My wife’s car battery died recently. We successfully jump-started the car on Sunday, but it died again Tuesday.
This time, jumper cables couldn’t revive it. After our defibrillation efforts failed, we hired a mechanic to come out and diagnose the problem.
He figured out the starter stopped working and he replaced the defective part.
Man vs. Machine
Fixing a car is straightforward once you know which part is broken. It’s not so simple to “fix” the human body.
That’s because the human body isn’t a machine. It’s a complex, adaptable organism.
Predictably, treatments to “fix” problem areas (spinal manipulation, dry needling, ice, heat, steroid injections) don’t solve every issue.
And becoming reliant upon passive treatments for pain relief is a mistake. Active, exercise-based treatments work better.
What’s The Difference?
Physically, this is the biggest difference between machines and humans:
Loading makes machines break down. Loading strengthens the human body (with the right dosage).
Specifically, stress strengthens these 5 structures:
1) Bones
Bones grow stronger when they’re loaded (and weaker if they aren’t). This is known as Wolff’s law.
That’s why resistance training is essential for older adults to prevent osteoporosis (thinning bones). It’s also why thin, frail elderly folks are more likely to break bones when they fall.
Side note: Obesity is linked to many health risks, but weak bones isn’t one of them.
2) Intervertebral Discs
Intervertebral discs sit between the vertebrae. They act like shocks, absorbing force and cushioning the spine.
This is pretty amazing: runners have thicker discs than sedentary individuals (Belavy 2017). Even intervertebral discs get stronger and thicker with loading!
3) Muscles
Here’s what you already know: Muscles grow bigger and stronger in response to resistance training. It’s one reason strength training is so much better than stretching. Resting after hard workout sessions allows the muscles to repair and rebuild bigger and stronger.
What you probably didn’t know: post-workout soreness isn’t necessary to gain muscle size or strength (Flann 2011).
4. Tendons
Tendons connect muscle to bone. They adapt to loading too.
Strength training is the best treatment for tendon problems because it reduces pain and remodels the dysfunctional tissue.
5. Cartilage
Joint cartilage gets thinner if it’s not loaded. Research suggests cartilage gets thicker with increased loading (Rossom 2017). Plus, exercise lubricates the joints and gets nutrition to the cartilage.
Staying active is the best way to keep your joints healthy. It’s true whether you have pristine joints or arthritic ones.
The Perfect Dose
Unlike a machine, load makes your body stronger. And it’s crucial to rest after loading to allow your body to adapt and get stronger. This process is known as the Stress, Recovery, Adaptation (SRA) cycle in exercise science.
Too much load (or insufficient recovery) will wear out your bones, joints, muscles, discs and tendons. And doing too much, too soon is an easy way to get hurt or exacerbate existing injuries.
For example, running and jumping on arthritic, achy knees isn’t the best way to exercise after a long layoff…opt for low-impact exercises instead.
Loading, Applied
Here are 3 ways to take advantage of your body’s amazing adaptability:
Here are 3 ways to take advantage of your body’s amazing adaptability:
1) Load It
Train your body with exercise to build resilience. Don’t just try to “fix” it or tune it up when it hurts or makes noise. A strong body is a durable body. That’s why the exercise people think is dangerous for back pain is actually one of the best.
2) Recover
Recovery must occur before adaptation does. Hard training without adequate rest will lead to plateaus and injuries.
Sleep and nutrition are crucial for recovering well. Two of the best fitness supplements accelerate recovery as well.
3) Add Load Over Time
With the right loading, your body will adapt and grow stronger for many years to come. After a decade of deadlifting, I recently hit a lifetime personal record – 675lbs – a weight I’ve been chasing for years!
Push your limits and you’ll be amazed how much stronger, healthier and more resilient you become!
Readers: Have you been told your body is “broken down” like an old machine? Did you realize that so many tissues get stronger under load? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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