Wednesday, December 31, 2008

How to Train Your Body After Your 40th Birthday

By Ricardo d Argence

The way that you design your workout routine and how you choose to keep yourself in shape has a lot to do with your age. Some people aged above 40 use age as their excuse for unhealthy lifestyle and to skip workouts

Your age should not be used as a carte blanche permission slip not to exercise and stay fit. If you approach weight training, diet and work outs the correct way you can maintain a remarkably healthy and fit body for many years, regardless of your age. Weightlifting and bodybuilding routines can be used to increase bone density, lose weight, become healthier and more fit, and reshape your body.

It is well known that individuals who practive regular physical fitness tend to have a better outlook on life, and are balanced emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Exercise also causes the brain to release endorphins which increase happiness and the feeling of wellness.

Let's start with some basics, being over 40 means that you do need to make a few concessions in your workout routine, but it does not mean that you have to be a victim of false notions about aging. As we get older, our muscles and joints are less limber and this means that adequate stretching and warm up prior to exercising is very important.

A time frame of 15 minutes is needed for stretching routines so you can increase flexibilty and lessen the chance for muscle pain, sprains or other damage. Your muscles will become better conditioned the more complete you stretch.

Next should come a 15 minute cardio session on a treadmill, an elliptical training machine, a stair stepper, or a stationary bike. You are not going for the gusto with this exercise, but you do want to get your heart rate up a little and you want to build upon the limbering and stretching that you just completed. This exercise will let your body know that you are serious about doing some work.

You will want to follow this warm up by doing reps with the correct weights, you should consider light weights for this workout, if in addition to this you are doing circuit training or a free weight routine you will not have the stress of heavy weights.

The pyramid system is preferred among numerous bodybuilders, this system involves performing more reps with less weight, and then as you increase the amount of weight, you start reducing the number of reps that you do. This method of weightlifting has great success for those who want to add muscle and bulk to their bodies. Focusing on proper form throughout the lift must be uppermost in your mind, even though doing so may require that you reduce the weight or the number of repetitions. This does not only reduce your risk of an injury, but it also maximizes your results.

You should train weights for about 30-45 minutes per session for at least 4 days a week. When you conclude your session of weight training, you may choose to do the cardio session again in order to tone your lungs and hearts; it's also a great way to wind down. - 16004

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