Weight lifters: How are your joints doing?

[Which Roger]

I always looked at weightlifting as a way to build muscle around your joints to help protect them, not hurt them. If you're having joint issues caused by weightlifting I would look at the technique or maybe too much weight. I've been doing some type of weightlifting for many years, I try to do at 12-15 reps (2-3 sets). Lately I've been focusing more on speed while keeping good form and feel like I get more from it.

+1 I still lift relatively heavy, as in 12-15 reps to failure. But I never do things like a single-rep max lift like in my younger days. After age 50 or so, we are generally lifting weights to maintain strength and muscle mass, not to increase them (although someone who has never lifted and takes up weight training late in life can still increase).

Regarding joint pain: Yes, weight lifting can cause joint pain, but I would argue that it prevents much more joint pain than it causes. And someone with strong muscles is much less likely to be seriously injured from a fall. I know of several examples of a fit and a non-fit person experiencing similar trauma, and the difference in the severity of the resulting injury, the recovery time, and the fullness of the recovery is striking.

 

[Ronstar]

I have bad knees and shoulders, but weightlifting seems like it helps. Maybe a little pain while working out, but the joints feel stronger overall


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[RonBoyd]

She was reluctant at first (somehow her thought process was "I'll start getting muscles and I'll look funny"), ... QUOTE]

funny?!?!

 

[HFWR]

She was reluctant at first (somehow her thought process was "I'll start getting muscles and I'll look funny"), ... QUOTE]

funny?!?!

View attachment 21831

 

[RonBoyd]

LOL! Definitely one can take the "lifting" past optimal.

 

[wompo]

I will be 53 soon and I have lifted weights since I was 15yo. I have lifted a few days a week all those years. In my early years I lifted heavy doing maxes often, but in my thirties I stopped heavy lifting (max 5 reps) and went to 15 rep lifting. The only joint pain I have experienced is with my shoulders. Last year I stopped doing bench press and now i just do lots of pushups as a replacement and my shoulders feel much better.

 

[Mulligan]

Have lifted for 20 years (50 YO) now. Shoulders, wrists, and knees "act up" when I try to increase work load. So I just maintain a modest weight amount and only 3 times a week.


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[freebird5825]

I cannot do weight lifting because it would further aggravate issues in my fingers and wrists, and some elbow discomfort, from too much keyboarding for 26 years. My doctor has recommended I stick with 1 lb hand barbells with lots of reps (minimum of 30) and try to work up to 3 lbs maximum if it does not cause tendinitis flareups. It's the gripping of the weights that does me in. Sometimes I can do the 3 lb weights, but I pay dearly for it for several days. The 1 lb multiple reps cause no pain at all, so I stick with that.

I do use a two handled resistance band in various configurations (using a dooknob or feet to vary tensile resistance and/or range of motion) for upper body toning and strengthening. I get very good results without causing additional injury. I usually do these exercises while I'm watching baseball with Mr B.

I'm currently working on specific exercises to prevent the chicken-wing arms we ladies are so prone to in middle age.

My joints feel wonderful after a session with the resistance band.

 

[eta2020]

Like a ****

So biking and hiking looks like my kind of exercise.

 

[eta2020]

Have lifted for 20 years (50 YO) now. Shoulders, wrists, and knees "act up" when I try to increase work load. So I just maintain a modest weight amount and only 3 times a week.


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Mulligan,
You look like it....looking at your picture. Job well done

 

[Persn]

I know what it's like to get all Obsessive/compulsive about exercise. I actually lost heart function from running excessively high heart rates. Caused a lot of other fallout too. Since I've started exercising less I haven't felt this good in years. It's like I am aging in reverse the past 2 or so years.

Not to hijack OP's thread, but how did you find out that you lost heart function Razztazz? I have been suspecting something similar, but last EKG was normal so doc said not to worry. I've been a runner for about 15 years, and my average heart rate while running keeps climbing while my times get slower. I'm 58, and trying to transition away from running toward more cycling and hiking, but its hard because I love to run! Did you have to stop running altogether or were you able to find a happy medium?

 

[RAE]

I've backed off on weight the past 6 years or so to ease up on my joints as I age, and sometimes wonder if I should go with just body weight for resistance training.

For me (at age 60), bodyweight exercises are the way to go. No injury issues whatsoever, and I can do them wherever I go......no need to have access to weights or a gym. Pull-ups, push-ups and squats cover most of the major muscle groups, and I do a lot of walking (with some sprinting), also. It works for me. Lots of info. online on various other bodyweight exercises you can do, if you look around a bit.

 

[Derslickmeister]

I seem to be in the minority here. I started lifting seriously at a very young age, around 14, football was life in my hometown. Still is for that matter. I continued to lift well into my forties and now my shoulders are absolutely shot, knees aren't much better either.

 

[Music Lover]

I'm 53 and have lifted on and off over the years. I was probably my strongest about 4 years ago...could do a single rep bench of 270 at a body weight of 170, and 5 chin-ups with 70 pounds strapped to my waist.

These days I've increased the reps and dropped the weight....I'm no longer interested in a max and don't want to risk injury. I now do 5 sets of 10-12 reps preceded by at least 4 warm-up sets. I find that as long as I warm up sufficiently, it all goes well and there is no joint or muscle pain. I sometimes don't even touch the weights and just do push ups and chin ups instead.

Even though I've eased up on the lifting, I can still knock off 20 consecutive chin-ups...

 

[O2Bfree]

I seem to be in the minority here. I started lifting seriously at a very young age, around 14, football was life in my hometown. Still is for that matter. I continued to lift well into my forties and now my shoulders are absolutely shot, knees aren't much better either.

I assume you played football. Maybe that's what wrecked your joints? The damage often doesn't show until our 50s.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I seem to be in the minority here. I started lifting seriously at a very young age, around 14, football was life in my hometown. Still is for that matter. I continued to lift well into my forties and now my shoulders are absolutely shot, knees aren't much better either.

I lifted hard from 14-20 then quit for 25 years - started working out again about 6 years ago, muscles came right back. No issues here but I use a trainer 90% of the time - he/she keeps me from hurting myself.

I realize most posters here are too cheap to use a trainer but it's worth it, IMO.

 

[Car-Guy]

If you've lifted for many years, how are your joints doing as you've gotten older? Do you still lift heavy?

I started lifting heavy when I was about 15 and continued until my early 20's. I was actually on my high school weightlifting team and continued for a few years with a local YMCA team after high school. (Olympic style lifting not Power lifting) I can't remember ever really hurt myself lifting back then but now I wonder if some of my aches and pains come from those days? I still have a set of Olympic style weights that I move around on occasions and for some reason, they seem to be gaining weight (like me) over time.

 

[Quest4Fire]

I (Olympic style lifting not Power lifting) m:

I also recommend Olympic style and occasionally go heavy to failure. Coaching is key and crossfit is a relatively cost effective way to get the coaching and the anaerobic part I had been missing. They teach you recovery techniques and when to back off. I don't own a xfit box but am a satisfied 8 yr member in my 50s.
Ps it is hard to find 32"x34" pants anymore.

 

[irishgal]

57, female and have weight trained since I was in college. Have moved from heavy to moderate, no joint pain.
One of the most important things about weight bearing exercises, especially for women, is that it helps maintain bone density.
I had a bone density test about one year ago and I have the bone density of a 25 year old. So hopefully I won't break a hip too soon lol.


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[Big_Hitter]

57, female and have weight trained since I was in college. Have moved from heavy to moderate, no joint pain.
One of the most important things about weight bearing exercises, especially for women, is that it helps maintain bone density.
I had a bone density test about one year ago and I have the bone density of a 25 year old. So hopefully I won't break a hip too soon lol.


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agreed, big time

DW does a lot of training for balance too - lifting on stability balls, etc

 

[Quest4Fire]

57, female and have weight trained since I was in college. Have moved from heavy to moderate, no joint pain.
One of the most important things about weight bearing exercises, especially for women, is that it helps maintain bone density.
I had a bone density test about one year ago and I have the bone density of a 25 year old. So hopefully I won't break a hip too soon lol.


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Irishgal Impressive time span. In addition to increased bone density, you probably stalled the muscle mass decrease, plus numerous other steady biometrics improvements along the way.
Cheers to green blood.

 

[tmm99]

Immense, and often chubby men grunting and blustering loudly as they attempt to get ridiculous amounts of weights over their heads.
.

I soooo don't get these people. They don't look good at all. They may be firm but they look overweight with no neck and their arms look so uncomfortable since they cannot rest on their sides. I don't know how they want to do that to themselves on purpose.


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[shortstop14]

I've backed off from trying to push maximums after tweaking my shoulder a bit - no doubt bad form that day. But still work to failure, just with lower weight and more repetitions. Working in more body weight exercises, which can be fit in at kind of random times. I attribute being pretty injury free to the weight work in my 50s and earlier.

I find I need to work a lot more on flexibility, and also on baseball skill work. With baseball, tennis, hiking and mountain biking this time of year, it's hard to even fit the gym in - not time so much as physical energy level and allowing enough rest.

It's probably time to sit down and really design an off-season workout routine that fits my priorities.

 

[Dog]

I've run since high school, but reduced it over the past 10 years as I started cycling and found it easier on my joints. Started a BodyPump class about three years ago and do that about 3x week. It is 60 minutes and works all major muscle groups. I'm 57/female and finally have some upper body strength (legs have always been muscular). I watch my form since we move through the reps fairly quickly -there is a cardio element to the class. I enjoy the routines and the group environment.
Also started doing Tabata (high intensity workout). The classes always end with good stretching. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life since combining these classes with my cycling/running.


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