Lifting after 50

It sure is different; lifting after 50, that is.  I've been lifting weights since I was 16 years old; it is an exercise regime that I have always loved.  I like the feel of being strong and I love to challenge myself.  After a several year break from lifting; I got back at it before I turned 50.  It was tough and although I dove in head first; my body rebelled.  My joints hurt a lot; I wondered how long it would take to really get back at it.  It's been several years now since I decided to start lifting again and boy have I learned a lot about lifting after 50.  It is very different.

One of the biggest things that I had to conquer was my hard headedness.  I tried to lift what I use to lift; picking up where I'd left off.  The only thing is that my body wasn't with me; things were a little different.  I once could punish my muscles and just expect my joints to bear the brunt; that was not happening any longer.  My joints buckled under the heavy weights and I suffered several injuries. When you injure a joint during weight lifting it is usually a long lasting injury.  Of course because while you are injuring yourself; you are holding a heavy weight, which makes matters worse.  So after months of having to cut back I realized that I had to approach this lifting with more thought. 

Form took on a whole new meaning.  Slow and steady wins the race; no flinging weights around willy nilly.  I was still lifting heavy; but not heavier than my muscles could handle.  I had to build them up before I started to challenge them.  Joints are some of the first things to go if you don't have enough muscle to support them.  So I worked on a very slow and meticulous progression to the heavier stuff.  I added new exercises to my regime and divided my body into two work outs.  This allowed me to focus more on each body part.

Another big difference when lifting at or after 50 is the rest period.  The time between workout days is essential.  I worked out every single day for months before realizing that I was sore all the time..  Not hugely sore like I'd worked out too hard; but my body ached.  I wasn't giving myself the time needed between workouts to repair.  So now I take at least a day or two to allow my body to repair itself.  Especially now that I am really upping my weights. 

Adding more weights must be done slowly.  I always test the waters before I start pumping out a new and heavier weight.  I do a few very slow trial reps to see that nothing is going to break and then proceed.  I am much wiser about lifting now.  At 20 years old you can make mistakes lifting and your body will forgive you.  Not when you are lifting after 50; a mistake can throw you off the bench for months. 

The fact is that we lose muscle mass as we age.  A great way to stop the process is to build it.  You just have to be smart about it; and some people learn faster than others not to be hardheaded.  :)