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
Yikes, hopefully nothing too serious.
Sat am session - last day of the week for me as I have a 50th birthday tonight that will be lavish and then I'm taking my parents out for lunch for Mother's Day tomorrow and will need a few drinks
Front Squat 3x4-70
Hack Squat 4x8-140
Leg Press 5x8 - 220
Leg Extension 3x9-36...each leg, alternating
1 legged KB RDL 3x8-24kg
rest day yesterday after a very big Saturday afternoon and evening. Backed it up with boozing and eating yesterday - felt good to have a blow out
seated DB Press 5x8-22.5
seated Machine Press 4x10/6-35/25kg drop sets
Shrug 4x12-90
Hammer wide grip seated row 4x12-130kg
seated close grip row 4x8/6 77/57kg drop set
am going to do a month of higher reps/hypertrophy type training and see how I enjoy it.
early am session - not easy doing chest and triceps 12 hours after doing shoulders. May need to change my splits and go to a push day and a pull day if I'm gonna be training 6 times a week
4x9 DB Bench 30kg
4x8 DB Incline 26kg
3x10 Flye 22kg
3x6 Preacher Curl 47.5kg
3x8 Hammer Curl 16kg
3x11 Dips ss with Wipers
trained at 5pm and my God, the difference training lower body in the afternoon is significant for me. Went up in weight and felt really good
leg extension - 3x8-19kg single legs, warm up
front squat 3x4-75
deadlift 4x5-150
hack squat 3x8-140
45 degree leg press 3x8-240
single leg KB RDL 3x8-24kg
felt all over body tired this morning, which isn't surprising really given the diet/3rd consecutive early start/4th day in a row and 12 hours after heavy lower body session combo but still...felt achy, lethargic and weak. We got her done though, but it was going through the motions and I had almost nothing left for my shoulders.
Am definitely gonna trial a push pull legs split for a few weeks
Seated Wide Grip hammer row 4x8-140kg
Wide Grip Pull Down 4x8-67
Close Grip seated Row 4x8-67
Back Extensions 2x6
Barbell Press 5x6-45
Gonna have a re-feed day today and then won't have to train til tomorrow night which will give me something of a rest
Fri night
DB Bench 4x10-30kg
Hammer Incline Bench 4x9-80kg
DB Flye 3x12-22.5
Skullcrushers/Close Grip Press ss 3x6/14-45kg
Dips 3x12
Sat am
leg extension warm up
Front Squat 4x3-75
Hack Squat 4x6-150
Power Clean 3x2-80
Deadlift 1x2-140
at this point, just totally lost energy - could hardly lift the deadlift and felt all over fatigue so just gave it up. Given I was doing 5 reps at 150 earlier in the week, it's clearly a recovery thing.
then did
leg extensions 3x8-40kg each leg singles
leg curls 3x8 very light each leg singles
first time doing prone leg curls in years and on my bad left leg, it was immediately clear that the left hamstring is a weakness. referred tightness up into my lower back. makes me realise I need to do more single leg work to fix the strength imbalance i have
the fatigue also has me thinking I should switch to an 6 sessions in 8 days cycle of 3 on 1 off, rather than what I'm currently doing which is 3,3,1 to muscle it into a week.
I just like doing something every day but it's clear that the second 3 day cycle in each week, the performance is always a lot worse. Maybe I'll just build in a 60min walk on the off day or do some kind of gym based cardio. IDK
drank alcohol 3 nights in a row to Sun and woke up feeling really flat and depressed today. bad sleeps and a total loss of mojo. also...surprise, surprise...I was eating salted snacks and more carbs given the alcohol
I've hardly drunk the past 3 months apart from a few blow out nights and really need to protect that habit both for health/weight reasons but also mental health stuff. I was up in the night for two hours with anxiety about separation/divorce/kids things and that just hasn't been happening nearly as much since I started really looking after myself
so I'm committing to nothing at all for the next 10 days and hopefully that makes a difference and gets me back into the groove.
first day of splitting the sessions up differently today - moving to a Push/Legs/Pull/Rest 4 day cycle which should hopefully leave me fresher and able to attack each session.
DB Bench 4x10-30kg
Hammer Bench Machine 4x10-80kg
DB Flye 3x12-22.5kg
Seated DB Press 5x8-22.5 (*these were more difficult post the benching)
Barbell Push Press 4x10-40kg. Basically did these for a pump with only 20 secs rest
Tricep Push Down/Extension super set 3x10/10-35/25 kg
shoulders felt a little more difficult given the work they'd already done and this session took about 70 mins, which is a little longer than usual. But I'm hopeful it's a good approach and I'll give it at least a month
I hear that about the booze; I drank maybe two too many Saturday night for the first time in quite a while and have two consecutive nights of bad sleep - moderation is hard. Pure abstinence is easier for me, it continues to seem.
I hear that about the booze; I drank maybe two too many Saturday night for the first time in quite a while and have two consecutive nights of bad sleep - moderation is hard. Pure abstinence is easier for me, it continues to seem.
Sad news is that I reckon it’ll only get worse.
Re abstinence/moderation, I have a ridiculous concession that doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny but actually helps me.
I will allow myself 1 beer two or three times a week and still define that as alcohol free!
I often don’t finish the beer but just having like 3 sips/half a bottle of beer is enough to take the edge off my day and it gets rid of the majority of the cravings. If I finish the first beer then it becomes a challenge not to open a second but the second is deadly and leads to more.
Sad news is that I reckon it’ll only get worse.
Re abstinence/moderation, I have a ridiculous concession that doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny but actually really helps me with my overall goal of drinking a lot less. I will allow myself between 1/2 and 1 beer two or three times a week and still define that as alcohol free!
I often don’t finish the beer but just having like 3 sips/half a bottle of beer is enough to take the edge off my day a
Yeah, we all need those tricks; I just found some decently tasty NA beer and that seems to hit the spot a few times a week. I "allow" myself "two" real drinks a week when I don't have anything other than a recovery run planned the following day, which basically means Friday or Saturday; "two" generally ends up being three or four, but that's generally reasonably easy to recover from the following. Saturday I had buddies over and it was probably six, so here we are on Monday and I'm hoping to get to sleep at 8:30.
Yeah, we all need those tricks; I just found some decently tasty NA beer and that seems to hit the spot a few times a week. I "allow" myself "two" real drinks a week when I don't have anything other than a recovery run planned the following day, which basically means Friday or Saturday; "two" generally ends up being three or four, but that's generally reasonably easy to recover from the following. Saturday I had buddies over and it was pro
well I hope you do better than I did last night. I have got some new gummies that are supposed to reduce anxiety and help sleep but...I lay awake for an hour while stoned and having hot flushes and then have been up since 3.15.
4 hours sleep last night and so modified my lifting a little to make it mentally more accessible. and actually enjoyed it
3 sets of light single leg leg extensions as warm up
5x10 leg press 210kg
5x8 deadlift 110kg
3x10 single leg KB RDLs 28kg KB
all fine.
sleeping pill and 9 hours sleep last night and woke up feeling a little groggy, but way more human
brain wasn't engaged so I went to the gym post dropping the kids to school.
wide grip pull downs 4x10-67kg
seated hammer wide grip rows 4x9-140kg
hammer high close grip rows 4x8-80kg
barbell shrugs 3x15-80kg - quick with only 30 secs rest
fixed bar curl 4x8-30kg ss with hammer curl 4x8-17.5kg
my first 3 day cycle of Push Pull Legs or...Push Legs Pull. I felt less joint soreness doing pull after a lower body day and I do think there'll be a benefit in doing all pushing and pulling together as opposed to doing chest one day and shoulders the next and similarly back one day and biceps the next. And then I hope that will be doubled by the extra rest day in 3 on 1 off vs 3,3,1 rest to get the cycle into a week
I also feel that there'll be an additional benefit in that I'll end up doing more back work - I'll probably start adding another 4x something back set onto pull day as otherwise I'll be done in 50 mins. either that or an additional bicep movement. idk. I wish I could do pull ups but those 3 weeks with 200-250 per week was dumb and I've got some tendonitis
rest day yesterday but did a 70 min walk in the evening with a fair number of hills in it.
it's only the first week of my 3 on 1 off, push leg, pull set but I did feel a lot fresher this morning in the gym and had no achy joints/muscles etc. am gonna do it for a month and see how I feel - am also on week 2 of higher reps, lower weights so I've changed a lot.
DB Bench 4x10-30kg
Hammer bench on slight incline 4x9-80kg
Incline DB Bench 3x12-25kg
Seated DB Press 3x12-22kg
Barbell Push Press 3x10-45kg, touch and go with very short rests
Tricep Push Downs ss with Tricep Extensions 3x10/10-35/24kg, drop set on last one
all pretty good.
really bad sleep last night and it took a while to warm into early morning leg session
500m row and some foam rolling
leg extension 3x8-35 each leg alternating
front squat 3x3-75. felt something tighten in my back on rep 1 and stopped
hack squat 5x8-140kg
45 degree leg press 5x10-240kg
RDL 3x12-70kg
am actually thinking about stopping the front squat altogether. I love the movement but it puts a lot of pressure on my lower back and groing that I don't feel elsewhere. Now I have a hack squat, I might just do that and the leg press and then also some deadlift and find another machine to use. Reading Guy's log is accelerating my move away from barbell stuff, albeit all the rugby s&c then crossfit then rip stuff is deeply ingrained in me
Pull day
3x10 pull ups
3x8 bent over barbell row 75kg
4x2 power clean 75kg
4x12 wide grip pull downs 67kg
3x10 close grip pull downs 67kg
1x10 Preacher curl 45kg
1x25 preacher 45,35,30kg drop set
Didn’t get to finish for kid reasons.
Power cleans felt difficult - probably legs yesterday and then the bent over rows?
Idk
rest day yesterday apart from an hour walk last night.
v early am session today
DB Bench 10,9,9,9,8-30kg
DB Incline 8,9,10-26kg
Machine flye 3x12-45kg
DB Press 4x8-22kg
Barbell Push Press 3x8-45
Tricep Push Down/Extension 3x10/13-34/24
still coming to terms with lifting less weight on shoulders as part of doing them after chest pressing, but then my pressing strength is down all around since I lost the weiight.
weight loss has stablised for the past 4 weeks, at 82kg, which is 8.5kg down from the beginning of Jan. The manorexic in me can still see there's a few kg I could lose to get to full 6 pack territory but it would be quite a large effort I'd think and I'm not sure if I can be bothered. I'm still fasting 3-4 times a week and still limiting a lot of complex carbs, as well as alcohol and most tret type things, but I've found myself picking on a little bad things at the end of the day the past few weeks.
I'm going to Fiji in 5 weeks with my son's rugby and it would be great to think I could aim at getting onto the plane at my leanest in years but idk, I'm also happy where I am and I'd be absolutely ****ing delighted to be able to maintain this weight moving forward. As my mindset inevitably relaxes, my goal is to keep sub 84 as the goal and anything over 84 as the indicator that I need to make adjustments.
I still have a good amount of GH in my fridge and I'm tempted to do a cycle again, now that I'd be starting quite lean already. If I do, the weight will obviously change and I'll have to find composition goals
early am leg session. lower back a little tight and so I took a little weight off and extended reps. Also started with leg ext and leg curls for joint warm up reasons and actually enjoyed the session better
3x 8 leg extensions 40kg - 8 each leg alternating singles
3x8 prone leg curl 18kg 8 each leg alternating singles
5x12 hack squat 130kg
2x8 Leg Press 240kg
3x10 Leg Press 210kg
3x10 barbell RDL 80kg
1 mega set leg extensions to finish 8 each leg singles 40kg, 16 both leg at 40 then rest then 12 at 40
I've known for a while that my left leg is weaker than the right - two ACL reconstructions on that leg and it's never fully recovered. It's why I've had to stop back squatting as the imbalance twists my spine slightly.
either way, the individual leg curls really highlighted how much weaker my left hamstring and glutes are. even with a light weight it was a huge struggle to do the left legs. i've always noticed it a little with single leg extensions but haven't really noticed much with my kettlebell RDLs.
either way...need to do single leg curls every session now
wide grip pull downs 4x11-67
hammer seated wide grip row 5x12-130
close grip rows from high position 4x10-80
barbell shrug 4x18-80
barbell curl/hammer curl ss 3x8/8-40/17.5kg
machine preacher curl 3x10-49kg
all fine but also all a little meh. Pull day is definitely my least enjoyable
Rest day yesterday
Early am Push
DB Bench 10,10,11,10,9 - 30
Hammer flat bench 3x10-80
DB Incline 10,11,11-25
Seated db Press 3x10-20
Machine Press 3x12-45
Didn’t have time for triceps
Had a boozy night and a cheat day food wise. Fasted til 2 and then I was ok til dinner when I did roast pork belly but after then I kept heading back for more. Hungover and bad food today too.
Managed to get into the gym at about 7 pm
Leg extension 4x12 each leg 43kg
Prone leg curl 3x10-15kg
Hack squat 5x10-140kg
Leg Press 4x10-220kg
Barbell RDL 3x10-80kg
had to train at peak time which I basically hate.
Wide Grip pull downs 5x10-67
Close Grip pull downs 4x12-70
Hammer seated wide grip row 4x10-130
DB Shrug 3x17-30kg
Preacher Curl 3x6-50 ss with Hammer Curl 3x7-17.5kg DBs
then 12 Preacher 40kg ss with 16 Hammer Curl 12.5kg
then 1xdrop set on meh Preacher machine thing 18 reps total
