Don’t you wish you knew some little tricks and secrets that would help your middle aged body respond better to exercise? See results a little faster? Maybe see some nice definition in your calf or arm? The truth is that even if you work with a trainer, most don’t have experience working with women over fifty. I am 64 and have been exercising for over forty years and I have learned some great tricks from some of the best trainers. You will be surprised how changing things up a bit can make your workouts more effective.
follow along with me...
- Bigger is Better: The truth is you need big weights for big changes. I’m not advocating doing a bicep curl with 50 pounds but I am advising women to not be afraid of using weights bigger than 10 pounds. That seems to be the max that most women over fifty will use. Many are still stuck with the threes and fives. You can do a thousand reps and never get that body part to really budge. You may tighten up a little but to sculpt your body you need the right tools. Care should always be taken when going up in weight. But if you’re easily doing 3 sets of at least 10 repetitions it’s time to move up.
- Go Backwards. I’m not talking about turning back the hands of time, I’m talking about those of you who use an elliptical can mix up their workouts by moving backwards on the machine. The elliptical is the best for this as it’s super easy and very safe. All you do is reverse your leg movement; by doing this you will put more concentration on your butt and under butt (you ladies know what I’m talking about).
- Stay away from the perimeter of the gym: Most gyms are set up with classrooms and cardio along the perimeter, or sides, of a gym. Get into the pit — the center of the gym where the magic happens. I think classes and cardio are great but I think most middle aged women spend too much time focusing on those activities. I love yoga but I’m certain you’re not changing your body as much as you’d like to. And doing cardio is essential but you need to spend as much time lifting weights.
- Open your hands: Instead of gripping a weight with a tight fist, try relaxing your hand and opening your palm so it’s only your thumb that’s holding the weight. With this hand position it’s your body part that’s doing the work, not the hand.
- Gotta feel it to fix it: I’m certain you’re all familiar with the term “feel the burn”. The reality is you do have to push through your routine to improve your body. Truth is, until you start feeling the muscle it has only worked to maintain its current form — once you start hurting a little is when the improvement is made. This is especially true of the abs so I encourage you all to do 30 more moves once your tummy feels like it’s on fire.
