T Nation

So I Don't Know Anything about Training ...

Over 35 Lifter
#1

My wife Karen and I have been going to the gym twice a week since October and using a personal trainer [PT] once a week. Great results. But I have never had aerobic stamina.

PT had us doing 10 sets of 10 ring rows and 10 sets of weighed split squats, 10 per side. Then its weighed step split squats as well as arm/shoulder work which is good, but I am unsteady by then.

Thats a lot of shit for a guy who is 66YO today. I can hardly get through it.

At one point do reps burn down muscles instead of building them? physical exhaustion might not be a good end point.

Yes, I am whining… and I did not want to ask on the BB forums.

#2

10 sets of 10 at any intensity is too much volume for any natural athlete, especially an older one.

It will impair your recovery process and its efficacy in the long-term is nill.

Depending your goals, I could offer a training program for you. Do you want to build muscle mass or are you more concerned with general fitness and longevity?

#3

Start slow , stay with it…
Since you are on TRT you will recover quick enough…
and in about 3 months you will feel like a GOD :slight_smile:

#4

Guys, Thanks for the thoughts that this intensity might be counter productive. The objective is to be stronger with more muscle mass. I do have a lot more muscle now, but not my body type to get massive. I do not do aerobics, but find the resistance training gets aerobic enough. Karen is seeking more muscle mass to assist with weight management. We do feel better and have more energy. We have been training over 8 months now, so we are probably close to where we will end up, but not really feeling very GOD like so far!

#5

Your trainer is not gearing your program to gain muscle. He is doing the muscle building equivalent of taking your trt shot every two weeks .

There is science to maximize muscle gains for your specific genetic potential. You can continue to put on size and strength well into your 60’s with the right program.

Train relatively intense stoping each set a rep or two before failure. Do 3-4 exercises per body part with 3 sets each exercise . (Higher end for big muscle groups like back and legs and lower for smaller muscle groups like arms).

Train 5 days a week. Sessions should always be less than one hour. Exercise selection and volume matter. The below works best for a healthy over 45 male. Your wife can follow the same program cutting a set off each exercise, boosting reps to about 12 and stoping about 2-3 reps short of failure each set.

Day 1 - chest

  • Bench Press - 3 sets (post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Incline Dumbbells - 3 sets
  • Hammer machine type of press - 3 sets

Day 2 - back

  • Pull downs to chest - 4 sets (post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Seated long pulley rows - 3 sets
  • hammer strength or like high rows - 3 sets

Day 3 - Rest

Day 4 - shoulders

  • Dumbbell overhead press 4 sets(post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Dumbbell side lateral raises - 3 sets
  • Upright rows - 3 sets

Day 5 - Arms
Biceps

  • Straight bar curls -3 sets (post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Alternate arm dumbbell curls - 3 sets
  • preacher curls - 2-3 sets
    Triceps
  • push downs 3 sets
  • extensions -3 sets
  • machine dips 3 sets

Day 6 - legs

  • warm up with a few sets of light leg extensions and curls.
  • Leg press 4 sets (post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Hack squat - 3-4 sets
  • Leg curls - 3 sets

Day 7 - Rest

  • Take in about 1 gram of protein per pound body weight in at least 4 meals a day.

  • Sleep at least 7hrs a night

  • Higher T levels help

You may notice that squats and deadlifts are missing -at over 60 I am not a big fan of squats and deadlifts for most people. The trade off for most is not worth it.

Do this for three months. You will make progress. Let me know if you need more help.

#6

^ I can understand not doing back squat and DL for the load on the spine for someone over 60.

You would not recommend any single leg squat work, goblet squats, etc?

Just curious.

And is that Barbell Bench?

#7

[quote]2Bstronger wrote:
Your trainer is not gearing your program to gain muscle. He is doing the muscle building equivalent of taking your trt shot every two weeks .

There is science to maximize muscle gains for your specific genetic potential. You can continue to put on size and strength well into your 60’s with the right program.

Train relatively intense stoping each set a rep or two before failure. Do 3-4 exercises per body part with 3 sets each exercise . (Higher end for big muscle groups like back and legs and lower for smaller muscle groups like arms).

Train 5 days a week. Sessions should always be less than one hour. Exercise selection and volume matter. The below works best for a healthy over 45 male. Your wife can follow the same program cutting a set off each exercise, boosting reps to about 12 and stoping about 2-3 reps short of failure each set.

Day 1 - chest

  • Bench Press - 3 sets (post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Incline Dumbbells - 3 sets
  • Hammer machine type of press - 3 sets

Day 2 - back

  • Pull downs to chest - 4 sets (post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Seated long pulley rows - 3 sets
  • hammer strength or like high rows - 3 sets

Day 3 - Rest

Day 4 - shoulders

  • Dumbbell overhead press 4 sets(post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Dumbbell side lateral raises - 3 sets
  • Upright rows - 3 sets

Day 5 - Arms
Biceps

  • Straight bar curls -3 sets (post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Alternate arm dumbbell curls - 3 sets
  • preacher curls - 2-3 sets
    Triceps
  • push downs 3 sets
  • extensions -3 sets
  • machine dips 3 sets

Day 6 - legs

  • warm up with a few sets of light leg extensions and curls.
  • Leg press 4 sets (post 1-2 light warm up sets)
  • Hack squat - 3-4 sets
  • Leg curls - 3 sets

Day 7 - Rest

  • Take in about 1 gram of protein per pound body weight in at least 4 meals a day.

  • Sleep at least 7hrs a night

  • Higher T levels help

You may notice that squats and deadlifts are missing -at over 60 I am not a big fan of squats and deadlifts for most people. The trade off for most is not worth it.

Do this for three months. You will make progress. Let me know if you need more help.

[/quote]

I think that’s solid advice.

When I read the OP I immediately thought of getting back to basics on a 6x6 with compound movements performed with BB tempo - hitting everything no more than 1.5 times per week. It’s worked well for me and I have the blood work of a 90 year old woman : )