| Anti Muscle Bias! As most know who have been | | | | and effort, between being a "bodybuilder" and "30 |
| weight lifting for more then a few years, there is | | | | minutes of moderate exercise five times a week |
| a general anti muscle bias that exists in the | | | | that leaves you warm and slightly out of breath."o |
| general (read fat and lazy) population and the | | | | As anyone who has spent any time in a gym |
| media. There is even something of an anti muscle | | | | knows (and we all know that eliminates most |
| bias in science and medicine I find, even when | | | | scientists but I digress...) building muscle is not |
| study after study shows having more muscle | | | | easy, so "30 minutes of moderate exercise five |
| then the average person offers many | | | | times a week that leaves you warm and slightly |
| advantages from a health and performance | | | | out of breath" is not going to do jack |
| perspective. | | | | you-know-what for actually increasing muscle |
| Modern medical science has finally caught on to | | | | mass. In fact, it may not even prevent the loss |
| the reality that muscle tissue is much more then | | | | of muscle mass that happens with age, a |
| just something that attaches to your skeleton to | | | | condition known as sarcopenia. People interested in |
| help you move your body or carry your | | | | learning more about sarcopenia, can read my |
| groceries. It's an essential part of your health, | | | | article on the topic called:" Sarcopenia, the |
| intimately connected to immunity as well as a long | | | | undiagnosed epidemic"o No doubt, 30 minutes of |
| list of other benefits. A perfect example of that | | | | moderate exercise five times a week "that |
| was found in a recent report called "Men with big | | | | leaves you warm and slightly out of breath" is far |
| muscles cut cancer risk by 40 per cent" which | | | | more then most people get now, and would |
| covered an interesting study. From the media | | | | improve their health, but as it relates specifically |
| report: | | | | to the findings of this study, the advice totally |
| "In recent years, experts have recommended a | | | | misses the mark in my view. The fact is, if a |
| healthy diet and lifestyle - including regular aerobic | | | | person is looking to actually have any real impact |
| exercise such as jogging or cycling to reduce the | | | | on muscle mass, they need to work with a |
| risks of the disease. But the latest study, | | | | minimum of 60% 1RM for beginners, and 80% |
| published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, | | | | 1RM for anything beyond beginners, on a regular |
| Biomarkers and Prevention, suggests it may be | | | | basis. The data is quite clear on that fact, so |
| just as important to build up muscle strength. A | | | | some low intensity exercise that leaves one |
| team of experts, led by scientists from Sweden's | | | | "warm and slightly out of breath" done for 30 |
| Karolinska Institute, tracked the lifestyles of 8,677 | | | | minutes is advice that smacks of typical anti |
| men aged between 20 and 82 for more than two | | | | muscle bias found in much of the science/medical |
| decades." | | | | community and the media. It's either bias, flat out |
| So far so good, and as the reader can see, a | | | | ignorance, or both...God forbid, they may lift some |
| large study that ran a long time. The study found | | | | heavy weights and end up looking like a |
| those men who regularly worked out showed | | | | bodybuilder!o I'm sure the medical/scientific |
| significantly lower rates of cancer, and most | | | | community does not want to scare people away |
| interesting was the effect was constant "...Even | | | | from resistance exercise (e.g., weight training) by |
| among volunteers who had excess tummy fat or | | | | actually admitting they will have to work hard in |
| a high body mass index, regular weight training | | | | the gym to actually see any effects on muscle |
| seemed to have a protective effect." | | | | mass and strength, but giving people faulty advice |
| However, and as one should expect, these | | | | that will not lead to the results they want does |
| researchers stressed keeping a healthy weight | | | | not seem like a productive way to accomplish |
| was still an essential part of avoiding various | | | | anything other then to confuse people.o I know |
| diseases. The researchers recommend regular | | | | hard work is a four letter word these days, but |
| weight training in light of these findings. But then, | | | | there's no free lunch, there's no Santa, no Easter |
| that odd anti muscle bias seems to creep in. Ergo, | | | | Bunny, and getting the known health benefits of |
| a spokesman for Cancer Research UK Health | | | | muscle mass (not to mention the aesthetic |
| information officer Jessica Harris is quoted as | | | | benefits!) does in fact take dedication, a bit of |
| saying "There's no need to become a body | | | | thought and planning, and - sorry to say- hard |
| builder. Just 30 minutes of moderate exercise five | | | | work with loads/weights heavy enough to kick |
| times a week that leaves you warm and slightly | | | | your a$$. Lifting a beer to my mouth a hundred |
| out of breath can have a positive effect." | | | | times will leave some "warm and slightly out of |
| There's so many things wrong with the above, it's | | | | breath" but it aint going to build any muscles! |
| hard to know where to start, but here's some | | | | See you in the gym! |
| thoughts:o There's a looooooooooong way, time, | | | | |