weight lifting

weez · Joined: 01 May 2006 Posts: 4

I am a 45 year old woman. I have been staying fairly fit by walking for at least 17 years. In the last 3 years I have enjoyed pilates and now for the past 2 months have begun using weights. I am at a good weight and have always wanted to have good muscle mass not only for good health but to improve my all over shape and to feel good. Am I too old to actually have a body that looks lean and show muscle? I also eat well as a vegetarian and take suppliments and minerals for added health benefits

Guest · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject:

You're definitely not too old to lift weights. Doing 'resistance' training will help strengthen your bones - something that becomes increasingly important with age (wards off osteoparosis). That being said, there are right and wrong ways to do weight training. It's possible to injure yourself, and different approaches to weight training will give different results. Will you have a 'tight' body like you described? It's certainly possible to add good muscle definition. How much those muscles are visible depends on your body fat percentage. Why not go to a gym and book a couple of sessions with a trainer to get you started? Many gyms offer free sessions to introduce you to the equipment. More and more women are weight training these days, and it's probably a really healthy idea.

SarahPT · Joined: 15 Jan 2008 Posts: 4

Not at all too old! I've worked with a lot of women your age and older. Sometimes results come slower to those whoa re older, but you certainly can see great results.
Continue to challenge yourself. When a weight feels light, try the next heaviest weight.

Serenade · Joined: 23 Jan 2008 Posts: 10

Never too old! That's great you are keep your self fit and healthy. I would definitely agree that slowly increasing your weight would be safe.

BananaPancakes · Joined: 17 Oct 2008 Posts: 12 Location: Los Angeles

I go to the gym at least 5 times a week but I mostly just do cardio... I know I should do more weights but I get really bored and never know where to start.... any advice?

Boss · Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 96 Location: The end of a wire.

You could try something like this.

Day 1. Weights

Day 2. Cardio

Day 3. Weights

Day 4. Day off

Day 5. Cardio

Day 6. Weights

Day 7 Day Off.

The weights sessions would be total body stuff, doing compound movements like Deadlifts, Squats, Bent Over BB Rows , etc etc, and then adding a bit of direct work like Reverse E-Z Bar Curls for example.

Cardio would be stuff like Interval, Sprints etc etc.

You would have the days off split like that, so you don't do them back to back, eating into progress.