Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Starting to lift heavy weights at age 45 doesn't seem wise. Too much risk of injury & no need for bulk during middle age and beyond.

Have you considered adding or increasing aerobic exercise in addition to lifting moderate amounts of weight ?

Everything about this post is wrong.

Being strong later in life is extremely important because it both delays disability due to muscular weakness and provides a cushion so that you can lose strength and still be able to get around. If I can do single leg pistol squats at 60, I’m more likely to be able to get out of a chair at 85.

You can absolutely start lifting later in life without injury. Get a trainer focused on big compound movements (bench press, deadlift, squats, overhead press), start very light (empty bar) and progress slowly. Focus on form, not throwing around big weights.

No, that post was wise. Many weight lifters injure themselves and end up in extraordinary pain. I lift myself but I limit myself. You can be strong and fit without going overboard.

I expect you are confused by the use of the expression “lift heavy.” That phrase is used by lots of people specifically to refers to doing full-body, compound, barbell lifts, not lifting a bunch of weight (at least not right away). It has nothing to do with “going overboard,”. People who advocate “lifting heavy” generally use that as shorthand for a program of progressive training where you start really light, progress only as you are able, and focus obsessively on form. People who lift like that get hurt a lot less than people like my buddy who decided to start lifting at 55, went to the gym, threw some weight on a machine and pulled on it with no idea of proper form. He’s now getting should surgery. If he’d followed one of the programs advocated by people who “lift heavy”, he would have started with an empty bar and only added weight when he had mastered form.

As a guy who started at 48 and now regularly benched 250 and deadlifts 400+ at age 55, I can assure you that you can absolutely lift safely. My back and knees are much healthier than they were when I ran marathons.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Starting to lift heavy weights at age 45 doesn't seem wise. Too much risk of injury & no need for bulk during middle age and beyond.

Have you considered adding or increasing aerobic exercise in addition to lifting moderate amounts of weight ?

Everything about this post is wrong.

Being strong later in life is extremely important because it both delays disability due to muscular weakness and provides a cushion so that you can lose strength and still be able to get around. If I can do single leg pistol squats at 60, I’m more likely to be able to get out of a chair at 85.

You can absolutely start lifting later in life without injury. Get a trainer focused on big compound movements (bench press, deadlift, squats, overhead press), start very light (empty bar) and progress slowly. Focus on form, not throwing around big weights.

No, that post was wise. Many weight lifters injure themselves and end up in extraordinary pain. I lift myself but I limit myself. You can be strong and fit without going overboard.

Anonymous wrote:I've heard good things about Carolyn Girvan online.

That said, it sounds like you are new to lifting. Lifting heavy takes time to work up to. In your 40s you're also much more prone to injury (ask me how I know), so it should be slow slow progress. If you're new to lifting, I would suggest you see a trainer for a while. It's SO easy to blow out your back.

This! Start sloooooow and steady. Give yourself months to build up strength. You do NOT want to injure yourself. I would never sacrifice my body just to add unnecessary muscle mass.

I started barbell lifts at 48. I can bench 1.25X my body weight, squat 1.5 times my body weight and deadlift 2x body weight. I know others who started at my age who are much stronger than I am.

Anonymous wrote:Starting to lift heavy weights at age 45 doesn't seem wise. Too much risk of injury & no need for bulk during middle age and beyond.

Have you considered adding or increasing aerobic exercise in addition to lifting moderate amounts of weight ?

Everything about this post is wrong.

Being strong later in life is extremely important because it both delays disability due to muscular weakness and provides a cushion so that you can lose strength and still be able to get around. If I can do single leg pistol squats at 60, I’m more likely to be able to get out of a chair at 85.

You can absolutely start lifting later in life without injury. Get a trainer focused on big compound movements (bench press, deadlift, squats, overhead press), start very light (empty bar) and progress slowly. Focus on form, not throwing around big weights.

Get a Rogue rig that fits your routine.

Mike Thurston frequently has woman in his videos. Follow them.

Also this Thrst app is great.