50th year PRs
Cliffs: I'm 50 later this year and am challenging myself to set as many lifetime PRs as I can
tldr
49yo male. 6ft, 90.5kg/199lbs. Grew up in London, now live in Sydney Australia.
Have long term sporting background. International representative rugby player at top tier sporting university and played semi pro into my late 20s. Also played varsity soccer as freshman at college, plus all the sports including track and field growing up.
The past 20 years since rugby finished...I've almost always exercised/trained and have always been fit but it's mainly been 'working out' rather than training. By which I mean I train hard when I go into the gym...but without any real plans or goals.
I had two serious sporting injuries that still impact my training - the knee reconstruction plus a torn & bulging disc in the L5/S1 region and after a really frustrating 3ish years of a cycle or injuring myself every time I tried to go hard for a period of time, I've cut the intensity of my training over the past 5 years. By doing this and giving up several movements (squat, snatch, squat clean), I've managed to stay active and training all the way through....albeit going through the motions for months and then more committed at other times.
But I find myself bored with my training and staring down the barrel of a major milestone as I turn 50 in the middle of 2021. And so I'm going to aim to reach 50 in great shape and to give myself something to keep me interested by aiming to break as many of my lifetime PRs as I can.
Realistically, I'm never running a sub 11.5 100m or hitting the roads to run a marathon again and I'm not squatting or o lifting heavy any more, so those ones are out. But I think the upper body lifts are within reach (I've never been 'strong' in those anyway, but they haven't dropped off much) and I think some of the cardio PRs are definitely do-able if I can commit to the pain...albeit I'm definitely scared of the pain
Simultaneously, my cholesterol levels have been rising the past few years and I'd like to drop some body fat...so I'm going to be adopting a better diet and substantially reducing my drinking
Here's a list of my PRs...some of them are relatively soft, in that I haven't really trained them for that long.
PRs within reach
Lifting
Bench 107.5kg (currently at approx 100kg)
Press 70kg (currently probably 67.5 but gym closed right now and my home gym ceiling is too low for me to do standing press)
Bar Dips 26 (guessing I could do 15ish)
Erg
1km 3.17 (guessing 3.30)
2km 6.59 (I did a 7.19 yesterday and it damn near killed me)
Assault Bike
100 cals 3.11
200 cals (can't find the PR but I'll be attempting one)
DEXA PR: 16.2% (I think I'd be 18% ish now)
PRs that are possible but not probable
Dead Hangs 18
Erg
500m 1.28 (est 1.32 right now - 4 secs is a HUGE difference in a 500m)
5k 18.43 (guessing 19.30)
Caliper bf% when playing rugby was 12.1 - which I'm guessing equated to 14% ish?
Other lifetime PRs fyi that we won't be attempting to break
Squat 165kg (in 1993)
Deadlift 170kg (2010)
Power Clean 105 (2015)
Snatch 82.5kg (2015)
11.5 100m
1.28 half marathon
This is about as far as I've got.
I haven't worked out an exact training plan yet - our gyms are closed for covid at the moment but I have a barbell, rack and bench at home plus an erg and a pull up bar so I can train most of the above. I generally get to the gym 4 to 5 times a week and aim to do at least one other 'activity' per day as well - I've got quite obsessive about getting 10k steps in since I've been working from home since March. And then I have a very sporty 10 year old son who I am helping get fit for his upcoming season - both soccer and rugby will start in March. So we're doing sprints and skills training too.
Next steps
keep things ticking over with no huge focus for the next 2 weeks, then after a week's holiday 13th to 20th January, I'll commit to a more detailed plan and improve my lifestyle.
I'm very heavy for me (most of my PRs were done with me weighing 83-85kg and I'm 90kg right now), so it's a good time to try to get some upper body PRs.
the cardio goals scare me and are the main reason I've started the thread.
I want to force myself to do more conditioning work but I know the pain I'm in for - that 5k row PR was done when I was peak crossfit and will be a total nightmare to get to from where I am right now.
I'll be getting a DEXA in late Jan.
I had my bloods done last month and will probably get another lot done before my birthday.
I may also add some additional fitness goals...just not sure what they'd be right now
sorry for the wall of text and sorry if you're unable to multiply kg by 2.2 to get to lbs
For me I'd say lifting and basketball are both distracting but in different ways. Definitely agree that adrenaline takes over with sports and even during stressful times, I still feel fully present while playing basketball. Even with running outside I'll catch myself thinking of certain life issues. With lifting I'll be focused on form so I don't hurt myself which helps with staying present. I think it's just harder for me to "show up" to the gym when I'm fatigued because it feels more taxing. D
yep, agree
had a gummy and a sleeping pill and got 8.5hours sleep last night. feel ****ing incredible - this is what normal humans must feel like everyday!
single leg
leg extensions 4x10-47kg
leg press 3x10-120kg
then
hip thrust machine 4x10-170kg
hack squat 3x11-110kg
tricep push down/extension ss 3x12/15-35/24 kg
felt great throughout. couldn't get on the leg curl machine and the glute extension machine is broken but happy with a slightly lighter day as I have a ton of yard work to do now
like an idiot, I had 5-6 drinks last night and so woke up at 2.40. I think I might have got back to sleep at about 5.30 for an hour but can't be sure.
either way...heroically back at it grinding through more work on the house and painting and I'm beginning to see an end in sight for all the work I've got to get done.
got to the gym this pm and got an OK session done in the circumstances
Pull Ups 1x11
Neutral Grip Pull Downs 4x13-70
Close Grip Row 4x12-70
Barbell Shrug ss with Hammer Curls 3x16-100/3x12-15kgDBs
Preacher Curl ss with Back Extensions 3x12-40/3x10
day off yesterday and a couple of decent sleeps.
DB Bench 4x9-30kg
DB Incline 3x12-26kg
Flye Machine 3x15-54kg
seated DB Press 5x11-22kg
I'm gonna stop mentioning when I have good sleeps in here because it seems to precede bad ones. Up at 4 today and as a result, went through the motions at the gym this morning
single leg
leg curl 3x10-20kg
leg extensions 3x11-47kg
leg press 3x10-100kg
then
hip thrust machine 4x11-170kg
tricep push down/extensions superset 3x11/15-35/24kg
tricep machine thing 3x11-47.
meh, all fine. got it done. onto the next one
wide grip pull downs 3x10-67
close grip pull downs 4x12-70
seated chest supported isometric rows 4x11-110
preacher/hammer super set 3x9/10-42.5/16kg
cable curl 2x12-24kg
10,8,8,8 Incline DB Bench 30kg
4x9 Isometric prone chest press machine 80kg
3x14 Machine Flye 47kg
5x9 Standing Barbell Press 40kg
had to do barbell Press as no benches to sit on. First time in 3+ months doing it. Felt weird
Single leg alternating
Leg extensions 4x11-47
Leg Curl 2x10-20
Glute extension machine 3x10-60
Leg Press 3x12-100
Calf Raises 3x15 -75
Then
Skullcrusher / Tricep press 3x12/15-40
Tricep Extension machine 3x10
3x10 wide grip pull downs 67
3x13 neutral grip mid width pull downs 67
3x13 close grip seated rows 70kg
3x10 back extensions with 10kg weight
3x17 barbell shrug 100kg
3x11 preacher curl 42.5kg
2x10 machine curl thing
day off yesterday which was great. almost took another off but went to the gym and happy I did, because it was a good session
DB Incline Bench 4x9-30kg
Isometric flat bench 3x8 pause reps 80kg
Flye machine 3x13-47kg
seated DB Press 3x10-22.5kg
Lat raise machine 3x12-32kg
seated Press machine 3x11-37kg
early am lower body
single leg alternating....
leg extensions 3x10-47
glute extensions 3x11-60
then
leg press 4x8-250
hack squat 4x9-120
glute raise machine 3x13-150
ex bar skullcrusher/close grip press 3x12/15-40kg
tricep extension machine 3x10-47
good session. trained with my ego a little and did both leg work for leg press and hack squat and it definitely wears me down a little more, which I kind of like. Albeit I think sticking with the single leg work for leg press is the right way to go, to attempt to rebalance the two of them.
have also cut out leg curl which I think is the movement which is causing my bad knee to swell. will see if it makes a difference
medium width neutral grip pull downs 4x13-70kg
chest supported seated close grip isometric rows 4x12-120kg
barbell shrugs 3x18-100kg ss with
back extensions 3x13-15kg weight
barbell curl 3x11-35kg ss with
hammer curl 3x10-15kg DBs
1 set 10 chins as finisher
DB Bench 11.11.10.10-30kg
Incline DB Bench 3x10-25
DB Flye 3x11-22.5
Single arm push press 2x10-30kg
Seated DB press 4x12-20kg
Cable Lat Raise 2x10-7.5kg
Single leg stuff
Leg curl 3x10-20
Leg extension 3x12-47
Glute extension 3x12-67
Leg Press 3x10-100
then
Hip extension machine 3x13-160kg
Tricep Push Down/Extension 3x12/12-35/24
effectively two days off - did 40 mins on a bike at the gym on Sunday and then a full day off yesterday. sleep has been elusive
Medium width neutral grip pull down 11,11,12,12,11 - 70kg
Chest supported seated close grip row 4x12-120kg
Barbell Shrug 3x13-110kg ss with
Back Extension 3x12-15kg
Preacher Curl 4x9-42.5kg ss with
Hammer Curl 4x8-16kg
Chins 1x8 to finish.
I keep thinking about adding pull ups back into the rotation but I'm really enjoying both the neutral grip pull downs and the close grip row on the isometric machine and so am doing more sets vs bringing in a third movement.
early am session.
11,10,10,10 DB Bench 30kg
3x11 Incline DB Bench 25kg
3x15 Flye Machine 47kg
3x11 seated DB Press 22.5kg
3x12 Lat Raise machine
did a light cardio session and 2x10 pull ups last night. then a crippling sleep which I knew I was going to have. work is going ****ing awfully this year - our economy is not in great shape and the jobs market is ****ed. had a couple of cancelled searches yesterday that I was relying on to get to break even for the quarter
single leg work
leg curl 3x10-22.5. went up 2.5 and my weaker left leg really struggled. Don't feel like my left hamstring is getting stronger
leg extension 3x11-47kg
leg press 3x10-115kg
then
barbell RDL 3x12-80
ez bar skullcrushers 3x10-40 ss with
ez bar close grip press 3x18-40
tricep push downs 3x10-35 ss with
tricep extensions 3x9-25
What do you do for work again?
took the afternoon off to grind through a load of work in my garden. as a result was pretty rooted by the time I got to the gym and so did a half session
neutral grip pull downs 3x14-67
seated close grip row 3x14-70
back extensions 3x12-10kg
preacher curl 3x10-42.5 ss with
hammer curl 3x8-15
two more de-load type sessions due to sleep loss/fatigue and lack of time
Sat.
DB Bench 3x11-30kg
DB Incline 3x12-25kg
Sun
single leg stuff
leg extension3x11-47kg
glute extension 3x12-72.5kg
then
hack squat 3x9-120kg
hip/glute raise machine thing 3x13-170kg
ezbar skullcrushers 3x10-40 ss with
close grip ez bar press 3x18-40
really a rest day but I'd been in the house all day and wanted to do something.
did 3 mins of zone 3/2 on a stationary bike while reading a book then....with my heart rate up a little thought I'd do something on the erg for a few mins
did 2x500m with approx 1 min rest in between
1.50 and then 1.39
off, that second one got the heart racing. Not sure I've done anything even semi strenuous cardio wide in about 4 months.
* that should have been 30 mins of zone 3/2
early am
neutral grip medium width pull downs 4x11-70
chest supported seated close grip hammer row 4x11-120kg
wide grip pull downs 3x15-57kg
barbell shrug 3x12-110kg ss with
hammer curl 3x9-16kg
preacher curl 4x9-42.5kg
500m row warm up
single leg alternating
leg extension 3x11-47kg
glute extension 3x12-72.5
leg press 3x9-100
then
hack squat 3x9-100
hip extension 3x11-170kg
skullcrusher/close grip on ezbar 3x10/20-42.5 ss with bench dips 3x10
all ticking along nicely. going to the gym every day is something I look forward to and makes me feel better and that's enough for now.
I'm basically just in maintenance mode fitness wise, waiting for some kind of inspiration. maybe some goals or a plan comes to me when my life gets a bit easier but for now feeling good and looking good is enough.
weight has been in the 81kg range for the past 4 months (I've been between 88 and 92 for much of the past few years and was 90.6 in Jan when I did my first weigh in for the year ) and I'm managing to maintain at this weight without too much difficulty. Still not drinking much alcohol and my diet is very clean all day with basically protein and salads and then a main meal at night and I often have a few blocks of chocolate and a handful of potato chips afterwards.
I'm unsure if I might try to drop another 2kg to get right into 6 pack territory. But I also have a decent cycle of growth hormone left over from when I used it about 4 years ago and I'm tempted to try that again now that I'm already lean and I'm eating better. Which is probably just clicking buttons but I did like what it did for me 4/5 years ago when I used it before - a few kgs more size and I think it helped me strip fat a little although I wasn't really taking pics or being scientific with what it did for me
gym was very busy this morning, so my order got messed up. randomly dropped 0.5kg from yesterday and 1.5kg down from Monday and I felt weaker all around, so the reps suffered on all my chest exercises
hammer bench press 3x9-80
incline db bench 3x9-27.5
flyes 3x8-25kg
seated press 3x10-22.5kg
lat raise machine 3x10-32
press machine 1x10-47kg
1x10 pull ups to finish, just because
all fine. am going to a dance party Saturday pm that will involve chems, so I'll train til Sat am and then have a few days off I think
