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
5x10 45 degree leg press 200kg
4x6 Deadlift 130kg
3x7 RDL 80kg
3x15 each leg alternating leg extension
am really enjoying the shorter rests between sets - 60-75 secs today
Press 3x6-50, 3x8-45kg
Seated Press machine 3x11-47
Close Grip Row 4x10-80kg
Wide Grip Row 4x9-67kg
Pretty consistent week after that hard of a weekend!
others might call it heroic
tbh, bro sessions at the gym require zero intestinal fortitude IMO. I still won’t do any training within 48 hours of a chems escapade but I could do them every day without rest days I reckon and definitely 6 days straight
I’ve still had no urge to jump on an erg. I’m keeping open minded to the possibility of a paddle on Sunday but I suspect I’ll find a way to avoid it
Sat morning bro work
DB Bench, 3x5 34kg, 3x11 29kg
Flye 3x8-24kg
Preacher/Hammer ss 3x7/8-47.5kg
ezy bar Skullcrusher/close Grip Press ss 3x10/10-45kg
strength a little down on the pressing...maybe because I did overhead work about 16 hours earlier.
Day off Sun, enjoyable lower body day today
3x4 Front Squat 60kg
4x11 45 degree Leg Press 220kg
3x5 Deadlift 140kg
2x8 RDL 90kg
4x12 alternating single leg extension 36kg
random wake up at 4.26am. So went to the gym at 5.30 to get it out the way
DB seated Press 7x6-26kg
Seated Row 4x10-77kg
Seated hammer wide Grip row 4x7-160
DB Shrug 3x8-40kg DB
not ideal from a sleep POV and it's hard for my old bones to warm up at this time, but I get to feel smug all day knowing I've trained, had a swim in the ocean and am at my desk with a coffee by 7am
today's wake up was 3.40. Wife coming back home from rehab today so a ton on my mind
bro session again. It's both boring and enjoyable. I'm not really aiming for anything, it's very samey and I feel a little 'empty' just doing weights. But against that, it's keeping me going 5-6 days per week, I do enjoy it and feel good afterwards and I can definitely see some physique improvements from doing more lifting. Plus I definitely don't have the mental strength for any hard cardio right now.
I haven't managed to drop any weight this week which is annoying. I definitely look
a ton better with the 10 ish lbs off that I dropped and I would snap take this weight as what I'll weight in at/look like for the next decade. And I definitely enjoy/respond bette to less food in general, less carbs and less rubbish consumed. But I don't enjoy being so focused on it all the time
Still...hoping to lose another 5lbs and then maintain at that...and maybe I'll become a committed bro session guy. Or maybe I can find a lifting or other goal that will focus me and keep me interested
DB Bench 6x6 32kg
Flye 3x9-24kg
Preacher/Hammer super set 3x8/10-45/16kg
Tricep Push down/Extension 2x10/12-35/25kg
1k row as a warm up
3x5 Front Squat 65kg
3x8 Leg Press 240kg
4x5 Deadlift 140kg
2x6 RDL 90kg, 1x10 60kg
3x10 each leg single leg extension 33kg
75secs max between sets which I’m really enjoying
Hope things are at least tolerable and that you can move towards an acceptable resolution with a minimum of fuss.
I need to get on the weight loss train too but consistency is hard. We'll see I suppose.
re weight loss...I have to be in the right mindset and it's rare that I can get into it and get through the first weekend. Which is why I'm generally 10-15lbs heavier than I should be. So when I do manage to get into week 2 and get into the groove, I need to stick with it for as long as possible
but surely you're ;pretty lean if you've just run a marathon??
re wife, thanks and we'll see. We haven't had a 'talk' since she came back which we need to do. She seems to want to get back together and keeps asking me to do things together...walk the dog, go shopping etc. And made a comment about how we shouldn't sell the house this year. This has the potential to turn into a very difficult situation, so I need to strike a balance between being kind and nice, which I want to do for humanity reasons and for the kids (and also because we're likely living together for another 6 months or sth) and making it clear that we need to go through with it
40 min body surf this morning with two of my kids was A1 ****ing awesome
bro session at the gym was tough at 11am when still fasted (I'm fasting til midday 3 times a week now)
seated DB Press 6x7-26kg
barbell shrug 3x12-100kg
seated close grip row 3x10-77kg
wide grip pull down 4x12-67kg
I had more I wanted to do today but a client of mine was in the gym and we ended up talking for 7/8 mins while I was doing the close grip row and I totally lost my mojo
having a drink this pm for the first time in a while...I feel like it's what Jesus would have wanted?
quick Sunday morning session with son
DB Bench 6,6,5,4-34kg,2x10-30kg
Preacher Hammer ss 3x10/7-35,16kg
Tricep Push Down/Extension ss 3x10/10-37.5/27.5
Did some pull ups for the first time in ages - 8,7.
and some abs
struggled through a late morning lower body session at the end of a 20 hour fast today
1km row
front squat 3x4-65kg
RDL 3x9-80kg
Deadlift 4x5-130
leg extension 5x12 each side single leg extension 33kg
the leg press machine was basically never available so didn't do it
early am, always takes me a while to warm myself up
seated DB Press 3x6-26kg, 3x11-22kg
barbell shrug 4x13-90kg
Wide Grip Pull Downs 4x10-67kg
Seated Hammer wide grip row 4x8-140kg
Close Grip Pull Down 4x8-77kg
all fine. I feel like i need another shoulder exercise to supplement DB Press. Barbell Push Press is the best option I guess, albeit I always think it's really a quad, glute, hip exercise as much as anything else.
I'm a little judgmental on lat raises and front raises but maybe I shouldn't be.
Or maybe I could do Barbell Press into DB Press?
DB Bench 3x3-36kg,3x9-30kg
Flye 3x10-24kg
Barbell Curl 3x10-40kg
Hammer Curl 3x9-16kg
Dips 3x13
Amazing how moving up 2kg from 34 to 36kg takes the reps from 7 to 3 and the third was a huge struggle
early am again and every set felt difficult
1km row
3x5 front squat 65kg
4x8 Leg Press 220kg
3x5 Deadlift 130kg
4x10 each leg alternating leg extension 33kg
Barbell Press 3x7-50kg, 3x8-45kg
Hammer seated wide grip row 4x10-140kg
Wide Grip Pull Downs 4x10-67kg
about all I was good for.
hmm, looks like I did the wrong split today...should have been shoulders and back but did chest and guns. thought the benching felt a little sore
DB Bench 4x7-32, 3x9-28
Preacher/Hammer ss 4x8/10-45/16
Skullcrusher/Close Grip Press ss 3x7/15-45kg
also did some abs
Barbell Press 3x5-50
seated DB Press 4x8-24kg
Pull ups ss with seated Hammer wide grip row 11,9,9 3x10-140kg
Bent over DB rows 4x8-36kg
Close grip row 1x11-67,1x10-77kg
early morning lower body session....not sure it's to be recommended for the over 50s operating at a calorie deficiency
1k row
4x4 Front squat 67.5
4x8 leg press 210
5,6,7,8 deadlift at 110kg
3x10 leg extensions 33kg each leg alternating
DB Bench 4x5-34kg, 3x10-28kg
Flye 3x10-24kg
Preacher Curl 3x10-45kg
Hammer Curl 3x8-16kg
Skullcrusher/close grip press 3x8/20-45kg
Pull Ups 11
11 seems to be the deadhang limit right now. Not bad for 52 but I’d like more. I might do a 3-4 week program to improve them.
Im 83.5kg now. It’s a weird thing about losing weight - that’s 7kg I’ve lost now and I still think I could drop another 2-3, whereas I would have been delighted to drop 5 when I started
1 hour later I played 40 mins tough rugby game for the Dads against our sons’ under 14 team. We won 7-2!
I can confirm the magic is still there. 2 tries, 2 assists. But my God I’m sore already
I ate about 500mg of magnesium last night but am still sore everywhere, particularly the reconstructed knee, my right groin and both hamstrings.
Gym this morning was a huge challenge and I did more stretching than lifting. Also kept the weight lower so I could just get some movement back and speed up recovery
did a load of very slow, very painful bodyweight squats
stretched my back out/did mobility work after every set
seated DB Press 5x10-22kg
barbell push press 4x6-50
wide grip pull downs 4x10-57
Sat am lower body session
Legs and groin still struggling after Weds night rugby. Took me 15 mins + to get to my first working set. Took front squat very easy as hip flexors are still particularly stiff and sore
Deadlift 4x4-140
Front squat 4x4-70
Leg Press 5x8-220
Leg Extension 3x9 -33 (single legs)
I also started my pull up quest with what is called ‘greasing the groove’. Hugh volume of easy to do sets to get body used to them again
15x3 deadhangs…after every working set above and then a set of 10 at the end
I think my PR is 17 or 18. I reckon that’s achievable if I can drop another kg or two and add pull ups into every/most session
DB Bench- 4x8-32
DB Incline Bench 4x8-28
Flye 3x9-24
Ss each set with Skullcrushers
Barbell Curl 3x8-40kg
Cable Preacher Curl 3x10
10 mins stretching as my hips groin are still sore from that rugby
