# If you can't hold 200 lbs for 30 seconds... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 24, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261 "2016-06-24T20:03:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/141 "2016-06-26T03:19:52Z")
When my wife packs a suitcase to over 50 pounds, I won’t lift it. I can’t imagine carrying four at once. I try not to lift anything heavier than my wallet. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/142 "2016-06-26T03:19:59Z")
Elliot’s reality. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U01xasUtlvw) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/143 "2016-06-26T03:55:39Z")
> [@elliott](#): > > You \*are \*weak if you can’t deadlift 200 lbs. That’s an objective fact. Like I’m willing to let the rest of you call me an idiot based on your own suppositions or whatever you need to feel good about yourself, but 200 lbs is what a highschool freshman should be deadlifting by Christmas. The most recommended and respected beginner barbell routine has you hitting 200 on your deadlift by week 9 at the absolute latest. The vast majority of lifters will hit it far sooner. > > Your anti-intellectualism (on a forum for a column dedicated to fighting that) is kind of appalling. Claiming that weightlifting isn’t a core part of fitness is downright wrong. The benefits of building muscle are scientifically proven. when did weightlifting become intellectualism? ---
**Author:** ![elliott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@elliott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elliott)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/144 "2016-06-26T04:03:26Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > when did weightlifting become intellectualism? anecdotally everyone I work with (MD and PhD students) is quite fit and goes to the gym a lot. People who work hard and know their shit tend to value not letting their body waste away More scientifically, weight lifting is a great form of exercise for a whole host of reasons. Trying to say that weightlifting and health aren’t related is asinine, and going on a tangent to say that people 50 years ago didn’t weight lift and were relatively healthy doesn’t prove your point, especially when you end it with “my grandpa never lifted weights and he died of cancer but I know weightlifting wouldn’t have helped”. That just ignores the facts that the bodybuilding life style of clean eating and exercise is shown to help fight cancer and that instead of 5 years of dying he could’ve likely gotten an extra 2 or 3 healthy years if he had more muscle mass to lose. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/145 "2016-06-26T04:03:57Z")
> [@elliott](#): > > If you’ve never been fit before, I’d recommend giving exercise a shot. A few weeks weightlifting or stretching can do wonders for things like fatigue in the day, as well as alleviate a lot of the common “I’m tired” symptoms like a bad back or joints. I’m 6’0", 195 lbs., 53, and I work out every day for two hours. I could probably pick you up and throw you across the fucking room. Nevertheless, I know perfectly well that most guys cannot hold 200 lbs. for 30 seconds, that’s it’s asinine to think they can or should, and that the only reason you started this thread was to promote yourself. Now go drink a Muscle Milk and STFU. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/146 "2016-06-26T04:48:47Z")
> [@elliott](#): > > Honestly this thread has just devolved into … Not possible. It started out at the bottom, with some whiny fuck fucking whining about how stupid he could be. There was no downward path for it to take. ---
**Author:** ![elliott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@elliott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elliott)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/147 "2016-06-26T05:27:43Z")
> [@Subterraneanus](#): > > I’m 6’0", 195 lbs., 53, and I work out every day for two hours. I could probably pick you up and throw you across the fucking room. Nevertheless, I know perfectly well that most guys cannot hold 200 lbs. for 30 seconds, that’s it’s asinine to think they can or should, and that the only reason you started this thread was to promote yourself. > > Now go drink a Muscle Milk and STFU. “I think you’re a stupid meathead, so I will respond by threatening physical violence” that’s painfully immature, I really wish you could approach this conversation like an adult. ---
**Author:** ![Waymore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Waymore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waymore)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/148 "2016-06-26T05:31:24Z")
> [@elliott](#): > > “I think you’re a stupid meathead, so I will respond by threatening physical violence” > > that’s painfully immature, I really wish you could approach this conversation like an adult. This board is going to shit on any display of masculinity. Might as well let it go. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/149 "2016-06-26T05:32:57Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > {…} There was no downward path for it to take. Well, there were those stairs. CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/150 "2016-06-26T05:34:36Z")
You know how much I can lift…really? Let me know. I’ve never tried to lift. Why the fuck do I need to carry 200 lbs. Can I do it? I may never know. I’d guess maybe. ---
**Author:** ![elliott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@elliott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elliott)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/151 "2016-06-26T05:40:11Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > You know how much I can lift…really? Let me know. I’ve never tried to lift. Why the fuck do I need to carry 200 lbs. Can I do it? I may never know. I’d guess maybe. You don’t _need_ to carry 200 lbs, but having the musculature to do so is beneficial in everyday life and makes you much less likely to hurt yourself when doing normal day-to-day activities. The world would be a better place if everyone was 12% BF, had a 1400 lb total, and could do a 5k in 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/152 "2016-06-26T06:11:08Z")
Then gym teachers would rule the world. I’m against that. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/153 "2016-06-26T06:19:28Z")
> [@elliott](#): > > … More scientifically, weight lifting is a great form of exercise for a whole host of reasons. … Okay, so we’ll move on from the how dangerously stupid you were in leaving someone alone below on a staircase holding the bottom of a leather recliner sofa up. And we’ll pass by the idiocy that believes that holding a bulky uneven weight without any clear place to grip, precariously balanced above you, for 30 seconds, while you are standing on steps, is somehow comparable to deadlifting a weight and putting it back down. Please note: no, 90% of the population cannot do that which takes an individual training in the specific activity two months to work up to. Is weightlifting a (and note: _“a”_) great form of exercise? Of course it is. Most people would be well served by including both some cardiovascular conditioning and some strength training of some sort in a regular exercise program. And doing at least one or the other achieves many health benefits. Sticking to some progressive principles is beneficial. A reasonable amount of strength and muscle mass in the bank before aging starts making new deposits more difficult, if not causing withdrawals, will help keep one strong into old age. But strength training is not the only great form of exercise, and competitive powerlifters are not particularly known for longevity. More bulk is not necessarily better. And this is not just anecdotal. Among those committed enough to their sports to be within the elite level [powerlifters have relatively lower life expectancy](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4534511/) (LE). > [@](#): > > The last trend that developed from these studies, which served as a classification method for Teramoto and Bungum’s [16] review, was the relationship between the type of sport and required energy systems for participation (i.e., aerobic/endurance, mixed, and anaerobic/power) and mortality. Similar to Teramoto and Bungum’s [16] findings, the largest gains in lifespan longevities were in endurance and mixed-sport athletes. The greatest LE advantages were found in European cyclists [13, 27, 28], whereas the lowest LEs were found in Finnish powerlifters [53]. Cross-sport analyses uniformly reported LE advantages in endurance and mixed-sport athletes compared to power sport athletes Okay maybe it’s the steroid abuse that is rampant in serious powerlifters that cuts down LE and not the lifting per se. We don’t know. I also honestly don’t know too many aging serious powerlifters who have not had significant and chronic back or joint issues. Lifting and likely only lifting is your thing. (Either in reality or in your fantasy; it is hard to tell.) That’s fine. I have respect for those who have that as their focus. My eldest son, age 30, is thrilled that he (weighing in at 170 I think) hit a 440 deadlift (and frustrated that he’s having an injury issue that limits his squat for now). He hates all things cardio. I think he rocks. We have many serious lifters on this board including some hitting new personal goals (225 bench for 10 clean reps) in their late 50s and a very competitive bodybuilder. We have some divergent thoughts about [what sort of strength](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738548) we desire, or even how we should [define “fitness.”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=577688) But we pretty much all hold stupid assholes in contempt. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/154 "2016-06-26T07:39:08Z")
> [@elliott](#): > > The world would be a better place if everyone was 12% BF, had a 1400 lb total, and could do a 5k in 15 minutes. So with all my physical problems, I suppose your recommendation would be to just shoot myself, and rid the world of someone who’s not a real man, and barely even human. Why should we obvious inferiors be permitted to take up valuable oxygen? (I can crack open a coconut with my husband’s cock, but that’s for another thread.) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/155 "2016-06-26T07:41:43Z")
> [@Waymore](#): > > This board is going to shit on any display of masculinity. Might as well let it go. I dunno about ANY display of masculinity. My username carries a clear implication that I have had sex with a woman and sired a child upon her. I seem to be able to get away with that okay. ---
**Author:** ![Waymore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Waymore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waymore)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/156 "2016-06-26T07:53:50Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I dunno about ANY display of masculinity. My username carries a clear implication that I have had sex with a woman and sired a child upon her. I seem to be able to get away with that okay. Sired _upon_ her? Must have missed that day of sex ed. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/157 "2016-06-26T08:04:11Z")
Yes, sired _upon_ her. Git yer mind out of the gutter and pick up some language skills, sonny. Coupla months in a continuing education facility should set you right up. ---
**Author:** ![elliott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@elliott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elliott)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/158 "2016-06-26T08:08:03Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > So with all my physical problems, I suppose your recommendation would be to just shoot myself, and rid the world of someone who’s not a real man, and barely even human. Why should we obvious inferiors be permitted to take up valuable oxygen? > > (I can crack open a coconut with my husband’s cock, but that’s for another thread.) good lord the amount of projection in this post is insane. I thought this forum was filled with older people who didn’t post like they were on reddit. I said the world _would_ be a better place _if_. There’s multiple reasons why, such as increased quality of life, but a big one is that whenever someone is sick, the medical system isn’t bogged down by as many illnesses that are preventable by not being unhealthy. I realize not everyone can be perfectly fit, but everyone should do what they can to improve their health, if not for themselves then for everyone else who has to suffer to care for them. ---
**Author:** ![Waymore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Waymore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waymore)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/159 "2016-06-26T08:13:49Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Yes, sired _upon_ her. Git yer mind out of the gutter and pick up some language skills, sonny. Coupla months in a continuing education facility should set you right up. Wow, so masculine. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-cant-hold-200-lbs-for-30-seconds/758261/160 "2016-06-26T08:38:11Z")
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