I’m a 59 year old male 5/9 tall and 210 pounds.
My current (edit: bench) routine is:
135 warm up 5x
And the routine I’m trying to complete is:
190 8x
220 5x
230 3x
270 1x
270 1x
270 1x
225 max reps (usually about 6-7 reps)
Then I do some extra lifting; 190 max reps (about 12 reps) and 155 for max reps (about 12-15 reps depending how much time I gave myself).
I can usually get that 1st 270, but it ain’t easy.
The 2nd one hasn’t happened yet. So I usually drop down to
265 for the 2nd and 3rd max weight, which I make without too much problem.
My question is I know if I can make a single rep of 270 once I can do it 3x if I just gave myself enough rest between lifts. Currently I wait 10 minutes between max lift reps.
So what is the ‘magic’ amount of time so that I could do all 3 single max lifts successfully and what is the ‘best’ amount of time in regards to the best workout for me?
Well I knew what I was talking about. Bench is the answer.
And then I went to the gym this morning and managed to pull off
all 3 single 270s. Not sure what was different today, but #2 and #3
felt easier than the first one.
You should only rest 3-5 minutes between 1-3 reps. 10 minutes might work for some people, but generally only for people who are “elite” level. Generally by the 6-7 minute mark your CNS has calmed down and isn’t ready to activate aggressively. Try just resting 3 minutes for while and see how you do. Your age may be a factor in recovery time between sets, so you may need longer of course, but the shorter rest periods will, like I said, keep your CNS active, but also will keep your body temperature up as well and keep your joints and tendons in a ready state.
Also, try doing less reps on your lead ups as well. Try 3x5 at 135, then 3 rep sets up until your 270x1 sets.
That being said, what lift are we talking about here? What’s your routine look like? What are your goals?
[quote]Jetboy wrote:
Well I knew what I was talking about. Bench is the answer.
And then I went to the gym this morning and managed to pull off
all 3 single 270s. Not sure what was different today, but #2 and #3
felt easier than the first one.[/quote]
The difference today is you got stronger. Simple as that, good work.
[quote]Jetboy wrote:
. Currently I wait 10 minutes between max lift reps.
So what is the ‘magic’ amount of time so that I could do all 3 single max lifts successfully and what is the ‘best’ amount of time in regards to the best workout for me?
[/quote]
In all reality don’t get worried about the length of time between your max sets. Rest the amount of time that allows you to complete your max lifts end of story…don’t get all worked up on a magic time frame. If you can get away with 3 minutes great if you need 10 minutes to properly recover to do so that’s fine to. Everyone’s response to training can be slightly different so don’t get too worked up on the small crap and look at the big picture. If your seeing progress on your lifts then there you go.
I’ve found that if I can do between 5-8 singles with a weight I can prob get a hard triple. I don’t recall ever being able to triple with a 3-singles indicator, but it’s different for different people.
I bet you can do a double with that weight though.
[quote]louiek wrote:
You should only rest 3-5 minutes between 1-3 reps. 10 minutes might work for some people, but generally only for people who are “elite” level. Generally by the 6-7 minute mark your CNS has calmed down and isn’t ready to activate aggressively. Try just resting 3 minutes for while and see how you do. Your age may be a factor in recovery time between sets, so you may need longer of course, but the shorter rest periods will, like I said, keep your CNS active, but also will keep your body temperature up as well and keep your joints and tendons in a ready state.
[/quote]
Really ? I guess Ill have to remember that when I have to wait 30 plus minutes in between attempts at my next Meet… Im glad a man of your years of experience could clear that up for the rest of us inexperienced lifters.
[quote]Jetboy wrote:
So what is the ‘magic’ amount of time so that I could do all 3 single max lifts successfully and what is the ‘best’ amount of time in regards to the best workout for me?[/quote]
I would imagine that it would be different for different people. I would imagine that the “best” time is going to vary person to person and even from day to day.
[quote]louiek wrote:
You should only rest 3-5 minutes between 1-3 reps. 10 minutes might work for some people, but generally only for people who are “elite” level. Generally by the 6-7 minute mark your CNS has calmed down and isn’t ready to activate aggressively. Try just resting 3 minutes for while and see how you do. Your age may be a factor in recovery time between sets, so you may need longer of course, but the shorter rest periods will, like I said, keep your CNS active, but also will keep your body temperature up as well and keep your joints and tendons in a ready state.
[/quote]
Really ? I guess Ill have to remember that when I have to wait 30 plus minutes in between attempts at my next Meet… Im glad a man of your years of experience could clear that up for the rest of us inexperienced lifters.[/quote]
Wow that sounds like cookie-cutter advice, and buzz words at that, CNS and ready state. Really?
Rest as long as YOU feel is necessary when it comes to anything over 90% of 1rm.
Well, I would like to be able to bench 300 pounds, but my son and work out partner says I should go for 315.
"I’ve found that if I can do between 5-8 singles with a weight I can prob get a hard triple. I don’t recall ever being able to triple with a 3-singles indicator, but it’s different for different people.
I bet you can do a double with that weight though."
I’m afraid I didn’t understand much of that. 5-8 singles of what weight? And what is a ‘hard triple’?
Well, I would like to be able to bench 300 pounds, but my son and work out partner says I should go for 315.
"I’ve found that if I can do between 5-8 singles with a weight I can prob get a hard triple. I don’t recall ever being able to triple with a 3-singles indicator, but it’s different for different people.
I bet you can do a double with that weight though."
I’m afraid I didn’t understand much of that. 5-8 singles of what weight? And what is a ‘hard triple’?
[/quote]
Sorry - I forget I’m writing in meathead-code sometimes.
An “indicator” is a lift or series of lifts from which I can deduce what poundage I might be able to do as a maximum lift.
A single is a 1-repetition set
A “double” is a 2-repetition set.
a “triple” is a 3 repetition set.
A “hard triple” is a triple where the last rep is very difficult to complete.
You can do 3 1-repetition sets (3 “singles”) @ 270. When you can do 5-8 singles @270 I think doing three reps (a triple) @270 is possible. It may be possible for you now - there’s so much variation among people’s capabilities. The fore-going explanation is just a rule of thumb that seems to work for me. Something else might work for you. AS some of the other posts have said, it’s highly individual.
[quote]bulldog9899 wrote:
I guess Ill have to remember that when I have to wait 30 plus minutes in between attempts at my next Meet[/quote]
Have you really had to wait 30 minutes between attempts? I think about 15 minutes is the longest I’ve gone.
Louiek: are you really only 18? Who’s in charge of carding these days?
Bench is the answer.