[quote=Crashsti;287514]It seems that everyone who joins a gym wants to be faster, stronger and have more endurance. This is fine, but does constantly seeking to improve performance lead to a poorer state of health in the long run? i look at the elderly, thier bodies weakened by time, happy to just be able to take a short walk or climb the stairs. Then i look at fighters and athletes of other sports, using all means to necessary to get bigger, stronger and faster. Even if it means that down the road they may suffer from physical pains that someone who exercised with more moderation won't experience. I don't really have a question but what is everyone's opinion on why it seems natural to want to be better at whatever it is we're doing. I once heard a saying. "If you can lift 1000lbs. just one time a month you will never be weak.". As i get older i begin to wonder if maybe i am better off taking good care of my body as opposed to pushing it to the limits.[/QUOTE
I think at some point you need to slow down, at least with lifting heavy. My Dad's Cardiologist told him to tell me to slow down, because a lot of power lifters have heart problems later on in life. Which, I don't doubt a bit. It makes perfect sense. When you lift heavy, you spike your blood pressure way high during the lifts; which in the short term is good, because it actually results in lower blood pressures and heart rates when resting...but in the long term...if you're placing that kind of crazy stress on your valves and vessels at some point they're going to wear out and break down. Even Arnold has had heart valve repair(s).
Also, your body just can't recover and/or take the beating it did at a younger age. I know that there are super athletes (Randy Couture) who do very well at their age, but I wonder how much harder Randy has to train now to achieve his fitness level compared to with how hard he'd had to worked 15 years ago to reach that same level. I'm pushing 34...and I can tell you that It takes me significantly longer to recover from heavy work outs, even though I can lift more in some lifts. I used to lift heavy 1-2 times a week. Now I'm lucky if I feel up to it once every two to three weeks...lol. I can tell by the language my legs send me when I need to slow down.
The hardest thing for me to swallow is my Pride and competitiveness. I'm very competitive; especially with myself. I have a difficult time not pushing to do heavier and heavier lifts and lifting instead for more reps and lighter weight. Young punks who waltz around the gym like they're the Sh*t, drives me too. But, it's been hitting me more and more lately that I need to slow it down...mainly because of the increases in aches, pains, and recovery times. I've had a good lifting career too. And have had some pretty darn good lifts. So, what more do I have to prove to myself or anyone else? Besides, even if I do, what good is it going to do me? I don't compete, I'm not in any sports or martial arts anymore. No, it's just time to lift to develop lean muscle.
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