My body is afflicted with a variety of aches, and I feel them all the time. My body is suffering from arthritis, gout, and crimps in my neck, shoulders, and achilles heel. My body has suffered from the “he-man” activities I did in my youth, such as boxing, taekwon do and football. If you are on the verge of turning 50, it doesn’t mean you have to lose your desire and need to be strong and healthy, as well as a few extra pounds of muscle mass. For the past few years, my definition of strong and healthy has been running and doing calisthenics. Resistance training, which is pumping iron, was the only thing I didn’t do.
Iron
Pumping iron was something I loved as a child. In my 40’s I was a huge fan of iron pumping. For the reasons I mentioned above and many more, I stopped lifting weights. My body and joints couldn’t handle weight training or bodyweight exercises, so I stopped doing wind sprints and bodyweight exercises. This was until 8 months ago, when I bought my Bodylastics home gym. Then I understood what elastic resistance training was all about. Except for three breaks (three weeks in June, four weeks mid October and two weeks mid December), I have been more consistent with elastic bands than I was with any other exercise for quite some time. In fact, I stopped exercising for 6-8 months before starting this home gym. It was obvious.
There are always hits and misses with any equipment. It is important to choose equipment that has more hits than misses. Bodylastics is a home gym that has many pluses and minuses. This isn’t about singing praises to this brand. For someone like me, elastic resistance bands have a unique advantage over deadweights. This is the ability to move the starting point of any movement without risk of joint injury.
Elastic Bands
Because elastic bands are not gravity dependent, this is possible. When I do upright rows, for example, there is a “line” of pain that runs through my right shoulder. I don’t do upright row, and I won’t if I have free weights or other gravity-based training. With elastic bands, I can move my hands and position around until I find the right rhythm that is pain-free. It’s easy to train with intensity, which is the beauty of it.
That is the key, the ability to train intensely. I have seen a significant improvement in my strength and leanness since I started using Bodylastics (it can be used with any elastic resistance bands system – research which is best for you). I have a lot of work ahead of me. It took me several years to transform myself into a tub full of lard. However, I am slowly becoming stronger and healthier as well as gaining a few extra pounds of lean muscle. Building lean muscle at 50 is all about finding ways to get around the aches and ails that have built up over the years. I’m fine with that if it means that you don’t have to pump iron anymore, but that you can still wear “rubber bands.”
Proper Diet
In the last decade, high-protein diets have been popular for weight loss. Many people don’t realize that high protein diets have been promoted by bodybuilders and recreational weightlifters for many years. High-protein diets usually require that 30% of your daily caloric intake be from protein. Depending on your diet, 70% of your calories could come from carbohydrates, fats or a combination of both.
- Provides the amino acids your body requires to build muscle. Protein is a major component of muscle, so it makes sense to need more protein to build muscle. The body must repair the muscle fibers that are damaged during weight lifting and other exercises with the amino acids that make up protein. You can not only build stronger muscles but also increase your metabolism, which will help you lose fat.
- Protein calories replace calories from other sources. A meal high in protein will make you feel fuller for longer than a meal containing primarily carbohydrates. This allows you to eat fewer calories than you would if you were eating a lower-protein diet, but you won’t feel hungry.
- Protein requires more energy to digest and then convert to energy than fats or carbs. It takes a lot of energy to convert 1 gram protein into energy your body can use.
Thermic Effect
This is called the “Thermic effect.” The Thermic effect is higher for protein than for fat or carbs. The net result for 100 calories of protein is actually lower than that. High-protein diets are safe for almost everyone, except for those with kidney or liver issues or those with gout. Before making any changes to your diet, make sure you consult your doctor if you are not sure if high-protein diets are safe for your situation. High-protein diets may not be magical, but they offer distinct advantages over low-protein ones. High-protein diets usually require that 30% of your daily caloric intake be from protein. While this will not allow you to gain muscle, it can help you lose some weight. You should also remember that there are other nutrients you need to eat. Vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, essential fatty acids, and vitamins need to be taken in daily. You should not increase your intake of protein to the point that you aren’t getting enough of other nutrients.
Body Mass Index
There are many different types of people. This creates a wonderful array of unique human beings. It is important to be proud of who you are and how you look so that you can shine with self confidence. However, it is equally important to take care of your body to avoid health problems that can result from being overweight. First, everyone is different. Some people are naturally slim due to a fast metabolism, while others are genetically predisposed towards consuming more calories. You may have delicate bone structures, while someone else may have a more solid skeleton. These are just a few factors that can impact your body mass.
While it is important to accept yourself as you are and to love yourself, it is also important to take preventative measures to ensure your health. You should not use your large bones as an excuse to gain weight or to slim down by changing your diet. A happy balance for our bodies is what we need to function well. The BMI, or body mass index, is a way to determine your healthy weight range.
This formula uses your height and weight to calculate your body mass. Although BMI can give you an approximate figure, it doesn’t take into account different body types as discussed above. A bodybuilder or someone who exercises a lot might be overweight or obese, but the extra weight can be attributed more to muscle than fat. Muscle occupies about half the space of fat, whereas fat weighs the same. A person who is smaller can be heavier than someone who is larger. This can lead to an increase in body mass and the possibility of obesity.