What I am talking about is all the overtraining I did in times gone by with limited programs. Twenty rep squats and deadlifts, the heavy lifting on basic lifts, 100's of push-ups daily, 300 or more Hindu Squats daily, pull-ups daily, GUTS etc. They all worked up to a point, but there is a point of diminishing returns that proves detrimental to your joints, your overall athletic ability and the general shape of your body.
I'm an old guy now and the prospect of being able to say you lifted such and such a weight or I did X number of repetitions in this or that exercise or that your arm is a certain circumference, is nowhere as important as your health, your mobility, your balance, your stamina and the strength to move your body.
Balance your exercises to cover all the muscles and areas of your body. For example, the muscles that make up the rotator cuff are just as important as your pushing muscles, but no one thinks of that until they start to have problems. Balance the types of exercises you do so you are hitting all aspects of fitness. If you are strong, but have no endurance, flexibility, or mobility, how fit are you really? Be mindful of how certain exercises build your body. Overdoing the push-ups can throw your proportions off just as much as overdoing the Hindu Squats can. Keep balance and moderation in your training. You may not seem to train as hard, but you'll look better, be more fit, and be more athletic to boot.
Great thread Greg,you mentioning the 20 reps squats and deadlifts, made me think about heading to the hot tub. I got pretty strong at that time doing those kind of workouts, but for a couple of days I was paying the price, now it's all about staying healthy, injury free,mobile and not waking up hurting the next morning.
You're right our bodies are going to change but it's still good to keep on trying. You know this, self resistance, isometrics, cals, and light dumbbells done sensible with focus on tension can make a world of difference. This stuff has helped me tremendously. It definitely has keep the injuries at bay and the doctor away.
Michael,
I also was a construction worker for a long time, roofing, landscaping, insulation, pool building..... Its good respectable, important work and I thank and appreciate all that are there to do it. I think what happens is that we start those careers young and in good shape. We depend too much on the "job" as our fitness program and don't consider that we need to address fitness in any other way. We're going to get old and our bodies are going to change no matter what we do.
Good Thread. Very Good advice. Gary they're very good insights. I often thought about athletes in that aspect. As a physical worker we sometimes have no choice unless we change our profession. I was in a situation for many years, if I didn't work I did not get payed. No payed time off can change the game. I worked plenty of times with broken fingers, ankle, dislocated hip, MCL sprains and many other injuries all caused by work.
Was it worth it? I had no choice at the time. Consistency, Recovery and Changing things up is advice I try to remind myself of sometimes. Sometimes we have to hear someone else say this. Thanks for the reminder Gary. Exercise, nutrition and health in general should enhance our lives. I like a challenge like everyone else but as Greg said," Is It Worth It?
Was it worth it?
We hear little from most professional athletes after they retire. Often when we do they are promoting some joint, pain relief, or rehab product. I'm sure that at some time they asked themselves "was it worth it?"
It's not just the professional athlete that asks that question. Construction workers, long haul truckers, and weekend athletes ask the same question. Did I over do it, did I go too far? And the big question "was it worth it"? I'm sure that the answers differ from person to person, some yes, some no.
Greg mentioned a few things that would help to prevent those "if I had only know" moments:
Constancy: a well thought out program training and maintain strength and flexibility done on a regular schedule.
Recovery: recovery time is so very important and will most likely vary over time and with age. Take time to recover from workouts and injuries, even the minor ones.
Challenges: it is important to "change things up" from time to time to keep that adaptability component working for us.
Also a very important part of a well thought out program are regular and honest evaluations.
Wisdom that only comes from experiance. Too bad the young bucks coming up dont alwats take note.
Hi GB - there is wisdom there in what you said. There are no magic programs. It is all about consistency over time and working within your recovery ability. I still like pushing and challenging myself, but it is for my own satisfaction - not bragging rights. Still, I have throw a kudo to you for the countdown workouts. They are tough, but doable tough. I am looking foward to getting back to doing the 300 count once a week.
Those catchy terms: "train don't strain, do it - just don't over do it, fit for the life you live", remind us that our training approach should always have a doses of common sense, balance, practicality, and purpose. If something hurts we should stop, if something is not working it's time for a change. And as humans we are by nature problem solvers, we should use that quality, that ability, to find what works for us, the individual, the type of exercise, the speed and reps we do, how often we need to change the program. For the average person it shouldn't be that difficult: am I seeing positive results, how do I look in the mirror, am I in more or less pain? Things that make us different: age, size, environment, injuries, genetics, job profession....... We should be able to work with or around all of these. Mistakes in the past, Ok, lesson learned time to move on.