Lifting weights will help improve your exam scores.

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TheBatman

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Everyone's looking for something to give them an edge and I for one believe lifting weights can be that boost. Studies show lifting weights coupled with adequate nutrition can help increase brain function. I could go into more detail but I don't want to bore you guys. Oh and FYI it helps out the ladies as well.
 
Are we talking in general or right before the exam? Feeling shaky and smelling like sweat doesn't sound like a recipe for success.

Otherwise, I agree. Working out is fun and I feel a lot better when I'm doing it regularly.

if others faint from your smelliness and fail, I'd call that success. set the curve like you set those weights back on the rack
 
I'm with OP 100% Grades don't lie!
 
Citations, please.

Everyone's looking for something to give them an edge and I for one believe lifting weights can be that boost. Studies show lifting weights coupled with adequate nutrition can help increase brain function. I could go into more detail but I don't want to bore you guys. Oh and FYI it helps out the ladies as well.
 
you have more time to read weightlifting studies when you aren't in medical school because you bailed on a DO acceptance to try and make MD

I don't have anxiety issues so i'm not going to panic. I have a month off and I'm using it to relax and focus on a passion of mine 'fitness'.
 
Your logic might have more weight (forgive the pun) if you did a PubMed search on "exercise" AND "cognitive function".

Does making random brain dropping posts on SDN count as exercise?

I'm trying to help people with this thread. I'd rather folks hit the gym up to improve exam scores rather than pop a pill.
 
I'm trying to help people with this thread. I'd rather folks hit the gym up to improve exam scores rather than pop a pill.

Let people hit the gym for cardiovascular health, weight loss and appearance -- there's actual data to support all those, and that's plenty reason to go. Leave the questionable science for the "meatheads" reading those magazines you cited, who are apparently feeling insecure about spending not enough time in the library and trying to make themselves feel better.
 
Let people hit the gym for cardiovascular health, weight loss and appearance -- there's actual data to support all those, and that's plenty reason to go. Leave the questionable science for the "meatheads" reading those magazines you cited, who are apparently feeling insecure about spending not enough time in the library and trying to make themselves feel better.

What? No one said lifting weights would substitute adequate study time in the library. I'm saying I'd rather have 3 hours of focuses studying than 6 hours of studying where my mind is all over the place.
 
What? No one said lifting weights would substitute adequate study time in the library. I'm saying I'd rather have 3 hours of focuses studying than 6 hours of studying where my mind is all over the place.

Scientific evidence isn't about what you'd rather have, it's about what you can demonstrate reproducibly. Nobody is saying you shouldn't study however you prefer. Just don't pretend you have the weight of scientific evidence justifying it.
 
Scientific evidence isn't about what you'd rather have, it's about what you can demonstrate reproducibly. Nobody is saying you shouldn't study however you prefer. Just don't pretend you have the weight of scientific evidence justifying it.

Are you really gonna make me cite 'peer reviewed' articles? It's not a secret resistance training helps improve cognitive function.
 
There is some credible research out there in regard to cardiovascular exercise improving cognitive function, but I'm too lazy to dig it up because I don't even lift.
 
There is some credible research out there in regard to cardiovascular exercise improving cognitive function, but I'm too lazy to dig it up because I don't even lift.

Stephen Hawkings scoffs at this. In truth if you go through history very few of the people society has labeled geniuses were jacked.

In fact there's pretty good correlation, hence the many stereotypes (but obviously with many exceptions) of jocks and athletes really not being the highest test scorers. When I was in college the athletes had special curricula and tutors just so they could pass -- and most of them spent a ton of time in the gym.

I suspect there's an optimum state of health that improves studying efforts, and I also suspect it involves a balance far in the side of time NOT spent at the gym (ie something like 1 hour at the gym for every 30 hours in the library).
 
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Stephen Hawkings scoffs at this. In truth if you go through history very few of the people society has labeled geniuses were jacked.

In fact there's pretty good correlation, hence the many stereotypes (but obviously with many exceptions) of jocks and athletes really not being the highest test scorers. When I was in college the athletes had special curricula and tutors just so they could pass -- and most of them spent a ton of time in the gym.

I suspect there's an optimum state of health that improves studying efforts, and I also suspect it involves a balance far in the side of time NOT spent at the gym (ie something like 1 hour at the gym for every 30 hours in the library).

Lmao.

Resistance exercise does not help mental functioning because most "geniuses" that you know of did not do resistance exercise? Jee. Revolutionary. Get this published in Nature ASAP bro!
 
Lmao.

Resistance exercise does not help mental functioning because most "geniuses" that you know of did not do resistance exercise? Jee. Revolutionary. Get this published in Nature ASAP bro!

Well, when the opposing view is published in "Box Life Magazine", I don't really have to shoot for Nature to win the point. Again, Im not saying there's not value in exercise, I'm saying lifting won't help you on exams. It won't. Heck, most of the really jacked people can't even pass a urine test, let alone a premed test.
 
Anecdotal though it may be, I find that if I'm in a long study session and reaching the point of diminishing returns and I go hit the weights for a bit, I can come back refreshed and ready to study more. This could be from any number of things though: 1) The lift was simply the break I needed from studying, 2) Pent up energy was used and I was able to settle back down after a lift and study, 3) I don't care why, but it works for me. That said, I'm most likely going to be somewhat atrophied and fluffy after STEP 1...
 
OP is right. I'm a former NCAA wrestler, now serious lifter/amateur bodybuilder.

I got 8 med school acceptances, graduated #2 in my med school class, matched into my #1 Dermatology residency, and recently scored in the 99th percentile for our national In-Training Exam.

You guys should lift.
 
OP is right. I'm a former NCAA wrestler, now serious lifter/amateur bodybuilder.

I got 8 med school acceptances, graduated #2 in my med school class, matched into my #1 Dermatology residency, and recently scored in the 99th percentile for our national In-Training Exam.

You guys should lift.

I feel bad for @Tired since you claim to outlift the ortho kids!
 
Stephen Hawkings scoffs at this. In truth if you go through history very few of the people society has labeled geniuses were jacked.

In fact there's pretty good correlation, hence the many stereotypes (but obviously with many exceptions) of jocks and athletes really not being the highest test scorers. When I was in college the athletes had special curricula and tutors just so they could pass -- and most of them spent a ton of time in the gym.

I suspect there's an optimum state of health that improves studying efforts, and I also suspect it involves a balance far in the side of time NOT spent at the gym (ie something like 1 hour at the gym for every 30 hours in the library).

Don't know if this post is satire or not. If it is satire my next paragraph is going to make me look like an idiot.

But this harkens back to the old saw, correlation does not equal causation. Many times the college jocks who need special help to pass class( I'm looking at D-1 basketball and football players, especially) are ill-prepared for college and shouldn't be taking some of the classes that they are taking.

I also agree about the idea of an optimum but I have no clue about how the ratio between exercise and study time would look like and what factors would influence it.
 
Or is it their 8-10 hours per day of athletic commitments make it difficult to study, and so a little extra academic help from the institution that they do so much for is warranted?

Haven't considered that factor. Thanks for telling me!
 
Or is it their 8-10 hours per day of athletic commitments make it difficult to study, and so a little extra academic help from the institution that they do so much for is warranted?
It'd be easier to believe that's why they struggled academically if they came in with SATs similar to the rest of the college and weren't frequently seen at parties
 
When I took my MCAT, I lifted until 4 days before my exam. I definitely felt that lifting was beneficial in helping me to de-stress.

Be smart about it though... I'd lift an hour a day as my break. Did well on the MCAT

Remember... summer is almost in full swing. Gotta train for 'em abs boys and girls
 
Don't know if this post is satire or not. If it is satire my next paragraph is going to make me look like an idiot.

But this harkens back to the old saw, correlation does not equal causation. Many times the college jocks who need special help to pass class( I'm looking at D-1 basketball and football players, especially) are ill-prepared for college and shouldn't be taking some of the classes that they are taking.

I also agree about the idea of an optimum but I have no clue about how the ratio between exercise and study time would look like and what factors would influence it.

It's half satire. Look, I've logged plenty of hours in the gym. I just don't pretend it did anything for me other than burned some calories and hypertrophied some muscles.
 
OP is right. I'm a former NCAA wrestler, now serious lifter/amateur bodybuilder.

I got 8 med school acceptances, graduated #2 in my med school class, matched into my #1 Dermatology residency, and recently scored in the 99th percentile for our national In-Training Exam.

You guys should lift.

LOL -- there's always going to be exceptions. But you really can't deny the "meathead" stereotype exists because the other extreme is so much more prevalent. And you personally don't even know you wouldn't have gotten to the exact same place sitting on a sofa eating pizza and beer. For all you know the body building pulled you down to the 99th percentile from 100. Too much blood and glucose diverted away from your brain. Or being in shape gave you one less challenge to talk about on your PS. So it doesn't matter that you, one person, beat the odds and became successful. The real question is, if the hundreds of other people you've come across on your bodybuilding and wresting circuits also were able to became dermatologists. My bet is not. They are hoping to carve out career paths where being jacked outweighed lacking test scores.
 
Or is it their 8-10 hours per day of athletic commitments make it difficult to study, and so a little extra academic help from the institution that they do so much for is warranted?
I've been an athlete my whole life, and I've never gotten this sentiment. Most athletes I know don't do it as some big sacrifice for their school, they do it because they enjoy it, they're good at it, they get perks for it (like scholarships or praise or yes, parties and chicks). Plus, 10hrs per weekday sounds like hyperbole to me. Even if you do 2-a-day practices, at 3hrs each instead of 2, and then hit the gym, you're not hitting 10hrs.
 
Your logic might have more weight (forgive the pun) if you did a PubMed search on "exercise" AND "cognitive function".

Does making random brain dropping posts on SDN count as exercise?
Aw man - ease up - he's just being cute... Lol not present in at a conference.

Or at least I don't think he was being serious...
 
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