Today's #ThursdayQandA comes from a 42 year-old Rockaholic looking to get in shape for summer. My personal training approach uses the same framework that I use for my 83 year-old client.
Smart training is smart training, and it's always a good idea. Training smart just becomes more important as you age. Check your ego at the door and spare yourself some aches and pains by working within these general guidelines.
- Your warm-up becomes more and more important as you age. Mobility drills are your friends.
- Your form becomes more and more important as you age. Move with control. Feel your muscles working. Don't let your ego pick the weight.
- Pull at least 2x more than you push. Row 2-3x more than you do pull ups (or lat pull-downs)
- Get your single-leg work in! After you've got your standard squat down, it's great to incorporate lunges, step ups, and split squats. For increased leg strength and decreased back pain, these are better than adding a bunch of weight to regular squats.
- You don't have to bench press! Doing a ton of push ups and using dumbbells instead of the traditional barbell bench will get you the chiseled chest without the shoulder pain. When combining this with the push/pull ratios above, your jacked upper back will be visible from the front view, making your chest and shoulders look even bigger.
- Less is more. You should feel GOOD the next day! You're trying to enhance your life, not punish yourself. Six 20-30 minute sessions that leave you fresh and energized afterwards is a much better workout week than 2-3 hour-long sessions that leave you unable to move for days. Consistency over intensity.
- Add physical activity into your day every chance you get. Push ups and squats can literally be done anywhere for strength. Walking, hiking, martial arts, and other sports are also great forms of exercise that don't feel like exercise.
- This might be the most helpful but it's last cuz Down With The Fitness is about adding in stuff you can do, not removing stuff you're already doing and like. Limiting processed food is one of the best things you can do to feel and look better. It is tied to all sorts of health risks that intensify as you get older. I'd recommend focusing on adding more whole foods that you enjoy into your diet, which will leave less room for the processed stuff.
These are things to keep in mind so you can train smart at any age. I do all of this at 32. It is loose enough that you have a lot of freedom to experiment and plug in exercises that work for you. Reach out if you have any questions, they may be in a future #ThursdayQandA!
I would not have written this blog if it weren't for wisdom passed on by the incredible Jay Ferruggia. There's a lot of BS in the fitness industry, and he is responsible for ZERO of it! For my money, I don't know a better resource for smart training at 40+. One of my favorite follows on Instagram for sure and he has a great podcast called Renegade Radio... The most recent episode is literally titled "How I Stay Lean and Strong at 44".
Down With The Fitness is here to give you simple, actionable tips that will improve your health. If you found this helpful, feel free to check out the archives for more.
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Have fun and do your best,
