Geting old is not for sissies

I have free weights, a squat rack and a bench press in a stall of a horse barn near my house. As recently as five years ago, I competed in powerlifting competitions. But I haven’t lifted weights with any regularity in the five years since and haven't lifted a barbell at all in over two years. We have a mirror in the house, now that we got moved in, and I made the mistake of looking at a reflection of my naked ass the other day. Not a pretty site, I’ll assure you.

And then a couple of hands had a throw down the other day and I got to thinking the day might come, once again, when I’m faced with a physical confrontation. I’m of the school of thought that being physically prepared for conflict is in and of itself a deterrent to getting in fights. I don’t want to be in a fight; sometimes fights find me.

I also read a comment about how repetitive manual labor can break a man down. When you work, you do things the easiest way possible, often with limited range of movement. Some sort of full range exercise actually helps keep a body strong and healthy and can help prevent injury, if nothing else during slack times.

If all of that isn’t enough, my brother Kyle has been training with weights and I’m sure he can now kick my ass. He looks much better than he did the last time I saw him some six months ago. He suggested I go to the gym with him. Not a fucking prayer. Not yet, anyway.

So today I loaded some weight on the bar. I’m writing about it and making the record public to shame myself into continuing with at least a couple times a week program. Here’s the numbers: I did three sets of five reps of full range squats with 205 pounds after a warm up. Three sets of five reps on the bench press, also with 205 pounds after a warm up. And three sets of pull ups for 5 reps. The first set of each exercise felt heavy as hell. My head felt like it was going to explode on the squats. By the third set, I felt a little better as I remembered how to concentrate my strength. I may not be able to walk tomorrow.

These numbers might sound OK for a 52 year old man and it would be worse in my case if my job didn’t require a certain amount of physical exertion. Less than five years ago, I routinely worked out with 405 pounds for sets of five squats and could do 455 for five reps at maximal effort, did 315 pounds for sets of five on the bench press and could easily do multiple sets of ten pull ups at a body weight of 230 pounds. I dead lifted 584 pounds and placed second in the state of Texas in a statewide powerlifting competition for my age and weight class (220 pound class after cutting weight). I won a state-wide drug free event.

Today I weigh 210 pounds, not all solid. I don’t have the secure foundation I once had. I know that in the end, I will lose this battle and get weak, but I hope to fight the condition as long as possible.

Vanity? Probably. But Moses climbed a mountain when he was 80, or so the story goes.

Don October 26, 2009 - 5:27pm

Don's diary | printer friendly version |

( categories: Miscellany )

Oh man,

did you say sissies? That's just too inferior for words.

_{Tolerating prostitution is tolerating abuse and torture of women and children.}

adrena October 26, 2009 - 9:33pm

ok, would

wusses be better? :D

_{this message was sent from my treadmill}

Tina October 27, 2009 - 9:30am

Not really, but

you must be getting fit :D

I'm off to another treadmill. The financial debacle seems to be going on and on with no end in sight.

_{Tolerating prostitution is tolerating abuse and torture of women and children.}

adrena October 27, 2009 - 1:16pm

True

But it sure beats the alternative. :)

Life is full of funny coincidences. I too have been wrestling with the thought of working out. Like you, Don, I'm over fiddy now and look back at having had a pretty good working edifice to work from with a tinge of disgust and complaint.

At 6' and 190lbs I'm not misshapen or anything. But I sure don't have the strength and energy I recall enjoying anymore. Its been a source of disappointment. And disgust, occasionally.

I have a few free weights and a machine down in the basement. Damn. Looks like I'll have to finally get off my *ss and put them to use. Gee. Thx Don. ;)

ww October 27, 2009 - 9:22am

forgive me ww

but part of your post there brought viagra to mind :D

Tina October 28, 2009 - 9:23am

I'll be right over

ww October 28, 2009 - 11:08am

rofl

I'll leave the light on for ya :D

Tina October 28, 2009 - 12:05pm

Gotta watch out for

those mirrors. I also looked in one the other day and kind of went "oh, shit". I used to bicycle and work out regularly when I was in the band biz, but since I no longer do that my exercise regimen has gone in the toilet. Make you a wager...I lose my gut before you get back to 400+ on the bench.

No cheating...

_____________________________________________________
Distrust anyone who wants to teach you something.

OldLakeRat October 27, 2009 - 3:22pm

You'll win that one

I never had a 400 pound bench press in my life. Arms are too long. To be honest I'm not genetically suited for power lifting.

My personal best was 358 pounds with a pause in competition. I was 47 years old at the time. While in prison I was good for 365, but never got to do it while judged.

For whatever reason, my best lift was the dealift with a personal best of 605 pounds, drug free, that while an inmate at Texarkana FCI. I believe I have a picture of myself at the time. I'll see if Leah can scan it into her computer and post it at photobucket.

For those that say an old man shouldn't be lifting weights, I'd refer you to my dad. He just had his 80th birthday and still benches 185 for reps in his workouts.

I did inhale.

Don October 27, 2009 - 9:12pm

1989 or thereabouts

That's me on the far right with a group of inmates after a prison powerlifting meet. I weighed 232 pounds at the time. Just to my right is Billy Whitacre. He held the 198 pound state record bench press record as of five years ago at 505 pounds. At the time of this picture he was good for 435. Just right of him is Wayne "Goldie" Porter from San Antone. The black man near on the left was from Pennsylvania, last name Kemp. He too was good for about 430 pounds on the bench. The tall guy in the middle is Ron Ford from Muskogee Oklahoma. He was my cell mate for a couple of years and a friend for life.

I did inhale.

Don October 27, 2009 - 9:37pm

Your current

hairstyle suits you better.

_____________________________________________________
Distrust anyone who wants to teach you something.

OldLakeRat October 28, 2009 - 9:46am

Yep

That was a little severe I think. But I was a little severe at the time.

Comes with the territory, I suspect.

I did inhale.

Don October 30, 2009 - 7:15am

If you're worried about getting in a fight

take a few aikido classes. Started when I was in my 20s, was routine to get thrown across the mat by 95 lb, 60 yr old women. But that can also be painful. Get a stun gun ;)

zot23 October 28, 2009 - 8:27am

Are we all getting out of shape now?

Luckily my apartment complex has a gym, so I'm going to start using that regularly. I officially tied my all-time heaviest weight two weeks ago--at a height of 6'1" I'm now 250 lbs. Time to shed about 30 lbs and get back down to normal!

Should we have an Agonist weight-loss challenge?

Edit: Although I'd have an unfair advantage--youth! :P

Bolo October 28, 2009 - 4:20pm

but sooooooooo

I got stress, works pretty good too LOL

Tina October 29, 2009 - 12:49am

I was trying to cheer up my No 1 son

who was feeling in the dumps because he'd just turned 35. I told him I'd heard about a self-help regimen that involved looking oneself in the mirror first thing in the morning and saying, "This is a good person. I love and accept this person I see in the mirror today."

He said when he takes the time to seriously study his image in the mirror before work, it's to check if it's a bad hair day or if there's a visible pimple anywhere. "Basically," he said, "when I look at myself in the mirror first thing in the morning, the only thing I'm saying to myself is - OK, what is it THIS time?"

Chickadee October 29, 2009 - 5:25pm

Round two

Took a week before I was ready for round 2 but I did get to it and am already seeing results.

Take heart old folks. We're going to lose in the end but the fight is worth it. It's not how you go but how you live between now and then that matters.

I did inhale.

Don November 3, 2009 - 7:31am

Posterity

"Some people hope to live on in the hearts and minds of their countrymen. I'd rather live on in my apartment." - Woody Allen

Chickadee November 3, 2009 - 2:24pm

O.K.

I think Bolo's idea is a good one. The Agonist weight loss, firm up challenge. I'm a little chicken of putting a picture of my waistline up here, so I'll just say I need to lose 2" and about 20 lbs. Don's carrying the torch...I'm in. Anyone else?

_____________________________________________________
Distrust anyone who wants to teach you something.

OldLakeRat November 3, 2009 - 12:05pm

Stats

5'11" ... 52 yrs. young
Weight 198 ... target 175
Waist 36 ... target 34

_____________________________________________________
Distrust anyone who wants to teach you something.

OldLakeRat November 4, 2009 - 10:51am

Been working on it since the beginning of the year.

Hopefully these will motivate some folks - my advice for folks, it's a long, slow but very doable process. Just take it slow and steady. And learn to like salad and fruits - MMHV,* bleh.

Weight
Jan 1, 2009: 208
Current: 169

Waist
Jan 1, 2009: 38
Current: 34

30 min fitness check [30 min steady speed run - not max effort (i.e., 85%-90% perceived effort) - for distance]
Jan 1, 2009: 3.0 miles, Peak HR 178, avg 163
Current: 3.9 miles, Peak HR 162, avg 152

Resting HR
Jan 1, 2009: 64
Current: 53

* MMHV = My Mileage Has Varied

“The absence of any US-Iran bilateral channel...may have the perverse effect of reinforcing Iranian interest in progressing in the nuclear realm so that the US will be forced to take it seriously and engage it directly." ~ Richard Haass

JustPlainDave November 4, 2009 - 11:12am

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Geting old is not for sissies

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