40-Something Exercise Strategies: Harder, Shorter (and less frequent) Workouts

Those of you who have been watching this blog regularly may be waiting for me to mention something that is targeted specifically to 40-somethings (or older folks). The truth is that if you have a well-designed, balanced program that takes into account any conditions or injuries, and is approved by your doctor, there's really very little you have to do differently than someone younger.

But today, I'd like to tell you what I do that is different than when I was in my twenties, and it works much better for me now, given my time constraints and how I've learned to exercise more effectively:

Shorter, more intense workouts with rest days in between each workout.

The idea was taken from Clarence Bass, a long time columnist for Muscle and Fitness magazine and one of the most well-informed and articulate writers on the subject of aging athletes. The premise is that older athletes don't necessarily have significant performance limitations (as was previously assumed in fitness circles), but the older body does need more time to recover fully - which is fine with me. I have lots of other things to do with my time than spend it in the gym!

Here's a look at Clarence at age 70:



You can't really argue with that, can you?

His routine, at the time I read his then current book (about six years ago), was a two hour session of intense weight training (with very strict form) once a week and one high intensity cardio session once a week, nightly walks and a razor sharp focus on nutrition (something I have already advocated here.)

I used to work out 60+ minutes six times a week so I split the difference and went to working out every other day, usually for 45 minutes or less (sometimes 30 minutes for my cardio/cross days). The result? Breaking through aerobic and strength plateaus, dropping three points body fat (along with very disciplined practice of the nutritional guidelines I provide in this blog), better rest and more energy.

Of course, you have to have a well-designed program (I recommend working with a nationally certified trainer or contact me about on-line coaching), build a solid foundation and you should have a tolerance for discomfort, since more intense training is, how shall we put it - less pleasant than moderately challenging workouts?

And as I said before, your doc should approve the plan.

I now rotate an hour or less of cardio, strength and cross training (boxing training for me, but other sports also qualify) every other day, rather than working to a weekly structure. It works great and if I miss a couple of days, I don't sweat it. Regular exercisers usually work out too soon after a hard training session, rather than wait too long between them.

Remember, listen to your body and ramp up gradually. But for most people, the shorter, harder workouts can be a great option for getting the biggest bang-for-buck with your fitness program.