Mrs. BD and I are 14 months into our program, so we are now officially past the Beginner phase of weights and calisthenics. Novices, now.
Trainers say that it takes two years with 1 hr. 5-6 days/wk (approx 2 hrs of weights, 2 of calis, 1+ of cardio not counting fast walks) for middle-aged people with the right work-out diet to reach a good level of conditioning for a given age and build. Not for bulging muscles, but for full fitness for life and a fairly tight, firm, beachable, streetable, athletic bod.
Athleticism is a good goal for the middle-aged because almost everybody in America has a sport or two which they love.
Based on my dedication to this, I think that the time frame must be right because, for example, I still can not do a deep barbell squat of my body weight. Bench press? Almost there, a few more weeks to press my weight for one or two reps. Those are normal, modest and realistic strength goals for the average middle-aged guy. We up the heavy weight exercises by 5 lbs/wk and I practice holds with much heavier weight.
Anyway, Mrs. BD and I have decided that we can now do our calis without trainer supervision, so we do them together. Good fun, terribly fatiguing. For example, I'll do a plank while she does wall slams, I'll jump rope while she does the burpee/ mtn climber/ j jack routine. etc. We can group them up as supersets or triplets, and switch off.
One day/week we'll do three sets of almost each pair or triplet on our list (our cali list below the fold) for about 40 mins, and finish with 20 min. cardio intervals. Two days/wk we'll do 20 min of additional calis and 20 min cardio intervals. Saves money this way, and we can push each other and correct each other. Married couples are very good and experienced at that... fun.
We'll keep our trainer for two individual hours of weights per week for now. It is difficult to advance in strength training without a pro watching you like a hawk and pushing you further like a sadist.
Mrs. BD also does Yoga, but I do not. Interestingly, the weight work has done wonders for her ex-dancer joint pains. She is now doing deadlifts, weighted squats, bench press, leg press, rows, overhead presses, curls, etc - all the things I do. Pain-free at last thanks to our genius trainer. Muscle and stronger tendons can help compensate for half-rotten joints.
The family that sweats together stays together?
Cali routines below the fold - good hard fun.
Cali routines, three sets each, paired or triplets
Wall slams (sides and overhead, 10 reps each)
body weight triple Squats (deep, half, and jumping)
Incl pull ups (20+)
planks (one-min planks)
Step up with heavy ball lift (10 reps each side)
Heavy ball floor slams (20)
Burpee - 10
mtn climber - 10
j jacks - 10
Bench dips (to max)
Farmer walks (to max)
kettleball swings (10)
Heavy Ropes (rope variations, 20 reps)
Lunges +/- heavy hands
jump pull ups/pull-ups (15 reps)
Push-ups
Cardio mix
Jump rope
Treadmill/ellip/stairs/row
