Eating Right

During the past several years, conventional dietary wisdom — skimp on fat, count calories — has started to crumble, thanks largely to a one-man wrecking crew named Gary Taubes. In his latest book, Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It (Borzoi Books), Taubes argues that calories and fat aren’t to blame for the world’s increasing girth and high incidence of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.....read more

Reaction Ball Workout

The Reaction Ball is a surprisingly good workout in as little as 5 minutes, and the uneven nature of the ball's surface is great for sharpening the reflexes.............

Sunday Workout Jan 30

D. Squats: 235x14,14,14,12,10
Incline Curls-Dumbbell: 27.5x14, 30x14,35x10,8
Situps-Fitball: BWX16, 25x18,18,18,18
Delt Raises: 17.5x14,20x12, 22.5x10,10
Chest Flys-Cable: 90x11,10,8, 80x9
Side Bend Shrugs: 50x14, 60x14, 70x14, 75x13

Fit-News:
Attention Old Bats-Tips From Top Muscleheads
How to Use That Modern Gym Equipment

Friday Workout 1-28

Triceps Extensions-Cable: 70x12, 80x12, 100x12,10,8
Lat Pulldowns-Cable: 160x12, 220x8,210x10, 200x10, 190x9
Splits-Leg Machine: 200x14x4
Treadmill-25 Minutes/409 calories

Wednesday Workout 1-19-2011

Splits: 180x14,14,14
Lat Pulldowns: 175x14,190x14,205x12,11,10
Magnum Situps: 90x16, 135x16, 145x16,16,16
Triceps Ext-Cable: 85x14, 100x11,8, 85x11
Delt Raises: 80x12, 90x12, 100x10,10,8

Treadmill: 25 minutes @ 4.5mph+incline

Pumpin' Iron, Sweatin' Steel

Tuesday Night:

Barbell Deep Squats: 225x14,14,14,12,11
Side-Bend Shrugs: 45x14,80x12,90x12,12
Rows-Hammer: 90sx12, 135sx10,10,9
Incline Bench Press: 185x6, 175x6, 165x7, 155x8,7

Sunday Workout Jan 16, 2011

Splits: 180x15x3
Hammer Curls: 70x14, 75x10,7, 70x9
Triceps Extensions: 80x12, 90x12, 110x7, 100x8,7
Lat Pulldowns: 175x18, 190x14, 205x12, 220x10, 190x12
Situps-Magnum Seated: 90x18, 135x16, 145x15,15,14
Delt Raises-Machine: 80x12, 85x13, 90x12,10, 85x10
Treadmill 25 minutes/480 calories

 Workout Logbook

 Butterfly-Bar Triceps Extensions Setup

Magnum Situp Unit

Lat Pulldowns

Jan 14 Workout

Looks like I ran out of things to write about here, so I am at least going to track my weekly exercise progress (or decline). I lost all record of my workouts last year when my PDA erased everything, for no apparent reason around mid-December.

If these numbers seem a little weak, remember, I am just coming off a three week flu thing, where I didn't do anything but eat warm soup and shuffle around in my bathrobe between naps and barf sessions.

Here was today's routine at Gold's:

(1:30 second pause between sets)

Incline Bench Press: 135x14, 185x6, 175x6, 165x7, 155x9
Dumbbell Rows: 45sx12, 55sx11,11,11,10
Chest Flys (Body Masters machine): 110x14, 120x12, 130x8, 110x10
Power Squats (Body Masters-Facing Inward) 180x12, 270x14, 360x13,13,13
Side Bend Dumbbell Shrugs: 75x14,14

Jumping Rope

How Does Jumping Rope Increase My Fitness?

Jumping rope is a surprisingly effective way to increase your fitness level. It challenges almost every muscle group in the body and creates a need for muscular coordination. Jumping rope focuses on two very important aspects of boxing: rhythm and timing. You can increase the agility of your footwork while you pump your forearms, wrists, and shoulders (which are critical to good punching power). There are few exercises as inexpensive and effective as jumping rope. 


What length jump rope is right for me?

In general, if you are 5'6" and under - use a 8' rope. If you are 5'7" - 6'2" - use a 9.5' rope. If you are 6'3" and up - use a 10' rope. Many ropes can be adjusted to be shorter than their maximum length.

Which jump rope is right for me?

A jump rope is a simple device but there are plenty of variations for you to choose from. First you have to decide how much abuse you'll be putting it through. If you have kids who will likely play with it outdoors, you might want to choose a classic playground style rope that has thick plastic beads all the way up and down it. These protect the rope itself from friction against tough concrete and gravel. If you are using it in a boxing gym environment where you needn't worry so much about rough terrain and even want to be careful to preserve the floor, you might choose a pliable leather rope.
Also be sure to consider how fast you need the rope to go. If you want to train quick foot movement you'll need a speed oriented rope, but if you are looking to enhance your muscular endurance you might choose something with more weight.

What are ball bearing handles?

Most jump ropes tie the handle portion to the rope portion and simply let the momentum of the swing take the rope around as it rubs against the inside of the handle. However, some of the more advanced ropes feature a ball bearing system which enhances the smoothness of the swing as you perform your jump rope routines. These are an excellent choice for jumpers who do very quick routines and need definite consistency in their equipment. 

Leather rope vs Plastic rope

Leather jump ropes tend to have extremely long life spans, but to get the most out of them you should put a small amount of maintenance into making sure the leather is conditioned and stored properly (not overly dry and not overly humid locations). To condition the rope, you can use something as simple as saddle soap to keep it pliable.
Plastic ropes are constantly improving as new plastics come out and new designs are put into production. You can find a wider variety of rope styles in plastic, although they tend to have a less traditional "feel" that some boxers grow accustomed to.

Exercise TV

Check out Exercise TV!

Getting Dumber?

Studies Champion Omega-3s for Slowing Mental Decline

Two new studies report that regular consumption of omega-3-rich food could prevent age-related cognitive decline. The first study, led by researchers from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, used a longitudinal assessment of 210 men without Alzheimer's disease, collecting dietary data via crosscheck dietary histories in 1990, when the subjects were 70-89 years old. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The authors conclude that over a period of five years, consumers of approximately 400 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day had less cognitive decline than those who consumed only about 20 milligrams per day. A second study from the University of North Carolina used a prospective design to investigate the potential benefits of omega-3 levels in the blood with cognitive decline in 2,251 white adults (average age 57 at baseline). Blood fatty acid concentrations were measured in all subjects at the start of the study and correlated with cognitive function assessed three and nine years later, assessing verbal learning, recent memory, psychomotor performance, linguistic impairment, and global cognition. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the researchers report that global cognitive decline was not associated with omega-3 blood levels at baseline, but a subgroup analysis examining specific types of cognitive decline found that greater blood omega-3 fatty acid levels may prevent a decline in verbal fluency. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, volume 85, pages 1142-1147 and volume 85, pages 1103-1111)

Welcome Geezers!

Hey there, I am Dr. Anderson, and I would like to welcome all you old farts to my Fitness Over-50 blog spot. Actually, I am not quite 50 yet, but I will be in March of 2010. Hopefully I will be too busy working on this blog, and my four other ones to get too depressed about it, but I have already gone through feeling depressed about being 49, so I guess that's covered.

I don't feel 50, or even look 50 I'm sure, because I missed the marriage and kid thing, due to my own bad decisions about money while still very young, and I did not smoke my health away, so I really feel about 28 at the most, but they tell me I'm 50, so here I am....

I am a licensed chiropractor who has been a wrestler and gym-rat since 1972, when I was 12. If a mistake exists regarding fitness and exercise, I have made it. I have also found out the right way to do a lot of things regarding health and fitness, and I would like to share them with you on a regular basis.

Even though I don't wrestle competitively any more, I certainly would if I had the time and cash for travel and hotel. Age certainly would not keep me from competing just yet. One thing I still do have access to is the gym and weight room at Anytime Fitness. I highly recommend this gym. If you decide to join, please tell them I referred you, so that I may gain some free months-thanks!

I love going to the gym and I love working out. I will pump iron until I die, I am sure. One day they will certainly find me lying under a barbell, eyes wide open, slight smile on my face. Hopefully I can pass on some of my wisdom before that day.