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Barbell Getting Big And Strong At 64

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The simplest strength program ever invented is single rep sets, escalating weight, leading up to a "sorta max" in about 10 sets. Next workout try to lift more. Dan John has advocated this.

The simplest hypertrophy program ever invented is 10 rep sets, escalating weight, leading up to a "sorta max" in about three or more sets. Next workout try to lift more. De Lorme is this approach.

There are many great programs for strength and hypertrophy that are arguably superior. I have got good results from all of the following:

PTTP - five days, I just add some higher volume hypertrophy sets
Plan Strong - three days, there is an hypertrophy variant
Pavel’s 3 to 5 - 3 to 5 days between workouts, with that amount of rest you can afford to go hard
531 - four days, the final set is AMRAP so there is growth stimulus
Greyskull - three days, very similar to 531
Justa Singles - seven days, not a specifically hypertrophy program but the volume over the cycle gets high (15 singles @ 80%)
StrongLifts - three days, slow and steady progress
Luke program - usually 3/9-10 days, my own invention, small number of exercise for the whole body (~3), 5 hard blood-curdling sets, higher reps 10+, modest rest periods, go home to die
 
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As I've mentioned before, I'm a fan of the program discussed in this article by Pavel on Tim Ferriss' blog:

tim.blog

Pavel: 80/20 Powerlifting and How to Add 110+ Pounds to Your Lifts - The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

Mullet power: John Inzer deadlifts 780 lbs. at 165 lbs. bodyweight. (Photo: Powerlifting USA) Pavel Tsatsouline, former Soviet Special Forces physical training instructor, has made a name for himself in the world of strength. He wrote the below article, outlining the simple routine of Russian...
tim.blog tim.blog

-S-
 
Would the 80/20 work on a 3 day a week cycle? I am currently running something very similar. And if so how would one adjust for age eg the OP is 64?

Would it be wrong to offset the Bench with a rowing or pulling exercise? I worry a lot about imbalances.

Eg.
Day 1 Heavy Bench, Light Squat
Day 2 Deadlift
Day 3 Light Bench, Heavy Squat
 
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solarbear said:
Would the 80/20 work on a 3 day a week cycle?
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I can answer “Yes” because that’s what I did.

solarbear said:
I am currently running something very similar. And if so how would one adjust for age eg the OP is 64?
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No need to adjust. It takes however long it takes to get your 5x5 with each new weight.

solarbear said:
Would it be wrong to offset the Bench with a rowing or pulling exercise? I worry a lot about imbalances.
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I absolutely do not worry about imbalances - never have. On 3 days a week, one could work BP for a while then switch to OHP for another stretch of time.

solarbear said:
Eg.
Day 1 Heavy Bench, Light Squat
Day 2 Deadlift
Day 3 Light Bench, Heavy Squat
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Seems fine to me.

-S-
 
RONK said:
kettlebells could be used in conjunction with barbells and other modalities to archive a higher level of fitness.
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I think that I would focus on the show lifts deadlift, squat press, bench press; with the barbell. And the kettlebells are particularly useful for speed and power.

I imagine that 3 days with the barbell, focusing on pure strength protocols with nice long rest periods, and 3 days a week with the kettlebell expressing power and speed in the swing and snatch , seems like a way to capitalize on either modality, at the same time.

The book power to the people has the bear program, which seems like one great protocol that can be used if size is a goal.

Any extra food and rest you can get into your program will absolutely help you become big and strong. Generally speaking, 1g protein/ lbs body weight/day seems to be a common bench mark for participants of a strength program. And sleep seems to get scant consideration even though is it seems to be a huge component of anyone's strategy to gain strength and size.

All gains are possible through abundant meals and plentiful rest. How ever much you can include in your program as a ballast for all that work you're going to be doing.
 
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Maybe this was covered in someone else's reply, but here's what I would do if I were you (and assuming you want to work out 7x/week and assuming you can do these exercises competently - if not, do substitute other exercises) - if I was feeling tired/stale, I wouldn't have compunctions about taking days off when needed:
3x/week = (3-5 sets of 5-10 reps) bench press or standing press, squat or deadlift, pull-ups or rows
2x/week =(3-5 sets of 10ish reps) barbell or dumbbell curls, tricep extensions, leg curls or hyperextensions or glute ham bench, ab work
2x/week = (30-90mins) cardio and/or kettlebell work
 
q.Hung said:
+1
also, add some squat. Sorry Luke :p
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Gotta squat at least some, especially as you get older.

I'm 51 and if I didn't squat I'd probably have grandpa a#@.

Not to mention combatting lower cross syndrome.


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RONK said:
Thank you all again.Still trying to figure things out.
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I’ve spent decades trying to figure things out and I’m not there yet but good on you for coming here and asking. Here’s hoping you made more progress from this thread than I made in my first 20 years of lifting. All the best, mate!

p.s. I joined a new gym the other day, the racks were full of squatters, square-shaped grim looking people who looked like the bad guys from a Jason Statham movie. The sole deadlift platform was occupied by a super model with a look of determination as if a personal best was the only thing standing between her and the Miss Australia crown. Who would you rather be like?
 
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LukeV said:
p.s. I joined a new gym the other day, the racks were full of squatters, square-shaped grim looking people who looked like the bad guys from a Jason Statham movie. The sole deadlift platform was occupied by a super model with a look of determination as if a personal best was the only thing standing between her and the Miss Australia crown. Who would you rather be like?
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Sounds like a pretty good gym to me!
 
BJJ Shawn said:
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.
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The programming section is essentially PTTP and ladders mixed together. There is very good and thorough instruction on the lifts.
 
One thing that you will run into as an older lifter is you won’t recover as fast as the18 year old that most beginner programs are designed for. I’d urge you to follow Anna’s advice and see if you can find a proper strength coach that can work with you. They can help you adjust on the fly to make it safely work for you.

Another resource to look up is Ageless Athlete by Jim Madden (the tactical barbell one, he jokes that he forgot to google his title before picking it). It walks you through modifying programs to work for your age and ability.

Pavel also wrote this article about training his father that might be interesting. Be a Man Among Men: My Father's Deadlift Program | StrongFirst
 
Thank you all for the continued help!
Ricky01,thank you,have you or anyone else used Grey Skull LP or any of their other programs?
silverraw,thank you,have you or anyone else read Jim Madden's Tactical Barbell Presents Ageless Athlete or K Blacks Tactical Barbell series including Mass Protocol?Thank you all again!
 
RONK, have all the TB books. I think if you did the Base Building first, you'd be fine with the Mass Protocol, or with Operator out of the standard TB. I do not think the variations offered in the TB AA book would be as good at your stage. You would do fine with the programs in The Barbell Prescription, or Grey Skull, or a bunch of others. But don't drive yourself crazy trying to pick a program. It isn't like at the end of 3 or 6 months one of the programs you are considering is going to transform you significantly more than the others. What will make the biggest difference is you simply doing one of them for an extended period with at least some effort on the lifting and recovery.
 
RONK said:
silverraw,thank you,have you or anyone else read Jim Madden's Tactical Barbell Presents Ageless Athlete or K Blacks Tactical Barbell series including Mass Protocol?Thank you all again!
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I have and am big fans of that series. Ageless athlete is specific towards older lifters and has a lot of great advice. Jim is a rare person who lost a 100lbs and became super strong in his 40s.
mass protocol is a bit geared towards younger people though. You might be better off doing a block of hypertrophy that is a bit more traditional. Building mass with heavy loads is hard on the joints.
This video is a good resource for what to expect at different training ages, warning that Dr. Isratel does use colorful language.
 
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