Weightlifting can be very, very bad for you

I hit the gym every so often.  How else could I explain my chiseled physique?

But after witnessing two absolutely, gruesome injuries to both South Korean Sa Jae-Hyouk and Austrian-German Matthias Steiner in these recent Olympics, I may think twice before lifting weight that’s a little too heavy for me.

My workouts generally consist of a touch of cardio to break a sweat, all the while bopping to the old school, hip-hop beats that litter my iPod, then hitting whichever machines happen to be closest to the prettiest girl in the gym.  Afterwards, perhaps the local watering hole for a few drafts and a Reuben.   It’s a rigorous routine I like to call Body by SportsChump.

I don’t ever recall, however, attempting to clean and jerk a bar, stacked with weight three times by own, way over my head in any of my workouts.  There just never seemed a reason for me to do so.

Even less now after seeing Steiner drop 432 pounds directly onto the back of his neck and a similar amount bend Jae-Hyouk’s right arm completely backwards.  Yes, you’ve been warned, there is video to follow.

We’ve talked a bit lately about advancements in sport and how they can conflict with tradition.  I understand that weightlifting has existed since the very first Olympic Games, but we also used to create fire by rubbing two sticks together.  The clean and jerk absolutely cannot be healthy for an individual.  In fact, I’m surprised we haven’t seen more serious injuries in this sport over the years.

I’m not standing on my soapbox and saying this event should be eliminated.  More power to anyone who’s dedicated their lives to clapping baby powder on their hands, putting plate after plate on barbells and repeatedly jerking them up high into the sky.  I’m merely suggesting that evolving can be good too, that as human beings, we probably should realize there’s never any valid reason to attempt to lift 500 pounds over one’s head.

That’s why we invented the forklift.


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46 Replies to “Weightlifting can be very, very bad for you”

  1. Pingback: I hit the gym every so often. … - BallHyped, Other Sports | BallHyped Sports Blogs

  2. Dub…

    I take you as a man after my own heart, knowing that you, just like I, must have watched countless Road Runner-Wile E Coyote and Tom and Jerry cartoons where we just hoped, one time, that Wile E and Tom would get those bastards once and for all.

  3. Wile E. Coyote DID eventually catch the Road Runner. Unfortunately, Wile E. had shrunk and was too small to do anything about it. The episode is called “Soup or Sonic.”

  4. Chris

    If you can’t lift your own body weight then don’t try this sport .

    So with Phil “Lefty” Mickelson soon to become the new owner of the Padres. Can we assume that he will be giving the players ….. hitting tips ? After all Lefty does have one of the best swings on the PGA Tour don’t you think ?

    When the Facebook IPO came out , were you front and center with your “cheddar cheese” (money) snapping up shares in that piece of bull#hit ? Too many people got stung in that deal .

    Zygi Wilf’s latest faux-pas in Minnesota after he and his lobbyists duped the state legislature in stumping up almost $1 billion towards their new stadium . His response was to suggest that the team won’t disappoint because the organization is getting much closer to their goal of winning a Supebowl and that they’ll do the citizens proud . All I have to say …. is if I were from Minnesota , not only would I pis#ed at Wilf but also at the whole state legislature ! They’re (state) laying off state employees like they’re culling baby seals in the Arctic .

    The Vikings are no closer to winning a Superbowl , as you or I would stand a chance bedding Heidi Klum , Halle Berry , Sofia Vergara and that tease Hayden Panattierre , all in the space of 48 hours. Stamina son , stamina .

    Rays win again and this time they gave Cobb run support .

    Cardinals lose 15-0 ……… aren’t they the reigning World Series champions ? Two woefully inept teams in the Mets and Marlins . And one of the two could actually provide the fans with some entertainment . Marlins destroyed the Mets 13-0 . At the start of the season their combined payrolls exceeded $230 million . What a joke !

    As and when ready let me know what you think ?

    If you simply look beneath the surface then you realize what is really wrong.

    I hadn’t responded to any of your comments as of yet on the site as I’ve been busy. Will do so as of now .
    Got some down time now so as usual I’ll leave a response .

    🙂

    tophatal ….

  5. I do a little weightlifting (and not just the 12oz variety) but what really interests me about your post is, where exactly do you get a decent Reuben in this town?

  6. Al…

    I can bench my weight still… barely. But don’t you think an argument can be made for getting rid of this sport? Not sure it can withstand that many more injuries without it at least being looked at.

    Not only did I not get in on the ground floor of Facebook, I still haven’t even seen “The Social Network” yet.

    Like I said, as long as the Rays get some early runs, that takes a lot of the pressure of what is primarily a young pitching staff. Let’s see if they can go for a sweep of the Jays this afternoon.

    Cardinals may be the defending World Series champs but they’re missing two key pieces to that World Series team. They go by the names of Albert Pujols and Tony LaRussa. Heck, not even Mike Trout could save that team.

  7. Aer….

    Allow me to suggest two places.

    One is the Lucky Dill. There’s a few of them around town now but there’s a nice one up in Palm Harbor, right on 19. Pretty damn good.

    And there’s a place up by me, called Mr. Dunderbak’s, that has a pretty decent little turkey Reuben.

    I will say this, if you bring the woman to Lucky Dill, you may just wanna order one Reuben and share. Those things are huge… and delicious.

  8. Thanks Rev, I’ve been looking for a place that can make a good Reuben and I haven’t been having much success. Nothing like one of those delicious sandwiches with a cold pilsner(damn I’m drooling all over my keyboard)

  9. Insides of his glutes, Jed?

    Are you saying a guy shit his pants on stage trying to lift too much weight?

    Thanks for the warning. I’m heading to the gym later, so I’ll be sure to wear my Depends.

  10. Chris

    For me now if I hit the weight it’s only because a buddy has called to ask if I want to hit the gym. I normally hit the Berto’s gym in Winter Haven to to do some grappling , jujitsu and a few hours of cardio kick boxing .

    The Rays offense need to stake their pitchers 4 to 5 runs to at least give the pitching staff a decent chance .

    Have you been observing that new gaming initiative in New Jersey ? Could have wide reaching repercussions for each of the four major professional sports as well as the Collegiate Level. All four governing bodies (NBA , MLB, NHL & NFL) have lodged an injunction in the US Federal Court seeking to stop the action , that has been voted on within the state legislature . John Mara owner of the Giants(NFL) believes it will hurt the franchise’s chance of staging a future Superbowl .

    How many damn legal actions can the NFL be involved in simultaneously ? That’s at least 25 and counting , in some judicial process of one form or another . WTF !

    Professional sports (as well as amateur) shouldn’t be averse to gambling should they ? I’m just asking that’s all !

    You’ve got your wish , Chris . The Magic’s roster no longer has D-How . Mega-trade involving the player and three other teams (Lakers , Nuggets and Sixers) .

    John Daly is leading the PGA Championship (first round) as Kiawah Island ? Is there a liquor and beer-stand at every fifth hole to keep him motivated ?

    So Carl Lewis believes Usain Bolt is one something , because he believes the world record holder (100 & 200m) has a distinct advantage over his rivals ? After Lewis won his second medal at 100m , he came under him suspicion himself , and when questioned about his involvement with a noted pharmacist in Atlanta , he politely answered his medication for an ongoing medical affliction . Track and field the original precursor to the steroid era in baseball .

    I can still remember those Eastern bloc female athletes of the seventies , eighties and nineties . None of ’em would ever make the center-spread of the SI swimsuit edition . God forbid , that should ever have happened ! Your thoughts on Brunhilda , that wonderful from shot putter from Poland ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!!

    tophatal …………

  11. Good movie ” Social Network” ! But that Facebook IPO was a stinker right off the bat . Anyone who bought into that crap in some way has my condolences.

    So Peyton and the Broncos got off to a good start in the preseason . The fact that it was against the Bears might have something to do with it . 31-3 ? Heaven forbid that should should be repeated in the regular season for the Bears, with them being on the wrong side of that score .

    Vilma and his lawsuit will prove to be a major embarrassment to the NFL . There’s no sanity to be found from anyone involved in that damn mess . Jonathan Vilma has been disingenuous to begin with . He categorically states he had no involvement in the scandal but he failed to turn at NFL headquarters to be questioned by the league’s investigators . So who should we ultimately believe ?

    He (Vilma) should consider himself lucky that
    that the NFL doesn’t have subpoena powers or that their investigation had been turned over to the Feds . Because on the face of it , he look as if he has a great deal to hide . No one has actually considered that premise or even brought it up , as a matter of discussion in the print or tv media .

    tophatal ……….

  12. Al…

    We’ll see how the Rays do on this tough upcoming roadie. Fortunately they had a few homes games with Longo back in the lineup to gain some momentum.

    So Jersey wants to institute gaming? Let’s hope that means the Seminole Hard Rock won’t be very far behind. I’m not holding my breath though.

    Daly’s hanging in there at the Open, Al, even if it does look like he puked all over his pants.

    It looked like Peyton had all the time in the world to through last night. We’ll see what happens when he feels a little pressure and a few hard hits.

    We’ll also see what happens with the Vilma/NFL refs mess. The NFL has to just want all of this to go away.

  13. Chris

    This Lakers’ trade for Howard is so lopsided that it’s a joke . It makes Gasol’s trade to that very same organization redundant . Three first round picks as well as om the multi player movement just goes to show that financial expediency and fairness in the NBA is a damn joke !

    Legalized gambling won’t offset the mess that states have gotten themselves into financially , in terms of their deficits . Look at the state of California (almost $16 billion) and the very fact that they now have 22 cities quite possibly considering filing for Chapter 9 in terms of bankruptcy . Jefferson County , Alabama filed for bankruptcy with debts of over $7.65 billion ($7,650,000,000)

    Jerry Brown and Chris Christie are as dumb as the day is long . Brown really believes that a rail link will offset the problems in his state ? What a moron ! As for Christie , his fat a#s has never missed a buffet table in recent history .

    Former track star Carl Lewis is a ###king moron in leveling criticism at Usain Bolt ! Lewis when he raced in Europe at many of the high-profiled , high-paying track meets , prior to the IAAF making testing mandatory (voluntary testing was in place for Tier-1 Golden League (European track meets) , Lewis would often refuse to be tested . And when pressed into doing so or if he found out that testing was in place at a number of sanctioned IAAF track meetings he would often turn-down an appearance at those track and field meetings. And these were meetings at the time that paid anywhere between $75k to $150,000 for that actual track meet .

    Lewis is a hypocrite of the highest order ! .

    Left you a response concerning my piece on the NFL preseason and the gaming initiative in New Jersey . The NFL needs to hire Greenberg Traurig LLP . So many lawsuits and not enough frigging brains within the NFL to realize that many of those suits could end up costing them tens of millions of dollars if proven to be guilty in any of those prospective litigant actions .

    tophatal ………………….

  14. I know, Al, and Jerry West wasn’t even around this time to pull it off.

    I think you’re underestimating what kind of dollars would be spent on legalized gambling. Wouldn’t you swing by the local casino on a Friday evening after a hard week of work and drop a hundred bucks on the weekend’s games?

    A rail link? If they want to nix that idea, just have them give Rick Scott a call. He’ll take care of that with the quickness.

    Carl Lewis, Al, speaking his mind again. Well, at least he didn’t rattle off another version of his own national anthem.

  15. Chris

    Even with that type of additional money coming in do you really believe that the politicians in question have the common sense enough to use it wisely ? Hell look at Florida and the revenues from the state Lottery . Tell me where there’s been an overall improvement in the state education system ? New Jersey remains the armpit and but#hole of the East Coast !

    Tiger blows up that the PGA championship and I don’t mean that in a good way !

    Chad Johnson arrested for domestic battery , having head butted his wife of one month , while having an argument in their car . I guess Chad learned nothing from Chris Brown’s experience ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!! He says their heads collided by accident ? Yeah , and Brett Favre accidentally photo-shopped his “wiener” to Jenn Sterger as a prank . .

    Chad Johnson arrested for domestic battery

    Things you don’t have to admire about Carl , after his Olympic experience his career went downhill . Failed musician , failed actor , failed entrepreneur and failed politician (sought to enter the New Jersey legislature even though his primary residence was in California (also had homes in LA & South Carolina & East Bergen ,NJ[two of of the three homes now in foreclosure ]) . The guy is an a#s !

    Da Bears still suck ! Even though their first team starters didn’t see much playing time , that team played without any heart or passion in their preseason opening loss to the Broncos (31-3) .

    tophatal

  16. Al…

    I saw that OchoCinco news come across the wire. I’m sure the Dolphins are perfectly happy with their decision to sign him at this point.

    I wouldn’t read too much into the Bears and their pre-season loss to the Broncos. I’m sure they’ll be competitive this season. However, I will be interested in seeing what Forte can do after signing that big contract.

    Carl Lewis? Music career? Fortunately, I have forgotten all about that.

  17. Chris

    Beyond the signing of Forte , the Bears didn’t really do anything and that’s even by way of the draft and getting Brandon Marshall. And God forbid that Paris Hilton’s ex should fall over another roll of Charmin tissue paper . Oh no he didn’t , don’t go there now ………. Urlacher is once again injured with a pulled groin muscle , Who knew that his brain was so close to his ##ck ? Jay Cutler to my mind is a gutless chicken ! Proof of that comes by way of the NFC championship game against the Packers . when he bailed on the team , when they needed him the most .

    With regard to Rick Scott , that jack-ass returned $7 billion of federal aid that was needed within the state . Instead , more than half of that returned sum went to the state of California . Scott , the antithesis of showing common sense .

    Another pratfall by Romney when introducing his VP nominee and running mate Paul Ryan . ” I’d like to introduce the next President of the United States ” . LOL,LOL,LOL WTF ! What form of medication is Mitt Romney on ? And this a##hole aspires to succeed Bazza ?

    New Jersey with that new initiative cannot in any way extricate themselves out of a mess that they created . They don’t seem to want to tack instances of graft , corruption and the wasteful spending by the state .So what makes you actually think that the revenues derived from gambling will help ? See the predicament of Nevada for that ? Casino building projects have been halted and they have amongst the highest unemployment home foreclosure rates in the nation .

    As for Jerry Brown in California and that rail link boondoggle in the making is based upon the premise of getting taxpayers’ money (anywhere between $8 -$15 billion over the next five years) courtesy of the federal government , beyond what they hope to raise through a bond issue .

    Let’s put it this way with regard to California , when that state is spending more money per capita to incarcerate state prisoners than it does to educate students with the UCLA Regency education system (one of the largest college campus education systems in the nation) , then you have an indication as to how fu##ed up that state is to begin with !

    Carl Lewis like Eddie Murphy did release a CD hoping to parlay his athletic career into an entertainment career . I like to party all night , but preferably not listening to Eddie Murphy sing or Deion Sanders (It Must Be The Money) . When athletes sing, I tend to want to take a “d##p/##it” !

    And what the hell was the Honey Badger thinking ? LSU’s Tyrann Matthieu has been kicked off the football team for having violating team rules . I can understand getting busted for the “Mary Jane ” once but twice inside of six months . How much “weed” does it take foa a college athlete to get $$$ked up ? Not much in the case of the “Honey Badger ” , I guess !

    McNee State must be proud to get this moron don’t you think ?

    tophatal ………………..

  18. I’m not saying Tiger had a bad round in third round (unfinished) but there was talk that his swing was somewhat reminiscent of Charles Barkley’s . And we all know that Barkley couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn if his life depended upon it , with that swing of his .

  19. Al…

    The Bears have been sidelined by key injuries the past two years. If they remain healthy, I fully expect them to be playoff contenders.

    And I imagine most LSU fans haven’t left their dorm rooms since the news about Matthieu came down the pipe (no pun intended). Bad, bad call on his part. He cost himself not only another potential Heisman trip but the rest of his career at Baton Rouge and potentially millions of dollars down the road.

    Tiger’s doing his best to make a run but it looks like both Poulter and McIlroy are keeping everyone at bay.

  20. Les Smiles was said to be so pi##ed at Matthieu that the swiftness of his dismissal was unimaginable . McNee St has just got themselves a real headache .

    tophatal ………

  21. Urlacher is already injured for the Bears , That team is as soft as a baby’s a#s and you’re going to buy into their bull#hit ? Bear in mind Jaworski’s but# body by his estimates is said to be the eighth best quarterback in the NFL . Ron Jaworski obviously doesn’t set the bar that high when it comes to assessing talent in the NFL .

    TOPHATAL …….

  22. Buying into, Al?

    I wouldn’t say that. I am saying that they should contend. In the immortal words of one Denny Smith, I didn’t crown ’em. I just said they’d be a decent team.

    McIlroy was dominant this Sunday. If only to play like that.

    So Matthieu has already chosen his new stomping grounds? I hadn’t heard that. I imagine he has to sit out the obligatory year or did they find a way around that too? Heck, he should have just transferred to Penn State. God knows they need him.

  23. Urlacher underwent knee surgery and Peppers now has ailments . I can’t go with a team where the quarterback is not only scared of his own damn shadow but the questions remain concerning his passion for the game !

    The game last night between the Rsys and Mariners simply indicates to me that Maddon’s boys will have play right up to the very until the end of their schedule . They are not going to be as fortuitous as last September when the Red Sox imploded .

    Speaking of which , why is Pedroia now backing off his reported criticism of Bobby Valentine ? I mean the “kiss of death” has already been given when team owner John Henry and GM Ben Cherington insisted that the beleaguered manager will remain with the team until the end of the season .

    In reality they should simply fire Valentine and promote a member of the coaching staff for now . It’s clear that the players have no implicit faith in the manager .

    If you’re Larry Fitzgerald and see you the form the team’s current quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and John Skelton , what would you do ?

    If neither of the duo can cut it , then look for the receiver to request a trade .

    Tophatal …..

  24. Al…

    Somehow, Urlacher and Peppers got old before their time. Let’s just say I’ll probably be leaving the Bears alone in my over/under contest, which by the way, is up now at a SportsChump URL near you.

    Yea, bad loss last night for the Rays. That’s one they had all the way through the eighth inning. Unfortunately, most baseball games go nine.

    I’m honestly not paying any attention to the drivel coming out of Boston. It sounds like a reality TV show. When is Hard Knocks hitting Fenway?

  25. McNee State appears to be off the table for the Honey Badger for the moment . And Les Miles wants no part of his (Tyrann Matthieu’s) pot smoking a#s .

    Was that you I saw in the crowd berating Romney’s VP running mate , Paul Ryan , when the duo were in town recently ?

    Och’ says he’s sorry for the problems he’s caused . The infidelity was in his DNA to begin with . But his attributed comments on Hard Knocks essentially was all that it took , and was needed for billionaire Dolphins’ owner , Stephen Ross to lower the boom on Johnson .

    Ross wants the atmosphere of the Phins’ environment to be family-friendly . Chad Johnson proclaiming that he has an affinity for the “Chronic” (ganja , weed , Philly blunt , Mary Jane) and that he wants to be po#rn star doesn’t cut it with the owner, at all . Your thoughts ?

    Perhaps we could put Chad in touch with Joe Redner ? Again that’s just my take !

    Tophatal …………

  26. Floyd Mayweather is allegedly calling on the services of both Dr Phil and Dr Drew. Well there you have it , another reason why that sport is dead and buried !

    Tophatal …………

  27. So Ocho and Matthieu are sorry, huh, Al?

    Let’s see how far that gets ’em.

    And what next? Floyd on Oprah? Let’s see if he squirts some tears. He should, considering he probably flushed $50 mil down the toilet. That’s a hell of a lot more than Ocho and Matthieu lost for their indiscretions.

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