Some earlier studies showed that Olympic style weightlifting produced marked
increases in bone density. Here is one which shows that Powerlifting also
produces similar effects, showing that heavy lifting in both of these sports
definitely enhances bone structure and one's ability to tolerate high spinal
loading.
Yet, the medical profesion seems loath to recommend that anyone lifts heavy
weights, invariably pointing out how dangerous it always can be. Instead, we
have endless popular articles on the superior and less stressful benefits of
1 set training to failure with light loads, endurance type circuit training,
Body Gump (I mean, "Body Pump"!) and other milder forms of resistance
loading. This is not to state that these types of exercise do not offer some
physical benefits, but to point out that well designed heavy lifting programs
offer some special additional benefits of their own.
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Granhed H, Jonson R, Hansson T The loads on the lumbar spine during extreme
weight lifting Spine 1987 Mar; 12(2):146-9
The load on the lumbar spine was calculated in eight power lifters when they
executed an extremely heavy lift. The calculated load on lumbar disc L3 as
well as the total load lifted during training in the last year were related
to the bone mineral content (BMC) in the L3 as determined with dual photon
absorptiometry. The loads on L3 in the lifters ranged between 18.8 and 36.4
kN. The BMC values were extremely high and closely correlated to the amount
of weight lifted during training. The study showed that intensive training
will increase the BMC to an extent that the spine can tolerate extraordinary
loads.
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Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA
http://www.egroups.com/group/supertraining
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