Disclaimer: First, this is just my experience and not health advice. Health decisions should always be between a person and their medical professional.
Getting Old Sucks
Getting old sucks. One minute you are young and fit, and the next, you are old and fat. The geek life takes a lot out of you without you realizing it. Before marriage, I was really active. I would do stick fighting on weekends and hit clubs several times a week. I also worked retail which meant I stood for hours a day. I didn't eat great but got enough exercise to counteract it. I weighed around 160lbs and looked well enough to trick my wife into starting to date me.
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| Me from the late 90s |
Marriage, kids, a desk job, and gaming change things. I slowly stopped being active like I used to. I started eating better, and my doctor visits still showed I was healthy. As my age went up, so did my weight. Part of this was because I loved to eat. This was because I was used to always being hungry and would eat but not gain weight. Well, that changed. I was putting on weight and didn't really care.
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| Me from the early 2000s |
I did notice that I was getting bigger, and my habits were only making it worse. One day, while playing WoW, I just said this sucks. I wasn't happy and just felt terrible. I took a break from gaming and started running and going to the gym. I used to run as part of my old hobby, and it was the easiest to do. It was cheap.
I got into it and started running longer and longer. I eventually did a few 5ks and worked up to a half marathon. My finish times were great; I was slim and having fun. My running habit lasted for about two years. Slowly I stopped running as much and going to the gym. Then my weight ticked up.
Sometimes Life Smacks You in the Face
In 2017, my doctor retired, and a new doctor took over. He mentioned that my liver numbers were terrible, and I needed to see a specialist. After many appointments and tests, it was confirmed that I had Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver disease. The only actual treatment is diet and exercise. I needed to lose fat and eat better. Reducing alcohol consumption also helps, but I barely drink as it is. The Specialist wanted me to join a drug trial, but I decided to try the diet and exercise route.
I started running again, and it helped. The problem was that I no longer clicked with it. I just couldn't keep a steady routine. I did a lot of walking, but running wasn't happening.
With the help of my daughter, I decided to try strength training. Something just clicked. I started going deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. I learned all I could learn about exercises and found a bunch of routines I could do in under an hour.
My first check-in with the Specialist after the weight training was fun. She said I gained weight, but my numbers were great. I explained what I had done, and she was shocked. She said most people just ignore her recommendations. I was happy that my numbers were down, and I felt better.
It was also good to know (maybe not good) that many of my friends and family also had Fatty Liver Disease.
Getting (and Staying) Motivated
As I got more confidence in lifting weights, I started making goals. I am not typically goal-oriented, but the goals were more to show progress. I learned I loved to do back squats. My first goal was to do 300lbs by my 45th birthday. I trained hard, and on my birthday, I could do it. It was probably one of the highest squats, and I knew it wasn't really something to be proud of. It still motivated me to do better.
I decided to make some changes to my routine with the help of a friend that used to lift competitively. I trained hard, and 5 months later, I hit 360 lbs for depth. This got me more excited about what I could do. I had ideas for new goals and worked on modifying things to get better and better.
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| Deadlifting Heavy |
Lifting on Stage
I can say that it was more than I expected. The event was the Winter Wrecker. It was one of the first events post-lockdown. Lots of rules for what we could and couldn't do, but it was all good. The team behind the event knows how to run a show. It was mind-blowing. Video boards, smoke machines, and even commentators.
I did ok for my first event. I didn't bomb out of a lift but came close. My weakest lift, the deadlift, was the best in the competition. I will save that for a future post. I can say that I had the time of my life. My friends and family cheered me on, and it was a blast.
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| It's heavier than it looks. |
Constantly Improving
If I looked at the scale, I haven't really changed. My weight pre-pandemic was 195lbs on lifting and walking. Currently, it ranges from 205 to 209. Except for the scale only tells part of the story. It doesn't show muscle changes. It is a number that can be all too consuming. I had to look beyond that. One thing was going from a 36 waist to a 34. This change showed I was going in the right direction.
One of the other things was seeing my muscles grow. My thighs went from fat to muscular. I joke and describe my legs as being drawn by Rob Liefeld. Large thighs and no calves. The visible gains help me show some improvement and keep me going.
The other and, to me, the most significant improvement, is weight on the bar. Am I increasing weight on the bar? Is the weight I am used to getting easier. This isn't always the easiest to track. Yes, if I had a squat PR of 360 and now hit 380, it's an improvement. Sometimes it's not as simple. Sometimes it's struggling to work through sets, and when I get to the heaviest weight, it feels lighter than the middle sets.
In Closing
I have been rambling for long enough and should probably end this post. For five years, have been able to maintain my love for lifting. If young me were told I would be in my 40s and into powerlifting, I would have thought I hit my head. Yet, here I am. I am preparing for my next competition in a few weeks. I am hoping to get complete all my lifts without failing one. If I can make some new PRs, I will also take that.
Hopefully, this post helps other old geeks and brings more people to the sport.
