Group: Health & Fitness over 40

Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 206, Messages: 2480

Group dedicated to men and women over the age of 40 that care about their health and want to take the fitness and nutrition down the right path.

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getting started

gwaldrog
gwaldrog
Posts: 2
Joined: 2008/11/05
United States
2012/01/02, 11:51 AM
I have just started and I have my plans in the calender but I need help as to what amount of weight to begin with on my gym workouts.
Ravenbeauty
Ravenbeauty
Posts: 3,755
Joined: 2002/09/24
United States
2012/01/02, 02:08 PM
Congrats gwaldrog, it depends on where you are at in regards to fitness..What type of workout program have you started?  What exercise level have you currently been on or are you just starting back or beginning all together? Just like starting any new fitness regime, you want to start out light and adjust your weights accordingly. Get back with your program and goals you've started and we can better assist you. 

Happy New Year!
gwaldrog
gwaldrog
Posts: 2
Joined: 2008/11/05
United States
2012/01/02, 04:46 PM
I started out as a beginner as it has been many years since I did any cadio or weight training.  As I am 58 I decided to go slowly but I do have some upper body strength from working.  I didn"t know if there is some formula for determining the amount of weight you start with like number of reps you can do with a weight of amount of weight you can lift.
Ravenbeauty
Ravenbeauty
Posts: 3,755
Joined: 2002/09/24
United States
2012/01/02, 11:11 PM
Again, it depends on your fitness goals, but before you start anything, if you have any health related issues, consult your physician first.  Depending on your goals for your routine (example: lose weight, gain muscle, define) will determine how and where you need to start.

Did you start one of the exercise programs on here?  What was it listed under? I need more info to help you out.  :-)
2012/01/02, 11:26 PM
I'm 58 too. Slow is good. Recovery is also a slow process so listen to your bodty. It really doesn't matter so much how much you lift as long as you stick with it.

Pick a weight that you can very easly do the given movement with  15 times to warm up. That's one set. Then increase the weight so that you can finish 12 repititions. That's set two. Then increase the weight to a set that you can finish ten reps.

If you do that with each exercise movement, the second day you repeat those sets you can adjust the weight.

I break my lifting into groups. On the first day I hit my legs. Second day it may be arms. The next day it's shoulders. Then , weighted abs.The next day I work my chest. The idea here is that it takes me longer to recover from each workout than it used to. Each muscle group I listed gets about a week to recover.

I do non weighted abs 3 or 4 days a week.

Don't over do it the first month. Pain is a real deterant to beginners. If you want to be fit, it's a lifestyle. It includes lifting eating reating, cardiac work  in no particular order of importance. They are all important. Stick with it and within a few weeks you'll have an idea of how much you can do.

Muscle grows at rest, not when you work it. It's very difficult to add muscle at our age. It is possible to increase strength, stamina and get lean and healthy.

Good luck