Greetings, Just Joined, 57 Y/O

Bigger Stronger Leaner Over 35 Lifter
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I hope to share and learn with you all here
I share a lot of issues with members in this group!

I lift/train alone in my garage gym trying to reach the “numbers” of my 20 something powerlifting days.

I won’t bore you but, I’m like 205, 5’10 with no major injuries. I have full mobility and some elbow tendonitis, arthritis , long recovery periods, etc.

I took a long detour of around 30 years and I’ve been at it for 3 years; doing it my way and recording it all along the way in a journal.

I train with basics: big three + basic aux like incline bench, hex bar DL and carries, pull-ups, dips, GHR, includes use of chains and bands.

Let me say it’s taking a long hard time and a mental to reach the goal and I’m maybe 2/3 of the way but am committed.

575 squat goal : now like at 285 + 72 chains for sets of 3, pushing hard towards 225x20 (dang that is work). Honestly, I never ever hit my rep goal of 315x20, so I’d be happy to reach that vs the single.

600 DL goal: now like 435. I’d driving for the 500 hex bar DL this year; it’s such a mental thing as you know to trust yourself and technique (when you pain just walking down stairs either because I’m so damn sore all the time and/or arthritis…

315 BP goal: god this is rough with the left elbow tingle. I’ve learned when I feel it I’m not warmed up enough; Reps are always ok like in the 205 range. Soon as I rep 225 I start noticing it and usually just back down. 185x12 is in site

Mobility: Getting down on the floor and getting back up; over and over I think is a must; else I am just too stiff.

So hears, to learning some from you all; really wish I had some partner to lift with, but there just aren’t many. I hate the commercial gym scene and posers. My home gym is killer Rogue setup with Duffalo bars and oh yeah daily shoulerok’s !

Rich

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Welcome Mauri to the single best Bodybuilding and general fitness site on the web. If I can ever be of help to you in any aspect of your training you only need ask.

All The Best,

Zeb

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Welcome. I hate to say anything critical about someone’s goals, but I urge you to reconsider trying to reach the numbers you lifted during your powerlifting ‘glory years.’ Put simply, it’s just not realistic, and you’re setting yourself up for disappointment–or worse, serious injury.

Nothing wrong with aspiring to get stronger at any age. But as Scott Abel says in his book Physique After 50: “Train your age, not your experience.”

Best of luck, and happy lifting!

(BTW: If you’re wondering, I’m a few months short of 55 myself.)

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I’m 57. Many similarities to your story, I train at home as well.
Long term goals are great. I doubt , I will ever hit the lifts I did in my youth. Don’t let that discourage you from your goals.
Initially I aimed for 405/315/495. The old 3,4,5 plates for BP,squat and DL.
I train now to stay as strong as I can get, NOT GET INJURED! and for my own health and enjoyment.
A technique that has worked for me is using Jim Wendler 531 with the back off sets.

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Welcome, I’ll be following along.

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I’m just getting back to these forums after a long lay-off. I turned 50 in February. I had a goal of a 500lb raw squat before I needed a knee replacement. I had a bad knee injury when I was 17. Well, I realize I won’t make it. I did get 475 in a meet when I was 41. I can get 405x3. This was a month ago.

I am currently running 5/3/1, and doing rowing and crossfit-like met-cons for conditioning, as my knee is too bad to run on. I’m not looking to compete any more, but as I was introduced to lifting through powerlifting, I don’t think I could do any other style of training. “You can take me out of powerlifting, but can’t take powerlifting out of me.” I train hard on the weekends, and I have Tuesdays off, and take this day to train mostly cleans/snatch, presses, bent row with a hard met-con, and some body building stuff. I try to get some rowing and light stuff on other days, but it’s hard doing 4 10hr shifts a week, with a 45min commute each way.

I’m looking to learn and share with my 50+ peers.

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A nice Master Olympic Lifter told me of a trick he uses each year. He is (only) 59 but has found that at his age his strength and power is dwindling. [Sarcopenia - aging related loss of power and muscle.]

So each year his lifts are getting less and less.

This is discouraging.

What he does is wipe out previous history at the start of the year, and starts out fresh, so as the year progresses he sets new exercises and lifts “records”. This is more fun than hopelessly trying to surpass what you did when young.

My personal method is just to work where i am, with my current routine, trying to exceed what was done in previous weeks.

A lot of chaps on this site are interested in how their body performs, and track their weights and progress. So when they get to the stage of balding and wrinkling like me, and moving stiffly getting out of bed, something like this might be fun.

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I agree with clee78’s and EyeDentist’s posts.

Almost 60 but you can easily maintain above average strength with weekly big 3 lifts, keep the mobility of your 40s, and not feel your age–for at least another 10 years. Your wisdom, not age, should dictate weight choices and risks rather than the Supermen on this website’s forums. Their posts are inspiring; they seem to be intelligent, responsible guys, even the ones who profess they are “old” but younger than you are.

I think a garage gym with a heavy duty squat/deadlift/bench press rack is worth at least one workout partner.

Welcome aboard and post consistently. This place is fun.

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Welcome to the over 35 forum

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That’s interesting. So far my lifts are still going up; When the time comes, I’ll consider this approach!

I do notice that I have to concentrate on one S/B/DL for a few week cycle as they greatly affect one another/ maybe my CNS gets too drained. If I do “big” D’s, I have to taper off the others and vice versa. When I switch priorities the other lifts have degraded.This may be my first sign of the total eventual yearly decline but we will see.

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Hahaha; I like your reply.

I think I scare the neighbors. They won’t come by when the garage is open for business. WhenI haul all the bumpers out to the court and farmer walk 7 sets of 2 x 5 yds up to 370# its real quiet out there.

I think a lot of people here get it.