getripped5h1’s BodyBlog

   I am feeling so much better since I have been back into the gym, I have always known that it helps me to feel better but this just re-inforces it. I am getting my workout plan put together this weekend and will get serious about working out come Monday. I really do not mind DOMs but I hate the pain you get when you start back up after a long break from working out so I am glad that is finally over.

   I am wondering if any of you out there around my age (48) do anything different to continue to make gains as I have been reading alot lately of needing to change not only workouts but supplements as well. I really don’t want to mess up what has been working for me but if there is a better way I have no problem trying it out. Anyway I will be trying to make back the loss I have experienced in my down time (gained about five lbs) I am calling it my bulking phase;) but would like to see more gains that I was showing before. I had been working out 5-6 days a week realy hard and my gains had slowed to almost nothing.

   Well, since I recently started working out again I had to get through that initial pain phase as I call it, where the muscles are really sore after a good workout. I enjoy the pain that comes from a really good hard workout I have just always hated the feeling of starting back up after a layoff. Anyway, I am just about over that now and can start to really focus in on my workouts now.

   I have been working on finding a new workout plan and have found one that I hope works, it is a combination of heavy lifting for size one week and then something like 10×10s the next week for density and mass. I have just about gotten my plan put together and once I see how it works I will post it on here just in case someone else wants to try it.

   I have also read that many of the supplements that I have been using may not be helping me as much due to age. I am finding that creatine for example is only about 50% as effective for those over 40 as opposed to those under 40. I am still trying to figure out the reasoning but have found it in two magazines. (could be one of those "don’t believe everything you read" articles also though)

   I really have to work at getting back into the habit of getting on here alot more often. I did get started back up in the gym and am beginning to enjoy it again. I have been told by my wife and grandkids that I need to go to the gym every day on my way home from work as I am in a better mood when I get home. Not sure what that is all about but ok, who am I to argue about having to hit the gym.

   I am trying to put together a workout plan again as I have a few goals that I want to reach. I have so far just been hitting a good variety of exercises to help get me of the "pain phase" so I can really get serious by next week. I want to build up my chest as well as my biceps. I also still want to get down to that magical 32 inch waist but that may have to become a secondary goal. I have always worked my chest and biceps pretty good and have added alot of size but have trouble getting that "fuller" look in the chest and the peaks on the biceps. Hopefully it is my plans and not the genetics. One I can change the other I don’t think I can do anything about it.

   Well it is almost time for me to hit the gym today so will read a few posts and then get to working out.

I have been absent from here for a few months (the gym also) but have finally gotten everything settled to where I can begin a routine once more. My wife and I are raising two of our grandkids and that along with the new job put a routine for me in shambles. This is my wife’s last week at work so she can be home with the kids which frees me up some time to get back into the gym. I really cannot wait as I believe that the past few months of being quite sedentary have really hurt my health.

   I have been suffering quite badly with severe pain in my back and hips as one of my herniated disks is pinching my sciatic nerve causing pretty bad pain down into my rear and upper hamstrings. I did not have this problem nearly as bad with regular workoputs so am hoping and praying that this will help out. I will obviously have to work out some new exercises to do until I see some improvement but hey, thats one of the fun things about working out, learning new things and having friends on this forum giving ideas certainly helps as well.

   I have been doing just enough to maintain what I had with regular morning push ups, sit ups, and core exercises like the plank but just not the same as pushing iron. I will be spending the time between now and Monday, when I plan on starting back up, working out some exercises that I can do without causing more problems.

   Anyway I just wanted to get back to posting my thoughts and things on here again as well as to letting my friends know that I am still around and not giving up just had alot of issues crop up that took awhile to work through. I am happy to be back and getting back into touch with you all.