Over 40 Fitness Guide » Fitness

Fitting Fitness In Past 40

Rodney — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:25:44 +0000

If you’re over 40 and have the desire to get in shape, the great news is that it’s definitely more than possible to make some incredibly changes to your body and really get the results that you’re looking for.

Some people make the mistake of thinking that once they hit 40, it’ll be all downhill from there and it’s just too late to make significant body composition changes.

Nothing is further from the truth! If you’re dedicated and committed, your body has the potential to change just as much as it did at an earlier age as long as you use the right program for you.

It is true that someone past the age of 40 should be making a few minor adjustments to their overall approach compared with someone who was younger, so as long as you find a plan that has been designed for those over 40, you will be right on track.

That said, one thing that many of those over 40 struggle with is finding the time to get their workouts in. Life is very busy – you likely have a full-time career you’re passionate about and may still have your kids at home with you so between that and other obligations, gym time may be hard to come by.

Fortunately, with the following quick tips this doesn’t have to stand in your way of success. If you know these strategies to make fitting in fitness easier, you can move closer to the road to success.

Let’s have a look at what you should consider.

Divide Cardio Up

The very first thing that you might want to consider doing is breaking your cardiovascular time up.

It may be trying to get into the gym for a full 45 minutes, but if you can do 15 minutes first thing in the morning to jump-start your metabolism, another 15 minutes on your lunch break (walking to get lunch is perfect here) and then 15 minutes in the evening, you’ll have met your daily quota and be right on track.

Nothing says that the cardio training all has to come together and if the truth is told, often splitting it up is even better because then you’ll get three energy boosts through the day.

Or, if you’re really short on time and at a higher fitness level already, you might consider transitioning over to interval training instead. These workouts typically only last about 15-20 minutes total, so they’ll easily fit into your day.

Just be warned they are much more intense, so you need that physical conditioning base before doing them.

Focus On Short But Intense

The next thing that you should note is that when planning your strength training workouts, always focus on making them as intense as possible

You can really cut down on the overall workout time that you spend in the gym if you’re training as intensely as possible. Many people are going about their routine, really only giving 75% or so and this really holds them back from potential results. Not to mention their long rest times increase the duration of their workouts.

Shorten those rest times and lift with so much intensity that you can only complete just a few sets. You’ll actually see far superior results by lifting in this manner and dramatically cut back on the total time that you have to spend in the gym.

If you can, try and get your weight lifting workouts so fast paced that you’re struggling to keep up your breath. If you train in this manner, you’ll see cardiovascular benefits because of them as well, therefore reducing the need to add all that cardio training in the first place.

Always Turn To Compound Movements To Make The Most Of Your Time

Now, when it comes to the actual exercises that you choose to use as part of your workout program, drop all the isolation work you’re doing.

You really won’t see all that much benefit from doing isolated exercises and all they do is drain your time. If you’re struggling to fit fitness in, you want to make the most of every second you spend in the gym.

This means choosing movements that will work multiple muscle groups at once so that you can get in and get out in no time.

Perfect options include squats, deadlifts, lunges, leg press, step ups, bench presses, push-ups, lat pull-downs, pull ups, barbell rows, and the plank.

The more you tilt your focus towards these, the faster you’ll get results in a shorter period of time.

Tighten Up On Your Diet

Finally, the last must-do to consider if you’re struggling to fit in fitness is to make sure that your diet is really on track.

If you are maintaining a strict low calorie diet, you can reduce back on the total volume of cardio that you must complete as you will be creating such a large deficit through the diet alone.

While you should never cut out cardio training completely as it does offer key heart health benefits that you can’t neglect, by making sure your diet is in top shape you can reduce cardio back to just a few times per week.

Especially for those over 40 diet tends to play a key role in success, so double check that you’re eating right to lose weight.

So there you have the top things to know about fitting in fitness if you’re past 40.

It definitely is possible and getting in shape doesn’t have to feel like a second par-time job. You just need the right approach that will make the most of what time you do have and then need to put in your full effort to create the changes you’re looking for.

For more helping getting a full routine together, please check out the Fit Over 40 program.

Top 4 Medical Tests for Men and Women Over 40

Rodney — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:10:59 +0000

Turning 40 is a great milestone age to start to take stock of your overall health. But what tests do you really need?

Here are the top five medical tests men and women in their 40’s and later should get. These will prevent or stop progression of many potential medical illnesses.

Make a habit of scheduling routine physical tests and exams to stay in tip-top shape.

#1 Check Your Heart’s Health

Although it is assumed heart disease affects men most, it is still the number one killer of women.

The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself, also called coronary disease that can lead to heart attacks.

Prevention of heart attacks can be done with a few important tests and lifestyle changes.

Heart health is determined through three main tests. The first is your Cholesterol Profile. Which includes a “good” cholesterol (HDL), “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides reading. Normal triglyceride levels are below 150. Levels above 200 are high.

Blood sugar will also be tested, mainly through a fasting blood glucose test. You can test blood sugar at home, but it is still important to get this lab test. Most doctors recommend a glucose test every 3 years after age 45.

The final heart check is blood pressure. Women and men differ slightly in this area. The ideal number is 120/80 for women, while men should be 115/70.

If your blood pressure is higher than your recommended number, it could be a serious warning sign.

#2 Get A Colonoscopy

Once thought to be just a concern for men, we now know that colon cancer can kill either men or women without discrimination. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, excluding skin cancers.

Unfortunately, statistics show that less than 30% of people over 40 ever get tested. Men and women over age 45 should plan a colonoscopy at least every 2 years and then annually after age 50.

#3 Skin Tests

Skin cancer is considered the most common form of cancer. Melanoma skin cancer is the most aggressive form and can be fatal. Even the non fatal forms of skin cancer can erode skin and affect surrounding nerves and muscular tissue.

A dermatologist will examine your skin looking for irregularly shaped moles and odd colored skin. If a suspicious spot is found, it will be removed and evaluated. If the diagnosis is cancer, there will probably be further surgery to remove the tumor.

#4 Weight Check

The final test is to make sure you are at a healthy weight. Excess weight increases the workload on the heart. It also raises blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride levels and lowers HDL “good” cholesterol.

Diabetes is also a possibility with increased weight. Check with your doctor to find out if you are a healthy weight for your height. If not, they can suggest a quick weight loss, diet and exercise plan for you that will add years to your life.

These are all relatively simple tests. It is surprising how many men and women fail to get tested when they should.

If you are over 40 it is time that you became more serious about your health and scheduled a checkup with your doctor.

Adjusting and Calculating Your Calorie Intake Over 40

Rodney — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:22:25 +0000

If you do not already know it by now, your metabolism slows down after age 40. When this happens, eating the same number of calories each day that you ate in your youth will cause you to gain weight.

Now that you are over 40, this extra weight can cause all kinds of serious health concerns such as heart disease and diabetes.

The logical answer is to reduce the amount of calories you eat each day. However, everyone is unique. Some people are taller, some are more muscular. Some people are very active and others are not active at all.

Everybody has different physical needs, including how many calories you must consume to stay healthy.

Many resources out there will offer you a flat number regarding how many calories you need to take in. This does not accommodate your body’s uniqueness.

Other resources may offer you a calorie range, but there are still problems with this method. If you guess the wrong amount, you may still gain weight.

On the other hand, if you guess a number that is too low you will not eat enough of the calories your body needs to function. If you consume too few calories, your body will start consuming your muscle mass for energy. You need this muscle mass to stay strong for the rest of your life.

In order to determine the amount of calories you should eat for your ideal weight, you should first calculate the amount of calories you need at your current weight.

The initial step is to calculate your BMR, or basal metabolic rate. This is how much your energy needs to function on a basic level.

To calculate your BMR, multiply your current weight in pounds by 4.35. Next, use your height in inches and multiply that by 4.7. Add these two numbers together. Then, multiply your age by the number 4.7. Take this sum and subtract the total of the first two equations. This new total will be your BMR.

Your next step is to calculate your current level of physical activity. If you consider yourself sedentary, your number is 1.2. If you are only minimally active, this number is 1.375. Your number will be 1.55 if you are moderately active.

Finally, highly active people will use 1.725 as their number. Multiply your activity number by your BMR number. This final total will be the number of calories your body needs to function at your current weight and current level of physical activity.

You can use this number to calculate your ideal caloric intake. Instead of using your current weight, enter your ideal weight into the formula.

Also, if you need to lose weight you should also increase your level of activity. Enter your new level of activity into the formula.

Remember, you should only change your activity number if you are actually changing your level of activity.

Once you change these numbers, you will have the ideal amount of calories you need to eat each day. This total will help you overcome your slowing metabolism.

It will help you combat the illnesses that plague men and women over 40 who are overweight or obese. This is literally a “magic” number that will help you maintain your youth and vitality.

Fertility and Fitness Over 40

Rodney — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:39:14 +0000

In this fast paced world and tough economy, our lives continually get busier and more complicated. Every day, more and more men and women postpone having children to accommodate their careers.

Before they know it, they are over 40 and worried that it may be too late.

The good news is that it is not too late. It is becoming more and more common for people over 40 or later to successfully conceive. It will be more difficult that it was in your 20s or 30s, but it is definitely realizable.

It has been known for some time that women over 40 have a difficult time conceiving. Ovary and other reproductive functions naturally slow down and eventually stop as a woman ages.

However, the difference between the women who conceive over 40 and the women who do not is their level of health.

Fertility is not just a women’s issue. Studies have shown that couples where the men are over 40 are 25% to 50% less likely to successfully conceive. This ratio increases, sometimes exponentially, if the woman is also over 40.

However, just as in women, an over 40 man’s fertility is closely linked to his health.

There are plenty of serious health conditions that can affect fertility, such as diabetes and hormone imbalances. However, one of the most common causes is simply being out of shape.

Being only 20 pounds over weight can have a much greater impact on your fertility at age 40 than it did at age 30. On the other hand, if you are underweight you body tends to consume muscle for energy.

This can send a “starvation” signal throughout your body and shut down reproductive functions. Staying as close as possible to your ideal weight is the best way to stay in shape and boost fertility. This means you have to eat right and exercise appropriately.

There are reproductive doctors who specialize in fertility and can offer you any number of procedures and prescriptions. If you are not ready for such drastic measures, there are also natural remedies which have shown substantial fertility benefits.

The first remedy is to lower your stress levels related to your fertility. There are countless stories of couples over 40 successfully conceiving after they had decided to stop trying.

This is because they finally got rid of their self-imposed pressure. This kind of stress can make your body feel threatened, reducing fertility.

Many people are also using herbal remedies to boost their fertility. For women, herbs like red clover and raspberry leaf help improve reproductive function, relax the nervous system, and restore any hormone imbalances.

Men using ginseng and astralagus have shown significant increases in conception rates.

If you are over 40 and have been unsuccessfully trying to conceive, it is time to examine your fitness level. If you are not at your ideal weight or are otherwise living an unfit life, it may be time to be more proactive and aggressive about your health.

You can take herbs, pills, and other treatments to improve fertility, but even they will work more effectively if you are in shape.

How to Lose Belly Fat? For Men & Women Over 40

Rodney — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:33:15 +0000

If you have noticed that you are a bit wider around the waist than you used to be then you are part of a growing epidemic called abdominal obesity.

Over the last decade, the cases of people over 40 suffering from abdominal obesity have more than doubled. This number continually increases because an estimated 78% of all middle aged men and women lead sedentary lifestyles. This problem is compounded by poor diet.

However, you can look better than ever and get head turning six-pack abs through simple, but proven, fitness and nutritional changes.

Warning Signs

If your midsection is showing more bulge these days, you should know the serious health risks associated with abdominal obesity.

Researchers have learned that a high concentration of abdominal fat is typically a result of a diet containing carbohydrates with a high glycemic index and too many fats. This dangerous equation can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and is even suspected to be the cause of some cancers.

Studies have also shown that people who suffer from abdominal obesity are 25% more likely to suffer from migraines. Countless middle aged men and women are plagued with weight-related back problems that prevent them from performing everyday, basic tasks and they risk losing their independence.

On the other hand, men and women over 40 who have made the fitness, nutritional, and lifestyle changes needed to get a flat tummy are predominantly free of obesity and age related health concerns. These people tend to be healthier which results in fewer doctors’ visits, lower prescription costs, and a longer life span.

You can have the same success, no matter what your age, genetics, gender, or body style. You have the same ability to build muscle as you did in your youth. The exercises that kept you lean and tone at 20 will keep you lean and tone at 50. As you age, you should have even greater motivation to eat right and workout.

Therefore, as long as you do the right exercises, followed by the right nutrition and lifestyle, you should have that six-pack that will make everyone stop and stare.

What Not To Do

There are a lot of so called experts out there that will tell you how to get fantastic abs, for a fee. The truth is that there is no gimmick or fad out there that will get you long-term fitness and a six-pack.

This is because gimmicks and fad products promise you great results without making positive changes to your physical activity and eating habits.

Additionally, pills and other miracle remedies are often dangerous and can cause long term damage to your kidneys, liver, and endocrine system. The point of fitness over 40 is to get your body into a healthy condition that will support and lengthen the rest of your life.

You also have to use caution when exercising because not all exercises were created equal. Some exercises can cause serious injury to your back, which may already be weakened after carrying extra abdominal weight for a decade or more.

In general, an exercise that forces you to arch you back should be avoided. Some of these include hanging leg raises with an arched back, lying flat straight leg lifts, straight leg sit ups and feet-supported sit ups.

The problem with the later two is that when you are in the starting position flat on the floor you are forcing your back into an unnatural position. Always remember to keep your pelvis pitched forward in a very slight hunch.

Also, exercises on machines, such as ab machine crunches, put your back in a compromised, unstable position and you should avoid these as well.

Try to avoid exercises that are inefficient. For example, when you begin your routine simple crunches will probably give your abs a good workout.

However, as you become fit you will need to add more resistance than a simple crunch can provide.

Also, avoid torso twists because these do not adequately build abdomen muscles and they do not burn very many calories.

Finally, many people only focus on the rectus abdominus muscles which are the muscles that can be visibly seen in a six-pack. This is a mistake.

It is important that you give this muscle group an excellent workout, but you must also exercise the other muscles in your abdomen and back to get the full effect. Your back and abdomen muscles help you maintain good posture. Good posture will help your back remain strong for many years and has a fantastic impact on appearance.

When you hold your body in the proper position, it emphasizes muscle tone and a lean abdomen.

The Right Exercises

Now that you know what not to do, it is time to focus on the right movements that will get you a fantastic set of abdominal muscles.

The right movements are the same no matter if you want ripped abs or just a lean, tone appearance. The difference is how much resistance you add to your workout.

Some of the best exercises are ones that use your lower body as the source of resistance. For example, many people have great success with hanging leg raises and hanging knee raises but remember to keep your back in a hunched position.

Other exercises that are the most effective can be done at home or at a gym with simple equipment like dumbbells and an exercise ball.

Ball crunches and ball hip flexions work out both the rectus abdominus group and the supporting abdomen muscles.

Lying leg thrusts, abs scissors, reverse crunches, abs wheels, and alternating crunches can be done almost anywhere.

If you prefer a gym, decline bench leg thrusts, bench crunches, and the cable rope crunch will give you good results.

Also, abs bicycle exercises where you alternate your knees and elbows are fantastic and burn many calories.

You may also be surprised to find many other exercises that do not focus on the abs will give you an amazing abdominal workout. For example, squats, lunges, dead lifts, and multi-joint presses all focus on other muscle groups.

However, these movements require core stability that forces the abs into a flexed or crunched position with great resistance. This is especially so for front squats and renegade dumbbell exercises.

Remember that the most effective workout focuses on muscles groups from different angles. Also, there is no set amount of time that will guarantee results. In addition to you normal workout, you will probably want to include 5 to 10 minutes that are devoted to your abs.

In the beginning, you may have to workout the full 10 minutes and decrease the time as you get toned. Also, do not exercise your abs everyday. Your abs are no different than any other muscle, they need rest in order to repair and build new mass.

Keep in mind that no matter how much you strengthen your abs, you will not have the look you want unless you also address unwanted fat through cardio and good nutrition. You might be surprised to find out that many people are getting the defined abs they want through intense training, but those abs are not visible through layers of unwanted fat.

Adding a cardio workout to your program will help burn calories and eliminate extra fat. Nutritionally, many people have had better results when they include only complex, low-glycemic carbs, reduce fats, increase lean proteins, and stop alcohol consumption.

The best way to get fantastic washboard abs abs is to begin a well-rounded fitness program that includes the right exercise movements, good nutrition, and positive lifestyle changes.

There is no cookie-cutter plan out there that will work for everyone. Your body type and fitness goals are unique. The best workout program is one that is well researched and suited to your needs.

As you design your fitness program, focus on information that encourages natural methods of weight loss and health that support your over 40 fitness goals. The Truth About Six Pack Abs e-book was written by a certified nutrition specialist and personal trainer.

The book emphasizes achieving fantastic abdominal strength at any age through simple exercises and good nutrition. He discusses the causes of abdominal obesity and benefits of free weights versus machines.

Additionally, he details specific exercises that are fantastic components of any abs fitness routine. You can use The Truth About Six Pack Abs as a valuable guide on your journey to an extraordinary physique. Click here to learn more…

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Fit Over 40 Ebook Review

Rodney — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:05:29 +0000

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once said, “The key to good fitness is to understand that you must always prepare to be your best.”

This is excellent advice for men and women over 40 who have decided to recapture their youth and wellbeing through fitness.

When the goal is to improve health and strength, preparation can involve many things. Research is essential, as is thorough planning. Motivation is absolutely necessary, so is belief.

Seeking help and advice from others is one of the best things you can do to prepare yourself, but you need resources that are accurate and in your best interest.

This is why the ebook Fit Over 40 is an indispensable guide for those who have decided to change their lives for the better through fitness.

Fit Over 40 is written by Jon Benson and Tom Venuto. You may recognize both of these names. Benson has won international acclaim for his body transformation programs.

You may have also read Venuto’s many articles in leading fitness magazines like Iron Man. An interesting fact about the pair is that they come from totally different fitness backgrounds, but both are outstanding examples of the over 40 athlete.

Venuto has been a life-long health and fitness enthusiast and his methods are the result of his many years of training. On the other hand, Benson spent most of his life either sedentary or unhealthy.

It was his diminishing health and desire to overcome age-related problems that drove him to become the athlete that he is today.

The book begins with Benson sharing his personal journey towards fitness from a young age until present. Like many men and women over 40, he spent most of his life mistreating his body until his mistakes caught up with him.

After many years of trial and error, Benson found the right motivation and goals. He finally became an example of fitness and health.

He shares many of the mistakes he made along the way and will help you prepare to make better choices.

The next section of the book has great information for anyone preparing to design their fitness program.

Most people know that there is no “cookie-cutter” style program that will work for everyone. Therefore, Benson and Venuto have done the research and compiled the unique stories of 52 men and women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s who are in peak physical condition.

Each shares their fitness journey and motivational belief system. Each describes their personal exercise and nutritional plans.

One reason this is such a great collection is that every role model has a different background, yet they all reached the same phenomenal success. Many of the people featured in the book were no healthier or active than you when they began their journey towards fitness over 40.

You can use their stories to prepare yourself for your journey. Also, you can use the components of their exercise and nutritional plans that best suit your needs and build your own tailored program.

Finally, Venuto shares tips and strategies to get the same success as those role models.

He emphasizes that you must always prepare yourself by believing you can achieve your goals. He notes some age-related training tips and precautions that should be taken to ensure success and prevent injury.

Finally, he details his “Five Pillars” fitness strategy that focuses on weight training, aerobic training, flexibility training, balanced nutrition, and recovery and renewal. This section will help you design a well-rounded program that focuses on all of the physical and mental aspects of fitness.

If you are over 40 and want to begin a program to achieve health and happiness, you may be a little intimidated and not know where to start.

Fit Over 40 is a great tool to help you prepare a fitness plan that will ensure success. It can guide you to make the right choices when you encounter obstacles.

The book will teach you how to find the right motivation to carry you through your most difficult times. Fit Over 40 can help you prepare to become the best you have ever been.

Bodybuilding Over 40 Can Help You Create a Surprising New You

Rodney — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:23:51 +0000

At first thought, you may dismiss the idea of beginning bodybuilding over 40. Perhaps you have recently decided to focus on health and fitness, but getting the sculpted physique of a body builder seems out of reach.

Yes, it is an ambitious goal. However, with focus and a good exercise plan you can join the scores of men and women bodybuilders over 40 who have shaped their bodies into perfect specimens of strength, power, and most importantly, health.

Bodybuilding, or weight training, has very serious health and lifestyle benefits that someone over the age of 40 should not ignore. As you grow older, your risks of age-related illnesses such as heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes increase steadily.

Your risks are even greater if you are among the 78% of people over 40 who live sedentary lifestyles. These people traditionally suffer from signs of pre-mature aging such as sluggishness, stiffness, lack of agility, longer healing times, and a weaker immune system.

If left unchecked, these symptoms can quickly lead to more critical ailments, loss of independence, and even death.

On the other hand, the people who practice over 40 bodybuilding have been given a new lease on life.

In contrast to their sedentary counterparts, studies have found that bodybuilders heal more quickly and are less injury prone. What may surprise you more is that they traditionally have lower cholesterol, fewer doctor visits, significantly cheaper prescription costs, and can remain independent for almost a decade longer than non-bodybuilders.

Bodybuilders into their late 70s all insist that their workouts keep their bones stronger and relieve arthritis pain. There are even cases of bodybuilders who firmly believe their exercise abated serious ailments like multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure, and cancer.

How to Start

If you are ready to see how you can benefit from weight training over 40, then there are a couple of things you should do before you begin.

First, always consult your doctor before you begin any new fitness routine. You doctor can tell you if you are ready to take on this kind of activity.

The next thing you should do is find a partner. Whether or not you end up with a personal trainer, most bodybuilders recommend using a partner.

Partners keep an eye on one another to prevent over training and motivate each other. Your ideal partner should be at the same or slightly higher experience level as you are.

Also, you will probably benefit more if you find another person who is also looking to build muscle over 40. Then, you can work together to get over any obstacles you encounter.

Keep in mind, no one exercise regiment works for every person. While you should train on the same cycle, the individual exercises and sets will need to vary for your unique body style in order to get the best results.

Don’t be jealous if your training partner gets better results using a dumbbell, you may have the better results on the benchpress.

Finally, to get started you need to develop a weight training program. You need to understand that there is no single right way of weight lifting over 40.

There are many different weight training programs with many different variations. You need to find the one that is best for your body.

There are many men and women out there who have had outstanding success by creating a program that meets their individual needs. Study as many of these cases as you can.

Educate yourself about their cycles, number of sets, how they trained specific body parts, hurdles they faced, and other things they did to support their fitness goals. Take their methods that best fit your goals and include them in your own program.

Example Programs

While there are various types of programs for weight training over 40. The most commonly used is “Split” training and typically people have the most success using a variation of this training method.

Split refers to breaking the body into different muscle groups. Then, each muscle group is trained individually, or in conjunction with one other group, as one day of a cycle that repeats once every muscle group has been trained.

Most people believe this is more effective than training every muscle group each day of the cycle. Most experts train for one to two hours each day, focusing on one body part to break down the muscle, prepare it for growth, and then begin to increase mass.

This process takes time. Therefore, to do an entire body in one day would take many hours and you would be at greater risk of injury.

Once again, there is no set way to train but some of the more common training cycles are 3 day, 4 day, 5 day, and 10 day splits.

As you can probably imagine, the shorter cycles focus on more muscle groups each day. For example, a common 4 Day split focuses on chest and triceps on day 1, shoulders and biceps on day 2, back and legs on day 3, and rest on day 4.

The longer cycles focus on one muscle group each day. There is at least one day of rest included in every cycle. There are bodybuilders who swear by 3 day splits, but just as many swear by 10 day splits.

After you learn which split cycles worked for others, you should choose a split cycle that best suits your fitness goals and schedule. You can always change your training cycle later, but remember it will take some time to see how effective your program is.

Also, you may have noticed the example above does not include abs. This is because many bodybuilders work on their abdomen every day, as extra training using crunches and sit ups.

Ensure Your Success

If you want to have the “ripped” physique of a bodybuilder, you will need to do more than just train.

People who have been most successful at weight training over 40 made changes throughout their life. Many added a cardio routine to supplement their training and to burn any extra fat caused by overeating.

Every bodybuilder will tell you that you need to practice excellent nutrition. While nutritional needs vary for each person, typically bodybuilders eat several small meals throughout the day that are protein rich and include complex carbohydrates.

Just as you should develop your training program based on the winning programs others use, you should base your nutrition plan on the eating habits of your bodybuilding role models.

Finally, most body builders insist that keeping a positive attitude in all aspects of their lives helped them achieve amazing physical results.

If you want to master your body, study the examples set by your personal role models and use their experiences to shape your own unique program. They can teach you to overcome obstacles you may encounter on your journey to health and fitness.

An excellent resource for bodybuilding over 40 is the e-book Fit Over 40.

The author of the book has interviewed 52 men and women from the ages of 40 to over 70 and chronicled their training program, nutritional habits, and fitness background.

Each person’s story is unique and you can use their stories to create your story of fitness for the rest of your life. Click here to learn more…

Over 40? Exercise Programs Can Make Your Golden Years the Best Yet

Rodney — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:28:43 +0000

If you are over 40 then you are reaching a point in your life where you must take charge of your health or you may lose it.

Exercise is an investment in your future. It is the key to keeping your independence later in life, preventing disability, and living longer.

Over 78% of men and women over 40 exercise inadequately or not at all. It is believed that sedentary people lose 15% of their muscle mass each decade after 50 and 30% each decade after 70.

Doctors state that most people over the age of 50 show signs of being pre-maturely old including stiffness, frailty, heart disease, diabetes, and many other ailments.

However, even the frailest and elderly patients have seen dramatic improvements in health and well-being once they began to exercise.

Studies have shown that, while age-related muscle deterioration is always present, that men and women well into their 80s have the same ability as an 18 year old to build muscle and reduce fat.

This increases health and agility, giving them the ability to be in control of their lives even into their 90s.

For example, a Swedish university studied very elderly patients whom had never exercised. Simply by lifting 80% of their body weight 3 times a week, they displayed a 5% increase in strength each training day.

Additionally, they found themselves able to take part in normally daily routines with less and less assistance. Nothing can prevent aging, but you can change the way your body ages through well-rounded over 40 workouts that include cardio, weight training, and stretching.

Cardio for a Healthy Heart and Weight Loss

A good Cardio routine is a vital part of any exercise program.

Cardio, as the name implies, improves cardiovascular health and burns calories. Cardio exercise increases the flow of blood, which strengthens your heart and lungs for overall heart health.

Many people suffering from all stages of heart disease have seen substantial improvement through cardio.

Also, cardio helps you lose unwanted weight if you burn more calories than you consume. Therefore, the more calories you consume, the more cardio you will have to do.

If you are eating right, most experts will agree that 30 to 90 minutes is a fantastic cardio workout. Even on your days of rest, you should try to do some light cardio such as riding a bike.

Once you reach your fitness objective, experts typically say you can do as little or as much cardio as you need to prevent weight gain.

If you exercise program is all-inclusive, you will have to determine your ideal time for cardio. Many people do weight training early in the day followed by cardio at the end of the day.

Others have found that cardio immediately before weight training helps their muscles be better prepared. This is a personal decision you must make.

You may want to try one method for a period of time and then change to another until you find what works best for you.

When you are doing cardio, try to make it as effective as possible for your total body. For example, keep your abdomen in a “crunched” position to strengthen your abs which is normally not the focus of most cardio workouts.

Many professionals recommend the use of ankle and wrist weights during cardio workouts to increase strength at the same time.

Cardio workouts are so varied that there is literally something for everyone. If you are worried about the strain on your body, there are plenty of lower-impact cardio workouts.

Swimming, spinning, elliptical trainers, canoeing, and ropes courses are all fantastic and will spare your joints. Bicycling is a great way to get from place to place. If you are feeling more adventurous, try rock climbing or kick boxing.

Of course, if your schedule is tight there is typically an aerobics or step class happening at most gyms throughout the day.

Strengthening & Toning

Strengthening and toning is typically brought about by weight training. It is through weight training that you can sculpt your body to any level of fitness you desire.

You can have the “ripped” physique of a body builder, strive for overall firmness and tone without building muscle, or simply increase your overall body strength and fitness.

It is all up to you and it is all completely obtainable if you focus on your long-term goals.

If you are adding strengthening and toning to your routine, most people have had success when they are under the instruction of a personal trainer.

Also, most experts recommend that you work out with a partner to help you stay motivated and keep an eye on you. Typically, you will want to find a partner who is either at or slightly above your current fitness level and who is working out on the same cycle as you.

Weight training is typically done in a cycle with splits where you do a certain quantity of “sets” focusing on one body part or more (such as backs and legs) on one day, then another body part (biceps and shoulders) the next day, and so on.

This is just one example, there are countless combinations and you will have to find the combo that is right for you. Make sure that every body part gets worked out evenly by the end of your cycle.

The more popular cycles are 3 day, 4 day, 5 day, and 10 day cycles. These cycles typically include rest days, to prevent over training or injury.

Several success stories include pushups and crunches to work on abs throughout every day of the cycle. Another technique used in some of the success stories is to occasionally change up your weight routine to “shock” your body into building more muscle.

This is an uncommon approach, but one that may work for you in your over 40 workout.

Flexibility

Yoga, and other stretching based exercises, plays an important role in middle age exercise and health.

Men and women alike are learning the profound affect yoga and stretching can have on the body. These exercises keep your body flexible which not only promotes joint health and prevents stiffness, but is also believed to help prevent injuries in the case of a fall.

A good stretching routine also prepares your muscles for growth. Therefore, stretching should always be done before and after any strength training.

Some of the other exercises that promote stretching and flexibility are dancing and gyrotonics.

Listen to Your Body

Always keep in mind that the point of exercise is to improve the health of your body, not to put it at risk.

You should always ask your doctor before beginning any exercise regiment and continue to keep your doctor updated on your progress at your regular visits. Your doctor can give you valuable advice regarding your body’s current fitness level and which exercises you might begin with.

Also make sure you do not over train, especially during periods of stress or illness. When you over train, you run the risk of injuring yourself which can greatly delay your path to fitness.

Stress and illness further compromise your body and puts you at risk for serious injury. A personal trainer or other licensed fitness expert can give you guidance to help you prevent over training.

Find Personal Heroes

If you are over 40, exercise might seem like quite an uphill challenge. However, there are many people out there who faced that same mountain and conquered it.

People from 40 to 90 and from all walks of life have turned their aging bodies into the very picture of fitness and health. If they can do it, you can too.

Just as there is no one exercise plan that works for everyone, there is no single success story that will work for you. The best thing you can do is to study as many success stories as you can.

Learn about each person’s exercise regiments, which techniques worked for them, and which showed little result. Decide which components best match your exercise objectives and incorporate them into your plan.

This way you will develop a diverse workout program that is tailored to your needs, which will greatly improve your chances of success.

The e-book Fit Over 40 is a fantastic compilation of these kinds of success stories. The author has included his own personal story of how he mastered exercise over 40, along with 52 other stories.

These stories include men and women of all ages past 40, including some in their 70s and later. In the book, each person has detailed their individual exercise program along with their personal journey to becoming physically fit.

You will read about the hurdles others had to cross, to keep you prepared and motivated on your journey. You can use Fit Over 40 as a powerful tool in your arsenal to overcome negative influences and make your body the best it has ever been. Click here to learn more…

It’s Never Too Late to Become Happier and Healthier: A Guide to Losing Weight After 40

Rodney — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:53:17 +0000

You may not know when it happened, but your body has changed.

Perhaps you noticed you cannot lose those extra holiday pounds as quickly as you used to.

You may have caught sight of yourself in the mirror and seen a paunchy mid section where there used to be a lean tummy.

It’s possible your wake up call was a scary trip to the hospital, forcing you to realize that you can no longer rely on your youth to stay fit and healthy.

No matter how you decided it was time for a change, you have now joined the countless men and women committed to improving their lives by losing weight after 40.

The key to weight loss and the main challenge faced after 40 is metabolism. Your metabolism is responsible for consuming about 60-70% of all the calories your body burns each day.

While everyone is different, metabolism generally begins to slow between the ages of 40 to 50. In your prime, your body typically burned 10 to 15 calories per pound daily with only moderate activity.

By age 50, this total decreases by more than 200 calories daily and continues to decrease throughout the rest of your life.

Your decreasing metabolism makes it harder for you to lose weight after 40, just as it is becoming more important that you stay healthy. As your body ages, your risks of heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses increases.

However, most doctors agree that the best way to combat these issues is by staying fit and losing unwanted weight.

If you are ready to lose weight then you need to develop an educated approach that will ensure your success. Every body is different and therefore has diverse fitness needs. There is no single plan that will work for everyone.

Your weight loss plan must address your specific nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle requirements. If you study which methods worked for others, it will help you develop a plan that will work for you.

Keep in mind, your first step should be to ask your doctor about your body’s unique fitness needs and to determine at which intensity level you should begin.

Nutrition and Eating Plans

Most people know that a key to weight loss is good nutrition and a strong eating plan. However, it can be difficult to understand good nutrition.

There is a lot of conflicting information out there about the importance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. However, these three all play an important role in good nutrition.

People who have had the most success in losing weight over 40 use a nutrition plan that includes a careful balance of the right kinds of foods from each group.

Many people include lean proteins in their daily nutrition plan because they give you energy and are low in fat. While you need fat for energy, too much can cause weight gain and decrease metabolism.

Therefore, a good idea is to not eat a meal where more than 20% of the total calories are from fat. This is why leaner proteins are more effective than those with higher fat content.

Men and women over 40 have both had success when they include complex carbohydrates, especially those with a low glycemic index, in their meal plan.

Also, many people make sure their diet is rich with fiber to help your body metabolize food and cleanse your system. Also, it is recommended that you eat foods in their most natural, unprocessed form to get the most nutrients.

Another key to weight loss is to drink adequate amounts of water because water is essential to metabolism and other basic bodily functions. Every success story out there includes ample hydration.

There is a very simple way to determine how much water your body needs.

Take your current weight and divide that by 2, the resulting number is how many ounces of water you need daily. You should add an additional glass of water for every hour you exercise.

Finally, most people who have had great weight loss success will tell you to abstain from alcohol or any substance that does not nurture your body.

Strategically planning your meals is as important as what you eat. Practically every man and woman who has had significant weight loss after 40 practices meal planning. Most switched from 3 large meals a day to 5 or 6 small meals daily.

Your specific meal plan will have to be based on your physical needs and schedule. For example, some people found it easier to eat their carbs earlier in the day; this helped them feel full into the evening.

Other people with a lot of activity throughout their daily schedule found a need to have a complex carb at every meal.

Many experts recommend tracking your meals to make sure you are getting the right nutrients and not too many calories. The more calories you consume, the more work you will have to do to burn them.

However, you should still eat enough so that you slowly and consistently lose weight. This will make you develop life-long good eating habits instead of crash-dieting which often leads to failure.

Finally, some people have had success on very strict diets. Others have been able to give themselves a small treat once a week or so and still lose weight.

Inevitably, you will have to make the decision that is right for you and develop your nutrition plan accordingly.

Develop an Exercise Regiment

If you are practicing great nutrition then you need to develop a great exercise program that complements your efforts. Great exercise is when you develop a well-rounded plan that addresses both cardiovascular fitness and muscle strengthening and toning.

Your well rounded plan should balance cardio, strengthening, and stretching.

Cardio workouts burn calories quickly. If you are new to exercise, many people recommend starting with walking. You can gradually increase your time and distance and work your way into a light jog.

Once you can lightly jog for 30 minutes or more, you should be able to handle any other type of cardio workout. If you are worried about the strain on your joints, many people have had great success with low-impact workouts like swimming and spinning.

Strength training builds and tones your muscles. Muscles get energy by burning excess fat.

The more muscle tone you have, the easier it is for you to lose unwanted weight. While everyone has a different routine, many people who have been successful at losing weight after 40 have developed week-long programs that focus on a different part of the body each day.

This ensures that every muscle in your body gets an adequate workout every week.

Some programs include a day of rest in the middle of the week. Each program should also be coupled with a regular cardio routine.

While not every person who has had weight loss over 40 has used this technique, many recommend adding a yoga-like activity to a workout plan. This stretching helps prepare the body for the muscle building and cardio activity to come.

Also, the relaxation that accompanies this type of activity can help give you the mental clarity and positive outlook you need to pursue and achieve your goals.

Lifestyle Changes

To ensure life-long health, it is important that your weight loss plan correct the negative aspects of your life that lead to weight gain and poor fitness.

Lifestyle is where everyone’s needs vary most. Whether it is to spend more time with loved ones, to build self-confidence, or to improve health, everyone’s motivation is unique.

If you use this motivation as the foundation for your weight-loss plan, you will be greatly increasing your chances of success.

Many people who have had significant weight loss after 40 will tell you that they have reduced negative thinking in their life. They believe that having a negative attitude about anything translates to tension, lack of energy, overeating and poor health.

On the other hand, most state that having a positive mental attitude helped motivate them to exercise and eat well.

Let Others Guide You

Losing weight after 40 will probably not be as easy for you as it was at 20 or 30. However, this does not mean that you cannot face this challenge and become healthier than you ever have been.

The key will be to develop a weight-loss plan that is tailored to your body, your schedule, your goals, and your life.

Once again, there is no single weight-loss plan that is guaranteed to work for everyone. The best thing you can do is to study what has worked for others. Use those people as role models to shape your individual program.

The e-book Fit Over 40 is a valuable resource in your quest to lose weight. The author of Fit Over 40 has collected the fitness success stories of 52 men and women at all stages of life past 40.

He also includes his own life journey to fitness after age 40. Studying the nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes each of these people made will help you build a weight loss over 40 program that is ideal for you. Click here to learn more…