Note: All of our physical fitness posts are about "fitness for life" for ordinary people. That means functional strength, power, agility, and endurance - and it includes getting rid of excess fat. We are not about body-building, becoming an underwear or swimsuit model, or a serious athlete. However, "fit for life" does look much better than its opposite. We try to cover the three main categories: strength, cardio, and calisthenics. You can review our fitness archives here.
- Deep squats are killers for me. They are, however, one of the basic full-body exertions and no fitness program can be complete without them. It's best to start with just body weight 90 degree squats, then deeper ones, then goblets, then to barbell, over months. Ass (almost) to the grass, they say. Not at first, though.
What's a good weight goal for the average, non-gym rat? Just your body weight on the barbell for 5 deep reps. That's good enough for sturdy "fit for life" legs. How Much Should You Be Able to Squat?
- What is a 5X5 strength training program? Up Your Strength With A 5 X 5 Program.
I would not suggest that anyone, regardless of age, begin the very good and simple 5X5 without at least several months of mixed training to get in decent conditioning first. Once prepared, it's a good approach for ages 18-90.
- Isolation exercises (ie weight exercises that stress less than large and multiple muscle groups): Isolation exercises are mainly for remediation, rehab, or aesthetics. The goal is to get past these things to do the big, hard things.
- The 3 Most Effective Ways to Waste Time in the Gym
- The Jogging Delusion
