Entrenamiento cíclico para mujeres según su edad

Cyclic training for women according to their age

Cycle training for women according to their age

“A woman has needs,” my grandmother used to say.  And I believe that in order to be able to function in this world that requires super moms, super executives, super businesswomen, super students, super wives and more, the main need we have is to feel good about ourselves.

Feeling healthy, strong, agile, flexible and with all the energy to take on the demands of each day is provided by healthy habits such as exercise.  So today, we are going to review the types of exercises and/or appropriate training, according to age.

 

Our training is hormonal

The state of our endocrine system is an unequivocal indicator of the type of exercise or rest we need.  From adolescence to menopause, hormones play a very important role in the way we perform, whether in school, work, intimate life, family life and more. 

We recently mentioned cycle training, which I am going to mention here and which can be applied to each of the age groups to which a woman may currently belong.

If you are a beginner or have not exercised for a while, it is recommended that you start the first month by adapting to it by training your entire body every day you go to train.  This is assuming you attend 3 or 4 times per week.

During that first month of adaptation, you would go to the gym to do 1 set of 20 or 2 sets of 20 repetitions. I would do between twelve (12) and fifteen (15) exercises that cover all muscle groups, that is, about 4 leg and glute exercises, 4 for back and chest; 4 for shoulders and arms, plus abdominals and stretching.

After that month, you would fall into the category of training by muscle groups, so that each muscle group has enough recovery time, but be careful because this is where the cycles are applied and you can see it in the following table.

TABLE 1

Week 1

Day

Muscle group

Series

 

Monday

Glutes and legs

20-20

Wednesday

Chest and back

20-20

Friday

Shoulders and arms

20-20

This week you would do about 10-12 exercises for the corresponding muscle group each day, plus sit-ups and stretching. (This is a calculation for 1 hour or 1.5 hours of training).

 

Week 2

Day

Muscle group

Series

 

Monday

Glutes and legs

20-15

Wednesday

Chest and back

20-15

Friday

Shoulders and arms

20-15

This week you could again do about 10 exercises corresponding to the muscle group of each day and also add abdominal exercises and stretching.

 

Week 3

Day

Muscle group

Series

 

Monday

Glutes and legs

12-15-10

Wednesday

Chest and back

12-15-10

Friday

Arms and shoulders

12-15-10

This week, since there are more sets, you would do about 8 exercises depending on the muscle group you work each day.  Adding, in addition, abdominal exercises and a stretching session.

 

Week 4

Day

Muscle group

Series

 

Monday

Glutes and legs

12-10-8

Wednesday

Chest and back

12-10-8

Friday

Arms and shoulders

12-10-8

This week you would train with heavier weights, where the last three reps of each set would be quite difficult to perform.  I would do 6-8 exercises depending on the muscle group I am working that day and add in some crunches and stretching.

 

Activities that are more specifically suitable for the age group and hormonal situation being experienced

Adolescence

This is a time when many bodily changes are taking place, so it is a time when it is worth exploring and getting familiar with that new body. Although strength training with weights is acceptable, prioritizing cardiovascular endurance exercises such as running, jumping rope, cycling and/or swimming lays a solid cardio-respiratory foundation. Likewise, dynamic yoga, to get familiar with your limbs, your flexibility and experimenting with inverted postures where you get to know and work with your own body weight.

Young athletes can benefit from strength training of course, using controlled movements provided by machines in the gym or with the aid of bands and dumbbells, under the supervision of a trainer.

The cycle training in Table 1 can be easily followed by emphasizing the specificities I mentioned for adolescence, as well as some weighted strength exercises to consolidate good posture.  Some examples are

Dead weight

Good morning

Sissy squat

Bulgarian scissors

Push ups

Triceps Dips

Glute raises from the floor or with your back supported on a bench

Pull ups

Adult women 20-50 years

For some older women, their period may go almost unnoticed and would not interfere with how they want to organize their training.  However, for others, PMS and menstrual days can significantly impact all of their daily activities.

In order for your training to produce the results you are looking for, training with the hormonal changes that occur during this time in mind can facilitate this process, as well as help you better understand your body.

Plan your training taking into account your lunar cycle

Some research indicates that strength training during the follicular phase, that is, the two weeks following the moon or menstruation, are conducive to increasing strength compared to the luteal phase, the days that correspond to the arrival and duration of menstruation.

In the hormonal field, estrogen is highest during the follicular phase, which has a positive effect on mood, energy and physical strength.  These elevated estrogen levels also facilitate good recovery.

Let's say that week 1 according to the Table, would correspond to your moon or menstruation time and whose symptoms could last until the middle of week 2.  From this point on you feel stronger and quite energetic, including week 3 and possibly even the beginning or middle of week 4.

Towards the end of week 4 you may start to experience the bloating that accompanies your period and some PMS symptoms. We see a shift in hormones that can increase the chance of injury due to changes in ligament laxity. During this time it is important to pay special attention to warming up before training and flexibility exercises at the end of training.

Recommendations:

  • During the time of the moon or menstruation, avoid inverted yoga postures as in some people they can cause uncomfortable symptoms or aggravate pain.
  • Stay well hydrated. Sometimes it is difficult to drink enough water, but broths like consommé hydrate the baby, keep it warm and provide some electrolytes.
  • It is advisable to take electrolytes, especially those containing a good concentration of potassium.

 

Training for women during menopause and beyond

It's never too late to start exercising.  The key is to start little by little and do activities that motivate you, such as walking, cycling, swimming or other activities.

As with other groups, strength and cycle training can work very well for you because in addition to toning your body, lifting weights strengthens your bone system and prevents sarcopenia, which is the deterioration of skeletal muscle as a result of aging.  Just like in adolescence, the body is changing, but above all, internally and there would be greater hormonal sensitivity, especially with regard to cortisol production, while estrogen production decreases significantly.

In general, an exercise program for postmenopausal women should include resistance (aerobic) exercises, strength exercises, and balance exercises. Of these, cardiorespiratory, weight-bearing, and resistance exercises are effective in increasing spinal bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

A specific weight training plan such as the one mentioned in Table 1 is effective three days a week (on alternate days). Exercise for all muscle groups should be performed in rotation, preferably under the supervision of a trainer. On the remaining days of the week, fast walking at a speed of five to six kilometers per hour, cycling, or treadmill training can be practiced.

Recommendations:

  • Remember to start with a warm-up to help reduce soreness from previous workouts. After training, deep breathing exercises, yoga and stretching can help manage life stress and symptoms related to menopause.
  • If you have early onset osteoporosis, you should not engage in high-impact aerobic exercise or activities where a fall is likely, such as exercising on slippery floors or step aerobics. Activities that require repeated or forceful bending of the trunk, such as squats or toe touches, should also be avoided because of the increased loads placed on the spine during such activities that may lead to a spinal fracture.
  • Certain medical conditions absolutely advise against exercise. These conditions include:
  1. Recent changes in electrocardiogram or recent myocardial infarction
  2. Uncontrolled arrhythmia
  3. Unstable angina
  4. Third degree heart block
  5. Acute progressive heart failure
  • There are other conditions that would contraindicate exercise on a case-by-case basis, and should not be undertaken unless medically approved. These conditions include:
  1. High blood pressure
  2. Cardiomyopathy
  3. Valvular heart disease
  4. Complex ventricular ectopy
  5. Uncontrolled metabolic disease.

Women can enjoy a good quality of life even after menopause and without using hormone therapy.

  Research indicates that women who undertake an exercise program benefit by maintaining a healthy body, bone density levels, and good mental health. Osteoporosis, the biggest ailment of older women, can be kept under control with exercise. Even a moderate exercise program can not only keep body weight stable, but also reduce the risk of stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which tend to appear in abundance during and after menopause. 

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