Just want to say Hi, Rip from one old man to another. Glad to report that at 70 years of age I'm still powerlifting. But, to be honest I have not been lifting for nearly as long as you. In fact I discovered powerlifting late in life. That is why I'm still competing. As a matter of fact, last weekend, at the Alaka'i Reel Steel Lift Off I Squated:374, Benched:281 and Deadlifted:424. Won Best Master's Lifter and Age group( but again, let's be honest, everyone in my age group,70-74, is either dead or in prison ). Just saying Thanks from this old man for getting me interested in strength training.

I'll be 62 in January. I plan to lift as heavy as I can for as long as I can.

50 years old here. I started training for strength last year and it's been a fountain of new youth for me. I deadlift 160 kg, OHP 55 kg. I squat 120 kg for 3 sets of 5. Pendlay row 90 kg for 5. Numbers are still going up. I wish I had started that earlier in life. But it's never too late. I enjoy your podcasts and appreciate your honest, realistic outlook of life! Thank you, Mark!

I'm 57. It's 4:30 AM, I can't sleep, so I'm watching this video of Rip telling me he can't sleep.

Thanks for this one Rip...Your authenticity really shined through on this episode and was greatly appreciated. You were brutally honest and may I say, it almost looked like you were going to get a bit emotional when thinking back on your life. You’re a good man and I wanted to thank you for your experiences and your teachings.

57-year-old here, been barbell training for two years. Really enjoyed this episode. Relatable and funny.

I realized roughly in my late teens early twenties that there are no adults in this world just kids that have been here longer. : )Tyler

Rip you have been an inspiration to me since I started utilizing StartingStrength in Afghanistan 2008-2010. I am almost 67 years old and I’m listening to you Christmas morning as I’m lifting weights. I have spoken to you by phone since I returned from Afghanistan in 2010 regarding advice on squats and bad knees. I have since had both knees replaced and I’m still squatting and deadlifting. The weights are not heavy but I’m lifting because I like it and most men my age can’t do what I do. I look around me and they’re not there. Keep doing what you’re doing for guys like me. Btw, regarding your gut, if a man didn’t have a little loose skin in the middle he would break when they bent over. C.E./Elkland, Mo.

Hands down, the most honest truthful trainer there is. Getting older is hard to accept, however I believe you can always become a smarter lifter. I will turn 60 in July and still plan on hitting a 1000 pound total for squat, bench, and deadlift via 360, 250, 390. I have hit all 3 of these in the past and hit 300X10 on the squat at age 58. Keep training stretch warm up eat well and get rest.

This is what I have been experiencing lately at 51. A little less on reps and more rest and my joints feel better and I actually feel stronger. Great advice.

RIP is a good guy. Honest and Wise. I like him

Greeting Mr. Rippatoe. I am 53 now.... have competed as a raw powerlifter. my best numbers were 600, 410 and 620 at around 44, now 9 years later with busted back due to a motorcycle crash and with "Semi" regular training i can still do 540, 375 and 550. You are a legend and i wish you all the best

Thank you for posting this, Rip. KZfaq NEEDS this kind of real perspective. We love you.

This man introduced hundreds of thousands of young, weak and insecure men to powerlifting. Legend.

I'm 61 and do more sets and reps now than when I was young. I can't go heavy anymore, so more volume and lower intensity, and less rest between sets is my mode of training. I chase the pump and do exercises that don't hurt. :-)

Rip, THANK YOU! I’m about to turn 51 and I started weightlifting in my early 20’s, and have had one surgery (rotator cuff & labrum repair) and everything you stated is SPOT ON! I ran into some of the very issues you mentioned- overtraining for one. I feel as strong as I did in my late 20s/early 30s but over the last 6 months just started dragging and losing motivation to go to the gym. I was trying to push through my workouts attempting to do what I was doing 20 yrs ago. Now common sense should have told me otherwise but you know that inner ego can get the best of you. I started easing off on my volume and noticed I was looking and feeling better and actually feeling stronger. It wasn’t making sense to me other than I was giving myself more recovery time. You have applied sanity to what I had tripped up on and was trying to figure out the “why” it was working. Thanks again for all the great content, and as one of the minority older guys still trying to figure out how to do things better I appreciate you taking some time to focus on lifting as you get older. Young dudes pay attention to Uncle Rip he’s trying to educate you so hopefully you age better than our generation.

I really like what you have to say, a lot of wisdom. Having only picked up a barbell 2 years ago and I am only 61 years old. Thanks for the reminder to change the oil in my lawnmower. I'm going to keep moving as long as I can.

Great episode-appreciate your willingness to share your wisdom. I’ve recently adjusted my routine to incorporate the SS approach-it’s made a very positive difference. Thank you.

I may have to listen to this every Christmas eve, some great advice given as usual. Happy Christmas Uncle Rip

You know, I really hope people appreciate what rip has done for the industry and health/fitness/strength when he’s gone. All this guy has done was try and tell us the fucking truth to the best of his ability.

I have been hoping to hear Rip speak candid about his own personal victories and challenges, this was great.

Great show Rip. You may have a lot more older guys listening each week than you think. 60 here and have been a fan for years.

Hey Mark, thanks for the wise words. I value your ideas and I respect you as a man. I am 27 and am fairly confused what I ought to be doing on a lot of fronts in my life, but your guidance helps relieve some of that stress. Take care Mark, looking forward to the next one.

At 58 years old, I agree and understand your comments. It won’t get any easier for sure as the years go by, and my sleep is not good even without the injuries. However, I’d rather do some training and stay in reasonable shape and strength, than nothing. I also enjoy a Vespa Martini, Gin and Tonic, and beer etc. so a belly to some extent in inevitable. So for me, train to live life, not live life to train 😀👍

Good show, Rip. I am 53. Been lifting 3 years and I will never go back. I am still getting stronger and I truly enjoy improving. Even when I decline, I will still stick with it.

Thanks for talking on this, I'm 56 had both knees and hips replaced and still hitting the gym 5-6 days a week. I enjoy it, I shifted from deadlifting everyother day to rack pulls, trap pulls, RDL's through the week and deadlifts once a week to everyother week. I use my pins and lighter weights to breakdown the movement's down to manageable volume. Benchpress, same thing I use my pins, I move my Max 3 inches at the top and press for reps off the pins at different parts of the movement. Young people look at me funny but I'm being smarter and hopefully I'll still be enjoying hitting the gym for years to come

Hello Mark, really hit home, just turned 60, trained for over 40 years.I haven't trained for the last six months(daughter fighting cancer) Thank you, inspired me to get back into the gym.

As a 61 year old man, you hit this 100%. Thanks for the confirmation that I'm not the only one.

Dear Sir. Your contribution to empower the wellbeing of people like me is priceless. Thank you

I’ve only recently discovered this guy. I went from nothing to six days of CrossFit per week for going on two years. I cannot get enough of this guy’s insight. Even listening to him is a pleasure. It makes me wonder if he’d even tolerate me as a client for more than a week. Also, I can’t remember the time that I spent this much time watching a dude pontificate. And I don’t want it to end.

This is easily one of the best and earnest videos Rip has ever done. As a 61 year old "older" lifter, I enjoyed and can relate to Rip's comments regarding the aging process. When we are young we think we will maintain the same level of physical activity, strength, and recovery as when we are young. I started to really feel the difference in my late 50s. While I am still relatively strong (405# bench at 203 lb bodyweight), my lower body strength really took a hit over the past few years. A set of "fives" at what used to be 550 lbs is now 405#. I still watch my diet and look "jacked" (according my daughters and their boyfirends) but the years have taken their toll. Sore shoulders and knees and lower energy levels are the new norm. I can also relate to not getting a full night's sleep. Besides the aches and pains, having to eliminate myself every few hours is the major factor! Anyhow, will keep pushing and lifting since the alternative is not an option. As Rip says, just trying to keep from dying at this point.

God Bless You....I'm in the same boat. Going on 64. Getting older is not for the weak of heart and it encompasses years of learning by living.

A lot of wisdom in this one for those who will hear it. One of the best pearls for the abs-youth is witnessing someone who fully knows who they are and incapable of being shamed by someone else's flawed standard. It is such a freeing experience to not care about being judged.

Whoever it was that said "Old age makes liars of us all !" was right! I just wanted to say " Thank You, Rip! " for explaining things in the way that you did, so that this 57 year old could understand it! I've had suspicions that less is more for a little while, now. But hearing you explain it, the way you did, made things much clearer! Thanks again, Rip!

I like when rip opens up about his vulnerability’s, makes him seem more human.

Just recently found your channel. I'm 64 and started lifting for the first time in my life about 1.5 years ago. I have a personal trainer and hit the gym 5 days a week (4 lifting days and 1 HIIT cardio day). I've had 5 spinal surgeries (1 lumbar and 4 cervical) and have a heart stent. I love the gym experience and I still consider myself a novice lifter. I'm here to tell you that i feel better than I ever have. I have not been sick a single day in the last year and a half. I'm off all my medications except the blood thinner for the stent (no more blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes meds). I think being and older lifter is a great thing. I encourage everyone to lift on a regular basis to as you say "stave off death". Thank you for addressing the older lifter topic even though my perspective is different from yours and other lifters that have been in the gym for 40+ years.

This was a fantastic and brutally honest podcast. Very much appreciated.

MARK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WISDOM, HUMILITY AND HONESTY!!!!!! INVALUABLE INFORMATION!!!!!!

I really appreciate this episode. My shoulders are shit. I'm 49 and I haven't been sleeping well lately. It was only recently that I realized that I've been saying that for about two years now. Shit just creeps up on you and never really goes away. I've never completely healed from any injury I've sustained since I was 40. Not only do you heal more slowly, you never really completely heal (and my numbers aren't even what Rip's are at 63). I also really relate to the therapeutic/stress-release theme. The most hectic and the darkest times in my life were the times I was out of the weight room. For a long time, I thought I wasn't in the weight room because my life was hectic or depression had a hold of me but it was really the other way around: I was a mess because I was out of the gym. For whatever reason that's the thing that centers me.

One of your best podcasts. Thanks.

Taking Rip at face value here, this is a great podcast. It's hard to find a bad piece of advice in this entire episode.

Thanks Mark.. I'm an older lifter myself and found that low impact HIT like a stationary bike or even the row machine works very well for visceral fat when joints are an issue. Thanks again for all your work and information.

Hi Rip, Thank you for sharing your knowledge. It has given me a different view while moving into old age (69 yr old, 188 lbs). I picked up your StartStrength program 19 months ago. I’ve always been an athlete and had a period (33 to 43 yrs old) of running competitive 40-60 miles/ wk. I now realize I wasn’t doing myself any good. Now I believe that lifting is staving off sarcopenia. Thank you for educating me. Your program does work. I performed the LP and made the error of burning out my CNS. It took several months for me to rebound (Covid). I lift alone 3 days a wk. and just don’t have a real program to follow other than my inner voice dictating me. The other day I parallel squatted 375 (video’d) I don’t compete and the only supplement I take is creatine. I just love lifting as an athletic outlet. I’ve given up my basketball playing with the kids for fear of losing an ankle. I started squatting at 135 rep sets so I know your program works. I now start my working sets between 315-335 5-7 reps or more depending how I feel. I hope I don’t make your mistake. I know I’m reaching a point where I will find my limits. Thanks for your story, it will help me going forward. Thanks again for sharing with me. I try to pass your knowledge onto other older guys in the gym. Some listen and others think I’m crazy, but regardless the proof is in the pudding. Thx!

One of the best podcasts so far.

This is gold. Thanks for the heads up Rip.

At my age of 63 I would like to thank you for explaining alot of things I definitely understand how you put into words that makes sense that will help me ,Thankyou

Starts off listening to Rip radio, ends up changing oil in lawnmower.

Very timely video. Great analysis and thank you for sharing your knowledge

You make hell of sense, coach, for the discerning older people. God bless you and hope you have a good night sleep.

From an older lifter, thanks Rip - needed the honesty. Now if I could just stop eating too much!

'bad things happen through your life and the bar is always your friend!' Fabulous

Great discussion. As a 42 year old, I really appreciate hearing this perspective about how things change and, significantly, the impact of accumulated injuries.

One of, if not the most endearing moment of Rippetoe.

After nearly 30 years of training at 45 I feel that You are 100% right. I'm right at the point to not care about getting abs any longer but to change the focus being able to maintain musclemass and body functions as good as I can.

Just want to say Hi Rip and that I enjoyed this. I am just a young fellow compared to you . At 62 I train with a couple of thirty something men and I appreciate you sharing your experience. Stay Strong Michael

10 minute part onward - He sounds like me - Ive lifted heavy - screwed my shoulders up, fell off ladders , wrecked motorcycles , been to the middle east, got hurt bla bla bla. I was 49 yrs old , still running a 5.5 50, squat 620 , and bench 465- now 57 ha squats are 300ish , bench 135 - and on a treadmill is all I run .... But I did write a book called The Healing by Ron Nick. I would like to send Mr. Rippetoe a copy if he reads this comment. also I have a connection he should talk to...

It’s true . When my hands were tied behind my back ... I lost all semblance of speech 😂😂😂😂👏in addition you hit the nail on the head with the sleep issue .. at our age 😨glad to know I’m not the only one ☝️

I’m 78 starting back training after 15 years. I’m older and wiser. I have been following a formula for 3 months and just started noticing what you are talking about. I have not hurt myself yet. I need to readjust away from the many sets and reps and do heavier and less reps. Thanks this was invaluable,

The best! Thanks for sharing. Great podcast. Will try to use your advice.

Thank you! I am 62 and deal with STUPID injuries as you have! I have been a heavy industrial carpenter for over 40 years. I have been always as been an industrial athlete. I can not do what I used to do but I sure try! Shoulder pain, having to piss and the dog is taking over the bed along with the lawn mower syndrome happens! Thanks for your honesty!

54:45 Rip, this entire discussion was gold. Thanks man. From an older dude trying to get stronger 💪

Thanks Mark, I'm 51yrs old, been lifting weights on and off (mostly on) since I was 15, and did a lot of contact sports, dirt biking and hard physical activities over the years with my fair share of battle scars to show for it, I let myself go for a few years until I couldn't stand the old fat man looking back at me in the mirror, I've been back on the weights now for the last 10 months and I've been wondering how hard I should/could push myself, while trying hard to subdue my youthful ego that'll just get me injured, your talk has given me a lot of "Food for thought", Thank you.

The biggest thing the kids today don't understand is that 99% of youtube fitness folks are on drugs and those are their influences. They don't understand what a natural lifter looks like or goes through with recovery and aging. Love the content all these years.

Started my reflections at 30. Soon realized that life severely takes a toll on lifestyle. Comparatively still a pup to Rip at 40, and realized that good habits in health (eat well, lift well, rest well) are what matters most because life still needs to go on...with or without abs.

Mark, what you say about aging lifters is spot on! I am only 52 and have a heck of a time keeping up with the younger lifters compared to just 10 years ago. I used to train heavy day, light day for each muscle group each week. I switched to once a week and now I have scaled back on my volume keep weights relatively heavy and I continue to see improvements. If I bench , squat or deadlift more than 3 times a month, I go backwards. Most of the other grey haired lifters in my gym have learned the same lesson and generally lift much heavier than those half our age. Be smart and enjoy life!

Super authentic. Thank you for your honesty and sharing your experience. 1 set a week sounds really scary to me :/

"The bar is always your friend" That needs to be on a t-shirt

I found the inflated tire boob job joke hilarious! 😂 Great description and so true.

Great video topic. Thanks for covering this.

Thoroughly enjoyed ALL of this. Thanks Rip! :)

I really appreciate your honesty. Thank You

Sage advice. Needs to be said time and again. Thanks.

Rip (I hope you don't mind me addressing you this way; I call my doctor, Doc, and to me it's a term of respect, but he doesn't see it that way), I just watched this, and you are exactly right. I'm 71 and can relate to all your points except boob jobs because I have had the good fortune not to grope a rubber tire that I did not put on my truck. I want to thank you for writing your books and making your videos. I started powerlifting in my late 50's, and it still keeps me going. It helps me get out of a chair more easily and get up off the ground without help. Thanks.

"Veer-twOH". This was a great video...very candid and self-aware.

Thanks for your honesty too.

Sound advice. Mark Rippetoe is a wealth of knowledge.

Thank you for your experience. Very wise words.

I started lifting weights at age 15. In my 20s I trained for bench press contests. I have squatted, deadlifted, and bench pressed tons and tons of weights. When I was in my teens, 20s, 30s I could train 4 days a week hard and heavy. As I get older I find that I can only train 2-3 days per week. Plus I work everyday and have life stress. It's amazing that I am still training and lifting heavy for my age and weight. As I get older a whole bunch of sets and reps is not recoverable. I only squat twice a month, but my squat sessions are heavy and they are quality squat sessions. I bench press once per week but the bench press sessions are heavy and they are quality bench press sessions. I find that I have to train my back, shoulders, and supporting muscles to be able to bench press and squat so I do a supporting session once per week. I train my lower body squats, deadlifts, etc. once per week. I train my upper body bench press, rows, presses twice per week. I only heavy shoulder press twice per month. I find that as I get older less training is more. I don't know if what I am saying makes sense. If I were to just bang bang ba ng knock these crazy bodybuilding programs with all of these sets and reps I'd get ripped but I wouldn't be strong and I'd be sore all the time. I'd probably need tons of steroids to do it too. Just thinking out loud.

62 Years old here.. Retired Marine, Never really lifted but as you've mentioned when you're older, life's past experiences played a toll on parts of us that have limited the mobility aspects of movement. Been learning to lift now for over 3 months. Listening to and watching Alan Thrall's channel and you and your channel, bought the starting strength book and have access to my police department full gym to practice. This has forced me to leave my ego at the door since I don't have any spotters and get to practice the process. I'm a lucky man. I don't have any bad habits since I've never done this before. 6.4 240 lbs. when I hurt, I know when to stop. Hurting pain and soreness are different. I have goals - My goals are just to get stronger, NOT OVERNIGHT. I have stress and make myself go to bed every night at a decent time don't worry about my diet to any degree, feel strong BUT I only go as far as my body allows me. I have a lot of work to do to get stronger and I've realized I won't get very much more. I had someone tell me just yesterday that I'm in better shape than most that come to the gym. I want to thank you for giving us the insight to do the right way of lifting. I have put on muscle already and I have benefited.. Lastly, your insight on beating spotters with a hammer that don't spot correctly was priceless. Semper-Fi Jerry

After over 40 years in gym I can tell you, this is the best relationship of my life. And I promise, to stay together till end of my life. Gym is the best doctor as well. It heals all my physical, mental and emotional pain. And make me hapy and strong too.

Epic video! I am doing my best now to find minimum volume.

🤣🤣😂😂😂😂 those responses to "comments from the haters" are absolute gold!

STEM CELLS!! Im 74. Been in the gym almost daily since I was 19. I got stem cells in Panama in 2019. No pain anywhere anymore. Im stronger now than ever before.

Hey Rip, first I'd like to thank you for your material. I found running the SS novice LP while gaining weight (put on ~40lbs) to be precisely what I needed to finally make progress where none of my other prior experiences could (skinny guy with abs for all of my 20's thanks to Men's Health et al "workouts"). Additionally, I find all your tutorials and podcasts quite insightful and often very humorous, and frequently I use them as a motivational tool while I eat, prior to training, after work. Thank you for your contribution to this field, it is legendary. As I am sure you're waiting for me to get to the damn point, here it is. I have become quite a fan of the Barbell Medicine crew recently, and, as best I can discern being a lay person, the primary difference between their intermediate paradigm and the one I most closely associate with you (Texas Method), is the emphasis on volume over intensity (specifically the quantity of intensity). They contend that volume is the primary driver of progress (specifically of work capacity), and provided that there is regular, though limited, exposure to high intensity (their "RPE 8 singles" aka only do the first rep of your 3RM) one can still elicit an effective strength adaptation with one's work sets being of much lower intensity (the idea being you progressively increase the volume (total reps) throughout the cycle, titrating weight on the bar up based on the performance of that lift's single). They contend the single (albeit gauged on an RPE scale) is much more sensitive and specific to a strength adaptation, and hence a better gauge of one's current progress and/or their degree of recovery from the prior training unit/increment (a session, a week, a cycle). Additionally, this gauge doesn't induce the same level of fatigue as a "bone-on-bone" grinding set of 5 (very near or even at your current 5RM). I would love to hear your opinion on this approach. My interest stems from my inability to maintain the Texas Method program, and still be useful at work (fairly physical job with long hours, and I am a fairly unathletic/below average responder to training, yes admittedly aggravated by stupidity and my NDTFP). Since unfortunately the need for money beats out the need for gains, I have been looking for something I consider of comparable quality, but doesn't produce as much fatigue as 5x5 at or near my 5RM weekly. And since both Jordan and Austin are both great lifters, they both came up through SSOC, they also offer compelling arguments, etc.; I respect their opinions. Since I also respect yours, I'd like to get your take on the matter (a podcast episode would be cool, but I am also an avid reader so If you have written specifically about this approach would someone please link it for me?). Thanks Rip! (I apologize if my description was lacking, but hopefully I was able to convey enough of the key points to reflect it decently accurately)

My ancestors came from colder areas of Europe. My skin is very thick, tends toward the goose flesh bumpy pores, getting a shot always tough for the nurse, as she had a hard time getting the needle through the skin. Never thought about skin thickness but you hit the nail on the head there.

"You need to see how little work you can do to get stronger" ...meanwhile everybody is training non-stop to get stronger I first started watching Rippetoe's videos about 13 years ago. I'm still amazed how good a coach this man is and how much his advice goes against the conventional wisdom. Thanks Rip!

Really like the time stamp in the description

I'm 56 and started training at 14 I'm still going strong and I'm one of the strongest lifters at our local YMCA in Newark Ohio!. My workouts are one hour 4 times a week all compound movements just for fun!

I'm 80 and am stuck on the novice program once a week. "I hear you ! Good Talk" . But your numbers and heavy weights you lifted in the past scare me and its hard to relate to you other than the age! You were the exception not the rule ! I am not a hater. Love to hear you reminisce old fella". Keep it up!

35 year old new to strength training, thank you for sharing your wisdom

Subscribed! Best damn video I’ve watched in quite awhile! You sir are someone I can relate to compared to all the “gurus” these days.

Love his training advice he is sooo informative!

60 years old, bone on bone in both knees, both shoulders and hips on their way. Disc degeneration in my back caused me to shrink 1.5 inches since my twenties. Almost 50 years of intense training under my belt, forty years of boxing/working the bags, CSCS and a Master's in exercise science from a prestigious university. You absolutely nailed the aging process! Totally spot on. Sleep sucks and then one has to wake up at 04:45 to go to work... with snot nose kids.

I keep my phone beside my bed, so when I wake up in the middle of the night, thinking about changing the lawn mower oil, I can send myself an email to remember to think about it when I wake up. It really does help me go back to sleep, because I can close that compartment until I open the email in the morning. Cheers!

Ya WORK is what ITS ALL ABOUT,Thanks Rip. I’m HANGING IN THERE,you got many good IDEAS! Got the books,and boy do you have the Videos!!!! 65 and LIFTING!

"When I tell you something that I've learned, I've learned it the hard way. And that's usually the best way." The following is just a different perspective, not criticism. I used that as an excuse so many times, but it's just a delusion to make yourself feel better for the suffering you've endured. You don't have to go through excruciating pain (physical or mental) in order to learn your lesson in life. The gut never lies and there are always cues you can listen to, and avoid getting yourself in trouble. Some mistakes will be with you for the rest of your life so the sooner you can be more mindful and open for the voice of truth inside you, not your ego, the better off you will be in the long run. This "epiphany" came to me after an accident that I shouldn't have been in the first place, but I put myself in regardless. I say all this with respect and appreciation, Rip.

This is some good wisdom to revisit from time to time

I'm 57. I can relate to shoulder injuries, soreness, pot belly, remembering my hay days of dead lifting 315. I appreciate your honesty and humility. This video helped me kinda take stock in my recently reentering power lifting because of starting strength and how to approach it. Oops. Meant strengthtraining not powerlifting

Great discussion and perspective on age and training.

Your talking from the heart great job