In 2019 I went to field dress a buck and realized how out of shape I was at age 51. I started going to the gym to simply get used to lifting weights and find muscles that had atrophy. This has become a serious part of life as I stay active as possible. At this age what works for me is spreading the work across 4 days, legs, back, shoulders & chest, arms. Sometimes if my body tells me I take a day off. I do not lift max weights, everything is 10-15 reps, and only once in five years have I lifted heavy on bench. I feel better than I ever have and am way stronger than at any point in my life. My 40s were not goid years physically as I did not take care of myself. Going to the gum has changed the quality of my life tenfold. None of us are getting younger.

Sounds similar to me. Got to have cardio in there also.

I started seriously lifting weights at 16 years old and have been doing it since with only a couple of hiatuses due to kids and work.

It’s something that a person needs to do to be healthy. It’s really not optional.

Yes Sir, I have that going on as well. Mountain tag motivation

I’m 81 yoa and a polio survivor from about 1950. It drew my hamstrings up and weakened my legs. I had to learn to walk again at about 9 yoa. I’ve spent my life walking up to a wall and stretching and walking a mile just about every day. No big deal and it didn’t keep me out of the military. I’ve lived a fairly normal life and climbed a lot of mountains with a rifle and pack.


About a year ago I got back and leg pains that exercise didn’t help. Doc finally said arthritis and to make damn sure that I kept up my stretching exercise routine and walking. 2 extra strength Tylenols 3 times per day. He figured the arthritis is being exacerbated by post polio syndrome. Unless it’s rainy like today, I walk 2 miles, lift weights and squeeze hand grips. Not a real big deal to me but hitting the mountains is over due to balance problems. Wife is relieved that I will stay on flat ground.

I see this in myself as well. Work and family seems to take up ALL of my time in my 40's. I know you were busy as hell in your 40's Ramsey.

At 55 you're at a good point in life to set the stage to do really well from a fitness standpoint. It sounds you have a great lead up to doing well into your 60's and on. A lot of men give up on it in their 40's as I saw at my high-school reunions. Most were seriously overweight, many down-right obese. I think at 55 I was in the best shape of my life. I'm 61 and still in the gym 4-5 times a week just to maintain.

To keep it interesting mix it up every 6 months by setting a different objective goal. Keep doing what you're doing, but to keep form getting bored throw something crazy into your work out such as seeing how long you can hold a plank and build on it, maxing out on push ups, see if you can get to 50, 75, then 100, set a bench press goal,,,,,anything to keep it new and interesting. We used to do push ups with our feet hooked over a bar about 4' high and our hands gripping 8 lb. round balls. The bull riders stood on a Bosu Ball and swung a heavy ball tied to a short rope over their heads.

to follow up from yesterday, movement is life, . At this point in my life Im almost anti-barbell. Dumbells, kettlebells, medballs and sand bags. I lift more in a way that I stay in a zone 2 cardio heart range.


Bruteforce sand bags has a great mobile app and also a WOD email program. Id order the athlete bag, and mix in 2 to 3 WOD’s a week. Then strap the bag on your backpack for a weighted Ruck.

https://www.bruteforcetraining.com/

I use barbells very little. Dumbbells are a much more effective tool than a barbell.

All you fit old coots on here are inspirational. I have no excuse! I appreciate ya’ll.

I really have no choice about continuing my walking and exercising that I’ve had to do most of my life. At 81 yoa, arthritis has attacked my legs, feet, back and thumbs. If I stop, the results are sadly predictable. And, it came while I was doing all of my routine miles and pounds.

Gotta admit I can’t do multi miles at a time but can go back several times per day. And do some lifts with light arm weights, leg weights and squeeze grips several times per day while sitting on my butt in front of Fox News.

To the younger members here; it wasn’t supposed to happen to us. The alternative is dieing when you’re young, good looking, have all your hair and healthy. I sometimes question whether it’s a good trade off.

If a person is not lifting weights consistently, they need to start asap.

I’m older than you guys and can bench my body weight. Keep it up.

How old are you, and how much you weigh?

I think I understand where you are coming from however that can be dangerous advice for those who have never lifted previously.

Body weight and gravity work is a great starter kit for most. If you have previous musculoskeletal issues, surgeries, or experience joint pain that is your body's way of warning you. The old adage No pain/No gain made a lot of money for Orthopedic surgeons and still does.

Wise statement. Orthopedics are cleaning up with the pickleball rage.

To quote an old black gentleman that was playing Trombone in a Jazz band I was in - "You see me runnin', you best be lookin' out for whatever's chasin' me." 'Dude was OLD.

He isn’t saying load the bar up.

Body weight movement is the exact same risks. Same movement same risk. Before you do either you need to learn proper form and core activation, best advice is hirer a trainer for atleast a couple sessions

Weighted movement is life. Greatest risk as we age is falling, leg and core strength is a must. Muscle and strength are simple things use it or loose it.

There is a functional balance inbetween strength and hypertrophy that you have to find. It’s very hard to improve strength with out weights

My orthopedic doctor friend approved this message



My neighbor is 74 runs 5 miles most days, competes in a 5 or 10k once a month, and lifts. also a blk belt in something. He is my favorite hippy. Use to guide Quail hunters also.

I know I need to get back into the gym. This thread is helping motivate me. I appreciate the comments.
I tried to get back into tennis last year and I hurt something almost every time I played. "I dont 'kinda' do anything" so I had to stop until I got into better shape. Trying to keep those orthopedics at bay.

Not arguing the point however for the untrained it is semantics. One can improve strength without "weights" however there are a lot of factors to consider. External loading can have catastrophic impact to a deconditioned individual. Hence my suggestion to start with body weight/gravity which is resistance. Posterior chain work becomes much more important as we age. (Think any activity where you have to pull something to you.)

I consult on referrals from orthopedic surgeons and work with young, athletic types who are post operative and I also see older deconditioned folks. Some people in their 50's who have not taken care of themselves have developed so many compensatory movement patterns that if they attempted to 'lift weights' even with good or modified form they are a recipe for injury.

Conversely, I have had people who are in their 70's and early 80's who learned early on they needed to focus on rudimentary movement patterns. They can front squat with better form than me.

Everyone is different. Starting where you are and doing what you can are key to improvement, building strength, and exiting the current decade of life you are in better or at least equal to the way you entered.

Weights or Calisthenics are really good for you as you age. Too much is made of needing to lift weights in my opinion. Getting regular excerise is the important thing as you age. Need stretches to keep your range of motion and cardio to go with it. I’m 63 and still relatively fit. Haven’t been to the gym in over 30 years. I have a set of free weights on the back porch I throw around. One body part a day, once a week, 5 days a week is what I do. I lift light but do high volume with six days for recovery. Core all five days. Push, Pull, Chest, Back, Legs. Core all five days. I get a lot of cardio at work walking the woods as a forester. I also go to the HS stadium and work out on the bleachers. If you have not been doing anything for a while and you are middle age or older, get a physical before you start. Then start slow and build up to doing more gradually. Nutrition is a big deal in your fitness and deserves as much attention as exercise.

I'm 76, 6ft tall and I have weighed in around 150 to 160 for decades. In 1999 I was put in a wheelchair from a spinal cord compression from an injury dated 1969. I was told I would never walk again by 2 Neurologists. The 3rd Neurologist was a surgeon and gave me an option of surgery that might go bad. I took the option, 6 months later I was using a walker, but I was walking. And my weight was 180.

After I attained walker status the Physical Therapist put me on a chair exercise routine. I exercise about 20 minutes at a time 3 times a day. At about 8am, 2pm and 8 pm. Google "chair exercises for seniors free" for examples. Walking and or running is out of the question. But I got back to 155 pounds.

Food, I limit proportions, but if I get hungry between meals I eat a couple of handfuls of Cheerios to tide me over. Nighttime is the worst, almost every night I wake up hungry, and I get a applesauce muffin to eat.

As you age if you abuse your joints with exercise it will only get worse.

I posted recently on TFF about getting back into lifting weights for the first time in 25+ years. I'm in week 5 now.

Light weights, high reps, as much low-impact cardio as I can stand . . . treadmills/running doesn't work so well for me anymore as it hurts my hips and low back too much. But rowing machines, stair climbers, exercise bikes, and ellipticals all help.

Diet is as much or more important than lifting. If you don't have proper diet even lifting and or running/walking will only get so far. I eat very healthy, lift weights 4 days a week and walk maybe once a week. When I started this in August my T was low, resting heart rate was high, cholestorol slightly high, blood pressure slightly high. Just had a work up done, T levels way up, cholesterol way down to perfect, resting heart rate way down, blood pressure perfect. Most of that is to diet more than lifting weights.

You can’t outwork a bad diet. That’s a fact.

But your diet and be perfect and if your not excercising, the on point diet isn’t gonna give you the max benefit.


And by exercising I mean a regimented exercising. Walking around in your garden is activity, not exercise

If I may ask out of shear curiosity what is your age sir?