Dr. Jeff’s Weight Training Secrets

Since the dawn of the 20^th Century, developing personal resistance/weight training habits has become important for everyone and every age group. After age 30, as much as 5% of the total body muscle mass can be lost every year due to aging alone. There is evidence to suggest that total skeletal muscle mass declines in a linear fashion. By age 80, as much as 50% of all muscle mass (including the muscle tissue of the heart) is lost, a condition driven by age-related metabolic changes. This type of loss is classified as sarcopenia. It has been observed that obesity and fat infiltration into skeletal muscle both have a major impact on the development of this condition. Forcing all the muscle groups to work harder in controlled resistance training can greatly impact this metabolic change and subsequent loss. In short, you need to train with weights!

Excerpt  #1:

In other words, strength training does the body good and it is not just for the bodybuilders either. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends regular muscle-strengthening activities be done by adults of any age—especially seniors—several times a week to help prevent the natural loss of lean muscle mass that occurs for various reasons, as we age.

Excerpt #2:

A beginner can get started in any room of the home, within the hour, on nothing more than a written plan and a calendar to check off. That space suddenly becomes your personal workout space; it costs nothing extra in fees and is always available. Any Spartan equipment (e.g., weights or a mat) are always available and you know who used them last. The only real disadvantage, after the initial burst of motivation has worn off, is the lack of others working out around you. For some, this is not important—for others, a gym atmosphere can be the motivation needed to keep going when the going gets tough.

Excerpt #3:

My Advanced Professional plan should only be used by those who have experience in weight training and have been at it for a minimum of two years. This plan is designed for the professional who knows how to eat, supplement, and rest. If that isn’t you, you won’t recuperate properly or make any gains.

With this plan, eating and resting are very important. I strongly suggest after sixteen weeks on this plan that you take a week off to rest and recover—not only physically, but mentally as well.