Push/Pull Split Training

For many in the over 40 population, fitness activity is undertaken for the sole purposes of making significant improvements in functional ability to offset the physiological challenges that occur with aging. Adopting a regular fitness program has shown to decrease the risk of conditions such as: obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety and diabetes. However, a small percentage in this demographic also aspire to make significant improvements in muscle mass and body composition. Although the advent of sarcopenia (loss of skeletal muscle mass) is much more prevalent after age twenty-five, nearly everyone can improve their physique if they embrace scientific training principles. Their desire to push past plateaus and optimize their genetic potential leads them to seek out effective training programs.

The purpose of this article is not to present a be-all end-all method to induce muscle growth, nor is it to engage in a lengthy debate on the most effective muscle building workout. My intention is to provide readers with an effective alternative to the commonly employed 5-Day Split routine and to simplify the training process. The typical 5-Day Split routine incorporated by many bodybuilders looks like the following:

Day 1: Chest

Day 2: Back 

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Shoulders

Day 5: Legs

Day 6: Arms 

In contrast, Push/Pull Split training although not a new phenomenon is an effective alternative to the traditional body-part split. This method breaks training up by movement pattern. Your chest, shoulders, thighs and triceps get hit on the push day, and your back, hamstrings, biceps and rear deltoids get worked on the pull days. By repeating both workouts on alternate days of the week, you increase the frequency with which each muscle gets trained. The frequency of movement is better for skill acquisition than body-part splits performed once per week and is an important factor in muscle development.

The science of hypertrophy training is ever-evolving as new evidence replaces outmoded training practices. However life does not allow for the acquisition of all conclusive data before one embarks on the path of muscle development. When employing the services of a personal trainer it is the trainer's responsibility to make use of all the scientific research available in combination with providing the professional, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills associated with good coaching, to ensure the best results for those whom he/she serves.

The most apparent benefit to Push/Pull Split training is its application. One need no longer burden oneself with trying to remember the specific muscles trained in the previous workout. All one needs to recall is whether the last workout was a push or pull day. Try Push/Pull Split training for thirty days and assess your results. The ease of application and results may surprise you.

If You're Tired of Starting Over, Stop Giving Up

The new year is the time when many flock to the gym resolving to improve their health and fitness through exercise. While I welcome any catalyst that helps foster personal improvement, it's no secret that the majority of these new year-fueled-enthusiasts will abandon their goal within a month or two. The two major culprits contributing to most failed fitness makeovers are injury and lack of results.

Injury prevention and quantifiable results are of special importance to the mature adult population. It is no accident that this group disproportionately represents my proudest achievements. There are certain physical challenges associated with training those over age 40, however there are also many benefits. One such benefit is an acquired wisdom that realizes that there is no magical formula to success and that real change is the result of the consistent application of a well-designed plan.

Success in fitness is best achieved with the help of a qualified professional. While it is certainly possible to achieve results on one's own, I liken the process to representing oneself in a court of law without an attorney. When choosing to exercise, older adults are generally more receptive to enlisting the services of a professional to learn how to perform exercises properly. Performing exercises improperly will diminish results, and in many cases lead to injury; the two culprits previously noted as demotivators.

I have yet to meet the person young or old who joins a gym with the intention to squander their time and financial resources. As a culture, we are ignorant to proper exercise techniques and fitness. This ignorance isn't based on lack of intelligence, it's simply the lack of knowledge on a particular subject. Those of us who are not chemists, if left up to our own devices in a chemistry lab would probably blow up something. This doesn't mean we are unintelligent. It simply means we are ignorant to chemistry.

Early adulthood was once described as 'the age of infinite wisdom' and the gym is a testament to the assertion. I routinely encounter many youthful gym enthusiasts who forego proper instruction, performing ineffective and often potentially dangerous activities, obtained from friends or internet videos. I'll often introduce the subject of haircare to them, inquiring as to whether they perform their own styling and maintenance. The typical response is a quizzical look that suggest the absurdity of such a question. Their reply is that an important activity that dramatically affects their appearance 'a haircut', should be left up to a trusted professional. Yet while the negative ramifications of a bad haircut are short-lived, the negative consequences associated with improper exercise practises can be life altering.

The belief system that we have is called our paradigm. This paradigm is our filter system. Unfortunately paradigms are based on feelings and the past. Acting on incorrect information, no matter how deeply held, can be catastrophic or at the very least; painful. My fitness challenge to you in the new year is to keep an open mind. Allow your paradigm, your belief system, to drop and be receptive to new learning. Subscribe to exercise as a lifetime commitment and seek professional help to achieve maximum results and minimize the risk of injury. Adopt a personal fitness program that is sustainable over the long-term and commit to it year-round.

Still Sexy at 60

Had I the good fortune to receive compensation for every time I heard the statement "I used to be able to (fill in the blanks)," I'd be a millionaire right now. There is a commonly held assumption that age dictates one's capacity to perform physical activity and improve or maintain body composition. Clearly, the body as any living organism, has a finite existence and will eventually complete the natural life cycle. From birth to around the late 20s to early 30s, our muscles grow larger and stronger. Subsequently, we start to lose muscle mass and function, a process known as sarcopenia. However, much of the deterioration and decline assigned to old-age is simply the effect of inactivity.

The most effective way to counter physical decline and deterioration at any age is through consistent activity. Many of my personal training clients are demonstrating the remarkable capacity to improve performance and build muscle well into their 60s and beyond. The best defense against sarcopenia is exercise, specifically resistance or strength training. These activities increase muscle strength and endurance using free weights, cables, resistance bands, body weight, and a variety of new technologies.

Resistance training helps your neuromuscular system and improves the body's ability to convert protein to energy. A periodized training program of resistance, cardiovascular and flexibility training, incorporating the proper repetitions, intensity, and frequency is important for achieving maximum benefit with the least risk of injury. Mid-and long-distance runners continue to make improvements in their pace and distances through proper injury-free training.

Just to be clear, one's fitness potential will not be as great at age 60 as it would be at age 20, but the capacity for improvement still remains. Since most individuals never achieve their youthful potential, there is no true barometer to measure this potential against their accomplishments in later years.

The take home message is: Stop worrying about what you were once able to accomplish and focus on the NOW. I see amazing results from clients who no longer allow the ghost of their youthful potential to influence their present day results. The wisdom of age has taught them that their capacity for progress is yet to be determined.