Knees, Squatting, Training, and Being Soft

A great example of what the doc and author recommended (bad idea)

          In an article that I read the other day, which was more just a question that was asked by a guy and answered by another guy that quoted a doctor, I read about aging and knee health and what can be done about it. The guy asking the question was worried about how much longer he can continue to exercise because his knees are hurting him; he is in his 60’s, does yoga, and does weightlifting. The response was ok… he told the guy that it sounded as if he was already doing the right things and that a doctor (PhD) of kinesiology as well as a certified athletic trainer, says that sturdy knees come from sturdy surrounding leg muscles. 1 point PhD; well said. The PhD then goes on to say that squats are great for the knees if done correctly. 1point PhD. Well, then things start to go downhill. The good doc goes on to say that you should start with your body weight and try to do 20 squats with your thighs just above parallel to the ground. Minus 1 point PhD. The author goes on to say that you could progress that by squatting with a milk jug. Minus 1 point responding author.

          First, you should always work the full range of natural motion on any lift that you do. Period. Failing to do so means that you are failing to become truly mobile, even though you may be flexible from yoga as is the guy asking the question. Flexibility comes with yoga, because you are stretching without weight; that is great and if you have the time to do it, I would recommend doing it. That being said, passive flexibility (meaning just being able to stretch without moving and is actually a little dangerous if you lack the strength to control it) and dynamic mobility are two very different things with one being much more important than the other for movement health.

          Dynamic mobility is a fancy term for being strong and flexible while moving; mobility is just being strong through an entire range of motion. So, doing squats with your thighs above parallel (tsk-tsk Doc) is not lifting through the full range of motion; if this guy follows this recommendation, he will not only be limiting his own mobility which can be harmful, he will also be getting weaker because the author thought it correct to tell him to start with his bodyweight or full milk jug which is a whopping 8lbs (tsk-tsk author). Limiting his mobility combined with his age is a recipe for disaster.

First, squatting all the way down or an ATG squat, is not bad for your knees! Everyone says it puts more pressure behind your patella, so what? Stopping early transfers much more strain to your quad and patellar tendon which can cause tendonitis. ATG squats also involve your knees traveling forward enough to allow your butt to sit down on your heels; this is also NOT bad for your knees or ankles, this is part of being truly mobile. Finally, ATG squats are also essential for back health; not necessarily because they make your back strong –which they do– but because most people injure their backs picking up something light and/or small. It is not heavy enough for them to think about bracing for the load (like a jug of milk), although they should have, so they lift it in a manner that is usually somewhat careless and they injure their backs. Something this light could have easily been squatted down to, as babies do naturally, and lifted with a set and braced back if they are mobile enough to do so.

Second, we are much too soft when it comes to training these days. We have never had to worry about things like this before because our lives were active by design and we were strong until we were very old; now our lives are not near as hard, there is not as much asked of us, so in our old age we begin to become very frail. This frailty is due to the thought process that just because people are old they can’t lift heavy or workout hard –both are wrong! To protect them into their later years, the elder population should be lifting heavy and hard as long as they can. Sure, heavy for them will not be heavy for a younger person, but it’s about taxing the body. So, to clarify, the bodyweight squats recommended by the doc and the milk jug squats recommended by the author are both fine if the guy is not active and healthy. If he is active and healthy, these recommendations will literally make him weaker through de-training. Your body likes very much to work by the principle of “use it or lose it” so if you aren't using the strength or muscle that you have worked so hard for, your body it will take it away because it takes energy to maintain that. So, squatting a milk jug when you can obviously handle more is just silly; this guy should be squatting with a loaded barbell at least once a week, if not twice. He doesn't have to be a gym rat, but he can’t be afraid to work hard and lift heavy either.

          Some different lifts that the older population could benefit from are squats (full depth!), deadlifts, overhead pressing, pull ups (assisted or pull downs on a machine), push ups, and rowing variations. These are all very basic movements that can be easily done in most commercial gyms (except the deadlift because commercial gyms are becoming more and more soft as well) that will help you maintain strength in all areas of your body as well as a great deal of mobility that will transfer to everyday life. As I said earlier, the rep schemes don’t have to be anything crazy either. Four sets of five reps at the same weight after warming up will be more than enough to start with and all you have to do is add a little more weight when those four sets become easy. After five or six weeks, do a lighter lifting week, and then repeat. Lifting and training doesn't have to be hard, you just have to be willing to put in the time and effort.

Jack Lalanne was a great example for physical health. He was 91 in this picture... give that a try young people!                               

          I don’t know where these myths of training began to stem from, but they have about as much merit as did muscle-binding; lifting through a full range-of-motion is really the best way for your body to stay truly healthy in to your later years. It will help your maintain your independence, your mobility, your weight, your energy levels, and your quality of life. If you are young, realize early that lifting is an important part of being active. Maybe it is because lifting through a full range is harder, takes a bit longer, and it is harder to lift really heavy loads of weight in short amounts of time –essentially beats people’s egos up. People seem to like to inherently take the easy way out –even more-so now than ever before. We are constantly looking for the quick fix, the magic pill, the best way to burn fat in a certain area (which does NOT HAPPEN under any circumstances) instead of finding the two solutions that will for sure make you healthy: eating right and exercising. Eating right will be what causes fat loss; there is no way around it –not even exercising! Exercising, which includes lifting through a full range-of-motion, is incredibly important for the reasons mentioned earlier in the paragraph. There are no quick fixes, six-minute abs, or magic pills out there that will do all the work for you. Old or young, buckle down and be willing to put in the work and stop being soft. With regards to lifting, training, and life: you reap what you sow.

-Chris