In this newsletter . . .

What is a "senior" anyway?

A dynamite exercise: the Clean & Press

What is a "senior" anyway?

Fifty has been called the youth of old age. And that sounds about right to me. Generally, a trainee at 50 can handle more intense training than someone at 60, 70, or more. Since I keep pretty good training logs, I can look back and compare my own ability in my late 50s to today. At 77, I’m not nearly as strong as I was in my 50s, which should surprise no one.

All of this is leading to something a newsletter subscriber, Bob White, sent me and I enjoyed. It follows:

"A doctor on his morning walk noticed an old lady sitting on her front step smoking a cigar. Though very elderly, she seemed quite happy with herself and obviously enjoying the stogy.

"So he walked up to her and said, 'I couldn't help but notice how happy you look! What is your secret?'

"'I smoke ten cigars a day,' she said. 'And before I go to bed, I smoke a joint. Apart from that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack Daniels every week, and, frankly, I eat only junk food. On weekends, I pop a few happy pills . . . and I don't exercise at all.'

"'That is absolutely amazing! How old are you?'

"'Thirty-four,' she replied."

I hope she's having fun. But most of us treat ourselves better than that.

For example, did you know that senior health club memberships are growing faster than any other age category? Here is one reason why:

It is sarcopenia, the wasting away of muscle that robs seniors of strength, balance and, eventually, their independence. Resistance training — weights, resistance bands and bodyweight calisthenics — is the antidote to sarcopenia

Our training should include some portion of resistance work, some portion of cardio, and some portion of flexibility training. And for most of us, resistance training should be the heart of the program.

A dynamite exercise: the Clean & Press

To watch a short video to see how it is done, using either a pair of dumbbells (in the video example) or a barbell, go here.

Low-rep sets of the clean and press develop overall strength and power. On the other hand, if you want to really get your heart pumping, move into the 10- to 15-rep range. But be careful not to let your form get sloppy and risk injury.

Note: The press I'm describing is a military press. After the clean, you stand straight, with knees locked, and with minimal back bend. This differs from a push-press. With the push-press, once you have cleaned the weight, you bend your knees and then use leg drive to assist in driving the weight overhead.

Kettlebells are also used to clean and press. However, the proper form using kettlebells is somewhat different than it is when using a barbell or dumbbells. If you plan on using kettlebells, be sure to learn the correct form.

See Clean and Press video.

Your comments and questions are always appreciated. Simply click on the "Reply" bottom.

Sincerely,

Logan Franklin
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter
www.senior-exercise-central.com