Lifting Weights and Training Over 30

I’m a 45 year old bodybuilder and here are some things you should think about when training.

If your over 30 to 40 years old and you work out with weights, I would recommend being a little more cautious and training smarter. Were not teenagers any longer and we shouldn’t throw around weight and lift weights without warming up. Our joints can no longer handle that. Here are some recommendations that I want to share with the over 30 lifters:

• Use The Right Training Routine: a well thought out periodized training routine that alternates between periods of higher volume and higher repetition (10-15 reps) lifting with periods of lower repetition and heavier weights (5-8 reps) will provide the best gains. You should have active recovery phases where training volume is dramatically reduced. Your training routine should not be more than 60 minutes long and frequency of body part training will depend upon your individual recovery. Teens and those in their twenties can train a bodypart every 48-72 hours (or twice a week). When your thirty and older you should be training once every five to seven days to get the most benefits.

• Warming up: Warming up is very important, and it becomes more important as we get older. Make sure you thoroughly warm up before working out. Get on the treadmill for 5 to 10 minutes to raise your core temperature. Do the first set of each exercise with 80% or less of your max so that you can used to the weight and properly warm up the muscles to be worked. Make sure you wear warm clothing if you are in a cold climate.

• Perform The Right Exercise Techniques With The Proper Weight at the right speed: Proper execution of each exercise and proper lifting speed is crucial. Don’t sacrifice exercise form to add more weight. If you lift with extremely heavy weights without the proper form you will eventually hurt yourself. You don’t want to stimulate the muscles the wrong way by tearing a muscle or by hurting your joints. Always choose a weight that allows for full control of the weight. Make sure that your lifting speed is steady and controlled on the way up and slower on the way down. Contract your muscles at the top position. Contracting helps to give your muscles maximum stimulation without having to use extremely heavy weights.

• Ensure Your Rotator Cuff Health: A most common injury in weight training is the rotator cuff. Be careful when training your shoulders because you can really mess them up if you go too heavy on them.