Mass, strength, endurance or all three? Mass and endurance can be attained by light weight and more reps. Mass and more strength are more readily attained by using a weight step up process. If one weight at 10 reps is too easy then step up to the weight that is more difficult to manage whilst still having the ability to do the reps. Once that weight becomes easy, go a step up again and so forth. I use my own motivational maxim of: If it’s too easy, I’m either not doing it right or I’m not working hard enough. I still say that you might want to re-think a bio-force or some other cable machine rather than free weights especially since you’ve given up the gym and want to work out at home. It’s not as complicated as you think (per your post) and cable machines are best known for the safety factors and less stress on the joints if they are used properly. Uh yeah, 50#. Two plates at 25# each. The weight of your bar is where I went wrong. My EZ bar weighs 25# and the straight bar weighs 45#. And no. My name is just Bobby and nothing more. I understand that you’re just having a little fun but those who earned the title Mr. America after years of hard work deserve it..........not I and not even in jest. To me, it’s like placing a title of Medal of Honor recipient in front of my name. I don’t deserve it. When I get to the point that I look similar to Reg Park, the British Beast and an idol of mine, and qualify for the seniors amateur competition and WIN it, then maybe I can give a little leeway but not until then. Reg Park. In another year and a half to two years, I should be close to having about the same muscle structure as him below the chin. Yup.....I have an old face.
@Hal Pollner I would think it's more about the repetition and building stamina than it would be the actual weight. It's not as though you are preparing for some body building competition.
@Hal Pollner @Bobby Cole I admire you boys using weights and machines. I stopped with all that in my late 30's. I still do a home exercise routine and lots of walking. I find myself cutting back on the exercises now that I left the Women's Fitness Forum and local senior women fitness group. I still keep my abs and legs up, to protect from back injury, but let the biceps building go. I always start my morning with a few Tai Chi moves to test my flexibility or lack thereof.
I think we need to clean up a term here because, well, it kind of bugs me. “Weight lifting” is a totally different regimen than “lifting weights” whereas weight lifting is a form of training, lifting weights is a form of exercise which can bridge into training. (Like bodybuilding) Two different mind sets with completely different goals (assuming there actually is a goal). In my own case, I’m not a weight lifter but I do lift weights. I have a goal in mind and I use a formula of time under resistance to achieve what I wish to do which is to build muscle mass but not necessarily a comparable muscle strength. Normally, each exercise comes in a set with a number of repetitions with about 1-1 1/2 minutes of rest in between each set. If a given weight becomes too easy, either a jump in repetitions or a step up in weight is called for. Whilst the slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers are used, the fast twitch (types I and II ) are the primary fibers employed to achieve hypertrophy. (Cell enlargement) A weight lifter’s primary goal is to lift weight and as much weight as can be controlled and with a measure of safety. He or she (yes, there’s a lot of females who weight lift) will constantly be in a mode of stepping up weight as long as it can be controlled. Normally, each set has only 1 repetition with 10-12 minutes rest in between each set. Only in a warm-up set will a weight lifter do more repetitions than 2. It’s important to know that a weight lifter will use both slow and fast twitch muscle fibers with a heavy concentration on the slow. Bottom line though is that I personally know a lot of seniors on both sides of the track. Some are weight lifters but none of them I know started as seniors strictly as weight lifters. A couple started out lifting weights and doing resistance exercise then crossed over to the weight lifting thing. The rest of them that I know, like my octogenarian pastor friend, used to compete and have never stopped training but they all admit that age has had a lot to do with how much weight they can manage safely.
When THAT grandma says she’s gonna slap that smile off of yer face, she is to be completely believed!!
Here's the compact exercise rig I have in my hobby room. I don't use heavy weights...I go for many reps instead. A treadmill is in another corner of the room. Hal
I don't know, Hal. I'm not sure I've seen it. But I like what I'm seeing now. Nice little gym of the sort I'd fancy. You even have a treadmill? You know immediately where this room is located. I have no room for that any more and now, with all public gyms closed nationwide, I've been suffering tremendously. Can't wait for them to open again. Maybe in May. Meanwhile I try to do my best with isometric exercises and some jogging. Has this room always been a gym or what did you use it for?