I’m 64 and I’ve had a knee replacement and an ankle fused. And major abdominal surgery for cancer. I benched 225 for the first time on Friday. I’m working on my squat and deadlift now.
I'm 60 in a few months, training since 41, knee problems since 15 but a lot less since I began lifting. I still compete in powerlifting (IPF) and hold a few national M2 and M3 records at 93 and 105kg. My strength peaked at age 51-52 (195 SQ,140 BP, 242.5 DL @ ~95kg) but I'm still fairly close to those numbers. 187.5kg SQ, 136kg BP, 235kg DL in the past year. I'm nursing a knee injury at the moment (not lifting related) so I can't squat, but I hope to better those numbers later this year and get back down to 93kg (currently at 97-8). I hope to keep my strength within 10% of my best until I'm 70 and hopefully within 20% until I'm 80. We'll see.
I'm 52 and started powerlifting-style weight training at 48 after not lifting for about 20 years. My goal was to lose body fat and increase general health. In my twenties I weight trained without much knowledge about weight lifting but can now see that my approach in my 20s was more of a hypertrophy, body-building approach. Nowadays I find the issue with lifting in my 50s is managing the stress of lifting. Lifting enough to continue to improve but not lifting so much that I start to feel worn down. When I try programs that substantially increase the number of reps and sets I am supposed to do, I find that my body starts to breakdown more quickly than if I simply focus on gradually increasing the intensity. The main challenge for me is putting in consistently good training sessions without getting beat up in the process, and I manage this by using RPE to keep myself in a heavy but comfortable range. My sessions are tiring, but they don't wipe me out. I continue to be motivated to lift by chasing weight lifting goals. The past couple of weeks I've been hitting PRs in my squats and press that had previously been set nearly two years ago. But I can tell that after two months of preparing my body for a run at my PRs that my lower back wants a bit of a break. And so, now that I've hit my PR goals, I'll refocus on lifting at RPE 7-8 and going with much shorter rest periods between sets. I'm not sure when I will peak in strength, but I believe my main challenge going forward is to lift smart rather than simply lift a lot. Those aren't necessarily mutually exclusive for some people, but for me it's a different approach that keeps me healthy enough to continue powerlifting for health which ultimately is how I will stay engaged and have a chance to hit more PRs in the future.
@@rocksolidhope No. I did use the free Bridge template and thought it was fantastic. It really helped to get me through the plateau I experienced when the 5x3 linear progrssion had run its course. I used it a few times as I went back to a linear progression approach and then the Bridge after taking time off after a couple of non-lifting injuries. I have also purchased a couple of other Barbell Medicine templates in the past. But I'm beginning to believe that what works for people aged 20-40 may not necessarily work the same way for 50+ folks. Truthfully, I expect that there is variation in every athletes approach, but I find recovery takes longer as a guy in my 50s than it did when I was in my 20s. And every time I have attempted to increase my volume over a prolonged period of time, I've found it became counter productive to my ability to regularly train. So keeping an eye on volume seems to be the thing that works for me.
I took up powerlifting soon after I discovered I had significant cartilage loss in both knees at age 62. Set 10 Swiss records in drug free powerlifting over next four years. Last year I had left total knee replacement and right hip replacement. I started training again very slowly and gradually after about 6 weeks rehab. I had always had trouble achieving below parallel squat because of the knee problems. So I started with an empty bar and squatted to a bench which I gradually lowered to below parallel and gradually increased the weight. One year after the knee replacement I deadlifted 150 kg. And then 18 months after the TKR I competed in Swiss SIngle Lift Championship. 110 kg squat, 100 kg bench and 180 kg deadlift at age 70 and bodyweight 93 kg. The deadlift went up easily and was only 10 kg less than my personal best in competition, so I think I have basically got back to pre-op strength even though several years older. Training now for full power comp next year and just hoping my unoperated right knee stays functional for long enough. Incidentally, my squat is now better than it was before the op. My operated knee has max flexion 135 degrees which is a significant increase and I can now reliably squat below parallel.
This is right up my driving lane. I'm 59 and I've had both knees and both shoulders replaced. I've also had torn quads and quad tendons in both knees and broken knee cap in left knee while deadlifting. Needless to say I've had to give up competing any longer since the training and the bulk has cancelled out my surgeries. So now I lift to lift since I enjoy it. I still enjoy powerlifting but on the sidelines and help out as I can. Just because you've had joint replacements doesn't mean you can't still lift and pursue other activities. Thanks for the video gentlemen!!
Sorry these two guys are talking out of their hats, do you want to recommend that someone can start benching after shoulder replacement. Orthos disconnect the bicep tendon and reattach it, always not in the same spot. So you are going to say go back to benching heavy? Ya, and rip the bicep tendon of the insertion. Anyway, I have two hips, two shoulders, one knee replaced and the other has no more cartilage. I use one set to failure, after a warmup. My cadence is 6-8 seconds in each direction, therefore my weights are way down. I was benching 430 lbs at age 62. Now I use 70 lbs on the Life Fitness chest press. And I exercise until I can no longer push or pull and have held the weight for 10 seconds while struggling to stop the downward resistance. I can only do wall sits for my legs, everything else pisses off the knee joints. I squated 600 lbs in college. Now, wall sits. Had to give up squating, leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls. I lift, hard, but intelligently. Jay Vincent, and old Mike Mentzer, Elliot Hulse, Md. Doug McGuff have great stuff for you, check them out on youtube.
I'm 35 and only started barbell training a couple years ago. It sounds like I still have plenty of years of potential strength increase ahead of me as long as I stick with good training, then?
35 is only old if you are trying to compete in the 100m dash or trying to participate in a sport that is heavily dependent on speed or explosiveness, you know, the "youth" qualities. But in the world of strength, 35 is still a young buck so you are right you have lots of years to look forward to.
Started lifting when I was nearly 36, started powerlifting not a year ago, currently running one of Alan Thralls program and I put 2.5 kg on the bar (almost) every week. I think I can still become stronger, my problem is not enough rest time (work and social life) edit: at 37 currently
@73 I haven't reached my max yet. I have had 2 knee replacements about 10 years ago, about the same time I started lifting. I bench 210, squat 280, dead lift 320. It's more than I have ever lifted in my life. I'm even doing pull-ups now and I couldn't in like forever. I think the "aging" thing is more a mental thing than anything. If you think you're too old then you probably are. The weights are no great shakes but, for me that is an accomplishment. My weights are still increasing...
we definitely need better availability of squat racks; my gym has 4 and there's *always* a line. There's a few older people there (IDK their exact age) that I've definitely seen make real improvements. And I'm talking retirement age and later. I'm sure they could have been stronger if they started at 20 but hey, they still improved a lot
I thoughts on this is that theres a paradigm shift needed in this question. Many seem to view age as an ”affliction” wich means one cant do this and that anymore. Once you buy into that it becomes a self fulfilled prophecy. People stop using their body and when they see they cant do things anymore its explained as ”aging”.. In a way its kinda similar to those lifters who are obsessed with what a natural can achieve.
This. I watched my grandfather deteriorate rapidly when he decided to stop moving and just sit. He believed it was dangerous for him to move, so he didn't, and he went downhill very rapidly. After a couple of hospital stays, his doctor got him going to the gym, and he improved rapidly, becoming more mobile and independent, until he eventually decided to just sit again. He ultimately got stuck on the toilet at age 95, unable to stand up on his own. Our bodies don't wear down like machines; they adapt to the demands we impose on them. There are limits, of course, but you can't put me in a box in the ground if I keep moving.
I'm 43 and been lifting since I was 14, when I did high school football. Stamina wise for lifting, I can say I have lost a stepped. I use to be able to bench 225 30 times. Now I can only lift 225 15 to 20 times and yes I know for my age thats still pretty good numbers. I use to be able bench t275 about 10 times no problem for sets. But now I struggle to get 275 6 times, maybe for like 2 sets. So yes I can still put up some good numbers for my size and age, 5'9" 220lbs. But my explosion and strength endurance is nothing what it used to be. Although I won't lie it does feel good when I leg press and I put on 8 45lb plates on each size and rep that out for 6 to 8 times, while the young 20 year old next to me is doing 6 plates. lol haha Anyhow the key is to just keep at it and don't stop. You may slow down a bit, but if you stop, you will slow down a hugeeeeee bit and develop a ton of medical issues.:)
Absolute bingo. I was a sedentary executive until I made a small fortune and retired. At 50 I started training, hard, really hard. I was the strongest I've been in my life between 52 and 55. I achieved 300, 400, 500 bench/deadlift/squat. I'm in my mid 70's not and while yes my strength has declined I'm still in better shape than I was in my 30's and ripped enough to have a 4 pack.
@@Kaledrone I am now 73 and can squat 345 for a decent single, 345 deadlift for a single and maybe more but I don't try to max out now as I have a nagging hamstring. My bench sadly is down to about 210 for a single as I had rotator cuff repair and its still twingy. I am on TRT, 200mg per week. I look better than most people do in the 30's, have actual 4 pack, bottom abs just won't come up. The reality is that you do eventually wear out but until you are totally toast you can look and move far better than most people realize. The other element is to pay close attention to supplement research. Most are BS but a few of them are good. I have found that doctors are much more willing now t support this kind of life style. Seriously, you can look, feel, and move all age appropriate but at this age that wouldn't be very fun at all.
That's my biggest concern, the longevity of the replacement with more wear and tear. Those artificial joints can only handle so much abuse. I'm 53 and have grade III arthritis in my left knee. I use to have big legs for my size and was noticed in the gym for my vascularity and definition in my legs. 100% natural here too, I've never used gear. I love doing all kinds of physical activity but over the last year I have proceeded with caution as to preserve my left knee. I miss squatting heavy and nowadays I squat with trepidation. I hope I don't have to have a knee replacement but I think it's in the future. If I do I hope that joint can last me at least 20 years.
I just had my right hip replaced and will need my left done when I recover from this one. I had/am having the posterior approach to hip replacment and want to know if I will be able to squat to at least parallel in the future?
No one can answer that. Some people don't recover well from joint replacements, some are pain free in weeks. But the more you and your physio team push yourself to recover the better you'll do
I had to stop lifting heavy because my joints were getting really bad .. im even told i will need joint replacement in my hip in a few years... i think its good to lift lift medium light weights an not push to hard. Just a tad. Also work the stretching and joint mobility..👈👈👈👈 . I lifted 28 years
Yap that is the question : how many time barbells are okay 4 u to keep your bones stronger and how many time u can workout with a new knee after op, do not trust the surgeon lol not the same 4 all. If ppl hv one answer, will be not funny lol 💪🐸👍
I’m 64 and I’ve had a knee replacement and an ankle fused. And major abdominal surgery for cancer. I benched 225 for the first time on Friday. I’m working on my squat and deadlift now.
Proud of you sir
I'm 60 in a few months, training since 41, knee problems since 15 but a lot less since I began lifting.
I still compete in powerlifting (IPF) and hold a few national M2 and M3 records at 93 and 105kg. My strength peaked at age 51-52 (195 SQ,140 BP, 242.5 DL @ ~95kg) but I'm still fairly close to those numbers. 187.5kg SQ, 136kg BP, 235kg DL in the past year.
I'm nursing a knee injury at the moment (not lifting related) so I can't squat, but I hope to better those numbers later this year and get back down to 93kg (currently at 97-8).
I hope to keep my strength within 10% of my best until I'm 70 and hopefully within 20% until I'm 80. We'll see.
Your story keeps me motivated!
I'm 52 and started powerlifting-style weight training at 48 after not lifting for about 20 years. My goal was to lose body fat and increase general health. In my twenties I weight trained without much knowledge about weight lifting but can now see that my approach in my 20s was more of a hypertrophy, body-building approach.
Nowadays I find the issue with lifting in my 50s is managing the stress of lifting. Lifting enough to continue to improve but not lifting so much that I start to feel worn down. When I try programs that substantially increase the number of reps and sets I am supposed to do, I find that my body starts to breakdown more quickly than if I simply focus on gradually increasing the intensity. The main challenge for me is putting in consistently good training sessions without getting beat up in the process, and I manage this by using RPE to keep myself in a heavy but comfortable range. My sessions are tiring, but they don't wipe me out.
I continue to be motivated to lift by chasing weight lifting goals. The past couple of weeks I've been hitting PRs in my squats and press that had previously been set nearly two years ago. But I can tell that after two months of preparing my body for a run at my PRs that my lower back wants a bit of a break. And so, now that I've hit my PR goals, I'll refocus on lifting at RPE 7-8 and going with much shorter rest periods between sets.
I'm not sure when I will peak in strength, but I believe my main challenge going forward is to lift smart rather than simply lift a lot. Those aren't necessarily mutually exclusive for some people, but for me it's a different approach that keeps me healthy enough to continue powerlifting for health which ultimately is how I will stay engaged and have a chance to hit more PRs in the future.
Are you currently using barbell medicine templates for your training?
@@rocksolidhope No. I did use the free Bridge template and thought it was fantastic. It really helped to get me through the plateau I experienced when the 5x3 linear progrssion had run its course. I used it a few times as I went back to a linear progression approach and then the Bridge after taking time off after a couple of non-lifting injuries. I have also purchased a couple of other Barbell Medicine templates in the past. But I'm beginning to believe that what works for people aged 20-40 may not necessarily work the same way for 50+ folks. Truthfully, I expect that there is variation in every athletes approach, but I find recovery takes longer as a guy in my 50s than it did when I was in my 20s. And every time I have attempted to increase my volume over a prolonged period of time, I've found it became counter productive to my ability to regularly train. So keeping an eye on volume seems to be the thing that works for me.
I took up powerlifting soon after I discovered I had significant cartilage loss in both knees at age 62. Set 10 Swiss records in drug free powerlifting over next four years. Last year I had left total knee replacement and right hip replacement. I started training again very slowly and gradually after about 6 weeks rehab. I had always had trouble achieving below parallel squat because of the knee problems. So I started with an empty bar and squatted to a bench which I gradually lowered to below parallel and gradually increased the weight. One year after the knee replacement I deadlifted 150 kg. And then 18 months after the TKR I competed in Swiss SIngle Lift Championship. 110 kg squat, 100 kg bench and 180 kg deadlift at age 70 and bodyweight 93 kg. The deadlift went up easily and was only 10 kg less than my personal best in competition, so I think I have basically got back to pre-op strength even though several years older. Training now for full power comp next year and just hoping my unoperated right knee stays functional for long enough. Incidentally, my squat is now better than it was before the op. My operated knee has max flexion 135 degrees which is a significant increase and I can now reliably squat below parallel.
This is right up my driving lane. I'm 59 and I've had both knees and both shoulders replaced. I've also had torn quads and quad tendons in both knees and broken knee cap in left knee while deadlifting. Needless to say I've had to give up competing any longer since the training and the bulk has cancelled out my surgeries. So now I lift to lift since I enjoy it. I still enjoy powerlifting but on the sidelines and help out as I can. Just because you've had joint replacements doesn't mean you can't still lift and pursue other activities. Thanks for the video gentlemen!!
Bruh no way you are 59 with that profile picture.
@@rezanadaf1213 He has a video about hearing loss saved
@@eugenelevin9809 That is too funny...
@@rezanadaf1213 More power to him, we need more in-touch 59-year-olds!
Sorry these two guys are talking out of their hats, do you want to recommend that someone can start benching after shoulder replacement. Orthos disconnect the bicep tendon and reattach it, always not in the same spot. So you are going to say go back to benching heavy? Ya, and rip the bicep tendon of the insertion. Anyway, I have two hips, two shoulders, one knee replaced and the other has no more cartilage. I use one set to failure, after a warmup. My cadence is 6-8 seconds in each direction, therefore my weights are way down. I was benching 430 lbs at age 62. Now I use 70 lbs on the Life Fitness chest press. And I exercise until I can no longer push or pull and have held the weight for 10 seconds while struggling to stop the downward resistance. I can only do wall sits for my legs, everything else pisses off the knee joints. I squated 600 lbs in college. Now, wall sits. Had to give up squating, leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls. I lift, hard, but intelligently. Jay Vincent, and old Mike Mentzer, Elliot Hulse, Md. Doug McGuff have great stuff for you, check them out on youtube.
Nobody else shares such interesting information and lifting advice👏thanks
Squats an deadlifts the morning of my hip replacement started back up 3 weeks after the only way to go
Consistently is the key period.
I'm 35 and only started barbell training a couple years ago. It sounds like I still have plenty of years of potential strength increase ahead of me as long as I stick with good training, then?
100%
Yes.
You're 35 and you think you're old
Yes, you should expect lots of opportunity for growth. I started at age 45, and five years later, I'm continuing to set personal records.
35 is only old if you are trying to compete in the 100m dash or trying to participate in a sport that is heavily dependent on speed or explosiveness, you know, the "youth" qualities. But in the world of strength, 35 is still a young buck so you are right you have lots of years to look forward to.
My favorite part of these is when there is disagreements!!! Hands down best part
Started lifting when I was nearly 36, started powerlifting not a year ago, currently running one of Alan Thralls program and I put 2.5 kg on the bar (almost) every week. I think I can still become stronger, my problem is not enough rest time (work and social life)
edit: at 37 currently
@73 I haven't reached my max yet. I have had 2 knee replacements about 10 years ago, about the same time I started lifting. I bench 210, squat 280, dead lift 320. It's more than I have ever lifted in my life. I'm even doing pull-ups now and I couldn't in like forever. I think the "aging" thing is more a mental thing than anything. If you think you're too old then you probably are. The weights are no great shakes but, for me that is an accomplishment. My weights are still increasing...
we definitely need better availability of squat racks; my gym has 4 and there's *always* a line. There's a few older people there (IDK their exact age) that I've definitely seen make real improvements. And I'm talking retirement age and later. I'm sure they could have been stronger if they started at 20 but hey, they still improved a lot
Great video guys!
I thoughts on this is that theres a paradigm shift needed in this question. Many seem to view age as an ”affliction” wich means one cant do this and that anymore. Once you buy into that it becomes a self fulfilled prophecy. People stop using their body and when they see they cant do things anymore its explained as ”aging”..
In a way its kinda similar to those lifters who are obsessed with what a natural can achieve.
This. I watched my grandfather deteriorate rapidly when he decided to stop moving and just sit. He believed it was dangerous for him to move, so he didn't, and he went downhill very rapidly. After a couple of hospital stays, his doctor got him going to the gym, and he improved rapidly, becoming more mobile and independent, until he eventually decided to just sit again. He ultimately got stuck on the toilet at age 95, unable to stand up on his own.
Our bodies don't wear down like machines; they adapt to the demands we impose on them. There are limits, of course, but you can't put me in a box in the ground if I keep moving.
Just LIFT! Your body will love you for it.
I'm 43 and been lifting since I was 14, when I did high school football. Stamina wise for lifting, I can say I have lost a stepped. I use to be able to bench 225 30 times. Now I can only lift 225 15 to 20 times and yes I know for my age thats still pretty good numbers. I use to be able bench t275 about 10 times no problem for sets. But now I struggle to get 275 6 times, maybe for like 2 sets. So yes I can still put up some good numbers for my size and age, 5'9" 220lbs. But my explosion and strength endurance is nothing what it used to be. Although I won't lie it does feel good when I leg press and I put on 8 45lb plates on each size and rep that out for 6 to 8 times, while the young 20 year old next to me is doing 6 plates. lol haha Anyhow the key is to just keep at it and don't stop. You may slow down a bit, but if you stop, you will slow down a hugeeeeee bit and develop a ton of medical issues.:)
Absolute bingo. I was a sedentary executive until I made a small fortune and retired. At 50 I started training, hard, really hard. I was the strongest I've been in my life between 52 and 55. I achieved 300, 400, 500 bench/deadlift/squat. I'm in my mid 70's not and while yes my strength has declined I'm still in better shape than I was in my 30's and ripped enough to have a 4 pack.
What are your numbers now
@@Kaledrone I am now 73 and can squat 345 for a decent single, 345 deadlift for a single and maybe more but I don't try to max out now as I have a nagging hamstring. My bench sadly is down to about 210 for a single as I had rotator cuff repair and its still twingy. I am on TRT, 200mg per week. I look better than most people do in the 30's, have actual 4 pack, bottom abs just won't come up. The reality is that you do eventually wear out but until you are totally toast you can look and move far better than most people realize. The other element is to pay close attention to supplement research. Most are BS but a few of them are good. I have found that doctors are much more willing now t support this kind of life style. Seriously, you can look, feel, and move all age appropriate but at this age that wouldn't be very fun at all.
would lifting potentially decrease the time before a revision would be needed on a TKA/THA patient?
That's my biggest concern, the longevity of the replacement with more wear and tear. Those artificial joints can only handle so much abuse. I'm 53 and have grade III arthritis in my left knee. I use to have big legs for my size and was noticed in the gym for my vascularity and definition in my legs. 100% natural here too, I've never used gear. I love doing all kinds of physical activity but over the last year I have proceeded with caution as to preserve my left knee. I miss squatting heavy and nowadays I squat with trepidation. I hope I don't have to have a knee replacement but I think it's in the future. If I do I hope that joint can last me at least 20 years.
I just had my right hip replaced and will need my left done when I recover from this one. I had/am having the posterior approach to hip replacment and want to know if I will be able to squat to at least parallel in the future?
No one can answer that. Some people don't recover well from joint replacements, some are pain free in weeks.
But the more you and your physio team push yourself to recover the better you'll do
I had to stop lifting heavy because my joints were getting really bad .. im even told i will need joint replacement in my hip in a few years... i think its good to lift lift medium light weights an not push to hard. Just a tad. Also work the stretching and joint mobility..👈👈👈👈 . I lifted 28 years
Yap that is the question : how many time barbells are okay 4 u to keep your bones stronger and how many time u can workout with a new knee after op, do not trust the surgeon lol
not the same 4 all. If ppl hv one answer, will be not funny lol 💪🐸👍
i became dyslexic just reading this
@@Benjaqu sorry 🙏😇😁
I think heavy squatting after knee replacement is really fucking stupid!
It’s healthy. I’m 64, and I had a total knee replacement and an ankle fused and I am squatting, benching and deadlifting 3 times a week