I’m trying to come up with a very basic bodyweight programming for my mom. I think a circuit style training done every other day would be a good starting point. I want to make it simple and be something she can do at home, that way the actual scheduling can be flexible and she can do it whenever she has time.
Something like-
Hold a plank for 10 seconds
Knee push-upx5
Some sort of lungex5
Some sort of pullx5
Repeat 5 times. Rest as needed. Progression is adding reps until we get to 10 reps and increasing the plank hold up to 30 seconds, at which point we think of new things to do or choose more difficult exercises.
The problem is that I don’t know what kind of pulling she can do. She can’t do chin-ups and I don’t want her to attempt to do chin-up progressions without me as I’m worried she can hurt herself. I’ve looked up several horizontal pulls but they all require equipment that are difficult to have at home.
Would band pull-aparts and hanging off a bar be enough for now? Or should I get a 15lb-20lb DB and have her do DB rows with that?
For some added context- she is reasonably active and walks around a lot. She isn’t exactly over-weight, but she has never done any sort of resistance training. Her doctors suspect that she is going into pre-diabetic territory. That + difficulty falling asleep is why I’d like her to start doing some sort of resistance training. I’m hoping it fatigues her and helps her fall asleep better and starts building some muscle mass. Her diet is not great, but the good thing is that she has recently reduced food intake and so lost ~10lb just from that alone. I think it would be easy to ask her to eat some more eggs + drink olive oil throughout the day to increase healthy fat and protein intake.
I think rowing a gallon jug of water is a great idea. Just remembered that we have an 8lb DB at home, so she can try rowing that as well.
I tried the Doorway One-Arm Row and felt it in my lats immediately. I think this is great and something I should do as well. Hopefully she can do them.
I haven’t seen that exercise before, definitely seems like a good “hotel room” option. But I really doubt she’d be able to do it, mostly because it’s so reliant on grip strength, specifically finger strength.
If you have a band, you’ve got tons of options. Pull-aparts, 1 or 2-arm rows, pulldown variations anchoring the band to a doorframe or dresser. Without a band, I’d stick with reverse flye variations so you’re still developing the upper back. Zero weight, soup cans, or water bottles should be fine to start. Especially if you hold the top position for a second or three.
Also, in general, I really like the idea of Turkish get-up variations for older adults. They’re, literally, functional training for seniors. Even starting and ending the workout with 1-2 reps is a good start.
I’ve always had better luck getting beginners started with push-ups on the toes, feet wide for a better base, and hands elevated on a chair/bench/table. You get more total body stability and can progress easier as strength improves (bringing feet closer together and/or hands closer to the ground).
Bro. Is that really the best way to get more healthy fats into her diet? And do you think she’ll do it? And is she prepared for the bathroom-based aftermath?! What’s wrong with nuts? Tip: A Super Easy Way to Improve Your Nutrition
And if she’s pre-diabetic, the science behind apple cider vinegar is pretty solid for supporting insulin sensitivity. That’s something she can drink during the day. A spoonful/half a shot before meals or before bed would be a great idea.
[quote=“Chris_Colucci, post:7, topic:263915, full:true”]
I haven’t seen that exercise before, definitely seems like a good “hotel room” option. But I really doubt she’d be able to do it, mostly because it’s so reliant on grip strength, specifically finger strength.
If you have a band, you’ve got tons of options. Pull-aparts, 1 or 2-arm rows, pulldown variations anchoring the band to a doorframe or dresser. Without a band, I’d stick with reverse flye variations so you’re still developing the upper back. Zero weight, soup cans, or water bottles should be fine to start. Especially if you hold the top position for a second or three.
Also, in general, I really like the idea of Turkish get-up variations for older adults. They’re, literally, functional training for seniors. Even starting and ending the workout with 1-2 reps is a good start.[/quote]
Thanks for the ideas. I’ll try Turkish get-ups with her and see if she can do them.
The problem is that I don’t think she likes nuts that much. Shots of olive oil is really easy to do, while eating nuts can take time.
