How to stay Forever Fit and Firm

My name is Darvis Simms, and I am a personal trainer. Over the last 17 years , I’ve helped hundreds of people get healthy and stay fit. In this series of posts, I want to help you realize your fitness potential by showing you what I do myself and with my clients. I’m writing these posts based on the things that I have learned and applied in my exercise program over the last 30 years in my quest to stay fit and firm as I age. My methods are not based on scientific theory but rather on results that I have attained for both myself and my clients.

As I mature and my client base matures, I’m beginning to specialize in fitness over age 40. I’m in my fifties so I understand the challenges you face as you fight the aging process. I am stronger, fitter, and I feel better than I did in my twenties. I’m writing this series of posts to show you how to look and feel as good, or even better, in your forties and fifties than you did in your twenties.

People seem to think that once they reach the age of forty, their bodies start to deteriorate , slipping down the slope into old age. They blame their lack of energy, their pudgy appearance, and their aches and pains on “getting old”. Most of these symptoms are however the result of years of negative thinking, lack of exercise, and poor dietary choices. The key to keeping your body fit and firm as you age is making healthy lifestyle choices on a daily basis.

It’s a proven fact that people who make healthy lifestyle choices live longer and have a better quality of life than those who adopt unhealthy habits. So, deciding to incorporate healthy habits into your life is the first step to getting and staying fit and firm with age. The next step is choosing those activities that are the most beneficial in your quest to stay fit and firm.

Those, including myself, who stay fit and firm as the years pass find that a positive state of mind, and a proper mix of strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and balanced nutrition is fundamental to getting and staying healthy as you mature. People, such as Jack LaLanne and Al Beckles are examples of the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.

Jack LaLann, who recently passed away, was a living icon to the benefits of healthy thinking, eating, and exercise. Over the years he performed amazing feats of strength and conditioning on his birthdays as he got older. Jack was in great shape, and worked outs two hours each day, devoting one and a half hours to strength training well into his nineties. This is a true testament to the value of strength training as you age.

Al Beckles is a legend in the bodybuilding world. At the age of 55, Al placed second in the Mr. Olympia competition. The Mr. Olympia Competition is the premier bodybuilding event which thousands of competitors from across the world dream of winning each year. Al Beckles competed well into his sixties because his physique was still phenomenal and better than competitors more than half his age.

While I don’t place myself in the same class with Jack LaLanne and Al Beckles I can tell you the value that healthy lifestyle habits have in my life. As mentioned , I am in my fifties and I keep my body fat at 10 percent or less. My fitness program consists of four strength training sessions each week followed by 20 minutes of cardio. I can chest press 100 pound dumbbells for 10 repetitions and leg press more than 1000 pounds, neither of which I could do in my twenties.

I’m writing this weekly series of posts called Forever Fit and Firm with the hope of changing your concept of aging. You can be healthy, strong, firm, and fit regardless age, and I’m going to show you how.

Workout Log For Saturday July 9, 2011

Today I had a big sprint day planned. Unfortunately the field condition from the over night storm in the Boston North Shore area did not make sprints a wise option. So I had to tweek the workout by adding more jump roping. Also, a Facebook friend and Certified Turbulence Trainer, Mike Whitfield, had some very interesting 'metabolic finishers' posted on his website to add to one's workout so I chose the Bur-pee/Chin-up 'metabolic finisher'. But I had to tweek this as well because of the sprints I had to omit. So instead of counting down from 8 to 7 to 6 and so on I just kept going when I got down to 5 and started from 8 and cut the rest from 40secs to 30secs. I also want to get the chin-up count closer to 100 which is the minimum I do during a workout session that includes them. I'm sure with the sprints in the program I would have not needed to tweek it, especially with those 'puke inducing' bur-pees added in there. I will attempt to get the sprints in tomorow with tire throwing. But anyway here is the workout I performed today.

Location: Salem Commons, Salem, Ma.

Warm-up

7 x 100 Jump Rope

AFS-TRX Resistance/Jump Rope 3x:

1 x 10 Hand Stand Push-ups

2 x 100 Jump Rope

1 x 20 Jump Squats

1 x 10 Single Leg Atomic Push-ups

2 x 100 Jump Rope

1 x 10 Superman Planks

1 x 10 Single Arm Bicep curls per arm

2 x 100 Jump Rope

1 x 30 Alternating Jumping Lunge (this REALLY get the heart rate up)

Added Bonus

4 x 100 Jump Rope

Metabolic Finisher courtesy of Mike Whitfield of Crank Training

Burpee/Chin-up

Countdown From 8 40 secs rest

Check out Mike's website for more details:

http://cranktraining.com/

Cool Down Stretch

Some core & flexibility training this evening.

P.S. Oh and to my other Facebook buddy over at Shrivers Fitness Kris Buxenbaum, whose stability & flexibility training is some of the BEST I've seen, I nailed the standing balance on the physio ball today.

The Mental And Physical Requirements Of Staying Fit and Firm With Age

Last Wednesday I spoke to a group of people at an Active Adult Community about the mental and physical requirements of staying healthy, fit, and firm over the age of 50.  I explained that they had to incorporate the following three things into their lives to do so: a positive mental attitude, a fitness program built on strength training, and a healthy diet designed around balance and moderation.

I feel as though I’m qualified to speak on the subject because I’m an ACE certified personal trainer with over 17 years of experience in the health and fitness industry.  Most importantly, I’m 52 years old and healthier and fitter than I have ever been in my life.  So, I can speak on this subject not only from scientific facts, but also from my experience (proof in the pudding).

A Positive Mental Attitude

I think a positive mental attitude about aging is the first and most important step to staying healthy, fit and firm as you age.  I believe the mental vision you have of aging is what you become.  Your body renews itself every 11 months, and that means every cell in your body is replaced.  I think that if you visualize yourself as becoming weak and frail as you age, your body conforms to this image over time.  Contrarily, if you imagine yourself as healthy and strong as you age, your body continues to renew itself according to this vision.   I always visualize myself as healthy and strong.

A Fitness Program Built On Strength Training

I believe strength training is the most important form of exercise you can do to stay healthy, fit and firm if you are over the age of 50.  Beginning in your 40s you naturally start to lose muscle mass, and if you don’t do anything to combat this process you can lose as much as a pound of muscle each year.  This is not good because muscle is that active component of your body that burns most of the calories you consume.  Also, muscle is what gives your body that fit and firm look.

Strength training has been proven to minimize and in some cases to reverse muscle loss due to aging.  Therefore, I recommend that you build your fitness program on strength training.  A good strength training program should consist of exercises that target all the major muscle groups and should be performed 2 to 3 times each week.  I’ve been weight lifting all of my adult life and I’m as strong and muscular as I’ve ever been.

A Healthy Diet Built Around Balance and Moderation

I was asked by one of the attendees if they could eat fried chicken?  I responded by saying that you can eat anything you desire if you do it in balance and moderation with everything you eat. 

 

I believe balance and moderation in your diet is the best solution to long-term weight management.  If you balance the amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat in your diet and practice portion control you can eat what you want.  Fad diets don’t work in the long-term because they are too restrictive as to what you can and cannot eat.

To practice balance and moderation in your diet you have to know the following two things.  First, how to classify foods into their basic sources of protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  Secondly, how to calculate your serving size.  If you master these two things then you can eat healthy anywhere.  I’ll explain how to do this in my next post, and also how I practice balance and moderation in my diet.

Fitness Model & Bodybuilder Samuel Okunola

Fitness model Samuel Okunola shares his workout and diet with SimplyShredded.com. This guy has on of the fittest physiques in the business. This is being 'shredded' at its best. Lean muscle without the puffy bulky look which is much healthier from an overall fitness standpoint. Read more about Sameul clicking the link below:

http://www.simplyshredded.com/fitness-model-bodybuilder-samuel-okunola-talks-with-simplyshredded-com.html

Exercise Of The Week; Seated Ball Twist

The seated ball twist is a very good exercise for core development and strength. Sit on the floor with a slight bend in your legs. Hold a therapeutic ball in front of you with your arms fully extended. Lean back slightly, pick your chest up high and pull your naval in. Now turn your shoulders to one side and touch the ball to the floor and then turn to the other side and do the same. A complete revolution counts as one repetition. Be sure you arms stay extended throughout this exercise. Breathing pattern is to exhale as you touch the ball to the floor and inhale as you bring the ball across your body.

For Beginners I recommend you do 2 sets of 20 repetitions twice per week. For those of you who are more advanced, I recommend 3 sets of 30 repetitions three times each week.

Exercise of the Week; Step-ups

Step ups are great for developing and shaping your butt. With this exercise you will do ten repetitions on one leg followed by ten repetitions with the other. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and position yourself in front of a bench. Place one foot flat on top of the bench positioning you body to make a right angle at your knee. Start with your chest held high and shoulders square step up through your heel and lightly tap the bench with your other foot before returning to your starting position. Breathing pattern for this exercise is to exhale as you step up and inhale as you step back down.

Be careful to use a steady bench or aerobic step when performing this exercise. Beginners should do 2 sets of 10 repetitions on each leg, and those more advanced can do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

How to Avoid an Exercise Plateau

Fitness expert Steve Edwards provides some good insight of avoiding the exercise plateau.This is a common problem I see with new comers to the fitness world.

Your Choice, Your Health, It's That Simple

Image by Vook tv via Flickr

Getting healthier, losing weight, feeling better, and getting fit is not complicated. It’s about the daily choices you make. Choice is a powerful thing. You can choose daily habits that promote a healthy lifestyle or not. That choice is completely yours.

Many of the aliments that we associate with aging are the results of many years of making poor lifestyle choices. I’m 51 years old and I hear people my age complaining of the aliments of "getting older." I don’t know what they are talking about, because I feel as good as I did when I was 25.

The only difference is I choose to live a healthy lifestyle. I eat a healthy diet, I exercise on a regular basis, and I fill my mind with positive thoughts.

Here’s an example of the power of choice. I was sitting in a coffee shop a few weeks ago, and across the room I noticed 2 women sitting together. One woman was extremely over-weight and the other woman looked very fit. The over weight woman was eating a big cookie and drinking a latte, while the fit looking woman was eating a health breakfast wrap.

Now, I’m pretty sure that over-weight woman did gain those extra pounds by eating a cookie and drinking a latte just one time. Most likely, her extra weight is from years of choosing to eat cookies and drink lattes, or something similar for breakfast. No one forces her to make that decision. And on the other hand, no one forces the fit looking woman to eat the way she eats. It’s all about personal choice. While an occasional mocha latte and a big cookie for breakfast won’t make you over-weight, choosing to have them everyday probably will.

It’s your choice, it’s your health. You and only you are responsible for your health and well-being. Choose healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyle activities and you become a healthy person. It's that simple.