Advantages and Disadvantages of Strength Training

For ordinary healthy people without special contraindications, the long-term benefits of standardized strength training are much higher than the potential risks. Its benefits cover multiple levels of physiology, metabolism, and psychology. However, almost all the “disadvantages” that can be found come from non-standard movements, weight overload, unreasonable training planning, or basic diseases that are not screened and adjusted in advance. Most of them can be completely avoided through scientific arrangements.

I first started lifting weights in 2018. At that time, I sat for 10 hours a day to write plans. My cervical spine hurt so much that I felt dizzy when I raised my head. I went to the orthopedic department and the doctor directly said, "Your muscles can't support your cervical spine. You need to change your job or practice strength training." I dubiously found a trainer and took 10 classes. After practicing for three months, I really didn't suffer from neck pain again. It was then that I realized that everyone’s impression that “training for strength means building muscle mass” was too narrow. As for the benefits of strength training, practitioners of different systems also have different opinions: Friends in the bodybuilding circle value it more for its ability to sculpt lines, wear a T-shirt to stretch out your shoulder lines, jeans without sagging your hips, and you don’t have to suck your belly when taking photos. ； Friends who do sports rehabilitation always tell me that the lumbar protrusion and knee pain of many office workers are not "broken bones" at all, but that the surrounding muscles are not strong enough to support the joints. Targeted practice of glute bridges and wall squats for half a year is more effective than taking painkillers for three months. ； A friend of mine who is an endocrinologist is more direct, asking his patients with abnormal glucose tolerance to do leg exercises at least twice a week. He said that skeletal muscle is the largest "sugar metabolism organ" in the human body. As muscle mass increases, blood sugar will stabilize much faster than simply giving up sugar. A previous study in The Lancet also mentioned that people who do strength training 2-3 times a week have a 31% lower all-cause mortality than those who do not do it at all. This number is much more effective than many health care products. My most obvious feeling is that I lost 10 pounds out of pure hunger before and regained it after eating a few more bites. Later, I added strength training and my muscle mass increased by 3 kilograms. Now I occasionally go out for hot pot barbecue with friends on weekends, and my weight does not jump too much. My basal metabolism has improved, which is really more comfortable than counting calories every day.

But I have also seen many people who turn strength training into "body-injury training." Two years ago, there was a kid in the gym who had just entered college. He became jealous when he saw someone else deadlifting 150kg with no shirt, and there were so many people watching. After practicing for less than a month, he dared to add 100kg to the barbell. His waist flashed and he lay down for three weeks. Even the final exam was online. I did it myself when I was just practicing. In order to reach my personal best in the bench press, I had to carry my shoulders and press with pain. In the end, I got acromion impingement. I had to help my roommate to even take off my jumper. It took me almost two months to recover. After that, I had to do 5 minutes of rotator cuff activation before every shoulder training. I no longer dare to push the weight blindly.

Speaking of disadvantages, there are actually a lot of debates in the industry. For example, many orthopedic surgeons will remind middle-aged and elderly people not to do weight-bearing squats, saying that they will wear down their knees.； However, there are also many sports and body science studies that show that as long as the movements are standard, the knees are not buckled, and the weight is controlled within 60% of the maximum load, middle-aged and elderly people practicing squats can strengthen the quadriceps and the ligaments around the knee joint. On the contrary, it can delay the degenerative diseases of the knee joint and reduce the risk of fractures in old age. To put it bluntly, the core of the controversy has never been "whether strength training is good or not", but "whether you are practicing correctly." Of course, not everyone is suitable for random training. For example, people whose blood pressure has been controlled above 140/90 for a long time, people who have severe lumbar spondylolisthesis, and people who are in the acute stage of joint injury cannot casually lift heavy weights. Hard training will definitely cause problems. In this case, it is best to consult a doctor and rehabilitation therapist for evaluation before deciding on a suitable training plan. Do not follow fitness bloggers and copy plans blindly.

I've been practicing for almost five years, but to be honest, I haven't built much muscle mass. Every time I finish training my legs, I have to hold on to the handrail when going down the stairs. My legs are as soft as stepping on cotton, but the sense of accomplishment from muscle soreness is really better than drinking three glasses of iced Americano. Now I can carry 20 kilograms of rice up the fifth floor without gasping for breath, work overtime and stay up late without feeling like mud the next day, and occasionally go hiking with friends, and my legs won’t hurt after walking more than ten kilometers. To put it bluntly, strength training is like the kitchen knife you usually use for cooking. If you use it properly to cut vegetables and make delicious food, you will definitely cut your hands if you wield it randomly. There is no absolute good or bad. It just depends on whether you have figured out its rules.