Old Man Squats

[alleykat]

Hello. My name is Allen and I began with SS about 20 months ago. I am 47 years old, 5'7" and 185 lb. My progress has exceeded all my expectations. I have doubled my strength in many areas. Up until a 2 month ago, these were my training weights:

squat 275 X 5 X 3
bench 205 X 5 X 3
deadlift 285 X 5 X 1
op 130 X 5 X 3
Bent over row 195 X 5 X 3

I began to get hip and lower back pain but tried to train through it. *Bad call*. I took a month off and started to feel good again. When I came back, I started with light weights and high reps. As soon as I got back to 225 lb squats the pain started to return.

I have a strong desire to continue with my training. I feel better than I have in years and I am stronger than I have ever been. I wish I would have had this knowledge 20 years ago. Anyway...

I have searched this forum and believe my problem is form related strain on my hip flexors. I see references to a "Squat Sticky" but I can't find it. Could someone point me to it?

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

What is the problem? You metioned lower back, hip and hip flexor, but never mentioned exactly what the problem was. Also, send in a video of your squats.

[Mike O.]

I don't think the squat sticky exists any more, since switching to the new board. Posting a video in the Technique section is your best bet for ironing out any form problems.

What program have you been using and for how long? Have you added a light day on Wednesday yet? I had similar hip and low back problems (45 y/o) at the end of my novice progression, even with a light day. I think I had some minor problems with my squat form, since corrected, but mostly it was a recovery problem. Switching to intermediate programming fixed it, along with the usual recovery aids (stretching after every workout, foam rolling etc). My numbers were similar to yours when I switched.

You might also look at the program JP outlines here, if you haven't seen it already. This is what I'm starting on now, after an injury layoff. I think squatting twice a week instead of 3 times, and not waiting for 3 failures to reset will help.

[alleykat]

What is the problem? You metioned lower back, hip and hip flexor, but never mentioned exactly what the problem was. Also, send in a video of your squats.

My back is not hurting now. My pain is on the front right side just inboard from the pelvis bone. I suspect my knees are moving forward at the bottom. I will get a video as soon a I can.

[alleykat]

I don't think the squat sticky exists any more, since switching to the new board. Posting a video in the Technique section is your best bet for ironing out any form problems.

What program have you been using and for how long? Have you added a light day on Wednesday yet? I had similar hip and low back problems (45 y/o) at the end of my novice progression, even with a light day. I think I had some minor problems with my squat form, since corrected, but mostly it was a recovery problem. Switching to intermediate programming fixed it, along with the usual recovery aids (stretching after every workout, foam rolling etc). My numbers were similar to yours when I switched.

You might also look at the program JP outlines here, if you haven't seen it already. This is what I'm starting on now, after an injury layoff. I think squatting twice a week instead of 3 times, and not waiting for 3 failures to reset will help.

I found the SS book completely by accident. I have been following it. I worked out 3 days a week for the first year and then 2 or 3 days a week as much as I could get in the gym. We have twin 3 year old girls and both my wife and I work. Some weeks I just could not get there 3 times.

I added 10 pounds a week at first and then backed down to 5 per week and then finally to 5 pounds every other week. I never failed at any weight so I thought I was still progressing. Occasionally my shoulders would feel notchy part way up in my presses so I would abort rather than hurt myself. Occasional I would miss an entire week. I would then reset to one "click" below my previous and continue.

I feel like I can get stronger which is why I am still doing the beginner program. My limitation seems to my joints not my muscles. Maybe that is normal.I thought by really taking it slow I could extend the beginner process and continue to get stronger.

I will look at the JP and teach myself to use foam rollers too.

Thanks for the quick replies.

[Regin Smidur]

According to Mr. Rippetoe, those of your advanced age shouldn't be squatting 3x a week. Perhaps this is the source of your troubles. Maybe 5/3/1 would work as a solution. You would only squat and deadlift once a week so there would be plenty of time for recovery.

[Kate]

According to Mr. Rippetoe, those of your advanced age shouldn't be squatting 3x a week. ...

I'm not sure that's accurate; see this thread: SS adjustments for 50 year olds. I think he was telling an overtrained 54-yr-old not to squat 3x/week, and I'm not sure that advice was necessarily meant for everyone in that age group (hard to tell). Either way, I wouldn't call 47 an "advanced age."

Wouldn't programming depend much more on a person's recovery capacity -- which will vary among individuals -- than on age alone? I definitely have less recovery capacity now, at 49, than I did at 40 -- but age isn't the only factor. The other usual ones -- sleep, food, etc. -- still apply, I assume.

PPST2 doesn't get terribly specific about this question; just says that "for a person with age-compromised recovery ability, a weekly increase in load is easier to adapt to than the workout-to-workout progress required by linear progression...." (from the "Special Populations" chapter).

[gzt]

You're going to have to be more specific about the pain. Maybe google an anatomical thingy and make a big red X on your painful parts. Is it just one side?

Are you wearing a belt? This may be helpful depending on where the pains are.

[alleykat]

a weekly increase in load is easier to adapt to than the workout-to-workout progress required by linear progression...."

This is basically what I did for 18 months and it worked beautifully. I would add 5 pounds per week or even every other week. I figured that even if I felt like I could do more, I would go nice and slow to let my connective tissue keep up. I would like to see if my tendinitis clears up with a form correction. If so, I will resume with what I was doing. Dropping a squat session per week if fine with me as long as I continue to progress.

[alleykat]

You're going to have to be more specific about the pain. Maybe google an anatomical thingy and make a big red X on your painful parts. Is it just one side?

Are you wearing a belt? This may be helpful depending on where the pains are.

hip_pain.jpg I used a black "X" as it seemed to show up better. It is definitely more outboard than inboard. It is not an acute pain but more of an ache that gets sharper with certain movements.