Age And Inexperience Aren't Adequate Excuses

70+ years old ➡️ 3 Months Later
Never Lifted ➡️ 225lb deadlifts

I began working with this phenom about three months ago, along with his wonderful wife. As usual, we lay the groundwork for activation and good control, and NO resistance. Then, slowly, we add range, planes, and load. At this stage, I generally don’t create the false expectation that we will completely revise posture, so much as improve bracing and control in the inequities (thus, kyphotic thoracic curvature, as long as static, isn’t “bad” form). Inhale. Hold breathe. Feel glutes contract. Turn knees out. Activate low lat. Squeeze weight up, don’t jerk. Following these cues, there could be 1000lbs on the bar, and no one will get hurt. It’ll move or it won’t. But you won’t get hurt.
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So, we wrap up the workout yesterday. He’s spent. And he says to me, “are we going to deadlift today?” Um. Ok. We can. But you’re already cooked. “Maybe sub max singles,” I said. Double-overhand, we did single efforts, here at 225lbs, with clearly a lot more in the tank. I thought age was an excuse? I thought no prior lifting experience was an excuse? You too? I guess we thought wrong.