During my long drive the other day, I had a good bit of time to think about resistance training. In evolutionary terms, all "exercise" done by hunter-gatherers had a purpose. Walking was done to get from one place to another. Objects were lifted out of necessity. Running was done for hunting or escaping.
Modern resistance training attempts to recreate these muscular demands of ancient times. However, modern training shifts the focus to progressive resistance training instead of just resistance training in general. It seems highly unlikely to me that hunter-gatherers would face any type of progression in the loads that they lifted. It is more likely that they would face varying loads, as I've written about before.
First, there is the question of whether the body is even suited to increasing loads. For example, one thing that's obvious is that linear progression in weightlifting only works for a short period. If everyone could add 10 pounds a week to their squat, most people would be massively strong in a short time. Obviously, this does not happen. Periodization offers an improvement on this, but it may not offer unlimited improvement.
It could be that the health benefits of resistance training come from just using the muscles, not necessarily making them stronger and bigger. Weightlifting can provide many other benefits besides bigger muscles, such as better circulation, improved insulin sensitivity, etc. In modern society, muscles are usually not exposed to sufficient tension and the musculature diminishes over time. In the evolutionary environment, muscles continued to be used in later life out of necessity. It could be that this continued muscle usage with static loads is the "natural" path, and that progessive resistance training is a modern invention with uncertain benefits and risks.
During my long drive the other day, I had a good bit of time to think about resistance training. In evolutionary terms, all "exercise" done by hunter-gatherers had a purpose. Walking was done to get from one place to another. Objects were lifted out of necessity. Running was done for hunting or escaping.
Modern resistance training attempts to recreate these muscular demands of ancient times. However, modern training shifts the focus to progressive resistance training instead of just resistance training in general. It seems highly unlikely to me that hunter-gatherers would face any type of progression in the loads that they lifted. It is more likely that they would face varying loads, as I've written about before.
First, there is the question of whether the body is even suited to increasing loads. For example, one thing that's obvious is that linear progression in weightlifting only works for a short period. If everyone could add 10 pounds a week to their squat, most people would be massively strong in a short time. Obviously, this does not happen. Periodization offers an improvement on this, but it may not offer unlimited improvement.
It could be that the health benefits of resistance training come from just using the muscles, not necessarily making them stronger and bigger. Weightlifting can provide many other benefits besides bigger muscles, such as better circulation, improved insulin sensitivity, etc. In modern society, muscles are usually not exposed to sufficient tension and the musculature diminishes over time. In the evolutionary environment, muscles continued to be used in later life out of necessity. It could be that this continued muscle usage with static loads is the "natural" path, and that progessive resistance training is a modern invention with uncertain benefits and risks.