Fitness Ideas

[BirdManMike]

You can't outwork your fork.

Ive always heard it said as 'you cant outrun poor nutrition'.

 

[SAJ-99]

Strength training is not an issue for me. Nor is the cardio. Weight control is a huge battle I am dealing with right now. In high school I was in wrestling and weightlifting competitively and in college after I got out of Army I did swimming and weightlifting though not as a competitive sport. If you could see what I lift now, those numbers are good for someone my age, but the weight control battle is the one I struggle with.

Curious, when did you stop drinking the six pack of pepsi? Ever counted calories/carbs? Just curious on what levels you are at.
As I age I have found strength isn't about 'how much' anymore and more about 'how many'. The ability to squat 300lbs a couple of times is pretty useless. More reps and less weight helps me with stamina. Unfortunately, no matter what we do we can't outrun Father Time.

 

[JEL]

Burn more calories than you take in. I hike a ton and stretch a bit. Did the whole running things for years but it now beats me up to much. I would rather hike the hills anyway. Eat small meals. I tend to gain weight easily so figured this out years ago. Weigh less now than I did in hs and I am 58.

 

[mdhunter]

Check out the Noom app. The short story is learning how to eat properly and with realistic portions takes time. This app will train you on both.

Its amazing how recording everything you eat and the caloric value will change your behavior.

 

[WyoDoug]

Curious, when did you stop drinking the six pack of pepsi? Ever counted calories/carbs? Just curious on what levels you are at.
As I age I have found strength isn't about 'how much' anymore and more about 'how many'. The ability to squat 300lbs a couple of times is pretty useless. More reps and less weight helps me with stamina. Unfortunately, no matter what we do we can't outrun Father Time.

I drank diet pepsi a lot. Supposed to be zero calories but it skewers the metabolism and fools your body into thinking sugar intake so the way the doc explained it, your body trains itself to pack on food intake as fat reserves. It also screws with the amount of insulin your pancreas produces sending too much thinking there is a lot of sugar in the blood.

I don't do small sets unless I want to see what my limit is. I do reps of 15 each, minimum of two sets, three when I got the time. You are right, a few reps at a time is useless other than to check yer max. The muscle tone in my legs is good. I have always been a leg wrestler and the bulk of my strength growing up was in my legs and back.

 

[CUElk]

you'll shed weight faster than you can weigh yourself if you give up carbs and eat only high quality meats, fat, and veggies

carbs are not a necessity in life, at all, and it seems more and more are the source of many peoples problems

This is very true. My best friend from childhood weighed 290 when I saw him at the lake last summer. Since then he cut his carbs, sugars, and salt. Talked to him last week, just weighed in at 200 lbs. Good nutrition and some exercise tends to work just about every time.

 

[MTLabrador]

You can't outwork your fork.

The real question is can you outwork beer?

 

[406dn]

Most everything I come across states that working in rep range of 5 is the optimal for gaining strength. When you get much over 10 reps, you are training endurance more than strength.

Every person loses muscle mass and bone density as they age. If you don't actively intervene that is what will happen to your body. The loss of muscle mass contributes mightily to basal metabolic rate. Gaining muscle boosts that rate. I eat little differently than when I began lifting. But my belly has flattened and I now fit in the same size jeans as in my early thirties.

I know by how empty the weight room is at the gym that convincing people to lift is a losing proposition. But I also know, both from personal experience and seeing the few other regular seniors lifting regularly, that it works.

A friend took this photo of Buster and me summer before last. I'm 68 in that photo. It is a goal to keep riding horses into my 80's,,, if I make it that far. Spending time weight-training makes it a realistic ambition.

 

[WyoDoug]

Most everything I come across states that working in rep range of 5 is the optimal for gaining strength. When you get much over 10 reps, you are training endurance more than strength.

Every person loses muscle mass and bone density as they age. If you don't actively intervene that is what will happen to your body. The loss of muscle mass contributes mightily to basal metabolic rate. Gaining muscle boosts that rate. I eat little differently than when I began lifting. But my belly has flattened and I now fit in the same size jeans as in my early thirties.

I know by how empty the weight room is at the gym that convincing people to lift is a losing proposition. But I also know, both from personal experience and seeing the few other regular seniors lifting regularly, that it works.

A friend took this photo of Buster and me summer before last. I'm 68 in that photo. It is a goal to keep riding horses into my 80's,,, if I make it that far. Spending time weight-training makes it a realistic ambition.

Yeah I saw that doing my own research. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 4 to 6 repetitions with heavier weight for hypertrophy (increased muscle size), 8 to 12 repetitions for muscular strength and 10 to 15 reps for muscular endurance. I am going to spend this week trying to determine ideal weights. I am doing weight machines right now but going to free weights for some of my circuit training soon once my strength reaches the point I feel safe working with free weights especially since I will not have spotters some days. Fitness center on base is open 24/7 and it may or may not be staffed, so I could very well be there by my lonesome.

 

[Ridgerider]

Kinda looking for ideas on fitness routines. My current routine is working slowly, too slowly to my satisfaction.

Keys to fitness in my situation:
1) I turn 65 in May
2) I have nerve damage in my foot and neuropathy that creates a balance issue so running is out. I have been advised not to engage in running type exercise.
3) I have had four surgeries in last 15 years that caused range of motion exercise and I want to continue working on that. I show significant improvement here but struggle to each behind my back nowdays.
4) Due to new job I took, I can really work out 3 days a week max.
5) Due to a pepsi addiction, drinking a six pack or more a day, my metabolism is messed up confirmed by doctor visit. Now I am drinking water and coffee instead.

What I have been doing is 20 minutes cardio on the treadmill followed by circuit training on weight machines. My strength and cardio fitness has improved significantly but my weight has not. What do you guys do when you need to lose weight? I want to be able to walk the ridges elk hunting much better than I did last year even at my age.

I would recommend a bicycle. Its low impact, gets the cardio, and works the legs. You can get a trainer for the bike when weather is poor. Don't over do it in the first month ease into it.

 

[DouglasR]

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[ChavytheGoat]

My grandpa turns 76 this and he fluctuates in weight and ability as it seems like most people do. Whenever he hits around 195-200 he slows down on the whiskey and cokes(I don't know if you drink or not) and his meals reduce in calories and carbs. He starts a new project in the yard or house(hard to do in the Wyo winter) and works on it everyday. He also bikes in the evening and will take a gun and a small pack and goes for a hike looking for whatever is in season; quail, pheasant, coyotes whatever it may be. It seems to work for him as he will drop back down to the 180 range after a while. He always says that Calories gained minus calories burned equals calories stuck. He tries to burn more than he intakes. At 75 he out hikes most 50 year olds and even helped me and my step dad pack out about 1/3 of a bull elk last September!

 

[oxn939]

5) Due to a pepsi addiction, drinking a six pack or more a day, my metabolism is messed up confirmed by doctor visit. Now I am drinking water and coffee instead.

Great job on cutting the Pepsi, that is a fantastic start. There is so much misinformation out there about nutrition it's a little bit hard to ascertain what is legitimate advice, but here's a start- quality has a quantity all its own. What I mean by that is, don't try to "eliminate carbs." If you do that and work out strenuously, you'll be tired and pissed. Don't try to eliminate fat, either- same thing. Instead, focus on these respective macronutrient categories' quality. Here's an example- you can get 30 grams of fat from a deep fried twinkie, or you can get it from a bowl of organic avocado and quinoa. "Same amount of macronutrients." Which one do you think would be better for you?

Wild game is the best example of this. Theoretically, both a McDouble and an elk tenderloin have ~60 grams of protein. Just try to imagine all the preservatives, antibiotics, hormones and fillers you're avoiding by skipping the McDonald's.

Point of this is, structure your diet to include more "whole" foods a la fruits, nuts, vegetables, wild game and legumes rather than villainizing an entire macronutrient category and continuing to eat overprocessed fast foods.

 

[JLS]

The real question is can you outwork beer?

Unfortunately, no

 

[rtraverdavis]

What tips does everyone have for care of post-workout @WyoDoug meat? I assume you’ve got to get that stuff cooling on ice as quickly as possible.

(Sorry Doug, couldn’t help it.)

 

[WyoDoug]

What tips does everyone have for care of post-workout @WyoDoug meat? I assume you’ve got to get that stuff cooling on ice as quickly as possible.

(Sorry Doug, couldn’t help it.)

Right now I would appreciate it if you don't troll my threads. If you need a definition of that please visit Meriam-Webster dictionary. Please keep it on the rails of what I posted.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Right now I would appreciate it if you don't troll my threads. If you need a definition of that please visit Meriam-Webster dictionary. Please keep it on the rails of what I posted.

Not trying to troll. Sorry, I thought you’d find humor in it. You know, the antelope thing.

And honestly, I think what you’re doing is great. I need to lose some pounds before season this year as well. I hope you get in great shape and feel great.

 

[hank4elk]

Good ideas here. Never had the sugar or weight problem. Quit drinking 30+ years ago.
Walk,hike cross country,bike,swim.

 

[ntodwild]

Hey Doug, as a retiree myself (I do know you are going back to work) you have plenty of good advice here for staying in shape and much of it may or may not pertain to your personal health condition and situation. As a life long athlete who wrestled all of my childhood into the military and beyond I always come back to one thing. Time & commitment. Eating right is nothing more than a commitment. Exercise is the same. Self discipline is the evil that keeps us all from doing the right thing. We all get caught up in life and the human tendency is to "enjoy" life (throw self discipline out the door) until we realize "enjoyment" has turned into health issues or has taken away our ability to go out and do the things we really love. I applaud you for sticking it out there on a public forum. It means you want to hold yourself accountable. It's a great first step. Stay strong with your commitment, allow yourself to stumble from time to time but make a real commitment to improving your health and stick to it. You have more time than 90% of Americans even with you going back to work. Allow yourself to believe you have no excuses, set small goals and I am rooting for you.

As I right this I find myself in a winter slump but will jump on the treadmill, watch the Gritty Bowman, force myself to get a good workout in.

 

[JMG]

Doug, You're not alone in this "battle". A lot of good advise above.

A few things I am trying to discipline myself is 1) Portion control (also eat until you are 80% full); 2) Eating slower (I will finish my dinner and look over at my wife and she isn't even halfway through with her dinner); and 3) drink a lot more water (I too have greatly reduced my Pepsi and carbohydrate intake). I'm teaching myself that being hungry is "OK".
Losing weight is 85% diet and 15% fitness training. For me, poor nutrition is "bad habits" and for some reason I "self sabotage" my progress. But I'm determined to get my weight off this year and I am using this coming hunting season(s) to motivate me to be in better health and shape.

Two years ago; my oldest son (20) passed away due to an accident and I lost A LOT of motivation to do anything. I put on a good 20 lbs (the most I have weighed my whole life). I am "coming out of my funk" … some days are better than others ... but life is good and continues to improve. I have started working out regularly, again, and I am starting to crave working out.

Keep at it … we're with you.