Athletic gymnastics for middle-aged and elderly people

As you know, popularity of "iron sports" all over the world everything is increasing every day. At the same time, the age range of bodybuilding and fitness fans already ranges from preschool to post-retirement. It’s no wonder that new clubs, clubs and sections are appearing everywhere, targeting different age groups of potential visitors. It’s no longer unusual to see advertisements like this: “Bodybuilding for the elderly and people of advanced age”, "Aqua aerobics for obese", “Recruitment for children’s recreational athletic gymnastics group is announced”, "Shaping, stretching and fitness for older ladies", and many others... As we can see from these advertisements, sports in general and bodybuilding in particular are in demand not only for teenagers, but also for mature people. Today we will talk about them... The topic of this article: “Fitness and bodybuilding for the elderly”...

The following facts convince us that athleticism contributes to healthy longevity. Albert Buckle more than 70 years. He lives in the Seychelles and, constantly competing in the Mr. Olympia tournament, is one of the top twenty professional bodybuilders! Sixty-year-old coach of the German national bodybuilding team Walter Klock, constantly training, looks forty years old. There are many such examples.

Specially selected general developmental exercises with weights, the so-called “Dumbbell gymnastics for the elderly,” cause positive morphofunctional and mental changes in the body, promote muscle growth, increase strength endurance, increase efficiency, and active longevity.

Dumbbell gymnastics for older people

The exercises performed should be simple in structure and coordinationallowing you to breathe freely, deeply and rhythmically. Speed-strength exercises with extreme loads and static stress should be avoided. The basic principles of training should be versatility, individual approach and especially gradualness when performing a strength training program.

Basic strength exercises dumbbell training constitute from 50-60 to 90-100 percent of the total training load. The most accessible for older athletes is the bench press from a lying position with a wide, medium and narrow grip. A stable body position and an elementary movement structure allow rhythmic breathing; a horizontal position facilitates the functioning of the cardiovascular system and improves blood supply to the lungs and brain. In the first months of classes, people suffering from hypertension perform the exercise with the bench slightly tilted - so that the head is higher than the legs. Gradually the inclination decreases, and in the fourth or fifth month the barbell needs to be squeezed out of the horizontal position. This exercise promotes the development of the chest, improves overall health, and creates favorable conditions for the normal functioning of internal organs.

You should start with a weight of 40-50 percent of the maximum that the trainee can overcome. This weight is lifted 10-15-20 times, then raised to 70-80 percent of the maximum. There are cases where representatives of advanced age successfully worked with extreme weights 2-3 times a month, even without a hint of damage to health. In any case, it is recommended to gradually increase the weight of the projectile to 50, 60, 70, 80% of the maximum p and gradually “lower” down - 80, 70, 60, 50%. At the same time, the number of repetitions also changes - 6, G0, 20, 30.