If someone had told me three years ago that I could get strong enough to do a 200-pound bench press and a 300-pound deadlift, I would’ve laughed in their face and walked away.
At 57 years old and recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and bursitis in both shoulders, the odds of me getting that strong again were about zero to none.
What a ridiculous thought. How could I ever get that strong again? Especially after having CFS for 27 years.
Well, it’s not such a ridiculous thought now.
I recently pulled a 290-pound deadlift and bench pressed 192.5-pounds. Oh, and by the way, I’m 60 years young and weigh 171 pounds.
Now the possibility of me completing a 300-pound deadlift and a 200-pound bench press appear to be very real.
I’ll show you how the Starting Strength program was instrumental in restoring my strength but first let me explain where I was starting from.
I Was Completely Untrained Before I Started Strength Training
When I was 57 years old, my physical health was finally starting to turn around. I was about 90% healed from a 27-year war with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and 100% healed from a two year battle with bursitis in both shoulders.
Though I was feeling metabolically better, the previous 27 years of being relatively sedentary had done significant damage to my musculature.
Losing muscle mass is a normal part of aging. At some point in your thirties, you will begin to lose muscle. This is called age-related sarcopenia.
However, if you’re sedentary, this loss can be more extreme resulting in a 3% – 5% loss of muscle every decade.
In my case, the situation was made worse by the fact that I had limited the use of my arms because of bursitis in my shoulders. The result was a noticeable atrophy and weakness in my arms and chest muscles.
Does Age Related Sarcopenia Mean You’ll Never Be Strong Again?
It appears that age related muscle loss can be slowed down and you can even improve the muscle you do have. The solution is fairly simple.
All you have to do is regularly engage in a strength training routine.
Okay, guys and gals out there. Did you follow me so far? If you’re over 40, you are getting weaker every year. If you’re sedentary, you’re losing a lot of muscle every decade.
There is evidence that this process will speed up after you’re 50 years old. This means that by the time you’re in your 70s, your musculoskeletal system could be a wreck.
If you think I’m exaggerating, consider that in people over 65 years old, falls are the number one cause of fatal and nonfatal 
injuries.
You know what’s one of the biggest reasons why seniors fall? It’s because they’re weak.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Everyone, including seniors, can improve their strength and muscle quality by strength training.
Okay, this is how I did it.
My Prior Defective Knowledge Of Strength Training
In college, I was somewhat familiar with weight lifting.
My friends and I basically did four lifts. These were the bench press, military press, biceps curls, and tricep extensions. All of these we did for 3 sets of eight reps three times a week. When we got 3 x 8, we went up in weight 5 pounds.
That’s basically what most guys in the gym did regardless if they used free weights or the Universal Gym (there was no Nautilus at the time). We figured that was the way to muscle growth and strength.
After a year and a half of lifting, I got a little stronger but nothing dramatic. Frustrated in not seeing good results, I gave up lifting for a number of years.
In my late twenties, I started barbell lifting again. This time I worked different muscle groups on different days. I added in a few more exercises and continued with the 3 x 8 routine. I did this for about a year and a half.
While I did get stronger, my progress was slow. Little did I know that there was a method that could get me stronger faster and with a whole less work.
Nonetheless, my lifting days were suddenly cut short because of CFS.
That was my experience with weight lifting up to 57 years old. I thought I knew something about weight lifting, but I really knew nothing.
I Start Training At 57 Years Old
When I decided to start lifting again, I knew I’d have to take it slow. People with CFS can relapse rather quickly. Also, I didn’t want to aggravate my past shoulder bursitis.
In order to see what I could do, I started with light dumbbells. I used 10 pounds for 
overhead press, 20 pounds for bench press, and 20 pounds for bicep curls. Again, relying on my “deep knowledge of strength training”, I used the 3 sets of 8 reps 3 days a week routine.
I was able to do this for about 4 months, and to my surprise, I experienced no fatigue or pain.
At this point, CFS and bursitis were not a factor.
After 4 months, I had to switch to a barbell on the bench because the dumbbells were too light. Amazingly, I was getting stronger.
I started to realized that this was something I could get better at.
However, in order to do that, it meant I’d have to figure out how to do it right. I wanted to get stronger, but I also wanted to lift correctly.
This time I decided to use the internet to get expert advice on how an untrained 57-year-old should lift weights.
What I Wanted In A Strength Training Program
As I began my search for a strength training program, there were some things I definitely wanted it to contain.
This is what they were:
- I wanted a program that a new lifter could use to build muscle and strength. I was completely untrained so the program had to allow for that.
- The program had to allow for good recovery time. I didn’t want to get excessively fatigued because of my history of CFS. Also, at 57 I knew I would need more time to recover from a tough workout.
- I wanted a program that was tightly structured. Random exercising wasn’t something I wanted.
- The program had to be uncomplicated. The fewer the exercises the better. I didn’t want to spend hours working out.
- I wanted the ability to train at home. Driving to a gym and waiting around for weights to become available was not something I wanted to do.
This is what I wanted in a strength training program. But there were other things that a good program should contain.
What Makes A Good Strength Training Routine For The Novice
Okay, I had correctly identified some things that were important in a strength routine, but after doing some research I found that I was missing some other important aspects.
This is my list again:
- Build overall strength and muscle in a novice lifter.
- Good recovery time
- Tightly structured
- Uncomplicated
- Work out at home
Of course, working out at home is not mandatory for a good strength routine. Some people have the space for a home gym, others need a commercial gym. Also, some people need a coach for external motivation, others don’t.
This is what I missed though:
- A good program should be a free weight barbell program. Free weights are the best method for building strength and mobility.
- A good program includes the following exercises: the deadlift, squat, bench press, and overhead press. These exercises mimic foundational human movements. When the muscles that control these movements are strengthened, you will become a better functioning human being.
- A good program should be able to produce measurable results. In other words, it should allow you to know exactly how well you are progressing from week to week.
Again, after doing some research, I came upon the Starting Strength routine.
Let’s see how it meets the criteria for a good strength training program.
The Basics Of Starting Strength
The Starting Strength method is a free weight barbell program that involves basically 4 main lifts: the squat, bench press, 
overhead press, and deadlift.
As I said, these lifts mimic the most important functional human movements and alone are sufficient for building strength and mobility.
There is no need for targeted arm or abdominal muscles exercises as they are worked sufficiently with the four main exercises. My main goal was to get stronger and build muscle mass, not to body build or gain endurance.
Once the over 50-year-old novice has gained strength and mobility with the main lifts, some accessory exercises can be added in if desired, but it’s not necessary.
Younger lifters looking to gain explosive power can add power cleans to the routine, but this is not recommended for older lifters.
But I’m Too Old To Do Deadlifts
Okay, some of you older guys and gals may be thinking, “Wow, I can’t do those exercises. I’m too out of shape or I’m too old.” That’s not necessarily true.
If you can get off a toilet, you can do squats. If you can pick up your grandchild, you can do deadlifts.
Anyone, unless of course there is a medical reason why they shouldn’t lift weights, can do these lifts.
Therefore, the starting strength program can be started at any age regardless of your current strength capacity. It has been successful for elite athletes as well as untrained grandmothers.
I started as a completely untrained 57-year old recovering from CFS.
So far we’ve seen that Starting Strength is designed to build functional strength in a new lifter. It’s a barbell program that has the four main lifts and is uncomplicated. This satisfies numbers 1, 4, 6 and 7 on my list.
The Importance Of Proper Form
Whenever exercising with weights, it is important to perform the lift correctly. This is key to preventing injuries and maximizing gains.
I started with the minimum weight possible to learn proper form. That means using an empty barbell for 3 of the exercises.
Deadlifts need a loaded bar to get the bar to the proper height. To see how to perform these lifts, click here.
The Starting Strength Schedule
Training for an under 50-year-old novice is usually performed on a three day a week alternating schedule.
It would look something like this.
However, for those of us over 50, the schedule can be reduced to two days a week.
Remember, we don’t recover as fast as the younger generation. Two lifting days still allows for enough rest between sessions and also good gains.
This satisfies number 2 on my list.
Squats are performed every lifting day. Bench press and pull-ups are done on the same day and overhead press and deadlifts are done during the following session.
A typical 2 week period would look like this.
Notice that the exercises, except squats, alternate by day. Also, chin-ups are a good accessory exercise to add into the routine.
The Workout
The lifts are performed for 3 sets of 5 reps each. This means that the weight will be lifted for 5 times with proper form. A rest period follows and the lift is performed twice more.
Rest between sets can be anywhere from a few minutes to 8 minutes depending on the amount of rest you need.
Why 3 x 5? This appears to be the best routine for producing maximum gains in the novice lifter. See here.
A caveat here is that deadlifts, because of the strenuous nature of the lift, are only performed for 1 set of 5 reps.
Warm-ups are performed by lifting the weights at sub-workout levels for 1-5 reps.
How Do You Begin Starting Strength?
Generally, for the untrained, the bench press, overhead press, and squats should begin with an empty bar so they can learn the 
lifts.
A standard Olympic bar weighs 45 lbs. For those who cannot start with this weight, a lighter bar can be used.
There are lighter bars made specifically for women. My wife, Barbara, started with dumbbells and easily worked up to an empty bar.
Deadlifts can be started with an Olympic bar and 10-pound bumper plates.
After the proper form is learned, weights can then be added to the bar and the above routine followed.
As you can see, Starting Strength is a very structured program. Requirement number 3 is satisfied.
How Do You Progress?
Once 3 x 5 is accomplished, the lifter will add weight to the bar at the next session.
A beginning novice will find that they can add 5 -15 pounds (depending on the exercise) per session when first starting out.
Adding weight to the bar is extremely important. This gives you the ability to accurately measure your performance.
This fulfills the last requirement of a good strength training program.
Incidentally, personal records can be set each week for a long time on the novice program. Good progress can be made sometimes for up to a year or more before a program change is necessary.
Novices generally find that they can get stronger very quickly. However, as the novice progresses, weight increases may reduce to only 1 pound or less, per session.
I used starting strength for about 2 years before I had to change programming. In that time I made tremendous gains and became stronger than I had been in the previous 27 years.
Gaining Strength Is Not Just About Lifting Weights
While the central focus of Starting Strength is barbell training, it’s not the only focus.
In order to optimize your strength gains, proper sleep and diet are also important. I’ll address those issues in upcoming posts.
The Takeaway
Starting Strength will work to get you stronger no matter where you’re at in your health journey.
If you doctor says you’re fit enough to strength train, then this is the program for you.
For more details on the program, check out the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.
If you have any questions, just ask me in the comments section.
Week of 7/24/2017
Body Weight: 171.0
Monday
Barbell Bench Press
45.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
80.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
100.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
120.0# 1 x 2 (warm-up)
152.5# 1 x 5 (75%)
172.5# 1 x 3 (85%)
165.0# 1 x 4 (90%) (Instead of doing 195.0# x 1 I opted for more volume.)
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Dumbbell Rows
37.5# 1 x 10 x 3
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Tuesday
Barbell Back Squats (Base weight 189# deload week)
75.0# 1 x 5
95.0# 1 x 5
115.0# 1 x 5
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Wednesday
A.M – Stretching (back and neck)
Rest
Thursday
A.M – Stretching (back and neck)
Overhead Press Dumbbell (deload week)
20.0# 1 x 8 (warm-up)
25.0# 1 x 8 x 3
Narrow Grip Bench Press (deload week)
75.0# 1 x 5 (warm-up)
90.0# 1 x 5 x 3
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Friday
A.M – Stretching (back and neck)
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Saturday
A.M – Stretching (back and neck)
Barbell Deadlift (Base weight 305# deload week)
120.0# 1 x 5
150.0# 1 x 5
180.0# 1 x 5
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
Sunday
Cardio: 30 min outdoors walk
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