Quote:
Originally Posted by PorscheGAL
Interesting fact: When doing a push up on your feet you are lifting the equivalent of 85% of your weight. On your knees it is 75%
I think that study has a lot of weaknesses. First and most important: Men who can do 40 real pushup (I'm talking if I put my fist under your chest you touch it and go back up) are working out on a regular basis. Pushups are not the cause of them not having heart disease, being fit and regular exercise is.
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Kind of a captain obvious post there, no offense. Then entire point was not pushups it was overall fitness. The point made in the article was the pushup observation was more accurate regarding who would have heart problems vs. the treadmill.
Also important to note, the test was performed on guys in their 40's or right at 40 years old. If someone in their 50's or 60's could drop and do 40 that is good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by epbrown
The advice is good and it actually is pretty simple. I'm 56 and the 20-somethings at work are always asking how I stay in shape. I tell them I exercise 20 minutes a day, 6 days a week. They always say "No way - you can't look like you do with 20 minutes a day." "Over the years, it adds up" I tell them.
That amount seems like nothing, but it comes out to 3 hours (and 600 pushups, to stay on topic) a week. If my schedule's hectic, I'll even drop it to just 10 minutes and try to fit in another 10 later in the day. Consistency is much more important that duration and volume, ime.
And considering that over 90% of the people you meet over 40 do nothing, doing even a little puts you way ahead of the pack. In the land of the blind, a one-eyed guy does pretty good even if he needs glasses.
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My Grandfather did 100 pushups and situps every morning his entire life, could still fit in his army uniform from WW2 when he was 80 years old. A lot to be said for a little bit every day.
20+ years ago I was just starting my own business, I went around to some competitors and offered my services as a sub contractor if they found themselves needing help. I was thrown out of most every office except one. I did jobs to help him, and eventually I would rent a room in his office. Imagine competitors sharing an office. He was a really great guy.
We moved to an office in a downtown area, once a week we would walk over to a British Pub after work, I would have a pint he would have a glass of chardonnay.
Richard was 52 years old at the time, I was 33 years old. One afternoon I asked him if he could give some advice to a younger guy starting out on his own, anything he learned that I could benefit from.
Richard told me to take care of myself, exercise, stay fit, do not drink or eat in excess and be sure to manage the stress well. He then went on to tell me his story. In his early 40's he started killing a 12 pack of beer every evening after work. He was 60 lbs over weight, depressed, stressed out and either working or drinking.
When he was 43 he had a heart attack, a pace maker was installed, doc put him on blood thinners and told him if he wanted to die, keep it up. He went on a diet, joined a gym and when I met him almost 10 years later he was fit and trim.
One afternoon I was in the office doing some drafting, Richard was supposed to meet a client at the office to go over a project. The client showed up a tad early, I told him Rich was probably on his way. Richard never showed up.
Seems he was standing in line at a grocery store, had a massive aneurysm and dropped dead in the middle of a Winn-Dixie. He was put on life support for 2 weeks, family said goodby, and he was unplugged. 53 years old.
I ended up purchasing his company from his widow and have owned it since July 2000. I honestly did not want it, I told his widow that too, it killed him and I did not want to be next. Once I purchased it I had to immediately hire on 2 people then 2 more a few months later to manage the workload.
Because of Richard I always keep an eye on myself, I try to always have some sort of exercise regiment and maintain my weight. I never let myself gain more than 10 lbs before I get into a diet mode.
Men in my family tend to have large beer bellies, my father does and my brother has battled weight all his life with it causing him problems like high blood pressure and migraines all the time.
At 53 I am on no meds, have no health issues and am grateful to Richard for that advice. That article was interesting to me and I was pleased I could bang out 40 push ups, seems the last 20 years of being conscious about my health is paying off.
EDit - My chest and triceps are in pain this morning 1 day later. Time to step up the gym game.