Doc Stier wrote:Makes me wonder.
My dad lived to be 90 years of age with good health and fitness until the end. He continued the country farm diet he grew up with throughout his lifetime, did deep breathing exercises and walked several miles outdoors daily, lifted free weights, and maintained a positive mental attitude with a great sense of humor. It was a good life well lived, without doing a lick of kungfu training ever.
In contrast, I have known many famous and highly accomplished kungfu practitioners and teachers noted for their 'internal' cultivation and development, who suffered multiple heart attacks and strokes, or had diabetes or other chronic diseases. Many of them ultimately died from these diseases or from various types of cancer, just like millions of ordinary people do, despite their training and supposedly adhering to all of the traditional do's and don'ts.
So in the end, how much value to a long life with optimal health and fitness is really derived from adhering to the lists of do's and don'ts? Hmm. Makes me wonder.
These are all great points, general health, diet and fitness are important... but not really to the point of the question, which is about whether or not doing different kinds of non-IMA lower body training will impede IMA development.