Powerlifting program for over 45

[amdd1124]

Looking for some advice here, I just turned 47 and I've been lifting heavy for about 5 years.

5'10"
240lbs

Bench - 355
Dead - 465
Squat - 355

Looking to find a good 3 day a week program to increase strength. Not interested in bodybuilding or losing weight, only strength. Would you guys suggest Westside, 5/3/1, 5x5 or something else? Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[RegisterJr]

I like 531. Westside should be good too. Louie Simmons used it through his 60's and 70's.

 

[amdd1124]

Thanks I agree.....seems like the best one even for old guys like me.

 

[Hyde]

A conjugate approach like the Cube or Westside will be your best bet, provided you can critically assess weaknesses and autoregulate workload enough to train at a sustainable pace.

What matters most is that you work hard, consistently, following fundamental principles of overload for main movements. Also understand that a bigger muscle is a stronger muscle generally, so hypertrophy shouldn't be ignored entirely. Westside actually does a fairly large volume of muscle work after main movements.

 

[amdd1124]

Thanks Hyde! I'll read up on the cube program, not too familiar with that one.

 

[Hyde]

Thanks Hyde! I'll read up on the cube program, not too familiar with that one.

Made by a Westside guy who decided to go back to raw training.

I followed it for about a year, and determined that it doesn't train my bench enough as is (I need more than 1x a wk frequency on pressing), it was very good for pulling progress, and squat it was decent for.

Like all programs, it needs to be tailored to your needs and limits.

 

[amdd1124]

I was also thinking of devoting 2 days per week to deadlift since I enjoy that the most and seeing how heavy I could get. The other day would be used to maintain bench and squat. Maybe the cube would be good for that.

 

[Hyde]

I was also thinking of devoting 2 days per week to deadlift since I enjoy that the most and seeing how heavy I could get. The other day would be used to maintain bench and squat. Maybe the cube would be good for that.

You can do anything you like, so long as you can recover from it consistently. And realizing that if you slave drive your pull it may affect the other lifts in certain ways. Like your close stance squat goes up and bench falls off 10lbs from negligence, just for example. Training is a pendulum.

 

[amdd1124]

Black iron beast website has a nice calculator for the cube program, starting it today.

 

[Cgkone]

531 is what my crew is running
Our ages are
50
40
26
Works for all of us. The actual workout is 30min. The rest is excessories.
Just be honest about maxes and do the program. Only test your 1rm once every minicycle

 

[hvyd]

Destroy the Opposition
Or
Doug Hepburn style