Is this a good enough workout to stay fit?

[mikayla8972]

So I'm probably going to have to cancel my gym membership due to costs, and I'm trying to find alternative workouts. For strength, it's probably going to have to mainly consist of bodyweight exercises, and well as work with a (9kg) kettlebell. For cardio, I'm thinking of runs and bikerides(although I guess bike work involving hills could be partly strenght too).

I tracked my bike ride today, and found that the calories burnt was a little less, but comparable, to a group fitness workout. Based on my heartrate throughout the bikeride (I'd also expect running would get it higher), can I keep fit like this? Also, it said 24 minutes in cardio zone, and 29 minutes in fatburn (based on the standard calculations for my age of 18).Thanks

)

[Dominique]

Any workout (as long as you can do them safely) is going to be better than no workout at all. The minimum recommendation is 30 minutes of exercise that elevates your pulse 5 times a week, and you appear to be doing much more than that. Bikerides on hills are still primarily cardio, though obviously lower body muscles also get stimulated. I wouldn’t pay too much attention to HR zones (as long as it’s safe). Kettlebells are great!

[mikayla8972]

Thanks for the helpful response 🙂 Just another question (to anyone who sees this, not exclusively the author of post I'm replying to), I've heard that strength workouts can't be too repetitive in the long run. I've created 2 basic workouts of 15 kettle bell based moves that cover all basic big areas, e.g. Arms, legs, abs (some crossovers, but mostly different), and was wondering if alternating between these 2 is enough to stay fit/meet health recommendations? Thanks again anyone

[Dominique · Accepted solution]

There are sereral things to consider: one is "muscle confusion", which is based on the idea that you need to keep your muscles "guessing" by constantly switching things over. This is a myth / BS: your muscles don’t need to be confused, they need to be exercised. The other thing is whether you (not your muscles) get easily bored doing the same things over and over. If so, you should make changes from time to time, not to confuse your muscle, but to keep things enjoyable for you. Some level of repetitiveness is actually good for your muscle, because one of the basic ideas of strength training is progressive overload: you need to do a little bit more over time, in order to give your muscles an incentive to become bigger and/or stronger. That could be adding one rep per set, doing one more set, doing the same number of reps/sets with added weight etc. If you keep doing exactly the same exercises with the same resistance and the same intensity, your body will adapt and become better at doing them, but it won’t improve by becoming stronger.

[GershonSurge]

@mikayla8972

I think @Dominique is our resident expert on resistance training. I'm only replying so those with more experience can correct any misconceptions I may have.

I'm 63 and have only been weight lifting for about nine months. There doesn't seem to be much authoritative research out there on health benefits (living longer and not getting sick.) However, resistance training pays off in old age by eliminating aches and pains as well as maintaining flexibility. In my opinion, where a person is around age 34 dictates their future ability to perform normal activities, so I'm all for it. 

I use dumbbells and some body weight exercises. I only use one dumbbell and work one arm at a time. That's because I'm too cheap to buy two. It also allows me to lift without breaks. When I go to the gym, I use some machines, but they aren't necessary.

One suggestion I would add is to take a look at yourself in a mirror every so often while flexing your muscles. You may find your routine is creating some imbalances. For instance, I developed my triceps and shoulder muscles more than my biceps. As result of seeing this, I've added some extra bicep exercises during the day.

My progression method is to start with six reps of an exercise at a given weight. Let's say 10 pounds to make the numbers easy. I do six reps for seven exercise periods (a week if I lift every day) and then increase to seven reps. It takes about seven weeks to get to twelve reps. Then I increase the weight and go back to six reps. My reps are usually two seconds in each direction. It sounds slow, but gives six progressions in a year, which is a bunch of improvement.  

There aren't many exercises for the forearms. Wrist curls are about it. You can add a 90 degree twist to most other exercises to build the torsional muscles in the forearms. The effect is slow compared to the upper arm.

My logbook is a valuable aid. When I feel I'm not making progress, I can look back a few months to see I have. 

[Dominique]

---

@GershonSurge wrote:

There aren't many exercises for the forearms. Wrist curls are about it. You can add a 90 degree twist to most other exercises to build the torsional muscles in the forearms. The effect is slow compared to the upper arm.

---

Forearms are one of my (many) underdeveloped areas. I blame lousy genetics: I have small wrists and skinny forearms. A couple of friends about my age sport a beer belly, don’t work out, but have much larger forearms with even decent definition. In 2015, I followed a conventional body building program that included lots of isolation exercises, including wrist curls. That didn’t made any visible change on my forearms. In 2016, I switched to a more powerlifting-oriented program with a lot less exercises, but more focus on big compound movements. Although I no longer had dedicated forearm exercices, I observed visible improvements in my forearms. They’re nowhere like this guy:

 forearms, Syvesterbut improving in any case . For that, I credit deadlifts and weighted chinups: any exercise that require grip strength will also stimulate your forearms as a by-product. With deadlifts, I make a point to hold the position for a few extra seconds at the top of the range of motion (I’m using a trap bar, so it’s easier than with a conventional deadlift). Farmer’s walk with kettlebells would also be a great exercise for grip and forearms.

[Dominique]

---

@GershonSurge wrote:

My logbook is a valuable aid. When I feel I'm not making progress, I can look back a few months to see I have. 

---

I second the suggestion to use a logbook: no matter how good your memory is, there’s no way you can remember every detail of what you did 6 or 12 months ago. Keeping a log is the only way to ensure you’re making progress.

[Colinm39]

@GershonSurgeHi again... I'm 14 years your Senior and still trying to get my strength up to allow me to continue doing some of the things I could do... I have had cardio clearance and now on the way.  I have weights, small kettle bells, exer bands, exercise ball and stationary bike. .

My age 60 Physio is working with me to help with strength training and this site also helps me.  I have found after my total hip replacement 18 months ago, the leg muscle recovery was longer than expected. I have recovered 5 cm (2") in circumference, same size as the other thigh now. Not osteo, just a longer leg wearing the cartilage out. Born with it. Other hip is perfect.

I have to strengthen core to help negate aged related lower back issues and upper body. My legs can now handle plenty of walking at exercise pace and no loss of breath.  My RHR is 53 today and that varies from 49-52 typically, but it is warm to hot here today, Now 320C (90oF) on the way to 35oC (95oF). My body definitely measures the temperature and my RHR graphs indicate that.

Part of the workouts will be elbow planks. I will know more tomorrow`

Edited and added.

This link about Seniors Fitness is created by Logan Franklin, about 80 years young.  All about Seniors Fitness.

[GershonSurge]

@Colinm39,

I try not to even hint that my routines are the best. Healthy people at the gym I go to have many different methods. Most work out for about an hour and then do some cardio on a treadmill or elliptical.

I've done tons of reading on running. The people still doing it in their 70's, 80's and 90's almost universally warm up for 20 minutes, jog easily for 20 minutes and then cool down for 20 minutes. Most don't talk about resistance training. Some like to jog for hours.

On the other side, my neighbor is a healthy 81 years old. For the last 23 years I've lived across the street, I observed him doing hours of yard work every day. He doesn't do any formal exercise. I don't know his diet. 

A good friend of mine is 68 years old and still at the same weight he was when he was 19. He is a long distance backpacker and bicyclist when he feels like doing it. He walks five miles every day. He thinks running is stupid. He is always doing some building project. During part of the year, he works about eighty days in a row in the oilfields to earn a bit of extra money. He is a case of a person outexercising a bad diet.

I have another neigbor who is 94 years old. Each day, he goes out and runs three miles at about an eight minute pace. He eats rice and vegetables with small amounts of fish. He doesn't do any strength training. I don't know what the rest of his day is like.

There are some common denominators.

1.  For men, stay at a weight close to the middle or even the bottom of their normal weight range. Women can be a little heavier.
2.  Eat something close to a starch based, whole food, plant based diet.
3.  Get several hours of movement each day. Even more is better up to some limit. It's good to be a comfortably tired at the end of the day. Notice I didn't suggest cardio was necessary. I'm undecided on that point based on observing people in my life who reached a healthy old age.
4.  Breathe outside air for a couple hours or more each day.

The definition of a healthy diet is the factor that has been most heavily researched. I follow the teachings of Dr. McDougall and Dr. T. Colin Cambell.