DYELB: The Gainz Train

[SAWCE]

I bet less than 10% of the male population can deadlift 315 but I may be

I have been lifting for 20ish years and was pretty seriously into powerlifting and all things 5x5 and 531 for 5-7 years, my lifetime maximums are as follows:
Press/military: 145 pounds
Bench: 275 pounds
Squat: 315 pounds
Dead: 385 pounds

Some people aren't so much built for it. Either way, being a >200 pound male and not being able to bench 135 is pretty weak, you're there.

Yeah I'd adjust Brad's figures to 135 lb bench, 185 squat, 185 DL. The DL and squat are technical weightlifting exercises that require some muscle training to avoid effing up your back. Is the Kenyan who won the last Boston Marathon a giant pussy because he cannot hit Brad's numbers? He is not. He just doesn't spend his time in his garage in the great Smoky Mountains lifting weights.

strength isn’t the end-all be-all by any means. But it’s definitely undervalued by the general populace.

[Desertbreh]

Yeah I'd adjust Brad's figures to 135 lb bench, 185 squat, 185 DL. The DL and squat are technical weightlifting exercises that require some muscle training to avoid effing up your back. Is the Kenyan who won the last Boston Marathon a giant pussy because he cannot hit Brad's numbers? He is not. He just doesn't spend his time in his garage in the great Smoky Mountains lifting weights.

strength isn’t the end-all be-all by any means. But it’s definitely undervalued by the general populace.

I am exempted from Brad's numerical requirements @ 56. The interesting thing is that you actually need strength training more in older age because your body isn't going to let you get away with being a lazy mfer and you end up getting hurt regular and often without staying on top of things.

[D Griff]

strength isn’t the end-all be-all by any means. But it’s definitely undervalued by the general populace.

I am exempted from Brad's numerical requirements @ 56. The interesting thing is that you actually need strength training more in older age because your body isn't going to let you get away with being a lazy mfer and you end up getting hurt regular and often without staying on top of things.

I'm no doctor/expert but also I believe bone density starts to diminish rather rapidly as you get into your 40s and beyond, which weight training will prevent/reduce. Still though, squatting 300+ pounds doesn't need to be the flavor of choice for all. I have zero intention of ever doing that again and I think I'll be aight.

[SAWCE]

Yeah there are some cool studies showing how important strength is later in life. I think it was grip strength in particular that has a direct link to mortality.

The good news for people is that it’s never too late to start! We need more people spreading that message for sure.

[coogles]

I'm no doctor/expert but also I believe bone density starts to diminish rather rapidly as you get into your 40s and beyond, which weight training will prevent/reduce. Still though, squatting 300+ pounds doesn't need to be the flavor of choice for all. I have zero intention of ever doing that again and I think I'll be aight.

Some form of weight training is important, but I firmly believe it doesn't need to be with a barbell. I just ordered a few more things for the garage/driveway gym, a set of 20kg KBs to fill in between my 16s and 24s, a heavier 40kg bell for singles work, and a couple sandbags in 100lb and 150lb. I've been fucking around with rope flow quite a bit and some rotational landmine stuff. I feel great aside from the benching mishap.

A barbell doesn't exist out in the real world. It's a great tool for loading your structure but I don't know that it's all that practical. If I could just have kettlebells or a barbell for the rest of my life, I'd choose the kettlebells. (not that those exist out in nature either)

[golftdibrad1]

I'm no doctor/expert but also I believe bone density starts to diminish rather rapidly as you get into your 40s and beyond, which weight training will prevent/reduce. Still though, squatting 300+ pounds doesn't need to be the flavor of choice for all. I have zero intention of ever doing that again and I think I'll be aight.

Some form of weight training is important, but I firmly believe it doesn't need to be with a barbell. I just ordered a few more things for the garage/driveway gym, a set of 20kg KBs to fill in between my 16s and 24s, a heavier 40kg bell for singles work, and a couple sandbags in 100lb and 150lb. I've been fucking around with rope flow quite a bit and some rotational landmine stuff. I feel great aside from the benching mishap.

A barbell doesn't exist out in the real world. It's a great tool for loading your structure but I don't know that it's all that practical. If I could just have kettlebells or a barbell for the rest of my life, I'd choose the kettlebells. (not that those exist out in nature either)

Yea but its a tool; what it is good at is symmetrically loading the body vs all the other things (outside kb's for between legs) you mention are by definition asymmetric. When you load symmetrically you can lift more and train heavier. If you deadlift 315 that 80lb weird shape concrete bag isnt so much a big deal vs if all you trained with was concrete bags.

[coogles]

Yea but its a tool; what it is good at is symmetrically loading the body vs all the other things (outside kb's for between legs) you mention are by definition asymmetric. When you load symmetrically you can lift more and train heavier. If you deadlift 315 that 80lb weird shape concrete bag isnt so much a big deal vs if all you trained with was concrete bags.

100%. What makes the barbell so beneficial (heavy symmetrical loading), in my opinion, is also its biggest problem. So little of what we do in life is perfectly symmetrical and bilateral. We're often shifted to one side or the other, rotating, moving through the gate cycle, swinging something or throwing something. I think it's important for young men to try to lift heavy and get stronger. If you're a scrawny ass 15 year old in the middle of puberty you need to gain mass. You need a certain base level of strength. But once you're there, maintenance doses of heavy (enough) barbells plus the other things I mentioned makes for a more well rounded human.

That 15 year old is probably also playing a sport. They're running and jumping, swinging and throwing, generally being an athlete. A 40 year old washed up meathead may play basketball once a week or whatever but he's probably lost that relationship with sport, so you need to try to incorporate those other movements in a different way.