Friday, February 1, 2019

National Powerlifting Champion Over the Age of 60

It's never too late to pursue your dreams and I know because last October I became a National Powerlifting Champion over the age of 60.  I compete as a Masters III in the 105kg class in an organization called USA Powerlifting (USAPL).

USAPL is the leading powerlifting organization in the United States. USAPL is a member of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), the governing body of powerlifting internationally. The IPF is comprised of member federations from eighty-three countries on six continents.
Distinct from weightlifting, a sport made up of two lifts: the Snatch and the Clean-and-Jerk, where the weight is lifted above the head, powerlifting comprises three lifts: the Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift. Powerlifting competitions may be comprised of one, two or all three of the lifting disciplines.

As I mentioned above I compete as a Masters III, which is ages 60 - 69 in the 105Kg class (231 lbs).  Last October I competed in the 2018 USAPL Raw Nationals and won my class with a squat of 445 lbs, a bench press of 308 lbs, and a deadlift of 513 lbs for a grand total of 1266 lbs.  More excitingly, my win gave me a place on the USA Team to compete internationally at the IPF World Classic competition this June in Sweden.

I could not imagine two years ago when I entered my first powerlifting competition that I would be a national champion representing my country in Sweden in a international event at the age of 60.  I plan to bring back a World Championship because it's never too late to make my dreams come true.

Here's a video of my final deadlift that gave me the National Championship:


If you're thinking about getting into powerlifting take a look at Elite Sports for good quality workout gear.  Check out premium quality Singlets, Weight Lifting Belts and other Training Gear from EliteSports. For more details Check them out now @ "https://www.elitesports.com/

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

New Diet; Feed Muscle and Burn Body Fat

I had a discussion with a gentleman about eating who was concerned about being light-headed and a little nauseous after his workouts.  He explained to me he was trying to lose weight quickly by exercising in the morning before having anything to eat.  He was also on one of those popular quick loss diet plans he said was working because he had lost a significant amount of weight over the last couple of weeks.

Over my 25 years in health and fitness I have heard this gentleman’s story countless times with the same results.  You lose the weight quickly on one of the popular fad diets and then you gain the weight back faster as soon as you return to your normal eating habits.  Here’s why this scenario plays out over and over with the same outcome. The weight that you lose on a calorie restricted diet is mostly from muscle loss and that decreases your metabolism.  Then when you get tired of following the restricted eating plan and return to your old eating habits you will find that your body is not burning as many calories as before you started your weight loss effort.  Click here to read more...

Monday, December 10, 2018

Why Are Supplements Important

This is one of the best articles I've read on the importance of nutritional supplements in today's world.
 
Few things in life can impact health more profoundly than nutrition. What we consume is converted into the very cells of our body. You’ve heard it 1000 times, but we literally “are what we eat!”
antioxidant foods
 
 
Dietitians and doctors agree that it is best to get the nutrition we need from whole foods, by consuming 3 to 6 sensible meals per day containing a variety of food types to optimally fuel our bodies. Unfortunately, that can sometimes be really challenging.
 
It is estimated that more than 9 in 10 individuals fails to consume the recommended 5 to 9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Likewise, most Americans do not eat sufficient amounts of omega 3 fatty acids from fish or any other foodstuff. In short, eating the right nutrients in the right quantities takes work, knowledge, money and time.
 
Adding to the challenge, mass market food sources and factory farms pump out ever more processed, low quality ingredients; and the pace of daily life keeps getting faster. Food fortification has helped, but it’s a controversial solution that in practice can only tackle narrow needs. As a result of it all, we often don’t get enough of certain essential micronutrients from the foods we eat.
 
 

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Protein Consumption and Weight Loss

Scientific research is now revealing that people who consume higher amounts of protein (20 to 30 percent of their daily caloric intake), while cutting back on their carbohydrate intake, tend to lose weight faster and stay leaner than those people on low-fat diets.

The reason higher protein, lower carbohydrates diets are more conducive to weight loss and maintenance is interesting. First, high-protein foods slow the movement of food from the stomach to the intestines, meaning you feel full longer and don’t get hungry as often. Second, protein has a leveling effect on your blood sugar which means you are less likely to get spikes in your blood sugar that lead to cravings for carbohydrates. Third, your body uses more energy to digest protein than it does to digest fat or carbohydrates. Click here to read the entire post.

Monday, September 3, 2018

The Benefits of Exercise

Your body is designed to be active.  Nicholas A. Dinubile, MD says "If all the benefits of exercise could be packaged in a single pill, it would be the most prescribed medication in the world".  I'm a personal trainer and I specialize in fitness over the age of 50.  I would argue with anyone that a sedentary lifestyle is the leading cause of most of the aches and pains associated with aging.

I've seen first hand people of all ages who complain of back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, and many other physical and mental aliments get better when they get up and start to exercise on a regular basis.  I have a client in his 60s who had been getting steroid shots in his lower back for years recently tell me that he hasn't needed another shot since he started working out with me over two years ago. Click here to read the complete post

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Age Can't Stop You



Don't let age keep you from living life to the fullest.  I'm 60 and I hold the North Carolina Masters Over 60 Powerlifting Record.  Your body is designed to be healthy and strong all your life, and with proper exercise and nutrition it will.