Muscles

 

I occasionally look at The Art of Manliness web site. He put up a post on Mike Mentzer who I remember from back in the day. When I worked at the Career Center, several students were into weight training and there was always a muscle mag of some sort floating around the classroom. What little training I've done over the years has always focused on body-weight exercises and humping heavy things around in fab shops. Nothing like a 9" hand grinder to give you Popeye forearms. 

Bodybuilding was more mainstream back then. In addition to Mentzer, most everyone knew of Arnold, of course, but also Franco Columbo, Lou Ferrigno, and Chicago cop Sergio Oliva. I saw Sergio in person once. I was in Chicago for a ball game or something and he was working a corner. There were muscles on top of muscles with that guy.

I'm working the weights now a couple of days a week to continue with the shoulder rehabilitation, and to gain some muscle mass. The shoulder specialist recommended weight training not only for the shoulder but as a way to lower my A1C number. As those of you who have read the blog for any length of time know, I'm always doing some sort of exercise, but it's mostly the aerobic suff. I've lost quite a bit of upper body muscle over the last couple of years, so I'm going to be trying to get some muscle back without irritating my mystery chest ailment. I'm not ready to try body building, but I am looking into becoming more of a "stoic warrior" - "get your mind right, Luke." 

We'll see how it goes.