My Favorite Work Out

shawnnaarmstrong5463

45 minutes on a Sole recumbent bike, and light free weights. At least 5 days a week. It’s low impact, and easy to stick with. I keep the bike in my bedroom.

Retroguy2000

That's good, however "light" free weights probably won't do much for you unless it's a) hard enough to be close to failure, and b) progressive overload.

shawnnaarmstrong5463

What does “progressive overload” mean?

shawnnaarmstrong5463

Folks, please share your favorite work out routine, and explain why you prefer it to others. I like the recumbent bike because it provides a great workout, without damaging my spine. I am 59 years old, and after years of very high impact exercise, I need a low impact routine that produces results.

Retroguy2000

You need progressive overload to encourage the body to adapt. If e.g. someone lifts 10 pound dumbbells for 10 reps, and does that week in week out forever, then depending on their starting point they may get some initial beginner gains, but that's all. You need to be adding reps and/or weight and/or other forms of intensifier techniques to encourage adaptation.

Say you're doing 10 reps with those light weights, try next time going to failure. Grinding out a rep slowly but with proper form counts, but being unable to complete a rep with proper form is failure. If say you've been doing 10 reps while you could actually manage 20, then those 10 reps aren't doing much of anything for you.

You can help to maintain the muscle you have by using sufficient load as described above, but with far less volume (sets per week) than it takes to build it.

My preferred workout is lifting at home, maybe 35+ mins on the recumbent bike on a day off, and maybe a 45-min walk with 25 pounds in a backpack on non-lifting days.

AnnPT77

Favorite workout? This:



(Me in yellow.)

Why I prefer it? To me, it's super fun.

It's a thing I can keep working to improve technically forever, which keeps my head happy. On any given day, it can be anything from an easy paddle on a beautiful day to a heart-pounding super-intense race-pace workout. I can compete if I want to (which I've done in the past, but not in formal races recently).

I've been doing it for around 22 years, started in my late 40s (just after full bore cancer treatment, obese at the time; now age 68 and at a healthy weight). It works for my body because it can be quite intense, but it's low impact, and (because it has straight-line hinging motions of the knees) it doesn't seem to make my torn meniscus or knee osteoarthritis worse.

The woman in pink is now age 78, and still rowing regularly (but she's also been weight training for 40+ years, to her credit): I'd like to be like her a decade from now.

But I also like that I can do it in the same boat with people of any ages (who are big enough for adult equipment). In recent weeks, I've rowed with people from 18 to 78; former beginners this season, to recent former collegiate rowers from strong programs, to people who've been rowing competitively and coaching for decades. In the past, I've rowed in boats with former and (then) future Olympic team rowers.

I love my sport/hobby. I'd do it even if it weren't good for me. But it is.

neanderthin

I've played Hockey all my life and it's still a great workout, my favorite hands down.

springlering62

I came to yoga, obese, in my 50’s. I love yoga.

With weight loss, some things obviously came easier: twists, binds, folds.

But I desperately want to do arm balances. I started weight training specifically to build upper body strength, to achieve yoga goals.

I cannot stand on one leg to save my life. However, I can accomplish almost anything on my hands, and even if I can’t, I’m darn well going to give it my utter best shot.

Doing arm balances isn’t going to shake the universe, but it makes me feel strong, accomplished, powerful, unique. I am the master of my own little 24”x72” part of it, and it feels awesome. Even if there is still the occasional face plant.

yirara

Running, geocaching combined with longer cycle rides or walks and certainly with traveling (found caches in 70 countries), and strength training of any type: bodyweight, lifting heavy with barbel, kettlebell.. whatever I happen to have at my disposal.

claireychn074

Probably swimming, doing a couple of miles with just my music and no other distractions - one of the very few activities that could still the noise in my head. Sadly bad rotator cuffs mean I can’t do that any more, so next fave is probably a good snatch session. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a good technical lift, but it just adds more noise in the head rather than stilling it lol.