Hondo Gravel

[QUOTE=DMC707;21928417]Have my own home gym - its my “man cave” so i splurged.

Rogue Fitness power rack, lots of bumper plates, - one fully adjustable York bench with spotter stands and one non adjustable for dumbbell work .

now that ive had a knee replacement and a rotator cuff repair, i find myself using TRX bands strapped to the power rack more than anything else

i too, have a full set of cast iron dbells, but use the BowFlex adjustable ones a lot more for convenience.

most of my exercises now mimic the movements i used to do in physical therapy for my ailments, rather than the heavy olympic lifting i had in mind when i built the gym[/QUOT

Rogue Fitness top of the line equipment too much $ for me. But heck if you can have great equipment get it. No bumper plates for me but I have horse stall matts to slam down conventional weights so I don’t crack the concrete floor lol. I try to gently lift the weight down. The response from the 50+ Weight lifters has motivated me and gives me the confidence to move forward in weight training. I see I have many years to lift some iron and everyone’s input is greatly appreciated.

Dan Burkhart 

When Covid shut the gym down last year, it was just the push I needed to go shopping for a decent multi gym. I was getting pretty tired of the whole gym scene anyway what with the decline in gym etiquette these days. Dang kids were turning me into a grumpy old man.
Nobody seems to be able to put the weights back where they belong, and they all want to park themselves on a machine and text on their phones between sets.
Anyway, I found a smokin deal on a good barely used unit, so now I can work out on my own schedule without those frustrations.

Hit Factor

I'm 60 and have a dumbbell rack and a bench.

Lift every other day, nine simple exercises, 20 reps, 2 sets. Really surprised by the results. Also work the elliptical trainer for 45 minutes 6 or 7 times a week.

This week I started using the bike on a trainer. Reintroducing my butt to the saddle mostly. I expect this frigid grip old man winter has on Michigan is going to start loosening up. Once I can start riding again, my time on the elliptical will be cut back.

Hondo Gravel

Had the week off the weights due to unusual weather but my shoulders needed it bad. I think I over did it again once I get going I keep going and forget that I’m not 23 but 53. Looking over what I was doing and re reading all the posts to figure out a plan that will work but not kill me. Too many sets and reps and a bit too heavy I believe. That ego thing again. Start again tomorrow you know fall off but get back on..

Mountain Mitch

With the exception of paddling, most of my recreational activity focuses on leg strength. I live in the mountains and I ski (all types) all winter so generally getting enough exercise is not a problem. I put an older bike on rollers for cardio and to keep the pedalling muscles awake and got a weight bench, yoga mat and TV and call it my gym. I enjoy weight lifting and it keeps my shoulders mobile and strong which is necessary due previous injuries. In my mid-sixties I’m not trying for the Charles Atlas look. Just trying to keep reasonable upper body strength so less weight/more reps is my mantra.

Hondo Gravel

Back to normal weather the first few sets I could feel the week off lol. Workout was good and challenging enough to feel that something got done. Basic bench, row, shoulder press and some curls.

y0x8

I am 58 years old and 100 kg weight.
It should be so before placing it in a wooden mackintosh.
It is impossible to dream of any achievements in lifting the iron, as in his youth.
But I started my other development.
I began to make myself powerful.
I want to make a record on my new gear.
I'm sick and sore from all my crazy exercises.
I go forward and don't stop.

Elbeinlaw

Good job translating Russian to English. I would not even try English to Russian.

I understand most of what you said, but "wooden mackintosh" and "a record on my new gear" are intriguing. Could you provide it in Russian and let someone here translate it?

gthomson

Never mind the machine, look at all those wheels! I hear ya about the gym etiquette thing and have the same thoughts. Maybe it's just me, but I remember when we used to go the gym to work out but also socialize a little but now everyone wears ear buds now which are a message to stay away and don't talk. I get for some people like women and people really focusing it's fine, but it's ok to recognize another human being is in the gym with you!

Just my 2 cents.

Hondo Gravel

Today you can get arrested for flirting. Back in the 80s all females and males would be in jail Today oh I better not even talk to her I could get in trouble. I’m not defending Gym Creeper lol but a few simple words won’t hurt anybody.

Hondo Gravel

Cycling has sure maintained the muscle you have.

y0x8

A wooden mackintosh is a coffin.
I want to make a record on my new gear - it will be a ride on the New Fixed Gear and set a speed record.

y0x8

This is real intrigue and food for the mind.
New gear, where the intermediate shaft is equipped with an additional pair of connecting rods.
Very tricky gear.
You have never seen a bicycle with such a transmission.

Elbeinlaw

I can truly say I've never seen such a transmission.

Are you associated with the band in Yekaterinburg?

y0x8

This is my invention of the new fixed gear.
I am not connected with the group from Yekaterinburg.
https://yandex.ru/patents/doc/RU2727544C1_20200722

Hondo Gravel

Trap Bar Deadlifts I like. Not doing a tremendous amount of weight but doing about 5 sets of 8. Lower back and spine friendly and believe me they hit almost every muscle in your body. I believe this will transfer well to cycling especially climbing hills. You get your money’s worth out of this exercise. Have a safety squat bar on back order so I can squat with minimizing injury risk. I want to lift old school as much as possible without injuring myself and specialty bars are serving me well. I bench and row with a Swiss bar so I can use a neutral grip which is shoulder friendly. Lift hard enough to make progress but not overkill where you don’t feel like doing anything afterwards. Dumbbells are very useful as well to mix it up a hit muscles with different ranges of motion and angles.

WonderMonkey

Just found this thread. I still lift weights. Generally, it's a compound exercise but I do some focused accessory work as well. As some others, I use the trap bar as my primary lower body exercise, though you can manipulate your approach to do more deadlift emphasis or the standard dead/squat type lift.

A very important thing for all of us to do is a Farmer's Walk. The benefits to this for all humans, but specifically us people of a certain age, are tremendous.

I do four workouts of weights each week and cover the body twice. When the riding season hits hard I'll back off to two weight workouts and cover the body once per week.

I do other workouts as well, but since this thread is about doses of iron, I'll keep it at that.

Hondo Gravel

I’m considering adding in farmers walks. Great transfer to real life stuff like hiking, cycling even carrying in groceries.

WonderMonkey

Yes, exactly. Hits all over and is very functional.

Carbonfiberboy 

Is that Russian slang from the Soviet days? Have you read Secondhand Time: the last of the Soviets, by Svetlana Aleksievich?

I liked the photo very much.

LAJ

I keep my deadlift weight equal to my squats. Since I'm working towards racing this season, my weight work is mainly legs, but the rest of your body benefits as a result. End of last year coming into this year, it was lots of reps, working into 20 rep sets of squats at body weight and a bit above. I also did pin squats, negatives, and pause squats. Now it's getting into single rep max, then back offs at 90% of that number. Squats are king, as far as I'm concerned. Lots of muscle groups involved.

I built my own safety cage, and have fittings so I can get the right depth on the pins and negatives. I record each set and rep on my phone, and critique form during rest periods between sets. No bro squats here. Full depth.

Right now, the bike is hard, due to the weights, but once the weights go away, the bike gets hard because training is hard, not because the weights make it so.

I'm 62.

WonderMonkey

I agree, the squat is king. Second is trap bar squats if needed, but the squat movement is king. I do a 5x5 workout style, which I enjoy, but generally, I'll done one type (5x5) for a while then change it up just to keep it interesting. About every other week I'll film my workout and critique my form.

Sounds like you know what you are doing. Drive to Ohio and I'll guest you into the gym and we can do a lower body workout together. I'm 53 but you probably kick my tail.

LAJ

I think I'm a good student, as opposed to knowing all, but I've definitely learned! The trap bar squats are interesting. I had to google them, and that's an interesting version. Alan Thrall is quite the teacher, and his over the top methods illustrate bad and good, very well.

Thanks for the invite. In these days and times, who knows what's next, but I will certainly keep that on my list of things to do.

Hondo Gravel

You can turn the trap bar upside down or just the other way where the grip is lower. That will make the exercise more like a squat. Anyways there are variations you can dabble with. I herniated myself with traditional deadlifts at 405. Pulled it ok was hard but I wasn’t going all out max. Next morning I had huge bulge and I knew I messed up. I would lay down and push my guts back in then when I stood up out they went. Had 3 hernias the other two I had awhile I just thought you are older you are just getting fat but they were tears that weren’t fully torn open yet. Had hernia mesh repairing the hernia at age 48. Now 53 I decided to get back into weight training without the fear of injury. I know injury is possible but I want to minimize the risk. No trying to max out on any lift I know after 8-10 reps if it enough weight or not. No ego lifting I’m more into putting on some muscle and burning off middle age fat. The amount of weight is not a concern this time around. I’m finding I need more recovery time so when I feel an extra day off the weights is warranted I take it. I ride my bikes almost everyday so I’m still getting in exercise.

WonderMonkey

Agreed on minimizing the risks. When I do traditional deadlifts and squats, it's with a weight I can reasonably handle. I like the magic of the trap bar and it's my primary weapon, and obviously, you can vary it to hit things differently. When I get done with my trap bar, I leave it loaded up because my last exercise will be the farmer's walk and I use the same weight as my squat/dead. I love/hate the farmer's walk but if you use good form, it's a mental game.

I haven't had any hernia operations, and I'd like to avoid them. I'm 53 as well.