Oldtimer1

[IroNat]

The owner of the gym is into the martial arts and owns a dojo next to the weight gym. His style is Kempo Karate.  He said they practice disarming a guy with a knife. I just had to voice my opinion that a half alive guy with a knife is very hard to disarm.  He thinks he can do it and said his black belts practice with a real knife.  I think it comes down to the old Aikido method of having a passive opponent. I like boxing, wrestling, BJJ, Muay Thai and mixed martial arts because they practice with a real opponent fighting back.

[oldtimer1]

-Had a polyp cut out. It couldn't be done during a recent colonoscopy because of it's location near a bundle of nerves and because it required stitching the cut shut. The good news is no more colonoscopies. Yahoo! The next one would have been in 5 years. Doctors don't like to do them on people who are 80 years old unless there is reason to suspect something is wrong.

The actual surgery only took a 30 minutes. Butt, I was at the day surgery center for more then 5 hours. I've had no pain at all. This is not unusual for me. I must have a very high pain threshold or I can mentally block it out. There will be no opiates ever, if I have any say about it.

It is very likely benign according to the doctor. -Won't know for sure until it is analyzed by the lab.

Glad it appears to be a success.  Hope the lab gives good news.

[oldtimer1]

Did cardio this Saturday. Slowly but surely increasing the speed on my 8 x quarter miles. I hope to keep a slow progression but it's hard at my age. I remember when I was about 17 I thought a six minute mile was dog slow and now it seems like lightening. I guess we all age and get old. No one dies in shape unless they get hit by a bus. I would state my goals for 8 x quarter miles but if I miss it I will eat crow.

[oldtimer1]

Back and Chest: The usual stuff. Did it after a hard night in Atlantic city in the casinos the day before.   I was in a penthouse bar called the Vue in the Claridge and I realize the woman talking to my wife is an old transvestite or what ever term applies today. I can't keep up. She says to her, " I know gorgeous men and your husband is a gorgeous man."  All night I had to hear my wife called me a gorgeous man.    Finished the night of beer drinking with an Old Fashion.  Since the bar tender knows me he over did it with the bourbon. Had nightmares that the casino hotel was on fire and every stair case was filled with smoke. Strange but fun night.

Tomorrow is interval day. 8 x quarter miles. Wish I could say  they were sprints but I'm so slow at my age that they are pathetic but I'm working on it.

[oldtimer1]

Interval cardio day: 8 x quarter miles. Fastest in 8.7MPH or 6:54 minute mile.  Hit the heavy bag after. Completely soaked in sweat. Think I'm still sweating out whiskey from Sunday. I'm never satisfied but I'm doing okay for my age. Especially for a guy that is 100% drug free.

[oldtimer1]

Trained legs today:

Dumbbell squats 2 x 12 two85lbs dumbbells held at sides with straps.  (Upright back and sank the ass all the way down. I'm the only one in the gym doing this movement. I think some big barbell squat guys would be humbled how little weight they would need for this movement if done correctly. It reminds me how few huge squatters are capable of a one leg body weight only squat. I know other factors come into play like balance and flexibility but you would think a 600lbs squat guy could do one full one leg squat but they can't. )
Hack squats 2 x 12
Stiff dead 2 x 6 205lbs (touched knuckles on the top of my feet.)
Kick back machine 2 x 12 (So impressed with this machine. It's a one leg squat with a get full range with hard glute involvement)
leg extensions 2 x 12 150lbs
leg curl 2 x 12

Standing calf raises 2 x 15
Seated calf 2 x 15

4 way Nautilus neck machine 2 x 15 each side

Hanging leg raise 2 x 22
Knee ins 2 x 25


Feel I'm really getting this old body in good shape. Again, I'm not a bodybuilder. I don't participate in a sport that is based on drug use. I think I'm really getting into good shape and there's snow on the board walk. LOL.  Just wonder if I can induce a heart attack by training too hard.  

I watch the gym owner train this bodybuilder who is into real high intensity lifting. He looks like a juicer.  He trains about 30 minutes to 40 minutes tops. Two or three exercises per body part with his split. A lot of yelling from him. He looks about 215lbs really lean pounds at around 5'10". He's almost ripped and quite lean. He always warms up with non taxing 10 minutes of cardio on an elliptical.  Today was chest day. Three exercises. Bench, incline flies and dips. I think he usually does triceps on chest day but I didn't notice him doing it. He did around 3 or 4 sets of benches with a top set of 365lbs for two reps then a back off set of 225lb with chains attached. Quick 3 sets of incline flies with 45lbs then three sets of body weight dips. He used the big ball for crunches at the end. He's in an out of the gym again in under 45 minutes.  What I find unusual is that he pays for a trainer. Do you really need a trainer to do benches, flies and dips?

 

[Primemuscle]

Trained legs today:

Dumbbell squats 2 x 12 two85lbs dumbbells held at sides with straps.  (Upright back and sank the ass all the way down. I'm the only one in the gym doing this movement. I think some big barbell squat guys would be humbled how little weight they would need for this movement if done correctly. It reminds me how few huge squatters are capable of a one leg body weight only squat. I know other factors come into play like balance and flexibility but you would think a 600lbs squat guy could do one full one leg squat but they can't. )
Hack squats 2 x 12
Stiff dead 2 x 6 205lbs (touched knuckles on the top of my feet.)
Kick back machine 2 x 12 (So impressed with this machine. It's a one leg squat with a get full range with hard glute involvement)
leg extensions 2 x 12 150lbs
leg curl 2 x 12

Standing calf raises 2 x 15
Seated calf 2 x 15

4 way Nautilus neck machine 2 x 15 each side

Hanging leg raise 2 x 22
Knee ins 2 x 25


Feel I'm really getting this old body in good shape. Again, I'm not a bodybuilder. I don't participate in a sport that is based on drug use. I think I'm really getting into good shape and there's snow on the board walk. LOL.  Just wonder if I can induce a heart attack by training too hard.  

I watch the gym owner train this bodybuilder who is into real high intensity lifting. He looks like a juicer.  He trains about 30 minutes to 40 minutes tops. Two or three exercises per body part with his split. A lot of yelling from him. He looks about 215lbs really lean pounds at around 5'10". He's almost ripped and quite lean. He always warms up with non taxing 10 minutes of cardio on an elliptical.  Today was chest day. Three exercises. Bench, incline flies and dips. I think he usually does triceps on chest day but I didn't notice him doing it. He did around 3 or 4 sets of benches with a top set of 365lbs for two reps then a back off set of 225lb with chains attached. Quick 3 sets of incline flies with 45lbs then three sets of body weight dips. He used the big ball for crunches at the end. He's in an out of the gym again in under 45 minutes.  What I find unusual is that he pays for a trainer. Do you really need a trainer to do benches, flies and dips?

 

Apparently, he does.

[AbrahamG]

Back and Chest: The usual stuff. Did it after a hard night in Atlantic city in the casinos the day before.   I was in a penthouse bar called the Vue in the Claridge and I realize the woman talking to my wife is an old transvestite or what ever term applies today. I can't keep up. She says to her, " I know gorgeous men and your husband is a gorgeous man."  All night I had to hear my wife called me a gorgeous man.    Finished the night of beer drinking with an Old Fashion.  Since the bar tender knows me he over did it with the bourbon. Had nightmares that the casino hotel was on fire and every stair case was filled with smoke. Strange but fun night.

Tomorrow is interval day. 8 x quarter miles. Wish I could say  they were sprints but I'm so slow at my age that they are pathetic but I'm working on it.

Did you pull a Fredo?

[oldtimer1]

Did you pull a Fredo?

I didn't. 

[oldtimer1]

Interval day.  8 x quarter miles. Fastest in 8.9 MPH or 6:44 minute mile pace. These intervals are getting old.  Hit the bag after. 

[oldtimer1]

Delt and arms:

Clean and press 2 x 8 115lbs (all the way and a slow negative.)
Dumbbell delt Laterals 2 x 10 30lbs
Single arm delt pulley lateral 2 x 12 40lbs
Rear delt dumbbell lateral 2 x 12 45lbs
Dumbbell shrugs 2 x 12 95lbs (Just don't like dumbbell shrugs as much as the barbell. It doesn't seem to hit them the same way. Now pro Dorian Yates says the opposite. He said in effect you can use less weight and it hits the traps harder.)

Dips 2 x 12 slow negatives and deep
Traditional tricep pushdowns 2 x 12
Tricep machine 2 x 12

Alternate dumbbell curls 2 x 8 45lbs
Machine curls 2 x 10 (I have a repaired ruptured bicep that I'm careful with. Used light weight and slow cadence to make up for the light weight)
Pulley curls 2 x 12

Wrist curls 2 x 25 95lbs
Reverse grip pulley curls 2 x 12

Ab coaster 1 x 40 60lbs
Ab crunch 2  x 22 150lbs.

I would recommend checking out Clarence Bass's web site. Full of great information with the studies to back it up. He's a lawyer by trade and he really does his research regarding fitness. I know some would say he's just a little guy but that's his genetics. He has done a 225lbs snatch and a 300lbs clean and jerk for being a light weight. That's impressive for a gym rat. He's honest about his past very limited steroid use and how he didn't like the up and down effect of the drugs. He has trained for many decades steroid free. Getting back to his site he really touches all bases of resistance training, diet and cardio. To this date his combined books and web site represent the best I have seen in information of elite fitness. He is in his 80's and still plugging along.

[Primemuscle]

Another day of rest. 

[oldtimer1]

Another day of rest. 

If you are referring to me and not yourself I am resting.  Drinking a Corona right now.

[Primemuscle]

If you are referring to me and not yourself I am resting.  Drinking a Corona right now.

Good for you. Actually, I was lamenting for myself. There is nothing that makes me want to lift more than being told I can't. This doctor ordered 20 lb limit for 30 days is going to kill me. If I try an cheat, my daughter will give me holy hell.

[oldtimer1]

Good for you. Actually, I was lamenting for myself. There is nothing that makes me want to lift more than being told I can't. This doctor ordered 20 lb limit for 30 days is going to kill me. If I try an cheat, my daughter will give me holy hell.

Heal up quick.  Use the 30 days to plot your return. I always found after surgery and illness my muscle memory responded best to high reps and light weight. It seemed to "wake" up the muscles.  That's my bro science explanation but I believe it. Use slow cadence high reps with light weights. The muscles will be in ship shape for heavier weights in no time.

[The Scott]

Heal up quick.  Use the 30 days to plot your return. I always found after surgery and illness my muscle memory responded best to high reps and light weight. It seemed to "wake" up the muscles.  That's my bro science explanation but I believe it. Use slow cadence high reps with light weights. The muscles will be in ship shape for heavier weights in no time.

This is what I do anytime I don't or cannot train for a period of two or more weeks.  It just makes sense.  Well said, my friend.

[Primemuscle]

Heal up quick.  Use the 30 days to plot your return. I always found after surgery and illness my muscle memory responded best to high reps and light weight. It seemed to "wake" up the muscles.  That's my bro science explanation but I believe it. Use slow cadence high reps with light weights. The muscles will be in ship shape for heavier weights in no time.

Good advice. Thanks. I see the doctor on Wednesday. Maybe I can talk him into a shorter time period. 

[oldtimer1]

Trained back and chest:

One of the gym rats is a medical doctor. He is strong as an ox. Chatted with him and he was a cop for ten years and got sick of it. He went to medical school after.  Very impressed the weights he lifts. I fear for his joints. He's not a spring chicken.

Saw a college kid doing snatches and clean and jerks. You don't see that often in a bodybuilding gym.  He was doing full squat snatches and cleans. Fantastic form. He said he is 5'9" and could never touch the net in basketball. After doing the olympic lifts he can easily dunk now. He learned something about the athletic power transfer of the quick lifts that I learned many decades ago.

I lifted strong today despite feeling like hell the day before. Go figure. Some days I use the same amount of weight but make the weight heavier by using slow negatives and performing the lift in the hardest way instead of the easiest way.

[oldtimer1]

Cardio day:  8 x 440 yards or quarter miles. Fastest was 6:44 pace or 8.9 MPH. Walked fast in between each set. Hit the bag after. 

Little history on interval training to improve endurance.  When the world's track athletes were trying to break the 4 minute mile most were doing 5 to almost 20 miles a day in training. Roger Bannister was in medical school and had limited time to train. He might be the first high intensity training guru of the past. While some track athletes for the mile did some intervals their training centered on distance training. Most of Roger Bannister's training was 10 x quarter miles repeats. When he burned out from this high intensity he would go mountain climbing for a work out and diversion.  While there were four athletes in the world that could have broken the barrier Roger was the first. He did it on a dirt cinder track. His time on a modern surface track is speculated to have been 7 to 8 seconds faster. Track elite athletes of today from sprinters to 10K runners spend plenty of time doing intervals. I would like to take my own intervals down to 200 meter repeats but it might be too intense for my damaged Achilles. It's slow and steady at my age. Explosive sprints are out of the question now and maybe forever. I had my day in the sun. 

[oldtimer1]

Leg day:  Increased the weight with the calf work but limited the eccentric stretch.  Felt strong.  On my last rep with hacks I decided to really go to maximum depth. Knee tweak.   Nothing serious. Nothing like trying to walk around with a thigh pump.  Felt like Frankenstein.

[oldtimer1]

Cardio day: 8 x quarter mile repeats. Fastest in 9.1 MPH or 6:36 minute mile pace. Hit the heavy bag after. Getting closer to that 6:00 minute mark. 

[Primemuscle]

Yesterday, my doctor released me to go to the gym with the proviso that I mainly do cardio and lift only using light dumbbells and preferably only upper body movements.

[oldtimer1]

Yesterday, my doctor released me to go to the gym with the proviso that I mainly do cardio and lift only using light dumbbells and preferably only upper body movements.

That's good to hear. Use light dumbbells with high reps with perfect form. Make the weight heavy by using a moderately slow cadence. Maybe body weight squats and body weight lunges. Of course this is all with the okay of your doctor. Then again you can do all upper body and use a bike for legs could be another approach to regaining your health.

Never be embarrassed by using super light weights. I worked with a guy who had brain cancer. Between the operation and all the chemo he has been through he's a shell of himself. He said at first he was embarrassed coming to the gym but he got over it. Now feels in light of his circumstances he is working as hard as anyone in the gym in terms of effort. Who knows maybe he is even working harder minus the poundage to prove it.

Another example was famed Cardiologist George Sheehan. In college he was a track star but soon with work and his big family he stopped running. At age 45 feeling out of shape he began to run again. At age 50 he ran the first sub 5 minute mile by a 50 years old. His early books on running were amazing dealing heavily with philosophy.

 Why did I bring him up?  He was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. In the early 90's I ran in a hilly 5 mile road race. I was a sprinter in high school and college but I still could run okay for distance. I think I ran with him in the last race he ever ran in. Prior to the race he was seated at a table autographing books. I knew he had cancer from all the articles on him in the Running magazines. I talked with him briefly. I asked him how he was feeling.  "Ask me after the race, " he said solemnly. After the gun went off I concentrated on staying with the lead woman.  We were running slightly under 7 minute miles and few above. The hills were killing me. At the end of the race I wondered where the doctor was.  Staying by the finish line he came in dead last of the maybe 75 runners. He looked like death coming in. He refused to not finish. In my mind that was probably the hardest he has ever run but it was his slowest. He died soon after. What I'm trying to convey in the end we are in competition with our self ultimately. We all have our handicaps but we do what we can do. So get on that exercise bike and lift those 5 to 20 lbs dumbbells. In time you will be lifting heavy weights. If it's not to be then be the best you can be with what you got.

[oldtimer1]

Delt and arms:

Clean and press 2 x 8
Dumbbell laterals 2 x 10
single arm pulley laterals 1 x 10
Rear delt dumbbell 2 x 10
Barbell Shrugs 2 x 10

Weighted dips 2 x 8
Traditional tricep pushdowns 2 x 14
Single arm tricep pulley with a reverse grip 2 x 12

Alternate dumbbell curls 2 x 8
Machine curls  2 x 10
Standing pulley curls. 2 x 12

wrist curls 2 x 25
Reverse grip pulley curls 2 x 10

Ab coaster 1 x 41
Ab machine crunch 2 x 22


Had an interesting conversation with a well built guy who uses a trainer. I was puzzled why a guy that is obviously an advance lifter would use a trainer? He said if it wasn't for the trainer he wouldn't work out. Thought it was bizarre but it works for him. He lifts hard core but wow, he wouldn't train if he didn't have a trainer? He also said he liked the fact that he didn't have to think. He said he just does what he is told. He has a lot of faith in his trainer who is also the owner of the next door owner of the Karate Dojo where he also trains.  

Saw an old man doing an exercise I never done before.  Not a rocket science or an obscure exercise. Just one I never did before.  He faced away from a double armed pulley machine. Put the handles low, arms slightly behind him  and curled from there. I could feel the tension immediately on the bicep. I know you're probably saying WTF, it's pulley curls. Just doing two arms at once facing away from the machine hit the bicep in a stretched position with a full range. I don't know. It just felt great.

[Primemuscle]

That's good to hear. Use light dumbbells with high reps with perfect form. Make the weight heavy by using a moderately slow cadence. Maybe body weight squats and body weight lunges. Of course this is all with the okay of your doctor. Then again you can do all upper body and use a bike for legs could be another approach to regaining your health.

Never be embarrassed by using super light weights. I worked with a guy who had brain cancer. Between the operation and all the chemo he has been through he's a shell of himself. He said at first he was embarrassed coming to the gym but he got over it. Now feels in light of his circumstances he is working as hard as anyone in the gym in terms of effort. Who knows maybe he is even working harder minus the poundage to prove it.

Another example was famed Cardiologist George Sheehan. In college he was a track star but soon with work and his big family he stopped running. At age 45 feeling out of shape he began to run again. At age 50 he ran the first sub 5 minute mile by a 50 years old. His early books on running were amazing dealing heavily with philosophy.

 Why did I bring him up?  He was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. In the early 90's I ran in a hilly 5 mile road race. I was a sprinter in high school and college but I still could run okay for distance. I think I ran with him in the last race he ever ran in. Prior to the race he was seated at a table autographing books. I knew he had cancer from all the articles on him in the Running magazines. I talked with him briefly. I asked him how he was feeling.  "Ask me after the race, " he said solemnly. After the gun went off I concentrated on staying with the lead woman.  We were running slightly under 7 minute miles and few above. The hills were killing me. At the end of the race I wondered where the doctor was.  Staying by the finish line he came in dead last of the maybe 75 runners. He looked like death coming in. He refused to not finish. In my mind that was probably the hardest he has ever run but it was his slowest. He died soon after. What I'm trying to convey in the end we are in competition with our self ultimately. We all have our handicaps but we do what we can do. So get on that exercise bike and lift those 5 to 20 lbs dumbbells. In time you will be lifting heavy weights. If it's not to be then be the best you can be with what you got.

This is all good news and advice. All of which I am okay with including not trying to do the same stuff I once did when I was younger. My goals are different then they were when I was in my 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's.