Staying Fit and Firm With Age

My name is Darvis Simms, and I am a personal trainer. Over the last 20 years , I’ve helped hundreds of people get healthy and stay fit. In this series of posts, I want to help you realize your fitness potential by showing you what I do myself and with my clients. I’m writing these posts based on the things that I have learned and applied in my exercise program over the last 30 years in my quest to stay fit and firm as I age. My methods are not based on scientific theory but rather on results that I have attained for both myself and my clients.

As I mature and my client base matures, I’m beginning to specialize in fitness over age 40. I’m in my fifties so I understand the challenges you face as you fight the aging process. I am stronger, fitter, and I feel better than I did in my twenties. I’m writing this series of posts to show you how to look and feel as good, or even better, in your forties and fifties than you did in your twenties.

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 Jack LaLanne and Al Beckles are examples of the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.

Jack LaLann, who recently passed away, 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 birthdays as he got older. Jack was in great shape, and worked outs two hours each day, devoting one and a half hours to strength training well into his nineties. This is a true testament to the value of strength training as you age.

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 well into his sixties because his physique was still phenomenal and better than competitors more than half his age.

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. As mentioned , 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 1000 pounds, neither of which I could do in my twenties.

The best balanced nutritional plan that I've seen in my 20 years in the health and fitness industry is a system developed by Dr. Donald K. Layman, called Metaboliq.  It's based on balancing the proper amount of protein and carbohydrates in your meals.  This is the way I've eaten for years.  You can find out more about this amazing system by following this link: Metaboliq

Two Exercises For That Tapered Look And Great Posture

You spot people with great posture as soon as they enter a room.  They hold their chests high, their shoulders back, and they have a tapered look to their upper bodies.  Good posture makes you look sexy, strong, and confident.  Try the following two exercises to help you strengthen your upper back, and improve your posture.

Lat Pulldown - Start

Lat Pulldown - Finish

The lat pulldown is a great exercise for strengthening and developing the muscles in your upper back which are critical in having good posture. People whose shoulders are slumped forward most likely have under-developed upper back muscles.

First sit down and adjust the thigh pad to a position that firmly fits over your thighs. Then select a resistance with which the last three repetitions are difficult to complete. If this is your first time doing this exercise is may take experimenting at several weights before you find the right resistance for you. Next, grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width, sit down on the seat and place your knees firmly under the pad. Start with your arms fully extended and your chest held high. This is your start position. Now, pull the bar slowly down to the base of your neck while squeezing your shoulder blades back and together. Slowly return the bar to the starting position. (It should take about 3 seconds to pull the bar down and about 2 seconds to return the bar to its starting position). Proper breathing is very important so, remember to exhale as you pull the bar down and inhale as you return the bar to the starting position

Dumbbell Row - Start

Dumbbell Row - Finish

The dumbbell row also strengthens and develops the muscles of the upper back.  Hold a dumbbell in one hand, and place the opposite knee on a bench.  Lean forward and place your other hand on the bench.  Step to your side with the other leg and bend your knee slightly.  Proper form is very important on this exercise so, be careful that your lower back is not rounded.  Hold the dumbbell fully extended beneath your shoulder.  This is your starting position.  Now slowly pull the dumbbell to underarm height and squeeze your shoulder blade toward your spine and return slowly to the start position.  The breathing pattern is to exhale as you pull the dumbbell towards you and inhale as you return to start.

In my next post, I'm starting a contest to giveaway a free copy of my new book, Forever Fit and Firm which is the source of all the exercises I've been showing you over the last few weeks.  I wrote this book geared towards fitness over age 40.  It contains all the exercises and routines that have worked best for both me and my clients in our quest to stay fit and firm as we age.  Stay tuned for the contest details in my next post and tell all your friends.