40 and Lifting

Having never picked up a barbell before my 40th birthday, I don't always get the training right; or maybe I do, I don't really know. I have been reading and studying Rippatoe, Wendler, Simmons and so on. All of that is a ton of info and they have some really great programs. So, I'm told. I don't always follow the programs, but I try to understand what and why they do what they do. I don't think they address often enough the 40 year old guys and women who are, like me, just getting started. At any rate, I'm exhausted. I live on coffee and probably too many diet sodas, if 2 or 3 a week is too many. I try to eat well, but in my household it's just me that's trying to eat with training in mind. So, it's difficult sometimes between work and home and the million other things I do. Honestly, I do everything but paint. I write, I book shows for my band, I play shows for my band, I work at the local gym, I train newcomers at the local gym, I recently left a

Today I checked my body fat percentage. I’m happy to say that I’ve gained 13 pounds of muscle over the last three months. However, I’ve also gained about 11 pounds of fat. That gives me an overall body fat percentage of 23.7%. Now, that isn’t altogether bad, but it can use some improvement. I can blame vacation, bulking or what have you, but I don’t eat as well as I ought to. Anyway, moving on. I have been experiencing some muscle tightness. I’m tight as a drum really and I suppose that is to be expected considering what I’m doing at the gym. So, I consulted with another trainer at the gym I work at, Janet, because she is a trainer and yogi. She showed me some yoga poses that have been immensely helpful. Pigeon, runners pose and others. You see, my tightness is centered around my posterior chain, ie lumbar area, glutes and hamstrings. So, the poses she prescribed are to help lessen tension in those areas and open up the hips. I can tell you that today I did back s

My name is Chris Meadows and I’m in my 40s, 42 actually, and I’m a powerlifter. I have been searching for information on newcomers to the sport at my age. There isn’t much. The little that does exist is from powerlifters who transitioned from bodybuilding, crossfit or some other sport. I’ve never touched a barbell previous to this journey. So, I suppose to help others who might be getting into this sport at this age, I’ll write this blog. I don’t mean to say that I’ve never done any physical activity in my life. On the contrary, I was in the Marine Corps for 4 years. We ran a lot, did O-courses and all the other shit that Marines go through when we aren’t blowing shit up. However, after being honorably discharged my physicality diminished. That’s to say, basically there was no more. As you might expect, I gained weight. I smoked like a freight train. My knees cracked and creaked and I became out of breath going up the 3 steps to my front door. I was a mess. Hell, even making love