Hello Fellow Elderly Folk

[Bergie]

I sure don't feel elderly, hell my parents are just getting to be elderly.

Anyway, I am 51 and starting doing SS a year and a half ago. I have made pretty good progress with a few bumps along the way.

I began the Starr 5x5 intermediate program this past January and competed in my first Powerlifting meet in April. That was a lot of fun.

I am currently training for a mid-June meet.

Here are links to my workout logs if you want to see the details of what I have done.

SS log http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=12452

Intermediate Log http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=14301

Competition log http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=16279

[grizzlybuck]

Thanks Bergie for posting up that info. Just recieved SS2 and began reading it, so I have not started the program yet. At 44, I figure that I probably can't recover like an 18 year old, so it's good to see how others, who also aren't 18 anymore, progressed.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You mean that the most prolific poster on the Elderly forum is not even training yet? Remedy this by tomorrow.

[grizzlybuck]

You mean that the most prolific poster on the Elderly forum is not even training yet? Remedy this by tomorrow.

I had to work a double today (16 hours, on 6hrs sleep) so unfortunately the gym was out, I'll test out the recovering groin "tweak" tomorrow and continue to work on form with the squat (missed significant work a few years back with herniated discs L3-L4, L4-L5) with hopes of starting in earnest (after finishing reading SS) on Monday.

[jimk]

Bergie,

This forum is a great idea. I'm 56, just started SS the beginning of the year, was having fun and making such good progress I thought that if a little (3x5) was good then more (5x5) must be even better. I promptly stalled and felt like shit and couldn't sleep to boot. I began trolling the blog and found Rip's post in response to your training commentary on the dangers of overtraining especially after 50, so I cut back to 3x5s and suddenly I'm adding 5lbs per workout again on the squat and deadlift and until last night to the bench press as well. I feel like I have a few more weeks left in me at that pace and then will take a more serious look at the Texas Method, which puts me pretty much in the middle of Rip's 3-9 month range for the move from novice to intermediate programming.

To possibly help some other in the early retirement eligible population (not that I won't be working until 80 to pay off the kids' college loans) I offer my own, won't be participating in any competition for a while, stats:

6'0, 200 lb, overweight but not obese. Dropped 10 lbs and 4 holes on the belt since January. Still don't have a six-pack, but at least the keg is getting smaller.

Squat: 245 x 5 x 3 3x/week
Bench: 135 x 5 x 3 alternate with Press
Deadlift: 280 x 5 x1 alternate with Power clean
Power Clean: 105 x 5 x 3
Press: 70 x 6 x 3 alternate with Press. These are actually seated Dumbbell presses since my basement ceiling is too low to let me do a standing press down there. Big disadvantage to the dumbbells is you can only move up in a total of 10lb increments (35lb to 40lb each, 70 to 80lbs total), I am going to pick up a set of 2.5 lb Platemates to make progress with the dumbbells easier.

My upper body strength sucks, can do maybe 1-2 chins and no pull ups so I am working my way up with lat pulldowns and slowly making progress there, chin up grip 140 x 8 2, pull up grip 110 x 8 x 3.

I try to get three workouts in a week but commute an hour and a half each way every day so sometimes I am just too damned tired. When I do get to the Texas method one of the weekend days will be the heavy day for sure.

Rip, if you're listening, thought your YNDTP essay was brilliant, perhaps you could consider a similar missive aimed at the not quite post-geriatric crowd. I've done a bit of research in the topic and there just doesn't seem to be much that doesn't involve resistance bands, rubber coated dumbbells and water wings. Your section in PPSTII is encouraging but I for one could use a firmer and more detailed 2x4 applied to the forehead.

Jim

[grizzlybuck]

Thanks for posting the info jimk