Lifting thread

[Idolater]

A user suggested 'tongue-in-cheek' that we should start a 'smoking lounge' thread because me and some former smokers started talking about our tobacco habits, mucking up a thread (not on purpose, and no disrespect intended to @Right Divider :e4e: ).

I thought better of it. I thought why not start a more healthy thread instead.

Talk about lifting weights or other fitness things or diet or whatever.

I'll start: YOU OLDSTERS NEED TO LIFT WEIGHTS

By the time you're in your 60s you need to start if you're not already lifting weights.

Getting 30 minutes a day of mild heart rate increase (iow a leisurely 30-minute walk) is statistically associated strongly with better life expectancy. Read, longer life. This begins to become statistically significant and practically significant in like your 30s or no later than 40s. So walk. That's first.

Starting when you're in your 60s though, weight lifting becomes a greater and greater factor in extending your life, all other things being equal. It means, walk, and lift weights.

If you think about it, it makes sense, that if you achieve the purpose of lifting weights, which I'll get to below, that it would have a prophylactic effect. It will reduce your likelihood of getting injured. It's never going to prevent every injury, but it will and does reduce their frequency, and it reduces their severity when or if they do occur.

The other thing that makes sense is that it will help you to heal from injuries, illnesses, and from just normal 'wear-and-tear' on your aging body, limbs and joints.

Now, the purpose of lifting weights, no matter what you've heard, is to get stronger. In fact that's the basic training advice that I'd give to any novice to lifting weights: Just try to get stronger.

Don't worry about physique, physique will 'take care of itself'. Just try to get stronger.

Getting Stronger: There are efficient ways to try to get stronger. These involve what are to you heavy weights. They are weights that you can only lift like five times in a row before you 'break' your technique or form or mechanics (iow before 'technical failure'). When you lift weights that are this heavy for you, and you try 'sets' of no more than six 'reps' each, you WILL GET STRONGER.

He's a little 'salty', but I recommend Mr. Mark Rippetoe on your preferred internet video website. Mr. Rippetoe is 66 years old or something like that, and he has been training and coaching people who are trying to do exactly what I'm suggesting that you take a hard look into, if you're one of the many 'oldsters' on TOL. His famous book and his 'brand' is called "Starting Strength", and this isn't a bad 'starting point' for you. He'll go over the four exercises that are needed to generate a complete overall strengthening routine for you.

If you can stand up, you can lift weights.

Also in this thread especially if there are any medical professionals like nurses or physicians or the like here at TOL, who can corroborate or correct what I'm saying here, I and everybody else would appreciate your attention!

To your health. And peace to you. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.

 

[glorydaz]

I hear ya. I'm going down hill fast. I can still dump a bag of grain into the feed bin, and I can still bring in a load of firewood in the wheelbarrow, but not as easily as I used to. My problem with walking is my darn vision. I'm having to wear a pair of glasses that messes up my balance. A nice big beautiful pasture to walk in, but I have to step carefully and walk slowly. I never really thought of weights.....I'll let you know if I get the urge.

 

[Idolater]

I hear ya. I'm going down hill fast. I can still dump a bag of grain into the feed bin, and I can still bring in a load of firewood in the wheelbarrow, but not as easily as I used to. My problem with walking is my darn vision. I'm having to wear a pair of glasses that messes up my balance. A nice big beautiful pasture to walk in, but I have to step carefully and walk slowly. I never really thought of weights.....I'll let you know if I get the urge.

It is so important. I'm hoping that a medical professional or the like will 'weigh in' here and corroborate.

And another note, thank you for replying to the thread, because it reminds me that you all ladies need to be hearing this just as much as the menfolk (and any intersex folks too just as much).

The aforementioned Mr. Rippetoe's advice for females is, not so much to 'forget you're a girl' when it comes to lifting weights, but rather to just remember you're a human being. Lifting weights is for humans, not for "men" only.

You can always start with just a barbell. The "deadlift" is the simplest exercise in regard to equipment. All you need is the bar. (And weights that go on the bar.) The deadlift when done well works out your hips, hamstrings (the back of your upper legs), lower back, upper back, shoulders, triceps (back of your arms), forearms and grip. It's a great way to start and you don't need a 'rack' of any sort to do the deadlift. (It strengthens other muscles too but those are the ones most directly stimulated by the deadlift.)

And to remind, the lifting isn't instead of walking (or other light 'cardio'), it's complementary. Lifting is training for walking. Walking is for healing. That's how lifting helps you heal.

 

[Jefferson]

Came across some weight training guru who teaches lifting heavy weights, like you mentioned, but only 1 day per week. He has studies that show how micro-tears in muscles from lifting, need rest more than anything else for recuperation and strength building.

 

[Idolater]

Came across some weight training guru who teaches lifting heavy weights, like you mentioned, but only 1 day per week. He has studies that show how micro-tears in muscles from lifting, need rest more than anything else for recuperation and strength building.

Recovering from lifting weights requires three things, one is a little light cardio (30-minute walk), and the other two are good sleep and good food.

 

[Jefferson]

Recovering from lifting weights requires three things, one is a little light cardio (30-minute walk), and the other two are good sleep and good food.

Yep, I walk (briskly) for 30 minutes every day. Actually, every morning to help keep my circadian rhythms where they should be.

 

[Idolater]

Yep, I walk (briskly) for 30 minutes every day. Actually, every morning to help keep my circadian rhythms where they should be.

Lifting just makes walking easier. Because you're stronger.

Making walking easier is key because when you're healing from injury, walking gets harder because of the injury. So when you need walking to be easier, it will be, because of lifting weights.

I just want a medical professional to confirm here that I'm making sense, or to correct me if I'm not.

 

[glorydaz]

Yep, I walk (briskly) for 30 minutes every day. Actually, every morning to help keep my circadian rhythms where they should be.

You should walk on the ground bare footed. That way you can be grounded, too.

 

[Jefferson]

You should walk on the ground bare footed. That way you can be grounded, too.

I used to do that. There is a very large graveyard in my town with a very soft, well-manicured lawn. I used to walk it barefoot in the morning while the grass was still wet from the dew.

 

[Idolater]

I used to do that. There is a very large graveyard in my town with a very soft, well-manicured lawn. I used to walk it barefoot in the morning while the grass was still wet from the dew.

Speaking of which, you can deadlift barefoot. I don't do it myself, but a lot of people like to deadlift with bare feet. The deadlift really works the back when done well. For your legs, the squat is a better exercise. But for me the deadlift is the best lift to learn, when you do start to lift. It's because while both the deadlift and the squat are using your biggest and strongest muscle groups, the squat works the thighs more and the back less, and the deadlift is the opposite; deadlift works the back more and the thighs less, and something I have never heard from anybody ever not in my whole life is, "I can't move. I 'threw out' my thighs."

 

[Jefferson]

Speaking of which, you can deadlift barefoot. I don't do it myself, but a lot of people like to deadlift with bare feet. The deadlift really works the back when done well. For your legs, the squat is a better exercise. But for me the deadlift is the best lift to learn, when you do start to lift. It's because while both the deadlift and the squat are using your biggest and strongest muscle groups, the squat works the thighs more and the back less, and the deadlift is the opposite; deadlift works the back more and the thighs less, and something I have never heard from anybody ever not in my whole life is, "I can't move. I 'threw out' my thighs."

The deadlift is one thing I refuse to do. I've torn both my ACLs in the past (strike one) and I ruptured the lowest disk in my back (strike two). The disk is (mostly) healed through prolozone therapy but I'm not going to tempt fate.

 

[Idolater]

The deadlift is one thing I refuse to do. I've torn both my ACLs in the past (strike one) and I ruptured the lowest disk in my back (strike two). The disk is (mostly) healed through prolozone therapy but I'm not going to tempt fate.

Sorry to hear that man.

Definitely talk to your doctor. Ask your doctor how, given your condition, you can safely work with the most weight possible. You've got to engage those large muscle groups, for your health, if at all possible, somehow.

After the deadlift and squat, the next exercises to consider are the benchpress and overhead press, both of which require a 'rack' of some sort. It means more equipment than just the deadlift (which just means a barbell, and a floor). But the chest and shoulder muscles along with a little bit of the back would be helped by those lifts.

I would even just ask your doctor, "Hey, I want to do deadlifts and squats, but given the condition of my knees and back, how could I best get some good back and leg strengthening done safely?" Something like that, see what you get.

 

[Jefferson]

Sorry to hear that man.

Definitely talk to your doctor. Ask your doctor how, given your condition, you can safely work with the most weight possible. You've got to engage those large muscle groups, for your health, if at all possible, somehow.

After the deadlift and squat, the next exercises to consider are the benchpress and overhead press, both of which require a 'rack' of some sort. It means more equipment than just the deadlift (which just means a barbell, and a floor). But the chest and shoulder muscles along with a little bit of the back would be helped by those lifts.

I would even just ask your doctor, "Hey, I want to do deadlifts and squats, but given the condition of my knees and back, how could I best get some good back and leg strengthening done safely?" Something like that, see what you get.

While doing push-ups, I could push my body up in the air and clap my hands 5 times before doing the next rep. Didn't get injured. But started breaking down my rotator cuff doing bench presses. So I started using lighter weights doing creepy slow (or super slow). Got injured. What stopped my injuries was when I discovered Matt Furey. I threw away my weights and now only do body weight exercises like military burpees, planking, push-ups, bear crawls and crab walks.

I haven't had a single injury since I made the switch.

 

[Idolater]

While doing push-ups, I could push my body up in the air and clap my hands 5 times before doing the next rep. Didn't get injured. But started breaking down my rotator cuff doing bench presses. So I started using lighter weights doing creepy slow (or super slow). Got injured. What stopped my injuries was when I discovered Matt Furey. I threw away my weights and now only do body weight exercises like military burpees, planking, push-ups, bear crawls and crab walks.

You definitely should heed your doctor's orders.

I haven't had a single injury since I made the switch.

Yeah, it definitely sounds like you were able to avoid aggravating injuries so that they could heal up for you. Nice.

 

[Idolater]

Precautionary Advice

Anyone with medical problems--of any nature--should see a doctor before starting a diet and exercise program. Furthermore, even if you have no known health problems, it is advisable to consult your doctor before making major changes in your lifestyle. Invariably, if you are out of shape and want to start training, follow the advice of the American Medical Association: "Start slowly and increase the vigor and duration of the activity as your fitness improves."

Source.

 

[Idolater]

Here's an old man and an old girl.

Meet The Nonagenarian Who Is A Record-Breaking Weightlifter

Edith Murway holds the Guinness World Record for oldest competitive weightlifter. She turns 100 on Sunday. Murway started powerlifting at 91.

www.npr.org

Clarence Bass - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Idolater]

I 'fell off' the deadlift 'horse' a few times.

The first time I really injured myself. It wasn't in picking up the weight, it was putting it back down that 'got me'. I was lifting 280 LBS and went to put it back down, 'did it wrong' and strained my back. It took me a full two months before I could lift 280 LBS again with the same volume (reps).

While I was recovering from my injury, I didn't 'get back on the horse' right away. I had weight on the bar and addressed it and bent down and grasped it, and then I would gently pull on the bar, but I wasn't trying to move it, I was just using the heavy bar as something to hold onto and stretch against. I stretched out my back and shoulders and hamstrings, again, not trying to lift the thing, but just gently stretching it out.

After some weeks, I recovered enough that I had enough strength to try to lift the bar again, but I 'deloaded' down to 140 LBS before trying to lift it at first.

I added more and more weight, week by week, until I got back to 'doing sets' with 280 LBS again.

The lesson I learned from this experience is that when it comes to putting the bar back down after successfully lifting it up, you really need force yourself to bend at the hips, and not at the upper back. It means to 'stick out' your backside as you lower the bar to the floor. That will ensure that your form is good as you lower a heavy barbell back down to the floor after lifting it up.

Deadlift - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Idolater]

PROTEIN
Your body on any given day is going to be sore.
It will be sore from lifting heavy weights, and if it's hurt or injured or damaged or compromised or harmed or any number of other conditions which your body is capable of healing and recovering from.
Any day your body is sore, you should eat some extra protein that day.
Your body needs some special chemicals to heal and recover and recuperate, those particular chemicals are called 'amino acids'.
Protein is amino acids.
Meat, milk, eggs, fish have all the amino acids*. Grains, cereals, starches have some of them, and legumes, peanuts, lentils have some too, and when you eat grains and starches and legumes, you also have all the amino acids, like with meat, milk, eggs, fish.
You need an easy convenient way to eat extra "complete" protein each day, just in case it turns out that you're sore multiple days in a row.

* All the "essential" amino acids are the ones your body can't just make on its own from other amino acids. It needs at a minimum the "essential amino acids". Meat has all the essential amino acids, and together grains and cereals, and legumes like lentils and beans including peas, have all the essential amino acids. But I wonder if eating meat gives your body a more expansive set of non-essential amino acids too, so that while it's possible for your body to make all the amino acids it needs to work from just the essential amino acids, it's still more energy efficient if it didn't have to make any amino acids at all, and instead just got to work right away recovering and healing with the amino acids provided by meat, not by combining vegetable sources of protein----without having to consume a whole lot more food in the process anyway.

 

[Idolater]

Came across some weight training guru who teaches lifting heavy weights, like you mentioned, but only 1 day per week. He has studies that show how micro-tears in muscles from lifting, need rest more than anything else for recuperation and strength building.

That's what I do.

Two weeks ago I had 320 LBS on the bar and tried to lift it five times. I only got three reps before I stopped, figuring that I had "1-2" 'reps in reserve' which you can call RNRs for short.

A single 'rnr' is when it feels to you like you could only do one more rep with good form, but not two. Once you break good form, you've now reached technical failure, this is what 'training to failure' means. It means you did enough reps that your last rep or so was no longer good form, but you were still able to get the weight up.

Last week I tried 320 LBS again, figuring that I might have gained some strength over the past week, I ate well, got enough protein and starch, but didn't sleep all that great. So anyway I tried 320 again and this time I got it up four times before stopping, but I 'overloaded' my side, the musculature going from my upper back down through my inner arm was suddenly working too hard and I broke good form as a result. This was a potential injury but I escaped with only an overworked string of muscle, that already feels just fine now (anything that clears up in under a week is not an injury).

So this week now the plan is to lower to 310 and try to do five reps. I expect to be able to do this. If I can, then I will try another set of five, which I do not right now expect to be able to complete, but that will be the end my workout. Then next week (assuming this all goes according to plan this week) I will again lift 310 LBS and see if I can do two or more sets of five reps each.

After two or three weeks or so, I will increase the weight back to 320 LBS and I will then be able to lift it five times with good form, because of all the lifting I'll be doing in the meantime with 310 LBS. This is how I will be getting stronger, I will know I am stronger because I will then be able to do more reps with good form with the same weight (320 LBS) than I can right now (which is only three).

And then (in yet another week) I'll 'bump up' the weight to 330 LBS, and I'll probably not be able to do a single set of five reps by then, maybe I'll be able to two or three reps before reaching a "1-2 rnr". The next week after that I'll reduce the weight back down to 310 LBS again and I'll be watching to see now how many 'rnrs' I feel that I have when I stop at five reps. Does it still feel like 2-3 or does it feel more like 4-6? That's another indicator of how strong I'll be, basing it on how many rnrs I have when stopping at five reps.

Peak strength building is very precise. It's when you can do five reps in a row with good form, and when there are still two or at most three rnrs after doing five reps. So you always want to 'center' your workout around that weight to grow your strength as efficiently as possible.

 

[Jefferson]

Keep me posted. This 1 day per week strategy is so counterintuitive. It's interesting.