Anybody here into heavy weightlifting/swimming?

[DnvrFox]

Anybody here into heavy weightlifting or swimming?

I am, and I love it.

Much (not all) of my clydesdale weight is muscular, even at 68 years old.

I have a home gym, and also work out at a gym near my home.

For someone 68 years old, I can do some pretty heavy weights.

I have also gotten back into swimming for the winter, starting 2 weeks ago.

How about you?

Weight lifting?

Swimming?

[mgmoore7]

I do some weight lifting. Previous years, I did alot more and alot harder. Now I just do it to stay strong and help loose some weight. I like it too.

I am hoping to start swimming in the spring so that I can do some triathlons. I can swim but my technique needs to be greatly improved.

[bautieri]

Yes for heavy weight lifting, I'm a semi competitive power lifter (ok so I've only done three sanctioned competitions so far :rolleyes:) where I took 2 fourth places in benching and 1 third for dead lifting. I do say, there is something quite satisfying about breaking your previous maximum repetition. I like to see older guys at the gym who have been lifting a long time, so much to learn from them. Do share your knowledge when weightlifting questions come up!

Swimming, not so much, I'm a better sinker than swimmer.

[DnvrFox]

I do some weight lifting. Previous years, I did alot more and alot harder. Now I just do it to stay strong and help loose some weight. I like it too.

I am hoping to start swimming in the spring so that I can do some triathlons. I can swim but my technique needs to be greatly improved.

:roflmao:

That's how I swim also! I look like a Polar Bear in the water, but not as good.:D

I would love to do triathlons, but my left hip is a bit game, and all I would need would be to injure it running. Interestingly, the swimming helps my hip a lot.

I would love to do an "event" involving just swimming and bicycling.

Here is my home gym:

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox/wtroom2.JPG

[DnvrFox]

Yes for heavy weight lifting, I'm a semi competitive power lifter (ok so I've only done three sanctioned competitions so far :rolleyes:) where I took 2 fourth places in benching and 1 third for dead lifting. I do say, there is something quite satisfying about breaking your previous maximum repetition. I like to see older guys at the gym who have been lifting a long time, so much to learn from them. Do share your knowledge when weightlifting questions come up!

Swimming, not so much, I'm a better sinker than swimmer.

I wish I had "expertise" in weight lifting, but I don't. When I say I lift heavy weights, I need to qualify that - I lift heavy weights FOR ME, which is likely a lot less weight than you (or most folks) lift. Sorry to mislead you there.

But, I DO get a great kick at increasing my weights. Most folks lose about 1% of their strength per year after their 20's, which is entirely preventable. At 68yo, it is a real blast INCREASING my weight and setting new personal records.

[bcart1991]

I never got into heavy weights all that much, but I love swimming.

Hard part is finding a good place to swim. Hopefully I'll scrounge up a natatorium membership this week or next.

[bautieri]

I wish I had "expertide" in weight lifting, but I don't. When I say I lift heavy weights, I need to qualify that - I lift heavy weights FOR ME, which is likely a lot less weight than you (or most folks) lift. Sorry to mislead you there.

But, I DO get a great kick at increasing my weights. Most folks lose about 1% of their strength per year after their 20's, which is entirely preventable. At 68yo, it is a real blast INCREASING my weight and setting new personal records.

Perhaps so, and like you said everything is relative. At the last competition I lifted at there was a guy in the masters open division who dead lifted 500 and change then benched in the mid 300's. This guy was also in his sixties. I'd be happy with half his strength when/if I reach that age.

Do what works best for you. You cant have pride when your at the gym, no matter how big and strong you are there will always be someone bigger and stronger working out at the same time you are. I think they keep these people out back in storage.

Bau

[DnvrFox]

Perhaps so, and like you said everything is relative. At the last competition I lifted at there was a guy in the masters open division who dead lifted 500 and change then benched in the mid 300's. This guy was also in his sixties. I'd be happy with half his strength when/if I reach that age.

Do what works best for you. You cant have pride when your at the gym, no matter how big and strong you are there will always be someone bigger and stronger working out at the same time you are. I think they keep these people out back in storage.

Bau

I use free weights mostly at home, and then I supplement with machines at the gym I go to.

On the "pec" machine, I max the machine out at 312 pounds x's 10 slow reps. On the lower back machine, I max it out at 315 pounds times as many reps as I want. On the biceps machine, I am at 160 pounds. However, on the bench press, I am only at 200 pounds - I used to do 225, and am trying to build back up, which I have a bit.

Then I do a whole lot of other things, always pushing to increase my max.

Again, at 68 yo, it is just great when I can increase my weights I lift even just a bit, rather than declining.

Thanks for responding.

[DnvrFox]

I never got into heavy weights all that much, but I love swimming.

Hard part is finding a good place to swim. Hopefully I'll scrounge up a natatorium membership this week or next.

We live 1 mile from our community rec center with a large 6 lane plus kiddie place, etc., 25 yard pool. Somtimes I have to fight for a lane.

[Jynx]

I love swimming although I suck at it. I live on the water so I just jump in my backyard and go swimming all the time.

[unixpro]

I do reasonably heavy weights 3 days a week (actually, I'm off for a month getting PT because I dropped off the bike onto my left shoulder, but I'll be back as soon as they tell me it's safe). I only do upper body and abs during the lifting, since I figure that 28 miles/day 5 days/week riding is good enough on the legs.

Both the doc and the PT said that the strength I have in my upper body helped minimize the damage from the last fall. The PT has to keep telling me to relax my muscles during the isolation exercises.

[besserheimerpha]

:roflmao:
Here is my home gym:

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox/wtroom2.JPG

Hey, I've got the same power rack as you do! Minus the pulleys, anyway. I don't have quite as much weight sitting around either (a 300# set plus 4 more 45# plates is all I've got, and no dumbbells). For lifting I train like a powerlifter although I've never lifted competitively. I love squats and bench, though I wouldn't say I'm that good at either. My grip is too weak to really even discuss deadlifts. With straps I do fine, but without them. . .

Lately I've been doing a routine based on the Westside Barbell Club method - I haven't seen much of a strength improvement yet, but I'm able to lift the heavy weights quite a bit faster now so I know the power is coming along. Just a matter of time before the weights start creeping up again.

[Tom Stormcrowe]

I used to be a really good swimmer, but now I have all the buoyancy of a brick since I lost most of my body fat. I'm actually trying to reduce upper body mass to drop below the 200 pound threshold. Leg press, I do heavyweight though, with workout weights doing reps at 750 and max effort lifts at 1500.

[CliftonGK1]

I had to quit heavy lifting when my arthritis got bad in my wrists, but I still do body-weight resistance stuff; push-ups, pull-ups, dips, etc.
I used to swim a lot back in my tri-racing days, and I've fallen away from it for a while. I'm going to start back up in a month or so, though. My fiancee does pool-walking as part of the PT for her ankle, and she said she's more likely to stick with going if I go with her. So I'll be going to the pool 3 days a week with her after work, doing her walk routine with her, then maybe 15 or 20 minutes of lap swimming. Certainly no where near the 5-7 hours a week that I used to swim, though.

[JohnKScott]

I never have really enjoyed weight lifting. Had to do it when I played football in HS, but never really liked it.

I have recently taken to swimming as I would like to do some triathalons as well. Frankly, I suck at it. It's wierd. I can lay out in the water and kick and not even move. Any locomotion I get is purely upper body. Gets tiring quickly :D. I did manage to do two workouts of 1,250 meters swimming (one hour each) while I was out of town over Christmas. So I got some distance in, but very slowly...

I think I need a swimming coach. And maybe swimming trunks without pockets that act like parachutes in the water :D

But yeah, I'm digging the swimming and hoping to get better at it.

[ceiph]

ive been swimming almost idk 8 months now training for a triathlon, it sucks that 6 of those i would use HORRIBLE form, so i spent this winter re learning how to swim, gatta say my form now is good so im just building up distances again. and yeah john k, a pair of jammers does miracles. i had to wear my board shorts the other night. they were awful

as for weightlifting i get bored and i dont really know what im doing, ill prolly hire a trainer for a few days to help me get a good program going since im clueless there

[DogBoy]

I like to swim. I swam with a masters group while training for an ironman. After the race I pretty much burned out and all I really ever do anymore is commute. Still...swiming is nice except for the whale impersonation I do whenever I go to the Y. People always look at me with some degree of shock when I get in the water and then totally waste the skinny atheletic looking guys.

If you like to swim for excercise, don't worry about form, but if you want to race, I'd say speed is about 75% technique. Definately learn how to do it right.

[DnvrFox]

Yes, for both swimming and weight lifting, technique is important. Sometimes I see folks at the gym doing dangerous things, and at times i even see the trainers teaching dangerous things - most noticeably, pulling the lat bar down behind your neck.

I am not trying to go fast when I swim - in fact, I am really just trying to buildup my "wind" - but - I would like to take a lesson or two once I get my wind built up. Want to know in what poor shape you are - try swimming the crawl for several laps without stopping.

I also got out for an hour on the bike today. It was up to 50, and I really like riding the plowed trails with the snow banks on each side. Very pretty.

[Pinyon]

I used to lift a lot. Not competitively, but I lifted pretty heavy. My problem was, that my body type bulks up too much. Add to that, my natural obsessive pesonality, and I would do things like deliberatly gain fat-weight to push me onto the next goal. For me, it was almost impossible to bench-presss, dead-lift, or squat heavier weights when I weighed under...300 lbs or so. And I was not very mobile at that size at all. I was only good for lifting heavy weights at the gym, or helping people move furniture, etc.

I have more slow-twitch than fast-twich muscle, compared to most power lifters, though. I had to build up lots of slower-speed muscle strength to lift "heavy".

I also used to swim a lot, but it is has been a while. I miss it.

[Wavy]

Love swimming almost as much as cycling. Too bad the lake is frozen and there's no pool around here.

Stopped lifting weights when i discovered kettlebells.

[Mr. Beanz]

Before I started cycling I pumped iron on a reg basis. Had all my own equipment, the good stuff. I benched 325 after pyramiding up, no spotter. Got to the point where I wondered "how much more?". Guess I lost interest after 10 years of pumping.

I used all free weights, olympic plates. None of that machine stuff. Wasn't enough weight for a serious workout!:D

All my friends that knew me then call my puny when they see me now. Cycling has burned off alot of the muscle that I had.:(

[Askel]

Just getting ready to head out the door to the pool and gym this morning. :D

Swimming and weight lifting were some of the first steps I took in the realm of serious, regular exercise.

Started the swimming as my chiropractor visits were getting a little too regular. Picked up the weightlifting because it was there and I figured if I was going to be a 290 pounder, might as well see how much of it I can turn into muscle.

Weight lifting was probably my first real fitness success though. At 290, it doesn't take too long before you start maxing out the machines and lifting more than most other people in the gym. It was good motivation to keep at it and tackle new things.

Still at it, but it's tough to really get my heart rate up in swimming these days. I've been stuck on a plateau in my weightlifting for a while now, but if you look at it from the perspective of body weight percentage, I'm actually doing pretty good since I'm down about 75 lbs.

[HAMMER MAN]

I have lifted for years the problem is my body bulks up too much when I start lifting real heavy which I have done up until this last year. The heavier I lifted the more weight/muscle I gained then having to burn it off in the spring/summer made cycling somewhat harder. I love cycling alot more than weight lifting and just did not enjoy not having the speed that I use too have.
Now I lift moderately with more reps except for my legs which I still press some heavier weights, i also backed off do to arhtritis in my knee's shoulders,hands and ankles.
I was flat benching 270-300# on a regular basis now I keep it around 185#, legs presses around 540-600#. My favorite movement was dead-lifitng and military presses but I also found that produced way to much bulk on cycling so again those are now done with higher reps and less weight.

My recovery times are alot faster now as well less pain.

[The Historian]

Anybody here into heavy weightlifting or swimming?

I am, and I love it.

Much (not all) of my clydesdale weight is muscular, even at 68 years old.

I have a home gym, and also work out at a gym near my home.

For someone 68 years old, I can do some pretty heavy weights.

I have also gotten back into swimming for the winter, starting 2 weeks ago.

How about you?

Weight lifting?

Swimming?

Strength training with weights is recommended for scoliosis. Or at least my scoliosis. YCMV - your curve may vary. :-)