This is the re-posting of a recent discussion on my facebook, I thought it would prove interesting.
In response to my post about pre, during, and post workout nutrition, a close friend wrote
just to give a counterpoint
consider why men go to the gym today. Most go to increase muscle size/health/sexual attractiveness. IMO they are not concerned with doing it the “most” healthy way, but rather gaining results in the quickest and most efficient way.
My response:
“Health” and increased muscle mass are always intertwined. Thinking you can only have one and not the other is erroneous at it’s core. The same goes for best results and best use of time – best results require very little time.
I understand that with your beliefs, this is not the healthiest way about it. but you cannot deny that working out the way most people do is still better then sitting on the couch and eating potato chips. therefore, effectively, they are living a healthier lifestyle.
My response:
Yes I can, watch me =)
“Exercise” (random physical activity) the way most people perform it, is quite damaging, and serves no real physiological (beneficial) purpose.
see here for further info
http://baye.com/something-is-not-always-better-than-nothing/
you are a perfect example of this. even though there is no proof that you are extremely healthy, I also can’t say that you are not healthy. but by the standards set forth by todays society, considering how many YEARS you have worked out, you are not near the muscle size of your peers that are doing things the “modern” way.I’m not denying you your results, however, considering your cost/result ratio, you are not nearly to being the most efficient way of going about living a healthy lifestyle. People need a lot of dedication and devotion to go about doing things the way you feel they need to be done. looking at history, other then a few exceptional human beings, people will not go out of their way to achieve something… not usually unless it’s something clear within their reach.
My response:
Not following. My cost is low and results are high – where is the flaw? How much dedication is required to work out once a week, or less? Eating is a different story, but not so different as to be “in it’s own ball field”. Simple changes are all that is required – some may view them as extreme, but that is a perspective, not inherent to the changes (eliminating grains and beans for example).
Adding fuel to the fire
These were quick responses I made on Facebook and have not been edited other than a quick capitalization here and the addition of italics there.
To go further
even though there is no proof that you are extremely healthy, I also can’t say that you are not healthy.
The flaw in thinking is “extremely healthy” here. Healthy is one of those vaguely defined words – like exercise – that most people have individual visions of. My definition of “healthy” (off the top of my head) is a lack of disease, a high level of skeletal muscle mass in relation to my genetic potential and age, a strong immune system, and a lack of habits that promote future problems (eating grain, “cardio”, etc).
Furthermore, “extremley healthy” supports the idea of super health, which despite what the latest raw food revolution fanatic says, does not exist. Our bodies are meant to function a certain way, and all we can do is allow them to operate in that fashion. We do this by eating “properly”, and exercise intelligently (consciously/rationally).
“Enhancing” your health above it’s set base line is pure non sense (with the minor exception of additional muscle mass).
considering how many YEARS you have worked out, you are not near the muscle size of your peers that are doing things the “modern” way.
Comparing yourself to others (in nearly any field, not just exercise), is largely useless, and at times counter productive. When it comes to my own progress (in anything), I look first and foremost to myself, my own standards, and my own goals. With exercise genetic potential also comes into play, and some people are simply above the norm and would be “jacked” or “ripped” no matter what they did for “exercise”.
My results are not only real, but are a direct result of my actions. 19 pounds of muscle in 11 months may not be much for some people, but far exceeds my own expectations – and considering my age (21), probably puts me at least somewhere close to my “current” potential, unlike many of the gym fanatics we see running around large gyms 5-7 days a week with results likely not near their potential (even if their “results” appear to be far more “advanced” than my own).
To put the icing on the cake, the way I train is as safe as possible- for now, and later. I have trained for many years, and can hardly name a handful of individuals (that I have observed personally) who could claim the same.
“Extreme Health” is a goal that the majority of people strive to obtain by “recreation”(cardio and chronic, low intensity weight training). Because professional athletes can lift huge weights, run everyday and have a single digit body fat %, we see them as the epitome of being “Extreme Health”. This state of mind has lead all of us, at one point or another, down the wrong path of overall wellness. The fact that professional athletes have superior genetics to everyday people is almost never applied. “If they can look like that, I can look like that” or “because they lift weights or run every day, then I have to too in order to look like that.” By adapting this mentality we have 1) Wasted a lot of time. 2)Put ourselves at risk for injury and 3) In the case of cardio, actually degraded our overall health.
This mental comparison has lead us down a delusional path of what diet and exercise should be. Like you mentioned above, we define our own sense of health. Whether it be freedom from disease, a strong immune system, or lowering the chances of future health problems (joint damage from running everyday), we need to decide based on our own needs and goals in life.
Popular culture leads us to believe that Men’s Health, SHAPE and SELF magazines preach the correct way to exercise or eat if we want to obtain “extreme health”. These mass media outlets have only one goal in mind: money. They do not care if we live lose weight, gain muscle, or live longer.
Extreme health is impossible to define, therefore it is impossible to obtain. We as a culture need to create our own definition of what “health” is. And pursue it based on our own beliefs not what popular culture is telling us.
Keep up the good work,
-Ryan
Well said.
I will add though, that the magazines are no more at fault than Mcdonalds is for the condition our country is. They are a business, trying to make money, and should not be blamed for our problems. We are not forced to eat Mcdonalds, soy, corn, wheat, other grains, and so on – and we are not forced to read those magazines, or look to them for a source of “truth”.
The responsibility lies in the individual.
-Anthony
ps- pretty cool blog btw, lookin over it now
Anthony,
You bring up a very good point. Yes responsibility lies in the individual. However, when the people look at a magazine for health information, they are expecting it to be correct. This is my beef with popular media. Yes their goal is to make money, and to be honest I understand completely where they come from. But when making money starts to teeter on the honest and ethical totter, then we have a problem.
- Ryan
Thanks for checking out my blog. Just started it about a month ago. Still in the beginning stages. Any advice?
And what about, as has been the case for some weeks now, I just feel like doing nothing? Where does the precious art of doing nothing fit into your philosophy? :-p
@Ryan
Add a share tool to the bottom of each post (“socialable”), but more importantly, use stumble upon like crazy, and encourage others to do so as well. Hands down one of the best sources of traffic out there.
Also consider making the home page excerpts of full posts rather than actually having the full posts all on the home page.
And, keep punching away. It takes time to build a readership!
@Erika
Doing “nothing” in terms of exercise is better than what most people consider “exercise”. Doing “nothing” in terms of eating though… eh, depends on your personal preferences then. Doesnt work the same way exercise does though! =)
-Anthony