May 17, 2017 · 8:18 am
“I want to be big and strong”
^^ A sentence many a man has said over the years and continues to say to this day.
“I want to be lean and strong”
^^ Something I’m pleased to announce more women are saying, it seems there has been a shift in them saying ‘I just want to be skinny’ to now learning the benefit of being lean and strong, it’s great to see.
While it is only my opinion, I feel everybody should be strong.
I’m not talking about record breaking strong, just strong enough to stay healthy and stave off the effects of ageing on the body.
These sports all centre around lifting:
– Weightlifting (olympic lifting)
– CrossFit (some may not like this one)
Did you know lifting weights can have the following positive effects on the body:
– Hormonal benefits: Higher testosterone, better insulin regulation, more growth hormone, lower cortisol to name a few
– Lowers body fat (great for improving health)
– A higher TDEE (total daily energy expenditure, more calories burnt in a day)
– Increased strength for sport/daily life
– Looking better naked (the most important benefit, obviously)
Those are only some of the benefits, there are numerous more.
Personally I’d say the mental improvement is the pivotal one as this can have the biggest impact on a persons life in a very positive way.
If you’re not an athlete and lift for health/confidence you should do it because you enjoy it, not because you feel you have to, that’s the secret to balance and long term sustainability.
Don’t eat yourself up if you miss a session, chalk it up to life and sue it as a rest day, that way you’ll be more motivated when you get to go in, excited to train in fact. Keep this in mind and you’ll find you don’t fall out of love with training.
What if lifting isn’t for you?
That’s cool, find soothing you do enjoy, here are some other options for improving strength and all achieving all the other benefits mentioned above:
– Calisthenics: bodyweight/movement training, loads of fun
– Kettlebells (sport or hard style)
– Climbing/outdoor sports
There are almost endless options.
Find something you enjoy, training shouldn’t be a chore.
Now go, have fun and make progress.
Filed under Fitness, Nutrition & Health
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August 13, 2015 · 10:00 am
Morning Guys,
Does it really get harder to progress with age or is that just an excuse?
Truth be told, it’s a bit of both excuse and change but all you have to do is learn from those changes and adapt accordingly.
While getting old comes there are changes in your bodies overall homeostasis which does mean some things need to be rethought, but there is no need to let yourself fall to pieces and pile on the pounds. If you were active as a youngster then there is no reason not to stay active well in to your golden years (look at farmers), in fact staying active could actually help you maintain a better quality of life overall.
As you age training might take a different avenue due to your physical capabilities/limitations but you can still train.
Here is what we suggest to keep in mind when training NOW so that when you get look back in a few years you won’t be saying “I wish I had done more of X”.”.
Mobility Work – It takes 5-10 min at the start of your workout, you can even do a mobility routine each to day help keep your body in tip top condition. Look up Ido Portal for all your mobility needs.
Strength Work – A staple of any workout program that should always be there. This helps increase your bone density and will also make you slightly more robust, which can help turn a slip trip or fall in to a hilarious you tube clip instead of a broken hip.
CV Work – The benefits of CV training have been well documented over the years so there is no need to delve in to them today, but keeping your heart strong will undoubtably mean you can still run and catch that bus and enjoy the benefit of a bus pass to it’s full potential.
You will notice that these three things are the basis of any decent gym program, they will become more diverse as you train specifically for different things but the basic skeleton will always consist of these elements.
No Stretching?
Provided you’re doing adequate mobility and keeping your muscles balanced in your training there is little need to stretch (unless you have problem areas).
Getting older is not a valid reason for becoming lazy.
Enjoy
Ross