Question for Dr D & Group

Bigger Stronger Leaner Ellington Darden HIT Coaching
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We’re (I’ll speak for myself) getting up there in age, and I am curious how you all train on a weekly basis - frequency, style of training, other activities.

I (68/male - I don’t think females post here?) train full body 2-3 x a week, 1 set to failure. I train slow reps, but not SS, and each strength session takes 20-30 minutes, mixing in holds, myoreps, and other things to make it hurt.

I don’t log sets and reps because screw that.

Since I have access to 2 gyms, I do different exercises at the alternate locations. After the strength work, I tack on some intense flexibility work for 15-30 minutes. I like to do the hard stretching at the gym when I am warm, and have access to apparatus I can use for certain exercises.

On my days away from the gym I get in a minimum of 15 minutes of (less intense) mobility/flexibility work, and throw in 1 or 2 things like the gripper, band laterals/shoulder work, wall sits and other isometrics for things like neck, or mimicking pullovers at my desk. I spread them out through the week in my stretching sessions.

Tennis x 2 and 1 or 2 walks round out the week. No formal “cardio”, but let’s not get into that (PLEASE).

I’m nothing special physique or strength-wise, but It doesn’t take a lot to stand out as you get older. Have just a little muscle and don’t get fat, and people actually think you are an outlier - heh.

What about you guys? I hope Dr D and some regular posters will chime in ATP, Average Al, nw lifter, sgg, petterson, simon_hecubus or anyone else.

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I train once (sometimes twice) a week. Now 64 I started training when I was eleven but made absolutely appalling progress until I adopted High Intensity Strength Training principles in 1978 (at 17). Then I changed so much and so rapidly (without PEDs) that a top level competitor came up to me poked me in the chest and asked me what I was doing. I have the stretch marks as evidence.

In 2024 each workout is around 8 or 9 exercises, typically 3 or 4 movements for my lower body (e.g. Squat, Leg Extension, Leg Curl, Calf Raise), followed by 2 chest movements (e.g. Chest Press, Incline Press), 2 back (e.g. Pulldown, Bent Over Row) and one shoulder (e.g Lateral Raise) movement. I rarely train my arms or abs.

I vary the exercises, order and cadences from workout to workout, mostly centered around one set of either 10-10-10 or 30-30-30 but I also use Double Holds, Triple Pause and other cadences. I no longer train to gut busting failure (I did for many years). The aim now is inroad… inroad… inroad…

Each workout takes around 25 minutes.

I walk 30 minutes every day, weigh all my food and drink a minimum of 4 litres of water a day.

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Photo taken 31st Oct 2024

Typical Workout:

Block 1 - Legs
Leg Extension (10-10-10)
Leg Curl (10-10-10)
Stiff Leg Deadlift (10-10-10)
Calf Raise (Double Holds)

Block 2 - Chest
Incline Chest Press (30-30-30)
Dip (Negative Only)

Block 3 - Back
Bent Over Row (30-30-30)
Chin (Negative Only)

Block 4 - Shoulders / Traps / Neck
Upright Row (30-30-30)

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The biggest change for myself was a dedicated cardio program of one day a week. This allowed a much harder resistance training program possible. End of this discussion! Another thing, gains don’t happen very well as I have aged. My recovery has slowed down a lot as well.
Heavy repeat sets of 3 reps, (heavy weight forces slow speeds) works well as I utilize 3-5 sets of 3 reps with a 3 set warmup and 2-5 minutes of interset recovery. I usually do 1 exercise a day, and as many days a week as I can tolerate. No such thing as a set recovery period.
I’m big enough that people still notice.

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Looking good @Jeff60 …Your discipline shows!

It really is simple and takes so much less time than people think. But it does take CONSISTENCY. There are no shortcuts.

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Thanks for replying @atp_4_me

Interesting schedule, and similar to something I’ve done in the past (1-2 exercises every day). I believe (could be wrong here) you train mostly on machines? That is what I do.

People noticing is weird to me, because I think they only notice because I am old, and fit older people are still relatively rare, fitness revolution or not. The last person to mention it to me was my new family Dr, who in summarizing my yearly physical said something like “you obviously exercise and are fit”. Embarrassed to say how much that boosted my mood, lol.

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60 here and my routine is a hybrid of 30-10-30 and 10-10-10…so i call it 20-10-20, lol…with a 30 minute walk after my last meal of the day and i play golf once or twice a week…my weight training is failure or 1 rep short of failure and 1 set with very little rest between exercises…no beyond failure stuff

Mondays is 20-10-20…13 to 15 minutes
Matrix leg press
Machine chest fly
Cybex incline press
Nautilus pullover
Cybex machine row
Cybex shoulder press
Nautilus preacher curl

Wednesdays is 2-4 rep cadence for 8-12
Hip abduction
Hip adduction
Machine calf press
Matrix torso twist
Cybex low back extension
DB wrist curl
Leg raises…as many as i can

Fridays 20-10-20…13 to 15 minutes
Life leg extension
Cybex seated leg curl
Nautilus chest press
Underhand pulldown
Nautilus side lateral
Cybex tricep extension
Nautilus ab crunch

my hardest problem is the food as i love food…but i am working on it

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That is very similar to my routine @fitafter40 .I’m the same with the 1 set to failure, and no beyond failure (or gut busting as @Jeff60 mentioned). However, this year I have really taken a liking to myoreps to extend the “productive” reps I do.

I like the “idea” of 30-10-30 or 10-10-10, but something about my personality gets OCD/ADHD when I get overly focused on time tracking perfection and EXACTNESS. Nonetheless, I do that style occasionally (loosely with strict form if that makes sense).

I hear you on the food! That is really the secret sauce to tying it all together though. I see plenty of strong bulky guys at the gym with bigger muscles and 10 x stronger than me, but I would not trade bodies with them for anything. They are fat lol.

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I time it in my head on the negatives…so there’s no exactness, lol

a couple seconds off is not a deal breaker

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lol I hear you.

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I did 10-10-10 earlier in the Spring. I am 60 and I found it more conducive to recovery than the 30-10-30. I do 2-3 sets now per exercise, 5-6 exercises during each session. It takes me 20-30 minutes. I have not done any sprints on my Airdyne for awhile, but I am having the urge to restart those, or spending more rounds on my reflex bag.

Your workout looks strenuous. Keep them up!

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I like that. Sometimes I’ll hit the bag at one of the gyms I go to. Good work.

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wow… true it adjusts