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Thread: 68 year old male - first SS (Greysteel) workout

  1. #1
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    Jun 2022
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    Default 68 year old male - first SS (Greysteel) workout

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    I completed my first SS workout today - nowhere near an SS gym, so I have been reading both books along with The Barbell Prescription.

    I have been exercising at a gym in a class since January.

    While we did bench press, squat and deadift, they seemed to have a pretty complicated scheme of volumes and loads, no clear progression workout-to-workout, with a number of ever-changing auxiliary exercises,

    For first 5 months or so, Tuesdays was bench press and squat + aux exercises, and Thursdays were overhead press and deadlift + aux exercises.

    After about 5 months, they replaced overhead press with close grip bench press - and I really did not like that.

    The first couple of months, I had been doing what they called a "viking press" because I couldn't overhead press a 45 lb bar.

    When I finally got the point where I could overhead press a 45 lb bar, my shoulders felt really good.

    It's a little hard to explain - especially to athletes who have never had this issue, but I had been suffering from various issues that seemed to be due to tight shoulders over the years.

    When I did my first set of overhead presses with a barbell - even though the press was shaky and had to deal balance issues. it feel really, really great.

    It's a little hard to explain, but when I did the overhead press, it felt like my shoulders were moving the way they were supposed to be moving.

    That lead me too look for strength program, and that lead me to Greysteel - which lead me to SS.

    68 year old male
    5'10'
    202 lbs

    Today was my first SS workout - part of that was determining where to start.

    Here's what I did.

    Squat
    45 x 2 x 5 (warmup)
    75 x 5 (warmup)
    95 x 3 (warmup)
    115 x 1 (warmup)

    135 x 5 x 3

    Bench
    45 x 5 x 2
    75 x 5
    95 x 3
    115 x 1

    135 x 5 (barely)
    125 x 4 (could not complete 135 x 5)
    125 x 3 (could not complete 135 x 5)

    Deadlift
    65 x 5 x 2
    95 x 5
    135 x 3
    195 x 1

    225 x 5 x 3

    I am pretty happy with how I feel.

    I do have a question about squats - my shoulders are tight enough right now that I can't get my wrists straight in a low bar squat. I keep my elbows up and press the bar into my back and arms, and I don't feel as though the weight is pressing down on hands, wrists or forearms.

    Maybe I have missed something in the books - but I think that I have read that if my shoulders are too tight to do a proper low bar squat, I should consider a high bar squat.

    My dilemma is that the low bar squat felt much better on my knees than a high bar squat - which is what I was used to.

    Is it likely that my shoulders will loosen up over time if I continue to do a low bar squat?

    Are the specific stretches that I can do that would help my shoulder loosen up?

    [If this question is answered one of the books, please feel free to tell me, "Go read chapter X of Starting Strength, your question is answered there!" There a lot of info in the books - I may have well missed the answer it it is there.]

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    North Texas
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    Default

    Have you read the blue book?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2022
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    Have you read the blue book?
    I have - but I think that what I recall in there us that if your shoulders are too tight to allow a lo bar squat with wrists straight, I should do a high bar squat.

    Is that not what it says?

    Are there recommended stretches?

  4. #4
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    Jul 2007
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    North Texas
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    No, it doesn't say that, and it doesn't say to do 3 sets of 5 deadlifts.

    Low Bar Position Stretch | Paul Horn

  5. #5
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    Jun 2022
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    No, it doesn't say that, and it doesn't say to do 3 sets of 5 deadlifts.

    Low Bar Position Stretch | Paul Horn
    I was mistaken when I typed my entry from my log into my original comment.

    Thank you for the reference to the Paul Horn article.

    The Paul Horn video seems to have been exactly what I was looking for.

    Thanks very much.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
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    453

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    starting strength coach development program
    I encourage you to stick with the low bar squats. I did high bar until I could get the bar low. Took about 6 months. Even now my first warm ups can’t get fully into low bar. But by my work sets I’m there.
    My elbow pain got much better when I was able to use a thumbs on top grip. Which I think helped unload my arms.
    I’m 61 by the way and have a bit of a hunch, so I finally bought a dedicated squat bar with lots of knurling. That helped keep the bar low. So at least make sure your squatting with a good center knurl.
    And maybe most importantly I found a SS Coach in driving distance for a one on one session.

    PS, lots of factors, but continuing to work my press straight overhead helped my shoulders the most I think.

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