The big blue experience.

Training Over 35 Lifter
121

[quote]big nurse wrote:

[quote]cavalier wrote:
Upscale, I’m sure he took it as a compliment. And, considering he only now just started lifting weights at age 53, his numbers are perfectly respectable.

And it’s probably a safe bet that this isn’t the first “Oh, you’re a nurse???”.[/quote]

Definitely not the first and wouldn’t be the first time that someone assumed that i was a gay guy too…

Not only that but i am now officially a lesbian !!! as aell as a naturist, this is getting way too confusing.

But guys please–just set a new pb today on bench and one during the week on leg press !!.
[/quote]

Cheers! You ARE making progress on bench . . . it took me several years to reach those numbers!

A gay guy who’s a naturist lesbian, er . . . this is more confusing than “Victor Victoria”.

122

Ok so lets get this straight (perhaps the wrong word to use but hey !!)

Male or female. male (check)

Gay or straight. straight (check)

Naturist or not . naturist (check)

Nurse. (check)

Does weights/doesn’t do weights. does weights (check)

Senior moments. (check)

Er…what else was there ???

Maybe i need to post some pics.

123

Naturist.

Interesting.

Nice progress here. Beginner gains are such a beautiful thing.

124

Well if sundays pb smashing, fist pumping OORAH !! day then this evening was its frustrating bastard offspring :.

Couldn’t get going this evening after a poor days sleep and instead of having a pleasant evening walk-in to the gym had to throw the kit in the car and drive down.

Hit the gym at the busiest noisiest time,

Seemed to have turned up without my gym pass or most of my normal training kit and the couldn,t find my water bottle.

In the gym a group of blokes were using the bar in the cage as their personal towel rack while doing the occaisonal bicep curl with fixed barbells.

So i set up next door on the power rack with the oly bar to do rear squats and carried a kb and and a dumbell so taht i could alternate with goblet squats which i have really taken to.
My usual set-up is barefoot now which the gym staff seem happy with so i put my trainers next to the cage while i worked.
Anyway about 2 sets in and i am really missing my water bottle, busy hot gym and a bit dry so i had to run downstairs, find a cup, fill and get back up to the rack and carry on.

At the end of my squat sets : alternating sets of 10 rear/barbell and goblet kb/dumbell i noticed that 1 of my trainers is missing and hey ho the bicep curlers have gone–incidentally had been giving me ‘looks’ throughout my set.
Can only conclude that one of the ‘blokes’ has taken one of my trainers…why ???.

Oh well carry on with deadlifts…

I wanted to finish the session with some tmill sprints or maybe rower–just can’t do without trainers.

Then when i get to work i find that something has leaked all over my training log.

What a frustrating evening.

125

What a cursed day. Then again, what else would you expect for Monday the 13th?

126

Snaps --i a very aware that what i am achieving is beginners gains and i guess that at some time they will inevitably slow right down. I was expecting slow steady progress, last week was a total surprise as i just seemed to be balsting through everything.

Not expecting this to happen but nice that it has, it’s like a big pat on the back for the work.

Amazinngly after years of occaisonal bouts of the ‘blues’ i realised that i was unnacountably happy and it’s all on account of the lifting.

Body starting to change visibly (and in feel as in ‘woh muscles’)now so maybe it’s a confidence thing.

Cav–mm never could do mondays especially when i have worked sunday.

Mondays…shmondays…

127

What a bummer!

I hope you reported those morons who took your shoe. They should get kicked out the gym, you don’t need people like that around.

Hope your next workout’s a great one.

128

[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
What a bummer!

I hope you reported those morons who took your shoe. They should get kicked out the gym, you don’t need people like that around.

Hope your next workout’s a great one.[/quote]

The official line is that they wre so manky that they split up and one went for a walk all by itself.
Somebody was trying to be a joker though .

Bit of a mixed one tonight as i hit the gym at peak time and evry station was in use including the inevitable squat rack curler doing something very odd (weighted jumps ??)

Anyway because i couldn’t get on a single station i waited until the guy benching finished a set and politely asked him how many he had, reply : just started, so i moved away and then a moment later he came over and asked me if i wanted to work in, now he was benching far more than me but was quite happy to throw weights on and off on end while i did the other.

Nice !! and good cooperation.

Not much gas in the tank tonight though so it was all a bit of a struggle but sometimes it’s just the days work .

New toys arrived today -couple of kettlebells to take to france.

129

[quote]big nurse wrote:
Amazinngly after years of occaisonal bouts of the ‘blues’ i realised that i was unnacountably happy and it’s all on account of the lifting.
[/quote]

That’s a wonderful realization. Powerlifting really helps ground me. Meets give me something to look forward to and train towards. And I don’t get bored with this sport because of its endless variables. It all sounds corny, but lifting is so important to me. Even the pain of the sport plays an important role for me. I don’t drink (much), smoke, do drugs, or have many vices, but I think the endorphin rush I get from powerlifting is my escapist high.

130

[quote]kpsnap wrote:

[quote]big nurse wrote:
Amazinngly after years of occaisonal bouts of the ‘blues’ i realised that i was unnacountably happy and it’s all on account of the lifting.
[/quote]

That’s a wonderful realization. Powerlifting really helps ground me. Meets give me something to look forward to and train towards. And I don’t get bored with this sport because of its endless variables. It all sounds corny, but lifting is so important to me. Even the pain of the sport plays an important role for me. I don’t drink (much), smoke, do drugs, or have many vices, but I think the endorphin rush I get from powerlifting is my escapist high.[/quote]

It’s come as a real surprise, i hated sports and pt at school and was always the last to get picked for anything.
What is weird is that i have only just realised that the hard work does pay off, body (and mind) does change.
I agree that it is endlessly fascinating to see just what the old bod will do and i start to wonder where the limits might be.
I do wish i had found this years ago but maybe it’s just the right time if that makes any sense.

131

Holiday plans.

Sitting here starting to work up a plan for workouts for the next 3 weeks on holiday and probably without gymm access.
Mainly conditioning and strength/endurance emphasis and strip some body fat off.

Here’s the list so far (feel free to add to)

Non cardio :
Lots of beach walking miles.

Cardio
Run and swim
Circuits with fitness circuit (not sure what yet)

Body weight exercises + - fitness circuit :
Press ups and variants
Pull ups and variants
Dips

Kit being taken
KB 28KG
KB 16kh
Resistance bands X 2

So:
Kb swings
Kb goblet squats
Kb clean and press
(havn’t used kbs much yet so there are probably loads more)

Please add suggestions…

132

Let’s see. You’re planning a few weeks of leisure, relaxation, and taking it easy . . . and you’re setting up a killer schedule of running, swimming, kettlebells, squats, cleans, dips, pull ups . . . .

Nurse, it’s too late. You’ve got a terminal case of ironitis, just like the rest of us.

133

[quote]cavalier wrote:
Let’s see. You’re planning a few weeks of leisure, relaxation, and taking it easy . . . and you’re setting up a killer schedule of running, swimming, kettlebells, squats, cleans, dips, pull ups . . . .

Nurse, it’s too late. You’ve got a terminal case of ironitis, just like the rest of us.
[/quote]

Well…not every day…

134

[quote]big nurse wrote:

[quote]cavalier wrote:
Let’s see. You’re planning a few weeks of leisure, relaxation, and taking it easy . . . and you’re setting up a killer schedule of running, swimming, kettlebells, squats, cleans, dips, pull ups . . . .

Nurse, it’s too late. You’ve got a terminal case of ironitis, just like the rest of us.
[/quote]

Well…not every day…
[/quote]

oh good so working on a tan is in there somewhere? or are you a slather on the block and sit under an umbrella kind of gi…guy :wink:
love running against the current, great leg burn.

135

[quote]UpScale wrote:

[quote]big nurse wrote:

[quote]cavalier wrote:
Let’s see. You’re planning a few weeks of leisure, relaxation, and taking it easy . . . and you’re setting up a killer schedule of running, swimming, kettlebells, squats, cleans, dips, pull ups . . . .

Nurse, it’s too late. You’ve got a terminal case of ironitis, just like the rest of us.
[/quote]

Well…not every day…
[/quote]

oh good so working on a tan is in there somewhere? or are you a slather on the block and sit under an umbrella kind of gi…guy :wink:
love running against the current, great leg burn.
[/quote]

Sorry to say that i am a non tanner, typical saxon/viking ancesttry with blue eyes, fair hair and freckles. Burn very easily but get loadsa freckles.

What we do is set up a big tarp which we live under and we do stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.

Partner tans really fast grrrr.

136

Glad to get that last shift behind me, bit manic at the end .

Feeling really really tired due to having got up in the middle of the day (read middle of the night) tried to grind through a workout and then get the car packed.

Last lifting session before the holiday, zero push and just had to tough it out even at my ‘light’ weight range. Today was very much like the early days of cranking out the miles (walking) just to get my weight down to a reasonable level to start proper training–ie just the days work that had to be done.

Today :
Squats and deadlift.
Squats (rear squat alternating with goblet squat)

Bare bar warm up
Second warm up at 1x10 @40 kg trying to get depth (also very tight today)
Goblet squat 25 kg kb 1x10

Barbell squats
50 kg 2 x 5
Goblet squat
28kg db 1x5
Barbell squats
60kg 1 x5
Goblet squat 32kg 1x5
Barbell squat
60kg 1x5
Goblet squats
34kg 1x5

Deadlift
Bare bar warm up
second warm up 60kg 1 x 10
5x5 @ 80kg.

That was it…zero energy

Well it’s ready to go i think !!.
Ferry in a couple of hours and hopefully a decent nights sleep then back to normal day rythym for the next 3 weeks.

Weather is shite here but looks sunny where we are going…chuffed !!.

137

[quote]big nurse wrote:
Sorry to say that i am a non tanner, typical saxon/viking ancesttry with blue eyes, fair hair and freckles. Burn very easily but get loadsa freckles.

What we do is set up a big tarp which we live under and we do stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.

Partner tans really fast grrrr.[/quote]

Does he?

Sorry! couldn’t resist after the other day’s confusion.

138

[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:

[quote]big nurse wrote:
Sorry to say that i am a non tanner, typical saxon/viking ancesttry with blue eyes, fair hair and freckles. Burn very easily but get loadsa freckles.

What we do is set up a big tarp which we live under and we do stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.

Partner tans really fast grrrr.[/quote]

Sorry! couldn’t resist after the other day’s confusion.[/quote]

Jackie is definitely she…
Might even post some pics just to prove it.

Actually might even try to get some after pics for the before n after set .

139

Will you be posting while gone?

You say “holiday”, but in America a holiday is one day everyone gets off, while “vacation” means taking off a week or so. Might have to start putting all these posts through Google Translate.

And don’t rub our noses in the fact that you guys get way more vacation - or whatever - than we do!

140

[quote]cavalier wrote:
Will you be posting while gone?

You say “holiday”, but in America a holiday is one day everyone gets off, while “vacation” means taking off a week or so. Might have to start putting all these posts through Google Translate.

And don’t rub our noses in the fact that you guys get way more vacation - or whatever - than we do![/quote]

I hadnt planned to post and with this weird french keyboard set-up this is going to take forever anyway and please excuse typos for the same reason.

First up is that it took me the whole of the first week down here just to get over the grinding tiredness that seemed to be getting on top of me in the last few weeks.

We have just had a series of really hot days–suposed to be 37° today which is hot to a pale brit!!.

I have been hitting the gym, on ejob i must do is take some photos of the gym (salle de musculation) --its quite funny, very old fashionned equipment and nothing that you would recognise as professional/serious ie no squat rack/squat cage, no oly bars and incredibly small dumbells.
However there are a couple of concept 2 rowers --in fact the whole set-up seems to lend itself to circuits and conditioning + high volume low weight workouts.

I wont post todays workout in detail because i have litle accurate idea of the actual weights but something like :
Squat routine, rear pired with kb goblet squat .6 sets of 10 (glad i brought the kbs)
Deadlifts 6 sets of 10, ascending weight.
Paired clean/press and press-ups sets of 10 but with lats mixed in as well.
Bench dips
Finishing work on rower.

Alternating workouts are my usual conditioning circuits (affectionately known as bastard) along the lines of : 3 sets of
Rower 2 minute sprint
Press ups 10
Kb squat 20
Kb swing 20
Barbell clean and press 10

Non cardio here is as you might imagine great as its basically long (naked) beach walks, the early morning fasted walk on a nearly empty beach is just the best.

Diet–good chance to get things really nearly right for few weeks as there is no excuse not to cook every day with fresh veg and salads—daily post workout treat is still a pain-au-chocolat though so not perfect perfect.