How much recovery time?

[Darrin]

How much recovery time do you plan for? I'm 51 y.o., been cycling, skiing, climbing, hiking, etc for decades. I've also "lifted weights" for 30+ years (mostly free-weight focused), but only discovered SS a year or so ago. Lately, I've been splitting my year into two seasons: summer, when I do a lot more of the outside stuff; and winter, when I spend more time in the weight room. My main focus is on the cycling/skiing/hiking/etc, but I'm totally sold on SS-style strength training to improve my performance in those activities, as well as for general well-being.

A typical summer week might be: SS-type maintenance workout 1-2 days, 1-2 HIIT (high intensity interval training) rides/runs, 1-3 endurance-pace bike rides and/or a long hike. A winter week might be: SS workouts 2 days, yoga 1 day, 1-2 HIIT runs, long endurance-pace hike/ski. I usually end up doing something 5-6 days/week. I do try to schedule a recovery week every 3-4 weeks where I'll take 3-4 days off.

But, given my age and how I've been feeling lately (not especially fresh for some of the high-intensity workouts), I'm wondering if I need more recovery.

What do you all do? How many high/moderate/low intensity days do you plan on per week? How many days off? Do you double up on strength/conditioning in one day to get another day off? Just curious as to what others in the 40+ demographic are doing.

[Viola]

Hi Darrin.

I'm 43, female, and a long-time runner/soccer player who just started SS last year. Have been "off the program" over the summer due to hip issues, but was still fiddling around with upper body lifts. Now back at linear progression and playing indoor soccer once per week.

I find that high intensity workouts are the hardest to recover from. These include regular SS workouts, once they start to get difficult. 4 per week is usually too much to maintain week after week - e.g. one hard soccer game and 3 heavy lifting workouts. (I keep trying though! and crashing...) I can handle 3 per week IF I am healthy and well-rested. By contrast over the summer I would play soccer once per week, do 2 maintenance/easy lifting workouts, and run 2-3 times with no problem. But that would be one high intensity day, and the rest would all be medium to low intensity.

The days when I push my body past its limits need corresponding recovery time, especially when trying to improve my strength/speed/endurance. Otherwise, I just end up treading water and not improving. Easier handed out as advice than taken, though. I love the feeling that I am pushing my limits, and it's easy to go too far...

[AK49]

I'll be 50 in a few months. I have been doing SS for a few months. 3x per week is all I can handle. I just implemented a light squat day and added some running to my routine. My cardio capacity was going away fast. I figure 1 day a week in addition to lifting will be enough to maintain for a while. I do it after my third SS workout when I have two recovery days ahead of me.

It seems to me like you are doing too much to recover from SS workouts. It may be hard to find the right balance.

[Browndog]

FWIW...

Male, 58 y/o, 6'3", 210lbs

Play Squash and or Platform Tennis 2x week (roughly and hour to an hour and a half on court)

Weight Training 2x week, 5 / 1 Programming

One Kettlebell session a week (45 minutes)

One day off.

This I can handle. Trying to run weights and sports on the same day is, unfortunately, a younger man's game.

Proper diet and sleep are the critical components to recovery.

[Greg Esres]

Just curious as to what others in the 40+ demographic are doing.

I'm a few months younger than you and I quickly ran into recovery issues with SS. Maybe 3 months into the program. Failing to recover means, to me, getting worse on the lifts, rather than better. I'm on 5/3/1 now, although a fairly intense version of it, and am making progress beyond what I accomplish in SS. I do a four day split and take extra recovery days as needed.

[Brian Jones]

Greg may have hit the nail on the head. 5/3/1 could be an option. While you are training 4 days a week - you are focusing on one lift per day: Squat, Press, Dead & Bench. This gives you 7 days to recover until you squat again (or press, dead, bench etc..) Looking at many entries from different folks it seems to me that the recovery issues revolves around DOING TOO MUCH STUFF! I think we reach a certain age and start thinking we need to do such a variety of physical activity to ward off the reaper that we end up wearing ourselves down and never recovering fully. The benefits are reaped when you rest. One is not resting if they are 59 - judo-ing 3 times a week, rollerblading on weekends, parasailing on odd numbered days, P90x-ing in the evenings and doing a bastardized version of SS.

For myself, at 46 and having chronic issues from injuries - I don't recover nearly as effectively as I did even 5 years ago. You don't recover the same way. I think we need to be wise in our decision making and where we are going to spend our physiological capital. An effective barebones barbell training regimen, a split 5/3/1 type workout is an option that will get you stronger than you ever have been and you will be finished within 30 to 45 minutes. No need for a bunch of assistance exercise. This equates to roughly 4 hours a week. This is much less than some of the time invested in the variety of activities we sometimes doggedly pursue. Rest. Recover. Try to trim down your activities for 4 weeks and give yourself a chance to focus on a program and see how your body responds. Trust that I am writing this primarily to myself. Kudos to all for wanting to make an effort. Commit, Do & Recover.

[Joe Murphy]

Greg E and Brian echo what I'd 'suggest.' I do it differently, but I don't do all the extra-barbellicular stuff OP does. 5/3/1 is a great program for older guys. I'd think a 4-day 5/3/1 split with the not-doing-shit assistance would not be too much to recover from and would allow for adding pounds to the bar (be wise in selecting increases) and gaining strength..... YMMV.

[God of Thunder]

I do mostly night shift work of 12 hours (with alternating fortnightly day shifts at weekends) but sadly only get on average 2-3 hours sleep between night shifts so I'm always knackered before I start training.

I'm fifty and a half and have had to adjust my training severely since starting this shift work in the last year or so to maximise recovery. Started with strong lifts, saw the light and went to SS, then TM, and now doing a version of the one big lift per day.

I train Monday to Friday with Monday squats (3x5) and dips (3x10), Tuesday bench (5x5) and pull ups (3x as many as I can do), Wednesday dead lift (1x1), Thursday press (5x5), Friday power cleans (5x3). If I have had a tiring week usually after the 4 shift weekend of two day shifts followed by two night shifts (Sat-Tues) I either drop the power cleans or leave them a day later, so I have a rest day after presses.

So far this has proved to be working, but I really need to sort out my lack of sleep.

[Brian Jones]

I do mostly night shift work of 12 hours (with alternating fortnightly day shifts at weekends) but sadly only get on average 2-3 hours sleep between night shifts so I'm always knackered before I start training.

I'm fifty and a half and have had to adjust my training severely since starting this shift work in the last year or so to maximise recovery. Started with strong lifts, saw the light and went to SS, then TM, and now doing a version of the one big lift per day.

I train Monday to Friday with Monday squats (3x5) and dips (3x10), Tuesday bench (5x5) and pull ups (3x as many as I can do), Wednesday dead lift (1x1), Thursday press (5x5), Friday power cleans (5x3). If I have had a tiring week usually after the 4 shift weekend of two day shifts followed by two night shifts (Sat-Tues) I either drop the power cleans or leave them a day later, so I have a rest day after presses.

So far this has proved to be working, but I really need to sort out my lack of sleep.

Good on you for making it work instead of making excuses. Well done, friend. Try to get some sleep.

[God of Thunder]

Thank you!

I've even bought extra plates (for Xmas) as an encouragement to get to a belt less 220kg dead lift. I'm currently fluctuating between 192-205kg depending on my level of exhaustion.

I'm also loading 220kg on the power rack and doing a negative at the end of the session to get used to the weight.

I need to look at my technique though as I'm struggling to get the bar a few inches off the floor at the moment at 205kg. Once the bar gets to mid shin then the rest of the lift is 'easy' and the bar doesn't stop.