We used to think it was enough to spend some time on a treadmill or something similar to keep fit. But cardio-vascular exercise alone will not preserve bone density and muscle mass. As time passes without adequate stimulation, aging bodies lose both, and these changes can result in falls, broken bones, back injuries, and decreased resistance to disease in our golden years.
Cardio is important, no doubt, but to achieve total fitness we need to lift some weights one way or another. There is an old mistaken notion that men with well-developed muscles will have all that
“turn to fat” if they don’t' keep lifting. Muscles will atrophy if they are not regularly and sufficiently stimulated, and men who eat more calories than they burn will store the excess as fat. But if you have ever built muscle at any time in your life, the foundation will remain, and rebuilding will be easier through a process known as “muscle memory” than for those who never lifted a finger.
Whether you are new to weight training or returning from a break in training, it is wise to start out your weight-training program slowly and carefully, allowing plenty of time for your body to adjust to the new level of exercise. Before you lift anything heavier than your gym bag, however, you should start out with five-to-ten minutes of a warm-up exercise such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer, or stationary bike. The idea here is simply to get blood flowing, warm up stiff muscles, and break a sweat. We used to think that stretching before lifting was a good idea, but we now know that stretching is best done between lifts and after training. Done before lifting, stretching can actually decrease muscle strength.
For the first couple of weeks or first month of a new program, depending on your regularity of training and level of fitness when you start out, expect to do only one set of each exercise in a program that targets the major muscle groups as follows: pull-ups or pull-downs, for the back and biceps, leg-extensions, for the quadriceps, leg curls, for the hamstrings, and bench press with free weights or machines, for the chest and triceps. Add to these crunches for abdominals, and you have a full-body exercise program that will get you primed for a more rigorous program later. Don't try to lift much weight at first. Focus instead on correct exercise form, and perform exercises with weights that permit you to do 12-15 repetitions (reps) before the muscles feel tired. Working in this rep range will develop muscle endurance as well as produce muscle tone. Do this full-body workout no more than three non-consecutive days per week for the first couple of weeks up to a month. You may have to increase poundage’s to keep within the 12-15 rep range as your body gets stronger.
Many weight-training machines have diagrams that show correct exercise technique. If these are absent or unhelpful, it is worth the investment to hire a trainer for a few sessions to show you how to use machines or free weights correctly to maximize muscle growth and minimize the chance of injury. Muscle & Fitness magazine starts out in January each year with programs for beginners, working up through intermediate and advanced levels of training throughout the calendar year. The magazine also provides information on diet, supplements, and how to keep motivated. If you learn well from reading, subscribing to Muscle & Fitness would be a good investment. Another good resource is realjock.com, a website focused on gay men's health and fitness. Watching experienced lifters can also help, but I've seen many big guys with sloppy technique, so copying others without understanding exactly what you are doing isn't always helpful.
In general you want to work muscles through their full range of motion. It is generally better to lift and lower weights slowly, avoiding jerky motions or wiggling of the body, common mistakes beginners sometimes make when trying to lift more than they can handle. Going slowly on the negative portion of the lift, when you are lowering the weight, actually stimulates the muscle more than the positive lift.
Weight training is not rocket science, but there's more to learn than many people realize to do it most effectively. When I was starting out training after a long break due to HIV-related illness, I could barely lift even the bar of the bench press machine without a single plate. I gave myself 100% permission to rest or stop altogether if I felt tired or uncomfortable. I found I rarely needed to stop, and I rebuilt my strength faster than I ever would have thought possible. Start your own program, and you may surprise yourself how quickly your progress.
Oh yes, by all means, let's
Oh yes, by all means, let's continue to tout the current paradigm of body consciousness. Let's all focus on our bodies and how to work out, and perpetuate the vapid nature of the gay community. IF we spent half the money we spend on gyms on equal protection causes we would be a whole lot farther ahead. But you know, let's keep our stereotypes alive and make sure everyone buys the myth that a gym membership will save you.
Wow. . . what a surprising
Wow. . . what a surprising and (dare I say) sad response to this blog post. I'm a big guy, and I hate the body fascist ideals that pervade our culture as much as anyone else could. HOWEVER, there is nothing in this posting that even suggests a body fascist (or even body centric) perspective, OR that even says we should all lose weight and build muscle to improve our appearance. As someone who worked for years in the social services, I can tell you without a doubt that as we age it is absolutely paramount that we do some kind of resistance training to improve our overall health. It can improve mood, reduce stress, and help us sleep better, not to mention decrease our chances for developing osteoporosis as we age. This is exactly the point the author has made, and you've missed it, entirely. I would want anyone I love to be happy and healthy--no matter his age. Physical fitness helps to ensure both, and helps ensure that we can spend more happy and healthy years together. I think it's pretty sad that someone would find a message like this offensive.
It's hard for me to imagine
It's hard for me to imagine how anyone could find health and fitness inappropriate concerns for any community, gay or otherwise. There is nothing in the articles posted here to suggest an obsessive or otherwise unwholesome attention to the body above other areas of interest. We know for sure that neglecting fitness has real-life negative consequences.
As an AIDS survivor (tested poz in 1986), I know firsthand how important paying attention to my own health has been in staying healthy and active. A useful resource to anyone living with HIV that I highly recommend is BUILT TO SURVIVE, a compendium of information on treatments and health-maintenance strategies with loads of practical advice on staying healthy. There is considerable evidence cited in the book that maintaining 10-20% extra lean body weight (i.e. muscle tissue) is an important factor in long-term survival, and nothing builds muscle like weight training. A nice side benefit is that extra muscle generally looks good on a man, and looking good helps a man feel better about himself, too.
I myself wasted to skin and bones in the early 90s, and when I was finally able to workout again, I added extra muscle as a hedge against wasting again. I called upon this surplus lean tissue recently while battling a stubborn parasite I picked up from tainted water while traveling in Mideast earlier this year. Excess weight from bodyfat is not effective in staying healthy with HIV but rather can create health risks all by itself.
As a spiritual teacher I help people, primarily gay men, discover deep dimensions of Self beyond the body and mind, but I recognize that a foundation of good health is required even to be able to meditate or to perform other spiritual disciplines well.
I guess there's just no pleasing some people...
The reply from "Daigan" leads
The reply from "Daigan" leads me to think he's under 30 years old..As a lifelong BEAR shaped man, health had never been an issue..Then when one hits 50 you are slapped with stuff like cardiovascular disease, stoke candidate,diabetes, etc.
It has taken 3 yrs to lose 100 pounds and feel much better and meeting people has not been an issue... Dagan might think that the article is making us become "gym bunnies" and to impress others with out bodies. Dagan....how much do you weigh? do you exercise? Sometimes people that criticize are doing so to hide their own desires...
One doesn't have to go to a gym to be healthy one can do cardio by walking at a park, do weight training with weights at home or a condo gym or YMCA..
Dagan, there are different ways to express opinions, but you sure lack matury..... hope some of the other replies inspire you to think before you speak...William, thank you for that informative post of yours....
Thank you for the
Thank you for the psychoanalysis...
Thanks for the psychoanalysis. You are way off base, but then again, I am sure you are use to that.
And at least I am old enough to spell maturity correctly.
For the record I am over 50, and I am in keeping with the BMI for my height and weight... But thank you again for making more assumptions.
I am simply stating that the body slaves continue to poor their swill in our faces... Next thing you know they will tell us that we need viagra for a satisfying sex life. Sell away boys sell away.
I'm curious what precisely
I'm curious what precisely you mean by the term ”body slaves.“ We're all slaves to our physical bodies in that functioning in the material world without them would be...impractical, at least. How are you not a body slave yourself?
What do you offer as an alternative to fitness? Is there anything that you advocate or consider important, for that matter? You imply you're in decent shape physically. How do you maintain your own health and fitness? Why does it trouble you that others would be interested in maintaining theirs?
I'm reminded of a keynote speech Guy Baldwin gave at a leather leadership conference. He said that our gay community is hard on its leaders. As soon as someone stands up to propose something positive, the ”snipers hiding in the tall grass“ start taking pot shots at him or her. Don't we get enough disapproval and negativity from society at large without piling on some ourselves?
If you have something positive to contribute, please share that. I promise to keep doing the same.
Daigan, maybe you should
Daigan,
maybe you should keep snarky comments about other people's spelling in check, considering you misspelled "used" as "use" and "pour" as "poor."
Just a suggestion.
Daigan, we should be pleased
Daigan, we should be pleased that your BMI is of a good standard. Its a fairly undeniable fact you will lead a healthy, longer and more rewarding life as a result. A good result for you and those around you. But lets leave YOU alone for a moment.
Its obvious that core article was not about vanity. (Sure, I'll admit there are plenty that are). It remains that your posting is a real deterrent to others who may be trying to achieve a satisfactory BMI? More importantly.... probably trying to achieve their healthy BMI without vanity being part of the equation! Seems that this is an inconceivable notion to you.
Pity that your attitude becomes a cop-out to others.
(Tautology: that "BMI is in accord with height & weight" X)
(Grammar correction "I am sure you are use to that" X)
Sarcasm is a tough one to master!
Daigon: Yes, there will
Daigon:
Yes, there will always be beautiful people and there's nothing wrong with that, neither is weight lifting. Someone responding so negatively is probably either jealous or holds an unfavorable opinion of beauties in our culture. Anyway, get over it!! It's called survival of the fittest, if we all lived in the forest without money cars etc. we would all look like superstars.
lol you're funny.
Daigon, I agree with many,
Daigon,
I agree with many, many things that you originally wrote. They are indeed pervasive in society as a whole.
However, just like you felt people judged you, so also did you judge the intent of the actual article. Its intent was much more to be informative to people who cared about health (and to an extent, looks) versus persuasive.
And you meant to write: "PEE OH YOU ARE their swill in our faces" NOT "PEE OH OH ARE poor their swill in our faces".
Typos happen.
While membership in a gym or
While membership in a gym or having a personal trainer may be helpful to some people to develop a plan or keep focused on the goal of improved health, neither is necessary. I stretch daily and run 25-40 miles a week; my only cost is new shoes every 4 months and clothing [damn, wish I could run naked]. Those who poo-poo the entire concept of self improvement for health -- both physical and mental -- aren't paying attention to the real issue.
It appalls me to see how many men on DaddyHunt are grossly obese. Not only is that condition personally dangerous [in terms of both short term and long term diseases and shortened life span], but it is societally bad, in that it strains the limited medical care system and makes everyone else pay for unnecessary expenses. A fit daddy is a happy daddy and vice versa.
I'm amazed at how many older
I'm amazed at how many older gay men are porkers! They are just plain fat! Obese even! It seems to me that to be a daddy or a bear or whatever animal is the nom du jour-one must be fat. Why is that?
Muscling Away Cancer Here's
Muscling Away Cancer
Here's yet another reason to include weight training in your fitness routine.—William
People with more lean muscle mass may have an advantage when it comes to fighting cancer, new research suggests.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/muscling-away-cancer/
William..Your article about
William..Your article about "muscling-away-cancer" is very informative. Thank you and PLEASE...for us folks that take health issues in a different manner than others "hint" ...all your information is always welcomed....thank you and my best of heath in 2009 and thereafter.. HUGZ
Post new comment