Lifter problems
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@yannis Impressive resume! Do you still practice the Olympic lifts now that you are older? How has your training evolved with age (higher reps, lower weight or vice versa)? Do you lift for strength, conditioning, or some hybrid of the two?
Nearing 50, I am very concerned about joint health and want to keep lifting for as long as possible. I really would appreciate your insights.
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I am 57 years old and yes i still practice the lifts. I workout 5 days a week. As you get older manipulating volume and intensity is key. As far as Olympic weightlifting goes 2 things i notice as i got older. First and most important i got slower. As a weightlifter this is crucial because the time it takes you to go from full extension to full flexion dectates ultimately how much you can clean or snatch. I plain terms i cannot clean or snatch nearly what i was able to when younger not because im that much weaker, but because i cannot get under heavy barbells fast enough to catch them. So my ass is slow lol!. We lose speed more so than strength as we age. Second i do not recover as fast if i go heavy. So high frequency with relatively low intensity 75% usually is what keeps me healthy.
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Lifter Problems:
Can't fit in IH bottoms.
In all seriousness, I have been in quarantine for a week because my gf tested positive. I have not worked out and I feel terrible. I am slowly acquiring gym gear for the garage build i am doing, which slows down my IH purchasing. However, I did just score a power rack for a fraction of the normal price. Hoping to have it done before next winter.
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Lifter Problems:
Can't fit in IH bottoms.
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Lifter Problems:
Can't fit in IH bottoms.
Familiar with it - has been out of stock for quite a while. Also for me, the 21oz will rarely be worn due to the climate here.
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Wonder if 888-SST, perhaps sized up, would do the trick…
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I've got scoliosis, and after two years of sedentary life due to lockdowns, I'm not comfortable going over about 80 to 100 kg in a deadlift or squat.
There's a powerlifter, bodybuilder, and physiotherapy genius in Melbourne called Dr Andrew Lock. He's come up with a set of exercises (the Lock Big 5) that he uses as the basis for rehabilitation. They're based on Stuart McGill's Big 3.
I gave them a go this morning, and my back really felt it. Hopefully it'll sort things out.
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So, I dislocated my shoulder over the winter break (bad spill on a bike in Hawaii, also chipped two teeth and had a few road abrasions…) I've not been back to the gym since then. This is super frustrating. I'm used to barbell lifts but I will go back and try some of the leg machines, for lack of a better option. There's no way I can deadlift or even squat right now.
We have gotten a Peloton though, and it's been kind of a revelation. I cannot say I love it, but it's so very easy to use. It pairs readily with the Apple watch, displays your HR right on the screen, and it's super easy to target specific HR zones. I've been using it a lot.
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Sorry that happened man.
Highly recommend power zone training @JDelage IMO even better than heart zone training for many reasons, including that output is more of a leading than a trailing indicator compared to heart rate and less influenced by other factors since it is not directly biometric. I always advocate PZ to Peloton riders because it’s a waste of a power meter not to use it for such a great, targeted way to train. Matt Wilpers and Denis Morton are my preferred instructors for it. I’m currently doing a 7 week program I found on Reddit and people reported amazing gains in their functional threshold power, the metric used to establish your output zones (1-7) and measure your progress (the empirical piece is the best piece of PZ training).
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. This is super frustrating. I'm used to barbell lifts but I will go back and try some of the leg machines, for lack of a better option. There's no way I can deadlift or even squat right now.
Totally empathise with the frustration. Take all the time you need though. A shoulder dislocation can easily lead to a permanent mechanical instability, and that may hinder your lifting efforts for life.
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@JDelage I commiserate with you, lifting-bro! But I couldn't agree more with Reuben. Don't fight it, give your body time to rest.
I picked up one of those Rogue Echo assault bikes at the beginning of the pandemic and I absolutely love that thing. It's not a smart device, but it tells me how fast I'm going and how far I've traveled. Works for me!
Question: can you hold weight at your sides? Maybe a trap-bar would allow you to do some of those barbell lifts? My chiropractor always tells me to stop squatting with a barbell on my back, but to squat with a trap bar held at my sides. If one of those works, you might still be able to deadlift, squat, and maybe even bench! Though I would recommend dumbbells for chest work if you have shoulder issues.
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Those bikes are great for Tabata. I miss having access to one.
Is there any benefit to squatting with a trap bar over a trap bar deadlift? Big fan of the latter, but never thought of racking a trap bar.
I find it counterintuitive that dumbbells would be safer for shoulder presses than barbells.
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I'm going to try the power zone program that is on Peloton. I tested my FTP, and it was only 199, which isn't great. The test sucked.
With regard to my zone 2 training, it's a very specific type of training, with a very specific goal: stay at max lactate clearing capacity for 45mn or more. (It's a 5-zone system.) I am not sure whether watts or HR is the best metric. To assess that will require purchasing a lactate meter, which I might do.
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There's some technique to FTP testing–check out the guidance this dude offers: https://www.reddit.com/r/pelotoncycle/comments/mat0j5/powerzone_program_signup_thread_starts_monday/
If you haven't already done so, you will need to take the FTP test (can be found by filtering for powerzone and 20 minute classes). I recommend taking the 15 minute warm up first (I like Matt's newest one). The goal of the test is to produce the highest average watts that you can for 20 minutes. A decent estimate for first time test takers is to aim for 110% of your 30 minute PR (if it's relatively recent). So if you averaged 100 watts in your 30 minute PR ride, aim for 110 watts on the ftp test. There are multiple ways to take the test, I will offer up a few pointers using the 110 watt goal as an example. Have a fan on you, a towel or 2, and some water. Before taking the test, figure out where you are most comfortable holding the 110 watts (which cadence and resistance feels most efficient for you?) Start the test around 100 watts (since you can hold that for sure for 30 minutes), and hold that for the first 5 minutes of the test. For the second 5 minutes try to bump it up to 110 watts and hold it there. If you're feeling good try to bump it up again to 115-120 for the 3rd 5 minute block. In the last 5 minutes if you have anything left feel free to add if you can, or just hold on to what you can. If you have anything left in the last 1-2 minutes of the class empty the tanks. Alternatively you can simply try to maintain 110 watts for the whole 20 minutes of the class and push at the end of the test. You can also follow the coaching of the instructors, it may be helpful for you to preview and watch the test beforehand so you know what to expect. I would also recommend taking the test totally in the saddle (a quick 5-10 second booty break is okay if needed), as that will give you the most accurate results.
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One more thing @JDelage – this post by the guy who came up with PZ has a very helpful chart as to what each zone stresses, so it can help you determine what zones will get you what you want.
It's kind of funny that he discusses lactate threshold (which is basically what I like to focus on a few times a week), and then says that what athletes call LT is a generally higher intensity that what scientist actually call LT. That's why his LT zone is zone 4, whereas true LT is probably low-to-mid zone 3 (in his system).
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Zone 3 falls under the PZ Endurance category–these classes will bounce back and forth between PZs 2 (recovery in this context) and 3 (intervals). I spend a lot of time in PZE (did an hour this morning in fact) because I want to improve my baseline cardio.
Power Zone usually spends a lot of time in 4, and PZ Max focuses on 4-7. So if you find PZ works for you, you can target your workouts accordingly.
OTOH, you can also use the power meter anywhere you see fit to do your own training (as you could also do with heart rate readings). So you could Just Ride or do a scenic ride, or even a class ignoring the instructors and focus on what you want to focus on.
So back to the coaches, Matt Wilpers is great in terms of being a pure cycling instructor. His (non-PZ) low impact classes will take you through pedal drills and such if you want to improve your form. Denis Morton has the edge on music quality and on cadencing to the rhythm of the music, which can help you get through difficult intervals. He also gives a lot of good reminders on form and is also a good cycling coach, but Matt feels like a pro in that regard (they also do have classes by actual pro cyclist Christian van de Velde). These as mentioned are my go-to for PZ, but no one has been bad. The program I'm doing is forcing me to step outside that comfort zone more than I would normally.
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I find it counterintuitive that dumbbells would be safer for shoulder presses than barbells.
From experience, they are. The barbell forces your shoulder joint to be open and weight bearing. The thing is that you can hold dumbbells in a neutral/hammer grip. The movement is much less stressful for the shoulders. Alternatively, you can widen the grip as much as you can without causing irritation/grinding. The latter does demand excellent form however.
