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by marginalia_nu 116 days ago
Anecdotally, I started lifting again a few weeks ago. Took a few years off due to Covid complications, but was previously exercising regularly.

Walked up to the bar stressed about all sorts of things, everything is expensive, car is making weird chafing noises when I make sharp turns, politics, this and that.

Did 3 sets of 5 deadlifts with a 60kg bar. Barely any weight on the bar since I didn't want to annihilate my joints. Regardless, as I finished the sets, all that stress was just gone, and it stayed away for days. I was calmer, clearer, more present.

I don't think I have fewer reasons to be stressed since getting the gym membership, but I sure am less stressed.

Deadlifts in particular, but really any full body lifts have always been a mental state degauss button for me. Doesn't matter how many problems you have before you walk up to that bar, you'll barely remember them when you're done.

1 comments

Note: deadlifts do not "annihilate" joints. Resistance training strengthens and improves joints. Repetitive impact behavior like running on concrete does annihilate joints though.
This is from a context of "4 plates used to be pretty easy, then I took several years off lifting". I know no faster way to get injured in the gym than to try to grind a new 1RM after a lengthy break.
Okay great, but that has nothing to do with your joints, unless you meant vertebral joints, but that is not the common parlance. You might injure a muscle belly.