Once you pass that magical forty year old marker, many people feel like they should just forget about weight lifting. The truth is, that is the worst thing that you could possibly do. Weight training can be a huge boon to men and women over forty years of age, as it builds muscle. Muscle keeps us young if we do it correctly, after all. There are, however, some adjustments that we must make as we age. Here are some tips for weight lifters once they get past the age of forty, assuming they are in good general health and are cleared by their doctor for weight training:
1. Forget the old routine. Back when you were twenty something, seven days a week lifting weights was no big deal. Your body and muscles were young, and would recover with no problems. As you age, the time it takes for your body to recover from weight training usually increases. If you find that your body will not recover as quickly, do not feel bad about working out every few days instead. You can still do your basic exercise routines on the other days, but allow your muscles to recover before weight lifting again.
2. Warm up very good…every single time. So many people think they can just grab a dumb bell and start pumping. When you were younger, you may have even gotten away with that. After forty, you will find yourself with some serious injuries if you attempt to lift without a proper warm up. Get a great stretching routine and then spend a few minutes on the fitness bike or rowing machine to get those muscles good and loose. Then go grab the weights and start your work out.
3. Cut down on the reps. As you get older, those long rep sets are going to get more and more difficult. They may even be damaging to your body if you are not careful. You are going for consistent and well formed exercises that you can repeat several times. Do not attempt to do the large rep sets you did as a kid unless you are already in fantastic shape.
4. Cut down on the amount of time per muscle group. This will also make the weight lifting session a bit more laid back, but you will work your way up to the longer workouts. Remember, you are not racing your way to health. Slow and steady will get the same results, and will do it without you hurting yourself in the process. Work out with somebody that can properly spot you, and keep the routine that you set for yourself. The body will naturally tell you when it is ready for more challenges.
Weight training after the age of forty is really not much different than it is when you are younger. The big differences is that you have to be more careful about how long, how hard, and how quickly you work out. You also need to make certain that you warm up. If you do these things, then you will find yourself in outstanding condition when you are fifty, and still pumping that iron with the young folks in the gym.
