Gains Over 40 – My 5,000th Workout
BEEN TRAINING SINCE THE “IRON AGE”?
Q: I’ve been lifting for about 20 years now, and I often struggle with joint pain and flexibility issues. Winstrol for sale How can I modify my workouts to still benefit from them?
A: “Age is just a number”, some people will tell you. Anavar for Sale Yeah, tell that to your joints. After some 25 years of training hard and heavy in the gym myself – plates piled on top of one another in my daily battle against the iron – I often surprise people when they learn I’m 46.
Jim Stoppani, Ph.D., author of “Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength” (Human Kinetics, 2006), co-author of the New York Times Bestseller, “LL Cool J’s Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle” (Rodale, 2010), says your experience level and goals are the most critical factors of how you train. Deca Durabolin For Sale This is especially true for beginners, he adds, since there isn’t much difference in how beginners of different ages should train. But as you become more of an intermediate and advanced lifter, you should start thinking about age-appropriate training. If you’re an advanced older trainer, it’s time to consider other areas of focus.
MODIFY YOUR ROUTINE FOR ADDED BENEFITS
Because declining hormone levels, specifically testosterone and growth hormone, contribute to a 3%-5% reduction in muscle mass per decade after the age of 25, you likely won’t make dramatic changes in your physique regardless of how often you train, Stoppani says. You also won’t lose what you have as long as you hit each body part once a week. I suggest incorporating more endurance activities, such as cycling and running, to boost your cardiovascular health, something men in their 40s and older should be concerned about. And in terms of flexibility take on activities that increase your range of motion and flexibility, such as martial arts or yoga. Exercises such as the clean and jerk and the snatch will increase your range of motion, flexibility and balance, since they involve an exaggerated range of motion.
One factor you certainly don’t want to take for granted as you age is joint health. In fact, research shows that while heavy training can increase cartilage breakdown, light training can boost joint regeneration, meaning always going heavy is a recipe for sore joints. That’s why I recommend alternating heavy and very light workouts for a particular muscle group.