Grey Steel Videos

[George Christiansen]

Like I said, I'm not going to argue about it.

OTOH, I'll point out that the Traditional definition means that an 8-year old at a Little League game is an "athlete," but George, Mark, Rip, you and I are not.

I find that....interesting.

How much does that little shit bench?

[Jonathon Sullivan]

LOL! Does it matter? He's the athlete. We're just...gym rats.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Like I said, I'm not going to argue about it.

OTOH, I'll point out that the Traditional definition means that an 8-year old at a Little League game is an "athlete," but George, Mark, Rip, you and I are not.

I find that....interesting.

In my case, you are mistaken. I have competed in 6 USPA meets since 2013. Given the rarity of geezers in the 60+ raw heavyweight divisions, I have won 6 golds, and set 2 California state records (untested and drug tested) and 1 national (tested) record.

I am now training for masters highland games. I just gotta make or buy some implements like a hammer, rocks, pitchfork, and caber. Along with finding some other idiots to train the implements with. Besides, it's a great excuse for a wee dram after competing for recovery.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

In my case, you are mistaken. I have competed in 6 USPA meets since 2013. Given the rarity of geezers in the 60+ raw heavyweight divisions, I have won 6 golds, and set 2 California state records (untested and drug tested) and 1 national (tested) record.

I am now training for masters highland games. I just gotta make or buy some implements like a hammer, rocks, pitchfork, and caber. Along with finding some other idiots to train the implements with. Besides, it's a great excuse for a wee dram after competing for recovery.

Mark, would you say that competition is the primary reason you train?

[George Christiansen]

I am now training for masters highland games. I just gotta make or buy some implements like a hammer, rocks, pitchfork, and caber. Along with finding some other idiots to train the implements with. Besides, it's a great excuse for a wee dram after competing for recovery.

I am hoping to try this next year too. Maybe it is silly, but I have 500lb deadlift as a benchmark before I will let myself cut back on the lifting priority to train the skill aspect.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Mark, would you say that competition is the primary reason you train?

I have lifted on and off since high school. At first to be better in football and the field events of shotput and discus. When in college, to be stronger on the mat during the four years I competed in NCAA Judo. In those instances it was as an athlete.

When in LE, as a skillset to improve my performance on the street. Along with MA and competitive combat handgun shooting. I was NOT an athlete at that point.

After I moved on to other areas of security when I didn't work the street or carry a gun, I continued to lift. Mainly for vanity and bragging rights. My on and off with other MA was just something I did to keep myself and others safe. No more competing at that point for me, I didn't want any more of the concussions, broken bones, and dislocations I had from Judo in college.

NOW, I've come full circle as an athlete again. Although I doubt I would have considered competing in powerlifting until stef at a seminar coached my DL to a level that convinced me I could at least place in a meet. So I did. A few months ago I took stock of my medals and decided that while I enjoyed the camaraderie of a meet and the focus preparing for one gave my training, what did I have left to prove in that arena? So I shifted my focus.

I guess I'm not your average bear in this respect. I have never been a spectacular athlete, but a dogged and persisent one. Prior to geezerish triumphs on the platform the pinnacle of my high school achievements was all-conference honorable mention and getting eliminated in the 2nd round of the NCAA regionals in Judo.

I DO also lift to keep healthy and compress the window of morbidity that I know is coming in a couple of decades or a little less. Absent a serious accident on my Harley (as he touched wood) of course. Another full circle from the past I've come to. My larger point is that at least in my case, I've shifted in and out of motivations for lifting. Hence my own opinion on training and athletics.

[MBasic]

I am curious, after watching Sully's most recent video, how people view bodybuilders and their subgroups?

They clearly train and work hard, if not obsessively, but their actual competition has zero to do with actual physical performance at the event, aside from maybe their posing performance.

kinda put off by general "athlete" reference for people just lifting/strength training as their primary means of EXERCISE to keep from dying a pathetic death.
Some kind of self-congratulatory term.

If it is a person training to compete is Masters Powerlifter or WL'er or B'Builder or Crossfit or whatever. . . then fine.
But that's not what the Barbell Rx (and Grey Steel vids) book was for (competitors).
It's so old(er) people can get more out of their exercise or program so they can get the fuck out of their own way as they age.

Also,
Exercise already has a definition that works for DTP:

1
a : the act of bringing into play or realizing in action : use the exercise of self-control
b : the discharge of an official function or professional occupation exercise of his judicial duties
c : the act or an instance of carrying out the terms of an agreement (such as an option) —often used attributively an option's exercise price
2
a : regular or repeated use of a faculty or bodily organ
b : bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness trying to get more exercise
3
: something performed or practiced in order to develop, improve, or display a specific capability or skill arithmetic exercises vocal exercises
4
: a performance or activity having a strongly marked secondary or ulterior aspect
party politics has always been an exercise in compromise — H. S. Ashmore
5
a : a maneuver, operation, or drill carried out for training and discipline naval exercises
b exercises plural : a program including speeches, announcements of awards and honors, and various traditional practices of secular or religious character commencement exercises

We are developing and improving our strength capability. period. So its a form of exercise.

I find it funny people get crucified on the boards for "screwing up" adaption/adaptation . . . and same the peeps that can't wrap their mind around the word "supercompensation" and/or feel it's necessary to reinvent (the wheel) definitions for "exercise" and "training".

Do you even english?

I conceded my punctuation is terrible.

[Mark E. Hurling]

But that's not what the Barbell Rx (and Grey Steel vids) book was for (competitors).

While I agree with many of your points, there was in fact a program in that book and advice for old farts who compete in powerlifting on pages 274-275.

[George Christiansen]

I find it funny people get crucified on the boards for "screwing up" adaption/adaptation . . . and same the peeps that can't wrap their mind around the word "supercompensation" and/or feel it's necessary to reinvent (the wheel) definitions for "exercise" and "training".

People are dicks and will find reasons to be them. That is why we act like dicks on this board.

The language issue is that people speak in the semantics of their tribe. This board, the interwebz, and multiculturalism in general has brought many people from many different tribes together who are trying to communicate difficult ideas to each other well.

So we are all trying to create a common language with the same semantic understandings among this tribe. The words will have different meanings in different contexts and tribes.

The arguing shows how actually open minded most of us are rather than the opposite......but we're still dicks.

[MBasic]

People are dicks and will find reasons to be them. That is why we act like dicks on this board.

The language issue is that people speak in the semantics of their tribe. This board, the interwebz, and multiculturalism in general has brought many people from many different tribes together who are trying to communicate difficult ideas to each other well.

So we are all trying to create a common language with the same semantic understandings among this tribe. The words will have different meanings in different contexts and tribes.

The arguing shows how actually open minded most of us are rather than the opposite......but we're still dicks.

well said. Especially the dick part.

AS far as BodyBuilders (to your original question) . . .

. . . it's a subjective sport. No different than dancing, gymnastics, etc.

Sport is judged by how things ("athletes") look.

As faggy* as it is, I give them a pass.

* acceptable definition per link