the shizzle > diet, training and injuries

Strength losses in mid 40s

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Fiend:
Thanks for the replies.

Jamie G: Good point and I was going to mention that as it was something I considered, and I'm aware there can be a correlation. I personally don't feel my correlation is strong enough: Firstly I got to my strongest with lifting around 2018 when I had some increased depression (from post-norovirus nausea bouts). Secondly my mental health is marginally better and more stable than it was last autumn / winter, even if the strength is lower. Thirdly, it seems to be a very physiological thing - I don't feel I like motivation or commitment or effort at the gym (and definitely not at the wall). I feel good to try hard, and then the muscles just don't do as much as they could/should/have. Not ruling it out but I'm not sure TBH.

Other things I forgot to mention: I generally feel slightly achier than usual, in non-injury areas. I'm wondering if I might have a bit more inflammation than usual (no changes that could cause that tho).


HoseyB: Cheers and as mentioned I am going to try to get a bit more of gym stuff done.


Johnny Brown: Ahhh, it wasn't a bender. The most substances I took were I think 2 small bottles of Pepsi Max for the caffeine! Late nights and lots of raving but also lots of sleep and rest. I did feel pretty tired for the next week tho. It's possibly the only event that has any vague correlation but then again the systems seem different: sleep/energy deprivation vs. short bursts of pure strength / power remaining affected months later.

The other aspects to mentioned are interesting - maybe the decline is a bell curve and it will start slowly and suddenly taper off abruptly. Disappointing if true. And if fitness / stamina (hardly my specialist subject) lags behind that, then maybe that's still in the shallow gradient of the bell curve, hence declining at a more expected rate.


PeteJH: Cheers, will check that.


Webbo: That's another interesting aspect to factor in - the rate of rebound also declining. So that could be a double whammy that might explain it - strength declining, but compounded by the speed of getting back some previous form when getting back into a strength activity also declining. So the first decline might not be as bad as it seems but initially it's going to be exacerbated by the second.


MrJR: Also some interesting points as I'd expect. Okay, I've remember the other thing I forgot to mention in my initial post - why care less about weights performance?? Well.... It's a good compliment to my climbing (supportive and balancing out exercises), it's good for my physical health (due to CV being mostly off the cards), good for my mental health, good to work around whatever the current injuries are. And the last time I had a really solid confident season trad climbing was in the midst of my most productive / strongest time of regular gym going in Glasgow in 2018. As for CNS and fatigue, I am trying to factor in more deliberate rest days, and keeping up with the physical, errr, self-care too.


Liamhutch89: Well, the volume works for me (including less injures / healing injuries) in terms of climbing volume - based on previous experience, recent experience, and TheKettle's advice (I tend to break if I try high intensity). For gym volume or climbing training volume (the latter not really happening at the moment), I have it the other way around - low volume high intensity (taking care ofc). It might be possible that fatigue from the former is affecting the latter - that would be a relatively new effect for me, but I can see the logic of it.

webbo:
I don’t know whether I’ve understood correctly your reply to Liam where you say high volume is good for you but high intensity breaks you. However it sounds like you are trying to high intensity weights amongst your high volume.

Oldmanmatt:
I’m 53 and have always been strong.
Whilst my climbing has gone to shit, due mainly to arthritis making climbing shoes a torture fest, knackered shoulder/rotator cuff making life hell and an old spinal injury making my left leg cramp up unexpectedly at inconvenient moments…
Generally I’m hitting PBs at the gym in weights and Callisthenics /gymnastics.
I have completely changed up my training regime.
While I owned the climbing wall, I was training almost every day, switching up which bit I was working on a strict rota and getting steadily weaker and more dispirited. Bear in mind I was supposed to be a coach/trainer.

So I sold the wall and went back into the military. Within six months, of military style PT, I was back on form.
At 51 years old, I came second in a strength/fitness challenge/competition amongst the lads of 42 Commando, winning the Callisthenics but coming second in the 300 mtr ocean swim to a 27 year old Sgt.

Because I dropped down to a maximum of 3 sessions per week, never more than an hour long, mostly strength. I only go to the wall once a week now and I only climb problems and fingerboard at home a couple of times a week.

I also switched to pure strength with the weights, so 3 reps at 85% 1RM, one set of each exercise per session.

It’s working for me. 🤷‍♂️

Edit
Recovery sucks. I could keep up with with the lads, but I was useless for two or three days after. They were able to keep going day after day. I’m a civvi again now, but have kept the 3 times a week routine and it’s holding up.

petejh:
What you’re describing Matt sounds very much like the routine the PT in the link I posted recommends for maintaining T levels.

Oldmanmatt:

--- Quote from: petejh on January 04, 2024, 09:04:44 am ---What you’re describing Matt sounds very much like the routine the PT in the link I posted recommends for maintaining T levels.

--- End quote ---
Yup.
I thought so too.
I find it odd that I don’t seem to need to train endurance so much, unless I have a specific target. I seem to plod along happily and pay the next day if I push it.
I stopped the load bearing races a couple of years ago, but can still run a quick 6k over the moors with 25kg on my back in a reasonable time despite only going out 2-3 times a year instead of the weekly 15k I was doing two years ago.
I filmed myself training on the Flight Deck at the 6 month point, just out of amazement at my recovery. I believe trying on a moving surface helped, by the way. https://www.instagram.com/p/CfyaZgYjOB9/?igsh=aHNzNmNpZ3dvMjJw

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