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Thread: Never lifted a barbell untill i was over 40

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Posts
    43

    Default Never lifted a barbell untill i was over 40

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    Jan 17th 2017.
    First time id walked into a gym. What possessed me. Well i think it might have been losing an arm wrestle to my 16 year old niece. "Uncle, your weakest man i know" she giggled. I laughed too, but i was also a little stung cause she was right. I stood 5ft 7.5 weighed 138lbs. 15.5 inch neck. 36 chest 28 waist 12.5 upper arms at flex with 6 inch wrist, small shoulders and lets not even mention the legs that hadn't seen the sun for almost two decades i was 40, penciled necked, skinny assed, with the legs of a chicken and 41 in the second week of feb. So fuck it, i decided i was not going to let that whippersnapper of a niece beat me again so I'm going to go and start lifting weight. Be a gym rat, it'll suit my face. Anyhoo, after trawling the interweb I come across a wealth of information and routines and did not know wherw the fuck to start. But starting strength resonated with me more than any of the other programmes (well to be honest it was Mr Mark Ripetoes wit in his YouTube videos that struck an accord).
    Anyhoo my 1st session consisted of the
    Squat 40 kg 3 x 5
    Bench 40 kg 3 x 5
    Deadlift 60kg 1 x 5
    Using the obligatory warm up. Gods, i was weak. The next day and for the following week my legs was in so much pain i was using deep heat and pain killers just to sleep. in retrospect i think i should have started with the bar, we live and we learn and I've learnt a lot since then It's now Aug and i have stuck with the programme throughout. I've had my problems. It took months to get my form on the squat as good as i can being self taught (still not sure if it is correct, gym full of "know it alls" at times) and was not deep enough for a good few months and needed to reset. Had my grip too close and with terribly inflexible shoulders this caused tennis elbow and bicep tendinitis in my left arm. Still niggles in my left shoulder now and this has slowed my LP. But i reset and worked through them. I was gullity of pulling on the deadlift raher than pushing with legs. E.t.c . Finally got a copy and dvd of starting strengh, no shit that helped (something else i should have done on day one) So how am i doing now. Well I'm still a skinny MF just don't look like the road runner anymore. My waist is now 34 inch round the navel look like a right little fatty i actually wear a mans belt now rather than having my pants held up by a bracelet. Chest 40, upper arms 14. at flex, 16 neck most my gains has gone on my legs have worn shorts for the first time
    Weight is 161lbs around 73kg. Yea i know im still skinny and need to keep eating more. My lifts are now
    squat 102.5kg 3x 5
    Bench 70kg 3 x5
    Deadlift 125kg 1x5
    Press 50 kg 1 x5 1x4 1 x2
    Clean 57.5kg 5 x3

    Ive reset a few times due to injuries as mentioned and not being able to progress. I wear a belt with the squat but my middle weekly session is at 80kg unbelted. The deadlift is using a normal grip, thinking of using an alternate now as grip is really strugling, got a weal grip and small hands Left shoulder is an obvious weakness on the bench you can visible see my arm shake as I'm grinding out the last few reps on my last set. I eat a shit more food per day than i ever have and I'm glad i took this up. Yes after 7 months i would have liked to have made more progress on the lifts and on my bodyweight. But saying that i feel a damn site lot better and I'm challenging myself to at least put another 25 kg on the squat in the next 10 weeks. Should have started this 20 years ago . Well better late than never.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Dallas
    Posts
    211

    Default

    Congrats on the progress. You didn't die and you didn't quit. Try the hook grip for deadlift.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    STL(ish)
    Posts
    584

    Default

    Congrats on your progress. Don't be afraid to post videos for form checks in the coachs' Q&A forum, or in the facebook group. Stick with it and best of luck!

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