Rebuilding Mum & Dad: Our basic strength training routine
To my eternal shame, my medical record features the immortal words: ‘Avoids even trivial exercise’.
I’m opening with this because it is ironic to find myself sharing my strength training routine and championing weight lifting for all – when I was once a person who told my doctor, back in 2009, that I was allergic to exercise.
And that was interpreted on my medical record as ‘avoids even trivial exercise’ – a bit harsh considering I was kind of joking, but there we go.
What it does show is that I am not naturally athletic, I’m not someone who has done a lot of exercise in my life and when I hit my fifties it was beginning to show.
Some of you will be aware that after I interviewed the physical therapist and strength coach Chris Reis on my YouTube channel who talked about the dramatic results he’d seen in older clients through training with weights, I made a decision along with my parents who are in their 80s, to really commit and go for it.
Rebuilding Mum and Dad
You might already be following their progress in the series Rebuilding Mum and Dad. I’ve had a few requests to provide an overview of the regimen we’re following and which is powering my parents to greater strength and mobility in later life as they aim to live better for longer.
Before I run you through our routine, I have to flag: I am NOT a fitness or strength training expert. As a journalist with an interest in healthy aging, I pick the brains of experts and scour research to bring you the best information I can on how to age well.
So, consider this article purely for your information, sharing what’s working for us.
Taking the Strength Training Plunge!
After my eye-opening interview with Chris Reis of Starting Strength gyms (who now coaches Mum and Dad), we were totally convinced.
We invested in a barbell rack and started working out together in the garage of my home. And in five months I felt I had made more progress than a year of working out at the gym three times a week.
Why the fast progress? Firstly, I’m more committed. Working out with Mum and Dad means I can’t skip a day or cheat, which is brilliant for accountability.
Plus, we’re following a program that hits all the major muscle groups using compound movements. That means we’re working multiple muscle groups at the same time, and that’s what has really moved the dial for all of us.
Just like my parents, I started super light and have slowly but surely progressed in weight, adding about 1 kilo (roughly 2 lbs) each week.
We only do a full weightlifting session twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays). I squeeze in a mini-session on Saturdays.
Our Weekly Weight Training Routine
Broadly speaking, I follow my dad’s weight program. Chris coaches my parents directly, assigning them a training schedule with specific weights. I pretty much just mirror what my dad is doing!
One year in, and now that my parents are approaching their genetic lifting potential their program is constantly tweaked by Chris to allow them to edge forward.
Where originally we were doing multiple reps at varying weights – the basis of our routine which is described below – as my parents began to lift very heavy (for them) they will typically do multiple warm-ups at lighter weights before building to their max.
They’ll then just do one or two reps at their top weight. Sometimes they make that top weight, sometimes they don’t and that is all part of the progress.
For instance, my dad has had to step back from his top deadlift weight of 94kg and rework upwards towards it so he could improve his grip on the bar and how he handles that weight.
My mum is usually given a range of 16 – 19kg on the overhead press, so if she can’t make the 19kg she will step back to a challenging weight she can handle on that day.
We use safety bars and we always have a ‘spotter’ where either myself or my eldest son will stand by to help out if a particular weight is too heavy to continue with – particularly on the bench press.
The following sets out the core routine that we followed for much of our first year.
Monday: Squats, Bench Press & Deadlifts
On a Monday, we kick things off with a weighted squat. Dad and I warm up with a set of 5 unweighted squats, then we do another 5 with a 20-kilo (44lb) bar, then incrementally do a couple of reps at higher weights, building to our top weight.
It’s challenging, but boy is it effective!
My mum on the other hand uses a weighted vest which you can add up to 20 separate 1kg weights to. She started at the bare minimum of just 1kg squatting to a bench. When she reached around 18kg on the vest, we lowered the bench height as well as the weight on the vest so she is now squatting a few cm deeper and has built up to 20kg again.
Eventually she may do full-depth squats using the bar like my dad and I.
Next up is the bench press, one of the tougher ones for me. Again, we warm up with lighter weights before pressing our top weight.
We finish the Monday session with deadlifts. Dad and I warm up with a set of 5 at 50 kilos and then we work our way up to our top weights (Dad lifts over 200lbs) which we’ll usually do a couple of reps of.
Thursday: Squats, Rack Press & Deadlifts
On a Thursday, it’s a similar routine that starts with the squat, but we swap the bench press for an overhead rack press. We warm up with lighter weights again, then typically do multiple reps and set at our top weight.
My mum’s routine now differs from ours in that she no longer squats on a Monday, but instead does the rack press twice a week to target her weakest muscle groups. She still squats on Thursdays.
Supplements and health tools we use
The Payoff: More Than Just Muscle
We’ve been doing this since January and while my weight has stayed roughly the same, I’ve definitely gained more muscle and muscle definition. I look more toned head to toe – as do my parents. Our weight is more evenly distributed.
But the most important thing is how strong we feel, and how that feeds into so many aspects of daily life like:
- Lifting the vacuum cleaner
- Taking the bins out
- Carrying shopping bags with ease
- Bouncing up stairs with no problem at all
- Being able to crouch right down to the floor and spring back up without touching anything
For my mum who has severe muscle loss in her back and was unable to walk for more than 30 seconds unaided just a year ago, she can now hold her back up straight and walk at speed for over 6 minutes. And she is determined to be able to walk upright again unaided for much longer periods of time.
We have full function because we’re strength training. I’m banking muscle for my future, hoping to maintain this independence in later life – and my parents are doing everything in their power to hold on to their health and mobility because muscle brings with it a range of benefits, way beyond strength.
It’s Never Too Late!
If you’re starting later in life, it’s so reassuring to know that it’s never too late.
And what I’ve also noticed – and this is possibly the most powerful thing – is that the stronger I get physically, the less focused I am on facial aging.
When I started exploring aging in my late 40s, my focus was mainly on my skin. I projected all my fears and insecurities about aging onto the lines on my face, as if stopping them would keep me youthful.
But what truly keeps us youthful, energized, and able is muscle mass. When you have it, you can’t feel anything but youthful, because in many ways, it’s the foundation of youth itself. As a major store of glucose, the more muscle you have, the more it helps regulate your blood sugar – and unregulated blood sugar is a huge driver of disease and inflammation.
When you’re standing tall, walking fast and strong, you exude a youthful energy, and it permeates everything.
I want to convince as many people as I can in my lifetime to focus on building their muscle mass into old age to have a better quality of life and stay independent and mobile for longer.
Make sure to follow our progress in the free series ‘Rebuilding Mum and Dad’ on The Honest Channel.
Beyond the Weights: My “Extras”
Like I said, I’m not pretending to be an authority on the perfect strength-building workout, but I wanted to share what we’re doing and how it’s helping.
These are a few other exercises I do with big benefits.
Daily Extras:
- 10,000 Steps: This has been my daily basic for years now. I usually get there by taking our dog to the park or the grounds of an old castle near our home – they’re amazing at this time of year! For those of us who can, a daily walk should be non-negotiable. It’s proven to improve heart health, strengthen bones and muscles, boost mood and cognitive function, increase energy levels, and help with weight management.
- Moving After Meals: Equally non-negotiable is moving in some way after eating. Whether you’re walking, squatting, hopping, just being active for 10 minutes or so helps regulate your blood sugar levels, which is so important for our overall health as we age.
- Incline Walking: With each walk, I make sure to get in some incline walking. That’s easy here in Edinburgh since it’s quite a hilly city! When I see an incline, I deliberately charge it, power walking up for aerobic exercise. Incline walking is particularly good for your glutes (which I really needed to strengthen!), as well as your hamstrings and calves, and it significantly increases the cardiovascular challenge compared to flat walking.
My “Bonus” Moves:
Beyond the strength training and general activity, there are two other things I try to add in regularly:
- Hopping: I hop around 40 times on each foot most days. Why? Hopping is a high-impact, weight-bearing exercise that helps support bone density and strength, particularly in the lower body, and it helps with balance too.
- Push-ups: I try to do 15 push-ups a few times a week. I do these largely because I’m so thrilled that I can do them, and I want to see how far I can take it! But they’re also a fantastic all-round strengthening exercise.
Our Equipment
The equipment we use at home is listed here. Please note links are affiliate which means I earn a small commission on any purchases made using my links.
We purchased our strength training equipment through Mirafit https://mirafit.co.uk/#a_aid=honest
We bought the M100 Power Rack with Barbell and Weights Set. Additionally we bought a lighter weight 6ft Olympic bar at 7kg for my mum to train with along with a set of micro plates in 0.25, 0.5 and 1kg.
We also use a Zelus weighted vest (0.5 – 20kg/45lb) from Amazon https://amzn.to/4admy9f – if out of stock this is a very similar vest https://amzn.to/3Iolu8H
My dad also uses a 3-inch leather weighlifting belt (gold standard). My mum and I use RDX belts.
