Weightlifting When Older

[4WD]

Since I’m on the road allot - learned to work with a couple sizes of bungees - I don’t even fool with handles because I can vary resistance by wrapping extra around my hands etc … Really good for rotator flexibility …

 

[walterjay]

I am over 65 and my wife and I recently started going to a gym. We hired a personal trainer to get us properly started and acclimated to a workout. She works with older people. Her goal is to prevent injury. My wife and I are at different places and our workout is very different from each other.

 

[vavavroom]

What's the best way to feel young when you're 85? Hang around with a bunch of people in their 90's.

Get a woman 1/3 my age is what I'd do. I'll either keep up or perish.

 

[aquariuscsm]

It’s all about constant maintenance. The problems happen when you let yourself go. I’ve been lifting since maybe age 13 and have never put the weights down. My max press is 235 and I think that’s my natural limit. I use isolate and creatine every day.

Dave Draper who was a friend of mine, always stressed protein and creatine. Plus maintaining. He was steadily working out till almost age 80.

 

[vavavroom]

That is something you should ask your doctor, not on a forum..

Unless your doctor happens to be practicing sports medicine, your doctor may not be too helpful when it comes to things like fitness, sports, and nutrition. He may however be helpful in determining whether or not you are healthy enough to do this or that sport.

 

[#18FAN]

It’s all about constant maintenance. The problems happen when you let yourself go. I’ve been lifting since maybe age 13 and have never put the weights down. My max press is 235 and I think that’s my natural limit. I use isolate and creatine every day.

Dave Draper who was a friend of mine, always stressed protein and creatine. Plus maintaining. He was steadily working out till almost age 80.

Do you still lift using progressive overload.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Do you still lift using progressive overload.

Absolutely! As a matter of fact, I can lift everything I have, so I need to go buy some more weight discs.

 

[c502cid]

I'm 60, travel for a living, and go to the gym 6 days a week. I've been working out regularly since I was 38. As my body aged, and wore out in many places, I changed my training quite a bit. Less weight, more reps, focus on form, a lot more cardio, and most everything I do is centered around building and maintaining my core. I had a back injury in the gym about 15 years ago, I got bumped into while squatting 225, and after the resulting surgery I quit lifting any real weight over my head and go very very light on squats or dead lifts.

Saying all this, your body is yours and nothing I do may help. I can only say that working my core is really helpful in about everything I do daily.

 

[vavavroom]

Core before anything else.

 

[vavavroom]

Absolutely! As a matter of fact, I can lift everything I have, so I need to go buy some more weight discs.

After 40 years of progressive overload, how do you still fit indoors?

 

[aquariuscsm]

Core before anything else.

Yes, core strength is very important. Keeps your endurance high.

 

[CharBaby]

I do mostly cardio but when I use weights, I do mostly more reps than heavy weight.

 

[c502cid]

Unless your doctor happens to be practicing sports medicine, your doctor may not be too helpful when it comes to things like fitness, sports, and nutrition. He may however be helpful in determining whether or not you are healthy enough to do this or that sport.

Fully agree with this, I'd also try to find a trainer who is older in years. I've found younger trainers, while they may have the education, just don't understand what a body is going through as it ages. I cringe watching them train someone who is older, especially a first timer to the gym.

 

[Leo99]

Unless your doctor happens to be practicing sports medicine, your doctor may not be too helpful when it comes to things like fitness, sports, and nutrition. He may however be helpful in determining whether or not you are healthy enough to do this or that sport.

I spoke to my GP and cardiologist about exercise and lifting. They both said very generic things like "The most important thing is to keep active. And you can't be active if you injure yourself." My chiropractor is a 61 year old bodybuilder and is a big fan of Arnold's encyclopedia. That's what he follows and preaches.

 

[xgmad]

My take, I'm 50. Once I retired from the cop job I didn't need the bulk anymore. Since HS and sports I've always trained for strength and size of course. Now I try yo protect the joints with still good weight but not pushing that last overload set with heavy weights. Now it's more reps, less weight, and less bulking. Keep that bone density up and muscular strengh up = a more independent life.

This is the best answer. More reps with less weight. Don't forget the pushups or pullups! Dips are also very nice.

 

[Cujet]

Lifting weights also helps bone density, at any age. Lifting weights can add years to your life, if done correctly, and that seems to require getting your heart rate up too. It's the interval training aspect that is said to be quite helpful. Jack Lalanne lived to age 96. He likely would have lived considerably longer but his pneumonia went untreated, as he refused to see a doctor.

While my situation is very different from the average person, due to MCTD (mixed connective tissue disease), associated mitochondrial dysfunction and Hashimoto's thyroid failure. Lifting weights has been a life-saver for me. Doc prescribed it to help mito dys, and lifting helped for years! Eventually the disease got worse and I ended up on medication. But I'm now able to work out again (within my limits)

 

[#18FAN]

This is the best answer. More reps with less weight. Don't forget the pushups or pullups! Dips are also very nice.

Might be best answer for you not necessarily anyone else.

 

[Vil_Riker]

No doubt that weight lifting is good for bone density and older people benefit. But whats too much for a given age ? I have always had small arms. I lift about 2-3 times a week.

I usually warm up on the treadmill or elliptical for 15 minutes or so.

I generally do free weight bench press about 135lbs 5 sets of 8-10, free weight curls with a 45lb barbell 5 sets of 8-10. Shoulder press on a machine 80lbs. Chest fly machine 80lbs. I use a machine for triceps 130lbs.

I'm 58 this year should i continue the the bench press with the 45lb plates, still go up in weight in small increments? Or should i back off and just do reps?

Whats too much weight when you get into your late 50's and up ?

I would maintain the current workout regiment, if it's not causing you any injuries. The weights seem appropriate. Just remember that with age things will become difficult so you will need to reduce the weights.

The key is to not injure yourself. Recovery gets harder and harder with every passing year after 40.

 

[RazorsEdge]

No doubt that weight lifting is good for bone density and older people benefit. But whats too much for a given age ? I have always had small arms. I lift about 2-3 times a week.

I usually warm up on the treadmill or elliptical for 15 minutes or so.

I generally do free weight bench press about 135lbs 5 sets of 8-10, free weight curls with a 45lb barbell 5 sets of 8-10. Shoulder press on a machine 80lbs. Chest fly machine 80lbs. I use a machine for triceps 130lbs.

I'm 58 this year should i continue the the bench press with the 45lb plates, still go up in weight in small increments? Or should i back off and just do reps?

Whats too much weight when you get into your late 50's and up ?

Too much weight?! As long as your making progress, that's an indicator of becoming stronger. Keep a log book that way you know when you have to work harder,which doesn't always mean you have to add weight. Try more reps as well in your routine.

 

[vavavroom]

I spoke to my GP and cardiologist about exercise and lifting. They both said very generic things like "The most important thing is to keep active. And you can't be active if you injure yourself." My chiropractor is a 61 year old bodybuilder and is a big fan of Arnold's encyclopedia. That's what he follows and preaches.

You can't be very active if you injure yourself but you do injure yourself by not being active. I think it's important to not overdo it and to recover. Also, focusing on only one activity increases the risk for injury. I would recommend swimming to anybody as an additional activity to whatever sport they already do.