2 or 3 days a week for a 59 year old novice

[PapaBear59]

I asked this of Michael Wolf and thought I would throw this out to you all as well.

I am getting ready to introduce the Starting Strength program to a 165 lb, 59 year old male (he will be 60 next March) who has not lifted weights since high school. Now that he is retired he wants to start strength training.

Looking over the The Barbell Prescription I am uncertain as to whether start him out 3 days a week as on 197 or 2 days a week as on page 206?

Could you provide some guidance?

[Jonathon Sullivan]

If his schedule permits 3 days a week, train him 3 days. If he tolerates it, continue. If he prefers 2 days, or if his recovery isn't quite there, let him train 2 days.

Put novice masters on the standard LP unless you can't, or they won't.

[Mike Carlton]

I'm a skinny 59 year old male who had never lifted weights until April this year, at which point I weighed 147 lb. I've managed 3 days a week without much difficulty, once I cut back on all of my other activities - CrossFit and cycling - and have seen my squat go from 45 to 90 kg, deadlift from 60 to 130 kg and my bodyweight is up to 160 lb. I'm sure if I could train myself to eat more, my body weight and lifts would be even better. I've no intention of stopping the Novice Progression any time soon.

I know that anecdote isn't data but that's been my experience.

[Cheesepuff]

If his schedule permits 3 days a week, train him 3 days. If he tolerates it, continue. If he prefers 2 days, or if his recovery isn't quite there, let him train 2 days.

Put novice masters on the standard LP unless you can't, or they won't.

So true!
My brother and I started LP in this demographic. My brother tolerated 3 days far better than I did. And boy, do I wish I could have tolerated 3 days.

[SteveL]

I asked this of Michael Wolf and thought I would throw this out to you all as well.

I am getting ready to introduce the Starting Strength program to a 165 lb, 59 year old male (he will be 60 next March) who has not lifted weights since high school. Now that he is retired he wants to start strength training.

Looking over the The Barbell Prescription I am uncertain as to whether start him out 3 days a week as on 197 or 2 days a week as on page 206?

Could you provide some guidance?

When I started LP I was able to tolerate 3 days a week for about four months and then had to drop to two days a week for a while. Once out of LP I stayed with the two days a week using a program out of Practical Programming. Luckily for me when that program ran it's course and I could no longer adapt to it BBP came out and now I've gone to the four day a week routine in BBP.

[PapaBear59]

Thank you for your replies.

Appreciate them.

[Jeff Erickson]

I match your description pretty closely. I started lifting for the first time at 61 and 160 pounds, 5 foot 10. I am 10 months in and am still lifting 3 times a week. What surprised me was how quickly I exited LP and Karl put me into an intermediate program. I ate a ton and gained 20 pounds quickly. I have slowed that down so my belly doesn't outpace my muscles so much.

[Bill G]

I’m almost 62 years of age. Due to an unpredictable work schedule, and a limited time block in which to train, I’ve progressed from a pre-novice to novice by lifting every day, with a weekly rest day, and some recovery weeks. I do one lift per day.

I guess I am missing some training advantages by having less frequent rest days, and maybe by not coupling the physiological effects of the deadlift and squat with smaller-muscle overhead press, bench and weighted pull-ups, but there are advantages, too. I am more addicted to training, I think. And geezer pre-novices and novices have to make it a big goal to train extra-consistently, I believe. In addition, because I am still coaching myself, and am not real bright, this one-a-day approach lightens my cognitive load and has, I think, allowed me to learn more better, even if my LP slope is lower. Finally, after decades as a desk jockey, one’s connective tissue needs longer to adapt than muscle, and I seem to be working through hot spots in the elbows and back pretty well. But what am I missing out on? Thanks. (P.S. I’m expecting to have my first coaching session in a couple of weeks, and I do know that I’ve missed a lot by having to put it off this long.)

[Bill G]

But what am I missing out on?

I know, I know. I’m not doing the F-ing program. Consequently, I am “missing out” on progress since I started 10 months ago of around 90 lbs. on my deadlift, about 75 lbs. on my squat, etc., etc. But what else should I be doing and considering, given I’m going to have to be on a one-a-day program for the foreseeable future?

[misterponytail]

I am more addicted to training, I think.

This. I think it is better to do something incremental that you can sustain (that is, build a habit) over the long term rather than to worry about some "perfect" program that you might be missing out on...