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Originally Posted by tropicality  Just thought I'd add a quick bit here. Working out without weights (or at least without doing the normal repetetive repetitions) is a very GOOD idea!
For example: a guy who went to the gym for many years was what you would call a large muscled body builder, and he offered to help my grandpa and father put in a large/heavy window, however because of only lifting weights -- many 'useful' muscles are avoided... needless to say he was unable to lift this window up and over his head into the hole... who would have guessed it.
There are many other examples of this. Your muscles all work together, so unless you work on ALL of them, you may look strong.... but really you might not be... except in the exact movements as you lift weights.
Freeweight movements / body weight workouts are very good for all around strength building. |
Perhaps the second example in this whole thread of the bad mind-set here. I'm actually incredibly hesitant to address this thread but I'll begin here...
Foremost: Working out with weights does not have to be simplistic or repetitive in any shape or form. In fact by comparison any sort of non-weights involved activity is -extremely- more repetitive to such a degree it's not worth elaborating on.
There are numerous studies abound on the health benefits of lifting weights, many of them hormonal and a plethora of recent studies and even published books now by front-lines physicians displaying and explaining the assistance of weight-work into old age. ( Think Jack Lalanne. )
I work with weights, I also do yoga, I do a lot of balance work with those weights. In fact in almost all the activities with weights that I use, the philosophy of "real world movement" or "natural movement" is behind most of them. "How is this applicable to reality?"
I don't want to ramble long, I just really want to prompt you to reevaluate your goals. As someone who has heavily been studying the fitness and health world for several years, perhaps like you yourself have in different ways, consider weights. I listen to audio-books and pod-casts while I workout. ( I know that's weird to a lot of people. ) If your goal is to be healthy, you need to work with weights some. Especially approaching the second half of your life.
You're doing better than most people, but when you have such easy access to being the best you can be, why limit yourself? Work with dumbbells for 20 minutes every other day, those results will take you far beyond. Combine those brief weight sessions with a lot of body-weight exercises, etc. Look through planes, research it, so on and so forth. Best of luck.