As most people approach retirement age, it’s time to slow down. Not the case with Jim Owen.
At age 70 and living a sedentary lifestyle, the former Wall Street executive set out to lose 35 pounds, overcome excruciating back pain, and become healthier.
Then he went one step further.
He competed in the San Diego Senior Games, an annual event for those over 50. The fitness section that Owen participated in included 10 tests of strength and endurance, including hanging from a bar, throwing a heavy ball, and jumping rope.
Owen won all 10 matches.
(Image credit: Provided by Jim Owen)
“I discovered my inner athlete when I was about 75,” he says. fit & wellwe look back on this transformation.
In the jump rope category, Owen completed 49 jumps in 60 seconds. He threw the heavy ball 20 feet. He hung onto the bar for an astonishing two and a half minutes.
He set new personal bests in training in 9 out of 10 events.
“Practice, practice, practice,” he says, is the motto that underpins his performance.
So is building a foundation through regular strength training, he added.
The training plan that 85-year-old Jim Owen uses to stay youthful
Owen says it took him five years to build the foundation for finding exercise enjoyable.
He currently trains six days a week for an hour per day, combining strength, cardio, and mobility.
“Jim Owen is the epitome of health and vitality,” said trainer Greg Laird.
“He has a zest for life, he lives with purpose and he always does his best, which means everything he does is done at a high level.”
Laird met Owen when Owen was already well on his way from overworked executive to consecutive Senior Games winner, but he lacked the mobility and range of motion of most men his age.
“In particular, he had very tight hamstrings and limited thoracic extension,” Laird said.
To combat this, Owen does full-body stretches that target his ankles, hips, and thoracic spine three to four times a week.
“He stretches in an upright position using a stable point, which allows him to maximize his range of stretch,” Laird says.
“Then, move the specific part of your body you’re stretching in three planes of motion: sagittally (back and forth), frontally (side to side), and laterally (rotation), similar to what your body experiences in everyday life.”
To maintain his cardiovascular fitness, Owen walks for up to an hour three times a week.
Twice climbs hills to challenge her conditioning, but keeping the stress on her joints low is “key to training for longevity and staying healthy through the aging process,” says Laird.
To maintain strength and muscle, Laird has Owen do full-body workouts three times a week.
“Our focus with strength training is not to get bigger, but to maintain and reduce muscle loss due to the natural aging process,” explains Laird.
“Each strength training program incorporates essential movements of everyday life – pushes, pulls, squats, hinges and lunges – to help gyms perform at their highest level every day.”
How to do superager strength training
Laird recommends readers do this routine two to three times a week.
“Overall, consistency is more important than intensity and it’s important to do what you enjoy so that you can move at a high level for years to come,” he says.
“Jim embodies this, always striving to improve in every capacity he can.”
1. Twisting a resistance band
watch on
set: 2 manager: 10 pieces on each side
- Loop the resistance band around the anchor point at chest height.
- Stand sideways and hold the band close to your chest with both hands.
- Extend your arms until they are straight and support your core against resistance.
- Then rotate your torso away from the anchor point and slowly return to center.
- Complete all reps in one direction, then switch sides.
Laird says: “We start by activating the core so that he can move it throughout the rest of the session. This movement helps build symmetry throughout the trunk because it requires rotation through tension in both directions and prevents overcorrection on one side.”
2. Weighted exercise ball crunch
watch on
set: 2 manager: 12
- Sit on the floor, lie on your back on a balance ball or Bosu ball, and stretch your back over the ball.
- Spread your legs wide apart for stability and hold a light dumbbell against your chest.
- Curl your body and lift your shoulders and upper back off the ball, using your abdominal muscles to control the movement.
- Slowly lower it to the beginning.
- Perform this movement while supporting your weight behind your head.
Laird says: “We also perform weighted physioball crunches to promote thoracic spine extension, which is a limiting factor due to years of slouched sitting in most older adults.
“By incorporating weight into the back of his head, his body has to adapt to the forces placed on it and lengthen and lengthen his spine.”
3. Prone one leg drive
watch on
set: 2 manager: 8 pieces on each side
- Get on all fours and place your hands directly below your shoulders.
- Lift your hips and extend your legs into a downward facing dog position.
- Raise your right leg behind you, keeping your hips level and stable.
- Lower your right leg, move your right knee toward your chin, and lower your hips.
- Raise your right leg back and go straight to the next rep.
- Once you have completed all repetitions on one side, switch sides.
Laird says: “This full-body exercise integrates mobility and strength. The shoulder girdle is strengthened through this range of motion, while loading the core as you bring your knees forward.”
4. Side plank
watch on
set: 2 time: 30 seconds on each side
- Lie on your side with your weight on your forearms.
- Alternate your legs or place one foot in front of the other to evenly distribute your weight.
- Raise your hips so that there is a straight line from your head to your feet.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds without lowering your hips.
- Repeat on the other side.
Laird says: “We use the side plank to work the lateral lines of the body (obliques). It also incorporates shoulder stability, as well as lower back and overall core strength.”
5. Exercise ball hamstring curl
watch on
set: 2 manager: 12
- Lie on the floor with your heels on the balance ball and your arms on the floor, palms down.
- Engage your core and lift your hips to form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Extend your legs and roll the ball away.
- Bend your knees and roll the gym ball toward yourself. You should feel the muscles in the back of your thighs working.
- Continue straight to the next rep, keeping your hips up.
Laird says: “This movement targets the glutes and posterior chain muscles of your hamstrings, protects your lower back, and keeps your body balanced by pushing out your quadriceps muscles.”
6. Dumbbell goblet squat
watch on
set: 2 manager: 10
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and feet slightly turned toward each other.
- Hold a dumbbell vertically at your chest, supporting the top of the weight with both hands.
- Inhale and tighten your core, lower your hips back and bend your knees.
- Spread your knees wide and turn your chest forward.
- Lower to a comfortable depth, exhale as you push through your heels, and stand with your knees and hips straight.
Laird says: “Jim does dumbbell goblet squats to strengthen his core while working on the depth his hips can reach under load to make daily squats easier.”
7. Push-up matrix
watch on
set: 3 manager: 10 pieces per position
- Start in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart, directly below your shoulders.
- Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
- Push up forcefully.
- After 10 repetitions, rest for 30 seconds.
- Wide push up: For the second set, spread your arms wider and repeat.
- Narrow push up: For the third set, repeat with your hands closer together.
Laird says: “Jims can perform this push-up matrix utilizing different hand positions and making slight variations to their pushing exercises to build more functional strength.”
You can always adjust the number of repetitions or choose one of the modified push-ups to suit your abilities.
8. Lateral lunge
set: 2 manager: 8 pieces on each side
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and step your right foot out to the side.
- Bend your right knee and push your hips back and down, keeping your chest facing forward.
- Lower your hips as far as you can while keeping your left leg straight.
- Press your right foot to return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Continue alternating sides with each repetition.
- To proceed with this, either place one dumbbell on your chest or two dumbbells at your side.
Laird says: “Lateral lunges help load your glutes in a different way than split squats or forward or reverse lunges, and they challenge you to move your body from side to side.”
9. Single arm dumbbell row
watch on
set: 2 manager: 10 pieces on each side
- Stand with the bench on your right side and place your right knee and right hand on the bench to support your body.
- Stretch your left leg out to the side to create a stable base.
- Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and extend your arm straight down.
- Tuck your shoulder blades in to support your weight and engage your upper back muscles. This is the starting position.
- Lift the dumbbells toward your hips, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
- Pause for a moment, then use the controls to lower it.
- Once you have completed all repetitions on one side, switch sides.
Laird says: “Incorporating single-arm dumbbell rows allows you to increase back and shoulder stability while working on one side to avoid compensating on one side of your body.”
10. One-armed dumbbell carried by a farmer
watch on
set: 2 distance: 25 yards
- Stand with medium to heavy dumbbells placed next to your feet.
- Bend over and lift the weight, keeping your back flat and your torso facing forward.
- Engage your core, move your legs, and stand up straight with your weight at your sides.
- Strengthen your core to even out your body balance and keep your chest straight.
- Walk 25 steps or yards forward or in a figure eight.
- Safely lower the weight to the floor and repeat on the other side.
Laird says: “Heavy carries will test your grip strength over time, which is an important factor in the statistics associated with longevity. Also, by engaging opposite sides of your body to stabilize your weight as you walk, you create symmetry in your hips and core.”
#Longevity #training #vowed #85yearold #gain #physical #strength #live #youthful #life