Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Belmar Chase 2015
The Belmar Chase 5-K is a relatively new addition to New Jersey's circuit of "major" races, but it's third edition on August 22nd certainly drew a large (over 1,100) and competitive field of runners. The winner, Travis Mahoney of Old Bridge, clocked a phenomenal 14:35, and there were nine runners under 16 minutes on the flat, fast course that started and finished along Belmar's famed oceanfront.
It's the New Jersey USATF Master's Championship Race also, so there was a large showing from all of the state's top 40-plus runners, competing for the Shore A.C, Garden State Track Club, Raritan Valley Road Runners, and others. Elliot Frieder of Montville, 44, was the first Master's Finisher in 16:16, good for 14th overall! Oh, and the women's field? How about a winning time of 16:14.4 (12th overall), from 25-year old Ashleigh Higginson from Clinton!
"The Chase" has a big-race feel, and the majority of the runners wore a singlet from one club or another. If you've been training pretty consistently through the Spring and Summer and want to shoot for a a good 5-k time, it's the perfect race to do it, because you will be surrounded by runners of equal pace every step through!
As for my own race, I finished in 20:52, a 6:44 average and just below my 21 minute "over/under,"
I had in my mind for that day. I competed with the Shore A.C. 50-59 contingent, and was happy to see they won that age-division in the team competition. Further, at 56, my age-graded time was 17:36, which I would have been happy with in my peak running years, decades ago!
Splits are displayed on large clocks on every mile (I was 6:31 at one and 13:20 at two), and water is available at two spots along the way. The last 3/4 of a mile is straight down Ocean Avenue, and you can see the large Saucony display at the finish from that far away. I always feel that helps through those painful last yards. My heart rate was 170 at the finish (a shade over my theoretical "max" of 164), so I knew I gave it a decent effort.
There was a post-race party for the runners at a Mexican restaurant nearby, and I thought the race organization was top-notch. If you haven't run it yet, put the Belmar Chase on your New Jersey racing "to-do" list!
Friday, August 21, 2015
Movement is the Key!
We all know people who you'd describe as "hyper," or "jittery." While that is usually associated with high stress, those who are constantly moving, even aimlessly, are doing their bodies a great service!
The Washington Post syndicate recently published an article that cited a comprehensive study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It recommended that people with desk jobs aim initially for two hours of standing or light walking a day, building that number up to four hours a day!
While that may seem unrealistic, they don't mean exercise, per se, just standing for five or more minutes at a time, or two minutes of moving, like up a couple flights of stairs, or a walk to the other side of your office building. Also, this total of two to four hours of light movement is presumed to be over a 16-hour day. Taking out the garbage, unloading dishes, walking the dog, going from the car to your office - this all counts towards your four hours!
Recommendations were not to sit for more than half and hour at a time, even if you put a timer by your desk to remind you. Obviously, take the stairs over the elevator whenever possible, park your car in the furthest part of the parking lot, or walk to a nearby lunch spot. Sometimes, just getting up from the computer and walking around or grabbing a cup of water clears your head, too.
The key hear is blood circulation, and standing to improve your posture, if you're slumped over a desk all day long. The experts in the study certainly recommend a daily bout of exercise (30-minutes to one hour) to get the heart rate up, but don't discount these small doses of "good medicine" for you.
Maybe those people who never seem to sit still have the right idea!
The Washington Post syndicate recently published an article that cited a comprehensive study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It recommended that people with desk jobs aim initially for two hours of standing or light walking a day, building that number up to four hours a day!
While that may seem unrealistic, they don't mean exercise, per se, just standing for five or more minutes at a time, or two minutes of moving, like up a couple flights of stairs, or a walk to the other side of your office building. Also, this total of two to four hours of light movement is presumed to be over a 16-hour day. Taking out the garbage, unloading dishes, walking the dog, going from the car to your office - this all counts towards your four hours!
Recommendations were not to sit for more than half and hour at a time, even if you put a timer by your desk to remind you. Obviously, take the stairs over the elevator whenever possible, park your car in the furthest part of the parking lot, or walk to a nearby lunch spot. Sometimes, just getting up from the computer and walking around or grabbing a cup of water clears your head, too.
The key hear is blood circulation, and standing to improve your posture, if you're slumped over a desk all day long. The experts in the study certainly recommend a daily bout of exercise (30-minutes to one hour) to get the heart rate up, but don't discount these small doses of "good medicine" for you.
Maybe those people who never seem to sit still have the right idea!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Build Up Your Swim
Every summer, I have a familiar weekend routine: go to the (unheated) pool in our development, bake in the sun for an hour to build up insulation, plunge in, and trudge out a mile.
In my 20's, I used to do mid-length triathlons, and my average training mile took about 30 minutes. This year, at age 56, my time has ballooned into the low 40's for the 64 length swim.
In one respect, I can't believe how much I've slowed! Looking at from another angle, I'm surprised at how easy it still is for me to swim a mile. I feel, if it weren't for hypothermia or the need to go to the bathroom, I could do two or three miles without a problem.
My form isn't great, but a college friend of mine, a former ocean lifeguard, did give me tips with the breathing. One long stroke, turn head to the right side, take oxygen in and out, return head to water. Keep the body straight, and try to elongate each stroke. Legs supply more power than arms.
The first 10 laps are the hardest, particularly if I lifted earlier that day. The shoulders are really tight, and by lap eight, your upper body is shot. Everything loosens up as you go along, however, and from lap 20 on, it's really not bad.
Like in a road race, I shorten everything up: every 10 laps is a mini-milestone. Lap 32 is halfway, downhill after that. Pick it up at 40 laps, and a little more at 50. Give everything you have at lap 60, just four to go! Deep breath at the end! No endorphins are released while I'm swimming, but I feel good for the accomplishment after.
Newcomers to swimming workouts should get instruction from a coach or experienced swimmer. Form is crucial in swimming, even more so than running. Don't violently thrash at the water, you're just wasting energy and losing efficiency. Good swimmers barely make a splash with each stroke, and just seem to glide along.
While I focus on the mile in my sporadic swim workouts, you can mix in 50-, 100-, or 200-meter intervals. Similar to running, you can rest on a 1:1 scale to how long the interval took, or shorten that up, if you haven't been going all out. Your lungs get a great workout, and the lactic acid can build up in the upper body, especially on those 50-meter (two length) sprints.
It's a good idea to mix in other strokes, too, to emphasize different body parts and add variety. If a mile freestyle swim seems daunting, go 10 laps and then throw in a breast or side-stroke for two, before returning to the more physically challenging freestyle. Or, freestyle down one way, and throw in another stroke on the return before resting for 30-seconds to a minute. Just like in a running, there are hundreds of ways to mix it with interval training!
While swimming has never been my main exercise choice, it's a good, non-impact alternative to running. It's helped me through injury, provided variety when I've burnt out by running, and is a good total body workout.
One note: when I'm done running, I'm usually not hungry for about an hour, at least. Swimming, perhaps because of the calories burnt keeping my body heated in the cold water, leaves me famished! I can't stop eating afterward. See if you have the same reaction, and good luck in the pool!
In my 20's, I used to do mid-length triathlons, and my average training mile took about 30 minutes. This year, at age 56, my time has ballooned into the low 40's for the 64 length swim.
In one respect, I can't believe how much I've slowed! Looking at from another angle, I'm surprised at how easy it still is for me to swim a mile. I feel, if it weren't for hypothermia or the need to go to the bathroom, I could do two or three miles without a problem.
My form isn't great, but a college friend of mine, a former ocean lifeguard, did give me tips with the breathing. One long stroke, turn head to the right side, take oxygen in and out, return head to water. Keep the body straight, and try to elongate each stroke. Legs supply more power than arms.
The first 10 laps are the hardest, particularly if I lifted earlier that day. The shoulders are really tight, and by lap eight, your upper body is shot. Everything loosens up as you go along, however, and from lap 20 on, it's really not bad.
Like in a road race, I shorten everything up: every 10 laps is a mini-milestone. Lap 32 is halfway, downhill after that. Pick it up at 40 laps, and a little more at 50. Give everything you have at lap 60, just four to go! Deep breath at the end! No endorphins are released while I'm swimming, but I feel good for the accomplishment after.
Newcomers to swimming workouts should get instruction from a coach or experienced swimmer. Form is crucial in swimming, even more so than running. Don't violently thrash at the water, you're just wasting energy and losing efficiency. Good swimmers barely make a splash with each stroke, and just seem to glide along.
While I focus on the mile in my sporadic swim workouts, you can mix in 50-, 100-, or 200-meter intervals. Similar to running, you can rest on a 1:1 scale to how long the interval took, or shorten that up, if you haven't been going all out. Your lungs get a great workout, and the lactic acid can build up in the upper body, especially on those 50-meter (two length) sprints.
It's a good idea to mix in other strokes, too, to emphasize different body parts and add variety. If a mile freestyle swim seems daunting, go 10 laps and then throw in a breast or side-stroke for two, before returning to the more physically challenging freestyle. Or, freestyle down one way, and throw in another stroke on the return before resting for 30-seconds to a minute. Just like in a running, there are hundreds of ways to mix it with interval training!
While swimming has never been my main exercise choice, it's a good, non-impact alternative to running. It's helped me through injury, provided variety when I've burnt out by running, and is a good total body workout.
One note: when I'm done running, I'm usually not hungry for about an hour, at least. Swimming, perhaps because of the calories burnt keeping my body heated in the cold water, leaves me famished! I can't stop eating afterward. See if you have the same reaction, and good luck in the pool!
Monday, August 17, 2015
Commute to Fitness!
I took my son to a Met game last Wednesday, via train. We drove to the Millburn Train Station, walked about a 1/4 mile to the platform, and ascended about 50 stairs, two at a time. More hurried striding through Penn Station to the Long Island Railroad connection, which we made with seven minutes to spare. At Citi Field, about a half-mile from the LIRR station to the stadium, and then a long climb (all, our choice, by stairs) up to section 538, next to the Diamond Vision screen. Repeated, in reverse, on our way home. Not a killer workout, but a lot of steps and movement, for sure!
Ironically, that day I saw an article by Rachel Bachman in the Wall Street Journal entitled "A Hidden Perk of Commuting." It cited a recent study of 4,000 people in England that showed that people who had switched from driving to other sources of getting to work lost more than two pounds in two years, not insignificant for adults.
Another American study of 12,000 urban residents in the U.S. who biked or walked to work showed a marked difference in body mass index. The key in weight loss via commuting is that people are more likely to keep the pounds off, just because of that necessary evil of having to go to work each day. Everyone knows, the battle isn't taking it off, it's keeping it off!
The problem is, for most people, ditching the car is inconvenient, and takes longer. The article references a 2009 analysis of U.S. Census Data that showed that the average trip time for metro area workers commuting to work by car was 24.2 minutes. By public transportation, the time doubled to 48 minutes. Further, in many suburban or rural areas, there are little to no mass transit options. The only other way to get there is by foot or bicycle, which is unrealistic for most people, either because of the length of the trip, or danger riding or walking along highways.
The good news is many smaller but growing cities are setting up light rail systems, or starting civic health campaigns to encourage people to find alternative ways to work. Most tout the environmental and stress benefits (yes, I've clenched my teeth and cursed through many a traffic jam), but are starting to quote these stats about the fitness benefits, too!
If nothing else, try the train or bus when making trips to New York, and maybe take the bike to work on a nice summer morning. You'll feel proud for doing so!
Ironically, that day I saw an article by Rachel Bachman in the Wall Street Journal entitled "A Hidden Perk of Commuting." It cited a recent study of 4,000 people in England that showed that people who had switched from driving to other sources of getting to work lost more than two pounds in two years, not insignificant for adults.
Another American study of 12,000 urban residents in the U.S. who biked or walked to work showed a marked difference in body mass index. The key in weight loss via commuting is that people are more likely to keep the pounds off, just because of that necessary evil of having to go to work each day. Everyone knows, the battle isn't taking it off, it's keeping it off!
The problem is, for most people, ditching the car is inconvenient, and takes longer. The article references a 2009 analysis of U.S. Census Data that showed that the average trip time for metro area workers commuting to work by car was 24.2 minutes. By public transportation, the time doubled to 48 minutes. Further, in many suburban or rural areas, there are little to no mass transit options. The only other way to get there is by foot or bicycle, which is unrealistic for most people, either because of the length of the trip, or danger riding or walking along highways.
The good news is many smaller but growing cities are setting up light rail systems, or starting civic health campaigns to encourage people to find alternative ways to work. Most tout the environmental and stress benefits (yes, I've clenched my teeth and cursed through many a traffic jam), but are starting to quote these stats about the fitness benefits, too!
If nothing else, try the train or bus when making trips to New York, and maybe take the bike to work on a nice summer morning. You'll feel proud for doing so!
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Run-Fit Certification
Running nearly 40 years, and reading various running literature for nearly that long, you develop a base of knowledge. Most of that is from your own experiences, good and bad. Races that were unexpected surprises, or total busts; injuries and recovery; over-training and cross-training; and periods of great enthusiasm or total burnout with running.
My book knowledge came from my schooling and various authors like Jim Fixx, Arthur Lydiard, and Jack Daniels, as well as years of digesting Runner's World and Running Times. Like with religion or politics, you tend to read with the intent of amplifying your own preferences and beliefs.
I like six-mile runs with an all-out mile at the end - this article says it's a great idea!
My education was enhanced Saturday by attending the Run-Fit Training Certification at Monmouth University on Saturday. Presented by Josh Karp, Ph.D, the eight-hour seminar, 200 pages of information, and ensuing on-line test untangled some mental cobwebs I had concerning the "why's and where fore's" of running, and made me think about training in a slightly different vein.
Some of the highlighted ideas:
*Base your training speed on your last race result (not something you ran five years ago, or hope to run next time). If your last 5-k was in 21 minutes, you are a 21-minute 5-k runner, until you prove otherwise. Base your training mileage, hard or easy, around that number.
*Spend time running slow, in order to eventually run fast. Build that base and don't get anxious.
*Keep your easy runs easy, and your body will be fresh to run hard when it needs to.
*Time spent running is more important than miles. A 10-mile training run may take a lot longer for someone (like myself!) than it used to. In my early 20's, I could do it in about 65 minutes. Now 65 minutes probably gets me, maybe, eight miles. A 10-mile run is a different stressor on my body now, based on that additional time on my feet.
*Don't do running workouts to failure. You shouldn't have to crawl off the track!
*In training, try for the least stressful way to reach your desired result: Don't hammer yourself just to talk about your new injury or near-death experience. If 7 minute training miles can bring you to a V02 max, don't do 6:30's, "just because." They are not doing you any more good than seven-minute pace!
*Train to your strengths: I stink at short sprints, but feel I have then endurance to run a long time. I will improve more by further enhancing my cardiovascular strength than in a futile effort to improve my sprint speed!
*To improve, your training load must increase. I've used this example with my clients. You're a non-runner, and your car breaks down five miles away. You barely make it home. Your car breaks down every day five miles away, that walk home is no longer a big challenge. Now you need to run home to have the same physiological effect, or have the car breakdown further away!
*Heart rate is a great measure of intensity: I use my heart rate watch constantly in my own training, and to monitor my clients. At 56, my approximate HR max is 164. When the watch is reading around that number, I know I'm working as hard as I can, that day, no matter if I ran a 90 second quarter, or a 95. Respect the number!
*Weight training, biking, or swimming should not take the place of running until you have maximized your running training. Don't give up a day's running for one of these activities unless a run would increase your injury risk, or you have maxed out, mileage and intensity-wise, in your training. Simply, to be a better runner, you must run!
Everyone will have their own opinions on the nuances of these points, but Dr. Karp's observations are backed up by reams of scientific studies. He's an accomplished runner himself, (but doesn't dwell on that), the author of six well-researched running books, and was a former IDEA Personal Trainer of the year.
In many seminars, the speaker is ego-based, and spends much of their time wasting yours with
braggadacio or enhanced biographical information. This is no-nonsense, understandable training concepts, physiology, and training design. The test comprehensively covers the material in his outlines.
I left there with a better grasp of the physiology or running, a more sober approach to my own training, lots of new information for my clients, and a refreshed attitude towards the activity that has been such a big part of my life for so many years.
My book knowledge came from my schooling and various authors like Jim Fixx, Arthur Lydiard, and Jack Daniels, as well as years of digesting Runner's World and Running Times. Like with religion or politics, you tend to read with the intent of amplifying your own preferences and beliefs.
I like six-mile runs with an all-out mile at the end - this article says it's a great idea!
My education was enhanced Saturday by attending the Run-Fit Training Certification at Monmouth University on Saturday. Presented by Josh Karp, Ph.D, the eight-hour seminar, 200 pages of information, and ensuing on-line test untangled some mental cobwebs I had concerning the "why's and where fore's" of running, and made me think about training in a slightly different vein.
Some of the highlighted ideas:
*Base your training speed on your last race result (not something you ran five years ago, or hope to run next time). If your last 5-k was in 21 minutes, you are a 21-minute 5-k runner, until you prove otherwise. Base your training mileage, hard or easy, around that number.
*Spend time running slow, in order to eventually run fast. Build that base and don't get anxious.
*Keep your easy runs easy, and your body will be fresh to run hard when it needs to.
*Time spent running is more important than miles. A 10-mile training run may take a lot longer for someone (like myself!) than it used to. In my early 20's, I could do it in about 65 minutes. Now 65 minutes probably gets me, maybe, eight miles. A 10-mile run is a different stressor on my body now, based on that additional time on my feet.
*Don't do running workouts to failure. You shouldn't have to crawl off the track!
*In training, try for the least stressful way to reach your desired result: Don't hammer yourself just to talk about your new injury or near-death experience. If 7 minute training miles can bring you to a V02 max, don't do 6:30's, "just because." They are not doing you any more good than seven-minute pace!
*Train to your strengths: I stink at short sprints, but feel I have then endurance to run a long time. I will improve more by further enhancing my cardiovascular strength than in a futile effort to improve my sprint speed!
*To improve, your training load must increase. I've used this example with my clients. You're a non-runner, and your car breaks down five miles away. You barely make it home. Your car breaks down every day five miles away, that walk home is no longer a big challenge. Now you need to run home to have the same physiological effect, or have the car breakdown further away!
*Heart rate is a great measure of intensity: I use my heart rate watch constantly in my own training, and to monitor my clients. At 56, my approximate HR max is 164. When the watch is reading around that number, I know I'm working as hard as I can, that day, no matter if I ran a 90 second quarter, or a 95. Respect the number!
*Weight training, biking, or swimming should not take the place of running until you have maximized your running training. Don't give up a day's running for one of these activities unless a run would increase your injury risk, or you have maxed out, mileage and intensity-wise, in your training. Simply, to be a better runner, you must run!
Everyone will have their own opinions on the nuances of these points, but Dr. Karp's observations are backed up by reams of scientific studies. He's an accomplished runner himself, (but doesn't dwell on that), the author of six well-researched running books, and was a former IDEA Personal Trainer of the year.
In many seminars, the speaker is ego-based, and spends much of their time wasting yours with
braggadacio or enhanced biographical information. This is no-nonsense, understandable training concepts, physiology, and training design. The test comprehensively covers the material in his outlines.
I left there with a better grasp of the physiology or running, a more sober approach to my own training, lots of new information for my clients, and a refreshed attitude towards the activity that has been such a big part of my life for so many years.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
A "Fair" Look at Aging
I have been frustrated with my racing this Summer. One "good" 5-K (a 20:14 at the Bob Beckert Run in Warren), a "decent" one (21:02 at Lake Takanassee in early July, and a couple of clunkers in the high 21's.
I attribute mostly to the lingering effects of my torn meniscus last Summer. I'm happy to be running at all, frankly!
With the lost time from the meniscus injury, I've been trying to make up mileage I missed, and the knees feel stiff most of the time, and the legs fatigued. I can relate to C.C. Sabathia on the Yankees: one good start, two bad ones, and bad knees, to boot!
An article by Peter Sagal in an old issue of Runner's World gave me some consolation. Trying to make some sense of his slowing times in the marathon, Sagal (an NPR radio host, in real life) consulted Dr. Roy Fair of Yale University. Dr. Fair, a Ph. D. in economics, published a comprehensive article that analyzed thousands of race results, and came up with a scientific formula of age, and, gulp, slower race times.
The website (fairmodeLecon.yale.edu/aging) is astonishingly accurate. Using age 35 as the baseline, you merely change the age (56, in my case) and plug in your best time for any distance.
I submitted my all-time 5-K best of 17:01, and with the passage of time factored in, I should be hitting 20:18 in the 5-K when everything is going right. Amazing!
My personal-best in the half-marathon was a 1:17.41. Punching that number in, I can expect to run a 1:39.46 next Spring at Long Branch with an equal effort. Considering I ran a 1:35.55 in 2014, I think that comes out just about correct!
While the Fair formula doesn't offer explanations of why this is so, most runners are familiar with the reasons.
First is that our "speedometers" just don't max out as high. As you hit middle-age, the heart's maximum heart rate decreases about one beat per minute (220 beats -56 in my case = 164 max). Your VO2 Max - the maximum rate your body can use oxygen - will correspondingly drop, forcing you to work that much harder to achieve the same times. You have to run anaerobically (out of breath) for much of a 5-K to hope to reach the time you were able to do ten, or even five years ago.
Injuries factor in also, and they become much more prevalent as you age. Recovery time takes longer, too.
You can see where the frustration starts to set in. Take consolation, and check the chart!
I attribute mostly to the lingering effects of my torn meniscus last Summer. I'm happy to be running at all, frankly!
With the lost time from the meniscus injury, I've been trying to make up mileage I missed, and the knees feel stiff most of the time, and the legs fatigued. I can relate to C.C. Sabathia on the Yankees: one good start, two bad ones, and bad knees, to boot!
An article by Peter Sagal in an old issue of Runner's World gave me some consolation. Trying to make some sense of his slowing times in the marathon, Sagal (an NPR radio host, in real life) consulted Dr. Roy Fair of Yale University. Dr. Fair, a Ph. D. in economics, published a comprehensive article that analyzed thousands of race results, and came up with a scientific formula of age, and, gulp, slower race times.
The website (fairmodeLecon.yale.edu/aging) is astonishingly accurate. Using age 35 as the baseline, you merely change the age (56, in my case) and plug in your best time for any distance.
I submitted my all-time 5-K best of 17:01, and with the passage of time factored in, I should be hitting 20:18 in the 5-K when everything is going right. Amazing!
My personal-best in the half-marathon was a 1:17.41. Punching that number in, I can expect to run a 1:39.46 next Spring at Long Branch with an equal effort. Considering I ran a 1:35.55 in 2014, I think that comes out just about correct!
While the Fair formula doesn't offer explanations of why this is so, most runners are familiar with the reasons.
First is that our "speedometers" just don't max out as high. As you hit middle-age, the heart's maximum heart rate decreases about one beat per minute (220 beats -56 in my case = 164 max). Your VO2 Max - the maximum rate your body can use oxygen - will correspondingly drop, forcing you to work that much harder to achieve the same times. You have to run anaerobically (out of breath) for much of a 5-K to hope to reach the time you were able to do ten, or even five years ago.
Injuries factor in also, and they become much more prevalent as you age. Recovery time takes longer, too.
You can see where the frustration starts to set in. Take consolation, and check the chart!
Strength Training Through Life
At Mountain Fitness, we're proud to say we've served training clients and members from age eight to the mid-90's. Strength training is equally important to both ends of that spectrum, and everyone in-between. The key thing is having the activities and intensity tailored properly for their age, training background, and goals.
In the pre-teen years, the emphasis should be on body weight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, lunges, and squats. Resistance bands are a great tool for rudimentary strength-training, and tools like agility ladders and BOSU balls are great for balance and quickness exercises. Medicine ball throws can replicate many of the movements use in their respective sports, and box jumps can build up explosive power useful in most athletic endeavors . It's good to build up an appreciation for cardiovascular exercise at this young age also, to instill positive life-long habits on a generation raised on computers and video games.
As far as lifting weights, most modern researchers say the best time is about a year after the growth spurt in males, and the first menstrual cycle in females. Before puberty, strength gains can be made, but it's mostly due to increased coordination and neuromuscular development.
In the teen years, it's important to learn good form. Just like in beginning to drive, proper instruction is imperative in weight-training for maximum gain and minimum strain.
Teenage boys shouldn't get caught up in the high-school cafeteria "what can you bench," talk.
Keep the reps to 12-15 on each exercise during these years before growth plates have fully closed. With the natural maturation of the body in these years, you will still make plenty of gains!
From 18 to about 35, your body will be at it's peak. This is the time to test your "one-rep max" on the bench, enter a "Tough Mudder," or do your heavy squats or deadlifts.
I was a late bloomer, and achieved my best strength gains at around 40, but everyone will vary in that respect, depending on physiology and years of experience in training.
In late middle-age, you have to make modifications due to loss of testosterone in men and hormonal changes in women. In addition, muscle, tendons, and ligaments that support the joints lose some elasticity and strength. Oh, and the heavy training in your peak years could have left you some nice souvenirs like a torn rotator cuff, torn meniscus, herniated disk or arthritis. Dial it back to those 12-15 reps I suggested for the teens. Forget about what you once "maxed" at, but don't just live in the past and give up, either. Set some new, realistic goals for yourself, even if it's to see a better "report card," at the doctor each year.
On the far end of the spectrum, seniors should do a modified version of what I had mentioned for pre-teens in the beginning of the article. No box jumps, of course, but certainly balance exercises and step-ups onto the BOSU for proprioception and increased blood flow in the arteries. Resistance bands are easy on the joints and a great strength-training tool, but don't ignore the weights either, to prevent bone loss and muscle deterioration. Keep up the cardio as well. If running is too hard on the hips or knees, change it to a brisk walk. If that's not feasible, the recumbent bike or elliptical may be your best choice.
Most importantly, do an activity you enjoy, and you'll stick with it. Realize the potential that you have at any age, and don't quit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
