Senior needs help with my work outs.

[mddolson]

Finally after two weeks on antibiotics & inhalers. Been down for two months with this bronchial bug.
I'm feeling like heading back to the gym this week.

 

[Cate]

I'm glad you're on the mend at last!

 

[mddolson]

Finally, finished 5 days in the gym last week. Feels good to get back at it.

 

[mddolson]

Feeling motivated with a new target!
The end is in sight, so to speak.
I'm turning 65, on March 31. My last day of work is March 29, 2019.
April 12, we leave Toronto for Oahu for a week then over to Maui for a week.
We've wanted to go to Hawaii, but have put it off. Cost, available time, other priorities etc have always been the reasons.
But no more. My wife & I have decided it's our time!
We're both back at the gym 5 days a week & getting in shape for an active, fun trip to Hawaii.

 

[mddolson]

I haven't been on the forum for quite a while.
My weight has been fluctuating between 210-220 lbs (95.5-100Kg)
Trying to balance my work outs & diet.
Doing more strength training & less cardio, which tends to burn fewer calories (in same time).
I have a 45 minute commute then just an have an hour to work out before I have head home for dinner.
I'm always watching the clock so I can get home on time & not annoy my wife.
However this should change in 5 weeks when I retire.
My target is increase my strength & lean body mass, & reduce my fat content & be 200 lbs (91 kg).
On the CV side all seems to be going well, resting heart rate is down to 50 bpm, & blood pressure 120/70.
My right knee replacement is 17 years old but not causing any concern (for now).
I don't run or do any impact related activities so it may last a while longer.
The left hip (arthritis) though is a constant annoyance, may have to look at that in near future.

 

[mddolson]

I have been away from the forum for a while.
I've been concentrating on increasing my strength & muscle mass.
Weight is holding at 215 lbs (97 kg)
I retired this week, and can hit the gym in the mornings, which I like.
It was always a rush to get to the gym after work, get done & home before my wife was annoyed (later for dinner).
Now I can spend a good half hour on weights & half hour cardio, before hitting the shower.
Mon & Wed are arms & chest days, Tuesday & Thursday are legs, abs & back.
I get on different apparatus each day (tread mill, elliptical, stair climber & arc trainer) for light cardio in 2nd half hour.
Fridays dedicated cardio, finishing with HIIT cycles. (On elliptical).
April 12, we're off to Hawaii for two weeks. No gym in the plans, but lots of hiking, snorkeling & scuba diving on the agenda.

 

[BradW]

Been reading this post....nice work and hope all is well. I too went from 265 to 215 and at 55 it's been harder than in years past. Finally, I got the clue and learned I am not made to eat certain foods as others can....I'm 55 and have gone with increased weights to build muscle now that im at reasonable weight.

I continue to eat well too, but set a dont go over weight. I've been using protein supplement immediately prior to workouts and its helped. Im eating high protein but can't eat enough to meet needs for muscle gain.

I've set goal to build weight but re arrange it. Shooting for 20 upper arms I once had... may never get there but have increased to 19 post workout. So building mass is possible for us older folks....just harder to do.

Congrats on progress...

 

[mddolson]

2019 was a pretty good year, retired in march, vacation in Hawaii in April, & Antigua in November, for our 43 anniversary. Have this nagging pain in my left hip which progresses with activity (walking or on elliptical etc). It has limited my work outs, & I have not managed to loose any more weight.
Had x-rays and evaluation with physio specialist at local hospital in early December 2019. Due to wear & tear, & osteoarthritis I am grinding bone-on-bone in my left hip. I met with the orthopedic surgeon yesterday, & I am scheduled for left hip replacement the end of March.

I am stillgoing to the gym, focus on strengthening my thighs, glutes & calves. I spend 20 minutes on stair climber, then 20 on the elliptical. still getting a good cardio work out though.

 

[Trusylver]

Having good upper body strength helps for after the surgery while the hip is healing.

 

[mddolson]

Thanks, good reminder Trusylver.
I should have clarified, The leg focus is on my cardio days, typically Mon-Wed-Fri. Tues & Thurs I do 15- 20 minutes light cardio warm up, & 30 minutes weights, Typically upper body: chest press, rowing, Lat bar, dips, & abs Everyday cool down is 15 minutes stretching.
My schedule varies as we have to be out of town one day a week to visit my mother (1.5 hrs away) which is weather dependent since it's winter here now. When we miss a week day my wife & i opt for a Sat or Sun gym session.

 

[BradW]

Suggestion.....if not already doing it, add a good stretching program to your schedule. Especially, back and legs etc. This will greatly help in hip recovery....no need to go into details of the procedure but you want to be limber for this.

 

[overlandflyer]

.... My weight has been fluctuating between 210-220 lbs (95.5-100Kg)....

something about this sounds so familiar....

i have two knee replacements.
i have one hip replacement.
i'm 5' 11".
i'm 66 now.

i started making an effort to lose weight when i hit the mid 220's.
for about 3-4 years i was stuck between 210 - 217 lbs.

i then made two changes...
i drastically cut the amount of sugar in my diet.
i started intermittent fasting.

over the first 4 months i dropped ~10 lbs/ month.
over the following year i've dropped another 10-15 lbs.

my original goal was to get back to ~190 lbs.
i'm currently in the low 160's.

i've got a pretty arthritic shoulder, so i have given up on most gym exercising in favor of now, simply walking.

aside from my shoulder, the weight loss has nearly eliminated any other joint pain. i haven't had to take an anti-inflamatory med in well over a year. kneeling on replacement knees is never a pleasant experience, you're not alone there. and my A1C is well below 6 now.

just something to think about.
good luck.

 

[mddolson]

something about this sounds so familiar....

i have two knee replacements.
i have one hip replacement.
i'm 5' 11".
i'm 66 now.

i started making an effort to lose weight when i hit the mid 220's.
for about 3-4 years i was stuck between 210 - 217 lbs.

snip........

i've got a pretty arthritic shoulder, so i have given up on most gym exercising in favor of now, simply walking.

---snip

just something to think about.
good luck.

Thanks for the input Overlandflyer, I was used to walking about 5 km (3 miles) daily, ( we have a golden retriever "Bella who loves to walk)
but since the hip has deteriorated over the past few years, I can hardly walk more than 1/2 km (1/3 mile). According to the surgeon, if all goes well I should be back at it with 6-8 weeks of physio.

 

[overlandflyer]

...but since the hip has deteriorated over the past few years, I can hardly walk more than 1/2 km (1/3 mile). According to the surgeon, if all goes well I should be back at it with 6-8 weeks of physio.

my hip was my first joint replacement. i know that feeling very well. i was at the point where i could barely walk a block without having to sit down and rest for a few minutes. the good news is that i was better than before the operation in less than two weeks and with the only therapy needed for a hip replacement being to walk (nothing like the knee replacement therapy), it only got better from there. just follow the "don'ts" list (don't cross your legs, etc) and you should do ok.

 

[mddolson]

On my strength days,( 2 days per week) I've reduced my reps/sets, & have been using pyramid rep/sets to move towards increasing strength.
A routing looks like this:
I start with 20 minutes light cardio (ie elliptical or arc trainer)
1 set each of
50 lbs x 15 reps (warm up)
80 lbs x 10 reps
90 lbs x 8 reps
100 lbs x 6 reps
When I have completed the routine cleanly, & feel there more in the tank, I add 10 lbs to the start weight on the next day
(ie 80+10= 90 x10, 100 x 8, 110 x 6).

I stick to compound exercises, & alternate push vs pull.
ie, Chest press, then row, lat bar pull down, then military press up, dips, then ab press

I am open to suggestions/comments for improvements.

Mike D

 

[Bflat]

I am wondering what are your goals Do you actually believe that you need to be doing power lifter super low reps to be strong and more importantly at your age? How do you perform bench press, incline press military press, latt pull down...? Are you concerned about shoulder, hip, knee, elbow, spinal health in the next 10 or even 20 years? Do you train to failure, beyond failure, do you have great form, solid mind muscle connection?

My opinion is simple, I have been weightlifting for 40 years, I am a RN so I have some education. I have many injuries because the magazines and all the sports are filled with people who do not care about long term health at all, most coaches and trainers are also un educated idiots. All they care about is the sport they identify with and burning thorough the masses to have a better record or portfolio.

My opinion since you asked is work on perfect form, use less weight, use higher reps, and never do any movement no matter how the "experts" say it is best for being big and strong. Focus on diet, doing lifts that feel great and you can see you doing 20 years from now.

 

[mddolson]

I am quite muscular,currently 216 lbs,(98 kg) 5 ft 11" tall (180 cm).
I too have some education.
I am a seasoned athlete & have trained for over 40 years.
I received my 1st black belt in judo at the age of 17, competed nationally & internationaly for 20 years & only retired in 2002, when I had my knee replacement.
I am also an active scuba diver with over 2500 logged dives. (I have been teaching scuba diving for over 30 years & just recently retired, but still dive recreational).
Of course I'm concerned about joint & spinal health!

If you had cared to read my previous posts in this thread, you'd know I have been cutting for the last two years to drop my weight down from 260 lbs. (118 kg). AKA: diet, cardio, & relatively low weights with lots of reps.
As previously posted: I have just shifted my routine to strength building, because I'm having hip replacement surgery in the end of March 2020.
I know from experience I will loose muscle mass during my recovery/rehab period.
I lost almost 2 inches in my thigh circumference in the 1st month after my TKR.

I am very in tune with my body, & it's response to stimuli.
I do not train to failure: as stated above I only increase a load when I finish the sets & I feel there's still more left in the tank.
I do strive for clean form, if it's not, then the set isn't done. (perfect is subjective IMHO)

 

[Cate]

I'm sure that you're very in tune with your body & know exactly what you can & cannot do. I very much admire your approach to your health and fitness. Dropping that 20 kg will hold you in good stead for the hip operation. That will come around soon. I'm looking forward to seeing what your program will be after you have recovered from your op.

 

[Trusylver]

I received my 1st black belt in judo at the age of 17, competed nationally & internationaly for 20 years & only retired in 2002, when I had my knee replacement.

You have made fantastic progress and you will cruise through the surgery and it is certainly not uncommon for Judoka to have knee problems, it was the cause of my needing knee surgery back when I was in my 20s after years of Judo, however as a kid I was warned that I would end up with "footballers knees"

I am also an active scuba diver with over 2500 logged dives. (I have been teaching scuba diving for over 30 years & just recently retired, but still dive recreational).

Scuba sounds fun, but as an Asthmatic I have always been told it something I should not do

 

[mddolson]

Asthma, PFO, & sinus /middle ear obstruction are all contraindications for scuba diving.

Mike D