Ok. Am female. Never properly developed full bone density so even in my 20s I had thin bones. Had osteoporosis before I started lifting 4 years ago and have reversed that but still have a long way to go before I can relax and just do strength training purely for the enjoyment.
I was close to powerlifting winning standards for my class upto last year but my recovery and strength have all reduced recently so I need to train smart( allow recovery) but also do enough reps each session of DLs , back squats etc that will optimise bone growth . My research has shown that the higher the intensity/ heavier the weight, the better
I’m also resigned to fact that unlikely to gain strength but will do well to stop decline in the next decade so unsure if 531 that has me lifting suboptimally for multiple cycles, then resetting TM when I reach my previous 1rm (and repeating is the best for bones. I totally appreciate it is better for joints, recovery and overall strength if I was 10 years younger.
The heavier weight you support the greater your bone density will become, providing you don’t have an underlying health condition.
But you need to balance your concern of osteoarthritis as you age. Additional weight support that helps build bone density, might contribute to advancing osteoarthritis.
If you give it a few cycles you’ll lift “that heavy” soon enough. If recovery is an issue going submaximal makes sense. Something can still illicit high intensity despite being submaximal with regards to absolute load: just do more reps.
If you were to do 531 you could do farmer’s walk. That work volume may close the gap, if any, created by going submaximal.
FWIW, if I were to accept your research at face value why aren’t you instead doing rack pulls or trap-bar deadlifts and just-above parallell squats? Or hell, quarter squats?
Ok that makes sense.
I’d assume that bones follow the same rules of progressive overload as muscles and everything else that is trainable does. You subject the body to a demand/stressor, the body heals, the body super compensates, and then you give it slightly higher demand the next time, rinse and repeat.
I think (I’m not sure, and I don’t think anyone is - even the science guys) that bone density is built by building strength. The musculature, ligaments, tendons, bones, nervous system, various circulatory systems, etc., all work together. When you progressively overload that system, it all gets stronger/better. Yes you can bias certain aspects of that system more than others, but not as much as people think you can. And yes, not all parts of that system progress at the same speed. Tendons and ligaments for example strengthen slower than muscle does - which is why guys who take testosterone and stuff can really hurt themselves sometimes.
If you’re getting to a point where you don’t think you can gain strength anymore, then you might want to shift focus to maintaining. Unless it’s because you’re really really strong.
I don’t know if this is insensitive but anyway: If you do a good job at maintaining, then at some point your osteoporosis bone density is going to be higher than the untrained non-osteo people your age. But if you snap something in an attempt to push your intensity a few percentage points higher, then you might not bounce back from that.
Am doing above parallel squats once a week and parallel squats the other day. The Australian study I’m basing my training on Liftmor used squats, deadlifts and ohp . And recommends lifting between 80 and 85% . Apparently studies with weights under 70% didn’t show any significant improvement in density .I still have alot of bone loss ahead.of me, women lose upto 20% in their 50s and I’m already 20% less density than should have so the next few years of lifting are crucial to prevent another 20% loss( which could mean fracturing a vertebrae purely by coughing ) Recovery was excellent until a few months ago and I was able to do 6 sets of 6 at 82% of 1rm and felt fine the next day. Hormones have dropped so I’m a bit lost now as to what’s best to do. My instinct tells me that doing multiple sets of 5 at 80% at least once a month is needed and ideally a few sets of 3 at 85% . And maybe higher volume the other weeks to give ligaments etc time to recover…Maybe a weekly undulating type program.
Once I’ve gone past the upcoming "danger years "of rapid bone loss, I can then try 531 and use that until I die. It’s realistic surely to not expect to gain strength in the next decade. Even guys between 50 and 60 surely lose alot of strength despite their best efforts
I can’t help but notice the amount of numbers you have in your responses… Though I’m not educated on bone density whatsoever, I will say I think you may be placing too much emphasis on theoretical numbers. The amount of disagreement between scientific literature and anecdotal experience with regards to resistance training is staggering, so please do take information coming from studies with a grain of salt 
This being said, a few meta-analyses of these studies concluded with what the LIFTMOR study said as well. (Maybe just a small grain of salt?)
In my armchair research, I found quite a few studies looking to prove the best method to preserving (or improving) bone density. All of them concluded that higher intensity resistance training is likely the best option, but that specific exercises seemed to produce results for specific bones. I know your goals are not whole body specific, but I would suggest that training as if it were may produce a better outcome than not (I imagine increasing ALL bone density is better than only increasing some).
Was verified by testing or presumed based on feel? I would also question what may have caused this hormone drop, but you may decline to answer if the question feels too intrusive. I would recommend seeking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) if you haven’t already.
–Not medical advice–
Isn’t that recommendation a bit pre-emptive?
Based on some cursory Googling it’d appear as if a key element to medical advice is that it is a formal professional opinion for what to do/not do to restore or preserve health.
One way to restore or preserve health is prescribing a treatment. Even if you aren’t a medical professional, your last sentence before stating that you are not giving out medical advice was to seek treatment. HRT is treatment. Maybe you intended for her to read between the lines and earnestly intended that she should get checked out to see if HRT is warranted or not but I have to call you out on the fact that that is not at all what you expressed with your written word.
Give me a break…
According to your thought nearly everyone practices medicine without a license.
I don’t agree that is what my thought entails, and I don’t see how that is your interpretation. I shall revisit tomorrow and reconsider.
Until then, to elaborate on my end: my intent was to express to another member to be less lazy with his wording. Specifically to be more clear about what he intended for OP to do, which presumably is to get properly checked out. I’ve interacted enough with @Andrewgen_Receptors to assume as much.
Meanwhile, I haven’t seen @Bungo1 on here before and I know from experience that these boards attract a lot of people that do their very best to write well despite English not being their first language (and sometimes that is the reason why they put so much effort into how they express themselves), but can then interpret what other people write to them quite literally.
And even if that weren’t true for @Bungo1, I can’t say for sure that it is or isn’t, there are a lot a lurkers that visit these topics — sometimes far after they’ve gone cold.
Do you think HRT is something everyone should be so cavalier about?
I would call it forum brainstorming. Just throwing ideas to consider.
How can that be considered cavalier?
And I read it as more akin to an urge to action than brainstorming.
From your interpretation, then no perhaps it is not as cavalier as it is in my interpretation. Generally, I think people on these forums are a bit hasty to go with HRT.
Your disagreement with my interpretation is noted but I still stand by it.
Personality differences.
I am extremely logical. Almost Spock like.
Sure, if HRT medications didn’t require a prescription. I stated this because most people with osteoporosis are postmenopausal women and there are some studies that also suggest certain hormone treatments that can help. This is why i recommended seeking treatment; first step from any doctor would be to test - which could prove quite useful if it hasn’t already been accomplished. If tests show that HRT isn’t warranted, then it wouldn’t be prescribed… this is why i didn’t recommend any particular medications and said blanket statement HRT. Gosh, good thing im not a doctor!
You and i agree here. I said this explicitly to reinforce that I’m just some dude on the internet and that my words should be taken with a grain of salt. Also, in the US, you can get sued for giving someone a cup of coffee that is too hot. Just covering my ass like a good boy.
You’re right. I intended for her to actually go find a professional that deals with hormones, specifically women’s hormones, and see if treatment is the right option for her. Good thing doctors don’t just hand out vials of Test E all willy nilly. I brought this subject up specifically because OP may be unaware that such services exist as most men don’t even know about TRT. My wording could have been more concise, but as a non-professional internet guy - i didn’t and still don’t think that to be 100% necessary. (If you want to work as my proof-reader in the future, however, just know i won’t be paying for your services as all my work is pro bono /s/).
I’m a bit surprised that you went after me in this way tbh. I get that written word sometimes comes off the wrong way, but i think you read between the lines more than you realize. Regardless, ill admit i could have been more precise in my wording and i know your intent was only to moderate/advocate giving accurate and precise advisement. I don’t hold it against you.
There are clinics that’ll help a person get what they want moreso than what is warranted/needed.
Quite possibly.
Likewise. I appreciate your thoughtful response.
Don’t know if this thread is still going on, but I do have a question for OP. Well a couple.
Firstly, how old are you OP?
Second, do you still have monthly cycles? (First question will likely answer the second).
I say this because if you’re still pre and peri-meno,and even with the complications you mentioned earlier in your younger years, you can still hope to see noticeable improvement in bone density regardless of whatever strength program you use.
If you’re post, STILL regardless of whatever strength program you do, you can still definitely preserve quite a bit of bone density.
Instead of focusing on which strength program you use, I’d say start paying attention to your hormones.
English is my native language, from Ireland(hmm should I be insulted ?
)
Hrt was vaguely on my radar and now my strength and recovery have been affected recently,it’s looking alot more like a serious option. The only issue afaik is that whenever stop hrt, I think you experience dramatic bone loss but I’ll worry about that in future. Am 52 and yes hormone drop was confirmed by blood test ( someone asked that) . Am still very late peri . I reckon by end of year I’ll be post menopause.There’s a shortage of hrt so not starting until that’s resolved , hopefully in the summer.
I gained significant bone mass in the past 4 years and I guess never even considered that my body would work against me so soon. It was so dramatic , in just 2 months, feel have aged 30 years . Have gained about 12 lbs of muscle since started lifting and want to maintain that also. Wish I’d started lifting ten years ago but if wishes were horses …
Someone mentioned farmers walk, had totally forgotten that exercise so will definitely start doing again, less stress on the knees. Have stopped single legged exercises ,bar pistol squat which can tolerate. I’ve decided to do 531 for lower body for a few months anyway. When start hrt maybe I’ll start to progress again. There’s hope
IMO, any resistance training will increase bone density. And sure, hormones help to preserve bone density in our later years of life. Diet is important too. Be sure to get a little more calcium and magnesium than the minimum; maybe double the minimum. D3 helps with absorption.
Keep training with weights.
Yeah really careful with diet and supplements and making sure eating enough protein. I love being strong so this will be the last thing I quit. I can see myself in a nursing home still trying to do a pull up