Working out in your 40s or older.

[two fingers]

I need to get back to working out more. I'm not in "bad shape" per say. (6'2" 200 pounds +/- and 34-34 pants size). But I want to harden up a little and build more stamina for running/swimming/kayaking type activities.

What do you guys do? Sure, an easy answer is "the same thing a 19 year old would do". But there can be considerations that us forty and fifty somethings (and older) have to be aware of.

I have a Total Gym, a 35 pound kettle bell, a mountain bike, various dumbells, jump rope, a pool that I'll probably open in the next few weeks, etc. I probably don't have the lifestyle that would allow me to "swing by the gym" for an hour several times a week. Mostly my workouts would be after my young kids go to bed....around 8:00.

Bounce some things off of me. Thanks!

 

[Pacman]

My main source of fitness is yoga - mostly of the power variety, but some relaxed flow type stuff too. That said, a 25 lb kettlebell can WHIP you into shape! (just be careful, I tore both my brachial tendons doing it)

 

[two fingers]

My main source of fitness is yoga - mostly of the power variety, but some relaxed flow type stuff too. That said, a 25 lb kettlebell can WHIP you into shape! (just be careful, I tore both my brachial tendons doing it)

Thanks for jumping in. This may seem like a dumb question to someone who is really into it. But are there YouTube yoga routines or online stuff to check out or is that one of those things you need to start off with in person? I have a bonus room with rugs and whatnot. I can run my computer into the 46" TV and stereo so I could follow along from across the room. I think my wife actually has one of those rubbery yoga mats as well. I'm pretty open to trying whatever.

 

[Funky Ghost]

I found this a number of years ago. The investment is minimal but the gain is immense. The first day this is gonna hurt. A lot My legs suffered the most when I started, personally.

Link Removed

 

[LeftyD]

Set up the total gym in the bonus room. My wife has that and does a couple of total gym routines on cds. The 45 minute one is pretty intense. Consistency over time is the way. Everyone knows that, though.

 

[duff beer]

I'm 54. I keep it simple with basic compound movements that use multiple muscles at once. It's more efficient and also helps ensure that all muscles are trained. I basically break it down into 4 groups.

Group 1: upper body pushes...bench press, dumbbell press, pushups, etc.
Group 2: lower body quad dominant...squats and lunges.
Group 3: upper body pulls....chin-ups, pullups, rows, etc.
Group 4: lower body hip/hamstring dominant...deadlifts and good mornings.

Day 1, group 1, day 2 group 2, and so on.

Then, on occasion I mix it up by doing farmer's walk with dumbbells up and down the stairs, or do a quick workout of alternating 5 chin-ups and 10 pushups every minute. In 10 minutes that adds up to 50 chin-ups and 100 pushups.

 

[ZenG]

I need to get back to working out more. I'm not in "bad shape" per say. (6'2" 200 pounds +/- and 34-34 pants size). But I want to harden up a little and build more stamina for running/swimming/kayaking type activities.

What do you guys do? Sure, an easy answer is "the same thing a 19 year old would do". But there can be considerations that us forty and fifty somethings (and older) have to be aware of.

I have a Total Gym, a 35 pound kettle bell, a mountain bike, various dumbells, jump rope, a pool that I'll probably open in the next few weeks, etc. I probably don't have the lifestyle that would allow me to "swing by the gym" for an hour several times a week. Mostly my workouts would be after my young kids go to bed....around 8:00.

Bounce some things off of me. Thanks!

You pretty well have everything there that you could use for a fitness program.

Things that will kill a fitness program:-

(1) Amount of time to do it. People get into these mega -programs where they have to take everything to the extreme. Long energy draining programs and they're in the gym 6 times a week because they (a) think that more is better and (b) no pain no gain. Both myths.

(2) If you work out to where you are always in pain (DOMS..Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) you will get tired of walking around like a recovering zombie eventually.

(3) You get fit to live. Not live to get fit.

(4) Do you need to be able to benchpress 300lbs and squat 450 for everyday life? Didn't think so. Me neither. But I (and obviously you) both want to be "in shape" and fit.
There was a time when I wanted to look like Arnold. But the older we get the harder it is to achieve.

I hoisted iron for years. Nowadays I'm into:-

(1) Firstoff, exercises that don't keep me tied up for over an hour at a time doing a session.
(2) More focus on heart health and cardio with some lifting thrown in.

I had a deluxe Total Gym for a time (the one that takes weights). Great machine and you can do a lot with it.
I have a set of those adjustable dumbells that go from 5 to 52.5 lbs each. Great for numerous exercises.
Still have bars and weights if I want to lift. But I often use the plates alone as exercise tools.
Have a stackplate "universal" type gym that goes to 210 lbs and can do multi exercises.
Various other ex devices such as chin bar etc etc. and eliptical.
Half of my basement is a gym.

I like to try and set up where I do exercises with no rest in between. Sort of a HIIT circuit. This gets the heart rate and metabolism up. If you wait to recover between exercises the metabolic effect isn't as good.

I am always looking to keep it simple but effective, short but sweet. Exercising maybe every other day or every third day. And not exercising to exhaustion or failure.
Exhaustion and failure exes are hard on the Central Nervous System if one doesn't plan the right "recovery" and nutrition.

Standing exercises are better than sitting exercises and isolation exes for fitness.

Compound exes are better than isolation exercises for fitness.

If you want to build stamina for running...then you need to run.

Ditto for swimming.

Hope I don't sound "preachy" or longwinded here. Just throwing in a few thoughts.

Cheers

 

[two fingers]

I'm 54. I keep it simple with basic compound movements that use multiple muscles at once. It's more efficient and also helps ensure that all muscles are trained. I basically break it down into 4 groups.

Group 1: upper body pushes...bench press, dumbbell press, pushups, etc.
Group 2: lower body quad dominant...squats and lunges.
Group 3: upper body pulls....chin-ups, pullups, rows, etc.
Group 4: lower body hip/hamstring dominant...deadlifts and good mornings.

Day 1, group 1, day 2 group 2, and so on.

Then, on occasion I mix it up by doing farmer's walk with dumbbells up and down the stairs, or do a quick workout of alternating 5 chin-ups and 10 pushups every minute. In 10 minutes that adds up to 50 chin-ups and 100 pushups.

"Good morning" is a verb?

What is that?

 

[two fingers]

You pretty well have everything there that you could use for a fitness program.

Things that will kill a fitness program:-

(1) Amount of time to do it. People get into these mega -programs where they have to take everything to the extreme. Long energy draining programs and they're in the gym 6 times a week because they (a) think that more is better and (b) no pain no gain. Both myths.

(2) If you work out to where you are always in pain (DOMS..Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) you will get tired of walking around like a recovering zombie eventually.

(3) You get fit to live. Not live to get fit.

(4) Do you need to be able to benchpress 300lbs and squat 450 for everyday life? Didn't think so. Me neither. But I (and obviously you) both want to be "in shape" and fit.
There was a time when I wanted to look like Arnold. But the older we get the harder it is to achieve.

I hoisted iron for years. Nowadays I'm into:-

(1) Firstoff, exercises that don't keep me tied up for over an hour at a time doing a session.
(2) More focus on heart health and cardio with some lifting thrown in.

I had a deluxe Total Gym for a time (the one that takes weights). Great machine and you can do a lot with it.
I have a set of those adjustable dumbells that go from 5 to 52.5 lbs each. Great for numerous exercises.
Still have bars and weights if I want to lift. But I often use the plates alone as exercise tools.
Have a stackplate "universal" type gym that goes to 210 lbs and can do multi exercises.
Various other ex devices such as chin bar etc etc. and eliptical.
Half of my basement is a gym.

I like to try and set up where I do exercises with no rest in between. Sort of a HIIT circuit. This gets the heart rate and metabolism up. If you wait to recover between exercises the metabolic effect isn't as good.

I am always looking to keep it simple but effective, short but sweet. Exercising maybe every other day or every third day. And not exercising to exhaustion or failure.
Exhaustion and failure exes are hard on the Central Nervous System if one doesn't plan the right "recovery" and nutrition.

Standing exercises are better than sitting exercises and isolation exes for fitness.

Compound exes are better than isolation exercises for fitness.

If you want to build stamina for running...then you need to run.

Ditto for swimming.

Hope I don't sound "preachy" or longwinded here. Just throwing in a few thoughts.

Cheers

No, not at all. Good stuff. In fact you reminded me that my neighbor has the "stack plate" machine in his (always unlocked) shop and told me I could use that whenever I wanted too.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[ZenG]

"Good morning" is a verb?

What is that?

A "good morning " is sort of a hybrid semi bent-over barbell exercise. Be careful with those if you decide to do them. You can screw your back up in nothing flat with the wrong technique.

Technique and proper form is everything in lifting iron especially deadlifts and squats.

You can do do it wrong for ages and then one day it all catches up with you. Then you're injured and out of service.

Good Morning:-

 

[S-Bigbottom]

I have a Total Gym, a 35 pound kettle bell, a mountain bike, various dumbells, jump rope,

Stop using the equipment you already have as a clothes hanger and use it.

In fact you reminded me that my neighbor has the "stack plate" machine in his (always unlocked) shop and told me I could use that whenever I wanted too.

Go over when he is also working out and do it together. If you are not self motivated having a partner will help challenge each other.

 

[DirtDog]

I've been a gym rat off and since high school in the '80s. I went on a two year splurge back in 2012 and 2013 and got strong but I would injure myself (in small ways almost constantly) so stopped doing heavy weights. Stopped everything actually for longer than I should have. 6'1" and 275 right now and used to be fit enough to race mountain bikes. Although I'm still pedalling on my mag trainer in the basement to be fit enough to ride recreationally, I was missing the gym. A buddy turned me on to this: www.darebee.com "open source fitness" - I'm currently doing the 30 Days of Gravity program. It's pretty challenging since it's based on body weight. It's working out well and I'm not injuring myself even though I'm trying to recover from an Achilles injury ( from doing something else).

Edit - 6'1" not 6'11"!!!

 

[ZenG]

I do pushups. But I only do maybe 15 or 20 and then throw a set of machine bench press on top of it. (2 sets of 5 reps).

Sets of 2 and sets of 5 are strength reps. Sets of 10 and sets of 12 are bodybuilding reps.

I see no point in being able to do scores of pushups. Like some people that brag "I can do 200 pushups yadda yadda". If you do that many , it isn't a strength exercise any more..it's just endurance. Doing that many pushups doesn't increase your push strength much exponentially. It just means you can do lots of that exercise at the same unchanging weight resistance.

 

[duff beer]

A "good morning " is sort of a hybrid semi bent-over barbell exercise. Be careful with those if you decide to do them. You can screw your back up in nothing flat with the wrong technique.

Technique and proper form is everything in lifting iron especially deadlifts and squats.

I agree. Technique is everything with lifting...I've never hurt myself lifting, and I think a lot of it has to do with ensuring that I use good form every time. It's not about lifting weight, it's about building muscle.

 

[ZenG]

I don't do all the exes in this video. But there's one at 4:56 that I do that is a very good overall ex and you don't need a ton of weight to do it.

I first saw this particular ex on a Randy Couture workout vid.

I do a variation where you start off with the dumbells down by the floor ( knees bended) and then lift to overhead, being careful to keep the elbows angled forward somewhat.
But it all comes up and down again in a straight lift-line from the floor. Keeping the dumbells close to the body.

This ex uses a lot of muscle simultaneously. Gets the ticker pumping.

 

[mpdd]

i'm gonna be 43 in 7 days

beer gut reduction program
70-80 pushups
160 stomach crunches
60-90 min. dog hiking
wear a 25 pound camera gear backpack when i go to photograph deer and birds

 

[sears]

More focus on heart health and cardio with some lifting thrown in.

This is what I do. Jog with my dog and then do some kettlebell 2 or 3 times a week.

I think that with the right exercise program you can improve your posture. Then rehearsals and gigs actually strengthen my core and become part of that virtuous cycle rather than something which kills your back.

 

[DirtDog]

I do pushups. But I only do maybe 15 or 20 and then throw a set of machine bench press on top of it. (2 sets of 5 reps).

Sets of 2 and sets of 5 are strength reps. Sets of 10 and sets of 12 are bodybuilding reps.

I see no point in being able to do scores of pushups. Like some people that brag "I can do 200 pushups yadda yadda". If you do that many , it isn't a strength exercise any more..it's just endurance. Doing that many pushups doesn't increase your push strength much exponentially. It just means you can do lots of that exercise at the same unchanging weight resistance.

Agreed - I was at the point where I was squatting and benching some big weights and reps - but to what end if I kept injuring myself? What kills me right now with the Achilles injury is that walking is painful! Cycling is no problem, though - it;s just the discipline to get myself on the bike (in the basement, still a couple of feet of snow on the ground here).

Hence the bodyweight isometric stuff I'm doing - plus a bit of yoga-like stuff. As in it's like yoga, but I'm horrible at it!

This is the program I'm on:

30 Days of Gravity

 

[two fingers]

Agreed - I was at the point where I was squatting and benching some big weights and reps - but to what end if I kept injuring myself? What kills me right now with the Achilles injury is that walking is painful! Cycling is no problem, though - it;s just the discipline to get myself on the bike (in the basement, still a couple of feet of snow on the ground here).

Hence the bodyweight isometric stuff I'm doing - plus a bit of yoga-like stuff. As in it's like yoga, but I'm horrible at it!

This is the program I'm on:

30 Days of Gravity

I will definitely check it out. Thanks.

 

[AngelCrusher]

I need to get back to working out more. I'm not in "bad shape" per say. (6'2" 200 pounds +/- and 34-34 pants size). But I want to harden up a little and build more stamina for running/swimming/kayaking type activities.

What do you guys do? Sure, an easy answer is "the same thing a 19 year old would do". But there can be considerations that us forty and fifty somethings (and older) have to be aware of.

I have a Total Gym, a 35 pound kettle bell, a mountain bike, various dumbells, jump rope, a pool that I'll probably open in the next few weeks, etc. I probably don't have the lifestyle that would allow me to "swing by the gym" for an hour several times a week. Mostly my workouts would be after my young kids go to bed....around 8:00.

Bounce some things off of me. Thanks!

I do crossfit with guys from 22-50 plus. It's not for everyone, but I read your list of gear and immediately thought - "I could do some amazing WOD's with that equipment". Here is an example, assuming you are in a garage and can do quick runs as well :

15 kettlebell swings
30 double unders or 90 singles
10 burpees
200 meter run

4 rounds for time - this is a 20 minute workout (for many in shape, it's roughly 12-15 minutes).

It will most likely be too much at first. But if you really want to get in shape, don't have a ton of time or gear, you can't beat this type of stuff. You can google all kinds of WODs that you can do (try hotel WODs for example).