Barbells

I was a skinny kid when I first saw a barbell. I think it was in the late 1940s or early 1950s and I wanted to gain weight and put on muscle. So I started reading Iron Man and Strength & Health magazines, bought some weights and began lifting. I remember how proud I was when I could press overhead 100 pounds, and none of friends could do it.

Later, I found other friends with the same ambitions and they became workout buddies. We’d go on a basic bodybuilding program, stick with it a month, pumping iron like crazy, then change the routine and go for another month. Diet? We would eat anything put in front of us, with an emphasis, of course, on protein and more protein. It worked. We all got bigger and stronger.

Of course, that was then. Maybe you were once a skinny teenager too, and you know the familiar story. But this is now, and your goals and mine are likely very different than were as young trainees. As seniors, ravenous eating, and pounding away, doing the same routines, workout-after-workout, is probably a bad idea. Unless you’re still really skinny, portion control eating is a must.

These days, I prefer the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) dietary and workout methods.

For example, sticking to that same old workout routine, month-after-month, isn’t such a good idea. For one thing, even the most dedicated exerciser will get tired of doing the same exercises endlessly. When you’re young and going full-bore the same basic movements may be just fine. It produces bigger, stronger bodies. But mixing things up usually works better as we get older. And it’s easier on aging joints — which is very important — and also defeats boredom. Just be sure that any program you come up with includes some resistance work, cardio, and stretching.

If you’ve been doing the same routine over and over again, month after month, now may be a good time to reevaluate your workouts. Here’s a sample workout mix that I used to follow:

• Monday, full-body resistance bands routine.
• Tuesday, brisk walking.
• Wednesday, bodyweight circuit
• Thursday, no workout.
• Friday, lap swimming or other pool workout.
• Saturday, full-body resistance bands routine.
• Sunday, no workout.

(Note: Today, I’ve replaced Friday lap swimming. Now I walk my dog for 30 to 40 minutes daily.)

That’s just a sample, providing some idea of how you might break things up. Put together a mixture of your own and see if you enjoy the variety. I think you will.

My own workouts today are brief. They’re fun, they’re balanced, and because I use resistance bands almost exclusively my chance of overuse injury is practically nonexistent. That’s a huge plus.

Important Postscript: Younger seniors who are total beginners should first begin here.

Stay healthy. Stay fit.

Logan

Senior Exercise Central.

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Sincerely,

Logan Franklin
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter
www.senior-exercise-central.com