Any other bodybuilders out there?

Just curious if there are any other legitimate bodybuilders on these boards as well. you can talk about training, eating, supplements and of course how it effects your tennis!
chazsudo
 
Im 6'2 203 pounds currently as well. i will try uploading pictures from my computer. i also have a bodyspace profile screenamed "chazsudo"
 

maverick66

Hall of Fame
I see this thread turning into anti bodybuilding real fast around here. The functional guys are gonna go ape **** on you. :)
 

GuyClinch

Legend
Bodybuilding is fine, IMHO - UNLESS you try to go pro. Then I think it makes a mess of your life - from the constant gain/shred yo-yo stuff to the pressure guys feel to go dirty.. If you want to bodybuild as a hobby keep lean and I would imagine you would have improved performance in tennis..as compared to untrained guys.
 
Last edited:

sixftlion

Rookie
Just found this post. I used to be Ms Natural Olympia. Then I started to play tennis, and quickly figured out that the two "life styles" don't go together too well. Eating every 2.5-3 hours as a bodybuilder doesn't work if I spend 2+ hours on the court... and actually it helps to be a bit lighter, I move better, hurt less (I play 6 days/week on the hard courts), so my body dropped about 20 pounds on its own. I am not interested in competing in bodybuilding anymore. I achieved what I wanted to achieve. Tennis is cool challenge now :)
 

maverick66

Hall of Fame
From the few bodybuilders I have met I can say I have nothing but respect for them. The hard work in the gym is insane for what they do and the nutritional work they put in is even worse. I know they roid but I would still put money on 99% of the population quitting after a few sessions of what these guys go through.

And I dont care what Arnold did he is still my Hero along with Franco Columbu. Old school bodybuilders will always be the greatest. They had something about them that made them great.

Anyone who hasnt seen Pumping Iron go see it now. It gives you a very good view into what these guys go through to prep for these shows.
 

r2473

G.O.A.T.
And I dont care what Arnold did he is still my Hero along with Franco Columbu. Old school bodybuilders will always be the greatest. They had something about them that made them great.

I'm interested in old school bodybuilders as well, but for me, "old school" means "pre-steroid era". Guys like Park, Reeves, Grimek, Ross, Dellinger, etc.

No doubt the steroid guys work hard, but they look like grotesque cartoon characters and seem to be a direct contradiction of the sport. At base, I think many are not healthy.....mentally or physically.

I also have a healthy disrespect for the profession because they try to convince insecure, impressionable young men that they can get "huge" if they buy expensive snake oil.

Lifting weights and training is great. Bodybuilding (as it is now) is awful.
 

SuperDuy

Hall of Fame
I'm interested in old school bodybuilders as well, but for me, "old school" means "pre-steroid era". Guys like Park, Reeves, Grimek, Ross, Dellinger, etc.

No doubt the steroid guys work hard, but they look like grotesque cartoon characters and seem to be a direct contradiction of the sport. At base, I think many are not healthy.....mentally or physically.

I also have a healthy disrespect for the profession because they try to convince insecure, impressionable young men that they can get "huge" if they buy expensive snake oil.

Lifting weights and training is great. Bodybuilding (as it is now) is awful.

Yeah natural are the true champions.
 

maverick66

Hall of Fame
I'm interested in old school bodybuilders as well, but for me, "old school" means "pre-steroid era". Guys like Park, Reeves, Grimek, Ross, Dellinger, etc.

I also have a healthy disrespect for the profession because they try to convince insecure, impressionable young men that they can get "huge" if they buy expensive snake oil.

Lifting weights and training is great. Bodybuilding (as it is now) is awful.

I dont see Arnolds generation as freaks. They were big but not the freaks of today. Guys today dont look like a human anymore and the industry has gone **** with the supplement industry getting involved.

Bodybuilding right now is going down in popularity because of this. Nobody wants to see cartoons sell Nitro-tech to them. Although it appears to work because I cant tell the amount of times kids have told me I need to buy me some creatine so I can get wicked huge.
 

sixftlion

Rookie
I'm interested in old school bodybuilders as well, but for me, "old school" means "pre-steroid era". Guys like Park, Reeves, Grimek, Ross, Dellinger, etc.

No doubt the steroid guys work hard, but they look like grotesque cartoon characters and seem to be a direct contradiction of the sport. At base, I think many are not healthy.....mentally or physically.

I also have a healthy disrespect for the profession because they try to convince insecure, impressionable young men that they can get "huge" if they buy expensive snake oil.

Lifting weights and training is great. Bodybuilding (as it is now) is awful.

Bodybuilding is tough, drugged or drug-free... it is so hard on the body. Even though I have never touched any steroids and diuretics (I just honor my body too much), still, it was so harsh on the body to prepare for the contest... the calorie restriction while intense training, all the loads of protein, dehydration before going on stage, etc... no imagine, drug-free the body only lets you that far. But if you use diuretics and other stuff, then you can in real trouble and a lot of bodybuilders fell off on the stage from dehydration. Very dangerous.

And like maverick says, it is a serious commitment - to training and nutrition. Even if they use steroids, it will just help them to recover faster, so they can train harder and several times per day. They still have to eat loads of food. Just imagine to eat 10,000 calories a day in healthy food... that's a lot of volume. A friend trainer of mine, when he was competing, he was so full constantly, that when he ate his meal (out of 8 meals per day), sometimes he just threw up because he couldn't get it in... and he had to get the calories in. Not fun as it may seem.

It is definitely not a healthy life style. And that the guys and girls are so freaky now... it is because what the judges want. It's very subjective judging, so you can have the most beautiful and symmetrical physique, but if they go for huge, you won't place... and even if the majority of humans doesn't appreciate the freaky huge physique, the people who come to watch the bb shows, they want freaky... they bring money in. Too bad, but not so much to do. The drug-free shows are not well attended by audience at all. Who want to pay money to see just another fit person on stage? Sad, but true.
 

OldButGame

Hall of Fame
Just found this post. I used to be Ms Natural Olympia. Then I started to play tennis, and quickly figured out that the two "life styles" don't go together too well. Eating every 2.5-3 hours as a bodybuilder doesn't work if I spend 2+ hours on the court... and actually it helps to be a bit lighter, I move better, hurt less (I play 6 days/week on the hard courts), so my body dropped about 20 pounds on its own. I am not interested in competing in bodybuilding anymore. I achieved what I wanted to achieve. Tennis is cool challenge now :)

I've found this exact case to be true also. I was into bodybuilding avidly for decades of my life. But I also pursued many other sports over that time. What I came to learn,..was that, as much as i enjoyed serious weighttraining and gaining for size, I found an 'inverse correlation' with sports performance (generally speaking).
Since getting back into tennis the last few years I've focused more on decreasing size, more cardio, less mass. The energy demands that go into tennis 'in season' are overwhelming and prevent the bodybuilding pursuits. I've become content with 'training more for tennis' which for me means addressing weak points (Rot cuffs, knees with injury history, cardio, and HIIT). Along with playing this is as much energy as i have.
 

maverick66

Hall of Fame
Most friends I have that are still big weight lifters strive for the athlete look. I think bodybuilding has shot itself in the foot with the freak show look and normal teens and men are looking more at athletes for body image.

I think this is a good thing as its a much healthier body type to have and doesnt require you eat till you cant put it in your mouth. I have heard of powerlifters doing the same thing sixftlion. Where they eat so much they cant move or its coming back. I could never do that to myself no matter the reward.
 

coyfish

Hall of Fame
There are still plenty of natural bodybuilding shows. It isn't all the "freaks." Unfortunately the money is with the juicers. I am not sure I agree that bodybuilding is losing following. Just like worlds strongest man... people want to see bigger and badder. That means steroids. And where there is money... there will always be competitors.

The thing is genetics plays such a substantial roll that natural competitions are hardly "fair."
 
Nice thread, any tips on how to match your diet to playing tennis while being on a cut? I've posted my current diet, just put the total calories vs the macros because it will be clear it's skewed to protein + fat. I sit at a desk for my work, all of my exercise is the gym which is a 4 day split (chest/tris, shoulders/biceps, back, legs) and then I do 45-60 min of moderate cardio 5x a week. Now with the weather better though, I'll hopefully be playing tennis 2-4x a week.

I'm 5'9" 155 (chicken legs) w/my current diet of

6AM
oatmeal 140 cals
1.5 scoops protein powder w/water 300 cals
green tea
fish oil pills (4gms)
total: ~440 calories

8:30AM
post workout shake: 1.5 scoops protein powder
1 banana
2 tablespoon natural pb
~610 calories

noon lunch
either 1 can tuna or chicken breast
small mac apple
~ 230 calories

3:30 pm snack
1/4 cup almonds
~180 calories

6:30 pm dinner
either chicken breast, salmon, mahi mahi, tilapia - basically except for salmon, talking about ~120-180 calories from that, w/salmon more like 320 calories
spinach, tomatoes, cukes salad on plate
small serving of peas or caulifloer or brocolli
fruit serving of either blue/blackberries, kiwis, mango, whatever.
~500 calories

So we're at 2000 calories or so. I prob burn about 200 calories from lifting, I take about 60 seconds between sets, usually sweating pretty good from lifting. I estimate I burn about 400-500 calories from cardio depending on how long I go for. It's moderate paced. So if I'm right on that, we're at net calories of about 1300-1400 per day.

before going on this cut diet (just 1 week), diet was similar except would have 2 scoops v 1.5 scoops protein powder, also would have have a protein shake at 8pm and also throw in some potatoes with either lunch or dinner.

Any advice on how to tweak this for tennis match days? maybe just toss in a potato w/what i eat before the tennis match and then take in some more carbs post match? Am I at risk of going a bit catabolic on this diet? My goal for the next 3-4 months is to get down to around 11% bf or so.
 

r2473

G.O.A.T.
^^ I think you have it pretty much covered, though you might be able to up your obsessive, compulsiveness by weighing your food like you were a drug dealer.
 

r2473

G.O.A.T.
The thing is genetics plays such a substantial roll that natural competitions are hardly "fair."

Couldn't agree more.

I also feel medical school isn't really fair. They weed out all the idiots like myself in favor of smart people.

I mean, for christ sakes, I'd like to take a crack at brain surgery. It ain't rocket science.
 

magnut

Hall of Fame
I was starting to get into it for a while but it is just too difficult with tennis. My body could not take it. All that muscle is just too heavy for the quick and violent movements need on a tennis court......especially hard courts.

So then I just went to lifting, training and playing tennis. That didnt work either as The long hours of practice along with the weight training was causing a lot of minor but fairly irritating injuries.

Now days I pretty much just run, jump rope, do pushups, and play tennis. No injuries right now. Kinda sucks because I do enjoy lifting and getting pumped up. Its a superb stress reliever.
 

coyfish

Hall of Fame
You really have to be quite large for bodybuilding to seriously inhibit your tennis. And it doesn't even matter much if you are a sub 4.5 level player. There are plenty of overweight people playing tennis without harping about injury.

Verdasco is a relatively thick guy and he plays tennis at the highest level. Look at football / basketball players. Both more physically "tolling" than tennis and they are often huge.

Balance is key. You can't expect to train all out for bodybuilding and all out for tennis at the same time. But you can lift 2-3X a week and play tennis on the other days. Find a happy medium.
 

magnut

Hall of Fame
You really have to be quite large for bodybuilding to seriously inhibit your tennis. And it doesn't even matter much if you are a sub 4.5 level player. There are plenty of overweight people playing tennis without harping about injury.

Verdasco is a relatively thick guy and he plays tennis at the highest level. Look at football / basketball players. Both more physically "tolling" than tennis and they are often huge.

Balance is key. You can't expect to train all out for bodybuilding and all out for tennis at the same time. But you can lift 2-3X a week and play tennis on the other days. Find a happy medium.

I am trying mate. I am so tired of joints hurting I am just going to play tennis for the next 4 or 5 months. I might go back to working the shoulders and legs a little but the arms are definately out for a while.
 

sixftlion

Rookie
I am trying mate. I am so tired of joints hurting I am just going to play tennis for the next 4 or 5 months. I might go back to working the shoulders and legs a little but the arms are definately out for a while.

Have you tried to swing the kettlebells? It's a great workout (strength and cardio) works well in combination with tennis, and it's intense and fun.
 

sixftlion

Rookie
^^ I think you have it pretty much covered, though you might be able to up your obsessive, compulsiveness by weighing your food like you were a drug dealer.

Ha ha, guess what. I used to do that. Every piece of food went through a scale, and I was logging in everything. That is the only way how to learn how your body responds to different dietary changes. Even now, when I need to drop some weight, all gets weighed and logged. Not fun, but necessary.
 

sixftlion

Rookie
Thats interesting. I will look into that. Looks like it would be easy screw up and wreck my back though.

Actually, the kettlebells are really safe. Once you get the correct technique of basic swing down, you will be just fine. You use your hips to propel the bell up. That's why it's so good for tennis, a quick explosive power of the hips.
 

r2473

G.O.A.T.
Ha ha, guess what. I used to do that. Every piece of food went through a scale, and I was logging in everything. That is the only way how to learn how your body responds to different dietary changes. Even now, when I need to drop some weight, all gets weighed and logged. Not fun, but necessary.

But you were also a professional and a champion. You had to have everything perfect to reach the top.

Most kids who "bodybuild" are far from this level, but still love to obsesses about details. Until you reach a fairly high level, there are far more important things to worry about than obsessing over food in excrutiating detail.

On the other hand, there is nothing really wrong with it I suppose. And bodybuilding really seems to attract the obsessive, compulsive types.
 

maverick66

Hall of Fame
Actually, the kettlebells are really safe. Once you get the correct technique of basic swing down, you will be just fine. You use your hips to propel the bell up. That's why it's so good for tennis, a quick explosive power of the hips.

My almost 60 yo mother is better than ever because I taught her proper kettlebell technique. Her hip pain and low back pain disappeared as they got stronger from using them. So I recommend they be used for almost all populations.

If you are worried about technique you could try the book/dvd route but there are alot of RKC certified people out there now. Go to dragondoor.com and they should have a link for the RCK people in your area who can properly teach you. Avoid the Crossfit one as its a joke and doesnt teach proper form just how to do an insane amount of reps.

But you were also a professional and a champion. You had to have everything perfect to reach the top.

Most kids who "bodybuild" are far from this level, but still love to obsesses about details. Until you reach a fairly high level, there are far more important things to worry about than obsessing over food in excrutiating detail.

On the other hand, there is nothing really wrong with it I suppose. And bodybuilding really seems to attract the obsessive, compulsive types.

Most kids that I know who attempt bodybuilding actually dont eat enough to grow. The calorie intake it takes to be that big is insane. They get their starter gains and then get stuck and dont realize you have to basically stuff yourself and lift high volume to force growth.
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
Just curious if there are any other legitimate bodybuilders on these boards as well. you can talk about training, eating, supplements and of course how it effects your tennis!
chazsudo

Speaking as a former competitive power lifter, whatever benefit you may get, or think you get, from "heavy" lifting, is FAR outweighed by the consequences for your joints, tendons and back that you will live with, for better or worse, for the rest of your life.

JMO! YMMV!
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
Couldn't agree more.

I also feel medical school isn't really fair. They weed out all the idiots like myself in favor of smart people.

I mean, for christ sakes, I'd like to take a crack at brain surgery. It ain't rocket science.

Hahahahahaha!
 

r2473

G.O.A.T.
Speaking as a former competitive power lifter, whatever benefit you may get, or think you get, from "heavy" lifting, is FAR outweighed by the consequences for your joints, tendons and back that you will live with, for better or worse, for the rest of your life.

JMO! YMMV!

What lifts did you compete in?

What types of problems do you have?
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
What lifts did you compete in?

What types of problems do you have?

Power lifting is 3 lifts: benchpress, deadlift and squat. The lifter with the highest aggregate of all 3 is the winner of his weight division. Injuries related to lifting include arthritic joints and disc degeneration.

IMO, unless you are looking to be a competitive bodybuilder (which is nuts, IMO), you should avoid lifting weights that you can't do at least 10 reps with, with good form. 20 reps is even better. Again, YMMV!
 
Last edited:

r2473

G.O.A.T.
^^ The danger certainly is present.

I was lifting heavy until about 6 months ago. Repping for sets (typically 5X5) ~500/400/300 for deadlift/squat/bench. Don't feel like I have any problems.

I felt more pain doing standing ab-wheel rollouts (lower back) and recently hurt my shoulder training muscle-ups (I was trying to keep my arms wider. I was pressing into the "dip" portion with my arms about horizontal to the floor. Too much stress on the inner front part of my shoulder. Will go back to keeping my arms closer together).
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
^^ The danger certainly is present.

I was lifting heavy until about 6 months ago. Repping for sets (typically 5X5) ~500/400/300 for deadlift/squat/bench. Don't feel like I have any problems.

I felt more pain doing standing ab-wheel rollouts (lower back) and recently hurt my shoulder training muscle-ups (I was trying to keep my arms wider. I was pressing into the "dip" portion with my arms about horizontal to the floor. Too much stress on the inner front part of my shoulder. Will go back to keeping my arms closer together).

We all think we're bullet proof when we're young! What you feel now is not really relevant. It's the degenerative processes that you initiate now, that will come back to bite you later, that you should be aware of.
 

magnut

Hall of Fame
All right you guys have me fairly convinced to try this kettlebell thing. I will start researching it. At this point I will try just about anything to get my back issues under control. If you have any more good resources reguarding this kettlebell stuff I would be grateful.

Where does one buy kettlebells?
 

r2473

G.O.A.T.
We all think we're bullet proof when we're young! What you feel now is not really relevant. It's the degenerative processes that you initiate now, that will come back to bite you later, that you should be aware of.

I'm almost 40.

When I was young, I was running (training style) 30-50+ miles / week. That should (in theory) cause me massive knee, etc. problems as I get older. But it hasn't. Not at all. In fact, I can "easily" run 20+ miles / week now on the roads weighing anywhere from 210 to 250 lbs. That's a lot of weight to have crashing down on your knees, etc, but it seems fine. In fact, apart from some knee pain (which turned out to be from running on shoes that were too worn down), I've never had a single running related injury that lasted for over a week or so (and these are of the non-recurring variety).

If you lift / run / play tennis, etc. in a way that stresses your body, you will pay for that repetitive stress. For example, I can see that, though I have the strength to pull off some basic gymnastic moves (muscle-ups for example), my body isn't fully trained to do these things just yet. I will get hurt and possibly pay a long-term price if I just continue. But if I slowly work and train my body to handle the stresses these movement require, I should be fine.

I think you just need to use "common sense" and really listen to your body. Pain is a wonderful instructor. Pain will also usually begin it's "lessons" long before you develop something serious. It is your job to listen and either stop what you are doing completely or make the necessary adjustments.

I'm not however a proponent of "throwing out the baby with the bath water". I don't blame "lifting" or "running" or "tennis" for causing injuries. I blame individuals for not working "correctly" and within their abilities and progressing slowly.

YMMV
 
Last edited:

coyfish

Hall of Fame
So much debate about whether long distance running actually "causes" knee / joint damage.

Anyway I learned about my own limitations young. 17 years old, had a D1 soccer scholarship, broke my leg due to pelivc problems ... soccer career over. Could be worse I guess... I can at least play tennis.

My back is bad because of my problem and very heavy deadlifts / squats are a no no. Kettlebell swings are great though and cause me no problem ... a very smooth motion.

I did one bodybuilding show. ~175lbs, ~5% BF, 5'10.

Maverick is correct. It is "easy" to get 1 solid year of good gains. But once you start approaching your genetic limitations... you really need to stress your body to induce change. I am naturally not a big person so it simply isn't worth the effort for me to remain at that size.
 

maverick66

Hall of Fame
All right you guys have me fairly convinced to try this kettlebell thing. I will start researching it. At this point I will try just about anything to get my back issues under control. If you have any more good resources reguarding this kettlebell stuff I would be grateful.

Where does one buy kettlebells?

www.Dragondoor.com
Is a very popular place to start. They have good info and the book/dvd Enter the Kettlebell is a good starting source.

another place I like is http://www.artofstrength.com/ They are very good and have a good amount of videos up for you to see.

So look into those two sites and try and learn. Just make sure to get form right and use your hips. Also if you dont like the dvd/book route look on both of those sites for certified instructors. They both provide a good one and should be able to teach you right.
 

Limpinhitter

G.O.A.T.
I'm almost 40.

When I was young, I was running (training style) 30-50+ miles / week. That should (in theory) cause me massive knee, etc. problems as I get older. But it hasn't. Not at all. In fact, I can "easily" run 20+ miles / week now on the roads weighing anywhere from 210 to 250 lbs. That's a lot of weight to have crashing down on your knees, etc, but it seems fine. In fact, apart from some knee pain (which turned out to be from running on shoes that were too worn down), I've never had a single running related injury that lasted for over a week or so (and these are of the non-recurring variety).

If you lift / run / play tennis, etc. in a way that stresses your body, you will pay for that repetitive stress. For example, I can see that, though I have the strength to pull off some basic gymnastic moves (muscle-ups for example), my body isn't fully trained to do these things just yet. I will get hurt and possibly pay a long-term price if I just continue. But if I slowly work and train my body to handle the stresses these movement require, I should be fine.

I think you just need to use "common sense" and really listen to your body. Pain is a wonderful instructor. Pain will also usually begin it's "lessons" long before you develop something serious. It is your job to listen and either stop what you are doing completely or make the necessary adjustments.

I'm not however a proponent of "throwing out the baby with the bath water". I don't blame "lifting" or "running" or "tennis" for causing injuries. I blame individuals for not working "correctly" and within their abilities and progressing slowly.

YMMV

I think you are confusing acute injuries with degenerative disease triggered by repetitive stress. You are still young. The damage you've already done hasn't manifested in symptoms yet. Have you had any X-Rays of your shoulders, hips, knees? I'll bet they are already arthritic even if you don't have symptoms yet. Once you begin to experience the symptoms of degenerative arthritis, you'll wish you were more cautious when you were 20, 30, 40.
 

r2473

G.O.A.T.
I think you are confusing acute injuries with degenerative disease triggered by repetitive stress. You are still young. The damage you've already done hasn't manifested in symptoms yet. Have you had any X-Rays of your shoulders, hips, knees? I'll bet they are already arthritic even if you don't have symptoms yet. Once you begin to experience the symptoms of degenerative arthritis, you'll wish you were more cautious when you were 20, 30, 40.

The X-ray showed that I'm bullet proof :) And by the way, who are you calling a degenerate.......

Maybe I will get checked out. Hell, what do I care, it's free for me. Might as use those benefits. That's what they are there for.

What should I ask the doctor to look at? If I go in telling him that I feel fine but I think I may have a degenerative disease, he's going to think I'm mad and send me to the psych ward (and I'm not sure if that's covered 100%).
 
coyfish - that is amazing, 5'10" 175 and 5% bf. What is your sort of natural bf level, like 11% or so? Curious what you did for your contest prep in terms of cardio and did you adjust your lifting in terms of weights/reps? I'd imagine you'd still go relatively heavy but your glycogen levels must have been shot to hell right?


So much debate about whether long distance running actually "causes" knee / joint damage.

Anyway I learned about my own limitations young. 17 years old, had a D1 soccer scholarship, broke my leg due to pelivc problems ... soccer career over. Could be worse I guess... I can at least play tennis.

My back is bad because of my problem and very heavy deadlifts / squats are a no no. Kettlebell swings are great though and cause me no problem ... a very smooth motion.

I did one bodybuilding show. ~175lbs, ~5% BF, 5'10.

Maverick is correct. It is "easy" to get 1 solid year of good gains. But once you start approaching your genetic limitations... you really need to stress your body to induce change. I am naturally not a big person so it simply isn't worth the effort for me to remain at that size.
 

coyfish

Hall of Fame
coyfish - that is amazing, 5'10" 175 and 5% bf. What is your sort of natural bf level, like 11% or so? Curious what you did for your contest prep in terms of cardio and did you adjust your lifting in terms of weights/reps? I'd imagine you'd still go relatively heavy but your glycogen levels must have been shot to hell right?

Thanks man. One of the hardest things I have ever done (bulking). My body is ecto-meso (in between) so getting lean isn't too tricky. Right now I sit at 168lbs / ~10-11% BF. That is where my body likes to "set" if you will. Takes quite a bit of coaxing to move from there. Honestly I was not at 175 lbs. Probably closer to 170 once the pre contest water was all out. Didn't take the contest itself too seriously (just fun with friends) but I wanted to see how lean I could get.

For cardio, classic style. Just low intensity 1 hour cardio 5/7 days. I dropped down to about 6-7% with just a ~700 calorie deficit + my exercise. To lose the last bit I used hydroxycut and it definitely worked to my surprise.

In terms of lifting I started getting very fatigued as contest time approached (3-4 weeks out). I couldn't lift heavy effectively anymore so I did a lot more dropsets / lighter weight. My goal was to just get the best pump I could.
 

sixftlion

Rookie
My almost 60 yo mother is better than ever because I taught her proper kettlebell technique. Her hip pain and low back pain disappeared as they got stronger from using them. So I recommend they be used for almost all populations.

I have a couple (clients), he is 77 and she is 74, and they started to swing the kettlebells with me a few months ago. They are doing great and feeling better than ever. Getting extremely fit cardio-wise and they are so amazed, because they cannot run anymore... so now they get the heart rate up there almost like 8-minute mile run. My mom who was visiting me from Europe over the holidays, she is 66 and she was swinging too. Now she is fit and looks like a 40 year old :)
 

sixftlion

Rookie
All right you guys have me fairly convinced to try this kettlebell thing. I will start researching it. At this point I will try just about anything to get my back issues under control. If you have any more good resources reguarding this kettlebell stuff I would be grateful.

Where does one buy kettlebells?

As Maverick says, dragondoor is excellent... I shop my kettlebells online, on powersystems.com, but always wait for a discount coupon for free shipping. Or you will pay almost as much in shipping as you pay for kettlebell.

I always post the coupon code (if I have one) under my kettlebell articles... The new coupon code happens every week or two, so it is not too much waiting.
 

magnut

Hall of Fame
I have a couple (clients), he is 77 and she is 74, and they started to swing the kettlebells with me a few months ago. They are doing great and feeling better than ever. Getting extremely fit cardio-wise and they are so amazed, because they cannot run anymore... so now they get the heart rate up there almost like 8-minute mile run. My mom who was visiting me from Europe over the holidays, she is 66 and she was swinging too. Now she is fit and looks like a 40 year old :)

OK Now I know your full of sh1t! I am sorry but swinging an iron weight between your legs is not going to make anyone look 26 years younger.

I will probably still try this kettlebell thing anyways. As I said though....it looks like it would be really easy to mess up your back if your technique is not perfect. From much of what I have seen so far people are debating about proper form on this exercise. Thats a little concerning to me.

OH and all this....ITS FUN.....stuff. Yeah right. Just like going running and working out are fun. You guys have some weird ideas of what fun is. Where I come from fun a bottle of vodka and two sleezy........oh nevermind.

Next time I go to a party I am going to yell out.......LETS HAVE SOME FUN AND SWING THIS WEIGHT BETWEEN OUR LEGS!!!
 

magnut

Hall of Fame
As Maverick says, dragondoor is excellent... I shop my kettlebells online, on powersystems.com, but always wait for a discount coupon for free shipping. Or you will pay almost as much in shipping as you pay for kettlebell.

I always post the coupon code (if I have one) under my kettlebell articles... The new coupon code happens every week or two, so it is not too much waiting.


I am thinking about just makeing something similar. I have made weights before for my outdoor gym that worked well. I just need to figure out a handle. Maybe take an old basketball and fill with some sand....then run a thick rope though it. I did the motion a little bit (after a lot of research) with a small dumbell today to see how difficult it was. I didnt get a whole lot out of it but it didnt hurt either so thats good. I really dont care about cardio or calorie burning, I am just looking for some way to rehab my back and get things stable again.
 

maverick66

Hall of Fame
OK Now I know your full of sh1t! I am sorry but swinging an iron weight between your legs is not going to make anyone look 26 years younger.

Its more the exercising that did it then the tool. strengthing the back and hips will cause people to stand more upright which in turn makes them look younger.

Also having more muscle will get rid of some of the sagginesss that comes with age so that also makes her look younger.



OH and all this....ITS FUN.....stuff. Yeah right. Just like going running and working out are fun. You guys have some weird ideas of what fun is. Where I come from fun a bottle of vodka and two sleezy........oh nevermind.

Wait till you get to throws and juggling with them. Thats when the fun starts.
 

magnut

Hall of Fame
This aint Cocktail. I drink the Vod....oh wait, your talking juggleing kettlebells.

That juggleing looks a little to risky for me. I am not a fraidy cat but I have had enough stupid and uneccesary injuries that I am cautious about stuff like juggleing weights.

Let me ask you something. Is it common that people hurt their backs when starting Kettlebells?

What type of rep count do you do? I figure I would just start with the basic swing and go from there. Maybe go for a couple weeks and then evaluate from there. Can you do these swing routines daily?

I cant wait! This is gonna be so much "FUN"!!!!!
 

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
edit: this is in ref to some posts on page 1, about Arnold and Franco.

Today, I am told the stress is on bulk/size and not definition or symmetry (Olympia). Frank Zane iirc was more into definition and aesthetics.

@mav, what you say would go for pros in any sport. 99% of the population would not be able to stick with a competitive long distance runner, for example.

However, having been in that, and seeing what goes on, i don't think i'd easily have respect for sportspeople only based on how hard they work. I once did, and I lost it fast.

When you increase your workload slowly and steadily, it may look herculean to others, but it can be quite normal for you.

Anyway, I did some bodybuilding for fun (hobby) for a few years, and greatly enjoyed it. It can do wonders for a 99 pound weakling's confidence and look, even without using drugs :D
 
Last edited:

Sentinel

Bionic Poster
I'm almost 40.

When I was young, I was running (training style) 30-50+ miles / week. That should (in theory) cause me massive knee, etc. problems as I get older. But it hasn't.

YMMV
I think this whole thing about being injured if you run was largely promoted by shoe manufacturers. I remember reading ads in runner's world and other such mags, that "if you are running you will get chondromalacia."

I started getting expensive running shoes from abroad and that's when my injuries started.
 
Top