I am going to be 60 in a few more months. I have worked out on and off for most of my life, though unfortunately more off than on. I started back in high school by buying weekly workout pamphlets that were mailed to me as part of a larger training program. They came from some muscle magazine that I can no longer recall. In my 30s, I did the EAS Challenge, which lasted three months. I hit it 110%. I was living in a college town at the time and I was successful enough that on several occasions random ladies approached me offering interesting opportunities. That was something new, but definitely a nice perk.

As I got older, I tended to increasingly gain weight during the "off" years. I managed to get quite fit at 45, and then again around 2020 when I was 54. I followed strict keto for three years. The first three months were horrific, but after that it was amazing. I was as fit as I had ever been, but I wanted to be bigger. At the time, I was lifting mostly with dumbbells, which probably kept me healthier than I knew in the moment. Eventually, though, I decided to add barbell bench presses. After only a few workouts, my shoulders were in agony. Looking back, I suspect the dumbbells had made me just strong enough to do serious damage to my shoulders with a barbell. Probably my technique was bad, etc.

Anyway, I had an MRI, saw multiple doctors, went through physical therapy, tried dry needling, acupuncture, and just about everything else. Nothing worked. I couldn't even raise my arms above my head without intense pain. I couldn't sleep for more than an hour at a time, and although things are better today, it remains a significant ongoing problem. Eventually, I got fat, depressed, and ceased to care.

In October of 2025, my stomach had finally had enough. I would get severe stomach pain that lasted for days at a time, and it was absolute misery. I felt like I had developed an ulcer too (almost certainly from NSAIDs). The junk food probably didn't help, either. I doubt the daily drinking and stress did me any favors. I had been taking all the standard antacid medications, sometimes even doubling up on them. Then one day in October, I decided to fast. I fasted for three days simply because it was something to try—a random dart thrown into the dark. My expectations were low. I figured it couldn't hurt. What ended up happening was a beautiful and unexpected gift.

I had reached a point where my health was so poor that all I thought about was candy, bread, and food. Every time I left the house, my brain would cycle through all the crappy food options along the way. I would eat and never feel satisfied. I weighed 220 pounds at 5'6". Fortunately for me, that three-day fast broke the grip that candy, bread, and junk food had on me, and even the alcohol. Suddenly, I could make choices with my brain instead of just following my cravings. I added a little additional willpower to the mix, started walking more, and began making way better food choices. I stopped drinking too. The weight started falling off, and so did the all stomach problems.

Early this year, I decided to buy some kettlebells because I could get them through my FSA. Honestly, I didn't think I would be able to use them, so it was another random shot in the dark. I hadn't used kettlebells much in the past, but I had seen a few people on Facebook doing interesting things with them. Around the same time, I had started physical therapy for my shoulders (again) at my doctor's suggestion, but after a dozen sessions I wasn't any better. Somewhere in the middle of all that, my kettlebells arrived, and I started using them. What I didn't realize until they arrived was that I could use momentum to work around or through some of my limitations and gradually build strength. Slowly but surely, I started improving.

As I write this, I am down about 55 pounds, depending on the day. My chest and waist were both around 46 inches from when I started measuring. Today, my waist is 36 inches and my chest is 42 inches. It is comical to put on my old clothes. To say I look fit might be humorous in this crowd, but if I were standing among a group of average 60-something guys, I would definitely be the exception rather than the rule.

Every day is a delicate balancing act. I try to push myself as hard as I can without aggravating my temperamental shoulders. I have a slat treadmill, battle ropes, a heavy bag, and of course the kettlebells. I rotate between them as needed to help manage recovery. After a few months with kettlebells, I added heavy clubs and discovered that I really enjoy them. More recently, I started hanging in the style recommended by John Kirsch. So far, it seems to be helping.

What I am looking for here is anything that can help improve my situation. I love learning in general, and the knowledge shared here on Eroids is pretty incredible. I received a lot of help and suggestions from my original post, which was probably a topic most of you have seen countless times before, but several of you helped me anyway.

My current goal is to reach ~12% body fat by my birthday, which is about three months away. Maybe it sounds less foolish here than it does in my own head, but what I want is to feel proud to take my shirt off on my 60th birthday. I won't cry if it doesn't happen, but that is the goal.

Sorry for the length of this. I guess I was in a reflective mood. Thanks to all of you for being such a great community!