I was talking with a buddy of mine last week about training and how it fits into life. We are both former college athletes -he did track and field, I swam.
For most people, once we get done with sports, that's it. We might work out for a few years after we get done competing, but that model of constantly trying to put more weight on the bar, run more miles, and doing all of this with more responsibilities and less time leads to getting burnt out.
Just putting more weight on the bar or run more miles will run into limitations. I'm all for challenging yourself with heavy weights, but simply trying to move more weight will lead to injury. We sit all day. We have bad posture and tight muscles. We have to move, and unfortunately we don't move, or if we do, it tends to be one sided.
There are several key things that play into staying active and keeping it interesting and productive.
One: It has to be time efficient. My M/W/F boot camp classes take 45 minutes, and my own workouts take 20 to 45 minutes.
Two: To be efficient it has to address multiple needs. Each exercise has to cover multiple bases of strength, core, flexibility and fat loss.
Three: It has to be engaging and interesting. I love mixing it up with movements like kettlebell windmills, get ups, and swings. Just doing the same workout over and over is a good way to get bored and predisposed to injury.
Four: It has to connect to the rest of your life. I won't lie. It's nice to look good, but that will only take you so far. It's also nice to be able to stay active and be more resistant to injury. It's nice to be free from excessive aches and pains. It's nice to have a level of fitness that keeps your options open and keeps you off the sidelines.
And for me as an instructor, that last point is something I'm passionate about. Age is a number. There are plenty of examples of people who have either stayed fit and active when others will have long since quit, or gotten fit again later in life. It doesn't have to take over your life and it doesn't have to take hours a day.
It can be done, and unfortunately, most people sell themselves short. Don't do that.
Here are a couple of warm up and core series to get you started.
Part one:
Plank to Down Dog 1 x 10
T-Stabilization 1 x 5/5
Standing Quad Stretch 1 x 5/5
Arabesque/Angry Dog 1 x 5/5
Sumo Squat to Stand 1 x 5
Perform this round twice.
Part Two:
Plank to Push Up (AKA Super Plank) 1 x 10-20
One Leg Bridge 1 x 10-20 per side
Side Plank + Rotate (wt. optional) 1 x 10-20 per side
Bird Dog 1 x 10-20 per side
Perform this round twice.
Stay Strong,
Charlie
