T Nation

60 Yrs Old, Following 2x2x2. Lifting Late Afternoon, Sleep Issues

Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
#1

Good afternoon.

I am 60 and I follow 2x2x2
My lifting is done Mondays and Thursday at about 5:00 and lasts 1 hour 15-30 minutes (warm-up to cool down)

Basic set up
Monday
Squat 5 Pros
Bench 5 Pros
Pull
Push
Single Leg/ Core

Thursday
Dead Lift 3 Pros
Press 5 Pros
Pull
Push
Single Leg/ Core

Prowler Walks on Tuesdays and Fridays after 5:00
Mobility on Wednesdays and Saturdays after 5:00

My issue is that lately (2 months) I have trouble sleeping on lifting days not on the others. I really dawned on me when I took a week off for a trip and sleep through the entire but the minute I started back same problem.

Diet has not changed.

Has this happened to anyone else?
Any recommendations?

Thanks

#2

Sounds like overstimulation of the CNS but that’d be strange if you’re doing 5s pro and not really taxing it.
What time do you go to sleep??

#3

I am usually asleep around 9 and up at 4:00 due to work.

#4

I have had issues with not being able to sleep post lifting, but only if I do it later in the evening and my regular schedule is set to lift in the afternoon. Its never been a chronic issue though like it seems to be for you.

Maybe your lifting is just a bit too close to your bed time? If possible maybe doing it a bit sooner would make a difference. Could be worth a try.

Also the big difference between your conditioning and mobility days is training volume. Much higher overall on lifting days obviously. How much assistance are you doing and what does it consist of? Is it fairly taxing stuff with high rep ranges, or stuff thats easier to recover from and doesn’t take too long to get done?

Would you be able to play with your volume, like changing your schedule so that you only do 1 main lift a day? Or reducing assistance and see if that makes a difference.

I am clearly no expert on sleep quality, but reducing the amount of work you do on lifting days could potentially help you wind down quicker before bed.

#5

I’m 60 as well.
I ran a program like that for the last two summers, 3 cycles. I found no real change in sleep, on that set up.
Do you use caffeine or any other pre workout stimulates?
Clearly that can affect sleep pattern.
I aim for as close to 8 hrs a night as possible. As we get older sleep patterns change. It may just be some post training “pump”.
I would look at your cool down post lifting, if possible.
Good luck with your training, and keep going.

#6

I suppose it could be residual CNS stimulation since training ends around 630 and bedtime is 9. Not a lot of time for recovery to baseline. GABA, Glycine, Magnesium, 5HTP, Valerian Root may be worth a look.

#8

I think any physical activity too close to bed may impact sleep. Even easier stuff that doesn’t stress the CNS. Could you move on session to the weekend so you could train earlier in the day and see what happens on that night?

2 Likes
#9

Thanks for all the replies.

On assistance I usually no higher than 3 sets of ten in each category. I could not begin any earlier in the afternoon. I could lift first thing in the morning following the Triumvirate keeping it to one main lift and two assistance that would lower the volume and change the time. I do not think I would have enough time to do my current program first thing in the morning.

By the way I have 2 cups of coffee in the morning and no caffeine the rest of the day.