In Fitness and in Health
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All right, I want to preface this by saying I never take progress pictures, and I also don’t photograph myself at the gym or video myself working out. Nothing wrong with it, it’s just not my thing. I feel weird enough posting fit pics as it is.
But over the past 10 months, just by watching what I eat a lot more, cutting back on snacking, and working out smarter and more intentional, I’ve gone from a completely non-vascular 230 lbs at 6 feet tall (okay, maybe 5’11½) down to 220. I can actually see my veins now, which is a first in a very long time.
One of the reasons I didn’t try to push the weight down too aggressively is because, like a lot of you, I’ve got a pretty big wardrobe. Mostly 3XL and 4XL shirts, at least with Iron Heart, that I had no interest in selling or replacing. Same goes for denim. I wanted to keep everything fitting the way it should.
Somehow I’ve managed to do that. I’ve leaned out quite a bit, kept my size, and honestly my clothes fit even better now.
I also have no intention of doing anything stupid or going super heavy. After about the first month or so, I really haven’t grabbed anything heavier than a 50–55 lb dumbbell. Most of the time I’m in the 15–35 lb range. I’ll still mess around with heavier stuff like lat pulldowns or machines where it makes sense, but for pushing exercises, curls, tricep extensions, etc., I keep it pretty light.
Anyway, a couple more months until my 53rd birthday. I’d like to lean out a little more and try to stay there until the old man body really kicks in and I start losing my ass and everything starts sagging.
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@northsouthdenimguy. If you stay consistent nothing will start sagging. I am 62 and still lift and pretty heavy actually but I am conditioned. I started at 13 and never stopped. The longest period I ever take off is 2 weeks per year. I am definitely not as strong as when I was younger but the difference is not as big as someone might think. Its about 8 to 10% of what i was able to do in my peak on the basic lifts, meaning squat, bench and deadlift. On the Olympic lifts which is what started me into lifting in the first place the difference is bigger because as I aged I lost more speed than strength and those lifts are very speed dependent. Yes I had some injuries, most relatively minor. The worse was about 1 year ago when I tore my rotator cuff chasing a 190kg bench by my 61st birtday. Had surgery and now I am back and pretty close to what I was lifting before the surgery. I dont do marathon workouts. About 1 hour 5 days per week. But I still enjoy it and its my time that I get to spend in silence. I still have goals. I cannot workout without a goal. Keeps me focused. I love seeing people exercising and trying to improve regardless of age.
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I'm in the accidental process of dialling my old man body out. I'm 68 and have never really exercised in my life, though my lifestyle is pretty active and I eat well. I have never had anything resembling a glute, now I have an actual arse, that's after about 6 months of doing something about it. I've also got discernible biceps and triceps, never had those either. Will I ever be ripped? I don't know and don't care, I'm training for strength (My trainer asked me what my goal was, my answer was that I want to be able to cast as far as my 30 something year-old fishing buddies, and when I have played and landed a 100lb plus Tuna or GT, they say "well played") not hypertrophy, but if I get a better looking body as a side-effect, I'll take it. One of the best things is I know my stance is better, and I walk taller.....
"OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011
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@Giles. The beautiful thing is that all you see is progress. Sometimes I am jealous of people who started later because all they see is improvement. The fact that I had a better version of myself in the past fecks with my head at times. I would of rather not have a point of reference. Having said that I still enjoy the process
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I’ve been working out consistently since I was 14. I was a skinny kid unless I really pushed it. Naturally around 155(at current height), I got up to about 185 in my early 20s, pretty muscular. Played hockey at a high level from 7 to 17 until I moved to Florida. Also did a lot of skateboarding, sponsored AM, which honestly beat up my knees, elbows, and ankles.
In my 30s I crept into the low 200s. Always trained more bodybuilding style than powerlifting. Never cared about maxing out, but I was strong. Repping 225 to 275 on bench for years, strict curling 60s. Nothing crazy, but I could move some weight.
Point is I’ve got a base and muscle memory. The issue is the last 20 plus years. You start making some money and eating whatever you want, drinking more, bigger meals than you need. Never got a huge gut, just thicker through the midsection. Plenty of muscle, just covered a bit.
Tearing my quad tendon five years ago didn’t help either. Set me back for sure. But I get the long game. My dad’s 75 and still in great shape, my mom’s thin, so at least I’ve got that going for me. I probably should’ve been more clear. I don’t think I’ll start sagging for a while, but it will happen. Look at Arnold.
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That’s great and very impressive. It’s hard to do it at any age let alone when you get past 50(edit: let alone 60+)Assuming your mostly doing “big movements” which are so much better for you body than the isolation movements. I tell myself one day I will incorporate more of that style. But don’t hold your breath.
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I have a very specific goal - to fish better, sub goals feed off of that. In 2021 I went Blue Fin Tuna Fishing with my friend Szymon, he is mid thirties and built like a brick shit house. He is strong, and boy does he look it. I hooked about 10 Tuna that week, but wimped out and had to give Szymon the rod at some point during the fight on every fish. I did not cast to, hook and land a single fish without help that week. I resolved to fix that. I did some exercise over the next year and landed a few on my own in 2022.
Over the next couple of years, my left hip began to degrade. The sort of fishing I do in the Tropics is extremely physical, the basic “science”, is to chuck a lure that weighs up to 8 ounces as far as you can, then retrieve it by sweeping the rod tip from high up over one shoulder to low down behind the other shoulder then you reel in the slack and repeat, all this, whilst standing in a small boat that is rocking and rolling all over the place. I favour a sweep from right to left, so my left hip is subject to an immense amount of rotational force. Then if you hit a fish, you need strength everywhere, otherwise you will be humbled.
The hip had to be replaced, and was done in 2024.
In May of last year when I was in Oman, I had issues with my hip, and reasoned that I was sure that the operation was done well, so it must be a muscular issue.
Cue, fix that.
My exercise regime is now a lot more disciplined than, and I have Brett my PT doing deadlifts with me and sorting me out with all the appropriate accessory exercises.
I am working on building strength in my glutes, basically to support my hip. But four sort of fishing requires, strong legs, back, core and arm. and also high grip strength, so I’m working on sorting it all out.
So I do deadlifts, leg presses, lat pull downs, Kelso shrugs, back extensions (an @yannis gig. He wants me to do 3x15 at half body weight - which is 45kg. I am up to 25kg), Bulgarian split squats, Romanian Deadlifts, barbell curls, wrist flexion, wrist extension and farmers walk (aiming for 30 secs at body weight, I am currently ay 30 secs at 70kg).
Every week I have a deadlift session and also religiously do back extensions. All the other stuff, I do in and around those two core exercises. If I feel strong, I will do leg presses shortly after deadlifts, but never too close to the next deadlift session. I do a stack of arm and chest stuff when I am not doing legs or back. I go to the gym a lot, and now I have the weights at home, I will probably do a lot more short sessions just concentrating on one muscle group.
It would be a lie to say I don’t care what I look like, but strength is my mantra, hypertrophy a welcome side effect.
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That’s a pretty big shift, especially with the hip stuff and then actually putting it to use with your fishing. I’d imagine your energy and day to day feels different now… although I’m guessing the mood part might be up for debate if you ask somebody like Alex lol. Either way, it’s cool seeing it not just pushing weight to push weight, but actually carrying over to something you really enjoy and have a passion for
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Awesome stuff @Giles. I have the same thought process. The way I look is a bi product of weightlifting and not the other way around..I don't lift with a look in mind. A good diet and exercise takes care of that. My goals are strictly weightlifting goals. Yes I chase numbers. I want a bodyweight overhead press(i am 109 kg bodyweight) and another Crack of that elusive 190kg bench. I came so close 2 years ago before my shoulder injury. I am happy with my squat and pull. So all my programming is focused on those 2 goals and I simply maintain my squat and pull.
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Anybody else use Indian clubs? Reasons for using include upper body strength, coordination, flow and great for joints. A good warm up for heavier things. For me they are a great tool to help with my practice of Iaido and Jodo.
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@Giles aye - a commoner current solution, to an extent but don't allow for quite as much flow and coordination I expect. In saying that, I have little experience with kettlebells. Clubs were the mainstay of victorian/edwardian British army training. Easier to hit somebody with too I'd wager...
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I use these onnit "primal bells" that I bought from the US, import was insane (as you'd imagine for 20k,40kg weights...) they've been out of stock on the xbrain website for 5 years which is the only place to get them in the UK. I don't plan on importing any others...
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Just asked AI, obviously knows better than me...
When to Use Which:
Kettlebells: Best for building brute strength, power, and high-volume conditioning.
Indian Clubs: Best for long-term joint health, restoring motion, warming up, and developing graceful movement control. -
@Giles okay - my response was aiming at informative, as most folks don't use them these days. Lovely using wood too... But I've apparently made my point
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@Giles said in In Fitness and in Health:
I'm in the accidental process of dialling my old man body out. I'm 68 and have never really exercised in my life, though my lifestyle is pretty active and I eat well. I have never had anything resembling a glute, now I have an actual arse, that's after about 6 months of doing something about it. I've also got discernible biceps and triceps, never had those either. Will I ever be ripped? I don't know and don't care, I'm training for strength (My trainer asked me what my goal was, my answer was that I want to be able to cast as far as my 30 something year-old fishing buddies, and when I have played and landed a 100lb plus Tuna or GT, they say "well played") not hypertrophy, but if I get a better looking body as a side-effect, I'll take it. One of the best things is I know my stance is better, and I walk taller.....
Increased bone density is also one of the greatest side effects of heavy lifting, especially as one ages. Lifting heavy stuff dramatically reduces the risk of breaking bones in a fall. Thereby weight training is one of the best ways to increase longevity.
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@Makarwise I'm used to people misinterpreting my "humour". Sorry.....
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@Giles absolutely no worries. Text is an ass with humour
