Thread: Lucky at 43

Hi : )

This seems like a nice place.

I've started working out again after 20yrs. I'm 43, 5' 9", 216lbs, and have had very rapid growth with even fat loss. I'm gaining muscle and dropping fat! I started 3.5 months ago at 214lbs with 2 workouts a week the first 2 months. My workouts are a little odd but what worked for me in my 20s works now too. This what I'm up to:

Mon and Thurs: shoulder press, rowing, bench and pull downs with pre exhaustion work before each.

Tues and Fri: sit ups, lower back(includes physical therapy exercises) , curls, triceps and squats

I'm big on stretching before and after workouts(funny that no one else at my gym is!?) I like to do five reps, add weight, five reps, add weight.. until I fail, then it's do 5 reps, take away weight, 6 reps, take away, 7 reps... 15 reps and done. I don't know what that is called but I like to call it pyramid burnouts. Seems to give me, strength, muscle bulk and endurance. It could just be that I'm lucky. My 17yr old 5' 115lb only child daughter took a weight class in school and 1/2 way through had all the school's records for all girls beaten by a good measure. So I guess we are both lucky!! That made me very happy BTW : ). Anyhow, sit ups, lower back and squats.. I like 20 or more rep sets. For much of my work I use machines because it is much faster and I like that. I like my workouts to be kind of one 45min off and on cardio with rest and long bursts of work. I'm starting to max out the machines so in a month or so I'll be changing what I do. I love the way I do it now but I'll be looking for ideas on other productive fast workouts I'd enjoy. I really don't have any goals like I use to have.... getting buffed, being noticed, picking up chicks, making bigger people afraid etc. I just like to push myself and I feel good after working out. I think it helps with day to day stress too. I've also had back trouble and need the preventive work on that.

I think I could also do better with how I eat. I eat to much processed foods. This may sound strange but.. after not being able to gain weight I enjoy having a little extra on my gut. In my late 20s I was an ill 155 for a time. It took a lot of beer and junk food to get my now prized good old average middle aged gut. It's hard to see it slowly melt. Now that I'm getting back on track I think it's time to eat better. At my best at about 23 I was a chiseled 198. I'd like to be about a pretty lean 205 by next year.

I stopped working out in my twenties because I'd eat 6000+cal a day and lose weight. It just wasn't working. I FINALLY found out I was VERY hyperthyroid. That was some 5yrs after trying to figure out what was wrong with multiple doctors looking in ALL the wrong places. Now I have no thyroid and take 200MCG of Synthroid each day. In other words I still have a high metabolism. One strange thing I've noticed is that I'm having aggressive feelings that I thought I out grew. I'm nice and very level headed so all are safe. But I'll be asking my doctor who is an endocrinologist about that at my next yearly. I'm guessing working out makes you release more testosterone? I'll also be interested to see how working out effects my TSH(thyroid stimulating hormone). Anyhow thanks for giving me a place to put my thoughts into words.


Kraig

P.S. I'm a very active salmon and steelhead fisher and am in Olympia Wa.

: )

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