Thread: Recovery and the Older Lifter

how many weeks have you been consistently training? It will take a number of weeks for your body to adapt to the level of soreness, etc.....

also, what do your workouts look like?

Best thing is to do what feels right for you and also to listen to the older guys here not the kids. I read all the time here from some how they hit a muscle group 3 or more times a week. Well you can do that at 14-25 and/or if you are using steroids and also if you do not train hard. But for me now that 40 is just a year away once a week per muscle group is enough to grow and long of a rest to heal. Also I take time off more often and for longer periods of time now. So 2 weeks off 3 times a year at least for me.

Originally Posted by P-funk

how many weeks have you been consistently training? It will take a number of weeks for your body to adapt to the level of soreness, etc.....

also, what do your workouts look like?

Well, I'm currently in my second week of my usual "two weeks of pain"...which is/was usually the amount of time it took for me to get back itnto things. However, this time, due to the fact that I'm paying extra attention to my hernia situation, I've been lifting lighter than I did in the past....sorta.

My workouts are something that I'm trying to re-structure as we speak, and I'll post these asap.....I hit a snag in the old schedule. Basically, right now I will do the following @ 3 sets x 8-12 reps (depending on the exercise) light to moderate weight:

Monday (Upper)

DB press
DB press (compound movement)
DB Flyes
BB curls
Offset BB curls
Cable Crossovers
Tri-press (straight bar)
Tri-press (close grip)
Tri-press (machine)
Pec-Deck (go ahead...laugh)
Cable Pull Downs (wide grip)
Cable Pull Downs (Close Grip)

Wednesday (Legs/back)

Leg Press (sim. to cybex)
Leg Press (straight/seated)
Hack Squats
Leg Curls
Extensions
Seated Rows

Right now this is all tentative....I am debating on whether to go with a full body light leg/heavy upper three times a week...don't know. I do know that I am overlooking some excercises, but lately I've been trying to pace myself (freakin' hard to do) and pay especially close attention to my ab area as I make movements in order to see which movements are okay, and which impact my ab injury.....kind of a spooky test phase we're in.

Originally Posted by ForemanRules

Best thing is to do what feels right for you and also to listen to the older guys here not the kids. .

Heh heh...no shit.

Yeah, I have the basic knowledge, but I'm just having a hard time fine tuning the plan.

that is a lot of stuff on the upper day and a lot of pushing and not a lot of pulling (were you are doing your back) on the lower day! Plus, a lot of the exercises on the upper day are pretty much the same movement...elbow extension, shoulder flexion, etc.....basically, you are beating a dead horse.

You need a little more structure.

I would recommend that you initially start out with 2-3 days a week of total body training (low volume)...something like one upper push, one upper pull, one lower quad dominant (or push movement) and one lower hip extension dominant (or pull) movement. Along with that some cardio to get your general conditioning up.

you need to proceed with caution at your hernia. Do hacks squats or leg presses bother it? Are those the only leg exercises you feel comfortable doing?


RE: "kids here"

Yea, I am 27 years old. Does that mean I don't understand how to structure workouts for those older then me? NO. I do this all the time, everyday. I am a professional in the field. So I'd appreciate it if you did not take shots at me or the other mods like that. All three of us that wrote the stickies (dale, pimp and myself) are under the age of 30. But, we train people of all ages. We are professionals in the field.

Originally Posted by P-funk

I am a professional in the field. So I'd appreciate it if you did take shots at me or the other mods like that. All three of us that wrote the stickies (dale, pimp and myself) are under the age of 30. But, we train people of all ages. We are professionals in the field.

And are educated, not taking random guesses based on personal experience or opinion.

You need to chill out, I never said a mod or pointed a finger at you. "Kids" as the High school crew here that jumps on every thread giving out shitty advice.

PS I wasnt fucking talking to you

Originally Posted by P-funk

that is a lot of stuff on the upper day and a lot of pushing and not a lot of pulling (were you are doing your back) on the lower day! Plus, a lot of the exercises on the upper day are pretty much the same movement...elbow extension, shoulder flexion, etc.....basically, you are beating a dead horse.

You need a little more structure. Yes, exactly.

I would recommend that you initially start out with 2-3 days a week of total body training (low volume)...something like one upper push, one upper pull, one lower quad dominant (or push movement) and one lower hip extension dominant (or pull) movement. Along with that some cardio to get your general conditioning up. My general conditioning insn't terrible, really. I'm sure cardio wouldn't hurt, of course.
you need to proceed with caution at your hernia. Do hacks squats or leg presses bother it? Are those the only leg exercises you feel comfortable doing?

You know the odd thing? All of the movements I expected to cause discomfort didn't....leg presses, hacks, extensions, etc. as long as my movements were slow and controlled...very controlled, and my breathing was damn near perfect....to the best of my knowledge, anyway.
Weird thing? The only time I felt any pressure or discomfort was when I yawned the other night. Keep in mind, this is a minor tear at this point, although there are days when I know its there via a very slight, ache.
Either way, surgery is in my future, so I'm going for it in the meantime.
RE: "kids here"

Yea, I am 27 years old. Does that mean I don't understand how to structure workouts for those older then me? NO. I do this all the time, everyday. I am a professional in the field. So I'd appreciate it if you did take shots at me or the other mods like that. All three of us that wrote the stickies (dale, pimp and myself) are under the age of 30. But, we train people of all ages. We are professionals in the field.

Um....No one said "young adults" or "young professionals"...I believe the comment was moreso directed to the "hey dude, how much ya benchin'?" slash "how big is your pecker?" crowd.

Who do you think you're dealing with here, Pat?

Anywho -

Damayor - i think the book Brawn had a fair bit on setting things up for the more mature lifter? Just thought I would bung my 2 cents in

Originally Posted by ForemanRules

You need to chill out, I never said a mod or pointed a finger at you. "Kids" as the High school crew here that jumps on every thread giving out shitty advice.

PS I wasnt fucking talking to you

Sounds fair, how bout some make up sex?

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Sounds fair, how bout some make up sex?

..but... but.... that would make foreman a pedophile!








you know we, at least speaking for myself, respect your advice/opnion and same goes for P, CP.. etc..

"age aint nuthin but a numbaaaaahhhhh"

Originally Posted by JonnyStead

Anywho -

Damayor - i think the book Brawn had a fair bit on setting things up for the more mature lifter? Just thought I would bung my 2 cents in

Noted...I'll check it out, thanks.

It's going to take more than a couple of weeks to get used to working out again. You've been out of the gym for a while, no? Eventually you'll figure it out. I'm currently doing 4 workouts a week. I've tried going to 5 and it just isn't happening.

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

It's going to take more than a couple of weeks to get used to working out again. You've been out of the gym for a while, no? Eventually you'll figure it out. I'm currently doing 4 workouts a week. I've tried going to 5 and it just isn't happening.

I am one stubborn son-of-a-bitch.......which is probably how I blew a gasket in the first place.


You're right though.

Hang in there Da Mayor. I have been back in the gym since April after a 7 year layoff but didn't get real serious until July. I had the same problem as you do in the beginning, taking just a couple of vitamins and trying to eat right. Things have changed quite a bit in 7 years. Until I started supplementing with whey shakes, glutamine and creatine, Advil was my friend. I do a 3 day a week routine: Monday: Chest and Back, Wednesday: Legs and Abs, Friday: Shoulders and Arms. This gives me a week to recover major muscle groups. I don't have the genetics to build a lot of mass, my BMR is 1844. I only weigh 143 lbs at 6 ft. I am a 'hard gainer'. At my age, 60, I want to maintain for sure so any size I get is a bonus. Since July I have only shown a net gain of 3 lbs but body fat has dropped from 15% to 9% which is a plus. I'm still fine tuning my routine to get my reps in the 5-7 range so I bump up the weight in each set until I hit that magic number. Since supplimenting, recovery is a hell of a lot quicker. Just try to make progress each time out. Best of luck.

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

Sounds fair, how bout some make up sex?

Only if you pull my hair

Let's get it on!

Originally Posted by Bakerboy

Let's get it on!

damn....


just...

damn.

I feel entertained in some stupid, adolescent, shameful way.

Originally Posted by Bakerboy

Let's get it on!

Has there ever been a more off topic post in any thread in any forum anywhere? I salute you!

Okay, so to recover faster I should hang out with some oriental teens and push a ping pong ball around with my tongue?


Excellent!

Originally Posted by DaMayor

Okay, so to recover faster I should hang out with some oriental teens and push a ping pong ball around with my tongue?


Excellent!

Who knows, DM. You might just start a fad.

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

Who knows, DM. You might just start a fad.

I am quite the trend setter, Y'know.

So, how long does it take...after a leg workout ,for instance, before one can walk again?


Ow.

may I suggest Stuart Mcroberts hard gainer type training he advocates in his new book Burn fat build muscle and look great. At 46 I am doing better than ever with a 2 day a week full body workout. The rest between the workouts is perfect for my lifestyle and even at my age am still seeing good gains.
my workout looks like this;
Saturday

squats
pull ups/downs
calf raise
incline DB bench
seated DB OH press
bicep curl
crunchs
stretching

Tuesday

SLDL
bent DB row
shrugs
Military press
Tricep ext
Side bends
Stretching

I do a warm up set and then 2 work sets of 8-12 reps and stopping when form starts to deteriorate. I add weight and or reps on a continual basis and look foreward to my training sessions. Bottom line is this much volume is working for me at my age and I can see this working for quite a while.
Backing off and slowing down for me was real hard to do but I know now its time to use the big head a little more often...........

McRoberts is a great writer.