I just wanted to advise on my experience. As everyone says, my experience is that every man should lift. The rise in testosterone and the feeling of being masculine is remarkable.
I have been lifting for 2 years, but have been out of commission for 10 months of that time from 2 separate injuries. They didn't require a doctor, but I had to lay off for long periods. Even going up gradually in weight on the bench press from no weights to 40 on each side was not gradual enough to prevent injuries.
This time I am going for more reps and lower weights. Only 10 lbs on both sides until I can do 3 sets of 20 before I add any weight. I'm still able to fatigue my muscles and so far no injuries. What I think is happening, is that I'm strengthening all of the little muscles that don't get enough exercise, such that even though the bigger muscles can do the heavy lifting, the small ones get injured in the process. So far so good.
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How will you live well today?
The key is to not push too hard. Don't work to your maximum, work to about 80%, then stop. Over time, that 80% will grow.
There is an element of "you can't improve, only maintain," but that only applies if you're at or near your peak. If not, you can improve to your peak (which won't be as high as when you were 25). Then you work out so your peak drops as little as possible, though it will drop over the years.
Next time I get serious about working out, I'll have a few sessions with a Physical Therapist first, so I can have skilled help developing a good program for me - with my arthritic knee but otherwise good strength, the usual workouts don't work for me. [Can't do regular programs because of the knee, but "senior exercises" are far too easy.]
Enneagram 5w4. I'm researching what that means, before designing t-shirt art about it.
"I feel no shame in making lavish use of the strongest muscles, namely male ones (but my own strongest muscle is dedicated to the service of men - noblesse oblige). I don't begrudge men one whit of their natural advantages as long as they respect mine. I am not an unhappy pseudomale; I am female and like it that way." RAH
Higher rep sets, like 20 or more, have their place, but that's more of an intermediate/advanced thing. For you, it's probably not doing much if that's all you're doing, except, as you say, fatiguing your muscles. That's because you're not hitting the fast twitch fibres, which have the greatest potential for growth. The slow twitch, endurance-oriented fibres have some potential for growth, yes, but not so much.
The standard, basic starter-kit for hypertrophy is 8-10 reps at 70-75 percent of 1RM, 3-4 sets, performed over the full range of motion to technical failure.
If you keep getting injured with heavier loads, something is wrong. Either it's a form thing, or a pre-existing physical condition thing (e.g., muscle imbalance, something skeletal, etc.), or both.
Over 50 just means you've got to be a little more careful and attentive to form. If you check Youtube, you can find video of grannies deadlifting some relatively serious weight.
3 Goruck Challenges.
Scheduled for a Goruck Heavy.
You just have to be smart, use good form, and listen to your body.
I used to have knee pain until I started doing the elliptical nearly every day. I'm sure I can do more and I'm hoping to get there, albeit slowly.
Good link: Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman are smart guys. But you'll note they didn't say "group one did 20 reps per set". That's all about time under tension, particularly slowing the eccentric phase--all a very good idea. So, my point stands relative to rep range and load.
If you can do them (i.e., no other conditions keeping you from doing them), the best thing to strengthen the knees is full squats (hams on calves, ass to the grass).
“She was 3/4 perfection and 1/4 broken glass.”
I've had injuries too, but they usually only put me off for about a month. It always happens when I am approaching a personal best (but there's no finish line anyway, right?).
My bench press is lousy (PB 135) and I pulled something two weeks ago. I just don't have arm strength for some reason. I've backed off the weight and changed my hands and will work back up to it. A shame really, because my biceps are really the thing that I'd most like to improve. I've added some additional bicep exercises, too.
OTOH, I've had several young guys (early 20's) joking (and half whining) that they can't squat half the weight I do. Lol. 5 lbs at a time, I tell them. Have had others simply say "You're big."
I won 3 free training sessions at my gym and will be taking them with a lifting coach, starting next week. Hopefully my injury problems can be corrected with form.
i started stronglifts 5x5 in Jan '16 ... yeah, it was embarrassing lifting an empty bar, then 2.5 lb plates on each side, then 5 lbs on each side, etc during those early weeks .... but little by little my numbers have gone up and up ... i am at PRs on most of my lifts even after a deload because i missed for a week due to biz travel ... i am DL and Squatting more than my body weight now
i watched a lot of videos to determine what good form would look like and i listen to my body to learn the difference between DOMS and actual pain/injury .... fortunately i havent had any serious instance of the latter ... i use a belt to help my brace my core even though most would say i probably dont need one - an abundance of caution given that i had back problems before i started losing weight ... i like that the app tells me how much to lift and what lifts to do on any given session and keeps track of my progress ...
i never wanna stop lifting - i really like how it makes me feel
and Sra PR seems to like the emerging muscles of my improved physique
never too late to start ... just be smart
good luck
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Fuck Culture. Live your life - Beatrice
My lower back bothered me since I wiped out while drunk in my early 20's. After starting weight lifting, my back hasn't bothered me. My right foot used to bother me to the point it made walking painful at times. Since I started lifting, my foot doesn't cause many problems at all.
I have found that once I started looking better, I wanted to look even better. Once I started gaining muscle, I want to gain more. It's a snowball effect. It has helped immensely with self confidence and self esteem. I'm no longer the fat, lazy couch potato of a husband/father. I have energy to get things done and sometimes I even plot to get extra time to lift.