Kirk Charles

Good posture is the foundation for effective exercise, while poor posture can be a recipe for disaster. As the years creep up on us, we can lose strength and start slumping more as we sit and as we stand.

One of my clients was a politician who had a severely slumped upper back. It didnt help that he was always texting on his cell phone, so his head was tilted downward most of the day. Then, when he spoke to someone or looked at a computer screen, he lifted his head up with the slumped back. He complained of neck pain and should discomfort. This condition of a slumped back, rounded shoulders, with the head jutted forward while looking up, is commonly known as upper crossed syndrome. The symptoms only gets worse if were not consistently exercising to prevent it.

When we first met, I told him, Standing like that, you look like a weasel. He didnt look too pleased and I thought I was immediately fired. Then I said, If you stand up straight, youll look like a million dollars. That saved the relationship. Then I added, Plus, youll get a heckuva lot more votes in the next election! That immediately got his full attention and off to work we went.

Upper crossed syndrome is characterized by several issues. Tightness in the rotator cuff and pectoralis minor muscles, which round the shoulders and pulls them inward. Tightness in the upper traps and levator scapula pulls the head upward when the back is slumped. Weakness in the neck flexors make it harder to pull the chin down. And lastly, weakness in the lower traps, serratus anterior, and rhomboids (in the mid and upper back) pull the shoulders back and keep the scapula in place.

For my client, we did several stretches and exercises. One that was effective for his rounding shoulders was to do a pull apart with an exercise band. To start, grab a light resistance band, holding on to each end. Raise your arms slightly below shoulder height at a 45-degree angle (hands should be about three to four feet apart), as if they were laying on a tabletop. Keep your shoulders nice and relaxed, then pull your hands apart as far as you can with your palms facing the floor. When your hands have pulled all the way back, squeeze your shoulder blades together. This exercise strengthens your rhomboids, your serratus anterior, and pulls your shoulders back.

To engage and strengthen the lower traps, theres a slight variation. Go back to the starting position and pull your hands apart, just slightly more than a 45-degree angle. However, this time raise your arms upward toward the ceiling, as high as possible, into a Y position. This action helps to pull the scapula downward, forcing you to stand up straighter, which helps with the rounding of the upper back.

Aside from sitting and standing up straighter as much as possible, try this exercise three to four times per week. On each occasion, do 3 sets of 10 reps. With each rep hold your finishing position for about three to four seconds for maximum contraction to feel the squeeze.

After working on this with my client for about a month, his neck pain started to subside and we could see improvement with his posture. When dressed in a suit and tie he looked more powerfullike a winner. That work really paid off when he won his next election.

Author, fitness model, and trainer Kirk Charles, NASM-CPT CES , knows that as you get older, life can get more complicated. But that shouldnt prevent you from being on top of your game. Hell help to answer the tough training questions that come with age so you too can be Fit Beyond 40 . </strong...

How Men Over 40 Can Get Stronger to Stand Up Straighter

One dangerous thing we do in the 40-plus crowd is try to keep up with the young guns. As much as I admonish my clients for doing so, I fall into that trap myself all the time.

Last week I was doing some sprints at the track. I did a few 400s, 200s, and then I decided to jump into a few 100 meter sprints. I got through five sprints, feeling great and ready to go home, but a guy from the high school track team said, Hello, sir! Theres no way I could challenge him, but I just wanted to hear a Hey, thats pretty good, sir! Thats always a great ego boost for the ride home, so I decided to do one more sprintbad idea! At the 50-meter mark I tried to stride just a few inches longer and my left hamstring popped when my foot hit the ground. I immediately shrieked and limped back to the car with a, Be careful, sir.

I never got hamstring pulls when I was younger. But now that little bit extra on my stride isnt there, so I must be smarter about what I do. Also, I have an anterior pelvic tilt where my pelvis is rotated forward. This causes excessive curvature in the lower spine, which lengthens and weakens my hamstrings. To correct that issue, I like to do Swiss ball hip raises. Its one of the best exercises to strengthen the posterior chain (calf, hamstrings, glutes, and back muscles) and pull my pelvis back to a neutral position. But, without a Swiss ball at home, I do something very effective to target my glutes and hamstrings by simply using a chair.

Lie down on the floor, on your back, and place the heels of your feet on a chair. Point your toes to the ceiling and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Feel as though your ribs and your hips are locked together as your dig your heels into the chair to raise your tailbone and spine one inch off the floor. At this point your heels and your shoulder blades should be supporting your weight. By maintaining this <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25384017/isometric-exercises/" id="a1bba025-4ab9-3cb7-ad52-34d74bb3be06"> isometric hold </a> for 20 to 30 seconds, you will feel your lower hamstrings totally engaged. If this is too easy, raise one leg straight toward the ceiling and feel the burn one leg at a time.

Next perform the same isometric hold with your knees extended. For your starting position, your back should be on the floor and heels on the chair, with your toes pointing straight toward the ceiling. From this position there should be a straight line from your heels, through your knees, to your hips. Squeeze your glutes as tight as possible, as you drive your hips up toward the ceiling. In this isometric holding position, there should be a straight line from your heels, through your knees and hips, to your scapula. This version is more challenging as you will feel your upper hamstrings more engaged, along with your glutes. If you don't feel challenged, lift one leg into the air for maximum burn (switch out after your rep, of course).

This exercise has been a game changer for my weakening hamstrings. I cant imagine life without it, especially if I have a strain. I recommend three sets of isometric holds, for 20 to 30 seconds, with each version. Then repeat that once again for six sets of each for hamstring rehabbing and hamstring strength.

How Older Guys Can Strengthen the Posterior Chain

How Older Guys Can Keep Their Posterior Chain Strong

One of my first training clients had one simple goal: to take his shirt off at the beach. He was closing in on 50, not too proud of his physique, and felt his overall health sliding down quickly. His pecs and arms were his major concerns. He was angry, so he vowed to do whatever it takes to strengthen his core and gain pec definition. I suggested one of my favorite upper body moves for pec development and contour. And, as a bonus, youll get great core activation too.

The pec (pectoralis major) must be attacked from different angles because of its round shape and multiple points of origination. One point of origination is the sternum (breastbone) where the pecs come together in the middle of the chest. Once chest day rolls around, most people jump on the bench to press and focus only on those types of movements. But if you want to hit the sternocostal head of the pecs, you may want a different tool. One move that I've found is the single-arm fly. Especially when done with a resistance band, it adds great variety to your workouts and home gym.

From a standing position, mount your resistance band about six inches below shoulder height (this can be done sitting, or even better kneeling, as well). Stand facing your mounted exercise cable, holding it with your left hand. Your left arm and the cable should be fully extended, parallel to the floor, but not pulling on the cable. Then rotate your body approximately 45 degrees to the right. In this starting position, the straight line from your mounted cable, through your arm and to your shoulder should be midway between your arm fully extended in front of you and fully extended laterally. Essentially your arm is positioned 45 degree from the midline of your body.

From there, tighten your core and glutes; this will prevent the band from twisting you back towards it, and also prevent you from twisting away from the band with your torso. Look straight ahead, keeping your hips and shoulders square to the front. Tighten your shoulder blades as well; this is all key to making sure that your chest is the prime mover in the motion. Now, maintaining a soft bend in your elbow, pull the cable toward the center of your chest, as if hugging a tree. The band will increase in resistance as you reach your midline; use this and relish it, squeezing your chest that much harder. Return to the start position and repeat; do 10 to 12 reps per arm, then repeat on the other side. Do 3 sets. The exercise is a potent way to develop that sternocostal chest size and strength that all guys, whether in their 40s or not, crave, and its proof that you dont need to lift heavy, stratospheric weights to chase well-proportioned chest development. Attack this a few times a week, unless you have a history of shoulder issues or rotator cuff injuries. In that case, this move may not be for you.

Why Men Over 40 Should Try Single-Arm Flys

Author, fitness model, and trainer Kirk Charles, NASM-CPT CES, knows that as you get older, life can get more complicated. But that shouldnt prevent you from being on top of your game. Hell help to answer the tough training questions that come with age so you too can be Fit Beyond 40 .

Older Guys Should Add This Exercise to Their Chest Workouts

We all want to be able to maintain our strength beyond 40 years of age. Knowing that Father Time is undefeated, we must keep in mind that the body changesso the mental approaches we take to exercise will need to be malleable as well.

As you continue your workout regimen, consider these three ways you will be challenged that you might not have faced when you were younger. But with age comes experience, so depend on experience, hard-earned wisdom, and this advice to overcome them to be the fittest, strongest you possible.

You still have what it takes to maintain a high level of physical conditioning, although your physical powers may be diminishing.

Yes, this one may be a tough pill to swallow. The key is knowing when to test yourself against younger competition and when to back down for safety reasons. You were once a young gun in the gym, showing the old guys how it is donebut now the tables have turned.

Hubby and daddy time, plus a booming career, can translate to less time for workouts, therefore it is wise to only push yourself so far. Be sensible about adjusting (i.e. lowering) your weights and reps, and don't get yourself into a muscle-measuring contest with the young bucks. You've already earned respect.

Recognize that recovery time may be longer, so make use of it.

Bouncing back was a piece of cake in your 20s, but your 40s and beyond is a different story. If one day of recovery wont do after a hard training session, take two days and dont beat yourself up about it. During the extending recovery time, pull out <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25936990/foam-roller-reduce-pain-soreness/" id="d6749669-c0a0-3243-a0d9-b0195c0adc24"> the foam roller </a> and stretch, two things that may have been an anathema in your hotshot 20s.

A relaxing yoga or <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a21095588/pilates-exercises-for-men/" id="bd0b92dd-c2ac-3489-a804-8d86f3bc2c0a"> Pilates class </a> may be in order for <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a26827583/active-recovery/" id="e06a7de3-7230-3ea0-abc0-4e9c619f7893"> active recovery </a> . All those so-called wimpy, fun classes can be extremely beneficial to guys, especially those who pump iron. These activities may enhance your flexibility, mobility, and balance. In addition those classes will test your strength and endurance in ways that weights may not.

Warm up properly.

This may be difficult because your workout time may be limited. Who wants to waste it warming up? Burn, baby, burn, shower, and out the door is the philosophy of many; but there comes a time when that doesnt work anymore. As you age, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a22624688/mobility-exercises-men-over-40/" id="85ac94ba-3032-3c3d-a554-2a137bcd2537"> the warmup </a> may become critical, otherwise there may be no workout. Its best to start out with some light calisthenics to get the blood flowing, stretch your warmed up muscles, then start your strength training.

With those three challenges in mind, working out at 40 and beyond should be fun and effective. Remember, your primary goals should always be safety and injury prevention. Yes, you might have felt invincible back in the daybut now its a new day. Do the smart thing and enjoy the ride.

How Older Guys Can Keep Their Strength Gains Going

How to Overcome the Mental Challenges of Strength Training Beyond 40

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Kirk Charles

Articles written by the author

How Men Over 40 Can Get Stronger to Stand Up Straighter

How Older Guys Can Keep Their Posterior Chain Strong

Older Guys Should Add This Exercise to Their Chest Workouts

How to Overcome the Mental Challenges of Strength Training Beyond 40