Episode 4: How do I like to train in the gym | Weight Training for the over 50s

Ok, today we are heading into the gym to look at my approach to weight training which is probably unorthodox but I have my reasons for doing it this way and it works.

Everybody 

So I’ve joined the council supported Everybody gym here in Cheshire which gives me access to 16 leisure centres across Cheshire including swimming pools, gyms, exercise classes like yoga, pilates and spin and spa facilities.

The 2 key facilities I’m using are the Spa and the Gym

Spa

I love the spa, its a strong motivator in getting me to the gym, sometimes I’ll just come and use the spa after a run, I find a jacuzzi after a run or gym session (or both) really helps ease tired muscles and speeds up recover. The real benefit though is the Steam Room/ Sauna combined with a cold plunge with an ice cold shower. Studies have shown that the heat of the sauna triggers your body to release proteins to clean up damage in your body and that regular saunas dramatically reduce you risk of developing both dimentia and death from heart disease.

Gym

My key principle in the gym are to avoid vanity lifting and to focus on time under tension doing the exercises slowly and with a full range of motion. I start with the lightest weight on the rack and work smaller muscle groups and then work my way up the rack doing lots of sets starting with 20 reps and finishing with 4/6 for a given exercise. For at least the first 20 minutes of the workout I have very little break between sets and group different exercises for a muscle group together to push it to exhaustion even with a light weight and  then swap to another muscle group while it recovers. I then pick up the next weight on the rack and repeat. I aim for 4/5 sessions per week and spend 30-40 minutes doing a dumbbell workout before finishing with machine exercises or cables as I tire.