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Post by uncleal on Sept 2, 2008 14:59:27 GMT -5
A lot of the older guys I've lifted with, like me, are relatively new to the game...I'm thinking because almost everyone who starts young and stays with it fries his shoulders, knees, and/or back after a few decades in this sport. Am I wrong? That is, has anyone here been competing for more than let's say thirty years?
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jp
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Posts: 183
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Post by jp on Sept 2, 2008 23:16:39 GMT -5
A lot of the older guys I've lifted with, like me, are relatively new to the game...I'm thinking because almost everyone who starts young and stays with it fries his shoulders, knees, and/or back after a few decades in this sport. Am I wrong? That is, has anyone here been competing for more than let's say thirty years? You're not entirely wrong in your thinking. I gave up competition a few years ago, and now today at 46, my joints don't hurt like they used to. My knees, hips and shoulders were killing me for years. My shoulders hurt more from squatting and wedging myself under the bar than bench pressing, though benching hurt my shoulders too. Today, I just train for health, don't lift the uber heavy big weights, and have a way easier time getting out of bed in the morning....LOL!! I used to do Olympic lifting and powerlifting and competed for about 20 years. It was fun and I wouldn't trade the experience at all, but powerlifting, despite what some people think and say, does take a toll on your body. Just train wisely and work within your limits and you'll be fine.....for awhile anyway...>LOL!! John
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Post by uncleal on Sept 3, 2008 5:37:56 GMT -5
Wow, John, I was under the misconception you were still competing...since you appear to be so involved in the sport. (Aren't you the guy who does the writeups for PL USA?)
Be that as it may, thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, I'm an adrenaline junky, who no longer does anything within his limits. I've been trying to get the Lord to take me home since I turned sixty. If He doesn't pick something "sane", like powerlifting, to do me in, hopefully, He'll pick from mountain/rock climbing in the Cascades/Sierras/Rockies or diving in the shark infested waters off central and southern Florida. In the meantime, I'll keep chasing Rich and Peter's records.
Speaking of Rich and Peter, how long have you guys been lifting competitively? How about you, Brian? Other masters?
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Post by powerlifter105 on Sept 3, 2008 7:40:23 GMT -5
I competed in martial arts for 25 years and had two knee surgeries and one major neck surgery from the accumulated injuries of fighting. I do powerlifting now, at 57, because it's easier but still very challenging. Most important, I use a superb trainer to ensure I use perfect form and a variety of exercises to avoid injuries. Age has its advantages - I have learned great tricks for quick recovery from long, heavy workouts, I know the value of using good form, and I have the discipline and focus to do whats needed to compete effectively. I hope you all are enjoying health and exercise as much as I am as I try to beat PL records I set in 1983.
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Post by uncleal on Sept 3, 2008 12:05:29 GMT -5
...I have learned great tricks for quick recovery from long, heavy workouts.... Care to share any of those tricks? I tend to fry my central nervous system on a regular basis. Would also be nice not to have a sore back 24/7/365.
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Post by powerlifter105 on Sept 3, 2008 15:27:22 GMT -5
Well, first it's important to know if you have an actual medical problem that needs to be fixed. I got my injuries fixed and then, after rehab, I was as good as new. Next, you'll want to be sure you're not hurting your back unnecessarily; use good form. I ALWAYS keep my abs/core very tight, no matter what lift I'm doing. In squats and deads, I lead up with my chest, core very tight, so the strain is on my legs, not back. I use core strength instead of a weight belt, even in competition. But now the quick recovery tricks: Assume the Couch Potato Position, with feet on the coffee table, and wait for the aches. Let's say it was leg day and the aches are in the hamstrings, glutes, and back. Lower back is the worst so use your stomach muscles to pull your back into the nice, soft couch. Not hard, just enough to get your lower back to move, and then release. Do frequent pulses like this while watching TV - small, easy ones (so no one notices and thinks you strange!) and you will be sending fresh blood with repair stuff to the injury site. You may notice that your glutes and hamstrings also get involved by adding a foot push down on the coffee table. For any individual muscle, just tense and release in the same Couch Potato fashion. By the end of your TV program, things should be much better. Repeat again the next morning. Drink lots of water, alcohol will make it worse in the morning. Yesterday, for an hour, I did squat sets, leg stuff, and then three times my weight for 6 sets of 6 on the sled. Today I was fine with no aches or pains. Hope it helps you.
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Post by uncleal on Sept 3, 2008 16:38:53 GMT -5
Okay, I'll try it...although I won't give up the alcohol. Thanks.
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Post by powerlifter105 on Sept 4, 2008 6:23:26 GMT -5
OK, have a beer, but then you have to drink more water to make up for the dehydration AND you have to do the dreaded Trick Number Two for loosening tight muscles in the morning: House Cleaning Chores! Sweeping, mopping, vaccuming. From the left side, then the right, small, repetitive, whole body movements. Be sure to bend down a lot with your back straight in a good squat position, abs tight..... OK, so maybe you're too manly for this one, but it works well, getting the blood with repair stuff to the muscles and getting a general warm-up for the day, not to mention a clean house. Maybe you can just do squat movements, no weight, hi repetitions, squeezing hard on all the tight muscles, both up, rest, and down.
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Post by uncleal on Sept 4, 2008 10:45:12 GMT -5
Actually, I'm not very manly at all...well domesticated and quite the whoose, actually. Did the lower back pulses last night, after a squat/deadlift/back/biceps workout jarred the ol' lumbars to the max, and it did help. Thank you.
Time to vacuum.
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Post by powerlifter105 on Sept 4, 2008 14:37:09 GMT -5
Ah, Man of many talents. Happy Lifting.
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Post by pwrlftr on Nov 5, 2008 15:20:02 GMT -5
I have competed since I was 17, I am not 58. I am heading for the AAU World Championships Friday. I have had rotocuff surgery in my forties, hernia surgery in early fifties and last year crunched two disks in my lower back. I train twice a week as an MMA fighter with my son. I run 15-20 miles a week and have done three half marathons. I have won several World, National and State titles in drug free powerlifting. So the answer is yes by the grace of God I have withstood the test of time. I think if you look at all the lifters in all the federations you will find many old geezers like me who can still get on the platform and do a lot of weight.
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ronvt
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Post by ronvt on Nov 10, 2008 7:19:29 GMT -5
I don't know if 41 is considered the test of time. I have lifted my whole life with some great lifters in some great gyms. All I can say is that almost every one I know who chose the easy path is not lifting today. As a lifetime drug free lifter who has not had a prescrition drug in 15 years, this must account for something. I have not had aspirin, tylenol, or nsaids in 15 years either. I lift heavy for me almost every workout. I follow westside and believe there is no such thing as overtraining...only underecovery. If you can figure out your recovery time, I believe it will prevent most injuries.
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Post by uncleal on Nov 10, 2008 16:31:28 GMT -5
I have competed since I was 17, I am not 58.... Inspirational. Thank you.
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Post by uncleal on Nov 10, 2008 16:33:23 GMT -5
I...believe there is no such thing as overtraining...only underecovery. If you can figure out your recovery time, I believe it will prevent most injuries. Interesting concept. I've had a tough time with that one my whole life.
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jp
Full Member
Posts: 183
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Post by jp on Nov 15, 2008 14:37:47 GMT -5
Wow, John, I was under the misconception you were still competing...since you appear to be so involved in the sport. (Aren't you the guy who does the writeups for PL USA?) Be that as it may, thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, I'm an adrenaline junky, who no longer does anything within his limits. I've been trying to get the Lord to take me home since I turned sixty. If He doesn't pick something "sane", like powerlifting, to do me in, hopefully, He'll pick from mountain/rock climbing in the Cascades/Sierras/Rockies or diving in the shark infested waters off central and southern Florida. In the meantime, I'll keep chasing Rich and Peter's records. Speaking of Rich and Peter, how long have you guys been lifting competitively? How about you, Brian? Other masters? HI, Just saw this....sorry for the late response. Actually, no I haven't written for PL USA, but I've written several training articles which are floating around the internet somewhere....LOL!! I decided to stay in touch with the sport, yet drop competing when I starting hurting more and more each day. Once I gave up the heavy, heavy weights, I felt much better and best yet, though I'm not benching, squatting and dead lifting the same kind of weights, I still train hard and get all I can from my training. I had my moments with the sport and brought home medals and trophies like many people. I took two gold medals in the Police Olympics in my age and weight class (Master's 40-44 age group at 181 pounds). After that goal was attained, how many more do I need? Its time for me to pursue other things. Besides, I play drums in a band and that's keeping me really busy and in shape as well. Cheers, John
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Post by uncleal on Nov 17, 2008 15:19:46 GMT -5
Thanks, John. Best of luck with your new endeavors.
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jp
Full Member
Posts: 183
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Post by jp on Nov 21, 2008 1:53:00 GMT -5
Thanks, John. Best of luck with your new endeavors. Thanks...... ;D J
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Post by RichHutchison on Nov 26, 2008 21:31:16 GMT -5
I think all of you guys, especially Al, should quit now before you completely destroy your bodies. Umm... and, incidentally, my records. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2008 0:07:50 GMT -5
If you want to see a Master lifter who is still going strong at 78 years of age, go to the following U-Tube site (internetmeets) and see a 78 year old 151 lb man pulling 402.5 RAW. He's been competing for over 40 years, and shows no signs of slowing down. Here is the link if you want to cut & paste it into your web browser. Enjoy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPQaW6vO8c4
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Post by RichHutchison on Nov 29, 2008 11:57:44 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing that. Cortes is awesome; probably the best Masters lifter, at least deadlifter, ever. On a tangential note, however, don't tell us that Cortes is not slowing down. He Deadlifted 493.8 in 2003 at a bodyweight of 148 when he was a youngster of a mere 73 years old. According to PLUSA, that was the best WABDL deadlift of all time, considering age and bodyweight. But my point is that his Deadlift has lost over 91 pounds in 5 years, or an average of over 18 pounds per year. Sorry, but I have a thing about not acknowledging the obvious fact that, beyond a certain point, strength declines as age increases. Another spectacular geriatric lifter is Rich Flores. You can see him Squat 556.6 at 69 y/o here: www.richflores.com/index.htmlThis guy, equipped, still routinely Deadlifts over 500 and Totals over 1,300. This video of Cortes is from a raw drug tested meet, 100% Raw no less. Flores apparently lifts in some drug tested meets, but I’m not sure if he ever competes raw. Nevertheless, these two old guys could beat just about anyone, even if they were naked and malnourished.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2008 21:24:47 GMT -5
Rich, Robert Cortes is one of my training partners in Orange California. (Saw him today.) When the video was recorded Robert had just returned from a meet in Las Vegas on the 12th. (Nov. 08) and was still sore. He pulled a 448.4 ( with a suit). The results are posted at powerliftingwatch.com. He had wanted to attend Paul's World Single Lift meet in VA., but traveling costs, lodging, etc.. from California was out of the question. (Two meets in a little over one week is hard on anyone, let along at 78 years of age.) We tried as a test an Internet connection linking two sites together as a test, but the connection went down. (Something Paul and I were working on.) Robert as a favor offered his services for our test. We recorded it anyway, and that's what everyone would have seen in VA. if it had worked. The funny thing about all of this was I didn't know who Robert was about a year ago when an older gentleman came up in an old tee shirt at the gym, and asked me if I wanted a few pointers! He even called me one time to tell me his old friend Mike Bridges was at his house with his wife, and they were getting ready to fly back home, but he want me to stop by to see them. (My cell phone was off *#AHHHH.....) Robert I hoping will do a posting in the 100% RAW Masters forum one of these days. Robert has a wealth of information, and is always willing to share. Maybe we can do a U-Tube video on deadlifting off the block, deadlifting with a chain setup, tricks on gripping the bar, etc.... I would also like to thank Adam at the Barbell Company in Nevada for getting us the calibrated weights and the Okie deadlift bar on time to do our test. (He's a supporter of 100% RAW, and a great guy. He worked at putting on the 110% RAW Nationals this year.) Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend Rich, and yes we all either get old or the other option. ( Try to avoid "Plan B" if possible. I've had to many old and dear friends pass away over the last few years.) Sunday (p.s. - I'm logging out to check out Rich Flores video. Thanks!)
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Post by RichHutchison on Nov 29, 2008 23:12:36 GMT -5
Whoa, you really do travel in some elite company. Sounds like fun.
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Post by uncleal on Dec 9, 2008 6:35:28 GMT -5
Hey, Rich, I pulled 450 at a RAW United meet on Sunday. (My total sucked because I only made my squat and bench openers. Can't seem to get that freaking squat depth right.)
I checked the raw records in several federations and only found one pull above 450 in the 60+, 165 lb division. That was 462. As far as you know, is that really the best of the best, or has someone done better in competition?
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Post by RichHutchison on Dec 9, 2008 13:20:56 GMT -5
I'm not sure who did what or how they did it or how much any equipment helps in the deadlift. I also have no idea what the single lift records are like.
I have to believe that if Robert Cortes ever lifted raw 15 years or so ago, he would have smashed any records. But he probably stuck to the 148 class rather than moving up.
The best deadlift record I've seen in the 60 - 64 165 group is Ron Scott's 462.97 in the AAU Lifetime category (why it's not also in the regular drug free category is a mystery to me). That's probably the one you saw too.
Anyway, congratulations on your 450. Don't forget - Keep getting shorter; the 462 mark is just another fraction of an inch away.
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Post by uncleal on Dec 9, 2008 17:03:01 GMT -5
Thanks, Rich.
Yes, the AAU lift must have been the one.
The best geared pull I've seen in our category is 540 by Dennis Johnson at a WABDL meet this year. I don't know of anyone who gets much more than 10% with a single ply suit, so I guess he could beat Ron's lift. However, we'll never know for sure, unless he decides to do a raw meet.
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