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| 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.
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| 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
