Day: January 16, 2020

Age: deal with it

I was just scanning some “tips for older powerlifters” articles and found that..many are written for powerlifters over 30. 30. Ok, one guy was 56.

And what I found:

1. Work on balance: meaning, if you are weak in an area (me: barbell squat), focus on it.
2. Ego: can be your enemy. The days of the big max single are gone; reps are fine.

I also saw a video of a 70 year old powerlifter whose deadlift was barely more than his bench press. That sounds too familiar (and yes, he was a LOT stronger than I am).

And so, I should continue with the dead lifts but perhaps work the amount I can do for 3-6 reps.
And. I need to do something about my barbell squat. My goblet isn’t that bad but my barbell squat is embarrassingly bad. I can clean and press more (and my clean and press isn’t that good).

Workout notes: 5 mile jog in the old after yoga with Ms. Vickie.

Note the almost fractal patters on the car ice…I need to scrape the INSIDE of the car windshield before I drove home.

Easier, softer way..

Ok, my trap bar and my bumper plates arrived today:

I weighed the trap bar: 44 lb. as advertised. It is solid. I can’t wait to use it..but this morning I had a rough hex bar dead lift session.

Yes, aside from the barbell squat, my weakest lift are the deadlifts: best is incline, decline, shoulder press, bench, and even goblet squats aren’t bad. But barbell squats are pathetic and deadlifts are bad.

I know some of this is from a decent run..but I digress.

When I got this stuff..I thought ..wait…my trap bar will only hold 315 ..and I only have 390 lb for the barbell…maybe I should order some of those thin steel plates…

And that is ridiculous. My best this year: 245 on the hex, 240 on the regular and 230 today.

Ordering plates won’t make me stronger…USING WHAT I HAVE will. It is so much easier just to put equipment on the credit card..but how about using it?

I have a plan for using it; this will enable me to not have to compete for platform time at the gym and to do a decent amount of weight work when the gyms are closed (can’t do pull ups or heavy bench presses..can do seated shoulder presses though, curls and deads of various kinds.

And I can either do deads prior to walking to the uni gym or after my upper body stuff. I don’t need any extra equipment.

Yet.

Now if I pull 390 on the bar OR 315 on the hex..THEN I can order these swanky steel plates.