Muscle Loss and Age

[Jibralta]

I'm a lot older than you (55) and it's true we don't heal as fast as we get older. I really think it doesn't start to change until 35 or so, if we are in good shape to begin with.

 

Yes, I really started to notice it in my mid 30s. But I think there were some signs of slower healing in my early 30s. I just didn’t realize what it was.

 

I continue to wish you good healing....please post on your progress!

 

Thank you!! Will do.

[Jibralta]

I went to the trainer on Thursday. At the end of the session, it felt like my arms were gonna explode. However, I did not hurt myself. There is soreness and limited mobility, but that is to be expected. I will keep stretching. I will also skip Crossfit tomorrow to give my arms a chance to recover.

 

Today I rode a horse named Comanche. I've ridden him twice before. He's amazingly fat and round. He was originally a trail horse, and you can tell why: First, he shuts down if you apply too much force, and second, he is very good at learning routines (mainly so that he can evade the bit).

 

The first time I rode him, I was still relying on force to compensate for my rusty technique. But force doesn't work. Comanche went around the ring perfectly, but I could tell I wasn't actually making a connection. He just knew what to do and did it. He had basically taken charge of the situation and that's not what I want. I get to call the shots, not him.

 

At the end of that lesson, he pulled a trick on me: he took it upon himself to turn into the center of the ring. That's something that happens to inexperienced riders. It should not have happened to me, and it certainly shouldn't have happened to me after 45 minutes of riding. Yes, I pretty much knew that I wasn't in control of the horse during the lesson. But it was still a good wake-up call to have the horse prove it to me in such a brazen way. It was almost like he was speaking.

 

During the week, I thought a lot about what happened in that lesson. I understood how and why my approach had been incorrect. When I rode Comanche again the following Saturday, I approached with finesse rather than force. I had a lot more success. It felt like we were really a team. It was the first time I've felt that way since I started riding again.

 

Today, I recognized Comanche's routine-learning trick. It also has a lot to do with the way he behaved the first time I rode him. But first some background:

 

During these lessons we often do an exercise to make sure the horse has contact with and is responding to the bit. When I first did this exercise with Comanche, he was completely resistant. But we practiced it a bunch of times and by the end of the second lesson he'd made obvious improvements.

 

Then I didn't ride him for a few weeks. Another girl rode him. And she practiced this bit-exercise with him as well.

 

When I did the exercise with him today, he had the routine down pat. I was amazed at how much he'd learned. Then I realized that he was doing it without instruction from me! He learned that as soon as we stopped moving, I was going to ask him to move his head left, right, and down. So, almost by himself, he moved his head left, right and down.

 

That's what I mean by "routine-learning." He anticipates my next move so that I don't 'bug' him with the reins or my leg. Minimal interaction. I find that a lot of quarter horses tend to anticipate this way. It's probably what makes them such good cow-horses. But I don't want a cow-horse.

 

When I realized he was just going through the motions and not actually listening to me, I started switching it up. And BOY did he not like that!! He started moving backwards, trying to dodge into the center of the ring, tossing his head, etc.

 

He's got the makings of a push-button horse. But he doesn't have a lot of patience for people. I don't blame him, poor guy.

[Batya33]

Jibralta -I highly recommend the book Half Broke Horses -a novel/memoir (her other book Glass Castles -also awesome -but your description of horse back riding triggered it -I finished the book last week.

[Jibralta]

Looks interesting, thanks! Will check it out.

[Jibralta]

oops, wrong thread.

[Jibralta]

On Thursday, I benched 55 lbs. I did it 22 times. I benched only 35 lbs incline, and then 50 lbs decline. I got about 21 reps on the incline, and probably 27 on the decline. A couple years ago, I was able to bench 85-95 lbs. Probably more, but I didn't want to push it at the time. It's crazy how strength fades. But I do feel it coming back.

 

Finally!

 

I still have some soreness in my shoulder, but I have been able to work through it. I am back up to 2x/week with crossfit, 1x with the trainer, and then horseback riding. I will take off two weeks from all exercise during Christmas/New Year to give my body a chance to recover. Then I will resume. I would like to get back up to 3x/week with crossfit.

[Jibralta]

I don't have regular TV here in my apartment, so I spend my down time watching YouTube videos. I enjoy it a lot more than TV.

 

Now that I am back riding horses, I find myself honing in on instructional and eventing videos. By far, Elisa Wallace is my favorite. I find most vloggers tiresome because vlogs tend to be thinly-disguised "me-shows". But Elisa somehow manages to vlog without the whole thing being about her.

 

I first discovered her via one of her POV videos on YouTube. I'd never seen anyone do that with something like cross country. It was rather exhilarating.

 

Watching her ride, you'd think she was 10 feet tall, made of iron and steel. But in most of her videos she's just this tiny little thing with a quirky, friendly personality.

 

Her father was a talented cross country rider. You can tell that this is a family affair for them. Like her father, Elisa is focused on competing and gaining sponsors. But she doesn't beat you over the head with that. Instead, she gives you an informal, usually humorous glimpse into her day-to-day life.

 

Something that I really like about her is that she trains wild mustangs and retired thoroughbred race horses. It's a compassionate move, but I think it is also an excellent way for her to develop as a rider. I mean, she's already great, but there's always room for improvement.

 

Anyway, this is one of her promotional videos. I'll post one of her father, too. I think it's neat to see the different riding styles. I think he tends to rely much more on strength, whereas she seems to rely more on finesse and body positioning.

 

[Jibralta]

Her dad's video is from the early 90s, so it still retains some of that glorious 80s awesomeness. It's an interesting blast from the past both music- and style-wise. Plus, I dig the Chuck-Norris-esque head shot.

 

[Jibralta]

I've definitely build some strength in my shoulders, back and arms. I am now able to do kips, which I haven't been able to do since I was a kid.

 

My shoulder is better. It's still not 100%, but it is close.

 

My new problem is my back, which I strained. I won't be exercising for the next week or two, so hopefully it will sort itself out. If not, I will need to set up an appointment with the chiropractor.

[Batya33]

I hope you feel much better soon!!

 

Happiest of holidays and New Year to you and your family and loved ones.

[Jibralta]

Argh, I am frustrated. I am fatter than ever before and I have also hurt my back. My shoulder is all better, though.

 

I have to go to the chiropractor. No way around this. Only problem is, the guy I like is far away. So, I'll only probably be able to go once per week.

 

I finally brought my car into the body shop on Wednesday to get the accident damage repaired. I rented a Maserati GranTurismo for a day. I think I'm in love.

 

To celebrate the car, my boyfriend and I went out to dinner and made me fatter.

 

Damn.

[reinventmyself]

Argh, I am frustrated. I am fatter than ever before and I have also hurt my back. My shoulder is all better, though.

 

I have to go to the chiropractor. No way around this. Only problem is, the guy I like is far away. So, I'll only probably be able to go once per week.

 

I finally brought my car into the body shop on Wednesday to get the accident damage repaired. I rented a Maserati GranTurismo for a day. I think I'm in love.

 

To celebrate the car, my boyfriend and I went out to dinner and made me fatter.

 

Damn.

You can't seem to catch a break :)

[Batya33]

Argh, I am frustrated. I am fatter than ever before and I have also hurt my back. My shoulder is all better, though.

 

I have to go to the chiropractor. No way around this. Only problem is, the guy I like is far away. So, I'll only probably be able to go once per week.

 

I finally brought my car into the body shop on Wednesday to get the accident damage repaired. I rented a Maserati GranTurismo for a day. I think I'm in love.

 

To celebrate the car, my boyfriend and I went out to dinner and made me fatter.

 

Damn.

 

But I'm sure you have more muscle! Congrats on the maserati and I hope you feel much much better.

[Jibralta]

You can't seem to catch a break :)

 

It's really annoying. I'm paying for this stupid membership and I can't even use it. It makes me impatient to heal. Which makes me a terrible patient.

 

But I'm sure you have more muscle! Congrats on the maserati and I hope you feel much much better.

 

I definitely have more muscle. And I'm in much better shape overall. I just want to build on the progress I've been making.

 

Congrats on the maserati and I hope you feel much much better.

 

Thanks!

 

The Maserati is back in it's home. I miss it.

[Batya33]

Can you freeze your membership? (we did this for my son's karate over the summer)

[Jibralta]

Possibly... That's worth looking into!

[Jibralta]

Finally got to the chiropractor today. He cracked me.

 

Little cracks in my back and neck.

 

Then I sat up and he cracked my neck again GOOD. It was like, CRA-A-A-A-CK.

 

I feel great. It was such a relief.

 

I have to go back a few times a week for about a month, which sucks.

 

I forgot to ask him for a note so that I can put my gym member ship on hold. Dang.

[IAmFCA]

Been wanting to join this conversation because my body pre and post menopause is like day and night. I am 53 and am a year+ post menopause. A few years ago i went to a track,sprinted 10 200s, went home. No prep, just went. I ran my patootie off.

 

These last couple of months, I sprint 25% of that, and I get a pain in one place, a tweak in another. I feel slow turnover, my backstroke feels powerless. Where did my hamstrings go? Meanwhile, I have gained 5 pounds in each of the last two years. I've now gone back to the weight room, taken up a truckload of supplements, become more particular about what I eat, and its helping. But its as if I am a freighter making a slow turn. It used to be, I'd bang out some push ups and run a few miles and I'd feel good. Now, the discipline it requires and greater.

 

The alternative, a sedentary lifestyle, my brain can not handle that. My brain is also my biggest challenge. Part of my inner voice is whining, "Is this really how it is?" Yes, child, get with the program.

 

Am starting a thread about burpees. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

[Wiseman2]

"The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 0.4 grams of protein for each pound of body weight (0.8 grams per kg). Scientist estimate this should be enough for most people.

 

This translates to 66 grams of protein per day for an adult weighing 165 pounds (75 kg).": https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/13-negative-side-effects-not-getting-enough-protein/

[paulgonzal86]

First, you need to neglect the negative myths from the mind. You can recover your muscle at any age. My uncle is also bodybuilder now he is 45 but still, he can go for weightlifting so I was just giving you an example. Now coming back to point try to do a workout at least thrice in a week and follow 2 exercises in one day so if you give a gap for exercise it benefits to relieve muscles and it also needs time.

[Jibralta]

A few years ago i went to a track,sprinted 10 200s, went home. No prep, just went. I ran my patootie off.

 

I am a terrible runner. I was good for a little while, back in elementary school. I was one of the fastest in my class in 2nd grade. Then things dropped off quickly. I'm just not built for running, ultimately. I still try now and then because I like the high. But the aches and pains that I get from sustained running ultimately outweigh the benefit. It kinda stinks.

 

I haven't been going to the chiropractor as much as I intended. But I do go regularly. My back has improved a lot. My lower back is almost completely pain free. Just my neck/shoulder area is being stubborn. But it is improving, as well.

 

I finally went back to crossfit on Tuesday morning, after several weeks off. My back and neck felt really good afterwards. No pain. I hope I will be able to resume my regular exercise schedule soon.

[Jibralta]

They're doing the Crossfit Open at my gym. I didn't register. But apparently that doesn't protect you from having to do the open" workouts. This morning, I had to alternate sets of like a million wall-balls with a million calories on the rowing machine for 15 minutes.

 

My quads feel like they're going to explode. I am not looking forward to dealing with them tomorrow.

[Jibralta]

On Sunday, I rode this horse named Cheyenne. I remember him from ten years ago, when he was just a two year old. He came to our barn and immediately got sick with a cold. Poor guy. But he recovered, and he was integrated into the lesson program.

 

He was real green at first, so he was given to the more advanced riders until he was trained. I remember how cute he was. And inquisitive. When I first got on him, he turned his head around and looked at my foot and leg on his flank. Sniffed the foot. Nudged it with his lip.

 

He was real wiggly, too. I remember being nervous about it because I thought that he might slip and fall with me on him. But all that extra movement cleared up after his muscles got stronger. He turned into a really nice horse. Great to ride. Wonderful personality, calm, friendly.

 

When I first returned to this barn to take lessons, they put me on him. It was a great choice because he's willing to go but he's not a total psycho.

 

I haven't ridden him since then. I've been on this aggravating mare named Summer who only wants to move when she sees a jump. Then she launches us both into outer space. It's really stressful. She's very evasive and I'm having a difficult time getting through to her.

 

I've been wanting to ride a different horse. But I'll never say that to my instructor because then it will become her life's mission to make me learn how to connect with Summer. So I've just been kinda hoping that she gets it in her own head to switch me.

 

On Sunday, my hopes were answered. I was delighted to find out that I'd be riding Cheyenne for my lesson.

 

Unfortunately, it was a whole new Cheyenne. A morose, unhappy Cheyenne. He was nippy in the stall, ears markedly back (though not quite pinned). I had to give him my elbow as I tightened the girth. He even tried to give me a bag of sh*t about putting his bridle on.

 

I hoped that his mood would clear up when we got to the ring, but it didn't. His ears were still laid back and he just looked dull and miserable. If he was a human being, he would have had his arms crossed and a big scowl on his face.

 

My instructor said, "I'm putting you on him because he needs a good rider. He's been running up on other horses, running up on walls, turning into the center, and just basically dragging people around the ring."

 

I've seen him do this in lessons, actually. It's a pretty recent development. I just figured it was the rider, who is new to the barn and therefore uncertain about what kind of horse Cheyenne actually is, what he'll take, what he can do, etc.

 

But when I got on him, I could see that the problem was a lot deeper. His head was way up. He felt extremely tense, like he could bolt at any moment. I knew I needed to be completely calm or my anxiety could feed into his anxiety.

 

The first thing I tried to do was get his head back down so that I could use the bit. But choking up on the reins and raising my hands didn't work. My teacher finally told me to relax the reins and this proved to be key in getting Cheyenne to calm down.

 

But since my rein had to remain loose, I had to rely on my body positioning to get him to slow down or stop. And of course, slowing down and stopping was his whole problem.

 

So, the lesson was a real challenge. But it gave me a renewed sense of awareness and appreciation for the fact that I don't fall off easily. And that little things, like elbow position, make a huge difference.

 

Something that is really shining through to me, which I am not sure if I'll be able to successfully articulate, is that I know 'who' this horse is. I've known him and ridden him since he was quite young. He is someone that I like, even if he is only a horse. I know he's 'good people.'

 

I went into the lesson with the idea that I would be reconnecting with an old friend of sorts, and that we would be able to talk and have a good conversation. And that's pretty much what happened.

 

For the first part of the lesson, he was very uptight and miserable. But as the lesson progressed, he started to relax. And he relaxed and relaxed and relaxed. And finally, my teacher was beaming and raving.

 

When I dismounted at the end of the lesson, Cheyenne looked happy and alert. He was nuzzly and interested in sniffing noses. He forgot about biting. It made me feel so happy to see him so relaxed.

 

My instructor told the barn girls not to use him for beginners or intermediates anymore. I sincerely hope they stick to that rule.

[Jibralta]

I rode Cheyenne again, the Saturday before last. He wasn't exactly a bundle of joy, but he didn't try to bite me when I saddled and bridled him, he stood perfectly still as I got on, and he didn't go into a panic once I was on.

 

That standing still thing... totally amazing. It shouldn't be, but it seems like none of these horses can stand still while you get on. They walk on the moment you have your foot in the stirrup. I'm so used to having to scramble onto a moving horse that when he stood still, it was almost jarring. I was pitched to move forward.

 

The ride was pretty uneventful until we started doing circles. Apparently, this has become a problem area for him. The week before, I didn't have a lot of trouble with it (it was really the least of my worries!). But then again, there were only three horses in the ring that week, and thus ample space for maneuvering.

 

Different situation last time. There were five horses in the ring and every time I turned into the center, two other horses turned in on either side of us. Cheyenne did NOT like that. He pinned his ears and chomped left and right, at the other horses. I was really surprised.

 

Worst of all, the mare on one side of us was a huge b*tch and a huge horse to boot (half draft). She was having none of his attitude and was dishing it right back. It made me pretty nervous.

 

Horses can do some pretty incredible things. I remember years ago, I was cantering alongside another horse when my horse decided to pivot on his front two legs and kick the horse next to us with both of his back legs. The movement was so smooth, we didn't lose ground or stop cantering for a moment. And this wasn't some special horse. He was very, very basic. I was like holy sh*t.

 

So, riding around with this mare next to us, I prayed she didn't pivot and kick my head off.

 

For all his acting out, Cheyenne didn't actually do anything wrong. After a couple of circle-laden turns around the ring, I was able to time things a little better and take the stress off of everybody. That allowed me to relax and get more out of him.

[Batya33]

We've been reading the Little House books and enjoying how they "broke" the horses (I read them as a child but now am focusing more on those aspects) I hope "broke" is still the right description