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Willie Murphy is redefining what it means to be a senior. Why aren’t more older adults following suit? (ipowerlift.net)
In his prime, Arnold Schwarzenegger could deadlift 710 pounds. Willie Murphy can deadlift 215 pounds — more than a quarter of Arnold’s max.
And she’s a 77-year-old grandmother.
At just 105 pounds, Murphy doesn’t exactly scream “meathead,” but she could probably put most of us to shame in the gym, cranking out one-handed pushups and pull-ups with ease, according to USA Today.
It all started with a weight-lifting competition at her local YMCA in Rochester, New York, a few years ago. After an employee told her she could compete — “Go for it, granny” — Murphy began lifting 5-pound weights. Now she’s taking home trophies: She recently took first place in her division in the deadlift, power curl, bench press, and bench press repetition competitions at the WNPF World Championships.
She was also named the World Natural Powerlifting Federation 2014 Lifter of the Year.
Back at her local gym, other exercisers have started asking to feel her biceps. One woman even called Murphy her idol. “They see I’m old and I’m not being pushed around in a wheelchair,” she told USA Today. “I can shovel my own snow. And I can push my car if it gets stuck in the snow…I’m almost 80 years old and I am still living life.”
It’s for this very reason that Wayne Phillips, research director for ActiveRx, a chain of active aging facilities, recommends strength training for older adults. “There’s sleep and diet and nutrition—all of that’s important,” he tells Yahoo Health. “But really, the foundation of our functional life is strength. Strength is the basis of quality of life and autonomy.” Translation: If you maintain your muscles as you age, you’ll be able to live independently for longer — that is, you’ll be shoveling your own sidewalk, just like Murphy.
That’s in addition to all of the obvious health benefits of lifting weights, which range from improved mental health to lower blood pressure to stronger bones. Hitting the bench can also ward off what might seem like inevitable weight gain as you age: “When you lose muscle, your metabolism slows down,” says Wayne Westcott, an exercise scientist at Quincy College.
https://www.yahoo.com/health/this-77-year-old-grandma-can-deadlift-215-pounds-104096786097.html
In his prime, Arnold Schwarzenegger could deadlift 710 pounds. Willie Murphy can deadlift 215 pounds — more than a quarter of Arnold’s max.
And she’s a 77-year-old grandmother.
At just 105 pounds, Murphy doesn’t exactly scream “meathead,” but she could probably put most of us to shame in the gym, cranking out one-handed pushups and pull-ups with ease, according to USA Today.
It all started with a weight-lifting competition at her local YMCA in Rochester, New York, a few years ago. After an employee told her she could compete — “Go for it, granny” — Murphy began lifting 5-pound weights. Now she’s taking home trophies: She recently took first place in her division in the deadlift, power curl, bench press, and bench press repetition competitions at the WNPF World Championships.
She was also named the World Natural Powerlifting Federation 2014 Lifter of the Year.
Back at her local gym, other exercisers have started asking to feel her biceps. One woman even called Murphy her idol. “They see I’m old and I’m not being pushed around in a wheelchair,” she told USA Today. “I can shovel my own snow. And I can push my car if it gets stuck in the snow…I’m almost 80 years old and I am still living life.”
It’s for this very reason that Wayne Phillips, research director for ActiveRx, a chain of active aging facilities, recommends strength training for older adults. “There’s sleep and diet and nutrition—all of that’s important,” he tells Yahoo Health. “But really, the foundation of our functional life is strength. Strength is the basis of quality of life and autonomy.” Translation: If you maintain your muscles as you age, you’ll be able to live independently for longer — that is, you’ll be shoveling your own sidewalk, just like Murphy.
That’s in addition to all of the obvious health benefits of lifting weights, which range from improved mental health to lower blood pressure to stronger bones. Hitting the bench can also ward off what might seem like inevitable weight gain as you age: “When you lose muscle, your metabolism slows down,” says Wayne Westcott, an exercise scientist at Quincy College.
https://www.yahoo.com/health/this-77-year-old-grandma-can-deadlift-215-pounds-104096786097.html
