Training for the over 50s

[grahammarch1969]

I'm 54 and have had to change my training regime over the last few years from mostly cardio with some weights to mainly weights with some cardio. This is to help fight the natural muscle loss we experience as we age.
I'm looking for anyone who has an opinion on how you should train as you age - do you think I'm doing the right thing or do.you think I should be doing something different

Thanks

[joewattie]

I'm 54 and have had to change my training regime over the last few years from mostly cardio with some weights to mainly weights with some cardio. This is to help fight the natural muscle loss we experience as we age.
I'm looking for anyone who has an opinion on how you should train as you age - do you think I'm doing the right thing or do.you think I should be doing something different

My first thought is if it ain't broke don't "fix" it.

The "fix" for sarcopenia is "some" weight training. You were already doing cardio AND "some" weight training. If you were happy why change? Because you read an article? About what happens to old people who do "nothing"? (That wasn't you :-)

At the gym I go to there are more than a few fit old people. Some are mostly cardio who do some weight training and others are mostly weight trainers who do some cardio. They tend to do what they prefer, whatever keeps them coming back.

There are a couple of runners who switched to weight training because of injuries sustained from a lifetime of running. And there are a couple of lifters who switched to mostly cardio due to injuries sustained from a lifetime of lifting.

But mostly the old guys go with their passion or what best supports their passion, e.g., some of the pickle ball players feel cardio helps their game and some of the golfers feel weight training helps their swing.

Myself, I'm an old guy, 76. I started three years ago. I'm some cardio, mostly weights (old guy stationary weight machines), full body, three times a week. Ten minute cardio/warmup on stationary recumbent bike and then pull/push supersets on the machines for legs, upper back, chest, traps, shoulders, arms, abs and lower back.

[TimKridel]

I'm 53. I think you're doing the right thing. It's all about what works best for you.

I got serious about fitness when I was 44 and started lifting weights about an hour a day each day. My cardio was limited to walking an hour afterward, but about a year ago, I started jogging for 30 seconds between each set instead of resting and sipping. So now each workout gets me cardio and weights.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Good luck!

[grahammarch1969]

My first thought is if it ain't broke don't "fix" it.

The "fix" for sarcopenia is "some" weight training. You were already doing cardio AND "some" weight training. If you were happy why change? Because you read an article? About what happens to old people who do "nothing"? (That wasn't you :-)

At the gym I go to there are more than a few fit old people. Some are mostly cardio who do some weight training and others are mostly weight trainers who do some cardio. They tend to do what they prefer, whatever keeps them coming back.

There are a couple of runners who switched to weight training because of injuries sustained from a lifetime of running. And there are a couple of lifters who switched to mostly cardio due to injuries sustained from a lifetime of lifting.

But mostly the old guys go with their passion or what best supports their passion, e.g., some of the pickle ball players feel cardio helps their game and some of the golfers feel weight training helps their swing.

Myself, I'm an old guy, 76. I started three years ago. I'm some cardio, mostly weights (old guy stationary weight machines), full body, three times a week. Ten minute cardio/warmup on stationary recumbent bike and then pull/push supersets on the machines for legs, upper back, chest, traps, shoulders, arms, abs and lower back.

Great points , thanks.

[grahammarch1969]

I'm 53. I think you're doing the right thing. It's all about what works best for you.

I got serious about fitness when I was 44 and started lifting weights about an hour a day each day. My cardio was limited to walking an hour afterward, but about a year ago, I started jogging for 30 seconds between each set instead of resting and sipping. So now each workout gets me cardio and weights.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Good luck!

Thanks for this

[SuicideGripMe]

Post 50, I think it's important to maintain structural health, mobility, and injury prevention ability.

For most, 10-15 minutes of mobility work is great (doing things like getting off the floor with one hand behind your back and various "practical" moves).

For strength and muscular conditioning, I can't argue against a basic 3 day full body program focusing on one squat, one hinge, one press, one pull, and one core movement 2-3 times a week. This could be goblet squats, kettlebell swings, push ups, TRX rows, and kettlebell farmers walks or more barbell oriented like barbell squat, barbell RDL, bench press, row, and cable crunches. Sets and reps may vary but I'd say 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps are magic and never hit failure (keep 1-3 in the tank to maintain form and reduce injury risk).

Conditioning should be fun. If you enjoy sports, play. Badminton, softball, whatever. If you're an introvert, go for a 30 minute walk whenever you can. Listen to a podcast or audio book or just enjoy some music or the sounds of nature.

Now, you could also do bro-splits or whatever you want as well if you have the know-how and the ability to recognize issues as they arise.

[aspalmat]

I'm 54 and have had to change my training regime over the last few years from mostly cardio with some weights to mainly weights with some cardio. This is to help fight the natural muscle loss we experience as we age.
I'm looking for anyone who has an opinion on how you should train as you age - do you think I'm doing the right thing or do.you think I should be doing something different

Thanks

53 year old here. This is just my opinion. My thought is a mix of cardio exercise, strength training, and mobility/stretching is a solid workout regiment which should keep you healthy and strong for many years. In my opinion, as long as you are doing some of each, the exact frequency and mix comes down to what you like the most.

I lift, ride bikes, and stretch. I ride bikes ALOT during the spring, summer, and fall, to the tune of about 7,000 miles this year by years end. I keep the lifting going for the most part during the riding season, but, mainly do upper body, as it's hard to ride a bike 5 days a week, and recover from squats and deadlifts. Then, in the late fall, winter, and early spring, it's 3 days a week, full body lifting routine. The biking gets cut back to 2 to 3 days a week, and the intensity is reduced as well.

You just need to find a mix that works for you. All are beneficial.

[Thetoplesschef]

Post 50, I think it's important to maintain structural health, mobility, and injury prevention ability.

For most, 10-15 minutes of mobility work is great (doing things like getting off the floor with one hand behind your back and various "practical" moves).

For strength and muscular conditioning, I can't argue against a basic 3 day full body program focusing on one squat, one hinge, one press, one pull, and one core movement 2-3 times a week. This could be goblet squats, kettlebell swings, push ups, TRX rows, and kettlebell farmers walks or more barbell oriented like barbell squat, barbell RDL, bench press, row, and cable crunches. Sets and reps may vary but I'd say 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps are magic and never hit failure (keep 1-3 in the tank to maintain form and reduce injury risk).

Conditioning should be fun. If you enjoy sports, play. Badminton, softball, whatever. If you're an introvert, go for a 30 minute walk whenever you can. Listen to a podcast or audio book or just enjoy some music or the sounds of nature.

Now, you could also do bro-splits or whatever you want as well if you have the know-how and the ability to recognize issues as they arise.

I've read a lot of suicide grip's advice and I think he's spot on. I would add do HIIT of all things. A 5 min HIIT that pushes the heart rate to the max is really good for upping HGH, also for producing BDNF, brain derived neurotrophic factor. I'm not a neuroscientist, but that's what weight training does, and apparently HIIT, you can look it up.

On the diet front, for weight maintenance AND for HGH, anti cancer fighting go fast for longer than 72 hours once every two months. I did it once during my weight loss and was brutal. But I got my blood tested at 34 hrs and my HGH went above normal human levels. Apparently your HGH will go up 500% from baseline 48 hrs into a fast as the body releases HGH to hold on to muscle. In fact fasting instead of low Calorie cutting might be way more optimal way of retaining muscle as the high HGH reduces muscle loss. As for the anti-cancer, after 72 hours the AUTO****Y (google it, the research won the 2016 nobel prize for medicine) gets so big the body's immune system, the T-cells will recycle all bad cells including any hidden cancer cells in the body. I think that's invaluable for people over 50 and we all start running more and more cancer risk as we get older.

[pondman]

I see fitness as the ability to do work. If you want to walk up a mountain trail as you age, then keep the cardio going. Doesn't have to be bone jarring running. Ride a bike or elliptical. Keep the strength up with weigh training. Find a program you can stay with.

[latverian41]

If you look good and feel good there is your answer. Don't fix it if it ain't broken

[Tuksonrider]

Regardless of what you do, be consistent. So if you enjoy what you are doing to be active, then stick to it. If you aren't enjoying it, then switch it up to something you do enjoy.

Don't over think it.

I lift upper body twice a week, ride the others. Sometimes I ride then lift on the same day.

I ride a single-speed mountain bike, so that's my leg day.

[imyourguydavid]

Hey, sounds like you're making good adjustments to your workout as you age. Introducing more strength/resistance training is exactly the right call to combat muscle loss. One tip - make sure to engage in regular stretching too to keep joints mobile. As we get older recovery takes longer, so don't push too hard with weights on back-to-back days. Keep at it - strength training is so important for health as we get older. You're on the right track!