Q: At 57 I feel a real difference in my performance stamina. I would like to learn more about efficient and effective weekly OC-1 workouts to keep me in shape without killing myself, so I can jump on a long run anytime.
Do more hard training.
Efficient and effective training for your age requires sprint interval training and lifting heavy weights.
Comfortable, low intensity training will not get you the performance stamina you are looking for.
If you don’t “kill yourself” you will loose your edge.
KEY CONCEPT
Estrogen falls and stress hormones rise in menopause.
Sprinting and lifting heavy weights increases good hormones and decreases bad hormones.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT?
Since it is harder to gain muscle and you are naturally burning less fat after menopause, lifting weights and sprinting counters muscle loss and body composition change that you face at your age.
• Sprinting will increase lean muscle mass.
• Sprinting reduces stress and fat storage.
• Sprinting will make you faster and improve your endurance.
• Weight lifting will stop muscle wasting.
• Weight lifting will make you stronger.
• Weight lifting will increase your metabolism.
• Weight lifting will improve your paddling efficiency.
What’s not to love?
BE AWARE
If you can not get your heart rate high when paddling, get coaching support to improve your paddling stroke.
Some paddlers struggle to reach a high heart rate paddling because they have not developed good technique. Using your whole body is the foundation for being able to work hard when paddling.
You can still do effective training on a bike, on a rowing machine, on a treadmill, or by doing hill repeats.
SPRINT INTERVAL TRAINING
50 minute sprint interval training workout example:
• Warm up – 15 minutes easy paddling
• 6 x 30 seconds as fast as possible / 30 seconds very easy paddling,
• Rest for 4 minutes
• Repeat 2-3 times
• Cool down – 10 minutes
Do not take it easy. Except during the warm up and cool down.
It’s got to be hard. Very Hard. The kind of hard training where your face is bright red, you are sweating profusely, you can not speak, and you dread the next interval.
Repeat this two to three times a week.
MORE IMPORTANT DETAILS
Fuel Appropriately
Building and maintaining muscle happens because of plant and animal protein. You need more protein post menopause. (read about protein here)
Intense paddling requires energy from carbohydrate sources and your blood sugar and insulin response changes after menopause. You need to eat carbohydrates right before to be able to hit intensity. (read about carbohydrates here)
Focus on Recovery
When you train hard, you need to recover harder.
Do less training, make the training you do harder, and make sure you have recovered before you go again.
This is the most difficult concept for people to grasp – do less, but do it harder.
Paddle Specific Training
You still need to prioritize your ocean skills, but you do not need to prioritize long or easy training.
Are you sprinting or are you working on surfing? Make sure every session has a purpose.
Your ability to chase and catch waves and do long runs will improve when you train sprint intervals and lift weights.
You need to lift (heavy for you) weights .
After menopause the absence of estrogen means we don’t build muscle the same anymore and we lose muscle more quickly.
Lifting heavy weight will help restore lost muscle, increase your metabolic rate, burn more fat at rest, help your joint stability, improve bone density, improve your cardiovascular health and your immune system.
Strength also makes you more efficient, which actually makes it easier to work hard!
The pro’s are out of this world! Get support if lifting is new to you.
IN SUMMARY
Embrace Hard Training
While our dear paddler asks “how do I stay in shape without killing myself” I’m afraid you will have to embrace the pain of intensity.
You need to push it. Don’t fall for society’s bullshit that aging means slowing down.
Increase your strength, keep your intensity high and pay attention to protein and carbohydrates before and after training. You’ll love the results.