Hello from the other side of the ocean.

[Derik]

Hi my Name is Derik, I'm 52 and I live in Germany. The last years I ran, did some cycling and longboarding (skate). Cause I'm tall and more on the skinny side I started to go to a studio with my son in November and do some workout. I moved the machines as everybody does and followed a program wich promised to gain weight even for hard gainers. Yes, I first lost a little belly fat and gained some muscles and felt better. In Febuary I stumbled over Starting Strength and it catched me. I read the book and changed my workout to barbell training in March. I like it. I began with squats: 100, deadlift 110, bench 100. After six weeks I did 165, 210, 125, but guess I was to fast on the squats and deadlifts, my technique sufferd on heavy loads, so I decided to cut 20 pounds on the squats and lifts, to work on technique for a week or two. I work out tree days a week, cycle to work every day (18 miles) and quit jogging, my recovery seems to be o.k.

How about you? I've seen a lot of experienced lifters here in the forum, are any newbees around at my age, I can share my experiences with? How much progress do you make? (I think about gaining a little slower to be more an the safe side.)

[Charlie Davies]

Welcome!

I started at 45 very skinny and weak, and made poor progress. This is partly because I am prone to tendon and ligament problems.

But I'm enjoying a patch of good health and consistent lifting this year, currently on a heavy-light-medium intermediate program 3 days per week and squatting 225 lbs, deadlifting 295 lbs, and benching 151 lbs.

Obviously these are very poor numbers for someone my size (I weigh 190 lbs) and training off and on for 6 years. You should aspire to do better!

[SteveL]

Welcome!

I started at 45 very skinny and weak, and made poor progress. This is partly because I am prone to tendon and ligament problems.

But I'm enjoying a patch of good health and consistent lifting this year, currently on a heavy-light-medium intermediate program 3 days per week and squatting 225 lbs, deadlifting 295 lbs, and benching 151 lbs.

Obviously these are very poor numbers for someone my size (I weigh 190 lbs) and training off and on for 6 years. You should aspire to do better!

When I started two years ago I made the mistake of adding weight too fast vs my form. Because of that I hurt myself twice on the deadlift. So after the second time I did a 10% reset and then added weight in smaller increments. While I'm always hurting somewhere (I'm 59 years old) I haven't been injured for over a year and still getting stronger.

[Charlie Davies]

When I started two years ago I made the mistake of adding weight too fast vs my form. Because of that I hurt myself twice on the deadlift. So after the second time I did a 10% reset and then added weight in smaller increments. While I'm always hurting somewhere (I'm 59 years old) I haven't been injured for over a year and still getting stronger.

Yep, I've done that too. Bad squat form triggered my hip tendon problems in the first place.

Figuring out which pains to work through and which should be accommodated with a form or programming change is tricky.

[Masher]

Hey Derik,

I am new to SS also, as is my wife (we are age 47 & 50).

I also cycle to work every day. I think this is helping my legs recover! I have had hardly any soreness after doing squats, and I think this is due to riding my bicycle to work daily. My ride is only about 2-3 miles though! My legs have never been the problem, I have poor upper body strength and should problems, so I will be happy to get my shoulders and arms stronger.

Look forward to hearing about your progress, so please share! I will read it!

[Derik]

Thanks for the warm welcome. After a cough four weeks ago I had to do a second reset and now I seem to be stuck. My squats are 185, DL 210. I still do tree DL and squats per week, but can't recover, because my lower back hurts (erector spinae) when I put on more weight, I cant lift it with a good technique and the hurt stays for a few days, feels more like a cramp and my back is stiff in the morning. I think I have to slow down a litte like recomended in Programming for strenght for older atheletes. I like to keep three workouts a week and not to switch to the recomended two days off between the workouts, because I enjoy the time in the studio.

My idea was to change the wendnesday to a light squat-day and the squat Workout to 5x5 (also recomended in Programming strength for older atheletes). Also I think its time to cut on the deadlifts and introduce the clean and chin-ups. Maybe its good to introduce a backoff-set for the DL to allow a slower progress. Any thoughts?

[Charlie Davies]

All those changes (light squats on Weds, ramping 5x5 instead of 3x5 across, chins instead of deads on some days) as well as just smaller weight jumps and more time between sessions -- all are good ideas whey you aren't recovering quickly enough.

But don't make two changes at once. Do one and then see how it affects you for a few sessions.
It would really suck if change A helps and change B hurts, but you did both at once and didn't learn anything, right?

And video your deadlifts (from the front diagonal) and review to see if you are really keeping your back flat. If you can't tell for yourself, post it for a video review. A programming change won't fix a form problem.

[Derik]

My idea was to do a change every two weeks (if still) necessary. Ill think I'll start with cutting a deadlift. And yes, I have a problem keeping my back flat in the last two reps, if the weight is over 200 lbs, my back gets tired and I loose tightness.

[Charlie Davies]

Sounds like a good plan to me.

Maybe stop increasing deadlift weight until you can keep a flat back for all 5 reps?

[Derik]

I'll try
130x5
160x3
180x2
200x1 (until i can do 5 in good form)
185x5 (backup-sets)

So I'll increase weight every 5 workouts instead of every workout.