Print Article for : Exercise Program For Seniors

Your Online Guide » Sports » Fitness And Wellness

[E372]Exercise Program For Seniors

by Michael Russell, Mic

When you join a gym for the first time, make sure to get the proper instruction, from a qualified trainer, on all exercises. Make sure to start off light in the first training session, and do only one set per exercise. You might be a little sore the next day, that is absolutely normal and it only shows that you have trained well.

After two weeks or so, you may begin to perform two sets for each of the exercises. When you have been training for about three months, you can increase to a maximum of three sets of all the exercises. Remember always do a couple of easy warm-up sets of 20-30 repetitions (reps), to get the blood flowing into the working muscle.

For each exercise listed below, you will do a maximum of around 10-12 reps for each. Make sure that the weights you are using in each exercise are heavy enough, so the end of the last rep should be nearly impossible to carry out. Next time you hit the gym again, you should try to increase the weights or reps you are doing. Increase the weight by one pound on all exercises once a week to ensure you are progressing.

Important: Have a bottle of fresh water with you every time you hit the gym, as you will lose a lot of fluid, in the form of sweat, during an exercise session!

If you want to view all the below listed exercises in action, then try to search for each one of them on Google, as there are tons of videos of different exercises on the net.

NOTE: Diet or exercise regimes should not be embarked on without seeking the advice of a health care professional.

Monday - Leg session day

Sets/Repetitions
Squats or Leg Press 1-3/10-12
Leg Extension 1-3/10-12
Leg Curl 1-3/10-12
Standing Calf Raise 1-3/10-12
Leg Raise 1-3/10-12

Wednesday - Chest, shoulder and biceps session day

Sets/Repetitions
Incline Bench Press 1-3/10-12
Close Grip Bench Press 1-3/10-12
Behind Neck Shoulder Press 1-3/10-12
Lateral Raise 1-3/10-12
Dumbell Biceps Curl 1-3/10-12

Friday - Back, triceps and abdominal session day

Sets/Repetitions
Shoulder Width Lat Pulldown 1-3/10-12
Close Grip Seated Pulley Row 1-3/10-12
Triceps Pushdown 1-3/10-12
Crunches 1-3/10-12
Hyper Extension 1-3/10-12
Shrugs 1-3/10-12

The exercise program you choose depends entirely on your fitness goals. The exercises you will be doing and the approach you take in performing these exercises will depend on whether you wish to gain muscle and strength, tone and lose weight or just stay in shape and be healthy. I will briefly describe a sample exercise program that can be adapted for all people regardless of their age or fitness objectives.

If you are looking to build muscle or strength via a bodybuilding routine, stick to 4-5 sets of 10-12 repetitions. Focus on the positive and negative of each movement of each repetition. Gradually increase the weight as you work out to force your muscles to work. Otherwise your muscles will become programmed, accustomed to the same weight and you will no longer experience any gains. There are many approaches and techniques that can be used in bodybuilding. Experiment and use the best one that fits you. An excellent book about weight training and bodybuilding that discusses many different techniques to working out is The Weider System of Bodybuilding.

If you are looking to tone or just stay in shape and be healthy, an exercise program combining weight training and a cardiovascular workout is appropriate for you. When you are exercising with weights, 3-4 sets of 12-15 repetitions at a reasonable weight would be appropriate. Combine this with cardio exercise 1-2 times a week such as riding an exercise bike or elliptical machine or by joining classes at your gym. It is difficult to discuss in great detail in this article exactly what you should be doing. For custom exercise programs I highly recommend

Here is a sample exercise program that can be modified to fit any person's fitness goals. Remember that you can change the order and incorporate different exercises for each body part on weekly basis. I encourage this to prevent boredom and your body getting used to the same routine.

Before beginning your workout, you should warm up for 5 - 10 minutes on an exercise bike or treadmill. This will prevent you from pulling muscles or injuring yourself. For a cool-down, you can perform stretching exercises.

Day 1

Back Exercises:
Behind the neck lateral pulldown 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Seated pulley rowing 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Lateral pulldown with a narrow grip 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
One arm dumbbell bent rowing 3-4 sets 10 - 12 repetitions

Triceps:
Pulley pushdown with handle 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Behind the head rope triceps extension 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Reverse-grip pulley pushdown 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions

Abdominals and lower back floor exercises:
Crunches 3 sets of 24 repetitions
Oblique crunches 3 sets of 16 repetitions
Lower back extensions 2 sets of 12 repetitions

Day 2

Chest:
Seated iso wide chest bench press 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Incline dumbbell press 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Cable crossovers 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Flyes 3-4 sets 10 - 15 repetitions

Biceps:
Seated bicep curl
Incline bicep dumbbell curl
Hammer bicep curl

Cardiovascular Exercise

Day 3

Shoulders:
Seated behind the neck shoulder press 3-4 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Upright cable rowing 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Dumbbell side lateral 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Arnold press 3-4 sets 10 - 15 repetitions

Forearms:
Forearm curl 3-4 sets 12-15 repetitions

Abdominals and lower back floor exercises:
Crunches 3 sets of 24 repetitions
Oblique crunches 3 sets of 16 repetitions
Lower back extensions 2 sets of 12 repetitions

Day 4

Legs:
Leg extensions 4 sets, 12-15 repetitions
Leg press 4 sets, 12-15 repetitions
Calf raises 5 sets, 15 repetitions
Hamstring curl 4 sets, 12-15 repetitions

Abdominals and lower back floor exercises:
Crunches 3 sets of 24 repetitions
Oblique crunches 3 sets of 16 repetitions

Cardiovascular Exercise

These are just general workout guidelines. You really need to consider what ideally suits you best. If you need more help or for customized exercise programs visit

Article Source : Pg. 180

About Author

Both Michael Russell & Peter Kudlacz are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Michael Russell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Celebrities, Dieting and Diabetes Treatment. Michael RussellYour Independent guide to . Michael Russell's top article generates over 2240000 views. to your Favourites.

Peter Kudlacz has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Fitness Program and Family Concerns. Peter Kudlacz is the owner of where you can find online fitness and golf programs, exercise instruction guides, articles, resources and t. Peter Kudlacz's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.