By Pete Ryan
There are many attributes a human needs to thrive, one of
the most time consuming to develop is strength, although strength is not the
first physical attribute to fade with age (that honour goes to power – strength
with speed), strength can begin to decline not too long after we reach our physical
peak (mid-20’s) if we do not work to maintain or build it. There are good
points, we can add to our strength at any age, but there are also bad points,
strength only develops slowly, with humans often taking decades of training to reach
their full potential. This can be bypassed somewhat using drugs, but for
virtually all drug-free trainees 10-20 years will be needed to reach their
maximum strength output. So technically an untrained person could start in
their 50’s and reach their peak strength in their 60-70’s!
However there is a darker side for those who do not strength
train. The body is not static, it has 2 states, anabolic (building) or catabolic (breaking down). Everyone
goes through these 2 states many times each day, but generally the body is
either growing, or shrinking overall. I am simplifying here as you can be
losing fat and holding as much muscle as possible, but here I am talking about
someone who stays about the same on a daily basis. If the muscles are worked
then they tend to breakdown during the intense activity and regrow a little larger and stronger, or they
are slowly removed as unnecessary if they are not used. As well as the aesthetic
of looking less muscular you have countless hormonal changes[i],
changes to bone density[ii] and
even gut biome[iii] that
all negatively affect your robustness, your feelings of wellbeing[iv],
your overall health outcomes and even your likelihood of death[v].
Let’s get down to the basics, the older you are, the more
important the need to begin some form of resistance training. The older you are, the longer it will take to
reach your peak strength and the lower that peak will be (assuming you started
after your hormonal peak around the mid-20’s). However, it is possible you will obtain more benefits by continuing exercise into old age, than you would achieve by just getting really
strong in your 20’s then stopping and relying on your previous strength levels
to maintain you as you age[vi].
So, now we can agree you need to increase your strength, the
question is how? I cannot answer that for you. For me I enjoy using weights and
so weights are the way I add to my physical and mental wellbeing. There are
people who prefer using their bodyweight, using machines or similar. It does not
really matter what you choose as long as you enjoy it. Sure, one way may be
better, but pick the one you enjoy and will continue with.
Ideals of strength and power differ between sexes, between
sizes of humans and how old that person is. A 100 year old deadlifting 50Kg is
probably a good lift (I do not know off-hand the records for the 100 year old
deadlift, or if there is one?), however for a healthy 80Kg 25 year old male,
50Kg is not very impressive (assuming there are no issues that limit the lift,
for some people it could be exceptional). So, although I cannot, nor would I,
offer the definitive exercise programme, what I can do is offer you a general
programme and allow you to change or even discard it in favour of one you
prefer.
Before starting do a proper warm-up, the older or less
active you are, then the more important a warm-up is ( https://veganbodybuilding.blogspot.com/2017/01/older-trainees-and-exercise-frequency.html ). My personal method is:
Foam rolling (you can check out
the myofascial release book here https://payhip.com/veganbodybuilding
)
Warm-up - I follow the idea of a
more intense warm-up than many. For some people my warm-up could be their first
workout if they are not conditioned. I will put together something about a
correct warm-up soon. I try to move in most planes of motion and go from the floor
to standing in a variety of ways.
Basic starter routine:
Mon
- Squat 3x10
- Overhead press 3x10
- Bent over dumbbell row 3x10 (each arm)
- Stir the pot on a stability ball 3x5 (each way)
Wed
- Split squat 3x8 (each leg)
- Press-up (push-up) 3x10
- Chin-up 3x10 (if you are not able to do many reps use ‘ladders’ to increase your volume https://veganbodybuilding.blogspot.com/2012/03/ladders-easy-way-to-increase-volume.html
- Standing calf raise 3x10
Fri
- Deadlift 3x10
- Shrug or high pull 3x10
- Bicep curl 3x10
- Tricep extensions 3x10
This is a beginner routine, if some are too easy or too hard
it is fine to progress or regress them to suit your current fitness levels and
of course if anything hurts drop it and replace with something else. If you
need any advice on changes, videos of the exercises etc, let me know in the
comments and of course always consult with your health care specialist before
starting any new fitness programme.
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