2 year update, some training questions

[middleagedSF]

I’ve been following starting strength* with some good results, but the * is part of my question.

Overall I’ve gained a lot of strength, some weight but not too much. I’m happy considering my age (46) and tendency to be a hard gainer. I’m 5’11”, now 168 pounds. Bench reps are at 190, deadlifts at 235, squats (see below) at 170.

Training question #1. In addition to the above, which is often interrupted by travel and therefore slows my progress, I do a lot of other sports - skiing, hiking, running, backpacking, soccer, and basketball primarily. So I don’t really have any rest days (at most 1 per week). Given I’m closing in on 50, how would I balance these different interests while still gaining strength in the gym? I try to avoid sprints after deadlifts and squats, but otherwise I’m running (from jogging to sprint repeats, soccer, tempo runs, etc) 2-4 miles on my ‘off’ days. If my goal is total body fitness including but not only limited to strength, do you have any tips on how to balance this? Specifically I need to maintain sprinting speed - most sprinters have very muscular bodies, but I wouldn’t extrapolate from that that most bodybuilders are fast sprinters.

Training question #2. Because of low back issues (DJD, I get regular injections) my squat is probably limited by pain rather than leg strength. To overcome this I have discovered prefatiguing with lunges (3 sets of 8, close to failure) and then doing 3 sets of 7 squats (Rather than 5). This leaves my legs trashed, and sore the next day, and I’m gaining strength. This is the most weight I can handle without screwing up my back. Do you have any other suggestions for this problem?

[drudixon]

I wouldn't say you're a hard gainer but rather just a busy body. If you're serious about weight gain, you'll need to dial some things down and eat more.

For the disc issue, I'd think deadlifts would be your friend. As the muscle strengthens it'll take pressure off. Several members here have experienced the same.

For travel, Uber to nearby gyms, get up early etc. It's important to keep regular.

[Cantplankwell]

I’ve been following starting strength* with some good results, but the * is part of my question.

Overall I’ve gained a lot of strength, some weight but not too much. I’m happy considering my age (46) and tendency to be a hard gainer. I’m 5’11”, now 168 pounds. Bench reps are at 190, deadlifts at 235, squats (see below) at 170.

Training question #1. In addition to the above, which is often interrupted by travel and therefore slows my progress, I do a lot of other sports - skiing, hiking, running, backpacking, soccer, and basketball primarily. So I don’t really have any rest days (at most 1 per week). Given I’m closing in on 50, how would I balance these different interests while still gaining strength in the gym? I try to avoid sprints after deadlifts and squats, but otherwise I’m running (from jogging to sprint repeats, soccer, tempo runs, etc) 2-4 miles on my ‘off’ days. If my goal is total body fitness including but not only limited to strength, do you have any tips on how to balance this? Specifically I need to maintain sprinting speed - most sprinters have very muscular bodies, but I wouldn’t extrapolate from that that most bodybuilders are fast sprinters.

Training question #2. Because of low back issues (DJD, I get regular injections) my squat is probably limited by pain rather than leg strength. To overcome this I have discovered prefatiguing with lunges (3 sets of 8, close to failure) and then doing 3 sets of 7 squats (Rather than 5). This leaves my legs trashed, and sore the next day, and I’m gaining strength. This is the most weight I can handle without screwing up my back. Do you have any other suggestions for this problem?

You sound somewhat like me. My best version of me is around 170lbs..around 18%BF there...I am the same height.

And what Dru says is very correct.

At some point you are going to have to decide whether you are an amateur athlete in the wide variety of activity you do, and lifting is a supporting for this. Or you want to focus on strength and mass gains and put your other activities on the back burner for awhile. Probably you are going to have to pick one.

Me for example.

I cycle when I can(summer) and play hockey winter, but because I am not a lifter for that sole purpose... I have decided to dial back my gym activities while I am in the dog days of my hockey season (feb-march), I just cannot recover sufficiently after a hard skate to go do compound barbell lifts the day after, or even that day after that..I wont do a good job of it and it increases the chance of injury most likely, not worth the risk, coming back after injuries gets harder every year. However I can manage cycling with lifting activities so long as I keep my speed down and stay away from long climbs in the heat.

I see myself as mainly an amateur athlete anyway, I gym-train to stay healthy (and its just fun anyway), I am no longer going to put pressure on myself to chase numbers or a major change in how I look..like adding weight. (that 98% of folks wont notice in public anyway), this is doubly true now that I have a bit of degenerative disc happening...probably going to have to modify a lot stuff when I get back lifting in April, also going to have to carefully manage volume and intensity as well. Cant do it it all. Good thing is like I said in my journal a couple of weeks ago, I have no limits on what I can do to optimize my diet and rest...I can gain a ton of mileage out of those. Good luck.

[willybrokeback]

I’ve been following starting strength* with some good results, but the * is part of my question.

Overall I’ve gained a lot of strength, some weight but not too much. I’m happy considering my age (46) and tendency to be a hard gainer. I’m 5’11”, now 168 pounds. Bench reps are at 190, deadlifts at 235, squats (see below) at 170.

Training question #1. In addition to the above, which is often interrupted by travel and therefore slows my progress, I do a lot of other sports - skiing, hiking, running, backpacking, soccer, and basketball primarily. So I don’t really have any rest days (at most 1 per week). Given I’m closing in on 50, how would I balance these different interests while still gaining strength in the gym? I try to avoid sprints after deadlifts and squats, but otherwise I’m running (from jogging to sprint repeats, soccer, tempo runs, etc) 2-4 miles on my ‘off’ days. If my goal is total body fitness including but not only limited to strength, do you have any tips on how to balance this? Specifically I need to maintain sprinting speed - most sprinters have very muscular bodies, but I wouldn’t extrapolate from that that most bodybuilders are fast sprinters.

Training question #2. Because of low back issues (DJD, I get regular injections) my squat is probably limited by pain rather than leg strength. To overcome this I have discovered prefatiguing with lunges (3 sets of 8, close to failure) and then doing 3 sets of 7 squats (Rather than 5). This leaves my legs trashed, and sore the next day, and I’m gaining strength. This is the most weight I can handle without screwing up my back. Do you have any other suggestions for this problem?

I have DJD, arthritis in my spine, 4 fused vertebrae in my T spine and 9-10 other bulges. I don't load my spine at all. I added Zercher (sp) squats, gobbet squats, but not heavy. Deadlifting leaves my back muscles in a spasm (my ortho called it muscle guarding) for a week or so. I switched to 1 arm dumbbells and this works. I just can't do the cool heavy stuff like some guys on here, so I will never be posting my squat or DL maxes . As for all the activity, you certainly need to eat more to keep recovery up and if gains become that important will probably have to dial some things back. I lifted and played soccer in college, but that was in my 20s and I think I supplemented with 3500k/cal in beer per day. lol.

[weiss1967]

Training question #1. In addition to the above, which is often interrupted by travel and therefore slows my progress, I do a lot of other sports - skiing, hiking, running, backpacking, soccer, and basketball primarily. So I don’t really have any rest days (at most 1 per week). Given I’m closing in on 50, how would I balance these different interests while still gaining strength in the gym?

at your age, in 2013 almost enitre year I adopted two training sessions per day, specifically so that I could accommodate my boxing ambitions and lifting. So, "considering your age", you can do a lot more than you think. I also travel for work, basically 15 days out of a month I am on the road. This is poor excuse not to lift, I tell you. Almost every little sнiтноle town has some sort of gym. I am paying 3 gym memberships in those places I travel to the most, and some punch cards and day passes etc. About balancing interests - this is amajor one. More like a question on where to find a harmony in life. Say, hiking for example. Lets say you do about 35k with 2k elevation. Of course, on such day you can't do anything else, not even the following day. Or you may be doing a known trail that takes you some 30 min at leisure pace. How can anybody tell you how to balance. I guess what I am saying is don't shy away from doing more.

[Oldfart64]

at your age, in 2013 almost enitre year I adopted two training sessions per day, specifically so that I could accommodate my boxing ambitions and lifting. So, "considering your age", you can do a lot more than you think. I also travel for work, basically 15 days out of a month I am on the road. This is poor excuse not to lift, I tell you. Almost every little sнiтноle town has some sort of gym. I am paying 3 gym memberships in those places I travel to the most, and some punch cards and day passes etc. About balancing interests - this is amajor one. More like a question on where to find a harmony in life. Say, hiking for example. Lets say you do about 35k with 2k elevation. Of course, on such day you can't do anything else, not even the following day. Or you may be doing a known trail that takes you some 30 min at leisure pace. How can anybody tell you how to balance. I guess what I am saying is don't shy away from doing more.

the bolded is the key. I'm 55, will be 56 in June. For a few years I was floating back and forth between lifting and MA training. Dumped the MA training back in August, committed to a 5 day split. Since then, my numbers have consistently improved and I'm tracking all my strength goals. One of my favorite things out here has always been guys who pop up and ask if they can still gain muscle...in their 30's. My response to that was always "I don't know...do you want to?". You can do what you want at any age, you just have to be disciplined and determined.