I turn 65 in 3 month’s time. I’ve been working out regularly since 1972 (started with running and weights) and things have changed for me over time.
I was never good at sports: here is a smattering of my lifetime bests: high school: started one year of varsity and two years of JV football; was a back up for 1 year of varsity (my senior year!) though I played enough to letter. Went 12-3 in wrestling and won a 3’rd place medal in my league tournament (1974).
Weights (gym numbers) bench press PB is 310 lb (141 kg) in 1986-87..last saw 300 lb in 1993, deadlift (probably not powerlifting legal) 410 1979, clean and jerk: 195 (just over bodyweight at the time) and snatch 110 (that bad, really).
Running: 5:30 mile (1980, 5:31 in 1982) last sub 6 was 1999, 5K 18:57 (dubious course), 19:20 (certified course), last sub 20 was in 1998. Last sub 25 was in 2014. 10K 39:50 (1982), 42:20 as a Master, 1/2 marathon 1:34 in 1999 (2001 was my last sub 1:40), marathon 3:33 (1980), 3:38 (2000), 3:40 (2001) last sub 4 was 2002 (3:57); ran a 4:04 later that year.
Ultra: 101 miles 24 hour walk in 2004.
Swim: 5K open water in 1:36 in 2008; swam 1:34 in a pool (5500 yards in 2009). 15:36 is my 1000 yd PB, last sub 16 was in 2008.
Judged walks: 1500 in 8:31 (2003), 3000 in 18:03 (2004), 5k in 30:42 (2003), 20 k in 2:24 (2003) monitored power walk: 1/ 2 marathon in 2:17 (2003)
As you can see, this isn’t exactly athletic excellence. My wife calls me a “pretend athlete” as my best numbers are woefully short of what a competitive athlete can do.
But what I can do is important to *me*. And I work at it. And, well, as a 64 year old, I can do less than I once could.
Ability/recovery Of course, my capacity has fallen a great deal. To give an idea: pull ups: now sets of 5-10 (10 is getting sloppy) as opposed to 10-20 in years past. Bench press: way down; instead of repping 225, I rep 155. Walking: 14-15 minute miles feel the way that 12-13 used to.
And when I lift, I either have to take a bit off of the weight OR take longer and rest longer between sets. I have no choice. And I have to moderate my work week workouts lest I lose energy I need for my job.
Chronic conditions shoulder: I have Os acromiale (bones did not fuse together all the way) which leaves me vulnerable to rotator cuff impingements. This affects my presses. back: forminal stenosis (due to spondylolisthesis) which leads to modifications of my lifts and pull ups. Knees: meniscus in my right knee is all but gone, so no running. Back in 2020 I was feeling pain at the top of the shin bone when I ran. No space, no padding.
These lead to modifications: bench press: feet on a chair, no leg drive. High incline press and incline press: feet on a stool. Shoulder: high incline instead of shoulder press. Deadlift: heavier stuff done with a trap bar (various heights), though I am finding that lighter weights (220 lb or 100 kg) with a straight bar is fine.
Pull ups: knees forward, leads to a mild “kip”; this saves my lower back.
Running: replaced with brisk walking.
Swimming: laying off of it; my lumbar does NOT like the “extension” I get when I crawl.
Attitude I tend to not do 1 rep maxes nearly as often as I once did..and don’t do them in the deadlift at all. For me: serious strain = breakdown of form = radiating pain from my lumbar. I am reluctant to grind too much on my presses as well; don’t want to aggravate the shoulder.
Races are far less fun too, at least the smaller ones. I used to love to race; I liked the challenge, getting PB and being around the “hard bodies.” Well, at races, I am no longer around the hard bodies. The people around me are mostly a mixture of the “walking wounded” (lots of knee braces), elderly and the overweight. The ambiance is no longer uplifting to me.
And, I have no interest in pushing myself so hard that I make myself sick. 🙂
I am much more conservative than I once was. An injury means a long (or longer than before) layoff and my workouts are good for my mental health.
And that brings me to where I workout: almost exclusively alone, either on the roads or at home. The sense of community I once had no longer feels like it is there, and the days of my getting approving looks or glances are long gone.
Dealing with others The median age is 37-38. So, when people post about their workouts or post a video: well, my numbers are a beginner’s numbers, and people tend to assume that I am at the start of my journey and will eventually get better. In fact, I am working hard to slow down my slide. And yes, it sure feels as if my walking has slowed down…AGAIN. I had a speed up as I recovered from my multi-year long stenosis flare up (getting nerve signals to the legs is NICE) but now..gradually, I appear to be slowing again. I need to be intentional about including 1 “faster” walk every week.
Today’s workout took a long time but I rested between periods: started with 1/3’rd of my PT followed by a 4.15 mile walk in 1:01:10 (4 in 59:06); took about 30 minutes for the first 2 miles. Then pull ups (with more PT mixed in): 10 sets of 5, alternating chins and pulls, with 2 sets being mixed grip. Touched the chin to the top of the bar OR the throat to the bar each rep.
bench press: 5 x 134, 5 x 155 (hard), 5 x 155 (tough), 4 x 155 (ugh), 5 x 154 (good)
incline press: 7 x 120 (wobbly)
high incline: 10 x 84, 10 x 84, 7 x 90
curls: 1 sets of 10.
Life of an old goat 