Bill's Geezerlog

[Bean1871]

Hi, Bill here. 51, 5'10" and 190 lbs as of today. I play soccer in a competitive league (Over 30 division) from April thru November, and suffer from what I call "soccer atrophy;" by the end of the season I have lost around 15 lbs of mass. The bulk of my weight training has historically taken place in the winter months, and once the season begins in late April,typically will do kettlebell or TRX work during the week. Over the last few years I have sustained more injuries than at any other time in my life, all soccer-related (rolled ankles, meniscus removal, and AC ligament separation). I believe the injuries and late season performance loss are due to strength loss in the hips.

This year I decided I will continue training through the competitive season, and build as much strength as I can manage. I've been on the SS protocol since November, and this week transitioned to the Intermediate program (TM) after noticing that I had been needing an extra day or two of recovery. Once the season begins, I am considering dropping one workout during the week since I will need two days to recover from Sunday's game. At that point, a Wednesday and Friday session seems logical. I'm open to suggestions for in-season programming.

My goals for 2011 (set in November) were:
Bodyweight goal of 200lbs (most of my adult life has been in the 170's, never over 193)
SQ 250/5x3
BP 225/5
DL 350/5
PR 135/5x3

Texas Method Week 1:

Monday 3/14/11
SQ 205/5x5
SP (seated press) 90/5x5 (a bit light)
DL 265/5

Wednesday 3/16/11
SQ 165/3x3
BP 155/3x3 (left elbow pain minimal)
Rows 75/3x3

Friday (unexpected dinner out with family)

Saturday 3/19/11
SQ 285/1
SP 125/1
DL 315/1

Weight: 190

[ColoWayno]

I think the strength training will help... but soccer is a mean game even for kids. I don't know if you saw it, but in one of Marks books he has a chart that lists the number of injuries per sport. He, of course, was making the point that training with weights is safe. Well, anyway, soccer was pretty high up on the list of sports with the most injuries, even ahead of American football, if I'm not mistaken.

That said, I would love to be able to play that. I did for a few years with an adult rec league with some guys from work. It was really fun, but I was always walking around with swollen up ankles and various other maladies.

Welcome to the forums, and good luck with your season.

[Bean1871]

I think the strength training will help... but soccer is a mean game even for kids. I don't know if you saw it, but in one of Marks books he has a chart that lists the number of injuries per sport. He, of course, was making the point that training with weights is safe. Well, anyway, soccer was pretty high up on the list of sports with the most injuries, even ahead of American football, if I'm not mistaken.

That said, I would love to be able to play that. I did for a few years with an adult rec league with some guys from work. It was really fun, but I was always walking around with swollen up ankles and various other maladies.

Welcome to the forums, and good luck with your season.

Thanks. I remember seeing those stats in SS. I figured Rip to be anti-soccer until I read his in his recent piece ("The Squat, or How I Learned to Stop Leg-Pressing and Use My Ass") that he played soccer in high school. Made me laugh out loud. I had similar experiences with playing soccer in the '70s: the football players called us pussies, our coach was the track coach, so all we did for practice was run hills. There was no real strategy involved. When I started playing again about 10 years ago, I was a good 10 years out of shape. I have gotten progressively more systematic about "soccer fitness" over the years, but I think with age my recovery time has slowed considerably. Games still affect me from the hips to ankles, but not like the severe lower leg swelling I used to get. These days, as a forward, I'm just getting more beat-up by the bigger, younger backs. If I can eat enough to keep gaining through the season, I'll be satisfied.

[Bazza20]

I wonder with the soccer injury statistics if they count the actual injuries they receive or the number of times they fall down and get stretchered off pretending to be injured.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Hey! Glad to see you're posting a log here. I have occasional problems with my feet that the docs can't figure out at all. Which probably means arthritis in my case, since I have had shadows of it in every X-ray I've had in the last 20 years in whatever bones I got took pictures taken of. I get mysterious aches that start somewhere on the instep, arch, or ankle and last from 1-3 days usually but sometimes longer. Sometimes they orbit around the foot from one place to another. Of course my history of injuries contributes to the problems, I'm sure. I've broken my right ankle in high school football and in judo in college. Then a few years ago I rolled my ankle walking off the mat after a jujitsu session and broke the tiny little bone on the far outside of the foot. Enough of the pissing an moaning, but I do a lot of ankle and achilles tendon stretching and mobility exercises to keep them in as good an operating order as possible. It has proven to reduce my problems to once or twice a year now. You might know of these already, but I put my toes on a curb or other raised surface and let my heels drop and hold there for a while. The ankles I sit and cross one leg over the other with one ankle hanging over the top of the other knee and rotate the ankle clockwise 10 times and then the other way 10 times. Then the other ankle. Perhaps it might help.

[Bean1871]

I wonder with the soccer injury statistics if they count the actual injuries they receive or the number of times they fall down and get stretchered off pretending to be injured.

I believe you are referring to the Italian Serie A. A lot of overpaid cry babies.

[Bean1871]

Hey! Glad to see you're posting a log here. I have occasional problems with my feet that the docs can't figure out at all. Which probably means arthritis in my case, since I have had shadows of it in every X-ray I've had in the last 20 years in whatever bones I got took pictures taken of. I get mysterious aches that start somewhere on the instep, arch, or ankle and last from 1-3 days usually but sometimes longer. Sometimes they orbit around the foot from one place to another. Of course my history of injuries contributes to the problems, I'm sure. I've broken my right ankle in high school football and in judo in college. Then a few years ago I rolled my ankle walking off the mat after a jujitsu session and broke the tiny little bone on the far outside of the foot. Enough of the pissing an moaning, but I do a lot of ankle and achilles tendon stretching and mobility exercises to keep them in as good an operating order as possible. It has proven to reduce my problems to once or twice a year now. You might know of these already, but I put my toes on a curb or other raised surface and let my heels drop and hold there for a while. The ankles I sit and cross one leg over the other with one ankle hanging over the top of the other knee and rotate the ankle clockwise 10 times and then the other way 10 times. Then the other ankle. Perhaps it might help.

Thanks, Mark. At our age, arthritis is a given. Even more important to do the warm-up thing. And not stop moving.

[Bean1871]

Monday 3/21/11
SQ 210/5x5
BP 180/5x5
DL 270/5 (no straps)

Wednesday 3/23/11
SQ 168/3x3
SP 72/3x3
Rows 80/3x3

Saturday 3/26/11
SQ 275/2
BP 215/1
DL 300/2

Weight: 191 lbs

Trying to remain patient and take it slow and steady, but since reading Rip's piece on squatting using your ass I'm really beginning to feel a lot stronger in my own squat, and have been tempted to throw three plates on and jump up into the 300s. This will come soon enough, though. Left elbow is behaving (as long as I don't do chins, pullups or cleans). Slept pretty crappy this week, but ate well. Bought Strong Enough one night and started reading it. Big mistake; was up past 3:00AM reading it. Good stuff. Overall, a pretty good week.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Patience, as our stern Puritan forebears would say, is a virtue. You wouldn't want to stir up the shade of Cotton Mather and get a fire and brimstone come to Jesus sermon, would you?

[bob g]

Hey Bean - Nice work so far. The TM thing will really help your recovery. Don't worry if you need to swith to 3x5 instead of 5x5 to manage recovery, especially when your season takes off. You'll still progress week to week. I know what you mean about wanting to jump up to a weight you know (today) that you can do. Stick with the program, though, and you'll be pleased with the results (tomorrow). A young guy like you will definitely hit your goals. Also, there's no problem going after the occasional big doubles or triples on Fridays, though, that's what Intensity Day is for. Cheers.