Conditioning for when you are in your 30s and 40s

[JR 137]

That's an interesting view. I kind of like that concept. I've always viewed chi/ki from a physics/kinesiology perspective. All the "ki" work I've done seemed to work best when understood as a method of developing proper mechanics and eliminated what can interfere with those (so coordinating the breath is part of the latter).

Add the nervous system controlling the energy, as in strike a nerve and get temporary paralysis along the nerve (such as the "funny bone"), and recruiting more/the right muscle fibers through nerve transmission, and you've got my definition of chi/ki.

 

[PhotonGuy]

So my wife and I moved to a new town about a year ago and with a new baby, it has been difficult getting our groove in and get our training time strait.

Recently, we decided to make the commitment to set a good example for the kid and get our conditioning back where it needs to be, but I want to make sure we are focusing on the right stuff. I am just turning 39 (I cannot believe I just said that) and my wife is in her early 30s. Weight loss and cardio are definitely part of the picture. Our system had both ground fighting and stand up kickboxing and we want to make sure we can handle 5, 2-4 minute rounds back-to-back in each. In the past, there has been cretin things I have done for my cardio runs that did help in this, but I noticed that as I got older, my recovery from those practices took longer and I guess given that we are not a young as we used to be, I want to get the best bang for my buck.

For the 30 and older crowd, Is there anything you found to work really well to make sure you kept your competitive edge up? And when did you decide that it was time to hang the gloves if you did?

Im 41. I more or less do the same stuff that I did in my twenties.

 

[JR 137]

Im 41. I more or less do the same stuff that I did in my twenties.

It's not that hard to do if you didn't do much in your 20s.

In all seriousness, do you recover like you did in your 20s?

 

[thanson02]

It's not that hard to do if you didn't do much in your 20s.

In all seriousness, do you recover like you did in your 20s?

It takes longer to bounce back then it used to. I started noticing the difference when I was 31-32. Slight injuries and sourness that I would be fine with after a day or two suddenly took almost a week to get over. I watched my diet and did what I could so it wasn't that bad, but I was certainly there.

 

[Psilent Knight]

If you can run at max heart rate for 30 minutes straight,

Not humanly possible.

then interval training is not going to help you. Show me someone who can run at max heart rate for that long, and I'll say he/she is the best runner of all time.

Better yet, show me someone who can run at max heart rate for that long, and I'll say he/she IS NOT HUMAN!

 

[Psilent Knight]

Okay guys, it appears that the main theme of this thread is recovery for the 40 and over crowd. Something I have read in a fitness journal about a year ago said something that caught my attention. It was mainly concerning physical fitness and recovery for the 60 and over crowd but I thought I'd share it here as I think most of you would find this info beneficial in general. I don't remember it verbatim but here's the gist of it:

The recommended daily allowance of protein for the average male is 56 grams. Shoot for at least double that. In a USDA study, men who consumed twice the recommended amount of protein lost more fat and maintained more muscle than those who consumed less. They also recommended limiting carbohydrate intake to around 100 grams.

The reason this kind of information is important is because sufficient protein intake, along with proper rest and sleep, is KEY to successful recovery.

I am also in full agreement with JR 137 about the H.I.I.T. protocol as I have read the same type of research over the last couple of years. I've read that after much research, even U.S. Air Force Cardiologist Dr. Kenneth Cooper—the very man who coined the term "aerobics”—now believes there is no correlation between aerobic performance and health.

There are two HIIT protocols that I have learned about during my research. JR 137 already described one of them; it is commonly referred to as Tabatas. But there's another one that I am interested in which I haven't done yet known as the sprint 8 workout.

With the sprint 8 workout you do 30 seconds of all out sprinting followed by 1.5 minutes - 2 minutes of active rest (just like the 20 second/10 second tabata workout). But you do this 8 times for a total of about 20 minutes.

Like I said I have yet to do this but have done Tabata sprints. The reason I prefer sprints over other exercises that can be used in this exercise format is because there are studies that I've read linking sprints with HGH release which is ALSO important for recovery.