In a recent development, The New York Times has cautioned its readers against undertaking strenuous exercise routines.
This warning was issued in response to a challenge set forth by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. The duo encouraged Americans to complete 100 push-ups and 50 pull-ups within a span of 10 minutes.
This translates to approximately 10 push-ups and 5 pull-ups per minute.
According to The Post Millennial, the Times article quoted fitness experts who advised against abruptly adopting the intense routine proposed by Kennedy and Hegseth. The challenge, christened the "Pete and Bobby Challenge," gained significant traction on social media platforms, with videos of participants attempting the routine being widely circulated.
The Times' stance against pushing oneself during exercise was met with ridicule online, especially considering the outlet's previous endorsement of intense workouts in 2014.
In a 2014 article, The New York Times had advocated for pushing oneself to the limit during workouts to achieve better results. The article referenced a study that concluded, "Intense exercise changes the body and muscles at a molecular level in ways that milder physical activity doesnt match."
The Times' coverage of the "Pete and Bobby Challenge" starkly contrasted with its previous coverage of former First Lady Michelle Obama's workout routine. In 2015, the outlet had reported on President Obama's friendly challenge to his wife as part of her '#GimmeFive' campaign promoting healthy living. Mrs. Obama's routine included jump rope, medicine ball crunches, jump squats, boxing, and dumbbell incline press.
The Times' critique of the Kennedy-Hegseth challenge also seemed to express concern over Americans attempting numerous "strict" pull-ups. The article quoted a fitness expert who warned that striving for high numbers without a solid strength foundation could lead to poor form, overcompensation, and a high risk of injury, including serious muscle strains or tears.
However, maintaining "strict" form in such challenges usually mitigates the risk of injury.
The Times' report noted, Fitness experts said Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Hegseth were trying to do standard pull-ups, rather than employing kips or the butterfly movement, suggesting that the pair were advocating for a more disciplined pull-up form.
The Times seemed to favor kipping pull-ups, or pull-ups performed with momentum, and drew parallels between the challenge and "CrossFit" style workouts. This was despite the outlet citing CrossFit athletes who emphasized the need for a gradual increase in volume to build up to such challenges.
The Times justified its preference for kipping pull-ups, stating they can be "considerably easier on the shoulders and arms," despite being "difficult to master." However, a 2022 study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) identified "kipping" pull-ups as one of the most common exercises leading to upper extremity injuries in CrossFit.
The exercise is notorious for causing shoulder injuries, far more than standard pull-ups.
Thomas Stevenson, a former personal trainer certified by the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), was among the experts cited in the Times' report.
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