Us Ageing Athletes

I have written several short articles as well as shared some good posts on training as we age. It is an important topic as we are living longer and learning more about how much we can still actually do as we age rather than follow old tradition and accept that as we age we become useless and decrepit.

This is quite a mindset change for those already in their later years, it’s not too late for this demographic but it is harder to make the necessary changes to mind and body. If those who are moving through their 40’s and 50’s now are not already active and training then it is time to get moving. It is not too late and changes can be made. Those who are even younger have more to lose and can also make greater gains. Any activity at any age is better than none, but the right activity for your age will be far more productive.

It is during our 40’s and 50’s that our lives tends to be the busiest in terms of work and family. Climbing the career ladder, running around after our children as glorified taxi drivers and supporting them as they move through their teenage years in growing up and studying hard.

Finding time for ourselves can be a challenge, and if we want to continue to be able to support our families and have the energy to progress our careers then we need to keep ourselves fit and healthy.

This can be different from the training we may have done in our 20’s when how we looked or how we performed in our chosen sport was the priority. Now we need to consider what we can still do as well as what our training and lifestyle goals are too. Keeping mobile, fit and healthy must come higher on the priority list than washboard abs and bulging biceps. That said, this is still possible too with the right training programme and determination.

As I’ve said before we lose muscle at an ever increasing rate as we age, our metabolism slows down and we take longer to recover during and from training sessions. With this in mind it is clear that there are certain training goals that should be part of the programme irrespective of the individual’s personal goals or preferences.

• Train to keep and gain muscle mass
• Take appropriate recovery and rest between exercises and training sessions
• Ensure appropriate nutrition for lifestyle goals and training aims
• Employ both steady state and high intensity conditioning training methods
• Listen to your body!

Training to maintain or gain muscle mass can be achieved by progressive overload of those muscles. That overload can be in the form of an increasing resistance or load, an increase in repetitions or a decrease in rest time. For high intensity conditioning Tabata or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) would be most appropriate. This includes Les Mills Grit, Crossfit and Metafit type training.

Stretching and mobility work is essential as we age to maintain joint range of motion, Yoga and ensuring as full a range of movement as possible when exercising will help in this too.

There are some great Master’s programmes and groups out there, Crossfit does this well as do many bodybuilding and weightlifting clubs and organisations.

However, this may not be for you and you may wish a more flexible or bespoke approach. If you want more specific help and advice on any aspect of your training plan then please do not hesitate to contact me on tsilvester@getcoached.net or via my Facebook page Get Coached.

Olympic Lifts and HIIT Workouts

I’ll start by saying I know that I’m going to upset some purists on both sides of the fence!

Sorry guys but this is already out there in classes and workouts, I am just giving my views and opinions on how the Olympic Lifts can be used within HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) type workouts.

Grit by Les Mills, Crossfit and various other HIIT or circuit class's use variations of the Olympic lifts in their programmes to great effect. Crossfit in particular uses barbell exercises very well and has made the more traditional lifts popular again.

So let's put this in perspective here, for those of you that feel putting these lifts into a class is a disgrace then consider this; the majority of the people that attend these classes are not looking to lift seriously (in terms of loading up the Olympic lifts or competing) and just want a good whole body workout that leaves them feeling challenged and satisfied at the end of the class. Those that are lifting for sporting gains will seek out a qualified Strength & Conditioning coach and those looking to be competitive Olympic lifters will join a weight lifting club to get expert coaching.

So why are these lifts becoming more popular in mainstream health clubs and included in gym workouts and classes more frequently?

Well the various elements of the Olympic lifts and the full lifts themselves are whole body, multi-joint compound movements that engage a lot of fast twitch muscle thus having a high calorific expenditure, a big metabolic boost effect, high EPOC (Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption) as well as various other health & fitness benefits. They are fast, explosive and energy sapping; ideal for a HIIT workout!

• Multi Joint - The movement uses more than one joint in the body i.e. the squat involves the ankle, knee and hip joints
• A Compound exercise is an exercise that elicits multi joint movement such as deadlifts or military press
• Fast twitch muscle fibres are our high energy muscle fibres that enable powerful, fast movement.
• Our metabolism is the rate at which our bodies use energy or calories. Our BMR (Base Metabolic Rate) is the energy we use to live, digestion, breathing, heart beats etc
• Activity increases our metabolic rate as does an increase in muscle mass. Our metabolism can remain elevated for several hours after intense activities
• This is also linked to EPOC where intense activity has increased our metabolic rate and as such the amount of oxygen required by the body post activity
• HIIT can reduce the risk of metabolic disease such as diabetes,  cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular diseases
• HIIT can decrease age related arterial stiffness
• HIIT can increase insulin sensitivity
• Correct technique is still crucial, this will ensure that the exercise is safe and effective. Even with a lighter load there is a risk of injury (as with any exercise) if executed poorly.

The benefits are fantastic though, having coached Grit, delivered S&C to various athletes up to Olympic and Paralympic level and used them in my HIIT Works programmes I can assure you of their effectiveness.

I hope you found this motivational?

There are several options for you to find out more/get more from your HIIT workouts;
You can you our HIIT Works closed Facebook group @TheHIITWorksbyGetCoached or email me at tsilvester@getcoached.net or go to www.getcoached.net/the-hiit-works
Well there you have it, enjoy and unleash your inner athlete!