Starting to feel old in the gym...

I've noticed that just in the past few months that I rely on Stopain, Icy Hot or anything like that more and more. It helps during lifting, but I'm thinking this is more like a cortisone shot, it masks the pain, but you end up hurting yourself more.

I wish I could go back to my early 20's when I never hurt or felt any joint pain. My shoulders and elbows are the worst anymore. Any time I train chest or shoulders, I smell like an old man's balls.

It is borderline depressing to deal with this, but I'd rather smell like a nursing home than miss a day in the gym.

Look at the back section of your AARP magazine for some good pain relievers and dont forget to add your senior citizen discount for free shipping.....hahaha

I fee ya bro, I take Ibuprofen before I work out. The anti inflammatory actually helps a lot. Give that a try about 30 min before you work out. Take the bio flex or Glucosamine with MSN and do the Glucosamine HCL not the sulfate. I use tiger balm extra strength in the evening on sore joints wrapped in a towel or ace bandage. I feel better the next day.
its the price we pay for aging but work through the pain.

Downtokill, don't take this the wrong way, it's just a suggestion and may not apply in your case at all. Take ibuprofin AFTER your workout, NOT before.

Here's why, and how I came to know this: First the why I know this. My wife has Osteoporosis. In searching for info on this, ways to combat it and what makes it worse, I learned that during "mechanical loading" of the skeletal system (a fancy way to say "weight training"), blood rushes to not only the muscles but also the bones, carrying nutrients and other good stuff. This is why weight training helps increase bone mass. Basically it works very similar to how muscles get built insofar as blood flow goes. This is actually "inflammation". Taking anti inflammatory meds before a workout reduces this effect.

Taking it AFTER a workout somehow INCREASES bone density somehow - I disremember how that works but there was some study I came across in my reading on the subject that substantiated this.

Again, perhaps this isn't a concern but I'm aware of it because of my wife's circumstances and I figure to be proactive in keeping that nasty condition out of my life as much as possible, given my age (44).

Asa side note, she went from osteopena (sort of "pre" osteoporosis) to full tilt osteoporosis with 20% bone loss in ONE YEAR!! So this stuff can really come on fast. In the interest of not hijacking this thread, I'll stop there, hut figured I'd put it out there for y'all's consideration...

I feel ya bro. I have to change form on many exercises to avoid pain or making injury worse. Elbow, shoulders and now the knee for me. Bicep is just getting better.

i dont want to moan as well but ive got to say my knee's are killing me lately..im going to try all the above i think...i take fish oils ect ect daily but maybe the anti inflams after leg day and a good tiger balm rub and rap might be rworth a try..
good posts guys and most gratefull if any work..i think im going to buy that hoarse ligament oil ive heard peeps raving about as well.

Im 53 and I use mostly machines and it doesnt bother me. Personally when you get old you really care dont care what anyone thinks. If it hurts I dont do it, that simple. I still love gyms though, not when there crowded though. Ive been going at 4an again, feels good, but im napping now in afternoon, that feels good too.

big n wv said:

i've noticed that just in the past few months that i rely on stopain, icy hot or anything like that more and more. It helps during lifting, but i'm thinking this is more like a cortisone shot, it masks the pain, but you end up hurting yourself more.

I wish i could go back to my early 20's when i never hurt or felt any joint pain. My shoulders and elbows are the worst anymore. Any time i train chest or shoulders, i smell like an old man's balls.

It is borderline depressing to deal with this, but i'd rather smell like a nursing home than miss a day in the gym.

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am only 37 and feel that way. I think i played the wrong sport they rob me of my youth but i still got my passion.

I know EXACTLY how you feel. When I was 22 I was indestructible. I was in the gym this morning rolling and doing so basic Jiu Jitsu week one stuff and I pulled a muscle in my back. Yesterday I ran 4.5 miles and my hips hurt like a son of a bitch.

Getting old sucks.

Ha! I hear ya guys. I'm 52, I still lift pretty hard and do some heavy bag work. But, I don't roll are spar anymore. Don't heal like I used to. I'm taking the CT Fletcher approach - I command my muscles to grow!!! :bench: Still, us old guys have more intensity then 90% of the gym crowd. Don't get me wrong there are some young guns who bust their ass and those are the guys I like to train with. They keep me going! Just don't seem to be as many anymore. Most people these days want to sit on their ass and play video games when it's time to train.

You know what gets me? I get these damned knots in my back that I NEVER used to get in my teens or twenties (I'm 44 now)! Where the F do these come from??? I know, I know, stress, blah, blah. I get 'em when I'm not stressed, too! And they never fully go away, just recede into the background until they decide to return.............

down2kill said:

I fee ya bro, I take Ibuprofen before I work out. The anti inflammatory actually helps a lot. Give that a try about 30 min before you work out. Take the bio flex or Glucosamine with MSN and do the Glucosamine HCL not the sulfate. I use tiger balm extra strength in the evening on sore joints wrapped in a towel or ace bandage. I feel better the next day.
its the price we pay for aging but work through the pain.

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I can't take ibuprofen right now because (and to my surprise actually) it affects the bone growing process. I've got my pinkie in a splint from where I broke it and tore the tendon and the docs told me specifically not to take it because it'll slow the healing process.

EMW14 said:

You know what gets me? I get these damned knots in my back that I NEVER used to get in my teens or twenties (I'm 44 now)! Where the F do these come from??? I know, I know, stress, blah, blah. I get 'em when I'm not stressed, too! And they never fully go away, just recede into the background until they decide to return.............

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Bro I get the same shit! I've actually been freaking out for a few days as I've had a weird pain shooting down my left arm into my pinky finger. I thought it was related to my neck injury.
Today I was messing around and found a nasty little knot on the left side that was the source of the pain. After 10 minutes of pressing things into it to relax it I've had hours of relief.


The Dude Approved

I'll tell you guys. Deca and IGFis a necessity. Also over the years I've changed everything (weights, angles, exercises, etc) and I have experienced better gains and less injury risk. I wish I could've made these realizations without the pains and injuries, but there is always a work around if you're open to it


The Dude Approved

The Dude said:

Bro I get the same shit! I've actually been freaking out for a few days as I've had a weird pain shooting down my left arm into my pinky finger. I thought it was related to my neck injury.
Today I was messing around and found a nasty little knot on the left side that was the source of the pain. After 10 minutes of pressing things into it to relax it I've had hours of relief.


The Dude Approved

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Try a tennis ball or a children's baseball (the kind you can squeeze)

big n wv said:

Try a tennis ball or a children's baseball (the kind you can squeeze)

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i find a tennis ball just flattens out on me, i tried a golf ball but its too small i need like a golf ball the size of a raquet ball, maybe a T-ball?

Maybe a lacrosse ball. That would probably do it... get it in the right spot against a wall and roll it around while stretching. My daughter played LAX inbhigh school, I KNOW there are a few of those balls around!

Today was leg day - I did a pretty good job stretching my upper back/traps by holding onto the squat rack and leaning this way and that... felt a lot better for a while!

I am finally warming up slow. lol I always did one light set then went heavy. I now have to warm up slow or my
shoulder just cant keep up. As far as the ball thing, baseball should be big and hard enough but a good way to
get to spots on your back is to put it in a long sock so you can position it to the knots. (leaning against a wall)
works good for me.

The Dude said:

I'll tell you guys. Deca and IGFis a necessity. Also over the years I've changed everything (weights, angles, exercises, etc) and I have experienced better gains and less injury risk. I wish I could've made these realizations without the pains and injuries, but there is always a work around if you're open to it


The Dude Approved

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IGF, Deca, and I've moved to using mostly machines over the years-try to stick with Hammer Strength...it puts stress on the muscles and takes it off the joints-this goes a long way

Try using Arnacare on the joints pre work out. It really helps me out.