Let’s keep our eye on the ball: Let’s get stronger!
“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general.”
This quote from Strength Coach Mark Rippetoe never fails to give us a chuckle, but, I mean—Where’s the lie? Let’s get stronger!
Let’s expand on this idea a bit. Strong people are probably more fit, probably have stronger immune systems, and are most likely taking better care of themselves in general. There is something to being strong. There is something to training, and feeling that you are stronger than you used to be. It’s something to build on. You’re better than you used to be. Realizing you have gotten stronger gives you a great mental boost, and a feeling of confidence that has a rippling effect through your entire life. It may be the number one favor you can do for yourself. Let’s get stronger!
We get weaker with age, and we lose muscle mass. It takes some work to keep muscle--it’s literally “use it or lose it.” But when it comes down to it—do you really want someone to have to help you get on and off the toilet when you’re older? That’s the fate that is awaiting many of us. Let’s get stronger!
Post-vaccine Complacency Syndrome
Yes, it’s a thing. We just made it up, but it’s a thing. And yes—we have some vaccines for COVID-19, but let’s not let that lull us into complacency regarding our overall health. Let’s get stronger. Let’s not forget that there was a pandemic before the pandemic—Insulin Resistance, and its manifestations in obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. These disease states seem to be a major driver of complications with COVID-19. Insulin resistance improves immediately upon doing some resistance training. Immediately. Those are pretty good results, right? So let’s get strong!
We’re not totally out of the woods yet. There are variants of COVID-19 popping up regularly, and we don’t know what’s coming in the future. The best defense is a good offense. Let’s get strong!
How to get strong
Have we convinced you yet? Then let’s get strong. First let’s talk about what you don’t need to do:
You don’t need to go to the gym
You don’t need to lift heavy things
You don’t need to train until failure
You don’t need to train for hours each day
You don’t need to follow a training program
You don’t need “just one more rep!”
You do need to get busy. As you may know, we are proponents of high frequency training. Small workouts, done throughout the day, before meals. Check out the “What the Coaches are Doing” link below for more inspiration. The general idea is to pair two exercises together, for example—bodyweight squats and push-ups. Do 25 reps of each. If you can’t do 25 push-ups, do them onto a chair or the kitchen counter. It shouldn’t feel like you are dying—you are just getting some fairly easy reps in—but you’re getting a lot of them in—200 per day. If you stick to this for one week, you will be a different person. You will be feeling better mentally. You will be healthier. You will be more effective in the rest of your life.
You will be stronger.
And harder to kill.
And more useful in general.
Until next time,
Scott and Lennart