Codger's Quest

[codger]

I'd like to know early on if you are going to the Spokane comp. If so, and it doesn't interfere with what we have planned this summer, it's only about 7 hours away. I'd love to come watch and cheer you on!

That would be great! I'll definitely let you know one way or another as soon as I can. I'd really like to enter the meet. The qualification for entering the nationals as a masters 3 lifter are pretty simple: you just have to have competed in a USAPL meet; there don't seem to be any qualifying totals for lifters over 60.

[codger]

This is awesome! Thanks for posting these. You are an inspiration.

That's kind of you to say, Silentpadna. I've definitely found a lot of inspiring people in these forums. There's lots of encouragement and support. I don't think I would have entered a meet if Browndog, Oldster and others here hadn't shared their experiences.

[Oldster]

That would be great! I'll definitely let you know one way or another as soon as I can. I'd really like to enter the meet. The qualification for entering the nationals as a masters 3 lifter are pretty simple: you just have to have competed in a USAPL meet; there don't seem to be any qualifying totals for lifters over 60.

Very cool.

More hardware for Yoda!

[codger]

More hardware for Yoda!

I need to catch up with the Mrs. She has a closet full of medals and shelves crammed with trophies she won at half-marathons around the Southwest. Her running days are over now and she's getting into lifting. One of these days she might start a log here. I'm trying to convince her to post as Mrs. Yoda but that might not fly.

I got back to my usual workout schedule today. The meet definitely took a toll--I failed at my press for the first time in quite a while, otherwise things felt okay.

Press: 152.5x4x1 (was trying for 5); 152.5x3x2; eight minutes rest. I wore a belt for the first time while pressing today and thought it would help me get through what would have been a five-rep PR. But no dice. We'll see what happens next month when I try sets of 5 again.

Close-grip bench: 212.5x5x3; five minutes rest. These also felt hard. I had hit 7 reps before the meet.

LTE: 102.5x8x2, three minutes rest. These felt okay.

Overhead single-arm dumbbell triceps extensions: 42.75x10x2, three minutes rest. Didn't feel too bad.

Heavy squats tomorrow.

[Oldster]

Heh, Mrs. Codger would be dandy! Or to work in tandem with your Codger, she could go with Crusty? Huh? Huh? (Don't tell her I said that, hate to meet her and get a slap to start things out!)

If I may toss out a little tidbit here when looking at your close grip. I would consider working harder on it, if'n I were you. I noted in the bench video your elbows flaring just enough to bring the bar back toward your eyes when the rep got hard. Better and healthier for your shoulders/rotators would be the rep gets hard, your elbows rotate inward, taking more of the load on the triceps instead of transferring more to the very tiny rotator muscles.

Just my $.02.

#MasterYodaTheMagnificentWorldRecordHolder

[codger]

(Don't tell her I said that, hate to meet her and get a slap to start things out!)

Hot water you would get us into!

If I may toss out a little tidbit here when looking at your close grip. I would consider working harder on it, if'n I were you. I noted in the bench video your elbows flaring just enough to bring the bar back toward your eyes when the rep got hard. Better and healthier for your shoulders/rotators would be the rep gets hard, your elbows rotate inward, taking more of the load on the triceps instead of transferring more to the very tiny rotator muscles.

You have a good eye, Oldster! And thanks for taking the time to look at my bench--I appreciate it. I will start working more on the close-grip. I currently bench twice a week: one heavy bench day and one close-grip day after I do overhead presses. I also do dips and incline bench presses as assistance exercises in the 10-rep range. I'm thinking maybe I could do a heavy close-grip instead of a heavy normal bench, and then do a medium-weight close-grip on the day I do overhead presses.
I'm following Andy Baker's strength and Mass After 40 program, a four-day split. Each week you do a different rep range for the heavy lifts: 3x5, 3x3, or 3x1. So maybe I'll start cycling the close-grip bench through those rep ranges instead of the normal bench, and reserve the normal bench for back-off sets.

[codger]

Feeling better today--think the old body is ready to resume a normal workout schedule.

Squats: 330x5x3, belted, seven to eight minutes rest. 330 was my opener for the meet. So 3x5 was tough but I think I can keep adding weight for a while.

Chins with 25 pounds x 7 x3; seven minutes rest.

Single-arm dumbbell rows: 75x10x3, four to five minutes rest.

DB curls: 70 (total) x10x3.

[Oldster]

Hot water you would get us into!

Imagine the worst possible temperature of water, then know I can make it so much worse not even trying...

You have a good eye, Oldster! And thanks for taking the time to look at my bench--I appreciate it.

I'm a huge fan of the bench. There is a reason I can bench fairly heavily even at my age. It's because I'm careful with form and look for ways to make it safer while still getting stronger. There is no reason we can't bench hard'n'heavy if we're careful and use our heads. I used to tell the kids I taught (HS and college aged), I can make you very strong very quickly, or I can teach you to lift safely for life and become much stronger than you ever dreamed.

I will start working more on the close-grip. I currently bench twice a week: one heavy bench day and one close-grip day after I do overhead presses. I also do dips and incline bench presses as assistance exercises in the 10-rep range. I'm thinking maybe I could do a heavy close-grip instead of a heavy normal bench, and then do a medium-weight close-grip on the day I do overhead presses.

...maybe I'll start cycling the close-grip bench through those rep ranges instead of the normal bench, and reserve the normal bench for back-off sets.

I think this is all a good idea. You really want the elbows coming in when battling through a sticking point, rather than flaring and reducing how hard the triceps work.

Squats: 330x5x3, belted, seven to eight minutes rest. 330 was my opener for the meet. So 3x5 was tough but I think I can keep adding weight for a while.

A great place to start you chose.

#YodaStrong

[Browndog]

You're recovering nicely. I'm a mess for a week or so after these events.

It's interesting to watch how your programming and my programming move us forward.

We've got a Hatfields and McCoys thing going on.

You using Andy's approach, with the minimum effective dose philosophy - Starting Strength.

My coach is a product of Juggernaut Training, and his programming reflects that philosophy - maximum recoverable dosing.

I find that the philisophical differences create a bit of cognitive dissonance, and that I have to "trust the program" or I'd go crazy worrying that I'm doing something wrong.

If I was 30 y/o, I wouldn't mind. But at 60+, one can't waste available years on programming "mistakes". As long as I'm making progress, I'm at peace...for now.

[codger]

A great place to start you chose. 

Learning Yoda-speak you are.

You using Andy's approach, with the minimum effective dose philosophy - Starting Strength.

My coach is a product of Juggernaut Training, and his programming reflects that philosophy - maximum recoverable dosing.

I find that the philisophical differences create a bit of cognitive dissonance, and that I have to "trust the program" or I'd go crazy worrying that I'm doing something wrong.

That's a very concise way to look at the programming differences--minimal effective dose vs recoverable.

It's interesting to watch how your programming and my programming move us forward.

Yes, a good experiment since we're quite similar in age and weight (I think) and our numbers are pretty similar. With a larger pool of older lifters some academic could probably do a very worthwhile study about this.