21 replies to this topic

[Walt]

I am almost 65 and have been lifting weights since I was 20. I don't look like what most people think weightlifters look like, but I do look muscular. Over the 40 years, I have done many stupid things to add more muscles. What I added was pain and injury. These are some of the lessons I've learned:

1. Weightlifters go to extremes. If some protein is good, then lots of protein is better. If a little of some drug is good, then drink the whole bottle. Moderation in all things just doesn't seem to go with weightlifting.
2. Always start slow. I never do and I am always finding out I have muscles and tendons that I never knew existed! Pain is a great teacher.
3. There is a maximum you can gain. No one in the whole of existence ever had 500 pounds of muscle. I found my limit within one year. For the next 39 years, it has been fun to play around and try to gain. Who knows, you may be one of those persons who recovers quickly and who can easily add muscle. But if it isn't easy, it probably isn't going to occur.
4. Lots of weight, few reps. All the variations (such as hitting a muscle in different areas, and the latest, muscle confusion) is just window dressing.

This sure isn't going to sell any books.

[FunkOdyssey]

I am almost 65 and have been lifting weights since I was 20. I don't look like what most people think weightlifters look like, but I do look muscular. Over the 40 years, I have done many stupid things to add more muscles. What I added was pain and injury. These are some of the lessons I've learned:

1. Weightlifters go to extremes. If some protein is good, then lots of protein is better. If a little of some drug is good, then drink the whole bottle. Moderation in all things just doesn't seem to go with weightlifting.
2. Always start slow. I never do and I am always finding out I have muscles and tendons that I never knew existed! Pain is a great teacher.
3. There is a maximum you can gain. No one in the whole of existence ever had 500 pounds of muscle. I found my limit within one year. For the next 39 years, it has been fun to play around and try to gain. Who knows, you may be one of those persons who recovers quickly and who can easily add muscle. But if it isn't easy, it probably isn't going to occur.
4. Lots of weight, few reps. All the variations (such as hitting a muscle in different areas, and the latest, muscle confusion) is just window dressing.

This sure isn't going to sell any books.

Good advice Walt, thanks for sharing your hard-earned wisdom.

[James Cain]

Over the 40 years, I have done many stupid things to add more muscles. What I added was pain and

Sadly, no matter how obvious and convincing this may seem, new/younger lifters will inevitably only learn this the hard way.

[kenny001]

it's a useful lesson for many leight lifting people....

[bacopa]

my bodybuilder friend is convinced that moderate weight, moderate to high reps, for smaller muscle groups work better. Is there any validity to this?

[Shepard]

Work better for what purpose?

[bacopa]

Work better for what purpose?

sorry, gaining massive biceps, triceps etc.

[RighteousReason]

I am almost 65 and have been lifting weights since I was 20. I don't look like what most people think weightlifters look like, but I do look muscular. Over the 40 years, I have done many stupid things to add more muscles. What I added was pain and injury. These are some of the lessons I've learned:

1. Weightlifters go to extremes. If some protein is good, then lots of protein is better. If a little of some drug is good, then drink the whole bottle. Moderation in all things just doesn't seem to go with weightlifting.
2. Always start slow. I never do and I am always finding out I have muscles and tendons that I never knew existed! Pain is a great teacher.
3. There is a maximum you can gain. No one in the whole of existence ever had 500 pounds of muscle. I found my limit within one year. For the next 39 years, it has been fun to play around and try to gain. Who knows, you may be one of those persons who recovers quickly and who can easily add muscle. But if it isn't easy, it probably isn't going to occur.
4. Lots of weight, few reps. All the variations (such as hitting a muscle in different areas, and the latest, muscle confusion) is just window dressing.

This sure isn't going to sell any books.

negged. crappy advice. disregard.

[Ben]

I am almost 65 and have been lifting weights since I was 20. I don't look like what most people think weightlifters look like, but I do look muscular. Over the 40 years, I have done many stupid things to add more muscles. What I added was pain and injury. These are some of the lessons I've learned:

1. Weightlifters go to extremes. If some protein is good, then lots of protein is better. If a little of some drug is good, then drink the whole bottle. Moderation in all things just doesn't seem to go with weightlifting.
2. Always start slow. I never do and I am always finding out I have muscles and tendons that I never knew existed! Pain is a great teacher.
3. There is a maximum you can gain. No one in the whole of existence ever had 500 pounds of muscle. I found my limit within one year. For the next 39 years, it has been fun to play around and try to gain. Who knows, you may be one of those persons who recovers quickly and who can easily add muscle. But if it isn't easy, it probably isn't going to occur.
4. Lots of weight, few reps. All the variations (such as hitting a muscle in different areas, and the latest, muscle confusion) is just window dressing.

This sure isn't going to sell any books.

negged. crappy advice. disregard.

Wtf? Did you read it?

[RighteousReason]

I am almost 65 and have been lifting weights since I was 20. I don't look like what most people think weightlifters look like, but I do look muscular. Over the 40 years, I have done many stupid things to add more muscles. What I added was pain and injury. These are some of the lessons I've learned:

1. Weightlifters go to extremes. If some protein is good, then lots of protein is better. If a little of some drug is good, then drink the whole bottle. Moderation in all things just doesn't seem to go with weightlifting.
2. Always start slow. I never do and I am always finding out I have muscles and tendons that I never knew existed! Pain is a great teacher.
3. There is a maximum you can gain. No one in the whole of existence ever had 500 pounds of muscle. I found my limit within one year. For the next 39 years, it has been fun to play around and try to gain. Who knows, you may be one of those persons who recovers quickly and who can easily add muscle. But if it isn't easy, it probably isn't going to occur.
4. Lots of weight, few reps. All the variations (such as hitting a muscle in different areas, and the latest, muscle confusion) is just window dressing.

This sure isn't going to sell any books.

negged. crappy advice. disregard.

Wtf? Did you read it?

1. "Moderation" isn't any special good. If you "moderate" yourself from doing a good thing to doing less of that good thing, you are making a pointless sacrifice. Real, long-lasting progress requires a lot of hard work, and you will achieve nothing over the long term if you "moderate" blindly.

2. Just not that interesting or helpful for anyone with common sense... it's just more of this "moderation" attitude.

3. This is ridiculous and false. Nobody be fooled into thinking that hard work over a long time won't add up... seriously, it's almost as if this guy is out to cut you down and limit your progress. I've seen videos of guys bench pressing 600 pounds, and their explanation on how they got there? They worked their ass off for ten years in the gym. Suggesting that you will reach your "limit" in one year of "moderate" work is completely moronic nonsense.

4. Yeah, high weight low reps is half the story. The rest is NOT window dressing. I have found that volume lifting is absolutely, critically essential to making gains in any reasonable amount of time. Two months of only doing high weight, few reps lifting made me meager gains. Two weeks of switching off one session high volume, less weight, and one session high weight, less reps, and suddenly I'm making real gains again. I have repeated this experience multiple times in the past few years.

So yeah, this advice is awful. Pay attention to someone who actually knows what they are doing. This guy is practically telling you he has no idea what he's doing, so believe him on that mark.

Edited by RighteousReason, 26 August 2010 - 01:06 AM.

[Shepard]

RR, you might appreciate a little chaos & pain: http://chaosandpain.blogspot.com/ (this is link is most definitely not work-safe)

As far as #3, I agree that the original poster might be off a little. A beginner training hard will make most of their muscular gains in the first year, and there is a genetic limit at some point. However, pretty much everyone has the potential to continue to grow and get stronger (at a much slower rate) if they keep training hard. They will almost certainly have to train significantly harder and more creatively than they did in the beginning.

Regarding #4, there is a difference between low reps and low volume. Low reps in the set to keep intensity high is one thing, but high intensity and high volume is the secret to greatness.

[MoodyBlue]

Here' a previous post of mine related to this topic: http://www.imminst.o...post__p__409437.

[Shepard]

These growth cycles sound entirely too much like Starr's notion of biorhythms. He thought the three cycles were physical, emotional, and intellectual. Each cycle had a high part of the curve and a low part, and each was of differing lengths (23/28/33 days, respectively). You had to watch yourself on your cross days (when the curves of at least two cycles shifted together), and you could figure out what days to really hammer and what days to back off once you figure out your cycles. I'm not kidding, either.

I think it's a boatload of crazy, and basic tests and/or cues as I've mentioned in other posts are a good indicator of what type of training one should do on any given day. But, no matter how run down you may be, you can always pull a sled.

[VidX]

Key notes should be: warm up, heavy weight, getting stronger gradually in the rep range you respond best in hypertrophy, lots and lots of quality protein and enough carbs, rest. Rinse - repeat year after year. If you wan't to break all the "limits" you'll face - there certainly are the right substances to help you do that.

Over all - I'd better take an advice from someone like R.Robinson, 64 and jacked. Though still a good personal contribution. Details in bb'ing can be very personal thing. What works for one - may not work for other, though the basics are these I outlined above.

[ajnast4r]

you can always pull a sled.

sometimes you just have to push the car

[aLurker]

But, no matter how run down you may be, you can always pull a sled.

Preferably through the snow in Siberia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwvoTDoO9Hg

Edited by aLurker, 26 August 2010 - 03:40 PM.

[RighteousReason]

Low reps in the set to keep intensity high is one thing, but high intensity and high volume is the secret to greatness.

wise words good sir. repped

[kenny001]

thank you very much for your good information, they are useful for me.

[RighteousReason]

RR, you might appreciate a little chaos & pain: http://chaosandpain.blogspot.com/ (this is link is most definitely not work-safe)

http://chaosandpain.blogspot.com/2010/12/dude-so-and-so-got-so-fucking-jacked.html
... strong thread relevance

[nowayout]

I am almost 65 and have been lifting weights since I was 20. I don't look like what most people think weightlifters look like, but I do look muscular. Over the 40 years, I have done many stupid things to add more muscles. What I added was pain and injury. These are some of the lessons I've learned:

1. Weightlifters go to extremes. If some protein is good, then lots of protein is better. If a little of some drug is good, then drink the whole bottle. Moderation in all things just doesn't seem to go with weightlifting.
2. Always start slow. I never do and I am always finding out I have muscles and tendons that I never knew existed! Pain is a great teacher.
3. There is a maximum you can gain. No one in the whole of existence ever had 500 pounds of muscle. I found my limit within one year. For the next 39 years, it has been fun to play around and try to gain. Who knows, you may be one of those persons who recovers quickly and who can easily add muscle. But if it isn't easy, it probably isn't going to occur.
4. Lots of weight, few reps. All the variations (such as hitting a muscle in different areas, and the latest, muscle confusion) is just window dressing.

This sure isn't going to sell any books.

Pretty good observations, I would say. (Definitely 1-3. 4 may depend on what you are trying to accomplish.)

Like you, I have learned all this the hard way. People like RR still haven't learned the hard way. No worries - sooner or later they will (most likely sooner with that attitude).

[The Immortalist]

Low reps in the set to keep intensity high is one thing, but high intensity and high volume is the secret to greatness.

wise words good sir. repped

Wait I though I was on Imminst not bodybuilding.com.....

Edited by The Immortalist, 02 April 2011 - 01:40 AM.

[motif]

Walt,
so how is it after so many years - do you still looks good naked?
do muscles keep up with the age? their strength and the look, just curious.