General Comment About People Who Don't Lift

Options
1161719212226

Replies

  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
    Options
    I just wish everybody could stop using a "you have to ......" mantra. What is good for one person may not be for another. Clean eating and a healthy immune system will do more for you than weight training.
    Genetics also plays a huge part of life. I had an aunt who lived to be 105 years old. Her body finally gave out -- weight lifting wouldn't have kept her around 20 more years. She had no broken bones...she died of OLD AGE -- as will MANY of us. My mother -- 90 years old this coming September..just retired from her job of over 30 years 3 years ago and the ONLY reason she retired is because the owner sold the business.

    I am all for everybody just finding a form of exercise that fits them..makes them healthy ..and let it go. Anything that gets somebody up and moving is what's important.

    I just wish this could stop being so dogmatic.
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
    Options
    Being lean is diet...Being fit is fitness...Simple.

    Most of those yoga and cardio bunnies may look lean, but that's because the majority of them eat like rabbits..Not to mention they don't really have any functional muscle, and are flat all over. Still there is nothing wrong with yoga for the calming effects on the mind, as well as flexibility. If you're a woman and in here defending not lifting heavy then you are seriously missing out. You have not fully educated yourself on both sides of the spectrum. Go ahead be flat and boring....or do your research and try lifting. Most don't like it because they get sore, or don't know what they are doing, but again that goes back to lack of knowledge...

    ^^^YES!!! Well said!!!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Options
    I just wish everybody could stop using a "you have to ......" mantra. What is good for one person may not be for another. Clean eating and a healthy immune system will do more for you than weight training.
    Genetics also plays a huge part of life. I had an aunt who lived to be 105 years old. Her body finally gave out -- weight lifting wouldn't have kept her around 20 more years. She had no broken bones...she died of OLD AGE -- as will MANY of us. My mother -- 90 years old this coming September..just retired from her job of over 30 years 3 years ago and the ONLY reason she retired is because the owner sold the business.

    I am all for everybody just finding a form of exercise that fits them..makes them healthy ..and let it go. Anything that gets somebody up and moving is what's important.

    I just wish this could stop being so dogmatic.

    I didn't see anyone say that if you lift you will never die.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
    Options
    It depends on your goals and what you enjoy, but there are definitely health benefits to strength training, be it lifting or body weight exercises (beginner to advanced). Plus it helps achieve the look many women aspire to. :smile:
  • sophayz
    sophayz Posts: 592 Member
    Options
    well i dieted to loose weight and at first just did cardio ,

    i did lose fat(about 80 pounds at first) but then i was all skin and bones no shape and a flabby belly skin i looked great in clothes (wearing extra small clothing items) but when ever i would remove said clothes i would look just unhealthy .

    i started lifting , doing body pump mostly and continued doing some cardio and i shaped up!! i gained weight but i am not bulky and am not planning on getting bulky . my arms, butt and stomach has definition now and i feel way more confident .

    i now wear small clothes but i fill it good and i look great naked . i have more energy and am more in control and stable when i work out.

    i strongly encourage any women to lift !
    ( look at my pictures if you want to see results )


    i am not saying i am perfect but lifting weights is helping me get closer to my goal everyday
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    It's the closest thing that will ever be to the Fountain of Youth. If you care about maintaining a high quality of life in your later years without depending on others for the most basic every day chores such as feeding, changing clothes and bathing, then lifting weights, or strength training in general, is going to accomplish that.

    Cardio exercise is very important for healthy again. As much so as strength training. Exercises for balance and flexibility are important as well.
  • Gettinyoung
    Options
    Edit - forgot the quote....see comment below.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Options
    I think "cardio" is highly overrated. 30 minutes of HIIT 2-3 times per week is more than enough for the average person if they're also doing strength training. Anyone who's done 90% 1RM squats to failure knows that your heart gets a serious workout with strength training as well.

    Unless you're specifically looking for endurance, as for a sport, large quantities of cardio are pointless. Especially since most people hate it so much.

    It's not a bad thing by any means. If you enjoy it by all means do it. But if you hate it, forget about it. Do short (30-minute) HIIT sessions instead.

    As for stretching and balance, heavy weight training does amazing things for balance and coordination. That's one of the major bonus points of freeweight training vs machines: balance and stabilizer work.

    And, again, as anyone who's done a heavy squat knows, you can't do quality freeweight work while inflexible. Hip, ankle, leg, and arm stretches are critical to doing them. People think weight training means inflexible and bulky and all this other nonsense. But the reality is this is simply not a posititon you can actually get into without having very good hip, ankle, and knee flexibility:

    front_squat.png
  • Gettinyoung
    Options
    There's nothing wrong with just wanting to be thin. I thought that's what I wanted initially, and while I looked good in clothes - it was a different story when I was out of them.

    To the person who said they prefer a dancer's body, there basically the same body type a a female lifter, just more flexible.

    Example Misty Copeland, very famous ballet dancer:

    misty-copeland100.jpg?w=449&h=396

    I agree...amazing, and its awesome to see a dancer with boobs!!!

    She looks amazing!! And I bet she can lift a ton!!
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Options
    I think "cardio" is highly overrated. 30 minutes of HIIT 2-3 times per week is more than enough for the average person if they're also doing strength training. Anyone who's done 90% 1RM squats to failure knows that your heart gets a serious workout with strength training as well.

    Unless you're specifically looking for endurance, as for a sport, large quantities of cardio are pointless. Especially since most people hate it so much.

    It's not a bad thing by any means. If you enjoy it by all means do it. But if you hate it, forget about it. Do short (30-minute) HIIT sessions instead.

    As for stretching and balance, heavy weight training does amazing things for balance and coordination. That's one of the major bonus points of freeweight training vs machines: balance and stabilizer work.

    And, again, as anyone who's done a heavy squat knows, you can't do quality freeweight work while inflexible. Hip, ankle, leg, and arm stretches are critical to doing them. People think weight training means inflexible and bulky and all this other nonsense. But the reality is this is simply not a posititon you can actually get into without having very good hip, ankle, and knee flexibility:

    1RM attempts, at any percentage, are NOT cardio.

    Most people hate lifting too, having a strong cardio foundation is beneficial (admittedly not as much so as strength, but it's still good). You don't NEED to be strong either.

    HIIT isn't some super plan. You don't have to do interval training. Steady state can work too (and it's a lot easier for some folks).

    Weight training does not necessarily mean being inflexible, but I don't think being able to do a squat properly makes you flexible. There's a reason people stretch and foam roll and such before and after lifting. If squatting was all you needed you could just do the move to stretch.
  • HotrodsGirl0107
    HotrodsGirl0107 Posts: 243 Member
    Options
    If there is a squat rack in Curves I'd be astonished.

    I just looked up some pictures of Curves centers. I don't get it. I don't see any weights of any kind. No dumbbells, no barbells, no plate-loaded machines. I see a bunch of contraptions that look like they have no weights of any kind on them.

    Pretty much exactly this. You cycle through a bunch of lame machines doing 60 seconds on each machine and move to the next one. To music.
    There's no weights.

    Curves uses hydraulic cylinders that cause resistance on the machines. Most curves gyms only allow curves sanctioned equipment in their gyms. I worked there when I was in high school. It is a joke! The "trainers" are taught what the founder of curves wants them to learn. Which is mostly scripted "facts" about how great their program is and what it does for the body. I wouldn't waste my money on it. I figured out real quick that money was the driving force at curves not the health of the members. I got tired of lying to our poor members so I quit!
  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
    Options
    I didn't see anyone say that if you lift you will never die.

    u totally missed the whole point
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    Being lean is diet...Being fit is fitness...Simple.

    Most of those yoga and cardio bunnies may look lean, but that's because the majority of them eat like rabbits..Not to mention they don't really have any functional muscle, and are flat all over. Still there is nothing wrong with yoga for the calming effects on the mind, as well as flexibility. If you're a woman and in here defending not lifting heavy then you are seriously missing out. You have not fully educated yourself on both sides of the spectrum. Go ahead be flat and boring....or do your research and try lifting. Most don't like it because they get sore, or don't know what they are doing, but again that goes back to lack of knowledge...

    Yes, every woman that doesn't lift is repulsive. We all know that.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    I think "cardio" is highly overrated. 30 minutes of HIIT 2-3 times per week is more than enough for the average person if they're also doing strength training. Anyone who's done 90% 1RM squats to failure knows that your heart gets a serious workout with strength training as well.

    Unless you're specifically looking for endurance, as for a sport, large quantities of cardio are pointless. Especially since most people hate it so much.

    So, cardio is overrated, but you need to do some every week. And "most" people hate it. Interesting stuff there. What percentage of people hate it?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Options
    I didn't see anyone say that if you lift you will never die.

    u totally missed the whole point

    No, I didn't. Really, it's a scientific fact that strength training helps prevents bone loss. The fact that your aunt didn't ever break a bone doesn't mean that she didn't have bone loss. Or it may be that she had plenty of strength training in her younger years, just because she had a different life than we do now and had to work really hard just to do basic chores and things. Or, yes, maybe she is just genetically different.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Options
    I think "cardio" is highly overrated. 30 minutes of HIIT 2-3 times per week is more than enough for the average person if they're also doing strength training. Anyone who's done 90% 1RM squats to failure knows that your heart gets a serious workout with strength training as well.

    Unless you're specifically looking for endurance, as for a sport, large quantities of cardio are pointless. Especially since most people hate it so much.

    It's not a bad thing by any means. If you enjoy it by all means do it. But if you hate it, forget about it. Do short (30-minute) HIIT sessions instead.

    As for stretching and balance, heavy weight training does amazing things for balance and coordination. That's one of the major bonus points of freeweight training vs machines: balance and stabilizer work.

    And, again, as anyone who's done a heavy squat knows, you can't do quality freeweight work while inflexible. Hip, ankle, leg, and arm stretches are critical to doing them. People think weight training means inflexible and bulky and all this other nonsense. But the reality is this is simply not a posititon you can actually get into without having very good hip, ankle, and knee flexibility:

    1RM attempts, at any percentage, are NOT cardio.

    Most people hate lifting too, having a strong cardio foundation is beneficial (admittedly not as much so as strength, but it's still good). You don't NEED to be strong either.

    HIIT isn't some super plan. You don't have to do interval training. Steady state can work too (and it's a lot easier for some folks).

    Weight training does not necessarily mean being inflexible, but I don't think being able to do a squat properly makes you flexible. There's a reason people stretch and foam roll and such before and after lifting. If squatting was all you needed you could just do the move to stretch.

    You may want to read my post again - I never said anything about 1RM attempts, I never said lifting was cardio, and I never said anyone needs to do HIIT.

    My points were:

    1) The warmups and working sets done during a lifting session of an hour or so really get the heart beating and have highly beneficial effects on your cardiovascular health.

    2) Large quantities of cardio are not necessary for anyone besides those training for a specific endurance purpose.

    3) You can get the benefits of cardio more efficiently by doing relatively short HIIT sessions, which is great news for people who don't want to spend 4 hours a week on a treadmill or elliptical.
  • stormsusmc
    stormsusmc Posts: 228 Member
    Options
    Being lean is diet...Being fit is fitness...Simple.

    Most of those yoga and cardio bunnies may look lean, but that's because the majority of them eat like rabbits..Not to mention they don't really have any functional muscle, and are flat all over. Still there is nothing wrong with yoga for the calming effects on the mind, as well as flexibility. If you're a woman and in here defending not lifting heavy then you are seriously missing out. You have not fully educated yourself on both sides of the spectrum. Go ahead be flat and boring....or do your research and try lifting. Most don't like it because they get sore, or don't know what they are doing, but again that goes back to lack of knowledge...

    Yes, every woman that doesn't lift is repulsive. We all know that.

    My point exactly, your ability to read and decipher what I have said in order to draw that extemely accurate conclusion is astonishing. I appreciate your sarcastic twist to what I said instead of being objective. Enjoy your cortisol!
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    Options
    Being lean is diet...Being fit is fitness...Simple.

    Most of those yoga and cardio bunnies may look lean, but that's because the majority of them eat like rabbits..Not to mention they don't really have any functional muscle, and are flat all over. Still there is nothing wrong with yoga for the calming effects on the mind, as well as flexibility. If you're a woman and in here defending not lifting heavy then you are seriously missing out. You have not fully educated yourself on both sides of the spectrum. Go ahead be flat and boring....or do your research and try lifting. Most don't like it because they get sore, or don't know what they are doing, but again that goes back to lack of knowledge...

    Yes, every woman that doesn't lift is repulsive. We all know that.

    My point exactly, your ability to read and decipher what I have said in order to draw that extemely accurate conclusion is astonishing. I appreciate your sarcastic twist to what I said instead of being objective. Enjoy your cortisol!

    Doesn't take much to come to that conclusion when you make statements such as;

    "Go ahead and be flat and boring..."
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Options
    Being lean is diet...Being fit is fitness...Simple.

    Most of those yoga and cardio bunnies may look lean, but that's because the majority of them eat like rabbits..Not to mention they don't really have any functional muscle, and are flat all over. Still there is nothing wrong with yoga for the calming effects on the mind, as well as flexibility. If you're a woman and in here defending not lifting heavy then you are seriously missing out. You have not fully educated yourself on both sides of the spectrum. Go ahead be flat and boring....or do your research and try lifting. Most don't like it because they get sore, or don't know what they are doing, but again that goes back to lack of knowledge...

    Yes, every woman that doesn't lift is repulsive. We all know that.

    My point exactly, your ability to read and decipher what I have said in order to draw that extemely accurate conclusion is astonishing. I appreciate your sarcastic twist to what I said instead of being objective. Enjoy your cortisol!

    Doesn't take much to come to that conclusion when you make statements such as;

    "Go ahead and be flat and boring..."

    To her point, you are being almost as dismissive of things like yoga and walking as you claim chicks are being about lifting.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    Options
    To her point, you are being almost as dismissive of things like yoga and walking as you claim chicks are being about lifting.

    Think you quoted the wrong person. :) I love cardio. I am not dismissive of any physical activity. I am dismissive of the idea that only lifters look good.