Over 40 martial artists / HIIT /Crossfit junkies

DarkDogZA

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Just wondering if there are any over 40s still doing martial arts etc? I see so few of around at the moment

How often do you train? 2 HIIT sessions, 1 weights session and 2 martial arts classes a week

What is your recovery strategy? Extra magnesium and vitamin D, dedicated mobility / stretch session and watch the diet a lot more
 
Just wondering if there are any over 40s still doing martial arts etc? I see so few of around at the moment

How often do you train? 2 HIIT sessions, 1 weights session and 2 martial arts classes a week

What is your recovery strategy? Extra magnesium and vitamin D, dedicated mobility / stretch session and watch the diet a lot more
I don't train any more, although I still think about karate every day.
Had a 10 year break from karate due to shift work, moving away, starting a family. Tried to go back to it but between my curved spine, 3 herniated discs and not stretching for 10 years, I've lost all my speed and flexibility and the hips are seized. I tried going back to it at all new place, after a couple of months they awarded me my 1st Dan again but had to give it up after a couple of years because of the hips. An hour's karate meant I couldn't walk properly for 2 days.

Do gym now and can manage the weights and skipping HIIT for skipping and running etc.
Can't stop myself from trying to "help" the kids with their karate...
 
Oh man, ouch. I am trying to keep at it for as long as possible, work/family aside.
 
Oh man, ouch. I am trying to keep at it for as long as possible, work/family aside.
Keep at it brother, don't let even one excuse allow you to miss a session. Make it so much easier to excuse out of the next one then the next one etc..

I still miss it so much but not being able to do what I used to is really upsetting!
 
Did kickboxing for 10 years, stopped 3 years ago due to too many other commitments ( work and family ) so gave it up, regretted for ages, but have since found running and.

Stopped when I was 44 and at the time was training 5 nights a week for 1.5 to 2 hours per night , that said my bosses used to frown at the black eyes :)
 
Hi, I'm 47 and exercise 4 times a week...

typical routine -
monday
1 hours kettlebell class with a mixture of running, kettlebell (upto 24kg now), and body weigh exercises

wednesday
gym (push) - 36kg dumbbell benchpress, cable flyes, cable side raises, rear delt raises, 80 kettlebell presses @ 20kg in 5 minutes (5 each arm then keep swapping arms), various tricep exercises (normally with cables etc), the finish off with 10x8 proper burpees

thursday
gym (pull) - deadlifts (upto 130kg), rows, pullups / lat pulldowns, 10 x 10 24kg kettlebell swings alternating with 5 cleans per arm, then some bicep work

friday
gym (legs) - 20 bodyweight squats, legpress's, 5x20 lunges with 20kg kettlebell, 10x10 box jumps (on a normal height weight bench), then a bit of cardio - currently skipping 4-500.

:)
 
Hi, I'm 47 and exercise 4 times a week...

typical routine -
monday
1 hours kettlebell class with a mixture of running, kettlebell (upto 24kg now), and body weigh exercises

wednesday
gym (push) - 36kg dumbbell benchpress, cable flyes, cable side raises, rear delt raises, 80 kettlebell presses @ 20kg in 5 minutes (5 each arm then keep swapping arms), various tricep exercises (normally with cables etc), the finish off with 10x8 proper burpees

thursday
gym (pull) - deadlifts (upto 130kg), rows, pullups / lat pulldowns, 10 x 10 24kg kettlebell swings alternating with 5 cleans per arm, then some bicep work

friday
gym (legs) - 20 bodyweight squats, legpress's, 5x20 lunges with 20kg kettlebell, 10x10 box jumps (on a normal height weight bench), then a bit of cardio - currently skipping 4-500.

:)
Overachiever...[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
 
ha, I wish.. :)
 
I'm 45 and do Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) 4 times a week and when I'm not doing BJJ I'm in the Gym.
Currently my training looks like this

Monday Lunch Gym
Monday evening BJJ 2 hours
Tuesday Lunch BJJ 1 hour
Wednesday Lunch Gym
Thursday Lunch BJJ 1 hour
Friday Lunch BJJ 1 hour.

Every other week I drop a Lunchtime BJJ session and do an extra Gym session.
I have weekends off to recover :)

I ache a lot, especially as each class ends with around 30 minutes of full on sparring. All I take are protein shakes and Magnesium but eat reasonably healthily.

Before I took up BJJ I did Judo for many years and before that Kung Fu and Karate. I've been doing some form of martial arts for the best part of 36 years.
 
I actually stopped BJJ in my 30s because I found the required training eating into too much of my personal time :(. If you guys are interested, there are dedicated facebook groups for over 40s BJJ, martial arts and Fitness (3 groups). Some very inspirational stories there
 
I actually stopped BJJ in my 30s because I found the required training eating into too much of my personal time :(. If you guys are interested, there are dedicated facebook groups for over 40s BJJ, martial arts and Fitness (3 groups). Some very inspirational stories there
I get my fix from BJJ Underground. Us oldies seem to gravitate towards each other on there.
I know what you mean about BJJ training eating in to personal time. If I couldn't do lunch times classes I'm not sure id bother as BJJ is expensive if you only train once a week
 
So, because of this thread I can't stop thinking about training. I've always done karate but I've also done a bit of jujitsu and some other things but I keep thinking about going back to jujitsu or maybe even MMA. I know it would be hard but it would surely be easier than 10s of thousands of kicks to the air causing carnage to my knees and hips... (Or that's my twisted logic anyway)...

So that said, I've started stretching out again several times a week. Legs forward and up aren't too bad but sideways is pretty nasty. Anything above hip height was painful and simply wasn't happening.

Today, after the gym work I set about stretching again. Working on the splits as that is the least mobility I have. And suddenly instead of being knee height off the floor, I was mid shin height! I think it might actually start coming back! I'm not saying I'll get back to holding my foot 6ft up the air, but if I can get a side or roundhouse kick back up to head height then I'm back in business!

Just a shame it's so uncomfortable to try to improve this way!
 
I have irritatingly managed to irritate a nerve in my neck so forced to take a three month break. The classical sparing position was not helping things so I am currently mixing physio with some postural exercises.

Have you looked at some of Thomas Kurz's notes on stretching? I have been trying to take a few pages from his dynamic stretching and it certainly makes a difference. My side mobility is still terrible but it has gotten better. My particular school does not focus too much on high kicks and includes a fair bit of grappling.

I already miss training it has already just been a few weeks.
 
I have irritatingly managed to irritate a nerve in my neck so forced to take a three month break. The classical sparing position was not helping things so I am currently mixing physio with some postural exercises.

Have you looked at some of Thomas Kurz's notes on stretching? I have been trying to take a few pages from his dynamic stretching and it certainly makes a difference. My side mobility is still terrible but it has gotten better. My particular school does not focus too much on high kicks and includes a fair bit of grappling.

I already miss training it has already just been a few weeks.

Hope you get your neck fixed up soon.
You've just reminded me, I've actually got several books on stretching, which I'd forgotten all about. Including Scientific Stretching by Thomas Kurz, Supple Leopard by Kelly Starret and several others, all up in the loft... Guess where I'm going tomorrow...[emoji16]
 
Thank you, my physio has talked me into going to Yoga and Pilates :O. I actually have the Thomas Kurz book on my kindle.
 
Thank you, my physio has talked me into going to Yoga and Pilates :O. I actually have the Thomas Kurz book on my kindle.
I'm sure yoga and pilates (yoga with resistance?) Will be great for you, but I'm not sure it'll do much for your neck!
Maybe Sports massage or physio?

Ice it, 20 mins on, 20 mins off for a few sets and then gentle neck movements...
 
It was actually my physio who suggested that I do both. Part of the neck issue is driven by postural weakness in my upper back + tightness in the chest. The proverbial desk syndrome. I am actually avoiding anything that bends the neck forward.
 
So, because of this thread I can't stop thinking about training. I've always done karate but I've also done a bit of jujitsu and some other things but I keep thinking about going back to jujitsu or maybe even MMA. I know it would be hard but it would surely be easier than 10s of thousands of kicks to the air causing carnage to my knees and hips... (Or that's my twisted logic anyway)...

So that said, I've started stretching out again several times a week. Legs forward and up aren't too bad but sideways is pretty nasty. Anything above hip height was painful and simply wasn't happening.

Today, after the gym work I set about stretching again. Working on the splits as that is the least mobility I have. And suddenly instead of being knee height off the floor, I was mid shin height! I think it might actually start coming back! I'm not saying I'll get back to holding my foot 6ft up the air, but if I can get a side or roundhouse kick back up to head height then I'm back in business!

Just a shame it's so uncomfortable to try to improve this way!
Japanese Ju Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
 
I haven't done anything for over a month (my longest hiatus for ages!) with having flu and bad weather etc... so, kettlebell class will be interesting tonight..!
 
41 in April. Black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing.

Train everyday except Wednesday and Sunday.
 
I haven't done anything for over a month (my longest hiatus for ages!) with having flu and bad weather etc... so, kettlebell class will be interesting tonight..!
So... How was it?
 
So... How was it?

very hard as expected, but fun... we didn't really have a break for 45 minutes after the warmup..(apart from when I grabbed the odd 10 seconds here and there..)..

I started off with the 24kg - but dropped to the 20kg towards the end, but happy tho :)
 

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