>
NOTICE
Lifting misconceptions
GREG GRIESENAUER
Pump up your health by pumping iron.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has played many roles, starring in more than 35 films and snagging the title of California's 38th governor in 2003. He's come a long way from his Mr. Universe title, but even his transformation from Terminator to "Govenator" couldn't end his enduring role as the butt of body-building jokes.
Media and the general public have treated fans of bodybuilding — the process of building muscle through lifting weights, increasing caloric intake and rest — as punchlines. Weightlifters have been associated with steroid use, sub-par intelligence and obsessive exercising. But dedication can be misread as obsession. Withstanding jests and queries about their time logged at the gym, weightlifters rise
above to show the benefits of pumping iron daily.
Every morning at 6, Johnathan Miller, Lee's Summit, Mo., sophomore, is at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center. Besides regularly playing racquetball and climbing the rock wall, Miller lifts five times a week. Changing his lifting routine weekly, Miller puts in between an hour to two hours a day at the gym.
His roommates joke that he's an exercise addict, but Miller says he maintains a healthy balance between the gym and the rest of his life. He's not a "freak" about working out, Miller says, even though he does take supplements.
He takes a creatine and energy supplement to enhance his training, he says. It's common for people to associate steroids with weight lifting,
though most lifters aren't even on a supplement, Miller says.
"It's just years and years of lifting." Miller says.
Another misconception surrounding weightlifters is the idea that their lives revolve around the gym. But Miller's workouts motivate him even outside the gym, he says. During his freshman year he didn't go to the gym or to most of his classes, Miller says. But when he started lifting weights regularly, he says, his attendance and performance in class improved.
As for being obsessed with exercise, actual exercise addiction or abuse is uncommon, says Lynn Millar, physical therapy professor at Andrews University in Michigan. The American College of Sports Medicine actually recommends daily moderate-to-
vigorous workout between 20 and 60 minutes for fitness, Millar says. Exercise only becomes harmful when a person over-trains, or over-uses a muscle.
Over-training occurs when a person damages a muscle by not allowing sufficient time to heal, says Robert Gregory, a KU biomechanics professor.
Over-exercising certain muscles can even lead to a decrease in strength. Lifting places a lot of stress on the lumbar vertebrae, and excessive pressure can actually weaken the spinal column. Gregory says, as well as increase the possibility for injuries.
Brent Pitts, Olathe freshman, realizes the potential danger of overworking muscles and therefore developed a routine to ensure healthy
training. Alternating days, Pitts trains arms and shoulders twice a week and chest and back three times.
Usually, Pitts spends no more than two hours at the gym, but last year while playing for the Minnesota Junior Hockey League in St. Louis, he put in four hours a day on average.
Pitts, now a member of the KU club hockey team, says teammates give him flak about his gym sessions, asking why he works out so much. It's just a habit and a hobby, he says, something that makes him feel good about himself and brings him enjoyment.
When looking at the benefits these lifters receive, it's difficult to see how body-builders got a bad rap. But it's clear to see that weight-lifting is nothing to scaffold.
04.27.2006 JAYPLAY <07