HereticNine wrote:However, lifting isn't for everyone. Biggest factor is time. Others have school, job(s), a family to care for and hobbies that it makes it difficult to find time to drive to a gym and lift. But I'm lovin' the praise for weight trainning. What you say is true. It's definitely great for women to do it too.
Good point. I actually forgot about the inconvenience for most people, since about 6 months ago I put up the money to purchase my own power rack and barbell set, which I stuck in the garage. No more changing into gym clothes, driving to the gym, waiting for people to finish up with the equipment, driving back, etc etc. I can literally get home from work, squeeze in a killer workout and go collapse on the couch in just 30 minutes.
But for people who rely on commercial gyms, I agree that time commitment is something to consider.
SpunkySix wrote:Eh... if they're running regularly and they look like that, then they're probably doing something wrong, likely in their diets. Running is fantastic for your core and leg strength, among other things. Lifting should be used to supplement it for the best results, but it's not necessary for being very healthy.
I would recommend sprinting for most people over jogging (as long as you build up intensity gradually to avoid hurting yourself), since the benefits to leg and core strength that you mentioned are much greater with sprints than long, low intensity jogging sessions. Plus, overdoing cardio-type stuff (e.g. jogging for >45 min every single day) may possibly promote an unhealthy hormonal profile, especially by chronically elevating cortisol, which can ironically cause people to put on weight despite the fact that they're running more and more.
I agree that weightlifting isn't necessary for good health, but I think upper-body exercises of some sort are good for everyone. Even if just a basic program of push ups, pull ups and perhaps handstand push ups.