Age Has Nothing To Do With Strength

Age has nothing to do with losing your strength.  Strength is a state of mind. Trust me I turn 60 in three months.

Pullups, Pushups, and Barbell Squats, Three Exercises For a Complete Workout

Recently I was asked if I could only do three exercises, what would they be?  After some consideration, I said I would do pullups, pushups, and barbell squats.  I explained that if you combined these three exercises in a workout you would hit all the major muscle groups of your body
Let's look at these three exercises and see if they would be a complete whole body workout.

Pullups target the major muscles of the upper back, the biceps, and the forearms.  The core muscles also work to stabilize your body to keep you from swing as you pull your body up and lower it down.  Take a look at the video below to see a properly executed pullup. Please click here to see the entire article.

Pullups, One of The Best Overall Upper Body Exercises

A properly executed pullup is one of the best exercises for strengthening and developing your upper body.  Pullups strengthens your arms, upper back, and your core, it's one of my favorite exercises when I want to get a good upper body workout in a limited amount of time.  Watch the video below as I demonstrate how this exercise should be properly performed.



You can see many more of my favorite exercises by visiting my website at www.personaltrainerinraleighnc.com

Lift Weights to Stay Strong

Hi, I'm Darvis Simms, I'm in my fifties and  I'm in the best shape of my life because I lift weights 3 to 4 times each week.  You are as strong as you think you are no matter what age. Take a look at the video below of me doing upside down pullups, I couldn't do that in my twenties.  Checkout some of my complete workout routines with you at Forever Fit and Firm.

Who Says You Get Weaker With Age?

People seem to think that once they reach the age of forty, their bodies start to deteriorate, slipping down the slope into old age. They blame their lack of energy, their pudgy appearance, and their aches and pains on “getting old”. Most of these symptoms are however the result of years of negative thinking, lack of exercise, and poor dietary choices. The key to keeping your body fit and firm as you age is making healthy lifestyle choices on a daily basis.

It’s a proven fact that people who make healthy lifestyle choices live longer and have a better quality of life than those who adopt unhealthy habits. So, deciding to incorporate healthy habits into your life is the first step to getting and staying fit and firm with age. The next step is choosing those activities that are the most beneficial in your quest to stay fit and firm.

Those, including myself, who stay fit and firm as the years pass find that a positive state of mind, and a proper mix of strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and balanced nutrition is fundamental to getting and staying healthy as you mature. People, such as Al Beckles, and the late Jack LaLanne are examples of the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.

Al Beckles is a legend in the bodybuilding world. At the age of 55, Al placed second in the Mr. Olympia competition. The Mr. Olympia Competition is the premier bodybuilding event which thousands of competitors from across the world dream of winning each year. Al Beckles competed into his sixties because his physique was still phenomenal and better than competitors more than half his age

Jack LaLanne was a living icon to the benefits of healthy thinking, eating, and exercise. Over the years he performed amazing feats of strength and conditioning on his birthday. Jack worked out well into his 90s devoting one and a half hours each day to strength training. This is a true testament to the value of strength training as you mature.

While I don’t place myself in the same class with Jack LaLanne and Al Beckles I can tell you the value that healthy lifestyle habits have in my life. I am in my fifties and I keep my body fat at 10 percent or less. My fitness program consists of four strength training sessions each week followed by 20 minutes of cardio. I can chest press 100 pound dumbbells for 10 repetitions and leg press more than 1200 pounds neither of which I could do in my twenties.

Watch the following video if you want to see the results of making healthy lifestyle choices in your life. I've heard it said that you get weaker with age. I don't think so.

10, One Handed Pullups

10, One handed pullups by a 54 year old

My Three Staple Exercises

Image by United States Marine Corps Official Page via FlickrRecently,  a client asked me if I could only do three exercises, what would they be?  After some consideration, I said I would do pullups, pushup, and barbell squats.  I told the client that he could target all the major muscle groups with these three exercises.

Let's look at these three exercises and see if they would be a complete whole body workout.

Pullups target the major muscles of the upper back, the biceps,  and the forearms.  The core muscles are also worked as long as pullups are done in a smooth and controlled manor.

Pushups target the major muscles of the chest, the shoulders, and the triceps.  The core muscles are also strongly used when pushups are done with strict form.

Barbell Squats target the quads, hamstrings, and the glutes.  Squats are also one of the best exercises there is for developing core strength when done properly.

There you have it.  These are the three exercises I would do if I was limited to doing only three.  What three exercises would you do?