***** All things Fitness *****

[penguinz]

2022 getting and staying fit thread!

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by wazu

Really glad to hear you are making a comeback. Do you have the first half marathon that you are going to run picked out?

Yep. Deadwood, South Dakota. It'll be my 42nd state with a half-marathon.

[Clyde Frog]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Lol, thx, but my days of pushing max RDLs and squats are long gone. Sciatica is a depressing bitch.

I'll be 56 this year; I'm just happy that I've been grinding away in the gym for the last two years and haven't picked up any injuries that have kept me from working out for more than a few days-couple of weeks at a time.

My goals are much smaller, like I want to be able to do at least 10 unassisted pull-ups by thanksgiving, weigh less than 165-lbs, run (jog) 3 miles under 26 minutes, and maaaybe get 225 up on the bench twice, if my shoulder and/or elbow can hold up.

But who knows, maybe I'll surprise myself and exceed my expectations. Just don't see me hitting that 1000-lb mark ever again. But thx for the positive thoughts!

Appreciate you sharing that. It’s always good to hear real talk mixed with a sense of humor. Midlife lifting and sciatica definitely seem to be a package deal unless you're really lucky. But hey, we're out here still pushing, adapting, and showing up. That counts for a lot. Keep going, you’re doing great.

[Titty Meat]

Anyone familiar with SARMS?

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I'm actually built more for math than for speed or power. But if I have to pick something physical, it's probably more endurance than speed.

I started running half-marathons at age 46, and my best-ever time is 1:58:56. For most of them I would run between 2:00:00 and 2:10:00. On my last race before the shutdown in 2020, I ran (I think) a 2:36, which was my worst time ever. For this upcoming race, I'm expecting to be slightly under 3 hours, and my dream goal is to beat 2:45. Yes, my aspirational goal is to have a worse time than my previous worst time. So not fast, but as explained below, I'm old now.



From 2009 to 2020, I did 122 half marathons, and I think 5 races that were shorter than a half-marathon. I think the long-distance running destroyed all of my fast-twitch sprinting muscles, because I just loped along in shorter races at my same half-marathon pace.

I've run a few 5Ks and 1 10K in the past six months, and my 5K pace is generally slightly faster than 10 minutes per mile. But recall that I'm in my 60s now, so I've done pretty well in my age group at that pace. I've been top 3 in my age group about half the time.

I've lost a ton of weight this year, so my heart rate has not been close to my max in the shorter races, which tells me that I should be running faster. I ran 13 miles this weekend and I was at my maximum heart rate for much of the time. Historically, I've usually run half-marathons at my maximum heart rate and I haven't died. I think it's really rare to die. In all of my races, I've only seen one guy die, and they brought him back with the paddle-thingies.

9 min mile for 13+ miles pretty, pretty good. How many mpw were you running then and vs running now?

Ive never tried to run anything hard over a 5k and have only run a 10k at medium hard effort so far.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

Anyone familiar with SARMS?

yup


don't waste your time

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by loochy

yup


don't waste your time

Howcome?

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

Howcome?

Just use real gear. SARMS will destroy your liver.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

Howcome?

Well they sound nice in theory, only hitting the androgen receptor and therefore bypassing a lot of side effects. But that's not reality. You still get HTPA shutdown, you can still get harshness on liver, you can still get elevated BP, etc....and all for relatively minor performance increases.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by BWillie

9 min mile for 13+ miles pretty, pretty good. How many mpw were you running then and vs running now?

Ive never tried to run anything hard over a 5k and have only run a 10k at medium hard effort so far.

In the past, I couldn't run a lot due to my work schedule. I would run 9-11 miles every Saturday and 5-7 every Sunday, and also did leisurely walks of about 3 miles most other days (to and from work).

Nowadays, I'm starting to ramp up my mileage, and am doing one 8-10 mile run per week and usually a couple of 4 mile runs to push my pace a bit. I can gut through 13 miles, but it won't be at any level of speed at all. I'm hoping to be under a 13 minute pace, which is barely a moderate jog. But I'm happy with that right now.

Congrats on winning your age group in your recent race. Even in small races it's hard to win an age group, because there's always some wise guy who runs 6 minute miles or faster in every age group.

[Rain Man]

I really have no idea how you guys lift so much weight. My legs are really strong, but above the waist I can practically feel the tendons and ligaments tearing when I'm doing anything above Barbie-level weights.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I really have no idea how you guys lift so much weight. My legs are really strong, but above the waist I can practically feel the tendons and ligaments tearing when I'm doing anything above Barbie-level weights.

well it's a slow build up over time, and it's something that most of us have done for a long time. Building that initial strength when young and recovery is high pays off for a lifetime with a little maintenance. I wouldn't expect someone older to start up any kind of new regimen based on crushing heavy weights.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I really have no idea how you guys lift so much weight. My legs are really strong, but above the waist I can practically feel the tendons and ligaments tearing when I'm doing anything above Barbie-level weights.

I had that feeling on the chest fly machine for a while after starting to workout... it felt far more like an arm exercise and not a comfortable one, like tendons were about to snap.

That kind of strength as well as mobility builds over time, too, and eventually all of that went away.

I believe it's a significant risk of steroid use, too, when you're building muscle far faster than what your tendons and such can handle.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Clyde Frog

Totally feel that. Getting over the mental block of going ATG with real weight is such a trip, even when you’ve got the safety bars set. You know you’re probably fine, but your brain still throws up red flags like you’re about to get folded in half.

The grind is brutal, man. It hurts, it’s slow, and there’s basically zero glory outside of the occasional nod from another gym bro who gets it. But that’s what makes it worth it. Most people will never even try to do this kind of work. We’re out here suffering on purpose.

Thoughts/recs on kickstarting full ROM squats?

After I un****ed my squat, I was surprised how much it had added to full ROM, but adding that weight was probably more mental, as you alluded to.

Recently though (the past month or so, maybe), I've just plateaued on ATG volume. I added 10 pounds yesterday partly out of ****-you-quads (and there weren't any 2.5s around) and did a few reps, then took the added 10lbs off and did the usual ~6-7 reps for a few more sets and then one heavy parallel set, which I've been doing for a while.

I added some extra sets of squats on a different day at one point just to get in more volume at higher reps, but this past week accidentally went 9 days between doing any legs and it felt really damn good, so kind of 50/50 on that strategy at the moment.

A weak link tends to be hip/lower back, but more so feeling like I'm 95 the day after and not while squatting.

Maybe more non-squat quad/glute volume though?

[Clyde Frog]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Thoughts/recs on kickstarting full ROM squats?

After I un****ed my squat, I was surprised how much it had added to full ROM, but adding that weight was probably more mental, as you alluded to.

Recently though (the past month or so, maybe), I've just plateaued on ATG volume. I added 10 pounds yesterday partly out of ****-you-quads (and there weren't any 2.5s around) and did a few reps, then took the added 10lbs off and did the usual ~6-7 reps for a few more sets and then one heavy parallel set, which I've been doing for a while.

I added some extra sets of squats on a different day at one point just to get in more volume at higher reps, but this past week accidentally went 9 days between doing any legs and it felt really damn good, so kind of 50/50 on that strategy at the moment.

A weak link tends to be hip/lower back, but more so feeling like I'm 95 the day after and not while squatting.

Maybe more non-squat quad/glute volume though?

Thanks for the thorough context, it helped when I was writing this.

1.Check your ego at the door. When I started chasing real depth, I had to drop all the way to 135 just to get the movement right. It humbles you fast, but hitting full ROM lights up different muscles, especially the glutes, adductors, and hamstrings. You’ve got to give those deeper tissues time to adapt and get strong if you want to explode out of the hole without crumbling. I even used the Smith machine on days I was feeling fatigued just to lock in my form and manage joint load. Not ideal for building long-term strength, but it helped me stay consistent with depth and positioning without pushing through crappy reps.

2.Get a solid pair of lifting shoes. The stability and heel lift make a huge difference for hitting depth and staying upright. You can grab decent ones on Amazon for around 100 to 150 bucks. Do not go barefoot or in socks, it’s not worth slipping or tweaking something under load. And definitely don’t use running shoes or cross trainers. They’ve got too much cushion and flex, which kills your stability. When your heel sinks or your foot shifts under a loaded bar, your mechanics fall apart and your knees and ankles pay the price.

As for your plateau, when ATG volume stalls out, it could be a recovery issue or just central fatigue. Adding weight out of spite (respect) is cool sometimes, but if you’re constantly nuking your central nervous system, you’re going to stall. Try cycling intensity more intentionally, rotate between heavy ATG, higher rep volume work, and lighter technique focused days.

If your lower back and hips are wrecked the day after but not during, that usually means a recovery or mobility gap. You might be leaning too far forward or losing your brace under fatigue. I had to readjust my starting stance. I’m a shade under 6’1” with long limbs, so I had to widen my stance and turn my toes out just a bit, instead of keeping them parallel, to actually hit proper ATG. That small change made a big difference in comfort, depth, and balance. Also throw in some RDLs, glute bridges (kinda gay but they help), and Bulgarian split squats (the worst exercise in the universe)to hammer the posterior chain without always squatting.

And yeah, adding non-squat quad and glute work is a smart move. Bulgarian split squats, sled pushes, and step-ups let you keep the volume high without trashing your spine every time.

If you’ve got questions or want to troubleshoot something, happy to help. I love fitness and helping people hit their goals using both science and personal experience.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Clyde Frog

Thanks for the thorough context, it helped when I was writing this.

1.Check your ego at the door. When I started chasing real depth, I had to drop all the way to 135 just to get the movement right. It humbles you fast, but hitting full ROM lights up different muscles, especially the glutes, adductors, and hamstrings. You’ve got to give those deeper tissues time to adapt and get strong if you want to explode out of the hole without crumbling. I even used the Smith machine on days I was feeling fatigued just to lock in my form and manage joint load. Not ideal for building long-term strength, but it helped me stay consistent with depth and positioning without pushing through crappy reps.

I've thought about form checks lately (which I never do, really) on a few things including squats , so will definitely do that sooner than later. I've been doing RDL lately and know something isn't quite right... I lose tension in my hamstrings, probably from rounding my back and maybe also not bending my knees. Squats feel good, but checking technique is just something I should do more often, really.

Originally Posted by Clyde Frog

2.Get a solid pair of lifting shoes. The stability and heel lift make a huge difference for hitting depth and staying upright. You can grab decent ones on Amazon for around 100 to 150 bucks. Do not go barefoot or in socks, it’s not worth slipping or tweaking something under load. And definitely don’t use running shoes or cross trainers. They’ve got too much cushion and flex, which kills your stability. When your heel sinks or your foot shifts under a loaded bar, your mechanics fall apart and your knees and ankles pay the price.

Yeah, you got me there, it's not something that's even crossed my mind. I didn't invest in weightlifting shoes when I was a beginner squatter not terribly long ago and haven't given it a second thought since. On top of that, I've been using a couple plates under my heels due to long legs and probably lack of mobility (probably makes it even dumber that I haven't looked into lifting shoes).

I was just testing that out and seems like I could probably do away with the plates, too, definitely don't feel like I'm on my toes like I was a while back.

Already researched some shoes before going to the gym earlier and will probably pull the trigger on a pair tonight... I saw some options ranging from like 10mm left to 20+, and a lot of feedback from others saying they've trained people who immediately saw big benefits/PRs from lifting shoes... might be the first time in a while that I'm excited for leg day.

Originally Posted by Clyde Frog

As for your plateau, when ATG volume stalls out, it could be a recovery issue or just central fatigue. Adding weight out of spite (respect) is cool sometimes, but if you’re constantly nuking your central nervous system, you’re going to stall. Try cycling intensity more intentionally, rotate between heavy ATG, higher rep volume work, and lighter technique focused days.

I don't think I'm reaching that point, but have been toying with volume lately... at the very least, I tend to run out of time over three workouts, but my body has told me a time or two that it's happier not adding more arms (they're happier with two days off in between if I hit them hard) or possibly not adding another day where I do heavier squats. So, I've been doing some lighter stuff on a 4th day, but haven't been running myself ragged.

Originally Posted by Clyde Frog

If your lower back and hips are wrecked the day after but not during, that usually means a recovery or mobility gap. You might be leaning too far forward or losing your brace under fatigue. I had to readjust my starting stance. I’m a shade under 6’1” with long limbs, so I had to widen my stance and turn my toes out just a bit, instead of keeping them parallel, to actually hit proper ATG. That small change made a big difference in comfort, depth, and balance.

Didn't think about that part. It's something I concentrate on when I'm going heavier, but could definitely be slacking on that part when I'm doing full ROM. I've also been stretching quite a bit more lately... the glute/hip on the shitty side is definitely tight, so with a standing desk, it's easy to get stretches in here and there during work... and I've read up on a few stretches that target muscles I'd never think about.

Originally Posted by Clyde Frog

Also throw in some RDLs, glute bridges (kinda gay but they help), and Bulgarian split squats (the worst exercise in the universe)to hammer the posterior chain without always squatting.

And yeah, adding non-squat quad and glute work is a smart move. Bulgarian split squats, sled pushes, and step-ups let you keep the volume high without trashing your spine every time.

If you’ve got questions or want to troubleshoot something, happy to help. I love fitness and helping people hit their goals using both science and personal experience.

I might try bringing Bulgarian split squats back... my knees didn't like them when I first started consistently lifting (and it's the only thing that's ever felt uncomfortable for my knees), but that was ~4-5 years ago.

Those are generally the types of movements that get put aside as time is running out at the gym, so will definitely make it a point to add something along with the RDLs.


Great stuff, really appreciate it! If all it takes is new shoes to fix my squat and aging hip, I'll owe you a few beers!