[quote=EconProf]Agreed BG, and in the same vein of women doing free weights, some of the guys could really benefit from doing yoga. Nothing is more silly than a hulking muscle-bound guy with no flexibility and hunched-over shoulders. Yoga can fix that. Take a class and incorporate some of the stretching into every weight-lifting workout.
And while I’m bloviating, let me put in a word for pullups. They have a wonderful stretching out effect on your shoulders and back, and obviously strengthen biceps and help posture. (Yes, I have a fetish about posture.) If age or weight prevent one from doing even one pullup (which describes most people over 30), there are machines in the gyms to give you an assist on pullups.
I don’t get the appeal of deadlifts. Stopped them long ago when I hurt my back. Squats, done right, are far better for the legs and butt–men and women. Instead of deadlifts, pull the weeds in your yard for half an hour.[/quote]
EconProf: Its all about program, and the program should include BOTH aerobic and anaerobic components and there is NO reason you cannot have BOTH strength and speed/flexibility.
And you don’t a gym to achieve this. When I was in the Army, all you needed were shoes, shorts and a shirt. You did your roadwork to start and then pushups, pullups and situps. Like you, I’m a huge fan of pullups as well, but don’t forget pushups and situps (done correctly, no hands behind the neck). These improve your core and your posture.
Scaredy is right about one thing: Grow or die. Work the program and always be improving. Herschel Walker is a very instructive case: He did not lift weights, focusing solely on roadwork and pushups/pullups/situps. Dude is now pushing 50 and is still a specimen.
