Am I to old?

F

fitharp

Cathlete
Hi Cathe,
I have worked out with you off and on for a few years. My problem seems to be I can't stick with anything so I don't see much improvement. I am 39 years old. When I was younger I really didn't exercise very much. I spent much of my time practicing the harp. But I had good genes and so I stayed thin. I had 2 children in my 20's then when I was 34 I had my 3rd. Since then I have really struggled. i have pretty good upper body strength from playing the harp but I have discovered I have no lower body strength and my middle just keeps thickening. I have all your workouts except for the STS and I think that is part of my problem. I want to do them because I have them but then they are to hard and I am sore for days. I can't even do a leg workout with no weights without being sore for days. I can do Total Body Sculpting and the Lower Body Add On with no problem but don't know where to go from there. I am also trying to run. My 15 year old daughter is doing cross country and wants me to run a 5K with her in the fall. i found a good program I like for that which gradually works in running/walking and increasing running each week. Though some weeks I have to repeat because they are to hard. i do that 3 times a week and am not sure what to do the other days.
Can you help me? Is there a good rotation for old women who have no fitness background? I am beginning to think that 39 years old is to old to begin getting fit. Am I to old to get rid of this fat and gain muscle?
Michele
 
NO WAY! you are not too old. I began to run/exercise when I was 41. Am so glad I did. Lost some weight, toned up, strengthened by lower back,lower my cholesterol...the list can on and on. Like Nike says, Just Do It!!!!!!!!!!!!! Start out slow and build rom there:) Good Luck!
 
You are definitely not too old. I have a similar background in that I never exercised much when I was younger. Actually didn't start until about 5 years ago at age 45. I didn't start with Cathe but found her a couple of years ago with the purchase of a step & her DVD came with the step. From there, I bought 4DS and have slowly added to my library. In the beginning, I had to modify a lot; march in place; etc, but I've kept at it. Next week I start Meso 3 and I feel better and stronger now at age 50 than I did when I was younger and much weaker. You can do this. You sound like you are on the right track. Work at your own pace but don't be afraid to push yourself even if it's just a little bit. Some days are better than others, just don't give up and above all else listen to your body. You can do this.
 
fitharp said:
Hi Cathe,
I have worked out with you off and on for a few years. My problem seems to be I can't stick with anything so I don't see much improvement. I am 39 years old. When I was younger I really didn't exercise very much. I spent much of my time practicing the harp. But I had good genes and so I stayed thin. I had 2 children in my 20's then when I was 34 I had my 3rd. Since then I have really struggled. i have pretty good upper body strength from playing the harp but I have discovered I have no lower body strength and my middle just keeps thickening. I have all your workouts except for the STS and I think that is part of my problem. I want to do them because I have them but then they are to hard and I am sore for days. I can't even do a leg workout with no weights without being sore for days. I can do Total Body Sculpting and the Lower Body Add On with no problem but don't know where to go from there. I am also trying to run. My 15 year old daughter is doing cross country and wants me to run a 5K with her in the fall. i found a good program I like for that which gradually works in running/walking and increasing running each week. Though some weeks I have to repeat because they are to hard. i do that 3 times a week and am not sure what to do the other days.
Can you help me? Is there a good rotation for old women who have no fitness background? I am beginning to think that 39 years old is to old to begin getting fit. Am I to old to get rid of this fat and gain muscle?
Michele
Click to expand...

Michele, I may not be Cathe, but I can tell you this much: There is no such thing as being too old to start a fitness program. Cardio-wise, you can become just as conditioned as your daughter will be at 39 if she continues to be active. Granted, it's harder to build muscle when you're in your thirties than it is when you're say, fifteen or eighteen, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. My mother didn't start working out until she was in her late forties. She was taking a walk with her friend and realized that she was getting out of breath just from walking and talking simultaneously. Can she do what I do? No. I lift weights, on average, about three times a week without soreness. She's lucky if she can lift twice a week.

So what? That doesn't stop her, and it sure as hell shouldn't stop you. Even if you can't follow a regular muscle conditioning program, there are DOZENS of ways to strengthen your body. Pilates, in particular, is great for the lower body. Yoga, as well, doesn't recruit muscle fibers the way weights do, but that doesn't mean they don't challenge you. Point being that everyone looks to weights first and foremost for a muscle conditioning program. It's great for that, but it's not the only way to keep your strength. Before I got into weights, I would do cardio on an elliptical. I would create resistance by going for thirty minutes at the top level. Even if I didn't get sore, that doesn't mean I didn't feel worked.

On the other hand, if you feel like you want to stick with weight training, that's okay too. You may just need to take it a little slower. When my mother started a weight training program, she used three pound weights, five pound weights, and no weights for her weakest areas (i.e her triceps).
As Cathe said in CTX, "There are a million ways to work this".

So do light weight work or look for alternatives. The choice is yours. My mother has a friend who works as a personal trainer. She works with heavy weights, and is firmly convinced that weightlifting is the most important exercise you can do. The video fitness industry seems to be undertaking a similar outlook with the emergence of STS, where cardio is abbreviated and daily, heavy weight work is advised. The video fitness industry and personal trainers can offer advice, but in the end, they do not control what workout you should do. YOU do. Take it from someone who threw her back out doing a full deadlift with fifty pounds; you need to do what works for you. The important thing is that you're doing something.

Keep running. Keep lifting. Keep stretching. The bottom line: whatever it is, just keep DOING.

Sorry if I rambled a bit; seeing my mother turn to fitness in her late forties has made me passionate about this topic.
 
Hi Michele,

Your are most definitely not too old to get rid of fat and gain muscle. My goodness - you're only 39! I'm 54 and work out 6 days a week with 1 day of rest/stretch. Exercise helps you to feel fantastic. You can do this. Just start gradually and build up to the more advanced workouts. Cathe has posted and Official Beginner's Rotation on the Video & DVD Rotations Forum. You'll need some of her beginner/intermediate DVD's for this. If you don't have any of them yet, I would highly recommend the Basic Step/Body Fusion DVD to get started. Once you have that one mastered you'll be ready to move on to her more advanced DVD's. Good luck to you Michele, and remember - you can do it!

Sharon
 
H*ll no, you're not too old. I didn't start building in meaningful and consistent exercise until I was in my early 30's. I started simply with walking around the lakes every day, then going to the pool for awhile for lap swimming, then Nordic Track ski machine, then discovering home exercise videos, then segueing into water aerobics participation and instruction, then discovering Cathe's cardio workouts and the blessings of strength training. I remember the days when doing squats and lunges with 5-lb dumbbells in my hands was a major challenge; I also remember the days when moving up from 5-lb dumbbells to 6-lb dumbbells for middle delt laterals raises was a major victory. Now, as I'm pushing 48 and pushing it pretty hard, it's a no-brainer for me to bang out upper body sets with 25-lb dumbbells and a barbell up to about 65 lbs; it's a no-brainer for me to bang out squats and lunges with a 65-lb barbell either circuit-style or as a stand-alone leg set, etc. And let's not even talk about the cardio workouts that used to slaughter me and now sit unmolested in my closet because they've become too easy.

There are a few tricks that have served me personally very well over the years:

Absolute, unwavering consistency in my workout schedule. I have not gone 5 consecutive days without a bona fide workout in over 12 years. The workouts might not be peak intensity and they might not go on as long as I prefer, but I do 'em.

Measured, MANAGEABLE progressive overload in intensity, both with cardio work and with strength training particularly with regard to increasing your weights and/or reps and/or sets. Make the increases incremental and only moderately over the threshold of just noticeable difference, continue to make these increases as the new weightload starts to feel easy, and you will be amazed at your progress.

Developing skill in a variety of cardio and muscle conditioning formats. Within any given month I will have performed several cardio workouts that include power stepping (THANKS, CATHE!!!!!), boot camp drills (THANKS SQUARED, CATHE!!!!!), kickbox and step kickbox (THANKS CUBED, CATHE!!!!!), hi/lo (CATHE, YOU GET THE IDEA!!!!!) and aqua (THANKS, ME, FOR TEACHING AQUA ALL THOSE YEARS!!!!!), as well as power walking during the work day when possible. For muscle work, I do a lot of water work that promotes muscle endurance in a fairly unique way, weighted work at least twice a week for legs and once a week for upper body. This prevents body / mind boredom, and maximizes the exertion levels because your body can never get ultra-efficient at one format because of relentless repetition.

Paying attention to flexibility. This is one thing I've tried to increase my focus on in recent months because I personally have always tended to phone that piece of the program in. The more limber you are, the greater range of motion you have and this can enhance your workout performance and keep the joints safe and stable.

I met a woman about 10 years ago in Phoenix, a next-door neighbor of my (now sadly departed) mother-in-law. I never saw Grinnell dressed in anything other than Nikes and a jogging suit, and one day she casually mentioned she was going out for a run. I did something I almost never do: I asked how old she was. She told me she was 80 years old, and didn't start running until she was in her 60's. She ran every day, and beyond that enjoyed event runs like 5k's and 10k's.

Grinnell is who I want to be when I grow up.

Well now. I trust I've overanswered your question. I'd suggest posting back here on the Ask Cathe, Open Discussion AND Rotations forums for specific suggestions on laying the groundwork for your workout schedules. This is a great informational and motivational site, and Cathe's products are unparalleled.

A-Jock
 
OMG I hope not!! I am starting again -- just received the STS series and I am 54. I did work out to Cathe's videos regulary about 10 years ago, but stopped about 8 years ago, would do a Pure Strength video every now and again, maybe every couple of months. My doc told me that I am on the borderline of osteoporosis and to get lifting. She says you can rebuild bone if you strength train.
The beauty of Cathe's videos is she provides modifications for those of us who need it.
Also...I belong to an outdoors club, we go hiking, camping, kayaking, etc. One of the members is 87 years old, and he can outhike the 20 and 30 year olds. What an inspiration.
So no, I believe you're never too old. (Which is a good thing...my DF is 20 years younger than I ;)).
 
tosca reno, who wrote the eat clean diet book, transformed her body at 40 years of age and is a fitness model at 50. you're never too old. don't give up. if you're really sore, take some liquid advils or consider that you may be too aggressive with your weight choices. start slow and build, you will definitely make progress. also, i found leucine supplements (i got it from the vitamin shop) helped in the recovery of muscles after weight training, and don't forget a protein shake right after to help your recovery. don't give up and you'll be a cathe success story for sure.
 
No. I am 56. I completed STS about 5 weeks ago and lifted heavier than I ever have. I did start working out when I was 27, but prior to that I was a total sloth.
Like Aquajock said, consistency is key. Until April (yeah right in the middle of STS) the only break longer than a couple of days here and there (due to travel generally) I had taken since 1980 was 3 weeks due to a c-section in 1992. In April - I got bronchitis, well I didn't stop working out, but I did stop my cardio workouts (swimming and running) and did the 3 STS weight workouts only for 2 weeks.

Don't feel you have to go gung-ho all out right now and be sore for days. You'll only get discouraged!

After a while, you may enjoy that sore feeling though, I happen to love it. There is a distinct difference between DOMS (sorness - delayed onset muscle soreness) and pain from injury, which I don't like! But feeling sore after a good workout, I love.

Knowing when and how to modify is important. You do NOT have to every.single.exercise *as is*. You can and should modify to suit YOU. There is nothing wrong with that at all.

The alternative to working out is not working out, and you will not be doing yourself any favors.

And running a 5 k??

I ran the Hartford half marathon for the first time at age 49 (okay so it was 3 weeks before my 49th birthday on Nov. 5)...in Oct. 2001.....I had never been a runner in my life. that is 13.1 miles. It took me two and a half hours. In training, my longest run was 15 miles!! OMG never in my life did I think I could do that.
I ran it again in 2002.
I am still running but not as far. I do feel that if some of my friends wanted to run it again, that I would be up for training.

You can do it. A positive mind-set goes a LONG way. It really does. Believe it - and you can achieve it.
Barbara P
 
No way are you too old!

I'm not Cathe.

There are lots of runners who start later in life. And, by the way, 39 doesn't even begin to come close!

There is nothing wrong with having to repeat a week of Couch to 5k (I'm assuming thats your running program, I'm doing it too btw.) Thats normal! If you go over to spark dot com and look for the couch to 5k group you will find out how normal it is. Also, Cathe's workouts are almost all advanced ok, so don't ever feel badly because you couldn't do one without hurting for days. Some of us consider that pain to be something we look forward to- we are a sick sick bunch, but hey, so what :p we got muscles <flexes>

As for a rotation to work up to being fit. Couch to 5k is actually a serious thing so I don't know that I would suggest much more cardio, unless you want to really slim down. Do you do step? Pop over to the beginner's rotation, the one that is a sticky. Thats where I started. I was 30 pounds heavier than I am now, and out of shape. It does not include running though.
Do you want us to make a rotation for you? What kind of activities do you like?
 
Fitharp: comments on getting started

Fitharp:
Congratulations on getting back into an exercize routine!

Two points:
-- a few posts below, on this forum, Cathe reposted a post she did in 2006, explaining a good beginner's routine:
http://www.thecathenation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236223

-- I also agree with Aquajock's point that one has to develop a doable program, and to keep at it.

We all are rooting for you in your back-to-fitness decision.
-- David
 
this is what I would do

Following Cathe's general beginner's rotation:

Week 1-3

Day 1 off
Day 2 Jog, abdominal routine, Stretch Max 1
Day 3 Basic Step, upper body
Day 4 Jog Stretch Max
Day 5 Basic Step lower body
Day 6 Jog, abdominal routine,
Day 7 off

Week 4-6

Day 1 off
Day 2 Jog, abdominal routine, Stretch Max 1
Day 3 Fusion,
Day 4 Jog Stretch Max
Day 5 Fusion
Day 6 Jog, abdominal routine,
Day 7 off

Week 7-9

Day 1 off
Day 2 Jog, Lower body, Stretch Max
Day 3 LIS Step, upper body
Day 4 Jog Stretch Max, abdominal routine
Day 5 Fusion
Day 6 Jog, Stretch Max, abdominal routine,
Day 7 off

You don't have to do this rotation, its just a general idea based completely on Cathe's beginner's rotation. I hope that this helps. The abdominal routine and the upper/lower body routines are on the Basic Step/Fusion and LIS dvds.
 
Wow! i am completely overwhelmed by your help. I feel motivated by those who shared their stories of starting later in life - or knowing someone who did. Hearing that others were at one time where I am - where lifting 5lb weights was really hard to do and now they are able to lift really heavy weights it gives me hope that this can be done. I can get in shape and get strong. Thanks for sharing things that worked for you.

I have realized a few things. Instead of getting frustrated because something is hard and then quitting I need to modify and keep doing something. I am often confused by when to do something, what to be doing and how often. For example how often to do each body part, or how often to do strength building and how often to do more endurance, etc. But I think for now I just need to worry about doing something. I get so confused by all the information and not really knowing what is best for me that it becomes a good excuse to do nothing. I like to have things all laid out before me when I start something so I just use not knowing for sure what is best for me now as an excuse not to do anything today - I'll start after I get it figured out. But I realize I just need to do something - that is what is most important for me now. I do keep a workout journal and since January I have only worked out 6 days a week once. The usual is 3 times. So I need to really work on being consistent and trying to do something for 6 days.

I also realize it is okay for me to repeat until I feel comfortable with the workout. If I did a run or a tape that was to hard I get scared off the next day thinking "if the last one was hard I don't think I will be able to do this one." So when I think that I just need to repeat it until it doesn't kill me.

Thank you RapidBreath for the rotation idea. I am going to try doing that. I will probably need ideas after I finish it of what to do next but I also realize it would be good for me to become more involved in the forums. I have pretty much been a lurker in the past with a few questions here and there but I think it would be good to continue to receive motivation by being more involved.

Thank you all and hopefully I will get to know you better. I am excited to feel like I can do this.
Michele
 
Hi again, Michele, and glad you have found the input helpful. I'd like to suggest that you also visit the Success Stories forum for some unbelievably inspirational stories of other Catheletes.

You may also find a great deal more support and information on the Check-Ins forum; many here have found that joining one of the ongoing daily Check-In groups (feel free to pick one or more that suit your current needs and personal workout preferences) keeps one motivated, stimulated with new ideas and at times accountable when the motivation flags a bit.

Beyond the basic wisdom of getting in cardio training, muscle training for all muscle groups and flexibility training at least once per week, there are a wide variety of personal tastes that can be met here. I'm reminded of the old A.A. saw: Take what you want / need and leave the rest behind. It's easy to become overwhelmed with information (and at times pseudo-information), so just take things one day at a time.

Keep coming back!

A-Jock
 
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