My father contacted me this morning asking me for fitness advice. It made me realize I have nothing to offer him. My realm of knowledge does not apply to his needs. I was hoping some of you gentlemen could point me in the right direction.
He is a 57s with little fitness background and has been inactive for years. He is in decent health, clear of cardiac or respitory problems, no major ailments. His knees get tender from time to time but he has full mobility.
He is not looking to make drastic gains, just improve his shape, maybe drop a few poundss. More importantly, he just wants to feel better and preserve his health.
The man won’t get a gym membership. He’d like to work out at home. Right now, he has no equipment and would like my input on what to get. Realistically, he’d like to keep spending at a minimum.
As far as equipment goes, I am thinking a pair of 10 and 20lb dumbbells, a 110lb barbell set, a bench and a mat.
I have a few ideas as far as a routine goes, but nothing solid. I figure him doing something is better than nothing, a routine is better off comfortable than perfect. Simple, a few compound lifts, light weight, high reps.
Would EDT type training be appropriate? Would it be to much, to soon? How about circuits or complexes?
I am open to any ideas and suggestions. Thank you in advance for your help.
A 57 year old is no different than any other beginner except he may not progress quite as quick and you need to be concerned about joints and tendons. For these reasons start light and progress at a reasonable rate. Tendons tend to get stronger slower than muscle as you age.
However, don’t be afraid to encourage him to push big weight when he’s ready. The weight should be challenging to be effective. High reps are fine while you are learning the motions but strength ultimately requires heavy weight.
Add to your equipment list a pair of squat racks. He’ll outgrow a 110 lb set quite quickly. They are really only appropriate for children. You can expect him to be deadlifting 200lbs in about 3 months. A 300 lb Oly set with dumbbell handles would be a better investment. Look for them used. Most people buy this stuff and then sell it when they lose interest.
Get him doing some cardio. Brisk walking is a good start evolving to full intensity sprinting. Your ultimate goal should be to get him into the same condition you’re in. He’s capable of it. Just don’t scare him off in the short term.
I also started training in my fifties coming from a point of very poor fitness and I believe that in the beginning he should focus primarily on improving his cardiovascular fitness. This will yield the greatest health and “feeling good” benefits. I’m not saying that he shouldn’t also do strength training, I’m just saying that fitness and strength are two different things and of the two, fitness training is the one that is going to get him to his stated goals.
I recommend he get a recumbent exercise bike. I think running is a very bad choice of exercise for anyone, especially older athletes and regular bikes with their narrow seats are bad for the prostate. If he’s never really exercised much, a heart monitor is also a good tool to help him gauge his level of exertion. They are relatively cheap and they really help you to get the most from your workouts and not over or under estimate your level of effort.
Put him on a 2-3 times a week full body-part routine with cardo on the off days. Walking and maybe a slow jog. Before he knows it, he’ll be making great progress and find himself wanting to push himself further. The better he feels, the more he’ll like his new found strength and body shape. Than you can always change his routine around from time to time. Starting out slow is important.
Crossfit is good as a second step but first focus should be on basic cardio fitness and strength training. If he has any flexibility or coordination issues they should be addressed too. I’m not saying that Crossfit can not make a beginner strong and fit but it’s really better at getting a strong person better rounded.
You already got great advice. However, I strongly recommend Matt Fureys Royal Court.
Forget about him being a snake oil salesman.
The program is outstanding in terms of simplicity and fast results.
[quote]stuward wrote:
Crossfit is good as a second step but first focus should be on basic cardio fitness and strength training. If he has any flexibility or coordination issues they should be addressed too. I’m not saying that Crossfit can not make a beginner strong and fit but it’s really better at getting a strong person better rounded.
Stu[/quote]
i agree with most of this, but it is all relative. you can do BW stuff using CrossFit ideas for an older gentleman who doesn’t want to spend a lot $$$ on equipment. i attended a brief seminar and we had some 50+YO women doing Tabata BW squats in just a few minutes of teaching.
also, the nutrition ideas on that site aren’t bad either.