Is Five Lbs Five Lbs

[5MilesBack]

Losing 1 pound of body weight is a benefit to your knees and joints by a factor of 4. Lose 5 pounds and you will have taken the equivalent of 20 pounds of load bearing weight off of your knees - 10 pounds is equivalent to 40. . . There is science - and my subject matter experience to back this up.

This ^^^^ will be the difference.

I'm a little worried about this year because this was the first year that I stayed pretty consistent all year lifting. So.......I have extra weight this year than in past years. I'm stronger.........but there's a trade-off.........and that's my knees. I'll see how it all works out, but at 52 I'm not optimistic on my knees with the extra weight. Seems there is a trade-off with everything in hunting.

 

[307]

Losing 1 pound of body weight is a benefit to your knees and joints by a factor of 4. Lose 5 pounds and you will have taken the equivalent of 20 pounds of load bearing weight off of your knees - 10 pounds is equivalent to 40. . . There is science - and my subject matter experience to back this up.

The force within the knee wouldn't be different if it's 5 lbs of body weight, or 5 lbs of pack weight, other than distribution, which I'm not convinced would make a big difference.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

mo it's not the same. I know potbellied men with big bellys that would walk the average Rokslide member to death. I know skinny guys that can't go anywhere without having to take a break. My wife who weighs 120 lbs and runs in all sorts of cross country events can't keep up with me on our evening ritual of walking hills and stuff. I've got more fat on me than she does. Plus, I'm wearing 50-100 extra pounds on my back. Yet, every night I have to stop and wait on here. I walk Lord only knows how many mikes a week cruising timber is why. There so much more to fitness than just weight loss.

 

[johnsd16]

Sorry for the short answer before, wife was giving me the ole rockslide stink eye.

As noted, weight on them knees is different and while the 5lbs is there either way but it is a bit different, but probably not that important. Metabolic efficiency and other physiologic factors play a role as well. It has largely to do with how you lose the 5lbs. Taking 5lbs out of your pack vs fasting for a day, taking a power dump and shedding water with caffeine to lose 5 lbs vs eating clean and working out the CV system to lose 5 lbs. The first two are irrelevant. Most guys 180-250 lbs will drift 5-8 lbs over a day or matter of days depending on fluid retention, stool, etc.

Think of it in extremes. Would it be easier to get up the hill at 180 lbs with a 100 lb pack or 280 lbs of gravy with no pack. 5 lbs to me on the body isn't squat, that comes and goes. When I swam in college I'd bounce around from 173-185 in a few days. I wouldn't want 5 lbs of unnecessary weight in my pack, but if it needs to be there then it needs to be there.

How much does a king size snickers weigh. I gotta get back in shape for my move out west!

 

[ATX762]

Losing 5 lbs if you are carrying extra weight is just good for your life. It's not really that complicated. You'll walk faster, your joints will love you more, you'll crank one more pull-up, a few more pushups, you'll run a little faster...it's just good.

This is coming from a guy who dropped ten lbs in the past two months and holy shite. Everything in my life is better. Plus my balls look even bigger now. They're like giant squirrel balls, now that I'm so skinny.

 

[Superkodiak38]

Great thread !
I was watching a "Spartan Race" on TV the other day, one of the competitors was pretty muscular and as the race progressed it was apparent he was struggling. One of the commentators remarked that with all the muscle mass it was making it difficult to keep his muscles oxygenated. I guess the larger the muscle the more lactic acid production as well ??

I am 265 right now ( 6'5). I would rather drop 5 pounds from my pack than from body fat, like COlineman pointed out that load on your back away from your center of gravity becomes exponential. At my size 5 pounds is 1.8 percent of my bodyweight take a 150 pound guy and its 3.3 percent of his BW, still not a lot.

I agree that it is magnified greatly as wear and tear on joints especially on stairs or incline / decline so it's paramount to train to strengthen those tendons and joints.