A recent question prompted some reflection on the more than 45 years of fitness training I have been doing since I was 12 or 13 years old. Someone asked about my favorite workouts. Personally, I can still train regularly and do — not because I have to, but because I get to. Having an attitude of gratitude can go a long way toward helping you create what is needed most to find workouts that work: consistency.
While I have favorites, some of my best workouts were the ones that I just started and finished. Nothing fancy, just done. You will find these workouts to be helpful, but the goal is to find the workout you will do as a non-negotiable:
The Starter Pack
Any workout that gets you started on the road to fitness is considered a favorite. This can be as simple as walking if your previous activity was sitting all day. But this can also be getting back into the gym and lifting again after 20 years of not doing so. If you are young and new to training, as I was in my early teens, starting off with calisthenics and bodybuilding-type exercises can produce big results on a young body. The next thing you know, people are asking you, “Do you work out?” or “Are you losing weight?”
Just getting moving again can be the start of an incredible fitness journey that takes you wherever your next challenge is directing you.
My starter workout was a simple 3×8 set/reps routine of various exercises, with and without weights, including:
- Bench press
- Squats
- Lunges
- Overhead press
- Bicep curls
- Pullups
I learned this from Joe Weider’s bodybuilding book in the 1980s.
If you want to keep it simpler, try 3 sets of 8 reps with whatever you decide to use. From there, you can experiment with heavier weights,5×5 workouts, and othertypes of split routines. You will find that there are many ways to enjoy a day at the gym, but it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the options. Just pick one and test it out for yourself to see if it works for you.
Read More:Ask Stew: What Happened to My Pullups?
Each decade, we change. From teens to young adults, workouts can range from athletics to military-style workouts to other preferences. As we age, we enter a phase of decline marked by slower recovery, stiffer joints and the general stresses of life. Now, workouts can help you manage stress, improve mental health and increase longevity. While it is still fun to have physical goals and even competitions past middle age, thinking about the future needs to be part of the process as well.
Our 50s are shaped by what we do in our 30s-40s. Our 60s are shaped by what we do in our 50s, and each decade thereafter is part of the previous one. The goal here is to keep moving. Find what you enjoy that enhances mobility and flexibility, cardio health, and strength of both muscles and bones.
Mobility Day
The mobility day, a few days a week, has been a life-changing activity for many years now, and I am glad I started it in my 40s, as it has made being on the other side of 50 much better. Pain decreases with muscle stretches and joint mobility work. Blood work is healthy after focusing on cardiovascular health through walking, biking, rowing, swimming and jogging. Eating well and not too much has been key to health and wellness after 40, as it becomes increasingly difficult to outwork a poor diet with every decade.
As you can see, there is no one way to get fit and stay healthy. With a little creativity and open-minded testing, you can basically turn any exercise into a life-changing routine for as long as you can keep moving.Check out the Military.com Fitness Section for more ideas on training, military fitness, and long-term training for health, wellness and longevity.
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