So, here’s the quick background on dad, he’s 68, newly retired and to my knowledge never actually worked out. Sure, he’s done yard work, construction, moved furniture, wall papered, painted, laid tile, I mean just about everything and done it well, but has never been inclined to actually strength train.
I really impressed that at 68 he has the awareness that his strength and muscle mass are on the decline and that he’s displaying the open mindedness to take some direction ( dad, I know you think you know everything )
Anyway in this first installment I wanted to impress upon him the importance of the internalization of movement by incorporating simple postures to immediately strengthen and lengthen. Also of importance is to incorporate proper technique early to decrease the risk of injury.
Dad, I will be checking your progress-there will be a test
I chose that title because over the last couple of months I’ve been feeling that using the word core is far too limiting to what I’m looking for my clients to possess, which is a mastery of their movements under duress. Of the many definitions of the word chi, I find that defining it as a general term for ‘a vital energy that exists everywhere’ is appropriate enough for a simple NYC personal trainer such as myself.
The word core has come to mean your trunk, abs, lower back and glutes, but I’ve noticed that if my clients continually lock their knees or shrug their shoulders while training it is near impossible to engage these ares effectively to gain strength and balance. For me to use the word core is selling my clients short of valuable information, but it’s also much harder for me to teach. One of the best ways for me to teach this harnessing technique is through a simple hip thrust forward during standing exercises. One must be relaxed at the joints in order to allow your energy to flow effectively. Some might call the method I use cheating or using momentum, but it’s much more. It’s learning to balance the intense energy required during exercise with a relaxed state in order to complete the task at hand. When I train myself and my clients I train their whole bodies, not just their chest or biceps. I’m going to include a video for this technique within the next few weeks. Until then TRAIN HARD, relax, NAMASTE!!!!!!
The question, how should I order my exercise routine? A question just posed to me by a former client who’s now strength training on his own. There are certainly many techniques, but the easiest one to remember is to train the largest muscle groups first. Let’s say you’re doing a full body work out and you’re also a beginner, here’s a sample of what I might do, doing each 2-3x for 10-15 reps.
1. bench/chest press
2. body weight squat
3. back wide grip pulldown
4. stationary lunges
5. shoulder presses
6. leg curls
7. leg extension
8. bicep curl
9. tricep pushdown
This is very rudimentary and I may not use a routine like this at all, but it does point out the larger to smaller muscle group technique and also notice the opposing muscle group training which allows more rest in the beginning of a strength training routine.
As a personal trainer and avid weight lifter, fatigue and over training often comes with the territory. Sometimes this is emotional and mental as well as physical and I need to come up with new mental strategies to keep myself motivated and willing to train.
Lately I’ve been ‘leaving some gas in the tank’ so to speak, I’m not pushing myself to the limit and leaving it all on the gym floor. This is allowing me to look forward to the next work out and finish what I started from the previous day. In my experience this takes a certain amount of physical and mental awareness which only comes from a consistent strength training program. In other words, keep showing up whether you like to or not, if you you bring the body, the mind will surely follow.