Old Broken guys and fitness systems

[Eagle5US]

So...with all these "systems" out there, I'd like a little realistic input from some of the "older" (i.e. broken) guys. I have a lot of fitness experience, know how to "workout", martial arts guy, blah blah blah...

After 25 years in the Army, the readers digest version of my orthopedic medical VOLUME consists of surgical repair of 1 ankle, both knees, both shoulders (one twice) and 4 hand surgeries...along with a fracture in my elbow that I never had "fixed" so...well - you know, I have some aches and pains.

In any case...LAST deployment I saw guys doing the crossfit thing - my knees just wouldn't handle it. So I stuck with my weight training, did John Cena's program (yes the wrestler dude - and it was incredible with great strength results so screw you guys). At home I have a Bowflex and the Bowflex Dumbells with a gym quality elliptical. GREAT SYSTEM for me here...at the house.

I'll be going to A-Stan shortly and the newest "rage" (here at Bliss) is the P90X. I read the threads here regarding P90X...my bigger query is how it will affect major joints.

Crossfit is great and all - my joints just couldn't handle it. Taking a knee in full kit 100 times is a necessary evil. Isometric "body weight resistance kneeling" or repetitive both leg squats for PT is simply torture that affects me negatively on mission.

Open for input-

Eagle

[BigJimCalhoun]

We had P90X and sold it (another topic for another day)

P90X prescribes many body weight squats. Additionally, the Tuesday workout, Plyometrics, involves some standing long jumps and some other jumping type moves. I think these would stress your joints the most in the program. If you can do these without issue, the rest should be ok.

[adal]

Not broken but many, many miles. Minor knees stuff that will have to fixed in the future but not quite yet.
Got hooked on crossfit by a Flight nurse that I worked with. His wife got into it with major shoulder issues and she had good recovery with Crossfit.
I've got P90x too. I like it. Alot. The yoga part humbled me. Juijitsu, Shodakan, Team time etc and I think the yoga helped quite a bit. The Plyometrics mentioned in the other post is tough. However, he says "land easy". He tries to minimize the impact. For a DVD program, out of the box, if you follow it to the letter it will change who you are. It comes with a MS excel diet and workout plans. It comes with workouts. The workouts require minimal equipment. I personally like it. My .02 worth. Feel free to PM me for more. HTH

[Blitzzz (RIP)]

Of all the systems and programs spoken of here, I will state firmly that the Blitz system is the only thing New in the business. No other system delivers the strength or endurance of the Blitz. No other system will do this without pain. No other system can state no tendon or ligament wear or damage. There is also no cartledge damage or over use syndrome.

No other system strengthens the tertiary muscle fibers. Blitzzz

[Tacticalinterve]

Do you link for Blitz System?

I am in middle of training, to be ready for trip come end of Sept My knees have been rebuilt so many times I have zipper on the sides for easy entry by surgeon and running more than once a week hurts for days.

[Praetorian]

Of all the systems and programs spoken of here, I will state firmly that the Blitz system is the only thing New in the business. No other system delivers the strength or endurance of the Blitz. No other system will do this without pain. No other system can state no tendon or ligament wear or damage. There is also no cartledge damage or over use syndrome.

No other system strengthens the tertiary muscle fibers. Blitzzz

I found and downloaded the "Blitz Power Workout" PDF file.... If found it very interesting.... Are there any other places to learn/read more about it?

I have one good shoulder, one good ankle, my back functions about 7 months out of the year and when I walk down stairs on cold days my knees make a sound similar to a dog trying to get into a bag of potato chips.

I walk 4-6 miles 4-5x/wk but jogging is usually out of the question. Staying in shape is crucial given my back problem (I have had extended periods of near immobility due to a degenerative spine problem), but difficult because of everything else.

Thanks!

[Blitzzz (RIP)]

I am the creator of this system and can answer any questions you may have. If you send your E-mail address I can send you the whole package. I will also provide my phone number to field any questions.

[Razor]

I'm pretty well broken, and if your knees are as bad as you say, I'd recommend swimming laps. If you don't swim well, then you'll get a hell of a workout trying not to drown until you become better. No impact, and if you put just a little effort into it, I guarantee you'll get a substantial aerobic effect even after a short workout. Trust me--if I can swim laps, ANYBODY can swim laps; it just boils down to determination.

[frostfire]

I'm pretty well broken, and if your knees are as bad as you say, I'd recommend swimming laps. If you don't swim well, then you'll get a hell of a workout trying not to drown until you become better. No impact, and if you put just a little effort into it, I guarantee you'll get a substantial aerobic effect even after a short workout. Trust me--if I can swim laps, ANYBODY can swim laps; it just boils down to determination.

I second swimming. Having been a lifeguard and observed/talked with plenty "old" swimmers (both civilians and vets) with back and knees problems, the benefits are significant. With bad knees though, avoid breast stroke as it's rather hard on them. The folks at the pool do side stroke, back stroke, and freestyle. Also consider the AquaJog, fins, and hand paddles. The resistance made for an excellent all-around exercise for the microfibers.

[HQ6]

I am going through that now. While I am bot broken, I am badly bent. The nice thing is you can use cardio machines that put very little or no stress on joints to reduce the impact on the body. Currently I am using the eleptical machines for one to two hours a day for cardio fitness and weight loss.

AND

I'm pretty well broken, and if your knees are as bad as you say, I'd recommend swimming laps. If you don't swim well, then you'll get a hell of a workout trying not to drown until you become better. No impact, and if you put just a little effort into it, I guarantee you'll get a substantial aerobic effect even after a short workout. Trust me--if I can swim laps, ANYBODY can swim laps; it just boils down to determination.

AND....

I teach group fitness classes my favorite of which is Spinning. I have at least three to four guys in every one of my classes who have joint, tendon, and/or muscular issues ... I teach in an airborne town :) The thing about Spinning is that if you keep your form, you will burn almost as many calories minute for minute as running, increase your cardiovascular endurance, and (if this is a concern) even improve your running time all without putting undo pressure on your lower back or knees. Just make sure you find a decent instructor (preferable someone who has their Primary Group and/or Personal Training certifications as well as Spinning/RPM/Indoor Cycling) and make him/her aware of you physical limitations. They should be able to give you several options during the class to accommodate anything that feels awkward or uncomfortable to you.

All three of these are great cardio actives, and I would incorporate all of them into your workouts. Your body will adapt to what you are doing and cease to produce results unless you continually change up your routine (the premise behind muscle confuse of P90X). Consequently, a good way to continually improve your performance is to keep your body guessing.

For strength training, have you thought about Pilates, circuit training with lighter weight and heavier reps, or machine assisted lifting? Yoga would be great for increasing your flexibility and core strength.

[conrad30]

While not an expert on all (or any) things military, experience as an athlete, strength coach, trainer and consultant has afforded me some good lessons on training around injuries.
Understand that the fitness industry is based around "systems" because it is based foremost around making money. Trainers push "systems" because they have to convince prospective clients that their way is the only way. If they fail in doing so they risk losing money to competitors.
Rather than offer a system, I'd like to pass on a few bullet points that I passed on to my father, a 67-yr old former Marine who seems to be in a similar state of disrepair. If you add these few things to your current regimine, you will notice improvements in mobility and a reduction in pain.

1. SHOULDERS: Add rubber-band rotator cuff work on the day that you train either shoulders or bench pressing/ pushup movements. See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_zilegpVwY We forget that the shoulder is a 360 degree joint that operates similarly to a ball bearing. An imbalance between the major muscles (deltoids) and the stabilizers is to blame for most of the shoulder injuries that athletes sustain. This exercise will help rehab shoulders/ prevent future damage.

Another important exercise to include in any shoulder injury-prevention plan is the Reverse Flye. This exercise is performed by sitting backwards on a chest flye (pec deck) machine and using the rear deltoid muscle to pull the weight backwards. An imbalance between frontal and rear deltoid muscles is also to blame for many shoulder injuries. 4 sets of 8-10 at the end of a shoulder workout will improve shoulder health and posture.

2. KNEES: The biggest culprit in knee injuries is an imbalance in stength between the quadriceps (front of thigh) and the hamstrings. These muscles function as antagonistic rubber bands, so it is important that their strength is relative. Add 4 sets of 10-12 leg curls to the end of your lower body workout as a counter ovement to leg extensions/ squatting. Add stiffleg-deadlifts as well to stretch and strengthen the hamstrings to further injury-proof the joint. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=042cVau8Vw8

3. HIPS: Like the shoulder joint, the hip functions similarly to a ball bearing. For this reason it is important to strengthen the stabilizing muscles that cause the hips to rotate in the socket. View the following for some hip-friendly injury-proofing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMTErgLUF5g

4. LOWER BACK: Undertraining the lower back is a major reason for later-in-life back problems. The lower back is instrumental in stabalizing weight that is placed on your shoulders. (like a heavy pack) If you cannot perform back hyperextensions because of an injury, try adding Swiss-Ball Supermans to your workout on lower-body day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqZwPLruTjM
It is important to remember that the lower back is the antagonist to the abdominal muscles. Many military personnel encounter lowert back problems because their workouts any skewed towards heavy abdominal training, creating a major imbalance in torso stabilizers.

5. PROPORTION: It is important to mantain proportion in PT by including equal amounts of antogonistic movements. This general philosophy with help you avoid injuries and rehab current ones. Proportion will also prevent you from getting knocked out of alignment. The following is a list of antagonistic movements to major exercises to include in your routine.
Bench Press/ Pushups > Rowing Movements
Military Press > Pullups or Lat Pulldowns
Chest Flye > Reverse Flye
Squat/ Leg Extension > Leg Curl/ Stiffleg Deadlift
Crunches/ Situps > Back Hypers/ Swiss Ball Supermans

[greenberetTFS]

Of all the systems and programs spoken of here, I will state firmly that the Blitz system is the only thing New in the business. No other system delivers the strength or endurance of the Blitz. No other system will do this without pain. No other system can state no tendon or ligament wear or damage. There is also no cartledge damage or over use syndrome.

No other system strengthens the tertiary muscle fibers. Blitzzz

I have to agree,the Blitzzz system is working for me,but I don't,can't keep up with it completely.. :D It works even for an old fart like me(72 years old)...;)

Big Teddy :munchin

[Blitzzz (RIP)]

Adaptation is a strong part of muscle developement. The use of "muscle confusion" is a misnomer. Muscle fibers are an "all or nothing" contraction. Your brain determines how many is required to generate a given movement. ie, The Bicepts muscle crosses the elbow and "bends" the arm whether it is a full "bend" a half Bend or slow or fast is determined by the number of fibers recruited by the brain. The muscle is not confused, I Say Again, The muscle is not confused. It is a sales pitch. The muscle fiber recruitment is determined from birth in the supercomputer of your brain.

Picture A bunch of Egyption workers pulling a huge stone... it takes "X" number to pull a stone a given speed. To pull a larger stone or pull one faster requires the Rock Boss the "recruit more guys Pulling. Same with your Muscles.

Just My Zwei Centavos.. Blitzzz

[Tacticalinterve]

Blitz, sent an email through this website. My email is Tacticalslings@aol.com

Thanks for help

[Praetorian]

Been doing the blitz for a few days now.... So far I really like it....

I played football for 12 years (from 6th grade on) so Im not new to working out/ weight training...

This system seems a lot more practical and applicable to my current abilities/ goals.

[7624U]

Been pedaling my ass off on my mountain bike instead of running. Have been ejoying my lower body workouts alot more cause of it also.