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Hi everyone. Does anyone have any good ideas for weight bearing, training exercise for me. I'm 59, I power walk 2 miles a day using 3 lb. weights in each hand. I would like to do 3 days of power walking and 2 days per week of weight training. Any suggestions are very much appreciated. PS this is a great board.
In Reply to: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by georgia on May 06, 2003 at 19:54:33:
The principles for weight training are the same, no matter what age. The only difference is that many older people are out of shape, thus they start with lighter weights than an 18 year old kid.
Regardless, the universal principle of weight training is progressive resistance and consistent work. You must add resistance over time. You must "show up" and do the work. Start with whatever resistance you are comfortable with and add weight every so often; once a week or once a month, it's up to you.
If you are out of shape and weak, I would recommend starting with light weight, medium repetitions (2 or 3 sets of 10 reps) and frequent workouts (4-5 workouts per week). Do this for one or two months, then increase the weight, decrease the workouts to 3 per week, cut back on the reps to 5-6 per set. Do this for two or three months, then add more weight, cut the workouts to 2-3 per week, but the reps back to 5 reps. This will get you used to lifting weights and prepare you for heavier weights to come.
For exercises, pick one 'big' leg exercise (squats or lunges or deadlift or weighted step-ups), one pressing exercise (pushups or overhead presses), one pulling exercise (dumbell rows, for example) and your choice of abdominal exercise.
You are going to need something quite a bit heavier and more scalable than 3 pound dumbells, even at age 55. The age 55+ weight-training women I know who have been well-trained are squatting anywhere from 70-100+ pounds. My 45 year-old girlfriend is squatting 110 at a bodyweight of 116. She has put 80 pounds over her head easily. That doesn't mean you'll ever get there, but clearly 3 pound dumbells won't get you far.
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by Lincoln on May 06, 2003 at 22:24:04:
Lincoln, Why such heavy weights? When a older person ( over 55 )weight trains we are looking to tone rather than build..I have been told to use light weights with lots ( 20 ) of reps..Your thoughts..Steve
In Reply to: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by georgia on May 06, 2003 at 19:54:33:
Thanks, Georgia.
Listen to LIncoln except I agree with Steve about the weights.
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by Steve on May 07, 2003 at 07:51:43:
First off, there is no such thing as "tone". It can't be quantified by any measurement or physiological change. Muscles get bigger, muscles get stronger. This we can measure. Muscles do not get "toned". "Toned" is an urban legend that refuses to die. People can look "toned", but that is a subjective ideal, much like being "pretty" or "handsome", that has no basis in physiology.
Secondly, "heavy" is relative.
Third, most advice given out these days for fitness goals are actually comes from bodybuilding and is better suited to bodybuilding. Higher reps are actually better suited for hypertrophy, lower reps (and therefore heavier weights) are better suited for strength.
Fourth, the recommendation of "use light weights" is from doctors and trainers who are afraid to ask their clients to work hard. Doctors because of "do no harm", because they have no real training in exercise and because they are terrified of lawsuits. Trainers because they worry that most of their clients would be turned off by learning the truth: work out = results in.
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by Walt Stoll on May 07, 2003 at 12:19:18:
"except I agree with Steve about the weights."
Specifically what about the weights? That 3 lb. weights won't get the job done? That I think that it's fine to start light, but that one MUST attempt to make progress, attempt to get stronger?
Walt, you've treated a lot of illnesses. That's great. You've probably cured countless people of dreadful diseases and ailments. Have you ever strength trained anyone, sat in the gym with them and over a period time doubled their strength levels? (Assuming they weren't dreadfully out of shape to begin with.) Do you have any significant qualifications, experience, education or successes as a strength trainer?
For example, I'm a certified U.S.A.W. club coach. I've read dozens of books on strength training, countless articles. I train under one of the top strength coaches in the nation. My girlfriend started training under my supervision a couple of years ago. She could overhead press only about 15 pounds and had never squatted anything heavier than her own body. Now she can overhead press about 40 pounds, squat 110, clean & jerk 80. On a lark she entered in and won her age/weight class in the latest U.S.A.Weightlifting National Masters Championship, her second contest ever, setting 9 national masters records along the way. She has lost about 9 pounds along the way and increased her flexibility. Anything like that?
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by Lincoln on May 07, 2003 at 14:29:13:
Lincoln, You assume everyone wants to compete on a national level..Most of us want want our workouts to be fun and keep us as healthly as possible..I'm not trying to win any contests, just stay alive and have the best health possible..I'm not looking to double my strength, just keep the strength I had at 20 as long as I can..Steve
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by Steve on May 07, 2003 at 15:53:01:
Steve, I'm just using competition as a concrete a example. Of course not everyone wants to compete. Look, I've got DOUBLE the strength at age 44 that I had a 20. Should I have settled for less? If so, why? It seems to me most people are settling for less than the results they need and deserve.
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by Lincoln on May 07, 2003 at 16:11:41:
Lincoln, You are so right..I travel on business a lot and get time at airports to people whatch..You can tell most do nothing to take care of themselfs..I am often asked why I always feel good and when I tell them, they never make any changes..I'm sure you see the same thing..Steve
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by Steve on May 07, 2003 at 15:53:01:
Even if you want to just keep the strength you have, using progressively heavier weights would be more beneficial in terms of health and more economical in terms of time (because you do less reps when training with heavier weights). In other words, training for strength is more efficient. Also, training with heavier weights makes your bones become denser, which is healthier too.
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 posted by Steve on May 07, 2003 at 15:53:01:
You are right on , Steve.
Lincoln has a lot more knowledge about exercise than any of us but he has this fixation on "one size fits all" that excludes a large % of people who need exercise variations.
I can see this clearly because I had the same fixation when I saw how much good Aerobics did for me and had a hard time accepting that other forms of exercise had other benefits that might be more beneficial to people with different goals. Breaking that fixation (I an ashamed to say.) took me at least 5 years.
Lincoln is so knowledgeable I have faith that he will eventually be able to expand his expertise to include the rest of the human species. He is limiting himself as we all seem to do.
Namaste`
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 (Archive in exercise.) posted by Walt Stoll on May 08, 2003 at 07:33:51:
Walt, Thanks for the kind words..I felt the same way you did..I played racquetball for 23 years thinking it was the only way to stay in shape..Hopefully as we get older we get wiser..I have picked up some good tips from Lincoln and others on this board..That's why God gave us 2 ears and only 1 mouth..Steve
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 (Archive in exercise.) posted by Walt Stoll on May 08, 2003 at 07:33:51:
Walt, the original query was about weight training. This is what that person wanted to do. Given that this is the internet, it's a little difficult to set up an entire program with someone you've never met. I'm not going to sit here and write a whole book about training for someone who is probably not going to respond anyway. But if you like, I could discuss the other activities I've done - cross-country running, swimming, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, table tennis, biking, softball, indoor climbing, hiking, football, kayaking, rowing, and more. It just so happens that weight training has given me the most benefit out of ALL those activities I've done. The potential benefit for EVERYONE is HUGE, except when they get advice from people don't know squat. I'm mean that both literally and figuratively. Especially doctors.
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 (Archive in exercise.) posted by Lincoln on May 08, 2003 at 11:29:56:
Thanks, Lincoln.
I do not doubt anything you have said here.
I think you will find, though, that few people will do what you have learned does the most good. I do not think that they should be discouraged about starting smaller.
I have the same problem with recommending the PWFD. I know tht anyone who will try it will get positive results in a short time but they will likely expect those results even though they are not doing the PWFD but only the WFD.
Namaste`
Walt
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 (Archive in exercise.) posted by Walt Stoll on May 09, 2003 at 08:26:16:
I very much appreciate all the responses to my post. I do power walk 2 miles each day with a home video (Leslie Sansone) and I carry 6 lbs. of weight as I walk. I also have started weight training exercises which I will do at least 2x a week, maybe 3,( a book called Bone Building Body Shaping Workout, by Joyce L. Vedral, PH.D.) So I'm definitely trying. Thanks again everyone!
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 (Archive in exercise.) posted by Walt Stoll on May 09, 2003 at 08:26:16:
"I do not think that they should be discouraged about starting smaller."
Neither do I. The problem is the start with light, unchallenging weights and stay there. Then they wonder why they don't get results.
The Olympic lifters I work with start with a 4-ounce PVC pipe and work up from there.
In Reply to: Re: Weight training exercise for over 55 (Archive in exercise.) posted by Lincoln on May 09, 2003 at 10:33:11:
Thanks, Lincoln.
Cannot disagree with that either. I have learsned that, so long as they are warned about this tendency in the beginning, they have to make that decision.
I can remember, while I was practicing, insisting that every session be taped so the patient at least had a record of such warnings.
Walt
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