Doctors

[dalan]

I was on a doctors forum recently and the issue of weight training (in this particular discussion weight training for teens) came up. A lot of the usual stupidity was put forward but I would estimate 50% of responses were that it should be strongly encouraged. I would guess a similar question put to a group of physicians 20 years ago would have almost produced an almost universally negative response.

I don't know if that's encouraging or discouraging. In 2023 half, or nearly half, of the doctors in your example STILL think lifting weights is bad for teens. I guess it shows how behind the curve they are even on something as simple as this. And we're supposed to trust their opinion on anything else when they're still stuck in 1970 on lifting weights?

[Buffaloguy]

I'm a physician, Im working toward my sticker numbers, failed a 500 lb deadlift Tuesday. "Resistance training" has actually become very commonly accepted as a safe and effective activity for health but it's definition is so nebulous that it's not really helpful in medicine. Even most doctors are interested in training with weights are infected with ideas from the bodybuilding community. Rip et all are doing a huge service to everyone including teaching physicians like myself the benefits of real strength TRAINING.

[Frankie]

A younger me was personally told by a well respected doctor looking over an Xray and saying that 'my bodytype is unsuited to lifting heavy weights'. I was devastated for a couple weeks, but my rebellious nature forced me to tentatively proceed.

My advice to others would be to continue strength training safely with a qualified coach, 3 months maybe, and then use every quantifiable data point to assess what is what.
How is your blood pressure, your fat levels, your endurance, bone density, are you in pain?, get a bloood test, O2 levels, piss test - anything weird?

The results will speak for themselves. And my personal favourite subjective assetment is always "do I look like I could kick this Doctor's ass?"

After about 5 years of strength training, I once had a different doctor look at my Xray and say "you have incredible bone density, you are lucky you have great genetics".

To be fair I suspect most doctors only see egregious cases of gym injuries where extreme stupidity and incompetent training was involved, their perspective's are skewed.

[Subby]

was personally told by a well respected doctor

Not any more I hope.

[Frank_B]

"Resistance training" has actually become very commonly accepted as a safe and effective activity for health but its definition is so nebulous that it's not really helpful in medicine. Even most doctors are interested in training with weights are infected with ideas from the bodybuilding community.

I think this is the most accurate assessment of things, from my experience. I train at a local SS Gym and I was genuinely surprised by the number of doctors who are clients.

They often tend to be good lifters too, as they seem to understand what things like extension or flexion are, but it should come as no surprise that they don’t know much at all about programming.

This is important, because doctors do indeed say “You should strength train,” but beyond that many can’t offer any practical advice at all. How many reps? How many sets? What lifts? It’s plainly evident that research in this area by the broader medical community is not just unfinished, it’s missing entirely!

Doctors prescribing strength training at this stage is akin to them saying “Make sure to take your medicine,” while leaving the choice of medicine, the dose, and the frequency entirely up to the patient. Some people will get lucky and choose the right medicine, but many will just pick something that is completely ineffective, useless, or minimally beneficial. Worse yet, most people are going to pick their medicine based on a social media influencer!

Most of the doctors I lift with are entirely content in the separation of professions between doctor and strength coach. When I put a heavy set of deadlifts down, sucking wind and wondering just how I didn’t die on that last rep, none of them come rushing over to examine me and make sure I’m alright. They usually give me a thumbs up and a pat on the back and say “Good Job.”

That’s the way it ought to be.

[Marc Brainich]

Pretty much the only useful advice I’ve been given by a doctor outside of emergency treatment is when a PT, whom I was seeing for a stenosis of a nerve in my neck/traps area, told me to NEVER lift anything over my head FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I told the wife that sadly I would never be able to paint a ceiling again with a roller, but otherwise ignored him.

[gv3055]

Pretty much the only useful advice I’ve been given by a doctor outside of emergency treatment is when a PT, whom I was seeing for a stenosis of a nerve in my neck/traps area, told me to NEVER lift anything over my head FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I told the wife that sadly I would never be able to paint a ceiling again with a roller, but otherwise ignored him.

Haha this is funny.
I have also gotten out of countless 'can you help me move this weekend?' requests because I can say I have degenerating disks in my back (am 48 y.o., so it's not a lie ).

[Chiaki Nitya]

In my super limited sample size, I've had better luck with DO's than MD's, for some reason. And I fired my last NP for telling me not to eat eggs because I'm "not Rocky". She was fat by the way.

[Buffaloguy]

This is important, because doctors do indeed say “You should strength train,” but beyond that many can’t offer any practical advice at all. How many reps? How many sets? What lifts? It’s plainly evident that research in this area by the broader medical community is not just unfinished, it’s missing entirely!

Doctors prescribing strength training at this stage is akin to them saying “Make sure to take your medicine,” while leaving the choice of medicine, the dose, and the frequency entirely up to the patient. Some people will get lucky and choose the right medicine, but many will just pick something that is completely ineffective, useless, or minimally beneficial. Worse yet, most people are going to pick their medicine based on a social media influencer!
"

You hit on part of the issue here for sure. I attended the SS Seminar in Wichita Falls and I'm comfortable teaching the lifts to the average person but it isn't something you can really "prescribe" as an activity for anyone because they do not have a basic understanding of how to do the lifts. I can't coach someone's deadlift form from my office. I commonly suggest people who are interested in strength training to look into SS and let them know there is a great breadth of materials available for them to learn about the program on the website.

[Jdcuth]

This is important, because doctors do indeed say “You should strength train,” but beyond that many can’t offer any practical advice at all. How many reps? How many sets? What lifts? It’s plainly evident that research in this area by the broader medical community is not just unfinished, it’s missing entirely!

Doctors prescribing strength training at this stage is akin to them saying “Make sure to take your medicine,” while leaving the choice of medicine, the dose, and the frequency entirely up to the patient. Some people will get lucky and choose the right medicine, but many will just pick something that is completely ineffective, useless, or minimally beneficial. Worse yet, most people are going to pick their medicine based on a social media influencer!
"

You hit on part of the issue here for sure. I attended the SS Seminar in Wichita Falls and I'm comfortable teaching the lifts to the average person but it isn't something you can really "prescribe" as an activity for anyone because they do not have a basic understanding of how to do the lifts. I can't coach someone's deadlift form from my office. I commonly suggest people who are interested in strength training to look into SS and let them know there is a great breadth of materials available for them to learn about the program on the website.

The SS forums is a self selecting cohort of highly motivated individuals who have all decided to embark on a tough training program with considerable delay to the gratification involved.

The average patient I encounter will never even do consistent low intensity exercise let alone train.

Even the handful of individuals who I thought might have the necessary qualities for it to be worth my time to bring SS in to the discussion have not attempted it.

Kind of depressing really…..