If you're over 40, you probably have more “stuff” going on in your life than you did at 21, making it difficult to focus on eating right and training regularly. And the enthusiasm you once had for exercise—especially if you haven’t seen the results you were hoping for—may have waned, too.
You might feel that your body can’t handle the kind of punishment you used to dish out in your early twenties, and that it takes longer to recover than it used to. But none of this matters. With the right type of training, you can still build muscle and get strong well into your forties, fifties, and beyond University of Oklahoma researchers compared people of different ages who followed the exact same program for eight weeks. They found that guys between 35 and 50 years old built just as much muscle as those between 18 and 22 years old. The basic rules for building muscle as you age are mostly the same. Yes, the number of times you’ve travelled around the sun will affect the speed at which you make progress. But your age isn’t something you can change, so there’s no point worrying about it. You just need to train smart. People of different ages respond to training in much the same way. It’s only the size of your results and the speed at which you attain them that varies. So if you’re entering your forties, fifties, or even sixties and want to build muscle without injury, you can still make great gains by applying a few simple rules to your training program. Embrace the Light If you lift heavy all the time, you'll start to notice little aches and pains in your knees, wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Eventually, those minor niggles will get so bad that they'll interfere with your training. It will take weeks—maybe even months—before they clear up and you can train properly again. Luckily, the solution is very simple: If going heavy on certain exercises causes you pain, just go light instead. Despite what some people might say, you can and will build muscle using lighter weights and higher reps. In one study, high reps and light weights (3 sets of 30-40 reps) stimulated just as much muscle growth as heavy weights and lower reps (3 sets of 10-12 reps). Doing 3 sets of 10 repetitions to failure promotes similar gains in muscle size as 7 sets of 3 repetitions with a much heavier weight. Japanese researchers found that taking a light weight and lifting it slowly increased both muscle size and strength to a similar extent as heavy training at a normal lifting speed. So mix it up. Heavy weights, medium weights, and light weights can all can be used successfully to gain muscle. (Looking for a workout that uses light weights but builds strength, too? Check out this Insanely Tough 10-Pound Dumbbell Workout.) Keep Moving The standard approach to dealing with an injury is to rest. But with some injuries at least, you may be better off moving. Specifically, a form of resistance exercise known as eccentric training has been shown to work extremely well for the treatment of tendon pain in both the elbow and Achilles tendon. In some cases, it works better than surgery. There’s also some intriguing research to show that regular heavy strength training works just as well as eccentric training for the treatment of tendon pain. NOTE: If you’re injured, the first thing I’d suggest you do is get it checked out by a therapist rather than trying to sort it out yourself. And if what I’m telling you contradicts what they’re saying, take their advice and not mine. Stimulate, Don’t Annihilate It’s all too easy to tell yourself that the reason you’re not gaining muscle is because you’re not training hard enough. While lack of effort is certainly one reason why people fail to build a decent amount of muscle, it's not the only reason. There are plenty of people out there who train extremely hard yet make little or no progress despite all they're effort. Walking out of the gym feeling like you’ve just gone several rounds with Kimbo Slice might leave you thinking that your workout has been an effective one. But if it’s not part of a structured plan that moves you towards a specific goal then much of that effort will be wasted. If you keep on pushing your body to the limit in every workout, several things will happen. In the evening you will have that “wired but tired” feeling where you want to go to sleep but you can’t. You’ll find yourself staring at the ceiling wondering why you’re still awake at 2 a.m. You’ll wake up the next day with your heart pounding, just as tired as you were the night before. Trivial things that you never even noticed before will start to annoy you. You’ll feel anxious, moody, irritable. Worst of all, your results in the gym will dry up and you will gradually start to get weaker. You need to train hard enough to stimulate progress, but not so hard that it has a negative impact on the quality of your other workouts. Hard work is a tool used to stimulate a physiological improvement. It’s a means to an end, rather than the end itself. Blast and Cruise Your body isn’t a machine. It needs a rest now and again. Do this by including a “cruise” week (also known as a deload) for every 3 to 9 weeks of hard training. Three weeks of intense training followed by a light week is a fairly widely accepted practice, although it’s not based on any research evidence that I’m aware of. It’s not strictly necessary for everyone to deload after three weeks. But if I told you to deload “when you feel like it,” you probably wouldn't do it at all. And your body wasn’t designed to go “all out” for 52 weeks of the year without some kind of break. In general, the closer you are to your genetic potential (i.e. the upper limit of what you’re capable of in terms of size and strength), the more often you’ll need to deload. Those who are farther away from their genetic potential will be able to reload less frequently. Stretch What’s Tight Static stretching has been heavily criticized in recent years. That’s because it doesn’t do a lot of the things it’s supposed to. Most of the research out there shows that stretching has little effect on muscle soreness, and doesn’t appear to do much for injury prevention either. However, if you find that certain muscles feel a little “tight” (the hamstrings, hip flexors, quadriceps, and gluteals are the usual culprits), or there’s an “asymmetry” in flexibility (i.e. one leg feels substantially tighter than the other) then it’s worth experimenting with some static stretching to see if it makes you feel any better. If you want a simple prescription for flexibility, aim to stretch any “tight” muscles for a total of 60 seconds per day. Stretching for 60 seconds has been shown to improve flexibility more quickly than a 30-second or 15-second stretch in a group of subjects aged between 65 and 97, all with “tight” hamstring muscles. What’s more, participants who stretched for 60 seconds remained more flexible for longer than subjects in the other groups. Three Is Enough There is no correct training frequency that works for all people, all of the time. Nor are there rigid guidelines that determine exactly what your training routine should look like at any stage of life. You may be doing just fine on a program that involves lifting weights 4 to 5 times a week. If that's the case, keep doing it. However, from the studies I've read and my experience with clients, a program that involves lifting weights no more than three times a week is best for anyone in their forties. It allows for more recovery time, and keeps big, demanding exercises like the squat and the deadlift away from each other in your programming. Take Your Time Many in their late teens and early twenties will walk straight into the gym, do a few arm circles, and then jump straight into the heavy stuff. If you’re over 40, this approach will get you injured sooner or later. You have to make the time to warm up properly. The exact warmup that you do will depend on what your workout looks like. It will also vary from person to person, depending on the environment you’re training in, how strong you are, and so on. All of this helps to prepare the joints, the muscles, and the nervous system that controls those muscles for the heavy work to come. While a good warmup can reduce the risk of injury and improve your performance, it doesn’t need to last forever. Foam rolling, dynamic activation drills, and various “alignment” exercises can be useful at certain times and for certain individuals. Don't just copy what other people are doing—choose things that are actually helping your own body and workout. Pick Your Battles Some people have a bone structure that makes them better suited to certain exercises than others. You might not be built for deep squats with a heavy barbell across your shoulders, deadlifts from the floor, chinups from a straight bar, or bench pressing through a full range of motion. If you’ve got short arms and long legs, for example, it'll be a lot harder to deadlift from the floor without rounding your back compared to someone with long arms and short legs. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on the deadlift. Just do rack pulls instead, using a starting position that allows you to maintain normal spinal curvature. If your wrists hurt when you’re doing chinups from a straight bar, use a suspension trainer. This allows your wrists to move freely rather than being locked in the same position throughout the movement. There are some exercises that will hurt no matter what. If so, don’t be afraid to ditch that exercise and find a similar one that doesn’t. There is no single “must do” exercise that can’t be replaced with something else. Talk to us now to find out what are the exercises best suited for you and how to train to your optimum level even if you are in your 40s and above! Our personal trainers are here to help you improve your health and strength :) Credits: Christian Finn (UK-based trainer who analyzes fitness and nutrition research. This story originally appeared on his blog at Muscle Evo.)
0 Comments
When it comes to Pilates, most women either are die-hard enthusiasts or have never stepped foot in a Pilates studio. Are you in the latter group? Tons of research on the benefits of Pilates would suggest you switch camps. Here are some reasons why women should try Pilates.
It's Ah-Mazing for your Abs Pilates hits your core (or, in Pilates speak, your "powerhouse") unlike any other workout. In fact, after completing 36 weeks of Pilates training, women strengthened their rectus abdominis (the muscle responsible for six-packs) by an average of 21 percent, while eliminating muscle imbalances between the right and left sides of their cores, according to a Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study. Pilates can ease back pain A stronger core equals a better back, says Tracy Zindell, Flex Pilates Chicago founder and master instructor. That's why those with chronic lower back pain who practiced Pilates for just four weeks experienced more relief than those who visited a physician and other specialists, says a Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy study. What's more, their pain stayed away for a full year post-Pilates. Researchers believe that by stabilizing the core's lumbar-pelvic (lower-back) region, Pilates alleviates stress on the area and ups mobility. It is easy on your joints Pilates' slow and controlled movements puts minimal impact on your joints. Bonus if you're using the Pilates reformer: "The padding on a Pilates reformer is as thick as 10 yoga mats," says Zindell. "It takes the pressure off of your back and knees." Pilates hones your focus Pilates urges you to focus on 1) your breath, 2) your body, and 3) how they move together. It takes a lot of concentration, says Zindell. "You can't zone out." That means you're forced to forget about work, bills, boyfriends, and other drama for a full hour. Ahh. It Improves Sports Performance "When you start focusing on your core, you realize that all of your muscles are connected through your core. Try doing lunges without your abdominals. You'll crumble over," says Zindel, who has trained everyday athletes and professional ones including Chicago Bulls player Joakim Noah. "With a stronger core, you can run faster, your yoga is on point, and overall, the rest of your workouts improve," she says. Plus, by working in small groups or one-on-one with a Pilates instructor, you can learn moves that mimic and improve performance in your sport of choice. It makes you more flexible "I always hear people saying, 'I've never been flexible, I can't do Pilates.' But that's why they should be doing it," Zindell says. In one Brazilian study, when young women (without any prior Pilates experience) performed 20 Pilates sessions, they became 19.1 percent more flexible. When you're tight, you shorten your muscle and limit your body's range of motion, she says. At best, that can hurt your exercise performance. At worst, it can cause injury. It Boosts your Brainpower Joseph Pilates called his workout method "the thinking man's exercise." It could very well be. When Chinese researchers measured changes in women's brain activity after 10 weeks of Pilates training, they found an increase in the brain's alpha peak power, which is related to neural network activity, memory performance, and other cognitive functions. Researchers believe Pilates may even hold potential as a treatment option for people with brain-degenerative diseases and cognitive dysfunctions. Think no further, try out our affordable Private Pilates classes where you have the luxury of having 1-1 quality classes at your home! Source: https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/pilates/benefits-of-pilates/ How to stay fit despite a busy work schedule We know that most people have a very busy schedule in Singapore. We have one of the longest working hours in the world, and working so long is bound to give you health problems. We also know it is not easy to take time out to go to the gym or head for fitness classes, so we came up with 6 quick tips for you to stay relatively fit. Here are some 6 ways we know that you can keep fit even if you have with a busy office job: 1. Assess your current abilities and choose the right program You want to stay fit even with a busy workload. However, your goal has no meaning if you do not account for the starting point. Assess your current physical abilities and then plot your workout routine to fit your goals. Choose the correct type of class that offers you the time flexibility and focus on the type of lessons that meet your specific goals. This is so you get the most concentrated results without wasting too much time. 2. Focus on working out efficiently Choose a workout routine that you can do almost anywhere. It should be a form of exercise that does not require much in terms of preparation or equipment. Make sure when you start the exercise, you give yourself a time limit - say 1 hour - and you aim to put in all your energy into that 1 hour. It should be a workout routine that aims at accomplishing substantial physical gains in a short time. Some examples are high-intensity interval training or bodyweight exercises. 3. Make a schedule that you stick with
The most common excuse we hear for not working out that usually goes something like this: “I had too much to do today that I just couldn’t fit my 5 minute quick workout session.” That is just not cool. To stay fit with busy work you need a dedicated schedule that you stick to week in and week out. Working out is a long-term, high-rewards deal. You have to put in the work consistently for life, to reap the benefits. So, make a schedule and keep to it because you know that staying fit is a top priority for a healthy future. 4. Simple exercises to do at the desk If you are REALLY devoid of free time, what you can try are some simple exercises that you can near at or at your desk. • Stair master: Take the stairs. Avoid the elevators. • Wall sit: This is great for building strength and endurance. To do it stand with your back against the wall, bend your-knees and slide-your back down-the wall until you're sitting on midair. Try to get your thighs to be parallel to-the floor. Hold this position for 30 – 60 seconds, maybe while reading a magazine. To go up a level, cross your left ankle over your right knee for 15 seconds. Now switch. • Fist Pump: Did I hear someone say that you are getting a bonus this month? Fist pump into the air like the champion that you are!!! Seriously though, punch your fists toward the ceiling for 2 minutes. • Shoulder shrug: Raise your shoulders up towards your ears, hold for 5 seconds and relax. Do this 15 times or reps. Try the advanced method and hold heavy books or paper reams in each hand while you shoulder shrug. • Perfect your posture: Adjust your chair height. Make sure that your feet, arms and hips are at a 90 degree angle to the floor. This will engage the core of your body. Keep your back straight through the day. Do not slouch. Ever. 5. Have a good diet A healthy diet is essential to keeping fit. Exercise can only do so much to help you attain a healthy lifestyle. • Make sure to eat breakfast. • Stay off excess coffee. Too much coffee can have bad effects on your liver. • Drink more water. • Eat whole foods, and not junk food. • Limit how much alcohol you drink • Carry healthy snacks with you. Pieces of fruit and such are great energy boosters. • Don’t get stuffed when you eat. Don’t overeat. It slows your digestion down and tires you out. • Avoid eating late. This stresses your body. Your metabolism is slowed after 8pm. You don’t want to be overworking your already tired body when you should be resting. • Increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Eat 3 servings of fruit a day. 6. Work with a personal home fitness instructor And we’re here at our favorite piece of advice. It’s a sure fact that bringing a personal trainer into your life is a sound decision. Having a dedicated fitness trainer to back you up in achieving your fitness goals is a smart-workout strategy. We’ll support you in assessing your abilities and come up with a relevant workout plan. We also guide you through overcoming emotional & physical roadblocks, thus getting you the real results much faster than any of the above tips. You'll get all the motivation you need. Some useful tips to keep in mind are that you and your trainer are going to be spending a lot of time together, so you should try your utmost best to find someone who has the right skills and rapport with you. Also, you have to be ready to do your share of the work when it comes to actually working out. Stay committed. |
AuthorThis blog is maintained by Kim Archives
January 2020
Categories |