Hey guys, it’s Clark Bartram here and I’m with a new friend and client, Joe Barlam. Today, I’m going to teach him how to make the most out of his time in the gym.
Joe had an athletic background in his past and played a lot of sports… And still does. However, once he hit 40, things just sort of changed. He still plays in a bar softball league and exercises regularly, however it hasn’t really been enough to keep the belly fat off.
So what I want to do with Joe today is show him how to make the most out of his time here in the gym, not wasting time doing exercises that won’t be benefitting him, and make sure that the exercises he’s doing are going to keep him safe and functionally fit so he can continue to do them long after he’s done here.
What we do here at Abs After 40 is use our program to maximize your time in the gym. Who really wants to spend over an hour in the gym? I can get you in and out of the gym in 20 minutes using compound movements that can still change your body and physique, keep you functional, and help you get that stubborn belly fat off.
Compound movements, in case you didn’t know, are the opposite of isolation movements. Compound movements involve using more than one muscle group. So instead of a bicep curl, you would do a pull-up. The bicep curl only uses your bicep, while the pull up involves a lot of different muscles from the back and also the arms.
Before starting any exercise program, of course, make sure you’re being safe and make sure you consult your physician beforehand.
Workout Breakdown:
5:56 – Deadlift Demonstration: Walk to the bar. Stand with your mid-foot under the bar. Don’t touch it with your shins yet. Bend over and grab the bar with your hands directly outside of your legs. Legs should be about shoulder/hip width apart. Bend your knees. Keep going until your shins touch the bar and your butt comes down. Lift your chest. Straighten your back, and Pull straight up, pushing your heels and midfoot into the ground. You should end up standing completely straight with chest up, shoulders back, and legs straight.
10:49 – Squat Push Press Demonstration: Using a shorter bar, we’re going to pick it up and put it in a position where it’s basically resting on our chest, but also your hands underneath it will support it. With Legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart, you will start the movement. From here, you’re just going to drop your butt straight down, pushing your knees to the outside of your body (never let them dip inward) and once you reach the bottom of the squat (your hips should end up below your knees but this may not work for some people, so you don’t have to go that low), powerfully push yourself back to standing while also pressing the barbell above your head. Make sure to always keep good posture during this movement, keeping your abs tight and your chest up. From the top of the position, just slowly lower the barbell back down and go into your next repetition, squatting down again.
12:50 – Joe’s attempt, additional coaching. Make sure to keep your weight in your heels and the middle of the foot rather than the toes. This movement is great because we’re working just about every muscle in the body, from the legs, arms, shoulders, and core for stabilization.
15:07 – Second Set/attempts.
17:40 – Lunge-Curl Demonstration: Stand holding a light dumbbell in each hand and step forward into a lunge with your left leg (lower your body until your right knee nearly touches the floor). At the bottom of the lunge, curl those dumbbells up, and lower them as you push yourself back to the starting position. Make sure that as you lunge, your bent knee stays behind the toe (of the leg that you are stepping forward with).
20:17 – Joe’s Demonstration of the Lunge-Curl.
I want to note that Joe wasn’t using any crazy heavy weights. Let’s remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day and the first thing we need to do is make sure we’re getting the movement correct first – then we can increase the weight and continue working on the strength.
You absolutely need to take things slowly and avoid getting hurt, because getting injured by having a big ego is just going to set you back further in approaching your goals.
And to all the guys out there – We’re here anytime you need us. All you’ve gotta do is subscribe and follow along… You can also change your body the way Joe is going to.
Thanks for stopping by today and checking out this workout, and until next time…. This is Abs After 40, I’m Clark and this is Joe!
Have a great day!
Clark B
How Men Over 40 Get Abs: http://go2.sixpackshortcuts.com/SH2VN