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| My well used weights I use at my desk. |
My nephew is one of the strongest young men in the nation. He has a placement ranking for weight lifting to prove it. Today he's competing near my daughter's college so she'll get to see him. We've watched some competitions remotely and it's incredible. He lifts more than guys 25- 50 pounds more are lifting in their weight class. Good luck to him.
At the Spy Museum, there was a bar hanging test. You reached as far as you could to set the bar, then grabbed and it gradually pulled you higher. Both girls gave it a try. It was for fun, but of course, neither held on like they do in the spy movies, using all that strength to grab helicopter legs to get away or chase the bad guys. Slippery hands was another risk. It made us all want to get a bit stronger.
I'm getting weaker each year. I feel like things I easily carried now are be a burden. It's natural as we get older, but I want to push back more, build up both arm and leg strength. I'll be curious what the bone density baseline results are. I know muscle and bone loss are not the same, but there's correlation. My test took under 10 minutes, scanning my back and hips. I should see results in My Chart on Tuesday, but what it'll mean, I'll have to wait. I was happy to learn I dropped another pound, making just 4 since the first if the year. I was not happy to hear I lost 1/4 inch of height. I swear I was always 5'7" after I stopped growing and into adulthood. Maybe it was bad measurements. Gradually this has lessened to officially being 5'6". Yesterday though, she said I was 1/4 inch shy of the 6 inch mark.
I know many of you have commented or posted on your own blogs about losing your strength. How are your arm pipes? How long do you think you could have hung on the bar? If you've had a bone density test, what did you do with the results; what changes happened?
Seems just went you make a little fitness progress, injuries happen. I stopped running a few years ago due to my feet and now I'm slowly getting back into it, but not outdoors, on a cross ramp! The older we get, the more we all need to adapt and mix it up. My motto is just do what you can, but don't stop moving!!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of adding the walking version of Couch to 5K app. Running not my thing unless/ until knee is sorted but I agree to doing what I can.
DeleteI couldn't have hung on the bar as I have little grip or strength in my hands due to arthritis. They've been painful and stiff today, but I've still been knitting as it keeps them going, even though it feels awkward. My strength goes from my whole body when I'm having an ME flare, making it difficult to do much at all. My strength was increasing due to going to the gym, but as you know, I've had to stop going because Covid took quite a toll. I sound like a right crock, but I'm determined to keep going, and do what I can, when I can!
ReplyDeleteI didn't even try the hanging bar! My fingers would struggle knitting even if I knew how.
DeleteI keep getting weaker, too. I do think it has helped to have stairs in my house, as I go up and down many times a day.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the stairs. While we might not always appreciate them, I do think they help maintain fitness (to a certain extent)!
DeleteI have stairs too so try and take advantage of them during the day.
DeleteI've noticed a decrease in my strength as well, but I've not done anything about it. I probably should. There is a box of small weights in the basement gathering dust. I'm certain I would not have been able to hange from the bar, as my own weight would have taken me down.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the weight loss.
This pair I use are only two pounds each, but something while I'm on meeting calls.
DeleteI'd love to go to the Spy Museum!
ReplyDeleteI was working out with weights as part of my daily Wii Fit sessions but had to stop using them after developing tennis elbow, hopefully I'll be able to reintroduce them soon, I miss them! xxx
I should look for bigger weights to increase, but some days these two pounders are plenty.
DeleteI'm 63 so I know I've lost strength, but I'm a stubborn old bugger and so far haven't had to give in to it! Just today my son was over fitting the new sinks in my bathroom and I carried both the old ones downstairs and out to my car. Actually it might not be strength that's the problem (as yet, although I know it's coming), more a problem of making sure I have my balance when doing this stuff. Old age doesn't have a lot to recommend it!
ReplyDeleteI'd have likely dropped them! I too worry about balance- even when not carrying things.
DeleteGood job on the 4 pounds. Keep up the great work!!
ReplyDeleteIt's slow but not nothing. Thankyou.
DeleteMeasure yourself first thing in the morning as everyone is taller then. Walking around all day compresses your spine making you shrink. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis was 10:30, so not too much walking. Plus, I really stretched straight. I believe it- I'm shrinking.
DeleteI’ve never had much upper body strength like that, oh those marine corp fitness tests they used to do in gym class were humiliating for me lol. But I am solid and my job requires me to move heavy freight every day. Chucking boxes around is good exercise and good therapy. I learned this week that I am moderately anemic, which explains a lot as far as my lack of energy and extreme fatigue. After a full days work I barely have energy for anything. Hoping to fix that with a supplement and some diet changes. JoAnn
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I was always a weak person arm wise too. Odd as I played softball, both pitched and caught. I figure I better try to improve before it all goes downhill and can't go back up.
DeleteGreat job on the weight loss. I need to get back into exercising and using my hand weights as I have gained back some weight. I don't think I could have hung on that bar for more than a second or two.
ReplyDeleteI need to do more with the weights than just my calls. I also need to pay attention to my core. We'll get there right?
DeleteGood luck to your nephew! That is impressive!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the weight loss too. Hope your bone density test is ok. I had osteoporosis from cancer treatments when I was in my 30's, but I have been able to build back to osteopenia with Vitamin D-3 and weight bearing exercises. And this kitchen remodel should build muscles, but I am so tired today.
Hope you are having a great weekend.
He finished first in his weight class! I'm guessing vitamin vD3 will be added to my regimen.
DeleteMy hands have gotten weaker. My arms not such. I work with weights three times a week and my kid has me sitting in a xhair and trying to push myself put of it.i.agree that balance is a bigger issue for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat Barb. You're goals for me to keep at it. Arthritis does a number on me, but I will work at what I can.
DeleteI measured at 1/4" less last year also which freaked me out as I'm only 4"10" tall. Now I'm even shorter than that! My job requires very heavy lifting, up to 40 lbs, which I'm able to do, but it breaks your body down over time. After every summer break, I'd feel weaker when I went back to work. I have arthritis in my hands too which makes a lot of things more difficult. I could never hang onto a bar, that's for sure. Congrats on the weight loss! Oh, and I had a bone density test about 5 years ago. They told me I had some bone loss in my hips and advised me to take 2000IUS of vitamin D3 every day, which I have been doing.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't do your job. I was laid out for two days after managing church breakfasts! I'm assuming I'll have a supplement recommendation.
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