1) Active Warm-up
This includes mobility, activation, movement preparation, and all injury prevention or corrective exercises. Glute bridging, resistance band work and lunge variations are all essential in a proper active warm-up.
2) Core Training
The core is meant to stabilize the spine, and your routine should reflect this. Stick to plank variations, cable chops and other exercises that focus on core stabilization, while minimizing crunching patterns. Glute work such as bridges and mini-band walks, along with back extension work, should also be addressed in a sound core routine.
3) Elastic and Reactive Training
Often referred to as plyometric training, this type of training is for everyone, not just athletes. As you age, power and agility are the first to go, therefore keeping this type of training in your program will help both injury prevention and performance. Exercises can range from simple exercises, such as jump rope and calisthenics, to more advanced exercises, such as squat jumps to a box. Proper foundation work must introduced before this type of training is part of your program.
4) Strength Circuit
A proper strength routine consist of a full body approach utilizing exercise that work many muscles at once, such as lunges and push-ups, while avoiding exercise that work single muscles, such as by bicep curls and leg extensions. Constantly changing repetitions and load will keep your body guessing and lead to greater results.
5) Cardio
This does not mean walking on the treadmill for an hour while reading "Muscle and Fitness" magazine. Ten to 12 minutes of well-structured intervals will do more for your metabolism and fitness than that entire hour on the treadmill or elliptical machine. Cardio does not have to be done on a machine; wind sprints, kettlebell swings and medicine ball circuits are great ways to get in some effective cardio.
6) Regeneration
Foam rolling, static stretching and some sort of recovery nutrition consisting of protein and carbohydrates should all be used to promote quicker recovery.
Bringing It all Together
In a single training session, some of these essentials will be emphasized more than others, but all six still need to be addressed somewhere in your program.
This includes mobility, activation, movement preparation, and all injury prevention or corrective exercises. Glute bridging, resistance band work and lunge variations are all essential in a proper active warm-up.
2) Core Training
The core is meant to stabilize the spine, and your routine should reflect this. Stick to plank variations, cable chops and other exercises that focus on core stabilization, while minimizing crunching patterns. Glute work such as bridges and mini-band walks, along with back extension work, should also be addressed in a sound core routine.
3) Elastic and Reactive Training
Often referred to as plyometric training, this type of training is for everyone, not just athletes. As you age, power and agility are the first to go, therefore keeping this type of training in your program will help both injury prevention and performance. Exercises can range from simple exercises, such as jump rope and calisthenics, to more advanced exercises, such as squat jumps to a box. Proper foundation work must introduced before this type of training is part of your program.
4) Strength Circuit
A proper strength routine consist of a full body approach utilizing exercise that work many muscles at once, such as lunges and push-ups, while avoiding exercise that work single muscles, such as by bicep curls and leg extensions. Constantly changing repetitions and load will keep your body guessing and lead to greater results.
5) Cardio
This does not mean walking on the treadmill for an hour while reading "Muscle and Fitness" magazine. Ten to 12 minutes of well-structured intervals will do more for your metabolism and fitness than that entire hour on the treadmill or elliptical machine. Cardio does not have to be done on a machine; wind sprints, kettlebell swings and medicine ball circuits are great ways to get in some effective cardio.
6) Regeneration
Foam rolling, static stretching and some sort of recovery nutrition consisting of protein and carbohydrates should all be used to promote quicker recovery.
Bringing It all Together
In a single training session, some of these essentials will be emphasized more than others, but all six still need to be addressed somewhere in your program.
