Old timer Not Ready to Retire Just yet. Advise needed for Cardio And S&C Fitness

ConnKib30

Hi All.

I am hoping someone could give me advise on this, I am a 35 year old male playing some Junior hurling football / soccer, I would like to play on for a few more years really actually one would do!! but its getting harder every year and plus the modern game now has changed to complete S&C conditioning plus also young lads playing junior don't help the old legs either!! I was never the fitessed but I got by in training and games but this year is different. I have gone back to square 1 in the fitness. Im now 15.5 stone well overweight and slow.

Really unfortunately you could write this year off ( Covid 19 ) because everything is going to be rushed and as soon as the gaa starts it could be over for clubs knocked out etc.i am training at the moment for my local teams but I haven't a hope of making it this year, and I suppose after all the years playing I don't want to retire like this, so I am looking at the next few months over the winter to build up some fitness. and give it one hell of a shot for next year even if it was to be my last one.
I have a full home gym setup. Squat rack bench Olympic plates & weights Rower Dummbells Bike,kettlebells Everything really.

To be honest hardly ever used. I have a local Running track a few miles from home plus I live in the countryside so there are plenty road and hills nearby too so I have no excuses really.

Im not looking to look like them fitness models at all, just looking to loose some weight and have the fitness to last 60 mins in a game, and so be it if I don't make the team but even if the management can look at me and say I can offer something to put me on.

So if anyone could give me advise on maybe a sample week of training etc.
I properly will start a couch to 5k training plan and build from that. would that be a good idea?? Sprinting sessions maybe too??

Should I do all cardio first for a few months or should I do both cardio/weights to loose the weight.

I know as I write this that I am not coming across as I had it thought out in my head of what I wanted to say. But I hope ye get what I am trying to say.

Again any advise would be really greatly accepted.

Thanking ye All.....

Cill94

Jaysus 35 is hardly an old timer!

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058096816

Alf Veedersane

Basically it just sounds like you want to get in better shape (lose weight) and improve fitness and also strength for next season. So you got it across just fine.

First things first: sort out your diet. Training alone won't trim you down. The more you're carrying, the slower you will be and the harder it is to carry around more weight.

Couch to 5k is fine if 5k is a long way off what you're able to do now. But either way, you need to build a base of aerobic fitness. Then layer in the hill runs/sprints/interval training to build anaerobic capacity but build aerobic capacity by increasing the mileage first.

The resistance training will be important as well. Just keep it simple though and make sure your striking a good balance with it and the running so you dont end up in a situation where they both have a negative impact on each other. You want to provide a stimulus so that your body holds onto muscle when you're losing weight so make site you incorporate it into training from the start.

And lose the mindset that you're an old timer - makes you sound decrepit. You're well capable once you put on the work on diet and training. I was when I was your age :pac:

Kevhog1988

Im 32 and in the same boat as yourself op. Weve a serious junior team this year but im continuing to train twice a week with them and doing my own bit to hopefully be able to give them 10 minutes when needed. Im doing about 60/80k per week on the bike and training twice with the team. My issue us the running rather than the strength/skill etc to play ball. Id be interested to follow your progress etc and hopefully get some ideas for myself.

BTW very jealous about the home gym!! i had been using the club one but its shut due to covid.

One thing i learned from a guy called coach colm on youtube was that if you attend a match with the team and dont get game time you need to add an additional hour of effort to your training to match the lads actually playing.

Jayesdiem

Cill94 wrote: »

Jaysus 35 is hardly an old timer!

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058096816

Ah relatively speaking in the sports world it is but let me tell you - I’m 38 and at GAA training am still keeping up with the 25 year olds because I had a good go of it during lockdown and stayed light and strong. Aside from that, your mindset is important. Chronologically, you might be older but physiologically, there are actually very few reasons why you should not keep up with the young ones or even thrive. For example, even without resistance training, muscle mass should not see any appreciable decrease until after the age of 50. Keep things up in the gym as you have been, and you kick this can even further down the road to your advantage. Aerobic capacity, assuming you don’t smoke like a trooper, should pretty much be the same now, give or take a percent, as when you were a sprightly kid. It’s my opinion that the slowing down of athletes in their 30s is influenced more by the accumulated wear and tear on their bodies and the negative mindset that “they should retire” than it is by any real physiological change which, though present, can be minimal or even non existent if you maintain training.

Kevhog1988

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx6KOYEvDnA

Video i spoke about in my post yesterday.

Best of Luck again OP.