scott967

Can't really relate, as I've never been able to significantly elevate heart rate while weight training. Nor have I seen the need to. Intensity to me means number of reps to failure. But at 67 I aim for a minimum of 10 reps in any set, prefer 12. I have found more weight / less reps will invariably lead to joint problems before I get muscle fatigue. I started using nautilus more, as it seems to me easier on the joints (in particular, shoulder).

BITD we would all "pyramid" warming up at 10 or so reps and increasing weight to single lift, then back down. Not sure if that was a good plan or not, just seemed like how "everybody does it".

The other thing is getting back from a lay-off is worlds different now compared to when I was younger.

scott s.
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Carbonfiberboy 

I wouldn't have bothered to respond if I were skeptical. I know you as a knowledgeable poster.

When I started out strength training, I followed Friel's advice in the 2nd edition of his Bible, which I highly recommend: 7-9 exercises, 3 sets of 30 circuit style, same weight for each set of that exercise, weight set to that the last set will be to failure just before 30. Friel says to do that just for your Anatomical Adaptation phase, but I got such good results that I did that for 2 years. Yes, that gets your HR up for sure. I'd let mine drop back to some number still in the aerobic zone before doing the next exercise in the circuit, so I was aerobic the whole time. I would take one breath per rep as long as I could, then start taking 2 breaths per rep. That was enough. I started doing that in my early 50s. I think I've mentioned all this in previous posts.

"Results" means you go faster on the bike or have more endurance or both. I got both. Just increasing the weight lifted or reps doesn't count as "results" for a cyclist. Too many people are confused about that.

This Covid thing has sucked, big time. Only one gym is left in my town. We're vaccinated now and will join and start strength training there again, tomorrow. I can hardly wait to get under a bar again.

Carbonfiberboy 

Well, as I said above, we're gym members again. We're starting out like I did 20 years ago with 3 sets of 30. Actually, we can't do 3 sets yet. 2 light sets have us on our butts. It's going to be a long way back. I'm amazed at how weak we are. We're doing 50 mile hilly rides on the tandem, but we're really slow on the hills. I think I know why now.

scottfsmith

Go for it!

I am seeing the other side, my average power (NP rating) has gone up around 10 watts since I started lifting. I also need to remember to bump it up a bit more on the bike, my usual pace isn't nearly as much effort as it was. I have had to sprint home on several rides, I realized there was only 10 minutes left and my tank was nearly full.

rwmct

I know this thread has been quiet for a few months, but it is such an important topic to me, for all around health as well as for biking, hiking, kayaking, whatever. Especially for those of us over 50.

I am a big fan of compound lifts and using a mix of barbells and dumbells. At 62, I like to do short workouts, like a giant set of three exercises: a press, a row, and a squat/lunge/stepup or deadlift. If I do the squat movement on workout I do the deadlift one the next. I like to work in the 5-8 rep range. Not a fan of 10 reps or higher, unless working specifically on muscular endurance. A workout week might be five sets of five or four sets of eight on: bench press and some kind of row and some squat variant on Monday, and shoulder press, lat pulldown or chin ups and deadlift on Wednesday, repeat Monday's workout on Friday. Also use a rowing machine most workouts. Close with some planks or farmers walks (just grab a pair of heavy dbs or a plate and walk around counting the paces.

In the winter I like to work on strength and so I go heavier. Six sets of three, for example. Or repeating sets of five, three, one, with a finish of ten say. IMO, as you get older working on strength is just as important as before. And once the decent weather comes in, I alternate lifting days with riding or kayaking.

I strongly feel most people train too light. I am not saying try to go for PRs all the time. But one should not be afraid of lower rep, higher weight sets once you have the movements down fairly well.

rwmct

That is tremendous!
Lifting really is the actual fountain of youth. There are so few things that are "guaranteed to work." Lifting pretty much is one of them.

wolfchild

I don't need gym membership to keep strong and fit....I do my strength training routine at home once per week using kettlebells and heavy steel clubs/maces which I swing around and perform various types of athletic movements. I find that a lot more effective than barbell and dumbbell workouts... I also work at a physical labor job which in itself can be a more functional workout than any gym workout.

wolfchild

I've been training with kettlebells for many years now and I will never go back to barbells and other traditional weight training routines. There is a good reason why some people choose kettlebells and that reason is because they work when used correctly. If your goal is to build beach muscles than go and lift weights, if your goal is to develop athleticism, kettlebells are a a better tool for the job.

Your opinion is wrong.

wolfchild

20 rep squats is an old school way of putting on mass very quickly. The problem with this approach is that it's unsustainable long term and is only meant to be used for a few weeks at a time during the year. It's pointless to punish yourself with 20 rep squat routines unless you're a pro bodybuilder....

Carbonfiberboy 

This thread started back in April '21. As I mentioned in post 28, we're gym members again. The 3 X 30 thing didn't last long. We had limited time, considering where we were and were we needed to get, so after a month of that, we moved to 3 X 12. It's coming along. We're 5 weeks into this program, pulling work on Tuesday, pushing on Thursday, 9 different things on each day IIRC. On pushing day, I had some noticeable weight/rep increases, which it was depended on whether I'd guessed right on the max for the last set. Meaning if 12 isn't enough, I'll go to 16 or wherever last possible rep is. I'd rather have 8-10 reps be my max on the last set.

In the squat rack, we start with the 45# bare bar and do a set and some loosening up with that, then add some decent weight. Actually we do 4 sets in the squat rack since the 45# warmup doesn't count. I can't imagine squatting any weight without a good warmup and gradually working up to max. Powerlifters can spend an hour in the rack, starting with 45# and working up to 600 or whatever. I'm not interested in that. Gym is not my sport, just my necessary to do my sports.

Our county has a mask mandate again. 2 days ago, at the gym, I'd guess 90% had their masks either pulled down or off. That's a little scary. I wrote to gym management, we'll see what they say.

rwmct

Pro Athletes all over the word train with barbells and dumbells. You think they are ignorant of the wonders of kettlebells? Or maybe they are secretly focused on looks instead of improving in their sports?

I am not knocking kettlebells, but come on. That kind of statement is ridiculous.

wolfchild

When it comes to fitness and nutrition I refuse to follow " status-quo workouts and nutrition programs " which majority of our modern fitness buffs and gym goers are doing... I have my own personal system of training and nutrition which works great for me and that's what I do.

rwmct

That is great. But its no reason to knock dumbells and barbells, which are proven tools used for decades.

LibertyFLS

I started lifting at 45 for the first time in my life and it became religion. I went 3-5 days a week for 5+ years straight until COVID happened. I got dumbells soon after but for me, lifting at home is not the same. When I put my headphones on and get into the zone at a gym with no distractions for an hour, I just can’t replicate that at home. I lost a lot of bulk, but I rediscovered cycling!! So I’m always going to be grateful for the pandemic making me find another form of fitness.

Gains are slow coming and at this age even slower. But they do come. It’s also hard to see in yourself so it’s good to take some pics to document your progress. I’m 6’2 and was always skinny. Until my 30’s I was still like 175 pounds wet. Then age, marriage, kids, beer and I was a typical dad-bod, mainly thin, but with a 6-7 month old baby in my belly 😂

At my peak I could bench 4 plates (225#) max which is what I would see the big guys doing even though I never considered myself big. After almost a year out of the gym my chest lost the most strength. I used to do curls with 35# bells but am doing 25 now, I can still curl 35 but am working my way back. I am about 1 month back at the gym so it will take some time and with cycling in the mix, I don’t need to be as built as I was anyhow so my goals are more to kind of keep what I have.

Anyhow here’s my weekly gym routine. And it all comes down to your goals. I never in my life though I would be thick but as a 50 year old I had probably the best body in my life. I wanted to look strong so gains was my goal. Now I think with a year of cycling and losing 15 pounds (best diet ever!) I look like a fit slim guy at 185#

Each group is 1x per week only for gains. For tone use less weight, more reps and you can do it a few times a week. And I have had the list below in my notes app the whole time and I look at it every time and make changes or edits now and then.

Arms
barbell preacher curls, 3 sets 80 pounds 10 reps (if I use 90 pounds I lower reps to 6-8)
dumbbell curls, 3 sets, 35 pounds 10 reps (if I do 40 pound I lower reps to 6-8)
dips, 4 sets, 20, 15, 15, 15
cable pull downs, 3 sets, 10 reps
cable curls, 3 sets, 10 reps
overhead tricep dumbbell lifts, 3 sets, 65 pounds, 10 reps
crush grip goblet squats, 3 sets 65/70 pound dumbbell, 10 reps

Back / Shoulders
pull up, 3 sets 5 reps (slow and steady to warm up)
tripod row, 3 sets 80-
100 pound, 10 reps
dumbbell pullover, 3 sets of 10
cable row, wide grip / close grip (alternating on weeks) 3 sets, 10 reps
lat pull downs, 3 sets of 10
side lateral raise, 3 sets of 10
dumbbell front raise, 3 sets of 10
Arnold press (alternating seated or standing per week) 3 sets of 10

Chest
bench press, 3 sets, 1st set 20 reps (135 pounds warmup), increase to 185 pounds 3 sets 6-8 reps
incline press, 3 sets, 155 pounds, 10 reps
decline press, 3 sets, 185 pounds, 10 reps
dumbbell press, 3 sets, 65 pound dumbbells, 10 reps
cable crossover low, 3 sets, 10 reps
cable crossover middle, 3 sets, 10 reps
cable crossover high, 3 sets, 10 reps

Kanon25

Try to maintain 3 times a week at about 45-50 minutes long sessions. Even make one session for power, doing sets of about 30-45 seconds at close to max weight, with long rest between sets. Make the other two sessions endurance, staying about 60 of max weight but with shorter rest between sets.

I would also add planks, and mountain climbers to your set of exercise.

Also a good idea to vary the weeks, with some weeks doing less intense cycling and more on the weights, plus for example some long slow walks. Other weeks switch it the other way around

irwin7638

I've taken to a relatively light weight workout on Monday and Friday. I do a different full body workout each time (I have five that I use in rotation). It's more for maintenance than building. I found that gives the old (69) body plenty of time to recover.

Daniel4

Try deadlifts and squats at body weight or more for 10 or 15 reps. Then do drop sets. If you're not huffing and puffing, find the right combination of weights and reps until you do.

Marylander

I've got a fairly unique situation in that I've got an aortic aneurysm that limits what I can lift. Even there the cardiologist can't really define what is "safe". As a former powerlifter (possibly the cause of the aneurysm but there's no way of knowing) I could lift a fair bit. I was just getting back in the gym after spending a few years mostly just running and deadlifted 20x415 fairly easily the week the cardiologist gave me the bad news on the aneurysm. When telling me what was ok in the gym he said that 15-20 reps ought to be safe but then also said don't exceed 60 lbs. Dang...

I'm in the process of moving and all my gym stuff is in storage at the moment but, once moved, I'm planning on getting back to it. I'll just have to avoid anything that gets my blood pressure up too high (no tomato face) and can't hold my breath. Anyway, I'm not really looking for advice just whining about my lot in life.

Rdmonster69

I work out with weights for about an hour to hour and fifteen minutes at a time. I don't sit around alot while doing it. Some days I will ride 20-25 miles and work out. That's at best 2 or 3 times a month. Im 51 and probably am amping up exercise more than ever before as I am recovering from an accident and it has been a huge help....plus I always did it anyway but I have stepped it up a notch,

Resistance training is great for keeping your bones strong and minimizing muscle loss that occurs with aging.

rwmct

Amen!

rwmct

Good lord! I hope people who are new to lifting don't see this kind of thing and think that is what a workout should look like.

You can do very effective full body workouts with five or six different exercises total, or an upper and lower split with four exercises a workout.

And rather than focus on body parts it is much better to focus on opposing movement patterns (push/pull).

wolfchild

Yes that's the main reason why I do resistance training.