Muscle for Life

Many people think weightlifting is inherently dangerous, and I understand why. When you compare deadlifting, squatting, and bench pressing gargantuan amounts of weight to other forms of exercise, like jogging, cycling, or calisthenics, weightlifting looks more like a death wish than a discipline. Poke around on Internet forums and you’ll find plenty to feed your anxiety. Personal stories range from the tame--mild joint and muscle aches and the like--to the downright horrific and debilitating, with some long-time bodybuilders so incapacitated that they can’t even tie their shoes until the ibuprofen kicks in. If that isn't enough, there's plenty of video evidence, too. I’ll save your eyes (and appetite), but trust me--serious weightlifting injuries can be particularly gruesome. And so weightlifting, and strength training in particular, has been saddled with a bum rap for decades now. Thankfully, the tides are changing and strength training is gaining more and more mainstream popularity, but many people still th