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Liam from Paper Street Fitness shares the next part of his 50+ fitness series.

by Liam Williams 

When people think about starting to get more active and exercising, the first thing that they consider is some kind of aerobic activity, running, walking swimming, classes etc.

If you mention the possibility of strength training their minds go straight to images of giant steroid charged monsters lifting massive weights and screaming through chalk dust! Plus, most people fear that as soon as they touch any kind of weight they’ll instantly turn into Arnie!! Apart from massively underestimating the amount of hard work and effort that male and female lifters have to endure to achieve those kind of results, it also highlights another key misconception - strength training and bodybuilding are two separate disciplines.

Bodybuilders focus on the size, shape and the overall aesthetic of their physique. Weightlifters train to be extremely strong in a few key lifts. Yes bodybuilders are strong and weightlifters can have big muscles but that is the result of years of hard work to achieve an elite level in their chosen sports. The key word here being sport. Despite this persistent misconception, strength training forms the foundation for these sports with a layer of sport specific training on top. For anyone who is looking to improve their wellbeing and quality of life while becoming more resilient to injury, having a structured approach to improving your overall strength and mobility is the most practical and efficient means of getting there. Another bonus is that although your focus will be on improving your strength, your heart and lungs will get a great workout as well and your aerobic fitness will benefit as well. Regular strength training has a lot of benefits and can help with:

●     Arthritis

●     Osteoporosis

●     Back problems

●     Pulmonary disease

●     Weight management

●     Improved balance

When putting a strength program together it’s beneficial to think in terms of movements rather than isolating individual muscle groups.

The movements that we will focus on are:

Squat

Push

Hinge

Pull

Lunge 

There are also multiple ways of training yourself within these movements. These include:

●     Calisthenics (bodyweight exercises including yoga inspired movements)

●     Free weights

●     Kettlebells

●     Resistance bands

●     Sandbags

●     Medicine balls

It is worth mentioning that I haven’t included the adjustable resistance cable machines that you find in most gyms nowadays. While these machines can be useful for bodybuilders looking to isolate a specific muscle group as part of their overall training program or as part of a rehabilitation program for someone recovering from an injury, I don’t recommend them for most people as they guide you through a range of motion that is unnatural and comes from the shape of the levers of the machine rather than the user’s anatomy and they don't work the smaller stabilising muscles around the joints as effectively as other methods. I also include the smith machine in this category. While it may make me unpopular with some gym goers I feel that most people will do themselves more harm than good using these machines as the main focus of their workouts over the long term.

 Today we are going to look at how to train three of the above movements; push, pull and hinge using resistance bands.

Resistance bands are cheap and easy to use as well as being small and easily portable, making them a practical introduction to strength training.

They can come as tubes, flat, as loops or with attached handles but the principle remains the same regardless which type you use.

 For the push and pull movements you can see in the photos that we have anchored the band by wrapping it around a pillar in the gym. This can be achieved at home by anchoring the band to any sturdy object that won’t move. I personally have used stair banisters, door handles and a chair with someone sitting on it to keep it stable. Be creative, just be careful! 

Push 

 Anchor the band to something sturdy and face away with your hands in front of your shoulders (the band can go either over OR under your arms depending on which you find most comfortable. Here Sandra has opted to hold the bands over her arms).

Engage your core and as you exhale push your arms out in front of you against the resistance of the band in a smooth controlled movement (you can adjust the intensity of the exercise by stepping closer to or further from your anchor point).

Inhale as you return your arms to the starting position.

  Pull 

Anchor the band to something sturdy and stand with your arms outstretched, palms down (as before you can adjust the intensity of the exercise by stepping closer to or further from your anchor point).

Engage your core and exhale as you row your arms into your body and squeeze your shoulder  blades together (as you row your arms in you should aim to rotate your arms so that your palms are vertical like Sandras in pic 2 or all the way to palm up like Sandra in pic 4)

Inhale and return your arms to the starting position.

  Hinge  

This is a very important movement to master. As the name implies this exercise is all about learning the correct way to hinge at the hips. When done with free weights it is called a deadlift.

Anchor the band underneath you by standing on it with your feet hip distance apart. To get the right level of intensity you will probably need to shift your grip further down the bands like Sandra has in the pictures.

Shift your hips back behind you until your hands are just below your knees. Keep your chest up and your back straight (a key distinction here is that your hips must move back NOT down)

As you exhale stand up straight against the resistance of the band.

Inhale and return to the starting position. It is of utmost importance that you ensure that you are keeping your back straight throughout the entire movement as a common mistake is to round the back instead of hinging at the hips!

 In Part 2 we’ll look at the other three movements on our list and step into the minefield that is sets, reps and progressions!

 If you have any questions or comments feel free to get in touch.

Email:- [email protected]

Web:- www.cavemenandkungfu.com

Facebook:- www.facebook.com/PaperSt.Fitness

Twitter: - www.twitter.com/PaperStFitness

Every weekday -Club 50+ host a variety of classes and activities ranging from tai chi to table tennis. 9.30am-3.30pm. Call 01702 346863 for more information. Every Monday - Community Club 2-4pm Todman Centre, Rayleigh

Age Concern Southend would not be able to provide the support and services we do without our team of amazing volunteers. Whether it is as a befriender, a driver, an office worker or even just helping at the occasional event, each volunteers contribution is invaluable to our success as a charity and to helping older people in the Southend area.

Over the next few weeks we will be showcasing some of our dedicated volunteers so you can meet the people making a difference and find out what it’s like to volunteer for Age Concern Southend.

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I am a single lady who took early retirement but even when working I have always done some form of volunteering work. I have many friends and family who I love dearly, I also have two chihuahuas who make my life so happy as they give unconditional love. I now do voluntary work for Age Concern Southend and for SAVS.

How long have you been volunteering for Age Concern Southend?

Just over a year.

What made you decide to volunteer for Age Concern Southend?

I was working at SAVS shop, but sadly it had to close after 5 years. I realised I could not just do nothing as I believe keeping busy is the best for us. So walking past Age Concern one day on impulse I popped in and found out all about it. I loved the idea of joining the team.

What is your volunteering role?

I am a telephone befriender.

What has been your most memorable day volunteering at Age Concern Southend?

I can honestly say everyday at Age Concern is memorable as everything I do is very rewarding. Also working alongside an amazing team who make me feel most welcome.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about volunteering for Age Concern Southend?

I would say to volunteer for such a very important organisation is one of the most fulfilling things to do as you are helping so many lonely elderly people who a simple phone call or visit will enrich their life. So many have no family or are bed bound with only carers to pop in and see them.

Every Monday - Community Club Todman Centre, Rayleigh 2-4pm £1

Age Concern Southend on Sea host a variety of community clubs on a regular basis that are open to any over 60's in the local area.

Activities range from quizzes and games to speakers on topics such as mindfulness and history as well as a good old sing song from time to time with entertainers from the local area.

Tea and cake is included in the £1 entry for all our community clubs and good company is guaranteed.

Current clubs are:

Every Monday at the Todman Centre in Rayleigh 2-4pm

Every Tuesday at the Wesley Methodist Church in Leigh on Sea 2-4pm

Last Thursday of every month at Frank Phillips House in Southend 2-4pm