The Big Five Oh

Well here I am the other side of 50, but only by a few days. I would have dreaded the day if I hadn't been been in better shape at 50 than I was at 30!

I anticipated my last work-out of my 40's and envisioned it as one of those super-powered work-outs that leave you on an adrenaline high for days. Ironically, it was nothing of the sort- in fact it was kind of flat, as was the first one as a fifty year old.  Well that's okay, it's pretty common to have one or two less than perfect work-outs from time to time. The main thing is not to beat yourself up about it do the best you can and enjoy the really great work-outs when they happen.

Happily, I was back on track today and enjoyed the gym so much, it was kind of hard to leave.

Lose your gut with squats

Visceral fat - the fat around the organs that's killing us off with diabetes, heart disease and cancer is hard to get rid of. You can do sit-ups till your blue in the face, but working your biggest muscles, i.e. your legs will help burn that fat off. For this I like the squats and done properly you can feel it in your quads, hamstrings and abdominal muscles.

Squats can be done a number of ways; with a barbell, with dumbbells, in a Smith machine to name a few. The important thing is to do them correctly. You have to squat down far enough so that your thighs are parallel with the floor. Try putting a bench there and lower yourself down onto it- preferably, just till your butt touches it. Then stand up again pushing yourself through your heels. There is definitely a potential for injury if not done correctly, so ask a trainer to help you before you try it.

Some people scoff at using the Smith Machine for squats, but I use it because I put my feet way out in front and keep my back vertical and my head up. With squats I aim for higher reps and less weight at first, then after a few sets, I'll up the weight and do less reps. Also, I'll try not to rest too much between sets like I would with other routines. I'll often follow a few sets of squats with leg extensions making sure to incorporate a drop set in there somewhere.

One things for sure, if I've worked really hard it makes me walk funny for a while after and I know I'm making progress.

More running

Ever since I can remember I've had people ask me "Are you related to Roger Bannister- you know,  the first person to run a four minute mile".

I'm not related, but I've often wondered if we share some distant ancestor. The ironic thing is that I'm not a even a good runner. In school I had the longest legs yet I was the slowest. I was pretty uncoordinated, but back then I also lacked the will or the competitiveness.

Now at 50, I seem to have found the will I never had and the competitiveness, although I'm mostly competitive with myself.  I'll never get close to what decent runners can do today, let alone the likes of my namesake. Its amazing to think that a 4 minute mile means running at better than 15 miles per hour and that even the best marathoners can keep up an average speed of better than 12 mph

Roger Bannister at age 80

I've tried cranking the treadmill up to 12 and its frighteningly fast, I'm too chicken to crank it up to 15 lest I make a complete fool of myself and fall off the end, but even if I could get there, I doubt I could maintain it for more than a few seconds

Sir Roger Bannister (he was knighted in 1975) completed the first sub four minute mile in May 1954. Since then, its been beaten 18 times by 13 people with the current fastest record of 3:43.13 being held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco (17 1/2 mph in case you wondered- I did).

I've only been running a week or two, but I'm going to keep at it. I won't even come close to a 4 minute mile, probably be lucky to get a 6, but I'll always be in awe of those runners who can maintain high speeds in distance running.

Drop sets

I love Sundays; its the day I can really work hard at the gym and spend the time I feel I need without worrying about getting to work on time. It's the day I can do sets and have enough time to fit in some drop sets to maximize intensity. Check out this great article at Bodybuiliding today on how drop sets can really benefit.

Russian Twists and Medicine Ball decline crunch

A quick visit to the gym this morning (an anomaly for Saturday) but got in 20 minutes of running and some core work.

Here's part of what I did:

Russian Twist: 

1. Sit on a mat and hold feet out in front, but elevated slightly off the ground (balancing on the butt)
2. Hold a medicine ball in front, and rotate shoulders to the left. hold the position for a breath then rotate to the right- hold again. (keeping feet elevated)
3. 3 sets of 30 reps - 15 per side 

Medicine ball decline crunch: 

1. Lie on a decline bench and secure legs in the end
2. Hold a medicine ball at chest
3. Push the small of back down against the bench so to isolate abdominal muscles
4. Contract abs and lift shoulders off of the bench, while simultaneously pushing the medicine ball towards the ceiling
5. Hold the position, then inhale and lower shoulders down at a controlled speed.
6. 3 sets of 30 reps.

A day off

Friday- This is one of the days I don't work -out, yet its just as important as the days I do. It's the day my muscles are sore and burning- when I know they're coming back stronger from the work I put them through the day before. (I can really feel that run from yesterday!).


Apparently, as you age your muscles need more time to recover. One of the things I was doing wrong when I first started working out was not giving them enough recovery time. For one thing, I was working every muscle every-time.


I've since learned that I was over-working my muscles and actually depleting them. Damaged muscle fibres require time to recover after each workout, so that they can repair and re-build in numbers. If you incorporate sufficient recovery time  into your program and your diet is feeding the nutrients your body requires, then muscle growth will happen.

Since I figured this out, I try to rotate work-out days to exercise different muscle groups but when I work that group I push really hard.For instance on my chest, I'll do 3 sets of single arm bench press, followed by a burn set, then  do three sets of single arm bench press fly's. Then I'll do the same two routines on an incline bench. Then cable fly's, dips and so on, till my chest feels like its on fire.

So today I'll relax! Tomorrow, I think I'll have another go at that Pike/rollout

Runs like a Teddy Bear

That's what my mum used to tell me when I was a kid and because she was right (think- tall lanky version of Winne the Pooh) I never embraced running the way some people do. So a little over a week away from turning fifty, I thought I'd give it another go.

My very fit wife- a really great runner was the inspiration for this latest punishment to my shins, and because we drove to the gym together and I was done with my work-out before her, I thought I'd run a mile on the treadmill and see how it felt.  "What the hell", I figured, "I can do 3 miles on the elliptical in less than 20 minutes- how hard can it be?" Turns out, its very different to the elliptical; first off, if you have no grace- like me, it really hurts your shins. Secondly, if you have no grace like me and you're a little over 200lbs, you tend to sound a bit like an elephant thudding around the place (or a giant bear).

Well, I persevered and ran just over a mile in about 10 minutes-(okay, that doesn't sound like a very fit man, but hey, I'm still carrying the teddy bear thing). The next time (last Tuesday), I decided to do it again and take some of my wife's advice about lowering your center of gravity and trying to land lighter etc and some of that other "barefoot" running stuff. The result- not bad, I made 2.1 miles in about 20 minutes.

Trouble is, I'm very competitive with myself- and once I do something, I just have to do it again only better and faster. Today, I made 2.4 miles in 20 minutes and I think, (though I cant be sure) that I was a bit quieter. And you know what, I loved it- I got into some kind of rhythm and I could see what people mean when they say it's so freeing. Not only that, but it warmed me up nicely for my weight lifting.

I think I'll keep up the running and will probably continue being obsessed with increasing the speed and form till I find the next craze, or at least till I run less like Winnie the Pooh.

Strengthening the Core and Improving Posture

At 6'-6" I've always had a tendency to stoop. In the last ten years or so, that stoop has become more of a slouch. Since I've been working out, I've focused hard on posture and core strength, but still have a ways to go.

I work-out at the gym three days a week, and try to do core work on two of the off days, making a total of 5 work-out days a week. If I'm not splitting firewood or digging the garden that is. But even at the gym I try to incorporate core exercises with all of my sets.

Here's one of my favorite exercises to strengthen core, abs hips and back- you don't need a gym for this one:


Plank: 

1. Start by lying face down on an exercise mat. Place your elbows and forearms underneath your chest.
2. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms.
3. Keep your back straight and do not allow your hips to sag towards the ground (think plank of wood).
4. Hold this position and focus on tightening your abs until you can no longer maintain a flat bridge. You can start with 10 seconds and work up to 3 minutes. if that becomes too easy, try elevating your feet on a stool!
5. Remember to not let your hips and back sag. If you don't keep a straight line, it wont do much for you and you could injure your back

Side Plank:

1. Lie on your side with your right hand on an exercise mat. For beginners, you might want to begin this exercise on your elbow.
2. Lift yourself up to form a plank with your right arm straight and your left arm on your side.
3. Hold this position and focus on a straight line (plank of wood?) Repeat with the other side.
4. Remember to keep your body in a straight line, tightening your abs and butt muscles. You might want to start in front of a mirror to learn the technique.