70 Year old Bodybuilder - Melanie

I just posted the training routine and some of the diet a 70-year-old bodybuilder Melanie from England.   She is in incredible shape it looks like she's about 40 years old.  She has been training for most of her life and really hard for the last 15 years.

She is living proof that if we continue to train scientifically and watch your diet we can stay in shape and look great for our entire life. 

http://bodybuilder.com/

The new one second slicer

Yes I know I have seen many product advertised and when I took the plunge and bought them to be greatly lacking.    But I have found that this product has been a very good purchase for someone interested in health

I have been able to cut up fruit salads in a matter of a minute and also cut up onions,  tomatoes, zucchini,  most any kind of vegetables and then cook or put them in salads.

The only problem I see is sometimes what you were cutting up will stick to the plastic part you push down where you can easily scrape them off. It also has two different size cutting blades that you can use the reverse.   And the good thing is you could also use it to store what you just cut up in the fridge  very easily.

You can find them online so they have a infomercial. They can also be washed by hand or easily inside the dishwasher.  I use one and I also gave one to my daughter. I would highly recommend it for a project for you to use or a gift for anyone interested in being healthy.  It really makes cutting up vegetables or fruit something that could be done in seconds and therefore providing you with a very healthy meals

POWER TRAINING,

If you're going to be successful in developing your body you must not only be constantly trying to increase the amount of weights that you handle for your exercises, but at the same time you must also be very careful of the stress that you were placing on your shoulders, knees, and lower back.

I have seen athletes for over 30 years virtually ruin their joints by handling too much weight and only getting exercise from lifting weights  They begin to cheat when they do the exercises and when they start experience pain in her joints.

They stop doing perfect form and start to use their legs and lower back so they can handle the same amount of weights, or no longer do a full extension of the exercise.  And the more their joints ache, the less range of motion they use on the exercise that they are doing.  Which also means they are losing flexibility in their muscles and joints for they no longer doing a full range of motion. 

I would suggest that every athlete include some static and non-static stretching either during their work out or to different part of the day.  And that you also include at least 1-2 rest stays during the week when you should be doing some flexibility exercises and aerobics to let your joints relax and your muscles grow.  

In fact if you find your poundages are going down, your joints and body are racing, it is always good idea to take a day or two off and let your body recover and your muscles to grow.

Do not feel guilty about this and definitely do not keep training add keeping the weights up or you are risking the chance of serious surgery and having to lay off for months before you can train again

Training Routine 10/19/14

I have been working out and world's gym about two months now.  I go in early in the morning in the atmosphere is great a lot of serious people in there.  In order to train hard you knew to be around people who are positive and have a lot of energy and want to work hard. 

My strength is increasing steadily and this week and I will get a little more rest  and try to get some more aerobics in.  I am bringing my lunch and breakfast each day and have a healthy meal prepared when I come home at night. 

I am also getting plenty of sleep and rest for that is one key to being in great shape.  If you do not get enough rest your muscles will  not fill out or grow.  And as we age we need to maintain our muscle mass.

Training at Worlds Gym in Glendale 

I had some super training sessions the last three weeks at world gym.  They really have some serious bodybuilders and fitness people there and it makes it very easy to train hard and to get some serious weight lifting in.

My weight poundages have gone up significantly in the last month and I could definitely see and feel the results.  if you're going to train and you want results you do after increase your weights. You simply cannot put on muscle if you're handling super lightweights, and you really will not get any results either.

I sometimes jump rope for 10 minutes at the end of my workout and I'm still playing tennis and hiking too.  Now I did you just start to clean up my diet the next two weeks I get a little more sleep and see how far I can take this

I have big plans! 

Training news 09/15

My training has been going great so last week was a very busy and work at school,  My lifts are going way up, and  when the weights you're using increase so do your muscles. 

You simply cannot handle meaningless  lightweights add get any results except being toned.   If you want to get results you must be working to increase the weights you are handling.   

That being said you cannot sacrifice form though.   You need to maintain good form and all your exercises to get results and to prevent injury.

Just getting back to the training I took my leg press from 135 pounds to 350 pounds in about six weeks.  And my dumbbell bench presses from 25 to 65 pounds too

And I just getting in to the hard training now.

Training at Worlds Gym

Bed back to the gym for the last two weeks now and getting great results!  I work out about 5:50 AM to 6:50 AM and I go in a very rapid pace.

My weight poundages are going up but I still keep them under control and go for form first.   I have been also getting an aerobic workout for play tennis and from running sprints in the pool.

I have kept my diet very clean and each week try to add more healthy foods to it.   The next two weeks I'm going to try to start cutting off some of the carbs and lean up and see ho cut up  I can get.

6 feet 205 pounds now I will try to go around 200 by the end of next week.   Not bad for sixty years old

TRAINING WHEN TRAVELING 

OR ON VACATION

08/01/14

Visiting Daughter and Granddaughters

Brought mat - 25 pound dumbbells 
up 6AM -  run 1 mile of sprints up HIGH grass hill in park
Walk 1/2 mile there and back to park
200 pushuos
500 situps
100 free squats
100 curls- hammer curls - cleans and presses-  rows with dumbbells
20 minutes of yoga stretching 

I do not care where you are what you are doing you can still get a good workout when you travel and when you are on vacation

And you will FEEL so much better when you do!    make it habit you never stop

Training Update -7/10/14

My training world's gym is really escalating. In our work out in five times a week along with tennis and swimming.  My weight pal just going out and  am able to do more exercises each day. I'm going to start tightening up my diet

I'm going to steadily increase the power outages next 60 days, remove most of that from my diet, see what I can look like.  I only take about 30 seconds between each exercise is big enough to put equipment to use. 

Just three days of training at world gym

This picture was taken today right before I go play tennis

Then super busy teaching and so have been short on sleep and also diet is just and fair.  But I have got my routine up to a full hour now, and in fact I could go for another 30 minutes if I get up earlier

So this next week I'm going to train even harder give my diet cleaned up and see if I can keep increasing those weights. Doing mostly aerobics and lightweights the last 10 years so now to see how much I can increase them.

New Training Routine

Okay so I've decided it's time to get serious and I went enjoying Worlds Gym Glendale!  I spent the last three years training in a small school gym with very limited weights and equipment.

In fact the dumbbells only go up to 20 pounds. So since I want to see how far I can push my training at age 60 I decided Time to get to a real gym and do some hard training. So I'm not training very early morning four-  five times a week. This is my third  work out and my ways are already starting to go up and I could feel my muscles were sore from the previous two days. 

But I will now be able to see just how far I can push my training.  My age I don't have to worry about losing muscle or really losing weight. Your body becomes a economic  machine and you have to watch what you eat and get the maximum out of the calories and the carbs you consume

So I am also starting my diet this week and hope to tighten my entire body in the next 60 days. I am not on a super strict diet for I do not believe in those and those usually lead to overindulgence at times. 

Simply put I intend to train as hard as I can and eat as healthy as I can. I will put pictures up of the results each week.

Free photo shoot for a bodybuilder/Fitness athletes who wants to take before and after pictures

Going to do photo shoots next week for all those bodybuilders and fitness people who want to do a before and after training session. We will do them twice a month and see what changes can be made

This is Debbie from Canyon country who is 64 years old and still training hard. Come on down if you can make it if not post your picks up here and tell us about your training

Training Day for 05/30/14

Starting gear up by my training. Going to increase my weights, increase all of my cross training, and really start to work on a super healthy diet.

Today I ran in the pool, tread water for 30 minutes, and then did a lightweight workout at Home, 

Also going to start taking some creatine each day and see what the results are. Remember all the dieting in the world Will not make any difference if you don't train as hard as you can. 

And remember I am doing this and 60 years old.

Training at age  60

Before 04/26/14

After 05/30/16

You can see the difference over the last one with my training and I am just getting started. I am back to lifting weights in the morning and I have now started to run in the pool and tread water filed to six days a week.

I'm also playing tennis for five times a week and hiking or five times a week. I'm starting to clean up my diet and eat healthier each week. I want to see how far I can go with my training I will start to record pictures every week and profile for my training

I will start to take pictures each week and record more more my training

Bodybuilding at 60 years old

Well it's time for me now to really start training. I have been swamped training and also educating students for the last couple years. 

But from now on I'm going to make sure that I put in time on my own training and diet for want to see just what kind of shape I can get in!  

My current routine includes;

• Training at 6:15 AM Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
• Playing teaching tennis Monday – Tuesday – Wednesday – Saturday – Sunday
• Hiking or running sprints to three times a week

I am now going to start doing an extra work out and night twice a week, some yoga and flexibility, and some medicine ball and jiu jitsu workout.  

Plus I am going to try to tighten up my diet and to also make sure I have more time to relax and recover. 60 years old you can still handle very substantial weights we have to make sure you have perfect form and higher reps.  You also have to watch your weight is absolutely stupid to try and get too heavy when you're over 50 years old. This puts a lot of strain on your heart and internal organs will do no good at all.

In fact I know it will hurt your cardiovascular system it will put excessive strain when your joints and you will begin to lose movement and flexibility!  Remember is we age our bones lose strength and also some flexibility.  Therefore do not try to weigh more than you did or the same about you did if you were playing college football or another sport that required you to bulk up.

Trading over 50 you  have to be smart and use your mind as much as your body. We want to be able to move, be active,  and enjoy our life as we age. So let's made sure we train to be healthy, and have fun,

I will now post more pictures and the effects of my training once or twice a week. I will soon start the channel on YouTube.

How to eat for optimal performance and workout

We all need carbohydrates for optimal performance. If you do not have enough carbohydrates when you are working out or competing you are simply going to run out of fuel. 

But not only do you need to eat carbohydrates to perform optimally you also need to time when you make them. Your body can only store 500 to 600 carbohydrates in your liver and muscles. So you not only need them to get a maximum workout or complete you also need to eat carbohydrates after your workout to fully recover and for your muscles to grow. If you combine some protein with your carbohydrates, your body will be even able to absorb even more carbohydrates thus giving you even more fuel.

For those are doing endurance sports or doing long time intense workouts carbohydrate loading can be very beneficial. Endurance training stimulates the sent synthesis of muscle glycogen,  So by doing carbohydrate loading you can increase the way your body stores carbohydrates.

Since I play and do high intensity sports and workouts I tried to eat A meal of 

60% carbohydrate

15% fat

25% protein

I want to make sure I am fueled sufficiently to have as intense workout as I can get. I do not want to push myself and then run out of energy. And as I stated before I make sure I eat again within two hours after my workout. 

Remember when you're doing intense muscle building or straining workouts your body continues to burn energy two- three hours after you are done working out,

So make sure you include your diet when you are planning out your workout routine. It is not unlike promising your car you will give a gas tomorrow when it is on empty today. Your car will not move and neither should you. If you do not have enough carbohydrates your body is going to use your muscles for a fuel.  Thus you can lose weight and actually look worse than you did before

How much should you warmup 

before you exercise

How much should you warm up before you exercise? I have received thousands of e-mails from athletes- bodybuilders- and working people asking this question.

First of all it depends on your type of workout you will doing and also on your individual body type. That being said you need to follow some general guidelines

1) The best warmup for lifting weights is to do the exercises you are about to do with a light weight and go through the full range of motion. That will warmup your body muscles that you are just about to use. DO NOT GO YOUR HEAVIEST WEIGHT ON YOUR FIRST OR SECOND SET UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET INJURED!

2) Do not go to do a long aerobic workout before you lift weights. You can often burn up the glycogen from your muscles before you even workout a that will give you a worthless workout. You need the glycogen to help you lift and get results.!

3). But one thing you need to do is to get your body temperature up some before you start. Whether that is done on the treadmill or some quick light weights it does not matter as long as you have got your blood pumping.  If I did not want to do a light set of all my exercises for warmup sometimes I would get on a exercise bike and ride it with no tension for about 8 to 10 minutes to get my blood flowing

The physiological reason you do a warm up is to assist your circulatory system in pumping oxygen-rich blood to your working muscles. You want to increase circulation throughout the body in a gradual manner. A good warm up w ill safely prepare your body for the increased demands of your exercise routine. When your muscles are cold muscles they do not absorb shock or impact as well, and are more susceptible to injury.
Always make sure you do not just walk in and try to handle your heaviest weight. That just shows lack of discipline and patience in your workout and you will end up paying the price and injuries. 

 60 years old and starting new training routine

I have been super busy teaching, coaching and working my websites but now is time to start my own new training routine. 

This picture was taking 3/17 today and I'm just starting to put in your training routine together.  

My current stats are 

6 feet

205 pounds

I will probably drop 5 to 10 pounds in the next 2 to 3 weeks, I am also going to really increase my training level and completely clean up my diet.

I have found that I have no problem maintaining my weight and strength no matter how much I run or play sports I do each week.  My muscles and straight still increase even when I am playing tennis for 2-3 hours a day, or high or run sprints.

So now I want to see just how far I can take my training in the next three months.  The one limitation I have is some carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand that may limit my training some extent, but since I am off this week I intend to stretch my right hand out and see if I can get rid of this.

I will be taking pictures each week and tracking my results and putting them up on my blog and my websites

How much protein do you need to compete

Recent studies have shown that the average American gets too much protein in their diet.  Of course being a bodybuilder or athlete you're not the average American. You are going to need more protein if you're training hard then they would because you will be breaking your body muscles down much more each day.

Athletes require more protein than inactive people to build, maintain and repair muscle and other tissues in the body. The more intense you train and the more intense your work out,  the more protein and nutrients you going to require to recover sufficiently.  If you do not get enough protein your body will not recover,  and you will actually lose muscle.   When you eat protein your body breaks it down into amino acids and these can be used for several different things. It can provide energy, but that is not it's main purpose. It is used for building and repairing muscle and tissues, red blood cells, hair and finger nails and for synthesizing hormones.

Extra protein does not build muscle or bulk. For that you need to increase your exercise level. If you do not exercise the protein was just sit your body and it will soon flushed out.

So make sure you get plenty of protein in your diet each day. That will ensure that your body can recover and make games that you agree should training well

Following link provides a good list of some of the most protein rich foods to eat

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/athletes-need-protein-inactive-people-2794.html

When is the Best Time to Train for Bodybuilding or Fitness

I spent over 17 years training a 4am at Golds Gym in Venice Beach California. Now I did not think anything about this for there were 20-40 other people in there also by 4:30AM and that included many females bodybuilders and athletes.

Was I stiff at that time of the morning? Not really but it does take longer to warmup the earlier you start. And you may not be as strong as you will be in later in the day, but I found that my strength was just about the same in the morning as it was in the afternoon. 

But you will also get your workout in each day not matter what happens for nothing, work-Family- etc issues will not be able to interfer with your workouts for you will have already got it in before you start your day.

Yes as you get older you will sometimes you need to stay late at work, you have dinner meetings, and Family events which will make you postpone or cancel your workout.

Now for some technical analysis. ! The latest research on your body's circadian rhythms, which are its internal clock, have shown that the peak of several of the most important (anabolic) hormones occur at both 3 and 11 hours upon your awakening. Well, according to science, if you wake up at 5:00 am, you are at your strongest at either 8:00 am and 4:00 pm..

Furthermore according to many strength coaches - such as Olympic Strength Coach Charles Poliquin, your joints like your knees, shoulders, may not be warm first thing in the morning.

What they are referring to is the synovial fluid which lubricates your joints require about 3 to 4 hours to reach an optimal level of warmth which will increase your bodies flexibility. This will provide a increase in athletic performance while decreasing the chnces of injuries.

So if you have the time to train at the 3 or 11 hours upon wakening then you now know it is your optimum training time. But do not worry if you do not. Some of the best bodybuilders and athletes in the world have trained at every hour of the day. When i was in at 4AM many of the top bodybuilders and athletes where right in the gym with me