the human body. This site is more so on the bodybuilding side of lifting, and also how I plan on training for the next 15 years. My goals are 6' 215lbs and built. My questions would be this.

(2) Eating, well rather bulking all the time and then cutting months later to then repeat. Calories in are calories burned, I don't care about body fat as I can remove that anytime by multiple means. What would concern me is deposits on the arteries. Common knowledge fat people have hears attacks due to clogged arteries, I understand it is much different in our cases but during a bulking cycle arnt you putting more stress on your attires. ( I know it is minor)

(3) Relation to heavy weight lifts on joints verses lower weight lifts. After 20 years of lifting heavy weights how are the joints going to feel. Assuming proper form always.

(4) Your opinions of lifters of the past living condition. This sums up my first 2 questions. I have not followed this sport long enough to know how they are doing nowadays. For example Arnold had a quad bypass a few years back at the age of 60, and have heard other names pop up over the years that have heart problems, or joint issues. I know genetics plays a role and the fact that they are harder on their bodies than regular guys like many of us.

(5) Whats your opinion on bodies on the cover of Muscle and Fitness magazine vs bodies on the cover of Men's Health.

(numbers are mine)

1. Agree with you here. I think everyone understands that eating healthy and getting regular exercise can not only increase your chances of living longer, but increase your quality of life.

2. Like you said it is minor. Clogged arteries happen more often due to a long term style of eating the wrong and unhealthy foods rather than a short-term (relatively speaking) bulk.

3. Been lifting for 15+ years. Mostly heavy weights. My joints are just fine.

4. These guys like Arnold also abuse their bodies with large amounts of steroids. You really can't use them as comparative examples due to this and other issues.

5. To each his own. Whatever you want to look like, that's your decision. Different people will have different preferences and that is all that question boils down to.

[d'Anconia]

Gotta hand it to ya EA, that post was very well put.

[Songsangnim]

Gotta hand it to ya EA, that post was very well put.

Thanks, that was one of my (rare) moments of lucidity...

[p0tential]

Um...I think Arnold had a birth defect that was fixed.
And Jack LeLaine did lift pretty heavy back in the day.

[Built]

And I lift pretty heavy NOW.



(for a chick, anyway!)

[Silverback]

Theres no reason why not, its all about moderation.

To be honest i dont think in terms of how i will be when im 60+, i dont care!

So long as i enjoy what i do and feel good. Too many people are absorbed with the future they forget whats going on everyday, and when they realise, they have missed out on so much.

[TheGimp]

A calorie restriction has been shown to increase life span. I guess you're missing out on that when bulking.

[SpecialK]

A calorie restriction has been shown to increase life span. I guess you're missing out on that when bulking.

That was only in rats though, right?

[TheGimp]

That was only in rats though, right?

For (hopefully) obvious reasons yes only in short lived species such as yeast, worms, flies, fish, rats and mice.

The mechanisms may involve "significant alterations in energy metabolism, oxidative damage, insulin sensitivity, and functional changes in both the neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous systems"[1].

Studying these specifically lends more weight to the argument than simply noting the correlation. For instance [2] where rats ate a diet restricted in either calories or protien and some were subjected to irradiation: "Either protein or calorie restriction markedly inhibited the accumulation of oxidatively damaged proteins. Protein restriction reduced the accumulation of oxidatively damaged proteins during the oxidative stress of chronic irradiation".

There have been some long term studies on primates, for e.g. [3], involving rhesus monkeys subjected to a 6 year calorie deficit of 30%. Core body temperature dropped by 0.5C, taken to be an indicator of the kind of metabolic changes I mentioned previously. Calorie restrictions lasting 1 month had the effect of dropping subcutaneous temperature by 1C. See also [4] where monkeys, at the time of publication, were 25 years old having been on a calorie restricted diet since the age of 10. Median life span of the calorie restricted subjects had increased, exceeding that of the ad libitium monkeys. However the problem with these studies on longer living species is clearly shown when they state: "In our laboratory, maximum lifespan for AL-fed monkeys appears to be about 40 years. Thus, whether CR can also increase maximal lifespan, as it does in rodents, cannot be determined for another 15 years" (emphasis my own).

[1] Smith JV, Heilbronn LK, Ravussin E., Energy restriction and aging, 2004

[2] Youngman LD, Park JY, Ames BN, Protein oxidation associated with aging is reduced by dietary restriction of protein or calories, 1992

[3] Mark A. Lane, David J. Baer, William V. Rumpler, Richard Weindruch, Donald K. Ingram, Edward M. Tilmont, Richard G. Cutler, and George S. Roth, Calorie restriction lowers body temperature in rhesus monkeys, consistent with a postulated anti-aging mechanism in rodents, 1996

[4]B Hansen, NL Bodkin, HK Ortmeyer, Calore restriction in Nonhuman Primates: Mechanisms of Reduced Morbidity and Mortality, 1999

[WBBIRL]

well, to be quite honest I doubt 98% of the population will ever get strong enough to hurt their bodys with the ammount of weight they lift... unless its by bad form or just not being ready. On the last MetRX WSM one guy tore a bicep while trying to do the last atlas stone.... most guys probably wouldnt be able to budge that stone. So unless you are very smart and use alot of gear, you should never get that big.

I do feel that lifting and having a good physique would do you alot of good. Having decent muscle mass and lower body fat should surely make your elderly days alot more livable. I have a grandfather thats in his 70's and he can still roam the woods like he did 30 years ago. But he lifted and was in good health during his earlier years.

[CrazyPalm]

well, to be quite honest I doubt 98% of the population will ever get strong enough to hurt their bodys with the ammount of weight they lift... unless its by bad form or just not being ready. On the last MetRX WSM one guy tore a bicep while trying to do the last atlas stone.... most guys probably wouldnt be able to budge that stone. So unless you are very smart and use alot of gear, you should never get that big.

I seem to recall that at least in Australia, sports related injuries account for the largest share of medical consultations or cost or something. I could be wrong but it was something along those lines.

[Banshee Ben]

Australia, could be they go to extremes, look at the fosters commercials. A shark bites after a surfer and they call it a guppy.

[CrazyPalm]

Australia, could be they go to extremes, look at the fosters commercials. A shark bites after a surfer and they call it a guppy.

Eh? They must only show those commercials to those ignorant foreigners who'd beleive anything I can't even remember the last time I saw a Fosters beer. mmmm beer.

[Guido]

I believe it's "Jack LaLanne". Good post, EA.

[mrelwooddowd]

I'd like to live my best years to my fullest capabilities, or at least work toward that. When I'm old, I'll be in better condition than I would ahve been had I NOT lived my better years in good shape..right? So a few aches here and there would be the extreme low end of the spectrum.

[getfit]

I'd like to live my best years to my fullest capabilities, or at least work toward that. When I'm old, I'll be in better condition than I would ahve been had I NOT lived my better years in good shape..right? So a few aches here and there would be the extreme low end of the spectrum.

yep, well said

[Beast]

Exercise has been proven to extend life. Eating less has been proven to extend life as well.

[Banshee Ben]

A few years back I was working for a 73 year old man doing some framing work, I was carrying heavy beams back and he asked if he could help. My granddad was about the same age and was stiff as a 2*4 and sleeps a lot, but I said sure if you want you can get some bags of nails or something. When I came back up he was carrying the same damn beam I just carried and talking to me as he walked past me. My goal is to lift to increase body safety and look better now but very much also to strive to be that guy when I'm 73. I know what I'm doing will be 100% beneficial in life I was just wondering how the lifters of the past are doing nowadays.

[SpecialK]

Exercise has been proven to extend life. Eating less has been proven to extend life as well.

But is it still an issue if you require the amount of calories you are eating? Or does it apply to everyone?

Also, do you have a link to the study?

[Clifford Gillmore]

Its true. Believe EVERYTHING.

[SW]

I was under the impression that more food in your system leads to more free radicals, the cause of many cancers.