Old Man Strength - It Starts Now

The Big Three = Squats, Lifts, and Presses

This image was auto-generated. See the bottom for an explanation. It’s not an actual human.

Strength becomes ever more important as you traverse the geezer age cohort. There is just never a situation in life where a geezer goes “dang it, I’m just too strong.” But, it is not unusual for a geezer to encounter a scenario where they are not strong enough. Strength enables so many things. Balance, lifting, opening pickle jars, walking, sports (and golf), running, shooting, and more all benefit from increased strength.

Squats, presses, and lifts are the core of geezer strength. Squatting, lifting objects, and pushing objects are all critical life functions. Starting with these three movements (really categories of movement) creates a solid strength base.

As you age, these movements become more difficult. More difficult does not mean these movements are less important. Lots of men in the geezer age cohort will declare that “I can’t -fill in the blank – because I have a bad knee, back, shoulder, or whatever.” Many of the “can’t do” tasks are in fact everyday movements that they do routinely but badly. Squats are an obvious example but it applies to lifting and pushing too. Everyone who moves must squat, lift, and push. Strength is key to those movements. Everyone can improve their strength if they choose to. You may not become a “fullsterkur” (see below) but you can improve.

Squats

Squats enable the basic movements of life. Getting off the shitter, getting up from dinner, getting out of the car, picking up your grandchild: all these movements require a squat. Squats help avoid the dreaded “old man shuffle” walk by keeping your legs strong.

Squats also help you avoid two things that are all too common in geezers. Squats help build glutes (your ass) which helps avoid the “gone ass” that so many old men suffer from. If you want the humorous version of “gone ass” see Jeff Foxworthy’s video.

The explanation of butt erosion or “gone ass” starts at time mark 0:49. Though Foxworthy makes it seem funny, “gone ass” is not a joke. It signals a serious deterioration of strength. Without glutes, meaning you have “gone ass”, you are not strong.

Squats also help you avoid “bird legs.” Too many old men are doddering around on legs that a sandhill crane would be ashamed of. Bird legs mean that some old men never wear shorts, but bird legs aren’t just a cosmetic issue. Bird legs mean that you cannot drive through the swing in golf. Bird legs mean you can’t walk as far as you want to nor as fast as you want to. Bird legs hinder you from lifting, running, walking and more. Bird legs mean that you are not as strong as you should be.

Squats directly work on the lower body but squatting benefits your entire body. Squats activate your core, your glutes, your hamstrings, your quads, and your calves. Like all exercises, it is important to do squats properly. There are lots of good explanations about how to properly do squats online but my favorite is at this link: https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/the-air-squat. Air squats are the starting point for squats.

Presses

Presses move objects. Presses keep your shoulders strong. Strong shoulders mean fewer aches and pains. Strong shoulders mean you can reach for objects, control objects in your grasp, and put things away. Strong shoulders mean you can swing an axe, tennis racket, or golf club.

The most basic press is the push up (or press up in UK English). The push up is a gateway movement and it is a great starting point for presses. Doing it properly is important. You can see the correct form at this link: https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/the-push-up.

Lifts

Lifts integrate squats, shoulders, and your core. Picking up your grandchild, carrying in the groceries, moving a bag of grass seed, moving a chair around the table: all these are lifts. The ability to lift is a measure of manhood in some cultures. See more about the Dritvik stones and “fullsterkur” at this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifting_stone. Lifting is not a test of manhood in modern day America but it is a good test of your overall strength.

Because lifting uses the entire body, it is critical to do it correctly. Lifting correctly prevents injury. Lifting is a category of movements but all the lifts are built on the same fundamentals. All lifts start with the deadlift ( https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/the-deadlift ). It seems simple and it is. It is also very possible to do it very wrong and injure yourself. I know from personal experience. Part of my left meniscus was removed a few years ago as a result of bad deadlift form. Don’t do that.

In the next few articles, I will cover each category (squats, presses, and lifts) in more detail. I will also point you to some reference material for creating an exercise program that fits your specific stage of fitness and your requirements.

Motus Est Vita – Movement is life. The big three improve your ability to move.

Notes and Disclaimers.

Note on the image:  If you look like the picture, get to the gym immediately. This image was generated by an artificial intelligence program in response to this prompt: “thin old man with skinny legs.” I used Craiyon for this image.

Finally, the disclaimer that our litigious times require: I’m not a doctor nor am I a physical therapist. Checking with your doctor or physical therapist is always a good idea before starting any new exercise program. I am also not a personal trainer. Use the authoritative sources cited (or others of your choice) to learn how to do the movements properly. Learn to do the movements properly. Doing the movement properly is important to avoid injury.