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I Have to Train | Jim Steel
I have always wondered why some people find such fascination with training, specifically for strength and/or aesthetics, while others never catch the Iron Bug. I am trying to think of the people that I have trained with over the years, and if they are still working out with weights, and I can't come up with any of my high school friends or junior college friends, and only a few senior college friends who still train.
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Man, I love this guy's articles ! I can relate to everything in this one. I'm the only sole in my circle of friends and family that really trains and feel like I'm on an island. I am also done trying to convince others of the benefits of weight training as it seems to be a fruitless effort.
Member
Jim
I completely relate to what you are saying. Missing a day IS NOT AN OPTION. I train in the morning 530am monday through saturday. It has the ability to magnify the greatness of your day. I cannot imagine what it is like to not have this as an integral part of your being. I weight train and row during the week. thanks for sharing your experiences.
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Hey Jim, I'm 57 and I feel like I am in my prime. Everybody my age looks and feels like crap. They ask me why I don't. I got tired of telling them because they just walk off with their head down. Now i just tell them "genetics" and walk away. Everybody wants to be a beast until it's time to do what beasts do. Have a great day and keep pumpin'.Originally Posted by stef
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Yeah, Rip was just on a YouTube video of Starting Strength Radio clips where he talked about this very same phenomenon among the 60-ish demographic. (I'm 56).
✓ Member
Same here. Almost 57.
The number of peers getting (multiple) shoulder, knee, back, and hip surgeries, is amazing. Politely suggesting that they might not need surgery, or that they don't take years to recover from is heresy. You watch them hobble around before and after. Especially the runners. One guy once asked what I recommended for exercising his wonky shoulders. I started to tell him about barbell presses, and before I could finish my sentence (really a single sentence), he interrupted me and said he was a special case and his therapist told him to never lift anything above his head. Before HE could finish, I cut him off and said, "well then don't fucking ask me". Honestly, I've had better conversations with the younger crowd then the 50plus geriatrics.
My weightlifting belt is embroidered with BCHARLES > 50. I thought of treating myself to a new belt at 60, but I may just take a sharpie to it. Either way, there is very little chance my PR lifts won't be higher at 60 and there is no chance I won't let people know my age. It's an immature little dig, but my maturity has not really progressed since I was 20.
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A kindred spirit across the globe.
That could have been written by me (except for the training in the morning part, that's not me!).
Do I think less of people if they don't lift weights? Yes, I do.All of that crap is okay with me. Just keep making the excuses while you get weaker by the minute.
I'll keep training as the years go on
Member
Article is a succinct expression of a man's need to be strong and I appreciate its author's resolve. I did not realize the benefits of barbell and Starting Strength until three years ago at age 69, although have trained in a variety of styles since my late 20's. I stay on the three day rest schedule and train using the SS app program. I train alone and no matter how tired I may feel before I get under the bar for warm-up sets, I am into the challenge after one 20kg warm-up set and always feel energized after the programmed worksets. I do not know anyone even close to my age who does barbell training and everyone I may speak to about training tells me that I am too old to be doing squats and deadlifts. I never push anyone about my enthusiasm for training and consider it my personal challenge and reward. At this stage in my life I am not trying to prove anything to others, just to myself. I realize that I will not achieve the lifts of a 30, 40 or 50 year old who trains regularly who is my size, which is 6', 205 lbs. or even much lighter. Despite rotator cuff repair 12 years ago, distal biceps tendon repair 9 years ago, right and left knee meniscus repairs about ten years ago and left and right carpal tunnel release surgery a bit over a year ago, I will not stop training. I just cannot.
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