Re: Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and very old adults

[Guest guest]

I had to say I enjoyed hearing one of the competitors this weekend at a PL meet

tell me she was " delighted with her bench effort but disappointed she didn't

deadlift enough " . She had been doing around 240 lbs in the gym but only managed

about 215 lbs at the meet. She was over 70 years of age <grin>. I can't off

hand remember her weight class, but she looks around 110 lbs tops....!

It's nice that the research is finally catching up with what I know to be a

truth! I keep seeing older powerlifters and people taking up PL and even OL in

their 50's and 60's... and they stand much taller and appear to have great

balance even walking around, in their 70's and even early 80's! (One of my

clients in his early 80's has much better balance after a year of squatting

without weight and it has improved his posture as well... what prevents him from

taking up competing and using a barbell is the fact he suffers severe peripheral

neuropathy or I am sure nothing could stop him! The balance improvements and

improved yes, muscularity in his legs and glutes is a testimony to even

bodyweight exercise and consistent work - and he had never lifted weights or

done a PL style movement, he used to run and play softball and football.)

All I can say is this: If Grandma wants to deadlift, hand her the chalk and

teach her good form. I think you'll be surprised. And if you aren't competing

with her yourself, you should be in the audience or handling her.... Lifting

" heavy " (for " heavy " is different to all of us) is truly the Power that

Preserves!

The Phantom

aka Schaefer, CMT, competing drug free powerlifter

Denver, Colorado, USA

-------------- Original message --------------

The below study demonstrated that explosive-type heavy-resistance

training seems to be safe and well tolerated in healthy women even in

the eighth decade of life and elicits adaptive neuromuscular changes

in selected physiological variables that are commonly associated with

the risk of falls and disability in aged individuals.

Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and very old adults:

changes in rapid muscle force, strength and power

P. Caserotti 1,2 , P. Aagaard 1,2 , J. Buttrup Larsen 3 , L. Puggaard

1,2

elderly • aging • strength training • power • countermovement jump

ABSTRACT

Age-related decline in muscle power predicts falls, motor impairments

and disability. Recent guidelines suggested that training programs

should be tailored to maximize muscle power. This study investigated

the effects of 12 weeks of explosive-type heavy-resistance training

(75–80% of 1 repetition maximum) in old (60–65 years, TG60) and very

old (80–89 years, TG80) community-dwelling women. Training was

performed with maximal intentional acceleration of the training load

during the concentric movement phase. Maximal isometric voluntary

muscle strength (MVC), rapid force capacity, assessed as rate of

force development (RFD), and impulse, maximal muscle power during a

countermovement jump (CMJ) and during unilateral leg extension task

(LEP) were evaluated. RFD, impulse and MVC increased by 51%, 42% and

28% in TG80, and by 21%, 18% and 18% in TG60, respectively. CMJ jump

height increased by 18% and 10% in TG80 and TG60, respectively, while

jump peak power increased in TG60 (5%). Finally, LEP increased 28% in

TG80 and 12% in TG60.

These findings demonstrate that explosive-type heavy-resistance

training seems to be safe and well tolerated in healthy women even in

the eighth decade of life and elicits adaptive neuromuscular changes

in selected physiological variables that are commonly associated with

the risk of falls and disability in aged individuals.

===================

Carruthers

Wakefield, UK

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone. I'm new to this group. It's good to know that the

article driving this topic classifies " old " as starting at 60. I'm 58

and that information is worth the price of admission.

I've been at this lifting stuff since the price of gas was 19.7 cents

a gallon here in Los Angeles, back in 1969.

I recall reading an article perhaps 25 years ago about the remarkable

positive effects of resistance training on " older " people. The

percentage increase in muscle strength demonstrated by people that

were inactive and then began weight training was dramatic. This of

course was a no brainer then and is a no brainer now, but although I

write that, I am a huge proponent of resistance training for people of

all ages.

I won't over-intellectualize. When I lift at my gym I always turn

away from the mirrors. I truly believe that if Wayne Gretzky began

skating a 10 instead of 3 he would still have become the greatest

ever. I applaud the comment that one person made implying that

Gretzky has other attributes that made him great. It's the same in

any sport. Bjorn Borg as I recall, had a resting pulse of 32 beats

per minute, which is ridiculous (in a good way), but I don't believe

that is what made him great. It was just another ingredient.

The characteristics of athletic greatness include measurable and

non-measurable components. Long before OJ Simpson went Ginzu knife on

two people (allegedly)he was the arguably best NFL running back ever.

He was not the only 6'1 " 212 pound running back with blazing speed.

was a contemporary of OJ and was about the same size

and possibly even faster, but had nowhere near the success of Simpson.

The point being that Simpson had intangible, mysterious traits that

made him superhuman. These traits existed between his ears. This

stuff cannot be taught. I've seen this sort of thing in action with a

very close friend.

My friend, also 58 was an amazing sight to see. In the mid-1960's in

Los Angeles, he was a shot putter in high school. He only took second

place in the city championship, but he had a handicap. Specifically,

he was small. At 5'9 " and 166 pounds he gave up nearly 100 pounds to

his competitors. At that time a 12 pound shot was used, which he

threw nearly 58 feet. One of the kids he beat went on to a very

successful NFL career. This was in an era where there were no

performance enhancing substances and resistance training techniques

were still pretty primitive. He bench pressed well over 300 pounds

and could beat all of the sprinters in the 50 yard dash, though this

was not an event run in meets. In college, he had grown to about 195

pounds and began to focus on javelin. He developed knee problems and

was unable to play serious football, despite the desperate pleas of

the school. He would have been a prototype strong safety and could

throw a football 100 yards. He went on to a major university and

became an Olympic hopeful until an elbow injury ended that.

I know this man well. His explosiveness was off the chart. Sure, he

was not the only small strongman around, but he was really without

equal at the time. It's all about the wiring and his schematic is one

that is not made in the gym. He went on to raise two wonderful sons

who both had brief careers as professional soccer players.

At some point I'll write about my fitness and strength at my ripe old

age, but will end this by saying that the level of fitness that we can

maintain as we get " older " has been a shocking surprise to me.

Mench

Hollywood Hills, California, USA,

[Guest guest]

So how did you do ?

Regards,

Siegel,CSCS

JDS Sportcoaching,llc

Denver, CO USA

===========================

Subject: Re: Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and very

old adults

To: Supertraining

Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2008, 11:47 AM

I had to say I enjoyed hearing one of the competitors this weekend at a PL meet

tell me she was " delighted with her bench effort but disappointed she

didn't deadlift enough " . She had been doing around 240 lbs in the gym

but only managed about 215 lbs at the meet. She was over 70 years of age

<grin>. I can't off hand remember her weight class, but she looks

around 110 lbs tops....!

It's nice that the research is finally catching up with what I know to be a

truth! I keep seeing older powerlifters and people taking up PL and even OL in

their 50's and 60's... and they stand much taller and appear to have

great balance even walking around, in their 70's and even early 80's!

(One of my clients in his early 80's has much better balance after a year of

squatting without weight and it has improved his posture as well... what

prevents him from taking up competing and using a barbell is the fact he suffers

severe peripheral neuropathy or I am sure nothing could stop him! The balance

improvements and improved yes, muscularity in his legs and glutes is a testimony

to even bodyweight exercise and consistent work - and he had never lifted

weights or done a PL style movement, he used to run and play softball and

football.)

All I can say is this: If Grandma wants to deadlift, hand her the chalk and

teach her good form. I think you'll be surprised. And if you aren't

competing with her yourself, you should be in the audience or handling her....

Lifting " heavy " (for " heavy " is different to all of us) is

truly the Power that Preserves!

===========================

[Guest guest]

People who are not seated or bedridden already do some activity to preserve

their bones by the very nature of standing and walking under gravity. When you

start training the very old, you ask what they do as daily activity first. Some

do gardening for example which can be quite an exertion...and may be preserving

them better than we knew also. Housework if done vigorously is also more of

workout than may be thought. If there are balance concerns, those should be

addressed first...but be careful which balance teaching they get - one of my

clients was getting some from a local senior home and they were all aimed at

" forward tilt " to help one with a WALKER! not walking on your own!

If the person is already doing something like walking or stationary bike, you

can likely help them start with the very light weights or no weight to get the

form. When I start older to very old clients (I have three right now) on an

exercise, I teach the form without a weight. One lady got significant and

noticeable toning improvement from no weight on just bicep curls and kickbacks,

the contractions alone appear to have some helpful merit to begin with.

If someone is already doing some weight training, you can pretty safely segue

them to a more aggressive style like PL or OL if they do not have joint issues

and if the client so wishes. But the reality is, anybody at any age recently

may have blown out knees or other impediments, look at the 18 yo's around you!

Some of the ladies this weekend took up lifting and then PL already into their

50's and 60's....

When asked, the physicians appear to generally support the clients in lifting

weights....and once you get by the idiotic notion they're going to get " BULKY "

if they lift, some grab the opportunity with both hands and you'd better keep

an eye on the loads, have that talk about REASONABLE jumps lol!

Example: the 80 yo was doing sets of 30 reps of unweighted below parallel

squats for three sets very quickly (about 3 weeks) after he started, he had

formerly played softball until at age 65 he slid into second base and tore his

hamstring up. He didn't quit jogging until three weeks after he tore that

hamstring. Teach him a move and you can bet he will be persistent and will

progress, you just have to watch how much he does and of what... he also took up

standard full pushups and does 3 sets of 20 now, he got that far after 5 weeks

of working up to that. He is now adding a seated military press and a shoulder

flye! biceps curls also. His comment is that his shoulders do not look " beefy "

enough to suit him yet.... and he's up to 45 minutes from 30 minutes performed

very faithfully three times a week! He had never lifted weights (when he played

football, they didn't lift weights) and he is clearly showing signs of

improvement to his build!

Side note: the 80 yo's wife (also a client) is even more fit at 75 - she

literally RAN around a corner to get a phone after running up the stairs! Our

joke is that when she slows down this is a clear sign of the Apocalypse! (And

retirement with this pair is such a joke, I don't think I can keep the pace they

do on their schedules!)

Fit people overall have less opportunity to break down. That's my observation.

An athlete is an athlete and should be respected at ANY AGE. The boomer

generation may be doing their elders a bit of a favor in that they seem more

determined than ever not to go QUIETLY into that good night...!

The Phantom

aka Schaefer, CMT, competing powerlifter (master and open)

Denver, Colorado, USA

--------- Re: Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and

very

> old adults

> To: Supertraining

> Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2008, 6:47 PM

>

> I had to say I enjoyed hearing one of the competitors this weekend at a PL

meet

> tell me she was " delighted with her bench effort but disappointed she

> didn't deadlift enough " . She had been doing around 240 lbs in the gym

> but only managed about 215 lbs at the meet. She was over 70 years of age

> . I can't off hand remember her weight class, but she looks

> around 110 lbs tops....!

>

> It's nice that the research is finally catching up with what I know to be a

> truth! I keep seeing older powerlifters and people taking up PL and even OL in

> their 50's and 60's... and they stand much taller and appear to have

> great balance even walking around, in their 70's and even early 80's!

> (One of my clients in his early 80's has much better balance after a year of

> squatting without weight and it has improved his posture as well... what

> prevents him from taking up competing and using a barbell is the fact he

suffers

> severe peripheral neuropathy or I am sure nothing could stop him! The balance

> improvements and improved yes, muscularity in his legs and glutes is a

testimony

> to even bodyweight exercise and consistent work - and he had never lifted

> weights or done a PL style movement, he used to run and play softball and

> football.)

>

> All I can say is this: If Grandma wants to deadlift, hand her the chalk and

> teach her good form. I think you'll be surprised. And if you aren't

> competing with her yourself, you should be in the audience or handling

her.....

> Lifting " heavy " (for " heavy " is different to all of us) is

> truly the Power that Preserves!

>

> The Phantom

> aka Schaefer, CMT, competing drug free powerlifter

> Denver, Colorado, USA

>

> -------------- Original message --------------

> From: " carruthersjam "

> The below study demonstrated that explosive-type heavy-resistance

> training seems to be safe and well tolerated in healthy women even in

> the eighth decade of life and elicits adaptive neuromuscular changes

> in selected physiological variables that are commonly associated with

> the risk of falls and disability in aged individuals.

>

> Explosive heavy-resistance training in old and very old adults:

> changes in rapid muscle force, strength and power

> P. Caserotti 1,2 , P. Aagaard 1,2 , J. Buttrup Larsen 3 , L. Puggaard

> 1,2

>

> elderly • aging • strength training • power • countermovement jump

> ABSTRACT

>

> Age-related decline in muscle power predicts falls, motor impairments

> and disability. Recent guidelines suggested that training programs

> should be tailored to maximize muscle power. This study investigated

> the effects of 12 weeks of explosive-type heavy-resistance training

> (75–80% of 1 repetition maximum) in old (60–65 years, TG60) and very

> old (80–89 years, TG80) community-dwelling women. Training was

> performed with maximal intentional acceleration of the training load

> during the concentric movement phase. Maximal isometric voluntary

> muscle strength (MVC), rapid force capacity, assessed as rate of

> force development (RFD), and impulse, maximal muscle power during a

> countermovement jump (CMJ) and during unilateral leg extension task

> (LEP) were evaluated. RFD, impulse and MVC increased by 51%, 42% and

> 28% in TG80, and by 21%, 18% and 18% in TG60, respectively. CMJ jump

> height increased by 18% and 10% in TG80 and TG60, respectively, while

> jump peak power increased in TG60 (5%). Finally, LEP increased 28% in

> TG80 and 12% in TG60.

>

> These findings demonstrate that explosive-type heavy-resistance

> training seems to be safe and well tolerated in healthy women even in

> the eighth decade of life and elicits adaptive neuromuscular changes

> in selected physiological variables that are commonly associated with

> the risk of falls and disability in aged individuals.

>