Why you should lift weights if you are over 50!

It's a longish title but then we still gave a long way to go once we hit 50 years of age, well that's the plan anyway. We should be lifting weights throughout our life but I want to focus on why it's important for us middle aged folk to get under a bar.

Let's start with the obvious then, if we lift weights and follow an appropriate and progressive training plan then we will more than likely get stronger. This is great because it means that we are obviously making “gainz” in our training and seeing any improvements is motivational. Consistency in training is vital at this stage in our lives and steady progress is the aim.

Age is no limit to "gainz" made!

However, there are many other reasons why getting stronger and growing a little muscle is a good thing beyond squatting a new personal best. Being more muscular as we age dramatically reduces the risk of all cause morbidity by a significant amount. That’s right, being more muscular reduces our risk of dying early! Not necessarily steroidal bodybuilding muscular, just more muscular than average for our age group.

This is important and I don't think that it's widely enough known or promoted. The scope and potential benefits to society and the health service as a whole are huge as an ageing population continues to grow and consume the time and resources of an already struggling health care system. Something as simple as attending the gym 3 times per week and putting a little effort in can have a huge impact on the individual, society and the health care services.

Being more muscular reduces the risk of dying!

We are living longer with more time spent in retirement. For most of us our upcoming retirement will be one filled with activity, time spent with the family and travel. In order to maintain a quality of life that allows us to do this and enjoy it we must remain fit, strong and healthy. As I’ve already mentioned above training just 3 times per week can make a significant difference. Please consult your doctor before embarking on any form of training.

We lose muscle mass more rapidly as we age which will leave us weaker and less mobile. To counter this we must weight train, whether that’s free weights or resistance machines makes no difference. Maintaining or even increasing our lean muscle mass as we age has to be a training priority if our goal is to have some quality of life in retirement or even before.

Being weaker means that everyday tasks become harder, lifting the shopping or climbing stairs. Eventually it’s a struggle getting off the couch!

Maintaining our range of movement through our joints and muscles is essential, if we don’t move our bodies through a wide range of movements then we will potentially lose that ability to move through those ranges and will become limited, stiff and immobile. Strength training is a great way to ensure that our muscles and joints remain mobile.

Be strong and mobile

Keeping our muscles strong and functional and our joints mobile will ensure that we maintain our posture too, a good posture suggests confidence, health and vitality. Clothes fit better and we generally look fitter and younger than our untrained, less muscular and poorly postured peers.

Weight training has also been shown to promote hormonal balance and boost our metabolism, it will also help to maintain our bodies systems and functions at a higher level.

If you are not sure how to start your weight training journey or need further advice and help then reach out to a good coach or PT at your local gym. Failing that you can email me at tsilvester@getcoached.net with any questions.

A Balanced Approach

I read an article recently that I shared on my Facebook Page with a short note and it got me thinking about how we train and for what reasons. I came to the conclusion that a lot of what drives us depends on our age, gender and confidence levels.

"a balanced approach"

In my opinion (because that’s what this is), I think that we are driven by social opinions, the media and peer expectations or even peer pressure. We are bombarded by images of perfect bodies on social media and the tv, we see adverts for grooming, exfoliation and depilation. It seems there is a certain “look” that one should aspire to according to FaceInstaSnap!

When we're young and single we’re like peacocks strutting our stuff, trying to look our best, more muscle, lean bodies, abs, biceps and butts! That's if we're not trying to become the next Instagram supermodel! But is this really what we want or us it what we think is expected?

Most guys train what they can see, chest, shoulders and biceps, then maybe chuck in a little back and triceps. For women it’s abs and glutes every session! Unless training for competition which brings a very different to training then the aesthetic goals are the predominant driver for the many of the 30 and under generation.

"lean bodies, abs, biceps and butts"

This is all well and good, and is most certainly better than sitting at home eating pizza.

However, if you are serious about your training and how you look then a more balanced approach will most definitely give you better results across the board. Big compound lifts will boost your metabolism, promote muscle growth and strength gains. This will help to reduce body fat for better muscle definition and help those targeted chest and butt muscles to grow. Working all the bodies muscles will also give you a better overall shape and posture too.

As we age our prioritise change, yes we want to slow (or even reverse) that middle age spread, keep our mobility and strength. We may still feel the need to strut our stuff like that peacock, although for many of us that is usually no longer as much of a priority.

A balanced programme here usually means a mix of strength training, cv and maybe some high intensity circuit work. This will cover all the metabolic and cardiovascular needs along with the mobility and strength work necessary to keep the muscle mass up at optimal levels and to keep movement free and easy.

"a mix of strength training, cv and HIIT"

Sedentary jobs, getting everything delivered to the house from the weekly shop to christmas presents and even working from home all mean that we are less and less active, we move less and do less. This is so bad for our bodies, and coupled with high carb, high sugar foods that are so easy and cheap to buy it is a one way ticket to metabolic disease and an increased risk of life threatening illness.

Get the balance right and enjoy the benefits whether that’s strutting your moves or moving your stuff well. If you are not sure how to put this together in a meaningful programme then speak to a qualified coach or personal trainer. We will be only too happy to help you out, provide some guidance and direction.

You can always reach out to me via email at tsilveter@getcoached.net or through my Facebook Page Get Coached.

Thanks for reading this far, I hope it has helped a little, enjoy your training!

Ageing - My View

These are my views and opinions on ageing, training and the things we should consider to ensure we get the most from our bodies and our training sessions. There’s no real science or research behind my comments, just experience and knowledge gained over the years.

One thing we must accept is that we will age; However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we will get “older” at the same rate that we age. I think that we need to differentiate between age as in years on this planet and getting old which I feel is more a state of mind than a physical manifestation.

Accept it, we're getting older day by day

So let’s look at how getting old can impact us. It’s widely accepted that the mind is a powerful thing, if you think you can or you think you can’t you are right. What I mean by this is that all things being equal as in there are no extenuating circumstances such as illness or injury then if you think you are unable to do something because you are getting old or if you think that you shouldn’t be doing something because you are getting old then you won’t be able to do it!

It’s something of a self fulfilling prophecy, if you deliberately think negatively then eventually you will feel miserable and this has come from within you, no external input needed. Likewise if you smile at people, say hi and think positive thoughts then some people might think you strange but you will feel happy and positive.

No barriers to working out

My point being that chronological age is no barrier to working out, attitude is everything. I have a client who started lifting towards the end of last year and wasn’t sure they could lift a 20kg kettlebell and they recently completed a Deadlift for 5 reps at 50kg. She is 70 and is continuing to get stronger!

Chronological age will bring its own issues and we need to pay heed to them. Our bodies don’t have the recovery or regenerative abilities they had at 20. Hormone levels are lower, there is a decrease in organ mass as well as a decline in the functional reserve of the bodies systems, more on this in another post. That said our bodies can still be robust and withstand quality training sessions at twice that age and more, much more. However, respect must be paid to our bodies and we accept we are ageing and understand that we may have to do some things a little differently.

For example, I have played rugby for over 30 years, some of this at a reasonable standard. Fortunately I didn’t get any serious injuries, just wear and tear. I know I can’t do a lot of running or spin classes, high volumes of jumping also aggravate my knees and back. Nothing serious but enough to be uncomfortable and slow my training down. So I don’t run, jump or spin! Rowing is fine as is Stair Climbing, and I can lift so that’s what I do.

It's all a bit hit & miss

This whole training and ageing thing can be a bit a bit of a trial and error process, trying to figure out what will cause some kind of negative reaction and what works to improve our health, strength and fitness. Sometimes we need to take an extra rest day or change training plans to maybe do a recovery session. This isn’t quitting or giving up, it’s being sensible and listening to your body so that you get the most from it. Better to rest one day than be injured and unable to train for a week or more!

The health benefits gained by continuing to lift are many, and have been covered before. So keep moving, don’t be afraid to lift weights; in fact I wholeheartedly recommend it! If you are thinking of returning to training after a long lay off or even starting for the first time as you’ve just retired then definitely do it. Check in with your GP, talk to a Personal Trainer and go for it, you won’t regret it!

Thanks again for reading this far, I hope you have found this informative and helpful. If you have any questions that aren’t answered here please email me at tsilvester@getcoached.net or via my Facebook page @getcoached.net

The Squat - An Essential Element

This is an update and revision of an earlier blog I posted on the Back Squat, I feel that this update not only covers more than just the Back Squat, it also goes further into why we should all squat and the benefits gained from this exercise.

The Squat is probably one of the most important strength and mobility exercises we can do. The squat is a fundamental movement pattern that we actually do well as a child but lose the ability to do as an adult. The main reason for this being that we just stopped doing it, we used chairs instead!

The variations of the squat and ability to scale this essential movement make it a must have in one form or another in every and any training programme.

It involves hip and knee flexion and extension utilising most of the lower limb and core/torso musculature including the back extensors, glutes, hamstrings, quads and adductors; providing strength, size, shape and conditioning depending on how it's programmed.

There have been thousands of blogs, articles, videos and workshops on the squat and its various derivatives.

However, what I would like to do here is to try and show you why we should squat, the benefits of squatting (whether for sport, strength or health & fitness) and how to programme squats into your workout so that you get the most from this awesome exercise.

“Make your squat work for you!”

Just to be clear, I am not going to discuss technique beyond how it impacts the muscles being worked. There are numerous excellent media on technique that can be accessed for free, just ensure it is a trusted site and that the information and exercise technique is high quality. Here are two links to previous blogs on the squat and it’s variations.

http://getcoached1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/get-coached-s-for-figure-skating-wc.html

http://getcoached1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/get-coached-s-for-figure-skating-wc.html

The squat in itself is thought of by many as fundamental, a foundation exercise that should be part of any training or exercise routine. How many times have you heard people talking about “leg day” and that they know they should squat but don't as it's too hard! That should tell you something about the nature of the exercise and the challenge it brings too. Squats are hard, of that there is no doubt; but they are worth the effort and when done right the gains are great.

“Leg day isn’t leg day without squats!”

However, squats don’t need to be hard. We can all squat in one way or another, some of us just need to start at the beginning again. Stretching, mobility work, and ensuring that strength is balanced across the muscles used. I often start my clients squat programme without even squatting, then once they do squat it’s only at body weight.

Opening up the hips, stretching the calf muscles and increasing ankle mobility will help with squat depth and position, stretching the hamstrings, glutes and adductors will help to prevent the hips tucking under thus putting pressure on the lower back, lengthening the hip flexor muscles will help to stop the pelvis getting pulled into forward rotation.

What are the variations of the squat and how can it be scaled? The two main barbell squats are Front & Back Squat, from there we can go to overhead and split variations too. Kettlebells and Dumbells are also often used for beginners, circuits and in classes to do Goblet Squats, Split Squats/Overhead Split Squats and other similar variations. The Squat and Split Squat (different to the lunge), Single Leg and Bulgarian Squat can all be done at body weight (no external load).

So how can we manipulate the squat to change the way it works for us? The main variables we can change are the repetition range, the number of sets, the load lifted, the rest period, the foot/knee position and the cadence or speed of the repetition.

The following paragraphs will outline in general the benefits gained for the variables being manipulated. This doesn't take into account an individual's training history or training age which should be considered when applying the following information. Please remember these are typical programmes and I accept there are many other effective methods that are not covered here.

“Get the most from your squat.”

Strength: If strength is your main training goal then working with a higher percentage of your maximum lift for medium to low reps and multiple sets will work i.e. 5 x 5, 4 x 4 or even 5 x 3 or you may try a 5, 3, 1 programme. Establishing your 1 rep max effort is essential to truly maximise your strength potential as it has been shown that training with loads of 85% up to 100% of your 1 rep max will provide the best gains in strength. This training is intense training, probably not for beginners, and should be periodised appropriately to maximise progression and minimise injury risk and burn out. Never sacrifice technique for load when increasing the weight on the bar! Working with a coach or Personal Trainer will also help to maximise potential, reduce injury risk and ensure that your technique is sound.

It should be noted that a novice trainer or someone who has a younger training age will gain strength from almost any strength based programme no matter the sets or reps.

Size: If size gains or hypertrophy are the goal then manipulating the sets and reps a little will certainly achieve this. Following a strength based programme could certainly elicit size gains, however to ensure a chance of maximising your efforts to gain size using squats you will need to increase the overall volume and to exhaust the muscles to stimulate growth i.e. 5 x 12, 6 x 8 or even consider the German Volume Programme and brave 10 x 10! For experienced trainers one all out maximum effort set will also work as this will potentially provide enough stimulus for growth and strength gains.

Shape: Many people train to look better, have clothes fit them better and to give confidence. Along with many other exercises the squat when done appropriately will give great shape to your legs; hips, thighs and glutes. Typically areas many people aren’t happy with for one reason or another.

Whether building up muscle to shape “skinny” thighs or using the squat as part of a weight loss programme to reduce body fat and gain muscle to “shape and tone” the squat really is a multi purpose exercise. The permutations on using a squat in this scenario are almost endless and as such I will say that you should just squat rather than give you any specific sets or reps. What I will say is that a squat with a wider foot stance and knees tracking wide over the toes will for most people engage and work their glutes to a greater extent, this is sometimes referred to as a “Sumo squat’ position. The squat uses a lot of muscle and whether strength training or toning it will boost your metabolism and help you to burn more calories even after your training session has finished.

Conditioning: The squat uses a lot of muscle, pretty much every muscle in the lower limbs and torso. This makes the squat an excellent exercise to be used as part of a conditioning programme either in isolation or as part of a circuit. Try completing 5 to 8 sets of 8 squats at approximately 50% of your maximum load starting on the minute every minute and see how hard you are breathing at the end!

“Work hard and enjoy the results!”

Squat as deep as you safely can keeping your form strict, squat often and get the results you are after. They’re hard work and will work you hard but are definitely worth the effort whatever the results you are after. I hope this has provided some help, reassurance, guidance and motivation to squat more!

As always thanks for reading and please feel free to leave a comment or some feedback here on Blogger or on my FB Page @getcoached.net

You can even email me at tsilvester@getcoached.net or visit www.getcoached.net

How Strong is Strong Enough?

How strong is strong enough? 

It's a question that is often asked by athletes, coaches and recreational gym users since we started lifting to get stronger. My answer to this is a simple question back to you, what do you need to be strong for? 

If you are a Strong Man/Women or a Powerlifter then you need to be as strong as you possibly can. A lot sports require a near maximal level of strength but not an absolute maximum as other factors such as endurance, skill and weight categories come into play that will impact the need or ability to achieve maximal strength. 

That being said, being strong definitely has it's benefits in everyday life as well as in a sporting context. Simple things such as carrying shopping or opening a jar of jam are easier, DIY tasks and general labouring are less of a chore! There are also many health benefits from being stronger too;

• A more robust immune system
• Greater bone density to off set osteoporosis
• Greater muscle mass for a higher metabolic rate
• Less risk for falling and injury
• Easier to get up after a fall (for the older individual)

There are some general guides that coaches use in order to get their athletes lifting to a level that will enhance their sporting performance and power output; I have listed these below (please note that this is just one of many variations to these guidelines and that these are minimum standards and are for your general information).

Back Squat:   Men 2 x BW       Women 1.5 x BW
Power Clean  Men 1.5 x BW    Women 1.2 x BW
Deadlift          Men 2.5 x BW    Women 1.8 x BW
Bench Press  Men 1.5 x BW    Women 1 x BW
Pull Up           Men + 0.5 x BW Women + 0.3 x BW

So, back to our original question and we must also consider what the goals of most recreational athletes and gym users are too? For most of us, being able to shift our own body weight i.e. chins and dips or lift our body weight on a barbell i.e. squats, deadlifts or bench press would be considered an achievement. 

CrossFit/HIIT/Grit type workouts and WOD's have certainly got Olympic type lifts and their variations into mainstream gym culture. More people are using free weights, especially barbells and this is a good thing. 

There is a downside to this set up though in my opinion, and that is that these workouts are mainly delivered in a class format that is quite set in it's delivery. This in itself is no issue for most people, in fact to large extent this is a key factor in their success. However, being able to set your own timetable and choose the workouts that suit your schedule is important for some, me included. 


With this in mind I have set up a Facebook Group that provides workouts, challenges and training plans along with some general lifestyle advice. This Group also allows for the sharing of knowledge, training experiences and workouts too. 

To find out more you can email me at tsilvester@getcoached.net or visit my Facebook Page Get Coached which has links to set up your membership to the Closed Group "The HIIT Works by Get Coached". 

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!

Spice up your cv workouts!

I recently asked a client of mine if they had any questions on their training and the discussion came round to cv workouts and how to make them less boring! And that is what my next blog should be on I thought, how to make cv workouts less boring. I'll need a better title though, just to spice it up a little!

Get more done in less time!

Cardiovascular work, endurance work, whatever you want to call it is traditionally thought of as steady state work, one pace. On the treadmill or cross trainer for half an hour or so at the same speed. Lots of cv equipment has interval or hill programmes included which are great and certainly help to make the training more varied and it's this type of variation that I want to talk more about.

Do your cv workouts feel like this?

There is more and more evidence showing that HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or Tabata type training is not only good for international athletes but for the regular gym user as well. The health and fitness benefits are many and varied and we will be covering them later in this article.

L. Véronique Billat used interval training of varying interval lengths to train high level middle distance track athletes and has shown significant improvements in endurance and speed as well as specific physiological adaptations beyond just cardiovascular improvements. The links below are citations for two of her published works on this.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004210050029

http://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200131010-00002

Her studies also showed that this training also worked with untrained individuals as well.

Dr Izumi Tabata of Tabata training also looked at the training effects of short recovery interval training bouts, see the link below.

https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/the-tabata-revolution-explained-what-why-and-how-to-tabata

This study looked at the benefits of short maximum effort intervals with very short rest intervals. This became known as Tabata rounds, 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds rest for 8 efforts equalling a 4 minute round.

Tabata and Billat’s work were originally geared towards running but have both been used with body weight and weighted exercises to great effect.

This type of training has been shown to reduce body fat, increase muscle mass, increase strength and endurance, help to reduce the risks of heart disease and diabetes, high blood pressure and can increase elasticity in major arteries which can stiffen with age.

So how do I use this to make my cv workouts less boring I hear you ask?

Below is listed several workouts that should ease your boredom a little.

The first three are based on Billat’s timings and should be completed at 85% to 95% effort with active recovery at approximately  40% to 50% effort.

The last three session times are based on Tabata’s work where each bout is near maximal effort whilst recovery is minimal effort.

Work Time	Active Recovery	Effort Repetitions	No. of rounds
2 minutes	1 minute		5 to 10 rounds
4 minutes	2 minutes		3 to 5 rounds
5 minutes	3 minutes		2 to 5 rounds
20 seconds	10 seconds	8 efforts	3 to 5 rounds
40 seconds	20 seconds	4 efforts	3 to 5 rounds
30 seconds	30 seconds	4 efforts	3 to 5 rounds

These are only some of the many variations available and should be enough for most of you to be getting on with for a while.

Best advice is to continue to include some steady state recovery training in your programme approximately once every 10 to 14 days.

To find out more about HIIT Training and how it can help you please get in touch here on by email at 

tsilvester@getcoached.net 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the workouts.