Why do people say this?

[Deja Q]

"if you are over 35 years of age and have been inactive for several years, you should consult your physician before starting an exercise program"

?

Why not 34?

Or 26?

Or 80?

What's so special about 35?

[flvegan]

1. Nothing.

Truth is, if one has been "inactive" for several years, it doesn't matter their age. They should consult a physician before starting an exercise program.

Ideally, they would then consult a trainer and at the very least, a sports nutritionist.

[SallyMander]

3. Hey! I'm glad you posted here

Random question -- i generally go to the gym and do ~45 minutes on the EFX (elliptical)... but i wanted to add some strength training because i'm a weakling and it bothers me. ;) So i got a circuit training video with alternating cardio & strength (upper body, lower body, abs). So what do you think is the right mix for doing that versus just cardio? Half and half?

Any insight much appreciated. :hi:

[x-g.o.p.er]

4. When I started hitting the gym...

pretty heavy last year, I consulted a trainer, and they said that 20-30 minutes of cardio/day is fine, but work your way up to it.

As for cicuit training, I alternate every day between upper body and lower body, but I do an abdominal every day for a few minutes.

It's worked well for me. Hope that helps.

[SallyMander]

7. Thanks a lot!

I really appreciate the advice!

[x-g.o.p.er]

9. No problem, good luck! n/t

[flvegan]

6. As a rule of thumb, the "right mix"

is to do somewhere between (2/3 to 1/3) and (3/4 to 1/4) in a (strength training to cardio) ratio. And here's why:

What that video is sorta kinda touching on, and should be well-known to the pros, is that your strength training routine is ALSO a cardio routine. If it isn't, you aren't working hard enough. So, if you have an hour to dedicate in the gym, I'd spend 40-45 minutes on strength training, and 15-20 minutes on cardio. Fact is, if you're working out right, you'll get a full 50 minutes of cardio.

Also, if you're strength training because you're "a weakling" and it bothers you, skip the circuit training. Strength, mass and definition comes from tearing a muscle down and the muscle rebuilding itself over and over again. Therefore, a smarter method is to focus on one bodypart each workout. For example:

A good 3 day (MWF) split:

Mon: Arms (bis tris forearms) and calves;

Wed: Shoulders (delts traps) and upper back;

Fri: Chest and legs (hams quads calves)

You could add abs to any of the above days, but I'm not a big advocate of ab workouts. Until you get down to a really shredded bodyfat percentage, you won't see any ab muscles, and ab workouts increase the density of the muscles in the area, thereby making your waistline larger, with no realized reward. Can be frustrating.

A good 5 day (MTWTF) split:

Mon: Arms as above:

Tues: Shoulders as above;

Wed: Nuthin' but back (upper delts, heavy lats, lower back);

Thurs: Chest;

Fri: Legs (quads, hams, calves)

Sounds simple, no? No. On each day, incorporate two sets that utilize an advance technique, such as super-slow or drop sets.

Most importantly, start slow. Make sure you KNOW the exercise, concentrating on your form and focus before going heavy. Also keep in mind that your 5 lbs is someone else's 50 lbs. Don't look at anyone else's weight, and don't think they're looking at yours.

Form, focus, intensity. In that order.

[SallyMander]

8. Thank you flvegan!

Bookmarking for later reference -- this is a great help! :D

[x-g.o.p.er]

2. It's the tipping point...

The summit, if you will.

It's all downhill from there. Not 34, not 36. 35. Congress passed a law to make it so.

[porphyrian]

5. It's an insurance-related statistic and board room decision. -n/t