Month #3 - Week #9 - February

Month #3 Week #9

Our Monthly Attribute for February is: Cardiovascular Endurance

Welcome to February! This month we'll finally be delving into the arena of Cardiovascular Endurance. I do hope our previous months emphasis on Strength left you with an appreciation for, and a continued commitment to strength training in general.

I'd first like to repeat a programming specific that I'd touched on these last three months... I only include the attributes of Strength, Flexibility and Cardio-respiratory Endurance as monthly attributes at the beginning of our two year cycle. These attributes are particularly important and are in one form or another included in every workout we do. These initial metrics are extremely valuable and will be regularly utilized throughout the course of the program.

Next to strength training, I believe Cardiovascular Endurance to be of supreme importance. In my opinion, we seriously need to include them both when we consider any serious program aimed at longevity.

An extremely important factor regarding Cardiovascular Endurance is that it produces significant improvements in two totally different, but equally important realms. We are all cognizant of the tremendous benefit that cardiovascular exercise has on heart health. The latest research however, is revealing some absolutely stunning evidence that it is equally effective regarding improvements in cognitive & emotional health as well! 

For many of us who are 65+ years of age, the specter of Alzheimers & similar cognitive diseases are our biggest concern.

As I write this, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) actually recommended doctors prescribe aerobic exercise INSTEAD of pharmacological medication for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to improve their memory and thinking. In terms of longevity, I don't believe the importance of cardiovascular exercise for both heart health and cognitive/emotional health can be overstated.

Before I tackle specifics regarding this programs utilization of Cardiovascular Exercise, let me first lay a foundation regarding our generally recommended "dose" of Cardiovascular Endurance. The Centers for Disease Control recommends the following for older adults 65 years of age and older:

• 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week.

                And / Or

• 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week.

I am extremely happy that they then add recommended suggestions for "Even Greater Health Benefits". We'll be able to utilize these further recommendations as you'll soon see. Those extended recommendations are as following:

For greater health benefits, older adults should increase their activity to:

• 5 hours (300 minutes) each week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity

               And / Or

• 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) each week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity

There is much to say about the above recommendations. The first thing to note here is that it would be impossible, due to time constraints, for me to satisfy these requirements in a class that only meets three times per week. We will, without question, achieve an increased heart rate in each of our classes but, to meet these requirements will require some "homework", as it were, on the days that you are off from our class. I will, however, gladly coach our participants to help them find a suitable and appropriate means of meeting these recommendations (but the work must be done by you!).

Now, let me touch on the utilization of the "Greater Health Benefit" category; For those who are familiar with this programs documentation, you will recall that I consider longevity to be driven by the science of epigenetics where lifestyle choices might alter a persons DNA expression. These factors have lead scientists to conclude that longevity is 75% lifestyle and only 25% genetics. That said, for longevity's sake, if you have a genetic disposition towards heart disease or dementia (as evidenced by family history), it would only be sensible to work towards those "Greater Benefit" recommendations.

I am a huge proponent of heart rate training & would include teaching how to utilize a heart rate percentage method of measuring your intensity.

As far as metrics are concerned, for those that are frail or severely deconditioned, I will utilize the standard Senior Fitness Test  "6 minute" walk test or the "2 minute step test". For those who are beyond a basic ambulatory condition, a simple timed mile walk, walk/run or run test is sufficient. As I've said for a number of other metrics, the absolute value is not nearly as important as it is to set a baseline with which to measure progress or regress. 

Our Weekly Attribute for Week #9 is: Speed 

Since we are finally starting to recycle our weekly attributes, I'll refer to a copy of week #2:

Sometimes, as we age, we'll ever so slowly, usually at an imperceptible rate, lose our ability to move quickly. We will touch upon that today and emphasize movements and drills that challenge our overall speed.  We'll work with bouncing balls, the simplest of agility drills to focus on speed and we'll include some lateral shuffle/agility drills to work on thinking of moving faster. We may even visit the "8 Foot Up-and-Go" test which will be one of the metrics we record during our month of Speed. 

Your "Lifestyle Application" of Agility

You can easily include activities that challenge your sense of speed throughout this coming week. Some simple suggestions would include:

• A game of Ping Pong.
• Basketball - No matter if it's a pick up game with friends or some practice of a cross court dribble and casual shooting, it'll all require speed.
• Tennis Anyone?
• Soccer drills in an open field or against a brick wall!
• Handball or Racquetball

While often times we'll just need an awareness of speed to see improvements (I often find myself moving exceptionally slow while I'm walking or climbing steps). I'm sure there are many more ways to work on maintaining our speed and I'd LOVE to hear your additional recommendations.

Our Three Daily Attributes This Week

On Monday (day 1), we are going to focus on our Metric Monday attribute of Cardiovascular Endurance. We'll look at determining our Heart Rate Max and how to utilize a heart rate monitor during our workouts.

On Wednesday (day 2), our daily attribute is that of Agility. 
Expect both Agility Ladder routines as well as some longer than usual shuttle runs... Both for time!

On Friday (day 3)  Power. 
We will most certainly be working with box or step jumps and a variation of everyone's favorite, The Burpee

Month #2 - Week #8 - Power

Month #2 Week #8

Our Monthly Attribute for January is: Strength

Hopefully we're starting to feel more confident as we spend more time exercising in the Strength domain. We should be feeling a little less sore as a result of DOMS than we did when we started. As I stated last week, our significant gains in strength will start to slow down and our growth will begin to level out considerably. The object from now on will be more modest, but steady and regular gains in strength. For those who wish to pursue a greater emphasis on strength, this would be a good time to talk to your coach regarding extra assistance work outside of class.

Our daily 20 minute focus for strength schedule will tentatively look like this:
Monday (day 1) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on our Legs.

Wednesday (day 2) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on Chest & Back

Friday (day 3) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on our Arms & Shoulders

Our Weekly Attribute for Week # is: Power

As we start to talk about the attribute of Power, it is important to point out that while Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength & Muscle Power are related, they are entirely different subjects whose exact relationships are not entirely understood and are still topics for research. For our discussion here, there are three facts regarding power that are relevant:

1. Strength is simply the amount of force a muscle is able to deliver. Power is the ability of a muscle to deliver as much force as possible as fast as possible.
2.  While muscle strength in seniors is directly correlated to their loss in muscle mass, studies show that their muscle power degrades even faster!
3. Studies have also shown that increases in strength alone have a minimal amount of impact to our functional capacity ( increased strength will not necessarily allow us to actually accomplish more on a day to day basis)

An example that might help to explain would be to look at how a person climbs a flight of stairs. It is one thing to have the strength of one leg to lift your body weight up to the next step, and another thing to do it quickly within the time of our gait going up the staircase.

In short, the attribute of Power must be trained separately to achieve growth (or maintain), that particular quality of strength. I look forward to the month of June where our monthly attribute will be Power and we'll be able to look at this a little closer!

Your "Lifestyle Application" of Power

As I'd alluded to previously, the attribute of Power will always involve utilizing our strength with speed. Jumping, sprinting, swinging and kicking are all movements that train this attribute. Therefore, to use this attribute as a lifestyle application, we can consider the following activities appropriate for this week:

• Tennis
• Softball (even batting cages)
• Sprinting (200 meter, 400 meter & Hill repeats)
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Handball / Racquetball
• Golf
• Swimming (especially sprints)
• Stair Climbing

These are just a few of the many ways we can utilize the attribute of Power. I'm sure there are many more and I'd LOVE to hear your additional recommendations.

Our Three Daily Attributes This Week

On Monday (day 1), we are going to focus on the attribute of Coordination. We can count on some unique steps for our warm up and I'll attempt to try something new with our agility ladders..

On Wednesday (day 2), our daily attribute is that of Balance. Our stretching / mobility drills at our cool down will most certainly include single leg movements and positions that will challenge our balance.

On Friday (day 3) For our daily focus on Stamina, I may defer our regular strength routine for a 20 minute AMRAP (as many repetitions as possible) of 3 or 4 body weight exercises (push ups, squats, lunges and/or sit ups)

Month #2 - Week #7 - Accuracy

Month #2 Week #7

Our Monthly Attribute for January is: Strength

Week three of Strength training is here and we should start feel like we're getting into a grove. Hopefully we've identified our weaknesses and adjusted for our individual levels of mobility. We've most likely been seeing considerable progress in adding weight. The first several weeks we actually grow from neurological improvements and that mode of progress well lessen considerably in coming weeks. It's probably not too soon to start setting some meaningful goals for the weeks and months ahead. Of supreme importance however is that our lifting form take the lead when we consider our improvements. We can also devise goals along this line and we need to keep our insistence of being ready for and "Earning Our Gains" before adding any additional weight.

Our daily 20 minute focus for strength schedule will tentatively look like this:

Monday (day 1) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on our Legs.

Wednesday (day 2) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on Chest & Back

Friday (day 3) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on our Arms & Shoulders

Our Weekly Attribute for Week #7 is: Accuracy

Accuracy is an attribute that you can apply to whatever movement or task you're trying to accomplish. Unfortunately, you have to be mindful of doing it and we are so used to doing things in a careless, mindless fashion.

That said, we are going to attempt to do ALL of our movements this week, in a mindful & precise manner. It really doesn't matter if we're being accurate tying our shoes or returning our weights... I intend to remind us all to be accurate in the slightest of applications.

Your "Lifestyle Application" of Accuracy

As I'd previously mentioned, this attribute can be practiced for any movement we do as long as we're mindful of what we're doing! It is for this reason that I highly recommend the practice of meditation since it can most certainly help to cultivate mindfulness in our daily lives. In our busy, distraction fueled modern world, it's particularly difficult to be mindful in all we do and meditation can help. Some community colleges offer classes in meditation and there are plenty of resources online. A popular choice in books is "Meditation Made Easy" by Lorin Roche. There's even a phone app that I've found helpful called "Insight Timer" which has thousands of guided and free meditations many of which are suitable for beginners. 

Other lifestyle applications to help us maintain our accuracy include:

• Darts
• Horseshoes
• Bowling
• Dance
• Roller and Ice Skating

These are just a few of the many ways we can utilize the attribute of Accuracy. I'm sure there are many more and I'd LOVE to hear your additional recommendations.

Our Three Daily Attributes This Week

On Monday (day 1), we are going to focus on the attribute of Power. We'll have plenty of opportunity for jumping (vertical and horizontal), stepping up onto objects & swinging (to utilize power and accuracy in the same drill!).

On Wednesday (day 2), Our daily attribute here will also be Accuracy With another "double" weekly & daily attribute focus, you know everything we do will be done with care and mindfulness... I also have some "Step Challenges" to see exactly how accurate we can be as we attempt to navigate an obstacle course.

On Friday (day 3)  Speed is our attribute which will also be a fun opportunity to practice our accuracy quickly! I may simply plan our workout to be so full as to require speed in order to finish on time. We can also count on some more traditional efforts that require speed such as sprints and agility tests "for time".... 

Month #2 - Week #6 - Agility

Month #2 Week #6

Our Monthly Attribute for January is: Strength

So, we've survived our first week of Strength training! Don't worry, if you're exceptionally sore, it gets better over time. Some points to remember from here on out:

• Make sure you're getting plenty of rest! Everyone is different, but the actual "magic" of building muscle happens when we rest and recover. Make sure it's sufficient in both quantity and quality!
• Studies have shown that older adults require 50 to 70 percent more protein to maintain or increase muscle mass than a younger individual. While I find it counterproductive to spend too much time being exact here ( calculating 1.2g of protein per Kg of body weight per day along 3 meals and 2 snacks), I do have some general guidelines that will help:  
• Always approach both meals and snacks with balance in mind… Unless you’re doing a special diet requiring unique macronutrient percentages, think of each as a complete meal with some properties of each
• Protein
• Fat
• Carbohydrate
• Studies also have shown that it is best to have your protein timed evenly throughout the day (We’ll talk about fasts & intermittent fasting at a later time).
• I usually recommend an extra boost of protein in a “Protein Nightcap” which includes around 30 grams of protein blended with some avocado for fat, some Tart Cherry juice which aids in recovery and reduces inflammation along with a supplemental addition of collagen powders which aid in joint and skin health. (If I mix it with low fat/skim mild or Almond Milk, I’ll even warm it up and it can aid in the quality of your sleep.
• If you are feeling sore from DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), use it as an opportunity to "get acquainted with your muscles". When you feel the soreness, specifically think back to the movement(s) that caused that soreness and appreciate the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of that particular exercise. Move through various ranges of motion and recognize where and how these muscles work.

Our daily 20 minute focus for strength schedule will tentatively look like this:
Monday (day 1) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on our Legs.

Wednesday (day 2) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on Chest & Back

Friday (day 3) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on our Arms & Shoulders

Our Weekly Attribute for Week #6 is: Agility

My favorite definition of Agility comes from Wikipedia as "The ability to change the body's position efficiently, and requires the integration of isolated movement skills using a combination of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, strength, and endurance".  We'll most definitely be utilizing that "Agility Ladder" and we'll be doing various shuttle drills. In preparation for April (Month of Agility), I'll introduce you to some fundamental cutting drills and the "Illinois Agility Test". 
Remember, "Use it or Lose It" is our mantra and it is especially relevant to this attribute since it is so widely neglected for our older population.

Your "Lifestyle Application" of Agility

Because there are fewer recreational opportunities for older adults to engage this attribute, it is important we seek out more gym time applications to work on. Several lifestyle applications that are available include:

• Tennis
• Racquetball / Handball
• Basketball
• Dancing 
• Soccer

These are just a few of the many ways we can utilize the attribute of Agility. This one is exceptionally hard for the 55+ group but I'm sure there are many more and I'd LOVE to hear your additional recommendations.

Our Three Daily Attributes This Week

On Monday (day 1), we are going to focus on the attribute of Balance. We'll especially see some moves during both our warm up & cool down mobility portion of the workout to test our balance..

On Wednesday (day 2), our daily attribute is that of Stamina. We will make sure to include some longer portions to both our strength (think higher reps, lower weight) and Aerobic portions of the workout.

On Friday (day 3) we will definitely pull out the agility ladder again as both the daily and weekly workout attribute is Agility. I'm pretty sure we'll be able to test our agility and raise our heart rates at the same time!

Month #2 Week #5 - January

Month #2 Week #5

Our Monthly Attribute for January is: Strength

It should be first noted that I only include the attributes of Strength, Flexibility and Cardio-respiratory Endurance as monthly attributes at the beginning of our two year cycle. These attributes are particularly important and are in one form or another included in every workout we do. These initial metrics are extremely valuable and will be regularly utilized throughout the course of the program.

Now that we've spent the last month working on our mobility, I believe we're better prepped to tackle what I believe is, without question, the most important attribute in regards to senior fitness: Strength. It is estimated that we lose 1% to 2% of our muscle mass per year after the age of 50. Frailty is the primary enemy when it comes to longevity and to put it simply:...

The stronger you are, the better equipped you'll be to handle diversity when it comes (and it most certainly will come over time). There is always a direct correlation between our chances of survival as we age and our overall strength in general. It can also be mentioned here that our other critical attributes of Stamina & Power are directly and intimately related to this foundation of Strength we'll be developing. 

For metrics regarding strength, it is important that safety be considered above all else. While 1 Rep Max tests (or calculated 1 RM) are the gold standard, the majority of the 50+ aged population have neither the mobility or neuromuscular conditioning to safely perform them. I also care less about absolute metrics for strength and aim to focus on more general metrics that are most valuable to measure progress over time. For newer members I start with the Senior Fitness Test "30 Second Arm Curl Test" and "30 Second Chair Stand Test" as a starting point to see how they perform. If applicable and as individuals prove their capability, I'll use Push Ups, Sit Ups, Planks, The Barbell Overhead Press, Bench Press, Machine Leg Press, 5 Rep Barbell Curls, Assisted Pull Ups and carefully modified variations of the Deadlift (among others). For those members that have proven themselves I find a combined 1RM (or calculated 1RM) total of Bench Press + Deadlift + Back Squat + Military Press to be an exceptionally valuable way to track progress and/or decline over time.

During the month of January (or Weeks 5 through 8 for new sessions), we will work on developing an individualized strength routine for every participant. We will be using Resistance Bands, Kettle Bells, Barbells, Dumbbells, Body Weight exercises and whatever resistance machines are available. We will generally aim for a repetition range that is suitable for increased hypertrophy (muscle growth) in order to offset the age related loss of muscle mass. We'll be starting light and looking for proper form through 7 repetitions over two or three sets. On second or third sets, we'll reduce the weight if we can't perform 7 good repetitions with our starting weight (called drop sets). We will then progress over time, with proper form, until we can complete a total of 12 repetitions for that particular exercise with that particular weight. We can then add 5 or 10 lbs which will again reduce our repetition count to 7 or 8 repetitions.

As the program progresses however, we will be switching things up on a quarterly basis where we'll alternate quarters between:

• Above mentioned, basic muscle building load/rep scheme.
• Simple 5x5 program (using weights that can be challenging to finish, with acceptable form, five sets of five repetitions)

Each session from here on out will include 20 minutes to focus on our strength. 

Monday (day 1) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on our Legs.

Wednesday (day 2) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on Chest & Back

Friday (day 3) will include two exercises for a total of four to six sets focused on our Arms & Shoulders

Our Weekly Attribute for Week #5 is: Stamina

The official definition of Stamina is "The ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort." In class, we'll focus on longer workouts requiring us to push past both muscle fatigue and mental barriers. You can expect workouts that are comprised of a relatively long list of activities to be completed, one after another (often referred to as "Chippers" where we chip away at a major task to be completed). I'll definitely talk more about this attribute of Stamina in April where it is our monthly attribute with it's own metrics & training approach (It's as much mental challenge as it is physical!). 

Your "Lifestyle Application" of Stamina

There are few recreational applications for our older members that rely on the attribute of Stamina. In fact, the whole experience surrounding this attribute is usually an unpleasant one. Some notable exceptions would be Hiking, Distance Running (5k to Marathon+), Distance Swimming (U.S. Masters Have 400m to 1 mile competitions) and Triathlon (Sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman, Ironman). Therefore, our greatest opportunities to engage in lifestyle activities that require Stamina will generally be relegated to the realm of work. While many of us could hire someone to do these tasks or to neglect them altogether, I'd recommend these tasks be performed by ourselves (Only, of course if they can be SAFELY accomplished by ourselves). Some simple suggestions would include:

• Yard Work (Raking Leaves, Mowing, Landscaping)
• Gardening
• Painting
• Light Snow Shoveling (again, Safety first!) 
• Shopping

These are just a few of the many ways we can utilize the attribute of Stamina. I'm sure there are many more and I'd LOVE to hear your additional recommendations.

Our Three Daily Attributes This Week

On Monday (day 1), we are going to focus on our Metric Monday attribute of Strength. We'll cover the basics of strength training, determine our training levels and take some initial tests to record our starting metrics.

On Wednesday (day 2), we will make sure to include some timed challenges to touch on the attribute of Speed. I'll include some team challenges where a race to the finish should prove to be interesting!

On Friday (day 3) we will definitely pull out the agility ladder to challenge our Coordination. We'll also try some work with some tennis balls (or basketballs) to see what kind of tricks we can pick up.