General Health Strong to the FinishWe’re learning lots about muscle strength. Twenty years ago moms fed spinach to their kids for a strength pop. After all, after one can of spinach, Popeye got a massive burst of power and immediate muscle volume improvement, and could easily knock out his arch rival Bluto. This when Popeye weighed 156 to Bluto’s 372 pounds; Popeye ‘s neck was 8 inches to “Bluto’s 22 inch neck; and while Popeye’s 30 inch chest could expand to 60 inches, Bluto had a 62 inch waist. Imagine if Popeye’s power had come from whey protein or creatine or NO2 Explode rather than spinach, and imagine the fuss over Olive Oyl if she were all fit and defined after a few daily sips of tasty isolate and some regular weight training.
Researchers at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas conducted a long term study of muscle strength on 10,000 men who took medical exams and physical fitness tests in the 1980’s, and then again 20 or so years later. The results were predictive.
While aerobic fitness strengthened the cardiovascular system and protected it from disease, higher muscle strength levels reduced the risk of death. Specifically, greater strength reduced the risk of death from all causes by 32%; greater strength reduced the risk of death by heart attack by 50%; and greater strength reduced the risk of death from cancer by 32% where the weakest 1/3 of the men were at greatest risk for disease.
We’ve known that there’s more to muscle strength than a can of spinach, but we’re learning that there’s lots of wisdom in being “strong to the finish, “even if you’re not a sailor man … or woman!!
Researchers at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas conducted a long term study of muscle strength on 10,000 men who took medical exams and physical fitness tests in the 1980’s, and then again 20 or so years later. The results were predictive.
While aerobic fitness strengthened the cardiovascular system and protected it from disease, higher muscle strength levels reduced the risk of death. Specifically, greater strength reduced the risk of death from all causes by 32%; greater strength reduced the risk of death by heart attack by 50%; and greater strength reduced the risk of death from cancer by 32% where the weakest 1/3 of the men were at greatest risk for disease.
We’ve known that there’s more to muscle strength than a can of spinach, but we’re learning that there’s lots of wisdom in being “strong to the finish, “even if you’re not a sailor man … or woman!!
