need some opinions......my first post

[taichiguy]

60 years old, 6'2", 210 lbs and my knees don't work as good as they used to

started with starting strength at the beginning of the year but have since added sets and changed it a little
instead of 3x5 i have been doing a 5x5 except deadlift 1x5

workout A
squats
bench
deadlift

workout B
squats
pendlay rows
overhead press

my working weights as of this week are
squats 230x5x5
bench 170x5x5
deadlift 280x5x5
p rows 165x5x5
o press 95x5x5

for a guy my age with bad knees(meniscus removal) should i be using knee wraps?
my knees actually don't hurt anymore since i have started squatting, but i am a little concerned about wear and tear.

i don't use a belt either for squats or deads. should i be?

i personally feel like wraps and belts are crutches that prevent you from developing your whole body.( i.e.:belts allow you to lift more weight but if you need to support your back to lift that much, you shouldn't be lifting that much until your back catches up with your legs)

am i wrong?

[Gunnhild Bruno]

i personally feel like wraps and belts are crutches that prevent you from developing your whole body.( i.e.:belts allow you to lift more weight but if you need to support your back to lift that much, you shouldn't be lifting that much until your back catches up with your legs)

am i wrong?

This issue has been covered to death in the forums. I suggest you do a search: http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=15737

It's also covered in the book.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I'm 61 myself at 5'11" and 244. I also have tears all over my right meniscus although it's shredded remains are all still there making things unpleasant for me now and again.

A number of people 10-20 years younger than ourselves use knee sleeves for getting and keeping the knees warm for easier movement. I just started wearing them myself for deadlifts mainly to preserve my shins from the drag of the bar's knurling up them. Leaves some nasty scrapes and I don't heal as fast as I used to. I also tend to overheat easily so I have given up wearing the track pants instead.

As for belts, I buckle up when my warm up sets get above 275 in the squat or 315 in the deadlift. Rip himself has said that sleeves and belts are often Godsends for The Elderly. You and I would only be deluding ourselves to declare ourselves anything other than that. So use them when you feel the Reaper talking to your lower back or knees, and do so without guilt.

[partyb]

Honestly, I think going 5x5 is a terrible idea...espeically as you have knee concerns. You say you are concerned with wear & tear, yet you increase the volume beyond what Ripp advises for 18yo novices. There is a disconnect there, IMO.

And yes, the belt issue is covered in the book, and all over this forum; search. But your opinion about the belt is incorrect.

And Mark, I know you are an experienced lifter and contributor to various forums, but I've never seen any reason for the bar to actually draw blood or physically scrape a shin...this is just a form issue that needs minor correction, IJS.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Not a bad point about 5 x 5 for geezers, depending on the level of progress for that particular geezer. I myself do one top set for squats and deads and I alternate heavy weeks to allow my lower back to recover. So that's a matter to take into consideration.

Not trying to one-up you partyb, but check in on page 106 of SS:3. It talks about shin scrapes there along with wearing sweats or shin guards when keeping the bar in contact with the legs all the way up. NASA, USAPL, and AAU all talk about shin guards in their rule books.

[pkelly54]

Welcome Taichiguy, I am 60, I had meniscus surgery on both knees. I recommend knee sleeves rather than knee wraps. Knee sleeves keep your knees warm which seems to help older knees. Also I agree with Mark and partyb that you need to reduce the volume. I recommend you keep your work sets to 3 sets or less. Belts are helpful when the weight gets heavy. Get a good belt. Avoid the cheap Velcro belts. They sometimes open when you are at the bottom of a squat. This can be distracting. I now use a belt from Best Belts, I am very pleased with the belt. It is worth every penny to me. If you reduce your volume you can increase your intensity so your work set weights are more. Make sure you allow enough time for recovery. Good luck!

[DPMuller]

IF you decide to buy a belt (I have one, use it for the last warmup set and worksets and am very happy with it), you should look at BestBelts.net first. Perfect service, great belts... best 88 USD I ever spent.

I will leave that belt to whichever of my kids/grandkids lifts and can best fit in it.

[partyb]

Well Mark, the "rule book" says I'm supposed to wear a helmet when I ride my motorcycle too, but I still think it's bad form to hit my head on the pavement! lol
All good Mark, just a difference of opinion among internet friends. Happy lifting.