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Barbell Getting Big And Strong At 64

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RONK

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Hi,I'm a 64 year old,6' 165 lbs.,for the last 5-6 months I've been training with a basic dumbell workout three days a week,recently I started walking four days a week for an hour.I'm not in terrible condition but I want to be better and can be better.My diet isn't very good,when I get stressed I skip meals or at times ,won't eat for the day.I'm also getting divorced, and that's the main contributor to my stress,it's been going on for about five months.I've lost about 25 lbs. in that time.I'd like to gain some muscle and get stronger along with staying healthy.I posted a question on the Kettlebell Forums and in learning more about it,I don't thing that kettlebells should be my main mechanism of achieving my desired goals.I was ignorant that kettlebells could be used in conjunction with barbells and other modalities to archive a higher level of fitness. I'm asking for any help and suggestions on finding or developing a program,please/I'd prefer to train 7 days a week.There's a gym a short distance from me that I can join.There's a huge amount of information on the internet and I'm a bit overwhelmed by it.I'd also be grateful for any help regarding a diet plan?Thank you all.
 
PTTP plus some loaded carries/sled work and some long soul-searching walks in the sunshine. (Once you've built a solid platform of strength, add some higher rep sets, close to failure, on your first and last workout of the week, to build some muscle.) Eat plenty of fresh food, higher protein. In about six to nine months or so you'll be ready for something more advanced.
 
PTTP plus some loaded carries/sled work and some long soul-searching walks in the sunshine. (Once you've built a solid platform of strength, add some higher rep sets, close to failure, on your first and last workout of the week, to build some muscle.) Eat plenty of fresh food, higher protein. In about six to nine months or so you'll be ready for something more advanced.
+1
also, add some squat. Sorry Luke :p
 
I like PTTP for beginners because five days weekly is plenty of practice and programming by wave loading focuses measurement of progress over time (not per workout as in usual beginner programs which are just add weight) which I believe is more realistic. I often add a pulling exercise to my usual PTTP selection (bench and deads/LP) so I get full body workout on a template of push/pull/legs, something like bench/seated row/leg press. Of course you squat lovers have your own idea! And as I’ve posted before, I’m convinced that your average person should achieve their hypertrophy goals as an adjunct to a good basic strength program, by just incorporating some close to failure higher volume sets periodically. PTTP is perfect for that because of the two day break between workouts 5 and 1 of the five day cycle. I add my hypertrophy sets on those days
 
I don't thing that kettlebells should be my main mechanism of achieving my desired goals.I was ignorant that kettlebells could be used in conjunction with barbells and other modalities to archive a higher level of fitness. I'm asking for any help and suggestions on finding or developing a program,please/I'd prefer to train 7 days a week.There's a gym a short distance from me that I can join
If this gym near you has strength coaches (a little different than run-of-the-mill personal trainers... but hard for newbies to tell the difference) then joining that gym and getting on a basic barbell program is going to be your best start towards your goals of "I'd like to gain some muscle and get stronger along with staying healthy." This would accomplish several things: 1) teach you barbell lifting techniques and keep you moving well as you progress, 2) provide someone to guide you appropriately as you progress and keep you from chasing too many goals at one time, 3) put you on an actual program and teach you all the things you need to learn along the way without struggling on your own, 4) provide someone to help you through inevitable obstacles as they come up.

IMO, working out 7 days a week is not the best way to go with strength training, but it can be done, and does have certain advantages. But choice between moderate near-daily training (PTTP, S&S, others) and harder days (for example, M/W/F with recovery on Tu/Th/Sat/Sun) is not as important as that you get appropriate programming for your choice. You can't train using a program designed for the second if you try to do it on a schedule like the first... if that makes sense.

And yes, you can use both kettlebells and barbells at the same time, but if you're relatively new to both, it's likely that you'll expend more energy trying to cover a lot of ground as opposed to digging in and getting traction on your method/program of choice. So progress may be slower. But whatever keeps you training and progressing is a win.
 
Thank you all for your help.Anna C,great advise about a strength coach but financial it'll be difficult enough right now to get a gym membership,but thank you.
 
Thank you all for your help.Anna C,great advise about a strength coach but financial it'll be difficult enough right now to get a gym membership,but thank you.
Alright well, next best thing is to find a program and follow it as best you can, and you can always get free advice here, with all the caveats about free advice! But I think the free advice on this forum is pretty high quality :)
 
Not the most optimal way to gain muscle, but for me, just getting enough volume for a certain favorite exercise(s) will give me some muscle. I like doing it that way so I can focus more on technique and stuff like that.

So that's why at your previous post, I recommend practicing the lift(s). You know, doing a certain lifts, again and again, with focusing on forms (you can post your clip in the forum and ask for form check, the form polices in here are high quality :cool: ). After a certain week, you will know how much is enough.

Front squat with dummbell/deadlift variation/dumbell clean/dumbell press/pull/chin/dips...all great exercise. Choose a few and practice it, it will do you many good.

If you want something more clearly, then here is a great article:

Also, I agree with what @Anna C and LukeV said above. They have lots of experience so there will be a high chance that their advices are more suitable for you.
 
Thank you all again for your help.Any opinions on a 5X5 program such as StrongLifts?There's also some Powerbuilding programs,any opinions please?Thank you all again.
 
Thank you all again for your help.Any opinions on a 5X5 program such as StrongLifts?There's also some Powerbuilding programs,any opinions please?Thank you all again.

I think any of these can work and do work. StrongFirst has some good programs too. There is a basic barbell program that comes with the StrongFirst Barbell Fundamentals online course. It's important to follow the specific guidance that comes with the program that you're following. And don't just read it once -- some of it only resonates once you have gotten into it a bit. If/when you run into trouble, read it again to see if you are actually following it correctly, check with online sources for that specific program, or ask here for advice.
 
I think any of these can work and do work. StrongFirst has some good programs too. There is a basic barbell program that comes with the StrongFirst Barbell Fundamentals online course. It's important to follow the specific guidance that comes with the program that you're following. And don't just read it once -- some of it only resonates once you have gotten into it a bit. If/when you run into trouble, read it again to see if you are actually following it correctly, check with online sources for that specific program, or ask here for advice.

Hi Anna, or anyone else that has purchased this course. After looking at it, I am definitely interested but I had a question about the included courses. It says they are suitable for beginners to intermediates, which definitely includes me, but what are the workout days/times for these programs? I like PTTP mainly for the fact it can be done with frequent but short sessions, and would like to keep that same style of training. I am OK with 45 minutes a day, but some plans call for days of like 90+ minutes 3 days a week, and that is not something I could commit to.

Thank you for anyone that knows.
 
Hi Anna, or anyone else that has purchased this course. After looking at it, I am definitely interested but I had a question about the included courses. It says they are suitable for beginners to intermediates, which definitely includes me, but what are the workout days/times for these programs? I like PTTP mainly for the fact it can be done with frequent but short sessions, and would like to keep that same style of training. I am OK with 45 minutes a day, but some plans call for days of like 90+ minutes 3 days a week, and that is not something I could commit to.

Thank you for anyone that knows.
It looks to me like PTTP style programming, with 5 days of lifting per week. I have seen the template but I have not run the program.
 
Thank you all again for your help.Any opinions on a 5X5 program such as StrongLifts?There's also some Powerbuilding programs,any opinions please?Thank you all again.
StrongLifts 5x5 is arguably the most popular hybrid strength/hypertrophy program in the world and it works on both fronts so arguing against it is like trying to convince someone who likes chicken not to eat KFC. I’ve started cycles of StrongLifts so many times that I can’t count but have always moved on because it’s limited exercise selection is rather boring and it’s very slow rate of progress (if completed as instructed) means you workout sub-optimally almost all of the time - I don’t believe anyone benefits from doing 5x5 at 50% of their 1RM with long rest breaks, so why waste a workout doing it? Mehdi argues slow and steady wins the race but even an absolute beginner can get where they’re going to be a lot quicker than adding minimum weight to the bar, potentially over months. I just think there are better strength programs and better hypertrophy programs than StrongLifts but I can’t say it doesn’t work
 
StrongLifts 5x5 is arguably the most popular hybrid strength/hypertrophy program in the world and it works on both fronts so arguing against it is like trying to convince someone who likes chicken not to eat KFC. I’ve started cycles of StrongLifts so many times that I can’t count but have always moved on because it’s limited exercise selection is rather boring and it’s very slow rate of progress (if completed as instructed) means you workout sub-optimally almost all of the time - I don’t believe anyone benefits from doing 5x5 at 50% of their 1RM with long rest breaks, so why waste a workout doing it? Mehdi argues slow and steady wins the race but even an absolute beginner can get where they’re going to be a lot quicker than adding minimum weight to the bar, potentially over months. I just think there are better strength programs and better hypertrophy programs than StrongLifts but I can’t say it doesn’t work

While I agree with you, as a beginner I get where he comes from in this respect because when you're first learning you 1. Need to make sure your form isn't total crap, so using lighter weights can help dial that in and 2. you have no idea what your 1RM is so choosing a % of that means nothing.

I do, however, find that Pavel's recommendation in PTTP of adding weight until you get to a number that "feels like you could complete 10 reps" and using that as a starting place is a much better way of getting into more meaningful weights from the get go. It's low enough weight you can still focus on form, but high enough that you will actually see a benefit.
 
Thanks again.LukeV,sir,I know you were the first one to post an answer,thank you,what other programs would you suggest?
 
StrongLifts 5x5 is arguably the most popular hybrid strength/hypertrophy program in the world and it works on both fronts so arguing against it is like trying to convince someone who likes chicken not to eat KFC. I’ve started cycles of StrongLifts so many times that I can’t count but have always moved on because it’s limited exercise selection is rather boring and it’s very slow rate of progress (if completed as instructed) means you workout sub-optimally almost all of the time - I don’t believe anyone benefits from doing 5x5 at 50% of their 1RM with long rest breaks, so why waste a workout doing it? Mehdi argues slow and steady wins the race but even an absolute beginner can get where they’re going to be a lot quicker than adding minimum weight to the bar, potentially over months. I just think there are better strength programs and better hypertrophy programs than StrongLifts but I can’t say it doesn’t work
The program is a rippoff from Starting Strength and here Mark Rippetoe recommend adding weight faster a little like Pavel do in PTP.
 
Thanks again.LukeV,sir,I know you were the first one to post an answer,thank you,what other programs would you suggest?
Dinosaur training by Brooks Kubic is pretty good. I believe you can find a free pdf online for that now. Not sure if his book is still available. Dino training is mostly barbell.
 
Dinosaur training by Brooks Kubic is pretty good. I believe you can find a free pdf online for that now. Not sure if his book is still available. Dino training is mostly barbell.
I think its still possible to buy Dinosaur Training and its a fantastic book.
 
Hi,I'm a 64 year old,6' 165 lbs.,for the last 5-6 months I've been training with a basic dumbell workout three days a week,recently I started walking four days a week for an hour.I'm not in terrible condition but I want to be better and can be better.My diet isn't very good,when I get stressed I skip meals or at times ,won't eat for the day.I'm also getting divorced, and that's the main contributor to my stress,it's been going on for about five months.I've lost about 25 lbs. in that time.I'd like to gain some muscle and get stronger along with staying healthy.I posted a question on the Kettlebell Forums and in learning more about it,I don't thing that kettlebells should be my main mechanism of achieving my desired goals.I was ignorant that kettlebells could be used in conjunction with barbells and other modalities to archive a higher level of fitness. I'm asking for any help and suggestions on finding or developing a program,please/I'd prefer to train 7 days a week.There's a gym a short distance from me that I can join.There's a huge amount of information on the internet and I'm a bit overwhelmed by it.I'd also be grateful for any help regarding a diet plan?Thank you all.
Personally, I started back doing deadlifts a few years ago. Steve Justa singles are awesome training and you train everyday. Monday is only 3 singles of 70%. Add two singles everyday through Sunday. The next week add 5-10 pounds. Every 4-8 weeks test or simply add a few pounds to your starting weight from last and do it again. I also enjoy Pavel’s Enter the Kettlebell training. You train 5 days per week and to me is very enjoyable. Maybe consider joining Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class near you. I have been doing Jiu Jitsu for almost 17 years and you can make good friends and get a lot of stress out that way too. I got my diet plan from one of Pavel’s books. Dr. Mauro DiPasquale wrote the anabolic diet. He is a natural Canadian powerlifter and is still in amazing health at around 60 years old. Check out the anabolicdiet.com Hope you get to where you feel good and happy. I have also been working with a Strongfirst coach to prep for the SFG 1 cert. There are many avenues to get strong!
 
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