People always look shocked when I tell them I´m 28, as they usually think I´m a lot younger, sometimes 21 even! This comes from having oily skin, which meant I suffered a lot during my teens, btw. However, I FEEL older and less fit than I probably should. I smoke (though have cut down to a few a day, sometimes abstaining completely) and my knees hurt when I jog - both my parents suffer from arthritis to some degree, but I also blame five years of karate! Also years of alcohol abuse has taken its toll, and I swear if I were a women people would stand up and offer me their seat on the bus. Anyway, can anybody think of a routine for an old knacker like me? I´m think of a wee jog in the morning followed by some sit ups, press ups and dips...any ideas?
you're fine. you're just coming up to 30 and you think its the end of the world. I was the same in my late twenties (being at uni at the time with a load of kids just turned 21 didn't help, lol) Put things in perspective, you're 28, not 88. Just find yourself a balanced program that works your cardio and enjoy yourself. I'm in my mid-thirties now and I'm fitter than I ever have been before. It's not about how old you are, it's about what you do. Earlier this year I did the three peaks challange (walking up and down three mountains in a day) I was the oldest guy doing it out of our group and came in with the leading pack of four, 27 miles in 10 hours. But on the way up the second mountain, we passed this old boy on his own, must have been in his late seventies, with a great big rucksack, plodding his way up the hill. Then we got overtaken on the way down by these guys in their 50's running down this nasty scree slope. If you tell yourself you're getting old, you'll feel old. If you just get on with it, you'll feel great. (oh, yeah, and I still smoke 20 a day and I've got no plans of quitting, I like to smoke)
Thanks for your replies, guys. I have already cut down on my drinking - to once, occasionally twice, a week. I am now trying to smoke just four a day, and hope to reduce that until I give up completely. However, I want to also get rid of my gut and increase my muscle size/tone and cardiovascular performance. I realise my age is not a barrier, but I don´t want to burn out. I have been going to a boxing gym, but I´m pathetic at the moment and need to build up my fitness levels before I go regularly. The thing is just four years ago I was training regularly at a local gym - circuits, bag work, sparring and even sprinting up and down hills. But right now I´m pretty pathetic. It just goes to show how easily one can let oneself go...
Good that you're getting back into training, when I don't feel motivated (rarely ) I read this little snippet a friend sent me (she's a personal trainer): 'Loss of physiologic and performance adaptation occurs rapidly when an individual terminates participation in regular exercise. This is known as detraining. Only one or two weeks of detraining significantly reduced both metabolic and exercise capacity, with many training improvements totally lost within several months. You lose fitness much faster than you can gain it. The actual rate of decline depends on the the length of training period prior to the detraining, the specific muscle groups involved and the individual's characteristics such as age and fitness level.' I'm not going to test that theory whether people believe it or not
Bodyweight exercises, great for old guys like us. Pushups, squats, pullups, burpees( those still kick my ass) But I feel good after doing them and crunches, dips etc. To get rid of the gut you gotta change your diet. Conditioning will help you feel better, and make you stronger. Get back to the gym and start hittin that bag again! I know smoking is hard on you, I smoked for 20 years. Gave it up about a year ago. Then it crept back into my life. I notice a difference in my performance even from just smoking one cigarette! Trying to control this gremlin now. Its Mind over Matter. Good luck to you. I like Ross Enamaits workout ethic and regime: http://www.rosstraining.com
Do you have access to a gym, and the money for a persona;l trainer? If so, this is the way to go, I feel. A personal trainer will set you specific goals and will know what is the best way forward for you. Also, you said that you attend a boxing gym, but want to get fitter before you train regularly. If you want to get fitter, you should train regularly to begin with. not 9nly will you get fitter, but you will be able to measure your fitness gains on a time scale. Also, you will have motivation and the knowledge to get fitter. Lily said: That's quite interesting. I read a while back that when one stos exercising for a certain period of time, the time it takes to recover your fitness level works at a ratio of 3:1. That is to say that one week out of training will take three weeks to recover that level that you were at. From my experiences the PT is correct. I was out of training for a while last year due to illness,a dn my fitness level dropped quite considerably. Now that I've managed to get back to a high fitness level, I was recently injured, which has put me out of training for a while again, which is rather upsetting Em
If you have knee problems, watch the jogging. Maybe take up cycling. The best thing to do is get off those cigarettes, better to do it know when you're young until it's too late and you have a heart attack, stroke, or develop a spot on your lung. It's sounds like you have done a great job so far on decreasing the amount. Personal trainers are great if you can affort them. Good luck!
naw dude..you need to build up your fitness levels by CONTINUING to go regularly. I can't tell you how many people I hear say "I'll be back when I'm in better shape" and then we never see them again. If you can get through a month 3x week you'll be astounded at the difference, and the first two weeks will be hell, I ain't gonna lie to ya #1 - quit the smoking. You might think you are doing OK even though you smoke, but yer not. I have yet to work with a single guy who smells like cigarettes who didn't gas out way early. I was up to 4 packs a day when I finally called it quits so I understand how hard it is...but seriously man, I feel like a completely different person. #2 - don't jog with bad knees. Do burpees or something. Elliptical. Swim. #3 - this will sound hokie, but I swear it's true..if you have it in you're head that yer too old to be doing x, you'll be too old to do x. anyways...even if you still smoke, just keep training. do the best you can.
