What I’ve learned.
After reviewing about two years power training, I have come to several conclusions:
1. Recovery is critical. Without full recovery, growth is difficult if not impossible. Recovery time varies with the individual, as well as with other factors such as age and overall health. Working out tears down muscle and strains connective tissues. Luckily, the body was built to recover – and recover stronger. This is the basis for progressive resistance, as well as all other training. But the recovery must be complete.
2. Say after a workout you head back to the gym only 90% recovered. Then you tear your tissues down again. However, this time you STARTED from a point 10% BELOW optimal. Now, if you only recover 90% prior to your next workout, you will be starting the third workout at only 90% of 90%. You are actually slipping downward in terms of recovery. If you continue this process, you will eventually work yourself into a hole and go backwards! This can lead to frustration, as well as injury.
3. So FULL recovery is essential. And as we age, recovery time lengthens. The big issue is “how long for full recovery?” Good question! The only way I know is to judge when I sense no lingering pain or soreness, and feel ready to hit it hard again. This recovery might not follow a recurring cycle, such as every other day, or even once a week. It may require even longer intervals, and the intervals may vary in length. So I say: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Another thing; I feel it is better to WAIT TOO LONG, than to train again TOO SOON. If you must err, err on the side of safety!
Based on this knowledge, I think my near two-year stint of heavy training at age 65 was a classic case of over-training. And I knew it, too! I was just too stubborn and wanted it too much to stop and rest! I seemed to reach peaks, then slide into troughs. Injury to connective tissues was constant. I worked out in pain nearly all the time. I was constantly “working around” injuries, which slowed my progress and was very frustrating.
My overtraining culminated in severe elbow pain over the last six weeks. But since I was in training for contests I never took time off to recover. I ended up going to a competitive meet still in pain, and could not even bench a weight that was 10 pounds LESS than what I could do for reps five months ago, and nowhere NEAR my max. Now that’s NOT progress (and my elbows are still sore)!
So now I am taking my rest. I am doing NOTHING that will strain my muscles or tendons. I am, however, employing Resistance Stretching taught by Coach Bob Cooly (Check it out HERE) and Pilates as therapy to aid in my recovery. I will not resume heavy training until COMPLETELY RECOVERED, even if it takes longer than I prefer.
Once I do begin re-training, I will employ Pete Sisco’s Static Resistance Training (SCT) technique (Check it out HERE) for a period of time. This will be an experiment, as I don’t know how well it will work for me, or if it will work at all. It SOUNDS good. But as a retired scientist, the only way I will know is by testing.
However, if I am correct I should be back at benching by the first of the year, breaking my own personal records by a good margin and setting records by the spring meets. At least that’s the theory.
Stick around and see…
