staving off death... for a potential madman like myself

[BenzoSt]

Am I abnormal if the primary reason that I got into habitual exercise and then barbell training is to increase my lifespan (starting at the relatively young age of 32)?

There are some scientists who boldly proclaim that the cellular causes of aging will become understood and subsequently treatable within the 21st century, a claim that I initially found intuitively preposterous, but am now starting to warm up to as I study cell biology at the graduate level and read about how genetic manipulation has already yielded the equivalent of a 200-year-old in lab animals. Do you think I'm completely bonkers?

I subscribe to the idea that barbell training is immensely valuable to quality of life, especially for the elderly (although that's certainly no excuse to postpone MY training until I'm an old man). I wonder if this makes me an oddball on these boards, being a future-focused person amidst a group of folks who seem intent on "grabbing life by the tits", like right now today.

Since you evidently have good taste in sci-fi movies, a good but obscure film I saw salient to this post is The Man From Earth. Pardon me for mentioning a movie outside of The Movies thread.

[Mark Rippetoe]

So you're okay with the idea of a boring life as long as it lasts 200 years?

[Mark E. Hurling]

Am I abnormal if the primary reason that I got into habitual exercise and then barbell training is to increase my lifespan (starting at the relatively young age of 32)?

You get strong and stay as strong as you can to fend off The Reaper. For as long as you can. For the first few times he comes for you and you kick his ass. Again.

BUT!

You also get strong and stay strong to enjoy an independent life where you can get out and do things, paddle your kayak, ride your motorcycle, and enjoy the company of your Significant Other for more than mere hand holding as long as you can.

Unless you look forward to the prospect of wearing Depends and continuing to breathe in and out in an assisted living facility.

[BenzoSt]

So you're okay with the idea of a boring life as long as it lasts 200 years?

I admit getting bored from time to time, but my continued existence seems preferable to oblivion. Life gives me time to do fun things like play games, write/listen to music, watch movies, and travel. So I would like to live a darn long time if I can.

Of my friends, only two are really into lifting, and they oddly seem to enjoy lifting more than practically anything else in life. Maybe my opening post was just a way to vent some of my jealousy, because I basically lift-to-live, rather than live-to-lift... out of necessity, because somewhere along the line I was led to believe that hard physical exertion is necessary to be a physiologically normal human being.

I do relish the occasional PR, but not to the extent that I feel like it warrants a fireworks display and parade. So yeah, maybe I'm just a dull person.

[Kiril]

200 years is too much for a human body. But why not 120-150? And who told it's going to be boring? It rather should be a pretty healthy(the health level you can expect from a "young" 100-110 y.o bloke) and prolific life until the last years.

[Brodie Butland]

Am I abnormal if the primary reason that I got into habitual exercise and then barbell training is to increase my lifespan (starting at the relatively young age of 32)?

Not necessarily. A lot of people get serious about exercising after having a kid, so that they can stay around for life's watershed moments--so future-focused lifestyle changes are pretty common. Just stay realistic...the actual amount of time you can prolong your lifespan probably isn't all that significant, though you will be able to significantly increase the number of quality years in that lifespan.

Also, bad news...Father Time remains undefeated, and will always remain so.

[Scaldrew]

Maybe get your T levels checked.

Nah, just kidding. Head on over to Coach Reynolds' podcast library, though. The first one briefly mentions the idea of relishing PRs just long enough to start longing for the next few pounds. That's probably where I'm at, too. I come home happy from PRing the squat and the next day I'm thinking about Tuesday volume and Friday's squat attempt. Rinse and repeat indefinitely. Only when you get stuck do PRs really stay static and valuable in and of themselves. Otherwise, they're just precursors to the next few pounds.

Imho, tho, tbqh, fam, lmao.

[Crom]

I know that studies seem to show that regular "exercise" staves off death; but has it been shown the "barbell exercise", in particular, has any life-extending benefit ? Or more or less benefit than say "jogging" ?

[Giri Kotte]

I admit getting bored from time to time, but my continued existence seems preferable to oblivion. Life gives me time to do fun things like play games, write/listen to music, watch movies, and travel. So I would like to live a darn long time if I can.

In order to enjoy all those activities, you need to be physically able. Heck, for someone who used to have lower back pain, I know it's a lot more pleasurable to sit and watch a movie when you are stronger.

[Chris Lippke]

... though you will be able to significantly increase the number of quality years in that lifespan.

"Compression of morbidity."

For all:
Barbell Training is Big Medicine | Jonathon Sullivan