WHAT DOES IT MEAN to be “over the hill”? In today’s parlance, you’re 40 years old or older. This is the time in your life when you begin to notice changes in your body. You’re definitely not old, but something tells you that you’re no longer young. It’s a time when you begin to wonder what lies ahead.
As this article is written by an 80-yearold barbell-strength-training coach, I can give you a glimpse into your near and distant future as it pertains to your muscles, health, and possible outcomes. Body muscle, or lack thereof, has always been a part of my life concerns. Sixty years ago, I began an on-again-offagain exercise routine to stay in shape, consisting of bicycling, running, and push-ups. As years passed, I bought a set of dumbbells for overhead presses, bench presses, and bicep curls. A few years later I purchased a four-station gym set and the original Nordic Track. For the next 20 years I exercised three to four times a week.
By the age of 74 you would think I’d be in peak shape, but I knew I wasn’t. Simple tasks were becoming more difficult each year. It was a big letdown because I was doing everything my doctor and the “experts” on television and magazines prescribed. What to do? In desperation, at the age of 74, I bought a barbell squat rack, barbell, and 300 pounds of weights. Boy, did I ever get humbled.
The full-body, full-motion weight-lifting routine I use only requires four lifts. Of the four lifts, I was only able to complete two with the barbell, the other two with light dumbbells. As time went on and I added weight to my lifts on a weekly basis, I became strong and my body changed. I now have more strength than I had at 40 years old. Was my journey difficult? Not in the least. All it took was the determination to work out three days a week, which has become my new habit. Life is good.
As I’ve written in the past, muscle is the driver of a healthy life and is associated with longevity. Doctors and the medical establishment attribute low muscle mass to an increased risk of injury and disability, difficulty doing daily activities, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, osteoporosis, complications after surgery, poor chronic disease outcomes, hospital readmission, and early death. The benefits of having an adequate amount of muscle mass in our later years cannot be overstated.
As I’ve lived to experience, “exercising” of any kind doesn’t build muscle. Forget about running miles in the park, calisthenics, or working out on the machines at a big-box gym. None of that will build muscle no matter how hard you try. The only way to build muscle is to stress it, allow two days for it to recover, and stress it again and again. You won’t become strong after one workout, but you will be stronger than you were two days ago—and stronger yet as you continue the process. You’ll find that the only difficult part of lifting weights is creating a new habit of going to the gym three days a week.
How do you determine when you need to start rebuilding your muscles? Listen to your body. We are programmed to lose 1% of our muscle and bone mass every year after we turn 25 years old. You may weigh the same at 45 years old as you weighed at 25. Don’t be fooled. Mother Nature doesn’t make mistakes. Your muscle and bone loss has been replaced with visceral and body fat. Be vigilant of muscle loss and the lost-strength cues your body gives you. You’ll know when it’s time to take action.
Coach Bob Baker of 3X5’s Barbell Strength Training is located in Oregon, Ohio and can be reached by e-mail at gh68bb@gmail.com or by telephone at 419-277-6581. ✲
