Prostate surgery, 89 years old

[Shahmatt]

Did some visiting of relatives over the last month in my home country. Training disrupted but improved chin-ups, so there's that.

The wife's grandfather (89 years old) is recovering from prostate surgery. I am not sure what the surgery entailed other than prostate removal due to cancer. I heard testes were also removed (unconfirmed). No chemo treatment. He is taking some meds but not sure what.

He was previously bed-ridden during the height of the illness but post surgery can move about on his own using a walking stick.

I told him to get stronger. Load a travel bag with 5kg rice bags and lift it. See how much he can do and do three reps of that. Showed him the dead-lift motion.

I told him to eat, rest and do it again after 3 or 4 days by increasing the weight slightly.

During my travels I promoted strength training extensively with the older relations. Most seemed to ignore my talk as half-baked young man nonsense. So I was surprised when the grandfather told me later that he tried and lifted 10kg.

He told me it was his limit. I replied keep at it and try again, a little heavier.

On the last occasion we met I showed him a video of Corki (of Strength Co), 87 years old, lifting around 123lb. I told him to consider getting one of these (barbell with weights), but keep working with the bag for now.

So I have a couple of questions:

1. I didn't talk about form, setting the back, or anything like that. It was just: load a bag and lift it, repeat. From my pov, this would help get a man stronger, and that is goal enough now. Is there anything wrong with this approach?

2. If testes removal did indeed happen, to what extent would it impede strength gaining ability?

[Mark Rippetoe]

1. Form is important if he's not going to hurt himself. It will have to be addressed.

2. They weren't working well anyway, so it's probably not a factor. Kinda makes you wonder why they castrated the old guy. Lots of doctors aren't very bright.

[Mr. Bingley]

Lots aren't bright, and if they removed his testes for a prostate issue they also don't really know much about anatomy; perhaps there was some testicular cancer as well? Regardless, at 89 they're not doing much other than filling his underwear at this point, so concentrate on form.