Unlike endurance and power training, strength (or resistance) training is considered the foundation of all types of training. No wonder it is sought after by most gym enthusiasts, especially our beloved seniors. It is the best line of attack to counter and slow down the consequences of sarcopenia—“involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and bone density starting at age 30.” In fact, the body loses between 3% and 8% of its skeletal mass and bone density each decade. Without strength training to slow down sarcopenia, many individuals experience difficulty walking, climbing stairs, and standing, along with a high risk of falls and fractures if no weight-bearing activity is incorporated.
Here are a few tips to maximize your strength training:
- Warm up with a suitable cardio activity before exercising and cool down with dynamic or static safe stretching afterward (5-10 minutes minimum).
- Use both free weights and machines to challenge muscles, core, joint stability, and enhance body definition.
- Focus on posture, breathing, and body alignment more than just weights, the number of repetitions, or sets. An ideal strength training routine will aim for 8-15 repetitions and 1-3 sets.
- Keep an eye on your exercise tempo by counting to 3 when lowering weights, holding for one second, and then counting back to 3 while lifting weights back to the starting position.
- When it comes to breathing efficiently, the golden rule in free weights training is to inhale during the hardest part of the exercise (lifting, pushing, rotating, or pulling—the positive phase of the lift) and exhale during the negative phase (the easiest part).
- Keep challenging your exercise routine every 3-4 weeks to avoid body stagnation, also known as a plateau. It is common sense to mix up exercises, safely increase weights, vary the level of difficulty of execution, change break times, the number of sets and repetitions, and adjust the tempo of execution (momentum).
- Use the art of visualization by planning your workout sessions ahead, concentrating on your routine, connecting with your body muscles, and staying away from external distractions.
Have a great workout, and feel free to reach out to your personal trainer for any additional fitness tips, nutrition plans, or other related questions. Stay fit, stay healthy, and invest some of your time to increase the quality of wise living.
Trainer Tip by FitPlan Trainer Tip Khalil Rizki
