Maintaining Muscle Mass For Seniors

[bill epstein]

Get a 10" Eclipse Quick Release.

My trusty 30 year old Jorgensen finally gave up it's QR threads. I decided to get a 7" Eclipse on Friday but none were in stock at the usual suspects. Ditto the 9" but Amazon had a 10", and would arrive today. I figured, what's 5 lbs.?, and ordered it. It's enormous!!

Got it bolted down, did the Archimedes fulcrum thing to flip the bench top back over and discovered, unlike every other vise in the galaxy, the face depth isn't 3", it's 3 5/8. Another clean and jerk, unbolted and inserted a 3/4" shim, and did the dead lift again. Now this isn't a lightweight bench but when I pulled the jaw out far enough to drill the face holes (the Eclipse jaw isn't removable like the Jorgensen but you can pull it right out across the room) I learned a butterfly alighting on the jaw might tip the whole thing over. A 10 lb. casting from a defunct motor I just couldn't throw away now has a home in the tool tray.

I miss the wood handle.

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[Ole Anderson]

Speaking of muscle mass for seniors: Went snowmobiling this weekend, which sometimes involves lifting the rear end to help turn it or just knock the ice loose. Well my 2 up 4 stroke weighs nearly 700 pounds. I have never been able to lift the rear clear of the ground. Guessing nearly a 250 pound dead lift, maybe more. My 72 yo 165 pound body just isn't up to it, even though I go to the gym on occasion. So my 150 pound, 20 yo grandson comes over, lifts it clear up and slams it down a few times. He has been doing some weightlifting lately. Proud grandpa.