An Over 50 Lifter

Training Over 35 Lifter
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Was groggy again today. Didn’t get a good night’s sleep.

Abduction 345 x 21 – same as last time (miscalculated the weights). Good feeling though. Also ran the stairs three times today at work.

Adduction 338 x 21 + .5 lbs (used a 3 lb hand weight instead of a 2.5 lb plate).

Lateral raise, 160 x 9 +2.5 lb

Dip belt instead of seated dip.
+25 lbs / 5 reps. Good form, going well and then bang, couldn’t do rep 6. This is going to go a little slower than I expected.

Seated row 300 x 8 +5 lb - 1 rep.

Delt fly 222.5 x 8 reps, +2.5 lb, -1 rep

Squats are moved to Saturday’s split, now that they are moving along. I’m hoping for bodyweight x 30 (well, my “bodyweight squats” are going to include two ten pound dumb bells too, doing that gives my arms a good pump).

Curl, 95 x 9 +2.5 lb

Abdominal slant body weight, 10 reps. Well, at least my form is good. I can feel them.

Back extension, 350 lb x 10 reps. Dang that felt good.

Improvement is starting to slow down, but I knew that would happen eventually. Actually, when I was younger I always plateaued at about half the weight stack, so I’m really doing well.

Wish they had a rotary torso machine, but otherwise I’m pleased.

I’ve also started a set of stretches for my rotator cuffs and will start the light exercises to go with them tomorrow morning.

I think I’m on track for my strength goals to reach by September. Guess I need to decide what to do then.

Elaikases Is Back
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176.8 lbs this morning. Down from 189 not too long ago (that was my “stable” weight after losing a bunch and bringing my weight back up). My goal is to slowly shrink to 160 lbs while improving strength the entire time.

Sprained my hand last night some how. Think it was a combination of yard work and sleeping wrong.

Anyway,

Rear Delt Fly, 142.5 x 10 +2.5 lb.

Woodchop 197.5 x 8; +2.5 -.5 reps. I’ll be at this weight next time to do a cleaner end to the reps. My arms aren’t keeping up with my torso strength. But 200 lbs is my goal. Once I hit that, I’ll probably stick there for a while.

Shoulder Press 67.5 x 8 +2.5 lb

Cable Tricep 92.5 x 8 +2.5 lb

“Bodyweight” squats, 20 lb x 30 reps. Now that I’ve got two 10 lb dumb bells, I’ll just be increasing the reps from now on until I hit a hundred or so. Holding the dumb bells kind of pumps up my arms while I’m squating.

Well, I didn’t get it done until just after lunch, but I got it done. Family is out of town and I’m just kind of knocking around without them. Can’t wait until they are home.

Now, wait until it cools off, then mow the yard.

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I’m going to cut the dip belt weight back to +20 lbs. +25 seems to be too much.

Ah well, I’ll post more later. But all in all, a good workout.

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E, good job on the weight loss. If you have managed to lose weight and increase strength you must have the right formula going on. Keep with it!!

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As for my lifts last night

Abduction 350 x 21 + 5lb. That is the entire weight stack + 45 lb. Time to go back to Abduction as warm-up, but dang, it felt good.

Adduction 340 x 21 + 2lb. This will go to warm-up only too. The Saturday Squats will take over as the main leg exercise.

Lateral Raise 162.5 x 6 reps. +2.5 lb, -3 reps. I just failed on this one, not sure why. Was feeling a little week on the way over, but after the legs, I was feeling good.

Dip Belt +25 lb x 6 reps, +1 rep. I want faster progress and I’m just hitting the last repetition and running out of gas. I’m pretty sure the muscles are just engaging differently than they were on the seated dip, so I’m going to drop back to 20 lb on the dip belt and see what happens next time. I should be back to adding between 2 and 5 lbs a week to the lift.

Seated Row 302.5 x 8; +2.5 lb. One increment left to go before I’ve got the entire stack. I tried the exercise on the cable machine for comparison and doing an extra set later was really easy with the amount of weight available.

Delt fly, 222.5 x 9, +1 rep.

Cable Curl 97.5 x 9, +2.5 lb. Steady progress.

Abdominal +5 lb x 9 reps. + 5 lb, -1 rep. Still getting a handle on the incline bench, but making progress.

Back 355 x10. Stack + 50 lbs. I love it. Felt recovered from the gas out on the dips.

Seven personal best, but two failures out of nine lifts. My back is a little sore today, but more from sitting at a desk all day than the lifts.

I’m at or past all of my goals except for arms & shoulders. Funny how doing bodyweight dips has gone from “some day” to “inadequate” in my mind. That dip belt has me infected with thoughts.

I’m also looking to balance out my work-outs if I’m missing something. Seems like between Wednesdays and Saturdays I’m hitting everything I should, but I’ve got room and energy to add a lift on Wednesday nights if anyone has a suggestion.

What I really want is something to increase my grip strength that won’t screw up other exercises.

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[quote]mday wrote:
E, good job on the weight loss. If you have managed to lose weight and increase strength you must have the right formula going on. Keep with it!![/quote]

Thanks. I’ve started cutting some more weight as of April.

I’m down from 189 to around 177 now. About 3-4 lbs a month so far. I’m curious how long it will keep up, and I’m really focused on not losing strength while I do it.

Confess I’ve started having protein smoothies for breakfast (yogurt, protein powder, ice cubes and a half cup of frozen blue berries or black berries).

Gets me off to a good start.

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[quote]Elaikases wrote:
I’m also looking to balance out my work-outs if I’m missing something. Seems like between Wednesdays and Saturdays I’m hitting everything I should, but I’ve got room and energy to add a lift on Wednesday nights if anyone has a suggestion.

What I really want is something to increase my grip strength that won’t screw up other exercises.
[/quote]

How about trying some chinups? That should help your upper body and grip at the same time. You can also add weight with your dip belt…

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I’m wondering if those are compatible with the seated row?

For some reason when I had them in the rotation, I wasn’t making progress on them. I finally dropped them out of frustration and focused on other things.

Maybe I should go back.

When I was younger I got good results with them, they just were not working for me this time around.

But, it has been six months, guess it is time to give it a shot again :wink:

Thanks for the suggestion.

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[quote]Elaikases wrote:
I’m wondering if those are compatible with the seated row?

For some reason when I had them in the rotation, I wasn’t making progress on them. I finally dropped them out of frustration and focused on other things.

Maybe I should go back.

When I was younger I got good results with them, they just were not working for me this time around.
[/quote]

I guess having both in rotation may have been too much for back in terms of recovery. Pull-ups were frustrating for me when I started so I switched to chin-ups and that allowed progress to start.

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[quote]Elaikases wrote:

Dip Belt +25 lb x 6 reps, +1 rep. I want faster progress and I’m just hitting the last repetition and running out of gas. I’m pretty sure the muscles are just engaging differently than they were on the seated dip,[/quote]

Of course. You won’t always get a lot of carryover when you switch from one variation to another. That doesn’t mean something’s wrong … just different. It usually takes a bit for the CNS to catch up.

Maybe. But so what if you don’t? It’s not a race. Honest!

[quote]What I really want is something to increase my grip strength that won’t screw up other exercises.
[/quote]

Here’s a novel idea: How about doing some grip exercises? Static bar holds, timed towel hang and/or plate pinch, farmer’s walk. Get a Captain’s Of Crush and start training your grip with it. You could also fill a bucket with water, sand, rocks, etc., then lift it with one hand using pliers. Finger extensions with rubber bands. You can do the last two at home. All of these are good fun and none (except farmer’s walk) will mess with your other stuff. Farmer’s walk is a great finisher and should always be done last. Is there any place in your area that has a climbing wall? That really works your grip and it’s lots of fun to do! Personally, I like to use a lot of outdoor chores as part of my grip training. Just don’t over-do it or your joints could start screaming at you. I made this mistake a few years ago and was actually forced to take a few weeks off because I couldn’t grasp a barbell without pain!

Cappy

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El, keep up the good work. Catching up on my reading, your seated row machine is really a chest supported row. There’s a pic of a seated row machine on my home, give them a try. Wish I could drop some lbs, no motivation. Take care.

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[quote]Capacity wrote:
Here’s a novel idea: How about doing some grip exercises? Static bar holds, timed towel hang and/or plate pinch, farmer’s walk. Get a Captain’s Of Crush and start training your grip with it.

You could also fill a bucket with water, sand, rocks, etc., then lift it with one hand using pliers. Finger extensions with rubber bands. You can do the last two at home. All of these are good fun and none (except farmer’s walk) will mess with your other stuff.

Farmer’s walk is a great finisher and should always be done last. Is there any place in your area that has a climbing wall? That really works your grip and it’s lots of fun to do! Personally, I like to use a lot of outdoor chores as part of my grip training.

Just don’t over-do it or your joints could start screaming at you. I made this mistake a few years ago and was actually forced to take a few weeks off because I couldn’t grasp a barbell without pain!

Cappy

[/quote]

Sounds good. I’ve never done any grip exercises. The city rec centers do have a climbing wall and I’ve finished the steps for certification (which is painfully easy). We also have a couple commercial locations with self belaying gear.

I’m gathering from you that the captains of crush are actually useful, not just a gimmick.

I’ve people I’ve known in the past who have done towel pull-ups or chin-ups, but they weren’t the sorts who stuck with things long enough to tell if they really worked. You’ve seen my postings, I’m kind of a long haul sort of guy, married to my first wife, etc.

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[quote]Capacity wrote:
Elaikases wrote:

I should be back to adding between 2 and 5 lbs a week to the lift

Maybe. But so what if you don’t? It’s not a race. Honest!
[/quote]

I’ve just had months of steady gains, it has gotten addictive. Though when I started, the last I had read was on how after 40 or so it is all downhill and I thought it was a race between my declining body and physical limits rapidly consuming me.

Since I’m lifting more than I did when I was young … and started from a far weaker spot, I realize that I don’t need to be quite as worried.

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[quote]soldog wrote:

I guess having both in rotation may have been too much for back in terms of recovery. Pull-ups were frustrating for me when I started so I switched to chin-ups and that allowed progress to start. [/quote]

Thanks. People here have really helped me see things I can’t see for myself. The trainers I see locally are either the sixty minute wonders turned out to sell health club memberships (as far as I can tell, they get about sixty minutes of training) or not much better types working on their own.

I really appreciate the feedback.

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[quote]barryjenkins00 wrote:
El, keep up the good work. Catching up on my reading, your seated row machine is really a chest supported row. There’s a pic of a seated row machine on my home, give them a try. Wish I could drop some lbs, no motivation. Take care.[/quote]

Just visited your profile and your videos.

I’ve used the cable row, tried it the other day. It only goes to 200 and that is much too light right now. I actually do mine without resting my chest on the chest support.

Your videos look good. If I was in the shape you are in, I wouldn’t have any motivation to lose weight either. You are looking strong and solid there.

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[quote]Elaikases wrote:
Capacity wrote:
Elaikases wrote:

…the last I had read was on how after 40 or so it is all downhill and I thought it was a race between my declining body and physical limits rapidly consuming me.
quote]

Yeah but it’s a little known fact that at 50 you start going up hill again. Don’t tell the young guys, let 'em worry.

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[quote]hel320 wrote:
Elaikases wrote:
Capacity wrote:
Elaikases wrote:

…the last I had read was on how after 40 or so it is all downhill and I thought it was a race between my declining body and physical limits rapidly consuming me.
quote]

Yeah but it’s a little known fact that at 50 you start going up hill again. Don’t tell the young guys, let 'em worry.

[/quote]

I think you have a point.

I started lifting again before I turned fifty.

At the start, I could barely move forty pounds, using machines.

I was improving a repetition a work out, 2 to 5 pounds improvement on my lifts a month. It was slow going.

But, comparing from joining my current gym and from January to now.

      Join     Jan 16/08   July/08

Abduction 305/11 305/21/ 350 x 21 – +45 lbs in six months

Adduction 300/10 305/19 340 x 21 – +35 lbs

Lateral raise 70/9 100/9 162.5 x 6 ok, I gassed out, but at 160 x 9 the week before that is +60 lbs

Seated dip 130/9 205/8 232.5 lb x 10 until I switched or about thirty pounds improvement. I’ll wait on the CNS to adjust to the new lift (it was strange to just not be able to move, not muscle failure, just wouldn’t do it, just not firing together).

Seated row 120/10 185/10 302.5 x 8 or +115 lbs since January

Delt fly 115/10 175/10 222.5 x 9 or + about 30 lbs

Abdominal 110/7 130/9 170 lb x 8 reps or + 40 lbs

Back Extension 235/9 305/10 350 lb x 10 reps or +45 lbs

Rear Delt Fly — 60/8 142.5 x 10 or + 80 since Jan 16

Woodchop ---- 130/8 192.5 x 8 reps or +60

Started 9/25/2007 with the current gym after an eight month lay off to show I was finished with Bally Fitness and to let my rotator cuffs heal some.

I’ve suddenly started making better progress recently, last couple years, and I’m 52 … must be a connection with breaking 50.

I know, I’m not in the range of some of the young kids who are moving 300 lb bench presses, etc. (heck, I don’t bench at all), but for an old fat guy who was having trouble climbing a flight of stairs, I’m improved.

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[quote]Elaikases wrote:

but for an old fat guy who was having trouble climbing a flight of stairs, I’m improved.

[/quote]

You hit it on the head E., constant improvement is what we are all after. Always strive to improve upon yourself no matter what the goal.

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[quote]Elaikases wrote:
Capacity wrote:
Elaikases wrote:

I should be back to adding between 2 and 5 lbs a week to the lift

Maybe. But so what if you don’t? It’s not a race. Honest!

I’ve just had months of steady gains, it has gotten addictive. Though when I started, the last I had read was on how after 40 or so it is all downhill and I thought it was a race between my declining body and physical limits rapidly consuming me.

Since I’m lifting more than I did when I was young … and started from a far weaker spot, I realize that I don’t need to be quite as worried.[/quote]

Haha! It’s only downhill if you stop pushing the wagon up the hill.

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El adjust the chest support so you get a good stretch and your chest should be on the support. You should barely be able to grab the grip and pull, pause, squeeze. My friend it’s time tohit those free weights. Check the ego at the door and rock on. A year from now we’ll laugh about this. Have a great weekend.