I use weights a bit, and since you are on a rationalist site I’d ask this question: where is the point where lifting unusually heavy things contributes more to the destruction of the body than to its maintenance?
Well, after researching this topic for several years, i can condense it into this.
Lifting unusually heavy things, and running unusually long distances do more long term harm than good. Think doing heavy squats, and running marathons.
The only benefit I can think of for doing heavy lifts, is to impress to bros, and get buff for a party fast, while taking a semi-legal supplement. heavy lifting does not have long term advantages.
The extreme is uninformative, that’s why I was asking if you came to any heuristics about finding and optimal point. Clearly there are benefits to muscle, besides status: strength and increased metabolism (the way I understand it is you actually have to exercise less with weights than with aerobics to stay in shape). Too much is likely to lead to injury and possibly other problems (possibly caused by extreme blood pressure during heavy lifting).
My personal conclusion is that bodyweight exercises are pretty safe, though I do use weights where bodyweight alternatives are too complicated or require annoyingly many reps.
Too many people run marathons and lift heavy weights for me not too say them.
I don’t think that increased strength and increased metabolism are great benefits now. There are few instances in today’s world where strength matters, and increased metabolism is really only important if you really like food, or are a competitive food eater.
Beyond not being obese and being able to play a game of pick up basketball with the guys, I am not convinced that exercise really means anything, beyond increasing status to some groups of people.
I would simply recommend doing the type of exercises that will make your body type appeal to those who you want to impress, or get along with, that don’t have a high risk of injury(unless you like impressing the risky crowd, up to you)
I use weights a bit, and since you are on a rationalist site I’d ask this question: where is the point where lifting unusually heavy things contributes more to the destruction of the body than to its maintenance?
Well, after researching this topic for several years, i can condense it into this.
Lifting unusually heavy things, and running unusually long distances do more long term harm than good. Think doing heavy squats, and running marathons.
The only benefit I can think of for doing heavy lifts, is to impress to bros, and get buff for a party fast, while taking a semi-legal supplement. heavy lifting does not have long term advantages.
The extreme is uninformative, that’s why I was asking if you came to any heuristics about finding and optimal point. Clearly there are benefits to muscle, besides status: strength and increased metabolism (the way I understand it is you actually have to exercise less with weights than with aerobics to stay in shape). Too much is likely to lead to injury and possibly other problems (possibly caused by extreme blood pressure during heavy lifting).
My personal conclusion is that bodyweight exercises are pretty safe, though I do use weights where bodyweight alternatives are too complicated or require annoyingly many reps.
Too many people run marathons and lift heavy weights for me not too say them.
I don’t think that increased strength and increased metabolism are great benefits now. There are few instances in today’s world where strength matters, and increased metabolism is really only important if you really like food, or are a competitive food eater.
Beyond not being obese and being able to play a game of pick up basketball with the guys, I am not convinced that exercise really means anything, beyond increasing status to some groups of people.
I would simply recommend doing the type of exercises that will make your body type appeal to those who you want to impress, or get along with, that don’t have a high risk of injury(unless you like impressing the risky crowd, up to you)