CrossFit Masters: Dealing with age
jedwards213
Posts: 24 Member
So I'm having issues, and it feels like it has to do with age. Let me preface...
Since starting MyFitnessPal in October and sticking strictly to the diet I've been given I've lost 10kgs or a little over 21 pounds. This is exactly what I was hoping for and it was a great way to end 2014. Now that I'm looking forward, I'd like to continue the weight loss trend into 2015. So I've set a goal for another 5kgs of weight loss for the next 4-6 months. That would put me at around 94kgs of body weight or 206#. If you're wondering why I use kgs, it's not because I'm English or anything. It's because those are the weight classes in Oly lifting. Now for the past 2 and a half years I've been a dedicated member of our box's competition team. It requires 5 days a week and 2 hours per day. Trust me when I say, by Saturday afternoon, you're absolutely drained. At least I am. So earlier this year, prior to the diet and MyFitnessPal, I was probably at my heaviest at around 240#. I was lifting big weights and feeling good about my Oly and Powerlifting numbers. Unfortunately, any movement tied to body weight (which is in pretty much every Crossfit WOD) destroyed me. It all came down hard on me during 14.2. It was that point I took a real good look at myself and decided to clean it up.
So here I am, first full day into 2015 and what's on the menu but setting our new 1-rep max in snatch, clean & jerk, press and front squat. This will set the tone for the year. Now I've been consistent with the training schedule and stuck with all of our training numbers leading up to this over the past 3-4 months. So what's the issue? Well, it didn't go as planned. I didn't hit new PRs in any of the lifts. In fact, I didn't hit 100% in any lift except front squat (although I could have gone to 105% in FS but stopped while I was ahead). This was brutally disappointing to say the least. Especially considering PRs were dropping like crazy all around me. To not even hit 100% in the two Oly lifts was frustrating as hell. So randomly the coach asks how it went. I replied with a look of frustration and not much of an answer. But he kept asking for a number and I told him what numbers I did hit. He gave me a thumbs up and said, "Well, you're older. Trust me, anything above 87% is a good day!" This was not the answer I was looking or hoping to hear. But was he right? At 43, are my best days behind me? *kitten* man, I'm just getting started, it can't be downhill from here?! Is it the weight loss? Is it the diet? Is it the meal plan? Do I need to amp up supplements?
Do I just need to accept it...?
Needless to say, the rest of the day was shot. It's amazing how the first lift or movement will absolutely set the tone for the rest of the workout. So frustration got the better of me and I found myself cruising through the remainder of the WOD just to get to the time cap. Not the best attitude I know but it's real hard to stay motivated when motivation dries up like a weed.
So what do you think? Anyone else experience this? Gimme your thoughts, gripes, encouragement or just a good ole kick in the paints.
Since starting MyFitnessPal in October and sticking strictly to the diet I've been given I've lost 10kgs or a little over 21 pounds. This is exactly what I was hoping for and it was a great way to end 2014. Now that I'm looking forward, I'd like to continue the weight loss trend into 2015. So I've set a goal for another 5kgs of weight loss for the next 4-6 months. That would put me at around 94kgs of body weight or 206#. If you're wondering why I use kgs, it's not because I'm English or anything. It's because those are the weight classes in Oly lifting. Now for the past 2 and a half years I've been a dedicated member of our box's competition team. It requires 5 days a week and 2 hours per day. Trust me when I say, by Saturday afternoon, you're absolutely drained. At least I am. So earlier this year, prior to the diet and MyFitnessPal, I was probably at my heaviest at around 240#. I was lifting big weights and feeling good about my Oly and Powerlifting numbers. Unfortunately, any movement tied to body weight (which is in pretty much every Crossfit WOD) destroyed me. It all came down hard on me during 14.2. It was that point I took a real good look at myself and decided to clean it up.
So here I am, first full day into 2015 and what's on the menu but setting our new 1-rep max in snatch, clean & jerk, press and front squat. This will set the tone for the year. Now I've been consistent with the training schedule and stuck with all of our training numbers leading up to this over the past 3-4 months. So what's the issue? Well, it didn't go as planned. I didn't hit new PRs in any of the lifts. In fact, I didn't hit 100% in any lift except front squat (although I could have gone to 105% in FS but stopped while I was ahead). This was brutally disappointing to say the least. Especially considering PRs were dropping like crazy all around me. To not even hit 100% in the two Oly lifts was frustrating as hell. So randomly the coach asks how it went. I replied with a look of frustration and not much of an answer. But he kept asking for a number and I told him what numbers I did hit. He gave me a thumbs up and said, "Well, you're older. Trust me, anything above 87% is a good day!" This was not the answer I was looking or hoping to hear. But was he right? At 43, are my best days behind me? *kitten* man, I'm just getting started, it can't be downhill from here?! Is it the weight loss? Is it the diet? Is it the meal plan? Do I need to amp up supplements?
Do I just need to accept it...?
Needless to say, the rest of the day was shot. It's amazing how the first lift or movement will absolutely set the tone for the rest of the workout. So frustration got the better of me and I found myself cruising through the remainder of the WOD just to get to the time cap. Not the best attitude I know but it's real hard to stay motivated when motivation dries up like a weed.
So what do you think? Anyone else experience this? Gimme your thoughts, gripes, encouragement or just a good ole kick in the paints.
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Replies
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In power movements you peak in your mid 40's. Heavy benchers,squatters,dead lifters all peak in their 40's. Oly lifts I'm not sure about. Usually cardio goes down as you get older but strength goes up. I'm 48 and still plan on doing a power lifting meet, the highland games, strongman stuff. I'm to big to be great at crossfit. You need me in your ear screaming at you to get that weight up? Cardio should be broken up in age groups but strength shouldn't.0
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As one of my coaches told me after a disappointing 1RM clean session "Not every day is PR day."
I'm 44 (45 in April) and I think strength-wise my best days are in front of me. I was strong before, but I feel like CF has really added a lot of core strength which was (and still is) sorely lacking.
My primary focus in my workouts is not getting hurt. If that means I leave a few lbs on the floor when it comes to 1RM I'm OK with that so long as I'm improving.0 -
Two things, yes, age can cause a slow decline, but you can hit more PRs. But mostly, consider what you’ve done as a percentage of body weight (not gross weight). You lost nearly 10% of your body weight and kept your 1RM. That’s awesome!
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^This. Plus consider other factors as well like sleep, nutrition, overtraining, fighting off a cold, bad day...AllanMisner wrote: »Two things, yes, age can cause a slow decline, but you can hit more PRs. But mostly, consider what you’ve done as a percentage of body weight (not gross weight). You lost nearly 10% of your body weight and kept your 1RM. That’s awesome!
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[Age 55} I don't think we get that much weaker or slower. But we do need more -- and longer -- recovery. Had you gone hard in the two days before? Also, because we do not recover as well, we need the fuel more. I am guessing your performance -- if it really was diminished, and not just a slightly off day -- has more to do with diet and losing weight than age.0
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Thank you all! I appreciate everyone's input. There's a lot of things I need to keep in perspective. For one, we had been going heavy for the previous several days. Two, I still came within +90% of 1RM. And three, I haven't been injured (knock on wood) in over 2 years. Gains are still happening, slowly, but measurable.0
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The older guys at my gym are amazing and totally keep up with the younger guys (older being I reckon late 40s early 50 and young guys being 30s). They are strong and fit! Keep at it and you can lose weight and hit PRs I am sure.0
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Probably the single fittest person in our gym is 52. He qualified as one of the top 200 Masters in his weight group on the planet during last year's open. We had half the gym there watching him do the qualifying workout (100 pull ups, 100 wall balls) and cheering him on.0
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You guys, stop talking about these guys who are in their 50s and are the fittest guys in your gyms. You're making me feel bad.0
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Our best competitor is 42 and will be 43 soon (he qualified for masters qualifier but not the Games). I was at a comp with him this summer and there was one ladder event that only he finished in the AMRAP time out of all of the contestants, including a couple who went to regionals. I've only been seriously lifting for 15 months, and at 41, I'm the 2nd strongest at our box (the first just turned 28 and she won USAPL powerlifting raw total in 2010). So you might have more to compare yourself to than I do, but I think a lot of us still have a lot of gas left in us.
I think you can be a tremendous lifter or a tremendous Crossfitter but you can't be the absolute BEST if you are focusing on both. Since my PL meet in November, my bodyweight performance is getting a lot better (up 8 points on Beyond the Whiteboard) but my powerlifts are stalled. However, I also know that I made linear progressions for about 8 months on my lifts, then stalled then every once in a while just hit a surprising PR. The issue is I can't predict when they will happen now.
I think a lot of this has to do with your body weight loss, your change in programming but also just a lack of inability to progress in a linear fashion at this point in your development. Also, oly lifts are so technical that it really could have very little to do with your strength and more to do with a technique issue you were having that day. Not to freak anyone out or anything-- but you guys should be happy you're not a woman because a lot of what happens regarding being able to lift on any given day has to do with where you are in your menstrual cycle. Some days you have it and some days you don't. Also, I'm looking at a huge change in hormones in the next ten years, and it scares me. Eek.
Don't get discouraged. Sounds like you are making gains in the way your programming was designed. I can't hit my back squat numbers at all right now, so I know where you are coming from though.0 -
At 48, I look around at a lot of guys my age and realize people age differently. Some of my classmates look like they're a good 20 years older. Some have huge guts and you know they're bodies are having to work a lot harder, putting them at risk for strokes and such. I figure I go in, do the best I can, and I'm doing fine. I know I'm stronger than some people in certain lifts, and not where I want to be on others. Some of that has more to do with individual strengths and weaknesses than age.0
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Being a Master at any sport is just a polite way of saying you're old. Thats why I have no problem puttin a whoopin on younger folks. Master my *kitten*! Get sum! Usually older people take a break from physical activity to raise kids. I did, and now wonder if I would have kept going where would I be now. Greek God! Its no different than I person never lifting and starting later in life. Its a lot to over come either way it takes a while.0
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Greek God with artificial knees and hips
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For me, when I cut calories and/or carbs for weightloss, my numbers in the gym suffer greatly. It may not be this way for everyone and probably I'm just not maximizing my nutrition for performance, but I cannot make gains/keep the same level of strength while also losing weight. Just my 2 cents though!0
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Probably cutting a bit too much. You should (I say should) be able to fine tune it enough to at least maintain strength while losing weight. It's going to slow your rate of loss but in the long run that's more healthy anyways.0
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Im trying the zigzag diet recommended on the calculation page. Sadly I have a 900 calorie day today though - what can I eat for 13 calories? Im gnawing my hand off! Can I wait until tomorrow?!0
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I have meals larger than 900 calories just about every day. My TDEE target -10% is 3300 calories.0
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I think we are too hard on ourselves, as Kelly mentioned, weight loss means sacrificing some strength and then there are the other variables like hydration, nutrition, sleep etc.... My Prs have slowed down since Ive been at it 2 years but no one younger can pistol squat like i can! LOL. My deadlift has been stuck for 6 months but I can string more DUs, hspu and do other movements better. Joys of crossfit, right? Check out Eat to Perform; there is a lot of good info there about eating to crush it at the box.0
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bostonwolf wrote: »I have meals larger than 900 calories just about every day. My TDEE target -10% is 3300 calories.
Do you still eat that way on rest days?
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I eat more carbs on work days, less on rest days. On a rest day call it 2700-3000, 3300 on a work day. If I'm eating clean it can be tough to get that many calories in. If I'm eating pizza....not so much.0
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preciousbj wrote: »I think we are too hard on ourselves, as Kelly mentioned, weight loss means sacrificing some strength and then there are the other variables like hydration, nutrition, sleep etc.... My Prs have slowed down since Ive been at it 2 years but no one younger can pistol squat like i can! LOL. My deadlift has been stuck for 6 months but I can string more DUs, hspu and do other movements better. Joys of crossfit, right? Check out Eat to Perform; there is a lot of good info there about eating to crush it at the box.
True, and I think there is a balance we all need to find through experimentation as to what the right calorie and macro level is for all of us.
Just getting started on Eat To Perform, looking forward to it!
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:-) At least the 900 calories is the minimum. The max day is 2500
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This discussion has been closed.