Above 40, do you squat with weight equal or greater than your body weight?

[Anonymous]

I’m 39 and squat around 110 for reps (and I weigh 120). My DH weighs 165 and squats at least 185.

Squatting your body weight is an ambitious but attainable goal at any age, even for young people. Especially women.

I used to work with a power lifting coach and the goal was always to bench and squat your body weight and deadlift 1.5 your weight. Once you’re doing that you can reasonably compete, and in older age brackets people compete before they reach that goal.

[Anonymous]

45ym 210# bodyeweight last workout was 325# 5x5 low bar back squat. Did 410# 3x3 prior to pandemic, just got back in a month ago.

[Anonymous]

45 yrs old, weight 145 lbs. I barbell squat once a week, different weight and rep schemes, anywhere from ~135x15 to 210x5

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 50, recently started back squatting and am doing 50% of my body weight right now. Hoping to get to 100%!

Interestingly I am having an easier time with back squats than with goblet squats, and I was only at 35lbs for goblets. My knees hurt a lot less. Maybe it’s because I’m doing fewer reps.

Knees hurting is probably due to leaning forward more in a goblet squat. You need to hold the weight in tight to your body and be sure to sit back, keeping arms and core tight. Goblet squats are great for your core.

You can help work on this by squatting down to a bench. It helps stop you from leaning forward too much.

Also, 41yo guy. I weight ~215, and will do a 3x5 today around 275 on the back squat this afternoon.

Squatting with a heavy load isn't necessarily bad for your joints. It just takes lots and lots of time to work up to a heavy load

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m 39 and squat around 110 for reps (and I weigh 120). My DH weighs 165 and squats at least 185.

Squatting your body weight is an ambitious but attainable goal at any age, even for young people. Especially women.

I used to work with a power lifting coach and the goal was always to bench and squat your body weight and deadlift 1.5 your weight. Once you’re doing that you can reasonably compete, and in older age brackets people compete before they reach that goal.

I havent checked scores in a while. But I think you gotta get a total up over 1000 before you can really "compete".

mine is just a smidge over 1,000 and I'm not sure how competitive I would be.

[Anonymous]

I've heard that years of squatting with bar/weight may compress the spin->pinching nerves. Is there truth to that? If so, why do you continue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 39 and squat around 110 for reps (and I weigh 120). My DH weighs 165 and squats at least 185.

Squatting your body weight is an ambitious but attainable goal at any age, even for young people. Especially women.

I used to work with a power lifting coach and the goal was always to bench and squat your body weight and deadlift 1.5 your weight. Once you’re doing that you can reasonably compete, and in older age brackets people compete before they reach that goal.

I havent checked scores in a while. But I think you gotta get a total up over 1000 before you can really "compete".

mine is just a smidge over 1,000 and I'm not sure how competitive I would be.

I assume PP is a female. With a total of 1000 she would be VERY competitive. Though I agree that the numbers PP presented as competitive are rather low. Also hitting a body weight squat should be pretty easy while a bodyweight bench is a major accomplishment for a woman. I would say the minimum to be somewhat competitive for a female would be 2xBW deadlift; 1.5BW squat and 1xBW bench.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 39 and squat around 110 for reps (and I weigh 120). My DH weighs 165 and squats at least 185.

Squatting your body weight is an ambitious but attainable goal at any age, even for young people. Especially women.

I used to work with a power lifting coach and the goal was always to bench and squat your body weight and deadlift 1.5 your weight. Once you’re doing that you can reasonably compete, and in older age brackets people compete before they reach that goal.

I havent checked scores in a while. But I think you gotta get a total up over 1000 before you can really "compete".

mine is just a smidge over 1,000 and I'm not sure how competitive I would be.

I assume PP is a female. With a total of 1000 she would be VERY competitive. Though I agree that the numbers PP presented as competitive are rather low. Also hitting a body weight squat should be pretty easy while a bodyweight bench is a major accomplishment for a woman. I would say the minimum to be somewhat competitive for a female would be 2xBW deadlift; 1.5BW squat and 1xBW bench.

Yes. Thats absolutely correct.

Cause in the example below, a woman weighing 140lbs, hitting a 210 deadlift isn't really impressive for a compettive weightlifter. Hitting something like 350 (2.5x BW) would probably make that lift more competitive.

Same with the comment about a squat. For an athlete who is a power-lifter, a 140lb or 150lb woman their bodyweight wouldn't be competitive. That should be done for reps, tbh

Disclaimer: this is all in the context of power-lifting; all those numbers are VERY impressive for a typical woman exercising for health & fitness

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard that years of squatting with bar/weight may compress the spin->pinching nerves. Is there truth to that? If so, why do you continue?

Because muscle mass should be considered a vital sign and measured metric as you age. and as you age, it becomes harder and harder to build more muscle, so you want to get the most "bang for your buck" with your weight training.

which is why you should focus on the big complex movements to help maintain your muscle mass as you age.

And if you're that worried about the weight on the spine, front squat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand your question. In your title you seem to be asking about extremely heavy squats - with weights greater than their body weight. Then in your post, you say you don’t see people over 40 squatting.

I’m 60. Every time I go to the gym I do weighted squats. Today I did 168 using 44 pounds of weight. I can go a bit higher but not much beyond 44 pounds, especially if I’m doing high numbers.

What is your goal in squatting 168 times at this weight?

Not PP, but I was doing something similar at home in terms of crazy high volume/low weight just because those were the weights I had, and I was surprised at how effective it was when I went back to the gym and added weight on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 39 and squat around 110 for reps (and I weigh 120). My DH weighs 165 and squats at least 185.

Squatting your body weight is an ambitious but attainable goal at any age, even for young people. Especially women.

I used to work with a power lifting coach and the goal was always to bench and squat your body weight and deadlift 1.5 your weight. Once you’re doing that you can reasonably compete, and in older age brackets people compete before they reach that goal.

I havent checked scores in a while. But I think you gotta get a total up over 1000 before you can really "compete".

mine is just a smidge over 1,000 and I'm not sure how competitive I would be.

I assume PP is a female. With a total of 1000 she would be VERY competitive. Though I agree that the numbers PP presented as competitive are rather low. Also hitting a body weight squat should be pretty easy while a bodyweight bench is a major accomplishment for a woman. I would say the minimum to be somewhat competitive for a female would be 2xBW deadlift; 1.5BW squat and 1xBW bench.

Yes. Thats absolutely correct.

Cause in the example below, a woman weighing 140lbs, hitting a 210 deadlift isn't really impressive for a compettive weightlifter. Hitting something like 350 (2.5x BW) would probably make that lift more competitive.

Same with the comment about a squat. For an athlete who is a power-lifter, a 140lb or 150lb woman their bodyweight wouldn't be competitive. That should be done for reps, tbh

Disclaimer: this is all in the context of power-lifting; all those numbers are VERY impressive for a typical woman exercising for health & fitness

Competitive qualifiers for national and world level competitions in powerlifting, USAPL drug tested, "raw" record for 125lbs weight class class is close to 350-400. I competed 15 years ago before it was more popular for girls to lift weight and at 148lbs with a 330lb squat 350lb deadlift and 176lb bench I barely placed top 3 nationally in my age group but it was equipped. A raw qualifying total of 902 is required for the closest new weight class of 151.8lbs. That means those women are sq/dl 350 plus at 200lbs bench. The 40-49 masters qualifying total drops to 355kg or 781 lbs so still raw lifts would be 300/300/181.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 39 and squat around 110 for reps (and I weigh 120). My DH weighs 165 and squats at least 185.

Squatting your body weight is an ambitious but attainable goal at any age, even for young people. Especially women.

I used to work with a power lifting coach and the goal was always to bench and squat your body weight and deadlift 1.5 your weight. Once you’re doing that you can reasonably compete, and in older age brackets people compete before they reach that goal.

I havent checked scores in a while. But I think you gotta get a total up over 1000 before you can really "compete".

mine is just a smidge over 1,000 and I'm not sure how competitive I would be.

I assume PP is a female. With a total of 1000 she would be VERY competitive. Though I agree that the numbers PP presented as competitive are rather low. Also hitting a body weight squat should be pretty easy while a bodyweight bench is a major accomplishment for a woman. I would say the minimum to be somewhat competitive for a female would be 2xBW deadlift; 1.5BW squat and 1xBW bench.

Yes. Thats absolutely correct.

Cause in the example below, a woman weighing 140lbs, hitting a 210 deadlift isn't really impressive for a compettive weightlifter. Hitting something like 350 (2.5x BW) would probably make that lift more competitive.

Same with the comment about a squat. For an athlete who is a power-lifter, a 140lb or 150lb woman their bodyweight wouldn't be competitive. That should be done for reps, tbh

Disclaimer: this is all in the context of power-lifting; all those numbers are VERY impressive for a typical woman exercising for health & fitness

Competitive qualifiers for national and world level competitions in powerlifting, USAPL drug tested, "raw" record for 125lbs weight class class is close to 350-400. I competed 15 years ago before it was more popular for girls to lift weight and at 148lbs with a 330lb squat 350lb deadlift and 176lb bench I barely placed top 3 nationally in my age group but it was equipped. A raw qualifying total of 902 is required for the closest new weight class of 151.8lbs. That means those women are sq/dl 350 plus at 200lbs bench. The 40-49 masters qualifying total drops to 355kg or 781 lbs so still raw lifts would be 300/300/181.

With competitions, between equipment, the shorter ROM, and the assistance it's not really comparable to what people are doing when they're lifting in the gym, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard that years of squatting with bar/weight may compress the spin->pinching nerves. Is there truth to that? If so, why do you continue?

There’s no reason for this to happen period, but especially if you have your bar positioned correctly vis a vis trapezius. The trapezius in correct position is a bit flexed, so it carries the weight—the spinal joints do not.

I continue because I know this.

[Anonymous]

55 yr old. I think it does depend on your gym/trainer. We do lots of squats. With the hex bar I do 225. Did not start there. goblet squats work up to 65 pounds. 3-4 sets of each when working that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:55 yr old. I think it does depend on your gym/trainer. We do lots of squats. With the hex bar I do 225. Did not start there. goblet squats work up to 65 pounds. 3-4 sets of each when working that.

Male or female?