Weightlifting When Older

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.
That an important point. It takes longer to recover as we age.
 
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.
Especially when older, what's wrong with just doing moderate strength training to maintain good muscle tone? Moderate aerobics activities to maintain good cardio health. Some stretching to maintain muscle, joint, and tendon/ligament health. It seems that if the goal is always the next level "stronger", you will always be chasing the unobtainable and subjecting yourself to injury. Maybe some yoga/mindfulness meditation to maintain mental health. I'm 66 and have many friends/coworkers (6) that wrecked their bodies with poor body building and work practices (Testosterone driven, he-man back, joint, and other injuries). You know the scenario....... we're on a logging job - "I can lift that 120 lb log like a tooth pick". These guys are all bionic men now, with all sorts of mechanical joints. Yes, that old saying about moderation seems like an excellent idea.
 
@spasm3 this isn't a question that gets reasonably answered in a internet forum post.
That said, I would recommend The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40.

It can be had for about $20 on Amazon.
In my experience it is an excellent reference guide, but be prepared to read as it's about 300 pages.
Good luck!!!
I second this. Dr Sullivan is a board certified physician and very experienced with older lifters. His gym is called Grey Steel. I discovered him through the Starting Stength website about 10 years ago. He has alot of good stuff on Youtube if anyone want to check him out before getting the book
 
I second this. Dr Sullivan is a board certified physician and very experienced with older lifters. His gym is called Grey Steel. I discovered him through the Starting Stength website about 10 years ago. He has alot of good stuff on Youtube if anyone want to check him out before getting the book

Thanks!
 
You old guy’s working out daily or just sitting around talking about it.
you might see post up a few beers more than most but doubtful many putting in the hard work that gives me the freedom to do so. I will be posting up my monthly calendar as I’m tracking the month let’s see if we can get others to do so. I will always say consistency always wins ya gotta stay with it.
 
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 hired Izzy Mandelbaum as my trainer.
 
Generally, heavy weights = the best thing for your muscles but the worst thing for your joints.

It was interesting reading various Hollywood action stars' workouts. One would say they do low reps/high weight since that's the only way they can buff up for the role. Then the next one says they do low weight/high reps since that's the only way they can buff up for the role.

My opinion: most people doing normal people things get the most overall benefit from power (strength) yoga and maybe add some moderate lifting. For a specific example, DDP Dallas Page is a former pro wrestler who started teaching yoga after it fixed his back that doctors told him required surgery. He couldn't bend over halfway. Now he's 10+ years older and can stand on one leg while holding his other leg up at his head.

His yoga workouts have gotten people to walk again who have been in wheelchairs and haven't walked without crutches in a decade. Obviously, part of that is from Dallas Page being a good motivator and not just from yoga.
 
thanks for the GraySteel link interesting for sure!! we are all DIFFERENT for sure BUT being healthy + mobile is surely of interest to ALL + since making muscle short of human growth horome $$$$ requires moving + decent levels of hormones that support mucle growth its up to YOU!!!
 
Light weights are OK.

DDP is the man. Surgery only if it’s absolutely necessary.
 
I'm "only" 41, but in sports terms that is already old. :cool: I have certainly had to modify my training approach over the last decade. Stuff that I could pull of in my 20s would get me hurt now.
That said, I still lift heavy. Or let's say heavy-ish, as I have more of an endurance background and by nature am not so much of a "strength" type (even though I managed to bulk to ~110kg over time). 120kg back squats for reps or 150kg deadlifts for triples are not that impressive, given my height and weight.*
As you get older, your recovery slows down. This means, fatigue management becomes crucial. There are some benefits that only heavy weights and near-maximal loads can give you - bone density, tension strength and neural adaptations. So I keep doing the heavy stuff. But I have greatly reduced the volume and the frequency of heavy lifting. I only deadlift and train with barbells once a month or so. Because with a "heavy" session, I can totally blow my lights out and I'll "live" as a zombie for at least the next tree to four days, but more likely for an entire week. I can't afford that - neither professionally, nor in regards to missed other training stimulus.
What has worked for me so far is to increase training frequency to near-daily training with load undulation, i.e. one or two taxing days, at least one very light day and the rest of the week light-to-medium. This of course requires to cut back on intensity and to reduce the volume per training session (overall volume still ends up higher). I also stay well clear of failure. I find that if I go to failure, my recovery time goes up exponentially.
Most of my lifting nowadays involves kettlebells - because of ease of use (take up no space, I can train from home, do not need to travel to the gym for a workout, etc), and because of killing several birds with one stone (explosivity, strength endurance, coordination, and a bit of cardio all at the same time, so it's very time efficient).
Another point hat has already been brought up is injury prevention. I find myseld doing stuff that does not have a direct carryover to my sport, nor does it help build muscle, such as yoga/indian calisthenics and indian clubs - just because it helps me feel better. To preserve cartilage, joints need to be moved through their entire range of movement under load. Restricted range of movement will lead to cartilage degneration. It will also greatly increase your risk of injury once a movement is conducted in an unusual manner, i.e. something slips, or an accident happens. So "maintenance movements" and mobility (which is way more than stretching!) plays a far greater part in my training that I would have ever thought it would 20 years ago.

To conclude: I think that most important to training longevity is balance. Balance load and recovery, neglect neither strength nor cardio, balance in muscular development (a lot of people neglect overhead work, which will mess up shoulders sooner or later), incorporate variety, preserve (or build up) mobility. We "older" athletes no longer need to make fast gains (we no longer have to be in top shape on a specific date to make it through seat races, to get selected for a team, to win a scholarship etc). All we do is for our own enjoyment; if we set ourselves competetive goals, we have all the time in the world. I am dead set to win German Championships at least once. But I don't care if I do that with 50, 55 or 80. Heck, the highest probability of success would probably be at 90 something. If I can manage to still be exercising by then, the field of competitors will be greatly reduced. And if at that age I am the only one still showing up at the lake and getting into a boat unassisted...


*But then, I do not need max strength in my sport - above a certain threshold, you'r good. A rowing stroke will be 1,4kN when accelerating a boat from a standing stop and ~0,9kN during a race. That is, if your olympic-level-fit and have olympic-team level skill that allow you to actually get the power into the water. I'm nowhere near that good. So once your past a 150kg deadlift or you can power clean 90kgs you're strong enough. Any additional max strength is "only" injury prevention and will translate indirectly to a very minor improvement in strength endurance. I mostly train for work capacity and strength endurance. A master's race is 1000m, a full distance is 2000m. The latter is about 240 rowing strokes at race pace. That is a lot of work...
 
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I do mostly cardio but when I use weights, I do mostly more reps than heavy weight.
I started with Orange Theory Nov 2021 just to tone up a little and all important cardio due to family history.
Cardiologist said ok to run my age appropriate heart rate (220 minus your age = peak rate) 140 to 165 peak for the one hour class which Orange is good for, mix of tread, row, exercise with and without weights but I dont consider it "weight lifting" "muscle building" in the way its talked about. It's more like working out and using weights as a tool during exercise.
Its REALLY intense one hour coached workouts and the coaches are helpful, they will point out if you're doing something wrong and help show you the proper way so you dont injure yourself or put undue stress on a body part.

Recently I have run my rate as high as 183 BPM but not looking to do that it was more a mistake. That would be more like for someone who is 30 years younger than me as a peak. Except now, because I am been running it up so high, their computers algorithm has raised my peak 100% rate to that 183 which is why you have to pay attention to what you are doing as I am going to make sure I stick to 165 peak.

One hour classes 2 times a week, recently enjoying it so much I have gone 3 times a week a few times lately, after never going to a gym in my life I have built up some muscle now which is kind of cool, when I was younger I was kind of stocky and in shape.

My objective is to stay in shape/healthy and "toned" but Im not going for a weight lifting record by any means. Retired now and looking to do everything I can diet and exercise for quality of life in a hopefully long life, fingers crossed trying so far mostly successful beating the horrible family history. From what I read this type of activity is healthy in many ways and if done correctly even healthy for your joints and back. Assuming you dont have issues, then talk to your doctor.
Due to family history I cleared with two cardiologists (plumbing) and a cardio electrophysiologist (electrical) because I was amazed I could run my heart rate so high and wanted to make sure I wasnt damaging it.

As intense as it is, heck I dont know, I love going! At first it was killing me *LOL* even now sometimes I cant function when I get home for a while.
 
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I've always tried to lift heavy since I was young and couldn't gain any size without it, however now as I'm older, my body just won't allow me to lift as heavy, and I just adjust. Your body will tell you what you can handle....your joints/tendons. You'll feel it, and then you know when to stop. But I still try to lift as heavy as I can...perhaps I'll change that if things start to bother me, but right I'm doing ok. And quite honestly, lighter weights would be a welcome (if I can't lift heavy), it would be a change of pace and probably easier.
 
I'm 84 and go to an Aqua fitness class 3X times a week. I use resistance paddles during part of the program. My Fitbit watch usually records 2,00 to 2300 steps in the 50-minute class. No heavy-duty workout but, I feel much better when I'm finished. I prefer the pool because it is easier on my joints and feet. 85 next Feb. Yaaa
 
as i continue to watch Graysteel vids he notes the same as Dr Sten Ekbug "the body was made to move" + Ekburg always emphasizes getting HEALTHY!! being stronger is good BUT HEALTHIER is BEST!!
 
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