I'm 52 and my age caught up with me (I guess.) I really enjoy working out, always have and never really stopped. I don't really have to have a lot of discipline to get up early and go to the gym. I have to exercise more discipline to stay away on rest days.

I do Chest, Shoulders and Tris on Monday & Thursday then Legs, Back and Biceps on Tuesday and Friday. My daughter and I caught food poisoning Monday night so I was out of commission yesterday so my Tuesday workout was today. I did my squats and everything was fine. I kickboxed since I was 4 and have legs like tree trunks and still do barbell squats 3 sets of 12 with 315#. Because of my age I did drop dead lifts to 225# and today I did two sets and was feeling frisky - added a 10# plate to each side and rep 6 outta 12 I felt that twinge in my lower back. Was wearing a belt but still a bit sore.

They say Father Time is undefeated and I took a jab to the chops today.

LOL! The first time I felt old was about 40. My Dad played in the Orioles org before he went to Viet Nam and I played college baseball. When I was young he played on 4 or 5 softball teams and they would go to Worlds, etc and he got player of the state for like 15 years. Softball was huge back then. When I got out of college I assumed I'd play softball to scratch that itch. It had all but died except Church league, which was fine I go to Church but my Church couldn't put enough men together to field a team.

At 40 we got just enough guys to commit and we played double header Tuesday night Church league. VERY first game, I'm a 3rd baseman with a cannon for an arm. At the crack of the bat I knew where the ball was going, how quick it was coming, pretty much knew the bounce and I was two steps ahead. That was my game. That night the first thing I noticed when taking infield is from the neck up it was like my college days - from the neck down my body didn't jump like it used to. Instead of two steps ahead there were balls I used to eat up that I had no chance to get to. It was humbling.

My first at bat (I'd already had 2 knee surgeries on left and one on the right) I hit one over the right center fence and blew my knee out trotting to first. Had to actually get a pinch runner. Never stepped foot on a field again.

My lower back is like a 75 year olds.  The rest of my body thinks it is maybe 35.  The battle between the two is never ending.  Unhelped by my brain refusing to acknowledge all of me isn't 18.

The other time I felt super old was 4 years ago at 48. When I was 20, my Dad was 45 and I was in the truck with him and someone coming the opposite way ran us off the road. He got so pissed! He did a uturn and followed the guy all the way to his house. At 20 I was playing college baseball and competing in kickboxing pretty heavy, so the whole time I'm thinking "Dad is 45 and getting on up there. He may need my help." Of course he didn't need my help.

Fast forward to 48 yrs old and I'm telling someone this story and all of the sudden it hit me like a brick - I'm 3 years older than Dad was that day! Is my son looking at me like I'm some old broke down man?

Gawd, ain't it the awful bloody truth

In the last year I lost both my Mom & Dad back to back and I have had a hard time dealing with this age thing. I catch myself doing things I shouldn't because I have a hard time coming to grips with being 52. Two weekends ago I finally joined the Seniors for 50 and older in my 3D archery league and I fought it since I turned 50, but I just can't see those targets at 50 yds like the young guys.

I haven't maxed in years, not only because of my age but I prefer to workout by myself. I enjoy seeing the guys and the banter of us who show at the same time every day but it takes too long to work out with someone else and changing weights between each set, etc. So I don't feel warm and fuzzy maxing out without a spotter. I could ask one of the guys but they're there early like me because they have things to do and I don't want to bother them.

Deadlifts for reps in the mid range always seem to get me too.  It's been a while for me, but I got that feeling last session.  Only two sets of 335 for 6, which is fairly easy, not crazy.  Did one set, no problem.  First rep on the next set felt weird, but I did another rep.  Didn't do the third because I knew I was fucked.  Tried to ride it out and walk out it, but nope, 3 days of walking around like a tin man.  Luckily I knew to stop because it has taken me weeks to get back to normal before.

It has only happened to me twice in the last 10 years.  I don't even know why it happened this time.    Form was fine and I wasn't tired.  Not much you can do for it once it happens.

I did the "tin man" walk all of yesterday and even had a bit of discomfort getting up and down from a chair. By the time bed time arrived I was in major discomfort and had a bit of trouble going to sleep. I woke up this morning with no pain, like it never happened. I went into the gym and did my normal Thursday workout (chest, shoulders and triceps) with no issue. Of course the ONLY time my back was even at the party was to pick up a 45# off the tree and put it on a bar and take it off. So tomorrow will be the Friday (leg, back and biceps) or there's a chance I might use Friday as a rest and do that workout on Saturday, still up in the air. However, I'm going to leave deadlifts out and significantly reduce my squat for a set and see if my lower back wants to flair up.

If I add deadlifts back next week, I might drop the weight again just to test the waters. If there's a hint of pain I'll drop deadlifts altogether. At 52 I'm just trying to be healthy and look better for a hot wife, I'm not training for the Olympics.

I'm 52 and have spent all of 2024 focused on getting back into shape. Have dropped 30 lbs so far, and have worked out every day. Some days I'm more sore than others. And keeping my chronic back pain in check has been a perpetual challenge.

That said, I'm not ready to call it a life just yet, and father time is going to need to wait at least a few more years for my crown. Until I can't physically move, I'm going to keep trying to grind every day and get stronger.

Injuries are lessons....learn from them....but stay after it.