THE NEUROSURGEON AND THE DUMBASS -- RELOADED

It was just an idea about the difference between intelligence and smarts. It wouldn't have mattered if the comments were from a Ph.D in Nuclear Engineering, top of the class at Harvard Law, or Steven Hawking. The first person who came along and gave me material would bring my idea to life.

The roulette wheel just happened to stop at Neurosurgeon, so I wrote THE NEUROSURGEON AND THE DUMBASS.

The article addressed statements from someone of stature and high intelligence. The article presented MY experiences with hundreds of people over many years. The article was self-deprecating, not self-aggrandizing.

It was nothing personal.

So when this same Neurosurgeon responded to THE NEUROSURGEON AND THE DUMBASS, I ignored it at first. I had made my point and that was good enough. But after reading the response again I reconsidered. I respect people who know they are special but act humbly. Those that don’t irritate me.

Let’s have some fun:

Doc: "I have NO idea who this gentleman is...That being said, many of his conclusions are erroneous nonetheless. In general, those with larger muscles are stronger than those with smaller muscles. Sure, there is a very significant neural element to strength/power, but you would agree with me that the man who can squat 800 LBS will be noticeably bigger than the man who can squat 350 LBS, right?"

Totally agree with you doc.

Again, what I said is that In the entire history of all the research that has ever been done from the beginning of time there has NEVER been a proven connection between a change in muscle size induced by exercise and increased strength. Please read Muscle Growth With The viiivPRO.

Again, I said change in muscle size, NOT muscle size.

The dude who can squat 800 LBS came into this world with larger muscle fiber cross sectional area than the dude who can squat 350 LBS. He looks noticeably larger and more dense than the other dude. However, the increase in the size of muscle cells that both of these dudes will experience as a result of doing a set of heavy squats contributes nothing to making them stronger.

Follow me?

Doc: "The body has “nowhere to run” AFTER the neuronal pathways have been optimized/exhausted. That’s WHY muscles grow/become more dense: to adapt to the progressively heavier loads AFTER the neural component has been outstripped."

So let me get this straight, the body has “nowhere to run” after the neural pathways have been exhausted, yet muscles, which must receive stimulation from those neural pathways, the very same pathways responsible for determining muscle fibre recruitment, muscle fiber firing rates, muscle fiber firing patterns, and muscle contraction force, can handle PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER loads!? How the hell do you go on to lifting higher loads if the thing responsible for facilitating that is maxed out? 

Doc: "And yes, one can always train to better recruit fibers/motor units (as in Olympic lifting), but this is an exception to the rule and requires FAST, FULL RANGE movements (not static contraction with ZERO range of motion) which most are incapable of performing."

Not true. Not even close. Movement is not necessary to improve voluntary activation (VA). In fact, compared to concentric and eccentric contractions, improved VA is highest with isometric contractions.  

Again, the most important factor is the rate of force development, which determines motor unit recruitment, firing rates, firing patterns and muscle contraction force. Movement is not necessary to achieve a high rate of force development. Please read that last sentence again.

The viiivPRO gives anyone and everyone the opportunity to become more powerful without any movement whatsoever. This dumbass has seen it happen to hundreds of little old ladies. 

I don't care how strong anyone thinks they are, adding a few seconds of all out effort to whatever your fitness routine is once in a while will take you to a new level of capability in everything you do.

Try it.  

Doc: "Secondly, it’s great to have an optimized brain/peripheral nervous system, sure, but what is neglected - again - is the glucose “filtering” effects of larger muscles. The more muscle one has, the better one will be able to dispose of glucose and the further away one stays, therefore, from EVERY age-related disease. Glucose disposal is NON-NEURAL." 

Sounds great, and because a doctor said it most will accept this and move on. But it's not that simplistic. The regulation of glucose is a highly sophisticated system we still don't fully understand.  

But let's play the more muscle is better game.

Some people naturally have more than others, so consider this. In general African Americans have a greater bone mineral density and body protein content than do White Americans resulting in a greater fat-free body density (for all you non-physicians out there that means they have more muscle). In 2018 non hispanic blacks were twice as likely as non hispanic whites to die from diabetes. African American adults are 60 percent more likely than non-hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician. In 2017, non-Hispanic blacks were 3.2 times more likely to be diagnosed with end stage renal disease and 2.3 times more likely to be hospitalized for lower limb amputations as compared to non-Hispanic whites.

Uh oh. There goes that theory.

Maybe more muscle isn't necessarily better, so instead of punishing your body to gain something you probably won’t, why not try this:

Don’t eat too much. Don’t put crap in your body. Don’t get fat. Get a moderate amount of physical activity daily. Maintain a healthy body composition (all of those help improve insulin sensitivity which may be the main issue). Get out in the sun a little. Find purpose and content in your life. Hydrate. Laugh a lot, love even more. Go to bed and get plenty of high quality sleep.   And finally, to say "glucose disposal is NON-neural" is inaccurate. The hypothalamus is part of the brain that links nervous and endocrine systems. From Brain Control of Blood Glucose Levels: Implications for the Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes, Alonge et al 2020: "The brain helps to coordinate not only the magnitude and timing of the insulin response but also insulin independent mechanisms that reduce glucose production while enhancing disposal." 

The dumbass is also a smartass.

Doc: "And thirdly, joints NEED to be “lubricated” through FULL-range movements. This enhances mobility - something we lose as we age - and thwarts the development of arthritic changes within the mobilized joints."

Like I said before, A few viiiv sessions gives people the desire to be more active, guaranteed. They will be able to do things they haven't been able to do in years, guaranteed. When their frequency of movement, and willingness to attempt more difficult movement challenges goes up, and it will, their chances of doing things that involve moving their joints through various ranges of motion, including full-range also goes up.

Joints will be lubricated naturally by movement. Movement naturally enhances mobility. 

However, moving weights through a full range of motion is not necessary for joint lubrication. Weight lifting feels unnatural and uncomfortable to most people and they don't want to do it. Fortunately, the viiivPRO provides a much better option that is comfortable, highly productive, and sustainable. It's just a different way to get to a better place, and if given a choice between lifting weights and giving a maximum isometric effort for a few seconds they will choose the viiiv way almost 100% of the time. 

Think I'm kidding? 

See my articles titled I'll Trade You and Save Your Life Energy. 

Doc: "These machines can be used as adjuncts, sure, but they will NEVER replace lifting a 250 lb sandbag off the floor. NEVER. They will never supplant the NEED for squatting and deadlifting. NEVER. How many times has our community been through this? TOO MANY! And we ALWAYS circle back and default to the BASICS." 

You can certainly make it an adjunct if you like but I already made the case for why the viiivPRO is not an adjunct. Based on nearly 20 years of experience the results show it's actually the other way around.

It is not my intention to replace anything. That choice is up to individuals. My intention is to give people the energy and strength to move better, move more when/if they choose, and even take on the challenge of lifting a 250 LB sandbag off the floor. My intention is to improve the quality of life of those who desperately need it. 

Being able to squat down and lift the dead weight of objects off the ground is something many of us must do each day. We have bags of soil to move, furniture to be rearranged, toddlers to be picked up, etc, etc. These are instinctual movements we can never supplant.

Now, if the implication is that squatting and deadlifting with barbells will never be supplanted, I totally disagree, but again, that is up to individuals. 

With the viiivPRO we have something that can improve the strength and efficiency of the central nervous system; the primitive areas of the brain and descending neural tracts that drives our strength, and those improvements are ready and waiting to be used when the time comes to squat down and lift something off the ground.

What I will promise, and this is based on a ton of client feedback, is that anyone who wants to attempt to become better at lifting a 250 LB sandbag off the floor is a hell of lot closer to being able to do that as a result of giving a maximum effort for just 5 seconds once in a while, than they would be if they hadn't.

How many times has our community been through tendonitis, muscle tears, arthritis and permanent joint damage as a result of lifting weights? TOO MANY!

Now we have a perfect fit that harmonizes with our natural desires and people love it!

Doc: "I'm not going to publicly humiliate this gentleman -- a non-physician with zero patient hours and FAR fewer hours of blood, sweat, and tears in the gym than me." 

So let me get this straight. Being a physician, working with patients, and how much time you spend in the gym sweating, bleeding, and crying makes you more qualified than someone with 20 years of up close and personal observation of how this effects client’s lives?

Non-physician? Correct. Zero patient hours? Correct. Far fewer hours of blood, sweat, and tears in the gym? Priceless. (I haven't been in a gym in 20 years)

Wouldn't mind being publicly humiliated though. That would be good for business. 

Doc: "He's just trying to sell his product (that's reasonable) by ATTEMPTING to undermine doctors (far less reasonable).Hmm.. I wonder who he’ll seek out when he’s dying from a brain bleed? Oh wait, a “dumb” neurosurgeon.       

I do recall saying "just because someone has MD or Ph.D after their name doesn't mean they aren't human."  I didn't realize that was an attempt to undermine the entire medical association, but cut me some slack, I am a non-physician after all.

I have the utmost respect for all medical professionals, scholars, and any other highly intelligent person of stature. They typically have worked hard and earned their place in life. However, if they want to come play in my pool they shouldn't expect they won't be splashed. 

My point is, think for yourself everybody. No one is beyond question (even though some think they are).