Or at least\u2026 it should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Somewhere along the way, a generation has been sold the idea that lifting heavy weights is dangerous and that if you aren’t going to be active in your day job, you need to go lift weights and be active somewhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thankfully, strength training and exercise in general are making a comeback. CrossFit, Hyrox, strength sports, and even mainstream medicine are finally recognising something people used to know…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muscle matters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n But a lot like not binge drinking on the weekends, the people who need to hear this message the most seem to be the ones not paying attention…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Especially those of us over 30, a bit closer to 40, and, worst<\/strong> of all, closer to 50 and 60.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You see, somehow we’ve decided it’s perfectly normal to sit in an office chair for eight hours, scroll our phones, play Candy Crush, drink every weekend, live on takeaway, and call that “normal.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s a funny world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know what I hear all the time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I’m worried…”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “I’m scared…”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “I’m not sure I can do that…”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile…<\/p>\n\n\n\n People are throwing their back out picking up a washing basket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They tweak a shoulder reaching into the back seat of the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They hurt themselves tying a shoelace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And they probably don’t want to hear this…<\/p>\n\n\n\n But can I please let you in on something?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You didn’t hurt yourself because you bent over to tie your shoe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You hurt yourself because your body wasn’t prepared for the tiny amount of load that everyday life asked of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The shoelace wasn’t the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your lack of strength was.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about it…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being afraid of lifting weights and of being in a room full of people exercising is a bit like watching a scary movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your heart races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your palms sweat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know the killer isn’t real…<\/p>\n\n\n\n …yet your brain convinces you the danger is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fear doesn’t always tell the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think the same thing happens in fitness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We hear stories. Maybe it was us, one time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An injury occurs while being active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, even the professionals unintentionally reinforce that belief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We watch a video online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suddenly, our brain decides that lifting weights and exercise are dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The truth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strength and conditioning training, when coached well and progressed properly, and done consistently, over a long period of time, is one of the safest and most effective things you can do for your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes I wonder if the enemy loves this lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because a weak body is easier to discourage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A tired mind is easier to distract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A fragile person is less likely to step into the purpose they’ve been called to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s not to say muscles solve every problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But strength gives you options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that’s something worth building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s something else that’s becoming clearer every year…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Twenty years ago, the conversation was about burning calories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, it’s about building muscle. (Go pick up a book about living longer, better or dealing with menopause and tell me I’m wrong!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because muscle is one of the greatest insurance policies you can invest in for your future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don’t get me wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should still walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ride a bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get your heart rate up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your heart still matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But muscle has become one of the greatest predictors of how well you’ll age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Muscle helps regulate blood sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It protects your joints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It supports your bones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It improves balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It keeps your metabolism healthier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It helps you get off the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carry your groceries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pick up your kids… and maybe, one day your grandkids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Move furniture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Play sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Live independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Muscle doesn’t just help you live longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It helps you live better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The conversation in fitness has changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Five or ten years ago, everyone wanted to know how to get shredded (lean, or fat loss, in case you are not up with the lingo)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, the smartest people in health are asking a different question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “How do I still feel amazing at 70?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that’s a much better question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the answers have changed significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer isn’t another detox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s not another six-week challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s not starving yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s not trying to sweat your way skinny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s building a body that can handle life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s why eating enough protein matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s why sleep matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s why walking every day matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s why strength training matters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because fitness isn’t punishment anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Preparation for being the husband who can carry his child to bed without thinking twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The wife who can hike on holidays instead of watching from the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The grandparent who still gets on the floor to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bloke who still loads the ute himself at 75.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The woman who still feels capable, confident and independent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s what we’re really training for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We spend thousands servicing our cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We insure our homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We protect our superannuation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet the one thing we rely on every single day, our own body, we’re somehow scared to invest in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At VSC, we’re not trying to build the fittest people for one summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We’re trying to build people who are still capable in thirty years’ time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because the goal isn’t just to live longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s to stay strong enough to enjoy every year you’ve been given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So next time someone tells you they’re scared of lifting weights, or doesn’t because any part of exercise scares them…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask them this instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What happens if you never become strong?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because that’s the conversation we should be having.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not…<\/p>\n\n\n\n “What if I get injured?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But…<\/p>\n\n\n\n “What if I spend the next 30 years getting weak?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What if I can’t get off the floor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n What if I can’t carry my grandchildren?<\/p>\n\n\n\n What if I lose my independence years earlier than I need to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n What if the biggest risk isn’t lifting weights…<\/p>\n\n\n\n …it’s avoiding them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal has never been to become the strongest person in the room.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is to become strong enough that life doesn’t become heavier than you are.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Strong enough to keep saying yes to adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strong enough to serve your family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strong enough to fulfil your purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strong enough to keep showing up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because muscles aren’t just for the gym.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They’re for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And maybe that’s the biggest shift happening in fitness right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People aren’t training just to look better anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They’re training to live better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be there for the people who matter most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To remain capable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To remain independent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To keep saying “yes” to life for as long as they’ve been given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So don’t be afraid of becoming strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be afraid of never giving yourself the chance to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get up. Get after it. BECOME EXTRAORDINARY!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Or at least\u2026 it should be. Somewhere along the way, a generation has been sold the idea that lifting heavy weights is dangerous and that if you aren’t going to be active in your day job, you need to go lift weights and be active somewhere else. Thankfully, strength training and exercise in general are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":800,"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797\/revisions\/800"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vassesc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Once you’re over 30, muscle is the new cardio.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n