Dying to Win?
Common misconception “normal people” have about bodybuilding and powerlifting:
- These activities are “good” for your health.
Common misconception “normal people” have about bodybuilders and (some) powerlifters:
- They’re the picture of perfect health.
Basically it goes something like this:
“Those guys are in such great shape, they workout all the time how could they have any health issues?”
Here’s how:
“Bodybuilding is an extreme sport; it involves pushing human capacity to its absolute limit. As an extreme sport bodybuilding carries with it a certain amount of risk.” – The Healthy Bodybuilder
Both are extreme sports. One (bodybuilding) uses the human body as the modality while the other (powerlifting) uses extreme external loads on the body as the modality.
What it comes down to is:
Sh@t Ain’t Normal.
Are Bodybuilding and Powerlifting?
- Awesome? Yes!
- Impressive? Yes!
- Normal? Hell no…..
*I know, “normal” today is more Honey BooBoo and less Jack Lalanne, but I think you get the point.
These sports place the body under EXTREME stresses in an effort to achieve EXTREME outcomes and the fact is ANY sport which does this to the body probably isn’t “optimally healthy”.
- Dieting to 3% body fat: Not Healthy
- Putting 700lbs on your back: Not Healthy
- Dehydrating yourself to the point of almost passing out, then pounding Gatorades and bananas: Not Healthy
- Eating the same thing every day for 16 weeks: Not Healthy
- Going, “I think it’s torn, so I’ll just wrap it tighter next attempt”: Not Healthy
And these are just some of the things people do in these sports to win.
Not necessarily saying that any of these practices will permanently harm you, just saying in these sports, people do a LOT of unhealthy things when they have to compete.
But the fact is, the “Have to’s” are actually a small percentage of the time and the rest of it should be spent trying to be as healthy as possible.
Not only to counteract all the stupid crap we do to compete, but also so we can, train harder, compete longer and reach higher levels,
“The healthier you are the more you can train, the better you will recover, the longer your career will be and the more you will excel”- The Healthy Bodybuilder
Or maybe you just want a LIFE that isn’t filled with medical BS when you’re 50….that’s a thought too.
Ohh wait, I forgot, you’re going to be able to pay for all the latest medical treatments and tests with all the bodybuilding and powerlifting prize and sponsorship money you’ve made.
Nevermind, The Healthy Bodybuilder isn’t for you Mr. Schwarzeneggar.
Quick Story:
I went to a seminar once at Iron Sport gym and a guy said he puked after swinging a Kettlebell 30 times.
Seriously, he up-chucked after 30 swings.
(His cardiovascular health was that poor. Keep in mind he squatted over 500lbs (sorry, I can’t remember the exact number). So the guy “worked out” regularly.)
To which, I think it was, Jim Wendler replied (paraphrasing here):
“You need to do some walking. This isn’t about lifting, we’re talking your LIFE here. If you can’t swing a Kettlebell 30 times without your body revolting…you’re gonna die.”
and that’s what this book is about:
You’re LIFE.
The Healthy Bodybuilder & Powerlifter, Optimizing longevity in Iron Sports
Shelby Starnes and Rob Taylor give a really nice overview of the known health risks of “strength sports” and how to minimize those risks.
We can NEVER get rid of, or even counteract, all risks all the time of ANY sport. But knowing what signposts to look for on the road to trouble can keep us as healthy as possible, competing and improving for years and even decades to come.
Understanding Health Factors Like:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Hematocrit
- Cholesterol
- Heart Scans
- Inflammation
- Liver Health
- Blood Tests
- Result Interpretation
- Protecting the Liver
- Kidney Health
- Water
- Protein
- Testing
- Adrenal Health
- Stress
- Overtraining
- Thyroid Health
- Interpretation of Results
- Digestive Health
- Protein Quality
- Insulin Resistance
- Transfats
- Orthopedic Health
- Tendinopathy
- Joint Balance
Can have a dramatic impact on your career longevity and overall quality of life.
This book probably isn’t going to give you all the answers you want about every health issue a bodybuilder could face, that’s where YOU need to be an adult, go see a knowledgeable doctor and have some tests done.
But what this book will do is arm you with some knowledge you can take into that doctor’s office so you can ask pertinent questions and at least have an idea of what those answers mean for you and your health.
“Bodybuilding can be a fountain of youth for those willing to pay a great deal of attention to health. And even if you are not looking for longevity, health is still the best too for maximal performance” – The Healthy Bodybuilder
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