"Maintenance."

[Tom Lang]

Hi Mark,

Nothing in the lifting world depresses me more than older novice lifters saying they just want to "maintain" what they got. What!? So you don't want things to get better?

There's been some discussion in training log threads about maintenance. I contend that, with proper programming, always trying for new PRs (always getting stronger) will provide better maintenance than "maintenance." As you've said in the past:

"Actually, I am trying to not die. During the infrequent periods of time in which I am not injured, I try to get stronger." (thread)

If you have an article about this, I haven't found it. It would make a good one.

Thank you,

Tom

[Mark Rippetoe]

When I get time.

[perman]

When I get time.

This reminded me of a similar situation in an old thread where you were supposed to write an article:
Kelly Starrett and the wisdom of 'Open/Closed Torque'

Now that was one article I was curious about (thus why I remembered it), have you perchance been fine-tuning this article for 3 years?

[Will Morris]

Hi Mark,

Nothing in the lifting world depresses me more than older novice lifters saying they just want to "maintain" what they got. What!? So you don't want things to get better?

There's been some discussion in training log threads about maintenance. I contend that, with proper programming, always trying for new PRs (always getting stronger) will provide better maintenance than "maintenance." As you've said in the past:

"Actually, I am trying to not die. During the infrequent periods of time in which I am not injured, I try to get stronger." (thread)

If you have an article about this, I haven't found it. It would make a good one.

Thank you,

Tom

When people tell me they only want to maintain, that tells me they are simply looking for their training to get easier. You are apparently one of the rare breed of modern human that prides themselves with being a worthy combatant of Death.

[Mark Rippetoe]

This reminded me of a similar situation in an old thread where you were supposed to write an article:
Kelly Starrett and the wisdom of 'Open/Closed Torque'

Now that was one article I was curious about (thus why I remembered it), have you perchance been fine-tuning this article for 3 years?

I wrote about this for T-Nation. I forget the title.

[Tom Lang]

When people tell me they only want to maintain, that tells me they are simply looking for their training to get easier. You are apparently one of the rare breed of modern human that prides themselves with being a worthy combatant of Death.

Wow, Will, high praise indeed. Thank you. I would prefer such combat against death be ordinary instead of rare, however. I'll be sharing this thread.

[kessg]

When people tell me they only want to maintain, that tells me they are simply looking for their training to get easier. You are apparently one of the rare breed of modern human that prides themselves with being a worthy combatant of Death.

Would not this be different for the masters population? If a 40+ yo lifts the same weight year after year (let alone 60+ yo), they are in fact getting stronger relative to their age. That's why age-related Wilks coefficient goes up for every year after 40.

[Will Morris]

Even very old individuals have the capability to get stronger, albeit much slower than a younger trainee. If you look across their strength levels over decades, you will see that an older trainee gets weaker over time, but if you look at their strength levels workout to workout, or month to month, they are still training to get stronger.

Your body is built to adapt to stress. The stress adaptation model does not allow for one to maintain. There is either enough stress to elicit an adaptation to get stronger, too little stress for the body to adapt by getting weaker, or too much stress that causes the body to become injured. Maintaining really is just alternating between getting weaker and getting stronger.

[wal]

Get Stronger As You Get Older - Fitness First Australia

[Mark E. Hurling]

Would not this be different for the masters population? If a 40+ yo lifts the same weight year after year (let alone 60+ yo), they are in fact getting stronger relative to their age. That's why age-related Wilks coefficient goes up for every year after 40.

It's more than just the Wilks. Qualifying totals for nationals or worlds also drop as you go from the 60-64 age group to the 65-69 age group.