what's the point?

 my wife asks me one day when I was telling her about one of my recent workout sessions. of course my reply was 'what do you mean?'

but it was a question that stuck with me for a few weeks. what is the point of me working out with weights like I do? i'm an old man. i'm not here to do 10 strick pull ups, or a bunch of muscle ups. i'm not seeking out a community. I work out alone in my garage. 

a quick back story...one of my good lifetime friends got me into working out in high school. it stuck with me through out my life. I was never massively into it to get a crazy big body, but I have always enjoyed it. so it has been something constant in my life. sometime ago I did crossfit. I loved it. I had a really good time there. the people were amazing. everyone was very supportive of each other. it was a community that I never experienced. everyone supported and cheered the newbies achieving their new goals and accomplishments. to the veterans getting a new pr. however; there was one problem for me, I couldn't ride my bike. I would work out early in the morning, and then I wanted to ride to the shop I worked at. it was difficult. I was cooked after my workout, and riding a bike just killed me. so my time there changed, but it was better for me to achieve some riding goals. fitness for life if you will. the box closed down and I sought a new avenue as I built up my garage space which was coming along nicely. however, I lacked direction. so I found a coach through my daughter's soccer club. he knew how important riding my bike is to me, and developed a strength plan around that.

from this strength plan, I have noticed some things changing. first, and obvious, is my lifting has gotten better. i'm moving more weights; which in and of itself, feels great. i felt more complete in my workouts. that is true progress that you are able to see. to feel the numbers go up. this is really what my wife was asking...haha. why lift so heavy?

i've then have done some reading on this aspect. there are some studies out that lifting may help with alzheimer's. this is one "point". I want to be an old man, and have my faculties. 

second, I have noticed improvements in my riding. last season I was getting pr's on some strava segments without even trying. so that was really uplifting. to 'see' progress without putting forth a major effort. now, truth be told, there are a few segments out there that I do want & will need a major effort...haha. another cycling related note, is that the other week I noticed that I was stronger climbing some hills. not faster, but stronger. I wasn't wearing out as quick. I felt different muscles in my legs doing some work; which was really cool to experience.

third, I believe that I am "fit". not crossfit fit. not strongman fit. no way in hell am I GQ fit. my wife calls me the "fittest fat guy" she knows. hahaha. but I can throw the weight around. I can ride my bike for long distances. hell...I can even go on a 5k run if I wanted to. once and awhile that happens, but not often. a friend of mine once called me "unassumingly fit". as you couldn't tell actually how fit I was. he knew what kind of work I was putting in and what I was lifting. however; to be clear, I spend from 3-5 hours a week in the garage. the rest of the time I try to get out on my bike. this is the balance i'm looking for. this is what is right for me. a "normal" (whatever the hell that means) functional fitness.

so what's the point? I want to be fit for life. what do you want to do? i'm in. i can do it. I want to move. I want to be able to move. now. tomorrow. when i'm 80. i want to walk up steps. bend over. pick up the remote (if that even exists when i'm 80) and that's the most important. 

take care of yourself for yourself and your loved ones.

amitabha...