Strength training as we age

braumeister

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I'm sure we have all read (more times than we care to think about) that as we get older we have to work harder to maintain our strength.
I was no better than most people at this, but I decided early this year to take it seriously. So I started doing a bit of serious strength training 5 or 6 days a week. Nothing outrageous, just 10-15 minutes every morning. I think the key is simply to pick your exercises and work those muscles to the failure point. The results have honestly surprised me.
I had my annual physical a week or so ago, where they always use this fancy scale with handles to electrically measure your lean body mass and percent body fat.
The doc was really surprised at the big improvement over last year in my muscle mass and body fat percentage. Her comment was "People your age just don't do that. They gradually go down. So your results are really impressive."

Not trying to brag here, just pointing out that with less than six months of effort I've been able to make a really noticeable improvement. I also feel much stronger and better as a result. Hopefully, this could motivate others to work out more and get a similar effect.
 
I do a dumbbell workout 3 days a week. 8 exercises 3 sets. I only have the Bowflex adjustable dumbbells up to 52.5 lbs each. I started the 3 day a week schedule a month ago.

I read that you should lift to failure. I don’t. A couple things are holding me back. 1 - the 8 exercises are preventing me from concentrating on lifting heavy on all 8. 2 - my dumbbells max out at 52.5 lbs each.

So I’ve ordered a 60lb dumbbell to increase weight. (Only need 1 - 60 pounder for one arm rows and one arm incline press. I’ll order more heavier dumbbells as the need arises.

And I’ve decided to break up the workout in half. 4 push exercises one day 4 pulls the next. 3 days a week for each group for a total of 6 days a week. This should help me to lift to failure given that I’m only doing 4 exercises 12 total sets a day.
 
I know I need to do more. All my time and energy seem to be taken up by playing pickleball. My upper body strength has diminished since I switched my sports from volleyball to pickleball. I started adding some upper body strength training (bowflex) and ab exercises (ab roller). I could feel the difference just in a matter of a few few days which was a nice surprise, but I need to find time between pickleball sessiins and continue with strength training.

I heard recently that maintaining fast twitch muscle fibers is much harder ad we age than maintaining strength. Explosive exercises (sprints and agility training) may help some in that regard but I don't have a first-hand knowledge. I want my reaction time to not deteriorate as I get older, so that's kind of on my mind as well.
 
The week after I retired, I joined a local gym - 10-minute walk from my house. It's class-based (not CrossFit though), and I can take as many classes as I want. I go 4x a week, and the coach-led workouts are half strength and half cardio, different every time. We work on lifting very heavy weights, and once a quarter establish one-rep maxes.

I know I am much better off for doing this: during my last physical, my doctor was not worried at all about my weight (a few pounds overweight) and said everything looks great. And I feel great. Most of the people are much younger (35-45) which at first kind of freaked me out, but now I can lift as much as (some) of them. I plan on keeping this up for as long as I can. For me, the coach led workouts and community effect are exactly what I needed.
 
The doc was really surprised at the big improvement over last year in my muscle mass and body fat percentage. Her comment was "People your age just don't do that. They gradually go down. So your results are really impressive."
That is really impressive and I'm sure very motivating to hear -- well done! I have never been able to "get into" strength training -- I find it hard to get started and get bored with it. But I've resolved this year to improve balance, flexibility, and strength. I've started yoga and a stretching routine for the first two and really feel better for it, and the year is already half over so now it's time to get serious about building strength! Thanks for starting the thread. Do you care to share the routine you do during those 10-15 minutes most mornings? I can probably get motivated if I know it's only going to take 10-15 minutes!
 
Do you care to share the routine you do during those 10-15 minutes most mornings? I can probably get motivated if I know it's only going to take 10-15 minutes!
Nothing special, just ordinary exercises, mostly with flexible bands, a pair of dumbbells, and body weight stuff like pushups. A few points to keep in mind:

For each muscle group you want to work (e.g., biceps, triceps, etc.), do the exercise to failure. That means work it until you literally can't do another one. But even then, try to do one or two more, even if they are sloppy and partial. You want to utterly exhaust the muscles, because that's how you make it rebuild itself stronger than before. If using weights, you'll start out light and gradually keep increasing. If using bands, you'll progressively move to heavier ones.

Do your reps very slowly. Going fast is cheating and not nearly as effective for building muscle. I can't stress enough how important this is. It can be very tempting to zoom through a set to get it over with (and it's easier). Don't do that.

Don't go seven days a week. Especially as we get older, rest days are important. I take two of them every week.

Don't push yourself too much. If you follow these rules of thumb, one set is all you need. I alternate push days with pull days, which also helps.
 
After exercising for as long as I can remember, I came to know that I can't do it all anymore. At 70, and after some serious surgery, I have had to back off if I wanted to continue at all. I'm all about knowing that soreness is a "good" pain but not when it becomes chronic. It gets really complicated as you try to figure out what causes what...

At some point you need to understand that you're old. I'm there for the first time in my life. A surprise!

"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
 
I’ve been thinking about joining Planet Fitness. They are within a few miles from both our NC home and our FL condo.
I’m a huge fan of Planet Fitness. So long as you’re not looking for training or things like towel service, they have everything you need to stay in great shape.
 
100% agree. This guy from Ireland is heroic. Definitely my hero. Didn’t really start working out till he was 70. Eats a high protein diet. Works out every day.


And then of course there’s Mick Jagger! Another inspiration at 82. Works out three hours a day.

 
I never liked lifting weights or any thing like that. It just seemed boring, but then again I never had anyone to work out with.

Running always sucked, I'd get a pain in my side. What I am trying to do more is walking, and pushing it to where it might qualify as hiking. We have some good places to do that. Dirt roads and trails and hills right out my door. The issue lately is it is hard to motivate at 6 or 7 AM and after that it gets too hot. But, getting out to walk early beats reading the news online by miles. :poop:
 
Weight training has never been my thing. However, since I was recently told that I have borderline osteoporosis I have concentrated on my yoga with more weight bearing exercises and incorporating weights. I've also been more conscientious about my protein intake. It's what we have to do to keep going.

I saw the Rolling Stones last month in Denver. Watching them move almost made me tired.
 
DW and I do exercise every day of the week (~70 minutes daily), prior to our other activities, with weight training/resistance bands on 3 of the 7 days.

Our routine consist mostly of whole or spliced Gilad DVDs (6 of the 7 days). We never push ourselves to failure, although my set of 32 pushup on Saturday is twice as many as Gilad does on the DVD that day, so I feel good with my effort.
 
Hate to disappoint, but that's a losing proposition. You can maybe slow down the slowing down but you will still slow down. Just slower
True, you can't stay young forever.
 
I never liked lifting weights or any thing like that. It just seemed boring, but then again I never had anyone to work out with.

Running always sucked, I'd get a pain in my side. What I am trying to do more is walking, and pushing it to where it might qualify as hiking. We have some good places to do that. Dirt roads and trails and hills right out my door. The issue lately is it is hard to motivate at 6 or 7 AM and after that it gets too hot. But, getting out to walk early beats reading the news online by miles. :poop:
During hot weather try some mall walking. Many malls open their doors before the stores open for people looking to beat the heat and get in a little exercise.


Google mall walking near me to get an idea of whats available near you.
 
To maintain muscle mass, I go to the gym 2-3 times a week and always include at least 30 minutes of free/machine weights in my workout. On days I do not go to the gym, I always try to do roughly 10 minutes of a workout I found on a video that claimed "A 4 minute gym workout that replaces one hour in a gym". While I do not believe the claim, I believe the exercises - pushup, squats, lunges, mountain climbers, jumping jacks - will help with maintaining muscle mass. So far my annual physicals have reflected that. We will see how long that can go on :).
 
Nothing special, just ordinary exercises, mostly with flexible bands, a pair of dumbbells, and body weight stuff like pushups. A few points to keep in mind:

For each muscle group you want to work (e.g., biceps, triceps, etc.), do the exercise to failure. That means work it until you literally can't do another one. But even then, try to do one or two more, even if they are sloppy and partial. You want to utterly exhaust the muscles, because that's how you make it rebuild itself stronger than before. If using weights, you'll start out light and gradually keep increasing. If using bands, you'll progressively move to heavier ones.

Do your reps very slowly. Going fast is cheating and not nearly as effective for building muscle. I can't stress enough how important this is. It can be very tempting to zoom through a set to get it over with (and it's easier). Don't do that.

Don't go seven days a week. Especially as we get older, rest days are important. I take two of them every week.

Don't push yourself too much. If you follow these rules of thumb, one set is all you need. I alternate push days with pull days, which also helps.
Braumeister,

Thank you for starting this thread. I’ve always been a regular and consistent exerciser except when it comes to resistance training. I’ve never been able to stick with it for the long haul even though my tall, slender frame is in obvious need of more muscle mass. I have a basic set of dumbbells, a weight bench and a barbell w/a collection of plates. At 79 I have no aspirations of becoming a body builder but just hope to slow any muscular deterioration as best I can.

I also have a collection of tubular bands with handles - the type that you attach to a door knob or to the top of a closed door. I’m curious if that’s the type you use? Or do you use the flatter 3” or so wide bands that have nothing attached to them and which you can tie knots in? Do you focus more on bands or dumbbells?

My plan going forward is to do cardio on Day 1, resistance on Day 2 and an hour’s walk on Day 3. Rinse and repeat and then take the 7th day off. I know I can stick with the cardio and walking. Less certain about the resistance. Any motivational tips that worked for you would be most appreciated.
 
Awesome for you, keep it up! Been banging out the weights since I was 14. 60 now so go much lighter and feel it more. But I still do 30 minutes or so weights 5x a week plus cardio 3-4 days a week. Some boxing too which is great for balance and reflexes. Walk around 12-14k steps everyday too. I give myself a day off here and there because more recovery is needed now. Might not increase my life duration but quality when I am around should be good ( hopefully). Was just throwing the football 🏈 today too. Still throw nice from 20 yards in but definitely can’t hit many deep 18 yard outs at this point. Gotta work on my base and form. Shoulder feels great though, not real difference from 30 yrs ago
Definitely lost muscle mass even though I have been training 40 plus yrs. Gotta eat a better macros for diet ( less carbs. More protein. Cut sugar more)
 
Or do you use the flatter 3” or so wide bands that have nothing attached to them and which you can tie knots in?
Yes.
Do you focus more on bands or dumbbells?
Both.
Any motivational tips that worked for you would be most appreciated.
No, my motivation is simply to avoid the usual progressive loss of muscle tone, which leads inexorably to nastier problems.
I'm 78, so it was long past time for me to get with the program.
 
One thing I like about strength training is there is none of the HIIT nonsense, no getting your heart rate into target zones, no passing out sweating. You can quite literally go at your own pace. You can and should rest between sets. The bench press - you are lying down!

Progressive overload is the key, but even then, if some days it's not working, you can drop back down a little and go back the next time.

And you absolutely need days off for each muscle group. So if you do a whole body routine, just do it 3 days a week and you're golden. Then rest and eat and increase protein, and it works.
 
And you absolutely need days off for each muscle group. So if you do a whole body routine, just do it 3 days a week and you're golden. Then rest and eat and increase protein, and it works.

This is what I do. Since January. It works.

Do it at home without any other equipment than a bench to sit on while I rest and to do my pushups against.

Funny thing - after all this strength only training I can walk much faster up hill. They never told me this back in school...
 
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