76 year old olympic weightlifter

[codger]

He's fricking amazing, isn't he? The energizer bunny!

It is really incredible. It makes you wonder what the strength limits are for old guys. Some years ago I read a book called The Greek Way of War, an account of warfare in ancient Greece by Victor Davis Hanson. Apparently men into their 60s were still expected to muster every summer for their cities' military campaigns. And I saw a photo recently from the early 1900s of a 90-year-old fisherman hauling a heavy dory out of the surf on some New England beach.
This is all by way of saying you're giving me something to shoot for, 77 Now. (And happy belated birthday.)

[76now]

77 NOW

I don’t think I ever realized you only took up this sport at 63! I guess I just figured you’d been doing it a while.
Mike.

Well a 14 year career is a while ...... longer than the career of most O.L'ers.
But that late start wasn't like i was new to competition, and vigorous exercise, & book larnin of the OL's.
Thank you for the birthday wishes, but i have had so many birthdays they don't signify nowadays.
And you, yourself, are one tough Muvver. Such an excellent lifter.

The energizer bunny!
Oldster.

Thank you Oldster, but there is something in that.
When i get to the gym, i move constantly, never sitting down, for up to 120 minutes, doing thousands of steps during the workout.
That strategy comes from my years of competitive swimming. At interclub competitions, my club had to get maximum points from every swimmer - you get a point for being in a race, and more for placing in the top 3.
So you would run into things like doing 100 metres butterfly, & then being the last swimmer in the relay following that swim, that starts a minute later.
I started by trying to recover by lying flat on my back, until time to get on the starting block, not moving a muscle trying to get my labored breathing down. Then i found i recovered much quicker by gently walking up and down, circulating blood thru the muscles. I have used that strategy ever since.
Now this energizer bunny needs to goes and goes and goes, up in the weights. In my late teens i pressed 15 lb above my bodyweight. Now, today, if i could C+J bodyweight, it would be a national record in my age class. So my puny lifts have to get moving.

you're giving me something to shoot for, 77 Now. (And happy belated birthday.)Codger.

Thank you Codger. The way you're going, you will wipe the floor with me when those years come to pass.
There are so many oldies, and becoming oldies in this neck of the woods, that i am spoilt with examples, and training methods, and programs, and inspiration.

Mon 26-3-2018.
Stick warmups.
Breathing Squats. (55 k) 4. (75) 4. (99) 20. ...... and 60 Rader pulls.
Press. (intensity) (20 k) 5. (27.5) 3. (35) 2. (37.5) 3.3.3.
Power Snatch. (20 k) 3. (22.5) 3. (25) 3. (27.5) 3.3.

Split C+J. stick - 1.1. (20 k) 1. (22.5) 1. (25) 1. (27.5) 1. (30) 1. (32.5) 1.
Split Snatch. stick - 1.1. (20 k) 1. (22.5) 1. (25) 1. (27.5) 1. (30) 1. (32.5) 1.

Rowing intervals. 30 sec x 5.

Flexing ....
SLHR. (10 k) 10. (12) 11. (10) 12.
Incline face down lateral raise. (3 k's) 11.11.10.
Concentration curl. (8 k) 11. (10) 10 (8) 10.
Swiss ball crunch. 11.10.10.

[Oldster]

#ZeusLives

[codger]

Thank you Codger. The way you're going, you will wipe the floor with me when those years come to pass.

Seems unlikely--I'll be happy if can still get under the bar! A few years ago for my birthday my wife treated me to a training session with an olympic-style lifting coach in Santa Fe, about three hours from where we live. I really enjoyed it but without regular access to a coach I didn't feel like I could pursue the olympic lifts. I'd like to try in the future though.

[76now]

#ZeusLives
Oldster

Who dat bum?

without regular access to a coach I didn't feel like I could pursue the olympic lifts. I'd like to try in the future though.
Codger

Hi Codger, great to come across someone who "gets" the beauty, and power, and athleticism of the olympic lifts.
The most essential thing for success in the O.L.'s is body power. You've got that.
But it is a young man's sport - requiring speed, flexibility, balance, timing, coordination - things that fade with the years. So you will not beat out the young ones, or equal what you could have done when young. But as a Master you are on equal grounds with people the same age.
If you wish it, there is nothing to stop you preparing body and mind for the O.L.'s, right now.
Stretch out shoulders & hip flexors & spine.
Practicing the 2 lifts with a broom handle, using the countless u-tubes & vids as guides & models.
You need thousands of those, done a few at a time, to build the movement pattern & flexibility.
When you are good you can graduate to an empty bar, but never be in a hurry to go up in weight.

That was a mistake i made, going too heavy too soon, because i could lift more with rough ferocity, rather than good style. Nowadays i only go as heavy in training as i can do with beautiful technique, trying to undo past mistakes.

77 NOW

Thurs 29-3-2018

Squat (Intensity) (55 k) 5. (75) 3. (95) 2. (100) 5. (105) 3. (110) 1.
Stationary J.B.N. (Volume) (20 k) 5. (30) 5. (32.5) 5. (35) 5.
Clean Pulls. (40 k) 5. (45) 5. (50) 5. (55) 5. (60) 5.

Split C+J. stick - 1.1. (20 k) 1. (22.5) 1. (25) 1. (27.5) 1. (30) 1. (32.5) 1. (35) 1. (40) 1.
Split snatch. stick - 1.1. (20 k) 1. (22.5) 1. (25) 1. (27.5) 1. (30) 1. (32.5) 1.

Rowing intervals. 30 sec x 5.
flexing ....
Barbell freestanding heels raise. (95 k) 10. (100) 10. (105) 10.
Incline face down lateral raise. (3 k's) 11.11.11.
Zottman curls. (8 k) each arm. 10. (10 k) 10. (8) 10.
Cable crunch. (100 lb) 10. (120) 10. (130) 10.

[codger]

If you wish it, there is nothing to stop you preparing body and mind for the O.L.'s, right now.
Stretch out shoulders & hip flexors & spine.
Practicing the 2 lifts with a broom handle, using the countless u-tubes & vids as guides & models.
You need thousands of those, done a few at a time, to build the movement pattern & flexibility.
When you are good you can graduate to an empty bar, but never be in a hurry to go up in weight.

That's true--thanks for the motivation! And there are some training seminars I've been tempted to attend. i think one was led by a woman who used to post in these forums. I'm blanking on her name at the moment but she was quite an accomplished olympic lifter.

[76now]

there are some training seminars I've been tempted to attend. i think one was led by a woman who used to post in these forums. I'm blanking on her name at the moment but she was quite an accomplished olympic lifter.
Codger

Tamara, perhaps? If it is her, she is not a spring chicken, so should give good guidance on how an old turkey should proceed.
Codger, you are a successful powerlifter, so i would expect that will remain your main interest (unless seized by the Light Side of the Force).
But running a little side line of OL practice should help your health and fitness. Lifters have told me that the jumping around you do on the OL's made them feel a lot better, than when they were bodybuilding, but bodybuilding was a lot easier.

77 NOW

Tues 3-4-2018.

Stick warmups.
Olympic Deadlift. (70 k) 5. thumbless. (80 k) 5. thumbless. (92.5) 5. normal grip. (100) 2. hook grip.
Clean and presses. Volume. (20 k) 5. (30) 5. (35) 5. (37.5) 5.
Press on Back. Volume. (30 k) 5.5. (35) 5. (40) 5.

Rowing intervals. 30 secs x 2. [rowing machines constantly in use]

Split C+J. stick -1.1. (20 k) 1. (22.5) 1. (25) 1. (27.5) 1. (30) 1. (32.5) 1. - The first 3 exercises tied up my bar so long i didn't have time for more.
split Snatch. stick -1.1. (20 k) 1. (22.5) 1. (25) 1. (27.5) 1. (30) 1. (32.5) 1.

flex exercises.
SLHR. (10 k) 12. (12) 12.12.
Incline face down lateral raise (3 k's) 12.11.11.
Ball crunch. 11.11.10.
Concentration curl. (8 k) 12. (10) 10. (8) 11.

[Oldster]

Good looking session, man! Your 220x2 deadlift really caught my attention!

[76now]

Your 220x2 deadlift really caught my attention!
Oldster

Thank you, Oldster. Once again you are too kind in your assessment of my ability.

You are a real hero of mine, & i am steadily working thru the 380 pages of your thread. Yeah, you are a big man, but you lift weights so much heavier than you are, that it beggars belief.

My body, working into the olympic deadlift, did 100 k x 2, but it is on notice - "Steadily increase these weights, OR FACE A CONSEQUENCE."

Thurs 5-4-2018.
77 NOW
Stick warmups.
Squat (Volume) (55 k) 5. (75) 3. (85) 2. (90) 5. (95) 5. (102.5) 5.

OK, got to face a looming problem. When i go heavy on the squats, increasing the weight all the time, i will eventually get pinned by the weight on the bar.
There are no safety stands here. You take the bar off the rack, step back on the carpet floor, & go for it.
The kind, sweet people in my little gym are not up to spotting heavy squats.
I have the skill, if pinned, to dump the bar backwards, but that would totally terrify those around, and management.
They might decide to ban me.
So what can i do? Should i keep the weights down to what i can easily manage? Doesn't seem much point in that in a heavy cycle.

Power Clean. (35 k) 2. (37.5) 2. (40) 2. (42.5) 2. (45) 2.2.
Jerk from Rack. (20 k) 3. (22.5) 3. (25) 3. (27.5) 3. (30) 3. (32.5). 3 (35) 3.

Dead hang split cleans. stick - 1.1. (20 k) 1. (25) 1. (30) 1. (32.5) 1. (35) 1.
dead hang split snatches. stick - 1.1. (20 k) 1. (22.5) 1.1. (25) 1.

Rowing intervals. 30 sec x 5.

flexing ....
Barbell heels raise. (90 k) 11. (95) 10. (102.5) 10.
Face down incline lateral raise. (3 k's) 12.12.11.
Zottman curls. (8 k's) 11. (10's) 10.10.
cable Crunch. (100 lb) 10. (120) 10. (140) 10.

[codger]

Tamara, perhaps? If it is her, she is not a spring chicken, so should give good guidance on how an old turkey should proceed.
Codger, you are a successful powerlifter, so i would expect that will remain your main interest (unless seized by the Light Side of the Force).

I think it might have been Tamara. I'll have to check my email inbox--we exchanged emails a few years ago when I was thinking about attending an olympic lifting seminar. I think I will focus on powerlifting for a while. I'm hoping i can break 1,200 pounds. Probably a stretch for this stringy old turkey but I'll see what the year brings.

I'm surprised your gym doesn't have at least one power rack. I wonder they'd let you could set up some saw horses or something.