THE OVER FIFTY SURVIVAL WORKOUT FOR MEN: THE SIMPLE WORKOUT

One very important key to the simple plan is that you must work out for 45 minutes, every day first thing in the morning. It's hard to start this habit, but once you do you will totally love it. I found that all I had to do was get up in the morning about an hour earlier and I would have time to get my work out in. I set up a small home gym so that I could save the time of having to drive to and from a gym, and have more time to work out. I found that if I had to drive to a gym, I did not have enough time to workout every morning, an as a result I did not work out every day. Further, you don't need all the equipment found at a gym, a simple multi-station home gym will provide you with everything you need. Health clubs have many pieces of equipment that accomplish the same exercises, and unless you are really into isolating a particular muscle or working some body part that can only be accomplished with a specific piece of gym equipment, you don't need all the equipment at the health club. A home gym can be very simple and very inexpensive, or it can be as elaborate and high end as you desire and are willing to spend. I describe my home gym below following the work out. The work out is not hard and you don't have to be a body builder, weight lifter or Olympic athlete to do it. Photo at left is me, taken August 2008 after eleven months on the simple plan. My weight at the start was 247 pounds, and I'm down to 222 pounds. I had no muscle tone, and was tired all the time, out of breath, and totally out of shape. I still need to lose fifteen more pounds, but I'm getting there. I will post another picture after I lose some more pounds. The weight loss and improved muscle tone was not the objective of the the simple plan, but a great side benefit.

There are three important aspects to the work out.

First, you must work out every day, first thing in the morning, this is to start the fast train each and every day and carry the momentum through out your day. You cannot skip a day, you must work out every morning. It is better to work out every day for 45 minutes, than to go to the gym and work out for three hours two or three times a week. Getting in the car, driving to a gym, working out for two or three hours, then showering in a gym locker room, then driving home is not simple. A quick work out at home first thing in the morning is simple, and more effective.

Second you must start every workout with the cardio portion on the stepper.

Third you must do one strength training exercise (one body part) every day. Prior to the work out, consume one eight ounce glass of water, and one scoop of protein powder. I mix the protein powder with half water and half orange juice in an 8 ounce glass. I also like to have one cup of coffee before the work out. I found that if I exercise at the end of the day after working all day, I don't have the energy, or enthusiasm that I have in the morning, and it does not jump start my metabolism like a morning work out. Note that the workout was at 6:00 a.m., not 9:00 a.m. as shown on the photo of my gym clock.

Every Day Stepper Work Out (first 20 minutes)

The first part of the morning work out consists of 25 minutes on an elliptical stepper.

I selected this exercise because it is easy on the knees, provides an aerobic workout, and also works the upper body, chest, shoulders, back, and arms. This exercise supplies the cardio portion of your workout and contributes to cardiovascular health, and provides a warm up for the strength training. This is the most important part of the plan and if you skip anything, do not skip this part. An elliptical stepper works your whole body while a treadmill or stationary bike works primarily the lower body

The Strength Training Work Out (second 20 minutes)

The second part of the morning work out consists of 20 minutes of strength training. Since you are working out every morning, concentrate on one body part each day. I include approximately eight to ten sets, each consisting of ten to fifteen repetitions, with about a minute rest between sets and this can easily be accomplished in twenty minutes. The time requirement works out as follows: one minute per set, plus one minute rest equals a total of two minutes per set. Therefore ten sets takes exactly twenty minutes.

Day One Chest Work Out

For the chest workout I use the multi station machine. I like the Body Solid G3S because the chest press handle pivots from above, this way the chest work out is an incline press. If the chest press pivots from the bottom as some models do, the exercise is a decline press. The incline press works the upper part of the chest and a decline works the lower chest. I do eight to ten sets consisting of ten to fifteen repetitions. A repetition is one complete movement from rest to full extension. A set consists of ten to fifteen repetitions. Don't let the weight stack strike bottom as this releases the tension on the muscles. Keep the weights moving and exhale on the hard part, which is the extension, and inhale on the easy part, which is the down ward or return movement. You don't have to use a lot of weight, just use the most weight you can and still be able to complete ten to fifteen repetitions. If you feel you could keep on going beyond ten or fifteen repetitions, then add more weight.

DAY 2 - BACK WORKOUT

I do two exercises for my back muscles. First is the Seated Row on the multi station machine. The nice thing about this machine is that it easily adjusts from seated press to seated row with one simple adjustment. The seated row involves pulling from a full forward extension of the arms then pull back toward the chest. Keep the back straight and shoulders back during the exercise. As with the chest press, do eight to ten sets of ten to fifteen repetitions, exhale on the hard part of the exercise, in this case, while pulling the bar toward you, and exhale on the easy part, the release back to the starting position, or full extension of the arms.

The second back exercise is the seated pull down with the wide bar. Staring at the top, arms fully extended above your head, pull the bar down to your chest. Do not pull the bar past the middle of your pectoral muscle, and hold for a couple seconds at the bottom of the repetition. Exhale on the down motion and inhale as you return the bar up to the starting position. I do eight to ten sets of ten to fifteen repetitions.

Day Three Biceps Work Out

The day three biceps workout can be accomplished with three different exercises. First is the standing Biceps curl using an attachment to the multi station gym. As with the other workouts, do eight to ten sets of ten repetitions. You stand with your back straight, don't use your lower back or shoulders to lift the weight. Concentrate the curl using your biceps muscle only.

An alternative to the standing biceps curl is the seated biceps curl using a preacher bench. I like some variety and picked up a preacher bench for under $100.00 on Ebay. A preacher bench isolates the biceps muscle so that you cannot use your back or shoulders and must only lift the weight with the biceps muscle. This is the true indicator of your biceps strength, as you cant cheat with this exercise. Of course you would not want to cheat anyway.

An alternate exercise is the standing dumbbell curl. Start with the weights at your side palms facing your body. Raise the weights by bending at your elbow, the shoulders should not come into play in this exercise. Rotate the palm to a palm facing up position by the end of the curl so that when the weights are at about chest height, your palms are facing up. Lower the weights slowly and never swing the weights. If you have to swing the weights or use your shoulders or back muscles, you are using too much weight. This is a great biceps workout if you have no other equipment than one pair of dumbbells, and I like to throw it in even though I have alternative exercises.

Day Four Triceps Work Out

For triceps, I use the same cable pull down as for seated lat pulls. Attach a narrow cambered bar to the cable and starting at about shoulder height slowly press down the bar. The motion should stop about three quarters of the way down. Never fully extend the arms or lock the elbows. Also don't raise the bar up any higher than shoulder height. If you find you are involving your back or shoulders you are using too much weight. The exercise should be done using only the triceps muscles.

Day Five Shoulders Work Out

For shoulders I use the multi station machine, adjust the overhead handles to a position above your head and forward, and position the back rest at a forward angle. Starting at shoulder level press the bar upward to a slightly less than full extension, then lower the bar back to shoulder level, don't lock your elbows at the top, and don't let the weights clank at the bottom. That comprises a full repetition. Then complete eight to ten sets of ten to fifteen repetitions.

Day Six Leg Work Out

First is the standing leg curl. This exercise works the ham strings or back half of the thigh. Standing beside the multi station machine, place one leg into the leg curl accessory and starting at full rest, feet on the floor, curl the leg back and up toward your back side until your calf is horizontal. Do not curl it as high as possible , only up to horizontal, then slowly lower back to the floor. Complete six to eight sets of ten repetitions. Alternate by changing sides and working the other leg for six to eight sets of ten. If you have lower back pain, this exercise can relieve it because some of your lower back pain, which may be coming from your ham strings pulling on your lower back muscles. I found that my lower back pain was relieved when I started this exercise. It wont happen immediately, but give it some time.

The second leg exercise is the leg extension. This works the quads or upper thighs. While seated on the bench, place your legs into the leg accessory and starting at the bottom with feet on the floor slowly raise the bar until your legs are about horizontal, don't lock the knees, then slowly lower the bar back to the starting position .

WHY STRENGTH TRAINING

Strength training equally important to, and as vital as the cardio work out, because it builds strong bones, joints, tendons, and muscles. Strength training, also know as resistance training, will improve your bone density and lessen the effects of osteoporosis. Muscles burn fat and when you engage in strength training your body will continue to burn fat for several hours after the work out. If you have been working out for a long time and your work out consists only of cardio, and no strength training, then you may find that your results Will improve significantly if you add strength training. You don't have to lift a great deal of weight, just enough weight so that you can complete 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise. I do eight to ten sets of ten to fifteen repetitions. When I was younger and used to work out in a fitness center (fifteen years ago) the normal routine was six sets of six reps with as much weight as you could handle, then have a spotter help you finish your last repetition. I made no progress in several years with that routine, and once I switched to twelve sets of twelve my progress skyrocketed. Teenagers for some reason think that working out consists of seeing how much weight you can lift. The simple plan does not embrace that idea, rather the objective is conditioning and strengthening the muscles of the entire body, not trying to see how much weight you can lift. If you belong to a gym you may observe what I'm talking about, a group of teenagers with one guy on the flat bench with a ton of plates stacked on the bar, and two guys spotting him. He will get perhaps two or three repetitions, do a lot of yelling and groaning, then the spotters essentially lift the weight for a couple more repetitions. This in my opinion is not healthy, and a waste of time unless you plan to enter an iron man competition or become a power lifter and compete to see how much weight you can lift. Certainly not the idea behind a simple plan.

SIMPLE HOME GYM EQUIPMENT

A home gym can be as simple or as complex as you want. There are two main components to the simple home gym.

FIRST, THE CARDIO EQUIPMENT

I purchased a Nordic Trac elliptical stepper at Sears for under $1000.00 and it does the job just fine. There are more expensive steppers available if you want to spend the money. As an alternative to buying new, you might pick up a used stepper in the classifieds. You can use a treadmill, but it wont work the upper body like an elliptical and puts more stress on the knees, the same goes for substituting walking in place of your elliptical workout. I prefer a stepper with a rear flywheel rather than one where the flywheel ahead of you. I also prefer long pedal arms, which make for more level steps rather than short pedal arms which combined with a front fly wheel will throw your feet forward at a steep and uncomfortable, downward angle. If you cant afford the elliptical stepper, or just don't have the room, then take a brisk walk around your neighborhood for twenty five minutes every morning. If you have the time and have a gym membership, then start your morning workout at your gym on the elliptical stepper. I say "if you have the time" because I found I did not have the time to drive to a gym every morning, and as such I did not work out every morning.

SECOND, THE STRENGTH TRAINING EQUIPMENT

I recommend a multi station home gym. I purchased the Body Solid G3S Home Gym from a company called Bandit Fitness for under $1,000.00. It has a weight stack with a pin to change weights, and allows you to do all the strength training exercises you need to complete the simple work out on one piece of equipment. There are more expensive high end gyms that accomplish the same thing for those who want only the best. If you are on a budget, you can sometimes find a good used multi station gym in the classifieds and some sports stores offer used equipment. I can complete one body part in twenty minutes including resting between sets. The equipment takes up a very small amount of floor space and I can fit the multi station gym plus two elliptical steppers in a spare bedroom that measures ten by twelve.

MY DUMBBELL RACK

If you cannot afford a multi station gym, or don't have room for it, a simple flat bench and set of dumbbells will work just fine. To supplement my gym I bought a set of dumbbells from 5 to 50 pounds plus a rack, relatively inexpensive at Sports Authority. As with the other equipment, you may be able to find a used set in the classifieds. If you belong to a gym and have time to go every morning, then do your strength training following your stepper work out at the gym.

THE WORKOUT CHART - I created a very easy work out progress chart that I keep in my home gym (or you can take with you to a health club). I found that it was necessary to keep track of my workouts so that I could tell if I was exercising every day, and be able to remember when was the last time I worked a certain body part. The way to use the chart is simply put the date in the column corresponding to the body part worked when you did your work out. For the stepper, I put the date and a forward slash and the number of minutes I worked out.

WORKOUT PROGRESS CHART

	Date	Date	Date	Date	Date	Date	Date	Date	Date
STEPPER	/	/	/	/	/	/	/	/	/
CHEST
TRICEPS
BACK
BICEPS
SHOULDERS
LEGS
ABS