Body weight workouts
for men over 50
Beginning to get back in shape without using weights or joining the gym
BY J.C. ROSS
Cover Photography by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
Copyright-J.C. Ross-2021 - All rights reserved.
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Please note the information contained within this document is for educational and entertainment purposes only. All effort has been executed to present accurate, up to date, and reliable, complete information. No warranties of any kind are declared or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. The content within this book has been derived from various sources. Please consult a licensed professional before attempting any techniques outlined in this book.
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INTRODUCTION
Ok men, here goes. I am a 52-year old man with children, a wife, a job, and way more things to do than I have time to do them in. Unfortunately, the things that I want to do, like stay in shape, go to the gym, run a little, and hit the weight pile, often get pushed to the very back of the priority list. I know that I am not by myself. I see Us every day. We are everywhere...50-something, tired, former athletes, with no muscle tone in the upper body, a paunch belly, and a rear end that is flatter than our washboard stomach used to be. This was me about a year ago. My belly was getting bigger, my glutes were just a memory, my chest was sagging towards my belly, and my energy level gas tank was constantly on Empty.
I decided that I didn't want to continue to get worse as I aged and that I had to begin to make an effort to change my physique, to jump start my energy, and to be a good example to my teenage boys. I started searching, looking at videos, and reading blogs. I was looking for a set of specific exercises that would meet specialized criteria. Did I mention that I was short on time? The time that I had to spare could be counted in minutes. So, I did not have time to join a gym. I did not want to buy a lot of exercise equipment. I did not want to start off with heavy weights and risk injuring myself.
I wanted exercises that I could do in the morning immediately after I got out of bed, exercises that would take minutes to do...Not 15 minutes or more but 10 minutes or less. I wanted them to be intense. I wanted them to be restorative. I wanted them to involve my core muscles; legs, stomach, chest and arms, and back. In addition to that, I wanted the exercises to have a cardio element. And I wanted to be able to do them day after day, morning after morning, without them wearing out my joints. Thats a pretty good list, don't you agree?
So let me share with you what I found that met all of the requirements that I listed. But before I do (I know, there is always a but), I want to remind you of this...I am not a doctor. I am not a sports medicine professional. I have an Undergrad Degree in Biology. So, before you take off and start exercising, I want to encourage you to go and have a visit with your doctor.
Take this book and show your doctor what you have in mind doing and let the doctor advise you. This program works for me, but you are not me. I know my past history. I know what I was able to do back in my 20s and 30s. I don't know your history. I don't know if you have a bad heart, high blood pressure, or some unknown issue that these exercises might exacerbate.
I do not want you to injure yourself . I do want you to join me if you can and learn a few techniques that will start to get you back in shape again. I want these exercises to jumpstart your morning. This is a short and simple regimen that will get the blood pumping and clear the cobwebs from your mind, and I hope that it will have a positive impact on the way that you feel. So, let me reiterate, I do not want you to overdo it! And I do not want you to do anything until you have run these ideas by your Physician!
WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL YOU NEED FOR THESE EXERCISES
Before you start, let's go over what equipment you will need, what to wear, and just a short bit about nutrition, hydration, and the management of any pain that might occur as you start to wake your body up.
As far as what to wear, you don't need anything but a pair of shorts, a tee shirt, and some socks. You can wear tennis shoes if you wish.
If you happen to wear any knee braces, back braces, or any other supporting equipment, go ahead and wear this. It will help you keep your form during the early going. The form is way more important to be mindful of starting out. If you don't have good form and don't pay attention to posture, you could hurt yourself. Form first, and then the gains will come.
From my own experience, you will need to increase the amount of water that you drink. Most of us are walking around and living life on the verge of dehydration. We dont realize it because we aren't really doing any activity other than getting up, going to work, coming home, and going to bed. A quick way to confirm if you are dehydrated is to look at your urine after you empty your bladder. If it is cloudy and dark yellow, then guess what...you are dehydrated. If your urine looks like a snow globe that has just been shaken, then you need to drink some water. If you are hydrated, your urine will be clear and almost colorless, with a slight yellow tinge.
I know that coffee and soft drinks have water in them, but drinking coffee and other drinks with additives in them will actually speed up your dehydration. I am a coffee-ahaulic myself, so this is a friendly reminder to me as well as to you. More water, less other things. Your body will thank you. You will be thirsty after this activity, so be prepared.
All of the exercises that I found to meet my criteria are body weight exercises. that there are no weights, no dumbbells, no resistance bands. Just you and your body weight. And even if you are mobile due to prosthetics, the principle is the same, and you should be able to join us. Again the reminder; talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about exercising.
As far as pain when I started: I had the normal aches and pains that come with age, a little arthritis here and there, sore knees, tender back. Don't be alarmed if you hear gunshots while you exercise!!! Most likely it is your knees. When I first started, my knees were firing off salutes to the neighbors right and left. From the reports of my test subjects (family and friends) who I have subjected to these exercises, this is a common occurrence, and as long as there is minimal or no pain you will be fine.
