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many people associate weight training with being heavily built and muscular.
That is true for those who are in to weight training for the purpose of bodybuilding. It does, however, get slightly difficult as you get older as one may begin to gradually lose muscle mass.
It also becomes more difficult for some as they may begin to get weaker joints and it also becomes much easier to strain ligaments and to even suffer torn muscles. There are some ways that one can avoid injuring or tearing of ligaments as you get older and also to stay motivated and still gain muscle safely as you get older.
One of the most common mistakes, especially for those who may have been doing weight training for some decades is that of overlooking the importance of proper and thorough warm up before doing some heavy lifting.
It is very important to warm up before the use of heavy weights as this helps trigger proper circulation, this in turn helps one have better range of motion and also one can exert more force when the muscles are properly warmed. After warm up (which should last roughly about 15 minutes) proper stretching should be done.
This again helps with circulation and range of motion and it also helps loosen up the joints and muscle fibres for more efficient motion.
After warming up and stretching one should proceed with light to moderate weights for the first two sets before they may use slightly heavy weights for the subsequent sets. Sets should be kept to about a maximum of four for larger muscle groups to avoid over training.
One should also be wary of the amount of days that one goes for workouts. As you mature, training for six days in a week can be very taxing on the body. One should opt for may be four days per week. These are adequate as it allows one to recover fully before beginning a new week.
Cardio exercises should be utilised more often as it is a good way to burn fat and also for strengthening the heart.
When it comes to diet one should try to keep meals unrefined and a mixture of fresh vegetables is a must.
One should try to consume about five small meals a day with low to moderate carbohydrates. This approach is also good for those who want a lean looking physique. This combined with enough cardio will help you to achieve a healthy body that many of the younger people can admire.
l Gerald Noble is a personal fitness trainer and can be contacted on [email protected] or 0775069357.