Training for Vet class 50+

TerryB
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2836
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Cambridge, MN, USA
12/23/2015 11:18pm
This hits close to home with me , as I am recovering from an extensive rotator cuff rebuild. I just want to go ride with some guys my age, (50), but I have not been able to raise my left arm above chest height in 2+ years. This is a major accomplishment!
1
12/23/2015 11:51pm
TerryB wrote:
This hits close to home with me , as I am recovering from an extensive rotator cuff rebuild. I just want to go ride with some...
This hits close to home with me , as I am recovering from an extensive rotator cuff rebuild. I just want to go ride with some guys my age, (50), but I have not been able to raise my left arm above chest height in 2+ years. This is a major accomplishment!
I've had 3 rotator cuff rebuilds, yep painfull, hard to sleep (trying to get your arm in the right position) but it will come-back, then just push through the discomfort, you'll burn ;-)
1
Jrewing
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2863
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1/4/2014
Location
AU
12/24/2015 3:37am
I'm nearly 40 and only do stuff that's fun... mtb'ing but mostly down ways. Some squash. Ride mx once a fortnight- time doesn't allow much more( plus it's 11/2 hrs away). No gym work- if I'm lifting shit I wanna be paid for it!!!
Drink a few beers a week, eat anything to moderation
Wahtash
Posts
73
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11/23/2010
Location
Bunnell, FL, USA
12/24/2015 4:46am Edited Date/Time 12/24/2015 4:49am
My thoughts,

You ride to ride better, you don't train to get faster. You train to ride more. Training should allow you to spend more time on the bike perfecting riding skills and allow you recover faster from injury.

Riding more often should make you ride better and should reduce the amount of time you spend on the ground rather than on the bike.

Flexibility is just as important as strength and endurance.

1

The Shop

Gary105
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196
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2/10/2014
Location
Douglas, MA, USA
12/24/2015 4:57am
This is some very good input guys... Alot of mixed feelings about what you want out of riding and racing. Some for fun and just a good time and some for the same but the desire to keep that competitive edge rolling thru there later years. I may be 50yrs old but feel like i am in my 20's and have never been the type that wants to finish anything but 1st. Myself i will be training my ass off to be as fit as i can be come spring time.
1
Highsider
Posts
7679
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Way Toasty, IA, USA
12/24/2015 5:15am Edited Date/Time 12/24/2015 5:17am
I still race, but my “conditioning/workout routine” has fizzled out over the past two years.
Never a serious injury in 46-years of riding moto.
It is winter here, but at 63 I still have plans for racing two classes in ’16.
1
Indy mxer
Posts
1875
Joined
6/15/2010
Location
The Villages, FL, USA
12/24/2015 5:41am
58 years old and still running. I started running when I was 24 and never quit. Guess you could say I'm addicted.
Also go to the gym and do some weights a couple times a week, not heavy.
Helps to have a 59 year old wife that's very fit and loves to do cardio. We motivate each other.

I don't race as much as I'd like to due to my job but ride as often as I can. Still love to ride mx after all these years.

I eat what I want but in moderation. No soda and very little sugar. But I do like/love my Coors Light and craft beer.
Especially after a day of riding. Great way to cap off the day with my riding buddies.

Running works for me but isn't for everyone. I'm a big believer in doing some kind of cardio whether you ride moto or not. There's a bunch of ways to do cardio. Just find one that works for you.

It improves your quality of life as you get older. Plus you'll feel better all the way around.

1
1stSSPZ
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257
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Location
Lubbock, TX, USA
12/24/2015 5:52am
Indy mxer wrote:
58 years old and still running. I started running when I was 24 and never quit. Guess you could say I'm addicted. Also go to the...
58 years old and still running. I started running when I was 24 and never quit. Guess you could say I'm addicted.
Also go to the gym and do some weights a couple times a week, not heavy.
Helps to have a 59 year old wife that's very fit and loves to do cardio. We motivate each other.

I don't race as much as I'd like to due to my job but ride as often as I can. Still love to ride mx after all these years.

I eat what I want but in moderation. No soda and very little sugar. But I do like/love my Coors Light and craft beer.
Especially after a day of riding. Great way to cap off the day with my riding buddies.

Running works for me but isn't for everyone. I'm a big believer in doing some kind of cardio whether you ride moto or not. There's a bunch of ways to do cardio. Just find one that works for you.

It improves your quality of life as you get older. Plus you'll feel better all the way around.

I agree with your thoughts on running. 25 years in the Army as a grunt, you had to get hooked on running! Smile Doc finally said to stop, ruining whats left of my knees. I still miss it and agree it did help me every day.
kkawboy14
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11486
Joined
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Location
USA
12/24/2015 6:53am Edited Date/Time 12/24/2015 6:54am
I hate running not sure why but man is it boring.
I really like mountain biking and I'm trying to do more of that for part of my work out. Busted out 2 25 minute motos last night.
1
lumpy790
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11707
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9/18/2007
Location
York, SC, USA
12/24/2015 8:19am
I loved running but my knees can not take it any more.

I have a rower that has been used maybe 10 times since buying it a couple years ago....so will step that up some.

I like mountain biking and will be doing that again daily.

My 1st think is going to be getting a OK from my DR and a stress test to make sure the heart system is 100%

2
swtwtwtw
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1287
Joined
4/16/2008
Location
Apple Valley, CA, USA
12/24/2015 8:28am
54 here, I average 5 hours a week of cardio (including my once a week ride/race at a mx track). This year it has been "shuffling", I refuse to call it what it used to be "running". I have used an elliptical, and cycling in the past. When I race I generally ride 2 classes at events where the moto lengths at 15-20 minutes long. Racing back to back motos are generally not a problem. No alcohol, but I do smoke less than a pack a day. Lately I have been sporadically adding push ups every other day for strength (per my Marine Corp son's suggestion). I am not getting faster, but I do like having the fitness to ride as long as I want and not slow down.
1
Insider347
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Location
Raleigh, NC, USA
12/24/2015 9:09am
Seat time and have fun.
kkawboy14
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USA
12/24/2015 9:55am
Steel cut oatmeal or yogurt....I forgot what eggs, bacon, toast and grits tastes like!

Stamp it
kaptkaos
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1087
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Location
Miami, FL, USA
12/24/2015 9:59am
I am 47 and do pretty much the same as many mentioned here.I eat clean and I do the 3 P90X Strength routines every M-W-F and on T and TH I do T25 cardio and row on the Concept 2, or ride 1.5 hrs on the MTB during DST. Weekends I usually do a 2 hour MTB ride if I am not riding the Moto. I dont race because I do not want to get hurt, I just enjoy riding moto again after a 30 year layoff. I do notice that the Vets are WAY FASTER than they were back when I was kid...I might try a race again in 2 years when I am 50 and have more time on the bike and these fast 50+ guys are a little older...
1
brewrabb
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362
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4/1/2008
Location
CA
12/24/2015 11:07am
kaptkaos wrote:
I am 47 and do pretty much the same as many mentioned here.I eat clean and I do the 3 P90X Strength routines every M-W-F and...
I am 47 and do pretty much the same as many mentioned here.I eat clean and I do the 3 P90X Strength routines every M-W-F and on T and TH I do T25 cardio and row on the Concept 2, or ride 1.5 hrs on the MTB during DST. Weekends I usually do a 2 hour MTB ride if I am not riding the Moto. I dont race because I do not want to get hurt, I just enjoy riding moto again after a 30 year layoff. I do notice that the Vets are WAY FASTER than they were back when I was kid...I might try a race again in 2 years when I am 50 and have more time on the bike and these fast 50+ guys are a little older...
Wow, way to make an old guy feel shame!
Tim507
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3489
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Location
Oregon City, OR, USA
12/24/2015 11:44am
63 here, eat clean, minimal alcohol , plenty of sleep and a good attitude. This winter I'm doing some City League Slalom Ski Racing and XC Skiing.

Looks like the weather will give us a break this weekend and I will go to Woodland Saturday on my way back from Seattle.

Below is my home workout setup.



1
kaptkaos
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Miami, FL, USA
12/24/2015 12:00pm
Nice setup!

I use the same equipment too but I have some Bowflex adjustable Dumbells that I use for weights and I use bands on the door. Dropping the weight and cleaning up the diet has made a huge difference in my quality of life. I actually started getting in shape long before I ever thought of getting back into moto. Never drank or smoked, so that was not a problem, it was mostly the pizza, burgers, and ice cream and sedentary lifestyle that did me in. Only now after 5 years of training and MTB that I considered getting back on a bike after 30 years, and even so, it has humbled me and made me think that everything I have been doing.....is still not enough! Moto has gotten a lot more extreme than it was back in the 80's.

My 450 feels like it can yank my arms off at any given moment or toss me into a heaping sack of broken bones...the jumps are seriously big nowadays....
cmotodad
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Yorba Linda, CA, USA
12/24/2015 12:23pm
59 and still in the trenches doing construction work. (concrete and masonry). Occasional mtb rides and track ride at least once a week. 2stroke 250, a 450 and a KX500 conversion. Like to win for sure but really enjoy riding and beating up on some of my 28 yr. old sons riding buddies. Staying active is the key and stretching when time permits.
1
#76
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622
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Location
GB
12/24/2015 2:57pm
Really interesting reading all this guys, I'm 39 and have Asthma, have had various surgery here and there, pins and screws in wrist, worst was shoulder rotator and cuff repair, now looking at the same op for my right hip with impingement!, been trying a few different training ideas and have settled into a weights & eliptical combo, not hearing much about anyone else using an eliptical really?, I was using a treadmill but this brought on all my hip problems, wasn't the treadmill itself, just bad timing and the "knuckle' bone growth on my hip ball tore it all up in there but the damage was done, so this is why I chose, after some reading, an eliptical machine for some cardio, non impact. A rower for me was out as at full crunch up my impingement was a nightmare pain.

Anyways, going to try my best for 2016 racing until the operation date comes through!, good old NHS, Merry Xmas from the U.K. Dudes & keep up the good work!.
1
PADDY'S LAD
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Newbury Park, CA, USA
12/24/2015 4:22pm Edited Date/Time 12/24/2015 4:42pm
I'm 57 three hip replacements I eat well and ride / race as much as I can. My speed isn't what it used to be and I'm good with that. I ride at about 75% speed and my focus is on throttle control and being fluid on the bike and riding within my limits. In my very humble opinion, there is no substitute for actual time on the bike. It makes us more proficient and less prone to making silly mistakes. Merry Chrismas & happy holidays.Pat
1
Nom DeGuerre
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173
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Location
Cheyenne, WY, USA
12/24/2015 6:06pm
stretching/flexibility is paramount, prevents many injuries. Yoga, even beginner stuff is a workout and helps breathing as well.
Spartacus
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USA
12/26/2015 6:26am Edited Date/Time 12/26/2015 7:35am
I get it but I don't get it......throwing in the towel in mid life and just accepting "I'm going to be fat and out of shape" mentality.

I guess it how you're raised and the culture you live/believe in. I grew up in a very outdoor active area and seems like I've been training for one sport or another for my entire life. I worked as a trainer for both Golds and World gym and was a snow ski coach for 15 years.

I LOVE to train and eat clean (most of the time). The benefits far out weigh (to me) the work/trouble and suffering of that hard work. Racing bicycles (road/CX) off and on through much of my adult life, I thought I was "fit". The doctors thought I was really "fit" but in reality I was fit for racing bicycles, I had very little over-all fitness. I though play riding and an occasional MX race was enough.

Only when I started a much more well rounded approach did I realize just how crappy shape you can be in despite 100 mile/10,000' of climbing training rides! Additionally I found a life time of injuries and poor movement patterns had severely comprised my flexibility and mobility. I felt great in the "box" of my every day movement but couldn't move worth a shit outside that box.

That's all changed now., at almost 59 I've have vastly better mobility and overall functional strength than I've had since my early 40's.

I can't run as fast, jump as high, lift as much and ride as fast as I could when I was much younger but that doesn't mean I don't want to be the best I can today.

Slumped in a chair watching the TV while eating crap, not able to bend over and tie my shoes (or see my dick) because my gut is so big isn't for me. There is still SO much bad information about nutrition/fitness in the main stream it's amazing. I had a PT just last year tell me that "squatting with weight was bad for your knees" and then proceed to tell me you start a squat by "pushing your knees forward!" And the latest from the WHO that meat is like a cigarette....an observational study with no controls. Great info!

Stay fit, eat clean (most of the time) learn to move properly and you won't be "wearing out" like everyone else is. Hint: your feet are suppose to point FORWARD not out to the side like a duck. And people wonder why their knees hurt......

Or not, the choice is yours.



2
Spartacus
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2269
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Location
USA
12/26/2015 6:32am
Part of our home gym.

Steve125
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1414
Joined
11/24/2010
Location
USA
12/26/2015 7:43am Edited Date/Time 12/26/2015 7:52am
I am NOT a doctor or trainer so results may vary but...
this is what worked for me...I'm 49 and eligible for the 50+ class this year.
5000 meters in about 24 minutes on a rowing machine 3 times a week plus 30 minutes on a low impact elliptical machine 3 times a week. Get your heart rate to around 150 but no more than that.
I've been doing that all year but unfortunately hadn't ridden a bike for 5 months. After 2, get comfortable on the bike, riding practices I went to Southwick a couple weeks ago and did 3 decent 23+ minute practice motos without any arm pump or breathing problems. It really surprised me.
Good luck.
1
12/26/2015 7:58am
You can lose 130lbs and get faster by getting divorced.
3
kkawboy14
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11486
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Location
USA
12/26/2015 8:35am
You can lose 130lbs and get faster by getting divorced.
Ha
sandman768
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8203
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Location
Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
12/26/2015 8:41am
Spartacus wrote:
I get it but I don't get it......throwing in the towel in mid life and just accepting "I'm going to be fat and out of shape"...
I get it but I don't get it......throwing in the towel in mid life and just accepting "I'm going to be fat and out of shape" mentality.

I guess it how you're raised and the culture you live/believe in. I grew up in a very outdoor active area and seems like I've been training for one sport or another for my entire life. I worked as a trainer for both Golds and World gym and was a snow ski coach for 15 years.

I LOVE to train and eat clean (most of the time). The benefits far out weigh (to me) the work/trouble and suffering of that hard work. Racing bicycles (road/CX) off and on through much of my adult life, I thought I was "fit". The doctors thought I was really "fit" but in reality I was fit for racing bicycles, I had very little over-all fitness. I though play riding and an occasional MX race was enough.

Only when I started a much more well rounded approach did I realize just how crappy shape you can be in despite 100 mile/10,000' of climbing training rides! Additionally I found a life time of injuries and poor movement patterns had severely comprised my flexibility and mobility. I felt great in the "box" of my every day movement but couldn't move worth a shit outside that box.

That's all changed now., at almost 59 I've have vastly better mobility and overall functional strength than I've had since my early 40's.

I can't run as fast, jump as high, lift as much and ride as fast as I could when I was much younger but that doesn't mean I don't want to be the best I can today.

Slumped in a chair watching the TV while eating crap, not able to bend over and tie my shoes (or see my dick) because my gut is so big isn't for me. There is still SO much bad information about nutrition/fitness in the main stream it's amazing. I had a PT just last year tell me that "squatting with weight was bad for your knees" and then proceed to tell me you start a squat by "pushing your knees forward!" And the latest from the WHO that meat is like a cigarette....an observational study with no controls. Great info!

Stay fit, eat clean (most of the time) learn to move properly and you won't be "wearing out" like everyone else is. Hint: your feet are suppose to point FORWARD not out to the side like a duck. And people wonder why their knees hurt......

Or not, the choice is yours.



Well said .I pretty much agree, I have been cross training all my life, could not stop if I wanted to, stress reliever for me, also creates confidence based on hard work, not arrogance. I never had much natural talent on the bike, what I have achieved has been from grinding away and never quitting. Nice gym, in the process of finishing up my new home gym. Debating what floor to use, I have thick rubber horse stall mats I"m trying out, bought at Tractor Supply, is that what you have on the floor? I"m concerned about the smell, my gym is in my finished basement, don't want a heavy rubber smell in my house....
1
FGR01
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6139
Joined
10/1/2006
Location
USA
Fantasy
12/26/2015 10:57am
I ride road and MTB a bunch. It works great because I don't really consider it exercise. I just like doing it. I can leave right from my house so I don't have to load up and go anywhere. This makes it easy to fit into a busy schedule. The best exercise is the exercise you will actually do. Consistent cardio is the number one important aspect of fitness as you get older. The truth is 90% of folks over 50 in the USA could do themselves a major favor by just walking a few laps around the block 3 times a week. No gym membership required.

For those of you that ride bike, if you are on Strava join the Vital club. https://www.strava.com/clubs/vitalmx
1
plowboy
Posts
14703
Joined
1/3/2010
Location
Norwich, KS, USA
12/26/2015 1:03pm
Training? At 57...all of it hard work/play...I follow the example of those that came before me. Cheater bikes and treachery are time honored/Proven techniques that I highly endorse.
12/26/2015 1:06pm
FGR01 wrote:
I ride road and MTB a bunch. It works great because I don't really consider it exercise. I just like doing it. I can leave right...
I ride road and MTB a bunch. It works great because I don't really consider it exercise. I just like doing it. I can leave right from my house so I don't have to load up and go anywhere. This makes it easy to fit into a busy schedule. The best exercise is the exercise you will actually do. Consistent cardio is the number one important aspect of fitness as you get older. The truth is 90% of folks over 50 in the USA could do themselves a major favor by just walking a few laps around the block 3 times a week. No gym membership required.

For those of you that ride bike, if you are on Strava join the Vital club. https://www.strava.com/clubs/vitalmx
Joined the VitalMX MTB club a few months back...roadies welcome. Been off the bicycle for 2 months...got back on for a short spin yesterday. Was fantastic to pedal again. The only bummer is the current Strava version doesn't work with Bluetooth 2.0 sensors, which is what I have. Had to go back to v4.63.
1

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