A late start. (Kinda long)

[Bruce190]

I'm a 61 year old guy with a long history of injuries. Because of a motorcycle accident in 1972 I nearly lost my leg. I've had 12 surgeries from skin grafts to bone grafts etc. and fortunately I still have the leg. I was a good athlete in my youth but for these past 20 years or so running and jumping have been out. Because I'm an exercise junkie I turned myself into a pretty good long distance cyclist. I thought cycling was the only sport that would have me. I don't limp on a bicycle. I've done some strength training in the past, but whenever I attempted to do the big compound lifts I would get hurt, mostly because of a significant leg length discrepancy and muscle imbalances. When the weather got cold a couple of months ago I could not bear the thought of another winter spent riding the bicycle trainer in the basement. I starting thinking that I'd like to gain some weight to stay warm during the cold months. Cycling is about strength to weight, and while improving my sustainable power on the bike was getting increasing difficult I could always lose more weight. At 5'10" I weighed 152#, and I'm not happy about having lost so much strength in my pursuit of cycling excellence. I wanted to gain the weight in the right way though, so I got back in the weight room. I found this website at about the same time (a month or so ago) and the approach used by Rip and the other coaches made sense to me. Somewhere on this site Rip said that if strict form is maintained that these lifts could still be done and strength imbalances would self correct. I really wanted to squat. I bought the book. I had some shoes modified to accommodate my funky leg issues and I found a coach. Went to see Karl Schudt last week and got some great instruction on how to perform the squat safely and with good depth. We went over the other lifts too. Thanks Karl. This is week one on the program Karl gave me. For the first time in my life I'm doing squats and deads. I'm stoked! Karl told me I should eat my way up to 190# hence the 190 in my moniker. Thanks to everyone on this site for sharing your knowledge and experiences and for inspiring me. I hope to become a part of the community.

Bruce

[Karl Schudt]

At least 190, Bruce.

Welcome! Will be watching your progress with interest.

[Bruce190]

Hi Karl.

I'm putting the pressure on you by doing exactly what you told me to do.
And 190 is only 25# away.

[Joe Murphy]

Welcome, Bruce. Karl's a good dude.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Always good to see another geezer on the right road. Welcome!

[Dave Klopp]

Good luck Bruce.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Palos, a truly nice place nestled amongst the Southern tier of the forest preserves.

[Bruce190]

Thanks guys.

I gotta say - I'm not crazy about the geezer category, for the same reason I let my handicapped parking placard lapse. I don't need the help. I don't need the excuse, I and don't want to think of myself as either a geezer or as handicapped. It all starts in your head. Mike Ditka has said a lot of goofy stuff but this I like; "If you hang out w/cripples long enough, pretty soon you start to walk w/a limp." I know I'm late to the party but I think we should call ourselves something else.

keep tryn
I've done a fair amt of cycling down your way. Some roads w/hills, and lots of great trails in the forest preserves.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Nah, embrace the geezerdom. We earned these scars and grey hairs.

Ditka's a great guy despite his recent Overstock commercials, but I don't think of myself as a cripple. Because I'm not. Age is no barrier, just one more obstacle to overcome or adversary to subdue.

[Oldman]

Welcome, Bruce! I agree with Hurling: I've embraced my inner geezer.