Paige Waehner - Strength Training for Seniors - Increase your Balance, Stability, and Stamina to Rewind the Aging Process

One important area here is concentrating on the amount of weight you’re lifting. While the beginning of a strength training program is more about building a foundation, the next phase is about progressing and challenging yourself.

Focusing on your weights is where you’ll take the next step, and you do that by this simple rule: Choose a weight that you can only lift for the desired number of reps.

In other words, you should be glad to get to that last rep and you should be able to do it with good form. But, that last rep should be challenging.

One rule of thumb is that, if you can keep going after the last rep of your set, increase your weight by about 5 percent. Since weights come in certain increments, you may not be able to do exactly 5 percent, which is just fine. Just increase the weight by what you have and adjust your reps so that you keep perfect form.

THE PROGRESSION PRINCIPLE

You’ve probably heard of plateaus, and that’s one thing that happens when you don’t change anything about your workouts. One thing you want to do is to continue to change things so that you’re always progressing.

That’s the underlying theme of this 12-week program as you conquer new and more challenging exercises as well as change the number of reps and sets you do over time.

SIMPLE WAYS TO PROGRESS

a. Changing your reps—The rep ranges for your 12-week program generally stay between 12 and 16 reps to give you an easy-to-follow strength training recipe. However, you can progress and change your workouts by a) adding more weight and reducing your reps to around 8 to 10 or b) reduce the weight you’re using and increase reps to 16... beyond that number you won’t see much of an improvement unless you’re doing body weight exercises such as push-ups.

b. Changing your sets—In this program, you do 1 or 2 sets depending on the workout. You can take these workouts to another level by adding a set, taking it up to 3 sets per exercise, making sure you rest in between. When you change to a different workout, you may start with fewer sets and increase over time.

c. Changing the type of resistance—In this program, we use bands and dumbbells for a variety of exercises. You can also use things like medicine balls, gym machines, barbells, or any other type of resistance to change how an exercise feels and how your muscles work.

d. Changing your exercises—Another way to progress is to change the exercises you do, much like in this program. For example, during the first two weeks, you did wall push-ups. Eventually, you progressed to modified push-ups on the floor. You could progress that further by doing push-ups on your toes. Even the simplest change counts, such as standing on one leg while doing a biceps curl or even sitting during an exercise instead of standing.

THE REVERSIBILITY PRINCIPLE

This principle is the very reason for this chapter, because it’s all about the fact that if you don’t use it, you lose it. Research shows that just a month off from exercise can reverse all the good things you achieved, which is why you have to keep using those muscles.

Exercise isn’t just a means to an end, but an ongoing journey, and you should consider it part of your daily lifestyle, just like brushing your teeth or taking a shower. And realize that sometimes, you can exercise on a regular basis and sometimes you can’t.

It could be a physical issue or something that happens in your life but, chances are, it will happen. But you can always start again.

With that in mind, it’s wise to have some ideas of how to keep that momentum going.

THE SPECIFICITY PRINCIPLE

This is probably one of the easier principles to keep in mind because it has to do with what you want to accomplish.

This principle, simply said, is that you do what serves you the best. For example, if I have a client who loves to garden, I focus more attention on those areas: Squatting, bending, pulling, and digging.

Another client might want to run a marathon, which involves an entirely different type of training.

The key is to think about what you want to get out of life every day and specifically the movements those tasks require and then focusing on strengthening those movements.

TIPS TO KEEP GOING

✓ Keep to a schedule—Keep planning your workouts on a regular basis so they’re a part of your life, just like a doctor’s appointment. Plan them out and put them in your calendar.

✓ Mix things up—You have weeks of workouts and exercises to choose from and, with your newfound strength, you may be ready to venture out and try other activities. Cross-training with other activities keeps your body and mind strong in new and different ways.

✓ Don’t be afraid to experiment—While the program may seem regimented, once you get a basic foundation of strength you can push your limits a little. Try doing the workouts in reverse order or group exercises together. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut sometimes, so make an effort to change things on a regular basis.

✓ Keep exploring—One great thing about the time we live in is that information is at our fingertips. You can often find free videos on the Internet, community group fitness classes, and other resources to tap into to make things more interesting.

✓ Remember what you’ve learned—Strength training is a learning experience as well as a time to connect with your body in a different way. Keep that connection with your body going.

Most importantly, consider exercise as your own personal Fountain of Youth that will keep you strong and independent. Focusing on your quality of life is a great way to stay motivated in taking care of your body, for the present and for the future. The great thing is that your body knows what you need. Listen to it.

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