Looking for a better body over 50

Hi,

I'm new here and probably should do a "search" before posting, but I'm just wondering if there are others out there like me who want to get their bodies in the shape that keeps up with one's spirit! Age truly is "just a number" as I see it if one is willing to work to turn back the clock.

I watch what I eat and stay slender at 5'4'' and 115 pounds...size 2-4...but now I feel "geriatic thin" and my 25 year old daughter says I look "breakable". I am not a stranger to the gym with the Nautilus type machines but want to get back into some serious body building to scupt the strong body that matches the strong attitude I still possess about life!

Having a little trouble gaining the "momentum" to get back to the gym and am wondering how best to maximize that gym time.

Would appreciate any comradrie and/or wisdom others might want to share.

GM,

I did get a chuckle or two out of the "looking for a [I][B]good body[/B][/I] over 50"

Well, I think the motivation has to come from you, but sometimes it helps if you have a partner.
I also find that the early morning is when you'll find an older crowd.

I'm really not sure how much lifting you've done in the past, so I'm guessing about the advice.

Now being over 50 myself, I can tell you a few things
[list][*]Connective tissue injury is probably the worst thing that can happen. It will delay your progress a lot so I'd make sure you avoid ballistic movements.[*]Machines are not bad, but if your really looking to increase overall muscle mass, you can do it best with Squats, Deadlifts and Bench press. The rest is icing.[*]Mix up the intensity [heavy with 3-5 reps] volume [just heavy enough to do 8-10 reps reliably] and the conditioning [15-20 reps]. Muscles need all of those training styles.[*] Even 50+ women can make some good strength gains. Mrs G has an SRM 9single rep max) squat of about 160 LBs at about 51 or 52 IIRC and one of our lifting buddies hit a 105 Bench press at a body weight of about 100 lbs. She's over 50.
[/list]
Good luck and tell us more.

[QUOTE=GoMama;441327091]Hi,

I'm new here and probably should do a "search" before posting, but I'm just wondering if there are others out there like me who want to get their bodies in the shape that keeps up with one's spirit! Age truly is "just a number" as I see it if one is willing to work to turn back the clock.

I watch what I eat and stay slender at 5'4'' and 115 pounds...size 2-4...but now I feel "geriatic thin" and my 25 year old daughter says I look "breakable". I am not a stranger to the gym with the Nautilus type machines but want to get back into some serious body building to scupt the strong body that matches the strong attitude I still possess about life!

Having a little trouble gaining the "momentum" to get back to the gym and am wondering how best to maximize that gym time.

Would appreciate any comradrie and/or wisdom others might want to share.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=GoMama;441327091]

Having a little trouble gaining the "momentum" to get back to the gym and am wondering how best to maximize that gym time.

[/QUOTE]


The short answer is to lift weights. At your height and weight, there's no need to spend any time on the cardio machines. I bet you'd do great simply by lifting weights 3x per week, focusing on compound movements. If you've never lifted before, it'd be a good idea to hire a trainer or find someone to show you what to do. Does your daughter lift weights? Maybe she can train with you a few times.

Definitely hit the weights!! You can transform the geriatric look into something 20 and 30 year olds will envy. I didn't start until 48 and it only gets better and better. Just pick a routine that fits your schedule and appeals to you, start light to get your form right, then start increasing the weights. Stay in a 8-12 rep scheme. Strive to keep lifting heavier weights. You'll also need to adjust your diet to get 1-1.5g of protein and 0.3 - 0.5g of good fats, both per pound of body weight per day.

Keep hanging out here, you'll get motivated and inspired.

Also check out the over 35 section. Theres some great posts there

[QUOTE=GoMama;441327091]Hi,

I'm new here and probably should do a "search" before posting, but I'm just wondering if there are others out there like me who want to get their bodies in the shape that keeps up with one's spirit! Age truly is "just a number" as I see it if one is willing to work to turn back the clock.

I watch what I eat and stay slender at 5'4'' and 115 pounds...size 2-4...but now I feel "geriatic thin" and my 25 year old daughter says I look "breakable". I am not a stranger to the gym with the Nautilus type machines but want to get back into some serious body building to scupt the strong body that matches the strong attitude I still possess about life!

Having a little trouble gaining the "momentum" to get back to the gym and am wondering how best to maximize that gym time.

Would appreciate any comradrie and/or wisdom others might want to share.[/QUOTE]
I agree with many of the comments above.

To add my few cents....
- You don't NEED to be in the gym every day... Most of the time I get better results training those in older categories with only two (possibly three) sessions a week. And for those 2-3 sessions, do GOOD quality weights sessions.... And although you are a newbie, and may need reps of 8-12 for now, as you gain strength and confidence you should drop your reps and up your weights to focus on 3-8 rep range...

- Focus on BIG compound movements. Deadlifts, squats, leg press, pull downs, push ups, bench press, overhead DB shoulder press, rows, RDLs, BB curls...

- Limit cardio - as it stands your ability to build lean mass is going to be limited... And excess cardio will simply make it worse... You are better off being active in daily life than wasting your time in the gym on the treadmill!

- Get your diet on track... Although you will be needing LESS food than someone younger than you, it doesn't mean you shouldn't eat... You should also focus on nutrient dense foods... Your body needs it and is less efficient in utilising things. So lean proteins (meats, fish), eggs, dairy, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, fruit, starchy vege, whole grains... << you may find you are less insulin sensitive than someone younger than you.... so focusing on more proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats is better than chowing down on the grains.

- Get yourself a few basic supplements. Fish oils, Calcium/ Vit D/ Mg, Multi V, Glucosamine (for your joints).... Things like ALA, and CoQ10 would also be a good addition.


I currently have a 60 yr old female client who trains HEAVY two times a week (she can pull some hefty weight too - favourite exercise is deadlifts, and we do reps of 3-5). She eats well (still enjoys her wine and other indulgences without it impacting her body negatively at all) and doesn't do much cardio at all - and she is in better shape than more than half of my young'ns! In fact - She often gets asked if she is 45....
^
It CAN be done.... And don't let anyone convince you otherwise. :)

[QUOTE=Emma-Leigh;441537391]- Get yourself a few basic supplements. Fish oils, Calcium/ Vit D/ Mg, Multi V, Glucosamine (for your joints).... Things like ALA, and CoQ10 would also be a good addition.[/QUOTE]

Hey Emma-Leigh, can you point me in the right direction to reading about coQ10 and ALA? Thanks for your insight!

Weight training can definitely help you. There are a few ladies at my gym that look absolutely fantastic. What they do different is while all the other ladies are doing cardio and taking spinning classes ect. They are in the weight room training better than most of the guys. Do some research and get some instruction on the basic exercises and give it a go.

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't know where the last 6 months have gone and I'd "lost" this site and had no time to go searching for it. Found it today though and was appreciative of the responses.

I do believe I have the potential to build that "better body" but it's so hard to know how to go about it. It's easy to pull on one's shoes and go for a walk, run, or bike ride, but the gym is kind of a daunting place to be...especially the free weights area. It sounds like most here believe that the free weights are the way to go though...more than the machines. I've been just going to our local YMCA but maybe to get started I need to check out a "gym" as opposed to just a health club. Like anything, it's just the getting started that is often the roadblock to a new endeavor.

I hope to get a better sense of how these discussion communites operate so I can avail myself of some help/support. It's hard to be a newbie!

Thanks again!