I just saw BB King in concert a few weeks back here on the island. Incredible performance, especially considering it was given by a man in his 80's.

Back to lifting: Blasted my traps tonight peaking with 2 reps at 685.

I'd be careful trying to hit 400lbs. Depending on your build (and your age) it could pose a risk to other parts of your body if not in tune with overbuilt chest shoulders and arms.

My max was 300 in college but now I'm over the ego thing of the bench press. I aim for overall fitness, core, cardio and agility. I still lift free weights but my bench is only mixed in once a week and typically do not go over 225.

At 43, I'm 5'11" 200lbs, play ice hockey twice a week, ski 10-15 times a year, ride the bike and do a varied workout 2-3 times a week. My goal is to still kick ass on the 20-30 yr olds I play and ski with.

Trying not to preach but To live a longer healther life (and still "perform" with all those chicks) I would get off the bench, mix in a team sport, focus on core and lose 30lbs. Get on a plan and it will change your life. You'll be looking like Laird Haimilton before you know it!

Interesting article here:

http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/fitness/The-Best-Shape-of-Your-Life.php

During that same period I used to Squat 585 that's 6 plates on each side, enough to cause the bar to bend so far you had to shackle the plates on or they would fall off during the squat. That pissed the big boys off too. I was built like a pit bull, compact full of muscles and powerful.

It did not hurt that I used to be a small airfield Lineman all through High School, pulling and pushing Cessna's and Pipers all day long will do wonders to your core and legs.

I have a bulging disk in my L1 to pelvis and just recently began squatting again, I am up to a very cautious 325 and if my doc knew what I was doing he would kill me. I just worked my core for months before I started squatting again. I do not know if I will go much higher because I can feel 325 a lot and I do not want to tweak anything.

I usually do 7-10 sets of squats working up slowly then back down. By the time I am done I am spent.

My big heavy lifting days are over, I just do this to stay in shape and keep the weight off,

That is freaking outstanding, but there are very few people under 200 that can squat over 500. Most of the guys (aside from the regular rats) at my gym are the pretty boys who want big biceps and pecs that can bounce.

I had a little incident almost 2 years ago on a bike that left my wrist looking like the dudes head from the hellraiser movie. Pins everywhere, my thumb was only attached by 2 flaps of skin. When I went for a followup at 18 months the doc asked how it was doing. Straight faced, I replied "It hurts a little when I lift over 500" Straight faced he replied back " your wrist is the least of your worries"

350 this week on the old bench press.

I took up swimming again a month ago. I haven't swam in ten years. I don't remember it being so exhausting. After the first couple of sessions I was sore in places I didn't know that I could be sore. I've put on 10 pounds in the last month (264 now) and my waist has shrank two inches. So in other words, I'm starting to get thinner and pack on more muscle.

I'm up to doing 24 laps in an hour. 36 laps is a mile. I still can't do the crawl for more than a lap at a time--I only have one speed: really fast and I'm panting by the end of a lap. I've been sticking mostly to sidestroke, breaststroke, and resting backstroke. I've been practicing how far I can go to without breathing (to build lung capacity), and I can do a little more than half a length.

I'm tuning down on core for a while. I hit all my main goals. 545 with reasonably good form deadlifts and I hit 945 on power shrugs. With a little ingenuity and a few tow straps I managed to single rep 1 ton on the leg press (44plates and 2-10's). I'm doing a lot of reverse curls and bag work with dumbells in my hands. It's insane on the forearms. I'm at 284 now and a little over 1% lower BF than this time last year. I'd like to drop another 3-4% and maintain my weight.

What's sad is you're bench is better than mine. I've got stong triceps and decently built pecs, I just can't put em togethor.

It's all about the coordination at this weight.

I'm sure if you put your mind to it, you could be near me within a few months, you just have to build the muscle memory more than anything.

College Football's 335 defensive alignment:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._green.svg.png


:D

Been plateaued at 355 for a few months.

No big deal. Better to take it slow than get injured. ;)

hi chris, although not employed as one, i maintain my strength coaching cert..with a little more of your history, i'll share info that will help your goal, especially if it's building strength. curious though, do you periodize your training? that is, do you work heavy for say, 6 weeks, then perhaps light with higher reps for a period, then moderate weights/moderate reps? i would also recommend working exclusively with dumbbells for periods of time to give your shoulders a break. years and years of strict barbell training is relatively harder on this joint than with the greater freedom of movement with dumbbells.

also, a little thing, but often overlooked..you mention starting your workout with cardio. i would change that..start with 5-10 mins of treadmill to get your heart rate up some, then workout..then do your half-hour cardio routine. you'll find you'll be stronger for your workout..plus doing your workout will utilize a great deal of blood sugar..by the time you finish your workout and begin cardio, you'll be that much farther into true 'fat-burning zone'. also..proper breathing is almost always where i used to start with someone in performing strength-training. a person may often get away with poor breathing technique working with lighter weights, but it's absolutely critical for maximum performance when you're working at 85% of your one rep max and beyond.

great work so far! keep it up..get plenty of quality nutrition, quality rest, always have a spotter that knows what they're doing..keep it periodized, will help keep it fun. gains are made in small amounts throughout the year..you set specific goals and spread out the weekly increases in order to achieve them, making small adjustments as necessary..but nonetheless the greatest gains are achieved very methodically.
best,
ryan

I do three weeks on and one week off. For my week off I do no weight lifting--only cardio. My goal isn't so much strength as general fitness. Over the 15 years I've been lifting weights, I've just changed little things here and there as I've noticed pain or persistent fatigue. Some of the changes I've made in the last year is I've moved to using wrist-support gloves. I also now place a 2x4x10 board on my chest when lifting heavy (over 300 lbs.). This helps reduce stress on my shoulders.

I realize I could do things differently to maximize my strength, but strength alone is not my goal. The simple fact is that if I don't do cardio first, I won't get around to doing it. And it's more like an hour of cardio I do now.

As for nutrition, that's where I really fall down. I could eat much better, but I love food!

hi chris, i see..still good strength numbers for someone who's not focusing in that specifically. your height/weight combo do give you a good basis for it, though. i'm 6'2" and most of my own strength training body weight was between 230-250 lbs...over 242 for competition. it's hard to provide good tips without working directly with someone, and perhaps you didn't actually ask now that i think back..lol. maybe you were just reporting the accomplishments..and again, kudos to you..in my case, today at 43, what brings me into the gym is more often the psychological benefits..and i'm gradually shifting to a more 'general fitness' program myself. it's hard to recognize strength changes associated with age. i shouldn't complain, though..i had a great run of it in the gym. anyway, if i can ever help with a tip, don't hesitate to write or shoot a pm..i don't bench 440 anymore today, but i can still unload it from the bar.. ;)

First, I applaud your effort. I was caught up in weight lifting in the 70's and 80's (body building's "golden years") to the point of lifting 6-7 days a week and benching 370lbs weighing 215lbs. Shoulder problems and torn rotators have ended all this. This period of intense lifting lasted from when I was 13 until I was 30. I look back at it like I was an addict and can't understand what exactly I was trying to achieve. I am naturally thin and have spent the last 10 years whittling down to now being in the 170's. I can't see any advantage of adding muscle mass at a later age unless you are competing some event or simply like how you look. Has anyone seen any recent pictures of the Governor lately with his "man boobs"? I have a pending shoulder operation on hold since it hasn't effected my normal routine. Nothing wrong with being in shape and lifting has many benefits. I think you just need to be careful of adding weight in later years.

Oh, I'm fully aware that the party will end at some point. I'm fully expecting to switch to a more cardio/dumbell oriented routine in the future. I just don't know when.

I have a buddy that could rep 385 9 times in 3 sets, I used to go with him just to watch the reaction of the other lifters Legions size, they'd split almost right away , Don is 5'5" and weighs about 137 lbs, sounds like BS I know but I saw it. When I told him that he was breaking the world and olympic records for his weight class everytime he went to the gym and that he could have had money and chicks ( all he's ever wanted ) and been paid to train he almost cried, He's in his 50's now and doesn't go over about 290 cause of a shoulder injury, not from lifting. He'd do his first set at 285 and I would do mine with the bar alone everytime I went to the gym with him I would end up putting on more weight for him and taking it off for me than I would ever lift during my work out. It was amazing to see and pound for pound the strongest guy I've ever met

Yes you would get your ass kicked swiftly. I'd b***** slap you all the way across the street.

I'm kidding of course and, being a massive 165 lbs myself with 51 years' experience and the ability to almost put my socks on without sitting down, I'd probably make a good door mat for you. But the really pathetic thing is that you're an ideological chicken**** and not even reading this since I'm surely still on your Ignore List. Pump that iron. And be sure to protect yourself against reading things that might make you think about stuff.

i have a jar of olives that i cannot open...maybe one day, if you are in the bay area....

335 is sick. 700 leg press is more sick.

this topic reminds me of an art project i wanted to do... i was going to set up a machine..squats probably, maybe the leg press machine. then set up a series of strobs and take portraits of people lifting heavy weights. just face shots. i was working out at Gold's gym at the time in SF. management said cool, but the clientele at the joint was 95%, gay, and very very vain. i got zero takers.

i still may do the project as a hobby. it would be effen awesome. i need a nitty gritty, grundgy gym with a bunch of roughnecks.

I've put up a thousand before.

And it only took me nine reps to do it.

Is that some kind of euphemism?