The Best Strength Training Program for over 50
Bodybuilding classes are of interest not only to young people, but also to those who have already celebrated a significant half-century anniversary.
Of course, going to the gym is useful for everyone, but with age, you need to treat your health with much more attention.
To maintain and preserve yourself in excellent physical shape, you need to strengthen your body, increase your tone, but at the same time not to harm your health, people over fifty years old need a special technique.
If you adhere to the tips and recommendations below, listen to the needs of your own body, make certain adjustments to your exercise program, each visit to the gym should bring maximum benefit.
Basic Principles of Over 50 Training
Age is not a hindrance to sports or bodybuilding. Despite this fact, you should not forget that processes begin to occur in the body that affect the human condition in a far from positive way.
Unfortunately, these changes cannot be stopped. They must be taken for granted, taking into account when drawing up a training program.
In the tissues of the joints, degenerative changes begin to occur, the rate of all regenerative processes decreases, the function of the endocrine system is disrupted, metabolism slows down, and so on.
The body as a whole starts to work much worse than before. And this should not be forgotten in any way.
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Principle #1 Strength Training Program for over 50
Heavy trainings should be replaced by unloading
The concept of “hard training” for an older athlete is strikingly different from a similar complex for young athletes.
The number of repetitions when working with a heavy weight should vary from 5 to 12, and with a light one – from 12 to 20.
This load is enough to stop catabolic reactions occurring in the musculature as well as to gain a small amount of mass. In old age, an increase in muscle mass is out of the question.
Principle #2 Strength Training Program for over 50
Load control – the level should be selected as optimal as possible
Training will only bring maximum benefit only when each exercise is performed correctly from a technical point of view, and the weight is selected correctly.
At 50+ age, the mobility of the joints is significantly reduced, therefore, the range of motion should be somewhat different. Breathing deserves close attention.
Principle #3 Strength Training Program for over 50
Body recovery – rationally organized rest periods
The metabolic rate decreases with age. This also applies to the production of hormones.
Recovery processes are much slower, and, therefore, you need to devote more time to rest.
If there is no increased fatigue and malaise, a two-day break between training days is sufficient.
Principle #4 Strength Training Program for over 50
Nutrition – a properly selected and balanced diet
Principle #5 Strength Training Program for over 50
Regular Cardio Loads
This point is equally important. You should not neglect your own health for the sake of athletic performance.
Your diet should fully comply not only with the basics of proper sports nutrition, but also be selected in full accordance with the age and needs of the body.
Elderly athletes need to take special care of the state of the vascular system and heart muscle, which are most often associated with most of the problems and ailments that appear with age.
Cardio training is a kind of “life buoy” that allows you to maintain the function of the cardiovascular system at a sufficiently good level.
General recommendations for Strength Training Program for over 50
Moderate cardio workouts should be done four times a week. The recommended duration of the lesson is at least thirty minutes, and the load should not be too high.
The main thing is, first of all, to determine the intensity of the training. This can be done with a small test consisting in an attempt to speak.
If during the session the athlete can continue to communicate without any difficulty, you can safely continue to train in this mode.
You can run, swim or ride a bike. There are no restrictions. The only recommendation is that you should not be limited to one type of cardio exercise.
It is better to give preference to a variety of workouts, that is, alternate, for example, running with swimming and so on. It is even more interesting and exciting to study not alone, but with friends or relatives.
Warming-up is very often neglected by athletes of any age. Every strength training should start with it, which should be done twice a week.
The total duration of each lesson can vary from twenty to forty minutes. The intensity should be moderate. The main thing is that the training is appropriate for the age of the athlete.
Strength training for athletes over 50 has a slightly different goal than those for young bodybuilders.
Increasing physical parameters and gaining weight are no longer a priority. The main goal is to maintain muscle tone and improve health. There is no need to focus on working with free weights.
It is recommended to work on safe simulators, and not with weights. The intensity is assumed such that two to three sets of 8-12 repetitions are performed for each muscle group.
The training should include functional movements that mimic those performed in everyday life.
What Supplements are recommended over 50?
Most types of sports nutrition do not have any age restrictions, but many of them are simply unnecessary for bodybuilders over fifty.
Supplements are available to help you exercise more effectively and maintain good health. Without them, the benefits of bodybuilding will not be so high…
Trace elements
The body always needs minerals and vitamins. The only difference is that with age, a person begins to consume much less nutrients.
In case mineral supplements may be enough for everyday life, then against the background of bodybuilding, the likelihood of developing a deficiency of minerals and vitamins required for the normal functioning of the body increases.
To compensate for this deficiency, a good quality multivitamin should be taken.
Unsaturated fatty acids are of great importance for the elderly. They are an integral part of metabolic processes, increasing the efficiency of the articular-ligamentous apparatus.
Deficiency of unsaturated fatty acids can trigger the development of many diseases, especially in the elderly. This can be avoided by taking Omega 3.
Catabolic processes leading to the destruction of muscles occur when a person is not involved in sports at all.
This phenomenon is typical for absolutely any age, but it is much more pronounced after 50.
Leading an active lifestyle resists these processes, but without the use of protein and amino acid supplements, it is not so effective.
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Strength Training Program for over 50 – Wrap Up
Following the above recommendations, having passed a preliminary consultation with your doctor, you can safely go to the gym to start playing sports in order to keep yourself in great shape.
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