EXERCISE AS YOU AGE: WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE SAY?

EXERCISE AS YOU AGE: WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE SAY?

From the time we are young the importance of being physically active is instilled into our brains. Part of me is still convinced that this is just so kids can get their energy out 😊. The things that are important at this age are developing balance, coordination, mental engagement, and healthy bones. Would you believe me if I told you these are the exact same things that need to be developed as you age? Exercise as you age isn’t different, we just scale the intensity.

I would like to be clear; this article is not to target only those of you seeing the 80s and 90s approaching. The information and science presented here can be applied to every person from 22 to 60. In fact, the decline in both muscle and bone strength begins at age 30! One of the causes is physical inactivity for both of these.

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about what you should be doing with your workouts the older you get. Of course, we need to develop these habits throughout the years of physical activity and exercise. The longer you put it off, the more difficult it is going to be to start. Keep in mind it is never too late, the best time to start is now. The question is, how do you know what you need?

THE KEYS TO DEVELOPING A PROGRAM AS YOU AGE

Our philosophy at the gym tailors to the 3-step progression we want all of our clients to meet as we program for them specifically. These are the building blocks of any program regardless of age, experience, or goals. These include range of motion, stability, and strength, in that order.

Range of Motion

The first is getting range of motion. As we see throughout our lifetime our joint mobility and muscle flexibility pretty much goes down the drain. From desk jobs to years of bad posture and poor mechanics, we see a steady decline. This loss of range of motion is often the cause of many of those aches and pains you experience throughout the day.

The best method here is prevention, but I understand that for most who felt mobile and agile in their twenties, likely didn’t make it a habit to practice great stretching routines. And now at age 50 you are looking in the rearview mirror wishing you had done more.

Good news! As I said, it is never too late to start. If you have been following along with our many discussions about stretching, it does not take much. Stretching twice a day for 20-30 seconds each stretch will definitely help you see the improvements you are looking for. This will also relieve pain in the common areas if done correctly.

Once we are able to gain more flexibility, we can focus on using it to gain more range of motions in the exercises we do. With the use of a TRX or putting a swiss ball between us and the wall we are able to assist in stability to get a greater range of motion. Adding mobility exercises (active stretching) to your workout routine will also expand the movements in your exercises.

The combination of this stretching, mobility, and assistance in exercises is going to set you up for success when building range of motion.

Stability

This next one is going perhaps one of the most important aspects when exercising as you age. One of the biggest causes of falls, dislocations, and injuries in older populations is due to a lack of balance and stability. Therefore, starting early and developing this balance in a controlled setting is very important to your overall health as you age.

One of the ways this is done is through creating instability. This can be as simple as doing upper body exercises using a split stance with the legs. To advance it you can go onto a single leg balance. The older we get, this may be sufficient enough for creating instability.

However, if you are starting early and are advanced in your balance technique you can an unstable object. This may include the use of a stability pad or a bosu ball which are our favorites in the gym. Start by using a double leg balance on them, and then as you get better you can move to two.

It is important to note that advancing too much too fast can result in injury. Only do so when advised by a professional. Improving your ability to balance in instable situations will only improve your ability to do so in your everyday life. This could be the difference between feeling healthy or getting a fractured bone.

Strength

Once the flexibility and stability have been established, strength is the next one to be developed within the individual. This is not to say that we stop working on the first two all-together but need to keep working on them as we continue to build strength.

Although much of our muscle strength and power declines as we age, our body’s ability to adapt to resistance training remains the same. Resistance training in older adults has a huge positive impact on bone health and helps adults’ ability to function through everyday activities such as climbing stairs, sitting down and standing, and even reactionary functions.

Just as you would for an individual, it is important to scale the amount of weight to the capabilities of the exerciser. We do not want to overtask the musculoskeletal systems in older adults, so weight selection is very important!

Some of the best exercises for adults in older populations include:

  • Squats (assisted with TRX or a swiss ball if needed) These are great of building range of motion especially in the hips. It is imperative to build strength in this range of motion for functions like sitting in a chair or getting in and out of bed
  • Rows (using a cable machine or resistance bands) These are great for strengthening the back to proper posture and helping to get rid of shoulder pain. Combining these with chest stretching will help the individual improve everyday functioning. Upper body strength can also be built with the use of dumbbells.
  • Core: In the form of a core rotator (read more about it here) or simply incorporating proper core engagement in all exercises, is vital for eliminating back pain. It is important to recognize that using excessive amounts of core bracing (Valsalva maneuver) can illicit various responses due to a raise in blood pressure that can occur. Avoid holding your breath and stop exercising if you feel dizzy or light headed.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

For exercising in older adults, it is important to consider the following things, especially if you are trying to create a program on your own. You should consider consulting a physician, no pain, warm-up properly, include strength and cardiovascular exercise, and give yourself rest. Look at the image to the left for more information!

These are all important to note as you venture into the exercise world or continue exercising as you age. But I want to call special attention to the first item on the list. The primary thing to consider is that you are cleared by your physician. Quickly followed by the fact that you are pain free when exercising in your range of motion.

The benefits of being active are immense as you age. They come from not only in walking and aerobic capacity, but in flexibility, balance, and resistance training. Structure your program to include them all. It can be the difference between a sedative lifestyle or living with minimal pain and doing the things you love!

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Are you ready to start a new workout program that focuses on building strength in a simple and effective manner? Then you are in the right place! My Dumbbell Only Workout Program is your answer to achieving your fitness goals. Let's explore why my program is the...

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Owning your own training business can be an exciting and yet overwhelming thought. But ask yourself... Are you committed to the long term? Does passion and knowledge fuel your desire to work with clients everyday? Are you looking for more career advancement...

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GOLF FITNESS POWER

GOLF FITNESS POWER

Power and explosiveness within full range of motion

In steps 1 and 2 we covered flexibility and stability respectfully. Step 3 takes us into the development of power through periodized programming and plyometrics. However, if you haven’t read and implemented steps 1 and 2 stop now.

Read Golf Fitness Flexibility and start implementing a regular stretching routine.

Then read Golf Fitness Stability and start incorporating those exercises to build a strong foundation.

Now back to power development for golf performance.

Step 3 is where you can separate yourself from others on the course. Top end, professional athletes are using this step to take their performance to the next level. So if you, like professional athletes, are looking to increase distance and swing speeds keep reading.

Full Range of Motion

This is the foundation of healthy movement for everything. Golf is no exception.

Being able to move through the entire ROM in a golf swing simply means the ability to develop speed. And speed means distance. We all want distance.

Along with speed another huge benefit of full ROM is pain free movement. In many cases people who have limited ROM will also have pain. This pain can be anywhere in their body. It is caused by the body continuously trying to compensate for the lack of ROM.

In golf we repetitively swing the club. If our ROM is limited in that movement patter – anywhere from you shoulders to your hips, your body will compensate. You will still create movement, but your body will load and fire incorrectly. Stress will be put on areas that should not be feeling it. The end results will be pain and if it is not address quickly, chronic pain. For a golfer this limited ROM presents most commonly as chronic low back pain.

So it’s simple, achieve full range of motion and increase speed and play pain free. Who wouldn’t want to do that?!

Not sure how to achieve full range of motion. Well, go read step 1 like I said at the start.

Power

Power within full ROM is the third step in the process of taking your game to the next level.

Remember Step 1 ROM, Step 2 Stability.

In a power development phase l periodize your training program to build and peak at specific times. This process optimizes your performance and translates the work in the gym to the speed and distance on the course.

Yes, I just told you that simply having full ROM will give you speed, but this step is where people separate themselves.

It is imperative that this power phase is focused on training and strengthening the FULL ROM and not just parts of it. In order to maximize your results your body needs to build strength throughout the entire movement pattern (s). Otherwise, you just wasted the time you spent on step 1 and step 2 and you will limit your potential.

This phase is also a good time to incorporate training under unstable conditions for the purpose of power development. I use a bosu ball and stability pad with my clients.

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Explosiveness

Explosiveness often gets interchanged with power and they are quite different. Both can give you the same end result but by training different physiological adaptations. Both are important to golf performance. And when used synergistically will get you the best results.

Power is strengthening the muscle itself, where explosiveness is teaching the body how to use it. Properly training some for explosiveness means teaching their body how to use stored elastic energy. Taking advantage of the stretch reflex component and golgi tendon organ (GTI).

The easiest way to do this is through plyometrics, when done correctly. Often plyometric exercises turn into cardio sessions. Simply put, thats a waste of time. It takes zero advantage of the training modality.

Quality over quantity always takes precedent in plyometrics. Iv’e said it in other articles, but I’ll say it again. Quality fast movement throughout the entire ROM is the key. Teach the body how to use stored elastic energy and train it properly and you just took your full ROM and created a monster off the tee box.

Periodization

I think it’s important to quickly talk about periodization as power and explosiveness require it in order to ensure maximum results.

Just going into the gym and doing the same rep counts with the same weights won’t maximize your full potential. Through proper periodization you can and will maximize top end strength to peak when you want it to. Which will give you that club speed and distance we have been talking about.

Periodization also allows your muscles to hypertrophy over a period of time without going through phases of overreaching (the precursor to over training) which would cause a loss in strength. And we want hypertrophy because it is what allows us to build strength to be used as explosive power.

On paper, periodization is simple. Following a progressive cycle of 6-12 weeks in length that adjusts intensity and volume to maximize top end strength at a specific time. However, many people don’t know how to properly periodize an individual, or more importantly don’t know when to make the appropriate adjustments during the training cycle. There is a scientific approach to periodization and if you don’t follow it, you are wasting your time.

Also an important note for readers who want to follow this style of program is that you have to be on a consistent schedule 3-5 days per week. You cannot train for a week and then take one off, or two weeks and then take a week off. These are the types of programs that you need to be all in on in order to reach your highest potential.

You can read about my number one power exercise to increase distance in this article.

Put it all together

Now you know our 3 step PureForged Method.

  1. Flexibility and Range of Motion
  2. Stability and Balance
  3. Power and Explosiveness

Follow this system step by step and watch your game sky rocket. Reach out to us for an assessment, programming or one-on-one training.

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Are you ready to start a new workout program that focuses on building strength in a simple and effective manner? Then you are in the right place! My Dumbbell Only Workout Program is your answer to achieving your fitness goals. Let's explore why my program is the...

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Owning your own training business can be an exciting and yet overwhelming thought. But ask yourself... Are you committed to the long term? Does passion and knowledge fuel your desire to work with clients everyday? Are you looking for more career advancement...

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GOLF: TOP 5 EXERCISES FOR INCREASING YOUR SWING SPEED

GOLF: TOP 5 EXERCISES FOR INCREASING YOUR SWING SPEED

People that love the game of golf regardless of how good they are all wish for one thing, more distance. Why? Because distance matters. More distance, when controlled, can mean less strokes to get to the green. Which cans clearly mean a lower score. (If you can putt.) And to get more distance you need to improve your swing speed.

HOW DO YOU INCREASE GOLF SWING SPEED?

Thats the million dollar questions. And I have a free answer for you. You are going to be shocked because it is simple. 

Strength. 

You need to have more strength to be able to produce more power to be able to drive the ball further. A, B, C. That’s it. 

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WHAT’S THE CATCH?

But if it was really that simple wouldn’t we all have incredible golf swing speed and driving distance. Logic serves that if we all just get stronger we can all have more distance. Well you are right. Go ahead get stronger. 

Here is the catch.

Educated and experienced personal trainers, like myself, exist not just to be a therapist or make sure you show up to your workout. We have specific training & knowledge that allows us to increase your strength and translate it to sport performance. That’s why the guy that can squat 400 pounds and bicep curl 50s isn’t necessarily the best golfer. Sometimes that guy is all show and no go.

This process WILL look different depending on your health history and current physical fitness. After all, if there was just one exact way to get stronger and hit the ball further that applied to every person, I wouldn’t have a job or a leg to stand on.

BUT, every person has to go through the same progression to get to strength and power. In previous posts we touched on our approach that we use with every golfer – flexibility/range of motion, stability and then power. If you try to do 2 before 1 or 3 before 2 you won’t get the results you are looking for. Which is where we come in as personal trainers. Follow the right progression based on where your body and you get the right results. Simple.

TOP 5 STRENGTH EXERCISES FOR SWING SPEED IN GOLF

If you already follow an exercise program or like to work out here are a list of my top 5 exercises to improve your golf swing speed. How they are implemented within the program obviously make a difference, as mentioned above. But just implementing them into your routine in any manner will help immediately. You will notice that 3 of the 5 exercises are lower body, this is because the stronger and more stable you are in your legs will allow you to swing harder without a loss in stability which will give you speed immediately.

Back Squat

Power from the swing starts from the ground up, if you know how to use force from the ground up and understand how to load properly you will hit the ball further. This is why the back squat is so beneficial for distance.

  • TIP: the back squat is a technical lift, start light and master the mechanics to get the best results in the long run.

DB Deadlift

Again, same reasoning as the back squat, however, it is an easier exercise to accomplish. And arguably easier place to start with all golfers. The drawback is that it is not quite as efficient as the back squat. It can’t be loaded as much because you are restricted by the weight of the dumbbell. In our gym that goes up to 100 pounds. It also works the muscles in a different capacity than the back squat because the load is below your waist instead of on your back. This differentiates it from the back squat, giving it a place in your training program. 

  • TIP: form is of the highest concern. Poor form can lead to low back aggravation and tightness. Maintaining core bracing is and a flat back is essential.

High to Low Core Rotator

This movement teaches the appropriate kinematic sequence while mimicking the downswing. This allows us to train the translation of power from ground through core and to the club. 

  • TIP: your arms are the lever in this exercise. The further away from your body line you can keep them the more load you place on your core. The more load you place on your core the stronger it can get.

Single Leg RDL

Again, teaching the body how to load properly is the foundation of power in the swing. This exercise helps give you stability while also being able to focus on power and speed.

  • TIP: your range of motion will be limited backs on hamstring flexibility. Tight hamstrings will impact your ability to balance, or be stable. If this exercise is difficult you likely need to implement a stretching routine. Check out our golf specific stretching routine here.

Eccentric Core Rotator

This teaches the body how to isolate the eccentric muscle contraction phase and will help increase force production right away. Not an easy way to isolate the muscle but gives a fantastic output for speed and power.

  • TIP: proper eccentric load is all above maximizing the time spent in the muscle lengthening phase. Perform this exercise with even more control than usual to get the maximal results.

WHERE TO START

If you are familiar with the exercises or perhaps you are already working with a trainer. Find a way to incorporate these into your weekly training program. In the event that you don’t know how to add these exercises to your workout, reach out to us for an appointment. We are eager to help you develop the distance you have always dreamed of. We work both face-to-face and in online training formats. 

And if that is not possible, the safest place, with the largest impact would be flexibility. I didn’t talk much about it here because I have an entire article dedicated to the topic. Go read Golf Flexibility now. Implement those stretches and you will feel better, move better and play better.

Sign-up for our newsletter and we will send you 5 golf mobility exercises that will have you feeling better and playing better in just a few minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Are you ready to start a new workout program that focuses on building strength in a simple and effective manner? Then you are in the right place! My Dumbbell Only Workout Program is your answer to achieving your fitness goals. Let's explore why my program is the...

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3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

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GOLF FITNESS FLEXIBILITY

GOLF FITNESS FLEXIBILITY

Today we’ll cover the first of three steps in the PureForged method. We have found, regardless of your golf specific flexibility, these four stretches will help you and your swing. If you already have great flexibility, then the idea is to maintain it. Below are the four stretches: three of them are static stretches, meaning you hold them and one is a dynamic stretch, meaning it’s done through repetitive movements.

If you haven’t read our first article covering all three steps click here.

Four Stretches for Pain Free Range of Motion

Important: Each static stretch should be held for 30 seconds. Making sure your alignment is perfect and that the stretch is NEVER painful. If it is painful you need to decrease the intensity immediately. Go through each stretch twice, two times a day, every day to maximize results.

  1. Straight Ahead Hamstring Stretch (Static)
  2. Sideways Adductor/Hamstring Stretch (Static)
  3. Standing or Kneeling Quad/Hip Stretch (Static)
  4. Isolated Thoracic Wall Rotation (Dynamic)

How we apply these stretches is important. Follow these steps to get the most out of your flexibility training. Each static stretch should be held for 30 seconds. Making sure your alignment is perfect and that the stretch is NEVER painful. If it is painful you need to decrease the intensity immediately. Go through each stretch twice, two times a day, every day to maximize results.

Take a look at the video at the bottom for a clarification of the exercises. We walk you through how and why to use these exercises.

Straight Ahead Hamstring Stretch (Static)

Stand on two feet with toes pointing straight ahead and a tall posture. Lift one leg up and rest your heel on a bench (or other object) in front of you. Check to ensure that your hips and shoulders are squared straight ahead, your weight baring leg is straight and your posture is still tall. You should feel a slight pull in the back of your leg that is not too discomforting to hold for a 30 second count and then switch legs. If discomfort exists lower the height of the elevated leg, if there is no stretch and all other parameters are met increase the height of the elevated leg. Keeping your hamstrings loose helps directly with allowing your body to load the posterior muscles and increases the range of motion to allow you to get into power positions within your swing.

Sideways Hamstring Stretch (Static)

Stand on two feet with toes pointing straight ahead and a tall posture. Open up one foot so that it is now perpendicular to the other foot. Lift the other leg up, or the foot pointing forward, and rest your heel on a bench (or other object) in front of you. Check to ensure that your hips and shoulders are squared straight ahead, your weight baring leg is straight and your posture is still tall. You should feel a slight pull in groin of your elevated leg that is not too discomforting to hold for a 30 second count and then switch legs. If discomfort exists lower the height of the elevated leg, if there is no stretch and all other parameters are met increase the height of the elevated leg. This stretch you will feel in your groin area and directly helps with rotational flexibility and range of motion. 

Standing Quad or Kneeling Quad Stretch (Static)

While standing bend one leg and rest your foot on something around hip height behind you. Make sure your knees are next to each other, toes are pointing forward, and posture is tall. You should feel a slight pull in the front hip/quad of the bent leg. To perform this stretch kneeling find a soft surface to rest one knee on in a split kneeling stance. Engage your core, squeeze your glutes and gently push your hips forward until you feel a pull in your quad of the leg kneeling on the ground. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch legs. This stretch will also help with rotational flexibility as the hips get a lot of work in the golf swing and will tighten up on you.

Kneeling Thoracic Rotations on Wall – 12 Rotations Each Way (Dynamic)

Against a wall get into a split kneeling stance with your outside leg (furthest from the wall) kneeling on the ground. Make sure your inside leg (closest to the wall) is touching the wall and then place your hands behind your head and interlace your fingers. At this time your chest will be facing away from the wall. From this position rotate your upper body towards the wall so that both elbows can get as close to touching the wall and then rotate back to center. Repeat this for 12 rotations and then switch sides. This is very important to isolate thoracic rotation flexibility that will help in the golf swing and keep your low back healthy.

WHAT’S NEXT?

After you are CONSISTENTLY using this flexibility program it is time to move onto stability training. If you aren’t doing these stretches on a daily basis I would not advise moving on to stability training. You may not have the necessary range of motion. 

When you are ready read our Golf Fitness Stability article and find out what exercises will help improve your golf performance. 

 

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Are you ready to start a new workout program that focuses on building strength in a simple and effective manner? Then you are in the right place! My Dumbbell Only Workout Program is your answer to achieving your fitness goals. Let's explore why my program is the...

read more
3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

Owning your own training business can be an exciting and yet overwhelming thought. But ask yourself... Are you committed to the long term? Does passion and knowledge fuel your desire to work with clients everyday? Are you looking for more career advancement...

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GOLF FITNESS

GOLF FITNESS

The Relationship Between Golf & Fitness

We frequently get asked “how can I hit the ball further”. And “how can I generate more power and speed within my swing”. We aim to answer those questions and more.

This is the first in a short series that will give you our result proven PureForged Method. All too often people try to “re-invent the wheel” as it pertains to training philosophies/methodologies. We will show you what works. For any skill level. From PGA pros to beginner golfers, without anything extra thrown on top.

3 STEPS

  1. Pain Free Range of Motion (flexibility and mobility)
  2. Stability within Range of Motion
  3. Strength and Power within Range of Motion

Every person who comes in our doors starts with the PureForged Method. You cannot truly succeed at step 2 or 3 without accomplishing step 1. If you do, you will greatly inhibit your maximum potential. Week by week we will focus on each step and give you specific exercises to implement immediately.

This is your start to playing golf pain free, generating more power and hitting the ball farther. You have to talk to Andy in regards to where the ball ends up!

Get started by reading about Golf Fitness Flexibility and how to achieve the specific flexibility required for a smooth golf swing. A surprise bonus is that this flexibility will also help you in everyday life!

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Sculpt Your Goals: Dumbbell Only Workout Program

Are you ready to start a new workout program that focuses on building strength in a simple and effective manner? Then you are in the right place! My Dumbbell Only Workout Program is your answer to achieving your fitness goals. Let's explore why my program is the...

read more
3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

3 Reasons to Own Your Own Training Business

Owning your own training business can be an exciting and yet overwhelming thought. But ask yourself... Are you committed to the long term? Does passion and knowledge fuel your desire to work with clients everyday? Are you looking for more career advancement...

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