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Thread: Strong Enough for Older Lifters

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
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    Default Strong Enough for Older Lifters

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    Strong enough is each persons own personal decision. We have all heard about the 2, 3, 4, 5 club for males in their prime years. I've never heard of a standard or standards for older lifters. For all of you older lifters, what is your personal standard for strong enough and what age range.

    I'm in my early 60s and my standard until I'm 70 is to squat at least as much as my body weight, so for now 195 and deadlift 100 pounds over my body weight, 295 at the moment. Once I turn 70, I may need to adjust these standards, but I've never been 70 before so I don't know.

    What are your standards?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
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    223

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    For a younger man
    BW press, 1.5 BW bench, 2 BW squat, 2.5 BW deadlift.
    Older man 75% of this.

    PS. this is totally arbitrary and has absolutely no value whatsoever to anything

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
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    Winter Springs, FL
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Oso Rojo View Post
    Strong enough is each persons own personal decision. We have all heard about the 2, 3, 4, 5 club for males in their prime years. I've never heard of a standard or standards for older lifters. For all of you older lifters, what is your personal standard for strong enough and what age range.

    I'm in my early 60s and my standard until I'm 70 is to squat at least as much as my body weight, so for now 195 and deadlift 100 pounds over my body weight, 295 at the moment. Once I turn 70, I may need to adjust these standards, but I've never been 70 before so I don't know.

    What are your standards?
    I'm only 46 so you might not want to listen to us young whipper-snappers. Try your best to get to a 2x deadlift. You won't get a lot of love for this around here, but the NASA studies of advanced aging of astronauts were pretty conclusive that twice your bodyweight on the barbell = peak bone density. That's not achievable for everybody in their 60s (although plenty of Masters 3 and Masters 4 athletes have done it). But the closer you can get (while you can) the higher bone density you will have going into your 70s which might mean the difference between two more decades of great mobility and quality of life vs having to spend the next decade using a mobility aid. A broken bone in your teens is an inconvenience. A broken bone in your 70s probably means the end of your training career and less ability to do the things that are important to you outside of the gym.

  4. #4
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    Feb 2020
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    I'm 56 and the last couple of years has been a cluster fuck of injury, surgery and exercising (as opposed to actually training) and as a result I'm the weakest I've been since high school. But about three weeks ago, I started to actually try to get stronger again but I have limitations. Because of a neck injury, I have nerve damage to my right tricep and to a lesser extent, my shoulder and lat. I will never press 200 pounds and I may never even bench that much either, although I still train them both the best I can. Also, I have to box squat instead of regular squat, which is not related to my neck All that said, I see no good reason I can't get my box squat to 400 and deadlift to 500 over the next couple of years, when I'm 58. That is my current long term goal though it may be a bit optimistic. As of now, after three weeks of following SS the best I can given my limitations, my last session was box squat 245x5 and dead was 305x5. What I do have going for me is that I've hit those numbers before so unless injury gets in the way, I think I can do it again. If that does happen, my next goal will be the same as my current goal - 5 more pounds. It's really a race with father time at this point. We all get weaker eventually. We'll see.

  5. #5
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    Feb 2020
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    I think an older guy can pull 330 or 350 if he just will just load the bar.

  6. #6
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    Jul 2022
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    Scottsdale Arizona
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    Standards are nonsense for old people. To many life events interfere with an individuals ability to perform lifts. I’m 72 and have been following SS for about 7 years subsequent to a motorcycle accident and the resultant rehab. At 205 lbs I d/l 275, squat 225, press 115, and bench 160. I am happy with these numbers and expect they will go up slowly. I don’t care about anyone else. I like my results and feel good that I can throw my 7 year old granddaughter into the air for somersaults in the pool.

    If you need a benchmark use the 1,2,3,4 with 25 lbs plates on each side of the bar.

    I have attended a self sufficient lifter camp at WFAC and treasure the experience of having had Rip and Nick correct my form.

    My goal is to be stronger than before and remain injury free. So far so good.

    Benchmarks are for kids. Wanna feel strong? Go to a public gym and watch the over 60 lifters. They are very few and very weak.

    David

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
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    I'm 68 (5'7" 205lbs) and got back to training 3.5years ago.
    I reached the goals I set for myself, had some set backs and working my toward & beyond those goals again.
    Bench 225 x 3
    Squat 225 x 3 or 200+ x 5
    Do 5-6 legit pullups
    Deadlift 315 x 3
    OHP 120 x 3

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
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    At 52, I don’t see an age related barrier to joining the 2,3,4,5 club. For me the problem will be recovery related to outside activities (mountain living, snowboarding, biking, backpacking). Aim small, miss small, right?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
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    Chandler, AZ
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    61, 215 lbs, 5' 10"

    Right now I'm making myself strong enough to hopefully break the Arizona State USAPL squat (434 lbs) and deadlift (528 lbs) records for my age and weight class (Raw Masters 3a, -100). I actually set those records in March this year and will be aiming to break them at another meet in two weeks. After that, I'm really not sure what I'll be doing. While it is very satisfiying to hit those numbers, trying to maintain those kinds of weights is not so easy on a body. But I hope to never (well, for a while, anyway) get below a three-plate squat and four-plate deadlift. Bodyweight press would be nice, if my shoulders can hold up.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by Rob Plano View Post
    61, 215 lbs, 5' 10"

    Right now I'm making myself strong enough to hopefully break the Arizona State USAPL squat (434 lbs) and deadlift (528 lbs) records for my age and weight class (Raw Masters 3a, -100). I actually set those records in March this year and will be aiming to break them at another meet in two weeks. After that, I'm really not sure what I'll be doing. While it is very satisfiying to hit those numbers, trying to maintain those kinds of weights is not so easy on a body. But I hope to never (well, for a while, anyway) get below a three-plate squat and four-plate deadlift. Bodyweight press would be nice, if my shoulders can hold up.
    You're an inspiration, sir. Sincerely.

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