Hermes

I am 6 feet tall, 172 pounds and 57 years old and I have been lifting weights consistently since 1977. I work out 6 days per week in the gym and split my weight workouts: chest and triceps one day and biceps and back the other. Over the years I have worked with various trainers and I shifted my exercises to more advanced movements and added balance features e.g. dumbbell bicep curls while standing on a balance board. I try not to use machines or barbells and use the exercise balls and dumbbells. This keeps my limbs in balance with my core. Of course, there are some muscle groups where a machine is necessary but I try not to fix my body against anything rigid. One of the problems with straight bench presses is that one can overdevelop parts of the body that the core or back cannot support or limit flexibility. I added Pilates a few years ago and stretch for at least 15 minutes after a workout. I generally do not work my legs since I cycle hills and do intervals. I measure myself by the look of my abdominals. I TRY to keep my abs ripped. I know that my weight, body fat and upper body strength are then optimized for what I want to do and I do not worry that I have too much upper body muscle that will limit my hill climbing.

My sports are cycling, skiing and golf. Today, I cycle faster and longer, I am an expert skier and I hit the ball longer (200 yard four iron and average 285 yard drives) than I did a decade or two ago.

lpress

This thread has taken off a bit -- it seems there are quite a few gym rats among us. I thought it would be interesting to gather our collective wisdom on the question of how our workouts and training are different today than they were when we were younger.

As an experiment, I've set up a "wiki" at https://activeafterfifty.schtuff.com/weight_lifting. As you see, I have started a document listing some changes in my workouts with age. Since the document is a wiki, anyone can change it -- feel free to add your own points, change mine, etc. The idea is to improve the document each time you alter it. You can also add comments to the document to explain your changes if you wish.

Give it a try.

Larry

jab1362

I'm 54, my winter routine is to walk 2 miles everyday rain or shine first thing in the morning, every other day I work out for 30 minutes on a fake bowflex machine and ride 15 mile loop if the weather is ok. The rest of the year is the same but with more miles. I've done this for a year and have lost 42lbs. and have found new muscle and energy that I lost in my 30's and 40's.

Digital Gee

I'm about to get reaquainted with a Total Gym knockoff that I bought a few months ago but didn't stick with long enough to get the habit ingrained.

While it does make a great clothes holder, it does better doing what it's designed to do: give me some exercise. I'm going to go for 3x a week, logging my workouts in Excel (somehow, that motivates me to keep going).

urban rider

Many years ago I went to the gym on a regular basis. I was used to heavy lifting. I won the first power lifting contest for my age (40) . My favorite gym closed due to the death of both owners. It was right around the corner from my house. I have been grieving ever since. Yesterday I signed up for discoveryhealth.com. It will provide a free membership to Bally's for eight weeks. It is enough for winter training.





Gas, the price of a can of beans.

lpress

Your power lifting win is impressive -- let us know how your comeback goes!

Larry

Velodiva

Sounds like fine wine - getting better with age.

lpress

Last week I set up a wiki to comment on the the questions: How does your weight training or conditioning routine today compare with your workout when you were younger? What is unique to older folks? What does not change?

This is what we turned up:

• I no longer do maximum weight single reps.
• I stretch before and after each set.
• I spend more time warming up.
• I spend as much time in the gym now as before. (Still addicted :-).
• I do more core strengthening work and added balance to make the workouts harder.
• In general, I work out much harder and longer than 10 years ago.
• I tend to do more reps and sets to focus on endurance rather than mass and absolute strength for a given exercise.
• I coordinate my gym routine with my chosen sports and use a trainer on occasion to keep abreast of the latest thinking and get objective feedback as to form and results.
• I get massage for relaxation and recovery.
• I worry about injury more today -- for example, I have substituted a leg-press machine for squats for fear of back injury.
• I am as strong now as five years ago, but a lot weaker than when I was young.

Anyone have anything to add?

Larry

DnvrFox

For a different perspective, please see:


https://www.crainsmuscleworld.com/strengthafter50.html


2. All the cells in the body except some in the bones are renewed regularly and are less than 6 months old.
3. A muscular, low-fat body indicates an inner circulatory , respiratory, eliminatory system that has been fined tuned.
4. Strength and health are possible at any age.
5. Be realistic - fat is ugly and dangerous. External fat is evidence of internal fat slowing down all the functions of the body.

Threats against the above.

1. Body wearing out, (although it will rust out long before it wears out).
2. Too busy.
3. Too old.
4. Too tired.
5. Too lazy.
6. Don't believe it's possible.
7. Too much work to stay in shape.

Physical fitness at any age.


There are four keys to unlock the physical possibilities within you.

1. Regular, vigorous, heavy exercise.
2. Proper nutrition.
3. A tranquil mind.
4. A positive mental attitude.

You can build muscle size and strength at any age. I have done it and am now doing it at the age of 72. There are thousands of people worldwide who are maintaining and even improving on an excellent health and fitness level. Many are still increasing their muscle size and strength and endurance level. However, the training methods used have to be constantly modified as you grow older. Organic health is a direct byproduct of heavy exercise. The function of every bodily process is improved as the external muscles are toned enlarged and strengthened by gradually increasing the exercise workload. The combination of heavier weights, sets and reps works its magic on your internal health as it does on your external appearance and functional capabilities.

The best way to increase your physical capabilities (strength, muscularity, endurance, speed) after the age of 50 is by weight training. If you have already been doing this for many years, don't stop after fifty. The years your body needs heavy exercise the most are after fifty.

There are two groups out there, reading this. The first group has been training with resistance exercise for a number of years, and now after 50 they are considering tapering off by changing the type of exercise they do, or quitting altogether.

1. To those considering reducing the heavy weight training to a much lighter form of exercise, and thus assuming that cardiovascular work is all they need -consider this. Heavy exercise increases bone density and thus more protection against fractures. Keeping your muscles, tendons, ligaments and vertebra strong is the best protection against injuries as you age. Gradually getting weaker is a sure road to faster aging and ultimately, failure of all body functions . external and internal.

2. To those considering quitting weight training, there are two things you should consider before making a decision. (1) If you take an annual physical and show no health problems, then you can only make one intelligent decision. To stay that way for a long time, you need to keep on with vigorous weight training. (2) If you have some health problems that have appeared, then you must get medical help, and subject to their correction and your Drs. approval, gradually resume your weight training. The best form of health insurance for a lifetime is to maintain regular, heavy, weight training.

lpress

The perspectives don't seem all that different -- the folks writing on the wiki speak of working out harder and longer than ever, but with some changes from when they were young. Have your workouts changed at all over the years?

Larry

willcare

I can second that. I quit lifting 3 years ago, and am starting back now with really MINOR weights, and am still sore. Especially in the wrist, elbow and knee joints. Glucosimine actually helps me, but the real trick is patience. It's taken 3 months for me to be able to increase the load a bit, and that's not because of the weight but rather the flexibility I'm just getting back, as well as getting the joints etc used to it again. But it's well worth the work. I'm 58 going on 18 and have no doubt about the outcome.

"Old age should burn and rave at close of day"

DnvrFox

I am glad - perhaps I misread your summary.

Yes, I have tried to make them more challenging, and increased my weights. ALso, I have a larger repertoire of exercises.

I would disagree with those who said one should lessen their workouts as they got older.

urban rider

I just entered discoveryhealth's challenge for health this year. I plan to return to the gym. I like lifting weights and using the various machines. I am looking forward to cross training before the cycling season.