For anyone who may be even remotely interested in reading about my weightlifting past, here are all of the mind numbing details.

For 10 years I trained formally as a competitive powerlifter. Before that I trained for about 5 years on my own doing light weights and jogging. I fell in love with the idea of being strong so all of my training was devoted to strength and size. Looking back, I should have trained more like a bodybuilder between cycles. My best lifts were 705 squat, 435 bench, and a 645 deadlift in the 275 pound weight class. Not great lifts for my weight compared to other lifters, but not bad either.

I was the unofficial captain of our gym's powerlifting team. We would get together and enter a team into the meets we competed in. We were the kind of team that pretty much took anyone who wanted to participate. We couldn't compete with the Budweiser team, but it was mainly to have fun and it was good for the moral of our gym.

I took a few years off when I developed osteoarthritis in my hips, during that time I had them both replaced. I gained a ton of weight, which only added to my weight problem I had already. I lost my ambition, drive and focus.

I have returned to weightlifting now but with different goals. I realize I have an addiction to sugar and I believe this will help me keep my daily diet and appetite under control. I wish I could have realized this years ago. <sad> I am currently learning how to train intensely using lighter weights, higher reps, with cardio, and combined with a low carb diet to lose weight at the same time.

For me as an individual, consitent heavy training produces the best and quickest results for strength and it always has, but that's just me. How I trained depended on what my goals were at the time. For the most part I trained in the 5-6 rep range. Sometimes going up to 8 reps. I did mostly the basic powerlifts and worked the muscles that contributed to the lifts.

After having been through two hip replacements, I really do not feel like going through that pain again, or aggravating it, so I do not train my legs with weights. Maybe I will train them lightly but that will come later on. What I do is substitute walking at different paces as my leg training. I walk slowy to work the slow twitch fibers, then I walk as fast as I can, initiating the fast twitch muscle fibers. I know this is no substitute for good old fashioned weightlifting, but it feels good and I'm satisfied at this time.

About an hour before I workout I have 2 cups of coffee and a scoop of whey protein powder. It may be my imagination but I feel a better pump and I seem stronger during my workouts.

It is amazing how fast my strength is coming back to me too. I'll go out and buy a set of dumbbells and think that they will last for a while because I'm doing 15 - 20 reps, but then they seem to get lighter and I have to go buy more because the resistance gets lighter. I shouldn't complain about that though.

I train at home mainly because I can't afford to train at a gym. I have a family to take care. I have gone back to college and that takes time and money also. I can't justify spending money on a gym membership when I have a house and family to support. My DW doesn't mind when I spend money on equipment to have at home though. I have been buying stuff here and there to use at home. I like dumbbells now I guess because I've trained with bars so long that I like the change. I'll go back to bars eventually, but for now I'm satisfied.

Eventually when I get closer to goal, I will lower my reps to 12, 10, 8, and maybe even 6 again. Who knows how I'll feel then. I'll decide that when the time comes, for now the goal is to lose fat so onward and upward.