56 year old Father needs help w training/supps

[Mjolnir]

Ok so my father is 56 years old, he is in fairly decent shape for his age but he is at that point now where lifting hurts him for days (extreme muscle soreness) and he says he cannot gain any muscle whatsoever and may even be getting weaker after he works out. He eats pretty clean and will jog lightly every other day as well as lift lightly every other day. If he trys to go heavier on lifting he gets real bad DOMS. I guess my question here is two parts. First what type of training changes have you guys (45+ males) made to adapt to your aging. And are there any natty test boosters/AIs that may work well for someone my fathers age or should I just try and get him to talk to his doctor about hormone therapy or HGH? Also pertaining to the natty test booster he has also had a stint put in for a mild heartattack he had a few years ago so I am unsure if anything out there right now would be a bad idea for him to take. I was honestly thinking about something like PowerFull for him to help increase Test and GrowthHormone naturally but I dont want it to have and adverse effect on his heart or lipid levels. Any advice/info is much appreciated.

 

[Fastone]

What I do is to train intensely but infrequently so to speak. At this age you need adequate rest between training sessions. With supps, stay natural
(herbal if you will), health is the goal. Don't fool around with the heart situation, keep you doctor in the loop. Just my .02

 

[Mjolnir]

Thanks for your advice Fastone.

 

[marco wolf]

I added 120 mg ginkgo biloba and 500 mg quercetin about 30 minutes preWO, and it's helped considerably with my DOMS.

 

[Josann]

DHEA 50 mg and Novadex XT,creatine and amino acids. A low cholesterol protein powder. Train three times a week-chest shoulder tris on one day, back and bis on another, and legs on the third. Cardio the other four days. Don't overdo but train hard.

 

[Josann]

Can't overestimate the importance of the one time per week per bodypart and the week rest between. Gotta train smart after 50

 

[marco wolf]

Can't overestimate the importance of the one time per week per bodypart and the week rest between. Gotta train smart after 50

I agree. Whenever I try to go to twice a week per bodypart, it's a disaster.

I use a California split. Chest/Back/Abs, Shoulders/Arms, Legs. M/W/F

Every fourth week, I go "easy".

 

[MacTech]

What is his bodyfat level? If it is high, he must get that down as aromatase will convert some of his testosterone into estrogen. The greater the T->E ratio the better for quality of life at his age [mine too]. If he indulges in beer or alcohol, results will be diminished considerably.

Don't go too heavy and ego lift. Eat well, sleep well and the results will happen for him.

Tell him to have a lot of sex with his wife, [ which I hope is your mom ]. Cannot say enough of how important that is.

 

[Fastone]

What is his bodyfat level? If it is high, he must get that down as aromatase will convert some of his testosterone into estrogen. The greater the T->E ratio the better for quality of life at his age [mine too]. If he indulges in beer or alcohol, results will be diminished considerably.

Don't go too heavy and ego lift. Eat well, sleep well and the results will happen for him.

Tell him to have a lot of sex with his wife, [ which I hope is your mom ]. Cannot say enough of how important that is.

Fantastic advise, having got back into it a year ago after 2 shoulder surgeries, that was the key. My routine stated out with what i call the "Do Something" program. If that was one set of pushups or a brisk walk around the block, as long as I did something I felt a sense of accomplishment. That has turned into where I am now feeling really good and very happy with my progress. I get a lot of attention from younger women which I guess is like ego-sex so, it's cool. Hey man our generation's still got it, we just have to have it with proper moderation:bigok:

 

[Mjolnir]

His BF% is around 20-22% so not too bad but def needs some work. I think his problem in the past is trying to go "all out" and then after hurting bad from it he takes too much time off. I really appreciate all the good advice and information. And yeah MacTech I think he is still having lots of sex (my mom), I am one of 6 boys from the same parents so they are no strangers to lots of sex!

 

[stumbledog]

His BF% is around 20-22% so not too bad but def needs some work. I think his problem in the past is trying to go "all out" and then after hurting bad from it he takes too much time off. I really appreciate all the good advice and information. And yeah MacTech I think he is still having lots of sex (my mom), I am one of 6 boys from the same parents so they are no strangers to lots of sex!

I lost 25#'s in 3 weeks by running a mile 4 times a week and lifting twice a week. Split the body in two. Chest with bi/tri supersets one day and Legs with back/shoulder supersets the other day.

Obviously, I adjusted my diet and caloric in take. Took me roughly 3 months to go from 205 to 185. This required very little time and soreness is up to the lifter. You can lift to get sore every time or not.

 

[MacTech]

His BF% is around 20-22% so not too bad but def needs some work. I think his problem in the past is trying to go "all out" and then after hurting bad from it he takes too much time off. I really appreciate all the good advice and information. And yeah MacTech I think he is still having lots of sex (my mom), I am one of 6 boys from the same parents so they are no strangers to lots of sex!

That was my thought too, that he is trying to go all out. I can cripple myself in the gym too and have a hard time walking the next few days but I know better.

Find an intensity level for him that doesn't produce devastating DOMS which he can recover from much quicker and be compelled to go back to the gym.

Also, stress may be getting the better of him too, from work or other issues. Adding a high intensity to an already stressed out body will not produce results. That's where the sex is good at combating stress!

 

[Mjolnir]

That was my thought too, that he is trying to go all out. I can cripple myself in the gym too and have a hard time walking the next few days but I know better.

Find an intensity level for him that doesn't produce devastating DOMS which he can recover from much quicker and be compelled to go back to the gym.

Also, stress may be getting the better of him too, from work or other issues. Adding a high intensity to an already stressed out body will not produce results. That's where the sex is good at combating stress!

Oh ok that makes a lot of sense, yeah he def has some stress from work right now, I think im going to work with him over the thanksgiving holiday to attempt to establish a good workout routine for him where he will still get pumped up from the workout but not overdo it. I'll let you guys know how it goes. I appreciate all the info!

 

[DGA3]

I agree. Whenever I try to go to twice a week per bodypart, it's a disaster.

Chest/Back/Abs, Shoulders/Arms, Legs. M/W/F

That's my split, too.

However, if I'm having a good week, I'll start the next week's cycle of training on the weekend, and just continue it from there (i.e. one workout will get done twice in one week).

 

[oldguns]

I advise you to have your dad go to his Doc and get blood work done including T levels. He may not need TRT etc. I saw a red flag in your post when you said he had a heart attack. I would work on diet first along with low impact cardio. Adjust his workouts so he not stressed out after training. I'm 56 and we have to workout alot smarter than say 20 years ago.

 

[BBB]

I am nearly 60 years old and in excellent health. I do basically the same things I did when I was 30 and feel as good. I have been lifting for over 20 years and don't have any health or joint issues. My favorite supplement routine is Diesel Test Hardcore and formestane. I get stronger and leaner on this program and I beleive that it is a very healthy program. I don't lift heavy very often. I lift three days a week and stay with moderate weights and increase the reps. This protects the joints and also builds muscle. If done properly, weight lifting and proper supplementation will inhance you dads health and sense of well being. It works for me.

 

[ProfBush]

I just turned 60 and I am still setting PRs but I have only been lifting seriously for 3 years. I am on a 4 day split and I do cardio 1-2 days/week as well. I lift for hypertrophy (12-10-8 reps) for 8 weeks and take a week off. I then lift for strength (6-4-2 reps) for 8 weeks, take a week off and repeat.

A year ago I was dissatisfied with my results in the gym, low energy, brain fog, and some ED, so I asked my Dr. to test my testosterone levels. I was low in total, free, and bioavailable T. I have been on testosterone replacement injecting testosterone cypionate and HCG weekly and I've never felt better. DOMS improved and many non-specific aches went away. I feel like a thirty year old. My thinking and productivity at work have increased as well.

I would suggest that he get his hormone levels tested but be aware that there are very few physicians who have any idea what they are doing. Read up on TRT and HRT for men. There are significant health and longevity benefits for men our age when our bioavailable testosterone levels are in the upper quartile (non age-adjusted). Good luck.