Doing The Program as written in your mid-forties

[Charlie Davies]

Your experience may be different since you're younger than I am at 59, but once I went to twice a week from three times a week I got stronger faster. I just needed more recovery.

Yeah, at 51 I can't do SS 3x/week. I recently re-ran it after a long layoff, and had success lifting every 3 days.

Then I switched to a 3x/week heavy-light-medium intermediate program, which seems to be working. I can lift 3x/week if I'm not trying to set new 5RMs every time.

My son is running SS now at age 17, he's working *very hard*, setting new personal records 3x/week and doesn't even get sore. I'm jealous!

[Andy Maddison]

What is it about Power Cleans that make it optional as you get older? I've never ever tried it.

[I_iz_a_fatass]

What is it about Power Cleans that make it optional as you get older? I've never ever tried it.

Mostly that the ligaments and tendons of older trainees aren't anywhere near as supple as their were in our mis-spent youths and more prone to injury.

[TommyGun]

I did it in my late 40's....all except the cleans. Rip says you should do them if you don't have an injury preventing you from doing them. I also heard a SSC say that the risk to injury to an older lifter with stiffer ligaments, joints, tendons etc. outweighs the benefit. in my case, I felt like I had no power to express on the platform, and that learning the clean correct technique would take away from very limited and valuable platform time that could be better served getting strong by doing deadlifts. I figure once i get my DL north of 405 (370 one rep max now) I may have some strength and can then work on power.


Good question. When in doubt, follow the program. Just my experience.

[Charlie Davies]

I learned to power clean at 45 or 46, and enjoyed them. Never had any injury from them.

But I was never able to PC over 45% or so of my deadlift. I'm just not explosive. PCs this light don't work as deadlift assistance.

So now for pulls I alternate deadlift, chins, and lighter deadlifts.

[Andy Maddison]

I did it in my late 40's....all except the cleans. Rip says you should do them if you don't have an injury preventing you from doing them. I also heard a SSC say that the risk to injury to an older lifter with stiffer ligaments, joints, tendons etc. outweighs the benefit. in my case, I felt like I had no power to express on the platform, and that learning the clean correct technique would take away from very limited and valuable platform time that could be better served getting strong by doing deadlifts. I figure once i get my DL north of 405 (370 one rep max now) I may have some strength and can then work on power.


Good question. When in doubt, follow the program. Just my experience.

I am currently trying to recover from a Golfer's Elbow injury - would I be advised to steer clear of the Power Cleans?

[Charlie Davies]

I am currently trying to recover from a Golfer's Elbow injury - would I be advised to steer clear of the Power Cleans?

PCs with good technique don't stress the elbows that I ever noticed.

They are hell on your wrists and elbows if you get sloppy though, and catch them "with your hands" i.e. with low elbows, i.e. not on your delts.

[TommyGun]

I am currently trying to recover from a Golfer's Elbow injury - would I be advised to steer clear of the Power Cleans?

Risk vs. Reward. The reward for me just isn't there when compared to the risk. If I was a young man the answer would definately be different. It's really your call, but joint injuries at my age aren't worth it. Just my two cents. I'm just some guy on the interweb. Search the coaches forum for the smart people.

[Strega]

I tried to do the program starting at age 55. Gave up on cleans, not worth the risk of injury. More me being out of shape for many years than the exercise itself. The other major issue was just following the exact setup for DL's. Somewhere between the age of 30 and 50 either the distance to the ground grew or my arms shrunk. I did not have the desired flexibility so I made some minor adjustments to the starting position.

Cleans aside, just try 100% to follow the program. If you have an issue get a coach to review what you are doing and how you are doing. Repeat, if you still have issues in an area make a reasonable adjustment, if under the advice of a coach all the better. For example a lot of older guys use a squat yoke bar rather than struggling with getting into position with a normal squat.

I think the one commonality for all lifters that start later in life is that we have more in us than we realize.

[AParrillo]

I tried to do the program starting at age 55. Gave up on cleans, not worth the risk of injury. More me being out of shape for many years than the exercise itself. The other major issue was just following the exact setup for DL's. Somewhere between the age of 30 and 50 either the distance to the ground grew or my arms shrunk. I did not have the desired flexibility so I made some minor adjustments to the starting position.

Cleans aside, just try 100% to follow the program. If you have an issue get a coach to review what you are doing and how you are doing. Repeat, if you still have issues in an area make a reasonable adjustment, if under the advice of a coach all the better. For example a lot of older guys use a squat yoke bar rather than struggling with getting into position with a normal squat.

I think the one commonality for all lifters that start later in life is that we have more in us than we realize.

I'm with you on following the program (I'm 70), but reduced the intervals to 5 lbs. from ten and unfortunately have regressed lately, but need to keep good form or what's the point? Not sure that I have realized that I have more in me than I thought, especially on OHP.

What caught my attention was that the OP is in his forties and put the post in The Elderly section. My oldest son is in his mid-40's and I do not consider him elderly. Youngest is just 40 and a triathlete/marathoner in Denver and he is certainly not elderly. Guess I am an official geezer. I am at 70% of my squat with PC's and some days are better than others. Need to spend a lot of time on shoulder and T-Spine flexibility exercises/stretches before any cleans. Sitting at a desk/keyboard for years compounds the problem after rotator cuff surgery about ten years ago. Whoever said that the weight is always at 100%, but the lifter may not be was definitely correct.