Figuring out the next step

[charlie d]

Rip,

I'm 54 yrs old and been lifting for a year now. I used SS (I have 1st and 2nd edition) subing rows for PC's and recently switched to PC's. Here're my stats:

162 lbs BW, 5' 9 "

Squat 202.5 lbs x 5
Bench 160.0 lbs x 5
Press 105.0 lbs x 5
PC 105.0 lbs x 3
DL 245.0 lbs x 5

Very weak, but a huge improvement from where I started from. I did manage to put on about 10 lbs and I'm thankful for that. I'm real thin. Especially my lower body.

I just ordered PPST. My lifts have stalled except for PC. My PC is real shaky. My left foot does weird stuff when I try to increase weight. I guess I'm gun shy with this lift.

I'm trying to figure out if I should just continue with SS before reading PPST, or take a break for about a week or so, and just work on PC's until I read PPST and figure out my next step. What do you suggest?

Oh, and it's real fun figuring out the next step. Thanks for opening that door.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'll bet that your lifts will unstall if you take about 3 days and eat everything that's not trying to eat you. Your bodyweight is light for your height, and a 5 lb. weight gain might unstick you nicely, at least for a while as your PC catches up to your base strength.

[Tor]

Hey Charlie,

Just curious about your experience with weight gain. My dad is 61 years old and doing starting strength, an inch taller than you but the same weight. He seems deathly afraid to gain any poundage, doesn't want to lose his girlish figure? really I'm not sure why. Any suggestions or words of encouragement for a man who's metabolism might have slowed since his younger days and is concerned he'll get fat and not strong?

Tor

[Mark Rippetoe]

If your 61-year-old dad has a girlish figure, he needs to be worshiped as a God. Just trick him into training, and leave him on his current diet until he figures out for himself that he's not getting fat.

[charlie d]

Tor,

I'm still wearing the same size pants - 33" so I'm not concerned about fat gain. My total weight gain since I started a year ago is about 12 lbs. I'm more concerned with staying as strong as possible as I age. I don't want to be a burden to my family 20-25 years from now (if I can last that long).

Rip,

I've put on 2 lbs so far. I reset my weight, except for PC, and am gaining momentum to push through my previous PR's. That's scheduled to happen about 2 weeks from now. We'll see how it goes.

C