I need some p.t.

[two dogs]

Hey guys, Ive come to the realization that I aint as young as I use to be.I am fairly active but I dont have near the stamina, endurance , or strength that I would like, for quality of life or shtf. I am thinking push ups, pull ups, and sit ups along with some road work. I'd like to hear what you do as well as recommendations. By the way I'm 47 and 200lbs.
thanks twodogs

 

[Azrael256]

Running is good, but at your age, you might consider cycling as it is easier on the knees. Back when I did cycle races and such, I got myself in great shape riding ~30 miles a week around a lake. 10 miles over a paved trail with some hills is only about 45 minutes, and the constant strain for a solid 45 minutes is good for stamina. It will still wear on you knees a little bit, but it is far less damaging as it doesn't involve your leg actually hitting anything. The positive effects from strengthening the muscles should far outweigh what little wear you'll get on the joint. You *could* do this on a stationary bike (I still have the stationary rack for my bike), but it's nowhere near as fun. Stationary bikes are for stormy days.

Push ups, pull ups, and sit ups are a good start, but there are a number of variations on the theme that strengthen and tone other muscles that just don't get the work out when you do the standard exercises. You might find a book that explains what exercises work what muscle groups, and design yourself a 30 minute workout that spreads the exercise around your body a little bit more. You'll also want to read up on how the standard exercises can be damaging if not done properly. Pushups on your palms, situps while holding your head, and so on can be damaging.

 

[trickyasafox]

height is an important factor. you could be 47 and 200lbs, but if your over 6 foot tall i doubt your out of shape. push ups pull ups and sit ups are great, but if someone hasnt hit the gym in a while, it could be hard to do unassisted pull ups for sets. the obvious substitute is pull downs, but if you dont have gym access then that makes that option tough.

whatever you do, remember to emphasize stretching. you'd be amazed how much good regular stretching can improve the quality of life you experience

 

[Bill2k1]

get loose and do push ups that will build your upper body fairly well. If you cannot do alot of pushups do them on the stairs, the incline helps you get going.

 

[chris in va]

Before you do *any* of that stuff, get a couple simple tests done first. EKG, echocardiogram etc.

I'm 34 and just had angioplasty/stent procedure done on my left coronary. If I hadn't heeded the angina that struck me suddenly, I'd be dead now.

Not a scare, just get some tests done first before you crank up the aerobics.

 

[GregGry]

Since I know a decent amount about fitness, I will help out

Considering your age, I would advise you to see a doctor prior to starting anything. Its better to be safe then sorry..

As far as exercises, I would suggest walking for at least 2 miles a day, for more rigorous exercise use an exercise bike. I wouldn't start running for a while, it can be very stressful if your not used to it. If you can do more then 6 push ups great, if not its ok. If you struggle with push ups, the bench press will help greatly. Pull ups are great, but many people aren't strong enough to do enough of them to really strengthen their muscles in any short period of time. Sit ups are ok if your form is proper, but there are better ways to hit the abs.

To give you an idea, in any given week I walk about 12 miles (soon to be 5 miles a day 6 days a week), I do 4 sets of bench presses, 4 sets of barbel curls, 4 sets of military presses, 5 sets of dips, 4 sets of squats, and other assorted exercises that change every week. I have been primarily focusing on upper body strength. I will be the first to admit that I have neglected my mid section quite a bit, but I am going to be focusing more on that in the upcoming weeks. Its really good to work your entire body, not just upper body.

To give you an idea of strength gains, I have been able to up my bench press by 10 pounds a month on average, 6 pounds on average for the curl, 6 pounds for the military press, 10 pounds for the squat, 2 extra dips a month, and so on. Realistically you should see at least half of that for gains, if you exercise properly/regularly and eat well. I could very well see greater gains, but my diet is not good by any means. Sleep is a must, its best if you can sleep for at least 8 hours every day that you hit the weights.

In the following weeks I am switching my entire workout routine, onto a track that will be focused on mostly strength. To train for strength its best to do low reps of heavy weights. Meaning rather then 12 reps of a certain weight like say 140 pounds, you do 6 reps of 170. Heavy sets are best for strength gains, however you form has to be perfect, or injuries will happen. For most people its best to start out with the higher rep sets of a lighter weight, it allows you to get your form right, and its easier on your body.

I prefer to work out with free weights, however the newer bowflex machines (and similar all-in-one gyms) offer many advantages. They take up less space, they are safer, they offer many exercises, etc. If you want to work out in your home, get a good bowflex to work with, its worth it. If your planning on going to a gym, then it wont be too big of a deal not having your own equipment.

One last thing I want to mention, its a good thing if you set realistic goals for yourself. In my case I really need to have something on paper that I work towards, otherwise I feel like I am not doing anything. In your case I would say these are realistic goals:

Bench press = at least 1 rep of your body weight
Curl = at least 1 rep of 55% of your body weight
military press = at least 1 rep 60% of your body weight
Squat = 1 rep of 80% of your body weight
Pull ups = At least 8 pull ups

I could go on for all the exercises known to man, but those will at least give you something to work with. Now I don't know how in shape you are right now, the realistic goals I mentioned might take you 3 months to hit, or 2 years. Only use them as an idea, set your own for yourself

 

[dave3006]

Greg has great advise. Walk before you run. I would recommend concentrating on going slow and focusing on enjoying the process. I have been working out for 30 years and I continue to do so because I don't push myself so hard that I will dread doing it. When you run/walk, look at the trees, breath deep, and relax. It is the journey not the destination.

You need:

Cardio
Strength
Stretching

Dave

 

[petrel800]

I liked Greg's advice. The only thing I will add as a avid runner is to make sure you have a good pair of athletic shoes, and don't over do it from the start.

 

[Trisha]

Um, please, get a complete physical before starting to regain some fitness - or let your local EMS/Rescue folks know you aren't going to get checked out first, so they can place you on an in-house high-priority response list. . .

To be blunt, you're heart-attack bait. Know your cholesterol, your BP, make sure you are free to start your pursuit of fitness with a reasonable degree of enthusiasm (either that, or your Doc will ask if he/she can have a few pet guns when you kick off ala DRT/ART). . .



I gave in and bought a rim-drive cycle trainer, and I love it! We have to use off-road tires on our bicycles up here, so the usual trainers would've been a nightmare - not to mention going through rear tires on a regular basis. I make cycle training a part of my everyday routine, and I'm delighted with how it saves on my knees, but gets my legs ready for my squats (90lbs 8 times, not that much, but there's complete stability!).

Try and ramp it up slowly, and focus on technique and stability and balancing upper and lower body strength & endurance. A couple of big mirrors from Home Depot are great for that, and they don't cost much.

You'll find you shoot better, too!

 

[El Tejon]

two, have you considered yoga? Maybe yoga and walking or riding a bike?

I started last year and it has changed my life. I do not feel stiff at the end of the day or waking up, old injuries no longer hurt, and I have improved range of motion in my bum shoulder and my hips (cannot do splits yet, either forward or Chinese, but working toward that goal). Plus, I do not seem to get hurt as easily and can now run again.

Yeah, you don't feel exactly macho at first in class, but ignore your pride and enjoy the scenery.

 

[Balog]

If you have access to a pool I'd give swimming a try. Great cardio workout, very easy on the joints, and it'll burn more calories per unit of time than running or cycling.

Whatever you choose start off slow and stay dedicated. The most important thing isn't to find an uber workout regime, it's making a plan and sticking with it.

 

[two dogs]

First let me say thanks for all the input regarding this thread. But mostly I appreciate your concerns for my personal well being. I had not even considered getting a check up prior to starting a exercise routine , HELL ,thats for old people. In my mind I can still rodeo and ride bulls and kick ass and stuff .I just dont want to . I'll make an appointment this week.

thanks again
twodogs

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Swimming?

Twodogs,
It's never too late to start weight training. I didn't start til I was in my mid-thirties. I'm 49 now, and 240 lbs. (6'3") I'm not in the best shape now, by a long shot. Even when I was at my strongest, (~450 lbs bench) I wasn't in the best shape. But weight training always made me feel a lot better. Nowadays though, I've tossed the heavy weights out and keep the heaviest down to low 300s. But I've found I need more aerobic exercise and thus have taken up swimming twice a week, along with weight training twice a week on alternate days. Sheesh, I used to swim regularly when my folks had a pool, but back then I could do about 12 laps underwater! (35 years ago) I found out today that I can no longer make it to the other side of Fitness USA's pool, underwater, once! It sucks getting old, but I'll keep at it and be doing a lot better in a month. If you have access to a pool, I'd recommend swimming for sure. You're not much younger than me, and remember swimming is no impact. I'm sore as hell right now, so this will definitely do me some good.

 

[JamisJockey]

Some great advice in this thread.
Do get a complete physical before starting off.
Starting with running can be hell on the bod. Try swimming or cycling first, to get your cardio up and your legs in shape. I'm partial to cycling and running:

Seriously, though. Pushups, pullups, situps, jumprope, and some cycling will get you in great shape. Swimming is great, but you gotta go to a pool to do it, not always very convineient.

 

[El Tejon]

jamis, isn't that weight lifting as well?

 

[dave3006]

I am going to be a contrarian on some things. No doubt, people will flame me.

You don't need a physical. Everyone repeats this like a broken record. Doctors are notorious for telling you what you can't do. Every time I have had a real injury, they tell me to take off 2-3 times the necessary amount of time. It is CYA completely.

47 and 200lbs is not that bad. Yoga might help your flexibility and give you marginal added strength. But, you need cardio - bike, run, or both. You need to stretch. You also need to lift weights. At 47, your muscles have atrophied and your ligaments and tendons will take the stress. Strong muscles take the burden off ligaments and tendons.

Lastly, find a physical activity you like. Mountain bike, kickbox, hike, ect... Make physical activity a way of life. I am 43. I do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with 20 something year olds. I don't consider my age to be a disadvantage. It is all in your head.

The doctor thing is over rated. Go slow and work up to a decent routine. Doctors are pretty much idiots unless you show them a broken arm or a wound gushing blood.

How many in shape doctors have you seen? Not too many I'll bet.

 

[Ian]

El T, apparently you've never picked up a serious road bike. Heck, you practically have to hold them down to keep 'em from floating away like balloons!

 

[mtnbkr]

jamis, isn't that weight lifting as well?

Ian beat me to it.

Heck, my 8yo mtn bike is barely at 25lbs and it could get lighter.

What are 'cross bikes running these days? 21-23lbs?

Chris

 

[JamisJockey]

My cross bike is a very small size (Hey, I'm a small guy), but is all Steel including the fork, and running a mix of Shimano 105 and up compoents. Bontrager Select wheels (bontrager's cheapest road wheels), and it weighs 22lbs. I could easily get it under 20lbs with new wheels, carbon fork, seatpost, and bars. However, I only get to race a few times a year, so I don't want to dump the money into it.

 

[El Tejon]

Ian, I rock a Cannondale 400. Don't know how serious that is. Even if it's "only" 25 lbs., it gets heavy if you carry it around all day.

 

[mtnbkr]

I rock a Cannondale 400

A poor copy of a real mountain bike...A Klein!
Just kidding. I might as well have a Huffy for the type of riding I do these days. I ride more miles towing my daughter in a Burley trailer than I do in pursuit of "fitness".

Jamis,
How do you like those Bontrager rims? I'm on my second set of Mustang ASYMs (do they still make these?). I had a wheelset built up 6 years ago using those, 14/15 double butted spokes, aluminum nipples, and Nukeproof Superfly hubs. They weigh next to nothing, but have held up well (especially considering I was 195lbs when I was racing on them). The only attention the wheels needed was to replace the bearings in the rear hub after 5 years.

Chris

 

[Derek Zeanah]

If you're really looking for PT, then this is the best guide I've found.

Really good.

 

[foghornl]

Looks like JamisJockey has his own tri-athalon going..

Cycling...weight lifting...low hurdles

 

[Justin]

Derek-

Is that book significantly different from the Matt Furey bodyweight training stuff?

http://www.mattfurey.com/conditioning_book.html

 

[Don Gwinn]

I don't know if the exercises are significantly different, but the men are. I've never heard anything terribly negative about Ross Enamait. Matt Furey (whose book I own) is a liar and a fraud. He charges people serious money for reprints of material that's widely available for free online (the Farmer Burns mail-order wrestling course) and claims to be the designated heir of Karl Gotch, keeping Gotch's hard-won wisdom alive by sharing his amazing training secrets (gained through his many years of training under and deep friendship with Gotch himself.) But this is what Gotch has to say on the matter, if Jake Shannon is to be believed:

Tampa, 18th July ‘05

Dear Jake,

Thanks for sending me that copy of the fat man Matt Furey’s website. As you know I don’t have a computer and I don’t know how to use it, but as I can see he employs it for a con game to steal from some poor guys that love the sport. He hung around me for about 5 months not over two years as he states.

He writes, “What’s Old is New – What’s New is Old” well he uses this to put his hand in the poor guys pocket and grab the money. I found him out when he talked me into making a tape I had about conditioning commercial, I had made the tape as proof, because after my double hip replacement I could not do many of those things anymore and a picture is worth a thousand words.

I told him to never use my name again with anything he ever did. The man is a disgrace to wrestling and has no honor at all, he can walk under a snakes belly wearing a top hat.

To give you an idea what real pro-wrestling is lets take boxing as an example, even as an Olympic Champ when you turn pro you have to start all over again because it’s completely different. Here in the U.S.A they had the best in the world, men like Strangler Lewis, Toots Mondt, John Pesek, etc. would take the life out of anyone that challenged them. Wrestling is opposite of what people think it is, it is not strength but knowledge, balance, and timing, leverage and where to place the fulcrum, that’s what it takes to make it to the top in the noble art of wrestling.


Also, the most difficult sport is wrestling because contrary to other combat sports you have to learn to attack and defend from 3 different positions; standing-up, on all fours and underneath. It takes know how to do that, and your best hold is condition, even the best automobile won’t run without gas, oil, and water. People now go for excitement and to something that is easy to understand, that’s why football, base-ball and basketball are drawing the big crowds, plus they are team sport, they change their players in and out.

Wrestling in the amateurs should never be less than 12 minutes a match, then you can see the best man. I wrote you all this to show you that how can a fat slob like Furey, that doesn’t know his elbow from his rear end, tell and show these poor boys that he charges an arm and a leg and a finger thrown in? Wrestling is a workman’s sport, you need no expensive equipment and can practice it anywhere, and here is this greedy, fat no good misfit charging them all this money for nothing. I never took one cent from a boy to show him how to wrestle, all I asked for is guts. I can make you strong, fast, agile and train you for endurance and reflex, but guts you get when you are born.

I hope that we can find a way to stop this misfit from fleecing those poor guys, thanks again for letting me know.
Yours,
Karl

In short, I'm sorry I ever sent Matt Furey a penny of my hard-earned money and he'll never get another dime from me. The Combat Conditioning book is not bad, but if you want a copy, let me send you mine. He shouldn't make any more money on Karl Gotch's fame.


(And for the original poster, cycling has been a lot of fun for me, and that makes me want to do more and more. I've lost just over 90 pounds since last November, but I was really plateaued at the beginning of the summer until I started cycling. I took off another 20 pounds after that and before hernia surgery, and now that I'm back from surgery, I intend to keep going. If you enjoy cycling, it will be FAR more beneficial than running unless you specifically need to get better at running. It's more expensive than running, though. It's as addictive as guns. I broke my cheap Huffy this week and will now need to replace it with a road bike that costs about five times what the Huffy cost new.)