Strength training is an essential aspect of our fitness. Let me put it this way; strength is the base for everything you want to achieve as a fitness goal. One needs to be strong and fit at every Age. I have always been a big advocate of strength training with all my client across all Age, but especially my clients above 50; we do some intense weight training.
Unfortunately, most of the population above 50 are either training with some lightweight or not training. As we age, our body goes through a lot of Physiological changes
What happens when we Age
We lose : – Muscle Mass, Strength ,Balance & coordination, mobility and Hormone Imbalance
We have joint aches, stiff back, knee pain, some other medical conditions
With all the above condition, what do most of the men & women do –>they walk every day. Which is great, but how does it solve your above problem?. Fitness is not just cardiovascular health but lot more.
Science has repeatedly proven how beneficial strength training is for retaining muscle mass, stronger bones, good hormonal health, coordination, spine health, strength and mobility. This article will not talk about strength training’s advantages, but few rule which will help you to be fit, strong and mobile.
#Rule no 1
Train at least 3-4 times a week. Yes, you heard me saying train 3-4 times a week. We need to train hard to retain and grow those muscle.
#Rule no 2
Stop doing the same bro split change it to
Upper body- Lower body- Day Off- Upper body- Lower body- Endurance (optional )
above is just one of the example, can be modified to many different splits.
We need to stimulate the muscle more frequently for it to adapt. grow & retain.
#Rule no 3
Push heavyweight. One reason for losing mass muscle as we grow older is not training with heavier load. Training is all about the load and time under tension ( TUT). The more tension the movement creates, the more muscle will be stimulated.
#Rule no 4
Focus on compound movements & complement them with isolation Movement.
#Rule no 5
Add unilateral movements to your program example, single-arm overhead press, single-leg press, single-arm chest press, single arm row in single leg stance. Do these movements in kneeling , half-kneeling, single leg. These different positions which demands more coordination, stability and core activation.
#Rule No 6
If you cannot perform any movement due to injury, don”t stop training. look for alternative exercise. example: If squat is a problem then do leg press or box Squat.
#Rule no 7
Work on your post-training protocols like Nutrition, sleep, supplement, breathing & meditation.
#Rule no 8
As we age our appetite tends to drop, keep a track on this. We definitely avoid over eating but under eating can also cause you some serious damage. Under eating is the Biggest hindrance in our recovery process, making you feel sluggish and the end result no energy for training and looing motivation.
#Rule no 9
Work on your mobility, this is important for all age group but after certain age we tend to be become more stiff due to to loss of lubricating fluid inside our joints. Exercise helps to build muscle mass, which supports our tendons and ligaments, making our joints more supple and mobile.
# Rule no 10
Be Consistent !!
HARISH SHETTY 