Hacker News Reader

Comment by wumi | Hacker News Reader

speek,

the point of the post is to help people get back in shape, not necessarily so they don't 'look like a chicken.'

that being said, lifting weights, as i'm sure you know from your rowing experience, is not a substitute for other forms of exercise (in your case rowing) but rather a supplement. I've lifted weights for 10 years -- I certainly find them beneficial, but you can get in shape without lifting weights, and if you do, should use them as a supplement and not your only workout.

essentially, i'm saying, lifting weights != getting into shape.

edit: I said " have a good strength training program. You don’t need a gym membership — but it’s easier to use weights than gravity, especially with core muscles."

strength training != lifting weights, although for me, this is the easiest way to do it.

View on HN

Lifting is very useful because it actually increases your basal metabolism for many, many hours after your workout (as opposed to most aerobic exercises, whose metabolism boosting effects peter out in about an hour). In the long term, that benefit only compounds due to the increased muscle mass you gain.

If keeping your body in an enhanced calorie burning state even while you're sedentary isn't an exercise hack, I don't know what is. ;)

In the post about strength & training, I was going to discuss this very point.

My point is still that lifting by itself is not a complete work out.

I lift regularly, for a number of benefits, including the one you mentioned. But to the idea of getting in physical shape, lifting weights (with a good program) is still secondary to cardiovascular activity.

Besides, the real hack is taking the time spent discussing here and on other boards, and exercising! ;)

If you're doing Crossfit style sessions, then it certainly is "enough" to get in shape. There's more to strength training than typical body-building workouts.

To be fair, Crossfit's a lot more than "strength training."

Say "strength training and conditioning" and that's exactly what it is.

It is very important to be in good cardiovascular shape. Weight lifting puts stress on the heart and the cardiovascular system as whole. That's why doctors advise cardiovascular exercises to the population (such as walking or jogging)--one will eventually be in better shape, as well as improve their cardiovascular system at the same time.

Of course, having a lot more muscle due to weightlifting will also help one burn more calories, but in order to keep up with the body's progression, and challenge the body with more and more weights as it becomes ready, one needs to have a solid cardiovascular system (for safety.) Also, running would be the best type of cardio (for 30 minutes at a time) as it helps build bone mass in legs, knees, and maybe the back, which also will help prevent injury.

Not only that, but cardio work tends to make your body metabolize muscles... not exactly the best thing in the world, but if it works for cardio-people... good for them.

A survey of long time joggers found they had 22% body fat composition. That is horrible. A lot of "joggers" who may look thin are actually in pretty poor condition.

Sources?

Huh? Lifting for an hour burns a comparable amount (around half as much) of calories to jogging for an hour and is not only more sustainable for a beginner, but helps build muscle mass which makes losing fat exponentially easier.

I guess you could argue that it doesn't have all the cardiovascular benefits, but the usual definition of "in shape" isn't exclusively cardio-fitness. Just do whatever exercise suits you best that you are most likely to devote time to.

It's not so much that lifting "boosts your metabolism" as it improves your hormone profile, which reconfigures your body to be leaner. Lifting with intensity boosts growth hormone and testosterone, which will cause your body to shed fat. Muscle mass also increases insulin resistance.

Your body is not a simple thermodynamic machine. Calories in vs calories out is really not how it works.

Yeah, but cardio is good for the brain.

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-05/gs_11exce...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com