Lift Weights, Eat More Protein, Especially If You’re Over 40
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
Maybe it's me, but 10% extra performance and 25% extra muscle mass sounds like quite a huge difference to me - "not enormous" is technically correct but also lowered my expectations to a few percentages.
EDIT: Oh, I grokked the comment by mikeyouse and you now. Yes, I see what you mean.
Anyway, compare this to optimising code programming: there are big changes like switching algorithms, or more incremental improvements, like re-using arrays to reduce memory allocations. I'd say the former is like changing the type of sports/exercise, and the latter is more like this dietary change. For an incremental optimisation, 1.1x is quite significant, no? (there isn't really an analogy for bulking up though; since there isn't a causal relationship between code size and performance and smaller is considered better)
* 1RM = 1 Repetition Maximum Strength
"The average RET-induced increase, with all measures of 1RM included, was 27kg (mean±SD; 27±22kg22 32). Notably, dietary protein supplementation augmented the increase in 1RM strength by 2.49kg (9%; figure 2; see online supplementary figure 4), which strongly suggests that the practice of RET is a far more potent stimulus for increasing muscle strength than the addition of dietary protein supplementation."
"In addition to increasing changes in muscle strength, RET alone (≥6; 13±8weeks) resulted in an increase in FFM (1.1 ± 1.2kg), an increase in fibre CSA (808±) and an increase in mid-femur CSA (52±30mm2). Dietary protein supplementation augmented the increase in FFM by 0.30kg (27%), fibre CSA by 310µm2 (38%) and mid-femur CSA by 7.2mm2 (14%). The postexercise protein dose did not affect the efficacy of protein supplementation on RET-induced changes in FFM whereas training status (positive), age (negative) and baseline protein intake (positive) did. Relative to untrained participants, resistance-trained participants have a smaller potential for muscle growth and an attenuated postexercise muscle protein turnover. As a result, we speculate that trained persons may have less ‘degrees of freedom’ to change with RET and therefore have a greater need for protein supplementation to see increases in muscle mass. Our thesis is supported by the observation of a more consistent impact of protein supplementation on gains in FFM in resistance-trained individuals than in novice trainees."
So working out regularly increases your 1-rep max lift by 27kg. Supplementing with protein can increases that max that by 2.5kg. Resistance exercise can increase your muscle mass by 1.1kg and protein can increase muscle mass further by 0.3kg. There was no difference past a protein dose of 1.6g/kg/day and supplementation mainly benefit those starting from a higher point of muscle mass and strength.
http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/early/2018/01/18/bjspor...
Let me explain.
I think what most people should be doing is calisthenics. I’ve been lifting weights for over a decade, but only started calisthenics two years ago. Personally, I feel calisthenics gives you a much stronger and durable body over all compared to lifting weights. It also strengthens your joints and connective tissues, which people don’t really think about until it’s too late. Aesthetically, I also feel strong calisthenic trained bodies look much more well proportioned and hardened due to the active use of stabilizer muscles. People who have trained calisthenics for a long time are deceptively strong. They don’t look particularly huge, but they perform feats of strength that even the most professional weightlifter would struggle to do. To me, this is a sign of true mastery over one’s body.
If you’re just getting started in your exercise career, try calisthenics.
I agree with your point generally though that the best exercise routine(or diet) is one that you stick with and progresses you towards your goals.
It just so happens that the weight you are lifting is your own body's weight rather than weights external to your body.
I've tried calisthenics and lacks in many areas. For starters, it woefully neglects the legs. Pistol squats and bridges are not nearly as taxing as barbell squats and deadlifts, though bridges have the added benefit of working flexibility. Push ups and pull ups quickly reach a plateau with 1 arm variations, and at that point you're no longer doing calisthenic movements but training like a gymnast.
Calisthenics seem to be most effective at building strength for the core (pikes, leg raises, planks) and the shoulders (if you have the coordination to do hand stand push ups).
Barbell training should not be avoided. I've also had serious injuries, such as a broken humerus as a child, where rotator cuff and deltoid muscles atrophied to an extreme level; and those joints are now stronger than ever because I weight trained in specific movement patterns that are difficult to replicate with calisthenics. And I say this as someone who has also been lifting weights for over a decade and has competed in both powerlifting and bodybuilding.
I agree it doesn’t target the legs as much, and that’s one area where weightlifting helps, but unless you are doing the most complicated version of many calisthenics exercises (i.e. human flags, v-sit, iron crosses, dragon flags...) then you are not quite at the plateau.
It’s easy to neglect other things with barbell training. You need to train your flexibility, you need to train under instability, you need to strengthen connective tissues. Also you need to work straight arm strength and straight leg strength, not just bent, and they are not interchangeable.
Someone who has exclusively trained calisthenics isn't going to be magically able to lift two times his own body weight, simply because your body and muscles will get used to training with the same load and strength gains will simply plateau. Someone who has specifically trained to get stronger by using an increasing load is going to be able to lift more than his own bodyweight.
Stop trying to sell one thing as the cure, denouncing everything else. Ultimately the most important thing is that people just do any kind of exercise. People should do what they like best - be it calisthenics, weightlifting or even powerwalking. Naturally, one approach might be objectively better for your health than another in the long run, but that doesn't matter if the alternative is not doing any exercise at all.
I have personally witnessed a gymnast who had never bench pressed before in his life bench press ~400lbs while weighing ~200lbs.
I won't speak to some of the OPs other points but you are severely underestimating calisthenics.
What I later realized is that body weight becomes very difficult by merely changing the technique. There are a lot of body weight exercises that are some of the hardest lifts I’ve ever done.
A person who has been dedicated to calisthenics can almost certain lift twice their body weight or more. Some can even squat a ton of weight without ever hitting the squat racks.
Like I said, the strength you build from calisthenics is very deceptive. People look at you and underestimate your strength because you don’t look like a weight lifter.
I’ll give you an example, sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, back straight, and palms flat on the ground next to your knees. From this position, keep your back straight, legs straight, and lift your legs up as close as possible to your chest and hold it there for 10 seconds. Seems difficult? There’s calisthenics guys who can not only bring their legs all the way up, they can do it while simultaneously lifting their entire body off the ground in this position. Doesn’t matter how much weight you push in the gym, you will never be able to do that without the strong stabilizing muscles you can only get through calisthenics. And nothing you do with weights will ever be as useful or as impressive as feats of strength like this.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27479196
> CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:
> High animal protein intake was positively associated with cardiovascular mortality and high plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, especially among individuals with at least 1 lifestyle risk factor. Substitution of plant protein for animal protein, especially that from processed red meat, was associated with lower mortality, suggesting the importance of protein source.
Asking cos I've had a hard time finding protein dense plant based alternatives, and as a vegetarian, it's really hard to get a lot of proteins from plant-based sources without processed stuff like Vega etc.
I do eat quinoa but 1) it's very expensive and 2) you have to eat 2 or 3 cups of cooked quinoa to get like 25 gms of protein which is a lot of quinoa per day.
edit: Just looked up vega and it looks like it is just plant protein like I recommended - sorry about that. What's wrong with extracting proteins out of plant matter? You don't end up with any noticeable amount of reagents or any intermediaries in the final product, thanks to chemistry.
To a lesser but still significant extent, legumes.
Hummus usually has more oil added on top of the tahini. And chickpeas are the main ingredient and they have a lot of starch on top of the protein.
The dairy industry did a stupendous job convincing people it will interfere with their hormones though. Master class in PR.
Edit: by natural I mean without using scales, going just by how I'm feeling and body is doing.
That being said, since fecal losses of protein and short-chain peptides tend to smell incredibly bad one can use a 'sniff-test' after bowel movements to assess if protein is being lost in the feces and thus not taken up by either the intestines or the muscle.
Not pleasant, perhaps, but should be effective :-)
I'm mid-40s and have no problem doing low-rep high-resistance (> 85% 1RM) sets 2-3 days per week and alternating with 2-3 HIIT sessions on bike, run, or swim for triathlon training.
You have to decide what your goals are (endurance = 12+ rep sets at 30-50% 1RM, hypertrophy = 8-12 rep sets at 55-75% 1RM, strength = 1-6 rep sets at 85% - 100% 1RM) AND you have to have excellent form for the prime mover exercises (deadlift, squat, bench press, bent-over row) to avoid injury, but with the right diet, discipline, and proper recovery consistent 5% gains per three- to four-week cycles are possible
Reference: _Periodization Training for Sports_ by Bompa, http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/periodiza...
There's a massive technical aspect to learn that puts a more scientific spin to appeal to people like us.*
* You're on HN, right?
I would argue with the "never do for real" when it comes to weight lifting, and I would also argue against the entire concept.
You lift weights all the time. Every time you stand up, every step you take, every time you move any muscle, you're lifting weights. If you're helping a friend move, you're lifting weights. I bought a file cabinet the other day and the guy was amazed that I got it into my truck on my own even though it was 50+ pounds... but I think a normal person should be able to lift that much weight into the bed of a truck no problem. Need to open a pickle jar? Need to move a couch? Need to carry more groceries in from the car? That's what you're training for.
And also, people train for things they never do "for real" all the time. Every time you play a video game you train for something you'll never do for real. Every time you play guitar but you're not in a band, you're training for something you'll never do for real. Every time you make a joke if you're not a stand-up comedian, you're training for something you'll never do for real. Every time you take a picture but you're not a photographer you get the idea. You're not really training to be an olympic weightlifter, you're training to lift that weight right there in front of you. That's just as "for real" as anything else you do as a hobby.
How is running or riding a bike any more "for real" than lifting a weight? They're all things you do for exercise to be healthy. No one's running everywhere they go, running is something you do in order to run, and you run to get better at running so you can run more. You lift weights in order to lift heavier weights so you can lift more weights. Same exact thing.
If you pick up heavy stuff off the floor, that's a deadlift.
Put something on a shelf, it's a press.
These items are less a problem in your 20s, 30s and below, than above.
More muscle mass means more hormone production, which otherwise declines with age.
And weightlifting leads to higher bone density and stronger tendons.
Now are you sure it's not useful, moving a weight for the sake of it?
For example, if family is important to you, being strong and fit makes it easier to take care of a young family. If you're a woman I assume pregnancy goes easier if you're physically robust beforehand. Good health ensures longevity and gives you more and better quality time with your family.
If your career or work is important then you can note that being in better health puts you in a better position to achieve your professional goals - lower chances of RSI or lengthy hospital stays, easier to put in long hours without getting tired. And of course physically fit people are more attractive and, on average, attractive people do better professionally - they get paid more, are perceived as more competent etc.
If you care about the environment, becoming fitter makes it more likely you'll walk or bike instead of driving. You'll also require less healthcare in your old age, which means fewer resources are expended on you.
I could keep going - practically any personal goal could get a bit of a boost from better health.
I've also been doing HIIT workouts by following this guy's videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSYr9PbKKbL-OdIEnIvqVOw/vid...
I love that it is timed. I'm not distracted by anything unlike if I'm just doing it on my own.
After a couple of weeks you'll start adapting to that and feeling a lot better. Then you might want to join up at a gym.
I'd say start with something easy like the machines for a few months. The machines aren't the best way to lift but they're pretty hard to get wrong, come with instructions and get you used to going to the gym.
Limit your time at the gym. For me 40 mins and I'm out. If you feel like you have to be there for a long time it can impact the rest of your life and cause you to give up on it. Regular workouts are key to changing. Not one off insanely intense marathon sessions.
After 3 months or so you'll start noticing a little more energy and confidence. I'd say it's time to learn some barbell lifts. Deadlift, squat, bench press and overhead press. Get good at those over a year or so and you'll be amazed at the changes you see.
Starting strength is a great book to get you going on those lifts. If you can afford it a trainer is also a great way to start. https://athleanx.com/ is also something I've heard nothing but good things about.
Mobility is also huge, learn to stretch from day one. You'll feel amazing if you can get in 20 mins 3 times a week.
Then you'll be motivated to work out on your own to save money.
For me, I have found if I put something such that I have to do it, it typically gets done. Just making it so that I want to...
I think some important factors for this:
- It feels good
- I’m feeling sad and am looking to feel better
- I’m not feeling too physically tired. Last night I worked out, and this morning I worked out. I feel strong and as if I have enough energy to work out
- I am not distracted with stress about any obligations (when I am stressed/distracted, I tend to forget to do certain things or will badly time manage)
I think the main factors are that I am looking to feel better and I feel somewhat energetic because I worked out last night and today.
I have wondered how to solve this problem last month. I thought about how, through school and social norms, we learn to not react to our urge to move (and movement can bring pleasure). It’s important to react to our urge to move, to have a reflex. I might be developing that now, because as I wrote, I’m goingbecause I want to feel better.
I came home from college after ending a long relationship. I was broke, depressed and quickly gaining weight. I knew I was in trouble when my Mom starting telling me I was looking "puffy" around the face. As a hockey and soccer player, this was the final straw, I knew I had to do something but was so unmotivated to do anything.
I started slow. Got a on a treadmill (you can find some for free on craiglist) and did 10 minutes a day. Then I do resistance band for about 10-15 minutes and then tried as best I could to stretch out. I started at 30 minutes, and then as I improved my diet and started to lose the weight, I increased the intensity. Yeah, I was doing 10 minutes, but I was practically sprinting by the second month. I gave up the resistance bands and started doing light free weight lifting, but doing long reps (3 sets of 20-25 reps).
My advice? Basically just do anything. Go out and walk for 15 minutes. Go run for 5 minutes every day. Go out and work in your yard, get on a bike and bike for 15 minutes. Anything that gets your blood pumping and your heart rate up is beneficial. Try as best you can to eat better. Working out is useless if you don't improve your diet.
Just start somewhere and adjust as you go. My biggest bit of advice? Listen to your body. If you're sore or doing something is painful, stop. If you're sore? Don't push it, take a few days off, switch exercises and take it easy. When you get older, it takes a LOT longer to heal and get back to working out. You don't want to pull a muscle and be sitting on your couch healing for 2 months.
Maybe just commit to trying a bunch of things till you find something that you like
Specifically, structure your starting workouts so they are simple and achievable, and if possible can help you in other areas of your life.
http://rosstraining.com/blog/2015/12/29/motivation-is-overra...
My grandparents lived well into their 90s. All you have to do is eat well and try to be active from time to time.
But there is a growing weightlifting movement with a healthy marketing budget...
The article lists beef as it's first source of protein besides protein shakes. Beef is a class 2A carcinogen. I stopped reading there.
That's really the part you took issue with? That's a list of protein examples, not "it's first source of protein." It even says "any form of protein is likely to be effective."
Fake HN outrage?
It goes on to say "On the other hand and conveniently, any type of and time for protein was fine. The gains were similar if people downed their protein immediately after a workout or in the hours earlier or later, and it made no difference if the protein was solid or liquid, soy, beef, vegan or any other."
To give some context red meat is on the same list as:
Hairdresser or barber (occupational exposure as a)
Shift work that involves circadian disruption
Very hot beverages (more than 65℃)
High-temperature frying, emissions from
Household combustion of biomass fuel (primarily wood), indoor emissions from
Research by McMaster University’s Dr. Stuart Phillips and others has found that if you eat more than 20 to 30 grams of protein at a time, you don’t get any further anabolic boost. Any extra protein is simply burned for energy; unlike carbohydrate or fat, you can’t save it for later.
https://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/why-and-when-you-...