76 year old lifter

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

I recently finished reading “The Barbell Prescription” and not sure I agree with their assessment that Masters lifters are “volume sensitive and intensity dependent”
i have trained on and off for a big part of my 76+ years. I had to cut way back during the time I was caretaker for my wife from 2010 until I lost her in 2019. I built my own basement gym (power rack, deadlift platform and duel pulley system) during Covid. I stumbled on 5/3/1 and have used it with modest success. I recently completed an 8 week bench focused program to help increase my bench.

Currently I am on a 4 day upper/lower split with a volume aspect (3 weeks of 12’s followed by 3 weeks of 10’s) all at 55-70% of 1RM.
i do DL on Monday, bench on Wednesday, SSB squats on Friday, and OH press on Saturdays with 3-6 sets of arm work.
i feel good and think I recover pretty nicely. I am 5’8” and 172 lbs at approx. 25% bf.
Am I doing too much or should I cut back to 2x a week as suggested by some

2

Jonk,

We would agree with you. A better way to think about it is that all trainees are intensity dependent insofar as intensity determines the types of adaptations you’ll get, whereas volume will determine the magnitude of the adaptations. Some people will need more or less volume based on their individual response to training, which varies due genetics, previous training, current fitness levels, and so on. However- and this is important- older individuals do not respond more or less favorably to training than younger individuals. In other words, age does not change the training I’d recommend independently of the other factors listed here.

I think your program no doubt exceeds the current physical activity guidelines for resistance training. Is it the best for your goals? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I doubt that you’re training too much.

Powerbuilding I may be a good choice for you should you need a recommendation.

-Jordan

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