Well, I Went And Done It, Gunny...

[High_Plains_Drifter]

@Gunny... I remember somewhere in this thread you said that you'd even lift sometimes after downing a bottle of Jack, that you "had issues,"...

I'll tell ya brother, as much as I've been hitting it, I HAVE even came in from the shop a time of two after having a couple, and I'll have to tell ya, it just doesn't work for me. You gotta be an animal...

IDK... the strength ain't there, the energy ain't there, seems like I'll hurt my damn self if I pushed it.

I will tell you this though, bro, I'm on my second bottle of Prime Labs testosterone boosters, and I swear they are helping. I was ripping some curls the other day and FINALLY the next day my biceps were a little sore, whereas before it never seemed like how hard I pushed the bis, they never got sore. Same with the lats, but they were a little sore too. So the pills might be helping build bulk, and that is the idea.

[Gunny]

@Gunny... I remember somewhere in this thread you said that you'd even lift sometimes after downing a bottle of Jack, that you "had issues,"...

I'll tell ya brother, as much as I've been hitting it, I HAVE even came in from the shop a time of two after having a couple, and I'll have to tell ya, it just doesn't work for me. You gotta be an animal...

IDK... the strength ain't there, the energy ain't there, seems like I'll hurt my damn self if I pushed it.

I will tell you this though, bro, I'm on my second bottle of Prime Labs testosterone boosters, and I swear they are helping. I was ripping some curls the other day and FINALLY the next day my biceps were a little sore, whereas before it never seemed like how hard I pushed the bis, they never got sore. Same with the lats, but they were a little sore too. So the pills might be helping build bulk, and that is the idea.

@High_Plains_Drifter I've been looking for this thread because I remember you responded in it. Leave it to you to put it in Science and Health

I wouldn't recommend drinking and lifting to anyone. I was certainly setting no personal records at the time. I definitely wasn't lifting near my max. Thing is, I had to limit my lifting so I had "A workout". It was a Jack of All Trades, Master of none workout. In the early 80s I got too big for my uniforms. Twice. Expensive. Then I went on independent duty where I had to where charlies every day so my uniform had to fit every day. Plus, I had to be able to run 3 miles in 28 or less (28 is minimum to graze in with a pass). Then there's the time itself to work out.

My workout for years was tailored to fit me in my uniforms. When I retired, it was more about the time because suddenly I wasn't working out on the Corps' dime, and I was getting a Hell of a workout just being an electrician.

SO ... I could go through the motions, drinking or not. The difference between then and now is I have to actually concentrate and apply effort now.

Something else you've mentioned a couple of times I've really not commented on. I don't have an ab workout. I do different crap whenever the mood strikes for my abs. The abdominal wall is a muscle. It grows just like an other muscle with exercise. I used to do 400 situps every day before work (way back when) and wonder why I wasn't getting abs like Rambo (First Blood was new back then and suddenly put the demand on all of us to sport six packs).

Mostly, I'll do hanging leg raises from my pullup bar and it keeps my abs strong, which is my primary goal in working them.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

@High_Plains_Drifter I've been looking for this thread because I remember you responded in it. Leave it to you to put it in Science and Health

I wouldn't recommend drinking and lifting to anyone. I was certainly setting no personal records at the time. I definitely wasn't lifting near my max. Thing is, I had to limit my lifting so I had "A workout". It was a Jack of All Trades, Master of none workout. In the early 80s I got too big for my uniforms. Twice. Expensive. Then I went on independent duty where I had to where charlies every day so my uniform had to fit every day. Plus, I had to be able to run 3 miles in 28 or less (28 is minimum to graze in with a pass). Then there's the time itself to work out.

My workout for years was tailored to fit me in my uniforms. When I retired, it was more about the time because suddenly I wasn't working out on the Corps' dime, and I was getting a Hell of a workout just being an electrician.

SO ... I could go through the motions, drinking or not. The difference between then and now is I have to actually concentrate and apply effort now.

Something else you've mentioned a couple of times I've really not commented on. I don't have an ab workout. I do different crap whenever the mood strikes for my abs. The abdominal wall is a muscle. It grows just like an other muscle with exercise. I used to do 400 situps every day before work (way back when) and wonder why I wasn't getting abs like Rambo (First Blood was new back then and suddenly put the demand on all of us to sport six packs).

Mostly, I'll do hanging leg raises from my pullup bar and it keeps my abs strong, which is my primary goal in working them.

Well hey... ain't workin' out about HEALTH? ...

For the past month or so I've kinda slowed to working out every other day, sometimes 3 or 4 days in a row, and I've gained a lot of strength. I notice the benefits of lifting a lot with things I do, like running my chain saw. Last year before the gym I noticed that it felt heavier than usual, but when I recently got it out to start getting rid of an old pile of wood from trees cut down, it felt a hellova lot lighter. I enjoy more reps with less weight usually, like three sets of 20 for each exercise. My problem is the damn right triceps. I do believe I've made the tiny little bit that works, a LITTLE bit stronger, but I haven't woken up anything significant. I think those nerves and muscles are just dead for the rest of my life, and that does hold me back. I'd like to do some benches with some heavy weight, but that just isn't happening. I have to settle for doing lots of reps with less weight.

I haven't paid much attention to abs work outs. I notice that I'm usually always flexing my core all the time doing other stuff anyway. But for the most part, I have been sticking with it. I do enjoy it. Kinda turns into a habit. I knew if I put the gym in the house right under my nose, I'd use it. This Fall will be a year since I bought it. I think there's a big difference is my build already. Not so much bulk, some, but getting good definition. It'll be interesting so see the difference a year has made. I bet if I was 30 years younger and hadn't crushed nerves in my neck, I'd have packed on quite a bit of bulk already. But I'll tell ya something else, I notice that I'm in a hellova lot better shape than most guys I know my age, and in a lot better shape than a hellova lot of young people I see. So many FAT people, lard asses, just look like a friggin' bowl of jello.

[Gunny]

Well hey... ain't workin' out about HEALTH? ...

For the past month or so I've kinda slowed to working out every other day, sometimes 3 or 4 days in a row, and I've gained a lot of strength. I notice the benefits of lifting a lot with things I do, like running my chain saw. Last year before the gym I noticed that it felt heavier than usual, but when I recently got it out to start getting rid of an old pile of wood from trees cut down, it felt a hellova lot lighter. I enjoy more reps with less weight usually, like three sets of 20 for each exercise. My problem is the damn right triceps. I do believe I've made the tiny little bit that works, a LITTLE bit stronger, but I haven't woken up anything significant. I think those nerves and muscles are just dead for the rest of my life, and that does hold me back. I'd like to do some benches with some heavy weight, but that just isn't happening. I have to settle for doing lots of reps with less weight.

I haven't paid much attention to abs work outs. I notice that I'm usually always flexing my core all the time doing other stuff anyway. But for the most part, I have been sticking with it. I do enjoy it. Kinda turns into a habit. I knew if I put the gym in the house right under my nose, I'd use it. This Fall will be a year since I bought it. I think there's a big difference is my build already. Not so much bulk, some, but getting good definition. It'll be interesting so see the difference a year has made. I bet if I was 30 years younger and hadn't crushed nerves in my neck, I'd have packed on quite a bit of bulk already. But I'll tell ya something else, I notice that I'm in a hellova lot better shape than most guys I know my age, and in a lot better shape than a hellova lot of young people I see. So many FAT people, lard asses, just look like a friggin' bowl of jello.

I've been into fitness since as far back as I can remember, in one form or another. One thing has always stood out like that neon billboard in Times Square to me:

People will do the stupidest, most unhealthiest and dangerous things in the name of fitness and health. "Gym 'tards" at best are comical and at worst annoying and/or dangerous to themselves and everyone around them. I can't say I actually ever measured up to the "gym tard" level, but I have definitely done both unhealthy and seriously dangerous stuff. I would definitely include lifting and drinking in the latter.

The weight training until the past couple of years was always secondary to functional strength and endurance to me. I practiced martial arts, played basketball, kickboxed, rock-climbed, swam, ran, and just about anything that presented a physical challenge, not to mention all the Marine Corps crap I had to do The entire time I was on active duty. When I retired and decided to be an electrician, I was always hanging off crap, climbing ladders all day, humping conduit and other materiel, so I was getting my functional exercise.

My functional exercise now consists of chasing a soon-to-be 2 years old all day and if you don't think that'll do it for ya, give it a shot I have always been of the opinion that muscle that doesn't work isn't worth much. Kinda like having a 350 under the hood and a a transmission from an AMC Pacer. If you can't get that power to the ground it's just a lot of noise.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

I've been into fitness since as far back as I can remember, in one form or another. One thing has always stood out like that neon billboard in Times Square to me:

People will do the stupidest, most unhealthiest and dangerous things in the name of fitness and health. "Gym 'tards" at best are comical and at worst annoying and/or dangerous to themselves and everyone around them. I can't say I actually ever measured up to the "gym tard" level, but I have definitely done both unhealthy and seriously dangerous stuff. I would definitely include lifting and drinking in the latter.

The weight training until the past couple of years was always secondary to functional strength and endurance to me. I practiced martial arts, played basketball, kickboxed, rock-climbed, swam, ran, and just about anything that presented a physical challenge, not to mention all the Marine Corps crap I had to do The entire time I was on active duty. When I retired and decided to be an electrician, I was always hanging off crap, climbing ladders all day, humping conduit and other materiel, so I was getting my functional exercise.

My functional exercise now consists of chasing a soon-to-be 2 years old all day and if you don't think that'll do it for ya, give it a shot I have always been of the opinion that muscle that doesn't work isn't worth much. Kinda like having a 350 under the hood and a a transmission from an AMC Pacer. If you can't get that power to the ground it's just a lot of noise.

I took a little Martial Arts when I was in the Air Force, but I've probably forgotten more than I learned... I was always pretty active too. Played all the different phases of baseball from old enough to play up to Little League. Never played Pony League which included ages up into their twenties. I was too preoccupied with being a hoodlum. I thought that was the cool thing to do because they all liked cars and motorcycles. But, that was just a phase. My favorite was Wrestling. I wrestled for six years in high school. What I found so appealing was that you got matched up with someone that weighed the same as you.

My life changed when I joined the Air Force. That kinda put most things in perspective, but I sure did my share of partying and drinking, but at the same time, that's when I first started lifting. I didn't always have a gym or weights available after the AF so there were years when I didn't, but it was always on my mind. I never had a "sit down" job in my life though. I worked, physically, construction, the rail road, maintenance, all the way up to my last job with Harley Davidson. Never once did I have a job that was to go in and sit my ass down in a chair at a desk. That would have drove me crazy. I really liked helping my electrician buddy. Good honest work, and you're right, it's a lot of up and down on ladders, and squatting down and getting back up.

My lifting now is more to just stay in shape and keep what I have. I know though I can push it and probably could bulk up a bit. I don't think I'm too old not to. After seeing the gains I've made in the last six months, I know it just depends on how hard I want to hit it. And I agree about the 350 and a shitty transmission. I always figured there's two kinds of muscle, the kind you build from working your ass off, and the kind you build from pumping iron. I don't think they're the same.

[LongTermGuy]

Blessed with Good genes and height ...lean...in shape...Light weights for speed...stretching for agility and balance....

[High_Plains_Drifter]

@Gunny Well, I'm always reading and learning about lifting, and recently about importance to not lift the same muscles every day. They need a day off because that's when muscle growth happens. Also that if you want to put on size you really need to push it. You need to lift heavy and completely burn down your muscles to the point where you can't lift any more. There's a word for that state of your muscles but it escapes me right at the moment.

But I'll tell ya, if I was 25 years old again, with the amount of lifting I've done in the last year and half, I'd be starting to look like AHH-nold. But, at 64, it's pretty freakin' hard to pack on size. That's not to say I haven't though because I have. You just have to work twice as hard to get half as much. I can feel it though, and it's pretty obvious this old fuck lifts. Gettin' cut pretty well and getting stronger. Stronger than I thought I'd be able to also. Been adding weight and surprised I can lift it.

Lift for life.