4 Workout Mistakes Us Old Guys Need To Fix – Yeah I said it, “..Us Old Guys…”. I’m 55 and I feel it every day. What do I do? I fight back, hehehe. So, if you JUST HIT THE big 4-0 (or maybe the big 5-0, or 6-0?) and now you’re worried about things like mobility and work out longevity, don’t worry TOO much. There’s less reason to worry than you may think. Just because you’re 40 or 50 doesn’t mean that you’re out of your prime. Truth is, you still have plenty of time to condition your body for optimum mobility, to look better, get stronger, and even MORE athletic as you age.
There are those people who think the day you turn 40 is the day that proverbial downward fitness and health spiral begins. That’s an extreme reaction. But that’s not to say your body isn’t going through some changes, cause it is. Your testosterone is likely decreasing, and there may be a reduction in your tendon and ligament vascularity also. Injuries may be more frequent. Also, you likely find you need an extra day or more to recover after working out, especially an intense workout.
Something about that number freaks [people] out, and for good cause. You’re used to a certain level of fitness then, all of a sudden the aches and pains kick in. You find that you tire more easily. Many feel that their training needs to change and that they’re on the downswing in terms of athleticism. It doesn’t need to be that way.
Now, you don’t have to make massive, dramatic changes to your workouts,—but you will have to be a little smarter about your training. That includes fixing some mistakes and bad habits you might have developed.
4 Workout Mistakes Us Old Guys Need To Fix
You (only) Don’t Train for Power
One trap many forty & fifty-somethings fall into is to slip into a pattern of the same ole workouts, never expanding beyond the old standard of 5 sets of eight to 10 reps, while placing most—maybe too much—of their focus on elements such as time under tension.
Now, from a strength and muscle building standpoint, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, overlooking one exercise essential, training for power, cannot be overlooked no matter your age. It doesn’t have to be crazy or complicated or require endless sets of power cleans, but without maintaining some form explosive training, you will lose it, and quickly.
How to Fix It:
It’s no secret that we LOVE kettlebells here. So, a good start is adding an exercise like kettlebell swings into your routine. Just three sets of 10 to 20 reps, a few times a week will help you create and maintain a lot of explosive body power. You can also intertwine power training in ways you haven’t before like being more forceful with your big lifts, like maybe using lighter weight in you bench presses, squats, and deadlifts. Three sets of three to five reps will have feeling powerful at any age.
4 Workout Mistakes Us Old Guys Need To Fix
You’re Training Too Heavy
You may have felt good back in your high school football days (queue Al Bundy meme here – GO POLK HIGH! LOL) through your twenties loading as much weight as possible and going for your bench press max every day. Now, don’t even think about doing something like this. It does little at this point of your fitness life unless you’re willing to deal with the punishment.
How to Fix It:
Done over too long a period, all that heavy weight will take its toll on your joints. Your 40s are the time to begin train more comfortably in the six to eight rep range (or even eight to 10). And while creating some TUT (Time under tension) is good, you’re still able to move load, and still be joint friendly—a long-term win-win.
You Don’t Do Enough Isolation Exercises
We all may have noticed that modern trends push for more of multi-joint lifts than before. That CAN be a good thing, especially when strength gains are concerned.
But at the same time, it’s wise for your workout to include a few complementary isolation lifts to the plan.
How to Fix It:
Think about adding two iso moves in each workout to help complement the deadlifts and squats and so forth. This gives you a chance to add some additional volume which in turn will help to elicit hypertrophy.
If it’s leg day, then try leg extensions and curls following your squats. If back day has you doing pullups and rows, add a few preacher curls and standing curls. Hopefully, you get the idea. This will help you pile up volume without crushing your joints.
4 Workout Mistakes Us Old Guys Need To Fix
You Don’t Do Enough Cardio
With all the focus on weights, it becomes convenient to neglect the cardio and conditioning portion of your workouts. Not attacking that energy system isn’t very wise when it comes to longevity. Your metabolism begins slowing down after 40, so it’s critical to burn calories elsewhere. This is why it’s important to elevate your heart rate.
How to Fix It:
10-20 minutes of activity is a good place to start. Whatever you’re doing doesn’t have to be long and repetitive, and you can slot it toward the end of your workout. Hit the treadmill or row machine or bike and just move at a steady consistent pace. Push it a bit more oomf into it by adding 30 seconds on/off interval training as well. A long run, even picking up the weight training pace are ways to add cardio to your workout.
We mentioned kettlebells earlier (of course we did). Utilizing kettlebells and your primary strength workout tool with add the cardio-conditioning element with every routine. You kill 2 birds with one kettlebell.
There’s a lot of stuff when you were under 40 that you could skip. You can’t skip conditioning (cardio) anymore. As long as you don’t skip it. You’re still going to continue to move toward your goals so avoid those mistakes and let’s keep those gains happening.
Hope that helps. Getting older doesn’t have to suck. Keeping fit and healthy can last well into our elder years, there’s no reason it shouldn’t. So, do yourself a favor and start incorporating these ideas into your daily fitness routines. Let us know what happens.
