M
mrhtbd
Guest
Back in the saddle of training, 52 years old, tired of life, and today was legs.
I was itching for pain, to feel life, to challenge fear.
I relinquished the machines, and armed with an article by Fred Hatfield (Dr Squat) that I read last night I decide the only course was the old-fashined way: to stand up and squat.
"By only doing squats, you can make your whole body grow." That's what Fred wrote, and I was ready to find it out.
Injuries, sminjuries, had 'em, have 'em, but I needed to rise above it.
Today I did barbell squats, 20 sets of 6 reps. I only started with 135, as I haven't done them in over a year. I added 20, then 50, then 20 again and again and again. Each time I thought I would crash, as this injury or that came creeping back, but I pushed on. I discovered I actually got into my old groove the heavier the bar got.
Eventually, as I pushed onward and upward, I began filling with emotion as I couldn't believe I could still do it with such ease. Then I got to 295, picked it up, and nailed all 6 reps. I could tell people were watching, and even though I had my music on I couldn't isolate totally in my own world, but I wanted to. I needed to, because when I racked the 295 after the 6th rep I was convulsing, my eyes were wet, and I was so overcome with feeling I hid my face in my shirt.
Considering myself a non-emotional man I was surprised the pride that welled up inside me that I could still do it. All those years pining because my days of the heavy squat were gone for good somehow lifted like mist on a summer's morn...
Then I loaded another 10lbs, to 305, and blasted out 6, and that put me over the top. I couldn't believe it.
In 1993 I squated 465 for 6, clean, no spotter and juice-free. In 2003 I squatted 330 for 30, but haven't squated, since I tore my brevis tendon on my outer-lower right calf in 2004. I still limp from that, but tonight I squated 305 for 6, dammit, just dammit. It's still in me, 52 years old and wracked with time but it's still in me, the squat, and it's only the beginning. Another 4 months like this and I'll be putting up 405 again, maybe more. Wow, old muscle resurrected.
I was so psyched I did 9 more sets of 6 descending 20 lbs per set, back down to 135. That was it,, time was up, had to pick up my daughter from swimming practice, but true to form, I did 20x6 in the barbell squat.
As my Ocean Beach Patrol Lifeguard Captain used to say, "Things are poppin," and so they are!
I was itching for pain, to feel life, to challenge fear.
I relinquished the machines, and armed with an article by Fred Hatfield (Dr Squat) that I read last night I decide the only course was the old-fashined way: to stand up and squat.
"By only doing squats, you can make your whole body grow." That's what Fred wrote, and I was ready to find it out.
Injuries, sminjuries, had 'em, have 'em, but I needed to rise above it.
Today I did barbell squats, 20 sets of 6 reps. I only started with 135, as I haven't done them in over a year. I added 20, then 50, then 20 again and again and again. Each time I thought I would crash, as this injury or that came creeping back, but I pushed on. I discovered I actually got into my old groove the heavier the bar got.
Eventually, as I pushed onward and upward, I began filling with emotion as I couldn't believe I could still do it with such ease. Then I got to 295, picked it up, and nailed all 6 reps. I could tell people were watching, and even though I had my music on I couldn't isolate totally in my own world, but I wanted to. I needed to, because when I racked the 295 after the 6th rep I was convulsing, my eyes were wet, and I was so overcome with feeling I hid my face in my shirt.
Considering myself a non-emotional man I was surprised the pride that welled up inside me that I could still do it. All those years pining because my days of the heavy squat were gone for good somehow lifted like mist on a summer's morn...
Then I loaded another 10lbs, to 305, and blasted out 6, and that put me over the top. I couldn't believe it.
In 1993 I squated 465 for 6, clean, no spotter and juice-free. In 2003 I squatted 330 for 30, but haven't squated, since I tore my brevis tendon on my outer-lower right calf in 2004. I still limp from that, but tonight I squated 305 for 6, dammit, just dammit. It's still in me, 52 years old and wracked with time but it's still in me, the squat, and it's only the beginning. Another 4 months like this and I'll be putting up 405 again, maybe more. Wow, old muscle resurrected.
I was so psyched I did 9 more sets of 6 descending 20 lbs per set, back down to 135. That was it,, time was up, had to pick up my daughter from swimming practice, but true to form, I did 20x6 in the barbell squat.
As my Ocean Beach Patrol Lifeguard Captain used to say, "Things are poppin," and so they are!
:igok:
