Retiring Soon - More Time to Lift - Change up Program?

[SteveL]

I’m 60 and will be retiring after 37 years on July 1st. This is going to give me more time for lots of things! One of them of course is strength training. I’m wondering if I should look into changing up my program since I will have more time for perhaps greater gains but I also don’t want to mess with success. I started using the Barbell Prescription four day Heavy-Light program 1st of January. It’s a three week cycle of 5s, 3s, and 1s. I use it for the bench press, overhead press, squat, dead lift and I do throw chin ups in there as well twice a week. I’ve been getting gains of anywhere from 1 to 3lbs on each lift every week since then which is awesome. What I’m wondering is should I try out a Heavy-Light-Medium program that is also spoken of in the book? Perhaps the gains I’m getting is about as good as it gets which if true is fine with me as if I can string out those gains over a year that is really nice progress. One of the things I notice in the book is that for those 60 and older discretion is advised with an H-L-M program. Thoughts?

I am signed up for a Squat camp in my area in May. That should be really interesting as the one lift that has me stumped is the squat. I’m sure I have issues with form but I also think it’s a mind game that I don’t have issues with on the other lifts. I’ve been making progress on that lift under the H-L but not as fast as the other lifts.

[misterponytail]

I’m 60 and will be retiring after 37 years on July 1st.

Nice. I'm about a year behind you... (Sometimes I think I should change my username to misterimpatient!)

This is going to give me more time for lots of things! One of them of course is strength training. I’m wondering if I should look into changing up my program since I will have more time for perhaps greater gains but I also don’t want to mess with success.

Life is nothing but a big experiment. What are your goals? Are you trying to get stronger just to get stronger? Do you have other activities that benefit from increased strength? Do you care about changing how you look?

My take on the 60 and over thing is that you should do whatever you want to do and see how well you do it. Most health care professionals I talk to urge caution, but I think that's because their goals are more about avoiding damage/injury than about pushing your limits. I figure you should try as many different things as you can and see what works best for you. Do you keep a log book? (Training, diet, etc.) I love switching things up and keeping track of what happens. Then I can look back and see what worked best for me. My wife and I have switched things up a couple times now. We were in a bodybuilding/hypertrophy stage for a while, then we did a SS stage for a bit, then she decided to compete in powerlifting, so we've been doing a powerlifting peak cycle for the last six weeks. My wife is a bodybuilder at heart, she'll never be able to give that up, so I'm sure we'll go back into a bodybuilding period after the meet. I've rather enjoyed the changes, it keeps things fun and interesting...

[SteveL]

I'm just in it to get stronger so I can continue to do things as I age. I love to ski, cycle and hike and lets face it as we age if we can keep our strength up we can just have more fun doing things as we are out and about. I don't have any desire for bodybuilding or power lifting. The sad thing while at the same time awesome is that at 60 I've never been as strong as I am now. I really get heartened by reading from the people in the 70s on this forum who are also getting stronger so it looks like I've got some decent runway left.

[LarryLohkamp]

I retired at 60, too. That was 8 years ago and I'm having a lot of fun. You may find that you don't have as much free time as you'd expect. I often wonder how I used to find time for work, what with everything going on. I say stick with your program since you are getting gains. We all seem to have and exercise that hates us. Mine is the press.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Mostly what has already been said. Let your progress dictate your program. Juggle it around your other interests if you need to, but determine your priorities. If your priority is more strong, make those sessions your landmarks to juggle the other stuff around.

[Giri Kotte]

If you have time and you want to utilize some of it to gain strength, you will be better off sleeping more

[SteveL]

If you have time and you want to utilize some of it to gain strength, you will be better off sleeping more

Interesting you say that as one thing I've been told by friends who have retired over the last couple of years is that for the first time in a long time they are fully rested.

[Inverstone]

I'm 66. Just the "iittle" things like being able to lounge around in bed in the a.m. sipping a coffee and reading before
launching into the day, the lack of a commute and it's attendant stresses, worrying 14/7 if your boss was mad at YOU that day
or just mad, etc. etc. Automatically improves our recovery abilities so a noticeable extent. (a lot).
If I had to pick a name for what I'm doing currently I guess it would be "power building".
The ease and time I now have to prep tupperware to go meals, make nutrition more of a hobby/interest than ever is also stellar
compared to trying to fit all that thought energy and physical energy into the work week.
I haven't found that my sleep pattern has changed though. I still am a 6 hr. guy on average and it "seems" to be enough for me but
I would love to be the 8-9 hr. sleep guy. No matter how many sleep "hygiene" practices I employ it just doesn't change. You may enjoy
more sleep time now that the stressors have been reduced from work.
You WILL be wondering how you ever fit the post office, banking, grocery shopping, etc. in while you were working because in retirement those
everyday chores take up a surprising amount of time!

[David Clark]

33 work days after today and I retire from public education.

[SteveL]

I'm 66. Just the "iittle" things like being able to lounge around in bed in the a.m. sipping a coffee and reading before
launching into the day, the lack of a commute and it's attendant stresses, worrying 14/7 if your boss was mad at YOU that day
or just mad, etc. etc. Automatically improves our recovery abilities so a noticeable extent. (a lot).
If I had to pick a name for what I'm doing currently I guess it would be "power building".
The ease and time I now have to prep tupperware to go meals, make nutrition more of a hobby/interest than ever is also stellar
compared to trying to fit all that thought energy and physical energy into the work week.
I haven't found that my sleep pattern has changed though. I still am a 6 hr. guy on average and it "seems" to be enough for me but
I would love to be the 8-9 hr. sleep guy. No matter how many sleep "hygiene" practices I employ it just doesn't change. You may enjoy
more sleep time now that the stressors have been reduced from work.
You WILL be wondering how you ever fit the post office, banking, grocery shopping, etc. in while you were working because in retirement those
everyday chores take up a surprising amount of time!

My current commute is around 45 minutes in the morning and 50 in the afternoon. I will so LOVE not having that in my day!