Greetings friends. I am 82 now, and here is how my 81’st year went.
On 17/1/22 I started on a year long program, which I based on what Marty Gallagher used to train busy people on a once a week heavy program, for years at a time.
He used 4 exercises. I programmed an alternating once a week heavy program.
First week was Clean and Press, Singles no grind high bar squats, High Pull, Olympic Deadlift and heels raise, Quarter press, and Jerk thrust.
The alternate week was Front Squat, Jerk Press, Romanian Deadlift, Shrug, Lat Machine, Leg curl.
Each week, 3 days after the main workout, was some light bodybuilding exercises – calves, delts, abs, biceps, triceps- and oh, 40 singles
of light olympic lifts, for form and flexibility.
Wasn’t expecting much, as I am supposed to lose 2% of muscle mass and power each year now.
The results of 12 month’s training -
Front squat. Staring weights 72.5 k x 5, 75 k x 3, 77.5 k x 1. ended — 83.75 x 5, 85 x 3, 88.75 x1.
Jerk Press. Starting 32.5 k x 5, 37.5 k x 3, 40 k x 1. ended ---- 42.5 x 5, 46.25 x 3, 47.5 x 1.
Lat machine. Starting 61.25 k x 8, 53.3 k x 10. ended ----- 75.3 x 9, 61.3 x 10.
High bar no grind squats, 5 rising singles. Starting 80k max, sets x reps 250 k. ----- ended 102.5 max, set x reps 402.5 k.
Quarter Press. 67.5 k x 5. ----- ended 70 x 5.
Jerk Thrust. 70 k x 5. ----- ended 80 x 5.
Cleans and Presses. 32.5 k x 5, 37.5 x 3, 45 x 1. ------ ended 41.25 x 5. 43.75 x 3. 46.25 x 1. [wow! Single went up 1.25 – in a year!]
High Pull. 80 k x 3. ----- ended 87.5 x 3.
On my light day, some of the results -----
Calf machine 95 k x 15 .15. ------ got to 130 k x 15, 110 x 15, then went to 135 starting at 10 reps, now at 12.
seated heels raise 51 k x 15 ----- ended 58.8 k x 15.
Ab crunch machine 77 k x 19, 68 k x 20 ----- ended 99 k x 20, 77 k x 20.
Lat machine curl down to back of neck 16.3 k x 11, 10 ------ ended 49.6 k x 11, 30.3 k x15.
Over the course of the year my light olympic lift training weights went up by, snatch 20 k, C+J 35 k.
The only measurement I tracked was calves, as I have always wanted them bigger. Thighs and pecs are my best bodyparts – wish it was shoulders. Haven’t worked pecs for years, after bench press shoulder injuries, and they look after themselves. Calves got to 16”, which look pretty good with my light bone structure.
Used to be 5’9”, but probably less now, as people shrink with age. Weight 85-88 k.
A few years back, when on the beach and mostly naked, I noticed my arms were brushing across my lats as I walked, which was a delight, as I never had a great V. This last summer (now) my arms catch on my lats and can’t swing past them unless I swing my arms outwards, so things have gotten bigger.
My traps are at their best ever, and look good from every angle. My shoulders too, are rounder than they have ever been.
Since Jan 1 have been trimming down for the beach – Vanity, thy name is ‘Old Fool’. Have lost 4.6 k by upping the intensity of my 5/2. Looking good, but the weight loss has crashed training weights improvements.