Every so often, this question enters the chat as we all tend to be on a constant search for the perfect workout. Defining the perfect workout will be different for us all as we tend to have preferences in the equipment and facilities we use, the time we have to train each day, the number of days per week, and a wide variety of personal goals.
The short answer to the perfect workout is always the workout we do consistently. While our goals of weight loss, weight gain, better fitness or longevity may be the same, the road to get there will be individually traveled and very different from one person to another. Here is the question:
Hey Stew. I am a retired Army Sergeant Major. After nearly 30 years in the Army, I have my share of bumps and bruises, but I still enjoy doing PT and running. What do you recommend for a 50-plus-year-old retiree to achieve the perfect workout? Thanks Mike
Sergeant Major, thanks for your service. Looking for the perfect workout is something I love to do, as it has taken me years to figure out. As the decades add up, the need for change arises with each one. This is my 44th year of working out consistently, and each change in goals and schedules has been the biggest determinant of defining the perfect workout.
But, given your current joy in PT and running, as you did for 30 years in the Army, keep doing it. Make a few changes every quarter of the year, as you do not want to do too many reps of the same exercises or too many miles on aging knees. You can still run and do pushups, pullups and other activities, but moderate them throughout the year with some weightlifting for strength and non-impact cardio for joint health. Adding a mobility training day will be life-changing if you have not started doing them yet. Trust me.
Cycles of Calisthenics and Cardio
Since you enjoy running and calisthenics, there is nothing wrong with continuing a variety of workouts to achieve your goals with these activities. Workouts such as pyramids, supersets and max rep sets are classic variations for building volume in these types of goals. Cardio options should be diverse if possible. Jogging can be paired with walking or biking to extend cardio time and reduce the impact of running alone. Consider adding swimming, rowing, stair stepping or an elliptical machine to your cardio routine. Even if you just warm up and cool down with nonimpact cardio options for 10-15 minutes before/after you run for 20-30 minutes, you have doubled your cardio time with half of the impact.
Adding Mobility Day (1-2 times per week)
This is the first addition I recommend for you to make your week “perfect.” I started adding mobility days to my training week in my mid-40s. With 30 years of service and the noted “bumps and bruises” that come with it, the mobility day is something you cannot skip. To be honest, it was a decade earlier, but I ignored it. To say this simple addition changed my life is an understatement, as tightness and pain in my hips, lower back, knees and shoulders have gone. Now that I am over 50 years old (like you), I do them twice a week. It is simple and effective: 5 minutes of nonimpact cardio plus 5 minutes of stretching, foam rolling or massaging; repeat 4-5 times in less than an hour. Use the stretching ideas in this Mobility 20/20 pdf for ideas.
Lifting for Strength (and to Stop Loss of Muscle)
As we age, we lose muscle mass each decade. The battle you must now wage is against atrophy (the annual loss of muscle). This requires resistance training. While you can do this with calisthenics, adding more exercises using dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, sandbags or weight vests can help build muscle while others who are not training are losing theirs. Your example may help others in your life do the same and build muscle to stay independent and live a long, healthy life.
The answer to the perfect workout is to keep moving consistently and to keep searching for what makes you look and feel your best. Your personal workout that you do multiple times each week throughout the year, year after year, is the perfect workout. Keep looking for what that is. It keeps the training fun.
For starters, I’d suggest an upper-body day/lower-body day split, followed by a mobility and/or cardio session. A week would look like this:
- Monday: Upper body. Warm up with calisthenics; lift; cooldown with a run plus nonimpact cardio.
- Tuesday: Lower body. Warm up with calisthenics; lift; cooldown with a run.
- Wednesday: Mobility. Nonimpact cardio; stretching; massage tool; foam roll.
- Thursday: Repeat Monday.
- Friday: Repeat Tuesday.
- Saturday: Longer cardio. Only or repeat mobility day again if needed.
- Sunday: Rest day.
Multiple types of training days can be used by people of all ages and fitness levels and deliver excellent results. Dozens of articles and videos are on the Military.com Fitness Section pages that cover weight training, calisthenics, multiple cardio options and more uses for Mobility Day.
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