Barbell Training is Big Medicine

[stef]

by Jonathon Sullivan

”[A]t present there is absolutely no solid evidence that strength training—or any other exercise or dietary program—will substantially prolong our life spans. But the preponderance of the scientific evidence, flawed as it is, strongly indicates that we can change the trajectory of decline. We can recover functional years that would otherwise have been lost.”

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[PressesPeople]

Aww he didn't use my quote in the article

[OCG]

Interesting. I now know more about the squirting of Sully's glands then I ever wanted to.

[Valhall]

I loved this article, and especially the ending:

Instead of slowly dwindling into an atrophic puddle of sick fat, our death can be like
a failed last rep at the end of a final set of heavy squats. We can remain strong and vital well into our
last years, before succumbing rapidly to whatever kills us. Strong to the end.

The article also makes me think about my father who has had several heart attacks and probably might go any day. But in his younger days he was a powerlifter. 15 years ago he had his first surgery and at that point he went back to barbell and dumbell training and took me with him to teach. We trained together for 2-3 years until I had to move due to college. About a year after this we both kinda stopped training, unfortuantly.

The years went and we both got fatter and out of shape. For him the consequence was another heart attack (and more). Today he's functioning on medicine and nitroglycerin but fat and hopelessly out of shape, while I have started getting back into shape. Unfortuantly I dont think he is in any state to pick up a barbell today, but I think that if he didnt stop training after the first surgery he would have stopped any future heart attacks and been in good shape today.

Atleast I know that I will not end up like him, or his father who died of a heart attack getting the mail. Barbell training truly is big medicine as Sully says.

[MPE]

Dr. Sullivan-
That, sir, was fantastic!

[bob g]

Thanks, Sully. Outstanding.

[drskillet]

"Instead of slowly dwindling into an atrophic puddle of sick fat, our death can be like
a failed last rep at the end of a final set of heavy squats."
Nice!

[Mark E. Hurling]

Great article Sully. I confess my chemistry and other science isn't sufficiently up to scratch to follow some the finer points you made sufficiently but the main message for me was this:

Too often, the aging individual sees that he is getting weaker, and so lowers his expectations and his efforts—and thereby grows weaker still. This is analogous to the cell cutting up its own DNA. Once the psyche has surrendered to decline and death, it’s all over but the suffering.

and this:

It’s being “All Done At Sixty”…or Fifty. It’s a life of waiting to die from a skin infection or a broken hip or a blot clot, of needing a stupid little fucking go-cart to get from here to there, of not being able to reach your own ass to wipe it, of narcotizing yourself with alcohol, cigarettes, American Idol and Doritos so you don’t have to face your own grim existence as a slowly rotting Jabba The Hut. I see it every day. We call it “old-itis.” A joke, I guess, but an obscene one. This gruesome avatar of aging offends the eye, the mind, and the spirit, and it cries out for both compassion and correction.

Well I am 60 and fuck that. What's scary is that I was ready about this time last year to settle into "maintenance." But this place and it's denizens inspired me to take up squats, deadlifts, and bench presses again. Well done and thanks from another geezer.

[Sam Crish]

Nice!
I work on an age-related neurodegenerative disease (glaucoma) and it is amazing how few people, even colleagues that should know better, just don't get these points. We need more articles like this.

[ChuckBell]

Great article Sully. Thanks for the inspiration to get up and lift again today. This Geezer appreciates it!