Congrats on getting started. That's the biggest step. Hope you get to squat proper with some training. All the best for your future progress.
For the record, my father started well into his sixties, and has seen great improvements.
Last week I started reading about Starting Strength (although I had heard about it before), and I binge-watched a couple dozen videos. Discussed the program with my physical therapist who is also a strength training coach and Oly-lifting coach. He approved me starting the program with a "don't do anything crazy." He has rehabbed me from two total hips, one rotator cuff tear, and countless injuries through the past decade. He also coaches me whenever I need help with exercises or a program, which is way above and beyond. I am very fortunate to have such a friend.
I watched the videos for squat, DL and bench, and took detailed notes. Watched them again, took more notes, watched them again.
My most recent injury is a hand surgery to repair a torn tendon on my thumb. That limits how much my thumb bends, and so will affect my grip at some point, but I am not at that point yet.
I want to detail what I am doing here, because I foresee big changes happening soon, and I want to be sure to have a record of EXACTLY where I started. My tendancy might be to say, "well, I wasn't really THAT bad... "... Yeah. I'm that bad.
The main thing I found was the squats are impossible for me.
For probably a decade before I had my hips replaced, I was diagnosed with a number of different problems by different specialists, but the upshot was that I was unable to abduct my hips, and I was unable to squat. It wasn't until I was almost 50 that someone thought to take an x-ray of my hips I was finally diagnosed with hip arthritis, and had my first hip replacement. So throughout my forties and into my 50s, I was unable to squat due to the joint not being able to flex. This meant that I had a decade or more of muscle weakening in the muscles required for this movement. Then I had hip replacement #1 and a few years later had the other hip replaced. So that adds up to about 15+ years of not having done the motion of a squat for whatever reason, and here I am at 59 now with two metal hips, surrounded by shortened, weakened muscles that have not been used for a long time.
It is amazing to me how de-conditioned you can become while appearing to be active and healthy. You just work around your weaknesses and forget that they are there. I have a little farm and carry heavy stuff around; bales of hay, feed bags, animals, etc., I dig post holes, carry wood and buckets of water, build fences, stuff like that, and feel like I am "pretty strong". Compared to most 59 year old women I probably am, but compared to what I would like to feel, I am barely scratching the surface, and a lot of my chores are harder than they need to be, even exhausting some days.
So that's the background.
After watching the SS videos and making tons of notes, I reviewed the videos again today, and went to the gym to attemp a correct squat for the first time in my life, and found that I could not do it. My hips will not bend very far and/or, more likely my legs are not strong enough to stand me back up, and my shoulders are so tight that I can't hold a bar across my shoulders.
So, I tried using a box, or a weight bench, and with a rather tall bench, I was able to do the squat movement with a little effort. I tried to follow all of the rules as if I were doing a "real" squat. The second set, I did with a broomstick across my shoulders. That was a bit of a stretch for my shoulders, but not painful, and I was able to get the "bar" where it is supposed to be, so I did the next set with it.
Overall, I did three sets of box-squats, two of them with a broom-handle for a bar. It was amazing to me how weak I really am, but it shouldn't surprise me given the past decades of disuse.
I also did DLs correctly for the first time. I had been DLing for a couple of years, but with crappy form. Today I went back from my PR of 155# down to a 45# bar. Good form there was easier to get than with the squat so I was happy with those.
Then I did bench press. Again with empty bar, but with correct positioning and form, which I have never done before. Despite a repaired rotator cuff tear, and a current partial tear on the other side, I used the best form I have ever used, and was able to do three sets of five with no pain, and feeling much more in control than I ever had before.
I was very happy to complete this workout, and noticed when I got home and hopped out of the truck that I could feel my glutes. Hoping that I don't wake up with bad pain in my shoulder.
I plan to do this three times a week for a few weeks until I get to where I can start adding a little weight. I think I will probably stay at the "starting" stage for some time to come, but as of today, I am happy and optimistic about this.
Congrats on getting started. That's the biggest step. Hope you get to squat proper with some training. All the best for your future progress.
For the record, my father started well into his sixties, and has seen great improvements.
This is a very encouraging story and am very happy to read what you are doing to make your life more pleasurable into the future. A we often say around here "if we live long enough we will become old and beat up. Our one choice is are we going to be old beat up and weak or old beat up and strong." I'm glad you are joining those of us who have chosen to be strong.
You did not indicate where you live but chances are you can get to a certified Starting Strength coach if you live within a few hundred miles of one. It is well worth the travel even if you can only meet with them once ever few weeks. There is a list of coaches on this website. Check it out and I wish you the best.
I'm today 70 years old. I never did any strength training until I was 66. My wife joined me in the adventure when she was 67. It's one of the best decisions we ever made.
Thursday.
20 minutes walk on treadmill
Squat -body weight /c assist/bench. 3x5
DL - 45# x 3 x 5
Bench 45# x 3 x 5
Good to hear you got started lifting! Keep at it, and you'll be surprised how far you will go!
Wow! I now have an image of a bionic Frankenstein's monster... but in a good way 😀
I am very interested in seeing your progress. Starting is always the hardest but worth it. Good luck!
Walk on treadmill x 20 min
Squat -body weight /c bench assist
Leg press 120# x 3 x 5 after warmup with 60/80/100#
DL 50# x 3 x 5 after warmup with 45# x 5
BP 45# x 3 x 5
I used to swim distances until my shoulder injury a few years ago When I was being coached I learned a shoulder "warm-up" to prevent injury to the shoulder. It's NOT stretching the joint, it's warming it up.
I still have rotator cuff tears with tendonosis and that might drive me to surgery again (I've had one rotator cuff repair, this is the other side), but this warmup might be a way to help protect it for a while.
Here's the warmup with an article about shoulder anatomy http://www.usmsswimmer.com/201001/sw...stretching.pdf
Treadmill warmup 10 minutes
Squats - working on getting down near parallel to the floor. Did some squats with a bench at or below there, also did 5 "partial" squats with a 45# bar with good form (except for depth).
Deadlift - warmup 45#, 50# 55#, then 60# x 3 sets /5 reps
Bench press - 45# 3 sets, 5 reps.
Last edited by Outstanding; 02-08-2017 at 03:34 PM. Reason: clarification
You're making great progress.
I'm 61 and I had a double hip resurfacing almost 13 years ago. I had a lot of difficulties hitting depth on the squat and progressed very slowly when I first started. I assume you had the replacements because of arthritis - I think when your joint mobility is severely reduced you end up with a lot of atrophy of the hip musculature. It just takes time and effort to reverse it. It'll come - in a few months you'll look back at this and be amazed at the improvement.