It’s never too late to pick up a gym habit. You’re never too old to get your dream body, and you're never too past it to sculpt a summer six-pack.

However, we can roughly divide older gym-goers into three types: those that never stopped training, those who have lapsed and those that have never trained at all. But the benefits of training into your 50s are undeniable. Because, while age-related muscle loss, called sarcopenia, is a natural part of ageing (once you hit 30, you can lose as much as 3 to 5 per cent a decade), numerous studies, including this one published in The New England Journal of Medicine, have found that resistance training can counteract muscle weakness and physical frailty in older people.

With that in mind, we tapped PT Keith Lazarus, himself a 55-year-old man and in the shape of his life, to develop a plan perfect for experienced men. So whether you know what you're doing or you're new to all this gym-stuff, here's how to construct a plan that will make your body stronger for longer.

The Plan for Men of Experience

So you’ve been in the gym longer than Bieber has been alive. You’re in great shape, and you still train like you’re twenty-five. But sooner or later, your body is going to begin fighting against the punishment. How do you doctor your training to ensure you stay as lithe as ever?

“I would think of the body as a global entity,” says Lazarus. “There's nothing wrong with split sessions in principle, but you don’t want to overload too much of your muscle type at our age.”

“Practically, it’s more productive to train the body as a whole,” says Lazarus. Focusing on functional fitness instead of the constant arm-day, back-day, leg-day routine puts the emphasis on mobility, the quality that’s taken for granted by younger gym-goers. Granted, there’s space for a heavy lifting schedule in your sessions, but keep the activities varied and the focus on movement. “Tonight it could be a CrossFit-inspired workout. Tomorrow it might be pure movement exercises or light weights for speed,” says Lazarus.

The Plan for Men Who Are out of Practise

If you finished training and are urging to get back on the horse, where do you start once you reach the big 5-0? Well according to Lazarus you should start from the very beginning.

If the lift is an old favourite the muscle memory does not forget, there’s bound to be some issues due to the time out. “My clients will first grab a weight, show me a movement and go from there, because the movement may have changed over the years – maybe they’ve sat on their hip too long, or there’s been a shoulder injury." The emphasis should not be on the load. Put your ego to one side and take it light. Once the muscle memory’s kicked back in, accelerate with extra load.

Lazarus tells us that once you reach 50, you can take no more than two or three years out of training before all hope of becoming as fit as you were has vanished, with muscle and mobility deterioration irreparable. That’s not to say you won’t still improve – "only by looking at a person could you judge what they can or can’t do," says Lazarus – but full strength is out of the question.



The Plan for Men Trying Something New

“First, complete beginners at 50 should be coaxed into having the confidence to do basic movement drills,” says Lazarus. “A lunge, a side lunge, stepping up or simply touching their toes.” Given most guys can’t touch their toes in their twenties (and are clearly in need of our beginner’s guide to stretching), flexibility, mobility and safety are paramount. Below is a basic movement drill that can be completed nice and easily for first-timers under supervision.

Lunge forward as far as you can with your right leg, bending your trailing knee so it almost brushes the floor.

Use the heel of your right foot to push yourself off into the next lunge, this time leading with your left leg.

Place your right foot onto the elevated platform and push up through your heel to lift yourself up and place your left foot on the platform.

Step back down with your left foot, concentrating on flexing your hip and the knee of your right leg. Repeat on the other side.

As a newbie don't worry about the weights your lifting. Instead, concentrate on proper form. A study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that older adults were most likely to stick to training if they felt like they knew what they were doing, rather than how much muscle they were able to gain. So if you're new to lifting consider working with a PT or joining some classes. It could keep you in the weights room for longer.

Nutrition Hacks

Solid nutritional principles are applicable at any age, but there are a few hacks that every over 50 can use to ensure the middle-age spread is kept at bay. “Don’t eat until you’re full,” says Lazarus. As far back as 2008, the British Medical Journal found a correlation between eating quickly until you’re full and mounting obesity. 80 per cent full is the benchmark that’s going to keep you eating well while watching your waistline. Beyond that, it’s simply good nutrition: lots of protein, fewer white carbs and a tight noose around that alcohol habit. Happy training.

Workout Advice for Over 50s

Full-body sessions over isolating muscle groups

Keep activities varied

Prioritise form over load

Flexibility, mobility and safety are paramount

Consider working with a PT or joining some classes

Start by working on basic movement drills

Stay consistent

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