Maggie's Farm

I watch NatGeo on TV a have watched the various shows were indigent and ancient cultures and tribes live natural hunter gatherer lives. The one constant is the incredible condition of these people. They can work 12 hours day after day, they can travel incredible distances by foot, they can climb trees to harvest food. They look like they are in good shape and are tough and sinewy. The have never lifted weights in their life! Most of their daily exercise is little more than walking. Hmmmm!

I think what most people in 1st world countries think of when they think of exercise for health are really thinking about "looking good". they worry about their percentage of fat, their waistline, their biceps.

What, exactly, is healthy conditioning? Is it pumping iron search for mr goodbar Arnold Schwarzenegger muscles? Is that the be all end all?

That is actually a reasonable conclusion. Because hunter gatherer cultures spend so much time hustling for their food and necessities they put in long physical days which results in good/great conditioning. But to the point, it does imply that weights are not essential for conditioning and walking and other aerobic exercise do improve physical condition. Weight training is probably a reasonable and suitable way to condition yourself when time and lack of other exercise is not available.

You failed to grasp the point of the discussion. Several "experts" have claimed that you must lift weights and do so to muscle failure and all else is simply not exercise. Or they may have essentially said those things in different ways. The point is that clearly and demonstrably walking and common everyday work is good exercise and creates a conditioned body. Yes! I concede that super workouts with super weights will in fact build super muscles which of course will be followed by regular visits to doctors and physical therapy as you age. Why do that? If your goal is to win Mr America or to be a line backer in the NFL or a star in the WWE than I get it and good luck to you. But if your goal is to improve your physical health and maybe your physical appearance too maybe just maybe working out with very heavy weights until you are "jacked" may be a mistake. And further, my point is that a young man fresh out of community college with an associate in exercise has no clue, yet, that this can cause you problems when you get older. I would feel much better if a 74 year old MD who was also a weight lifter was on the pulpit telling me how great it is to exercise until you are "jacked". But, somehow, I don't think that is what he would say. I think instead he would look back and say I wish I knew then what I know now I would have been much nicer to my body.

P.S. I am a 75 year old man who has exercised all my life, heavy weights, marathons, every team sport and still enjoys physical activity. I would advise against regular sustained heavy weight workouts and suggest instead high reps with lower weights and lots of aerobic exercise as well. Just my opinion. Get back to me when you are 75 and tell me how it all worked out for you.