Incorporating strength training into your week has remarkable benefits. So, the question is not whether you should incorporate it, but how to incorporate it safely into your physical activity plan. Here is a question from a retiree who is looking for advice on how to get started:
Stew, what advice do you have for the retired veteran about to turn 60 who wants to get back into the gym for strength training? Thanks in advance. It has been a while since I lifted (25 yrs), and I mostly do cardio and stretching.
Thanks,
Larry
Larry, it’s great that you want to get involved in strength training. It’s never too late to take advantage of the remarkable benefits:
- Building muscle and strengthening bones = increased durability.
- Improving posture and functional movements helps with squatting, standing from the floor, climbing stairs, etc.
- Improving grip and leg strength increases longevity
- Exercise improves cardiovascular fitness, body composition and mood.
- Fights chronic illness (diabetes, heart disease, cancers, etc)
- Improves brain health and cognitive function
- Improves social mobility, independence, happiness and more!
Given you are not a beginner to fitness, this transition will be a bit easier for you. Here’s my advice:
Start With the Basics BUT Treat Yourself Like a Beginner
Start with calisthenics, dumbbells or machine circuits. A basic set and repetition program can be three sets of 10 to 15 reps of any exercise. Select a weight that is feasible for 10 to 15, but is hard enough to push you without failing. Keep your weight choices below your bodyweight for several months, as you build a solid foundation. Going heavy too quickly is a recipe for injury, so leave the ego at the front door of the gym.
Learn Technique First
Starting with machines or dumbbells is easier on the technique, as dumbbells are typically lighter, and the balance and stability factors of lifting with a machine are controlled. That makes these ideal for beginners. As you advance in strength, you can add more weight to either option. But build a good foundation before you start back up with barbells and heavier weights than your body weight. But, for what you want to do, building up to your body weight in many of the lifts is quite an accomplishment, especially if you can lift that weight for at least five to 10 repetitions.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a walk-through session or two with a coach or trainer at the gym.
Move Controlled With the Weight
Whether you are doing weights or calisthenics, control your movement as you go up and down. Give yourself 2-3 seconds up and 2-3 seconds down. Each repetition should take five to six seconds, not just for safety but for an effective workout as well.
Start at Your Current Ability
Do not return to the gym with your ego driving you toward old workouts and weights that were once easy for you. Assess yourself on each of the exercises you are considering: bench press, pushups, pullups, pulldowns, pushdowns, military press, rows leg press, etc., and write down the weight that you can do for 10 reps. Start from there. By keeping your reps between 10 and 15, you can easily adjust weights as you notice progress in your exertion levels.
Keep a Sane Range of Motion
Work within your own range of motion. If it hurts, reduce your range. Avoid pain in any exercise by only going as far as you can in each joint. You may have been able to do pullups when you were younger, but if hanging from a pullup bar hurts your shoulders now, pick another exercise like rows while you build up strength. Same for squats. You may have once done a full squat, but now you may only do a 90-degree squat. That’s still a workout.
Avoid Generic Workouts
If you’re just getting started again, try something in the gym with a coach or training partner who is aware of your abilities. Do not just do a random workout you find online or in a bodybuilding magazine, and don’t just replicate your partner’s weight and rep scheme. Doing this can injure you and end your lifting experience too quickly. The goal is slow and steady at YOUR speed, not someone else’s.
Make Changes to Sets, Reps and Exercises
If you’re doing a set of 10 reps but can only get eight, that is fine. Stop before you push too hard on the last reps to “finish” the set. Pushing yourself to a point of “almost failure” is fine, but don’t go further than that. Adjust exercises to find an easier option that is similar. For instance, if you fail on the bench press on the last two reps in a set, do 2 pushups to make up for it.
Balance the Workouts
Balance your pushing, pulling leg and core exercises. Most people who lift focus on the front side of their body (chest, shoulders, biceps and abs), but neglect the opposing muscle groups. Learn about split routines so you do not neglect working both pushing and pulling muscles of the upper body together. The same applies to the legs and core sections of the body, as there are front, sides and back to them as well.
Most gym injuries result from doing too much, too soon, using too heavy weights, moving too fast or having too many sessions per week. Avoid these types of injuries by following these guidelines and the benefits of lifting weights for strength will enhance multiple areas of your life and health. As with anyone starting a training program, ensure you are healthy and follow the doctor’s recommendations for training.
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