Jeremy Wooden: Squatting 405 at 40

[Mark Rippetoe]

Squatting 405 lbs at 40 | Jeremy Wooden

[Mark Le Comte]

Squatting 405 lbs at 40 | Jeremy Wooden

After doing a lot of bodybuilding in youth thinking it would help with sport (it did, but maybe not as much as serious strength training would have) I'm in a similar position. I'm stronger at 43 than I ever was in my 20s and 30s, even with a nearly 10 year lay off from weights with a young family.

I easily PR'd squat, bench, deadlift and press after 6ish months of doing the programme, then went further with texas method.

Now I'm still training hard to stay at my novice/advanced novice limits and play basketball and golf at very good levels and enjoy life. I made the decision that keeping bench/squat/dead around 140kg/200kg/230kg keeps the right balance for me.

With hindsight, I cant understand why more sportsman don't invest 6 months to get strong.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Because people in a position of authority tell them it's not necessary, and it's just easier to believe it.

[wwy]

Great write up. I agree is it better to start with a SS coach.

At the age of 58, I was lucky to find a SS coach in my country. If there is not, I don't think I will ever start doing barbell training on my own.

Have been training for 3 months and the weight I have been carry is more than I have carry my entire gym life. (even though it is very low weight compare to others in this forum).

[Jyri Kosonen]

I am 47, and this is an excellent article, all are good points, but especially point 3. sounds very familiar personally. I am also at a stage in my LP where all squat weights are uncharted territory so to speak, at least for sets of five. My old 1 RM weight is just 12,5 kg (28 lbs) away. I am seriously considering joining the SSOC.

[Xfitter]

I'm sorry if I missed this but I'm in the exact same situation but a year older.

What was your 5RM that equalled a 4-plate 1RM?

Of course, I'm not you but there are a lot of similarities and the 5RM to 1RM conversion may be one too.

Thanks and Congratulations!

[chrisza]

Great article and I can completely relate. I started training via SS 3 years ago and am 100% self taught. It took me 2 years to finally develop a correct squat, Dl etc. Lots of recording of lifts, constant reference to the book and videos and multiple re-sets. I've reached that 405 mark as of 5 months ago, but had I had hands on coaching from the start, I would have likely hit that mark at 12 months or less. I tell anyone considering SS or any BB training to seek out a competent coach at the outset.

[Lee F. Stewart]

Great article. Same deal here. "Did the Program" (did NOT do the program) for about a year. Then got a coach on SSOC and took about 6 months to REALLY feel like I got my squat tuned up. (36 YO desk jockey with sever scoliosis). If I had a coach from the start, same story.

I would propose that even though us chaps made the best attempt we could by trying the program ourselves, with whatever level of reading and visual comprehension we have, was still not necessarily wasted time. I am someone who loves to try to coach anyone who will allow me, basically. And I wonder if there was some advantage to have done it wrong, and then gone through the hard work to correct my own shitty form, which will make me a better coach in the end? This is, of course, an inefficient use of my OWN time for my OWN training. But does anyone here think that perhaps the journey might have some value?

[Daniel Cavallari]

Great article. Same deal here. "Did the Program" (did NOT do the program) for about a year. Then got a coach on SSOC and took about 6 months to REALLY feel like I got my squat tuned up. (36 YO desk jockey with sever scoliosis). If I had a coach from the start, same story.

I would propose that even though us chaps made the best attempt we could by trying the program ourselves, with whatever level of reading and visual comprehension we have, was still not necessarily wasted time. I am someone who loves to try to coach anyone who will allow me, basically. And I wonder if there was some advantage to have done it wrong, and then gone through the hard work to correct my own shitty form, which will make me a better coach in the end? This is, of course, an inefficient use of my OWN time for my OWN training. But does anyone here think that perhaps the journey might have some value?

No doubt, I think that fucking up is the best way to learn, and the best coaches are mediocre lifters, as in any sport.
Also, I think Rip said somewhere that the Program is so powerful that even when you do a mutilated version of it, it still works to some extent. So it's not really wasted time, just time that could be better spent if you had a SSC.