CHAPTER 8
SECRET 3 - CUSTOMIZED EXERCISE ROUTINE
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ANTI-AGING WORKOUTS
WHEN TO WORKOUT
FLEXIBILITY TRAINING ROUTINE
CARDIOVASCULAR ROUTINE
STRENGTH TRAINING ROUTINE
STRENGTH TRAINING ROUTINE WITHOUT EQUIPMENT
STRENGTH TRAINING ROUTINE WITH DUMBBELLS
BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING WITH BARBELLS ONLY
BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING WITH DUMBBELLS AND
BARBELLS
BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING WITH
DUMB/ BARBELLS, AND MACHINES
EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR ANY TIME SCHEDULE
WORKOUT ONCE TO THREE TIMES
A WEEK AND 30 MINUTES EACH TIME
WORKOUT ONCE TO THREE TIMES
A WEEK AND 45 MINUTES EACH TIME
WORKOUT ONCE TO THREE TIMES
A WEEK AND 60 MINUTES EACH TIME
WORKOUT ONCE TO
THREE TIMES A WEEK AND MORE THAN 60 MIN EA.
WORKOUT 4 TIMES A WEEK AND 30
MINUTES EACH WORKOUT
WORKOUT 4-6 WORKOUTS A WEEK AND 60
MINUTES EACH TIME
12 WEEKS WORKOUT FOR
Age 60+, PREGNANT, OR POST ILLNESS
4 WEEKS FAT BURNING WORKOUT ROUTINE
Anti-aging workouts are designed to be balanced workouts,
incorporating flexibility, cardiovascular, and strength training component. The
emphasis is on flexibility and the cardiovascular component. The workout is
moderate in intensity and not overly long. Special care is taken to avoid injury
by proper stretches before and after the exercise session.
Consistently performed, you will build up a strong cardiac system to have a full and active lifestyle. At the same time, your muscles will be firm and toned but not large. Overall you will see a reshaping of your body composition and contour, with fat changing to lean muscle mass over a 3-6 month period. Compliment this program with proper diet, rest, and nutritional supplements for best results.
Although exercising in the morning on an empty stomach has been shown to burn the most calories, it is also the most dangerous in terms of cardiovascular risk and injuries, as muscles are generally not warmed up. If you choose to exercise in the morning, make sure you take extra time to stretch and warm up your body.
For anti-aging purposes, it is recommended that you do your workout 4-5 hours after awakening when most of your muscles are already “warmed up” from daily activities and therefore least prone to injuries. This usually means the mid to late afternoon.
No equipment required.
A complete series of stretches takes no more than 5-10 minutes. You can do it anytime and at almost anywhere.
Start with big muscle groups first and work towards smaller muscle groups. Develop a routine so that you will not forget. Here is sample routine in order:
Choose from a variety of cardiovascular exercises that fit your personality style, from jogging to rowing to step machines. Variety is encouraged. The key is to choose a routine that you enjoy. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you keep your heart rate at 60-80% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) which is equal to 220 less your age. If you have cardiovascular disease, consult your physician first before embarking on any cardiovascular training program.
Strength training routines need not be complicated for anti-aging purposes. You want to stress each of the 11 major muscle groups. The routine should be simple, consistent, and productive. Since this is not oriented towards bodybuilding, the end result is not to increase size of muscle but to improve the tone and endurance of each muscle. Don’t forget that fat do not burn calories while in the resting state. On the other hand, muscles do. By shifting the body’s contour from fat to muscle, you are indirectly increasing the basal metabolic rate and burning more calories when not exercising. By following this program, your body fat percentage should reach the target anti-range of 10-15% for men and 15-20% range for women (most men are in 22-30% range and women in 30-35% range), while the lean body mass will concurrently increase accordingly.
The strength training routine can be performed anytime and at almost anywhere. While many may have access to a gym, the fact is that you don’t need one. Depending of what kinds of equipment you have, here are some sample routines:
Strength training routines are to be done after warm up flexibility training, which takes 5-10 minutes each workout. These exercises are done in sets. The first set consists of 12 repetitions; the second set consists of ten repetitions and two reps less in each succeeding set. Adjust the amount of weight so that you should be near 85% of your maximum exertion at the end of each set. Rest for 1-2 minutes before each set, then increase the weight by 5-10% before doing the 2nd second set and so on. The goal is to put increasing stress onto your muscles with each set, causing micro-trauma to the muscle fibers which in turn will promote them towards self-healing on the intervening rest days.
Note that most exercises are done in sets outlined above except crunches (for Abdomen) and push-ups (for chest) which should be done till you are fatigued.
STRENGTH TRAINING ROUTINE WITHOUT EQUIPMENT
STRENGTH TRAINING ROUTINE WITH DUMBBELLS
Having a dumbbell allows more flexibility and more precision training of target muscle groups. Do the following routine in order:
BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING WITH BARBELLS ONLY
If you have access to barbells but no dumbbell, do the routine as follows:
BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING WITH DUMBBELLS AND BARBELLS
Do the following routine, which makes use of the best that dumbbells and barbells can offer:
BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING WITH DUMBBELLS, BARBELLS, AND MACHINES
* Part of PUSH Routine if you split up the workout into 2
sessions
** Part of the PULL routine if you split up the workout
into 2 sessions
EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR ANY TIME SCHEDULE
Regardless of whether you only have 30 minutes once a week or 2 hours 6 times a week, the fact is that any exercise is better than none. The challenge is to design a balanced program that is complete and works within the time that you have.
Your exercise routine will change, depending on how many times a week you work out. You need to allow time for your body to self-repair after the stress of exercise. It is during this self-repair time that your muscle gets stronger and heart function improves the most.
If you only have time for exercise up to 3 times a week, each session need to encompass stretching, strength training, and cardiovascular training. This is a good place to start especially if time is tight.
If you are able to do exercise from 4 to 6 times a week, then you will start getting the full anti-aging effects of exercise. We will be able to rotate the exercises in such a way to allow your body to rest as well as stress your heart and muscle on a regular basis.
IF YOU WORKOUT ONCE TO THREE TIMES A WEEK AND 30 MINUTES EACH TIME
This is the absolute minimum you must to for general health maintenance.
When: start exercising in mid-afternoon when your body is
naturally warmed up from daily activities
Minute 1-5: warm up stretch,
Minute 6-15: do strength training of 11 major muscle groups;
you will only have time for 1 set of each.
Minute 16-30: aerobics (including 2-4 minutes of high
intensity work where you are reaching 80% of your maximum heart rate), with the
last 2 minutes of the aerobics session for cool down.
IF YOU WORKOUT ONCE TO THREE TIMES A WEEK AND 45 MINUTES EACH TIME
This is the minimum you must commit to if you are serious about an anti-aging lifestyle. We are rushing things a bit, so you have to be very efficient and pre-plan your activities so there is no wasted time during the session.
When: Start exercising in mid-afternoon when your body is
naturally warmed up from daily activities.
Minute 1-5: arm up stretch
Minute 6-25: do strength training of the 11 major muscle
groups; you will have time for 2 sets; 12 rep for set 1 and 10 rep for set 2,
with 30 second rest between each set.
Minute 26-45: aerobics (including 6 minutes of high intensity
work in which you are reaching 80% of your maximum heart rate) with last 2
minutes cool down.
IF YOU WORKOUT ONCE TO THREE TIMES A WEEK AND 60 MINUTES EACH TIME
You now have a more relaxed schedule to perform a complete warm up and cool down stretch routine. Anti-aging effect will be evident soon after you are consistent in this program, especially if you are doing it 3 times a week. We are devoting more time to cardiovascular training, as heart disease is the leading cause of death.
When: start anytime
Minute 1-5: warm up stretch
Minute 6-25: do strength training of 11 major muscle groups;
you will have time for 2 sets; 12 rep for set 1 and 10 rep for set 2, with 30
second rest between each set.
Minute 26-55: aerobics (including 10 minutes of high
intensity work in which you are reaching 80% of your maximum heart rate).
Minute 56-60: cool down stretches.
IF YOU WORKOUT ONCE TO THREE TIMES A WEEK AND MORE THAN 60 MINUTES EACH TIME
If you have more than 60 minutes to exercise, you simply increase the length of each component accordingly. For example, instead of 20 minutes of cardiovascular training, do 40 minutes instead. Similarly, you can do 4 reps of a given exercise instead of 3 reps.
One of the primary purposes of exercise is to stress the body in order to activate the body’s self-repairing and self-strengthening mechanisms. Over exercise is not good for anti-aging purposes and leads to excessive anti-oxidant formation.
Time is a key element for healing and self-repair. It is better, therefore, to have more frequent exercise sessions, like 4-6 times a week of lesser intensity each session (1 hour each) compared to few sessions (1-3 times a week) that are longer in duration and higher in intensity (2 hours each time).
If you are already spending 60 minutes 3 times a week to exercise, chances are you are already in the anti-aging lifestyle and taking good care of your body. Why not move on to a 4 days a week schedule where you will really feel the difference?
IF YOU WORKOUT 4 TIMES A WEEK AND 30 MINUTES EACH WORKOUT
Because the total time per session is still limited, we will split the routine so that you are devoting enough time to alternating sessions of cardiovascular vs. strength training emphasis to get the desired effect.
When: Start exercising in mid-afternoon when your body is naturally warmed up from daily activities.
Workout # 1 and 3 : emphasis on cardiovascular training
Minute 1-5: warm up stretch
Minute 6-30: aerobics (including 10 minutes of high intensity
work where you are reaching 80% of your maximum heart rate); include last 2
minutes as cool down.
Workout # 2 and 4: emphasis on strength training
Minute 1-5: warm up stretch
Minute 6- 25: Beginner: strength training of 11 major muscle
groups; you will have time for 2 sets; 12 rep for set 1 and 10 rep for set 2,
with 30-second rest
between each set.
Minute 26-30: cool down stretch
Sample 7 days Schedule
Day 1 - workout # 1
Day 2 - workout # 2
Day 3 - rest
Day 4 - workout # 3
Day 5 - workout # 4
Day 6 - rest
Day 7 - rest
OR
Day 1 - workout # 1
Day 2 - rest
Day 3 - workout # 2
Day 4 - rest
Day 5 - workout # 3
Day 6 - workout # 4
Day 7 - rest
IF YOU WORKOUT 4-6 WORKOUTS A WEEK AND 60 MINUTES EACH TIME
The concept is that you alternate between sessions with emphasis on cardio and sessions with strength training. Because you have more time, both cardio and strength training can be covered in each session.
Furthermore, you rotate your strength training routine such that you are alternating push and pull routines on alternate sessions so that your muscles have adequate time to recuperate.
This program offers a good anti-aging protocol for those who are serious about growing younger. Congratulate yourself for being committed to live longer and in active lifestyle.
Workout # 1 and 3: cardiovascular training plus strength
Minute 1-5: warm up stretch.
Minute 6-35: 30 minutes aerobics session (including 10
minutes of high intensity work where you are reaching 80% of your maximum
heart rate).
Minute 36-55: strength training Beginner: work 11 major
muscle groups; you will have time for 2 sets; 12 rep for set 1 and 10 rep for
set 2, with 30 second rest between each set. Advanced: Work 5-6 Push routine
of up to 3 sets each (12 rep, 10 rep, 8 rep).
Minute 56-60: cool down stretch.
Workout # 2 and 4: strength training plus cardiovascular
training
Minute 1-5: warm up stretch
Minute 6-35: Beginner: strength training of 11 major muscle
groups; you will have time for 3 sets; 12 rep for set 1 and 10 rep for set 2,
and 8 rep for set 3, with 30 sec to 1 minute rest between each set. Take your
time to focus on the form. Advanced: work 5-6 Pull routine of up to 3-5 sets
each (15, 12, 10,8,6 reps).
Minute 36-55: 20 minutes aerobics (including 6 minutes of
high intensity where you reach80 % of your maximum heart rate)
Minute 56-60: cool down stretch.
Workout # 5 Intensive Cardiovascular Training: push your
heart to endurance through continuous stress
Minute 1-10: warm up stretches, especially lower body, like
calf and quads.
Minute 11-55: aerobics session (including 20 minutes where
you are at high intensity, achieving 80% of your maximum heart rate).
Minute 56-60: cool down stretches.
Workout # 6 Intensive strength training work:
Minute 1-5: warm up stretches
Minute 11-55: strength training of all 11-muscle groups. Do
up to 5 sets per muscles group, at 15 reps (warm up set), 12 reps, 10 reps, 8
reps, 6 reps respectively.
Allow 1 minute between each set per muscle group.
Minute 56-60: cool down stretch.
Sample schedule based on 4 times a week (4 week cycle)
This is a 4 weeks cycle, allow one intensive session per
week.
There is a rest day after each 2 regular sessions (e.g. 1
and 2, 2 and 3) and a rest day before and after each intensive session (e.g.
rest /5/ rest; rest/6/rest).
Week 1
Day 1 - workout # 1
Day 2 - workout # 2
Day 3 - rest
Day 4 - workout # 3
Day 5 - rest
Day 6 - workout # 5
Day 7 - workout # rest
Week 2
Day 1 - workout # 4
Day 2 - workout # 1
Day 3 - rest
Day 4 - workout # 2
Day 5 - rest
Day 6 - workout # 6
Day 7 - rest
Week 3
Day 1 - workout # 3
Day 2 - workout # 4
Day 3 - rest
Day 4 - workout # 1
Day 5 - rest
Day 6 - workout # 5
Day 7 - rest
Week 4
Day 1 - workout # 2
Day 2 - workout # 3
Day 3 - rest
Day 4 - workout # 4
Day 5 - rest
Day 6 - workout # 6
Day 7 - rest
Sample schedule based on 5 times a week (2 week cycle)
Cycle based on the 2 weeks schedule so that you get an intensive session every week.
Note that there is a rest after 4 regular sessions and a rest after each intensive session (sessions 5 or 6).
Week 1
Day 1 - workout # 1
Day 2 - workout # 2
Day 3 - workout # 3
Day 4 - workout # 4
Day 5 - rest
Day 6 - workout # 5
Day 7 - rest
Week 2
Day 1 - workout # 1
Day 2 - workout # 2
Day 3 - workout # 3
Day 4 - workout # 4
Day 5 - rest
Day 6 - workout # 6
Day 7 - rest
Sample schedule based on 6 times a week (weekly cycle)
The concept evolves around 1 intensive cardio and strength training sessions designed to stress the system. The rest of the week acts as prelude and built up to these two intensive sessions.
This is the optimum anti-aging exercise protocol. If you miss a day here and there, don’t worry about it.
It is important to do sessions 1 and 2 back to back so that all muscle groups are worked on over a 2 days period.
In other words, include at least one intensive session of cardiovascular and strength per week, and rotate the rest of the week among cardio and strength routine.
Sample schedule:
Day 1 - workout # 1
Day 2 - workout # 2
Day 3 - workout # 3
Day 4 - workout # 4
Day 5 - workout # 5
Day 6 - workout # 6
Day 7 - rest (preferred)
OR
Day 1 - workout # 1
Day 2 - workout # 2
Day 3 - rest
Day 4 - workout # 3
Day 5 - workout # 4
Day 6 - workout # 5
Day 7 - workout # 6
OR
Day 1 - workout # 1
Day 2 - workout # 2
Day 3 - workout # 3
Day 4 - workout # 4
Day 5 - rest
Day 6 - workout # 5
Day 7 - workout # 6
Everyone will have a different routine that fits them well over a period of time. This is perfectly normal. Remember that there is no perfect routine. Don’t try to look for it. The most important thing is to enjoy yourself and don’t get injured.
12 WEEKS WORKOUT FOR THOSE OVER 60, PREGNANT, OR RECOVERING FROM ILLNESS:
The amount of time you spend per day depends on your fitness level. Generally speaking, starts slowly and gradually increase in intensity over a few months.
Entry Level: Weeks 1-6
Monday: Warm Up Stretch, Walk, Cool Down Stretch
Tuesday: Warm Up Stretch, Strength Training using body weights and dumbbells only, which are least prone to injury. 1-2 sets for each muscle group, 12-15 rep per set.
Wednesday: Rest (Stretching is optional).
Thursday: Warm Up Stretch, Walk intermixed with 20% time in slow jog; cool down stretch
Friday: Warm Up Stretch, Strength Training using body weights and dumbbells only, which are least prone to injury. 1-2 sets for each muscle group, 12-15 rep per set.
Saturday: Warm Up Stretch; Aerobic at comfortable pace where you can maintain a conversation; Cool Down Stretch
Sunday: Rest (Stretching is optional).
Intermediate Level: Weeks 7-12
Monday: Warm Up Stretch, Aerobic at moderate intensity where you are not able to carry out conversation comfortably, Cool Down Stretch
Tuesday: Warm Up Stretch, Strength Training using body weights, dumbbells, barbells, and machines. 2-3 sets for each muscle group, 12 rep for set 1, 10 rep for set 2 and 8 rep for set 3.
Wednesday: Rest (Stretching is optional).
Thursday: Warm Up Stretch, Aerobic at moderate intensity where you are not able to carry out conversation comfortably, Cool Down stretch.
Friday: Warm Up Stretch, Strength Training using body weights, dumbbells, barbells, and machines. 2-3 sets for each muscle group, 12 rep for set 1, 10 rep for set 2 and 8 rep for set 3.
Saturday: Warm Up Stretch, Aerobic at moderate intensity where you are not able to carry out conversation comfortably, Cool Down Stretch.
Sunday: Rest (Stretching is optional).
Gentle Strength Training exercises: designed to be precise, focused, but avoid exercises using the most gentle modalities.
Perform these gentle Strength Training exercises in the following order:
After you feel comfortable with the above protocol, you can proceed to any one of the balanced anti-aging exercise protocols based on the amount of time you have each week. A good follow up point is anti-aging exercise protocol based on 30 or 60 minutes 4 times a week.
The key to this program is to maintain your heart within the
aerobic zone which burns the most calories. Combining intense interval training
(using a treadmill) and circuit weight training (using free weights or
machines) , at the same workout while keeping your heart rate up in the target
zone of 60-80% of your maximum heart rate is the key. This will increase the metabolism post
exercise much more than when you do steady-state cardio alone as steady running
on a treadmill. Such a program can elevate your metabolism for up to 12 hours or
more after exercise. It is this increase in metabolism that burns fat long after
you have stopped exercising.
Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) is equal to 220 less your age. For example, if you are 50 years old, your MHR is equal to 220 minus 50 which is equal to 170 beat per minute. During warm up and recovery, you are exercising at 60% of MHR which is equal to 112 beats per minute. During intense blocks, you are exercising at 80% of MHR which is equal to 136 beats per minute. Therefore, your heart rate should be between 112 and 136 beats per minute.
Week 1: Perform this 40 minutes workout three times a week:
Week 2: Perform this 50 minutes workout 3 times a week:
Note: The protocol is the same as week 1, except increase the workout time by 10 minutes to 50 minutes by adding a 3 minute intense cardiovascular block (at 80% MHR) into each of the cardiovascular training sessions followed by 2 minute block (at 60% MHR) recovery block. Also try to do 1-2 sets of each strength training exercise as time permits. Remember that the 50 minutes is just a general guideline. If you feel good, do a little bit more. If you feel tired, ease up a little.
Week 3 and 4: Perform this 60 minutes routine 3 times a week:
Note: Make use of the same protocol as in week 2 with cardiovascular block remaining unchanged. However in these 2 weeks, increase strength training by doing 2-3 sets of each muscle group and extending the time for strength training from 10 to 15 minute blocks.
After the 4 weeks, you can continue on the same program 3 times a week if you wish to continue to loose fat, or switch to any of the anti-aging exercise protocols depending on the amount of time you have available. For many, a good progression from this point is to proceed to anti-aging exercise program 60 minutes 4 times a week protocol.
Forward |
Introduction | Chapter 1
| Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 |
Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 |
Chapter 6 | Chapter 7
Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 |
Chapter 10 | Chapter 11
| Chapter 12 | Bibliography