# Why don't I feel stronger from physical workouts?



## kenlund (Dec 2, 2013)

I am a 76 year old male who has been walking and lifting weights for over 50 years. After joint pain during the last two years and a recent bout of weakness on the golf course about three months ago, I began switched to yoga for strength building.

However, I don't feel my strength increasing like it did in years past and feel weakness in my upper chest. I have been tested for heart, blood problems, pulmonary, low testosterone and cortisol and all tests have come back normal. Per a dietician, I eat a lot of nuts, vegetable, fish, chicken, and rice and have lost about 20 lbs in the last few months which allowed me to stop statins to control my cholesterol.

Are there any other tests to be taken OR is it just old age?


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## Fern (Dec 2, 2013)

As we get older it is harder to increase our strength/fitness and to keep it.


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## Diwundrin (Dec 2, 2013)

Could have something to do with science not finding a way to render any of us immortal yet, so my money's on the latter.


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## SifuPhil (Dec 2, 2013)

I would go with old age.

Yoga is not primarily a strength-building exercise - that's merely one of its nice side-effects - so it isn't surprising that it doesn't give the same results as weight-lifting.

I believe that our bodies tell us, in our own times, when it's time to stop forcing them into fitness and just relax. Good luck with it!


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## d0ug (Dec 2, 2013)

Get rid of the satins and don't worry about cholesterol that was a big scam that caused a lot of problems all over the world. There now are doctors speaking out about cholesterol being good and statin being bad as your cell, immune system, hormones, and brain are all made from cholesterol. 50 years ago Alzheimer disease  was very rare but ever since we have gone on a cholesterol restricted diet and using statins Alzheimer is the number 5th killer in the US because the brain is 75% cholesterol and the part that is effected by Alzheimer 100% cholesterol. get rid of the oils and start eating fat and eggs.
As we age specially if we are athletic we burn through out mineral in our body and we tend to age faster. If you sweat this sweat is a mineral soup and if you replace it with water or a sports drink you have lost a lot of minerals because the sports drink and water have very little minerals .
  Your body needs 60 minerals and when those mineral become deficient thing start to brake down. For example I had white hair and found that it was a copper deficiency and when I put copper back into my body my hair when back to color. That is only one mineral there is another 59 some like selenium have been proven to lower cancer rate.


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## SifuPhil (Dec 2, 2013)

Of those 60 elements there are many that are NOT required and are in fact toxic, introduced into the body possibly through diet or environment. Such compounds as gold, titanium and thallium have not yet been proven to be needed, so that list of "necessary" elements is actually reduced to a comparatively small number.


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## Lockheart (Dec 2, 2013)

This is an interesting comment about statins. I have been on them for years and I felt I didn't need them anymore. I stopped taking them for 3 months and when I went to a different doctor he took a blood test and found my cholesterol had sky rocketed. I too believed statins were just another pill that was being forced on us to keep the big pharms making money but since the results of the blood test I went back to using statins and my cholesterol has returned to normal levels.


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## d0ug (Dec 2, 2013)

When the doctor said that your cholesterol sky rocketed what was the number years ago it as a lot higher than now they want it below 200. The Canadian Eskimo diet is nothing but fat [blubber] and on their traditional diet their blood cholesterol is 300 - 500 and they don't have heart problems and very low cancer rate. There is a ABC news out of Australia http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/heartofthematter/ Big pharma makes billions of dollars and they pay doctors to say people need them. There was a study just released today saying that more people should be on statin the doctors that made the study all work for the drug companies.

Minerals yes some of the 60 are toxic in larger amounts and some are they say are not essential but if they double the life of laboratory animals and some reduce cancer rate in lab. animals all go with that.


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## SifuPhil (Dec 2, 2013)

d0ug said:


> Minerals yes some of the 60 are toxic in larger amounts and some are they say are not essential but if they double the life of laboratory animals and some reduce cancer rate in lab. animals all go with that.



Bless you Doug for comparing yourself to a lab animal. 

We really have to look at those lab results with a discerning eye, because sometimes they'll give doses that no human could ever ingest and then claim "See? We TOLD you it was dangerous!"

I agree about the whole cholesterol thing - it's like the reports on coffee: this week it's good for you, next week it's a killer.


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## Tom Young (Dec 2, 2013)

kenlund said:


> I am a 76 year old male who has been walking and lifting weights for over 50 years. After joint pain during the last two years and a recent bout of weakness on the golf course about three months ago, I began switched to yoga for strength building.
> 
> However, I don't feel my strength increasing like it did in years past and feel weakness in my upper chest. I have been tested for heart, blood problems, pulmonary, low testosterone and cortisol and all tests have come back normal. Per a dietician, I eat a lot of nuts, vegetable, fish, chicken, and rice and have lost about 20 lbs in the last few months which allowed me to stop statins to control my cholesterol.
> 
> Are there any other tests to be taken OR is it just old age?



.........................................................................................
I have a few years on you, but your note describes a lot of what began happening about a year ago.  During the summer I still cycle and canoe, but the strength part is what you describe.  I too have lost weight (just 10 pounds in the past year) but I think it's all muscle weight.  Things that I used to do with no problem... lifting and opening or moving things... are now beginning to take a toll.  The joint pain comes and goes... naproxen helps.  Some numbness of the hands... idiopathic peripheral neuropathy, but not debilitating... All heart, respiratory and blood tests are normal.   
So, now... with winter setting in, we walk the mall, and twice a week go to Tai Chi Classes.  Another flexibility plan is on tap if I feel too little exercise... PBS has an early morning show.... "sit and be fit"... mostly flexibility, but not bad.  

One of the things that has changed, is that I no longer work or exercise to a stress point.  Getting the job done has given way to "it will be there tomorrow".  A second change from several years ago... A nap or an early to bed whenever the spirit moves.
All in all, I think it's just natural.  Am very thankful when I look at others who are my age, who have serious problems.  Inner self says another 10 years... Will settle for that ... subject to renegotiation  when the time comes. :yeah:


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## SifuPhil (Dec 3, 2013)

Tom Young said:


> So, now... with winter setting in, we walk the mall, and twice a week go to Tai Chi Classes.  Another flexibility plan is on tap if I feel too little exercise... PBS has an early morning show.... "sit and be fit"... mostly flexibility, but not bad.



Since you're doing Taiji you're going to live forever and gain magical powers. 

It's true! I read it on the Internet! :sunshine:

Ms. Wilson's show contains many elements of Taiji, if you hadn't already noticed. Great show!


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## That Guy (Dec 6, 2013)




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## KevinSC (Dec 27, 2013)

Hi kenlund,

Happy Holidays to you!

The reason that Yoga (and most strength training exercises) are *limited in their ability to produce strength gains*, are in most cases due to the low(er) vs. required *level of intensity.*

Simply put...if you don't "tell" your muscles to get stronger, they have no reason to get stronger. Its a case of "cause & effect."

Your muscles respond to stimuli in the same manner as many other features of your body's central nervous system. 

In Yoga, you have "poses" to hold and they will make you stronger UP TO A POINT (especially weaker trainees). However, once, your body is strong enough to hold that "pose" you either need to:

(a) increase your hold time or 

(b) safely apply "resistance" to this pose or exercise. How/where to apply resistance is crucial to not only maximizing your strength gains (and I can explain more if you'd like) but placing resistance in the wrong area of your body can cause injury.

Many effective strength training exercises can be done at home and using furniture, walls etc in a very specific fashion.

The key is not to lose hope and if you are going to choose certain exercises or "poses" be sure to choose the most productive ones for gaining overall strength in your major muscle groups.

I hope this helps!


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## SifuPhil (Dec 27, 2013)

Actually, yoga was never _meant_ to be a strength-training exercise. It began life as a meditative breathing technique and spiritual pursuit. 

It was only after dozens of mutations did it pick up the more physically-challenging _asanas_. Hot-room yoga is the latest incarnation of the idea that yoga should be a full workout. 

Personally, I think that if you're looking to build muscle-mass and strength you should follow Kevin's body-weight workout ideas - it's inexpensive and effective, and much safer than doing yoga as a weight-bearing exercise, a mistake many people have made with my own specialty, Taijiquan.


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## KevinSC (Dec 27, 2013)

Some very good points SifuPhil!

I would point out though, that while there are ways to build muscle mass with body-weight exercises, there are also little-known methods of using them to become extremely strong WITHOUT the worry of adding much extra "mass." 

Very interesting on the Taijiquan!


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## Rainee (Dec 28, 2013)

Kevin get your doc to test you for Haemochromotosis.. Iron over load.. I was so tired and getting weaker 
not knowing what ever was the problem with me.. as used to work and walk but after a while started to feel so tired , no energy and so weak.. testings proved I had inherited this blood problem which is really a liver metabolism fault so since giving blood every 3 months for over 3 years now I feel good not tired or so weak , getting stronger all the time.. but pain in my legs wont ever go because the excess iron damaged the joints.. but at least I know what it is now.. just ask your doc for this test its iron ferriton checking.. lots of folks don`t know about it and I sure never knew a thing about it .. until it was found to be my problem... can be life threatening if not caught in time too..


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## KevinSC (Jan 9, 2014)

Great advice Rainee and thank you for sharing.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

Kevin


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