Video Fitness Forum  

Go Back   Video Fitness Forum > Video Fitness Reader Forum > General Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 04-15-18, 07:47 AM  
Taramisu
VF Supporter
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NA
I still plan on lifting weights for as long as I can but am going to try and be smarter about it. Still do my squats, rear/static lunges, dead lifts, etc but monitor how much of it I am doing. Some of my DVDs (mainly Firm) have too many sets of lunges and I just don't really want to do that much of them anymore. I find a few sets of lower body exercises with moderate to heavy weight is enough and I no longer want to do more than that.

Cathe's Push Pull is a perfect workout for me. I think one set of squats, rear lunges, leg press and dead lifts right off the top and you are done with lower body except for some floor work later on. My kind of workout these days.

I want to incorporate more lower body floor work such as Margaret Richard which is quite effective, I am hopeful for a strong, shapely lower half while still being kinder to my knees and hips in the long run. I think an equal balance of standing and floor is the best combination for me.
Taramisu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-18, 09:25 AM  
toaster
Exchange Moderator
 
toaster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Western NY
Pam, great article, thank you! I don't want to think that I'm wasting my time either. Like I said, I do and like both, but there seems to be so many more recently article touting the benefits of heavy lifting only. I've been on a HDM kick lately, so I'm glad to see the support for low weight/high rep!
__________________
Beth aka Toaster (she/her)

Follow me @YogiBethC

YouTube|Instagram|Facebook
And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon.
toaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-18, 10:01 AM  
eam531
VF Supporter
 
eam531's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Buffalo, NY
Quote:
Originally Posted by toaster View Post
This is a somewhat related question I've been thinking about of late. First, I enjoy weight-lifting, including going heavy at times; I'm turning 50 later this month and have no plans to stop. At the same time, I also enjoy lower weight/higher rep works, which I feel trains the muscles in a different way. But lately, I have seen A LOT of articles along the lines of "if you aren't lifting heavy, you are wasting your time."

So what do the experts here think? Is there a place to lift heavy, generally with less reps, and also derive benefits from lighter weight, higher rep workouts? Of course, I know that many VFers are fans of the latter too, but is there support for what we are doing? Are we "wasting" our time?
And THAT (bolded text) is why a lot of people don't want to lift weights--they are basically being told by "experts" that there is only One True Way to work out. I think "go heavy or go home" is an agenda, rather like the "only lift light weights to keep your sleek feminine physique" agenda that at least one popular video instructor promulgates.

I do some weight training, but nothing major, and not because I am afraid of "bulking". It's because I will soon be 62 and I have joint issues. Also, I work out at home, with dumbbells. The heaviest dumbbell I have is 20 pounds and I don't intend to get a bunch of heavier dumbbells. I do a LOT of yoga, which is weight bearing, and do planks and other weight-bearing exercises, as well as exercises my PT gave me for my knees. She said unweighted squats were fine, so I do a bunch of them every day, broken up into sets. I also walk a lot. I have more than enough strength to do everyday tasks like shovel snow off a long driveway, carry 20 pound bags of cat litter from the car to the basement, and the like.

It's great that so many people enjoy lifting heavy weights, but not everyone can. I don't think one has to lift heavy to stay out of a nursing home.
__________________
Betsy

There is no way of telling people they are all walking around shining like the sun--Thomas Merton

People have done all kinds of remarkable things because they thought they could. People routinely fail to do quite ordinary things because they assume they can't--Reinhard Engels

Stay gold, Ponyboy--S.E. Hinton

Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try--Ryan Bingham

Disclosure: I have a personal relationship with a fitness instructor who has appeared in some videos.
eam531 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-18, 10:18 AM  
yogapam
VF Supporter
 
yogapam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: West coast of Canada, eh. ;)
Beth - I'm on a Margaret Richard kick right now and although I enjoying the workouts, I also hope its giving me benefits!

eams531 - I also do a lot of weight bearing exercise and other forms of resistance training, i.e. rebounding & swimming with hand paddles & fins. My heaviest weights are 10 lbs, have arthritis in the joints at the base of my thumbs so that's max for me. So I agree, don't think you need to lift heavy to age healthy.
__________________
*~*Pam*~*

Certified Level 4 Essentrics Instructor - March 2021

Hatha YTT - 2011

Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down.....

"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."
Jim Rohn

"It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” - Tony Robbins

Check out my Instagram account, @fitness.ficti0n.inspirati0n
yogapam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-18, 12:09 PM  
toaster
Exchange Moderator
 
toaster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Western NY
Thanks for your thoughts, Betsy! You are right, I think all of the conflicting info out there confuses people and makes them think "why bother?" That's not me, but I do want to think that all the workouts I do are benefiting me. (Also, "heavy" for me is about the same as it is for you!)

Pam, MR has killed me more with light weights than some of my more traditional strength workouts!
__________________
Beth aka Toaster (she/her)

Follow me @YogiBethC

YouTube|Instagram|Facebook
And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon.
toaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-18, 12:41 PM  
cataddict
VF Supporter
 
cataddict's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
"Heavy" definitely varies depending on who you talk to as well. My heavy may be your light, and vice versa.

Like Sara, I seem to get tendonitis periodically that I notice when I do more high reps low weight workouts. I have to space them out carefully and mix with heavier/slower weights. It's very much a process that each of us needs to go through to see what works best for our bodies.

It's never a "waste of time" if you see definition or noticeable strength gains regardless of the amount of weight lifted. Agree that new exercisers (and more seasoned ones as well) may give up if they are told to "do it this way or don't do it at all." As with the "d" word, there are many options and pathways to fitness and health.
__________________
How fierce will you be today? VFer KateTT

Watula, Cheeto, Charli, Lux, Merlin, Rudy, Finley the Cat, Hobbes, Winston, and Finley the Dog Fan Girl!

Word of 2024: Patience
cataddict is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-18, 01:23 PM  
Vintage VFer
VF Supporter
 
Vintage VFer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Quote:
Originally Posted by hch View Post
I also meant to ask you (but forgot to post this question earlier ):
You don't have to ask them just to answer my question, but do you know why they're uninterested?
A friend admired my arms. I told her I lift weights. She said, "I don't want to do that."

Honestly, why ask why? Why do some folks smoke? Why do others do marathons? Why do folks text while driving? Why do others volunteer at their local animal shelter?

People do what makes them feel good and comfortable. They don't do what makes them uncomfortable, even if it is to their benefit.


As far as light vs. heavy, I follow a loose periodization plan where one does both:

https://www.acefitness.org/education...t-is-important

Each style recruits different types of muscle fibers. Both styles have value and it works for me to follow one style for a few weeks and then change up. Periodization also works for cardio goals.

__________________
Goal:250 / Done:67

POSTURE CHECK!
Vintage VFer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-18, 02:43 PM  
toaster
Exchange Moderator
 
toaster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Western NY
I like the idea of periodization. Would love to hear more about how you do it, Alta!
__________________
Beth aka Toaster (she/her)

Follow me @YogiBethC

YouTube|Instagram|Facebook
And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon.
toaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-18, 03:13 PM  
yogapam
VF Supporter
 
yogapam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: West coast of Canada, eh. ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by cataddict View Post
Like Sara, I seem to get tendonitis periodically that I notice when I do more high reps low weight workouts. I have to space them out carefully and mix with heavier/slower weights. It's very much a process that each of us needs to go through to see what works best for our bodies.
Yes, I can see that happening. One thing I like about Margaret Richard's Unplugged series is working different muscle groups in different ways and on different days to avoid overuse injuries. And on days I don't do weights I like to do resistance training with my swim paddles & fins.

Quote:
Originally Posted by toaster View Post
Pam, MR has killed me more with light weights than some of my more traditional strength workouts!
Oh yes, MR is sneaky that way!
__________________
*~*Pam*~*

Certified Level 4 Essentrics Instructor - March 2021

Hatha YTT - 2011

Your body keeps an accurate journal regardless of what you write down.....

"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."
Jim Rohn

"It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” - Tony Robbins

Check out my Instagram account, @fitness.ficti0n.inspirati0n
yogapam is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-15-18, 03:34 PM  
Sue B
VF Supporter
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Maryland
"Go heavy or go home" is kind of 10 years ago. Of course if you're competing in powerlifting then you want to train to lift as heavy as possible, but for the rest of us who want to build or maintain muscle, a mix of heavy and light works. Strong has a mix of rep ranges and a couple of stages where you lift a different rep range with each workout aka undulating periodization.

ETA: this study favors 2 heavy and 1 light day for older people. https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/lif...ticle36816684/
__________________
Move your body often, sometimes hard. Every bit counts.

Drop Two Sizes, Fit Body Blueprint, STRONG Eat. Lift. Thrive. and Revamp grad

DISCLOSURE: I have a professional relationship with a seller or producer of fitness videos or products. For details, please see my profile.
Sue B is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
aging, ernestine shepherd, heavy lifting, lifting, muscle building, over 50, periodization plan, sarcopenia, senior strength training, strength training

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:43 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
© 2009 Video Fitness