Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Muscle Building After Your 40th Birthday

By Ricardo d Argence

They say that age is just a number, but when it comes to work outs and staying in shape that age factor is a definite factor in how you will approach your fitness regimen. Some people want to say that they are over 40 and they use their age as an excuse for not maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a regular workout routine.

Regular exercise and staying fit are very important no matter what your age. If you approach weight training, diet and work outs the correct way you can maintain a remarkably healthy and fit body for many years, regardless of your age. There are many benefits of both weightlifting and bodybuilding. You can reshape your body, become healthier, increase bone density and weight loss.

It is well known that individuals who practive regular physical fitness tend to have a better outlook on life, and are balanced emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Exercise also causes the brain to release endorphins which increase happiness and the feeling of wellness.

Starting with the basics, once you reach the age of 40 you have to make some changes to your workout, however it doesn't mean that you have to act the victim of false truths regarding aging. When people get older, we have to stretch and warm up before we exercisng because are muscles and joints become less limber.

A time frame of 15 minutes is needed for stretching routines so you can increase flexibilty and lessen the chance for muscle pain, sprains or other damage. Your muscles will become better conditioned the more complete you stretch.

Next should come a 15 minute cardio session on a treadmill, an elliptical training machine, a stair stepper, or a stationary bike. You are not going for the gusto with this exercise, but you do want to get your heart rate up a little and you want to build upon the limbering and stretching that you just completed. This exercise will let your body know that you are serious about doing some work.

You will want to follow this warm up by doing reps with the correct weights, you should consider light weights for this workout, if in addition to this you are doing circuit training or a free weight routine you will not have the stress of heavy weights.

Many bodybuilders favor the pyramid system, which means you do more reps with less weight, and as you add weights, you will begin to decrease the number of reps that you do. This method of weightlifting has great success for those who want to add muscle and bulk to their bodies. Concentrate on the proper form at all times, even if you have to cut back on the weight or the reps, having your form correct with each lift must be foremost in your mind. Not only does this maximize your results, it cuts down on the risk of injury.

Your routine with weights should not last longer than 30-45 minutes each session and you should be training at least 4 days a week. At the end of your weight session, you can again repeat a cardio session as a way to wind down, but to also strengthen your heart and lungs. - 16003

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