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Other/Mixed 5 Exercises Men Over 50 Should Stop Doing

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
Related but also somewhat not - I think dips are an interesting exercise. It seems as though a lot of older lifters have issue with them when it comes to their shoulders but I think maintaining the ability to do them is a good sign.

When traveling for work, I end up doing a lot of park workouts with rounds of pull ups, push ups, and walking lunges. Today I subbed in dips for push ups and noticed a clear lack of strength, or what I should more accurately state is a clear lack of strength / ability compared to what I would have expected to be able to do. It seems as though the consensus is that dips should, in theory, be easier, whereas I found it quite the opposite. While it was frustrating initially, it gives me a lot of optimism to have found such a glaring weakness that I should be able to work on rather simply - do dips more often.
 
JPCross said:
Related but also somewhat not - I think dips are an interesting exercise. It seems as though a lot of older lifters have issue with them when it comes to their shoulders but I think maintaining the ability to do them is a good sign.

When traveling for work, I end up doing a lot of park workouts with rounds of pull ups, push ups, and walking lunges. Today I subbed in dips for push ups and noticed a clear lack of strength, or what I should more accurately state is a clear lack of strength / ability compared to what I would have expected to be able to do. It seems as though the consensus is that dips should, in theory, be easier, whereas I found it quite the opposite. While it was frustrating initially, it gives me a lot of optimism to have found such a glaring weakness that I should be able to work on rather simply - do dips more often.
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Are you saying the consensus is dips should be easier than push ups?

Dips are supporting entire bodyweight, push ups are 65-75% of bodyweight.
 
watchnerd said:
I thought BTN pull downs were considered sub-optimal, at any age, for muscle activation reasons?
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That's my thinking. Decades ago, like when I was a teenager in the '80s, I did BTN pulldowns because Ahnuld said to do them that way. I didn't know any better. I never felt anything in my lats.
 
@Dydo For people in their 60s and above who have never done the Olympic lifts, I'd say look at each individual case. If a person has significant mobility issues, perhaps the O lifts are not for them. For everyone else, the necessary mobility and flexibility can be developed. Howard Cohen, who died this April at age 91, competed as a masters weightlifter into his 80s. Granted, he started O lifting as a young man and didn't simply take up the sport in his 80s. But the fact that he could still do the lifts in his 80s shows the value of staying active.
 
JPCross said:
When traveling for work, I end up doing a lot of park workouts with rounds of pull ups, push ups, and walking lunges. Today I subbed in dips for push ups and noticed a clear lack of strength, or what I should more accurately state is a clear lack of strength / ability compared to what I would have expected to be able to do. It seems as though the consensus is that dips should, in theory, be easier, whereas I found it quite the opposite. While it was frustrating initially, it gives me a lot of optimism to have found such a glaring weakness that I should be able to work on rather simply - do dips more often.
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My experience with dips is that if I don't practice them for a while, my skill level in this movement drops, which in turn affects how many reps I can do. It's not like riding a bicycle for me.
 
Steve Freides said:
Is this a Stars Wars movie franchise reference? I know I could Google but that would be cheating. I vaguely recalling hearing the term.

TIA.

-S-
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Yeah, the character Anakin is saying stuff and the character Obi Wan replies “only a Sith deals in absolutes!”

It’s not a great movie, but it sure had some good one liners.
 
watchnerd said:
Are you saying the consensus is dips should be easier than push ups?

Dips are supporting entire bodyweight, push ups are 65-75% of bodyweight.
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Sorry if I was a bit misleading. Pushups should definitely be easier than dips, I agree. I meant dips ended up being more challenging than I thought they would be; I think the consensus is that dips are easier than pull ups, all things being equal. I breeze through pull ups whereas the same reps / sets / rest period on dips was much tougher.
GovernorSilver said:
My experience with dips is that if I don't practice them for a while, my skill level in this movement drops, which in turn affects how many reps I can do. It's not like riding a bicycle for me.
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Interesting observation with it being a skill as much of a strength movement!
 
JPCross said:
Interesting observation with it being a skill as much of a strength movement!
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After not practicing the dip for several months, I always have to relearn the coordination for allowing the torso to lean while lowering my body into the dip at the same time. I guess I just don't do this movement pattern enough in my regular life, unlike squatting to pick stuff up off the floor, curling a bag of groceries, etc.
 
I saw another “fit after 50” social media clown who insists everyone over 50 SHOULD squat and deadlift. They’re both morons for coming up with such arbitrary blanket recommendations. Pick exercises that you can overload, you enjoy and that don’t hurt.

Anyway dips: love a dip. Don’t love a bench so much anymore but my shoulders are absolutely fine with heavily banded or straight weighted dips. Banded ones are one of my favourite movements right now
 
@MaddenTownsend, IMHO being a "seasoned gym-goer" doesn't guarantee anything. I've been deadlifting heavy for a bit over 20 years, having started in my late 40's and I'm now 69 years old. I'm still setting a new PR from time to time, and lift raw, without a belt, and have managed a bit over 2.5 x bodyweight within the last couple of years.

Deadlifting isn't the problem, and heavy deadlifting isn't the problem. Because I practice the lifting techniques taught here, when my DL's fail, it just means the lift doesn't complete. And I got into lifting because of a bad back.

I humbly recommend that you recommend to your uncle to work with a StrongFirst Certified barbell instructor.

-S-
 
Re dips, I don't do them because they were the only exercise my neurologist recommended I not do in light of cervical disc issues. No argument here, my first acute flareup of cervical radiculopathy occured as a direct result.
 
North Coast Miller said:
Re dips, I don't do them because they were the only exercise my neurologist recommended I not do in light of cervical disc issues. No argument here, my first acute flareup of cervical radiculopathy occured as a direct result.
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That's interesting. One would think they would tell you to avoid overhead stuff but not "downward" stuff. Definitely not suggesting you go dips; I'm just trying to piece together the reason(s)... your neck is above your pecs and arms and such and I would think it wouldn't be involved in dips.
 
bluejeff said:
That's interesting. One would think they would tell you to avoid overhead stuff but not "downward" stuff. Definitely not suggesting you go dips; I'm just trying to piece together the reason(s)... your neck is above your pecs and arms and such and I would think it wouldn't be involved in dips.
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When you do weighted dips, that weight hanging from your neck, tho....
 
bluejeff said:
That's interesting. One would think they would tell you to avoid overhead stuff but not "downward" stuff. Definitely not suggesting you go dips; I'm just trying to piece together the reason(s)... your neck is above your pecs and arms and such and I would think it wouldn't be involved in dips.
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Elevation and abduction of the shoulder blades and how it reacts with the deeper muscles of the upper back and attachment to the nuchal ligament...maybe.

He also recommended no heavy shrugging movements. I suspect there are dynamics of load bearing shifting to the cervical vertebra, maybe offset loading of the disc due to this loading.

I never really sussed it out, but it def did blow up on me the first time in the middle of a set. I'm not the type to sag way down between my shoulders, but I do get my elbows high.
 
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