Lift Heavy Things - Really? page 2

[neowild]

A year ago I began doing something called SimpleFit. The pullup portion of the routine destroyed my elbows and gave me something called golfer's elbow. It's kept me from doing pretty much anything all year until I picked up the book Convict Conditioning. Starting with the four recommended base step exercises and -- as the author recommends -- milking the routine and banking joint and tendon strength for later on, my elbows seem to be gaining strength and healing. So my recommendation is find some basic exercises and milk them for a few months gaining joint and tendon strength before trying to tackle lifting heavy things. There's nothing worse then starting into an exercise routine and thwarting any progress by hurting yourself.

The four basic exercises from CC are: Vertical Pulls, Shoulder Stand Squats, Wall Pushups, and Knee Tucks. Three sets of 50 each. Work your way up to that and just milk it.

I've also added four other exercises (not from CC): Prone 'Y' on a stability ball, Plank, Side-lying Leg Lift, and Side-Lying Shoulder Rotation. Three sets of planks for two minutes. The others again working up to 50 reps for three sets.

I found the last four exercises from from an MDA's Sunday Link Love article, Everything You Know About Fitness Is a Lie.

I dug these images out from a suggestion in one of the response's to Mark's Link Love post.

[itchy166]

Convict Conditioning is excellent, although the book can get a little hokey with the stories. Stronglifts 5x5 is an excellent lifting program as well. Both programs start out easy/light, and slowly but steadily progress.

I use Convict Conditioning when I am out of town and don't have access to a gym, and I do Stronglifts when I am home.

[oliviascotland]

For many years I did weight training in the gym to strengthen my lower back after breaking a vertebrae in a car crash. The training I did was heavily supervised and started very light, working my way up. Sadly, once the children turned up I stopped weight-training, and have now had to start from square one because of my previous back injury. I am lucky in that I have proper supervision and my aim (and that of my trainer) is to steadily and slowly build strength through weight training (using the machines) over the next 3 - 6 months, then progress to free weights and bodyweight exercises that I can do at home. If you have any back problems at all, make sure that any lifting you do starts light and is well supervised!

[booksbikesbeer]

Cryptocode,

I found this post really inspiring, and I'm in my 30s. I hope I can be like Gene and Loraine in a few decades.

What is Weak? | Tucson Kettlebell

[MightyMouse]

What others have said is good. I'm gonna throw out the 5/3/1 program too. The two day template works out perfectly if you want to strictly do it the "primal" way. I do 4 days a week, but I'm a powerlifter so I need more frequency/volume.

5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System for Raw Strength: Jim Wendler: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

[Neckhammer]

I'd recommend the approach in Body by Science. Great for strength training with minimal risk of injury. Here: THE BOOK »

Much more appropriate for you IMO. I do a variation of it myself.

Oh and Please don't do something silly like top loading an osteoporotic spine with weights (squats) unless you want to end up in the hospital with a compression fracture. Trust me it's a very bad idea and your chiropractor would agree with me.

[sakura_girl]

Wow, you are 75 and on these forums? You are cool Or too bored.

[ms sage]

I am a personal trainer and do NOT advise deadlifts for those with osteoporosis. You need to find a certified trainer with experience working with older adults. Be careful many "trainers " have no certification or education whatsoever. Ask to see their certification card or see if they have an exercise science degree.

A good exercise is spinal extension. Here's a rundown. Hands and knee position. Extend one arm forward and opposite leg backward. Hand is faced as if shaking hands with someone. Hold for a couple seconds and switch sides. Do 8-10 reps on each side. Do this exercise every other day. If getting up and down off the floor is difficult, then do it standing by sending one arm up (palm faced in) and opposite leg extends from hip. Really work on the reach. Hope this helps.

Sheryle