guardian7
Level 6 Valued Member
Due to too many responsibilities and other stress factors, I don't seem to be able to keep up my usual workouts this winter.
However, this may be an opportunity to rebuild strength and mobility from the ground up.
What StrongFirst principles or other StrongFirst compatible authors's ideas would inspire you to start over and take a different approach to general health and fitness knowing what you do now?
For example, would you start with standard pushups to understand the concept of tension or do hindu pushups or one arm pushup progressions Strong First style as a focus?
Influenced by knees over toes guy, I see less reason to separate stretching from strength. The key seems to be combining nervous system (OS), movement, with strength that stretches you in a range of motion. split squat, light dumbbell Romanian deadlifts, Jefferson curl, hindu squats and pushups. reverse step ups etc.
What would you focus on?
What gateway bodyweight exercise skills would you work on as a gateway to other skills and improved mobility? My pick so far is the L-SIT. What calisthetics skills do you think beginners should focus on? I have found crab walks great for shoulder extension.
Ligament and tendon health and mobility: Would you do higher volume exercises like bodyweight squats, hindu pushups rather than just heavy weights or kettlebells if you were to start over. I am leaning in this direction. It is kind of like building an aerobic base for sprinting. It builds a foundation and some hypertrophy to build more strength on. Rebuilding Milo and built from broken were good books on this for me. Pavel Macek is a proponent of high rep bodyweight exercises. GGP: The Great Gama Protocol [ONLINE COURSE] | Pavel Macek
Aleks Salkin has interesting ideas on combining bodyweight, Original Strength movements with KB or other resistance training. Cal-O-Ween - Aleks Salkin - The Hebrew Hammer Combining movement and strength/endurance seems to be increasingly the way to go. I have enjoyed rucking and have tried sprinting recently and enjoy both.
How important do you think meditation and breathing practices are for everyone? I have realized how poorly most people breathe due to recent reading and a good explanation from a Geoff Neupert product Sore Joint Solution. The Sore Joint Solution-7-Day Free Trial - Chasing Strength
Box breathing used in the military really helps with stress, for example. I find it simple and effective before going to sleep. Strongfirst promotes breathing practices but usually in the context of the actual lifts rather than a separate practice.
More of a thought experiment here, than a clear idea. The main point is at this age of over 50, I see mobility, strength-mobility, tendon and ligament strength, nervous system work, and power etc. as increasingly important once a foundation of basic strength is built but often neglected or separated out. It also seems less useful to separate stretching from strength and mobility as I thought.
The three point bridge is a good example promoted by GMB that is neither, strength, nor stretch, nor flexibility alone. The traditional bridge as well of course.
Do you include isometrics like L-sits and pushup holds/planks in your routine?
Do you alternative your focus on strength with periods of hypertrophy focus. According to many sources, this is increasingly important as we age and a big cause of health problems.
What movements have you regressed and rebuilt successfully. For example, I think I need to just do goblet squats and improve my squat pattern rather than double KB front squats. Inverted rows instead of pullups for a while. I have been doing dips which has been great.
The main motivation for my post is difficulty doing my regular routine due to life events and the realization that I would probably do things very differently if I were to start over now considering what I know and the aging process. And having less ego involved in exercise decisions. It is clear that my posture and mobility need work that has been neglected as I sit down too much for work. I need to return to the basics and patch up weak links rather than keep on going with the same types of routines like double KB press and squat etc.
I recognize that we have some very fit over 40 and 50 year olds here and that more is possible if life and will permits, but I am just looking for basic ideas.
Would be interested in what others over 40 with general health goals and time constraints think. I am coming off a cold that has been hard to shake and have not been working out for a couple of weeks, so it is time for a fresh start.
In short, how would you rebuild your body if you did not focus on PR intensity or amount of weight used, only rebuilding a foundation to make everything better for lifelong health?
However, this may be an opportunity to rebuild strength and mobility from the ground up.
What StrongFirst principles or other StrongFirst compatible authors's ideas would inspire you to start over and take a different approach to general health and fitness knowing what you do now?
For example, would you start with standard pushups to understand the concept of tension or do hindu pushups or one arm pushup progressions Strong First style as a focus?
Influenced by knees over toes guy, I see less reason to separate stretching from strength. The key seems to be combining nervous system (OS), movement, with strength that stretches you in a range of motion. split squat, light dumbbell Romanian deadlifts, Jefferson curl, hindu squats and pushups. reverse step ups etc.
What would you focus on?
What gateway bodyweight exercise skills would you work on as a gateway to other skills and improved mobility? My pick so far is the L-SIT. What calisthetics skills do you think beginners should focus on? I have found crab walks great for shoulder extension.
Ligament and tendon health and mobility: Would you do higher volume exercises like bodyweight squats, hindu pushups rather than just heavy weights or kettlebells if you were to start over. I am leaning in this direction. It is kind of like building an aerobic base for sprinting. It builds a foundation and some hypertrophy to build more strength on. Rebuilding Milo and built from broken were good books on this for me. Pavel Macek is a proponent of high rep bodyweight exercises. GGP: The Great Gama Protocol [ONLINE COURSE] | Pavel Macek
Aleks Salkin has interesting ideas on combining bodyweight, Original Strength movements with KB or other resistance training. Cal-O-Ween - Aleks Salkin - The Hebrew Hammer Combining movement and strength/endurance seems to be increasingly the way to go. I have enjoyed rucking and have tried sprinting recently and enjoy both.
How important do you think meditation and breathing practices are for everyone? I have realized how poorly most people breathe due to recent reading and a good explanation from a Geoff Neupert product Sore Joint Solution. The Sore Joint Solution-7-Day Free Trial - Chasing Strength
Box breathing used in the military really helps with stress, for example. I find it simple and effective before going to sleep. Strongfirst promotes breathing practices but usually in the context of the actual lifts rather than a separate practice.
More of a thought experiment here, than a clear idea. The main point is at this age of over 50, I see mobility, strength-mobility, tendon and ligament strength, nervous system work, and power etc. as increasingly important once a foundation of basic strength is built but often neglected or separated out. It also seems less useful to separate stretching from strength and mobility as I thought.
The three point bridge is a good example promoted by GMB that is neither, strength, nor stretch, nor flexibility alone. The traditional bridge as well of course.
Do you include isometrics like L-sits and pushup holds/planks in your routine?
Do you alternative your focus on strength with periods of hypertrophy focus. According to many sources, this is increasingly important as we age and a big cause of health problems.
What movements have you regressed and rebuilt successfully. For example, I think I need to just do goblet squats and improve my squat pattern rather than double KB front squats. Inverted rows instead of pullups for a while. I have been doing dips which has been great.
The main motivation for my post is difficulty doing my regular routine due to life events and the realization that I would probably do things very differently if I were to start over now considering what I know and the aging process. And having less ego involved in exercise decisions. It is clear that my posture and mobility need work that has been neglected as I sit down too much for work. I need to return to the basics and patch up weak links rather than keep on going with the same types of routines like double KB press and squat etc.
I recognize that we have some very fit over 40 and 50 year olds here and that more is possible if life and will permits, but I am just looking for basic ideas.
Would be interested in what others over 40 with general health goals and time constraints think. I am coming off a cold that has been hard to shake and have not been working out for a couple of weeks, so it is time for a fresh start.
In short, how would you rebuild your body if you did not focus on PR intensity or amount of weight used, only rebuilding a foundation to make everything better for lifelong health?
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