The New Fountain of Youth - Strength Training for Seniors
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ม.ค. 2019
- Dr. Sully returns to discuss why strength training is absolutely essential for seniors, and how they can get stronger in their 50's and beyond. Strength training transforms the aging adult into an athlete of aging - the Masters Athlete. So, how should seniors exercise? With barbells, of course. Some modifications may be needed, but squats, presses, bench presses and deadlifts are the exercise prescription the doctor ordered.
How Should Seniors Exercise?
Nobody doesn’t need to be strong. Strength is the most fundamental fitness attribute, forming the foundation for all others. Strength is the basis for power, agility, speed, endurance, and balance. These are the capacities that allow us to meet the demands of our life and our environment.
So, everybody needs strength, which means everybody needs strength training. But nobody needs strength training more than seniors. Why? Because of all the arenas of life that demand fitness, aging is the most brutal of all. The aging process, if uncontested, is characterized by the steady loss of muscle tissue and strength, of balance and stamina, of bone density and resistance to illness and injury. Strength training preserves all of these vital tissues and capacities, which is why physicians and scientists increasingly recognize it as absolutely essential. Strength training transforms the aging adult into an athlete of aging - the Masters Athlete.
The Masters Athlete
Now, you might think that strength training for seniors would be completely different from training for younger people. But nothing could be further from the truth. Our work with Masters Athletes has shown us that the best results are realized when we put seniors on a program that is as close AS POSSIBLE to the programs we use in younger athletes. When we put a young person on a strength training program, we use barbell exercises-squats, presses, bench presses, and deadlifts, and we train these movements in a linear progression, a program in which we add weight to the bar at every training session.
What’s the ideal program for Masters Athlete, say aged 70? Well, it’s barbell exercises: squats, presses, bench presses, and deadlifts, trained in a linear progression. The closer we can keep seniors to a standard program with standard exercises, the better results we get. Using this approach with seniors is safe, productive and powerful.
Of course, in practice, things can get a little more complicated. There’s going to be a lot more variability in an older population than a younger one, because these people have lived long and different lives, with more time for their diverse experiences and genetics to manifest as different abilities and disabilities, different strengths and weaknesses.
So while we try to keep seniors as close to standard exercise selection and programming as possible, modifications are often required. Here are some of the most common modifications we encounter in practice.
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Comment down below if you're a masters athlete! :)
63 years, ex Tier 1 Australian Special Forces. 12 years of medical operations , procedures and new joints, fusions, and the rehab from all these has not stopped the will to stay strong. I have seen the results of not working out with weights or body weight exercise
69 years old tax attorney and walking six miles, 100 pull ups, 100 push ups, 45 lat pulls, 45 lat presses; 150 crunches, 140 barbell curls, 36 extended back with 45 lb weight,-- and several other every single fricken day!!!
@@jamesstump9075 whatever you are eating, i want some.
@@jamesstump9075 That's awesome.
What constitutes a "masters athlete" ?
I'm a 25 year old powerlifter and I came here because I thought it would be wise to learn this now. Best to know what I'm in for as I keep aging. I'll be an old man one day, and I want to be a strong old man.
Started lifting at 55, now at 62 I squat 315Ib (AG) and deadlift 405Ib. Love lifting.
Good job man
That's what I'm talking about!
Fuuuuuck ya
great!
Egbon, Well done. You an inspiration!!!
71 year old female masters competitive olympic weightlifter, Crossfitter, runner and hiker! There are not enough hours in a day to accomplish all that I love to do! Did nothing until I was in my early 50's!! It's never too late to start!!
That is amazing! Keep up the good work! You’re an inspiration for all needing strength in their lives.
@@BarbellLogic thank you.. I will kee
I will keep going ...
Great something to be proud of!!
I wish more seniors understood this. Many just give up and don't try.
As a nurse I get to see the difference in people who lift weights vs people who don't once they're get 65 years old plus. Its significant not only in their physical abilities but also their cognitive abilities.
Thanks for the comment. It's amazing what overcoming gravity in a systematic manner can do for people.
Cognitive abilities ??? I heard this not long ago but can't remember the source. Anyway ... the claim was that weight training had reversed some cognitive decline. I do believe in Magic, but how is always my question. How does strength training improve cognition?
@@cautious1343 BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) NEUROPLASCITY - - THROUGH EXERCISE YOU GROW MORE BRAIN CELLS AND THEY COMMUNICATE BETTER IN ESSENCE. BEST WAY TO INCREASE BDNF - INTENSE EXERCISE IN A CONSISTENT MANNER.
@@deepuls545 Thanks Dee. I was thinking maybe its better blood flow carrying more nutrients and oxygen. I guess we should mention diet also. People who work out usually eat right too.
@The Secular Atheist Thank you for the info. About a month ago I had a dream that was vivid and I woke up from it so energized that I got up to write it down. It was very much what you just wrote. Light weight, perfect form, super slow, and the most off the charts mind body connection. Picturing muscle fibers and feeling it bone deep. And now you write pretty much the same thing. Coincidence ... I think not.
I'm 88. Started weight training at 20. Except for a short break here and there, I've been at it life long. I highly recommend weight training as advocated here.
Thanks for sharing!
Now that I am in my 60s, I find my motivation and approach to weight training has changed. Thirty years ago, I worked out to look good for the ladies and now I work out so that my blood pressure and cholesterol looks good for my doctor. lol.
Started lifting at 55y/o, now at 65, squat PR is 365, 315Ib for 10 reps; DL 435Ib and 405 for 6 reps. Weightlifting is now my passion. I don’t feel a day older than 35 and feel very blessed.
Wow. That is very impressive. You surely are an exception. Most people of your age wouldn't be able to do that or even come close to that.
Wow those numbers 😅
79 here. Thru hiked the Appalachian Trail at 60, southern half of California at 67, all of Oregon at 69, cranked out 3 sets of pull-ups, 30-28-29 at 71, 214 pushups in 3 sets at 71, 3 sets of one legged squats on a bosu ball at 71, triple by pass heart surgery, ran 8.5 minute mile 3 months post op and up to 23 pull ups 6 months post op. Thinking of another thru hike.
Trust me when you get aged you need strength training more than you did in your youth.
A simple truth that most fail to grasp!!!!! I will be 58 soon and I train for strength and building muscle.
You are totally right! I notice that, once a senior gets stronger, everything in that person's life starts improving.
I second that!!
I was told by doctors I'd probably never walk again.. I spent over 10 years in a wheelchair..And weighed 320 lbs and had a 48 inch waist..I lost 145 lbs in 30 weeks and have kept it off since..Today I weigh 165 and have a 30 inch waist..I eat clean and work out 7 days a week.. People in Plant City nicknamed me Popeye so Im cool with that..I am 62 and ripped..None of it came easy..Age is just a state of mind..
Love this comment...thanks for sharing.
Strength training has done wonders for my mom--and not just for strength and muscle, but also for balance. She also moved recently and said at one point, "I couldn't have done this if I hadn't been training."
Just came across this.. you are bang on, one of the best recommendations for seniors I have seen I was never an athlete, I ran some from 60 to 70. At 70 I found crossfit and have embraced it for the last 6 years. I go to regular Crossfit classes 5 days a week. I do it all, deadlifts, back squats, thrusters, burpees,push ups pull ups, wall balls. ?I almost always get the prescribed workout completed in the time allotted. This changes changes your life. The problem for most older people is that they just do not want to put in an effort. Keep up the good work. Just turned 76 here.
Keep it up! You’re inspiration for younger (62 years old) guys like me.
Thanks for the advice Yr a star ...giving me the influence to get back into it .60 in December. Thanks again.
Me too, 76 now.
Just broke my personal record in the deadlift with 140kg/315lb for 30 non-stop reps at 57 years old. 😃
HECK YEAH! Keep it up.
Master athlete here. There should be more gyms and trainers geared towards masters. I feel like everyone's grandfather in the gym. They are all very nice, but half my age, and the blasting hip hop music just isn't my style. But I guess it will take some of us masters to take the time to learn coaching and start a place of our own. :)
George, I know what you mean. I joined a local gym a couple of years ago and had to stop going because the 'music' they played was loud and just not my idea of good music. I now train at home with my own weights & barbells. That's why I started looking on TH-cam for ideas to set up my own program. I also use a Wii Fit for those days when I'm not using weights.
Most are a third my age 😄 Doesn't worry me and my hearings not great which is a plus in gyms!
If there are enough masters at a gym, they can ask for certain times of day for quieter music or different soundtracks.
I always had more of an issue with them wearing earphones. The gym was a great way to socialize. Now everyone does there own thing. Not a bad idea, may look into something like that.
Crackhead elevator music
77 years old, inclined dumbbell bench press 60 lbs. each arm.; dumbbell curls 50 lbs.
👊🏻
You’re in shape,72 still young but 190 with barbell not dumbbells on incline.Dumbbells are harder for me.
I'm 66 and for the past ten years my doctor had me taking a statin for cholesterol control. I have been tearing tendons at an alarming rate and a month ago I told him I'm not gonna take another statin as long as I live. He knew that there is a definite link between statin use and muscle and tendon weakness and higher risks of tearing them. Yet he put a POWERLIFTER, retired maybe, but a powerlifter who still loves to train, on a drug that would completely ruin me!
His reasoning is that I don't need strength at my age, but should rather be concentrating on fitness. He shouldn't have made that decision for me and then reinforce it with a drug that would take away my strength. I championed Australia in the 100kg bodyweight class in 1986 in drug-free powerlifting. I'm lifetime clean, having never taken any performance enhancing drugs of any kind. Now I'm as weak as kitten! I can do squats with 112kg, but that's real hard for me. I can't bench press at all because ALL my rotator cuff tendons have full thickness tears in both shoulders. The bar goes all over the place without the stabilising muscles able to keep it in the groove.
As well as the shoulder problems I have a grade 2 Spondylolisthesis in my lower back between L5 and S1.
I was still a powerhouse at 56, but I've gone downhill like an express train with the brakes not working! That coincided with my being prescribed a statin for cholesterol control.
After I told him I was gonna quit taking Crestor, he put me on another drug that has a similar effect on cholesterol but doesn't weaken the body. Why the hell didn't he give me that in the first place? If my shoulders weren't too weak for me to throw a punch I'd clobber him!
I've got muscle mags going back to the 1960s, that's how long I've been training, and I've read about hundreds of older men who are still active and strong thanks to their continued lifting. I was looking forward to joining their ranks, but that may never happen for me now. I told my doctor that I'd rather die today with what little strength I still have, than to live to 90 as a man so weak that he can't carry his groceries in from the car.
I'm 62 and have had elevated LDL cholesterol my whole life, 190 LDL only! They gave me a statin and I quit taking it after one week due to brain fog. I'm a late in life father and didn't want to die on my children so I went and had a heart catheter to get a final diagnosis. I was laying there looking at the screen while they assessed all my blockages due to high cholesterol. What did they find? Nothing! they said I had 0 blockages and that I had the heart of a healthy 20 something year old! What a relief! like you I have lifted weights my entire life and got into it in the early 1970's. I have taken supplements my whole life including cod liver oil etc. Screw statins!
Cholesterol is one of the main components of a brain so that makes sense
Satin is a killer,I knew right away they were NOT for me.
I'm 64 and train something everyday! Strength training is key but because of my martial background I also train striking and some grappling. Even during the lockdown I was training using weighted vest,pull ups push ups etc. I also have dumbbells and various weighted jump ropes. Getting ready to hit the pavement for a 5k! Happy training to my older brothers and sisters!
At 60 I run circles around (11mph HIIT TM training), and lift more, than most 30-somethings. The worst negative of being a geezer lol is injuries and recovery. So it is necessary not to take risks with heavy weights you can't rep out at least 5x times comfortably. In your 20s or 30s you pull a muscle and you are all good in three days. 60s? A month maybe three! So just be injury adverse.
If you get injured, you can't train, and if you can't train you can't progress and become stronger.
Sometimes steady and slow has it's place.
I recently pulled a muscle in the lower right back. Did this by doing overhead dumbbell presses with too much weight. Was pretty painful but was back lifting in three days. Not full routine, that took about a week so maybe I'm just lucky.
Good shout. Warm up is really important too.
I will soon be 74.
My healing and recovery time isn't any slower than it was 30 or 40 years ago.
It sounds like you need a closer look at your diet.
👊🏻
I built myself a home gym recently and I'm working hard on getting my parents in their 60s to use the gym. I bought a Hex Bar for deadlifts, neutral grips bar for bench press, and safety squat bar, to make sure we're all doing the safest variations of the core compound lifts. My mother is 5'5" 140 and watching her doing a good form squat even with the empty barbell is cool. I told her "next time that young lady at work always telling you about her Zumba classes looks down on you for not doing them, you can be like 'that's cute, I use freeweights"
Good on you for helping you mum. I tried to help my mum but I waited too long and she kept forgetting to do the easy exercises I gave her to do. In no time at all, she'd lost all the strength in her arms and legs. That made me think "I better get cracking before that happens to me!" I am now 68 and determined to lose all the excess fat on my body, reverse my diabetes and get back to the weight & size I was at 40 years old. Now sure how long it will take but I will keep going until I see the results I am aiming for.
You're a very thoughtful and well informed son. I have run and worked out my entire life. I am now 68 and still going strong. I keep looking to see if I should be doing something different now.
61 and weight training was something I loved as a teen...I got hurt and at the time took some bad advise from a doctor and didn't lift until I was 55. I wish I had never stopped and I won't now because it is the fountain of youth
That's the problem with doctor's advice, they haven't been training in using weights so don't realise the benefit (unless they are weight training themselves).
I had a pinched nerve in both my elbows in my early thirties and my dr told me that it was down to lifting weights and, due to my slim frame, if I continued lifting it would get progressively worse and he advised I give up weights.
I gave up for over a decade but took it up again last year and my elbows have been mostly fine with only minor problems. It's a disgrace that some drs' first port of call is to tell you not to lift anymore when it is so beneficial to health.
@@jamiesaggers235 Well.. one the tips I learnt is if you have nerve/arthritis/joint issue, *don't ignore it & recover*, preferably rest within 2 weeks-months (don't care how old you are, except if you have certain conditions, 2-3 months rest is enough).
Do not go to intense/super-heavy either, if you overtrain & get too bulky... you end-up like Arnold Schwarzenegger, who may have exacerbated his congenital heart valve issue & required surgery in 2018.
Try to benefit from certain machines like the "Smith" or Cable Exercises. Do free-weight exercises sometimes (to benefit stabilizing muscles), but listen to your body.
@@blissrunner Arnie was on steroids, no one will get that bulky without using the naughty sauce and even then only a very few with supreme genetics would get to his size. It is perfectly fine to lift very heavy weights as long as you are keeping within safe limits and maintaining good form.
I fell through a roof whilst on a construction site and smashed both my elbows on the rafters below, took a couple years for the nerve issues to completely go away, though even now I still get elbow pain when performing exercises like skull crushers so I have to decrease the weight and modify the range of motion to get around it.
70 yr old martial artist here(aikido) and I'm doing very well health wise, I'm sorry after aikido class but at least I can take the falls and rolls that's required. I've outlived all my friends and am in better shape than people half my age. I'm so fucking glad!
You are healthy because God has blessed you.
is there a web site where they have martial arts stretching exercises for lower body and back
This guys information will help thousands of seniors , much respect to you Sir 🙏🏻
Thank YOU for the kind comment. Hopefully it does!
Im 68,female,exercise is my life as soon as covid started i started bying equipment every month now i have a covid gym in my bacyard.i have no limit although i use a rollator.
68-year-old, 148 Lbs bodyweight AAU Women's Elite Master lifting since the first weight gym in town went coed in 1984! Thanks for the good sales pitches that I need to start a senior lifting team in my community. I'm working on my script right now to complete a powerlifting video and you just gave me the narrative. Thanks!
I'm 69 and was just talking to a friend today about the importance of strength training to maintain the highest quality of life while navigating our way through these years toward our "recycling". I am a certified personal trainer, but have let myself slip for about 5 years. I'm amazed at how much I degraded in those 5 years - I can barely do 5 or 6 push-ups, so I'm getting started now, and plan to work-out 5 days per week - (minimum) Thanks for putting up this important information! The "Boomers" really need a push to get less sedentary!
Absolutely, and we're glad you're spreading the word. Thanks for listening!
55-59 110KG 59 years here ! Just deadlifted 500lbsx2 beltless after squatting 385lbx2 beltless. I agree with you. And I will be competing open category in the future. There is a message that needs to be sent out ! Strength is earned ! At any age !
Training for 35 years and in my 50's. Thanks for your dedication. I hope I can help others as well through my instruction.
I'm 64 and strongest I have ever been in my life. I'm not as fast but I'm working on that too. Never put a limit on what you can do
100%
Its fun being a part of the NEW elderly who can bench 250 ;) (and 250 isn't even all the much compared to some of my friends. )
Joe Stockinger has a video on TH-cam of him deadlifting 405 lbs at a 147 lbs bodyweight.
Oh and he was 89 years old.
I'm 66 and Joe is who I want to be when I "grow up".
Bingo! Right on! Makes sense. I use to engage in strength training years ago. I will cautiously return to strength training with an initial assessment by an exercise physiologist who has a specialty in elderly muscular characteristics, needs, and appropriate strength training program.
Thanks 4 recognition of seniors!
From a senior 65yrs, thank you for this!
great video... I'm 67 years old... (lowbar) squat 265, deadlift 305, press 115, bench 165. You are 100% correct with barbell training
Thanks for the kind words! We wish you continued success with your training.
I’m 56 and I’m still smashing the intensity like I did in my mid 20s and even more determined now to keep weight off
At 30 y.o. and 145 lbs, my bench was 10 reps at 135 lb.
At 71 y.o., and 158 lbs, my bench is 5 reps at 195 lbs.
Consistency, progressive overload, and using proper form made the difference.
"Level 60" male ectomorph here: got an osteopenia diagnosis, even though I deadlift 145kg x6 at 78kg bodyweight. This surprised me! I recommend Sully's book and channel (see the end of this video).
Peter Ransome The DEXA scans are a scam. I m a 56 yo female and recently hit a new pr of 120kg in the deadlift which is 2x bodyweight. Accordingly to DEXA I m a trainwreck. I have never broken anything, have no medical issues and take no medications.
I retired at 64. Got fat 252 lbs. The last year and a half been working out. Got off my depression medication. Doing a 225 lb bench. A able to do push ups. Looking forward to doing pull ups. Believe in weight training.
Been training since 1968. Learned a few things along the road !
54 and just started a new style of strength training... strongman training. I still do heavy manual labor for my job and have been told that for “an old guy” I’m still strong. I believe that once we stop overloading our muscles they begin to waste away. Like the t-shirt says.. “ You don’t stop lifting weights because you get old, You get old because you stopped lifting weights”.
Love it...keep it up and keep us updated.
The Deadlift is my favourite exercise and I typically do a weekly Deadlift workout but for me its lighter weight ( 20 kg plus the barbell ) for multiple reps ,multiple sets ...working my way to a final set of 50 or higher ..im after conditioning...😊
I'm 41. Two years ago, I decided to quit the unhealthy vices since my 20's and got into strength training -- best decision I made to embrace life and strength. I don't know if I qualify as a "Masters Athlete" but I surely have set my mind to think like one already. In the two years of training (most of the time self-taught), I've managed to progress but still mindful of body mechanics and form. I'm 89kgs, with 5RM squats at 155kg, 5RM Bench press at 90kg, and 1RM Deadlift at 200kg. I am still on LP and I am enjoying it very much.
I read "The Barbell Prescription" by Dr. Sullivan and Andy Baker and it further opened my eyes to the therapeutic impact of strength training. So, I also read to the book to my parents, both in their 70s and both of the "sick and ageing phenotype" -- diabetics and hypertensive; Dad had a stroke a few years ago but still mobile. I think I've convinced them to get up from the couch, be less sedentary, to move around, and watch what they eat. I am very thankful to the authors for your very helpful thoughts and ideas. I just wish there were SS Coaches, gyms, or even something like Greysteel here in Manila, Philippines who would cater to masters athletes like me and seniors like my parents.
You'll have to open that gym sir!
Yes, over 30 years old is Master Athlete.
@@carolhudson1194 over 30? 30 year olds are still in their prime! At least in powerlifting it's 40+, every 10 years is a new master level.
I love working w/ the oldie but goodies! It's quite rewarding experiencing the progress w/ them!!
Absolutely. While you can really give a younger kid or people some confidence, you can COMPLETELY change the trajectory of an older person's life. They can experience capabilities they thought were lost.
Love the topic and the whiskey in the background which to me equates to train smart but don't forget to live life! Love it!
Thanks for watching & commenting!
I’m 78 yrs old. I jogged through yrs until a few years ago. In July 2018, I bought a freestanding pull up bar from Amazon and could not get my feet off the ground. With advice from many friends, I am daily now doing 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps of pull ups and 3 sets of 10 reps of chin ups. I hope to eventually get to 20 pull ups in a set. Knock on wood, I may see some additional years of life.
Terrence are you saying you can do those sets clean with good form . . .?
AND quality of life. Dr. Sullivan talks about this.
@@louisdoufexis6280 I doubt they’re “perfect” but I want them perfect before I croke.
This is especially encouraging for me at 71. I just got an Amazon pull up bar for the back yard. I can hang on for about 5 seconds. My present goal is to do over 20 pull ups in good form. I learned a perquisite is to increase grip strength; according to Chris Heria. All the best to you.
Hats off to your Bourbon collection. Respect! Glad to see you putting this information out about us old “masters”. Been doing it for over 5 years and I’ll be 62 this year. Going strong is the only way to go. Keep this channel going!
Thank you so much for the kind words. Be sure to subscribe to be notified of our content moving forward! Keep up the good work with your strength training, regardless of age!
I had two devastating leg injuries and recovered quite well using bands and free weights mixed in my training program. It seems that some limitations can be gradually overcome using those bands because of a more favorable strength curve in exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and even bench presses. When the muscle is weaker and more prone to be reinjured, the weight is reduced, as the path of the movement gets more advantageous, the tension increases. I guess this can help the elderly too. Super good information in your videos and podcasts! Congrats.
Yes your spot on re bands. I stuffed my shoulder and bands 2 times a day got me back lifting. Amazing really
Hi there I am still training weights and rowing age 70 never give up
@Ken hi Ken ,yeah been rowing a few years now did some competitions in my fiftes, just now I row 4 sessions a week at the moment I’m rowing 5k sessions
@Ken hi Ken right now 5k takes me on average 25min . I try to keep 2-46, all depends on the day ,my best was 17 min, but not now of course, all the best
I’m a senior your advice is very encouraging
We hope so. Dr. Sullivan trains people in their 80s & 90s.
Great video, my grandfather lifts at 95 years of age.
That's awesome!
62 year old powerlifter, had brain surgery 2 and a half years ago and have bad shoulder joints. I have regained alot of strength by working up to one top set at around 8 rpe then a back down set or two plus a few assistance exercises. I use legs/push/pull template with main focus on sguat, bench and deadlift movements.
I'm 59 and I'm doing strength training so I can keep and improve practical/useful strength so I can stay independent as long as possible
Thanks for sharing, and good luck - love it!
I am 67 years old in above average for my age, and I lift weights and walk 3 to 4 a week. Being a former 100/200sprinter and a black belt in karate, I couldn't feel better. People at the gym are amazed at my strength and my appearance. Overall, I feel great and the key to a quality life at my age is to continue lifting weights and walk.
👍🙏🏻
A couple of years ago the trainer at the YMCA gym I went to saw me doing dead lifts. He knew I had bilateral knee replacements and he suggested I check with my surgeon. My doctor said that if I wanted the knee replacements to last I should stick to my bicycling (recumbent trike) and walking. Then last year came the pandemic, so I quit the gym. I installed a pullup bar in my basement and bought a variety of resistance tubes and bands. (Just for context, I'm 83 and my BMI puts me at "obese.")
At first I needed the 100 lb band to do a set of pullups. I've progressed to 4 sets of pullups, totaling 53 reps with a 65 lb band. Without losing 40 lbs I will never be able to do a body weight (190 lb) pullup. Also, for my back I do 2 sets of seated rows using 62 lbs of tubes and I do standing reverse flyes with an 8 lb tube wrapped around my hands. (The tubes are made by Bodylastics.)
Then for the chest I do one set of pushups on PerfectPushup handles, adding resistance with a 30 lb band. I add 3 sets of either decline presses or incline presses. I alternate workout to workout which come every 3 days. I also do a couple of sets of seated upright presses with an 11 lb tube. (I have a rotator cuff tear in one shoulder and the other shoulder isn't in great shape either. I also have a torn bicep so it's only a "monocep" in my right arm.) Finally, for my upper body I do a set of standing curls with 27 lbs of tubes. With all these movements I do a 2 second isometric hold at peak contraction and I go to failure or 1 rep short of failure.
The only thing I can do for my lower body without ruining my knees is adductor and abductor exercises with the 100 lb band attached to a door at knee level. I keep the band on my thigh above the knee. I was in despair after quitting the gym because it was so hard to motivate myself to workout at home. But then I friend with the same motivational problem suggested that we work out together via Facetime. That was a life saver. I had my grip strength tested about 6 years ago when I was in physical therapy. It measured like someone in their mid-thirties.
So to maintain your strength into your 80's, you don't have to spend $11,000 like another of my friends who is in his 40's to furnish a garage gym with Rogue equipment. Maybe if you want to compete in Masters strength competitions bands won't do it, but for normal people (like myself?) they're good enough.
Thanks for sharing.
My guess is that deadlifts - especially RDLs or SLDLs wouldn't bother your knee too much, BUT the important thing is that you're training and feeling confident and capable. Good for you, sir.
I've been lifting for quite a while. I'm closing in on 65 years of age and still banging them out!
Keep it up! That's great to hear.
I am 64 and usually , ( before covid) run about 3 trail marathons in the Austrian Alps and a range of trail races in Ireland ranging from 5 Ks up to the marathon distance. My longest race was in Austria in 2019 which was 29 miles with 4,000 metres in elevation gained and much of the race was at or above the 2,000 metre elevation. My only weight use is using hand weights at home and I do a wide variety of core building exercises and stretches 4 or 4 times a week to keep limbs flexible and deal with running injuries which crop up. Currently I am doing approx 80/100 press ups around 5 times a week; the amount of time I spend doing press ups will usually depend on the running calendar - the more running and races, usually the less time I will spend on press ups.I used to experience some severe problems with my back when younger, but building up the core has been a very satisfactory means of dealing with my back. I would probably spend more time on weights and go to a gym if running was not my priority but carrying additional weight from increased muscle mass in muscles that will not directly benefit my running would be counterproductive especially for long distance running.. I did mark my recent 64th birthday by completing my longest run to date - a 40 mile run using the backyard ultra method of running a 4.6mile circuit (approx) every hour.
Well, if you're gonna run, run through the Austrian Alps...that sounds beautiful.
It sounds like the weights support the running, which is important to you - that's awesome!
69 yo., ten years lifting heavy, originally trained in the Starting Strength method with great results. Couple of years ago at a party a buddy, same age, was taking about how fit he was, then bent down to touch his toes to prove it. I replied, "that's pretty healthy but I can bend over that far and pick up 400lbs"! got a high 5 from onlookers. Never been stronger, not done yet.
Ha, love it!
Just past 4 months on Pavel's PTTP program, which is working for me since I just have the Olympic barbell set and no bench and safety rack. That was proceded by about four months of Kettlebell workouts, so I didn't start from zero. Oh, yeah I'm 60 years old and now deadllifting 255 pounds and Overhead Press 100 pounds, weighing in at 178ish at 5' 9.5"
Brilliant , articulate presentation. Many thanks
Thank you!
Turned 60 and I do real backcountry hunting in the west pack it out on my back no horses or mules just my old rss humping that pack . Love videos like this
Keep it up, sir! Thanks for the kind words.
I am 78 and have been swinging kettlebells for many years, besides the swing, I also do the rack and press, squat, and variations thereof. For me, kettlebells bring all the movements that can be done with a barbell. I am aiming to swings 16kg bell, and deadlift 24kg. During lockdown I only had a 10 and 16 kg bells to work with - a regulation 100 swings per day wins the goal.
58 years old, and started my Novice Linear Progression about 6 weeks ago. So far, so good, although I'm finding that poor form has been a limiting factor in my progression. I'll get it figured out, though, and keep moving forward.
We offer free form checks on Instagram and you can schedule a call with one of our coaches at barbell-logic.com/experience --no need to purchase a plan. Let us take a look at your form! Oh, and, good luck with your training!
Super Slow - See Doug McGuff, Body by Science, is how I started on my own. Within months I started programming my own 3x5s and such. Some months later I was doing chin-ups - very exciting stuff! I tend to split into push, pull, legs, abs and then do a couple days of stationary cycling HIIT. The Super Slow is a great way to start and would be fine to just keep doing forever for anyone who doesn't have much time or interest in exercise. You only have to do 20 min once per week to get the benefits. The main reason I started with Super Slow is that I could not risk injury and when I finally found Super Slow I could start working out and not take any risk. It's high intensity and left me shaky afterwards but the extreme slow pace and lower weight used leave almost zero risk of any kind of injury.
Lately I am doing some Chris Heria workouts - body weight. I do the Australian Pull-ups and his push-up progression. I avoid all explosive movements, though. It's fun and motivating to watch Chris Heria doing those, though.
I tend to have youtube videos of people like Alan Thrall, Brian Shaw, Nick Best, Heria and especially Jeff Cavalier playing while I am working out. Very motivating. I tend to lift right around 1/10th of what my favorite Strongmen athletes lift. I do one of Jeff Cavalier's beginner's abs workouts. I'm a post-menopausal female and loving it.
My bench is around 66lbs - I never try one-rep maximums because, again, I am not going to risk injury. So when I do the 66 lbs it's for maybe 4-5 reps. standing dumbbell overhead press is about 25lb each hand - I gave up on using a bar due to twinges in my shoulder. Leg press 200 lb. I do goblet squats with about 30lb. And the Heria Pull-up progression is how I plan to be able to do pull-ups (already can do close grip chin-ups) in the future. I never knew I had lats and had no mind muscle connection with them until I started studying it and Heria's techniques helped with that.
I tend to try to do reps slowly and also to finish with a assisted concentric followed by a very slow eccentric where possible. In other words, I go to failure, which is psychologically difficult but I think it's why I keep getting results.
Even though I threw out some numbers there, I do not worry about numbers of reps or amount of weight. I just try to get to failure every time - either form failure or simply being unable to lift the weight as I struggle to try for at least a few good seconds. One week I may bench a little over 66lbs but the next week I may only be able to do 50lbs. It all depends upon whether I am fasted (I lift more when fasted) and how much recovery I had and how much other stressors I am dealing with at the time. I think it was Jeff Cavalier who said to stop counting and just go to failure. It took awhile for me to put that into practice.
Thanks for sharing!
Just scrolled through comments. Amazing how many people dont get it. You are spot on. Resistance or strength training. It works.
Thanks, Chris.
We'd especially say that if you have found something that works for you, that's great. Many of our coaches have really changed some seniors' lives and given them capabilities they didn't think they could have again.
If someone thinks their way is better, okay, but we hope that person is actually changing lives, not just a internet hater.
I have competed in both powerlifting and track and field as a masters athlete. Now 75, and I am always looking forward to my next challenge. One thing that I found helpful to keep a balanced routine is to perform your most difficult exercises early in your workout. In my case, I do squats and deadlifts first, since due to injuries and certain conditions, they can be somewhat painful. I always do pull ups later. My best exercise, as anyone seeing my videos can see. Don't make the mistake of just doing exercises that are easier for you, if you have real fitness in mind.
thanks for sharing
I gave up barbells when I had shoulder issues. Dumbells and machines only now in my mid 50s.
Really encouraging post. Thank you for all the information. I'm 50 but already clearly sense the decline in my abilities. time for me to change
Please let us know if we can help in any way on your journey towards change! Our website, www.barbell-logic.com, has valuable information and content for getting started under the bar, as well.
Everything he said in his video is spot-on. I am a 72 year old Master athlete. The problem I have to confront is that I have prostate cancer from Agent Orange in Vietnam so I am on eligard injections. This injection eats away at my male hormones which keeps my cancer at bay. So my body strength has deteriorated quite a bit. Then I started going to the YMCA 3 days a week and I workout on the weight resistance machines. I work out on 12 different machines. Each machine is three sets 12 reps each. I have a very good diet, maybe too good at times. I had a very good trainer. And I found that a person needs to be consistent. I'm in very good shape so I have no problems with any of this.......
Im 73 and have a better gym now than ever. Training at home 2 or 3 times a week. Recovery is definitely slower these days and sqats are increasingly difficult because of knee joints wearing. Muscle is not the issue in old age but joint wear including some inflamation is the real issue
We totally understand. It's great to hear that you're continuing to prioritize strength and not letting anything get in the way of that, even if you have to make adjustments!
As I get older I am only training with weights 2-3 days per week. I also do cardio 3 days per week. I train my legs once per week and upper body twice per week. I train all of the muscle groups. Shoulders. Chest. Biceps. Triceps. Back. Abs. Quads. Hamstrings. Calves. Glutes. I can still lift heavy but I can't train as often and do as many sets and reps. I need more recovery. Whoever says that people need more volume as they age is wrong. If I were to increase the volume (sets, reps, and number of exercises) and increase the training to say more days per week the weight that I am lifting will actually decrease and I would be sore all the time. I am not a beginner. I have been lifting since I was age 15. I have even done some powerlifting.
Sounds like what you're doing works - keep it up. Thanks for the comment, and we wish you continued good luck lifting.
I am 74 and train with rings 2 days per week, swim 4 days. Twice a week I do 50 pull-ups and 75 push-ups. Just grind it all out as long as it takes.
I’m 57 with an artificial ankle, replacement ligaments and tendons in the same ankle. Using lower reps and sets with heavy weights my work sets are all 3x3. DL 455, Squats 315, bench press 325, and overhead 145. I look great, feel great, and will continue to progress.
Truly EPIC 💪
Godspeed sir, 57 years and getting STRONGER.
Alot of good advice here. One exercise that is full of potential injurys is unfortunately the barbell squat and must be used with a spotter and with caution. Personally hand held dumbells or a plate held across your chest with a good burn is the safest option. The last thing an aging person wants are neck shoulder, lower back or knee injury and the barbell can do all four if not done correctly.
72 years young here. Been running all my life (2:53 marathon) but have slowed down A LOT. Still run 3 miles/day, 45 minutes on a spin bike and a 45 minute body weight strength training routine. Can still knock out 45 pushups, 10 pull-ups, and 12 dips. Always hurt myself lifting weights but have stayed injury free with calisthenics. Also have practiced TKD, Hapkido, and Krav Maga for 30 years. Plan to keep working out until I can’t.
You are not getting the benefits of resistance training that seniors need. Lifting ever heavier free weights builds muscle, strength and bone density. Good aerobic conditioning though.
Hi Dr Sullivan great video thanks
Thank YOU!
I started powerlift at age 63. I was already at a cross fit type gym
For several years until I decided to try the lift classes. Now i feel power lifting is best exercise. It’s def a challenge to increase weight on barbell but I keep plugging along.
Keep it going!
Yep as a senior I do this daily.
I'm 63 years old.
From Lifting .
To Cardio hitting the Bags.
I Box.
Jumping Rope.
To being active .
BODY is meant to move.
Keep the Blood Flowing.
Keep the Legs Strong.
You stop Walking.
ITS Over.
Having good Diet.
Rest.
Mental and Spiritual Health.
It's a Trilogy.
It's Consistently.
The Body will Follow.
Love it
Because muscles just shrink after 55, yrs, Senior folks need to do weight training of some form,,,start slowly,can build up..this Video hits it on the nail.
Oh oh I guess I’m in the wrong place I’m no athlete I’m just trying to get stronger on my journey to getting stronger lol I’m 72 I walk I run 5 miles a day but I’m very weak as far as doing a push-up or trying to do a pull up oh oh need a lot of core work here !!! It’s never to late to start 👍
It's never too late to start and you don't have to be an athlete to lift or benefit from lifting. We know people in their 90s who are lifting with barbells.
Barbells work your core, ESPECIALLY anything you perform standing.
Interesting Video, Thanks. @ 72 I stick to a weekly regime of weights Mon.Wed.Fri and 4 klm walk (half up hill) on Tues.Thurs.Sun. Each take about 50 minutes. I bench press 50kgs x 100 - 8 sets, 12 reps, plus extra 1 for the last 4. 1 minute break in sets. The same with 25 kgs for biceps. Healthy food intake is important. Daily salad, fruit, veges etc. Enjoy egg, tomato, baked beans on toast twice a week for breakfast. Weights is about fitness of Self, where the brain and body communicate together, creating a Self that is holistically healthy. For me this works.....
Thank you for the comment.
And good luck!
Nautilus , arthur jones one set to failure ! 64 have been training this way for 40 years
I am 60 years and can`t agree more…..💪😎…..and LOVE the bottles with booze in the background….😎👍
Use Jim Wendlers 5/3/1 program. 62 years old and have been training for 48 years. Recently went through cancer surgery and radiation. I am now cancer free. Using 5/3/1 I am getting stronger each week. Strength is a skill. RKC certified in 2011 under Pavel. It has to be a lifestyle.
Congratulations for becoming cancer-free! We appreciate your importance and emphasis on strength training for a better and healthier quality of life.
Thanks, for information
I'm 49, started at 47, and get to turn 50 nine months early thanks to my federation's (USAPL) rules, lol. I literally went from really strong to REALLY F'NG strong over night thanks to moving from M1 to M2. I'm 5' 114 lbs. Testing these numbers in 2 weeks: squat 265, bench 135, deadlift 335+. My first meet will be Feb 2020 where I should take the Florida records for M2 and M1 and I'm working on breaking the open (24-39 years) squat record, 280 pounds, held by a 24 year old at my gym. I'll break the world record IPF deadlift of 347 pounds soon, hopefully this year, and after that my goal is 400 pounds. I'd love to place top 5 in USAPL open next few years. I don't want to be defined by my age. Currently natural but if I need HRT at some point I'll have to switch feds to USAPA. I still train like a 25 year old and I love hip hop, it's the heavy metal that drives me nuts, at my powerlifting gym it's one or the other. Never too late to kill it :D
Very good numbers there. General population doesnt understand weight any more. That bench is exceptional. Other lifts too.
@@chrisbuesnell3428 Thank you. Interesting to get another perspective cz bench has taken so much work and the progress so slow, it's really been my nemesis. I've been ill and antibiotics just took a lot of power from my body, it's freaking me out, but hoping it's not permanent. It does not want to deadlift which has always been a strong lift for me. At least bench is still moving, takes a lot less energy!
I find that weight lifting in your older years has some barriers for some people. Most of those barriers are mental.
Many men have injuries from a lifetime of physical labor. They believe weight training will just give them MORE injuries. What they need to understand is that their injuries were not from using their muscles. They are are from using them incorrectly and twisted their joints or tendons . Weightlifting is ALL about controlled lifting that will strengthen without injury.
Another mindset many have is that if you are going to lift weights, why not just use that energy to mow lawns or whatever and make extra money? That was my dads mindset.
Switched to NLP just under a year ago and making more, albeit slow and steady, progress than on Pavel's PTTP-- two fairly heavy sets of Deadlifts 3 days a week started not only stalling, but going backwards.
You'll need to start making adjustments. Might be too much volume. Could go to deadlifting 2x a week or every other workout. One deadlift needs to be intensified (1x5 to 2x3 to 2x2, etc.) other volume needs to go up but lighter (2x5 @ 80%)
@@BarbellLogic Exactly what I did---I went to SS/NLP not as an absolute novice, but at that phase where I do my single set of 5s on Deadlift on "A Workout"
Great video!
Do you think free weights are always better than cable or Precor machines (assuming that safety isn’t an issue)?
In most cases, yes.
I am 53 6ft 165-170 bw. Just transitioned from high reps to 5 rep maximums for squats, deadlifts, and clean and presses. I think I am making some progress, but I am not going to expect anything. I always start with body weight and continue to load the bar, performing no more than 5.
Keep it up, sir.
I am 63 I do the same work out I did at 30 no problem.
That's awesome. I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that as you age you just steadily lose abilities, and that there's no getting around it. While you probably won't feel like you did when you were 30, you can feel SO MUCH BETTER than most 63 year olds.
Excellent video, subscribed.
I have bought the book but I haven't read it yet. It seems to be very informative in terms of strength training, but we have to remember that strength gains can be accomplished by any rep range (1 - 20+). I've realised that 5x5 or 5x3 when the load gets heavy, my joints start complaining, especially my knees from squatting!
"strength gains can be accomplished by any rep range (1 - 20+)."
Actually, our position is that _progressive_ long term increases in strength will not be uniformly observed across this repetition spectrum. This is not opinion; it's just a hard, empirical observation from the platform.
Cardio and staying lean is the answer Muscles power does not keep you young, it is the workout! 68, thin, yet I max out the stress testing
We wish you the best, and you're not completely wrong...but you're wrong. Have almost no muscle and then get injured and bed-ridden and see what happens. Also, for most people, it's pretty hard to get or stay lean without adding muscle.
You are so wrong dude!
I'm 68, have trouble with frozen shoulders so I do light weights, I just want to be toned, I still roof a bit and can keep up with the 30 year olds . However after the 4th day I'm tired . Only reason I can still work is I'm used to it, try packing 80 lbs bundles on a steep roof. Still have knees and back ok. I'm afraid to lift too much and get hurt . I walk every day. Everyone can do a little , until one gets old they have no idea. My dad used to say he needed half a hour to get out of bed in the morn.
Hi Doc, I’ve going to the gym since I was 33 and going to garages and basements of friends before that. I’m 75 now and and I still going to the gym 3-4 days a week and power walk 4-5 miles in rotation a week. My question is with a lower back issue is dead lifts a good choice for me, also with the pandemic I was out of the gym for months like everyone else and I feel I’ve lost a lot of my stamina. Could I be over doing it?
Anthony,
Deadlifts are a GREAT option for you, as strengthening your low back is going to help your low back issue. Start light & conservative, and no need to deadlift more than twice a week. 1x5 for a light weight, and add weight for awhile.
Now, you MAY be overdoing it in general. It depends upon WHAT you're doing in the gym 3-4 days a week. The power walking is a good choice.
What's the rest of your program look like? I'd probably stick to 3 times in the gym, though--no need for 4.
Thanks good video mate
Thanks for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed it.