{"id":366445,"date":"2026-04-06T15:43:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/366445\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T15:43:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T15:43:13","slug":"im-68-and-can-bench-press-75-pounds-heres-my-exact-weekly-workout-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/366445\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I\u2019m 68 and Can Bench Press 75 Pounds\u2014Here\u2019s My Exact Weekly Workout Routine’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Suzanne Luhr is a 68-year-old retiree from Wyoming who used to work as a GIS Principal and Map Editor\u2014and her workout routine<\/a> did not start with a happy story. \u201cI started my wellness journey following a bicycle wreck in 2011,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI was hit by a truck that broke my femur and fractured my pelvis.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the wreck, she started physical therapy<\/a>. That\u2019s when she became passionate about deadlifting. \u201cI found my love for deadlifting, and it became a love, not just a necessity,\u201d she tells Parade. \u201cWatching my body and mind slowly improve, it became less about needing to heal my injuries and more about how I can grow stronger day by day.\u201d<\/p>\n

As of today, Luhr can bench press 75 pounds, squat lift 145 pounds, and deadlift 207 pounds.<\/p>\n

Think that could never be you? Not so fast. Luhr says that while she looks forward to working out<\/a> at the gym now, she used to think the gym was \u201cfor other people.\u201d She\u2019s since been chosen as a 2026 Senior Planet Sponsored Athlete with AARP<\/a>. She\u2019s also a competitive powerlifter who competed in the 2025 Senior Olympics in Cheyenne and many other major competitions.<\/p>\n

Related: These Are the 5 Best Workouts for Complete Beginners, Personal Trainers Say<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIn this role, I really hope to inspire other seniors [who] think they cannot do it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s doable, trust me. The first step is to just…take the first step!\u201d<\/p>\n

As a powerlifter, she\u2019s naturally passionate about arm strength<\/a> and has super-strong arms\u2014partially thanks to a horse and some grocery bags, too. Stay tuned for those stories, plus her weekly workout routine, her favorite smoothie<\/a> recipe and other fitness advice she wants to share.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\ude7a<\/a>SIGN UP for Parade\u2019s health newsletter with expert-approved tips, healthy eats, exercises, news & more to help you stay healthy & feel your best self<\/a>\ud83d\udc8a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Suzanne<\/p>\n

Suzanne Luhr<\/p>\n

(Suzanne Luhr)Luhr\u2019s Weekly Workout RoutineTuesdays and Fridays<\/p>\n

On these days, Luhr attends a 1-hour strength training<\/a> group class. Participants are broken up into five groups that rotate through five sections. Typically, they do three sets of five to 10 reps of each exercise, and if they do fewer reps, they lift heavier.<\/p>\n

Luhr shares what that looks like for her group:<\/p>\n

The upper body station is first, where the group rotates through lat pull-downs, bicep curls, rows and tricep push-downs or push-ups.<\/p>\n

Second is squats<\/a>, in which participants lift heavier with each set to maximize muscle growth.<\/p>\n

Deadlifts are next\u2014and Luhr loves them. \u201cDeadlifts<\/a> are my favorite station, so I always lift as heavy as I can, especially for my last set,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Fourth is the bench press station. \u201cWith two bad shoulders, this station is not my favorite, but I always try to push myself to new limits,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

Last but not least is lunges<\/a>. Group members complete three sets of 20 yards each. Luhr does the first 20 yards without weights, then adds 10 pounds per hand for the next two sets.<\/p>\n

Thursdays and Sundays<\/p>\n

Luhr\u2019s workout looks different on these days. She attends the Laramie Recreation Center and hits up the weight room for about 45 to 60 minutes.<\/p>\n

First, she cycles through several upper body, core and leg exercises<\/a> on whatever machines are available, and she often adds squats. Next, she climbs 34 floors on the stair-stepper machine<\/a>, trying to add another floor each time as a challenge. Last but not least, she walks on the track for one to one-and-a-half miles.<\/p>\n

Her \u201cdays off\u201d<\/p>\n

Luhr moves her body on her \u201coff days,\u201d too, mostly with walking<\/a>. \u201cFor me, walking is an essential part of that muscle-to-mind connection,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

She takes these walks around her small town (Laramie, Wyoming) to get to appointments or meetings. If the weather is especially nice, she\u2019ll ride her bike. \u201cNothing is ridiculously far, and walking and biking are good for me and the environment,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

How Luhr Got \u2018Crazy Strong Arms\u2019<\/p>\n

Luhr is especially passionate about arm workouts, and her various experiences reflect why. For example, she\u2019s spent over 30 years riding bareback on a horse\u2014and getting up on the horse, especially with it being 5 feet, takes power in the arms and upper body. \u201cOver time, that experience grew a mind-to-muscle connection, building strength in my arms,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

She knows the value of arm strength for everyday living and exercising, too, and says she recognizes the importance of continuing to build and maintain that strength. \u201cStrong arms and shoulders are critical for me since they support nearly everything I do, from gripping, pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying out everyday tasks without fear that I’m going to hurt myself,\u201d Luhr says.<\/p>\n

She engages in hammer curls and tricep dips<\/a> to strengthen her muscles. \u201cIt\u2019s super easy to do the tricep dips anywhere, which is what I like most about this workout,\u201d she adds. \u201cYou are able to do it on a chair at home or in the gym\u2026This is the same with hammer curls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, Luhr does pushups<\/a>. She started doing them on a bar that she lowered over time. Once she got strong enough, she started doing pushups on the floor.<\/p>\n

Luhr also brings functionality into her workout by using her grocery bags as weights. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s important to think of how everyday activities make me stronger,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Related: The #1 Mistake Women Make When Trying To Achieve Toned, Lean Arms, According to a Personal Trainer<\/a><\/p>\n

The Loved Ones Who Help Luhr Stay in Shape<\/p>\n

Luhr\u2019s loved ones have played a role in her fitness journey. She thinks of her husband, Wes, a \u201cdaily workout enthusiast\u201d that she feels \u201cconstantly challenged\u201d by. \u201cHe is an immense help to me,\u201d she says. \u201cHe will keep me on track if I’m ever at risk of derailing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her cat, believe it or not, also plays a major role. \u201cAnother close love that keeps me active both mentally and physically is my 20-year-old cat, Callie,\u201d Luhr continues. \u201cPets<\/a> have always been essential in my life, and everybody knows petting a cat or dog (or horse) lowers one’s blood pressure<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luhr\u2019s Nutrition Habits<\/p>\n

Luhr values nutrition, too. She\u2019s a vegetarian who eats a lot of fruits and vegetables, and she doesn\u2019t mindlessly snack as much. She has a yogurt maker she loves, and often makes plant-based yogurt<\/a>, which she adds to smoothies. Additionally, she eats a lot of whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. \u201cI\u2019m not a nutrition expert, but I do know what works for me,\u201d Luhr says.<\/p>\n

She spoils us with the approximate recipe for her go-to, high-protein, pre-workout smoothie, which makes two servings:<\/p>\n

1 cup milk (she uses soy milk)<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)<\/p>\n

1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)<\/p>\n

\u2153 cup walnuts<\/a> or peanuts (or whatever nuts you like)<\/p>\n

You can also add whey or plant-based protein<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving this smoothie a couple hours before [my] workout gives me plenty of energy to power through a good workout,\u201d she says. \u201cIf my workout\u2019s still hours away and I\u2019m still hungry, a piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter<\/a> (crunchy, of course) and honey will get me through most of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: I\u2019m a Certified Personal Trainer\u2014Here\u2019s Exactly How I Eat 100 Grams of Protein a Day<\/a><\/p>\n

Luhr\u2019s Exercise Advice<\/p>\n

As a strong, decorated 68-year-old, Luhr is definitely a solid choice for getting fitness advice. What are the main messages she wants others to know?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re ready to enter a gym, start with a coach or a friend [who] knows the ropes, so you learn proper technique for exercises or the machines to avoid hurting yourself,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Luhr also encourages not going too hard too quickly. \u201cStart with light weights,\u201d she says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter your weight, as long as you do it right. The weight, strength and self-confidence will come with time and persistence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Up Next:<\/p>\n

Sources<\/p>\n

Suzanne Luhr is a 68-year-old retiree from Wyoming and a 2026 Senior Planet Sponsored Athlete with AARP.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Parade<\/a> on Apr 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Wellness<\/a> section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Suzanne Luhr is a 68-year-old retiree from Wyoming who used to work as a GIS Principal and Map…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":366446,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[565,134,111,139,69,192354,192355,4065,50964],"class_list":{"0":"post-366445","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz","13":"tag-suzanne-luhr","14":"tag-weekly-workout-routine","15":"tag-workout","16":"tag-workout-routine"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}