How To Lift Weights As A Senior - 3 Steps for Building Muscle Safely

   Lifting weights is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise. It builds muscle which is incredibly important for strength and energy levels, so you can perform at your highest potential.

Lifting weights as a senior has huge benefits for that reason alone. You want to still be able to do many of the things you did when you were younger. Those who have figured out how to lift weights as a senior have not only maintained their strength, but in many cases have improved their strength levels beyond what they were several years prior!

So how do you go about lifting weights as senior?

Here are 3 steps for getting started towards building muscle safely:

   1. Light weights. This needs to be emphasized, because I see many seniors who have worked out in the past and thought they could pick up right where they left off. Using light weights to start off is recommended for EVERYONE who lifts. With older individuals it is imperative. You simply need to warm your body up longer than those who are younger. Every exercise you start with, always got for the lightest dumbbells available, or put the pin on the lowest notch on the machine. You will be increasing weight for sure, but for starters you just want to make sure you get the form as perfect as possible before you move up in weight.

   2. Do Free Weights (with exceptions!) Free weights are the most effective muscle building exercises. Machines have come and gone, but the dumbbell rack at the gym has always been a mainstay and is usually the busiest section of a gym. Mainly you should focus on dumbbell exercises. These are convenient and simple. Many exercises you can perform sitting in a chair. Now the free weight exercises you want to avoid are the more taxing ones such as dead lifts, squats, bench press and so forth. Of course there are definitely exceptions to this, but in general these are very taxing exercises with increased risk factors involved. Your lower back, knees, and shoulders will be taxed in these exercises and many seniors shouldn't risk placing added stress to these areas. I have many years before I hit the senior mark, yet I have had to give up a few of these exercises already, even though my form was good, due to the toll they've taken.

   3. Use Machines! Some trainers are completely against machines, while others will put their senior clients only on machines. There should be a good mix between free weights and machines for senior fitness. Machines are good. They have come a long way and have been designed to isolate muscles so you can work them easier and more effectively. The main problem with machines is that you can get overwhelmed, as there are so many of them. Focus on only two or three machines to start with to get the hang of them. Always write down the amount of weight you use for each machine so you can be consistent and not go too heavy by accident.

   Finally, you should always get good instruction when it comes to lifting weights. Find someone who has done all the research and has come up with a program that gets results as quickly as possible. My favorite new senior fitness guy is this man - http://CuresRX.weebly.com/senior-fitness.html

   He's been through all the up's and down's of trying to figure out the easiest path towards getting stronger and developing high energy levels through fitness. Check Ron out at http://CuresRX.weebly.com/senior-fitness.html

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