You're kicking life's ass. You took your crappy circumstance, said "Eff this!", drew a line in the sand, and said "No more! Not me!". Following that, you actually followed through and did what you set out to do. I'd buy you beer if it wouldn't play such havoc with your BG.
With respect bordering on awe,
The Other Bill B.
I know it's been a couple of years since this thread has been responded to.
But I wanted to share the impact of this article on me.
One year ago - almost to the day, I made a decision to lose a bunch of weight. At that time it was a start of a road that would change directions a few times. I was a month short of turning 54, I was a tub of goo (5'11"/ 240 pounds with about 35% body fat), a one-time skilled, but not strong (actually very weak) "athlete", or better phrased "sports participant". I could play the major sports with some skill, and actually bowled professionally for short time. But I was never strong and never aerobically fit.
So in February 2017 I started to count calories and increase activity. I worked up my endurance through cardio and began to shed pounds (mostly in the kitchen - the cardio was help and not the cause). About 90-120 days in it became noticeable to everyone around me. Around May or so, while in the process of losing the weight (fat and muscle), I stumbled upon this article.
I got under the bar. While my weight ultimately got down to 190-195, I stopped focusing on anything resembling a "goal weight" and started to instead focus on the things I could do. At that point, I was in decent aerobic shape, but still week. I could run 5 miles at a jogging pace with no real trouble and that was cool. But I was still weak.
This article transformed my focus. I started with Strong Lifts 5x5 (oops) for a few months before (wisely) switching to Starting Strength. When the weight got heavy - for me - and recovery got slower, I reduced frequency in order to progress.
Fast forward to today. My weight is about 205-210. I am stronger and more fit than at any time ever in my life. I have more energy. When I go do a run (which I do about 25% as often as before I started lifting), it's much easier to do because of the added strength. No, I'm not running for cardio; I just do it to go out in the morning with my wife a couple of times per month, who does 1/2 marathons and such. I'll run 5 miles with very little effort. I am now squatting 275x5, dead lifting 330x5, benching 200x5, and pressing 135x5 (my Achilles heal, 135 has been my brick wall). My NLP may be getting close to running its course - at least on the presses, but I'm going to take it as far as I can and I'm going to get under the bar for as long as I can do it.
I can't stop the clock, but I'm not going to one of those guys on gurney you mentioned. I'll be 55 next month. I wish I would have started a long time ago. But I'm glad I managed to start. Thanks for a great article with enough science to keep a pseudo-scientific guy engaged and away from the cardio machines (except for the C2 rower in our gym for the 1-2 20 minute HIIT sessions each week). It's amazing how many guys my age go to our corporate gym and spend an hour walking 2.5 mph on a treadmill, while I watch them in between sets in our squat rack.
Thanks for sharing this, Silentpadna. You made my day.
Just come across this old thread.
I'm a 59 year old geezer and physician who has come to Starting Strength after a couple of years following the path of veganism and LSD cycling. I had developed reasonable cardio fitness but to what purpose. I'd become as weak and skinny as a baby deer, and about as useful. My wife could beat me at arm wrestling.
Three months into SS and I'm starting to feel like a real man. My weight is already up from 65 to 72 kg, squats have gone from 45 to 80 kg, deadlifts from 70 to 125 kg. My wife commented just the other day that my upper body is starting to get some definition and I can wear T shirts with some self respect. I used to be embarrassed by my puny arms. No-one said that the way of the barbell would be easy but I'm going to stick at it for as long as I can. My poor old Dad died last year of Parkinson's disease, a frail senile shadow of the man he used to be and I don't intend going down without a fight.
I've read the literature supporting a plant-based diet and I'm sure it's better than the current Western diet of lard and laziness but it's a path of self-denial which ends in physical weakness. I've decided that I'd rather eat meat and build muscle mass to regulate my metabolism.
And 37 years is just plain young!
Excellent. Thanks, Mike.
And, you know....spread the word.
At 49 squatting at least 3 times a week, my physician has taken me off diabetic meds, lowered the BP meds. Squats also serve as my anti-depressant too.