Weight training for 84 year old woman

[Charles Jenkins]

Thank you all for your help. Unfortunately the nearest SS coach is a 2h boat trip followed by a 2 h plane trip away and some waiting in between. Doable, but I am not gonna drag her along.
My conclusion so far is this:
Ideally she should train heavy deadlifts, but then she must perform the Valsalva maneuver. I read in the "The Barbell Prescription" that this is safe but I am not willing to bet her life on that. BTW I forgot to mention the important fact that she had an aneurism 3 years ago. Sorry about that.
I think the Starting Strength approach to weight training is the best for almost anyone, maybe except for my mother. It could have worked but then she would have needed continous very high quality coaching.
Actually as much as you will hate to hear this; I think Super-Slow training might work for her. It was designed for elderly women. It is safer since it uses machines. I understand that the quality of Super-Slow training is inferior to heavy barbell training. It is less functional since it uses machines and do no train fast twitch muscles which is what elderly need the most.
Anyway I think I will work with the physio and aim low. First we must find which muscles are very weak and strengthen these. The goal will be to maintain and to a small degree increase strength.

If she's interested in training, sign her up with SSOC. Boom: you've got a good coach setting the programming and helping with form. Don't worry about finding which muscles are weak; they're all weak if she's 84 and doesn't train. Have her do the big barbell lifts properly, which includes breathing right. Screw tempo lifting. And stop worrying about her hypertrophy. In her situation, we care about quality of life, not how she looks in a bikini.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

BTW I forgot to mention the important fact that she had an aneurism 3 years ago.

If I remember correctly (a big if), this is one of a very limited number of conditions that would preclude any sort of strength training. You might want to check with Dr. Sullivan about this, it might be quite important.

Best wishes to you and your Mum.

IPB

[Charles Jenkins]

If I remember correctly (a big if), this is one of a very limited number of conditions that would preclude any sort of strength training. You might want to check with Dr. Sullivan about this, it might be quite important.

Best wishes to you and your Mum.

IPB

And, fortunately, if he signs up with SSOC, they'll literally ask Sully.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

If she's interested in training

Just for the record, apparently she isn't.

She does not seem too interested.

IPB

[JD Keip]

... BTW I forgot to mention the important fact that she had an aneurism 3 years ago..

STOP until she is cleared to perform ANY kind of lifting. Cleared by an actual medical doctor. Does her physio know about this part of her medical history?

[Bestafter60]

Actually as much as you will hate to hear this; I think Super-Slow training might work for her. It was designed for elderly women. It is safer since it uses machines. I understand that the quality of Super-Slow training is inferior to heavy barbell training. It is less functional since it uses machines and do no train fast twitch muscles which is what elderly need the most.
Anyway I think I will work with the physio and aim low. First we must find which muscles are very weak and strengthen these. The goal will be to maintain and to a small degree increase strength.

I found "Body by Science", the book that promotes super slow lifting of submaximal weights while utilizing machines for safety, six years ago at age 59, and practiced it faithfully for several months. It was the last of the "goofy programs" I tried before finally discovering Starting Strength. After slight gains in the first few weeks, I noticed nothing was really happening strength - wise, but persisted out of stubborn belief in Dr. McGuff, the author, and Dr. Mercola, the source of the introduction to the book.

I can still remember the looks of pity from younger guys in the gym, as I struggled mightily under a super slow 65 pound seated press with smug awareness that I had found the real secret to strength training.

What finally broke me was the time a muscular trainer working with a beautiful young girl walked over and "helped" me past what probably looked to him to be a "sticking point" but to me was the magic point where (I forget their term for complete exhaustion of all fibers and energy sources) was just taking place. With no real strength gains, no new skills learned, and no more tolerance for pity, I abandoned the program and found a real way to get strong.

If you can get your mom motivated, make sure to train her in a way that improves balance, develops strength in the context of everyday movements, and provides her a sense of ongoing accomplishment.

[Mark E. Hurling]

This^.

Biggest waste of time and effort I ever undertook. I was in my 40's though.