Hello, I'm not quite "elderly" but I'm starting from scratch

[sbhikes]

I am female, 47 years old and have never lifted barbells before. I've been lifting for 3 weeks now. I'm amazed at how wonderful it makes me feel.

I am looking forward to starting the program next week. I hired a personal trainer for 3 weeks to teach me the basics but my whole plan was to do Starting Strength once I felt like I knew my way around.

The only things she didn't teach me were deadlifts and power cleans. I figured deadlifts out okay. I plan to spend the weekend trying to learn the power clean with a broom or something. My attempt to try it today in the gym was a total failure.

I also really really want to do a pullup before I die. Is it okay to add assistance work to the program after I do all the regular lifts so I can get a pullup? My trainer gave me a lot of lifts but as I do the basic squat, deadlift, bench and military press I can see none of those other things are really needed, but I can't see how any of those lifts will help me get a pullup.

I hope to meet some other women here. I have some women-specific questions and am hoping to find their answers in the forum somewhere.

[Oldster]

Welcome welcome welcome to the game of iron! I mean that sincerely. Grab ahold and never let go sbhikes. It is truly the fountain of youth.

Absolutely it is ok to do assistance work AFTER your compound work. Doing a pullup is a worthy goal. Be forewarned however, when you get one, you'll want two and when you get two you'll want three. The stronger you get the stronger you will want to become. Your basic squat, dead, bench and military will help you gain strength throughout your entire core. Core/foundational strength is the key to lifting. If there is one thing I can tell you that you should never ever forget, never forget working on foundational strength.

Now, actual squats, deads, benches and OHP's won't make you chin more. But pulldowns, rows and curls will when added to your basic foundational core work. Work on building that foundation first and foremost before anything else and it'll all be gravy after that!

[Mark E. Hurling]

Let me add my own welcome. With any luck, the women from whom you seek wise counsel are Tamara Cohen, Simma Park, and Gwynn. They are your worthy sisters in iron.

[Gene61]

Yes, welcome.

Two things:

Start a log in the Starting Stength Training log section. The women coaches are all over that and will give you lots of help and support.

The normal programming progression for Starting Strength (SS): 1) A couple of weeks of Squat, Press/Bench Press (alternating workouts), and Dead Lift, 3x week. 2) Then you add Power Cleans and alternate them every other workout with the DLs. So you have a couple of weeks to figure out the PCs before you need to add them to the program. (Get the SS DVD sold on this site. It's very helpful.) 3) Once doing a DL or PC every workout is wearing you out, you add pull ups and back extensions and alternate them with the DL/PCs every other workout. (This was 6 weeks into the program for me.) At that point you have enough core strenth to take on pull ups. You will then be doing pull ups every other workout. (You will probably need to start with cable pull downs on a machine but that's ok.)

So the pullup work will come. You just need to establish a base of core strength first.

[sbhikes]

Thank you all for your welcomes and your tips.

I totally started with zero core strength, and I mean zero. I started with a boot-camp/core fitness class back in January and I actually asked someone how come it felt like when I did exercises on my belly I couldn't do them without holding my breath otherwise it felt like my internal organs were directly on the floor and I was going to puke. But I've actually got the faint outlines of visible abs under my fat! Yay! So I'm pleased with how well so far the lifting is helping the core strength.

One thing I do is I run during my lunch hour now and then and pass a playground. I use the play apparatus to get myself into the up position of a pullup or a chinup and try to hang there for a split second or so before I have to lower myself. I'm trying to get the amount of time hanging up there and the amount of times I can do this up. Should I quit or does that really harm my progress or recovery? They also have an assisted pullup machine at the gym but I notice that the muscles it uses and the position of my body don't really match a real pullup. I haven't decided if I should continue using that machine or not. It's definitely a challenge so it's using some muscles somehow.

While I am here, I'm trying to practice the press and power clean in front of a mirror with a broom handle. I simply cannot hold the bar on my shoulders and also have it in my hands. It's just not anatomically possible in any way that I can contort myself. Would that indicate I'm one of these folks with long forearms?

[Mark E. Hurling]

If you are continuing to increase your DL by all means keep on hanging on as you build your pullup strength. I can't advise on cleans because I am too inflexible to do them. So I do power snatches instead.

Also I wouldn't worry the "core" specific moves too much. I used to do that and it did nothing to improve my lower back. Rip really is right about the effects of The Program on the "core". Squats, DL's, standing overhead presses, and the power moves give it all it needs.

[Gene61]

While your are in the Novice programming you should stop running. (You can do some walking.) The Novice phase puts a lot of stress on you and any outside "exercise" will slow down your recovery. The Novice phase only lasts some months at which point you can return to doing some "conditioning" exercise if you like, but for now its best to just do your Starting Strength workouts 3x per week and nothing more that is strenuous.

However, by all means, do your hangs when you get a chance. Its good prep for when you start the assisted pull ups or cable pull downs. While these machines don't exactly replicate a pullup, they work 90% of the same muscles and if worked diligently with increasing weight 5x3 every other workout (when the time comes) you will work your way up to the point that you can start doing real pullups. Another approach preferred by the SS coaches is to do pullups with elastic bands. You hook the bands to the bar above you and slip one of your knees into the other end of the band(s). This is a closer approximation of a real pullup. Another way to do pre-pullup exercises is to jump up to the bar with your chin over it and then slowly lower yourself. This is a "negative" pullup. You will be very sore after you do this the first time, so don't over do it!

For power cleans, you really do need to read the book over and over, and again, let me suggest that you buy the Starting Strength DVD. It is very helpful for learning this lift. Its actually kind of hard to find on this site, so here is the link:

http://aasgaardco.com/store/store.ph...on=show_detail

[kessg]

Welcome!

Nice to see a fellow female.

I'm new here as well. This is a great forum, with tons of info -- I've had pretty much all of my queries answered with the help of the search function (clicking "search subjects only" provides best results). It can be quite macho; "The Elderly" section is mellow, though.

I would skip running as others suggested -- walk instead. I literally feel my body rebuilding itself on recovery days, so I would skip anything that could be taxing to your joints. Stretching, recreational swimming, walking, pilates would be good activities for recovery days.

I've not yet learned all the lift, so I continue to do pushups; recently I 'discovered' the assisted chin-up/dip machine at the gym, and it's quite fun. You can reduce the assistance in 5 lb increments, so it can be "programmed" easily.

[sbhikes]

Thank you. I run a lot less than I did. But when I do run, I use a heart rate monitor and keep my pace below 133 beats per minute. I think an old man with a walker could pass me at that pace. I think I could pass myself walking, too. So it's nearly the same as going for a walk. I typically do it the same day that I lift, lifting before work and running on my lunch hour. Unless I feel like I killed myself with the lifts, then I just go for a walk. I need the sunshine on my legs otherwise it's like I sit in a cave all day.

I've been using the assisted pullup machine. It really is fun. I'm struggling to get to 90lbs assistance. I'm okay at 95 but I can't quite do 90.

Gym is closed on Monday for the holiday so I'm not sure what to do. I don't know if I can get there today.

[Gene61]

Woops I made a mistake in my previous post regarding programming. Rip suggests adding pull-ups/chin-ups to the weekly schedule (alternating with DL/PC) in the "second or third week." I just looked this up. Pg 297 of the SS book, 3rd edition.

Sorry for the miss direction. Have fun with the assisted PU machine. I wish my gym had one. I'm making due with a lats pull down cable machine.