Back to the grind(s)

Those of you who know me (either personally or on Facebook) know that this was not a year for athletic goals for me. Professional goals? Yes. Athletic? Not so much. I successfully ran for DA in my community, and running for office made severe demands on my time and my energy. I spent most of the year becoming deconditioned, and most workout involved five minutes of easy long cycle with two 20kg kettlebells. Since the election was over, I've resumed working out with a vengeance. The difference this time is the emphasis. I've heard it said that men in the 40's lose one pound of muscle per year. Many trainers recommend weight training to men in their 30's and 40's to prevent this natural decline. I've also thought that adding a basic weight training routine would help prevent the recurrence of tendinitis in my elbows. So after the campaign ended I started a regimen of cleaning and pressing (not jerking) a Kettlebell, and double Kettlebell front squats. A few days ago I shifted my focus to dead lifting, back squats and presses. I know that I'm best motivated by competition, and there are many powerlifting contests in my area. I've decided to set a goal of hitting the "intermediate" level of dead lifting for my weight class, which is 350 lbs. I may enter a 3 lift meet as well (bench press, squat and dead lift). Until then I'm enjoying working on a new challenge. I'll let you know how it goes. David