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Old 09-25-17, 10:22 AM  
lorajc
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
For the Almost 60 to Over 60 Crowd - Still Lift Heavy?

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out if I'll ever get back to heavy lifting again in my life....what does the majority of this age group do when it comes to weights over the 8-10 pound range for arms and heavier 15's, 20's for chest back etc? Do you use them?

I'm trying to decide what to do with my large collection? Not sure if I'll ever use them again.....however, they tempt me!
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Old 09-25-17, 10:47 AM  
donnamp
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Maryland, USA
Hi,
I don't think it is an age thing, I'm sure there are folks 60+ that still lift heavy and I'm sure there are plenty of folks under 60 that don't.

I think it all comes down to body type, body history (do you have injuries, etc. for which heavy lifting would be inappropriate, etc.), and personal preference.

Donna
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Old 09-25-17, 11:43 AM  
Sara1000
 
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Yes, for example if arthritis becomes a factor.

At 73 I rarely go above 8-10 except for lat rows. The thing about the workouts, though, you can do a heavy weight workout with lighter weights, if you love the music and the instructor, so maybe keep the ones you have loved.
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Old 09-25-17, 03:10 PM  
warriorprincess
 
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I think as you get older, it gets more important than ever to lift heavy, joints and bone density willing of course. It helps with slowing down the osteoporosis and sarcopenia tendencies. I don't know how much is enough.

At 58, I do as much as I can. I believe heavy lifting played a part in my reversing my osteoporosis, but I also took supplements, hormones, ionized water, some impact exercise (light running), and visualization, so I don't know for sure how big a role it played. I've been steady losing ground to the initial amazing gains that I made, but I have reduced the intensity of pretty much every aspect of the approach I was taking.

The hard part is it just seems to get harder. I'm not sure if this is mental or physical. But I'm afraid to give into it. My DH, retired several years now, does less and less, and is capable of less and less. It's a bit heart-breaking.
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Old 09-25-17, 03:26 PM  
FirmDancer
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I believe in still lifting heavy (I'm 61) but due to injuries, it just seems to hurt more. And it takes me a long time to recover from a heavy lifting session - which then means I'm less active in those days recovering from that workout. So I waffle ...
-Anita
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Old 09-25-17, 04:07 PM  
Lucky Star
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I've never lifted super heavy; my heaviest were 15s and 20s but I haven't been able to lift that heavy for some years now. Between arthritis, back/joint aches and minor injuries that haven't healed properly, lifting heavy hurts too much. (I also put some of it down to instructors with non-traditional 'unique' moves that tweaked my joints. Never again!) Sadly, my usual range now is about 3-6 lbs and I've definitely lost a LOT of strength.

I just bought Charlotte Ord's Back to Basics which seemed ideal for slower, heavier lifting and I like the non-intimidating setup of 2 body parts per 15min workout. With basic tried-and-true moves, of course. I would love to see if I can safely rebuild some of my lost strength <sigh>.
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Old 09-25-17, 05:20 PM  
donnamp
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Maryland, USA
Gina - thanks for mentioning that workout - I have shied away from lifting heavy weights for some time now due to various aches and pains - and, like you said, some of those "creative" moves do tend to do me more harm than good. I'm using 10's as my heaviest these days and then only for chest work. For lower body I have been going lighter so as not to stress my lower back and hips.

Donna
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Old 09-25-17, 09:12 PM  
Susan H
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This article was shared on here recently and has lots of good information in it. The Strength Training Guide for Women Over 40
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Old 09-26-17, 09:42 AM  
summer breeze
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I never lifted heavy. I use 8 - 10 lbs mostly but that's what I always lifted so I haven't changed my way of working out since I turned 60, thankfully. I occasionally go 12 to 15 lbs for certain workouts, just like I always did. I have a very physical job too which I can still perform again thankfully. I think injuries and illnesses and aches and pains do dictate if people need to change their workouts more so than age.
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Old 09-26-17, 01:21 PM  
Dorothy J
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8 - 10 lbs was always my heavy range (12 lb for some chest/back moves) and (so far) I'm able to maintain that at 61.

Is it harder to use that poundage now? YES! Definitely. I've had to go down to 8# from 9 or 10 on certain moves in certain workouts just to keep my form correct. It scares/frustrates me that I don't seem to be able to keep up with the weights I used to use, especially since they weren't that heavy to begin with. I thought that working out regularly for 40 years would save me from that.

That Back to Basics workout sounds intriguing--I'm going to check it out.
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aging, dumbbell size, heavy weight training, over 50, senior strength training

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