I’m 71 and initiated the Starting Strength novice linear progression with a coach last December. On March 1st I had rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder for the second time. The first surgery was 30 years ago. I don’t relate the need for the second surgery to anything that happened from lifting but more from 50 years of fly fishing casting with my right arm. Additionally 2 weeks ago I underwent CMC joint arthroplasty, carpal tunnel and trigger finger release on my left hand. Most of the reasons for this was overuse and arthritis. Anyway I am anxious to return to the gym but am confused on where to start lifting in relation to where I ended prior to shoulder surgery. I feel like I had maxed out novice gains on the press and bench but probably had more gains to make on the squat and dead lift. When I start lifting again I won’t have a coach so if anyone can offer programming suggestions I would appreciate it. My goal is to build muscle and strength and to stay as fit as possible right up to the finish line. Where ever that may be. Hopefully my quest will keep pushing that finish line farther and farther away. Thanks
Were you referred for any sort of post-operative physical therapy / occupational therapy after these surgeries? Those are important first steps in this situation.
If you have essentially completed that post-op rehab and have been “cleared” for normal activity and training. At that point we would likely manage your training as a beginner again. You may found our material on training beginners, as well as on post-operative knee rehabilitation (recognizing that you didn’t have knee surgery, but many of the principles are similar):
Thanks for your reply. Yes I was referred to PT and I am currently entering the strengthening phase. As you suggest I’ll be taking a look at the BBM beginners program when I’m cleared for normal use.
One others thing that bugs me…… There doesn’t seem to be a strong focus or interest about older people and resistance training. Prior to my shoulder surgery I’d bet that I didn’t run into more than 5 folks at the gym that are anywhere near my age of 71. Is this apparent lack of interest from the general public the reason there aren’t more programs/discussions out there dedicated to resistance training for my age class? The low number of old guys that are lifting makes the gym environment sort of lonely and I belong to 2 gyms! The one is attached to a medical center where most of the older people there are on cardiac rehab and the second is a small ‘black iron’ gym downtown where I am the only lifter there over 55. Where is everybody??? I’ve not lifted for long but I have seen so many significant benefits from it that I can’t see why there aren’t more older people involved. Why don’t doctors prescribe more resistance training to people my age? Is it because so many would simply not do it even if it was prescribed? I get that as an obstacle since I’ve been actively looking for a lifting partner and none of my buddies are interested in the least. Frustrating
Is there enough specific information on ‘lifting when you’re old’ to warrant a podcast discussion on it? Thanks