Why Lift?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Other than elite athletes, what is weight training good for? Most of my friends that are exceptional athletes rarely lift, the ones that lift and are big are uncoordinated, unathletic, unflexible, out-of-shape useless tools.

It’s definately not to look good because it’s been proven that sprints and bodyweight excercises will build a proportioned, functional body that is far more attractive to the opposite sex than a deformed, out of shape, bulked up, unathletic weight lifting build.

It’s not for improved real-life functional strength for work etc. Most weight training simply does not carry over to real world activities and most really strong individuals such as farmers and lumber jacks never touch a weight.

So why do it, if the only thing you get from it is being able to say you lifted 10 more pounds than 2 months ago on a certain lift? In those two months you also gained a little weight, look a little worse and are a little more unathletic. YES!! Just what I want!!

2

You are so right. I’ve wasted 10 years of my life.

3

[quote]Pound4Pound wrote:

It’s not for improved real-life functional strength for work etc. Most weight training simply does not carry over to real world activities and most really strong individuals such as farmers and lumber jacks never touch a weight.
[/quote]

Pray tell, what kind of job do you have?

For me, good mornings and deadlifts carry over pretty heavily to everyday things, especially my job.

So guys that weightlift look unathletic? As opposed to who? The guys who look like African stick bugs? Or to the guys who eat like shit and drink too much? Which one of these average guys looks more athletic than someone who lifts?

You are always out in right field, but I think you just took a face plant into the bleachers with this thread.

4

What the crap ?

I obviously lift so I could fight off the alien invasion. They are amongst us.

5

I think you’re pretty stupid. Every good athlete I’ve ever known has incorporated some kind of lifting into their training, even distance runners. And the coach of every team I’ve ever been on has made it an integral part of our training.

6

[quote]Pound4Pound wrote:

So why do it, if the only thing you get from it is being able to say you lifted 10 more pounds than 2 months ago on a certain lift? In those two months you also gained a little weight, look a little worse and are a little more unathletic. YES!! Just what I want!!
[/quote]

I think you should switch to pink dumbells. They will really tone you up. Also, you really don’t want to be working your muscles since strength and power really has no impact on sports and doesnt help your performance. Increased bone density and a better insulin response are also things we can do without. We should also avoid burning calories and elevating our metabolisms. That’s something we really don’t want. Besides, the excess protein that lifters take in leads to organ failure. What we should really all be doing is switching to vegetarianism and supplementing with soy. Right now!

7

As you said here:

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=924976&pageNo=0#924988

8

[quote]ReadyToLose2005 wrote:
As you said here:

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=924976&pageNo=0#924988

Cause it looks cool.[/quote]

Booooya!

Bodybuilding is a sport, get over it.

9

[quote]needoptic wrote:
What the crap ?

I obviously lift so I could fight off the alien invasion. They are amongst us. [/quote]

Body snatchers, man. Body snatchers.

When Leonard Nimoy comes for me I wanna be READY!

10

[quote]Pound4Pound wrote:
Other than elite athletes, what is weight training good for? Most of my friends that are exceptional athletes rarely lift, the ones that lift and are big are uncoordinated, unathletic, unflexible, out-of-shape useless tools.

It’s definately not to look good because it’s been proven that sprints and bodyweight excercises will build a proportioned, functional body that is far more attractive to the opposite sex than a deformed, out of shape, bulked up, unathletic weight lifting build.

It’s not for improved real-life functional strength for work etc. Most weight training simply does not carry over to real world activities and most really strong individuals such as farmers and lumber jacks never touch a weight.

So why do it, if the only thing you get from it is being able to say you lifted 10 more pounds than 2 months ago on a certain lift? In those two months you also gained a little weight, look a little worse and are a little more unathletic. YES!! Just what I want!!
[/quote]

Okay, this was one of the most dumbass posts ever, but in my opinion Pound4Pound does have a point…really…I’m serious.

I’m a huge supporter of deadlifts, squats, and some other basic lifts, but they are not absolutely necessary to build a fantastic athlete. Using a combinationg of sprinting, plyos, bodyweight exercises, and EMS one can make a freak of an athlete. Sure squatting builds leg strength, but so does EMS, if you have access to it. Iso work also does a great job of transferring strength when combined with explosive movements.

I have seen cases where the best athletes don’t touch weights and I’ve also seen weights take away someone’s agility and reactivity. I myself fell into the trap of lifting to heavy while neglecting other aspects of fitness and it slowed me down for a while. However, not that I’ve returned to the track, I’m faster and more powerful than ever.

So, to try and sum things up, weights are a good thing when used correctly, but they are not totally necessary and have the potential to decrease athletic performance if relied upon exclusively.

RJ

11

Well, while I disagree with the generalizing in your post, let’s forget about that for a moment.

Because it feels great! And yeah, to say I added ten pounds and just pushed my body to a state where mental toughness defines you and blasted through a plateau where 90% of the population would have given up is pretty sweet.

Now, having said that, if getting stronger is making you a worse athlete quit trying to blame some barbells and plates for it and take a look at your own head.

12

Why lift?

Because I am a warrior. I have to be challenged physically and mentally everyday of my life, or I wither up and die.

Because my heart pumps acid through my veins, my skull bulges with unadulterated rage just looking at the weakened sheep around me, and my muscles quiver in anticipation of the torture that I am about to put them through.

Because the God of Iron demands a sacrifice of pain, sweat, and blood. And I am glad to pay that sacrifice, because He gives me strength, speed, power, will, and determination in return.

Because the opinions of others do not concern me. Because I don’t measure my sense of self worth by what others think of me. Women love me for my confidence, intelligence, determination, and passion. All these things I owe to the iron.

Because I am stronger, faster, more agile, more powerful, have more endurance, punch harder, and shoot faster that any self absorbed fool who asks me why I do it.

Because all of my friends call me to help them move. The REAL WORLD FUNCTIONALITY I get from lifting makes me the only person that I know that can move a couch up three flights of stairs BY HIMSELF.

And, probably the most important reason that I lift…

Because I never want to end up like you, Pound4Pound.

Strength and Fucking Honor.

13

[quote]Pound4Pound wrote:
Other than elite athletes, what is weight training good for? Most of my friends that are exceptional athletes rarely lift, the ones that lift and are big are uncoordinated, unathletic, unflexible, out-of-shape useless tools.

[/quote]

My bowling average is up 15 pins since I started WS4SB… This is a joke right?

14

He’s just trying to stir the pot.

He obviously doesn’t agree with what he wrote and he knows that it’s moronic.

Don’t feed the trolls!

15

[quote]Fenris wrote:
Why lift?

Because I am a warrior. I have to be challenged physically and mentally everyday of my life, or I wither up and die.

Because my heart pumps acid through my veins, my skull bulges with unadulterated rage just looking at the weakened sheep around me, and my muscles quiver in anticipation of the torture that I am about to put them through.

Because the God of Iron demands a sacrifice of pain, sweat, and blood. And I am glad to pay that sacrifice, because He gives me strength, speed, power, will, and determination in return.

Because the opinions of others do not concern me. Because I don’t measure my sense of self worth by what others think of me. Women love me for my confidence, intelligence, determination, and passion. All these things I owe to the iron.

Because I am stronger, faster, more agile, more powerful, have more endurance, punch harder, and shoot faster that any self absorbed fool who asks me why I do it.

Because all of my friends call me to help them move. The REAL WORLD FUNCTIONALITY I get from lifting makes me the only person that I know that can move a couch up three flights of stairs BY HIMSELF.

And, probably the most important reason that I lift…

Because I never want to end up like you, Pound4Pound.

Strength and Fucking Honor.[/quote]

YEA . . . . what he said!

16

Why lift?

Why not?

17

[quote]RJ24 wrote:

I’m a huge supporter of deadlifts, squats, and some other basic lifts, but they are not absolutely necessary to build a fantastic athlete. Using a combinationg of sprinting, plyos, bodyweight exercises, and EMS one can make a freak of an athlete. Sure squatting builds leg strength, but so does EMS, if you have access to it. Iso work also does a great job of transferring strength when combined with explosive movements.

I have seen cases where the best athletes don’t touch weights and I’ve also seen weights take away someone’s agility and reactivity. I myself fell into the trap of lifting to heavy while neglecting other aspects of fitness and it slowed me down for a while. However, not that I’ve returned to the track, I’m faster and more powerful than ever.

So, to try and sum things up, weights are a good thing when used correctly, but they are not totally necessary and have the potential to decrease athletic performance if relied upon exclusively.

RJ [/quote]

Thank you. You said what I was trying to say but less offensively.

18

[quote]jsbrook wrote:
I think you’re pretty stupid. Every good athlete I’ve ever known has incorporated some kind of lifting into their training, even distance runners. And the coach of every team I’ve ever been on has made it an integral part of our training.[/quote]

They no doubt would have been as good or probably better by using sprinting, plyos and bodyweight excercises instead of the weights.

19

[quote]jsbrook wrote:
Pound4Pound wrote:

So why do it, if the only thing you get from it is being able to say you lifted 10 more pounds than 2 months ago on a certain lift? In those two months you also gained a little weight, look a little worse and are a little more unathletic. YES!! Just what I want!!

I think you should switch to pink dumbells. They will really tone you up. Also, you really don’t want to be working your muscles since strength and power really has no impact on sports and doesnt help your performance. Increased bone density and a better insulin response are also things we can do without. We should also avoid burning calories and elevating our metabolisms. That’s something we really don’t want. Besides, the excess protein that lifters take in leads to organ failure. What we should really all be doing is switching to vegetarianism and supplementing with soy. Right now![/quote]

I agree. Weightlifting is definately better than nothing. It’s kind of like treadmill work, doesn’t really help you athletically or functionally but it’s better than nothing.

20

[quote]RaspberryCookie wrote:

Because it feels great! And yeah, to say I added ten pounds and just pushed my body to a state where mental toughness defines you and blasted through a plateau where 90% of the population would have given up is pretty sweet.

quote]

Good, so you agree with me. Because it’s fun and feels good are about the only things it’s good for.