Author Topic: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?  (Read 5443 times)

YngiweRhoads

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 4260
  • Shreddin'
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #25 on: June 26, 2014, 03:17:09 PM »
Man, how did you pull that off? 46, and all my gym buddies are broken down everywhere.

Natty.

At least, that's my reasoning.  ;)
6

The Ugly

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 21286
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #26 on: June 26, 2014, 03:19:48 PM »
Natty

Same here, actually two of us were, but we're all equally trashed now. Joints, tendons, back issues, etc. I'm blaming low rep sets and less-than-perfect form, but who knows.

Hypertrophy

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 6379
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #27 on: June 26, 2014, 04:47:10 PM »
Overthinking things. Lift weights, getbig arms, get the girls. Repeat.

haha THIS^^^^^

Andy Griffin

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 6620
  • I know my own name, bitch.
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #28 on: June 26, 2014, 04:48:17 PM »
Is strenuous weight lifting 4-6 days a week healthy?

yes
~

Mr Anabolic

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 10647
  • Better to die on your feet than on your knees.
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #29 on: June 26, 2014, 05:17:32 PM »
You need to train the most important muscle in your body (heart). Weight training does not do that.
 

That is a patent lie.

cephissus

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 7596
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #30 on: June 26, 2014, 06:21:17 PM »
Almost 50, lifting 30+ years, no aches or pains, look 20 years younger, and in better shape than 99.9999% of the population regardless of age. Lifetime natty though, which means no running my body in overdrive.







Any recent pics?  I seem to recall you having a pretty good physique.

Have you eased off at all over the years, in terms of intensity?




73 years old now. Olympic champion Zygmunt Smalcerz.





looks flexible enough, but its hard to tell what kind of shape he's in from these vids (only skimmed the long one, though).  natural?

It does seem that so many long time lifters have joint issues. Every 400lb bencher I knew in my 20 and 30's can't bench anything in their 50's because of joint issues. It seems the moderate weight volume guys have longevity  and the power bodybuilders seem to have a lot of issues as they age. Of course there are exceptions.

 I wish there was a study of long time recreational bodybuilders regarding joint problems. Empirically I can't think of anyone I know who has been lifting for decades that escapes without problems. How many pro's have had hip replacements before 60? I would mention names but I don't want to make any mistakes about it. How many shoulder, knee and elbow operations have you heard about with pro's and friends? Is it good for a 55 year old to be grinding heavy squats on his hip joint? I still squat but it's moderate weights.

  I know my right shoulder is shot. It wasn't even from a single episode of lifting. It just started hurting and felt weak. It never goes away. My ortho guy wants to operate saying it's a slap tear but I don't want to deal with the long recovery. I just use lighter weights and deal with the pain for now.

Very interesting post.  Especially the bold part -- this is how most of my joints feel these days.  Most pronounced with my shoulders, though.   Over a period of time my shoulder would just hurt more and more... nothing acute, just a general level of pain that i "managed".  Then one day it was just weak, and never recovered.

Same with my back, knees, etc.  Frightening when I think about how much weight I used to use, how much volume, etc. in comparison to what I work with now.  Luckily, the physique isn't gone yet...

The Wrong Advices

  • Getbig II
  • **
  • Posts: 55
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #31 on: June 26, 2014, 07:47:26 PM »
I read an article in M&F (or Flex) where Frank Zane said his biggest regret was lifting heavy for all those years.

TheShape.

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 6206
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #32 on: June 26, 2014, 08:04:34 PM »
In my biased opinion...yes.

no one

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 11917
  • have i hurt your feelings?
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #33 on: June 26, 2014, 08:20:53 PM »
I think some people's bodies will wear out more quickly given the stresses you put it under. a lot of variables can contribute to this.

using loads your body isn't designed for or capable of handling.

using anabolics that increases your ability of the muscle to perform at a higher level of functioning but not developing those same tolerances for your ligaments connective tissue or joints.

genetic predisposition to aging. some people just seem to age and bodies wear out more rapidly than others.

I don't think there's a one size fits all blanket answer. some people's bodies will wear out not matter what they do, no matter how wisely they trained early on, and some people's bodies will not wear out despite what they've done or how they've trained early on.

for me longevity for has meant low dose anabolics year round to aid in my repair and growth  and not training so heavily my joints ligaments or connective tissue becomes inflamed or injured.
b

Coach is Back!

  • Competitors
  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 59475
  • It’s All Bullshit
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #34 on: June 26, 2014, 08:42:08 PM »
No, after 40 years of training it's done no good at all.

Gonuclear

  • Getbig III
  • ***
  • Posts: 709
  • It depends on what the meaning of "is" is.
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #35 on: June 26, 2014, 09:45:55 PM »
Here's the question:

Is strenuous weight lifting 4-6 days a week, 45 minutes to an hour and a half per day for years on end, i.e. what the vast majority of "bodybuilders" do, "healthy"?

Here's what got me thinking about this:  I wondered to myself... do I know old people, who have been doing this for 2-3+ decades naturally, who still lift with any degree of intensity, and aren't plagued by joint pain, tears, disk problems, etc.?

I know plenty of people who maintain respectable physiques well into their later years, but I struggle to think of any who haven't been on hormones for years.  The next thing I think, then: do the steroids prevent pain and injuries which would be unavoidable if the "athlete" pursued his weightlifting with any degree of intensity?  Do they allow people to prolong their addiction to an inherently self-destructive activity?

The anabolic effects of steroids are well known and oft-discussed, but is longevity another of their benefits?  An undervalued and largely far less often mentioned benefit?

I don't lift anymore, but when I was in my 20's-30's I hit the weights three times a week religiously for several hours.  But I lifted too heavy and did the wrong things. Like high rep "breathing squats" advocated in the 1970's by good old Peary Rader, publisher of Iron Man.  Destroyed my knees.  Heavy lateral raises and military presses did a number on my shoulders, and Zottman curls ruined my elbows.  High reps, going heavy and bad form probably contributed.  I never took anything and had a pretty good build.  You can wear out your joints without using drugs.

The Ugly

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 21286
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #36 on: June 26, 2014, 09:48:01 PM »
I don't lift anymore, but when I was in my 20's-30's I hit the weights three times a week religiously for several hours.  But I lifted too heavy and did the wrong things. Like high rep "breathing squats" advocated in the 1970's by good old Peary Rader, publisher of Iron Man.  Destroyed my knees.  Heavy lateral raises and military presses did a number on my shoulders, and Zottman curls ruined my elbows.  High reps, going heavy and bad form probably contributed.  I never took anything and had a pretty good build.  You can wear out your joints without using drugs.

I'll vouch.

cephissus

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 7596
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #37 on: June 26, 2014, 09:52:12 PM »
I don't lift anymore, but when I was in my 20's-30's I hit the weights three times a week religiously for several hours.  But I lifted too heavy and did the wrong things. Like high rep "breathing squats" advocated in the 1970's by good old Peary Rader, publisher of Iron Man.  Destroyed my knees.  Heavy lateral raises and military presses did a number on my shoulders, and Zottman curls ruined my elbows.  High reps, going heavy and bad form probably contributed.  I never took anything and had a pretty good build.  You can wear out your joints without using drugs.

ouch... the ugly side of lifting.

were you forced to stop because of pain, or did you quit for other reasons?  what age did you start/stop lifting?

Gonuclear

  • Getbig III
  • ***
  • Posts: 709
  • It depends on what the meaning of "is" is.
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #38 on: June 26, 2014, 10:50:35 PM »
ouch... the ugly side of lifting.

were you forced to stop because of pain, or did you quit for other reasons?  what age did you start/stop lifting?

I started lifting when I was 22 and stopped entirely (due to increasing pain) when I was 42. My doc told me the cartilage in my knees was gone.  The odd thing was I never had pain while doing the squats.  It came later.  I just stopped doing the breathing squats because I got tired of them.  By the time the pain really became noticeable, the damage had been done.

Primemuscle

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 40634
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #39 on: June 26, 2014, 10:58:42 PM »
I started lifting when I was 22 and stopped entirely (due to increasing pain) when I was 42. My doc told me the cartilage in my knees was gone.  The odd thing was I never had pain while doing the squats.  It came later.  I just stopped doing the breathing squats because I got tired of them.  By the time the pain really became noticeable, the damage had been done.

Truth is if you keep your supporting muscles/ligaments strong, they do their job and relieve stress on your joints. One of the therapies I did for a torn meniscus was to strengthen the muscles which support the knee. BTW, I did not tear my meniscus lifting weights. I suffered a sports related injury to my knee when I was teenager. It held until I was in my late 60's before I finally had surgery to repair it.

Super Natural

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 1962
  • Repent of Soy liberalism.
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #40 on: June 27, 2014, 12:45:02 AM »
You need to train the most important muscle in your body (heart). Weight training does not do that.

 ::) I'd love to put a gun to the head of people like you and force you to do heavy high rep bb squats.

NordicNerd

  • Getbig III
  • ***
  • Posts: 921
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #41 on: June 27, 2014, 01:16:32 AM »
Man, how did you pull that off? 46, and all my gym buddies are broken down everywhere.

Never train with pain. Work around pain- find exercises that doesn't hurt. Change technique, angles, train with higher reps etc. Works for me.

NN

Mr Nobody

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 40197
  • Falcon gives us new knowledge every single day.

The Grim Lifter

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 3810
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #43 on: June 27, 2014, 07:24:27 AM »
A few years ago, about 31 YO, i stopped lifting too heavy as i could feel it in my joints at times, esp after a few weeks of heavy lifting.

Now i just pick a lighter weight, do it slower and go to failure. Have not had one even minor joint or muscle problem since, and i look better and fuller. You do not need to train that heavy and after many years you can get as much out of almost any weight.

...and i fucked my elbows up at 17 lifting heavy so you can fuck things up at any age. It took a few years of lighter lifting to get them right but i have no problems with anything anymore.

The Ugly

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 21286
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #44 on: June 27, 2014, 10:27:43 AM »
Never train with pain. Work around pain- find exercises that doesn't hurt. Change technique, angles, train with higher reps etc. Works for me.

NN


Wish I'd thought of this years ago.

pluck

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 2001
  • Getbig!
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #45 on: June 27, 2014, 10:34:14 AM »
IMO "everything in moderation, including moderation"...or however that saying goes.

There are very few people that train balls to the wall consistently. You get burned out.

Or you grow up hit late 20s, 30s, 40s ...etc and different priorities take over vs intense training like family, career and relationships.

I remember from 15 through early 20s I'd train harder than most, part of it was because I trained with friends that had similar schedules. The competitive nature comes out in a group where one wants to out do the other guy.


io856

  • Guest
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #46 on: June 27, 2014, 01:35:02 PM »
No, after 40 years of training it's done no good at all.

 ???

funk51

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 39674
  • Getbig!
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #47 on: June 27, 2014, 01:46:32 PM »
54 years of training from 1 to 2 and a half hours a day 3-5 days a week. they're going to have to pry that barbell [or maybe dumbell] out of my dead hands someday. ;D :o 8)
F

deceiver

  • Getbig IV
  • ****
  • Posts: 2666
  • onetimehard appreciation team
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #48 on: June 27, 2014, 02:27:22 PM »
Any recent pics?  I seem to recall you having a pretty good physique.

Have you eased off at all over the years, in terms of intensity?

looks flexible enough, but its hard to tell what kind of shape he's in from these vids (only skimmed the long one, though).  natural?

Very interesting post.  Especially the bold part -- this is how most of my joints feel these days.  Most pronounced with my shoulders, though.   Over a period of time my shoulder would just hurt more and more... nothing acute, just a general level of pain that i "managed".  Then one day it was just weak, and never recovered.

Same with my back, knees, etc.  Frightening when I think about how much weight I used to use, how much volume, etc. in comparison to what I work with now.  Luckily, the physique isn't gone yet...

Yeah I believe he was natural and rejected taking steroids. He implied that in his interview with Klokov (the one in Russian) by saying that after he had won gold, next olympics everyone took it to another level and he couldn't keep up anymore so he decided to retire.

He is in great shape. He is USA weightlifting head coach right now. He travels from Poland to USA back and forth on regular basis. This kind of flight takes its toll, believe me, I've been there. And I believe he does goes back home multiple times per year. On top of that his work requires moving around a lot - when he does warmups/coaches the youth he performs every exercise they do. He is still in great mental shape, surprising for male of his age. He speaks fluent English and Russian.

And if you ever snatched any kind of weight then you would know how unreal his flexibility must be to be able to snatch with impeccable form. As you prolly figured out by now he is one of my greatest inspirations. Amazing guy.

Papper

  • Getbig V
  • *****
  • Posts: 10323
  • Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Re: Is long-term weightlifting good for you?
« Reply #49 on: June 27, 2014, 04:10:56 PM »
I think moderate resistance training in machines is good for you in the long run.