Our Physical Fitness

[kermit4karate]

Exercise and fitness have been a big part of my life, starting with karate at age 14, to jujitsu (the Japanese variety), then jiu-jitsu (the Brazilian offshoot), and then from there.

They also greatly influenced my approach to roleplaying and DMing, but I digress....

I'm in my 50s now, and fitness for me revolves around maximizing my daily energy and slowing deterioration at this point with mostly bodyweight exercises like situps/crunches, chin-ups, and a wide variety of pushups, coupled with walking and brief sprints.

I could talk for hours and write thousands of pages about fitness and exercise nutrition. Not really sure where to start.

 

[Evaniel]

Well, my physical fitness for the past week has consisted of trying to “fit ness whole pizza in my mouth” but now that I’m done traveling with 12 hour car rides and eating out every night, I’m ready for some sustained work.

Let us know how it goes! What are you thinking in terms of a regimen?

 

[TiQuinn]

Let us know how it goes! What are you thinking in terms of a regimen?

I’ve got a pretty established regimen - this summer has just been the most hectic I’ve had in a long time with two kids going to college.

Generally, I work out 5 to 6 days a week. Lifting - upper/lower split interspersed with a day of cardio for 45 minutes to an hour.

 

[TiQuinn]

Just for listing out the deets, here's my full regimen:

Day 1: Upper Body (all 3 to 4 sets, ranging from 8 to 12 reps)

• Dumbell Incline Bench Press
• Seated Row
• Fly Machine
• Tricep Extensions
• Dumbbell Snatches
• Preacher Curls
• Ab Crunches (machine)

Day 2: Lower Body

• Barbell Squats or Leg Press Machine
• Seated Leg Curls
• Seated Calf Raises
• Adductor Machine
• Abductor Machine
• Reverse Ab Crunches (bench)

Day 3: Cardio (Stairmaster or Treadmill at full incline, walking speed)

Day 4: Upper Body

• Bent Over Rows or Dumbbell Rows
• Dumbell Incline Bench Press
• Lat Pulldowns
• Overhead Lu Press or Dumbbell Side Raises
• Tricep Extensions
• Cable Oblique Twists
• Ab Crunches (machine)

Day 5: Lower Body

• Dumbbell RDLs
• Barbell Hip Thrusters (Smith Machine)
• Barbell Calf Raises (Smith Machine)
• Seated Leg Extensions
• Seated Leg Curls
• Reverse Ab Crunches (bench)

Day 6: More Cardio (Whatever I didn't do that last time)

My focus is to not to lift especially heavy, have enough in the tank that the last set is a struggle (1 to 2 reps left), and focus more on consistency and having enough energy to make the next lift. If I get bored with a particular exercise, want to try to something new, I'll slot it in as a replacement for a similar lift.

 

[kermit4karate]

Reduction in inflammation and drinking less water subconsciously.

Maybe?

Just for listing out the deets, here's my full regimen:

Day 1: Upper Body (all 3 to 4 sets, ranging from 8 to 12 reps)

• Dumbell Incline Bench Press
• Seated Row
• Fly Machine
• Tricep Extensions
• Dumbbell Snatches
• Preacher Curls
• Ab Crunches (machine)

Day 2: Lower Body

• Barbell Squats or Leg Press Machine
• Seated Leg Curls
• Seated Calf Raises
• Adductor Machine
• Abductor Machine
• Reverse Ab Crunches (bench)

Day 3: Cardio (Stairmaster or Treadmill at full incline, walking speed)

Day 4: Upper Body

• Bent Over Rows or Dumbbell Rows
• Dumbell Incline Bench Press
• Lat Pulldowns
• Overhead Lu Press or Dumbbell Side Raises
• Tricep Extensions
• Cable Oblique Twists
• Ab Crunches (machine)

Day 5: Lower Body

• Dumbbell RDLs
• Barbell Hip Thrusters (Smith Machine)
• Barbell Calf Raises (Smith Machine)
• Seated Leg Extensions
• Seated Leg Curls
• Reverse Ab Crunches (bench)

Day 6: More Cardio (Whatever I didn't do that last time)

My focus is to not to lift especially heavy, have enough in the tank that the last set is a struggle (1 to 2 reps left), and focus more on consistency and having enough energy to make the next lift. If I get bored with a particular exercise, want to try to something new, I'll slot it in as a replacement for a similar lift.

That is a young person's regimen right there. Under 35 I'm guessing? There's no way I could recover enough between days at 53 to still do something like this for 5 consecutive days. Maybe in my 20s and 30s but not anymore. Da biology dernt werk lack dat anymoor!

I've always lifted / done whatever resistance training I've done to failure. Do you do that, or do you shoot for a specific number of reps per set?

 

[TiQuinn]

That is a young person's regimen right there. Under 35 I'm guessing? There's no way I could recover enough between days at 53 to still do something like this for 5 consecutive days. Maybe in my 20s and 30s but not anymore. Da biology dernt werk lack dat anymoor!

I've always lifted / done whatever resistance training I've done to failure. Do you do that, or do you shoot for a specific number of reps per set?

Ha, ha, I'm 50 years old. (Thank you - you just made my day!) I'm more happy that my schedule allows me to do this pace though I try not to beat myself up if I only get 4 to 5 workouts in versus the regular 6.

But seriously, lifting enough weight to feel like you lifted without breaking yourself and missing a day is a higher priority to me than lifting heavy. If I lift to failure, it's only on the 3rd or 4th sets. I try to lift to the point each set that I feel like I can get one to two more reps. On the first set, that's often not the case but if I go to failure on the first set, I typically am dead by the 3rd or 4th anyways. It's all very feel based versus scientific.

 

[kermit4karate]

Ha, ha, I'm 50 years old. (Thank you - you just made my day!) I'm more happy that my schedule allows me to do this pace though I try not to beat myself up if I only get 4 to 5 workouts in versus the regular 6.

But seriously, lifting enough weight to feel like you lifted without breaking yourself and missing a day is a higher priority to me than lifting heavy. If I lift to failure, it's only on the 3rd or 4th sets. I try to lift to the point each set that I feel like I can get one to two more reps. On the first set, that's often not the case but if I go to failure on the first set, I typically am dead by the 3rd or 4th anyways. It's all very feel based versus scientific.

Wow, bravo, fellow old timer! Or rather, fellow well-seasoned individual.

I like your workout. It looks great. I get it now too. Yes, the whole work-till-failure thing's been built into my workout DNA over the past decades since the Joe Weider, Franco Colombo days, but it does have the flaw, which has really only relatively recently (past 10-15 years) or so been accepted, of resulting in more injuries. I'm a total believer in pushing to failure/tricking the body into adapting, but yes, it doesn't have to be and shouldn't be 15 sets to failure; otherwise like you said, more injuries. Yup. I still have to work on breaking that old-school thinking model.

I do still exercise regularly, and I've started up at a new gym about a month ago, so once I get over the initial daunting-ness of working in with the big kids again who are doing bench with six 45# plates on the bar while I've got two on mine...I'll be right back at it!

Keep up the good work!

 

[TiQuinn]

Wow, bravo, fellow old timer! Or rather, fellow well-seasoned individual.

I like your workout. It looks great. I get it now too. Yes, the whole work-till-failure thing's been built into my workout DNA over the past decades since the Joe Weider, Franco Colombo days, but it does have the flaw, which has really only relatively recently (past 10-15 years) or so been accepted, of resulting in more injuries. I'm a total believer in pushing to failure/tricking the body into adapting, but yes, it doesn't have to be and shouldn't be 15 sets to failure; otherwise like you said, more injuries. Yup. I still have to work on breaking that old-school thinking model.

I do still exercise regularly, and I've started up at a new gym about a month ago, so once I get over the initial daunting-ness of working in with the big kids again who are doing bench with six 45# plates on the bar while I've got two on mine...I'll be right back at it!

Keep up the good work!

Yeah, I'd say about 10 years ago I was pushing way too hard, and that was when I fell out of my routine. I was laid up with a bad back for a few weeks, and then was worried about re-injuring, but then also rushed back too quickly and DID re-injure it, and it was just a terrible cycle to get stuck in.