New Rules of Exercise

Try the 50-40-10 Plan for Strength, Endurance and Longevity.

If you’re lifting weights the same way you did when you were at school, it’s time for a change. Forget the vanity muscles. Think strength and cardiovascular fitness. Your new goal: roughly 50% cardiovascular exercise (including warm up), 40% weights and 10% stretching. Here’s an easy program to get you started.

Monday

10 minutes on aerobic exercise (running, skipping, tennis or swimming) at a comfortable pace (60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate).

10 minutes of upper body strength training. Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps of the following; bench press, military press, lat pull downs, biceps curl and triceps extension.

15 minutes of aerobic exercise at a slightly more intense pace (70 to 85% of your maximum heart rate).

5 minutes of stretching. Pay attention to back and hamstring muscles. Hit both areas with a simple two step stretch. Lie on your back and draw your knees to your chest. Hold for 60 seconds. This stretches the lower back. Now put both feet flat on the floor, knees bent, and raise your left leg straight up toward the sky. Hold for 60 seconds, then repeat with the right leg. Do three reps of each stretch.

Wednesday

Do three circuits, hitting the weights from both the Monday and Friday workouts. Do eight to 12 repetitions of each lift, moving quickly between sets.

Friday

This is the same as Monday’s workout, except your 20 minutes of strength training will target the lower body. Do two sets of 8 to 12 reps of the following; leg extension, (quadriceps), leg curl (hamstrings) and abdominal crunch.

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