There’s an old saying that life begins at 40. That’s a lie. Life at 40 is just about realizing your back hurts for no reason. Life at 50, but, means you need to handle that back pain. Otherwise, you’ll spend the next few decades groaning every time you stand up.

So here I am, at 51, doing something I never thought I would: lifting weights.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’ve always considered myself reasonably fit. I ran 10 full marathons. If there’s one thing running teaches you, it’s how to suffer for hours on end without giving up. But here’s the problem: running doesn’t necessarily make you strong. And, thanks to a rough patch in my mental health, I stopped running, stopped taking care of myself, and (surprise!) gained a fair bit of weight.

Cue my aha moment.

One day, while struggling to carry my own grocery bags up the stairs (seriously, why is bottled beer so heavy?), I realized that endurance is great, but functional strength is what I need for this next phase of life. I didn’t just want to get back in shape. I wanted to build muscle and get strong. Most importantly, I wanted to future-proof this body so I can still pick up my own grand kids one day (not that I have any yet, but it’s good to plan ahead).

So, I did what any rational adult would do—I joined a gym, went 3-4 times, did cardio and stared at the weight section like it was an alien planet, and promptly cancelled my membership.

Turns out, strength training isn’t as straightforward as just picking things up and putting them down. There are different types of lifts, proper forms to learn, and apparently, a thing called “progressive overload” that doesn’t just describe my experience with life in general. But I’m here to figure it all out, and I’ll be documenting the whole journey—good, bad, and utterly embarrassing—right here.

This blog, Fifty and Lifting, will be my accountability partner. Twice a week, I’ll post updates—some written, some video. These will cover my progress, my workouts, and what’s working. I’ll also share what’s making me walk like a newborn giraffe. Probably some nutritional changes will pop up too. Goodbye, spontaneous pizza nights… or at least, goodbye to having three pizzas in one sitting.

So if you’re in the same boat—midlife, wanting to get strong, and feeling just a little bit lost—stick around. Let’s figure this out together. Because if I can do this, trust me, anyone can.

Next up: I’ll be taking you on a tour of my home gym setup (and explaining why I bought weights that are way too heavy for me). Stay tuned!