Here are some mistakes I see, especially in women over 40:
1. Training to get sore – sure you want to feel the areas you are working, but soreness in and of itself, is not an appropriate goal of training. Training with proper technique to get the results you want is your goal.
2. Training to sweat – Yes, it’s good to sweat. This is how our body regulates temperature and gets rid of metabolic waste, but when the sole purpose of your training session, you are very likely keeping your nervous system jacked up and cortisol high. You need recovery workouts and workouts that you are focused on lifting weights (and you might not sweat all that much)
3. Training to burn the max calories – Lifting doesn’t burn as many calories during a session as does a long run, but you NEED to lift weights, especially if you are in your 40s and over. When you lift weights the calories burn benefits come later. You burn calories over the next 24-36 hours, plus you are building muscle that uses a lot of energy (aka calories) to move around, not to mention the benefit to your hormones. Plus, if you are trying to do damage control for poor eating, you’ll never make up for all the crappy eating.
4. Training to keep your heart rate up – Your heart rate can only go so high for so long and then you need a break. Your output will decline. You won’t be as productive.
5. Training for over an hour – I’m talking to the moms, women who work outside the home and NOT to the bodybuilders or elite athletes. Do your workout in under an hour – you’ve got enough stressors in your life and don’t need your workouts to add to the stress load.
6. Training every single day – Move, walk, focused breathing – YES! However, to train hard and heavy 6-7 days a week is unnecessary for most women 40+. You’ve got a life to live after all!
