Fat, Bald, and D@%n Near 50

Training Over 35 Lifter
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I figured I better start my own thread, since I jump in and comment on so many others.

By hel320’s category I’m a has been, wanna be again, former bodybuilder, turned oly lifter, turned bouncer, that matured and got a real job in the family business after college. After a 20 + year hiatus I have returned to the gym, fatter, balder, and damn near 50.

My journey was restarted after a sales trip to Vietnam. My colleagues gave me hell, deservedly so, about my health. I was topping out at 284lbs on blood pressure pills, cholesterol meds, a diabetes pill and a nightly sleeping pill. I’m a physical mess, the kind folks right obesity articles in the Wall Street Journal. I am the guy that causes health insurance premiums to skyrocket.

So after 7 days of brow beating in Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon as I remember on the CBS Evening News) coupled with an impassioned speech I heard from a Dr. Martin Blacker I joined a gym again. 28 years after joining my first gym in Boone, NC.

27 years after I wanted to be a college football player, 27 years after I figured out I would never make the team, and 26 years after I found out being strong as hell gets you a job at a college bar and that is a helluva good place to meet girls.

Of course it was 23 years after lifting my last bar bell. Life, careers, marriage, and fatherhood took a front seat to my health. I learned to cook and cook well. I ate and drank myself to relieve the stress of earning a living in an industry I have no control over profit margins, markets or real control over operations. I needed a different avenue; I am fat, bald, damn near 50 and dying by leaps and bounds. I had to change.

The transformation has begun. I am 34 lbs lighter due to diet and exercise. I am in the gym 6 or 7 times a week. I have a whole body big muscle group weight plan I am working on. My cholesterol is down to 189 from 220. I am arguing with my Doc over testosterone levels and my wife about working out.

I get pissed when I have a bad day at the gym. I’m stronger and feel better than I can remember. I have something I can control.

So this is the beginning of my story. I will be ranting and raving, self criticizing and seeking it from the rest of the crowd. I’m an over 35 weightlifter (sorta) Damn that feels good again!

Oh and had a shitty work out in the soccer mom gym today. But more about that later, as well as the routines that are not logs, but more documentation of my progress.

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[quote]j_willy3 wrote:
The transformation has begun. I am 34 lbs lighter due to diet and exercise. I am in the gym 6 or 7 times a week. I have a whole body big muscle group weight plan I am working on. My cholesterol is down to 189 from 220. I�??m arguing with my Doc over testosterone levels and my wife about working out. I get pissed when I have a bad day at the gym. I’m stronger and feel better than I can remember. I have something I can control.
[/quote]

Sounds like you are on your way back. Good work and welcome to the REVOLT, brother!

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Cool deal!

You may not know that fat produces estrogen and aromatase. As you drop the fat, your testosterone levels will automatically go up. After you get lean, get retested and then see where you’re at.

Don’t underestimate the difficulty of what you’re doing. Changing your lifestyle is literally impossible for the vast majority of people. You will have setbacks and doubts (I know because I’ve been there) so just keep the faith and when you fall, get back up and keep plugging away.

The man who will not accept defeat can never be defeated.

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Thanks happydog. I have been reading many of your posts on testosterone. You have spurred some lively debate down here in the back waters of eastern N.C. However some of my doctor friends of my generation share the same views of the members here.

That being said I am going to switch my docs around.

As you have said lifestyle changes are daunting. And like a good or a bad marriage they are a struggle every day! But as I told my wife I�??m fat, bald and damn near 50. The thing I can change with the least investment is the fat part.

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Cool deal! I’ll be watching and commenting with great interest. I saw myself on the way to how you describe yourself just last year so in many ways you and I are twinned. Congrats on your accomplishments to date and keep kickin’ butt from here on out!

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Good deal! Glad you decided to jump in. Will definitely be following your progress.

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Thanks for the support guys!

Let me start by saying I train in a soccer mom gym. There is only 600 sqft of space. There are 2 bikes, 2 elliptical, 2 treadmills, 5 weight machines, a big ass jungle gym cable station thingy, a smith machine and a bench with only 600 lbs of plates. We have one of the assisted dip doo-hickies.

Oh, there are a couple of flat benches to do some dumb bell work and some kind of torture contraption to do some weighted ab work. The advantage is it’s close to home (14 miles) and it’s close to home. I go in at 5 a.m. 6 or 7 times a week. I have 3 weight days and on the non-weightdays I try to get at least 30 mins on the elliptical.

I hate cardio. I really hate cardio! But I figured out a breathe right strip and my kids Ipod can make the cardio endurable. I listen to a somewhat eclectic library of music, from Traffic to Modest Mouse.

My daughter now has a new Ipod.

So this morning it is 30 minutes of elliptical machine on level 10. J Willy and the 3 teacher ladies are stalking the streets of a small NC town at 5 am. BTW, I was listening to Pearl Jam, Head East, Linkin Park, U2 and Benjy Davis Project. My wife says I have WIERD taste in music.

Broke the 250 lb barrier today. Finally I’m at 249!

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Good deal, I know its great to get back into working out. I’ll be following your thread.

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Happy days are here again. Just remember this is for life there is no turning back, you’ve already seen that road. Welcome to the land of wisdom, well that’s our story and we’re sticking to it. Old brother is watching you, with interest and support!

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Congratulations Willy Great to have you here.

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Cardio…

I’ve met guys who were stronger than hell, but almost totally lacked fitness. They could bench press a volkswagon, but climbing a few flights of stairs would have them gasping for air.

The cardio isn’t just for fat burning. It’s for fitness and fitness is what will keep you alive.

I think of it this way… cardio extends my life. Weights make it worth living.

iPod faves - Lords of Acid, Rage Against the Machine, Paul Wall

Get jacked up and throw heavy shit around for fun!

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jwilly-
i understand where you are coming from.

at 57, i have the diabetes, the high cholestorol and the high bp. altho i have lost 70 pounds i still have it all. i continue to look and seek answers and alternative solutions. the medicines don’t solve the problem,only covering it up. just today i read some studies that viagra helps diabetes (not just in that area) and also weight lifters.

at 57, my position was eliminated 6 months ago. after three months of getting no interest in my background, i decided to go out on my own. i am currently holding 3 positions, solely on commission. two are okay. the one needs replacement. that’s the new world i woke up too and i can’t feel sorry for myself. i did that before at 47 and damn near ruined my life.

good luck to you. you are not in a situation without others being there too.

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Wow!! I can’t imagine folks actually read this drivel I write! Thanks for the support.

About a month in to this thing my wife asked me if I was having an affair. I had made such a drastic change and was sticking to it. Anyway she has friends that lost a bunch of weight and left their spouses. SSSOOOO…

I told her I make a living in an industry where we have no control over the markets selling prices or raw material prices. I have no real control over how well my plant runs. And I damn sure have no control over her or my 10 y.o. daughter. The only thing I can control is my health and my workouts. I was taking that control.

She looked at me and sent me on an errand. That’s when I called my mistress and told her we needed to cool it… ha-ha not really, but that made a great ending to the story for my CEO group meeting.

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nice to see that i’m not the only one catching crap from the ol lady for working out. j willy nice to see you going back to the old ways. tell your wife she’ll reap the benifits.

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Thanks for the support from everyone. I have to admit, this is a helluva forum and being a part of this is pretty cool. Friday is weight day, so today it is more cardio. Friday and Sunday are low gym traffic days, so I lift on those days. The soccer mom teacher ladies get squirrelly when a guy does his power cleans and military presses.

Happydog, I really appreciate your perspective on the cardio side of my regime. As much as I hate to do it, I want to live to be an old, bald bastard and aggravate my kid the way she does me!

The one thing I get besides some music blasting thru the Ipod, is thinking time. Its solving an operations problem or reflect upon the people that influenced me thru out my life. It is kind of cool to reflect for 30 minutes. I played football against 2 future professional players and with 2 high school All-Americans; a gazillion years ago. I officiated games that players went on to play at a number of ACC teams and D1 AA teams. I worked games with former pro and college players, and with guys that worked a ton of college games. In retrospect that was a pretty cool time. The coolest was when I trained with an oly guy that set and still holds regional Oly records into his 50s. John wouldnt remember me from Adam these days, but he is still an inspiration.

30 treadmill minutes this morning. The teacher ladies were jabbering away on the elliptical. Springsteen, Steve Earl, and 3 Doors Down blast what is left of my hearing to oblivion.

YEE HAA Tomorrow is iron day!!!

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Good work Willy!
It is scary how so many of us are living and experiencing the same things… from our inner thoughts to the dealings with our friends, families and co-workers.

Reading your thread Willy… was eerily familiar. I am on the same road as yourself… but you are ahead of me in the cardio/ weight loss department. I can’t wait to break the 250 pound barrier.

Keep up the good work… and another good band to listen to is “Disturbed”. The song “Dropping Plates” is my personal fave… and use this when attempting my PR’s.

Have a good day… I am off to the gym… it… is… LEG DAY!! yAAAAAAAA!!

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toejam, I got a bunch of crap from my wife over that. But wtf, I need to do it for me. Her biggest issue was trying to adjust the cooking for my diet.

Bunny, I’m not ahead of anyone in the cardio dept! The first 34 lbs was pretty easy. But breaking the 250 lb mark is tough!! So I know the battle will be hard for the next 30.

The really cool thing is the strides I have made on my lifts over the last few months. It has taken some time but it sure is fun.

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[quote]j_willy3 wrote:
30 treadmill minutes this morning. The teacher ladies were jabbering away on the elliptical. Springsteen, Steve Earl, and 3 Doors Down blast what is left of my hearing to oblivion.
[/quote]

Finally some real music. Zydeco would be better, though:) Something about Copperhead Road just gets me pumped. Always had this thing for teachers since Van Halen’s video, too. Where were all these hot ones on the news when I was in school? Anyway, gotta throw one good one in for the wives. Guess I was gone TDY so much in the service mine figures if I was gonna do something I had plenty of chances before. Mine’s pretty supportive. That’s cause I’m the boss! (Yeah, believe that one)

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Hel, I’m still searching for Hadley Castille and download in this damn Ipod. I may have to leave it up to my 10 y.o.

Her teachers are a helluva lot better looking than any i ever had! Even the ones my age. Which is one of the reason’s I knew it was time to quit officiating football. The cheerleader’s mothers were better looking than the cheerleaders.

With my wife, what is her’s is her’s. What is mine is her’s as well…I rank in just above the goldfish and below the cat.

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[quote]j_willy3 wrote:
Hel, I’m still searching for Hadley Castille and download in this damn Ipod. I may have to leave it up to my 10 y.o.

Her teachers are a helluva lot better looking than any i ever had! Even the ones my age. Which is one of the reason’s I knew it was time to quit officiating football. The cheerleader’s mothers were better looking than the cheerleaders.

With my wife, what is her’s is her’s. What is mine is her’s as well…I rank in just above the goldfish and below the cat.[/quote]

Oh man, are we married to the the same woman. Ha, ironically my daughters fish died this afternoon, little bastard just flipped over and died. So the wife comes in crying, tears running down her cheeks, and I ask whats the matter, she says “the fish diiiiiiiieeeed” and lacking the usual control (I usually think like who the fuck cares, but don’t express it) I let out a little chuckle, I mean shit, she’s crying. Well that could’ve been handled a little differently. She bolted from the room yelling and screaming something about insensative, cold hearted, prick i think i heard her say, just before I heard the toilet flush. She then continues walking back towards me ranting about a bastard, a prick, and a guy (I think she was talking about me) and yells clear as day, i mean the birds in mid flight outside stopped to hear this, “You SOB if you had any feelings at all you’de know how I feel about losing this fish, and you would go and get another one before your daughter gets home from school”. We’ll leave it with me having to postpone my workout to run an errand this afternoon.

You at least rank above the goldfish. Welcome to T-Nation and to living the new life. I look forward to following your progress. Post your workout and weights.