40 aint no joke - General fitness thread

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GORDON
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Post by GORDON »

The last time I was seriously lifting was about 10 years ago when I lived 7 minutes from a Gold's Gym. I really miss that gym. I had spent about 5 years in wheelchairs and walkers and canes, and I was fresh out of my cripple-walkers and hobbling around getting strong and getting bitches pregnant. After 6 months of work in the gym I could bench the entire stack on the seated bench press, for what that's worth. I've always preferred free weights, but we do what we must.

Then we moved to a different state and I got busy and 10 years later I am tired of being a big fat sack of shit, so I have been hitting the weights hard again for the last 3 months... and damn, can I feel the difference between the ages of 34 and 44.

For one thing, I have lost a shitload of flexibility. I am devoting the first 15 minutes of every workout to stretching.... it makes me feel better during my workout.... but in 3 months of serious stretching, pushing a seated toe-touch to the point where it is sharp pain from ankles to ass, I am not seeing any progress. I can barely break a 90 degree bend at my waist without wincing, just like 3 months ago. I hope I haven't permanently shortened my tendons with 10 years of nerve-damaged inactivity.

The act of pushing weights, itself.... I feel it where the muscle meets the bone. It is starting to feel like the weak part of the machine.

I pulled something in my right shoulder last Fall, sledghammering a concrete slab into little chunks. There's a point when I raise that arm where I can feel a sharp pain in my shoulder, and it never went away.... which is new. Those little pulls and pains were always just temporary and fixed themselves. Not any more. I've been working it, though, therapying myself. I started light and easy with the shoulder presses doing about 70 pounds, and I still feel it when I am putting 140 pounds over my head 36 times, but I feel like I am ahead of it, and not doing any more damage.

When I was 20 there were some things I thought I was doing wrong... I could bend and rest my forehead on my knees like it was easy. I could sit on a rowing machine and do it all day and never feel the beginnings of fatigue. I figured I didn't know how to use the machine correctly. Turns out I was just a 20 year old Marine and was strong as hell.

I am about to coin a phrase that has never been said anywhere else: Youth is wasted on the young.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
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Post by TheCatt »

I would recommend stretching AFTER working out. Or doing a yoga routine or such for flexibility, to the extent possible. Stretching before lifting makes you weaker.

And yeah... getting in shape 40+ is hard.
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GORDON
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Post by GORDON »

The stretching is mainly lower body, and the lifting is mainly upper body, since when you have damaged nerves below your knees you can't even move your shit, much less push any weight with it.
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Malcolm
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Post by Malcolm »

Stretch after. Always. If you want warmup material, do lower weights with fewer reps. Stretching before exercise will cut your max muscle power by 10%, minimum. Take off all the plates if you need to for warm-up.



Edited By Malcolm on 1446519607
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Malcolm
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Post by Malcolm »

GORDON wrote:The stretching is mainly lower body, and the lifting is mainly upper body, since when you have damaged nerves below your knees you can't even move your shit, much less push any weight with it.
A good lift starts from the toes up with the core being the most important place. A good lift of anything, even a bicep curl, involves your other muscles doing a bit of work so you can isolate and focus on a particular group. All that shit is connected. If your want to warm-up the lower body, deep knee bends, maybe with an empty bar when you get going.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Malcolm
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Post by Malcolm »

My oldest brother is, and I quote my older brother, "closer to 50 than 40." The reality of time is unnerving in a way I did not appreciate until a few years ago. He drops in my hood once a year or so. Came in town last week. My older brother told me about the first time his body really betrayed him. I sort of knew about it already, but never really had the gravity hit me. This is me giving deference to all you motherfuckers older than I am, a chronic hangup of mine.

He was playing soccer (and that motherfucker was a personal trainer forever, my definition of a brick wall to boot), went to get a pass or something, and killed his ankle to the tune of crutches for a couple months, that timeframe includes a visit to me a year or two back (his biz trips require him to audit a few Twin Cities joints per annum). I had my first real experience about .. shit I don't even know for sure ... 5?ish years ago? Spilled while rollerblading, knew I fucked by back/core/hips. Did nothing about it for twenty-four months .. I curse my stupid, retard ass for that every single day times one trillion because I could have nipped that shitfucker in the bud if I was remotely in shape at the time (lesson to your kids, don't slack off -- stay fucking active, it pays benefits you wouldn't think of but will appreciate later), ... Absolutely motherfucked myself for a net of +5-6 years on that one. I am still paying the price for that shit, with a fractional hope of getting even. More hours easing that fucker back into muscle memory than I'd care to admit. Being old sucks goat balls. I remember being a youth misfit. I had a Bobby Hill build, but goddamn, I could deliver athletically in a way you wouldn't think possible. I could hit and field like a goddamn son-of-a-bitch of Danzig repute. My juvenile self could have recovered from that shit in a week flat. I can't believe, I truly mean it, can't believe I made it through BL2 with G, Cake, and Leish. Hell, goddamn jesus fucking hell, of a multi-player effort. One of my top 3 online campaigns, easy, no contest.

Reunite for Borderworlds/BL3, bitches? I'll even flex etiquette for that to happen.




Edited By Malcolm on 1446531803
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
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Post by GORDON »

So in order to lose some fat I have cut out most carbs and sugar from the diet. I have read that after you workout it is good to eat lots of protein. As I am now working out 6 mornings a week, it is kind of hard to make lots of protein EVERY lunch.

So I have never eaten supplements in my life, beyond vitamins... don't they make protein shakes and shit like that that I could just have for lunch?
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Malcolm
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Post by Malcolm »

They sort of do.
So how can you tell if you’re already getting enough protein? Do the math.

Recreational athletes need 0.5-0.75 grams of protein daily for every per pound of body weight
Competitive athletes need 0.6-0.9 grams per pound
Teenage athletes need 0.8-0.9 grams per pound
Athletes building muscle mass need 0.7-0.9 grams per pound
The maximum amount of protein that most adults can use per day is 0.9 grams per pound of body weight.

So if you’re an adult athlete who wants to build muscle mass, and you weigh about 175 pounds, the most protein you would need per day is 157.5 grams. That sounds like a lot, but one 4-ounce hamburger contains 30 grams of protein, 6 ounces of tuna has 40 grams, and a single ounce of cheddar cheese has 7 grams.


You can always go soylent. They got bottled options that are meant to be liquid meals. I avoid the cafeterias at work now damn near 100%. 12 bottles is $34 = $2.83 each. 20g of protein per 414mL. I typically consume a bit over half a litre per serving myself. If that's not enough, you can goose it with 100% whey protein which is fairly cheap but not as cheap as you'd like, even if you get it in bulk. Best you'll get it $30-40 for a few pounds.




Edited By Malcolm on 1447639086
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
GORDON
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Post by GORDON »

How would I find out if the guy working out with me is a Detroit Lion, or former Detroit Lion?

Black guy, pointy beard is perfectly coiffed every day, about 6'4, built like a linebacker, huge, wears Lions gear every day that looks expensive, has tats on both arms and one of them says something-"In the 419" (That's the NW Ohio area code). The 4 is huge. No, not going to ask him. No, not going to take a secret pic.

I googled the Lions roster and didn't see him, at least I don't think I did, and it wouldn't show me peeps from like 2 years ago. So.




Edited By GORDON on 1447884076
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Post by Alhazad »

GORDON wrote:How would I find out if the guy working out with me is a Detroit Lion, or former Detroit Lion?

Black guy, pointy beard is perfectly coiffed every day, about 6'4, built like a linebacker, huge, wears Lions gear every day that looks expensive, has tats on both arms and one of them says something-"In the 419" (That's the NW Ohio area code). The 4 is huge. No, not going to ask him. No, not going to take a secret pic.

I googled the Lions roster and didn't see him, at least I don't think I did, and it wouldn't show me peeps from like 2 years ago. So.
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Post by GORDON »

Have you not?
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GORDON
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Post by GORDON »

Losing weight and lifting hard: dropping body fat and gaining muscle mass, the numbers have intersected and I am now squatting my own body weight. :-D

This is a big deal because 15 years ago I couldn't even walk. If I were to lie flat on my stomach, I didn't have the strength to bend my leg at the knee. So I'm pretty pleased about that since my genius neurologists said I'd never walk again. I said, "Yeah maybe regular people can't regrow nerves but fuck you I'm a Marine."
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Post by TheCatt »

Nice work!
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thibodeaux
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Post by thibodeaux »

Yeah, pretty damn awesome!
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Post by GORDON »

I think I kicked my testosterone back into production, too. Have been feeling more aggressive of late, which isn't necessarily a good thing.



Edited By GORDON on 1447937613
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Post by Leisher »

You should ask the guy if he played for the Lions. He probably doesn't now because it's the middle of the season and he wouldn't be there, but off the top of my head I can't think of any local guys who played for them.

And well done on all your hard work, although your increased aggression could be from stress. I know this year has been particularly stressful for me and I've been pretty aggressive myself. Yeah, I've been eating better and working out too, but I think it's more about pent up rage and frustration.
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Post by GORDON »

Could be stress. I'm probably swallowing a lot of it with my MIL.
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Malcolm
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Post by Malcolm »

Have been feeling more aggressive of late, which isn't necessarily a good thing.

Not necessarily bad.
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Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
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Post by GORDON »

I nearly had to kick some dudes ass for him the other day when I passed him in my car and he didn't like it and he followed me for a while. I am not carrying yet but I had something almost better... A three foot length of three inch pvc pipe within arms reach for such occasions. "Almost better" because it doesn't have the stigma of a gun and I can just break some hothead bones instead of killing a peep.

But anyway, I should have been more patient behind a slow driver.
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Post by Troy »

Nice dude, I didn't know you were that bad up in the past. The rehab i'm doing right now pales in comparison.

I find that when I do squats/deadlifts - BEST LIFTS EVER IMO - I get boosts of testosterone. I know this because I feel horny and overall sense of being stronger for days after. I don't care much for upper body, after I do legs I get bored with the gym and do push ups and my ab routine before I lose all motivation.

Haven't run since the ACL injury - killing me. Doing the bike and rehabbing hard. Was warned the worse thing you can do for recovery is to get fat and lazy. So I drink juice for lunch on the weekdays and take super long walks with the dog to go with my workouts. 2-3 weeks away from being cleared to run - woo!

Oh and yoga seems really dorky - but it is amazing for stretching and flexibility. I'll be doing that once a week when cleared too.




Edited By Troy on 1447950763
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