Not today.

[Kung Fu Wang]

In the past 2 weeks, I had reduced 10 lb from my weight training. Instead of doing 60 reps as I used to do, I did 100 reps (because less weight). But I still felt very uncomfortable about my training as if I had not done anything. Yesterday, I added that 10 lb back and I felt good again. I know that one of these day, I may have to work on less weight. But that day will not be today.

I feel the same way for flexibility training. I like to swing my leg above my head daily. I also know that one of these day, I may not be able to swing my leg over my head, but that day will not be today.

Also for endurance training, I like to run 3 miles 3 times a week. I also know that one of these day, I may not be able to run any more, but that day will not be today.​

Do you feel something like this in your training? You are afraid of changing your training program and you try to maintain it as long as you can. You train MA to make yourself to feel young.

When you see most old people move in slow speed and you can still move in fast speed, that will make you to feel great.

What you can do today is not important. What you can still do when you are 80 years old will be important.

Your thought?

 

[Danny T]

I think what I can do today is quite important...for today. What I can do 15 years from now will be important in 15 years but not so today. If you want to continue to have strength and flexibility then continue to life heavy things and stretch dynamically. You won't get stronger by lifting lighter things and you won't gain flexibility without working throughout the full range of movement of the muscles. Of course there is a limit to both strength and flexibility and age will continue to limit it. Just keep working on it and be smart as to what your limits are.

 

[dvcochran]

I had been able to increase my workouts from 2 to 3 and sometimes 4 times/week early in 2019 through July. Hay season and normal yearly farming stuff finally caught and I had to back off. I can still feel the gains I had made and will be able to get 1 or 2 months worth of 4 classes/week then go in for knee replacements. I will have to play it by ear after that.
As far as physical ability I am not even a shadow of what I was in my 20's but I know that is a bad comparison to make and sometimes leads to disappointment for some. My mantra these days is to just keep swinging and not worry too much about how hard it lands. It is way too easy for most people to think they are acceptably active until they get into a good exercise program and realize how wrong they were.
I have a good friend who owns 3 restaurants in Nashville. She was showing me her phone app that tracks her steps and she averages around 18,000 steps each day. Still she is overweight and stressed out. It is more about the quality of the workout as we get older I think.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I think what I can do today is quite important...

My teacher told me that when he trained in his teacher's house, there was a 2 heads weight bar on the ground that every time when he looked at it, he hated it (it was too heavy).

When I train for tournament, I have a 220 lb rock next to my drive way that I used to move around all the time. Today when I look at it, I also hate it.

IMO, if you work with too much weight, you may force yourself to do for a short period of time. You won't keep doing that for the rest of your life. To find the right amount of weight that's challenge and also fun is very important.

For example, for this training purpose, this double heads is too heavy (from the amount of PVC pipe bending). There is no fun to train this much weight. Of course you can use more weight for just upward lifting. But for weight rotation, too much weight may injury your spine.

This double heads is the proper weight (for this training purpose). You can still have fun to train without hurting yourself.

 

[jobo]

In the past 2 weeks, I had reduced 10 lb from my weight training. Instead of doing 60 reps as I used to do, I did 100 reps (because less weight). But I still felt very uncomfortable about my training as if I had not done anything. Yesterday, I added that 10 lb back and I felt good again. I know that one of these day, I may have to work on less weight. But that day will not be today.

I feel the same way for flexibility training. I like to swing my leg above my head daily. I also know that one of these day, I may not be able to swing my leg over my head, but that day will not be today.

Also for endurance training, I like to run 3 miles 3 times a week. I also know that one of these day, I may not be able to run any more, but that day will not be today.​

Do you feel something like this in your training? You are afraid of changing your training program and you try to maintain it as long as you can. You train MA to make yourself to feel young.

When you see most old people move in slow speed and you can still move in fast speed, that will make you to feel great.

What you can do today is not important. What you can still do when you are 80 years old will be important.

Your thought?

I agree with your sentiments, but really you need to stop worrying about being 80, in theory what you do now should indeed have a positive effect on your latter years, but on the other hand you are wearing things out, so maybe not?

I'm not trying to maintain things, I'm trying to progress, every year 8m fitter than the one before. now I cant keep doing that till I'm 80, but I'm not entering the managed decline phase, 7ntil it becomes impossible to improve any more as doing the same exercises with out seeking improvement just results in the day were further 8mprovement are not on, coming sooner

 

[Danny T]

There is Strength, Endurance, and one's attitude toward training.

 

[Buka]

I don't play poker like I used to as a twenty something year old, I have far more experience now.
I don't deal with people like I did as a twenty something year old, it's fairly old hat to me now, you just have to adapt for today's kind of crazy...again, experience.

And I don't train like I did as a twenty something year old.

 

[dvcochran]

My teacher told me that when he trained in his teacher's house, there was a 2 heads weight bar on the ground that every time when he looked at it, he hated it (it was too heavy).

When I train for tournament, I have a 220 lb rock next to my drive way that I used to move around all the time. Today when I look at it, I also hate it.

IMO, if you work with too much weight, you may force yourself to do for a short period of time. You won't keep doing that for the rest of your life. To find the right amount of weight that's challenge and also fun is very important.

For example, for this training purpose, this double heads is too heavy (from the amount of PVC pipe bending). There is no fun to train this much weight. Of course you can use more weight for just upward lifting. But for weight rotation, too much weight may injury your spine.

This double heads is the proper weight (for this training purpose). You can still have fun to train without hurting yourself.

To be fair to the guy in the first video, he appeared to have less trouble with his weight, in his first direction, than the man in the 2nd video did. He did appear to struggle with coordination going back.
I do not understand why the pipe flexing matters, unless you are saying there is value in gripping a larger diameter pipe because it is harder to grip.
A great exercise either way. It looks like it would work most parts of the body.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

saying there is value in gripping a larger diameter pipe because it is harder to grip.

The large diameter PVC pipe can force you to work more on your finger strength.

 

[dvcochran]

The large diameter PVC pipe can force you to work more on your finger strength.

Agree.
In Kali, we would drop and catch different size steel balls to toughen the hands and gain grip strength. My hands are just big enough to grip a basketball but if it has a slick surface I will usually drop the ball if I try drop and catch it.
We had 20lb. steel balls that were 8" in diameter. After a time I could drop and catch them no problem.
I point, like I think yours is, is that size matters. Even though basketball only weighs about 1 1/2 lbs. the size makes it useless to me if I am trying to increase hand strength.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

In Kali, we would drop and catch different size steel balls to toughen the hands and gain grip strength.

The plumbing cupper pipe is also good for grip strength training.

 

[dvcochran]

The plumbing cupper pipe is also good for grip strength training.

3" black pipe? That would work.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

In the past 2 weeks, I had reduced 10 lb from my weight training. Instead of doing 60 reps as I used to do, I did 100 reps (because less weight). But I still felt very uncomfortable about my training as if I had not done anything. Yesterday, I added that 10 lb back and I felt good again. I know that one of these day, I may have to work on less weight. But that day will not be today.

I started this thread 4 years ago. I thought I would never change my training program. 4 years later (I will be 76 next month), I have to accept the fact that my body is no longer be able to do the same training as I did 4 years ago. I can still work out as hard as I did 4 years ago. But next day my body will be so tired that I can't do anything.

This day will come to everybody no matter we may like it or not. It's a very sad feeling indeed.

 

[Oily Dragon]

I started this thread 4 years ago. I thought I would never change my training program. 4 years later (I will be 76 next month), I have to accept the fact that my body is no longer be able to do the same training as I did 4 years ago. I can still work out as hard as I did 4 years ago. But next day my body will be so tired that I can't do anything.

This day will come to everybody no matter we may like it or not. It's a very sad feeling indeed.

The proper solution to that kind of funk is at least 70% dark chocolate.

I'm 30 years younger and I feel like you today. The truth is every day is different, one week isn't the same as another. I've had a sore right elbow for weeks, having trouble lifting. So rather than not train, nowadays I just move to something I can, and there's always something. If can't do arms, do core. If can't do legs, arms. Can't do either? Work on flexibility.

On days when I feel totally wrecked (which gets more and more common like you say), I tell myself "RELAX" and read a book or play Wordle. Listen to your body, and remember training got you to this point. Maintaining isn't as hard as getting there. It's easy for highly motivated people to neglect things like SLEEP. Like they are afraid to wake up.

Going forward, your mind is most important. From there everything else comes. I'd rather be average strength for my age but mentally crispy, than superstrong and mentally soft. If all the science is right, our minds and bodies go as we age. So later life is all about cruise control, not trying to prove something to yourself. You already did that.