Through his coaching at Greysteel and his book, THE BARBELL PRESCRIPTION, Jonathon Sullivan MD, PhD helps people in their 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond transform their lives--from patients to players, from aging adults to Athletes of Aging: Strong, powerful, vibrant, alive, and harder to break.
Living well means aging well, and it means staying active, training smart, eating right, sleeping well, and keeping our horizons broad.
And it means understanding your body, how it changes with age, and our current understanding of health and disease in middle age and beyond. Join Jonathon Sullivan MD, PhD, SSC in an exploration of how to prepare for the most extreme sport of all: getting older.
Hey Sully I’m a 49 year old male 89-90 kg bodyweight and just won my local gym’s deadlifting competition (they held it for the Olympics) with 190kg single. I’ve been novice linear progressing for 4 months now (although I’ve tried it before a few times). My bench is 87kg for 3 sets of 5 and my squat is currently 142.5kg for 3 sets of 5. My press is terrible at 52kg but I’m trying to get it to go up and I suspect my technique isn’t dialled in. Power clean is approaching 60kg but I get a mental block (it seems) and I’m struggling to improve it. My late novice looks like this Tuesday Squat Press/bench Deadlift Thursday Light squat Press/bench Chin ups Saturday Squat Press/bench Power clean As you can see I’m heading for that HLM!
I don't see the rationale for doing squats every workout, certainly beyond a novice stage. I'm nearing nine years under the bar, and am presently73 years old. I lift three days a week and have a upper body and lower body workout. Squats are my strongest lift, I think. Recently, I did a single to good depth with 340#. With both the squat, and trap bar dead lift, I will do a heavier single or double, instead of a normal set of 6 to 8 reps, if I don't want so much volume that day. Really, the most important thing is show up and challenge yourself. If you do that over a good run of time, I think whatever program one uses, you are going to be at nearly the same place.
As an aging athlete I still think long term when it comes to strength training. Consistency is still the key, going from novice to intermediate is a matter of your own experience or the experience of a seasoned coach. Intensity is your friend and volume mismanaged is your enemy. Recovery is still the key to getting stronger or maintaining your strength. Is it hard, yes at times but not as hard as living in misery because you neglected your health. Have fun.
Upper Lower split four days week for me. I take my cues from Andy Baker. Dog Crap , rest pause for the five accesories. At 70yrs am the oldest OG under the barbell at local YMCA. 🏊🏋♂️🧨🦊
Nearly 65. Started weightlifting after surviving cancer nearly 2 years ago. Switched to powerlifting after getting your book, the Barbell Prescription. 135 Overhead Press. 225 bench. Working on my squats and deadlifts now. I don’t know if it’s psychological but I’m finding it hard improving my OHP and bench. I’m still progressing in my squats and deadlift.
I’m glad you posted this. Almost 70 years old, started the novice program 3 months ago, 3 days a week with some 2 day a weeks. The mental and physical stress recently caused me to pause. I think I’ll reengage with this intermediate approach which seems like it backs off enough to allow me to continue
I'm a 65 year old white man who lifts weights. I train 4/5 days per week and work out 2 to 3 hours per workout. I use dumbbells up to 110 pounds dumbbells. I'm kicking butt. I started lifting weights when I was 19, that means I have been lifting weights for over 45 years. I will get back to 6 workouts per week. Mon/Thur are Back/Chest days. Tues/Fri are Shoulder/Arm days, and Wed/Sat are Leg/Abdominal days.
Confirmed on DEXA. And it's happened multiple times, not just with one client. We've never seen reversal of osteopenia, but we've seen reversal of osteoporosis on multiple occasions. And your implication is objectionable, inasmuch as you haven't seen the evidence.
trouble is - once you've authored a book called "The Barbell Prescription" and built your livelihood and reputation around the advocacy of deads and squats for seniors, you can't be open-minded enough to consider better-qualified experts' contrary opinions. to this end, t's deeply insulting to mislabel Attia and McGill as "fitness influencers"
I'm not sure how your argument, specious as it is, doesn't also apply to McGill and Attia, who've also written books and staked out philosophies of training, which a person of your clearly misanthropic bent should, in the interest of logical consistency, assume to motivate them in a cynical manner similar to the one your poorly drafted and boneheaded post spuriously imputes to me without evidence. And how, _exactly_ , did you decide that they are "Better qualified?" My provisional conclusion: You're a fanboy defending your heroes. I made clear in our piece that I had respect for these gentlemen. I voiced my vociferous disagreement on the point at issue, not with the totality of their work, which I find valuable. _Your_ opinion, on the other hand, I do not find valuable. Begone.
Dr O - i've got your book and laud your efforts to get the over 50s strength training- so you can say i'm a fan however, i think you should update this video and perhaps some others to reflect latest sports science research and correct some inaccuracies the latter include the claim that high reps + lower weight is inadequate and that heavy doubles/triples won't damage joints regarding heavier weights for lower reps, it's well-established that they're better at building pure strength (even without hypertrophy) but are more taxing on the joints over time....with lower weight for higher reps, as you know, it's well-established that volume drives hypertrophy (which is largely synonymous with strength, esp in ageing populations - remember that sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and resultant strength)...now, the latest Brad Schoenfeld research concludes that high reps achieve the same muscle growth i.e that hypertrophy (and therefore, strength) is not compromised in rep ranges from 6-50...while no-one wants 50 rep sets, sets in the realm of 15-20 are much easier on joints and should be part of seniors' periodisation plans also, the latest sarcopenia research underscores that the #1 consideration in strength/hypertrophy programing for seniors should be the avoidance of injury, due to the catastrophic, irreversible effect of sedentary periods due to powerful sarcopenic forces...it's very different than for young athletes to these points, the recommendation that seniors shoot for, say, 200lb single squats instead of 4 x 50lb or 10 x 20lb is, IMO, reckless the generalized claim that barbell training is superior to dumbbell training is not science-based and defies commonsense - for example, it's a no brainer that seniors are better served by DB-weighted step-ups and split squats than barbell squats, which are technically more difficult to execute, riskier, and don't reflect real-world movement to the same degree as single-leg exercises finally, bodyweight training shouldn't be derided but given equal prominence - strength to weight ratio matters far more in real life than "how much can ya bench".... seniors are better advised to also become proficient at deficit pushups with feet elevated, dips and chins/pullups these strength movements are not only more transferable to real life, they remind seniors of the importance of weight management - whereas pure barbell training can (pervesely) reward overweight athletes with apparent strength gains In my 54 years (30 years of strength training), the only people i've heard decry bodyweight strength training are those who struggle with dips and chinups, usually because they're carrying too much mid-section...
Sorry, based on my own reading of the literature and my clinical experience training seniors every day of the week over many years, I don't agree with ANY of this. We'll let the video stand, thanks.
Ya wow that was beautiful. I turned 54 Sunday. It marks my 40th year lifting. I am very flawed from injury but still plugging away. This video was inspirational
Outstanding and humbling. I’m bitching about squats and I’m 30 years his junior. You are inspirational. I need to find a squat bar like the one in this video as I cannot get my arms back far enough to hold a bar across my shoulders.
This is all well and good but I remember an older lady who started exercising. A blood clot moved from her legs. She had a stroke and died. Many older women have had certain surgeries that limit what they can lift and do. I’m not a big fan of men giving women physical fitness advice. Buyer beware. Do exercises under a doctor’s supervision not from a doctor you have never personally been to. There is not a one size fits all in exercise advice.
I 100% agree. Thanks for throwing some "sense" into the conversation and clarifying concepts and ideas that should not, in may opinion need to be clarified if we just use common sense, knowledge and experience.
I am relatively young (50)but I have very stiff shoulders and pain/swelling from low bar squats. I have access to a safety bar. Is there any reason I shouldn't just use it, at least until the swelling goes down? I'm so uncomfortable under the bar - I know my weights would go up instantly just by not having to fight with hand positioning. I would plan to work back to a regular bar eventually.
Safety bar forever if it mitigates your pain and doesn’t accumulate new injuries! It’s measurable mechanical tension that will allow you to load the rear chain musculature.
I’m 6 foot 39, 70kg and never been gym untill 2 months ago. Always had lower back pain. Dead lifts strengthen my lower back so much I don’t have any pain now. I’m lifting 100kg, only lifting untill form suffers. I failed to see Peters point I’ll be honest, other then low key flexing a 400lbs dead.
@@alanneale3657 I haven't seen any questions from you. Just unsubstantiated and unsupportable accusations. If you ask a question in good faith, we'll answer in good faith. If you're a troll, we'll just ban you. I've been doing this for a while, you know. It's not hard to tell when people are actually serious and when they're not..
Again no mention of taking out the slack along with many other basic cues . Not very good tuition go somewhere else . Try professional weak guy , he’s more up to date ..
@@alanneale3657 Way to completely miss the point, troll. Have you looked at any of our other materials? Our other videos on technical aspects of the deadlift? Our book? Our articles? Our peer-reviewed papers in the biomedical literature? Can you point us to YOUR instructional videos, books, peer-reviewed papers, or articles? Didn't think so. This was OBVIOUSLY not a tutorial (or, as you referred to it, a" tuition"). It was an introduction to what the deadlift is and why we use it. Intelligent viewers picked up on this immediately. Now then. Follow your own advice and go somewhere else. That is to say: piss off.
Very unprofessional Johnathan now your victimising what was at first instance a perfectly innocent and legit question shame on you reverting to such language , and on your post we’re your paying customers can see it ,
@@alanneale3657 You didn't ask a question. You posted a poorly worded, unsubstantiated, and objectively wrong attack of our video, with a clear implication that our content was untrustworthy. I do not apologize for vigorously defending our work, especially against attacks that are just stupid. We stated very clearly in the video that it was not a tutorial. We used those exact words.. (True, your first post suggests that you're not clear on the difference between a tutorial and a tuition, but that's on you.) Criticizing our video for not being a tutorial completely misses the point in a way that is so obtuse it makes me think that you're not actually a good faith interlocutor. Nobody could be that dumb. No, you're not serious. I smell troll.
Sounds like somebody swallowed a dictionary you sound and look like you may have been a x police officer and a bent one at that , keep off the pies chubby ..
Hi Jonathon Sullivan MD, PhD, SSC, I bought your book, The Barbell Prescription, and Rippetoe's, Starting Strength, a year ago and have worked through them. I started my novice progression in June and am already reaping the benefits. At the end of June I visited Starting Strength Indianapolis for a coaching session with Andrew Lewis, and I have nothing but high praise for his knowledge and professionalism. I live in Lansing, MI and I wanted to visit your Greysteel gym in Farmington, but I couldn't determine any way to contact you aside from your automated scheduling page online. I want to thank you for the work you do. The video testimonials I see featuring 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 somethings attest to the effectiveness of the Starting Strength model as well as its applicability for one's entire lifespan.
Doesn't look like the right form. I'm used to deadlifting with a hex where your arms are comfortably at your sides. Thing is, with a bar it can be hard to find the placement for your feet... And if you have a longer femur, it's even harder to get it past your knees. Short people can properly get low before lifting even with a bar like this... But taller people definitely benefit from a hex. They can hurt their back doing it this way.
I'm not sure if you'll see this comment being that this video is now over 3 years old, but I totally agree. Strength training has been so beneficial. I just turned 50 and I feel like a teenager. I started 2 years ago. So far the majority of my experience has been positive. And the lessons keep coming. For one, f*ck I look better! Why oh why aren't women in the gym lifting heavy? I try to encourage my friends in run clubs trying to lose weight and I tell them to lift heavy. Unfortunately it all too often falls on deaf ears. Second, my confidence has increased exponentially. I'm not scared to be in a situation so much. I still run and sure there are dangers to running alone, but I'm 100% sure it's that's person's behavior and not mine. I'm just different. I'm way more secure in my actions. Three, solved a host of physical maladies. Better health through movement is so true. Four, better sec life... Men are hurting themselves by not encouraging the women in their lives to lift heavy. Those that engage in that sort of misogyny are hurting themselves and other men the most... if they love women.
