Sam’s Lesson: Working Out Doesn’t Stop Damage To The Body, But May Help Withstand Against More Damage To The Body

Sam didn’t tell me his age straight away, but told me that he had a heart attack in the gym. I could tell a bit by his speech, but this guy was pretty ripped to be “older”, and he said that he had been training for 40 years and used to compete in bodybuilding contests. Then, when he told me he was 70 years old, my mouth dropped! First, because he didn’t look that old. Second, here was a guy that had a heart attack in the gym, lost 88 lbs., and still comes in to get his workout on. I think the lesson from Sam is simple. Working out may not keep heart attacks from happening, strokes from happening, diabetes from coming, etc., because our body’s get old and are not designed to live forever. But working out will help you bounce back after suffering injuries, illness or medical trauma. I’ve experienced this on a lessor scale as I never missed a planned workout after breaking my hand and wearing a cast for six months. Four years later, my left arm is only one rep weaker than my right, and people gave me props on the gym for still coming, cast and all, day after day. Then here’s Sam, a guy that was determined to not let something that has already changed his life, take more of his life away from him.

It’s a New Year, and today many are hitting the gym for the first time in months. After a couple of weeks, if they didn’t drop out because they are so “busy”, many will drop out because they will begin having joint pain from either improper form, doing too much too soon, or maybe just because their body is getting older and can’t do as much as they thought.

That’s NO EXCUSE. If anything, it should make you want to go back and be even more determined, but wiser. Look at your kids. Aren’t they worth the “rehab”? If your knee, back, shoulder hurts, don’t you want to be able to run or throw the ball with them or your grandkids? If you were an athlete and we’re being paid an easy million to come back after a major surgery, you know you would do it. So how much is playing with them worth?

Sadly, and from what I’m seeing more as I get older, somebody’s going to get the exercise in. It’ll either be you now, or your kids/grandkids pushing you in a wheelchair.

If Sam didn’t stop because of a heart attack, you and I really have no excuse. So be determined that if you are working out again to start the New Year, that nothing will get in your way. NOTHING!

Now Happy New Year to me as I set new PRs for Rack Pulls and Hammer Lat Rows!

Weight: 221.5

Sleep: 7 hrs.

	Exercise		Weight (lb)	Reps	Rest	% 1RM	% Ttl Weight
	1 Rack DeadliftsBAM!!! Happy New Year To D! 1RM: 645 Ttl Weight: 7,625 Ttl Reps: 25 Avg Weight: 305	1	135	× 5	90	21%	8.9%
		2	225	× 5	90	35%	14.8%
		3	275	× 5	90	43%	18.0%
		4	315	× 3	90	49%	12.4%
		5	365	× 1	90	57%	4.8%
		6	405	× 1	90	63%	5.3%
		7	455	× 1	90	71%	6.0%
		8	495	× 1	90	77%	6.5%
		9	545	× 1	90	84%	7.1%
		10	595	× 1	90	92%	7.8%
		11	645	× 1	90	100%	8.5%
	2 Hammer Lat PulldownCan’t fit any more plates on machine! 1RM: 231.4 Ttl Weight: 3,325 Ttl Reps: 30 Avg Weight: 110.8	1	45	× 10	60	19%	13.5%
		2	90	× 5	60	39%	13.5%
		3	115	× 5	60	50%	17.3%
		4	135	× 3	60	58%	12.2%
		5	180	× 3	60	78%	16.2%
		6	225	× 1	60	97%	6.8%
		7	230	× 1	60	99%	6.9%
		8	225	× 2	60	97%	13.5%
	3 Lateral Raises (Machine) 1RM (1) Ttl Weight: 2,110 Ttl Reps: 27 Avg Weight: 78.1	1	70	× 12	60		39.8%
		2	90	× 7	60		29.9%
		3	80	× 8	60		30.3%
	4 Cable Crunches (Kneeling) 1RM (1) Ttl Weight: 1,485 Ttl Reps: 30 Avg Weight: 49.5	1	35	× 12	45		28.3%
		2	42.5	× 10	45		28.6%
		3	80	× 8	45		43.1%
	5 Treadmill Running	time:			0:32:57
		distance:			2 mi
		avg heart rate:			135
		max heart rate:			144

1/1/14 – All exercises (lb)

Workout duration

Total: 0     Cardio: 0:32:57     Other: 0

Other exercised muscles: Trapezius (Traps), Gluteus maximus (Glutes), Anterior Deltoids (Front Delts), Obliques, Forearm muscles (Forearms), Hamstrings (Rear Thighs), Quadriceps (Front Thighs), Posterior Deltoids (Rear Delts)