Quote Originally Posted by High_Plains_Drifter View Post
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.