Body Building & Age Appropriate Training (Part 1) by Frank Zane

What's the maximum and the minimum amount of workouts needed for progress, how many sets, reps, weights, workout frequency, what kind of training cycle, how much aerobics, stretching, what kind of diet and food supplements are best? These Age 50 questions are what I investigate in my training on a continual basis.

The older I get the less I train. I get more sore, need longer to recuperate from the soreness, and use it as my guide as when to train, it could last as long as 6 days between workouts. Curiously, I notice when I have clients and train with them, the soreness goes away right after the beginning of the workout, I get a pump by doing one set of high reps of each exercise and stretching between sets.

A few hours later soreness erupts, increasing during the night and presents itself full blow the following morning, and depending of the severity of the workout, lasts for as long as 5 or 6 days. Sometimes I'm sore going into a workout but it fades as the workout ensues. It's best to let this soreness resolve itself and heal itself adequately, this is how growth occurs, time must be allowed for recuperation and healing. With this in mind I don't rush from one workout to the next, unless I have to.

When I do rush I pay the price of chronic soreness (especially in the shoulders) and possible injury. True, when one is used to training a lot his whole life and now finds himself with other priorities and with injuries it makes it necessary to slow down a bit. Question is "how do I fill the time gap created by the training vacancy?" The answer is to come up with good time investments that re quire a minimum of energy expenditure.

I've certainly had lots to do lately so a little extra time and energy from not training as hard comes in handy. The time investment best be one that gives you joy in per forming it.

In 1992 I wrote Fabulously Fit For ever. Being 50 years old at the time, I got into my best physical condition since competition days 9 years earlier. In my peak condition preparation I noticed I couldn't do as much as when I competed. Still, I managed to do my best, got into great shape and took some good photos. Now in my mid sixties I've notice a further slowdown in the last few years. The demon reared it's head at age 61. I found out I needed more rest between workouts.

Cont’d in part 2