Incorporating SS into a weight loss program

[Kumar]

For some reason, it seems that the old farts have a better idea of what they want to do with their strong bodies than the 20-30 somethings; it's a means to an end rather than, I don't know, a social obligation to go and "work out".

Successfully negotiating 30 years of marriage and a corporate career with the associated BS, bringing up kids to become responsible adults - something has to rub off in terms of some wisdom:-), to make up for the loss of body function.

Noted about the bench press, it will have to wait till I can get spotters that I can trust. Till then, the good old OHP with high rep bodyweight dips and push ups will do for me.

And pkelly, thanks - I am being careful with form on deadlifts. I reset for every rep, so it may be closer to 5 singles, but I don't let go of the bar the entire set...I will research what Texas method is to see if it makes sense now for that one lift. Scraped my shins the first time this week, so that is one indication that form is good. Time to cut up a liter bottle of water I think.

PS: On the nutrition front, I have found that just upping my whey protein intake to 100 grams a day, with the 5 grams maintenance dose of creatine is allowing me to progress the lifts - adding weight every third or fourth workout, without going overboard on eating. That's good enough for me, I don't want to add a lot of weight and then have to figure out all over again how to lose it.

[Kumar]

Texas method doesn't apply for just one lift, it is complete program for all the lifts, so I hesitate to do it in isolation for just the deadlift.

I guess I will stay with the twice a week deadlift routine. It appears to me that it builds the necessary back strength for keeping the back set throughout the lift - at the same time, keeping the back so is a requirement for avoiding spinal damage. Intuitively, that tells me that it would be a good idea to go easy now on adding weights to the lift, so that the weight progression does not outrun the development of back muscle strength, while still doing the lift twice a week.

[pkelly54]

Sorry Kumar, I may not have been clear. In the Practical Programming book it is suggested older lifters may not be able to recover using linear progression as the weights get higher. The book states older lifters may benefit from switching to the Texas Method. In that program, the deadlift is done with intensity one a week. This approach allows for more time for the back to recover. I think Sully modified his program to include an additional day to recover as the weights got heavy. I copied his suggested modification and found it help me improve. I also found when I pushed too hard I eventually pulled or tore something. Injuries waste time.

[Kumar]

In that program, the deadlift is done with intensity one a week.

I agree on the injuries point. I am carrying a sore forearm that has called for backing off on chins and pull ups.

On the deadlift - does the above quote mean that deadlift leading up to a 1x5 work set is done just once a week? And no deadlift of any kind on any other day of the week? And for one intensity day, add some weight every week?

[pkelly54]

Yes. Because my schedule allows me to get to the gym two days a week, I have settled on the Texas Method Volume and Intensity day. The volume day is squats (always) and either bench or overhead press and dead lift. I attempt 3 sets of five for the squat and press and one set of 5 for the dead lift. If i have time I do rotator cuff exercises. On intensity day its squats one set of 5, and the press (bench or overhead) I did not do during the previous workout. I also do rows 3X5 and if I have time some auxiliary work.
If I complete the sets of 5, I add 5 pounds the next time. If not, I keep the same weight or microload until I complete a set of 5.
I found pushing the Dead lift too hard gave me minor back spasms a couple of days later. I took the spasms as a warning to slow down. I did. It worked. This is what I do now. If I could get to the gym more often I think I would alternate between the linear method and the Texas Method every two months. The basics doesn't change, lift heavy with good form, then rest and recover.

[Kumar]

Understood, thanks.

I think what I will do for some more time is continue to do the deadlift twice a week, but now add 5 lbs, only once a week. And see how that goes for a while. Till now I have added 10lbs every time, but the lift is now getting hard, so I think I ought to not outrun the capability of the back muscles to keep the back set.

Whether it is from moving squats to twice a week from thrice weekly, or it is the creatine/placebo effect, I find squat weight progression has become easier. And on the twice a week split, I am able to find the time and the energy to do both squats and OHP for 5 sets of 5 reps. Deadlifts remain at the 1 set of five recommendation.

Adding weight on the OHP is now the hardest from the three lifts.

[bob g]

Well, you are dialing in the Recovery thing nicely.

Oh, presses are hard. They are always hard. They are supposed to be hard. It doesn't go away but you will get stronger in spite of it.

Good work, Kumar.

[Kumar]

On the eating like there is no tomorrow subject, I find that Mark Rippetoe has written in one of his books that this advice isn't for those who have lost their ability to grow because of age. Given that this is the case, don't eat as if it isn't so, he says. All that will happen if you still do, is you will get fat.

I suppose this means that those of us that are over 50 have to find the right balance between eating and the ability to grow in strength/strength driven size, and match one to the other. And while the age thing will spare no one, the right balance will be something unique to each person, that needs to be arrived at.

Since measuring body fat is too complex for me to do on a regular basis, the approach I am taking is to keep my waist size from growing. Easy enough to figure out too, each time I button up the trousers.

[hbriem]

I started lifting at 41. Not SS exactly (I hadn't heard of it then) but basically similar.

I have put on about 20ish kilos of LBM since then and lost a few kilos of fat. I went from 80kg to 95kg (~176-209 lbs) while losing several inches off my waist.

I have been lifting for 9 years now and for most of that time (~90%) I have been eating at or below maintenance. For brief periods (1-2 months), approximately 4-5 times over the years, I have eaten to grow. I did this when I felt I was fairly lean and my training was going well, lifts were going up and so on.

Yes, I could be bigger. However, I made the conscious decision to be careful and not to get too fat. After all, I'm doing this for my health and happiness and I'm never going to break any PL records. I'm too old to lose it easily again so I have always dialled back on the calories whenever I felt my waistline has started growing. I can now, at 50 and walking around at about 95kg (209 lbs) use the same size jeans (32) as I did back when I was 20 and weighed under 70kg (154 lbs).

[Kumar]

95kg (209 lbs) use the same size jeans (32) as I did back when I was 20 and weighed under 70kg (154 lbs).

That is a remarkable statistic indeed. I refer to the combination of weight and waist size for your age after following a strength and not body building six pack kind of program.

Do you also do any kind of cardio work, or is this from just the weights and right eating?