The Progressing Pilgrim

When I started strength training three years ago, my main goal was to regain some of the muscle and strength I had lost from 27 years inactivity due to chronic fatigue syndrome. I was now 57 years old and had undoubtedly lost even more muscle from normal aging.

After two and a half years of barbell training, I accomplished that goal and more. Not only had I gained muscle, but, at 60 years old, I had become stronger than I had been in the previous 27 years.

As I became more involved in training, however, I began reading studies on the benefits of strength training that involved more than just gaining raw strength. [Read more…]

If someone had told me three years ago that I could get strong enough to do a 200-pound bench press and a 300-pound deadlift, I would’ve laughed in their face and walked away.

At 57 years old and recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and bursitis in both shoulders, the odds of me getting that strong again were about zero to none.

What a ridiculous thought. How could I ever get that strong again? Especially after having CFS for 27 years.

Well, it’s not such a ridiculous thought now.

I recently pulled a 290-pound deadlift and bench pressed 192.5-pounds. Oh, and by the way, I’m 60 years young and weigh 171 pounds. [Read more…]

Barbell squats are the most important exercise for developing overall strength and fitness. There is no other exercise that compares with squats for gaining strength and making you a physically better functioning human being.

As of this July, I’ve now been doing barbell back squats for 1 year. That’s a pretty big deal for me.

First, I never even did a squat until I was 59 years old. Who in their right mind puts a barbell on their back and squats down with it at 59 years old? [Read more…]

Did you know that if you’re over 30 years old you’ll start losing muscle mass every year? It’s true, you will.

The normal human aging process dictates that everyone, at some point, in their thirties will begin losing muscle and that loss will continue through out your life.

If you’re an especially active person or someone who engages in a physically demanding job, normal muscle loss due to aging usually isn’t a problem.

However, if you’re a couch potato or you engage in a sedentary type job you could be losing a lot of muscle and that could be a problem. [Read more…]

Two Saturdays ago, I was bending down to put something into my freezer when a severe pain shot through my lower back.

In the words of Forrest Gump, it felt like something jumped up and bit me.

I knew what it was right away. Every one to two years my lower back goes into spasm. It’s been happening for at least 20 years. That was long before I started strength training. [Read more…]