Exercises that people over 50 shout NOT do?

B

Braille

Cathlete
I usually disregard "new" fitness opinions. I consider most things a fad/opinion until I see 3 research studies that support the claim - only then, do I take it seriously enough to consider it fact and consider making changes. I have been hearing a LOT, though, about exercises that one shouldn't do after a certain age (usually 40 or 50 or they'll mention seniors). Recently, some of these claims are being made by physical therapists. Now... I DO take the claims of chiropractors, physical therapists, and orthopedic doctors/surgeons seriously, because they are often dealing with injuries and have knowledge of what caused those injuries, even if they haven't done a research study on it. There are quite a few moves that shouldn't be done, because most people do them incorrectly. I'm careful with my form, and find Cathe's form pointers to be an excellent reminder that keeps me focused. BUT, I keep coming across 2 exercises that specialists in the field say cause more risk/damage than good even with proper form: Weighted squats and weighted deadlifts. Cathe always seems to be 10 steps ahead of everybody in fitness knowledge/research, and she still uses those exercises in her workouts. So, can anybody shed some light on this subject? Have any of you had issues with these exercises? Have your doctors expressed concern? Does anybody skip, modify, or substitute these exercises due to concern that they could be harmful? Or are you still doing them as shown in the workouts, because of the benefits they provide? Has Cathe ever addressed this info (videos and articles) in any of her articles, on her F.B. page, or in response to a similar question about specific exercises over a certain age? I don't trust everything on the internet, so I just wondered if anybody was familiar with research or evidence from a trusted source that recommends not doing or continuing to do them with from form.
 
Interesting. The cautions I've read & heard for squats and deadlifts is FORM is Everything. Cathe even says it. She did change her recommendation on form for squats and deadlifts in STS2.0 - no pelvic tilt at the top like they were showing in earlier workouts. She also changed the form for lateral raises to about a 30° angle lift (keep it in the scapular plane). I've read and heard physical therapists and trainers caution against Arnold and barbell military presses and barbell upright rows too - too much strain on the shoulders. Crunches are no-no if you have back issues (degenerative discs, bulging discs, osteopenia/porosis). One trainer for older peeps suggests deadlifts should be modified to Romanian deadlifts and single-leg RDL instead of traditional deadlifts (which is the form Cathe usually uses - she usually puts RDLs in with leg workouts as RDLs target the hamstrings and glutes more).

I'll be interested to read if there are other tips.
 
Debinmi, yes, those are some of the others that I'd heard about, and I was familiar with most of the changes (ex. 30 degree angle lift for lateral raises), but I kind of forgot that they used to be done another way, because is so good at form pointers and keeping us educated that I just automatically do it at the 30 degree angle (even on older videos) without even thinking about it. I own STS, but have not done it in its entirety, so I was not aware of the pelvis position change - Thank You! I will need to start making that change and practice it until it becomes natural/habit. I'd worked out for so much of my life that when I came back to it after about 2 years of not having a workout program, I found most of my form was still good. The exercises where I struggled with good form weren't because I didn't know how to perform the exercise correctly, but because of muscle imbalances and plain old balance issues (ex. had to do push ups slower to give my left side the chance to push me up at the same side as my right side or I couldn't have weights in my hands when doing a lunge, because I needed to hold my arms out to the side for balance). I modified, rather than sacrificing form, though, so now my body is starting to cooperate, and I can do most moves (still not with a lot of weight) with proper form. Deadlifts are one, though, that never came naturally - I've always had to "overthink" them to make sure I was doing them correctly, so that's what reminded me to ask, because if any recommendations on form had changed... now is the time for me to be making those. I'll check out STS2.0 and check out those squats and deadlifts. Thank you. :)
 
When I see something saying people of a certain age should or shouldn't do this or that, I dismiss it as click bait.
Knowing someone’s age isn’t enough to make statements about what they can and can’t do.
I listen to my body. I am comfortable with squats and deadlifts. I have found that I want more stretching and flexibility movement as I age. If I miss my stretches, that’s not good. Are there exercises that I stay away from that I used to do? No, can’t think of any. I had problems with lunges until STS2 which had great form and slowner moves. I prefer a minute rest after a set nowadays. My recovery gets more attention than it used to.
 
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Braille said:
I usually disregard "new" fitness opinions. I consider most things a fad/opinion until I see 3 research studies that support the claim - only then, do I take it seriously enough to consider it fact and consider making changes. I have been hearing a LOT, though, about exercises that one shouldn't do after a certain age (usually 40 or 50 or they'll mention seniors). Recently, some of these claims are being made by physical therapists. Now... I DO take the claims of chiropractors, physical therapists, and orthopedic doctors/surgeons seriously, because they are often dealing with injuries and have knowledge of what caused those injuries, even if they haven't done a research study on it. There are quite a few moves that shouldn't be done, because most people do them incorrectly. I'm careful with my form, and find Cathe's form pointers to be an excellent reminder that keeps me focused. BUT, I keep coming across 2 exercises that specialists in the field say cause more risk/damage than good even with proper form: Weighted squats and weighted deadlifts. Cathe always seems to be 10 steps ahead of everybody in fitness knowledge/research, and she still uses those exercises in her workouts. So, can anybody shed some light on this subject? Have any of you had issues with these exercises? Have your doctors expressed concern? Does anybody skip, modify, or substitute these exercises due to concern that they could be harmful? Or are you still doing them as shown in the workouts, because of the benefits they provide? Has Cathe ever addressed this info (videos and articles) in any of her articles, on her F.B. page, or in response to a similar question about specific exercises over a certain age? I don't trust everything on the internet, so I just wondered if anybody was familiar with research or evidence from a trusted source that recommends not doing or continuing to do them with from form.
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Braille, last Nov I did a deadlift workshop and haven't been the same since. I way overdid it due to encouragement from others in my class. I have sworn off Weighted squats and weighted deadlifts - no weights on my shoulders at all. I still do them with lighter dumbells. My body definitely told me to stop. Still not over it 8 months later.
 
Nickisteen, I agree. I'm so glad we've had Cathe encouraging us to listen to our bodies (clear back when others were still preaching "no pain, no gain"). I have enough shoulder, neck, and upper back issues (not caused by working out) that I already substitute dumbbells for barbell work with weighted squats. I've considered a weighted vest, wondering if that would work better (not have to hold as much weight in my hands/wrists - they need a lot of breaks/rest), but honestly, I'm not lifting heavy enough yet to invest in one. Deadlifts... my body is still saying I can do them, but that is the one exercise that I have to really concentrate on my form - always have. It's never become a muscle memory thing for me, for some reason. I'm sorry you overdid it in that workshop - that's definitely not the kind of encouragement we need. Glad you're listening to your body and doing what it needs. We only get one, so taking care of it is so important.
 
I always fall back on "ask your doctor" - since your doctor, if you're good about seeing him or her, hopefully has a long background knowledge of your health and past injuries.

Now, I'd maybe say some of those moves are moves you shouldn't do if you're new to exercise and don't have anyone around to watch your form - and perhaps older adults who haven't been very active in their past are more prone to injuries with those exercises if not executed correctly. That's the audience I'd assume those warnings are aimed at.

For me, every single time I tell my doctor or chiropractor or physical therapist that I do weight training, I always get a giant "GREAT" from them, and if they were handing out gold stars, I'm sure I'd get those, too.

Not a one of them has ever said "You lift weights? Ermehgerd - stay away from deadlifts for the love of God!"

Again - check with your doctor, check with your doctor, check with your doctor. If a study sounds scary or concerning, check with your doctor.
 
Kellyro, I've found doctors to be very unknowledgeable about the specifics of nutrition and exercise. I have utilized for doctors for health concerns (after the fact), but for prevention... I've had no luck. My dad ran into the same problem, and frustrated, he asked... "how much of your schooling covers nutrition and exercise?" The answer... 2 hours on nutrition and zero for exercise. I was shocked! No wonder my dad has to use Google to find out how to feed himself (he's diabetic). I haven't been able to afford insurance since they did that government thing that raised the prices and the deductibles (my at-home job doesn't offer it), so I rarely go to a doctor and have to be preventative. I ask my son's doctors all the time about these topics and I end up with vague answers like "exercise is good for you" or "eating healthy is important". lol I once mentioned to a doctor that I ate "clean" (no chemicals in my food) and she thought I'd become a vegan! lol Another doctor thought the same thing when I mentioned "plant-based" diet - said I didn't weigh enough to be on a diet and that vegetarians and vegans are unhealthy (which not only is that NOT what plant-based means, but I have friends that are vegan/vegetarian and they are incredibly healthy - 1 still swing dances in her 80s!). My chiropractor was much more knowledgeable than the dozens of doctors my son and I have dealt with over the years, but I can no longer afford a chiropractor... so, I rely on good form, accurate and thorough research, and listening to my body. I had a 2 year break from exercise, but I'm not new to it - just getting back into something I've loved doing my entire life - being fit. :) I love learning more about it, and I've been "out of the loop" for awhile, so I'm trying to play "catch up". I know Cathe keeps up on it - that's probably one of the many reasons that she's been my favorite instructor for decades.
 
Medicine in the U.S. is very specialized. If you're diagnosed with something like diabetes you'll be referred to an endocrinologist and a registered dietician. If I break a bone or have a joint issue I'm referred to an orthopedic surgeon and physical therapy. If I have a GI issue, off to the gastroenterologist. Etc. No one can specialize in everything. A General Practioner or Family Provider are generalists - they often rely on specialists to treat certain conditions.

I changed my primary provider this year. I was pleased to discover one of her hobbies is weight training. Does that mean she knows all about exercise? Doubtful unless her undergrad degree was exercise physiology or kinesiology. Is she an expert in nutrition? Doubtful unless her undergrad was nutrition science. Does having a certificate in personal training make you an expert? Not necessarily. Do your own research, but be sure the source is qualified and not biased to sell you a product or service. Use experts who are well trained in their specialty and stay up-to-date.
 
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This is very interesting. For me, I no longer do deadlifts. Deadlifts kept throwing my back out no matter how perfect my form was. My chiropractor was the one that told me to avoid them to see what happens, well, my back does not bother me at all - no issues ever since I stopped doing deadlifts. I can still do weighted squats but never, ever put anything on my shoulders. To increase the weight for squats, I have 4, 6 and 10 pound weighted vest that works wonderful. But again, no deadlifts for me and there are other exercises that can work your hamstrings. I do one that Cathe has on other videos - hamstring roll-ins with a ball, whew!! You can feel those hamstrings.
 
Kellyro77 said:
For me, every single time I tell my doctor or chiropractor or physical therapist that I do weight training, I always get a giant "GREAT" from them, and if they were handing out gold stars, I'm sure I'd get those, too.
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My doctor, general practictionner has no clue about what i actually do. she I knows I am active to keep myself fit and healthy. I have reached out at some point to a surgeon, endochrinologist and other specialists. The physical therapist who looked after my calcified shoulder knew i was into lifting and advised nothing.They have all encouraged me to carry on doing "whatever" I do. They are very happy with that.

That being said, I do believe one rule does not fit all therefore should not apply to everyone when it comes to exercices. Each body is different. One born with condition such as scoliosis is for sure limited in terms of equipment choice, for example while performing squat. One should not use barbell because of the spine misalignment. It is not about the age, it is about the physical condition of the person.

In Europe, doctors are specialised in a choosen, specific field. Most of them do not really know much about weight lifting. So far, none of them has stepped out of the scope of what they actually practice.

Kellyro77 said:
Not a one of them has ever said "You lift weights? Ermehgerd - stay away from deadlifts for the love of God!"
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Thank goodness, No one has ever DARED say that to me! :D hmm, unconfident boyfriend/partners tried but......That is definetely a huge RED flag for me. @Kellyro77
Deadlift is one of my favourite. I want to do it in every possible variation lol, till I hit the grave:D:D

Ok each their own YOU do you.
Each their own skeleton folks!;)
 
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